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Smart ways to stay fit: C Golf heads to tourney: Q Building muscle helps burn calories | Women repeat as Big South champions \ w May 1,2003 Volume LiV, Number 27 Serving UNC Wilmington since 1948 New warnings for terrorist, weather Marie Mitchell Staff Writer Senator John Edwards has introduced a proposal to the Senate that will modernize emer gency warning systems and give Americans better information about terrorist threats and natural disasters. Senator Edwards’ measure would allocate $10 million to improve the National Weather Service’s warning system to include terrorism warnings. According to the press release, “the money would help imple ment new warning technologies that take advantage of the hitemet, cell phones, special rings on traditional telephones and new televisions that can be turned on automatically to warn danger.” One of the biggest problems emergency management has is rapidly notifying people both dur ing and before emergencies, said Michael George, field operations management specialist of emer gency management. But as tech nology gets better in the field of mobile communications, it will become easier to send emergency information to the public in a timely manner. It needs to be considered where the public is and what they are doing when notified. If watch ing cable television, there will be a cable interrupt. If they are in the car, they can be notified over the car radios, (but not if they are playing CDs.) Most importantly, the emergency management uses weather radios from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for emergency notification. “All are important modes of notification, but one of these devices has to be near them and the device must work,” George said. “The system we have in place for natural disasters has served us well, but depending on the type of emergency, these methods can be slow in getting the information to the public,” George said. In the event of a hurricane, there is usually several days’ notice, which makes notification a little easier and gives people time to prepare. But tornado noti fications need to be made in min utes, not days. The same rapid notifications need to be done in the event of a terrorist attack. “I stand on the position that any improvements we can make to public notification in order to be better prepared is a good thing,” George said. “The type of improvement in emergency com munications that Edwards speaks of would be welcomed by the emergency management commu nity.” “I think generally terrorism See senate, Page 2 Regular Lead Fre« Mid-grade Silver Premium Ulthriate jiSj UOVL\ Andy BaderAhe Seahawk Thoughts of the bank occur at the gas pump as gas prices continue to fluctuate. Gas prices are coming down within the last week but what does the future hold? Gas prices slowly falling Kiara Jones Staff Writer The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries aimounced last week that crude oil production is being cut, which will result in lower gas prices around the country. “The retail prices of oil have gone up, so we have been affect ed because gas comes from oil. We are seeing now that gas prices are coming down, within the last week or so, and I think they will continue to come down,” said Richard Bass, worker at Exxon Superfio Fastlube, an oil distribu tor. The situation with Iraq has left many wondering what effects it will have on gas prices in the United States. According to the American Petroleum Institute, the cost of gasoline went up in previous months primarily because refiners were paying considerably more for crude oil. Mainly the cost was so high because of uncertainty with Iraq and the Middle East, as well as Venezuela. API stated that the average price for all types of gasoline fell 3.4 cents per gallon over the last week, averaging $1,639 per gal lon as of April 14, 2003. This is about 13 cents per gallon less than prices were one month ago, but 19 cents per gallon more than at this time last year. Prices contin ued to drop this week. UNCW sophomore Mandy Smith said, “It costs a lot to fill up my tank and it’s bad when you have to pay for it. Some students’ parents pay for their gas; mine don’t. But either way, no matter who’s paying for it, it’s bad.” But don’t believe the myth that boycotting certain oil companies will reduce the revenue that flows See gas, Page 2 THE YEAR IN PICTURES 7 Visit Us www.theseahawk.org OP/ED 4 Insldtt This Usu* UNCW Life 5 Sports 9 Classifieds 12 Contact Us Editorial: 962-3229 Ads: 962-3789
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