T H E A N N A R B O R N E W S WEDNESDAY, JULY 20 , 2005

Regional Report, B2Obituaries, B4State, B5

Metro editor Tom Krisher can be reached at (734) 994-6872 Fax: (734) 994-6879 E-mail: tkrisher@annarbornews.com

B LOCALMediation continueswith school union

Negotiations are continuingbetween the 1,225-member AnnArbor Education Associationand the Ann Arbor School Dis-trict.

Union and district represen-tatives had hoped to have theteachers’ contract settled at theend of the spring semester, buttalks broke down last monthover salary and health benefits.That’s when both sides agreedto seek the help of a state medi-ator.

The union’s two-year contractexpires at midnight on Aug. 29.District spokeswoman Liz Mar-golis said there is no news to re-port following several days ofnegotiations with the mediator.

Blood supplies low,Red Cross warns

Residents are being urged bythe Southeastern MichiganBlood Services Region of theAmerican Red Cross to giveblood immediately.

Critical blood types O and Bhover at less than a half-daysupply, Andrea Ward, spokes-woman for the Red Cross, saidTuesday. The inventory avail-able should be at least a three-day supply.

The American Red Cross’Southeastern Michigan BloodServices Region includesWashtenaw, Macomb, Oakland,St. Clair and Wayne countiesand supports more than 50 hos-pitals in those areas.

Blood was available to treata 17-year-old congenital heartpatient at University of Michi-gan Health Systems, Wardsaid. While in surgery, compli-cations created excessive aor-tic bleeding. Because enoughdonors had given blood recent-ly, doctors were able to beginthe process of transfusing 94units of type O-positive blood tothe patient within a 48-hourtime period. This patient con-tinues to receive blood transfu-sions.

“What we use today needs tobe replenished today for tomor-row’s need,” Ward said.

To donate blood, individualsmust be in general goodhealth, weigh at least 100pounds and be 17 years old orolder. Individuals interested indonating blood should call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (448-3543) tomake an appointment to do-nate, or you can attend one ofthe upcoming blood drives inthe area:

■ Sunday – 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Mi-lan Free Methodist Church Fel-lowship Hall, 950 Arkona Road,Milan.

■ Monday – 1 -7 p.m., St.Mary’s Catholic Church ParishCenter, 110 E. Madison, Man-chester.

■ Monday – 7 a.m. -1 p.m.,Ann Arbor Donor Center, 4624Packard Road.

■ Wednesday – 10 a.m.-4 p.m.,U-M Hospital-N. Ingalls, 5thFloor Conference Rooms, 300 N.Ingalls St., Ann Arbor.

Ex-spa owner admitshiring immigrants

The former owner of an AnnArbor oriental spa that was shutdown by police after an under-cover investigation into prosti-tution has pleaded guilty tocharges in federal court, offi-cials said.

Yon Cha Durham, 49, recentlypleaded guilty to one count offailing to report that she had im-migrants working for her, saidSenior Special Agent Greg Ste-jskal of the FBI’s Ann Arbor of-fice.

In March, Durham andboyfriend David Karlak, 41,were each indicted on one countof racketeering for allegedlyowning and managing the Re-treat Spa on Boardwalk Streetbetween 1999 and 2001. The spawas regarded by authorities asthe biggest and most active ofthe five local establishmentsshuttered after raids initiatedby an Ann Arbor Police investi-gation.

Stejskal said the chargeDurham pleaded guilty to car-ries a maximum penalty of 10years in prison, five more thanallowed under a racketeeringconviction, but she is less likelyto face mandatory deportation.A sentencing date was not setand the charge against Karlakis pending.

From News staff reports

B1

LARRY E.WRIGHT,THE ANN ARBOR NEWS

Elina Jarrell, left, consoles her stepsister Shaton Campbell on Tuesday morning after a man on a bicycle was fatally wounded in whatappeared to be a drive-by shooting on Nash Street between Tyler Road and Dodge Court in the West Willow subdivision. Campbell, anursing student, tried to help the victim before emergency personnel arrived.

Folks can lend a handat 4-H Youth Show

B Y L I S A A L L M E N D I N G E RNews Special Writer

Emily Hattie will probablywear gloves, not mittens, toDexter High School this winter.

In her third year as a memberof Rogers Corners Herdsman 4-H Club, and as one of about adozen 4-H ambassadors acrossthe county, Hattie has takencommunity service to heart.

She’s been on a mitten-mak-ing mission with a goal of having500 pairs of mittens ready byNov. 1 to be distributed to schoolchildren in need throughoutWashtenaw County.

She hopes that she’ll getsome help during the 2005 4-HYouth Show, which begins Sun-day and runs through July 29,because mitten making is one ofabout a dozen new activitiesplanned by Elaine Feldkamp,program assistant for Washte-naw County 4-H Extension Ser-vice.

“I do it with my mom and mylittle brother,” Hattie said,adding that her love of sewingcomes from her mother, who“sewed all of our clothes whenwe were little.”

The trio started making the

mittens this spring Hattie said,explaining that she, her youngerbrother, Luke, and her mother,Jane, take turns cutting out themitten patterns from polarfleece material. They thenthread elastic through the bot-

toms and sew each one by ma-chine.

Hattie said it takes about fiveto 10 minutes to make each one.

The 14-year-old will be afreshman at Dexter High Schoolin the fall. In addition to teach-ing people how to make the mit-tens at this year’s 4-H YouthShow, Hattie is also looking for-ward to showing her Polish rab-bit named Oreo next Wednes-day in rabbit showmanship andbreed classes.

In the 3-year-old rabbit’s firstAmerican Rabbit Breeder’s As-sociation sanctioned show, alsoheld at the Farm CouncilGrounds, Oreo not only tookbest of breed, he went on to winbest In show.

“I’m very impressed withher,” Hattie’s mom said. “Shegrabbed (the mitten makingproject) and ran with it. She’s upto 97 pairs on her own. We havea piece of paper and she keepstrack. It’s been a fun family proj-ect, and my husband doesn’tworry about the kitchen table

Phyllis Rawls’deathcame just 6 weeksafter her son wasreleased from prison

B Y L I Z CO B B SNews Staff Reporter

A 34-year-old man convictedof fatally shooting his motherwas sentenced Tuesday to life inprison without parole by thesame judge who sentenced him15 years earlier for anothershooting.

Prior to being sentenced,John Rawls Jr. asked Washte-naw County Circuit Court JudgeDonald Shelton to declare amistrial and claimed he did notkill his mother, Phyllis Rawls.

Rawls cited case law in his re-quest to throw out his trial andblamed his defense attorney’strial strategies for his convic-tion. Rawls also accused the ju-ry of not taking enough time todeliberate.

“There’s been a very big mis-carriage of justice,” Rawls toldthe judge.

Shelton denied Rawls’ re-quest and reminded Rawls thathe sentenced him in 1990 to sev-en and a half years to 15 years inprison.

State Department of Correc-tions records show that Rawlsspent 14 years in prison on acharge of assault with intent todo great bodily harm less thanmurder stemming from a 1989shooting. The September shoot-ing of 55-year-old Phyllis Rawls

B Y A R T A I S N E RA N D A M A L I E N A S HNews Staff Reporters

Police are searching for a 36-year-old Ypsilanti Townshipman suspected of gunning downanother man early Tuesday on astreet in the neighborhoodwhere they both lived.

Washtenaw County Sheriff ’sCmdr. Dave Egeler said thismorning that the homicide sus-pect, James Frierson, may havefled the area, and police are ask-ing for the public’s assistancelocating him.

Shawn Lee Vawters, 32, wasriding his bike in the 800 blockof Nash Street when someonedriving by in a car fired severalshots about 7:30 a.m., Egelersaid. He was hit several timesin the chest and died about 9a.m. at St. Joseph Mercy Hospi-tal.

“This was not a random act,and we firmly believe he wasthe intended target of thisshooting,” Egeler said.

Police have not released the

motive of the slaying, which wasthe second homicide in Ypsilan-ti Township this year.

Vawters lived in the West Wil-low neighborhood where he wasshot, but police do not knowwhere he was headed on hisbike early Tuesday. Frierson

also lives in West Willow nearthe scene of the shooting, Egel-er said.

Court records indicateVawters had several run-inswith area police since the early1990s. He was arrested 33 timesby Washtenaw County Sheriff ’sdeputies alone, Egeler said, andwas convicted of cocaine deliv-ery in 1995.

He served more than sevenyears in prison on that charge,which carried a 10-year maxi-mum sentence, and wasparoled in November 2002, ac-cording to Michigan Depart-ment of Corrections records.His probation period was set toexpire at the end of September,records show.

“I know he was a wild one, butthis is just a shock. A terribleshock,” said Judy Rougeau,Vawters’ aunt, by telephoneTuesday.

Anyone with information onFrierson’s whereabouts isasked to call the WashtenawCounty Sheriff ’s Department at(734) 973-7711.

SEE YOUTH SHOW , B3 SEE RAWLS , B3

SONIA L. GOTTFRIED, THE ANN ARBOR NEWS

Ford

Wia

rd

Tyler

DeSo

to

Ohio

YpsilantiTownship

KaiserElementary

Michigan

Nash

Ypsilanti

0 1/4

Miles

N

17

1212

Site ofshooting

LEISA THOMPSON,THE ANN ARBOR NEWS

Dexter resident Emily Hattie shows off some of the 97 pairs ofmittens she has created as part of a Washtenaw County 4-HAmbassador's Community Service Program. She hopes that she’llget some help meeting her goal of making 500 pairs during the2005 4-H Youth Show, which begins Sunday.

State panel wantsfraud investigation

B Y P E T E R LU K EAnn Arbor News Bureau

LANSING – Michigan’s appealscourts will likely decide whethera proposed affirmative actionban makes the 2006 ballot, aftera state panel couldn’t musterthe votes amid charges of fraud.

The Michigan Civil Rights Ini-tiative last year collected morethan 500,000 signatures for itsproposed constitutional amend-ment barring the considerationof race and gender in public uni-versity admissions, or in stateand local government employ-ment.

Assessing a 500-signaturesample, state elections officialsconcluded that the group hadcollected more than enoughvalid signatures to force astatewide vote on the volatile is-sue. More than 455,000 signa-tures were valid; 317,757 are re-quired.

After a contentious daylonghearing Tuesday, Michigan’sBoard of State Canvassers did-n’t contest that assessment, butcould only produce one vote toput the proposal on the ballot.

The two Democrats and oneof the Republicans on the bipar-tisan, four-member panel decid-ed that charges of fraud by op-ponents of the ballot drive war-ranted additional investigation.But they couldn’t decide whoshould do the investigating.

The central fraud charge in-volves allegations that paid peti-tion circulators in Detroit, Flint,Benton Harbor and other pre-dominantly black cities toldsigners that the ballot issuewould actually legalize affirma-tive action.

“It was the same lie, over and

Man gets life in prison in mother’sshooting

SEE COURTS , B3

Mitten maker is on a mission – and needs help

IN BRIEF

James Todd Frierson: suspect.

Ballotissue onrace stillin limbo

Police: Slaying suspectmay have fled the areaHelp sought finding man wanted in connection with shooting of bicyclist

Shawn Lee Vawters: victim.