European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 20, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a the stars and stripes monday april 20,1992 Federal officials to reopen rejected disability claims by Robert Pear the new York times Washington a reversing one of the most widely criticized policies of the Reagan administration Federal officials have agreed to reopen tens of thousands of cases in which the government denied benefits to people who said they could not work because of mental or physical disabilities. People who prove they were wrongly denied benefits could receive substantial Back payments anywhere from $3,000 a year to More than $6,000 a year for up to 4vi years of missed benefits. The new policy is set Forth in the proposed settlement of a lawsuit involving More than 200,000 people in new York state. Although the settlement applies Only to new York residents lawyers said it Shoula set a pattern for government conduct in other parts of the country. The settlement affects those who were denied benefits at any Point in the 11 years since the Reagan and engage in any paid to people tial gainful  the administration said its Campaign was required under a 1980 Law and was essential to control the Cost of the rapidly growing disability program. The government contended that Many beneficiaries were Able to work even though courts later found that thousands were helpless because of severe physical or mental problems. The Reagan administrations efforts to purge the so Cial Security Rolls produced a flood of lawsuits and Many judges ruled against the government. For example the . District court in Minnesota said in 1984 Quot claimants who lose or Are denied benefits face foreclosure proceedings on their Homes suffer Utility cutoffs and find it difficult to Purchase food. They go without medication and doctors care they lose their medical insurance. They even die from the very disabilities the Agency denies they  under the proposed settlement the social Security administration will instruct its employees that they must follow any decisions issued in the past or in the future by the . Court of appeals for the 2nd circuit in new York even if they disagree with them. The circuit court has issued at least 75 opinions describing the standards and procedures to be used in deciding whether people Are entitled to disability benefits. The government has disregarded Many of those rulings. If the settlement is approved As lawyers on both sides recommend the government will Send out letters offering to re examine the claims of More than 200,000 people in next a York state who have been denied disability benefits since oct. 1,1981. People found to be disabled can get up to 4vi years of past benefits in addition to regular benefits in the future. Monthly payments now average $590 for a disabled worker and $165 for a spouse or a child. Benefits Are increased each year to reflect changes in the Cost of living. Last leak plugged in Chicago to shirt Vendor Matthew Cooper is Quick to capitalize on the flooding of Chicago Sloop. He a Selling shirts that read a i survived the Chicago  Chicago up a Crews on saturday night finished plugging the last of three holes in a Tunnel that ruptured and flooded downtown Chicago with millions of Gallons of River water in the City a worst disaster in More than 100 years. Workers toiled throughout the Day to Seal the leaks. Work wound up later saturday night As Crews poured about 10 truckloads of Cement into the West Side of the Chicago River. A a in a Happy its Over at least this portion a said John Kenney or Kenney construction which is leading the Effort to plug the River leaks. Kenney said his Crews were to Grout the Concrete filled areas sunday but he added that it would be several Days before the Concrete set. It wont be known a for sure until then if the seals Are watertight Kenney said. The Tunnel a 40-mile labyrinth beneath the City was ruptured last monday by a piling. An estimated 250 million Gallons of River water were sent coursing through the underground network and flooded downtown basements. The area was evacuated and electrical Power shut off. Damage is expected to exceed $1 billion. Now that workers have finished plugging the leaks attention will turn to draining water from the network of 7-foot-High tunnels under the Loop a process that could take weeks. Meanwhile the City a department of planning and development said it was working to make sure flood affected firms would be Back in business As soon As possible. A number of businesses moved into temporary quarters Over the weekend. The department said it would establish a special Telephone line today to take Calls from affected businesses. Husband burned after eating chocolate Bunny Santa Ana Calif. Up a an elderly woman has been arrested for setting her husband on fire after he ate her chocolate easter Bunny police said. June Carter 71, was held on $250,000 bail at the Orange county jail for attempted murder said Santa Ana police it. Robert Helton. Her husband Paul Franklin Carter 62, was listed in Good condition at the University of California Irvine medical Center. Carter who surfers from lung cancer received third degree bums Over 27 percent of his upper body said Don wild a Burn unit nurse. A a he a awake and Alert a wild said. Helton said june Carter had brought Home Candy and other foods for herself in the past. However her husband who is barely Able to walk would eat the foods before she could get to them he said. Although the couple had fought Over food Severa times in the past Helton said june Carter apparent had enough thursday night when she discovered Hei husband had eaten the chocolate Bunny. A she got so mad she decided to set him on fire a Helton said. June Carter poured rubbing alcohol on her husband lit a match and left the House to go shopping Heitor said. At about 1 30 . Friday she called for an ambulance because her husband was in such great pain Helton said. Rescue workers called the police who arrested the wife.  protesters arrested at Nevada site from wire reports Mercury Nev. A police arrested 123 anti nuclear demonstrators for trespassing saturday after they walked onto the Nevada test site As part of an easter weekend protest. The protesters were cited and released said Derek Scammell spokesman for the . Department of Energy. They were among approximately 1,000 people who set up a Campground next to the test site 65 Miles North of Las vegas. A we have one Here every year at easter. Its an annual ritual a Scammell said. Underground nuclear weapons tests Are conducted at the 1,350-Square-mile  Host Dies at 73 Lima Ohio a Veteran broadcaster easter Straker died at her Home Friday after a Long struggle with Colon cancer. She was 73. Her radio and television career spanned 51 years mostly in Lima. Most recently she had a daily show on wait am in Lima. Illness forced her retirement in september. Her programs included segments on music Medicine Art and literature. Her radio career began in 1940 with a program called Eastern a Parade on soy in Decatur 111. In 1955, she began a daily show on Lima a first television station Wima to now Olio to. Eastern a Parade was on the air 30  Van crashes fort Myers Fla. A a Van packed with migrant workers overturned after a tire blew killing the Driver and critically injuring two of 15 passengers authorities said. The group which included a Small child was headed to fort Myers after spending the Day picking tomatoes in nearby Bonita Springs. None was wearing a seat Belt authorities said. A the left Side is Cut open like a can opener a said trooper Joaquin Fundora of the Florida Highway patrol. The Driver apparently lost control when the tire blew on an interstate freeway. The Van flipped at least four times throwing nearly All of the occupants from the vehicle troopers said. The Driver was identified by relatives As Fidel Paz 24, of a Small Village in Oaxaca Mexico. A woman and a child believed to be 6 or 7 were in critical condition troopers  trash Art project fort Worth Texas a what was outdoor Art to a University student was trash to a work Crew intent on doing its Job. Shinichi Kitahara arranged his work. A about 180 Little wooden triangles a on a Grassy Hill for his senior project at Texas Christian University. But the abstract exhibit was rounded up and stacked beside a trash bin by two workers who wanted to mow the Lawn across from the health department. A the Crews evidently did no to recognize that As Art a said John dial supervisor of the Parks and recreation department Crew. A if it had been one Large sculpture in a sure that mistake would not have been  Kitahara set up the exhibit april 11. It was gone the next Day. Kitahara went on the Triangle Trail taking photographs and even making plaster casts of tire Marks. The Trail led him to a City Parks vehicle and a suspicious wooden pile. The triangles were Back in place  sentenced Orlando Fla. A an african who smuggled $100,000 Worth of heroin into the country by swallowing 87 Small pellets was sentenced to five years in prison. At Chou fila told the court that he did no to know what heroin was and agreed to the scheme in return for his own taxi to drive in lom6, Togo. In sentencing fila on thursday . District judge g. Kendall Sharp said he believed fila regretted the sentence and preferred sending him Back to Africa but he said his hands were tied by Federal sentencing guidelines. He just did no to appear to me to be the kind of person that would do this again a Sharp said