Copyright 2000 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.
St.
Louis Post-Dispatch
May 22, 2000, Monday, FIVE STAR LIFT EDITION
SECTION: NEWS, Pg. A8
LENGTH: 652 words
HEADLINE:
NATION
BYLINE: From News Services
BODY:
SEATTLE
Suspect
part in jet crash barely met standard
The aircraft part suspected of
causing January's deadly Alaska Airlines crash was discovered to be worn in a
1997 inspection. But it was one-thousandth of an inch short of requiring regular
tests, The Seattle Times reported Sunday.
If it were not for that tiny
margin, the airline would have been required to closely monitor the jackscrew
assembly on the MD-83, the Times reported.
Mechanics had recommended
replacing the worn jackscrew assembly, which is the focus of the crash
investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. But the mechanics
were then told to re-evaluate the part, and that produced the measurement
indicating it was barely within safety limits, the Times said. The test has
become the focus of a criminal investigation of the airline's maintenance
practices. Flight 261 was en route to San Francisco and Seattle from Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico, when it crashed Jan. 31 into the Pacific Ocean just off Los
Angeles, killing all 88 aboard.
CAMARILLO, Calif.
Anti-smog regulations lift U.S. gas prices 5 1/2 cents
The cost of gasoline jumped 5 1/2 cents per gallon in
the past two weeks, largely because of tough federal anti-smog
regulations that pushed prices especially high in the East and
Midwest.
Stricter regulations aimed at reducing
sulfur and other pollutants has raised the cost of refining
gasoline. That, coupled with higher crude oil prices, pushed
the average nationwide cost to more than $ 1.58 per gallon Friday,
California-based analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.
That was up 5.46
cents per gallon from May 5, according to the Lundberg Survey of 10,000 stations
nationwide.
The Midwest was hardest-hit with an average jump of nearly
13 cents per gallon. Chicago had the highest price, at $ 1.84 for regular
self-serve gas.
LOS ANGELES
Firework may have
caused apartment building blast
An explosion possibly caused by a large
firework tore through an apartment building Sunday morning, injuring at least
one resident.
A man believed responsible for the blast suffered injuries
to his hands and face but was not hospitalized. It was unclear whether anyone
else was injured, authorities said.
The apartment is near the Koreatown
section of Los Angeles, police Officer Trevion Stokes said.
LOS
ALAMOS, N.M.
Worshippers give thanks for no loss of life in fire
Residents recovering from the devastating Los Alamos wildfire took one
step toward a normal life Sunday by worshipping in churches that had sat empty
and cloaked in smoke one week ago.
At Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic
Church, parishioners gave thanks that no lives were lost and that nobody was
seriously injured in the fire. The blaze destroyed more than 200 homes and
burned 47,000 acres in and around the town.
"Their lives are precious,
more than any buildings," said Archbishop Michael Sheehan of the Archdiocese of
Santa Fe.
After being closed for two weeks, Los Alamos National
Laboratory was set to reopen today.
EAST
WASHINGTON
U.S. will "rent" pair of giant pandas from China
Chinese officials in the United States announced Sunday that the
government in Beijing has given approval to lend two giant pandas to the
National Zoo.
The deal calls for the Smithsonian Institution, which
operates the zoo, to donate $ 1 million a year for 10 years to China to
essentially rent the pandas.
Officials on both sides of the deal say the
money the Smithsonian will give to China for one male and one female
"captive-born pre-productive" giant pandas will go for panda research and
conservation. China will retain ownership of the new pandas, as well as any
offspring.
Smithsonian spokesman David J. Umansky said the institution
has already received commitments of $ 5.8 million for the $ 10 million need to
finance the latest panda operation.
LOAD-DATE: May 24,
2000 
