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STATE HISTORIC L GOCIEIT liITT & E. OWHY 137. GSR' ' COLUMBIA, l&' s. 65 2'; I 74th Year - No. 242 Good Morning! It's Sunday; June 27. 1982 6 Sections - 70 Pages - 50 Cents Columbia's iSltljs Many have difficult times financially By Diane Soiov Missourian staff writer The net worth- to- ass- et ratio of two of the six savings and loan associations doing busi-ness in Columbia sank, below 3 percent? in 1981 the Federal Home Loan Bank Board's rule- of- thu- mb indication of minimum capital adequacy. Mid- Misso- uri Savings and Loan, whose Co-lumbia branch is at 507 Business Loop 70, dropped from a net worth- to- ass- et ratioof 3.01 to 2.08 percent in 1981 while losing $ 533,237. Capital Savings and Loan Associa-tion, with a branch at 501 E. Broadway, had its net worth- to- ass- et ratio drop from 3.5- to- 2.- 28 percent. Capital lost $ 1,661,962 in 1981. The six savings and loan associations with offices in Columbia suffered losses of more than $ 45.6 million in 1981, according to fig-ures compiled by the Federal Home Loan ' Bank Board, the federal regulatory agency. In that, the Columbia associations have plenty of company. Nationally, persistently- hig- h interest rates have squeezed savings and loans, historically the nation's major home lenders. The associations hold many longterm mortgages at low interest ratesr At the same time, they are paying dramatically higher interest rates to savers. The net worth- to- ass- et ratio is an indica-tion of a company's reserve position the accumulation of retained earnings. It ' de-termined by combining the assets of all com-pany branches and dividing it into the net worth the amount of money that the com-pany is actually worth once its liabilites " have been deducted. ( The figures used in thus sto-ry are for the combined operations of the as-sociations, not just the Columbia branches. ) All Columbia's savings and loan associations are members of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp., which insures all amounts up to $ 100,000. Persons with more than $ 100,000 in deposit can put them in separate accounts. Last year, because so many associations' net worth- to- asse- t ratio continued to drop, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board lowered the danger level from 4 percent to the pre-sent 3 ' percent. Although this ratio it is only one factor considered by the FHLBB in spot-ting troubled S& Ls, it is a figure that is care-fully monitored by the regulatory agency. The average net worth- to- ass- et ratio of Co-lumbia's six S& Ls was 3.6 percent in 1981, down from an average of 4.67 percent the previous year. According to Don Wende of the FHLBB re-gional office in Des Moines, Iowa, the aver-age net worth- to- ass- et ratio of all of Mis-souri's savings and loan associations was 3.7 percent in 1981. The average ratio for the five- sta- te region of Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas was 4.1 percent in 1981. The FSLIC sometimes forces ailing institu-tions to merge with healthy ones to avoid liq-uidation when the depletion of a company's reserves appears imminent. Nationwide, there were 139 mergers in 1980 and 294 in 1981, about one- quart- er of which were forced by the FSLIC. Marriages are forced when a company's net worth drops to zero; for-merly, it was done when the net worth- to- ass- et ratio hit 1 percent. While none of the Columbia associations are at this level, some will be approaching zero net . worth if the rate of loss recorded during the last six months of 1981 continues. According to Walter Johnson, a University economics professor, the losses for the sec-ond half of 1981 should be used because " if one wishes to calculate the rate at which capital is being eroded, one should take, ob-viously, the most recent financial statements and convert the loss rate to an annual rate." Most are watching current economic con-ditions closely. Bill Witting, Mid- Missou- ri Savings and Loan executive vice president, is concerned about the low reserves, but he said Mid- Misso- uri has strengths it can count on. " We hang our hat on current income," Witting said. " Our income posture is proba-bly one of the best in the state. We intend to survive these conditions." Witting said he was not worried about a forced merger. But if Mid- Misso- uri continues to lose at the same rate as the last half of 1981, it would have zero net worth in 23 months. Although Witting acknowledgf- r- . Mid- Mis- sou- ri's losses, he optimistically pointed to the company's $ 38,800 profit for the first five months of 1982. Capital Savings and Loan Association, lo- - S& L finances in brief Assets ( in millions) Association 1977 i 1978 1979 1980 1961 Boone National i5! i ' 314 3ti 32S 323 Community Federal 1.287.9 1.500.7 1.775.5 2.194.6 2 552 8 Farm & Home 1.679.1 1.942.1 2.137.2 2.258.4 2.296.7 Mid- Missou- ri 46.4 5Z6 57i 591 glT St. Louis Federal 194.2 221.5 237.4 249 0 257 6 Capital 117.4 144.0 154.8 162.7 163 1 Net worth ( in millions) 1977 1978 1979 1980 198T Boone National 2.2 2.4 2.6 2 4 2 1 Community Federal 80.0 9l! 9 104.8 108 0 031 Farm & Home 761 905 " 106.3 109.1 85 i Mid- Missou- ri T3 TE ill Tli St. Louis Federal 8.7 10.3 12.3 116 9 i Capital j3JB 4 5 5A 37 BCooomnmeuCNniiatytioFneadl eral Net w1679o.. Z23rZ13thasset ra! 673t. i. Z71o02() 1859.. 719910 1479.982025 161986" 1 77 Farm & Home 4.53 4.66 4.97 4 83 3 70 Mid- Missou- ri 281 2.94 3.19 301 203 St. Louis Federal 4.49 4.66 5.18 4 67 352 Capital 325 325 344 331 2 28 " Net income" ( earnings) 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 Boone National 194,551 213.982 214.511 -- 202.895 -- 322 313 Community Federal 9,584.920 13.152.590 12.940.507 -- 4.398.508 -- 16 579 830 Farm & Home 11,583,286 14,415.120 15.799.863 2.824.413 -- 24.037701 Mid- Missou- ri 352.259 243.569 334.341 -- 16.719 .533 237 St. Louis Federal 1,509.390 1.616.207 2.191.842 -- 690 425 -- 2 540 955 Capital 648.554 864.807 638.685 60.623 -- 1 661 '. 962 1 1 cated at 501 E. Broadway, also has been ex-periencing some hard times lately. Although combined assets for Capital rose almost $ 1 million from 1980 to more than $ 163 million in December, 1981, its net worth dropped from $ 5.4 million in 1980 to $ 3.7 mil-lion in December, 1981. If Capital continues at its rate of loss of the second half of last year, it will reach zero net worth in 19 months. " We're at the bottom of the mountain, and i we're on the way up." said A. Ross Smith, manager of Capital's Columbia branch. St. Louis Federal Savings and Ixjan. 901 E. Broadway, with 1981 assets of more than $ 257.6 million and losses totaling $ 2,540,955. witnessed a decline in its net worth- to- ass- et ratio from 4.67 percent in 1980 to 3.52 percent in 1981. St. Louis Federal will reach a zero net ( See FARM, P. 8A) Travis Mutrux, 6, shares trie thrill of victory with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ross Charles Mutrux. Day of erawlers and lioppers Kids cheer turtles and frogs on in olympiad ByTedSiegel Missourian staff writer Insurance is not considered an exciting field, but for four hours Saturday the east parking lot of Shelter Insurance Cos. literally was jumping. The lot was the site of the " First" Annual Tur-tle and Frog Races, co- sponso- red by Shelter and the Howard Family Institute. About 130 en-trants ranging in age from 2 toover 21 brought their leapers and crawlers in hopes of securing a trophy and a day in the limelight. Don Howard of the non- pro- fit institute said, " This is going to be a yearly event. And we in-vited frogs and turtles from every other county in the state. . . . the big hoppers and the big movers to come to the big C, Columbia." Sir Spot, a turtle entered by Melissa- Weibl- e, 4, was rescued from the fast lane of the highway to compete. Sir Spot was a late replacement for a Lander's Turtle that Melissa's mother, Sandy Weible, of Ashland, had returned to the wild af-ter discovering it is an endangered species. " This is really Sir Spot n," she said. Eight- year- o- ld Michael Curtis and his mother, Susan, had a little trouble getting his turtle, Lightning, to the races. " We almost lost him to-day," he said. " One minute he was sitting right next to us, and the next minute he was in the flower garden." One of the few ' veterans of the turtle racing circuit in attendance was 10- year-- old Amanda Krause. Amanda, the daughter of Bill and Winfred Krause, ' 107 Edgewood Ave., entered both a turtle, Racer, and a frog, Small. Racer had a win at a library contest under his belt and was used to the pre- rac- e commotion. Amanda's training strategy: " I just let ' em play around." Frogs and turtles traveled to the races ; n con-tainers ranging from boxes and bags to large coolers. Jacob Hunter, 5, brought his frog, Su-sie, in a wire trap big enough to hold her. A large, muscular frog, Susie faced a particularly difficult challenge: She has only three legs. But Jacob was not toe concerned by her handicap. " He jumps," said Jacob, . who attended the event with his mother, Pam Hunter, 3405 Bonny Linn Drive; Kermit was not in attendance Saturday, but the'moppets who participated certainly had lots of fun. They brought to the races about 100 tur--, ties and 20 frogs, which competed fiercely for treasured ribbons and trophies. In the turtle division, Denise, trained by 6- yea-r- old Travis Mutrux, walked away with first place. Travis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ross C. Mu-trux, 56 Rustic Meadows, said he knew that Denise would win " because my turtle was so fast." Top honors in the frog category went to Hyaku Japanese for " hurry up" and his owner, Daniel Lipscombs, IVz. Hyaku's triple- jum- p to-tal of six feet ( 1.8 meters) easily outdistanced other frogs. Daniel's father, Skip, had flown his family up from Douglass County for the races, after catching Hyaku at 3 a. m. Saturday. The event's sponsors learned too late that bull frog and green frog hunting season does not start until Wednesday night. But fears that use of illegal frogs would cast a shadow over the races were abated when Daryl E. Billings, state department of conservation agent, announced that agents would not collect any frogs until af-ter the races. Billings said the contraband frogs would be taken to Rocky Forks Lake wildlife area, where they can continue their breeding. " The kids, we're not going to worry about them," Billings said. Next year's races will be held after the season begins. Proceeds from the sale of refreshments, T- shi- rts and frog and turtle ceramics are slated to fund community education programs run by the institute. These include alcohol and drug abuse programs and family counseling. All in all, the amphibian olympiad was marred by one mishap: An over- enthusias- tic contestant stomped on his frog. Milling around In the tiny town of Owensville a mill was built in 1893 that grew to be the center of the town's activities. Today, the building is still being usecLJjut for an altogether different purposed Read the cover story about this scenic town and its mill in today's Vibrations. Inside today In town today 2 p. m. The musical " South Pacific" is being performed by the Columbia Entertainment Company at Rock Bridge High School. 3 p. m. Missouri Honors Choir will give a free concert in Jesse Hall at the University. 7 p. m. The Dixieland Five will give a free con-cert in Shelter Gardens at 1817 W. Broadway. . 7: 30 p. m. Shakespeare's " A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be performed at the Maple- woo- d Barn Community Theater in Nif ong Park. Index Business 5- 7- C Classified . MB Opinion 4C People . . ... 1- 3- C Sports 1-- 3B Economic woes Three weeks after the apparent peace of the Versailles economic summit, re-lations between the United States and Western Europe are at their lowest point in a decade. European heads of state meet Monday to discuss the prob-lems. Read the analysis on Page6B. State panel probes poor limo service at Regional Airport By Paul Shannon Missourian staff writer A battle in airport limo service is being fought at Columbia Regional Airport. Columbia Cab Co., owned by Cliff and Marie Shull, became the sole provider of limousine service at the airport after a competitor was forced out of business in early 1981. The competitor, Jim Lam, withdrew after squabbles with the Shulls that included fights in the terminal and police swooping down on drivers and a limousine being run off a road. Now others would like to force the Shulls out of business. The Public Service Commission, a state govern-ment watchdog agency on compa-nies providing public transportation, is investigating the Shulls. " There is a fight brewing, because Shull will protest when they file a de-cision," says Jay Johnson, public in-formation officer foi the commis-sion. No timetable has been set for PSC action. Columbia Cab now is using as its limo a brown, late model Ford Coun-try Squire station wagon with bald tires, washed- ou- t paneling and a bro-ken front grill. Driver Paul Shull, 19- year-- old son of the company owners, says his parents normally provide service with a van but, because of slower business in the summer, they use the wagon. Airport Manager A. O. " Pete" Cappadony calls the wagon an " eye-sore that looks like it is waiting for a tow." Paul says he did not know about the commission's investigation until he was told by a Missourian reporter last week. Johnson counters that the Shulls know they are under investi-gation. Paul also was told the statements made on the limo service and of the efforts to force Columbia Cab out of the airport. Shull was told of the re-peated efforts to contact his parents and was asked to have them contact the Missourian to tell their side of the story. The elder Shulls did not respond. Nor have they returned any tele-phone calls. The Public Service Commission has a thick file of informal com-plaints about Columbia Cab, accord-ing to Johnson. One complainant, Kenneth E. Gamble, 1103 Victoria Ave., says that he had one of the wildest rides ( See COMPLAINTS, P. 8A) Rape law reform : What are the effects? By Bill Kates Jr. Missourian staff writer JEFFERSON CITY In 1980, the Missouri legislature passed a rape law designed to get more rape con-victions and longer sentences for convicted rapists. But nearly two years later, law en-forcement and prison officials are not sure what effect, if any, the re-forms have had. Are first time and repeat rapists being sentenced to longer prison terms? Are fewer persons charged with rape being allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges? Has there been an increase in the percentage of successful rape prosecutions? All these questions remain un-answered. The Corrections Division, Attorney General's office, Board of Probation and State Courts Adminis- - Insight tration office all say they are unable to obtain the statistical information needed to answer such questions. The public information officer for the Division of Corrections, Don Sch- roeg- er, said 253 inmates were com-mitted for sexual offenses in 1981. About 90 percent of those were rape offenses. That figure is nearly dou-ble the 132 inmates committed in 1979. These figures suggest an in-crease in convictions, Schroeger said, but are hardly conclusive alone. Although lacking hard informa-tion, prosecutors said they believe the criminal justice system has got-- ( See MOSELEY, P. 8A)
Object Description
Title | Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1982-06-27 |
Description | Vol. 74th Year, No. 242 |
Subject |
Columbia (Mo.) -- Newspapers Boone County (Mo.) -- Newspapers |
Coverage | United States -- Missouri -- Boone County -- Columbia |
Language | English |
Date.Search | 1982-06-27 |
Type | Newspaper |
Format | |
Collection Name | Columbia Missourian Newspaper Collection |
Publisher.Digital | The Office of Library Systems of the University of Missouri |
Contributing Institution |
State Historical Society of Missouri University of Missouri School of Journalism |
Copy Request | Contact the State Historical Society of Missouri at: (800) 747-6366 or (573) 882-7083 or email contact@shsmo.org. Some fees apply:http://shsmo.org/research/researchfees |
Description
Title | Full Page |
Date.Search | 1982-06-27 |
Type | page |
Item.Transcript | STATE HISTORIC L GOCIEIT liITT & E. OWHY 137. GSR' ' COLUMBIA, l&' s. 65 2'; I 74th Year - No. 242 Good Morning! It's Sunday; June 27. 1982 6 Sections - 70 Pages - 50 Cents Columbia's iSltljs Many have difficult times financially By Diane Soiov Missourian staff writer The net worth- to- ass- et ratio of two of the six savings and loan associations doing busi-ness in Columbia sank, below 3 percent? in 1981 the Federal Home Loan Bank Board's rule- of- thu- mb indication of minimum capital adequacy. Mid- Misso- uri Savings and Loan, whose Co-lumbia branch is at 507 Business Loop 70, dropped from a net worth- to- ass- et ratioof 3.01 to 2.08 percent in 1981 while losing $ 533,237. Capital Savings and Loan Associa-tion, with a branch at 501 E. Broadway, had its net worth- to- ass- et ratio drop from 3.5- to- 2.- 28 percent. Capital lost $ 1,661,962 in 1981. The six savings and loan associations with offices in Columbia suffered losses of more than $ 45.6 million in 1981, according to fig-ures compiled by the Federal Home Loan ' Bank Board, the federal regulatory agency. In that, the Columbia associations have plenty of company. Nationally, persistently- hig- h interest rates have squeezed savings and loans, historically the nation's major home lenders. The associations hold many longterm mortgages at low interest ratesr At the same time, they are paying dramatically higher interest rates to savers. The net worth- to- ass- et ratio is an indica-tion of a company's reserve position the accumulation of retained earnings. It ' de-termined by combining the assets of all com-pany branches and dividing it into the net worth the amount of money that the com-pany is actually worth once its liabilites " have been deducted. ( The figures used in thus sto-ry are for the combined operations of the as-sociations, not just the Columbia branches. ) All Columbia's savings and loan associations are members of the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp., which insures all amounts up to $ 100,000. Persons with more than $ 100,000 in deposit can put them in separate accounts. Last year, because so many associations' net worth- to- asse- t ratio continued to drop, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board lowered the danger level from 4 percent to the pre-sent 3 ' percent. Although this ratio it is only one factor considered by the FHLBB in spot-ting troubled S& Ls, it is a figure that is care-fully monitored by the regulatory agency. The average net worth- to- ass- et ratio of Co-lumbia's six S& Ls was 3.6 percent in 1981, down from an average of 4.67 percent the previous year. According to Don Wende of the FHLBB re-gional office in Des Moines, Iowa, the aver-age net worth- to- ass- et ratio of all of Mis-souri's savings and loan associations was 3.7 percent in 1981. The average ratio for the five- sta- te region of Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas was 4.1 percent in 1981. The FSLIC sometimes forces ailing institu-tions to merge with healthy ones to avoid liq-uidation when the depletion of a company's reserves appears imminent. Nationwide, there were 139 mergers in 1980 and 294 in 1981, about one- quart- er of which were forced by the FSLIC. Marriages are forced when a company's net worth drops to zero; for-merly, it was done when the net worth- to- ass- et ratio hit 1 percent. While none of the Columbia associations are at this level, some will be approaching zero net . worth if the rate of loss recorded during the last six months of 1981 continues. According to Walter Johnson, a University economics professor, the losses for the sec-ond half of 1981 should be used because " if one wishes to calculate the rate at which capital is being eroded, one should take, ob-viously, the most recent financial statements and convert the loss rate to an annual rate." Most are watching current economic con-ditions closely. Bill Witting, Mid- Missou- ri Savings and Loan executive vice president, is concerned about the low reserves, but he said Mid- Misso- uri has strengths it can count on. " We hang our hat on current income," Witting said. " Our income posture is proba-bly one of the best in the state. We intend to survive these conditions." Witting said he was not worried about a forced merger. But if Mid- Misso- uri continues to lose at the same rate as the last half of 1981, it would have zero net worth in 23 months. Although Witting acknowledgf- r- . Mid- Mis- sou- ri's losses, he optimistically pointed to the company's $ 38,800 profit for the first five months of 1982. Capital Savings and Loan Association, lo- - S& L finances in brief Assets ( in millions) Association 1977 i 1978 1979 1980 1961 Boone National i5! i ' 314 3ti 32S 323 Community Federal 1.287.9 1.500.7 1.775.5 2.194.6 2 552 8 Farm & Home 1.679.1 1.942.1 2.137.2 2.258.4 2.296.7 Mid- Missou- ri 46.4 5Z6 57i 591 glT St. Louis Federal 194.2 221.5 237.4 249 0 257 6 Capital 117.4 144.0 154.8 162.7 163 1 Net worth ( in millions) 1977 1978 1979 1980 198T Boone National 2.2 2.4 2.6 2 4 2 1 Community Federal 80.0 9l! 9 104.8 108 0 031 Farm & Home 761 905 " 106.3 109.1 85 i Mid- Missou- ri T3 TE ill Tli St. Louis Federal 8.7 10.3 12.3 116 9 i Capital j3JB 4 5 5A 37 BCooomnmeuCNniiatytioFneadl eral Net w1679o.. Z23rZ13thasset ra! 673t. i. Z71o02() 1859.. 719910 1479.982025 161986" 1 77 Farm & Home 4.53 4.66 4.97 4 83 3 70 Mid- Missou- ri 281 2.94 3.19 301 203 St. Louis Federal 4.49 4.66 5.18 4 67 352 Capital 325 325 344 331 2 28 " Net income" ( earnings) 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 Boone National 194,551 213.982 214.511 -- 202.895 -- 322 313 Community Federal 9,584.920 13.152.590 12.940.507 -- 4.398.508 -- 16 579 830 Farm & Home 11,583,286 14,415.120 15.799.863 2.824.413 -- 24.037701 Mid- Missou- ri 352.259 243.569 334.341 -- 16.719 .533 237 St. Louis Federal 1,509.390 1.616.207 2.191.842 -- 690 425 -- 2 540 955 Capital 648.554 864.807 638.685 60.623 -- 1 661 '. 962 1 1 cated at 501 E. Broadway, also has been ex-periencing some hard times lately. Although combined assets for Capital rose almost $ 1 million from 1980 to more than $ 163 million in December, 1981, its net worth dropped from $ 5.4 million in 1980 to $ 3.7 mil-lion in December, 1981. If Capital continues at its rate of loss of the second half of last year, it will reach zero net worth in 19 months. " We're at the bottom of the mountain, and i we're on the way up." said A. Ross Smith, manager of Capital's Columbia branch. St. Louis Federal Savings and Ixjan. 901 E. Broadway, with 1981 assets of more than $ 257.6 million and losses totaling $ 2,540,955. witnessed a decline in its net worth- to- ass- et ratio from 4.67 percent in 1980 to 3.52 percent in 1981. St. Louis Federal will reach a zero net ( See FARM, P. 8A) Travis Mutrux, 6, shares trie thrill of victory with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ross Charles Mutrux. Day of erawlers and lioppers Kids cheer turtles and frogs on in olympiad ByTedSiegel Missourian staff writer Insurance is not considered an exciting field, but for four hours Saturday the east parking lot of Shelter Insurance Cos. literally was jumping. The lot was the site of the " First" Annual Tur-tle and Frog Races, co- sponso- red by Shelter and the Howard Family Institute. About 130 en-trants ranging in age from 2 toover 21 brought their leapers and crawlers in hopes of securing a trophy and a day in the limelight. Don Howard of the non- pro- fit institute said, " This is going to be a yearly event. And we in-vited frogs and turtles from every other county in the state. . . . the big hoppers and the big movers to come to the big C, Columbia." Sir Spot, a turtle entered by Melissa- Weibl- e, 4, was rescued from the fast lane of the highway to compete. Sir Spot was a late replacement for a Lander's Turtle that Melissa's mother, Sandy Weible, of Ashland, had returned to the wild af-ter discovering it is an endangered species. " This is really Sir Spot n," she said. Eight- year- o- ld Michael Curtis and his mother, Susan, had a little trouble getting his turtle, Lightning, to the races. " We almost lost him to-day," he said. " One minute he was sitting right next to us, and the next minute he was in the flower garden." One of the few ' veterans of the turtle racing circuit in attendance was 10- year-- old Amanda Krause. Amanda, the daughter of Bill and Winfred Krause, ' 107 Edgewood Ave., entered both a turtle, Racer, and a frog, Small. Racer had a win at a library contest under his belt and was used to the pre- rac- e commotion. Amanda's training strategy: " I just let ' em play around." Frogs and turtles traveled to the races ; n con-tainers ranging from boxes and bags to large coolers. Jacob Hunter, 5, brought his frog, Su-sie, in a wire trap big enough to hold her. A large, muscular frog, Susie faced a particularly difficult challenge: She has only three legs. But Jacob was not toe concerned by her handicap. " He jumps," said Jacob, . who attended the event with his mother, Pam Hunter, 3405 Bonny Linn Drive; Kermit was not in attendance Saturday, but the'moppets who participated certainly had lots of fun. They brought to the races about 100 tur--, ties and 20 frogs, which competed fiercely for treasured ribbons and trophies. In the turtle division, Denise, trained by 6- yea-r- old Travis Mutrux, walked away with first place. Travis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ross C. Mu-trux, 56 Rustic Meadows, said he knew that Denise would win " because my turtle was so fast." Top honors in the frog category went to Hyaku Japanese for " hurry up" and his owner, Daniel Lipscombs, IVz. Hyaku's triple- jum- p to-tal of six feet ( 1.8 meters) easily outdistanced other frogs. Daniel's father, Skip, had flown his family up from Douglass County for the races, after catching Hyaku at 3 a. m. Saturday. The event's sponsors learned too late that bull frog and green frog hunting season does not start until Wednesday night. But fears that use of illegal frogs would cast a shadow over the races were abated when Daryl E. Billings, state department of conservation agent, announced that agents would not collect any frogs until af-ter the races. Billings said the contraband frogs would be taken to Rocky Forks Lake wildlife area, where they can continue their breeding. " The kids, we're not going to worry about them," Billings said. Next year's races will be held after the season begins. Proceeds from the sale of refreshments, T- shi- rts and frog and turtle ceramics are slated to fund community education programs run by the institute. These include alcohol and drug abuse programs and family counseling. All in all, the amphibian olympiad was marred by one mishap: An over- enthusias- tic contestant stomped on his frog. Milling around In the tiny town of Owensville a mill was built in 1893 that grew to be the center of the town's activities. Today, the building is still being usecLJjut for an altogether different purposed Read the cover story about this scenic town and its mill in today's Vibrations. Inside today In town today 2 p. m. The musical " South Pacific" is being performed by the Columbia Entertainment Company at Rock Bridge High School. 3 p. m. Missouri Honors Choir will give a free concert in Jesse Hall at the University. 7 p. m. The Dixieland Five will give a free con-cert in Shelter Gardens at 1817 W. Broadway. . 7: 30 p. m. Shakespeare's " A Midsummer Night's Dream" will be performed at the Maple- woo- d Barn Community Theater in Nif ong Park. Index Business 5- 7- C Classified . MB Opinion 4C People . . ... 1- 3- C Sports 1-- 3B Economic woes Three weeks after the apparent peace of the Versailles economic summit, re-lations between the United States and Western Europe are at their lowest point in a decade. European heads of state meet Monday to discuss the prob-lems. Read the analysis on Page6B. State panel probes poor limo service at Regional Airport By Paul Shannon Missourian staff writer A battle in airport limo service is being fought at Columbia Regional Airport. Columbia Cab Co., owned by Cliff and Marie Shull, became the sole provider of limousine service at the airport after a competitor was forced out of business in early 1981. The competitor, Jim Lam, withdrew after squabbles with the Shulls that included fights in the terminal and police swooping down on drivers and a limousine being run off a road. Now others would like to force the Shulls out of business. The Public Service Commission, a state govern-ment watchdog agency on compa-nies providing public transportation, is investigating the Shulls. " There is a fight brewing, because Shull will protest when they file a de-cision," says Jay Johnson, public in-formation officer foi the commis-sion. No timetable has been set for PSC action. Columbia Cab now is using as its limo a brown, late model Ford Coun-try Squire station wagon with bald tires, washed- ou- t paneling and a bro-ken front grill. Driver Paul Shull, 19- year-- old son of the company owners, says his parents normally provide service with a van but, because of slower business in the summer, they use the wagon. Airport Manager A. O. " Pete" Cappadony calls the wagon an " eye-sore that looks like it is waiting for a tow." Paul says he did not know about the commission's investigation until he was told by a Missourian reporter last week. Johnson counters that the Shulls know they are under investi-gation. Paul also was told the statements made on the limo service and of the efforts to force Columbia Cab out of the airport. Shull was told of the re-peated efforts to contact his parents and was asked to have them contact the Missourian to tell their side of the story. The elder Shulls did not respond. Nor have they returned any tele-phone calls. The Public Service Commission has a thick file of informal com-plaints about Columbia Cab, accord-ing to Johnson. One complainant, Kenneth E. Gamble, 1103 Victoria Ave., says that he had one of the wildest rides ( See COMPLAINTS, P. 8A) Rape law reform : What are the effects? By Bill Kates Jr. Missourian staff writer JEFFERSON CITY In 1980, the Missouri legislature passed a rape law designed to get more rape con-victions and longer sentences for convicted rapists. But nearly two years later, law en-forcement and prison officials are not sure what effect, if any, the re-forms have had. Are first time and repeat rapists being sentenced to longer prison terms? Are fewer persons charged with rape being allowed to plead guilty to lesser charges? Has there been an increase in the percentage of successful rape prosecutions? All these questions remain un-answered. The Corrections Division, Attorney General's office, Board of Probation and State Courts Adminis- - Insight tration office all say they are unable to obtain the statistical information needed to answer such questions. The public information officer for the Division of Corrections, Don Sch- roeg- er, said 253 inmates were com-mitted for sexual offenses in 1981. About 90 percent of those were rape offenses. That figure is nearly dou-ble the 132 inmates committed in 1979. These figures suggest an in-crease in convictions, Schroeger said, but are hardly conclusive alone. Although lacking hard informa-tion, prosecutors said they believe the criminal justice system has got-- ( See MOSELEY, P. 8A) |