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STATE IIZ. BICA', MCXETT HITT 4 LOtfHY ST. RV a a . sJ 4 1 COLUMBIA, MO. 65211 75th Year No. 181 Good Morning! It's Thursday, April 14, 1983 2 Sections 14 Pages 25 Cents -- 4t0 JBnT " Bb. HHH& wan iptHDHDr KbVBBBbVhbVBHBShBm ! DinM Whit Chris Ftflmwald What goes clown comes up By Pat Firan Mlaaourian staff writer A new front is being opened in the gasoline price war but this tune consumers will be the victims rather than the beneficiaries. Gas prices have been declining for the past two years and bottomed out at less than $ 1 a gallon at some local stations in February. Optimism that prices would at least stabilize around the $ 1 a gallon level or perhaps even decline was fueled by turmoil at an OPEC conference earlier this year. Oil producing nations were unsuccessful in establishing production levels and prices, and an interna-tional price war seemed in the offing. But instead of long- await- ed relief at the gas pumps, Americans got a 5- ce- nt a gallon increase from a tax designed to generate revenue to improve the nation's highways and put many of its unemployed back to work. Now, local service station owners say they must tack a little more onto the price per gallon. They blame rising costs paid to dis-tributors for increases that could run as high as a dune more for each gallon. Last weekend, Bill George's Phillips 66 Service, 1205 N. Providence Road, increased its prices 3 cents to $ 1.07 9 for regular and $ 1.14.9 for unleaded. And owner Bill George expects others to follow suit soon. " There will be a little lag," he said, " but as soon as what little gas the jobbers have is depleted, I think we'll all be about even." Gasoline prices to rise again Some already have tacked an additional 5 cents a gallon to previous pnces. But others say they're biting the bullet and waiting for the competition to make the first move. The problem is that at the moment, there's a shortage of imported fuel, according to John Hahn, executive director of the Missou-ri Oil Jobbers Association. The major oil companies reportedly cut back on orders for foreign oil last year when they found them-selves with more fuel than they could sell and have been unable to replenish supplies fast enough to meet the current demand. Now there's less to go around, and what is available has become more valuable. Retailers say they can no longer afford to absorb the price increases being imposed by the wholesalers. " I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see it go as high as 5 to 10 cents a gallon beyond the present pump price," said Hahn, adding that there could even be shortages of certain pe-troleum products. " I look for the problem to continue until the inventories are rebuilt." The increases come at a bad tune for local distributors, most of whom raised their prices 5 to 10 cents- a- gall- on April 1 to absorb the nickel- a- gallo- n federal gasoline tax and a previous wholesale pnce hike, Hahn said. " This is the most financial distress for pe troleum makers and retailers since 1932," Hahn said. Many Columbia retailers have broadened the range of merchandise and services to make up for the less than 10 percent profit from the pumps. Typical of these is Norman Dietzel, operator of 1-- 70 Shell, 1004 Stadium Blvd. Dietzel said his gas profits have been de-clining for the past two years, but that his maintenance and repair service have doubled during the same penod to take up the slack. He said his distributor raised his wholesale pnce 2.6 cents a gallon Tuesday but that he has not passed it on to customers. His hands are tied by competition with independent dealers, who charge an average of 3 cents less a gallon, he explained. " I'll have to raise it again," he said of his gasoline pnces " But for now I'll just sit tight and watch what the other guys do. It's hard to compete with independents you just have to hope their supply goes down so they'll raise prices." Service stations must average 10- cents- a- g-allon profit to stay afloat, Dietzel said. His station makes 3 cents a gallon at self- servi- ce pumps, but like every other service station operators interviewed, he declined comment on full- servic- e profits. Magazine spotlights Columbian Success takes author on new travels By Jody K. Debs Missourian staff writer Five years ago, William Trogdon criss-crossed America's backroads to help forget failure. Now the Columbia man travels first- cla- ss to publicize his best- selli- ng novel de-picting his 14,000- mi- le trek In the April 18 issue of People magazine, it's Trogdon's turn to be scrutinized. A three- pag- e interview explores the author's motiva-tions for making his trip and his impressions of people he met. Trogdon also appeared a week ago on the David Latterman television show. " Blue Highways,'" published by Atlantic Little- Brow- n under Trogdon's Indian name William Least Heat Moon, appeared in Jan-uary and was greeted with rave reviews by critics and readers alike. The book descnbes Trogdon's attempt to escape the pressures of unemployment and a failing marriage. " Blue Highways" contains his observations of the land and people in America's unknown villages and towns; the title is derived from the blue lines on high-way maps that denote state highway net-works. People magazine says that critics call Trogdon's work the most life- affirmi- ng American travel memoir since John Stem- bec- k took to the road with his dog Charley. The manager at Village Square Book Store, Eighth and Walnut, says the book has received overwhelmingly positive reviews nationally and locally, and is currently No. 5 on the New York Tunes' best- selle- rs list. The response at Biscayne Book Store also has been favorable. The atore has sold 200 copies. A spokesman for Atlantic Little- Brow- n says " Blue Highways" is already in its 10th printing. " The book's sales have superseded our expectations and surprised everyone with how well its doing," the spokesman says. The book's success even surprised the 43- year-- old author. " It has been very gratifying and was not expected by either the publisher or myself," Trogdon says. Columbia has treated the book well, Trog-don says. It's also currently No. 1 on the best- sellin- g list in St. Louis. " With all the TV, radio and newspaper ap-pearances and interviews, it will be very nice to once again get back to privacy," Trogdon says. Privacy also will give him tune to work on a second book Trogdon is not the only one who will bene-fit from the book's success Stephens Col-lege also will receive monetary benefits from " Blue Highways." Trogdon donated a portion of the book's royalties to the college. The part- Osag- e Indian author's donations to Stephens College will be used to support the study of the American Indian culture. Trogdon previously was an English instruc-tor at the college. Child's death blamed on I-- V dosage By John Slanton Missourian staff writer The March 30 death of a 3- year- - old Dade- vill- e, Mo., girl was accidental, says Boone County Medical Examiner Jay Due, whose ruling Wednesday leaves open the possiblity that the University Hospital and Clinics could be faced with a lawsuit. Dix, who performed an autopsy on Adrienne Blarney, said the child died of heart failure as a result of excessive amounts of intravenous fluid. Hospital officials Wednesday continued to refuse comment on reports that an incorrect dose of intravenous fluid may have contrib-uted to the girl's death. They also declined to confirm whether a nurse who allegedly mis-read the dosage called for by the attending physician has been suspended. The dead girl's father, Robert Blarney, said he wasn't surprised by Dix's findings. " It's what we expected to hear," he said. " I hate to say it, but I've been suspicious all along." Blarney added, however, that he has not decided what if any legal action the family will take. Donald Sanders, Blarney's attorney, said he and his client will not reach a decision un-- til after they have reviewed Dix's report and the results of an internal investigation by the hospital. A multidisciplinary team headed by staff cardiologist Brent Parker was assigned by hospital administrators to look into the inc-ident That investigation was completed this week but the report has yet to be made pub-lic. Until then, Sanders said he and his client will proceed with caution. Sanders said he has told Blarney to refrain from comment on the case. " Bob may receive a disembodied voice from someone claiming to be from a newspa-per, when in fact it could be someone from the hospital trying to get something from him," Sanders said. Sanders noted that if it becomes obvious to him there was negligence in the girl's treat-ment, he will not hesitate to take appropiate action. Upon learning that Blarney had hired a lawyer, the hospital turned to attorneys rep-resenting the University for counsel. Robert Ross, who is handling the case, declined comment Wednesday and refused to release the contents of the report on the investiga-tion headed by Parker. The hospital itself is shrouded in silence. Sandy Blair, director of public relations, said that after it was reported that Blarney was considering legal action she was di-rected to issue no further statements. Mem-bers of the hospital staff also have been in-structed to refrain from comment on the incident, she said. Adrienne Blarney had been plagued by a congenital heart defect that included mal-formed valves. Her father said that prior to being transferred to University Hospital, she was hospitalized at St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield for pneumonia in her left lung. Because of a leak in her lymph system, he said, doctors inserted a tube in her chest to relieve congestion around her heart. After being moved to University Hospital, the girl was intraveneously fed a high- protei- n liquid diet According to unconfirmed reports, the girl received 10 times the pre-scribed amount of fluid shortly before her death. Doctors attempted to revive her with car-diopulmonary resuscitation and efforts to dram excess fluids from her body, Blarney said The state ' s unemployed INSICjUT are not e ony ones running short of funds ' By JoHrayR. Scott i Statacapltal bureau 1 JEFFERSON CITY When pay-- ment of bills becomes impossible, ; the usual solution is to borrow. But j; what happens when the lender has run out of money? That's the question the Missouri House has been facing this week as I members debated changes in the 1 state's unemployment compensation 1 fund. But Wednesday the House I shelved legislation to provide an an-- swer. To more than 47,000 unemployed I Mlssourians, it became clear in late March that changes in the unem-- i ployment compensation fund are g needed. That's when the state's Iend- - I er the federal unemployment 1 trust fund temporarily ran out of 1 money. W It ran out of money because Con-- jj$ gress debated longer than expected m Before approving and sending Presl- - H dent Reagan a funding bill. While waiting, the Missouri Division of Employment Security wrote the un-employment checks but delayed mailing them for several days. Missouri has borrowed $ 136 mil-lion from the trust fund since Jan-uary 1882 because its own coffers are riddled with red ink. The Missouri State Labor Council is backing a legislative solution to the problem. Along with raising em-ployers' contributions to Missouri's Employment Security trust fund, the proposed legislation would raise the maximum benefits the unemployed could receive from the current $ 105 a week to $ 137 45 percent of the state's average weekly wage. Propo-nents say it would make Missouri's fund solvent in three years. Business lobbyists agree some-thing must be done, but they say this bill will increase business taxes too much. " We're not taking a position of no change in the law," said Curtis Long, president of Associated Indus- - tnes of Missouri. " We're not taking a position that there should be no benefit increase. But this has got to be moderated." Industry seemed to win a victory Wednesday when the House stalled after discussing the bill for two days. Citing Missouri's current fiscal trou-bles, Rep. Marvin Proffer, D- Jack- s- on, offered an amendment to delay any increases in benefits until the state's trust fund contains $ 150 mil-lion. According to -- some experts, that could take several years. If the original bill had passed, em-ployers would have paid taxes on the first $ 10,600 workers earn annually, up from the $ 7,000 now. As wages in-crease, so would employer contribu-tions to the fund. Opponents managed to weaken this feature of the bill with an amendment freezing the wage base at $ 7,000. But Rep. John Birch, D- Kan- sas City, the bill's sponsor, said floating benefits need a floating Ai wage base. Business puts forth another argu-ment Bob Farrar, president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, says many businesses would not be able to afford the proposed provi-sions. But according to a Labor Council flyer, a study that ranks Missouri's business climate 19th in the country stands in stark comparison to the state's ranking of 48th for its maxi-mum unemployment benefit of $ 105. With all the incentives industry re-ceives to remain in Missouri, says Duke McVey, the Labor Council's president, it should be able to con-tribute more to the unemployment fund. He says the bill will not drive industry out of the state. " Missouri is 48th in the country," McVey said. " Where're we gonna drive them to? Puerto Rico?" Birch agrees. " Not only is Missou-ri 48th in maximum benefits, but 45th in benefits being paid," he said. " I think we can do better." 7 p. m. Chamber Choir to Rolla Festival, Hickman High School Au-ditorium. 7: 30 p. m. " A Double Barrelled Detective Story," a Mark Twain satire on melodramatic detective fiction, Oakland Junior High School school gymnasium, tickets $ 2 adults and $ 1 children Woman, 67, back on her feet day after brutal hammer attack By dreg Campbell Mlaaourian staff writer A 67- year-- old Columbia woman de-scribed herself as " up and about" Wednesday following a Tuesday af-ternoon incident in which police say she was brutally assaulted by a bur-glar wielding a claw hammer. Police identified the woman as Ms. R. P. Arnold of southwest Columbia. She was treated at Boone Hospital Center for four head wounds, none apparently serious. When Ms. Arnold walked into her house at about 2: 30 p. m. she did not realize anyone else was there. " I probably just surprised him and there's no telling what they'll do when they're surprised," she said. The burglar grabbed her from be-hind and knocked her to the floor i with a blow from a small claw ham-mer, police say. Apparently he kept on hitting her. Police say she was hit more than four times. " I just told him to take the mon-ey," she said. The burglar then stole an unspecified amount of cash from her purse and fled. " For her it was a sizeable amount," said Lt. Tom Hudson. The burglar apparently took noth-ing but the cash. " We won't know why he hit her un-til we get him," Hudson said. " We don't know whether he was trying to kill her or what he was fry-ing to do." Neither police nor Ms. Arnold de-scribed the suspect The Police Department Wednes-day said it had no suspects. 1
Object Description
Title | Columbia Missourian Newspaper 1983-04-14 |
Description | Vol. 75th Year, No. 181 |
Subject |
Columbia (Mo.) -- Newspapers Boone County (Mo.) -- Newspapers |
Coverage | United States -- Missouri -- Boone County -- Columbia |
Language | English |
Date.Search | 1983-04-14 |
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 St. Louis Mercantile Library at: (314) 516-7240 or (314) 516 - 7247 See request form and fee information here: http://www.umsl.edu/mercantile/special_collections/image-service.html |
Description
Title | Full Page |
Date.Search | 1983-04-14 |
Type | page |
Item.Transcript | STATE IIZ. BICA', MCXETT HITT 4 LOtfHY ST. RV a a . sJ 4 1 COLUMBIA, MO. 65211 75th Year No. 181 Good Morning! It's Thursday, April 14, 1983 2 Sections 14 Pages 25 Cents -- 4t0 JBnT " Bb. HHH& wan iptHDHDr KbVBBBbVhbVBHBShBm ! DinM Whit Chris Ftflmwald What goes clown comes up By Pat Firan Mlaaourian staff writer A new front is being opened in the gasoline price war but this tune consumers will be the victims rather than the beneficiaries. Gas prices have been declining for the past two years and bottomed out at less than $ 1 a gallon at some local stations in February. Optimism that prices would at least stabilize around the $ 1 a gallon level or perhaps even decline was fueled by turmoil at an OPEC conference earlier this year. Oil producing nations were unsuccessful in establishing production levels and prices, and an interna-tional price war seemed in the offing. But instead of long- await- ed relief at the gas pumps, Americans got a 5- ce- nt a gallon increase from a tax designed to generate revenue to improve the nation's highways and put many of its unemployed back to work. Now, local service station owners say they must tack a little more onto the price per gallon. They blame rising costs paid to dis-tributors for increases that could run as high as a dune more for each gallon. Last weekend, Bill George's Phillips 66 Service, 1205 N. Providence Road, increased its prices 3 cents to $ 1.07 9 for regular and $ 1.14.9 for unleaded. And owner Bill George expects others to follow suit soon. " There will be a little lag," he said, " but as soon as what little gas the jobbers have is depleted, I think we'll all be about even." Gasoline prices to rise again Some already have tacked an additional 5 cents a gallon to previous pnces. But others say they're biting the bullet and waiting for the competition to make the first move. The problem is that at the moment, there's a shortage of imported fuel, according to John Hahn, executive director of the Missou-ri Oil Jobbers Association. The major oil companies reportedly cut back on orders for foreign oil last year when they found them-selves with more fuel than they could sell and have been unable to replenish supplies fast enough to meet the current demand. Now there's less to go around, and what is available has become more valuable. Retailers say they can no longer afford to absorb the price increases being imposed by the wholesalers. " I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see it go as high as 5 to 10 cents a gallon beyond the present pump price," said Hahn, adding that there could even be shortages of certain pe-troleum products. " I look for the problem to continue until the inventories are rebuilt." The increases come at a bad tune for local distributors, most of whom raised their prices 5 to 10 cents- a- gall- on April 1 to absorb the nickel- a- gallo- n federal gasoline tax and a previous wholesale pnce hike, Hahn said. " This is the most financial distress for pe troleum makers and retailers since 1932," Hahn said. Many Columbia retailers have broadened the range of merchandise and services to make up for the less than 10 percent profit from the pumps. Typical of these is Norman Dietzel, operator of 1-- 70 Shell, 1004 Stadium Blvd. Dietzel said his gas profits have been de-clining for the past two years, but that his maintenance and repair service have doubled during the same penod to take up the slack. He said his distributor raised his wholesale pnce 2.6 cents a gallon Tuesday but that he has not passed it on to customers. His hands are tied by competition with independent dealers, who charge an average of 3 cents less a gallon, he explained. " I'll have to raise it again," he said of his gasoline pnces " But for now I'll just sit tight and watch what the other guys do. It's hard to compete with independents you just have to hope their supply goes down so they'll raise prices." Service stations must average 10- cents- a- g-allon profit to stay afloat, Dietzel said. His station makes 3 cents a gallon at self- servi- ce pumps, but like every other service station operators interviewed, he declined comment on full- servic- e profits. Magazine spotlights Columbian Success takes author on new travels By Jody K. Debs Missourian staff writer Five years ago, William Trogdon criss-crossed America's backroads to help forget failure. Now the Columbia man travels first- cla- ss to publicize his best- selli- ng novel de-picting his 14,000- mi- le trek In the April 18 issue of People magazine, it's Trogdon's turn to be scrutinized. A three- pag- e interview explores the author's motiva-tions for making his trip and his impressions of people he met. Trogdon also appeared a week ago on the David Latterman television show. " Blue Highways,'" published by Atlantic Little- Brow- n under Trogdon's Indian name William Least Heat Moon, appeared in Jan-uary and was greeted with rave reviews by critics and readers alike. The book descnbes Trogdon's attempt to escape the pressures of unemployment and a failing marriage. " Blue Highways" contains his observations of the land and people in America's unknown villages and towns; the title is derived from the blue lines on high-way maps that denote state highway net-works. People magazine says that critics call Trogdon's work the most life- affirmi- ng American travel memoir since John Stem- bec- k took to the road with his dog Charley. The manager at Village Square Book Store, Eighth and Walnut, says the book has received overwhelmingly positive reviews nationally and locally, and is currently No. 5 on the New York Tunes' best- selle- rs list. The response at Biscayne Book Store also has been favorable. The atore has sold 200 copies. A spokesman for Atlantic Little- Brow- n says " Blue Highways" is already in its 10th printing. " The book's sales have superseded our expectations and surprised everyone with how well its doing," the spokesman says. The book's success even surprised the 43- year-- old author. " It has been very gratifying and was not expected by either the publisher or myself," Trogdon says. Columbia has treated the book well, Trog-don says. It's also currently No. 1 on the best- sellin- g list in St. Louis. " With all the TV, radio and newspaper ap-pearances and interviews, it will be very nice to once again get back to privacy," Trogdon says. Privacy also will give him tune to work on a second book Trogdon is not the only one who will bene-fit from the book's success Stephens Col-lege also will receive monetary benefits from " Blue Highways." Trogdon donated a portion of the book's royalties to the college. The part- Osag- e Indian author's donations to Stephens College will be used to support the study of the American Indian culture. Trogdon previously was an English instruc-tor at the college. Child's death blamed on I-- V dosage By John Slanton Missourian staff writer The March 30 death of a 3- year- - old Dade- vill- e, Mo., girl was accidental, says Boone County Medical Examiner Jay Due, whose ruling Wednesday leaves open the possiblity that the University Hospital and Clinics could be faced with a lawsuit. Dix, who performed an autopsy on Adrienne Blarney, said the child died of heart failure as a result of excessive amounts of intravenous fluid. Hospital officials Wednesday continued to refuse comment on reports that an incorrect dose of intravenous fluid may have contrib-uted to the girl's death. They also declined to confirm whether a nurse who allegedly mis-read the dosage called for by the attending physician has been suspended. The dead girl's father, Robert Blarney, said he wasn't surprised by Dix's findings. " It's what we expected to hear," he said. " I hate to say it, but I've been suspicious all along." Blarney added, however, that he has not decided what if any legal action the family will take. Donald Sanders, Blarney's attorney, said he and his client will not reach a decision un-- til after they have reviewed Dix's report and the results of an internal investigation by the hospital. A multidisciplinary team headed by staff cardiologist Brent Parker was assigned by hospital administrators to look into the inc-ident That investigation was completed this week but the report has yet to be made pub-lic. Until then, Sanders said he and his client will proceed with caution. Sanders said he has told Blarney to refrain from comment on the case. " Bob may receive a disembodied voice from someone claiming to be from a newspa-per, when in fact it could be someone from the hospital trying to get something from him," Sanders said. Sanders noted that if it becomes obvious to him there was negligence in the girl's treat-ment, he will not hesitate to take appropiate action. Upon learning that Blarney had hired a lawyer, the hospital turned to attorneys rep-resenting the University for counsel. Robert Ross, who is handling the case, declined comment Wednesday and refused to release the contents of the report on the investiga-tion headed by Parker. The hospital itself is shrouded in silence. Sandy Blair, director of public relations, said that after it was reported that Blarney was considering legal action she was di-rected to issue no further statements. Mem-bers of the hospital staff also have been in-structed to refrain from comment on the incident, she said. Adrienne Blarney had been plagued by a congenital heart defect that included mal-formed valves. Her father said that prior to being transferred to University Hospital, she was hospitalized at St. John's Regional Health Center in Springfield for pneumonia in her left lung. Because of a leak in her lymph system, he said, doctors inserted a tube in her chest to relieve congestion around her heart. After being moved to University Hospital, the girl was intraveneously fed a high- protei- n liquid diet According to unconfirmed reports, the girl received 10 times the pre-scribed amount of fluid shortly before her death. Doctors attempted to revive her with car-diopulmonary resuscitation and efforts to dram excess fluids from her body, Blarney said The state ' s unemployed INSICjUT are not e ony ones running short of funds ' By JoHrayR. Scott i Statacapltal bureau 1 JEFFERSON CITY When pay-- ment of bills becomes impossible, ; the usual solution is to borrow. But j; what happens when the lender has run out of money? That's the question the Missouri House has been facing this week as I members debated changes in the 1 state's unemployment compensation 1 fund. But Wednesday the House I shelved legislation to provide an an-- swer. To more than 47,000 unemployed I Mlssourians, it became clear in late March that changes in the unem-- i ployment compensation fund are g needed. That's when the state's Iend- - I er the federal unemployment 1 trust fund temporarily ran out of 1 money. W It ran out of money because Con-- jj$ gress debated longer than expected m Before approving and sending Presl- - H dent Reagan a funding bill. While waiting, the Missouri Division of Employment Security wrote the un-employment checks but delayed mailing them for several days. Missouri has borrowed $ 136 mil-lion from the trust fund since Jan-uary 1882 because its own coffers are riddled with red ink. The Missouri State Labor Council is backing a legislative solution to the problem. Along with raising em-ployers' contributions to Missouri's Employment Security trust fund, the proposed legislation would raise the maximum benefits the unemployed could receive from the current $ 105 a week to $ 137 45 percent of the state's average weekly wage. Propo-nents say it would make Missouri's fund solvent in three years. Business lobbyists agree some-thing must be done, but they say this bill will increase business taxes too much. " We're not taking a position of no change in the law," said Curtis Long, president of Associated Indus- - tnes of Missouri. " We're not taking a position that there should be no benefit increase. But this has got to be moderated." Industry seemed to win a victory Wednesday when the House stalled after discussing the bill for two days. Citing Missouri's current fiscal trou-bles, Rep. Marvin Proffer, D- Jack- s- on, offered an amendment to delay any increases in benefits until the state's trust fund contains $ 150 mil-lion. According to -- some experts, that could take several years. If the original bill had passed, em-ployers would have paid taxes on the first $ 10,600 workers earn annually, up from the $ 7,000 now. As wages in-crease, so would employer contribu-tions to the fund. Opponents managed to weaken this feature of the bill with an amendment freezing the wage base at $ 7,000. But Rep. John Birch, D- Kan- sas City, the bill's sponsor, said floating benefits need a floating Ai wage base. Business puts forth another argu-ment Bob Farrar, president of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, says many businesses would not be able to afford the proposed provi-sions. But according to a Labor Council flyer, a study that ranks Missouri's business climate 19th in the country stands in stark comparison to the state's ranking of 48th for its maxi-mum unemployment benefit of $ 105. With all the incentives industry re-ceives to remain in Missouri, says Duke McVey, the Labor Council's president, it should be able to con-tribute more to the unemployment fund. He says the bill will not drive industry out of the state. " Missouri is 48th in the country," McVey said. " Where're we gonna drive them to? Puerto Rico?" Birch agrees. " Not only is Missou-ri 48th in maximum benefits, but 45th in benefits being paid," he said. " I think we can do better." 7 p. m. Chamber Choir to Rolla Festival, Hickman High School Au-ditorium. 7: 30 p. m. " A Double Barrelled Detective Story," a Mark Twain satire on melodramatic detective fiction, Oakland Junior High School school gymnasium, tickets $ 2 adults and $ 1 children Woman, 67, back on her feet day after brutal hammer attack By dreg Campbell Mlaaourian staff writer A 67- year-- old Columbia woman de-scribed herself as " up and about" Wednesday following a Tuesday af-ternoon incident in which police say she was brutally assaulted by a bur-glar wielding a claw hammer. Police identified the woman as Ms. R. P. Arnold of southwest Columbia. She was treated at Boone Hospital Center for four head wounds, none apparently serious. When Ms. Arnold walked into her house at about 2: 30 p. m. she did not realize anyone else was there. " I probably just surprised him and there's no telling what they'll do when they're surprised," she said. The burglar grabbed her from be-hind and knocked her to the floor i with a blow from a small claw ham-mer, police say. Apparently he kept on hitting her. Police say she was hit more than four times. " I just told him to take the mon-ey," she said. The burglar then stole an unspecified amount of cash from her purse and fled. " For her it was a sizeable amount," said Lt. Tom Hudson. The burglar apparently took noth-ing but the cash. " We won't know why he hit her un-til we get him," Hudson said. " We don't know whether he was trying to kill her or what he was fry-ing to do." Neither police nor Ms. Arnold de-scribed the suspect The Police Department Wednes-day said it had no suspects. 1 |