European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 8, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Thursday september 8,1994 Wii Veteran wins Appeal on radiation compensation from the associated press Washington a a Federal appeals court has overturned a decision denying compensation to an army Veteran for skin ailments he blames on radiation exposure in Japan after world War ii. The , court of appeals for the Federal circuit said tuesday that the department of Veteran affairs too narrowly interpreted a 1984 Law intended to simplify such compensation claims. The court agreed with the disabled american veterans that the radiation compensation act was meant to supplement procedures for proving disability claims not replace them. Clyde Combee a military policeman during the War arrived in Japan about two weeks after the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. He filed two claims for compensation in 1989 with the a regional office but both were denied. The Board of veterans appeals and the court of veterans appeals affirmed the denials saying his skin ailments were not among the 38 diseases named in the radiation compensation act. Sniper hits three trucks Rockford Iii. A a sniper shooting at trucks on interstate 39 injured a Driver and struck three Tissi a a. _ a ?. A David Pepper was hit in the wrist tuesday when a Bullet shattered a passenger Side window in his truck state police said. The gunfire from a Small Cantiber weapon came from Woods on a Hill West of the major North South Highway police said. Trucker Dominic Young heard a warning about the shots Over his citizens band radio a just before a Bullet slammed into his passenger door. A a in be been shot at for no reason a Young said about an hour later. A my heart right now is just beginning to slow Down a  a a third trucker called police from Madison wis., to report that his truck had also had been shot near Rockford. I thousands of bats die Sneads Fla. A nearly a Quarter of a million. Bats May have drowned when tropical storm Alberto flooded their Cave. A wildlife biologist said he saw big piles of Bat skeletons in a a maternity Cave where an estimated 85,000 adult female bats and 160,000 of their Young had roasted before the nearby Apalachicola River overflowed in july. A the ceiling was still dotted with Bat carcasses a Jeff Gore of the Florida game and fresh water fish commission said tuesday. A a it a such an incredible mess in there i can to say whether any of the bats got out but there Are tens of thousands of dead  the species of Bat involved has a Range that extends from the Southeast to Illinois and Indiana and into Texas. Its not an endangered or threatened species. But Farmers might lament the loss. The bats eat insects and mosquitoes and help pollinate plants. Party leading Congress is irrelevant Many say new York apr Many americans think it makes Little difference which party controls Congress according to an associated press poll. A a and Only half of democrats say the country is better off if their party stays in charge. By comparison 63 percent of republicans polled said it would be better for the country if the gop took Over Capitol Hill. Many democrats counted themselves among the 44 percent of americans a or 43 percent of registered voters a who said it  make much difference which party controls Congress. Congress got poor ratings on crime and health Reform from a majority of the 1,005 adults including 774 voters surveyed. The poll was taken aug. 26-30, just after Congress recessed and Many members headed Home to begin campaigning a labor Day weekend tradition.  a a a \ to the bitter disappointment of president Clinton Congress delayed action on health Reform. Clinton did coax out of Congress a crime Bill with an assault weapons ban harsher prison terms and Money for More police and crime prevention programs giving some democratic lawmakers a trophy to Campaign with. But satisfaction among democrats on that Issue was not enough to keep a majority of americans polled from giving Congress a bad rating on handling crime. Tho breakdown was 4 percent very Good 38 percent fairly Good 23 percent fairly had and 30 percent very bad. The rest were unsure. On health Reform poor ratings for Congress prevailed almost equally among republicans democrats and independents with 5 percent saying very Good 29 percent fairly Good 26 percent fairly bad and 32 perjury selection my Mem go s heirs expect tax by Apsie John Henry Carpenter right accused of killing his Friend actor Bob Crane appears in a 1992 photo. Cent very bad. Ice Survey research group of Media pa., part of aus consultants conducted the poll by phone. Results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage Points a a few Points higher for subgroups such As those identifying with one of the parties. Two percent of those polled said they Trust Congress to do what is. Right just about always and 12 percent Trust lawmakers most of the time a a Trust rating that is Down 10 Points from the beginning of the current Congress. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a Ltd five percent said they almost always Trust Clintin to do what is right and 25 percent mostly Trust him. That totals 30 percent Down from 52 percent the week after his inauguration in january 1993 and 40 percent six months into his term. Midterm elections generally result in a loss of seats in Congress for a first term presidents party and Clinton Slack of popularity especially hurts democrats. They could lose their 56-44 majority in the Senate where 35 seats Are up for election nov. 8, and at least some of their 256-178 advantage in the House where All 435 seats Are up. Since democrats hold the most seats anti incumbent sentiment Only worsens their predicament. The poll found Only 36 percent inclined to vote to re elect their representatives and 37 percent inclined to vote for someone else. The anti incumbent respondents were More Likely to be Republican than Democrat two thirds gave Congress a bad rating on crime or health Reform and a third said  never Trust Congress or Clinton. Is in Phoenix apr jury selection began tuesday in the trial of the Man accused of murdering hogans heroes Star Bob Crane 16 years ago. John Henry Carpenter 66, walked into court relaxed and holding hands with his wife. The former electronics dealer a resident of the los Angeles suburb of Carson has been described As a longtime Friend of cranes who shared the actor s taste for the swinger lifestyle. He is free on $98,000 Bond. Carpenter is accused of killing Crane in 1978 in the Scottsdale Motel room where the actor was staying while performing in a dinner theater production. Investigators said Crane was killed by blows to the 0 head with a Blunt object most Likely a camera tripod. The murder weapon was never found. Crane 49, starred As the wisecracking col. Robert Hogan in the lbs series from 1965 to 1971. A panel of 28 potential jurors was selected tuesday from an initial Pool of 99. Selection of the 12 jurors and four alternates was to resume wednesday in Maricopa county Superior court. Prosecutors Are expected to argue that Carpenter was angry because Crane wanted to end their Friendship which had allowed Carpenter to participate in cranes sexual escapades. Carpenter maintains his innocence. His attorney Stephen Avilla has said Crane could have been killed by a jealous husband or Lover. Dallas apr relatives of an american Soldier who stole priceless medieval religious treasures from a nazi hiding place diffing world War ii expect to Battle the internal Revenue service Over attempts to tax them for the artwork. A the irs wants to tax the estate of Joe t. Meador for pieces of the German Art collection known As the que Linburg Treasury. Meadors siblings Jack Meador and Jane Meador Cook inherited the Art As part of Meadors estate after he died from cancer in 1980. The pieces have since been returned to Germany. A a we understand that at some time the estate can expect to receive notice of taxes that the irs intends to Levy a Randal Mathis a Dallas lawyer representing the Meadors said monday. A when that notice is ultimately received we expect to Challenge it in the . Tax court a Mathis said the irs Hasni to told him How much it will tax the estate. The new York times reported that the Agency is demanding $30 million in Back taxes interest and penalties. Mathis said the Art can to be taxed because Meador never legally owned it. The items which were crafted from the eighth to 16th centuries Are made of Gold Silver and Ivory. They include illuminated manuscripts crucifixes and ancient coins. The Story of the que Linburg Treasury began in 1945, during the last Days of world War ii when . Forces occupied Germany. The items had been stored for m centuries in the lutheran Church que Linburg but were moved to a mine Shaft during the War. Meador an army lieutenant apparently took several pieces of the collection when he was guarding the mine Shaft in que Linburg about 100 Miles Southwest of Berlin. In letters to his parents during the War Meador described the items he took including a medieval manuscript bound in solid Gold covers and encrusted with nearly 80 jewels and a Chest with Ivory inlays. After the War he brought them Home to Whitewright about 60 Miles North of Dallas. The presence of the artwork in Texas came to Light when a German Agency dedicated to restoring Art lost during the War came across a ninth Century Manu script. Representatives of the Agency the cultural foundation of Berlin recognized it As part of the que Linburg collection and traced it to Whitewright. Jack Meador and Cook then Nade a Deal with the Agency reportedly accepting $2.7 million for the return of nine pieces from the collection. Art experts have said the value of the collection ranges from at least $200 million to priceless. The heirs also agreed to help recover what was believed to be about half of the missing collection. Much of the collection still Hasni to been recovered. German investigator Willi a. Korte said in a Book about the Case that two pieces of the treasure still Are in the United states in the Possession of someone other than the Meador family. \