NEW RESIDENT ARRESTED

Teen Awakens From 6-Year Coma

By Frank Moore

Nicholas Conroy moved into Nell Potter's house only a week ago, and it now appears that he'll be spending the majority of his time in the Lowell County Jail as sheriff's arrested the 42-year-old yesterday.

Deputies suspect he has deliberately kept his niece comatose for six years. Sara Conroy had been in a coma since age 10 after surviving a tragic car accident that killed her parents.

Authorities found Nicholas Conroy after they received an anonymous tip that the man was injured in Barham Woods. He was found wavering in and out of consciousness, suffering from a blunt force trauma to his head and uttering gibberish about "being thrown 30 feet into a tree." It is unclear at this time what really caused Conroy's injuries.

What is obvious is that authorities had enough evidence to place him into custody immediately following his release from Smallville Medical Center. "We found large quantities of tranquilizers on the Conroy property, enough to lead us to believe that foul play was involved," commented Sheriff Nancy Adams. Tests confirm that high levels of the tranquilizer found in the Conroy home match those found in Sara's blood."

Since regaining consciousness, Sara has been recuperating at Smallville Medical Center, where doctors said she has shown no outward signs of trauma and is expected to be released shortly. Attending physician Dr. Kenneth Ruddzehn expects a full recovery.

"Sara is incredibly lucid for someone who has been comatose for several years," commented Dr. Ruddzehn. "This is an indication that she shouldn't have been in a coma in the first place. To keep her in this condition required daily doses of tranquilizer. Missing only one dose allowed her to regain partial consciousness."

It is not known what the state will do with the teenager once she is released from the hospital. According to records filed at the county courthouse, Sara Conroy's parents left her a trust fund worth $2.1 million. Sara's parents owned restaurants in Grandville, Edge City and Smallville.

"Nicolas Conroy was named executor of the Conroy Family Trust. He sold his brother's restaurants soon after his death and has been living off the interest for the last six years," revealed Lowell County District Attorney Connor Eiller. This is a bad man, and we're gonna put him away for at least as long as he kept that little girl in a coma."

Nicholas Conroy will be arraigned before Judge Ross today.

LOWELL COUNTY FAIR
ROLLS INTO TOWN
Josh Kelley to Perform
By Kathy Romita

Corndogs, elephant ears, funnel cakes and candy apples. Once a year these culinary delights become their very own food group. And in just a few weeks when the Lowell County Fair pitches its tents in Smallville, people from Grandville to Edge City and everywhere in between will visit concession stand alley to consume some of their favorite calorie-laden concoctions.

Children squeal with zeal when they see the big trucks ferrying rides to the fairgrounds. And this year, fairgoers will notice some different rides on the midway. The county is using a new vendor. "We're having a bigger Ferris wheel than before and some nicer amusement park-type attractions where people can sit down and ride inside an adventure," said Lowell County Fair Chairwoman Marjorie Drake. Another first is the unveiling of "The Flying Machine." Riders will strap a harness around their chests and "soar." Drake promises, "It really makes you feel like you can fly. It's incredible!" Fair vice-chair Michael Vesper added, "Of course, folks can challenge themselves with games of skill. We're going to have more booths as well. We'll have more stuffed animals than Smallville has corn."

But the fair has much more to offer than food and rides. Contestants spend the entire year preparing for various competitions. Children display crafts, teenagers raise cattle, country chefs prepare their finest foods and judges have the difficult task of awarding only one blue ribbon per category.
The grand finale of the event will be a special concert by singer/songwriter Josh Kelley. Acoustic guitar player Kelley, who hails from Mississippi, will bring his special brand of earthy music to the county fair. Tickets are still available but are selling quickly

COMET CAUSES
SOLAR FLARE
By Ron Black
Daily Planet Science Specialist Special to the Ledger

As a comet continues its collision course with the sun, scientists at the Metropolis Institute of Science and Technology are poised to witness the resulting series of spectacular solar flares. Caused by a sudden release of magnetic energy from the sun's atmosphere, solar flares emit the energy equivalent of millions of 100-megaton hydrogen bombs exploding simultaneously. Though scientists anticipate flares throughout the week, the effects on our planet are expected to be minimal.

Dr. Sarah Charles, MIST researcher, explains: "While a solar flare is pretty spectacular to watch, there's very little risk of exposure to additional radiation here on earth. Some levels of solar energy will be increased, but not to a life-threatening level, thanks to the protection from our atmosphere."

However, one possible concern that Dr. Charles mentioned is the effect the flares will have on solar conductors. "We've not seen flares of this magnitude in quite some time. Certainly not since solar panels, solar-powered cars or solar batteries of any kind have become prevalent. We think that anything that gets its power from the sun may face some operational dysfunction." Dr. Charles went on to say that "the difficulties will work themselves out over the next few weeks or so, as the flares' energies begin to dissipate."

MAYOR TATE A SMALLVILLE FIXTURE FOR DECADES

By Christopher James Beppo
In anticipation of Smallville History Month, which the Ledger will celebrate in the weeks to come, we present this tribute to one of the people who has changed the course of our town, the honorable Mayor William Tate.

The lines on his face have grown more pronounced in recent years. His once piercing blue eyes have faded into a more peaceful, friendly gray that complements his silvery locks. His confident gait has never been quite the same since the time he slipped on the freshly mopped parquet floor of Bailey's Diner back in '83. But at six feet three inches, Mayor Tate remains a commanding presence in Smallville, perhaps more now than ever.
Back in the days before he was at the town's helm, before he was Councilman "Bulldog Bill" Tate, even before he was young, hotheaded Deputy Bill Tate, he was just good old Billy. Born William Bruce Tate on January 13, 1938, Tate once harbored secret dreams of becoming a mystery writer. Little did he know that his own life would be almost as fulfilling as the exciting events of the unfinished Cole Jacquitt Adventure manuscripts he kept hidden in his desk drawer.

Young Billy Tate breezed through Smallville High, graduating a year early and subsequently earning a degree in Agricultural Sales and Services from renowned Highland Community College. Travels throughout the state as a tractor parts salesman followed, perfect training for Tate to develop the populist appeal and showmanship that would later serve him well in office. After a family illness brought Tate back home, public service beckoned. The ambitious young man passed through the rigorous program at the newly formed Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and was soon patrolling the streets of Smallville alongside his fellow deputy at the time, future sheriff Mark "Wink" Waid.

"Billy didn't take any guff, I'll tell you that much," commented the now retired Sheriff Waid. "We all knew he wouldn't be walking the beat for long. As bad as I wanted to be sheriff, Billy kept saying how he was going to run this town someday. If I remember correctly, Bill had a bit of an eye for the ladies, too. He just loved rushing to the rescue of some pretty young thing whose purse got grabbed or something."

Moving swiftly through the political ranks, Tate had already served several sessions on the Smallville town council when the '89 meteor shower hit. It was during this tumultuous time that he earned the moniker "Bulldog Bill" for his no-nonsense--and controversial--approach to the rebuilding effort, sometimes in defiance of environmental and safety regulations. Some have attributed Tate's landslide victory in his first mayoral campaign to his easy ways with local power brokers and businessmen, but whatever the reason for that early triumph, Mayor William Tate would proudly hold the office for another three terms, including his current tenure.

Although his most recent reelection effort faltered slightly due to 11th-hour accusations of sweetheart business deals and questionable environmental policies, Tate used his trademark fiery rhetoric to defeat an outsider who was largely supported and funded by Lex Luthor.

When asked if he ever dreams of a nice big office in Topeka, Tate smiles quietly. "Of course I do," he replies. "I'm not saying that being mayor of Smallville has merely been a stepping stone, but I have many great things ahead of me, and I would not turn down a state position if the good people of Kansas saw fit to elevate me to one."

Taking a pull from his ever-present Morley's cigarette, Tate becomes philosophical. "When you think about it, politics is like a box of chocolates. Sure, once in a while, there's a peanut butter cup or an English toffee. But they're gone too fast; the taste is fleeting. I'm sure once my time is up, I'll be about as famous as all the previous mayors of Smallville. But I'll have done my part here and done it to the best of my abilities."