Food choices can affect water, p3 Elida, Bath win district semis, p6 The DELPHOSTelling The Tri-County’s Story Since 1869HERALD 50¢ daily www.delphosherald.com Thursday, March 7, 2013 Delphos, Ohio Ark. When life gives you snow ... adopts strictest abortion law By ANDREW DeMILLO The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas now has the nation’s most restrictive abor- tion law — a near-ban on the procedure from the 12th week of pregnancy — unless a law- suit or court action intervenes before it takes effect this sum- mer. Lawmakers in the Republican-dominated Legislature defied Gov. Mike Beebe, overriding the Democrat’s veto. The House voted 56-33 on Wednesday to override Beebe’s veto, a day after the Senate voted to do the same. Wednesday’s early morning snowfall left children and some parents The votes come less than with a little free time to be creative with the bounty. Jason and 3-year- Nine-year old Devin Sanders and Tony Sanders, 12, make sure their a week after the Legislature old Avery Gogler spent the afternoon on their snowman complete with a snowman is perfect Wednesday afternoon. (Delphos Herald/Nancy overrode a veto of a sepa- hard hat and safety vest. (Delphos Herald/Nancy Spencer) Spencer) rate bill banning most abor- tions starting in the 20th week of pregnancy. That bill took effect immediately after the final override vote, whereas the 12-week ban won’t take effect until this summer. Abortion rights propo- nents have said they’ll sue to block the 12-week ban from taking effect. Beebe warned lawmakers that both mea- sures would end up wasting taxpayers’ money with the state defending them in court, where, he said, they are likely to fail. The measures’ supporters, See ARKANSAS, page 2 Sports St. John’s, Ottoville, Spencerville, Elida selling pre-sale tickets The St. John’s Athletic Department is selling tick- ets for Friday’s 7 p.m. Elida District final versus St. Henry from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and 7-7:30 p.m. today and 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday in the high school office. Prices are $6 for adults (pre-sale) and all tickets at the gate, $4 for students. Parking is $2. Ottoville High School is selling pre-sale tickets for its girls Elida Regional contest set for 8 p.m. today until 2 p.m. All pre-sale tick- Troy and John Pseekos of North Pierce Street turned their snowman Craig Beining and his children, Kayla, center, and Cassidy built this ets are $6, $8 at the door. upside down Wednesday. (Submitted photo) giant snowman. (Submitted photo) Spencerville is selling pre- sale tix for its District semifinal today versus Liberty-Benton at Lima Senior until 4 p.m. Elida is selling tickets for its More gun laws fewer deaths, 50-state study says Saturday night (7 p.m.) district By LINDSEY TANNER final at ONU versus Bath from on an analysis of 2007- “Our motivation was real- local laws aren’t as effective 3 per 100,000 in Hawaii to 5:30-7 p.m. today and 11:30 The Associated Press 2010 gun-related homicides ly to understand what are when neighboring states have 18 per 100,000 in Louisiana. am to 1 p.m. Friday in the and suicides from the fed- the interventions that can be lax laws. Hawaii had 16 gun laws, Activities Office. Costs are $6 CHICAGO — States with eral Centers for Disease done to reduce firearm mor- Previous research on the and along with New Jersey, for adults and $4 for students. the most gun control laws Control and Prevention. The tality,” said Dr. Eric Fleegler, effectiveness of gun laws has New York and Massachusetts All tickets at the gates are $6. have the fewest gun-related researchers also used data on the study’s lead author and had mixed results, and it’s was among states with the deaths, according to a study gun control measures in all an emergency department a “very challenging” area most laws and fewest deaths. that suggests sheer quantity 50 states compiled by the pediatrician and researcher at to study, said Dr. Daniel States with the fewest laws Forecast of measures might make a Brady Center to Prevent Gun Boston Children’s Hospital. Webster, director of the Johns and most deaths included Mostly sunny difference. Violence, a well-known gun He said his study suggests Hopkins Center For Gun Alaska, Kentucky, Louisiana Friday. Highs But the research leaves control advocacy group. They but doesn’t prove that gun Policy. He was not involved and Oklahoma. in the upper many questions unanswered compared states by dividing laws — or something else — in the current study. But there were outliers: 30s. Lows in and won’t settle the debate them into four equal-sized led to fewer gun deaths. The strongest kind of South Dakota, for example, the lower 20s. over how policymakers groups according to the num- Fleegler is also among research would require com- had just two guns laws but See page 2. should respond to recent ber of gun laws. hundreds of doctors who parisons between states that few deaths. high-profile acts of gun vio- The results were pub- have signed a petition urging have dissimilar gun laws but Editorial author Dr. lence. lished online Wednesday in President Barack Obama and otherwise are nearly identi- Garen Wintemute, direc- Index In the dozen or so states the medical journal JAMA Congress to pass gun safety cal, “but there isn’t a super tor the Violence Prevention Obituaries 2 with the most gun control- Internal Medicine. legislation, a campaign orga- nice twin for New Jersey,” for Research Program at the State/Local 3 related laws, far fewer peo- More than 30,000 people nized by the advocacy group example, a state with strict University of California, Farm 4 ple were shot to death or nationwide die from guns Doctors for America. gun laws, Webster noted. Davis, said the study doesn’t Community 5 killed themselves with guns every year nationwide, and Gun rights advocates Fleegler said his study’s answer which laws, if any, Sports 6-7 than in the states with the there’s evidence that gun- have argued that strict gun conclusions took into work. Classifieds 8 fewest laws, the study found. related violent crime rates laws have failed to curb high account factors also linked Wintemute said it’s likely Overall, states with the most have increased since 2008, a murder rates in some cit- with gun violence, includ- that gun control measures are Television 9 laws had a 42 percent lower journal editorial noted. ies, including Chicago and ing poverty, education levels more readily enacted in states World briefs 10 gun death rate than states During the four-years Washington, D.C. Fleegler and race, which vary among with few gun owners — a with the least number of studied, there were nearly said his study didn’t exam- the states. factor that might have more laws. 122,000 gun deaths, 60 per- ine city-level laws, while gun The average annual gun influence on gun deaths than The results are based cent of them suicides. control advocates have said death rate ranged from almost the number of laws. 2 2 – The Herald Thursday, March 7, 2013 www.delphosherald.com For The Record General: Heart attack The Delphos Pizza robber pleads killed a suffering Chavez Herald By FABIOLA SANCHEZ Vol. 143 No. 190 The Associated Press Nancy Spencer, editor guilty, sent to prison CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez died Ray Geary, general manager of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly Delphos Herald, Inc. BY ED GEBERT ment program. costs. A nine-month prison mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela’s presidential Don Hemple, DHI CORRESPONDENT Jesse Stemen, 24, Van sentences was deferred pend- guard said late Wednesday. advertising manager Wert, pleaded guilty to posses- ing the successful completion “He couldn’t speak but he said it with his lips … ‘I don’t Tiffany Brantley, VAN WERT — The Van sion of drugs, a felony of the of community control. want to die. Please don’t let me die,’ because he loved his coun- circulation manager Wert man charged with hold- fifth degree. Stemen faces up A Convoy man was placed try, he sacrificed himself for his country,” Gen. Jose Ornella The Delphos Herald ing up Klosterman’s Pizza in to 12 months in prison at his on community control for told The Associated Press. (USPS 1525 8000) is published Van Wert on Oct. 24 pleaded sentencing on April 17. three years on a fifth-degree The general said he spent the last two years with Chavez, daily except Sundays, Tuesdays guilty to a reduced charge of A 40-year-old Van Wert man felony charge of breaking and including his final moments, as Venezuela’s president of 14 and Holidays. robbery, a felony of the third was found competent to stand entering. Gary Stephens, 55, years battled an unspecified cancer in the pelvic region. By carrier in Delphos and degree, Wednesday morning. trial. William Crutchfield is will also serve jail terms of 60 Ornella spoke to the AP outside the military academy where area towns, or by rural motor Kyle Caldwell admitted to the facing charges of felonious days and 30 days, perform 100 route where available $1.48 per Chavez’s body lay in state. He said Chavez’s cancer was very week. By mail in Allen, Van crime and was immediately assault and having weapons hours of community service, advanced when death came but gave no details.