CY M K
Day 11
America Recovers
Inside today ➤ Taliban troops deploy, 3A ➤ Military buildup continues, 5A ➤ Economists: Recession likely, 7A ➤ Overseas suspects detained, 8A
Saturday
Sunny, 87
September 22, 2001
s e rv i n g t h e w e s t e r n t r e a s u r e va l l e y
w w w. i d a h o p r e s s . c o m
PRICE: 50 ce nts
Nation stands watchful Iowa
test back again
At stadiums, beauty pageant security is tight coast to coast
Vallivue · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 35 Caldwell · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 18 Nampa · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 35 Boise · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 28 Skyview · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 42 Kuna · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 28 Marsing · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 30 Melba · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 20 Parma · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 35 New Plymouth · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0 Nampa Christian · · · · · · · · · · · · 33 Borah JV · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 8 Notus · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 66 Greenleaf · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 6 Eagle · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 35 Centennial · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 14
Investigators find knives hidden on other planes According to a report by the Washington Post, federal investigators found box cutters similar to those used in the Sept. 11 hijackings on at least two airplanes during sweeps conducted in the aftermath of the deadly attacks. Two were stuffed into seat cushions on a flight out of Boston, the report said, and one was found in a trash bin on an Atlanta jetliner headed for Brussels.
USA Today: Special Forces on the move USA Today reported Friday that U.S. Special Forces are moving into countries bordering Afghanistan. Their mission is to capture or kill indicted terrorist Osama bin Laden, the report said, anonymously quoting senior U.S. and Pakistani officials.
Republican Central Committee clarification A brief that appeared on 4A of the Sept. 10 Idaho Press-Tribune stated the Canyon County Republican Central Committee has endorsed the power plant proposed near Middleton and approved a resolution calling for solutions to the energy shortage. Although several committee members support the plant, the group has never formally voted to endorse it. The group did endorse President Bush’s efforts to solve the summer’s energy crisis.
Theater correction There is no Sunday matinee for the Boise Little Theatre’s performance of “Visit to a Small Planet.” A story on Page 1C Tuesday contained incorrect information.
Blaine Morris Marie Ross Merritt Seacord Clara Strat Verbal Watson John Young
Kempthorne: ‘We are one community’
Obituaries and death notices, 5A
Opinion, 6A Puzzles, 6D TV listings, 2A Valley, 4A Weather, 2A
Today’s news section was produced by News Editor Drew Munro, Assistant Managing Editor David Woolsey, Valley Editor Sean Deter, and page designers Sergio Brown and Rosemary Gray. Copyright © 2001 Printed on recycled newsprint
Vol. 22, No. 84, 86 pages
on the web: idahopress.com
■
By Nathaniel Hoffman Idaho Press-Tribune
AP
Baltimore Orioles’ Cal Ripken carries the American flag onto the field during a pregame ceremony Friday before the game against the New York Yankees. Security has been heightened at sporting events across the nation this weekend after last week’s terrorist attacks. Boise State University is heightening security at Bronco Stadium starting with today’s game against the University of Texas-El Paso. Fans will not be allowed to bring glass or plastic bottles, thermos containers or backpacks into the game. They also should plan some extra time for security procedures.
Islam forum
By Nathaniel Hoffman Idaho Press-Tribune
▼ Today’s edition Business, 1D Classifieds, 5D Comics, 3C Connections, 1C Legals, 5A Movies, 4C
Funding threatened by dropping skills test
Governor joins in Muslim prayer
Pick 3: 1 7 3
Otto Cross Robert Elford Pauline Gentry Beverly Heinbach Sibyl Holsinger Victoria Johnson Agnes Lyle
With no-fly zones declared over stadiums and bomb-sniffing dogs deployed at the Miss America Pageant, Americans head into what might have been a festive weekend in a state of watchfulness. Several Hollywood studios have canceled tours and increased patrols after an FBI warning to the industry about possible follow-up attacks to the devastation of Sept. 11. An official in Ohio said water departments across the country also received an FBI warning Friday to be alert for saboteurs. Authorities in many areas said they had no credible information about a specific, new terrorist threat. But an array of precautions were being taken even as civic leaders urged the public to go about their pursuits as normally as possible. ‘‘This is the time to stand up to fear,’’ Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly said. ‘‘Now is the time to visit the city and go wherever you want to go.’’ Reilly joined with Boston’s mayor and police chief to reassure the public Friday, following news that U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft had notified officials the city might be a possible terrorist target. Boston FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz said agents have investigated and discredited the threats there. In Columbus, Ohio, water division administrator Jeff Hubbard said the FBI sent an e-mail to water departments nationwide, telling them to take extra precautions on Saturday. FBI warnings also were issued this week to fertilizer dealers, urging them to be alert for suspicious attempts to purchase ammonium nitrate or urea. Ammonium nitrate was used in the bomb that destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Saturday and Sunday will mark the full-scale return of college and professional football, after games were called off last weekend. Fans were told not to bring backpacks or containers into stadiums, and the Federal Aviation Administration banned all aircraft from flying within three miles of major sporting events. Please see Security, 5A
▼ Idaho Lottery ▼ Deaths
By David Crary AP National Writer
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and Boise Mayor Brent Coles joined area Muslims in facing the holy city of Mecca and studying verses from the Koran on Friday at the Islamic Center in Boise. After a call to prayer, Tariq Kergay of the Mosque in Salt Lake City told the assembly that Islam is an open and tolerant religion. Muslims recognize the prophets of Judaism and Christianity in addition to the Prophet Mohammed, Kergay said. Kergay recited verses from the Muslim holy book, called the Quran, that backed up all of his statements. After a closing prayer, Kempthorne told the crowd of about 50 Muslims from all over the world that everyone had the same reaction to last week’s news: “My God, my God, how can this happen?”
Customer service: 467-9252
■
Treasure Valley residents can learn more about Islam at a community forum Sunday night at Boise State University. The event, which will outline the history and religious aspects of Islam, will be held in Jordan Ballroom A at 6 p.m. in the Student Union Building.
“May I affirm to you that we are one community,” Kempthorne said. Kempthorne thanked the congregation for their contributions to society and asked for an effort toward mutual understanding. “There will be challenges to all of us in the days ahead,” he said. Mayor Coles told the assembly that he was recently in Jerusalem where he visited the Dome of the Rock — Islam’s third holiest site — and witnessed the three great religions of the world interacting. “Boise, Idaho, is truly an international city,” Coles said. After the service, attendees lined up to shake hands with
classifieds: 467-9253
■
Dick Selby/IPT
Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne greets Azad Abdullah and his son, Naim, 6 months old, after Friday’s Muslim service at the Islamic Center in Boise.
Kempthorne and Coles and filtered out of the small Islamic Center. “He views the Muslim members as part of this community,” Islamic Center President Said Ahmed-Zaid said. Ahmed-Zaid said that many members of the Muslim community are very worried about
switchboard: 467-9251
■
hate crimes and hostility toward Muslims, and that the governor and mayor’s remarks were welcome. “He’s giving us support of the highest level,” Ahmed-Zaid said. ■ To contact Nathaniel, call 465-8169 or e-mail nhoffman@idahopress.com
news hot line: 465-8124
■
NAMPA — After scrapping the traditional measure of student achievement for a new computerized test, the Nampa School District will again administer the Iowa Test of Basic Skills in classrooms this October. After two months of giving the districtwide Measures of Academic Progress test — a computerized test that, unlike the Iowa, provides results that teachers can use immediately in the classroom — the district has discovered that some of its funds are threatened if it doesn’t bring the Iowa back. The district decided to drop the Iowa and replace it with the MAP this year, after a State Board of Education temporary rule no longer required districts to give the Iowa test. But to receive federal funds, Nampa must provide test scores from more than one year to the state. “We really felt like the information we would get from the MAP would provide us with all the information we need,” school district Testing Coordinator Ruby Brackett said. “The bottom line is we’re not going to do anything that would adversely affect the students.” State Department of Education spokeswoman Allison Westfall said Friday that Idaho Schools Super intendent Marilyn Howard had informed the state Education Board districts could have problems with funding if they drop the Iowa test completely. “We’ve been transitioning to a new testing system, but you can’t just eliminate everything until you have something else in place,” Westfall said. Tom Luna, a Nampa school trustee and candidate for state superintendent, said the Iowa is an outdated test. “The unfortunate part about it is that we’ve been encouraging the State Department of Education to move away from that for years, and because of their procrastination we’ll be spending about $860,000 (statewide) again,” he said. Nampa was the only Idaho district planning to drop the Iowa completely this year. But other districts may drop it in the near future. Nampa officials hope this will be the last. “My best guess is that this will be the last year, but I’m not sure,” Brackett said.
■ Visitors try new test, 4A.
Iowa tests, again
Third- through eighth-graders will take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and high school students will take a related test some time in October.
sports: 465-8111
■
fastrak: 466-8701