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Volume
66 Issue 14 |
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TEEN TURNS TO VIOLENCE Daughter Suspected In Father's Fall
By Lacey Lee It appears that Wednesday night's drama at The Talon isn't quite over. In a surprising final act, Alicia Baker, who was arrested for her violent attack on Talon co-owner Lana Lang, is being questioned about a separate, yet equally vicious incident--Ms. Baker may be the prime suspect in her father's recent accident. John Baker, 42, was rushed to the Smallville Medical Center earlier this week for injuries sustained in a fall. While the senior Baker claims to have slipped on the basement steps, Sheriff Adams points out that his story has several inconsistencies. "There's a blunt trauma injury to the back of Baker's head that doesn't jive with any tumble I've ever seen," says Adams. "It looks to me like somebody took a good whack at him." While Sheriff Adams admits that John Baker has refused to point the finger at his daughter, or even acknowledge that there was an assailant, Adams remains confident that she and her deputies will soon have sufficient evidence to pin the crime on Alicia Baker. According to the sheriff, Alicia Baker assaulted both her father and Lana Lang in a futile attempt to attract the attention of fellow Smallville High School student Clark Kent. "Mr. Kent spurned her affections," Adams surmised. "We've all seen Swimfan. We know what happens in these situations." Adams had no comment about rumors that the basement where
Mr. Baker's accident occurred was locked from the inside. JUDGE QUITS Mounting pressure from the news media and the Senate Judiciary Committee have led Metropolis Federal Circuit Court Judge Terrance Mathis to remove himself from the high-profile Donovan Jamison case. The discovery of old investment statements revealing Mathis' prior holdings in Nu-Corp Energy were cited as the cause. Mathis earned over $130,000 when he sold 3,000 shares of Nu-Corp stock in January 2001. Donovan Jamison was the CEO of Nu-Corp at the time. Mathis' 35 percent return led many to question his ability to fairly preside over the Jamison trial. Mathis' decision comes as no surprise. Sources inside the
judge's office were confident the 32-year veteran of the U.S. Federal
Court system would step aside even before the documents were leaked to
the press. But the leak itself suggests there is someone out to put Jamison
away for good. Daily Planet reporter Dan Wilson, who initially
broke the story, says the lead came from an anonymous package left at
the Planet offices. "We are fine with Judge Mathis' decision to recuse
himself," stated defense attorney Louis Libowsky. "What'll be
most interesting to see is who the court appoints to replace him."
IT'S THE BOMB
The Lowell County Bomb Squad returned home yesterday after attending an elite explosives education camp held last week in Metropolis. The 17-member team of bomb disablement experts, headed by Dewey "Zip" Wolf, spent over 50 hours of training in the science of explosives and advanced technologies and methodologies. "Since criminals and terrorists are using more sophisticated devices, we have to learn how to disable [those devices]," Wolf said. To maintain proper certification and keep up with modern technology, each bomb tech must complete a minimum of 120 hours of training each year. The Metropolis workshop is heralded as one of the best explosives camps for law enforcement in the world, involving agencies from local, state and federal branches. "We're not at liberty to discuss the identities of some of our classmates or the agencies they work for, but let me just say our country is in capable hands," commented specialist Jordan Wixom. The camp consisted of daily classroom instruction, range
demonstrations, advanced training in vehicle bombs, vest bombs and using
robotics as well as post-blast investigation. Handling hazardous materials
(HAZMAT), including different chemicals and pollutants, was also covered.
Attendees were divided into teams, and various scenarios were staged.
Afterwards, students and instructors evaluated each team's success or
failure focusing on the tactical approaches used. Wixom said, "These
aren't your run-of-the-mill pipe bombs--although we've been trained in
handling them as well." EZRA SMALL'S DIARY
As we've seen in prior pages from the journal of Ezra Small, the itinerant trapper and unwitting town founder received intelligence during his "spells" that he could not have possibly gained otherwise. The reason he notated it in this form remains a mystery that we must solve together. Perhaps Small knew that only those who can decrypt the messages would deserve to receive the wisdom therein.
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©2004 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. |
