MA TC O 1 C2 Y Associated Press nCWa L/ l Edited by Bob Nelson Reagan asks for ‘best of eight’ in ’88 WASHINGTON — President Reagan said Monday night in his final State of the Union message that the United States was “strong, prosper ous, at peace,” and he asked Congress to help make his last year in office “the best of the eight.” “I don’t buy the idea that this is the last year of anything,” Reagan said. The president said he has a full agenda for his final months in power: keeping the economy strong, main taining peace, attacking social prob lems, particularly in education, and promoting the spread of democracy worldwide. Without specifying a figure, Re agan urged Congress to approve more aid for the Con tra rebels in Nicaragua. He also called on the Senate to ratify the recently signed agreement with the Soviet Union to abolish interme diate-range nuclear weapons. Striking a bipartisan theme, Re agan told the lawmakers, “yes, we will have our differences. But let us al ways remember: What unites us far outweighs whatever divides us.” Leaders of the Democratic-run Congress served notice that the legis lative branch, not Reagan, would control the national agenda this year. The president’s “technicolor view of America and our people sought to make us feel good with images of ‘morning in America,’” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, D W.Va. in the official Democratic response. Nebraskan Editor Mike Reiiley 472-1766 Managing Editor Jen Oeselms Assoc News Editors Curt Wagner Chris Anderson Editorial Page Editor Diana Johnson Wire Editor Bob Nelson Copy Desk Chief Joan Rezac Sports Editor Jett Apel Arts & Entertain ment Editor Charles Lieurance Asst Arts & Entertainment Editor Geoff McMurtry Graphics Editor Tom Lauder Asst Graphics Editor jodv Beem Photo Chief MarV Davis General Manager Daniel Shattil Production Manager Katherine Policky Advertising Manager Marcia Miller Asst Advertising Manager Bob Bates Publications Boaid Chairman Don Johnson. 472 361 1 Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Dailv Nebraska by phoning 472-1763 between 9 a m and p m Monday through Friday The public als has access to the Publications Board Ft information.contactDon Johnson. 472-3611 Subscription price is $35 for one year The Daily Nebtasxan (USPS 144-t)80i is published by the UNL Publications Board Nebraska Union 34 1400 R St Lincoln Neb 68586-0448 weekdays during academic yeai (except holidays), weekly dunna the summer session Postmastei Send address changes to the Daily Nebiaskan Nebraska Union 34. 1400 R St Lincoln. Neb 68588-0448 Second-class postage pa,d at Lincoln. NE ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1388 DAILY NEBHASKAN 300,000 sign for Mecham recall PHOENIX, Ariz. — State officials Monday certified that more than 300,000 people signed petitions demanding Gov. Evan Mecham’s recall, and he will officially be told Tuesday he has five days to resign or agree to run in a recall election. Secretary of State Rose Mofford. in a new s release, said her office had officially tallied 301,032 petition signatures raised by the Mecham Recall Committee — much more than the 216,746 needed to force a vote. On Tuesday, Mrs. Mofford plans to notify Mecham by hand-delivered letter that he must either resign by Saturday or run in a recall election, said slate Elections Director Jim Shumway. If he docs not resign, Mrs. Mofford is expected on Feb. 1 to order a recall election for May 17, when a number of other local elections are planned. Mrs. Mofford, a Democrat, would replace the governor if he resigned or were removed from office. Mccham has repeatedly said he has no plans to resign, when the recall petition campaign kicked off in early July, the Republican governor ques tioned whether “a few homosexuals and dissident Democrats” could raise enough signatures. When it became clear months latpr that a large number of signatures were being gathered, Mccham and his supporters claimed there appeared to be Iraud in the petition process. Bush would Rather not talk WASHINGTON — Vice Presi dent George Bush, in a combative interview broadcast live on the CBS Evening News, dismissed questions about his role in the Iran-Contra affair and repeated his statement that he voiced private concerns about the sale of arms to Iran. “You know what I’m hiding? What I told the president — that’s the only thing.” Bush said. Bush responded angrily to ques tioning on the affair by anchor Dan Rather, saying, “I have respect for you but I don’t have respect for what you’re doing here tonight.” “Everybody’s admitted mistakes. I’ve admitted mistakes — and you want to dwell on them,” Bush said. wnmmwMmmm Gunmen kidnap and kill chief prosecutor in Colombia BOGOTA, Colombia — A band of gunmen Monday abducted and murdered Carlos Mauro Hoyos, the government's chief prosecutor, and killed his two bodyguards. Police searching for Hoyos found a Bogota mayoral candidate who was kidnapped a week ago. Medillin Mayor William Jaramillo Gomez said the mayoral candi date, Andres Pastrana, was found unharmed. He was discovered in a farmhouse near Retiro, about 10 miles outside Medillin, the mayor fold the radio network Caracol. . . ... Hoyos, 45, investigates wrongdoing in the government and judiciary and recently ordered an inquiry into last month s release from prison ot reputed cocaine baron Jorge Luis Ochda Vasquez, who the United States has been trying to extradite. The government blamed the attack on Hoyos on drug traffickers. Body of unidentified woman found in Grand Island GRAND ISLAND—The body of an unidentified woman was found Monday in front of a business near the airport, the Hall County Attorney said. Bill Shrcffler said the woman was wearing only jeans and a demm top when she was found. She was not wearing a coal or shoes, he said. The woman was described as Hispanic and in her 20s. Shrcffler said the body would be taken to Omaha for an autopsy and that the cause of death was not known. Scheduled execution halted by U.S. Supreme Court TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The U.S. Supreme Court Monday agreed to halt the scheduled execution of Florida death row inmate Willie Jasper Darden, whose innocence has been proclaimed by death penalty opponents from New York to Moscow. The stay will remain in effcctat least until thccourt can hear Darden’s latest appeal, but there was no indication when that would happen. Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov, Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., and rock star Peter Gabriel have joined Amnesty International in asking Gov. Bob Martinez to grant clemency to Darden. They cite affidavits from a minister and a woman that Darden could not have been at the scene of the murder of a Lakeland furniture store owner during a September 1973 holdup. Grand Island man confesses in 1951 killing CHESTER, Pa. — A Nebraska man has confessed to strangling an 8- ; year-old girl whose body was found at a Pennsylvania carnival 3 / years ago, the Delaware County district attorney said Monday. William Henry Redmond, 66, was arrested Friday in Grand Island by j Pennsylvania Trooper Malcolm Murphy, according to the Hall County j sheriff’s office. Redmond was a concessionaire with the carnival, according to news clippings from 1951. C* ^ i^ ^* i^ ^ ^K ^K ^K ^K ^f ^ ^ ^ ^J .J ^ ^ y^. «J ^ $ Turn Extra Time Into Extra Cash $ * Earn $115 your first month plus bonus cash do- $ $ nating plasma. It’s safe and easy. Read, relax or $ $ study while giving the gift of life. New donors $ £ accepted daily 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. £ £ No appointment necessary. 2 hoursof free parking at all Park-N-Shops £ $ $5 bonus paid to all return donors who have not $ $ donated in the last 6 months. For more information