Court overturns murder
conviction of sky sniper
BOSTON (AP) Hie state's
highest < ourt Wednesday over
turned the murder conviction
of si man who shot his wife
eight times, then buzzed neigh
borhoods In a stolen airplane
while firing an assault rifle
The state Supreme Judicial
Court ruled that a judge should
have conducted a hearing on
whether incriminating testi
mony from Alfred | Hunter
could lie used against him
Hunter, 4<i, had been con
victed of murdering Ins
estranged wife, Hvua. on May
Vt, lUH'l, as their 5-Year-old son
watt hud After the killing,
authorities said. Hunter stole
a i ar at gunpoint and drove to
an airport, where he i omman
deered a small airplane
For three hours, he buzzed
several neighborhoods anti
Logan International Airport,
firing down with an assault
rifle Nobody was injured
During the trial, the jury was
allowed to hear testimony
from two men who testified
that Hunter said he killed his
wife because he was nngry
with her One testified that
Hunter < Ini mod In s wife had
i hente<l on him.
Hunter's attorney argued
that the statements should fa
disqualified bee ause Hunter
was not mentally competent at
the time A month after Hunter
made the statements, he was
found ini omputenl to stand tri
al That decision was reversed
in 1090 Hunter was convict
ed in 1992 and sentenced to
life without parole
The state Supreme judicial
Court ruled that the judge
should have conducted a hear
ing to determine whether
Hunter's statements were vol
untary
Credit Classes are Still
Available for Winter Term
Environmental
Awareness
Workshops
;
Outdoor Recreation Admin — January 28, 29
1 credit (LSS 40.V50S) Fee: SUM). Meets in Eugene
Outdoor Recreation Admin.— February 18,19
/ credit (LSS 4ON/50H) Fee: $100. Meets in Medford
Ilns workshop is designed to assist in tlie understanding of die
duties of outdoor adnumstralors. Students will examine program
adnumstration ;uk! problem solving, as well as management hints
and many tested methods m platuung, publicity, staffing, registra
non, aixl safety. Ninety-nine potential program offerings will he
discussed.
Winter Recreation— February 4, 5,6
2 credits (LSS 40S/50H) Fee: $150 plus $.10 travel
This class examines tlie recreational and tounsm potential during
the winter months in Oregon. Subjects will be* snowplay, skiing,
fishing, storm watching, camping ami other cool-weather activities
Several guest speakers will cover equipment, commercial ventures,
and new opportunities available. Discussion, audio-visuals and on
site observation will aid students in gaining a belter understanding
of winter recreation
Risk and Liability— February 11,12
/ credit (LSS 400/50$) Fee $75
This workshop is designed for guides, leaders and recreation
personnel who deal directly with nsk and liability issues Tin
worksliop will cover areas such as standards, negligence, adventure
recreation, protection issues, insurance choices and purposes,
litigation, risk reduction, pcrnussion and release forms, accident
reduction insurance, contracts and contracted services
Coastal Lakes— February 25, 26, 27
2 credits (LSS 4IW50S) Fee: $150plus $.10 travel
1 arge and small lakes along <fregon's coast provide an interesting
and informative field-lab for (lie study of plants, animals, history
ami geology. This workshop will explore preservation ami use
issues, recreational opportunities and resource values, as well as die
historical and geological significance of tliese exceptional resources
Rivers— March 4, 5 and 6
2 credits (LSS 40S/50S) Fee: $150 plus $.10 travel
ITus workshop will investigate the exciting riparian environments
of Oregon s rivets l-iclu-lahs on
kKal rims offer firsthand
exposure to help students gam an
understanding of llie problems,
relationships, concepts and
opportunities for river activities
Studies of plants, animals,
history and river geology will
broaden students' awareness of
Oregon’s waterways
To rrgUltr fi»r any «>f these
worbho|K , stop by the
University of Oregon
Continuation Center
at 3.U Oregon Halt,
or simply call:
346-4231
Pre-embryo tested baby bom
NOKi-OI K Vs (A I’) — A baby who was tested
when she was onh eight cells old to ensure she
would lie free ol the deadly Tay-Sachs disease w;is
born Wednesday She was the first c hild to be
sc reened for the incurable disease as a pre-embryo,
a doctor said
Bnltanv Nicole Abshirc and her mother were
doing well, said Dr William K (.ibbons, the fami
ly's doctor at the Jones Institute for Reproduc live
Medicine in Norfolk
Brittany was born at Baptist Hospital in Orange.
Texas, near the DeRidder. La , home of her parents.
David and Renee Ahshire.
Brittany was tested ns an eight-cell pre-embryo
that had not vet been implanted into her mother's
womb Doctors used a needle one fifth as wide ns
a human hair to withdraw a single* < ell from each
of eggs that were fertilized "in vitro." or outside the
mother, said Dr <»nrv D Hodgen. leader of the team
that performed the procedure
The eggs wore tested for i ns-Sachs, and three
"clean" eggs were implanted in Abshire's uterus
One developed into Brittany
She was the- first child in the world to be sc reened
for the inherited disease at that stage. Hodgen said
Brittany. who weighed 5 pounds, l - ounc es. was
(mm about three weeks early las ause Ahshire devel
oped a common gall bladder problem and went into
labor, said (iiblions. who also is chairman of obstet
rics unci gynecology .it the I astern Virginia Medic al
School
The Jones Institute is part of the medic al sc hoot
Doctors at the institute delivered the nation's brsi
m vitro, or so c ailed "test-tulie babyin 1'itt 1
David and Kcmee Ahshire eac h c arry the- gene for
Tay-Sachs which killed their first daughter at age
t Without the test, they have a 2ii percent ( banc e
of having a c hild with Toy-Sac hs
Victims of Tay-Sachs are Ixirn without an enzyme
ncs c’ssarv to remove fatly suhstnne es from the brain
Most y ic tuns are blind and paraly zed by age l and
die by age 5
There is no central registry for Tay-Sachs births,
but about .it) Tas - Sachs < hildren were believed bom
in the United States last year, said Debbie Gutter,
director of National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases,
which reviews research on about 40 genetic dis
orders
editions said the institute has not vet performed
the Tay-Sachs test on other patients, but that some
are in preparation,
(.utter said three North American groups are more
prone to carrying the Tay-Sachs gene Trench Cana
dians. Jews whose families come from Kastern
Turope, and people from a section of southwest
Louisiana with a large Cajun population.
Moth parents must carry the gene for the child to
be born with Tay-Sachs.
Dr Michael Studies of the department of obstet
ric s and gvnnc ologv at the Baylor College of Med
icine praised the work of Hodgen’s team.
"I've seen the method that they've used to make
this diagnosis, and it's gixid. solid work." he said
The technology could help couples who carry
other inherited diseases, such ns sickle-cell anemia
and hemophilia, Doctors in Tngland recently used
a similar priw edure to help a couple predisposed
to (vstii fibrosis give birth to a healthy infant,
Snabes said.
John Tleti her. director of the Center for Hio
rtiedic al Killies at the I University of Virginia, praised
the procedure but said it raises questions about
future developments in handling defective genes
"What people are afraid of is, once you start
manipulating genes in the embryo, you could move
from treating the disease to nffec ting characteristics
that don’t have anything to do with the disease, like
skin t.olor, height, weight."
Testing couples fur the Tay-Sachs gene is routine
in mam Jewish communities, and in cases where
both partners are carriers, they art1 advised of the
risks of bearing children
Clinton, celebrities list favorite books
(iAROINKK. Maine (AP)
The lifestyles of the rich and
famous often include a good
hook or two. Or, in the case of
President Clinton, about 70 a
year
< linton was one of 50 celebri
ties surveyed by librarian Clen
ria Nowell who i ompiles an
annual Who's Reading What?"
list hoping to encourage others
to wad
"I can't imagine what my life
would !*• like without reading,''
wrote Clinton, who said he
reads about 70 hooks a year. He
( hose The Prim r of Tides and
The ImsI of thr Mnhltuns as two
ol his all-time favorites
Among the other celebrity
selections: Attorney General
Janet Reno recommended Mary
Poppins, ABC News' Sam Don
aldson picked Plutarch's Lives
and tennis star Martina
Navratilova chose Ayn Rand's
The Fountainhead
"Accepting responsibility —
wow. what a concept,”
Navratilova said. "Too had
politicians don't read these
books.”
We’ll ask you to do
unusual things
Well, not exactly dancing half-naked
but many other interesting tasks
Be a Resident Assistant
University (lousing is looking fm active,
enthusiastic [>eoplc vs ho would like to till the
Resident Assistant positions in the residence
halls tor the '94-*95 academic year
Compensation:
Room and board plus $600 per year
Eligibility:
Must have Junior standing by tall term
1994 and have a cumulative CPA of 2.5 or
higher.
You must also attend one of the following
s orientation sessions:
Tuesday, Jan. 25th 7 pm Cold Room (Carson
Hall).
Saturday January 29 2:45 pm F.WEB Building
Community Room, 500 E. 4th Avc.
Application deadline:
Tuesday, Feb. 1st. 5 pm
For more information contact: University Mousing
or call 346-4277
By the way, if you like dancing half
naked, dont hesitate to come.
•An AAF.l) institution committed to cultural diversity
and in compliance with the ADA.