NJN News; Thursday March 7, 1996

In derived Intersex with the New Jersey Turnpike. A major funding for NJN News is made possible by grants from. The Geraldine Ardodge Foundation, which believes that an informed citizen

released to a participatory democracy. PSENG committed to serving customers, strengthening the business community, and investing in New Jersey's future. First Fidelity is now first union, serving the financial needs of individuals and businesses from Connecticut to Florida. Each IP health plan of New Jersey dedicated to providing quality health care to employees of large and small businesses as well as individuals for two decades. And by Bell Atlantic, the heart of communication, in partnership with public television, serving to inform and lighten and educate the citizens of New Jersey. NJN News with Kent Manahan, Dick Forney with Business, and Pat Scanlon with Sports. Another win-try mess is rush hour drivers face treacherous conditions.

Good evening, Kent is off tonight. I'm Trishti Gaspers. Once again, the state is under a winter storm warning, freezing rain and sleeter blasting parts of the state and as much as a foot of snow could fall in areas tonight. Our Jerry Henry joins us now from the Garden State Parkway with the very latest, Jerry. Your right Trishti, I'm here in Woodbridge where the Garden State Parkway intersects with the New Jersey Turnpike. And as you can see, traffic is moving quite well here now. It means that the road crews have done a great job so far. Portions of the turnpike, though just north of interchange 12, the speed to been reduced to 35 miles per hour because of the sleet and freezing rain. As we take a look at some pictures that we shot earlier this evening on Route 78, you can see motorists are having problems in it. The freezing rain not only caused problems for motorists, but it caused up to 45-minute delays for New Jersey transit. We're also told that a tree has fallen because of the heavy ice on the tracks near Elizabeth and that is also causing delays. At Newark International Airport, some delays in cancellations, so if you have flight plans this afternoon of this evening, you should call to see if your flight is leaving on time

or if it's leaving at all. But all in all, we found that New Jerseyans were coping with yet another winter storm. I've had enough of work that side only to think it's fantastic, it's so nice and I want to go back to my home in Houston, Texas where it's going to be about 95 degrees in the middle of March here. And that's about it. I just would like to go ahead and get inside and warm up a little bit and then fly my gray hair. Thank you. Boy, I couldn't all of us use 95 degree temperatures right now with at least portions of the state expecting signatures of snow at least tonight before it ends and north and west of the state, north western parts of the state up to 12 inches. For now, I'm Jerry Henry reporting for Woodbridge back to you, Trish. All right, Jerry. Keep dry. New Jersey man has been convicted of two fire bombings in the New York City subway. Forty-seven-year-old Edward Leary of Scotch planes was found guilty of attempted murder and assault. Fifty people, including Leary, were injured in the bombings. Leary's attorney claimed a combination of prescription drugs had left him insane. Leary will be sentenced next month.

A West Virginia teenager shot to death by state troopers after he allegedly reached for a gun was struck three times in the back. That, according to the Middlesex County Medical Examiner's report, it was made available today by the victim's family. Nineteen-year-old David Gibson was killed in December as he and another teen ran from two troopers. The officers chased the pair in open fire when Gibson allegedly reached for a gun in his waste band. No gun was found at the scene. State investigators found that the troopers acted properly. A grand jury continues to look into that shooting. And Governor Whitman says she's working on an agreement to keep dozens of jobs with the state marine police. Whitman had proposed cutting the unit by nearly 25 percent to save money. But the governor says she and legislators are now looking for funds to maintain that division. New Jersey boxers will soon face another test before entering the ring. As Ken St. John reports, fighters will have to be tested for HIV. Professional fighter Tommy Morrison rocked the world of boxing recently when he announced

he was infected with the AIDS virus. Morrison cautioned other batches to watch their lifestyle admitting to promiscuous behavior. His condition prompted New Jersey boxing officials, along with state legislators, to require that all professional fighters boxing in the garden state be tested for the AIDS virus. The mandatory testing begins April 1st. I think it's something that the boxing community wants. And I think the public at large has been calling for this, especially since the Tommy Morrison situation. In 1988, the garden state was discussing the issue of HIV testing for pro boxing, even going so far as to have referees, doctors, and corpsmen wearing rubber gloves. Because during that time, we sort of had pushed it on the back burner because of the confidentiality issue and all of the other privacy issues involved with this AIDS and HIV testing situation. So now we had to finally bring it to closure. The assembly senior issues tourism and gaming committee meant today to consider legislation mandating AIDS testing for boxers, but the legislation may not be necessary.

Larry Hazard, as you had talked to, has guaranteed us that they will act on this without us putting legislation in. Boxing not only takes place on the professional level, many young kids start fighting early dreaming of a championship. The 1996 boxing Eastern Olympic trials are going on here in Atlantic City, and many of these Olympic hopefuls are going to term pro. And if they fight in New Jersey, they will have to take an AIDS test. You know, I think all sports basketball, football, gym, masks, any kind of sports should be testifies. Ken St. John, NGN News, Atlantic City. If you haven't filed your tax returns yet, you'll want to listen to this next report. A warning tonight, know who's preparing your returns. As Belinda Morton tells us, let the filer beware. Tax filers are flocking to offices across the state trying to get those taxes done before the April 15 deadline. Some who were expecting an early refund by using the electronic filing service offered

at this East Orange Tax Preparation Office were met with some disappointment this morning. I brought them in January 31st. They told me they did it electronically February 5th. Instead of picking up her refund today, Cheryl was told to take her W2 and go elsewhere. Because the company's ability to file electronically had been suspended by the IRS. We contacted the clients, asked them to come back, picked the papers up, go someplace else for the electronic file. Why did they freeze your status? Why did they do that? I have no idea. I contacted the Internal Revenue Service about that. And where do they tell you? I'm still looking into that. To the contrary, this filer never got that call. But I was telling the girl in there, I said, why didn't you tell the people that you had a problem? No one calls you. If you don't call, you won't know. If I didn't call this morning, I wouldn't have known. A source at the Internal Revenue Service says days authority to file electronically was suspended in October of 95.

She'll say day is one of many unlicensed tax repairs who set up shop during tax season. And while it's not illegal, consumer advocates say you may want to look for licensed professional. If you have a licensed professional doing this, who holds himself or herself out as an expert in this, you have an expectation of getting some fairly sophisticated services. Her says while most tax preparers are honest and do provide a vital service, if you have doubt, you can call an IRS hotline at 1-800-829-01-05. And IRS workers will try to answer your questions. Belinda Morton, NJN News. The State Teachers' Union says retirement nest eggs for hundreds of thousands of New Jersey teachers are at risk. Statehouse correspondent Jim Hooker crunches some pension numbers that are in dispute. When Governor Whitman and the Republican-controlled legislature agreed to reduce state contributions

to several pension funds by about $4 billion over four years, officials promised the retirement funds would stay healthy. The claim was that assets in the funds had grown large enough to afford a reduced state contribution level. Now, the battle with unions is heating up again after a report on the teacher's retirement fund was issued today. I don't think the amounts in the teacher going into the teachers' plan now add up to the amounts that will have to come out down the road. State contributions to pensions in fiscal 1993 for state workers totaled $136 million from municipal workers, $102 million, and for teachers $350 million. In 1994, the contributions for state workers dropped to $58 million from municipal workers to $33 million and for teachers to $119 million. Here at the Division of Pensions, state officials insist retirement plans for teachers and other public workers are stable and well-funded. But union representatives say there's trouble ahead. The chairman of the teacher's pension fund board, a retired educator, says he sees a deficit of $17 billion for the fund by the early part of the next century.

We think the damage as a result of the assumptions that were put forward and the funding method are going to bring us to our knees in the early part of the next century. The actuary who wrote the status report says the fund is healthy now and looks that way for the future. You're 100% funded right now. It's my view that you're going to continue to be 100% funded. And the assets, if you look at the assets from year to year, they continue to grow. Bounce's company, Buck Consultants, was removed from actuarial work by the teacher's pension board, but state officials say they also stand by the reduced contributions. When you look at the New Jersey systems, I think we saw demonstrated today that the system is in a very, very good shape. It will be continued to be in very good shape. Unions for state municipal employees have also opposed the reductions. Jim Hooker, NJN News, Trenton. And there's much more ahead on NJN News in our health watch report.

The only center in New Jersey devoted entirely to sickle cell anemia. Stay tuned. A science teacher at a middle school in Union County is charged with molesting 11 boys.

33-year-old John Howarth of Milburn wasn't died today. Prosecutors say the boys were between 6 and 13 years old. Howarth pleaded not guilty and remains free on bail. He is suspended from his job at the Springfield middle school with pay. In tonight's health watch, sickle cell anemia. It's crippling and painful and there is no cure. But as health and medical correspondent Sarah Lee Kessler reports, state-of-the-art treatment is now available in Newark. Okay. Just take the secretary down there. We'll be right with you, okay? Okay. This infusion clinic is part of the new sickle cell center at UMDNJ's New Jersey Medical School. It opened a week ago already it's attracting patients from all over the state. Take a deep breath. Good. Howard Bennett, a 27-year-old East Orange man, is among them. It's a whole lot better than emergency room. The emergency room an unwelcome option for Bennett and 72,000 other Americans, mostly African

Americans, who suffer painful joint and abdominal attacks, known as crises. What's the worst part about living with sickle anemia? Worst part is you can never make plans to go anywhere. Because this inherited blood disorder, which starts the body of oxygen, often drives patients to emergency rooms for intravenous pain killers. And you know, you and that, you can barely breathe, barely walk, cause your legs and knees don't cramp up on you, and that you're still, and make you wait your turn. Here, they're going to come, but they have the crisis at home, and they know they're going to have a friendly environment. Dr. Pedro Gascon is the director of the center. 15 specialists are on staff to treat the organ and joint damage that often results from sickle cell disease. Now, my head had to be replaced, cause now it's three inches shorter than the other one. We have rehabilitation, we have orthopedics, we have very important pain management. Including infusion therapy and the new sickle cell drug, Hydroxyuria, tested by Dr.

Gascon in successful clinical trials last year. Right now the center at the New Jersey Medical School is open 12 hours a day, but by the end of the year, it should be open nearly around the clock to serve sickle cell patients in crisis. Sarah Lee Kessler and JN News, Newark. And still to come in business to tales of a major drug industry merger with New Jersey ties. And later on, today marks a milestone for state troopers. Nick Forney is off here tonight's business news.

Swiss drug maker C. Bagaghi and Sandoz planned to join forces. The merger would rank among the largest in corporate history. The Wall Street Journal puts the value of the stock swap deal at $27 billion. C. Bagaghi's best known for anti-rejection drugs used in organ transplants. C. Bagaghi's best selling products include Ritalin for treating hyperactive children. The companies say the merger would result in a 10% reduction in their worldwide force. And that would happen over the next 10 years. Both C. Bagaghi and Sandoz have extensive presence in the United States, instead of New Jersey, anywhere from sales, marketing, research and manufacturing. And when they eliminate those duplicative expenses, you're going to see quite substantial reduction in jobs. The merger could mean about 10,000 layoffs worldwide.

Last month, the Chrysler Corporation reported $19.95 profits of $2 billion. The auto maker operates on what it calls a turn and earn system when a dealer sells a car. It's instantly replaced. As business correspondent Dick Forney tells us, main street dealerships claim this distribution favors the mega dealer. An antique music box. It's 10s long ago made obsolete by albums and CDs, but Nick Roselli still plays his every time he sells a Chrysler. The first new Chrysler sold was a Chrysler Windsor 4-door CDN for $2,620, fully quick in 1950. It was a detective from Elizabeth, a name of Edward Coles. He gave me that music box and those two grandfather clocks that you see out in the showroom. The comfortable showroom of Novo Motors has been open for business since 1954, but those

customers are in short supply today. Their numbers kept low by a lack of stock. Years ago, you sent an order to the factory for a customer of a sold car within five or six, eight weeks you had the car. Today, like I said, I have people waiting since August for certain trucks, and they don't give the smaller dealers the allocation that they need to sell them to the customer, but therefore, we can't even satisfy some of our older customers with the more popular model. And spokesperson for the Chrysler Corporation says, quote, we are on a turn and earn system, regardless of the size of dealership or the location. We have replacements for every vehicle sold. But Roselli maintains the bigger the dealer, the better the treatment they get, and the time of the small family-owned dealership has passed, like the music box. We've been here for so long, and we intend to stay here, but that's the old customers.

That's why it's kept us in business. And you can see more of that story and other business news affecting New Jersey on New Jersey Inc. It can be seen tonight at 7 and on Saturday at 1. And when we come back and look at how stormy activity was on Wall Street today, stay tuned. Tonight's NJN News Business Report is made possible by Core State's New Jersey National Bank, providing financial services to New Jersey families and businesses. A dreary day outside today, but on Wall Street, things were looking up. The Dow rose nearly 12 points to close at the 56-41 level, 426 million shares changed hands. And the MX went up a fraction, the NASDAQ climbed one and a half, and the S&P was also looking up with more than one and a half point gain.

And still ahead on NJN News, the latest on the Winter Storm, and Pat will be joining us now from Newark with a sneak peek at sports. Patrick? Hi Trish, yet Cogs basketball season is history for both Rutgers and Seton Hall. And to New Jersey schools, trying to make history getting to the big dance tomorrow, one of the details next in sports. Time for sports, here's Pat all the way up in Newark, Patrick. All the way up here, Trish.

Thank you. Then there were no New Jersey teams alive in the Big E's tournament. Rutgers bought out last night today, Seton Hall fell to third ranked UConn 79-58. Huskies jumped on the hall early, Doron Shefford, to Travis Knight, knighted 12 points, Shefford with 19, Seton Hall was led by their senior Adrian Griffin, the high man. He had 16 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn't enough. UConn was struggling, but overpowering later on, winning 79-58 afterwards, I talked with the Pirates about this season's end. Yeah, I guess that's the part of life, you know, nothing lasts forever. I had a tremendous four years here. I'm very happy that I had the chance to meet so many wonderful people at Seton Hall, but I guess it's time for me to move on. You know, I've always given 100% of myself, and I've had a lot of things to deal with, you know, outside of just playing basketball, and, you know, I've learned to deal with it well, and that's made me a stronger person. We've had some little frustration.

We've had not a great month, and in spite of that, I hate to see seasons end. I'd like to go to practice tomorrow, I'd like to be playing tomorrow night. Instead it's UConn. They'll be playing Syracuse, Syracuse Beat B.C. this afternoon, 69-61. Well, the North East Conference Championship is on the line as Monmouth host rider tomorrow afternoon in West Long Branch. Burbante Bryant previews the Jersey Battle for an NCAA bid. It's just great. It's the way college basketball should be. I feel great about the way our kids are playing, and it should be just, it should be a terrific final. We're the preseason favorites in the NEC, and now that the postseason is here, Mommoth and Ryder are still standing. Ryder makes his fourth straight title game of parents, Mommoth, it's first in three years. It's something. The loser goes home, the winner, to the NCAA tournament. Good news, bad news. You know, the good news is that we're in a championship game, and the bad news is we have to play someone, a let alone rider. If anyone should be worried it's Ryder, Ryder played Mommoth twice this year in the regular season.

Ryder, Ryder lost. I think the cream usually rises to the top. If Mommoth's the best team, they'll beat us three times this year. I think we're a much better team than we were when we played them the other two times. We've come so far, won about eight in a row, and when I pop the tape and it doesn't even look like the same team. Mommoth fans have no problem looking at this piece of tape. It was Mustafa Barclayl's four point play in the final seconds versus Marist that propelled the hawk to the title game. It's been nothing but fun times for Barclayl ever since. I'm enjoying all this, you know, all this like the media coming to me and everything. I love it. I'm enjoying it. And how much better it could be at the big dance, but Mommoth's never been there. Do they know the steps? I don't know how good a dancer I am, but I'll get my steps down. If I'm invited, I'll have my steps down one way or another. Pramonte Bryant and Jeya News Trenton. Can't wait to see Wayne Dance maybe. Well Rutgers first big E season ended last night at the hands of Miami. Bob Wentzel, Scarlet Knights falling 77, 67 to Leonard Hamill and Zurich Haynes. Freshman Jeff Bill had 25 points from long range.

Rutgers had one last run late. Damon Santiago struggled just eight points on two of 14 shooting. Miami ran off nine straight to end the night's season in the Big E's tournament. It also ended. Damon Santiago's, are you career? I gave him all, so it's not much, you know, else I can do. I came out here and I played hard every night and, you know, I wasn't able to put the numbers up the night, but I gave it a hundred and ten percent. Intrace Detroit sign Michael Brooks of the Giants, that sports. All right, Pat. Thanks. And let's take a look at that weather. Winter continues to grip the garden state. A winter storm warning remains in effect for tonight throughout New Jersey. As we said earlier, roads are icy. So be really, really careful. We could see snow accumulating up to 10 inches in the northwest in North Jersey tonight. Snow heavy at times lows around 20 tomorrow. Cloudy and cold highs in the 30s, South Jersey tonight. Snow lows in the lower 20s tomorrow. Windy and cold highs in the upper 20s. And finally tonight, once a trooper, always a trooper.

That statement meant a lot to both young and old state troopers today. As the state police celebrated their 75th anniversary, rich young caught up with one of the very first state troopers who says law enforcement has changed a lot over the past seven decades. I use the horse all the most of the time, as as a younger, youngest one there. This is prior to already. At 90, he's one of the oldest troopers in the state. He served in the state police between 1928 and 1942, when horses and cycles were used to get around. He still considers himself to be an active member of the force, even though the parameters of law enforcement have changed. It didn't have any roles, you were just there to keep peace in order without hurting anybody, that's what you did. Dirty was given thanks today, as were the thousands of men and women who've served in the state police since it was started in 1921. It began as a rural patrol by H. Norman Schwartzkopf, father of the now famous general from the

Gulf War. At an anniversary celebration in Trenton, Schwartzkopf's first orders were reenacted. You are to give first aid to the injured and aid the health. The role of the state police has changed dramatically since the beginning, but the force's current head believes the mission is still the same. I'm sure that maybe the troopers then thought that they had some problems, but it's a lot more complicated today than it was back in 1921. Fifty-seven troopers have died in the line of duty in the past 75 years, but while the job is more dangerous than ever, it would not stop dowry from serving again. If I lived it over again, I'd do exactly what I did. Rich Young, N.J. and News, Trenton. And that's the news. Forresty Gasperist Drive carefully, good night.