Eastern Kentucky University Encompass Eastern Progress 1984-1985 Eastern Progress 7-11-1985 Eastern Progress - 11 Jul 1985 Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: http://encompass.eku.edu/progress_1984-85 Recommended Citation Eastern Kentucky University, "Eastern Progress - 11 Jul 1985" (1985). Eastern Progress 1984-1985. Paper 31. http://encompass.eku.edu/progress_1984-85/31 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Eastern Progress at Encompass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Eastern Progress 1984-1985 by an authorized administrator of Encompass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Vol. 63/No. 31 Laboratory Pubtaoon of tha Dapai unant of Mm Comrmrtcadont 4 pages Eanrn Kantucky Urivanrfcy. Ndmond. Ky. 40475 V.0 The Eastern Progress. 984 Thursday, Jul/ 11, 1985 — Blast EKU student cause faces charges studied By Alan White- in two deaths Editor Cause for the explosion that rip- By Alan White zgerald was not a member of the ped open a storage igloo June 6 at Editor group at the time of his arrest. the Lexington-Blue Grass Army An Eastern Kentucky University Details concerning the arrest have Depot near here will be released this student awaits a preliminary hear- been sketchy. Fitzgerald was ar- week in a report by the United ing after being charged with the rested after physical evidence in the States Army, according to Kathy March 28 murders of Roy Bickers. case was found. Whitaker, the depot's public affairs 70, and his wife, Ruby. 55, of Officials have said the Bickers' officer. Carrolton. were killed by numerous blows to "I expect we'll be making a state- Kevin L. Fitzgerald, 21. of Car- the head and neck with a sharp ment this week. The report is com- rolton, was arrested on June 5 and instrument. indicted the following day by the Fitzgerald was arrested at the plete and under review at higher Dixie Plaza trailer park in Rich- headquarters," Whitaker said Carroll County grand jury on two counts of murder. mond at a trailer rented by Laurn Tuesday. Buzzelli. also a student at the Whitaker said that once higher "As of right now the case is in the command approves the report, the court system," said Kentucky State university. results of the investigation into the Police Trooper James Mudd, public In April, police arrested Gregory affairs officer for the state police Lynn Yancey. 29, of Florence, in explosion will be released. connection with the Bickers' The explosion that ripped open post at LaGrange. "Essentially, the state of the case murders. Yancey was booked on around 75 percent of the igloo's murder charges, but those charges reinforced-concrete shell occurred at is the judge is seeking to find out 7:10 p.m. There were no injuries who will represent Fitzgerald," said were dismissed later for lack of reported. Grant County Commonwealth At- evidence. A crew had driven past the igloo torney John L. Ackman Jr. 15 minutes before the explosion. Ackman said Fitzgerald must find A fire followed the explosion in- an attorney before the July 17 hear- side the igloo, but burned itself out ing or he will be appointed one by early the next morning. Satterwhite. It is up to Satterwhite The intense heat of the fire to decide when Fitzgerald has been Fewer prevented Army officials from get- given enough time to find an at- ting a better look inside what was torney, said Ackman. left of the igloo. "At some point in time the judge The storage igloo was located in will demand him to appear," with an attend the south-central portion of the attorney, said Ackman. depot, about two miles south of an Fitzgerald pleaded not guilty to area where nerve gas rockets are both charges. Carroll Circuit Judge stored in similar igloos. Charles Satterwhite denied Fit- zgerald bail and set a hearing for classes The damaged structure is approx- June 17. That first hearing was imately 385 feet from the nearest By Scott Mandl munitions igloo. postponed and rescheduled for Ju- ly 3 when Fitzgerald failed to ac- Staff writer There was no damage to anything The university's summer school surrounding the structure. The ig- quire an attorney, according to the Grant County Circuit Clerk's office. enrollment continued its three-year loo is 60 feet long and 13 feet high. decline this year dropping off 256 The explosion ripped apart about The July 3 hearing was also rescheduled because Fitzgerald still students from last year. three quarters of the structure. "According to university figures The igloo was domed-shaped and did not have an attorney, according to officials in the circuit clerk's of- obtained June 26, summer school made of reinforced concrete and set Cool dip Progress photo by Scott Mandl enrollment is 3,087. down from into the ground. At the base of the fice. The hearing has now been scheduled for July 17. 3.343 at the same time last year, and walls the concrete was 16 inches Rita Hartley, a senior music education ma|or from Versailles, enpys an ice-cream cone in front of the Powell Building. 3.629 in 1983. thick. The walls thinned to about The fountain has been a gathering place during the hot weather for summer school students. Fitzgerald was enrolled at the three inches thick at the top of the university last semester as a part- The decrease. 12.5 percent since roof, which was covered by two feet time student. He had been arrested 1983, and 7.6 percent since last year of earth. twice in the last 15 months. was deemed "not significant" by On the day of his arrest, he was Vice President for Academic Affairs The upward explosion lifted the Space program explored scheduled to appear in Madison Dr. John D. Rowlette. roof and dropped it back onto the ig- District Court on a wanton en- loo, as it is designed to do. dangerment charge. He is charged Rowlett said when all students Bob Herron would be a feeder program at the group would synthesize what has with setting toilet paper on fire in pay their fees and short courses of- Shortly after the accident a Staff writer university level," said Walker. evolved from the other committees an elevator at Dupree Hall on April fered later in the summer begin, the 1.500-foot radius around the acci- Since May a 22-member commit - According to Walker, other states and actually place some aerospace 29. additional enrollment should come dent was sealed off because of the tee. four of whom come from the have already implemented some studies throughout the state. close to equalling last year's. possibility of a second explosion. university, have been researching form of aereospace education. District Judge George Bobbins Students are not considered of- and mulling over ideas on how to Universities such as Middle Ten- One way in which some schools has continued that rase. ficially enrolled by the university The Army currently stores nearly establish aerospace education in nesee. Kent State, Ohio University are making up for the limited ex- In March of 1984, Fitzgerald was unless they have paid for their 70,000 obsolete M-55 rockets con- Kentucky schools. and Ohio State offer some form of posure students receive to indicted on two felony counts of classes or have signed promissory taining GB or VX nerve agents. The four members chosen from training in aviation. aerospace education is to start a second-degree forgery. He was notes. the university are Stephen Hender- young astronauts program. charged with forging the names of Of the 902 igloos at the installa- Walker said the committee, which son, director of Model Laboratory has met twice, has been divided in- state workers on two state checks. I - 1983 an additional 225 tion, over 40 are used to house the According to Henderson, Model St.. .ents c ailed between June 26 School. Robert J. Miller, from the to four sub-groups. They are: School is involved in a pilot program He pleaded guilty on April 2, nerve gas rockets. Department of Education, Nancy •^Research. Walker said that this and early August when the final for this organization and next year 1984, to two amended charges of count was taken. The igloo that exploded contain- Peel, from the Department of Cur- group would be responsible for iden- will be the first year for the club's third-degree forgery. Madison Cir- riculum and Instruction, and Wilma tifying resources that are present- "There's no major change, really, ed TNT and other demolition existence at Model. cuit Judge William Jennings placed that we anticipate." said Rowlette. materials used to destroy obsolete Walker, coordinator of the universi- ly available, and to incorporate Fitzgerald on 12 months probation. ty's aviation program. these resources into the classroom. Henderson said the purpose of the The decrease has also been weapons. committee is to clearly define what Court records show Fitzgerald had reflected in the dormitories as 559 According to Walker, the commit- ^Dissemination. This sub-group no crimnal record prior to that tee's purpose is to look at the. will come up with some organization should be in an aerospace program, students are currently being hous- The depot's firefighting team was than to help teachers pick materials conviction. ed compared to 639 last year. 647 in called to the scene immeditately and feasibility of introducing aerospace in which the information gathered studies in kindergarten through the could then be disseminated into the and then utilize them. Fitzgerald had attended the 1983, 794 in 1982 and 845 in 1981.