The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 4

www.pantagraph.com A4 The Pantagraph Thursday, June 19, 2003 Bad turn may have caused crash Olympia hires new principal Phyllis Coulter PANTAGRAPH CORRESPONDENT STANFORD The Olympia school board hired a former headmaster of a private school in Tennessee as the new principal of Olympia High School at a special meeting Wednesday i plane because Webster was an agricultural pilot preparing for a new job. Petersen showed a video produced by the National Agriculture Aviation Association about making safe turns in an agricultural spray plane. Because the planes typically fly two to three feet above the crops being sprayed, the planes are very powerful and very maneuver-able. Because of its power and maneuverability, according to the video, the plane can be stalled and put into a spin simply by making a faulty turn. The low altitude often does not give pilots enough room to recover from a stall or spin.

Petersen said he was told by the FAA investigators that the plane probably was flying at 1,000 to 1,500 feet when Webster and Lucente lost control. The crash occurred at 2:14 p.m., and both men were taken immediately to OSF Saint James-John Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac, where they were pronounced dead. The AirTractor 503A is a unique plane used in agricultural spraying because it has two seats, one behind the other. Most spray planes only have one seat, Petersen said, explain- Jeffery Hill, who traveled from Clarksville, to accept the position, said he is ready to start house hunting in the Olympia District with his By M.K.Guetersloh PONTIAC BUREAU CHIEF PONTIAC A bad turn made during an instructional flight could have caused the plane crash that killed two pilots, according to testimony during a coroner's inquest Wednesday. The Livingston County coroner's jury ruled the deaths of Neil T.

Webster, 43, of Trenton, and Richard P. Lucente 52, of Poplar Grove, were accidental. The two pilots died at 2:35 p.m. May 5 after the crop duster they were flying crashed in a field just south of Illinois 116 on the west side of Pontiac. Mike Willis, a detective with the Pontiac Police Department, said from witness accounts of the crash it appears that the pilots lost control of the plane and went into a flat spin.

The plane hit the field nose first, Willis said. The pilots were flying a 1991 Air Tractor 503A registered to Pontiac Flying Service. They were on an instructional flight that started at the Pontiac Municipal Airport about an hour before the crash. Pontiac Flying Service owner Scott Petersen testified that Lucente was instructing Webster how to fly the turboprop spray Jeffery Hill Pantagraph file photoSTEVE SMEDLEY Neil T. Webster, 43, of Trenton, and Richard P.

Lucente 52, of Poplar Grove, were killed when this plane crashed May 5 in a field on the west side of Pontiac. Both men held several pilot ratings. A turning error at low altitude in an unforgiving plane may have led to the deadly plane crash. might have appeared to be smoke. The FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash and probably will not issue a final report for another year.

Contact M.K. Guetersloh at pontiacpantagraph.com from the plane while it was spinning, according to information presented by police during the inquest. Petersen saidthat if the plane was in an uncoordinated turn, fuel may have been spilling from the fuel vents, and that ing why the two pilots were using the flying service's plane. FAA records showed both pilots held a number of flight ratings including flight instructor certificates. A few witnesses to the crash said they saw smoke coming Steska predicts 'turning point' school year wife, Kelli, and two children, Eli, 6, and Cecily, 5.

Although he leaves Clarksville Academy in Tennessee to come to the Olympia district, the principal of Tremont High School from 1994 to 2000 has relatives in East Peoria and knows the community Hill was chosen from 27 applicants and was one of nine interviewed by groups of administration staff, faculty and students, Superintendent Donald Hahn said. "I feel it is a great fit for me and for Olympia," Hill said. He said the hiring process was very professional and he was also impressed with the warm nature of people involved. "At first I want to get to know people and build a strong working relationship with faculty and students," he said. Hill said he wants to help the school achieve the agenda it has established for this year.

Hill will meet with outgoing high school Principal Tom Eder to get oriented to the school before beginning July 1. Hill graduated from Illinois State University in Normal with a bachelor of science degree in education and is working on his doctorate in educational administration. giving the community," Steska said before he outlined a proposed process for the next six months. 1 It begins with estab "I think Unit 5 is at a crossroads in terms of the quality of education we are giving the community." Dan Steska Unit 5 superintendent lishing a more solid target amount and finan i i cial objectives, and also posed that the advisory council and administrative and board delegates meet with community and school groups to share information. "Let them see the reality of what it's going to cost to balance the budget," he said, adding that the information should also include how much could be generated by a potential tax refeen-dum.

According to the tentative timeline, the will make a recommendation to the task force and that group will make a recommendation to the board in December. A board decision would come in January. Contact Rebecca Loda at rlodaigipantagraph.com By Rebecca Loda PANTAGRAPH STAFF NORMAL The upcoming school year will be a "turning point" for Unit 5, Superintendent Dan Steska told school board members during a Wednesday night work session. He used that theme to describe the painful financial process the district is about to begin. Estimates indicate $6 million to $9 million must be cut to maintain a balanced budget for the 2004-2005 school year.

Nearly $4.4 million in cuts and new money has already been approved for the 2003-2004 school year. "I think Unit 5 is at a crossroads in terms of the quality of education we are Dan Steska calls for the formation of a task force to review proposals and eventually make a recommendation to the board. That task force, said Steska, should involve civic and business leaders, parents, seniors, and others to represent the district's entire constituency. Under the plan, cost-saving ideas will be solicited from the board, staff, admin- istration, parents, community members and the Citizens Advisory Council, a group that also plays a large role. The task force will review an initial list of ideas and associated costs in September.

In October and November, Steska pro Decatur hospital sues 2 rivals We've got your home decorating and improvement guide on Pantagraph.com. New information is presented throughout the month. Jack Lunds Tailor Shop 2310 Maysel Bloomington Will be closing its doors permanently on June 27. Thanks to all our good customers all these years! Any garments not picked up by June 27th, will be donated to charity. It's called Home Style, harmed the reputation of our heart program, caused potential harm to our patients solely to further their own business interests," said Ken Smithmier, president and chief executive officer of DMH.

Prairie Heart didn't do anything improper, said Dr. James Dove, president and founder. "To accuse Prairie of conspiracy with this company is ridiculous," Dove said. Memorial Medical Center doesn't comment on pending legal matters, spokesman Ed Mc- Dowall said. The stents were approved earlier this year by the Food and Drug Administration.

They are coated with a time-released drug that keeps arteries open. The lawsuit seeks to block any agreement that would keep DMH from purchasing stents and reimbursement of legal costs. DMH also filed a lawsuit against stent manufacturer Cordis Corp. and parent company Johnson Johnson Health Care Systems Inc. The case was settled within days.

DECATUR (AP) Decatur Memorial Hospital says two Springfield health care providers conspired with a medical-equipment manufacturer to prevent the hospital from offering a new heart procedure. A lawsuit filed June 10 against Memorial Medical Center and Prairie Heart Institute and Prairie Heart Cardiovascular Consultants says the centers arranged with Cordis Corp. to keep DMH from purchasing revolutionary drug-coated stents. "They have intentionally Current topics include: Suburban chic The eco-logical kitchen 1 Easy-to-fix design flaws Give your bath a makeover BANKRUPTCY File Within 48 HRS. Court Costs To Start Attorney Andrew W.

Covey 828-2780 VERTICALS CELLULAR8 WOODALLOY MINI, MICRO SHUTTERS PANTAGRAPH.COM WTrl 1 lit 7 A ALL BLINDS MADE IN THE USA PrjfSf BLIND FACTORY Landmark Mall (309) 451-8626 www.blindfactorygroup.com lihHome Consultation Professional Installation 1540 E. College Ave. Ste. 1SA Normal, IL 61761 33025. 1 OMoffi) I Ki fL vv iTi i nil 3Jrv Arrowsmith school will stay open By Kay Bose PANTAGRAPH CORRESPONDENT COLFAX Students will be going to school at Ridgeview's Arrowsmith Elementary School in Arrowsmith next fall.

The school board voted this week not to mothball the school and move the students to Colfax Elementary for the 2003-2004 school year as part of a budget-cutting plan. The board voted last month not to close the school outright. The board this week rejected an alternative plan that that would have left the school empty but maintained it as ready to reopen in fall 2004 if the board decided to reopen it. The Arrowsmith school needs a new roof, which could cost $75,000 to $80,000. Arrowsmith houses 90 students in early childhood education through first grade.

Closing the school would have saved about $150,000, officials said. Mothballing the school would have saved less because the district still would have had to pay for utilities and upkeep, officials said. The district is trying to reduce a $580,000 deficit for the 2003-2004 school year. 1 THE PANTAGRAPH Published daily by Pantagraph Publishing Co ADDRESSES Main Office: 301 W.Washington P.O. Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61702-2907 North Bureau: 305 N.

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