Winchester Star (Newspaper) - February 12, 2008, Winchester, Virginia The Winchester Star February 12, 2008 112th YEAR No. 188 VIRGINIA 22601 35t Region's voters join in primary battles Clinton is very By The Associated Press WHITE Md. - Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton denied on Monday that her campaign is in trouble after losing to Sen. Barack Obama in four states last weekend and replacing her campaign still ahead in the popular vote and in Clinton though the numbers do not fully support that An Associated Press tally CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK shows Clinton with a slim lead among delegates - 1,147, compared to 1,124 for But an initial tabulation of the total popular vote showed Obama likely to pull ahead once the results of states that held caucuses are fully Speaking to reporters after touring a General Motors plant outside Clinton said See Page A6 By DREW HOUFF The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - In the 2008 quest for the White most eyes will move toward and In what has been called the Democrats and Republicans will take another stab at trying to determine whose names will appear on the November with heightened awareness following last week's Super Sen. John McCain of Arizona holds a strong lead among especially after his chief former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt withdrew from the race on Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York holds a slight lead for the Democratic nomination over Sen. Barack Obama of There are indications that today's primary will attract a larger than normal and area Democrats and Republicans are encouraging their supporters to do what they can to bolster their Paul chairman of the Winchester Democratic attended the Democratic Party's annual fundraising dinner on Saturday in He said the speeches by Clinton and Obama had a common theme - party unity in the upcoming election to retake the White from the DECISION 2008 Virginia's polls are open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m. Frederick planners review Va. 37 study More work ahead on road extension By ROBERT IGOE The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - Frederick County planning officials hope to make more progress on a plan to extend Va. 37 south of the but feel they have taken a major step On members of the county Planning Commission and Transportation Committee heard Deputy Planning Director for Transportation Bishop present the result of a County Metropolitan Planning Organization The study examined the projected cost and effect of three options to improve the compared to no action at in an overall plan to extend Va. 37 south from Interstate 81 and remodel other major collector roads and primary routes in the 'The basic desire of the report was to find a way to increase including exchanges at Shady Elm while maintaining access at Va. 37 and U.S. 11," Bishop said of the doing we hope to best meet the needs of future The study recommended the second of three which would create a new interchange at Shady Elm and Va. 37, add lanes to Va. 37, and incorporate improvements to Exit 310 on Interstate 81 in Alternative Two is the most expensive of the with a preliminary price tag of but the See Va. 37, Page A6 SCOTT Winchester Star This facing shows the termination of Va. 37 near south of The highway under the bridges at top is Interstate 81, and the highway below the bridges at center is U.S. 11. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he favors a possible suspension of withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq until the end of this Projected by U.S. troops in Iraq July 2008 180 thousand 135,000 Jan. 25, 2008 158,000 j 160...................... Iraq drawdown may be slowed Petraeus believe summer evaluation of plan is necessary 140 120 100 J J 2007 2008 U.S. Department of Defense AP By TINA SUSMAN c 2008 Los Angeles Times BAGHDAD - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Monday endorsed the idea of a pause in the American troop drawdown this as bombers killed at least 22 Iraqis in attacks targeting tribal comments followed a meeting with the commander of U.S. forces in Gen. David H. who favors a temporary break in the troop reduction after the last of five extra brigades leave as planned in The brigades were deployed in 2007 to quell Iraq's and their departure will bring troop levels down to about 134,000, the lowest since January 2007. Bloodshed has but ground commanders such as Petraeus warn that it could surge anew if troops are pulled out too Some senior Pentagon officials favor a drawdown beyond the five brigades to relieve stress on many of whom are on their third or fourth Gates previously had expressed hopes that conditions in Iraq would permit to continue through the end of 2008, until about 100,000 forces were left in the but two hours of talks with Petraeus apparently changed his Speaking about desire a Gates said it does make for a He said the ultimate decision lay with President Although violence has dropped in most of the insurgents remain In they have stepped up attacks on supporters of the Awakening started by Sunni See Page A6 suit ends with settlement By LORRAINE HALSTED The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - A lawsuit filed against the leader of Ricketts Co. Inc. by one of the sons has been dropped as part of an settlement According to a memorandum of Jeffrey a minority stockholder in the agreed to withdraw the lawsuit he filed against Chief Executive Officer Denver E. in Winchester Circuit Court on Oct. 24. The lawsuit had accused majority stockholder of Ricketts Construction of defrauding the firm of In the Ricketts said owed the firm for work that construction crews performed for a cluster of companies in which owns or has a business interest Ricketts was seeking million in compensatory damages and another million in punitive mutually agreed to dismiss this suit back on Dec. 13," referring to the memorandum of understanding in his office on The memorandum was signed by and their as well as an attorney from a binding company which is overseeing construction jobs left undone by the firm when it closed in In addition to dropping the the memorandum states mat all parties have agreed to liquidate the company's assets and appoint a third-party received to oversee the liquidation It also stated that would allow Jeff Ricketts to start up his own company and allow him to complete the bonded jobs that Ricketts Construction Co. Inc. was currently working subject to the bonding company's he reading from the - a law firm based in New and New Jersey - was appointed to be the receiver for Ricketts according to an order signed by Judge John E. Wetsel Jr. and filed in Winchester Circuit Court oft Feb. 1. Ricketts and were named as plaintiffs and Ricketts Construction See Page A6 Hampton said Clinton and Obama stressed a new future for the United building a government that addresses all interests and rather than one trying to help a select have a lot more people coming out to campaign he also had a lot more young people coming out Saturday to the dinner in Hampton said he was pleased to see so many people holding signs and supporting the two even if they weren't necessarily going to the See Page A6 Driver is fined in 3-fatality accident 2 local teens died in 2007 1-66 wreck By ERICA M. BUSH The Winchester Star FAIRFAX - A Woodbridge man has been fined for crashing his tractor-trailer into two vehicles last year and killing three including two A Fairfax County Circuit Court jury on Monday found Mac Jerry 44, guilty of improper driving in the accident on Interstate 66 near the Fairfax County penalty for the misdemeanor traffic infraction was a He had been charged with reckless but the jury found him guilty of the lesser charge and the judge imposed the maximum possible fine under state Kriesch was driving a truck carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline when he struck the rear of a 2000 Jeep that was stopped on westbound 1-66 around 4 a.m. on Jan. 28,2007. The impact caused the Jeep's gasoline tank to and pushed the vehicle into a 1996 Volvo station wagon carrying Handley High School senior Ashley Myers and James Wood High School senior Sidney according to the Virginia State Both as well as the cab of the were engulfed in flames by the time police arrived on the The 18-year-old as well as the Jeep's 35-year-old Donald Kevin Weeks of died in the accident Kriesch escaped the cab with minor He was indicted on the reckless driving charge by a Fairfax County See Page A2 Mac Jerry Kriesch was fined Going up again Beginning on May 12, mailing a first-class letter will cost an extra PageAS TODAY'S Blowing In the wind officials continue to address the damages caused by powerful winds that swept through the region on toppling trees and cutting power to Full story Bl Soldiers pen novel Authors write a book while on assignment in Full story C5 Judges sweep The Handley and basketball teams defeated rival James Wood on Monday Full story CI COMING WEDNESDAY A Tuskegee airman will be the featured speaker this morning at High School as part of the school's observance of Black History The program is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. Four 24 Pages Bulletin Classified Dear C5 Bl B5 .AS CI A3 TODAY'S FORECAST 35 with a 90 percent chance of freezing and sleet Snow and sleet accumulation up to 1 Full report A6 35 LOW Miss your Call 665-4946 from 7 to 11 a.m. HIGH LOW | 0608566000375
