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Show !MONDAY, APRIL 9 , 2001 STATE _ RUNAWAY BRIDE RETURNED TO POLYGAMOUS COMMUNITY: A 15year-old gin who ran away from her polygamous family in Colorado City, Utah, saying they planned to force her into an arranged marriage, was returned to her family Thursday by Washington County authorities. People who helped the girl run away said her family told her they had planned her marriage to Warren Jeffs, the No. 2 leader ot-the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the son of its top leader. Rulon Jeffs. H EALTH AGENCY GETS A FACE LIFT : Salt Lake Valley Health Department Director Kathryn Vedder announced sweeping administrative changes and clinic closures Thursday. At the same time employees have peppered board members with anonymous letters complaining about her management style . The departmental changes came one day after Vedder stepped down as vice chairwoman of the Environmental and Publ ic Health Alli ance a cealition of six ~ounty-level health departments and three state agencies responsible for protecting public health·and the environment during the Olympics. KISS GETS HI GH SCHOOL BOY'S NAM E SCRATCH ED FROM THE BALLOT: After a fake kiss during a stage skit, a high school student running for student body president saw his name stricken from the ballot. Layton High School junior Talmage Garn was one of six students vying for the office in a PAGE9 .UNIVERSITY JOURNAL FOCUS: THE WEEK THAT WAS primary election this week. The student contestants put on skits for an election assembly Monday. But when Garn , faked a kiss to another male student. from six inches away, some students and · administrators took offense. Principal Paul Smith said all students running for student body offices are told what they can and cannot do in their skits. But Garn said candidates were told only to keep their skits G-rated. NATION NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE ON U.S. PLANE IN CHINA: U.S. diplomats prepared to . meet again with the President Bush crew of a grounded .U.S. spy plane late Saturday as officials in Beijing and Washington worked to end the U.S.-Chinese impasse. U.S. officials said the discussions about a joint letter and subsequent steps are far enough along that there could be a resolution to the matter "within the next day or so ," although they said the timetable depends on the 'Chinese. President Bush said Friday "we're making progress" in negotiations to release the 24 crew members. In the formula under discussion, a joint letter signed by the U.S . ambassador in Beijing and a Chinese official would be made public in which regret would be expressed about the accident, which led to the apparent death of a Chinese pilot. NATIONAL U NEMPLOYMENT RAT E ON T H E RISE: The nation's unemployment rate inched up to a 20~month high at 4.3 percent in March as businesses cut the most jobs in a decade signs that churned fresh recession anxiety for Wall Street and the Bush administration. SENATE SCALES BACK BUSH'S TAX CUT: The Senate dealt a blow Friday to President Bush and his drive for a $1 .6 trillion , 10-year tax cut, approving a budget that would shave $400 billion off his tax plan and spend billions more than he wants. By 65-35, the Senate approved a budget for next year that would open the· way for a $1 .2 trillion tax reduction . The vote came after White House officials and top Republicans abruptly abandoned days of intense efforts to pump up the size of the tax reduction, the keystone of the new administration's economic policy. LIBERTY BELL V ANDALIZED: A ' . tourist wielding a ir ~''-: small hammer struck the Liberty Bell at least four times Liberty bell Friday morning . The bell has a few small blemishes and will be examined further by National Park Service curators. The man, who had participated in a tour and speech about the bell , was apprehended immediately by Park Service police and is in custody, Sheridan said . WORLD PALESTINIAN T ARGETS UNDER FIRE: Israeli forces opened fire with tanks Friday on a Palestinian Authority police installation and training groCJnd after four mortar shells landed near Netzarim in northern Gaza. It was the latest exchange in the escalating violence that began Thursday afternoon when Israeli forces said Palestinians fired three mortar rounds near the Erez crossing with one shell falling inside Israel. The Israel Defense Forces responded overnight with four helicopter attacks, striking two Palestinian police stations at Seit Lahaya. PHILIPPINE HOSTAGE FINALLY RELEASED: The last hostage held by communist rebels was released Ffiday, clearing the way for peace talks seeking to end 30 years of insurgency. Three Maj. Buan weeks before negotiations are scheduled to start, the New People's Army handed over army Maj. Noel Buan to the government after holding him nearly two years. "This will. hopefully hasten a lasting peace in our country," government spokesman Renato Corona said. "Both sides have been showing a lot of sincerity.· JAPANESE P.M. AN NOUNCES RESIGNATI ON: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori , one of the country's most unpopular leaders in decades, told his Cabinet today that he will resign , but didn't set a date , the government's top spokesman said. Mori had long been expected to resign. The ruling Liberal DemocratiG: Party is planning to hold a leadership election later this month that would choose a successor. |