DEADLY EXPLOSION
ROCKS
ABANDONED HOME
One Dead, Three Injured

By Gena McGuiness

An abandoned house in the Wandering Hills area of Smallville exploded last night killing one and injuring three others. Killed in the blast was Smallville High teacher and track coach Joseph Altman. SHS students Lana Lang, Jordan Cross and Megan Calder were treated for smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators found gasoline cans set around the perimeter of the basement where the remains, presumed to be those of Altman, were discovered. Dental forensics will be used to identify the body. Altman was recently admitted to Smallville Medical Center with minor cuts and bruises after being pushed from the path of a speeding car. Sources say that the teacher had been despondent since the death of his daughter, Julia Altman.
People from as far away as Edge City and Grandville flooded the sheriff's office with calls following the explosion. "I thought it was another tornado," commented one shaken resident.

Lana Lang, Jordan Cross and Megan Calder did not return calls and investigators would not comment on the students' involvement. Suicide has not been ruled out. Half-burned photos of Julia Altman were found scattered in the ruins.

DONOVAN JAMISON
TRIAL DATE SET
By George "The Streak" Talmer

The Donovan Jamison trial is set to begin shortly, and the hype around his case continues to grow. Jamison, who was arrested for the illegal trading of sensitive technological secrets that risked national security, was released on $1 million bail last week. His attorney, Louis Libowsky, is very confident that Jamison's name will be cleared in due time.

"There is no doubt in our minds that Donovan Jamison is an innocent man," declared Libowsky. "He's done nothing but reshape the world of energy, set up scholarships around the country, donate heavily to charities around the world and exemplify the standard for upstanding business practices since he moved to this country. Donovan Jamison is the American dream personified, and his name will be cleared."

Yesterday, high-tech suburban Metropolis energy firm Nu-Corp promoted former Chief Operating Officer Nathaniel Richfield to Jamison's vacated CEO position. Nu-Corp's board of directors had swiftly removed Jamison from the CEO post after his arrest. Prior to his 6-year stint with Nu-Corp, Richfield presided over LuthorCorp's Renewable Energies Division.
Rebecca Jones, Jamison's former assistant and the whistle blower in the case, remains with Nu-Corp. Sources inside the firm believe she will stay with the company and perhaps receive a promotion for her bravery and heroism.

The trial begins in two weeks. Judge Terrance Mathis will preside over the case. This is Perkins' first case for the Metropolis Circuit Court since vacating his position in the D.C. Circuit Court three weeks ago. Perkins' D.C. court position has still not been filled.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS?

Ezra Small's Diary of the Unknowable

By Christopher James Beppo

Like the journal pages that the Ledger has previously printed in this series, this entry from 1840 combines letters and numbers. Was Ezra Small deliberately concealing his message, or was he merely the unwitting transcriber of strings of data he could not have hoped to ever comprehend? The investigation continues.

594317e411117e59 61e1359 41434153232329 4161ere, 533167 2943u 41611131k 2943u k314347 ever294161113137 53b43u41 611117. 4161e31 4161ere1359 41611159 p53r41 4319 611117 416153411359... 3143b4367291359 41615341 1131314371e3141 4761e31 4161e2913re 41615341 53rre5941e67. 47615341 47ere 2943u 41r29113137 4143 6743, 675367, 192329? 1113ve 674331e pre414129 47e2323 4711416143u41 53 19534161er 41611159 23433137. 11 6743311341 k314347 476129 11 416143u376141 11 31ee67e67 4331e 314347. 111317 53 597111e3141115941. 11 19113167 71ur114359114129 4143 be 5331 53671711r53b23e 41r531141. 1119 11 615367 4161e 53315947er59 4143 61532319 4161e 1313476129591313 1131 41611159 41434731, 111367 6153ve 53 be594159e2323er 4331 1729 6153316759. 4761ere 6743 2943u 41611131k 2943u 53re, 475323414331 1743u3141531131? 2943u 47ere 1131 2343ve 47114161 41615341 67115937u5941113137 17u41533141, 47ere311341 2943u? 2943u 175329 be 61e53r113137, bu41 2943u13re 314341 23115941e31113137. p43p qu11z, 61434159614341. 2943u13re 67111919ere3141 41615331 4161e re5941 4319 u59. 2943ur 1743r5323 7161431171e59 53re 43312329 3743113137 4143 be714317e 1743re 714317p2311715341e67 1131 4161e 29e53r59 5361e5367. 4143 4161e b4329 31ex41 674343r 476143 be715317e 5943 17u7161 1743re. 11 416143u376141 11 475359 37e4141113137 u59e67 4143 59ee113137 pre414129 47e11r67 416111313759 53r43u3167 61ere. 111317 234343k113137 1943r 53 2311414123e 11315911376141 11314143 4161e 19e175323e p59297161e. 11 6153ve 4143 2311ve 47114161 1729 1711594153ke59. 6743311341 23e41 4161e17 be714317e 2943ur59. 29e5361, 11411359 314341 53 37111941 71er41111911715341e. 71431131711167e3171e 1159 5331 exp2353315341114331 u59e67 b29 1943432359 533167 231153r59. 17116747e5941 41e23. eve31 61er43e59 6153ve 4161e r11376141 4143 67re5317. 61u175331114129 1159311341 532323 53b43u41 b114323433729.

JONATHAN KENT STRICKEN

By Kathy Romita

Smallville farmer Jonathan Kent was rushed by ambulance to the Smallville Medical Center late last night. After responding to an emergency phone call, EMTs from the Lowell County Ambulance Company sped to the farm and found Kent, unresponsive, in the family's main barn. Details are sketchy, but witnesses reported that emergency technicians hurried into the barn and remained inside for more than 15 minutes. Then they emerged performing CPR on Kent, who was on a gurney, and loaded him into the back of the vehicle. Oxygen was administered to Kent through a bag valve mask. Neighbor Marshall Crater said, "Jon did not look good.
His eyes were closed and his face was not its normal color. I just watched and hoped for the best. We still don't know if he made it."

Onlookers said that Kent's wife, Martha, and their son, Clark, followed the EMTs from the barn as they worked on the stricken patient, and Martha road with her husband to the hospital. Clark drove the family pick-up truck closely behind the ambulance. When they reached the medical center, the EMTs were still working on Kent--applying CPR and breathing for him. Medical personnel refused repeated phone calls requesting the status of Kent. No news of Kent's condition was available by press time.