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Tuesday, May 20,2003
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 157
Bank robbery, car chase close streets
une male was arrested alter a morning
bank robbery and a destructive,
high-speed car chase through Eugene
Ali Shaughnessy
Environment/Science/Technology Reporter
Two people led the Eugene Police Department on
a high-speed car chase through Eugene neighbor
hoods on Monday morning, as police pursued a man
accused of robbing the Washington Mutual branch
at 1100 Willamette St. Police arrived at the bank one
minute after the 10:27 a.m. dispatch call and pro
ceeded to chase a silver minivan through Eugene,
reaching speeds up to 50 mph.
EPD Sgt. Scott McKee said that while two people
were inside the fleeing minivan, charges have been
brought only against 36-year-old Shawn Jeffrey Con
nelly of California because police are not yet sure
whether the other occupant, a woman, was involved
m the robbery. He added EPD is working with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation to decide whether
charges will be brought against her.
According to police reports, a man walked in the
bank shortly before 10:27 a.m. and slid a note to a
bank teller demanding money and implying he was
armed with a gun. After walking out of the bank with
an undisclosed amount of money, a witness found a
police officer and pointed out the suspect’s car. The
police officer then called the robbery into dispatch
and proceeded to chase the minivan.
“A witness who saw the bank robbery observed
(Connelly) getting into a minivan and then contact
ed a police officer,” McKee said.
After crashing through a stop sign, sideswiping a
parked car and going the wrong way on East 13th
Avenue, Connelly ran a stop sign at the intersection
of West 7th Avenue and Tyler Street, going north
bound, and crashed into an extended-cab truck that
Turn to Robbery, page 4
Chase ends
runs stop sign
and hits
Dodge truck
s,|
fl
3 =
O o
on U
7th Avenue
8th Avenue
11 th Avenue
12th Avenue
sideswipes
parked
Ford Taurus
13th Avenue
hits stop sign
Jackson St.
Monroe St.
Car chase route
-• Chase starts
(wrong way)
r
Lazy days of spring
sm—7-rv
Adam Amato Emerald
Senior Barb Biechele rests in the glow of the afternoon sun by the Knight Library on Monday. " I wouldn't rather be any other place than out in the sun," she said.
Student wins Dave Frohnmayer Award
for commitment to community service
Nontraditional student Gabe Sitowski won one of the
University^ individual awards at Saturday’s award luncheon
Lindsay Sauve
Family/Health/Education Reporter
The first few days on campus for older students returning to college can be
an alienating experience. What they may not realize is that among the crowds
of trendy, bronzed 19-year-olds, there is a man who is attempting to make
nontraditional students’ back-to-school experiences a little less threatening.
Gabe Sitowski, a University senior majoring in exercise and movement sci
ence and general science, works at the ASUO as a nontraditional student ad
vocate, pushing for services that benefit older students and student parents.
Sitowski was recently given the Dave Frohnmayer Award at the University
awards luncheon on Saturday. The award honors a fifth-year senior who
demonstrates exceptional community service.
According to the Office of Student Life, University individual award re
cipients are selected by faculty, staff and students from a broad range of of
fices, organizations and departments including University Housing, the Of
fice of Greek Life and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. The awards are
handed out on the basis of academic achievements and participation in cam
pus groups and activities. They recognize a variety of achievements, ranging
from the Wilson Gup, which honors “willingness to challenge conventional
thought,” to the Jim Buch Award, given to a junior who helps build relation
ships with prospective or newly admitted students.
Danielle Hickey Emerald
Senior Gabe Sitowski works at the ASUO as a nontraditional student advocate. He
will participate in the Teach for America program in Texas upon graduation.
Brenda Tuomi, the nontraditional program coordinator, said she was ex
cited to hear that a nontraditional student received the award.
“It’s rare for a nontraditional student to receive this award,” Tuomi said.
Turn to Awaid, page 4
Today: H 72, L 45,
r. H 75, L 48 mostly sunny, light wind I On Wednesday: The proposed feder
County
elections
end today
Today is the last day to vote
in county elections, which
include school board seats
Jan Montry
News Editor
Today is the last day registered vot
ers can drop off their ballots for the
Lane County elections. Ballots should
be received by the Lane County Elec
tions Office at 135 East Sixth Ave., or
any of several drop boxes, no later
than 8 p.m.
On the ballot for students living in
the Eugene and Springfield area are
five Lane Community College Board of
Directors seats, two Lane Education
Service District seats and two school
board seats — one for the Eugene
School District and one for the Spring
field School District.
The LCC Board of Directors is in
Turn to Elections, page 4
Legislators
seek to halt
relaxation
of FCC rules
Some members of Congress
oppose changes that would
ease media ownership restrictions
Jennifer Bear
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
The Federal Communications Commis
sion is considering sweeping policy
changes that would give large media com
panies the freedom to strengthen their
ownership positions in the media industry,
but many consumer advocates and mem
bers of Congress oppose the undoing of tar
get regulations.
Two of the FCC’s proposed rule changes
in particular trouble consumer advocates:
allowing media companies to own televi
sion stations that reach 45 percent of the
Turn to FCC, page 12
al fetus bill stirs up controversy nationwide