Winchester Star (Newspaper) - March 20, 2008, Winchester, Virginia The Winchester Star March 20, 2008 112th YEAR No. 220 VIRGINIA 22601 war has made U.S. safer President defends Iraq actions despite chigh cost in By BEN FELLER Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - President Bush defiantly defended the Iraq war on Wednesday as U.S. troops began a sixth year of combat in the long and costly conflict that has dominated his The president conceded that the war has been harder and more expensive than but insisted that it has all been necessary to keep Americans Protesters marked the anniversary of the U.S. invasion with tions near the White House and in other though they seemed to lack the fervor of those that preceded the in a speech at the offered some of his boldest assessments of progress and said the war's legacy is world is and the United States of America is A war-weary country isn't nearly so The majority of people think the invasion was a polls Americans are more split about how the war is going and when U.S. troops should be pulled as reduced violence in Iraq has begun to influence the public Almost 4,000 U.S. military members have and more than 29,000 have been The cost is billion and one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and Bush those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in The U.S. has about 158,000 troops in and that number is expected to drop to 140,000 by But Bush signaled anew that he will not withdraw more troops home as long as his commanders worry that doing so will imperil recently improved conditions in so and achieved so we're not going to let this he Demonstrators converged in the nation's other large cities such as Miami and San and in smaller towns in Vermont and Ohio to urge an end to the Police arrested more than 30 people who blocked the Internal Revenue Service building in Page A6 GERALD Associated Press President Bush marks the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion with a speech at the JEFF Winchester Star Harp and soul Master Sgt. Karen Grimsey concentrates as she tunes her harp a performance of the United States Marine Band on Wednesday The famed ensemble - often referred to as President's - visited Shenandoah University in playing in Armstrong Concert hometown is For another see Page Lack of state figures slows budget Frederick officials say By ROBERT IGOE The Winchester Star Frederick County Finance Committee recommended on Wednesday that the Board of Supervisors vote on the real estate tax rate at its next regular meeting on April 9, but hold off on approving the The supervisors will hold public hearings on the tax rate and the proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 during their regular meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the Frederick County Office Complex county Finance Director Cheryl Shiftier told the Finance Com that a detailed draft of the county's budget is not ready due to delays in receiving necessary information about funding levels from the state County Schools Superintendent Patricia who attended Wednesday's said the school system is experiencing similar but hopes to have its budget completed See Page A6 Court won't delay Bell execution By ERICA M. BUSH The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - A federal appeals court will not delay the execution of a city man convicted of killing a police officer while he petitions the Supreme Court to hear his On the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond denied Edward Nathaniel Bell's request to postpone his 42, petitioned the court to stay his death sentence in a motion filed on He is scheduled to be executed on April 8. Only a stay of execution from Gov. Timothy M. Kaine or an order from the U.S. Supreme Court can prevent Bell's who is being held on death row at the Sussex State Prison in had previously asked the Court of Appeals to set aside the death sentence he received for the Oct. 29,1999, murder of Winchester Police Sgt Rick L. but the court rejected his The execution date was set in Bell shot 32, once in the forehead during a foot pursuit on Piccadilly near the present site of the Timbrook Public Safety A Winchester Circuit Court jury found Bell guilty of capital murder in January 2001 and recommended the death He was sentenced to death by Judge Dennis L. Hupp on May 30,2001. See Page A6 Edward Nathaniel Bell Spring is arriving and scientists are worried BORENSTEIN AP Writer WASHINGTON - The famous cherry trees are primed to burst out in a perfect pink peak around the end of this Thirty years the trees usually didn't bloom until about April 5. In central the first of the field skipper a drab little was fluttering about on March 12. Just 25 years that creature predictably emerged there between mid- April and And sneezes are coming earlier in On March 9, when allergist Dr. Donald Dvorin set up his maple pollen was already heavy in the Less than two decades that pollen couldn't be measured until late Pollen is Creatures are Buds are Scientists are alarm clock that all the plants and animals are listening to is running Spring began at 1:48 a.m. today too Stanford University biologist Terry Root Blame global The fingerprints of man-made climate change are evident in seasonal timing changes for thousands of species on according to dozens of studies and last year's authoritative report by the Nobel Prize-winning international climate More than 30 scientists told The Associated Press how global warming is affecting plants and animals at time across the in nearly every What's happening is so noticeable that scientists can track it from Satellites measuring when land turns green found that spring is arriving eight hours earlier every year on average since 1982 north of the Mason-Dixon In much of Florida and southern Texas and the satellites See Page A2 Planners study school proposal By ROBERT IGOE The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - Frederick County planning officials have taken their first good look at the site plan for the county's 12th elementary At its regular meeting on the Planning Commission reviewed the proposal for the 100,800-square-foot It will be constructed off Senseny Road on Channing near Woodrow and drives east of and See Page A6 Negotiators seek accord on bonds for state projects By DREW HOUFF The Winchester Star WINCHESTER - General Assembly negotiators continue to work on a proposed bond package that would provide financing for higher education construction mental health and parks Among the possibilities for the bond package are two buildings at Lord Fairfax Community College's Middletown campus and another at its campus near Del. Beverly J. served as a member of the Committee of Conference that devised the final version of the proposed biennial ' Although not a member of the committee negotiating the bond Sherwood said on Tuesday that the conferees on the bonds will face many challenges in trying to develop something the entire General Assembly can The bond package will be put Page A6 TODAY'S Hair care Members of the and Community Leaders of America club at James Wood High School organized a haircutting event on Wednesday to benefit Locks of Full story Bl and Wayside Theatre presents Shakespeare's classic love Full story Dl Wood's new coach Former assistant Mike Bolin was introduced as James Wood's new football coach on Full story CI COMING FRIDAY Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will discuss the budget and legislation passed during the 2008 General Assembly during a Town Hall meeting this evening at Skyline High School in Front Four 28 Pages Bulletin Classified Dear TODAY'S FORECAST Mostly with northwest ro winds at 15-20 mph and 5o 2usts 40 HIGH Full report A6 33 LOW Miss your Call 665-4946 from 7 to 11 a.m. See us on the 0608566000375
