2 I The Behrend Beacon
West Virginia governor orders mines to close for safety inspections
CHARLESTON: The governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, has called for a complete shutdown
of the state's coal mining industry until a battery of safety inspections and new safety legislation is
implemented after two more mining deaths. The latest deaths bring the total for just the last month
up to 16, a sharp rise after only three deaths being reported for the entire year of 2005.
"We're going to correct any unsafe conditions before we mine another lump of coal," the governor
told reporters in a televised news conference. "There's not going to be another miner going in a
mine until this is done."
Senior vice president for the West Virginia Coal Association, Chris Hamilton, promised that the
group would cooperate fully with initiatives taken by the state government to determine the causes
of increased accidents and help take steps to rectify them.
Mine officials will "engage the miners ... try to solicit their ideas and their recommendations, as
well as take the opportunity to go over the mining plans ... safe work procedures and habits, •
and...bring everybody up-to-date over these," Hamilton said in an official statement.
While no coal companies have publicly stated that they will refuse to close, many people are
looking for someone to affix the blame to . In the last five years, the federal Mine Safety and
Health Administration (MSHA) has been drastically reduced, and federal authorities are issuing
fewer citations and collecting less due fines. Liberal groups are feeding speculation that the recent
reduction in mine safety enforcement in West Virginia has less to do with better conditions and more
to do with raising large amounts of money for certain political candidates.
"It makes me furious," said Janice Nease, a retired teacher who became an anti-mining activist
after her village, which included about 30 homes, was purchased and razed to make room for a
mine. "We keep on plugging away, but it's harder."
Strong weather damages hurricane-hit areas
NEW ORLEANS: Officials in Louisiana are struggling to determine the extent of damage to the
Louis Armstrong International Airport and surrounding areas after a possible tornado ripped through
the area
The unseasonable weather system also tore through some areas that were the hardest hit by the
numerous hurricanes last year and cased the disruption of ongoing repair efforts.
"There are numerous houses that collapsed, roofs damaged, power lines down," said New Orleans
police officer Sgt. Michael Brenckle.
Several concourses of the Louis Armstrong International Airport were damaged to various extents
and the more badly damaged sections were closed down, with operations being moved to adjacent
Saving at the expense of safety
By Christopher LaFuria
sports editor
c 515005 pmidi
The Erie City Council attacked a laun
dry list of financial problems during its
last session on Wednesday. Jan. 25. Led
by president Rubye Jenkins-Husband,
the council addressed the financial prob
lems that have already plagued newly
elected Mayor Joe Sinnot in his young
mayoral career. During the session,
many citizens professed their concern
over the many layoffs endured by the
city's police and firefighting staff, one of
the most controversial decisions made
by Sinnot and the council.
After police and firefighters agreed to
make changes to their health care cover
age, which the city says may save $l.l
million. Erie made the decision to layoff
36 firefighters and 24 of the city's police
officers. While the judgment may not
haN e an immediate effect on the city,
many citizens are already expressing
their concern. Many feel that a lack of
coverage may be a future danger to all
Erie residents. One citizen spoke out at
the meeting saying, "If yours or my
house was burning to the ground, would
we feel that we are being protected?"
Many other citizens feel that the lack
of safety coverage has potential to make
create more danger for residents.
Another citizen spoke to council saying,
"We. as Erie residents, need to feel pro
tected by our police and firefighters. It is
not happening." With some recent fatal
fires, the city is still working to make the
firefighters and police officers more con-
A reason for Erie citizens to be con
cerned is not only the amount of police
officers that were laid off, but also the
Classifieds
"Life's most persistent and
urgent question is, 'What are
you doing for others?"'
Martin Luther King Jr.
Janet Nett Sample Center 131
for ivarmvri e cmtity
posts that were eliminated. Among the
positions that were cut by the city were
detectives and investigators for the juve
nile division and for certain traffic offi-
Erie resident and wife of an Erie
police officer Sarah Walker said, "There
are other places that cuts could have
been made: street's department, clerical,
mayor's staff, etc. Instead, Mayor Sinnot
and the City Council have decided to risk
the safety of the city of Erie residents."
As of Jan. 25, the Erie fire department
has been under much scrutiny as citizens
watch to see Sinnot's layoffs in action. A
fire on East Fifth Street, which claimed
the life of 63-year-old Judith Ziegler,
may have occurred because the Erie fire
department may have been lacking in
number.
Some citizens claim that Ziegler's
death may have been avoided had more
firefighters been available. However, in
recent weeks, the quick and decisive
action of the Erie firefighters has been
more effective. Two fires that broke out
last Friday have proven that the Erie fire
fighters are still reliable. A fire at 405
Cherry Street, which injured one Erie
man, was reported to the firefighters who
arrived only two minutes after the call.
Later that day, Belle Valley firefighters
responded to a call on East 11th Street
nine minutes after it was called in. Many
agree that these quick actions show
potential for the limited numbers of fire
As Erie approaches Act 47 and strug
gles to bandage their financial bleeding,
Sinnot and his staff are very cognizant of
what they must do to keep Erie afloat.
The layoffs of the police officers and
firefighters are one step in Erie's plan to
ameliorate their financial status.
Rr , il
Entertainment around Erie
Antlers
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Cornerstone
Papa George's 1.50 Domestics
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Cellblock
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Docksider
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Wednesday
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Shellfish Spectacular
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support underage drinking. Please drink responsibly and do not drink and drive.
Government forces destroying cocaine crops run afoul of mines
BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombian government forces in a marching campaign to eradicate the thou
sands of acres of illegal cocca plants being raised in the country ran into a snag when they discovered
the fields were being sown with land mines.
The government program to eliminate the illicit drug-producing crops was massive; over four thou
sand infantrymen and workers were sent to march directly through the coca fields and manually uproot,
slash or otherwise destroy as much of the illegal agriculture as possible.
Spokesmen for the government said the operation had to be cut back after land mines were discov
ered to be littered about the countryside and government troops were forced to engage armed rebels
under the employment of local drug lords.
"It was necessary to modify the program," spokesman Samuel Salazar said.
The United States has provided over $4 billion in aid to the Colombian government in the last decade
as efforts are continually renewed to fight the trade of illegal drugs flowing from the country.
Bird flu vaccine developed
LONDON, England: Scientists have developed the first vaccine that shows promise for the prevention o
the human infection of the HSNI avian flu.
The new vaccine, temporarily named HSHA, has shown promise in protecting inoculated mice that
were, subsequently exposed to the HSNI virus.
"This vaccine may protect humans against newer viruses," Dr. Suryaprakash Sambhara of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an interview on Thursday. Our goal is to move it for
ward to'Phase 1 clinical trials."
The new vaccine is exciting many medical scientists because it can be grown independently of a chick
en egg, the usual means in which vaccines are produced. This could allow a vaccine to be produced in a
much faster time frame than is usually required. Additionally, it is grown in such a way that it is not so
specific in which types of phage (virus) it is effective against.
"This HS adenovirus vaccine is an egg-independent and adjuvant-independent strategy," said
Stunbhant.
The medical journal The Lancet was optimistic for human trials of the vaccine and its ability to fore
stall a pandemic of human-transmittable viruses. "This approach is a feasible vaccine strategy against
existing and newly emerging viruses of highly pathogenic avian influenza to prepare against a pandemic,'
the scientists said in the journal.
Source: CNN.com, Yahoo! News
Monday
Quarter Drafts
Quarter Wings
$1 Bud/Bud Lights
2 for 1 wings
$1 Domestics
Karaoke Night
Quarter Drafts
2 for 1 Wings
Tuesday
$2 Greek Dogs
2 for 1 wings
$.75 Domestic Bottles
Cash Prize Beer Pong
$1 off Anheuser-Busch
$1.50 Bud/Bud Lights
2 for 1 Pizza's
Team Trivia - PRIZES!
$2 Bud Pounders
$2 Personal Pizzas
1/2 Off Everything
Erie Yellow Cab - 814.445.4441
Thursday
Calamari's
Cellblock
Plymouth
Sherlock's/Park Quarter Drafts
Place $1,50 Bud Select Bottles
X 1.50 Bud/Bud Light
State Street Tavern
Karaoke Night
Antlers
Calamari's
Cellblock
Plymouth
Sherlock's/Park Place $1.50 Domestics
State Street Tavern $1 Pint Drafts
Saturday
ellblock
ornerstone
Plymouth
►herlock's/Park Place $1.50 Domestics
Friday, February 3, 2006
$1.75 Domestic Bottles
1/2 Price Appetizers
$2 Mixed Drinks
$1 - $1.50 Imports
Free Peanuts!!
Friday
$1.50 Bud Bottles
$1.75 Bud Light Bottles
$2 Pitchers •
$1.75 Miller Light Bottles
$1 Mixed Drinks
Quarter Drafts
Quarter Drafts
$1.50 Labatts
$1 Margarita's