She can’t get aidwithout a SocialSecurity numberBy CHALLEN STEPHENSTimes Staff Writerchallen.stephens@htimes.com

At the age of 15 and fivemonths pregnant, Katarinawalked across the U.S. borderand into the Arizona desert.Seven years later, she rests ina bed in Huntsville Hospital,her hair thinning from a firstcycle of chemotherapy.

Her doctors say she could diesoon for want of a valid SocialSecurity number.

Without that number, said

Dr. Richard Gualtieri, her on-cologist at Huntsville Hospital:“You don’t have any govern-ment services. You can’t fit intoan indigent program. You’restuck.”

“These individuals are illegalaliens,” he said, “but, at the same

time, they are humans.”The problem isn’t emer-

gency care. Huntsville Hospi-tal reported $50 million in serv-ices for patients without in-surance last year. And the hos-

pital doesn’t withhold carefrom illegal immigrants.

“The problem we’re havingis, what to do when she leaves

LocalAlabama A&M Universitytrustees could discuss thefuture of the schoolPresident Dr. RobertJennings when they gatheron campus today for sub-committee meetings. B1

The Madison school boardaddresses a couple of hottopics in a work session: Aproposed drug-testingpolicy and the possibility ofbuilding a second highschool. B1

StateA former Madison Countysheriff’s investigator testifiesthat Brian Butler fatally shotGrant Police Chief VerlonLemaster and then tried toshoot him. B2

Sen. Charles Bishop, R-Jasper, says he won’t sueover the Senate taking dis-ciplinary action against himfor punching Sen. LowellBarron, D-Fyffe. B2

NationCongress passes an emer-gency plan that rushesrebates of $600 to $1,200 tomost taxpayers and $300checks to disabled veterans,the elderly and other low-income people. The checkscould begin arriving in May.A4

The space shuttle Atlantislaunches on an 11-daymission to the InternationalSpace Station. A5

A gunman storms a citycouncil meeting in suburbanSt. Louis, killing two policeofficers and three otherpeople before law enforcersfatally shoot him. A11

Business

Huntsville’s Q-Track Corp.,formed in 2002, has anumber of patents in theU.S. and also has securedrelated patents in Europeand China. E1

SportsGrissom is in second placeand Bob Jones fifth afterthe first day of competitionat the state wrestlingchampionships. F1

Alabama outside lineback-ers coach Lance Thompson isnamed the 2008 Recruiterof the Year by Rivals.com. F1

Huntsville, AlabamaVol. 98, No. 323, 48 pagesContents © 2008, The Huntsville Times

Abby/C6Bridge/C6Business/E1Classifieds/D1Comics/C7Crossword

puzzles/C6, D3Cryptoquote/C6Deaths/B3

Editorials/A10Horoscope/C6Life/C1Lotteries/A2Movies/C8People/C6Sports/F1Sudoku/D9Television/E4

What’s inside

Forecast:Mostly sunny.

Full weather, E4

Dow+ 46.90

Nasdaq+ 14.28

S&P 500+ 10.46

High today

58Low tonight

37

Classifieds: 532-4222WE BREAK MORE NEWS AT FRIDAY / FEBRUARY 8 / 2008

An A&M‘project’comes ofage. F1

Did nunsgive Giantsa hand? C1

Delta Air Lines to close Huntsvillereservation call center. E1

Glenn Baeske/Huntsville Times

“Katarina,” an immigrant from Guatemala, holds one of hersons at Huntsville Hospital. She was diagnosed with acuteleukemia last month.

REMEMBERING STORM VICTIMS

After terror, grief

Eric Schultz/Huntsville Times

Opal Frost comforts Micah Devaney, brother of tornado victim Becky Coleman, as he searches through the rubble of her home for any sentimental items.

Want to help?An account has been

set up at Compass Bankto accept donations forKatarina under the nameof the Golden AngelMedical Fund. Checks canbe mailed to: CompassBank, P.O. Box 127,Huntsville, AL 35804.

By CHALLEN STEPHENSTimes Staff Writerchallen.stephens@htimes.com

PISGAH – Linda Tinker carried the phone intothe center-most room of her house early Wednes-day, telling her daughter that she would be all right.

“She did what she was supposedto do,” said her daughter, LeslieBell.

Sometime after they talked, atwister raced for 10.9 miles fromPisgah to Rosalie in JacksonCounty. According to the Nation-al Weather Service, the tornadostretched a half mile at its widestas winds topping 180 mph bowledover several homes on SandMountain and took Tinker’s life.

Tinker, 60, had lost her husbanda few years ago to lung cancer. Her

children had grown up and moved, raising their ownchildren. She was home alone when the tornado toreher entire house clear of the foundation.

“When I got here, I just couldn’t find her,” Ron-nie Shelton said Thursday, hands deep in his pock-ets, choking back sobs for his sister.

Shelton lived in a log cabin down the hill from Tin-ker’s home. After the tornado passed, he emerged toscreams. His most immediate neighbors, the Gilberts,had survived unharmed in their basement, although

By PATRICIA C. McCARTERTimes Staff Writerpatricia.mccarter@htimes.com

FAIRFIELD – Despite the heroism of a selflessyoung neighbor, Faye Nell McCullough became thefifth North Alabama victim of Wednesday morning’sdeadly tornado outbreak.

Moments after a massive tornado ripped throughsoutheastern Lawrence County, 86-year-old McCul-lough’s next-door neighbor, Jade Eddy, came to checkon her. It was dark, raining and windy, and McCul-lough had been thrown from her trailer, which hadbeen blown from its base and landed across CountyRoad 186.

McCullough was breathing, barely.Eddy, 24, found McCullough in the yard. She could-

n’t locate a blanket to place on the elderly woman toshield her from the cold rain, so she lay down on topof her.

With wind and rain whipping around them, Eddyheld the woman and recited the Lord’s Prayer.

The young woman – who works at Moulton Nurs-

Green accused ofkilling his son, 10,and 13-year-old By NIKI DOYLETimes Staff Writerniki.doyle@htimes.com

Tu e s d a ynight, KishonGreen threwback a fewshots with“ B o o g i e ”Hatcher andcelebratedlanding a jobinterview. Hetold his friendthat he want-

Please see CANCER on A11

Illegal immigrantdying of cancer fallsthrough the cracks

SuspectKishon Green

Please see KILLING on A12

Erin Musland/Huntsville Times

Mike Tinker and Leslie Bell, son and daughter oftornado victim Linda Tinker, embrace at the siteof her home in Pisgah.

Little consolesfamily thatlost a mother

Please see MOTHER on A12 Please see SAVE on A12

In today’sTimes

• Babyfound aliveamongtornadodebris. A5

• Gov.Riley tours devastatedareas. B1

Neighbor’sheroics unableto save woman

Father ischarged inboys’ deaths