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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 1997)
Tainted berries sicken many Mexican-grown strawberries were sold as U.S.-grown. DETROIT (AP) — Her family thought it was just a stomach virus. Then Amanda Bischoff began vomit ing constantly and the little girl’s eyes turned yellow. “She looked like a daffodil,” Patty Bischoff said of her daughter. Amanda ended up among about 150 Michigan schoolchildren and adults who authorities believe con tracted hepatitis A from tainted frozen strawberries that were shipped to the government’s school lunch program. Amanda got better in time to cel ebrate her ninth birthday Friday, but thousands of students and educators in six states may have been exposed. That includes 9,000 people in Los Angeles, where tainted fruit cups were served last week in 18 public schools, and 2,000 students at three Geoigia schools where the berries also were served. The U.S. Department of Agricul ture said Wednesday it will investigate how Mexican-grown strawberries got into the USDA school lunch program, which is required to buy only U.S. products. The berry distributor’s president, Fred L. Williamson, resigned Wednes day after Andrew and Williamson Sales of San Diego was found to have misrepresented the Mexican-grown berries as domestic. So far, the only reported illnesses linked to die tainted berries have been in Michigan. Strawberries with the same lot numbers were also sent to Arizona, California, Georgia, Iowa and Tennessee. It is too early to say how much dan ger the public is in because many of the strawberries were processed into other foods that would have been cooked and killed off the virus, Fried man said. Hepatitis A is often spread through uncooked food and causes a mild liver infection. The elderly, people with weak immune systems and the very young risk more severe symptoms. Russia, Belarus agree to union MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and Belarus signed a treaty Wednesday meant to bring their people, economies and armies closer together, in a first step toward reintegration by two former Soviet republics.. President Boris Yeltsin, who signed the accord with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, stressed the two Slavic nations will remain sovereign and separate. “We’ll not transform our commu nity into a unified state for now, but a union of two states,” Yeltsin said at the signing ceremony in a gilded Kremlin hall. No other ex-Soviet republics have shown a real desire for reunification since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, creating 15 separate states. Although Russian hard-liners bailed,the preaty as a.step toward the revival of a mighty state, Belarusian opponents expressed fear their coun try of 10 million people would lose its independence to much larger Russia. Critics also argued that integrat ing the two struggling countries will only create more problems for both. About 5,000 opponents of the ac cord tried to march to the Russian Embassy in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Riot police confronted them, clubbing and hitting the marchers when the protesters threw stones at them. The clash was the worst violence in Belarus in months. Russian news broadcasts showed policemen beating women with truncheons and an officer swinging his boot to hit an injured protester who was lying on the pave ment. Opposition and human rights ac tivists said about 200 people were beaten and detained, ilie government confirmed 70 people were detained and three policemen were injured, but declined to provide mine information. In Moscow, small groups of oppo nents staged protests, warning against any alliance with Lukashenko, an au thoritarian leader nostalgic for the old Soviet Union. He has proposed—and Moscow has rejected—a full merger. Under Wednesday’s treaty, the two countries plan to coordinate economic reforms and military activities, create joint energy and transportation sys tems and possibly introduce a common currency. A Supreme Council, includ ing top leaders from both countries, is to outline joint policies. Although the treaty calls for con sultations (Hi a wide variety of poli cies, it proposes little concrete action. Russia and Belarus have removed cus toms barriers but otherwise have done little tpward real integration. Clinton’s school tests backed WASHINGTON (AP)—President Clinton Wednesday won support from the nation’s largest school system and 200 leaders ofhigh-tech industries for his campaign for national testing stan dards for America’s students. Delaine Eastin, California’s super intendent of public instruction, planned to announce her backing for the president’s initiative at a White House ceremony with Clinton. White House officials consider her endorse ment important because California has 5 million public school students. Maryland, Michigan and North Carolina already have committed themselves to Clinton’s program, which envisions a national set of per formance standards for fourth grad ers in reading and eighth graders in math. With California’s participation, 20 percent of the nation’s school children “will be enrolled in the type of testing regime the president has recom mended that would bring high qual ity standards to our schools,” presi dential spokesman Mike McCurry said. It was unclear whether Clinton’s plan had bipartisan support from California’s political establishment. McCurry said he did not know if Gov. Pete. Wilson, a Republican, had ex pressed a view. Eastin, a Democrat, is elected statewide rather than ap pointed by the governor. McCurry also said that leaders of high-tech industries based in California’s Silicon Valley “are going to say that they, as an industry, are pledging their support for the president’s initiative.” Questions? Comments? Ask for the appropriate section editor at 472 2588 or e-mail dnOunltnfo.unl.edu. Editor DougKouma Managing Editor. Paula Lavigne Assoc. News Editors: Joshua Gillin Chad Lorenz Night Editor Anne Hjersman Opinion Editor Anthony Nguyen AP Wire Editor: John Fulwider Copy Desk Chief: Julie Sobczyk Sports Editor Trevor Parks General Manager DanShattil Advertising Manager Amy Struthers AssLAd Manager Cheryl Renner Classified Ad Manager TtffinyCflfton A AE Editor Jeff Randall Photo Director Scott Bruhn Art Director Aaron Steckeiberg Web Editor Michelle Collins IMlym NOWS Ed Store: Bryce Glenn Leenne Sorensen Rebecca Stone Amy Taylor Publications Travis Brandt Board Chairman: 436-7915 Professional Don Walton Adviser 473-7301 FAX NUMBER:472-1761 The Daily Nebraskan (USPS144-080) is published by the UNL Pubfications Board, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year; weekly during summer sessions. Reeders are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebras kan by calling 472-2588.The public has access to the Publications Board. Posfrnaster: lend address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34, 1400 R St, Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, Neb. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1997 DAILY NEBRASKAN ^
