Arrests at U.S. border down by 45 percent

Border Patrol chief says some aliens may be frightened by tighter
security

WASHINGTON - The number of illegal immigrants caught trying to sneak
into the United States has dropped since President Bush ordered the
military to help tighten the border, the head of the Border Patrol
said Tuesday.

Officials surmise that part of the reason is that fewer people are
trying to enter the country because they’re discouraged by the
increase in efforts against them.

Immigrant rights advocates think the migrants may just be shifting
entry points, crossing at more remote and dangerous areas.

Whichever it is, Border Patrol chief David V. Aguilar reported a 45
percent decline in the number of people arrested along the U.S.
Mexican border, when comparing the 69 days before Bush’s mid-May
announcement with the 69 days after.

That’s a much greater decline than normally seen in the summer
months when southern temperatures rise dangerously and discourage
some people from making the trip, officials said. The seasonal
decrease was 27 percent last year and 29 percent in 2004, said
Customs agency spokesman Michael Friel.

Aguilar spoke at a press conference with Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum,
chief of the National Guard, which is sending about 6,000 troops to
help with logistics, communications and other duties and thus free
up border agents to do more enforcement work.

“We are becoming more efficient,” Aguilar said of the operation
since troops began arriving.

Some 4,500 National Guardsmen are in place in California, New
Mexico, Texas and Arizona, with the rest due Aug. 1, said Blum.
Their arrival so far has freed 250 border agents from support
duties, a number expected to grow to about 580.

“It’s positive, it’s real,” Aguilar said of the effort’s effect.
‘More eyes and ears on the border’

The reported 45 percent decline was to 166,299 arrests during the 69
days after Bush’s May 15 announcement, compared with 302,447 arrests
during the 69 days before the announcement.

“We have more eyes and ears on the border, more agents and
apprehensions are down,” he said. “I think it’s logical to say that
we are gaining control of that piece of the border,” Friel
said. “Something’s going on.”

Also Tuesday, two conservative Republicans proposed a new
immigration bill that they hoped would help start negotiations
between the House and Senate on immigration legislation.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Rep.
Mike Pence, R-Ind., would set up privately run employment centers
outside the U.S. Illegal immigrants would have to leave the U.S. and
apply through the centers to return to the U.S. on work visas. Those
would not operate until after the president has certified to
Congress that the border is secure.

By The Associated Press

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Arrest made after chase, standoff in Houston, Tx.

Police chased a white pickup truck for 90 minutes Friday through
highways, rural roads and a golf course until the driver turned into
a creek, his front tires shredded by authorities' spike sticks.
Dozens of police officers surrounded the pickup for more than an
hour, many with guns drawn, as the driver, identified as Kenneth Ray
Pool, 58, sat inside. It was unclear whether the driver, hidden by
tinted windows, was armed at the time. He surrendered to authorities
around 6 p.m.

About 20 or more police cars joined the chase that started at about
2:45 p.m. Friday after the driver allegedly robbed a dry cleaning
business in Pasadena east of Houston. Police said the driver fired
shots at authorities after the robbery and allegedly threw a gun
from the truck during the chase.

During the pursuit, the driver often veered into oncoming traffic
lanes, forcing other cars off roads to avoid collisions. The fleeing
pickup scraped several cars, including at least one police cruiser,
and stopped only briefly after hitting a red pickup's passenger
side.

A 24-year-old woman and her 7-year-old son in the red pickup were
not hurt, police said.

The chase spread from south Houston to Pearland and back, with the
driver alternating between Highway 288, rural roads and finally the
Sam Houston Tollway south of downtown Houston. At one point, the
driver turned off Highway 288 and sped through a golf course before
returning to the highway.

The chase ended at about 4:30 p.m. when the driver, who was
northbound on the tollway near the Houston Ship Channel, left the
roadway and drove into a creek.

Minutes earlier, police had managed to throw down spike sticks as
the driver zipped through a toll booth. Shredded rubber fell off the
front tires and the driver kept going on the metal rims until
veering into the creek.

Police shut off all northbound and southbound lanes on the tollway
while trying to communicate with the driver.

By The Associated Press

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Teen reportedly confesses to Ind. sniper attacks

Highway shootings left 1 dead, 1 wounded; 17-year-old’s motive
unclear

SEYMOUR, Ind. - A 17-year-old confessed Tuesday to committing a
series of highway shootings that killed one man, wounded another and
damaged at least four vehicles, authorities said.

Zachariah Blanton was arrested earlier in the day and was jailed in
Jackson County. He faced preliminary charges of murder, attempted
murder and criminal recklessness, prosecutor Stephen Pierson said.

Blanton, of Gaston, admitted to the sniper shootings during
questioning by investigators, but a motive was unclear, State Police
Superintendent Paul Whitesell said. It was not immediately known
whether Blanton had an attorney.

Blanton came to the attention of investigators late Monday after an
acquaintance told a Delaware County deputy that the teen might be
involved in the shootings, Whitesell said. Detectives then searched
Blanton's home and found a rifle of the same caliber used in the
shootings.

"The weapon we obtained was precisely what we were looking for,"
Whitesell said.

Blanton's great-aunt told The Star Press of Muncie that she was
shocked by the allegations against him. "I can't imagine that he
would be involved," Denise Blanton said.

The two sniper victims were hit early Sunday as they rode in pickup
trucks on Interstate 65 near Seymour, south of Indianapolis.

About two hours later, bullets struck a moving tractor-trailer and a
parked sport-utility vehicle on I-69 in Delaware County, about 100
miles to the northeast near Blanton's home. No one was hurt in those
shootings.

The FBI joined the investigation Monday as investigators searched
fields, overpasses and roads looking for evidence. Detectives from
Columbus, Ohio, who helped solve that city's 2003 and 2004 sniper
shootings also traveled to Indiana to help.

Gov. Mitch Daniels praised law enforcement officers Tuesday for quickly apprehending a suspect.

"Indiana has been spared the sort of fear, uncertainty and
disruption and that has befallen other jurisdictions elsewhere," he
said during a news conference in Indianapolis.

By The Associated Press

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Wildfires rage, more firefighters sought

ALPINE, Calif. (AP) -- Fire officials pleaded for additional
manpower to battle a 15,400-acre wildfire near the California-Mexico
border, while a new fire ignited near expensive canyon homes in Los
Angeles.

Firefighters often labored in triple-digit temperatures as a heat
wave continued to bake the state.

The border blaze had burned nearly 24 square miles of brush and
chaparral in the Cleveland National Forest in southern San Diego
County. About 780 firefighters had contained only about 5 percent of
the fire Tuesday as it burned in the largely unpopulated area.
The new fire erupted above Beverly Hills and Bel Air Estates. Los
Angeles firefighters working by backyard pools and patios directed
streams of water onto smoking slopes, and helicopters made drops on
flames in heavy brush on the steep south flank of the eastern Santa
Monica Mountains.

"The terrain's so rugged they can't get up there," said resident
Mike Kosdon, 34.

Several lightning-sparked wildfires have scorched the state in
recent weeks, straining firefighting resources. Firefighters trying
to contain the border wildfire were awaiting relief from
firefighters and equipment tied up elsewhere.

"We're really strapped right now," said U.S. Forest Service
spokesman Jake Rodriguez. "We're putting in orders for more men and
more air support, and we're just waiting for them to be released."
Near Alpine, about 80 homes were evacuated in the community of
Carveacre and a voluntary order was issued for about 1,500 homes in
the area, said Roxanne Provaznik of the California Department of
Forestry.

Fire crews have had to work through 10 straight days of a heat wave
that has sent temperatures soaring above 100 degrees through much of
the state. At least five firefighters around the state have suffered
heat-related illnesses in recent days, officials said.

"If you get behind on drinking water, you can't catch up," said
firefighter Jon Sanchioli, 46, who was protecting structures from
the forest fire. "We had one guy go down yesterday. We know you've
got to be careful. If you keep on pushing, your body shuts down."

In Joshua Tree National Park _ where another blaze had consumed
about 1.5 square miles of dense, desert vegetation _ temperatures
reached 103 degrees Monday. Fire supervisors asked crews to remove
their helmets every hour to make sure they were still sweating, fire
spokesman Dennis Cross said.

No sweat, he said, could mean a firefighter had "dried up" _ a sign
of heat exhaustion.

"It probably feels like it's 150 up there," Cross said, adding that
crews were drinking about twice the amount of water and Gatorade
they might otherwise consume.

Farther north, nearly 750 firefighters worked to cut lines around a
12,000-acre _ or nearly 19-square-mile _ blaze on ranch land east of
San Ardo in southeastern Monterey County. A lightning strike late
Saturday sparked the fire and erratic winds generated by
thunderstorms caused it to spread, officials said.

Off the coast, a lightning-sparked fire on Santa Catalina Island was
80 percent contained Tuesday at 1,094 acres, or 1.7 square miles,
with full containment expected by the end of the day, fire Inspector
Edward Osorio said.

"Pretty much the fire has died down. ... Just a few hot spots," he
said.

Fire crews in neighboring Arizona virtually contained a wildfire
that had threatened to reach two power lines that feed electricity
to the Phoenix area. By Monday afternoon, officials declared the
fire 95 percent contained, with full containment expected Tuesday
morning.

Milder temperatures and increasing humidity were helping fire crews
beat back three blazes burning in timber stands along the rugged
slopes of the central Idaho mountains.

By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer

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Day 9: More Than 100 Homes In Queens Remain Without Power

Although things in Queens have greatly improved since last week when
an estimated 25,000 customers lost power, there are still more than
100 Con Edison customers without electricity Tuesday, nine days
after the lights first went out.

However, according to Con Ed, a "customer" can represent an entire
building of residents, meaning the number of those affected by the
outage could be higher.

Power first went out last Monday. At its worst, an estimated 100,000
people were in the dark.

Queens small business owners have been some of the hardest hit. City
officials estimate the blackout has disrupted at least 750
businesses, and their losses could total millions of dollars.

"For everything, I lose like $200,000," said grocery store owner
George Zahreih.

"I spend about double price for that and that would just pay for my
employees. There's no income for me," said business owner Paul Kim.

"Everything's garbage, because no power. The refrigerator not
working," said deli employee George Halkais.

Similar stories are being heard throughout Queens, including Long
Island City, Sunnyside and Woodside. In compensation, Con Ed is
offering a maximum of $7,000 on a claim.

“Which is woefully insufficient,” said Community Board 2 Chairman
Joe Conley. “But we're hoping that with the city/state officials, by
meetings like this applying the pressure, that Con Ed needs to do
the right thing and not just pass it on to the rate payers. Con Ed
has to dig into their pockets."

At a meeting in Sunnyside Tuesday, small business owners got
together with area leaders to figure out a way to make that happen.
For starters, compensation forms were handed out.

“We have them from Con Ed. You have to have receipts,” said John
Vogt of the Sunnyside Chamber of Commerce. “They want to see
receipts or UPC codes, they want photos, and they're going to send
out their adjusters I believe to validate every claim."

Insurance won't help any, as it does not cover losses caused by
power outages.

Meantime, as the blackout continues, Con Ed is facing its first
lawsuit. Sunnyside resident Sondra Boyle is suing the utility for
gross negligence.

The mother of two was without power for six days before her
electricity was restored Tuesday morning. She says she has lost
about $400 in groceries and several days at work.

Boyle says the $350 in compensation being offered isn't enough.

“In this day and age, I think it's absolutely disgraceful the power
goes down like this,” she said. “We pay a lot of money to Con
Edison. Prices keep going up, we keep paying the high prices, and
something like this happens and it's ridiculous."

The lawsuit accuses Con Ed of not following the attorney general's
recommendations after the blackout in 1999. The suit says the extent
of current outages could have been prevented if Con Ed had taken
steps earlier.

Boyle's lawyer says he has gotten calls from other affected people,
so the suit could be a class-action lawsuit.

Con Edison says it will not comment on pending litigation.

Meanwhile, a day after the mayor praised Con Ed CEO Kevin Burke,
Queens politicians are continuing to call for Burke's resignation.

"The company lied about how many people were affected for four days
when it first started. The city withheld resources based on the
misrepresentations of Con Edison. Somebody has to be held
accountable and he's the head of the company," said Assemblyman
Michael Ginaris.

"This is a man who presided over, first of all, an eight-day
blackout, as we stand now. But perhaps even more importantly, who
lied consistently from day one to people. If you don't remove him,
what's to ensure this won't happen again next summer, because Kevin
Burke says so? Well, nobody believes a word that comes out of Kevin
Burke's mouth," says Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr.

Political leaders in Queens have also asked Governor George Pataki
to designate Northwest Queens as a disaster area, making residents
and businesses eligible for federal funds.

However, in a letter sent Monday, Pataki said any state assistance
can only follow the mayor's designation of a local state of
emergency. Then, the city must make a formal request for emergency
aid.

Moreover, Pataki says the real financial burden of the crisis
should "be shouldered by Consolidated Edison, and not the
taxpayers." State disaster aid is pooled from taxes.

Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer upped the ante even
further Tuesday, calling on the president to declare Queens a
federal disaster area so that businesses and homeowners can apply
for grants and low interest federal loans through the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. No word yet from the president.

Meanwhile, relief agencies like the Red Cross and the Salvation Army
are continuing to distribute free meals, drinks and ice. For
information on the location of the sites, dial 311.

The American Red Cross says since the blackout began, it has
distributed about 70,000 bottles of water and about 80,000 meals to
the people of Queens.

The city is also reminding New Yorkers to check in on sick or
elderly neighbors to see if they need anything.

Food spoilage claims can be filed at the city's Special Services
Center again today on 32nd Place in Long Island City.

The mayor is asking residents to lay off air conditioners to avoid
over-stressing a network that's already stretched thin.

"While the weather is cool today, later in the week's it's predicted
to get a little warmer and muggier and when people use air
conditioners that stresses networks. This particular network is
still fragile," he said.

The cause of the blackout is still unknown. The first status report
from Con Ed on the outage is due August 2nd.

Residents who are still in the dark are asked to call Con Edison at
1-800-75-ConEd or the city's 311 hotline.

Residents looking for information on reimbursement for spoiled food
can also call those numbers. They can also log on to
www.coned.com/customercentral/lawclaims.asp. Follow the "quick link"
box in the top right corner to the CLAIMS section.

From ny1.com

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