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 ^
