The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 2

FROM PAGE ONE Vietnam: Officials to search for new evidence from investigation page, said his spokesman, Nguyen Minh Nguyet. He is expected to report his findings to local officials in Tarn Ky. Burlas said the Vietnamese government could contact the U.S. State Department if the inquiry were to turn up information that the Vietnamese think would require action by the United States. So far, Vietnamese officials in Hanoi say they are not interested in pursuing charges against the former soldiers.

But military legal experts said that might not matter to Army prosecutors. experts, are expected to spend weeks looking for new evidence from the 4'ryear investigation of the Tiger Force that began in 1971, said Joe Burlas, an Army spokesman. The records include sworn statements from more than D7 soldiers and commanders, battle reports and radio logs. "Right now, there's a lot of work to be done. We're going through a 3-foot-tall pile of papers," Burlas said.

"They've made a dent, but there's a long way to go." The Army will compare the evidence uncovered during its inves tigation three decades ago with the newspaper's findings. In some cases, agents are comparing sworn statements of witnesses and suspects with their published remarks in The Blade's series. "We are looking at a lot of pages," he said. Blade reporters interviewed 43 former Tiger Force soldiers as part of the newspaper's investigation, as well as interviewing villagers in Vietnam, some of whom witnessed the soldiers killing family members and neighbors. The Army's review could help determine why key suspects were refusing was made by "the senior leadership" of the Army after the Pentagon was flooded by phone calls from reporters in the United States and overseas in the wake of The Blade series.

While Army officials review the case, Vietnamese provincial officials are carrying out their own investigatioa Vietnamese Col. Nguyen Thai is traveling in the Central Highlands to help answer questions about hundreds of civilians who remain unaccounted for in the Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces where Tiger Force operated during its seven-month ram if I I. 1 fir iiw rft- mm fy mMf- SSk allowed to resign during the investigation escaping the reach of military prosecutors and why three murder suspects were never charged when the inquiry was completed. Burlas left open the possibility that two former suspects could be recalled to active duty to face murder charges. "What I'm saying is: There is no statute of limitation on murder," he said.

"But for me to say anything more about calling people back to duty is too early to say." The third suspect has died. Burlas said the Army's decision to reopen the case after initially expedite STAFF ern Williamson County. The entire southern loop probably will not be completed until late 2008, officials said. In a major victory for environmentalists, the department MANDY LUNN FILE Vehicles enter State Route 840 from Franklin after a ribbon-cutting ceremony opening up the section of road connecting Murfreesboro to Franklin in 2001. The state will modify but finish the southern loop of State Route 840, but the road's northern segment is on Indefinite hold, Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely said.

JJlffD a TDOT to substantiated charges more than 30 years ago that 18 soldiers committed war crimes between May and November 1967, including murder and assault. But no one was charged. Soldiers told Army investigators in sworn statements that they took part or witnessed atrocities, including the killings of an untold number of men, women and children. Some said they watched as soldiers severed ears and scalps for souvenirs. Military officials, including legal Environment: Controversial interchange to be dropped essee is in Robertson County, and you just spared that," Kay Gaston, a Robertson County farm owner, told officials after the announcement.

She thanked them for jettisoning 840 North, which would have run through Robertson and other counties north of Nashville. For several people who attended the announcement at Long Hunter State Park, in Davidson County near the Rutherford-Wilson border, there was plenty to be thankful for. "It's an unbelievable day," said Gene Cotton of Leiper's Fork, who has fought both projects for at least eight years. "I'm happy." COTTON One controversial provision of the south loop project, an interchange at Leiper's Creek Road, has been abandoned. That will save the state $35 million and prevent possible damage to streams from construction, officials said.

The loss of the interchange, however, left some folks unhappy. "We didn't gain anything," said Larry Fox, 63, of Bethel, in Maury County near the Williamson County line. "We gained people telling us they don't care about us," added Billie Miller, 58, beside him. The link to State Route 840 had been counted on to improve emergency services to and from the area, to shorten commutes and to provide a safer road to Nashville and elsewhere, the two said. TDOT officials said they determined that communities to the south could use the other interchanges planned, such as the one at Pinewood Road.

Fox said Maury motorists would have to zigzag to reach the other interchanges and that 754 people had signed a petition supporting the Leiper's Creek Road interchange. "As someone said earlier, the Leiper's Fork community has a lot of wealthy people, and they didn't want it," said Joe Roberson, 58, a Maury County commissioner. He said that county commissions in Lewis, Hickman and Maury counties had supported the interchange. Cotton, who is chairman of the SouthWest Williamson County Community Association's 840 committee, said this was not a matter of "wealthy people getting what they want." He noted that TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely made it clear in his announcement that the proposed interchange would be envi ronmentally harmful and could not be justified economically. Tom Miller, mayor-elect of Franklin, liked what he heard yesterday about 840 MILLER South.

"They want to do it right," he said. "It's a fresh breeze blowing through TDOT." An attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, which has sparred with TDOT in and out of court over 840, also was pleased This was a dinosaur of old-school planning," said SELC's Trip Pollard, who lives in Sewanee. "TDOT was flying blind. They hit streams that weren't on their maps. They hit wetlands that weren't on their maps." In one case, he said, silt was so thick in Turbull Creek from nearby 840 construction that a water utility had to shut dowa Environmental attorney Eliza-vbeth Murphy, who has a client in i'the remaining section of 840 South.

on north counties' existing roads An incomplete loop Plans for a northern half of State Route 840 have been scrapped, meaning a number of local highway projects may be expedited as a result. Among likely candidates for widening and expansion would be Highway 109 in Wilson and Sumner counties and Highway 52, from I-65 eastward through Sumner County and beyond. State Route 840 Erne line A four-lane limited access highway around Nashville has been envisionec for more than three decades. Here's a chronology of the plan for State Route 840: "1975 State's 20-year Highway System Plan recommends an outer bettway. "1986 Tennessee General Assembly increases state tax on gasoline and diesel fuel to finance various highway projects, including southern half of 840.

1991 Construction begins on eastern section of southerr loop. "1993 Legislature says Decartmertl of Transportation may consider a northern route. "1994 TDOT public hearings on route northern leg would take through Cheatham, Robertson, Sumner and Wilson counties. Montgomery County also ir mix. "1996 Lebanon to Murfreesboro segment opened, connecting Interstates 40 and 24.

"1997 SouthWest Williamson County Community Association sues in federal court to block work because of environmental concerns Suit dismissed in September. 1998 SouthWest Williamson County Community Association sues in state court. Suit dismissed in March 1999. '2000 12.7-mile segment, from Interstate 24 in Rutherford County to the Triune interchange in Williamson, opens. "2001 State Court of Appeals lets work continue on 16.6-mite stretch in Williamson County.

1-24 to 1-65 link completed. "2003 TDOT Commissioner Geralc Nicely halts work in February on 840 South and North. Nicely announces on Oct. 31 changes in 840 South and puts 840 North on bacl burner. HYANGSOOK LEE STAFF The review of the middle segment will include a re-evaluation of plans where stream crossings are concerned, Cole said "Looking ahead, TDOT will actively participate with elected omciais, organizations and citizens to determine the best transportation investments in the economic development of the counties that would have been COLE impacted by a northern 840 route," Nicely said.

TDOT chief engineer Bill Moore estimated that the cost of the south loop would be $500 million when completed, compared with the $1 billion projected for the northern loop. 4 Moore attributed the difference in costs to the longer length of the northern route and its more rocky topography, along with other topographical factors. I Staff Writer Anne Paine contributed to this report. decision have provided for the county. Approving a connection between Highway 109 and 1-65 north would help, Sears said.

"It's important to Sumner County, too "she said. Portland and White House in Sumner County have been hotbeds of industrial development since the 1990s. "I'm sure there was hope that when the road was complete, they would benefit" McGahren said. The land in Sumner County is flat and easier to develop, unlike that in Cheatham and Dickson counties, where developers say large-scale construction is difficult and probably wouldn't have occurred even with a northern 840 ROBERTSON CO. XI ml "CljL Jjp SUMNER CO.

I Li WILSON CO. DICKSON CO. i IJA i jjn JS fjTDAVIDSON CO. -v I C.T WILLIAMSON CO. i' -V 'c-ftm Shelved HICKMAN northern route Completed "VL.

wtoir 'f southern route I) RUTHERFORD MAURY 7v CO. Incomplete CO. I Hr southern route work announced that it had scrapped plans to build an S.R. 840 interchange at Leiper's Fork. "We have determined that the negative impacts on the unique environmental conditions of the area would be too great," said Ed Cole, TDOTs chief of environment and planning.

State Rep. Glen Casada, R-Col-lege Grove, said he was happy that S.R. 840 South was moving forward but disappointed that plans had been scrapped to build an interchange at Leiper's Creek Road in southwestern Williamson County. "A lot of people in that part of the county can get on the interchange and get to work much quicker," Casada said. "Now they have to drive through the community of Leiper's Fork to get to Franklin and on to Nashville.

A lot of police vehicles and emergency vehicles can get to Leiper's Fork and areas east, south and west of Leiper's Fork much quicker if an interchange was opened." There are three remaining unfinished sections of S.R. 840 South. Cole said the eastern section would be completed as soon as possible, depending on the outcome of litigation challenging stream-crossing permits issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The western section will include the redesign of the Pinewood Road interchange and associated roads to minimize the impact to the environment," he said.

maybe more so from the west. "It would impact the long-haul people more than it would affect the local delivery in the Nashville area," said Brad Brown, marking coordinator for Cookeville-based Averitt Express, which has some long-haul trucks but does more short-distance work. Brown said that for long haulers, the northern route was more of a nice-to-have than a have-to-have amenity. Briley Parkway still is a good way of bypassing downtown Nashville, he said. Holly Sears, executive director of the Joint Economic and Community Development Board of Wilson County, said Trousdale County (x Jd be hurt by not having the connection that 80 would Officials announced that 22 unfinished miles of the southern loop in Williamson County will be completed only after some significant design changes-yet to be determined-are made.

SOURCE: Tennessee Department of Transportation Macon and Sumner counties; SSL 141 in Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties; S.R. 10 in Macon and Trousdale counties; S.R 48 in Montgomery County, S.R. 12 in Cheatham County; and U.S. 431 in Robertson County. He said plans for S.R.

840 North were placed on indefinite hold because the project did not appear to meet a documented transportation need. Lawmakers and others attending the briefing were generally pleased with the move. "For my district, it is real good," said state Rep. David Shepard, D-Dicksoa "Obviously, there are parts of 840 North that we would love to have had, but we realize there is a better way to spend the dollar." Mayor Glenn West of Greenbrier in Robertson County said he did not like S.R. 840 being dropped but that upgrading local roads, such as improving U.S.

431 from Springfield to Interstate 24, would help. Earlier plans had called for a north and a south beltway, both connecting with Interstate 40 at Lebanon and Dicksoa The 78-mile southern loop runs through Wilson, Rutherford, Williamson, Hickman and Dickson counties. The northern loop would have been 86 to 116 miles in length, passing through Wilsoa Sumner, Robertson and Dickson counties. Cheatham and Montgomery coun- Developers By RICHARD LAWS0N Su ff Writer A state decision announced yesterday to put an indefinite hold on construction of the northern part of State Route 840 came as no big deal to developers. They had few known plans to speculate on land along the projected route.

"There's plenty of land to the south to develop," said Ron Colter, local partner for the Sacramento-based Panattoni Development, which has industrial parks on southern 840 at Interstates 24 and 40. "We're not going to be stymied by an 840 delay on the northern route." Dave McGahren, a Nashville industrial real estate broker, said "the focus should be on the south in State Route 840 North ties could have seen a sectioa The southern loop is about two-thirds complete, and TDOT said it would make "significant changes" in its plans for the 22.4 miles of unfinished stretches in southwest see little loss ern route." Developers said it was difficult to see what counties along the planned northern route might miss because development along the southern route wasn't in full bloom yet Driving along 840 now, Colter said, there's little convenience storegas station development "I'm really surprised at that," he said. Industrial development has been the biggest beneficiary of 840's constructioa The southern 840 route links Interstate 40 east and Interstate 24 east, near most of the industrial real estate in Middle Tennessee. In Wilson and Rutherford counties, 840's existence helped extend distribution warehouse develop ment, and plenty of space is available. 'The stampede hasn't run us over yet," Colter said.

Texas-based Dell Inc. helped spur development by locating in an industrial park near where 840 links with 1-40 in Lebanoa Bridge-stone-Firestone recently moved into a large distribution center on Highway 109 between 840 and I-40. Expansion Management, a highly regarded magazine for site selec-tioa recently ranked Nashville No. 2 in desirable logistics locations, in part because of the road network through Middle Tennessee. Long-haul truckers coming through the area will lose the potential of an easier route to Interstate 65 north from 1-40 east, rrom said she still had concerns and was waiting to see the details of how the work will be completed.

Arme Pane can be reached at 259-8071 or via e-maN at apainetennessean.com..