Ruston Daily Leader (Newspaper) - February 14, 1980, Ruston, Louisiana Ruston Hometown Newspaper of North Central Louisiana Since 1894 Leader Volume 89Number 254 71270 Thursday 2 sections 16 pages February Agreement seems near for release of hostages President Carter has joined Irans President Abolhassan BaniSadr and other key players in the Iranian crisis in hinting a breakthrough is near in the 103day ordeal of 50 American hostages at the besieged Embassy in Carter said in a televised news conference Wednesday night progress has been made toward the release of the hostages and Washington was ready to accept an appropriate international commission to resolve the His coupled with a statement by BaniSadr that Ayatollah Khomeini has accepted a compromise plan on the sent hopes soaring the 15week occupation of the embassy soon would Because details of any release formula have kept it was not known if Khomeini and Carter were responding favorably to the same set of But both leaders apparently hinged their acceptance of the plan on the work of an international Western news reports indicated the commission would under the direction of the United the alleged crimes of the deposed shah and Irans charges of collaboration in the human rights violations of the Pahlavi Carter would not elaborate on the saying Our efforts have been particularly Recently there have been positive the president We must be careful to guard against premature Secretary General Kurt Waldheim has been prepared to appoint such a commission on short informed sources at the United Nations interviewed by also declined to provide of the formula but expressed hope the plan would be Asked about the opinions of the ailing 79yearold Khomeini on the the Iranian president When we presented an action plan to he accepted approval is the key to the successful completion of any deal to liberate the Moslem Militants at the embassy have promised to obey Khomeini if he orders the hostages but have otherwise stood firm on their demand their captives can go only with the extradition of the At the State Secretary of State Cyrus Vance Wednesday released a statement been working with the for months on the possibility of creating an international commission that could lead to the release of the without going into the specifics of his said the United States must denounce the crimes of the shahs accept the return of the shahs wealth to Iran and admit its interference in Irans affairs during the past 25 The Iranian president said the United States should admit its mistakes in its role in and is the best way to turn enemies into BaniSadr said the extradition of the shah to Iran was no longer a precondition for the hostages In troubled Kurdistan floods ravaged villages along rivers and the Revolutionary Council dispatched a member of the assembly to the disaster area to supervise relief Radio monitored in During a helicopter flight over the Sayed Mohammed governor of said People were praying to God to save Only advanced equipment like hovercraft and helicopters can save these poor Daily Leader Leaders flag stolen reward offered For the past several weeks the Ruston Leader has been flying an American flag in prayful tribute to the 50 hostages being held captive in Iran Wednesday the flag was We hope whoever took the flag will fly it in a spirit of patriotism and tir bute to the The Leader is offering a reward for information leading to the recovery of the Anyone having information leading to the recovery of the flag is asked to call 2554353 during business hours or 2554356 after 5 Titos condition critical Yugoslavia UPI Doctors said today President Josip Broz was in critical A medical bulletin Overnight the health condition of President Tito was After intensive measures were undertaken there was certain improvement but the condition is still very Corresponding medical treatment is being A goverment source said privately that Tito had reached the point of no Organized crime leaders to parley over division of FBI says WASHINGTON UPI The FBI discovered that organized crime leaders from across the nation were planning a summit possibly to divide up but news leaks of the FBI operation presumably led to its Leaders of the which the FBI calls La Cosa were preparing as recently as last week for the meeting scheduled for the near future sources said They presumably canceled it after learning the FBI had penetrated crime circles with undercover agents and the sources said One FBI undercover called for has implicated reputed Louisiana mob chieftain Carlos who was among those involved in planning the syndicate the sources Reports about attributed to unnamed federal sources first surfaced in newspapers across the country last FBI knowledge of the planned meeting was also The planned summit meeting was compared to a syndicate meeting in 1957 at where more than 60 underworld figures When FBI agents converged on that many of the mob chiefs dashed into the woods to Weather clou diness with slight chance of mostly cloudy Friday with a chance of showers and a few Low tonight around High Friday upper Valentine Kiss The gifts of love presented from the heart to those very special persons is not forgotten within family circles To and children of and Jim Mitchell of its a very special day which they share with the exchange of valentine cards and a Valentine federal officials air Rock Island plight today Officials of the state Department of and Development are meeting today In Washington with Federal Railroad Administration FRA staffers to discuss the future of the Rock Island Rock which runs through Ruston on its Memphis to Alexandria has been in bankruptcy proceedings since The federal court has ordered liquidation of the line beginning March 2 of this year with a preliminary liquidation plan to be filed TODAYS MEETING WILL be followed by a Friday morning session in Monroe during which Fifth District Jerry Huckaby and Russel Long will air the same situation with a select group of about a dozen North Louisiana Since the Rock Island routes have been operated by the Kansas City Southern Terminal that permit expires March Although the FRA has received 17 bids from other rail companies on portions of the Rock Island no bid has been offered bor the Louisiana to Junction Arkansas according to Ron Office of Aviation and Public Tran Chances are there may not be any more Hebert said late Wednesday in a telephone interview from his Baton Rouge HEBERT SAID HIS OFFICE has been gathering data on the vitality of the line for use as testimony in a possible case seeking assistance for the Federal government assistance would be one he Senate filed the U Senate Com merce Committee has scheduled hearings Wednesday on three bills asking the Interstate Commerce Committee ICC or Rock Island itself to continue operation of the railway past March Robert Dole has offered one which would require the see Rock Trial jury selection As questioning sequestered jurors pass time playing games The first degree murder trial of 17 yearold Ricky Donnell Gray was expected to begin sometime today following three and a half days of jury The slow jury only 11 of 14 had been chosen by press time has been attributed by some sources to the emphasis placed on the belief of the prospective jurors in capital punish Judge who is presiding throughout the trial ordered the proceedings adjourned early Wednesday evening to be resumed at The jurors chosen include six women and five all of whom are THOSE JURORS CHOSEN EARLY IN THE who have been sequestered since the start of jury have been passing tune throughout the duration playing monopoly and clue as they waited in the district court office on the second floor of the Lincoln Parish according to sources in the court Waltman ordered all jurors sequestered secluded from the public until the end of the trial which is ex to last through the The jurors have been spending nights in the Lincoln General Hospital under guard of Lincoln Parish Sheriffs They have had no contact with the outside world except for telephone calls requesting necessities such as clothing from family The first a white was selected Monday afternoon with three more selected Monday MORE THAN 30 WITNESSES have been subpoenaed to appear in the proceedings but were released after being sworn in Waltman instructed them not to discuss the case with anyone but the district attorneys office or the defense The witnesses will be sequestered from the courtroom during the trial Waltman THE ENTIRE PROCESS of jury selection has been conducted under tight security including Louisiana State Police and Lincoln Parish Sheriffs With the use of a metal a state trooper discovered a caliber pistol in the pocket of a spectator Monday as the man at tempted to enter the The 60yearold Isaac was immediately placed under arrest and booked into the Lincoln Parish jail just two floors above the He has been released after posting a bond for carrying a concealed Case background The first degree murder charge filed against Gray is the result of a shooting incident on August 24th in which a young woman was fatally Terri Lynne Blackstock of Ruston was shot once in the chest at approximately that Friday night and was pronounced dead at Lincoln General Hospital shortly Gray was arrested several days later when he surrendered to Ruston police after learning that a warrant had been issued for his arrest in connection with the Gray was later indicted by a grand jury in the incident and bound over for Throughout the jury Gray sat between attorneys Joe Guerriero and Robert often consulting with his attorneys during the THE COURT ORDERED 50 ad Petit Jury Venire members subpoenaed Tuesday after questioning more than 70 original Petit Jury Venire The additional jurors reported to the courthouse at 3 Tuesday to be Health agency vows to pursue New Bethany case chief health officer William head of the state Department of Health and Human Resources Wednesday said his agency intends to continue its fight to see that the New Bethany Home for Girls and a companion boys home are Cherrys statement came one day after Second District Judge David Caldwell dismissed a suit against the Mack founder and administrator of the two The New Bethany home is near Arcadia in Bienville while the boys facility is located in Longstreet in DeSoto THE DEPARTMENT of Health and Human Resources initiated legal ac tion against the schools in response to allegations and complaints of physical neglect and questionable treatment of the Cherry said in a prepared It is in concern for the wellbeing of these children that we will pursue any or all legal remedies available to us either continuing the civil process or recommending criminal These matters are under study now and will be announced when a decision is The purpose of our licen sing child caring facilities is to insure proper standards of care and safety for The refusal of the schools owner to allow licensing inspection is an action we cannot tolerate as a responsible government Cherry APPROXIMATELY 100 YOUNG women live at the New Bethany home about 60 young men reside in the DeSoto Parish In its latest court battle with the charged the Baptist minister with running an unlicensed child care State law requires child care in be licensed by the state unless exempt through legislative Caldwell tossed out the suit on the grounds the had no right of action to bring the civil suit without working through the local district Second District District Attorney Leon Whitten once took New Bethany before the grand but the body returned a no true Whitten could not be reached Wed for comment on the IN HANDING DOWN his ruling Caldwell predicted the New Bethany case would continue to draw who licensing his homes is a violation of the Con principal of separation of church and himself has said if he wins the license fight he will challenge other Since ruling Ford said Wednesday taken 15 additional girls into his In New Bethany plans to dedicate new ad ditions to its school Ford
