SMALLVILLE SHOCKED BY SHERIFF'S ARREST

Not-So-Usual Suspects Questioned

By Angie Perez

Lionel Luthor was found lying in a pool of blood in the library of his mansion by one of his live-in maids. Shot in the abdomen and just below the left shoulder by an unknown assailant, Luthor was rushed in critical condition to Smallville Medical Center where doctors are hopeful that he will make a full recovery following surgery.

In a shocking turn of events, Smallville's esteemed Sheriff Ethan Miller has been arrested for the murder of a bartender whose body was found in the back room of the Wild Coyote and the attempted murder of Lionel Luthor.
Initially, farmer Jonathan Kent was held and charged with the attempted homicide--a gun found in Kent's truck matched the caliber of the weapon used in the attack. The longtime resident, who allegedly had a blood alcohol level of 2.0 at the time of his arrest, was also charged with driving under the influence.

Throughout the ordeal, Kent maintained his innocence, and several of his supporters grumbled that any number of people had motive and opportunity to try and kill the reviled millionaire including Luthor's faithful right-hand man, Dominic Santori, and his own son, Lex. It is well documented that the father and son have had a bitter ongoing power struggle.

Several questions remain unanswered in the continuing investigation: Did Sheriff Ethan betray not only his former friend and classmate Jonathan Kent but an entire town that recently honored him? What dark motive could a trusted and dedicated lawman have for wanting Luthor dead?

LUTHORCORP TAKES
OVER LEXCORP

By Kathy Romita

It started out as LuthorCorp. Then it switched to LexCorp. Now it's back to LuthorCorp. The name changes, but the faces remain the same. Residents of Smallville seem to be stuck as pawns in the middle of a testosterone-induced chess game played by Lionel and Lex Luthor. The father and son businessmen continue to compete with each other over ownership of the old Fertilizer Plant No. 3. Whoever owns the plant employs a large number of Smallville residents and plays an important role in the financial well-being of this town.

In Lionel Luthor's recently staged coup, he managed to convince several of LexCorp's board members to sell him their voting shares. On the very day that LuthorCorp assumed control of LexCorp, Lionel Luthor, president and chief executive officer of LuthorCorp, was brutally shot twice while at his ancestral home here in Smallville (see accompanying story).

LuthorCorp's director of public relations, Mitchell Taylor, revealed that "Lionel Luthor simply wants the opportunity to work with his son again. The elder Luthor feels that his company and LexCorp share mutual goals." But after Lionel closed the plant down last year, it was Lex who found a way to reopen the business by staging an employee buyout. One wonders to what possible mutual goals Lionel can be referring? And what role will the younger Luthor play now that he is, once again, employed by his father? This boardgame would almost be funny if the livelihood of so many Smallvillians didn't hang in the balance. Checkmate, Lex

MUMMY'S CURSE
IN SMALLVILLE?

By Christopher James Beppo

No, they haven't started showing 1950s creature features at The Talon again. In a bizarre postscript to the furor that recently surrounded the discovery of ancient caves beneath Smallville, a Metropolis scientist is invoking the fabled "curse of the mummy" legend as a warning about possible health hazards at the site.

Dr. Nils Markson, who recently completed a doctorate in clinical epidemiology and also holds degrees in Egyptology and archaeology, has published a paper in the Journal of the Kansas Medical Society calling upon cave administrator Lex Luthor to open the location up for study.
"History has indicated that when enclosed underground edifices are exposed after being sealed for centuries, there is a very strong possibility that contemporary humans will be infected with viruses or parasites against which the species no longer has any natural defense," writes Markson. "Of course, the most famous example of this phenomenon took place in the 1920s, when King Tutankhamen's tomb was uncovered, resulting in the mysterious deaths of several explorers from septicemia and pneumonia very shortly thereafter."

In demanding that access be given to officials from the Disease Control Agency, Markson stressed that such harmful organisms could even have been placed intentionally in the caves to protect them from future interlopers. "Given the religious and sociological significance of these caves to the Kawatche people, it is not inconceivable that measures were taken to prevent the violation of their sacred land."

A Luthor spokesperson called the doctor's admonitions "ludicrous, laughable, loony--you pick the word."

FORDMAN IMPOSTER REVEALED
By Gena McGuiness

The last time the Ledger reported on the Whitney Fordman imposter, authorities were awaiting DNA results and dental records for Smallville resident Tina Greer, who died recently in an accident at the Talon. The charred remains of a body found in the state psychiatric hospital fire were originally believed to be those of Greer. "Our investigation shows that the burned corpse discovered in the hospital fire is not that of Tina Greer, but that of Amanda Page, Greer's roommate. The Talon accident victim was, in fact, Tina Greer," declared coroner Drew Adams.

When asked how such a mistake could happen, hospital administrator Jesse Holiday answered, "After the fire, Miss Page brought a suicide note to our attention. She said she found the letter on the bed of her roommate, Miss Greer. We interviewed Miss Page about Miss Greer for hours. If Miss Page was actually the deceased, then to whom were we talking for 3 hours?"

Indeed, these conclusions only raise more questions. Was Amanda Page's death a suicide? If not, who killed her and why? Who was actually interviewed by hospital staff? Why was Tina Greer impersonating Whitney Fordman like some say? And how was she able to fool so many?
I don't believe the truth was buried with Tina Greer. Someone has the answers to the questions, but no one wants to talk. Why?