European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 6 a the stars and stripes tuesday March 24, 1992 tax funded mailings surge As 92 elections approach Washington a members of Congress a went on a franking frenzy in the last half of 1991, doubling their rate of sending taxpayer financed mailings to voters As they turned the Comer into an election year the National taxpayers Union said sunday. After spending $14.3 million in the first half of the year the House and Senate increased their mail Tab to $30.4 million in the final six months of 1991, said the group which keeps an Eye on Federal spending. The House alone spent $10.5 million in the last three weeks of the year the organization reported enough to Send upwards of 85 million pieces of mail. A with the 1992 elections around the Corner incumbents went on a franking frenzy a said nut chairman James Davidson. Davidson particularly criticized House members who Send franked mass mailings to areas that Are outside their congressional districts but where they Are running this year because of redistricting. A the Only reason for this loophole is to give political advantage to incumbents a Davidson said in a statement calling on House leaders to a Stop stalling legislation by rep. William m. Thomas r-calif., to Portland Ore. Apr a lion Tiger hybrid mauled an 11-year-old girl who put her hand inside the 400-Pound cats Cage sunday stubbornly Locking its jaws on her Arm until its owner shot it to death. Katie Leamy of Corbett underwent surgery to repair extensive muscle damage and was expected to regain full use of her Arm and hand. She tried to pet the cat during a morning visit with her parents Pat and Becky Leamy to family Friend de Winebarger who kept the hybrid known As a Liger in a Large Cage. A Katie reached in to pet the cat and the cat grabbed Beckley . Apr an 11-year-old told police her parents left her Barefoot by the Side of a Highway because she did not want to join in a suicide pact and a go with them to a they put her out with no shoes a Blanket a couple bibles and some of the mothers journals a said a Virginia state trooper . Whittemore. Candice Coopers 5-year-old brother Jacob chose to remain with their parents and was with them when they were stopped in their car and arrested saturday. A they asked the Little boy if he wanted to go with his sister or go with them to heaven. He told the parents he wanted to go with them a Whittemore said. Close the loophole. House officials have said a majority of lawmakers Are taking advantage of the Hiles to mail to non constituents. The congressional free mail budget for this election year is $80 million sharply higher than last years $45 million figure. That figure comes after action to curtail the worst abuses of the franking privilege. In 1991, the watchdog taxpayers group found free mail spending for 185 House members exceeded $108,506 a the average total Campaign budget for challengers in 1990 House elections. The organization also ranked lawmakers according to How much of their franking allocation they used in 1991. By that measure rep. Barbara Rose Collins d-mich., was the top Mailer spending $164,872. That amounted to 115 percent of her postage allowance which was $142,636. The Law allows members to into their office accounts to spend up to $25,000 More than their mailing allowances. Her Arm just like a Small dog grabs a rope a Pat Leamy said. A it was pulling and she was pulling and the girls father reached in but was unable to free her so Winebarger shot the cat once in the head killing it instantly. Pat Leamy said he was not worried when his daughter put her hand in the Cage because Winebarger also was petting the cat which had appeared docile in the past. Doug Carpenter a mul Tomah county animal control officer said Winebarger lacked a permit to hold exotic animals. Police said they did no to know where the couple were going or How they planned to commit suicide. Lome w. Cooper 27, and Cassandra Cooper 30, of Woodbridge va., were jailed sunday on charges of child abandonment and being fugitives from Justice police said. The fugitive charge came because they crossed from Virginia into West Virginia. Candice was picked up saturday by a preacher who was driving by on interstate 77 near Rocky Gap in West Virginia Whittemore said. The Coopers were arrested about nine hours later 60 Miles away on interstate 77 near Beckley. They were heading South Back toward Virginia. , 2 others charged with shoplifting gown from wire reports Prestonsburg by. An 18-year-old woman was arrested on a charge of shoplifting her bridal gown and other goods for her wedding just hours before the ceremony. She was arrested with her sister and a Man on March 14 after a supermarket manager caught them shoplifting police said. Police found the bridal dress a veil suits shirts ties White shoes apparel for a Flower girl two cushions for ring bearers a camera Ana 10 Rolls of film in the trunk of their car. The goods Worth $1,500, were allegedly stolen from at least six stores. A bridal shop clerk de Linda Huff accused the Bride Jeannie Jacobs of stuffing the $499 wedding gown beneath her Long leather coat. The three were jailed for about two hours but the wedding went on several hours later. Five others in the car including the Groom were not charged. Man Dies As stunt misfires Baltimore a a performer at a a monster truck exhibition died after fireworks strapped to his Chest blew up officials said sunday. Robert Murphy 36, was wearing a device at the show saturday designed to shoot Sparks during an intermission anti drug skit. A the night before it was sparklers that shot out of his Chest and this time it was sparklers that you could see like explode in his Chest or whatever and he fell Down a said Charles Reynolds a witness. The Impact of the blast shot a Small piece of Sheet Metal designed to act As a shield into Murphy a Chest. Murphy appeared dressed As an alien representing the evils of drugs. A robot car was to have pretended to shoot him then the Sparks would have flown from his electrocuted Man Canton Ohio a a Man was electrocuted while shaving with an electric razor a Coroner Koon 22, of Canton died Friday after he collapsed in the bathroom at his mothers House where he lived. Stark county Coroner or. James Pritchard said after an autopsy saturday that Koon was electrocuted. Pritchard said one of Koonts Brothers reported the television and lights went out for a moment before he heard Koon hit the floor. The Coroner said the Heel of a sock Koon was wearing was Developer Dies key Biscayne Fla. John c. Sheehan the scientist who developed synthetic penicillin died saturday after a Long Battle with cancer his family said. He was 76. Sheehan held More than 20 patents but the most important was ampicillin now a commonly used synthetic penicillin according to the Massachusetts Institute of technology where he was a professor emeritus. Natural penicillin which was discovered in 1928 by sir Alexander Fleming took months to generate. Sheehane a developments in the late 1950s seeded up the process greatly. In 1941, he co developed a method for making Rex a militarily important High explosive that saved the government an estimated $200 million in manufacturing hidden for 2 years Kissimmee Fla. A a live in caretaker failed to report the death of the Homes 82-year-old owner and kept his body Frozen in a Small Freezer for two years authorities said. Osceola county Deputy sheriffs found the body Friday after a tip from the caretakers Roommate. The caretaker Deborah Josh 42, was charged with failure to report a death a Misdemeanour said sheriffs Capi. Gary Pearce. The dead Many a identity was not released. Authorities said he was a German citizen. Josh told investigators the Man died of natural causes Pearce said. The caretaker moved the body at least three times after his death in an apartment Complex in Kissimmee in Central Florida. A Doug Carpenter a mul Tomah county Ore., animal control officer checks the body of the lion Tiger hybrid sunday. Big cat shot dead after mauling girl girl says suicidal parents abandoned her
