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An island getawayAre you looking for a new tropical beach destination? If so, consider Anna Marie Island, Fla., located within an hour or so drive of Tampa. The constant gulf breezes, tropical scenery and a plethora of outdoor activities make the island an ideal vacation spot.News / 6F

Fight costs with freezingIf you love the taste of a fresh peach but hate to pay grocery store prices for them — especially in the winter when they’re out of season — why not learn to freeze fresh summer peaches? Columnist Stephanie Hill shows you how.Life / 10F

Shawnee State president’s listShawnee State University has release its President’s list for the 2008 spring semes-ter. Find out if you know who made it.News / 5F

FREETHURSDAYJune 26, 2008

www.herald-dispatch.com

347Co.Rd. 411, Proctorville,OH(740) 886-9491 314ParkAve, Ironton,OH(740) 532-2856

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By STEPHEN MAJORSThe Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio is about to give police more leeway than most states to force a blood or urine test on certain people suspected of drunken driving.

The bill, which Gov. Ted Strickland is expected to sign later this week, would apply to people who had been convicted at least twice of driving under the

influence of drugs or alcohol.Under current law, authorities

must get a warrant from a judge to test blood or urine for alcohol or drugs on people who don’t initially give their consent. A few other states require manda-tory blood testing but only when there has been a fatal crash or great bodily harm and police have probable cause that a driver is intoxicated.

“Driving in Ohio is a privilege not a right,” said state Sen. Timo-thy Grendell, the Chesterland Republican who sponsored the bill. “We can precondition that privilege on any condition we want that helps keep the other

drivers on the road safe.”Civil liberties advocates say

the bill is unconstitutional, and they expect to challenge the law once it is enforced.

Requiring a warrant is the way that the judicial system can play its role in checking the power of the state, said Jeffrey Gamso, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.

“If it were really hard to get a

warrant it would be one thing, but they can get a warrant in a hurry,” he said. “There’s always a judge on duty.”

Grendell said a 1966 U.S. Supreme Court decision pro-vides a solid legal foundation for his bill. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that authorities could compel a driver whom they had suspected of drunken driving to give a blood sample.

Critics: DUI bill violates ConstitutionWEB EXTRA

For more Ohio news, go to www.herald-dispatch.com.

By JOHN McCARTHYThe Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Ted Strickland’s new energy policy calls for Ohio utility companies to develop alternative energy sources, including nuclear power.

The Legislature went along and the state’s top regulator embraced it. But no Ohio utilities are expected to apply to build nuclear reactors soon, citing high construction costs and the expense associated with disposing of radioactive waste.

“Then, there’s the other obstacle and that’s the cultural obstacle,” said Alan Schriber, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which regulates the industry.

Stigmas remain, but nuclear energy is enjoying something of a rebirth elsewhere.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received applications to build 15 new reactors in eight states. Later this year, plants in seven other states plan to seek permits for a dozen more reac-tors.

None of the applications are from Ohio, where the Davis-Besse nuclear plant east of Toledo and the Perry nuclear plant northeast of Cleveland are among 104 still in operation nationally. Both are along the shores of Lake Erie and are owned by Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp.

Strickland’s plan calls for Ohio utilities to pro-duce 25 percent of their power from alternative sources by 2025. Half of that would come from renewables such as wind and solar power; the other half would be alternatives such as clean-burning coal and nuclear power.

Technology in nuclear power has advanced considerably, Schriber said. New designs also make them safer and cheaper to build, he said. He pointed to Europe, which never slowed con-struction of new plants. There are 197 plants in Europe — 57 in France alone — and 13 now under construction.

But it’s been 30 years since the Nuclear Regula-

Rebirth of nuclear energy sidetracks Ohio

Courtesy of Shawnee State University

Shawnee State Universi-ty’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts and the South-ern Ohio Performing Arts Association announces the schedule for the 2008-2009 season.

“This is a great line-up of shows for the next sea-son,” said Carl Daehler, executive director of the VRCFA. “It has something for everyone and many family-friendly programs. We expect a great response from our subscribers

and the public.”Ten shows have been

lined up starting Sept. 18 with the performance by Cherryholmes, a fam-ily group that promises to offer an exciting brand of Bluegrass with a contempo-rary twist. The group was recently honored with their second Grammy Award nomination for their latest album release, “Cherryhol-mes II, Black and White.”

n On Oct. 16, the Colum-bus Symphony Orchestra returns for the third time under the direction of

Junichi Hirokami. He will conduct the acclaimed orchestra in a concert fea-turing Igor Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” Ralph Vaughan-Williams’ “Five Variants of Dives and Laza-rus” and Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings.”

n On Dec. 8, the Cana-dian Brass will perform a holiday concert including works from Bach, Purcell, Glenn Miller and Fats Waller. They have been featured on “The Tonight Show,” “Today,” “Entertain-ment Tonight” and numer-

ous PBS special programs. n On Jan. 2, a perfor-

mance of the legendary “Sweeny Todd,” a “demon barber” set on revenge who takes up with his neigh-bor in a delicious plot to “slice” their way through England’s upper crust, will come to life on the VRCFA stage.

n On Feb. 5, The Bal-letMet of Columbus will perform the groundbreak-ing fusion of dance and music in “Jazz Moves.” The

SSU, OUS announce 2008-09 arts schedules

The Associated Press

Alan Schriber speaks during an Associated Press interview at his office Thursday, June 5, in Colum-bus, Ohio. Gov. Ted Strickland’s new energy policy calls for Ohio utility companies to develop alter-native energy sources, including nuclear power.

Please see NUCLEAR/2FPlease see ARTS/2F

Colors of summer:

IRONTON — Traffic congestion in the Ironton area will only get worse next month when the 86-year-old Ironton-Rus-

sell Bridge is closed during the weekdays for 12 weeks as part of a $1.1 million rehabilita-tion project.

Orange-and-white construction barrels have been placed from Hanging Rock to Coal Grove, reducing traffic on the four-lane highway to two lanes as part of a $10.9 million project to repair 16 bridges and resurface 6.85 miles of U.S. 52. The project won’t be finished until next year.

ORANGe & wHITe

Construction continues; congestion worsens as Ironton-Russell Bridge

closed for 12 weeks

Story by David e. MalloyThe Lawrence Herald Please see CONSTRUCTION/2F

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Pylons are placed along U.S. 52 closing it down to one lane as construction workers continue a resurfacing project Monday in Ironton.

We want your stories!This is YOUR news-

paper, and we want to share your news with Lawrence Herald readers. Whether it’s a school achievement, civic group event, pro-motion, church news, or more, we want your stories and photos! E-mail editor Cassandra Parsons at cjohnsto@herald-dispatch.com, or mail items to The Lawrence Herald, P.O. Box 2017, Huntington, WV, 25720. Questions? Call Parsons at (304) 526-2776.

C M Y K 50 inch

Lawrence Herald2F The Lawrence Herald — Thursday, June 26, 2008 Questions? Call the newsroom at (304) 526-2778

ANon-Invasive Way to Treat Heart ProblemsExternal Counterpulsation (ECP) is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that can relieve or eliminate angina (a lack of oxygen in the heartmuscle) or angina-equivalent symptoms due to coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure. These symptoms include chest pain, chestpressure, jaw or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and fatigue. ECP works in harmony with your heart to improve circulation to your heart.

After ECP treatment, you may find that:• You can walk farther, carry heavier packages and be more active without experiencing angina• You have fewer attacks of angina and the episodes are less intense• You need less anti-anginal medication• You no longer have to restrict your social life, volunteer activities or exercise because of angina

The ECP procedure now is offered by Tri-State ECP, located in St. Mary’s Regional Heart Institute.For more information, call (304) 526-6029.

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ANon-Invasive Way to Treat Heart ProblemsExternal Counterpulsation (ECP) is a non-invasive, outpatient treatment that can relieve or eliminate angina (a lack of oxygen in the heartmuscle) or angina-equivalent symptoms due to coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure. These symptoms include chest pain, chestpressure, jaw or shoulder pain, shortness of breath and fatigue. ECP works in harmony with your heart to improve circulation to your heart.

After ECP treatment, you may find that:• You can walk farther, carry heavier packages and be more active without experiencing angina• You have fewer attacks of angina and the episodes are less intense• You need less anti-anginal medication• You no longer have to restrict your social life, volunteer activities or exercise because of angina

The ECP procedure now is offered by Tri-State ECP, located in St. Mary’s Regional Heart Institute.For more information, call (304) 526-6029.

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tory Commission has issued a license to build a commercial nuclear reactor.

In 1979, a reactor accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylva-nia caused radioactive materials to be released. In 1986, an explo-sion at Chernobyl, Ukraine, con-taminated much of the former Soviet Union and led to the deaths of at least 31 people, but the final toll is still debated.

In 2002, an acid leak at the Davis-Besse plant in Ohio nearly ate through the reactor vessel’s 6-inch-thick steel cap. It’s not clear how close the plant was to an accident.

Many environmental activist groups remain opposed to new reactors, citing waste disposal concerns. Most current waste is stored onsite at each plant while the search for a central federal site continues. Some even ques-tion whether nuclear power,

which provides 20 percent of the nation’s electricity, should qualify as an alternative source of energy.

Sandy Buchanan, execu-tive director of Ohio Citizen Action, fears the utility compa-nies will pass the construction costs — estimated at $5 billion to $7 billion per reactor — on to customers. But the biggest problems are the possibility of accidents and what to do with the waste, she said.

“It (the cost) doesn’t even include the waste,” Buchanan said. “Now, our waste is sit-ting on the shores of Lake Erie. That’s a great spot.”

Nolan Moser, air and energy program director for the Ohio Environmental Council, said the money would be better spent and go farther on renewables such as wind, solar and water-turbine power.

“Nuclear power on its own just isn’t cost competitive. It’s not a philosophical position,” Moser said.

Chicago-based Exelon Corp., which has 5.2 million customers in Illinois and Pennsylvania, plans to apply for reactor per-mits later this year if financing can be found, spokesman Craig Nesbit said. The company is seeking loan guarantees from the federal government, which would considerably lower the cost, he said. Exelon has met little resistance from the public, he said.

“It’s pretty much been accept-ed ... in the environmental com-munity and the nuclear genera-tion community,” Nesbit said. “General public acceptance has grown steadily for the last 20 years.”

Schriber envisions a stream-lined, more efficient nuclear presence cropping up, but he says no one knows when.

“There is a general thrust toward this nuclear renais-sance and there probably will be smaller power plants but they probably will be standardized,” Schriber said.

Nuclearn Continued from 1F

electrifying program features commissioned dance works and music by renowned artists from around the country that touch on legendary figures of the 1950s and the unstoppable energy of today’s artists.

n The Broadway show, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” will be performed on March 1. It all starts when a die-hard musical-theater fan plays his favorite cast album on his turntable and the musical literally bursts into life in his living room and on stage. It is a tale filled with mobsters and marriages, movie moguls and monkeys, sweethearts and songs, and Latin Lotharios with lavish dance numbers.

n Then on March 24, The Romeros will perform. They have been called, “The Royal Family of the Guitar,” because of the beauty of their artistry

and passage of talent from gen-eration to generation. Today, the group represents Romero’s third generation of continuing in tradition of excellence.

n “To Kill a Mockingbird,” comes to the VRCFA stage on April 7. The play is based on Harper Lee’s classical novel of Atticus Finch, a white lawyer and father, defending a black man.

n On April 21, “Hairspray,” the winner of eight Tony Awards will be performed on the stage of the VRCFA. This splashy musical features Tracy Turn-blad, who dreams to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show, and is transformed from a social outcast to a sudden TV star.

n The Ohio State Univer-sity’s Men’s Glee Club, under the direction of Dr. Robert J. Ward, will perform on May 5 with music that has been shared by the OSU campus and com-munity since 1875. The group has actively tailgated at home

football games, performed con-certs on and off campus and has made frequent concert trips both in the United States and abroad.

Discounts are available for seniors and SSU students, fac-ulty, staff and alumni. Also, receive 10 shows for the price of nine. With the purchase of a full season subscription, a ticket for the play “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be included at no extra charge. Subscription renewals will be accepted until July 7 and single tickets will go on sale starting Aug. 25.

Beginning July 1, all ticketed VRCFA events will be avail-able for sale on Ticketmaster’s Internet and ticket outlet sales network. When using the Tick-etmaster services, additional Ticketmaster charges may be added to the cost of the ticket.

For more information, contact the McKinley Box Office at 740-351-3600, or visit info@vrcfa.org or www.sopaa.org.

Artsn Continued from 2F

The following road report is from the Ohio Department of Transportation District 9:

DISTRICTWIDEA districtwide striping proj-

ect is under way, and crews are applying pavement markings on various routes throughout the district as weather permits. Traffic will be maintained in one lane with the aid of flag-gers as needed when crews are at work.

LAWRENCE COUNTYA signalization project is

under way on U.S. 52. Con-tractors are upgrading sig-nals between the route’s junc-tion with County Road 120N (Burlington-Macedonia Road) and County Road 144 (Char-ley Creek Road). Throughout construction, traffic will be maintained, and all work is anticipated to be completed by June 30.

A resurfacing project is near-ing completion on state Route 243. Crews will be complet-ing finishing work between the route’s junction with County Road 17 (Rankins Creek Road) and state Route 7. Traffic will be maintained in one lane with the aid of flaggers as needed, and all work is anticipated to be com-pleted by the end of June.

A bridge repair and resur-facing project is under way on U.S. 52 , between state Route 650 at Hanging Rock and the eastern corporation limit of Coal Grove. The route is reduced to one, 11 .5-foot lane in both directions, and all traffic will be maintained in a minimum of one lane in each direction throughout most construction. The scheduled

completion date is August 31, 2009.

SCIOTO COUNTYA bridge replacement project is

under way on Ohio 522. The route will be closed near the 1.0-mile marker, just north of U.S. 52 at Wheelersburg, and traffic will be detoured locally by way of County Road 503 (Ohio River Road). The completion date is July 31.

A culvert replacement proj-ect has begun in Shawnee State Forest, where contractors are replacing approximately 50 culverts at various locations on Forest Roads 3 and 4, as well as on Coffee Hollow and Dry Creek roads in Brush Creek Forest. Traffic will be maintained with the aid of flaggers throughout most con-struction; during any periods of closure, motorists will be detoured locally. The project is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30.

Stripping project under way throughout Ohio District 9

ODOTREPORT

Sometime after the July 4 holiday weekend, crews from Armstrong Steel Erectors are expected to start the bridge rehabilitation, which includes replacing some of the decking on the two-lane span, said Kath-leen Fuller, a spokeswoman for District 9 of the Ohio Depart-ment of Transportation.

The bridge closure during the daytime hours for up to 60 consecutive working days will impact businesses on both sides of the Ohio River. The bridge will remain open at night and on the weekends. It likely will be closed, once construction begins, from about 8 a.m. to 4 or 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. More than 10,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day.

“It will have an impact,” said Tim Gearhart, owner of Tim’s News and Novelties. “I’m not sure how bad it will be, but I guess it’s necessary. We’ll just have to endure it. It’s better to have it closed for 60 days than forever. I just hate to hear about (the bridge closure) since it will affect business.”

Russell Mayor Bill Hopkins agreed that the bridge closure during the weekdays will hurt business. “But we don’t have much choice,” he said. “They have to get the work done and you can’t do it at night. I just hope they give us prior notice when they close it. It’s going to be a problem, but the only alternative is to close the bridge and we don’t want that.”

“It will affect traffic,” Fuller said. The project will be fin-ished by Oct. 31, but the bridge closures will be during the first part of the project, she said.

Shelly and Sands, an Ohio construction firm, currently is working on the 16 bridges along U.S. 52 in the initial stag-es of that $10.9 million contract, Fuller said. A 45-mph speed limit is in effect through the construction zone.

Crews are milling (taking up the asphalt on the bridges) in the initial phase, she said. “It’s a lengthy and extensive process,” she said. Crews will make any needed repairs before repaving the bridges. The project cur-rently is to be finished by Aug. 31, 2009.

Lane restrictions likely will

be lifted this winter and most of the resurfacing will resume next spring, Fuller said.

“I try to avoid (U.S.) 52 as much as possible,” Gearhart said. “It’s hard to get out onto the (open) lane. When the bridge closes, it will back traffic up by the Ashland bridges.”

Construction on a new bridge is scheduled to start in 2012 and take three construction sea-sons, Fuller said. The bridge rehabilitation hopefully will enable the existing bridge to remain open until the new $90 million bridge is finished, she said.

Constructionn Continued from 1F

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Matt Harcha of Shelly and Sands, Inc., operates a drill while reinforcing a wall on the east-bound bridge of U.S. 52 near the Ironton 93 exit Monday.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Matt Harcha of Shelly and Sands, Inc. operates a jackhammer while resurfacing the eastbound bridge on U.S. 52 near the Ironton 93 exit Monday.

“It will have an impact. I’m not sure how bad it will be, but I guess it’s necessary. We’ll just have to endure it. It’s better to have it closed for 60 days than forever.

I just hate to hear about (the bridge closure) since it will affect business.”

Kathleen Fullera spokeswoman for District 9

of the Ohio Department of Transportation

Courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A cool, moist spring has led to an increase in sycamore anthracnose and oak anthrac-nose, diseases affecting the foliage of sycamore and white oak trees.

“The diseases appear to some extent each spring, but symp-toms are unusually severe this year,” said Dan Balser, forest health administrator of the ODNR Division of Forestry. “Diseased trees will be stressed, but should survive with little

permanent damage.”These leaf and twig dis-

eases are caused by a family of closely related fungi and are responsible for the wide-spread defoliation observed on sycamore and white oak trees in recent weeks. These diseases prevail as the leaves begin to emerge from the bud and expand. By early summer, re-growth will be underway. New shoots will arise from buds that would have remained dormant. Summer heat and dryness will prevent the new shoots from being attacked by

the fungi and the trees will once again leaf out.

However, property owners should be aware that weakened trees may be subject to branch dieback and insect attack. Dis-ease resistant varieties of syca-mores and white oaks may be obtained from local nurseries for home and landscape plant-ings.

Other hardwood trees such as ash and maple are also sub-ject to anthracnose diseases. However, sycamore and white oak appear those most affected this spring.

Sycamore, oak trees lose leaves temporarily due to spring disease

For convenient home delivery, call 304-526-4005

or 800-888-2834.