Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1997)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 7,1997 INDEX Opinion 2 News 3 Sports 7 Comics 10 Classifieds 10 Crossword 10 TODAY The bookstore is still buy ing books from fall term. Books can be sold back to the bookstore in the EMU from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. INSIDE Kenny Anderson’s last-minute three-pointer lifts the Blazers past the Lakers, 88-84 Despite his recent violation of House rules, Speaker Newt Gingrich is pushing for re-election WEATHER Cloudy with mommgfog. High 45. Low 35. MATHEW STIFFLER/Emerald Muddy tire tracks are all that remains of a car chase on campus over winter break. According to the Creswell Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, James Allen Hodge, is still at large. Three car chases invade campus ■ POLICE: Officers captured two of the three drivers over the winter break, but one man escaped on foot By Jennifer Schmitt Community Editor Three car pursuits through campus occurred within a week and a half of each other during winter break. The path of one car chase ran through the lawn and down the stairs by Prince Lucien Campbell Hall. According to police reports, suspect James Allan Hodge drove his car down the stairs near PLC and turned right on to Kincaid Street. Hodge left his Subaru on 12th Ave. and Alder Street and fled on foot. “He damaged 300 feet of grass and chipped the stairs when he went through,” said Sgt. Dave Poppe of the Eugene Police Department. The chase began in Creswell, where Lane County Sheriff Deputy Dwayne Toman was in pursuit of Hodge on Dec. 30. During the chase, Hodge drove down Franklin Boulevard going the wrong way before turning onto Agate Street, Poppe said. Hodge turned onto Johnson Lane but instead of turning with the lane, he con tinued straight and drove across the lawn next to PLC, Poppe said. According to the Creswell Sheriffs Office, the suspect was not caught and is still at large. During a second chase, which oc curred on Dec. 26, a Lane County sheriff deputy was in pursuit of a stolen car. The suspect was driving on Franklin Boulevard before turning onto Agate Street, Poppe said. He drove down Agate Street to 19th Ave., then turned onto Hil yard Street. He eventually ended up dri ving south on Interstate 5. fit We are really lucky pedestrian traffic was light at the time ... As drugs move closer to the campus, so will the chases. — Sgt. Dave Poppe Eugene Police Department -93 After a high speed chase at speeds up to 95 mph, the suspect’s car ran out of gas, Poppe said. Police caught the sus pect in Elkton. The suspect’s name was not available. The third car chase occurred on Jan. 2 at 11 a.m. Todd Devault, 29, was stopped on Hilyard Street for a traffic vi olation. Devault drove through the 7-11 parking lot and right by the University Turn to POLICE, Page 3 Grant will help improve physics lab ■ AWARD: Most of the $500,000 will be used for new equipment to support Ph.D students in laboratory work By Ben Kwasney Higher Education Reporter After making a trip to the White House to receive a $500,000 grant, University physi cist Peter Sercel can turn more of his atten tion to the future of semiconductor technol ogy through his research. “It’s laying the groundwork for the next generation of microelectronics,” Sercel said of his research. The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers was presented to me .1 i-year-oia assistant professor by President Clinton’s science advis er, John H. Gibbons, on Dec. 16. Sercel was one of approximately 60 sci entists to receive the award. “It was a very pleasant ceremony, sercel said. ocnrci “It was handled like a graduation.” Twelve federal agencies looked at a pool of young investigators and made nomina tions based on their research. The Army Re search Office Nomination was given to Ser cel. Sercel said the money will be used to purchase new equipment, but it will be used primarily to support Ph.D. students working in the laboratory. The first piece of equipment to be pur chased this year will be a $30,000 spec trometer, Sercel said. “What we’ve seen in the last several years is the reduction of monies available for re search in science and other areas,” said Roger Webb, a Ph.D. student who has worked in Sercel’s lab for three years. “For the next five years the lab will be much easier,” said Ph.D. student Weidong Yang, also a three-year veteran of the lab. Tbe money will enable Sercel to spend more time in the lab as well. “Unfortunately, he’s been mostly tracking Turn to AWARD, Page 4 Police use radar board to slow speeders ■ DRIVERS: The unattended displays are set up in trouble areas and inform motorists how fast they are traveling By Jennifer Schmitt Community Editor It doesn’t give out speeding tickets, and it doesn’t pull speeding motorists over, but it does tell motorists just how fast they are dri ving. A new radar speed board is making the rounds in Eugene in an effort to help curb the speeding problem in the city. The radar is used as a prevention tool and also as a tool for gathering data, said Jan Powers, public information officer for the Eugene Police Department. “It is used to raise awareness of drivers about their speed,” Powers said. “The po lice try to place it near a speed limit sign so drivers can compare their speed with the posted limit.” Primarily the radar acts as an educational tool, said Gary Ludeke, city traffic engineer. “This program is designed for motorists who aren’t flagrant speeders but are just inattentive,” Ludeke said. “It acts as a gen tle reminder.” The $12,000 radar board was a joint pur chase between the Eugene Police Depart ment and Eugene Public Works. Babysitting the radar board is shared by both departments. Turn to DRIVERS, Page 3 MATHEW STIFFLER/Emerald A car speeds past the police radar board. The board is put on streets around Eugene to make drivers aware of their speed.
