Ross Family Holds out Hope Despite Setbacks
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ENTERTAINMENT: Check out the Weekend Calendar, Page 7 SPORTS: Check out our Gameday section, Section B Friday, September 26, 2003 Serving the University of Alabama since 1894 Volume 110, Issue 32 Ross family holds out hope despite setbacks Kevin Thompson, smelled “If it wasn’t for my hus- find her said they feel she is not a runaway. Fire burns Shae’s smoke at about 2 a.m. band’s quick thinking, the Searchers retain hope in Shae “The family has told us she had no reason Thursday in their home in whole house would have to run away,” said Pam Channell, founder of room; rest of house Willowbrook Trailer Park on burned,” she said. Ross search despite few leads Heaven’s Team, a nonprofit group organized unaffected Hunter Creek Road. The fire has so far been By WILL NEVIN to find the missing child. “It’s hard for us to The fire ignited in the cor- ruled accidental and uninten- believe a runaway child would be missing for Staff Reporter By HEATHER HENDERSON ner of Shae’s room, according tional, according to the fire over a month.” to the fire department report, department report. But Channell, the mother of a child abducted Metro/State Editor A little more than a month after the disap- and involved a recliner and Lowery said she believes who- six years ago, agreed it is a possibility. But the pearance of Heaven LaShae Ross, with leads other pieces of furniture. ever is responsible for Shae’s Heaven’s Team leader contends that if Shae A fire erupted Thursday drying up and a lack of suspects, searchers Lowery said that when they disappearance is now “trying did indeed run away, she would have needed morning in the room of say they still doubt the 11-year-old Northport detected the fire, Thompson to get the rest of the family.” some sort of assistance. Heaven LaShae Ross, an 11- girl ran away from home. moved quickly to bend the “She lost everything that “Whoever abducted or is aiding Shae [in year-old Northport girl miss- Northport police investigators refused to Plexiglas windows in Shae’s belonged to her,” Lowery said. running away] is the lowest form of human ing since Aug. 19. speculate on the girl’s disappearance, but room to release the smoke and “My baby mysteriously Beth Lowery, Shae’s mother, members of the search team assembled to See HEAVEN HOPE, Page 2 said she and her husband, put out the fire. See HEAVEN FIRE, Page 2 International Northridge headquarters High student calls allegations stabbed false after inquiry at school By MEGAN NICHOLS By HEATHER HENDERSON Senior Staff Reporter Metro/State Editor Gamma Phi Beta’s international headquarters A 16-year-old girl is in custody today after denied Thursday that its UA chapter committed inflicting multiple stab wounds on a 14-year- any wrongdoing in the process of accepting a old classmate Thursday at Northridge High black woman and intergrating the Capstone’s School, police said. traditionally white sororities during last month’s The girl, a freshman, will be charged with Rush. attempted murder and will be tried as an In a press release sent to The Crimson White, adult, said Tuscaloosa Police Capt. David Gamma Phi Beta’s international headquarters Hartin. said it inquired into allegations reported in The victim, also a freshman, received the Wednesday’s edition of The CW and found them wounds on her upper body and was in stable to be false. condition at DCH Regional Medical Center on Thursday morning, police said. A DCH See GAMMA PHI, Page 3 spokeswoman declined to release the victim’s status Thursday night, citing patient confiden- tiality. The dispute occurred on the courtyard near the lunchroom at about 7:50 a.m., 10 minutes before students were to enter first period. Medical personnel were on the scene in four CW/ Elizabeth Frenkel Heaven LaShae Ross' desk at Collins-Riverside Middle School sits empty since the Northport 11-year-old was reported missing on minutes, and the school implemented its crisis plan, making sure students were herded to Aug. 19. classrooms and doors were closed and locked, Hartin said. Students returned to classes at 10:20 a.m., Classmates, teachers try to move too late to begin the scheduled high school graduation exam, which was rescheduled for Monday. Hartin was not clear on despite girl’s disappearance on what caused the dis- pute, but he said a non- “Something school-related problem like that is an LaShae Ross asked to make a quick trip to had been going on for By CASSANDRA MICKENS some time. He said he Senior Staff Reporter the restroom. After a few minutes, the extreme rarity mother hen instinct struck Hope, and she did not know if the prob- CW/ Tom Neil lem involved both girls or It was sixth period in Jacqueline Hope’s stepped outside her classroom door, await- in our public Carla Ferguson, the first black student to be accepted into a tradition- ing Shae’s return. some of their friends. sixth-grade math class at Collins-Riverside Hartin said he cannot ally white sorority, is rushed into the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house by Middle School, and 11-year-old Heaven See HEAVEN MISSED, Page 2 schools.” her new sorority sisters. remember anything sim- —CAPT. DAVID HARTIN ilar to the incident occur- Tuscaloosa Police Department media ring in Tuscaloosa officer on Northridge High stabbing schools in the past. He said the schools take security very seriously. “Something like that is an extreme rarity in our public schools,” he said. No fish left behind after pond drained School officials assured parents at an dence halls. Thus, Taylor said, it has to be was draining the pond. 11 a.m. press conference that the stabbing was By LORIANNE HINE an isolated event. Senior Staff Reporter established how storm water will travel once “We are not trying to make a decision; we’re construction begins, so drainage problems just trying to assess the situation,” he said. “Although we are saddened by the events can be curtailed at that time. The equipment used to drain the pond that occurred this morning, the public can be UA officials said Thursday that University comforted by the effective response of our Facilities began draining the manmade pond Taylor said the pond was mostly a drainage included a filter that prevented wildlife from area in the past and has been dry at times. He being killed, Taylor said. He said his depart- administrators, teachers and staff, along with that sits in front of Rose Towers on McCorvey the extraordinary efforts of the Tuscaloosa Drive on Tuesday and finished draining said areas across from Hackberry Lane are an ment talked with the biology department issue as well but did not indicate if any before draining the pond Tuesday to ascertain Police Department and Fire Department,” said Thursday to begin establishing whether the Joyce Levey, acting superintendent of drainage was to take place in that area. what measures needed to be taken to prevent area is a wetland. Tuscaloosa City Schools, in a written state- Taylor said he was on-site part of Thursday a biological upset to the area. UA spokeswoman Cathy Andreen said the ment. while the drainage took place where he spoke “We did make a very good attempt to recap- pond was drained so the Army Corps of Laren Burger, a senior education major at to many students who seemed concerned and ture the wildlife in the pond and transport that Engineers could assess the area. The assess- the University, was at the school performing curious about why the pond was being wildlife to Palmer Lake [by the Presidential ment could not be made unless the pond is her clinicals at the time of the stabbing. She drained. Of particular concern to students was Pavilion],” Taylor said. drained. Andreen said no permanent plans are said that though she didn’t witness the inci- the future of wildlife in the area, Taylor said. Alan Gray, a senior enviornmental studies laid out to begin any construction at the dent, she was nearby and saw the reaction of “I didn’t see students maintaining the area major, said he first heard about the drainage pond’s site at the moment. the other students. [in the past] or moving any of the fish today,” on Wednesday when his professor, Phillip UA Associate Vice President of Facilities “I saw a large group headed to the court- Dale Taylor said his office was responsible for Taylor said. Harris, said in class that he had to leave early to assist the Collections Department in retriev- yard,” she said. “It looked like a regular fight at draining the pond and indicated the area Taylor said he thinks the student reaction the time. I saw teachers running out to get south of Riverside Amphitheater and the Thursday came mostly because there was a See POND, Page 2 things under control.” Riverside Pool is the future site of two resi- lack of knowledge about why his department See STABBING, Page 2 The Crimson White | Box 870170 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 | e-mail — [email protected] | Check us out online at Newsroom — 348-6144 Fax — 348-4116 Advertising — 348-7845 Classifieds — 348-7355 www.cw.ua.edu. Friday, September 26, 2003 NEWS The Crimson White • Page 3 City Council approves budget By SAMANTHA HALL financial support for both the AIDS Outreach Senior Staff Reporter and PRIDE programs were eliminated. “In the end, some programs had to be cut,” The Tuscaloosa City Council approved both Tyner said.