Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 1

Thursday 'Stockholm Syndrome' Poof heard 'round town Page 4 You can't avoid love Page 8 Page 3 0i I Weather mm UflUO Extended forecast. Page 7 FEBRUARY 1 1. 1982 is 1 kliWfo? 1 ILLINOIS Remember summer? THURSDAY. By CRAIG SANDERS JG Staff Writer MATTOON Gov. Thompson has a plan he claims will reduce property (axes.

Thompson also says his plan will put greater control of property taxes into Die hands of local officials. However, Coles County Supervisor of Assessments Eli Storm thinks the Thompson plan is no more than a smokescreen. Storm said the Thompson plan probably won't lower taxes and will only transfer the Clitical heat from the state to the authorities. That's not Storm's only bone to pick with the state either, fie thinks the state assigned multiplier could overassess Coles property by as much as six percent over what the state law requires for taxing purposes. Thompson's plan, announced in the State of the State speech In January, would retain the state multipliers, but tie local tax rates to the local assessments.

The plan, according to 'wrthompsoBi -would reduce--tocaL tax rates when multiplier Increased -assessments within a county. Storm, however, feels inflation will nullify any mines the Thompson plan might produce. If the plan has any benefit, Storm said, it may keep taxes from rising slightly more than they would have otherwise. More likely. Storm said, the plan will create a great deal of work for the county clerk's office because every tax 108th YEAR-21 Thompson's plan, announced in the State of the State speech in January, would retain the state multipliers, but tie local tax rates to the local assessments.

rate in the county will have to be revised downward. County clerks will have to hire additional help to implement the plan, thus forcing the clerks to increase the tax rate the clerk's office levies' to generate revenue to fund the county clerk's office. That would mean taxpayers would be paying more money to pay for the added expense incurred by the county clerk's office to implement a plan which is supposed to cut taxes. Storm Indicated. Storm said the tax rate for the Coles County clerk's office is not at its maximum and could be increased without voter approval, Thompson has termed his planjho.

taxes local hands" system. Under the plan, the first step in determining tax bills would remain the In the first step, the assessed value of property is multiplied by a state-assigned multiplier. 1 A multiplier is a figure assigned by the state, which in theory, should bring underassessed property up to the maximum assessment level of 33' a fashioni What Is forming are not specific but broader, more deeply rooted tendencies such as a sense of security or self-esteem, Highlights of Dr. Verny's study are Included in an outstanding five-part series which will begin on Page of the Journal Gazette on Monday. Whether expecting a new arrival or not the series should be read by every parent and parent-to-be.

Ccdby WASHINGTON -President Reagan and Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker often appear at odds over economic policy, but they agree on more things than they disagree on Page WASHINGTON The space agency's budget is one of the few to escape Reagan's cuts Page 6. NEW YORK It's true what, the poets and songwriters say about love -when it hits you, there's nothing vou can do about it -Pagetf. HOLLYWOOD -On Golden Pond'' and "Reds" are expected to lead the race for Oscar nominations MATTOON The Wavettes are upset 56-54 at Satf JMcsn defeats Paris bi-45-Page 25 CENTS lust iff f. lUth.jtmr'Vr: 1 JG File memories of those who ve (JG File Photos) memories of those who yearn for summer, but forgot what summer was like, here is a reminder of the way it was in Mattoon last July. Just In case you want to keep track, the heat of July is a mere four months and 17 days awayl trial said.

But Tamara brought him back to Charleston and he turned himself in the next day, he said. Kubicek called several Douglas Hall residents who testified about Johnson's state of inebriation that night. "From approximately 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. (Johnson) was smoking marijuana, drinking beer and mixed drinks," Kubicek said.

"It resulted in a total lack of mental capacity. He was not aware of certain things that happened." But Owen said prosecution testimony showed that Johnson was in control enough to bolt from the police station and escape on foot. And, she said, Johnson's taped statement "admitted going to the Dow house, he knew Mrs. Dow was there. He admitted hitting her, taking things, entering the Powell's home, taking Mrs.

Powell's purse and hitting The trial continues today with more defense witnesses. liabilities of $198,210 and a net worth of more than $1 million. Fines said Cross is accused of using the statement to defraud the Friend Tire Co. of Monett, of more than $12,670 worth of farm merchandise, Cross also is charged with inflating the value of property, including a truck tractor and three livestock trailers which were used as collateral for loans totaling more than $33,000 at the First National Bank of Lcrna. Fines said the loans never were repaid.

If convicted on the charges. Vroifc faces a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison and fines or up to Unborn bub scries to begin in Journal son goes on I i LSI Ah, wouldn't it be nice to get out the sponge, hose and pail and wash the car tms weekenaT or, wouldn't it De nice to bathe In the mid-afternoon sun and cool your mouth off by chomping into a cold watermelon? February is a time when many people develop cabin fever and yearn for summer. To refresh the Findlay said he had no trouble taking Johnson and Rathgeb to the police station shortly after midnight Sept. 12. Findlay handcuffed Rathgeb and placed him in the detention room and told Johnson to sit in a chair near the radio dispatch room.

"I went out to the car to get something and when I came back .1 noticed the chair was empty. The dispatcher said (Johnson) went up the elevator," Findlay said. The elevator stopped at the main floor of city hall and "Mr. Johnson came running out of it. He was very fast." Johnson ran south on 6th to an alley and got away, Findlay said.

Johnson said he found a bicycle and rode it to Bushton where he spent the night in a camper. The next morning he rode the bike to Tuscola to sec Tamara, his legal guardian. "I told her all the stuff I did. I was going to run. I knew I had done something bad and if I was caught 1 was going to jail for a long time." he percent of current fair market value.

tax rates are then multiplied by the revised assessed value of the property (after the multiplier is applied) to arrive at the property owner's tax bill. Thompson's proposal would lower local tax rates by the multiplier rate. Storm said the county clerk's office will have to spend a great deal of time lowering tax rates by the multiplier rate. The governor has said his plan will "neutralize the effects of the multiplieron local taxing decisions." Because a multiplier tends to increase the assessed Valuation base upon which local taxing bodies can draw for revenues with their tax rale, Storm said the Thompson plan tends to reduce that assessed valuation base. Therefore, Storm said, local taxing bodies that are levying at their maximum tax rate (such as most school districts) will generate less revenue.

Storm has also taken exception to the state's tentative multiplier for Coles County this year." 1 r' Storm said the state has assigned a tentative multiplier of 1.1629 to Coles County. "My studies show we should have a multiplier of 1.0," Storm said. A multiplier of 1.0 would mean the county's assessed valuation would not increase above the level determined by the Coles County Board of Review. Storm said the final county multiplier will probably be about 1.06. Storm said that means county property will assessed for tax purposes six percent higher than the statutory level of 33'ii percent.

"Nobody's taxes are going to go down," Storm said. CHARLESTON An Eastern II-' linois student went on trial Wednesday in connection with the beating of an 80year-old Charleston woman last fall. Carlos Johnson, 19, an Eastern Illinois University' student, appeared in Coles County Circuit Court. and another student, are charged with 5 counts of home Invasion, burglary and aggravated battery for a series of incidents Sept. 11 in Charleston.

The aggravated battery charge stems from the beating of Mrs. Ruby Dow of Charleston. Mrs. Dow "suf-, fered a great deal of bruising, swelling and bleeding," Coles County Stale's Attorney Nancy Owen said. She also sustained cracked ribs a broken arm.

Johnson and Paul Ralhgeb, both Douglas Hall residents, also arc charged with home invasion at the residences of Mitchell Powell and Jim Drake in Charleston. Rathgeb, 20, will go on trial next week for similar charges. Judge Paul Komada is handling the bench trial. Testimony Wednesday centered on how much alcohol Johnson had con-: sumed and how many marijuana cigarettes he had smoked. Defense attorney Fred Kubicek said the "basic facts" of Owen's case are correct.

But Kubicek said Johnson's actions that night were "brought about by alcoholic and drug inducement." Mark Findlay, the Charleston police officer who arrested Johnson and Paul Rathgeb for the crimes, testified that Johnson, did not act unusual when he was stopped by Findlay that night. do not believe he wgs under the influence" of alcohol or drugs. Findlay testified. In a taped statement, Johnson told Charleston Detective Joe Van Gundy that he drank parts of 6 pitchers of beer and had an additional 7 to 9 beers in three Charleston bars. He said he i also shared as many as 20 marijuana cigarettes that dav and night.

-Johnson said' he and Rathgeb left Roc's Lounge sometime late the night ol Sept. 11 and "went to Mrs. Dow's They broke into the house and asked John Dr. Thomas Verny has pioneered work In prenatal psychology which brings scientific proof that the mother's physical and mental environment can Influence the emotional and Intellectual development of her child before It is born. The personality of the unborn child is a result of the quality of communication between the mother and child.

Her thoughts and feelings are the material out of which the unborn child WEATHER Temperature 1P.M. 22 Central Illinois: Fair tonight, not quite so cold; low in the teens. Mostly cloudy Friday: high in the upper arc or lower. Classified Comics.TV Editorial Entertainment For Record Obituaries Sports women's 20-23 1 11 '7 13-15 1 "By the time opportunity1 i i knocks, most of us are too rJjTodcry Xl Mrs. Dow for her purse.

"He Rathgeb said, 'Come on man, knock her out or So I hit her. I hit her more than once. I sat down with Mrs. Dow and she was bleeding from the nose," Johnson said. "She asked me why we were doing this and 1 said I didn't know.

Johnson said he hit Mrs. Dow while Rathgeb ransacked the house and then Rathgeb hit her while Johnson searched the house. They took Mrs. Dow's purse "and several other items before moving on to the Powell residence. They entered the kitchen door and took Mrs.

Powell's purse. When Powell saw them, he chased them out of the house and down a ravine. Johnson said they eventually stopped and hit and kicked Powell before moving on, Johnson testified he does not remember being in the Drake home. The next thing he remembers, he said, was being on the street in front of Douglas Hall when officer Findlay stopped them. Grand SPRINGFIELD, 111.

(UPI) A federal grand jury has issued an 8-count indictment against an at-large federal prison camp escapee, charging him with mail fraud, bank fraud and misrepresentation of his business Alfred L. Cross 39, aformcr Mattoon resident, has been at large since his September 1981 escape from the Federal Prison Camp at Terre Haute, Ind. The eight-count indictment, issued Wednesday, charges Cross with scheming to defraud various businesses and hanks by obtaining loans. credit, goods and services on the basis of a false financial statement. jury indicts Al Cross Assistant U.S.

Attorney Larry A. Mackey said Cross was indicted and convicted in 1980 for his part in writing bad checks and bank fraud schemes that victimized 11 central Illinois banks of more than $180,000. He currently is suspected of being involved in several other alleged bank cases, including the deposit of stolen checks since his escape, U.S. Attorney Gerald D. Fines said.

Cross was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, but escaped Sept. 15. He is accused of issuing a false financial statement for his Mattoon company, the Land of Lincoln Cattle and Land Brokers Inc. The false statement listed assets of $1,202,.