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Two Boys Missing in Milwaukee; Detroit Teachers Take Sick Day as Protest; Family Stranded in Snow for Two Weeks Survives; False Alarm with Package at White House

Aired March 22, 2006 - 13:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, HOST: A city on alert. Police on the lookout for two young boys and anybody who might know anything about them. We're in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where police are checking out the homes of known sex offenders. Family friends are handing out flyers in search of 12-year-old Quadrevion Henning and 11-year-old Purvis Parker, last seen Sunday, playing outside. Relatives say both are good students and well behaved and are not the type to run away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUENTIN HENNING, FATHER OF MISSING BOY: If, for any reason, someone took them, I would like to say to please return them. Sometimes you can make mistakes, but it's never too late to correct those mistakes. And you did them with not just two children but a whole family.

ANGELA VIRGINIA, MOTHER OF MISSING BOY: Please, boys, if you're out there, if you think this is attention thing that you guys are doing, you have our attention. We have flyers out. Parents, if you see something, if you know something, please, check your homes. Let our boys come home. I miss my son so much. This is the third day. I don't know if I can go any other day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: CNN's Jonathan Freed is on the phone with us from Milwaukee.

Jonathan, what's the latest?

JONATHAN FREED, CNN CORRESPONDENT: good afternoon, Kyra.

I can tell you that I just left the Henning family home. This is a very modest home, where they're dealing with some major grief right now. They are just shaking their hands, not understanding how this could happen. They're holding it together as best they can.

Quadrevion Henning's grandfather, Garry, just broke out in tears at one point, talking about how a couple of nights ago he slept in his grandson's bed. He's the one that's caring for his grandson. His grandson lives with his grandparents right now, because his father is in the service, military service, and is traveling a lot.

And they are just at a loss to understand how this could have happened. Because they say that both Dre, as he is called, Dre Henning and his friend Purvis Parker, they say are just both excellent kids, good-natured kids, and they do not know what has happened to him.

PHILLIPS: Now, police have contacted all registered sex offenders in the area and actually searched their homes, Jonathan?

FREED: That's what we understand, that this kicked in on Monday, Kyra. The -- both children were reported missing on Sunday evening. And the police went into what they call the patient mode. They want to see if the kids have run away or if, kids being kids, something else was up. They wanted to give them some time to show up on their own.

And Milwaukee is a community that, in 2005, had about 4,600 reports of missing children. And this year, they're approaching 1,000 cases. So they are experienced with this.

And they were saying that they wanted to give them until Monday anyway to see if they showed up and that when they didn't, that's when they kicked up the intensity of this. They started going door to door. And, indeed, they say that within a mile and a half radius of where the kids lived here, that they visited the homes and checked the homes of registered sex offenders, among other efforts that are ongoing.

PHILLIPS: Now I understand divers are now in that lagoon there in McGovern Park. Do they believe that possibly they might find something there or that maybe the kids might have wandered off into the lagoon?

FREED: That's -- those are the types of questions that we are hoping will be answered in about an hour and a half, when the police department holds a briefing here for the media. We've been try to get advance answers on that, but they're preferring to brief all at one time.

People here, just scratching they heads. They say these are two good kids. The Henning family showed us certificate after certificate. It was probably an inch and a half thick stack of good citizenship awards, good behavior awards, homework awards. The child's room was neat and proper. The father describes his son as being a "yes, sir", "no, sir" kind of kid.

And they're a military family. The grandfather was in the service. His son is in the service. And they say that's one of the reasons that Dre goes to a local elementary school which is a military school, because he wants to go into the service, as well.

PHILLIPS: Jonathan Freed, thanks so much. We'll talk to you.

And also, we're expecting to hear from Milwaukee police again later, possibly in the next hour. CNN does plan to bring that news conference to you live, 2:30 p.m. Eastern, 11:30 a.m. Pacific.

Now a teacher sickout forces more than 150 public schools in Detroit to shut down. Fredricka Whitfield working this developing story for us right now.

Fred, what's the latest?

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Kyra, it's a significant ripple effect when about 1,500 teachers in the Detroit School District used a sickout to protest what they're calling unfair concessions being made. Five days of paid leave given up to help balance the school's budget.

William Coleman is the superintendent of Detroit public schools. He's on the phone with us now.

And Mr. Coleman, is that your understanding, that it's that simple: these teachers are saying they don't like the idea of having to give up their paid leave to help balance the school budget?

WILLIAM COLEMAN, SUPERINTENDENT, DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Well, that's my understanding. But I want to clarify something. It's five days -- it's a loan that they're giving the district. They're giving up five days over five pay periods as a loan to the district that we're obligated to pay back over the next three years.

WHITFIELD: And that's in 2007, that the school district has already said "We're going to pay that back to you."

But the teachers are also saying there's something else here. They don't like the fact that they're being asked to give up their pay when they're seeing that there are other administrators, and even principals, who are receiving a pay increase.

COLEMAN: There are -- first of all, there are no administrators other than principals and assistant principals who are getting an equity adjustment. And it's unfortunate that the teachers, some teachers at least, are trying to tie a relationship between their negotiated loan to the district to something that we're trying to do to correct a salary imbalance that has existed with our principals. The principals...

WHITFIELD: So you're saying they got it wrong? Because the Detroit Teachers Federation leader, Janna Garrison, made these comments about an hour ago. Let's listen and then you and I can talk again on the other side.

COLEMAN: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANNA GARRISON, PRESIDENT, DETROIT TEACHERS UNION: We must be able to work together in this district and trust each other. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. And you do not ask for some to take concessions and give others a raise. It is simply wrong. And the community should be outraged at the leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Mr. Superintendent, Bill Coleman, she doesn't have her facts right? COLEMAN: What she said -- everyone, all managers, took a 10 percent cut in pay and benefits. Most of our unions took a 10 percent cut in pay and benefits. The teachers union did not.

We spent the summer going over our budget with the teachers union. And they understood -- they went over -- they found out more about the budget than anybody. They have a financial expect who works with them who's very, very good. And they found a number of ways that the district could save money to avoid having -- the teachers having to take a 10 percent pay cut.

As a compromise, the teachers proposed a loan. We accepted that, rather than cut their pay and benefits 10 percent. This was what they agreed to. It's in their contract. Last year, we had already placed in our district's budget an equity adjustment for our principals.

WHITFIELD: OK. So now, Mr. Coleman, bottom line is, you've got 54 schools that have closed down, elementary, junior high, high school. You've got a lot of kids who are out of school today. And that means the ripple effect is a lot of parents who have had to stay home to take care of their kids, right?

COLEMAN: And it's unfortunate that the teachers, some teachers would do this to the children of Detroit when they should be sitting at the table to negotiate this. You settle contract disputes, if it is one, at the negotiating table.

WHITFIELD: So your hope is school to be open tomorrow and these teachers will report for duty?

COLEMAN: That's our expectation.

WHITFIELD: All right. William Coleman, superintendent of Detroit public schools, thanks so much.

COLEMAN: Sure.

WHITFIELD: Kyra, a real mess on their hands there in Detroit right now.

PHILLIPS: We'll continue to follow it, Fred. Thanks so much.

And here's the kind of story we like to bring you. A family of six, missing for most of the month, is found safe and sound. They thought they were going on a two-hour trip but ended up in a snow bank for more than two weeks.

CNN's Kareen Wynter is in the family's hometown of Ashland, Oregon, with more on this story of survival -- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, in those pictures that we've been seeing all day, the video of this happy reunion, so unforgettable. And we're learning more about how the family is doing.

Marlo Hill-Stivers and her husband, Pete, they ventured out of their RV on Monday to get help. We have right now with us Marlo's father, Ed Hill.

First of all, what was your reaction? The family's reaction when they found out that they were all alive?

ED HILL, FATHER OF MARLO HILL-STIVERS: It was -- it was just like me talking to you right now, but then when they put her on the phone, it was, like, I fell apart, you know, and everybody in the house was screaming. My wife was at the -- everybody was on the floor because they started screaming so much, you know, because they heard from the detectives they were back.

WYNTER: It must have been difficult, more than two weeks of not knowing anything. The search called off on Sunday, as well.

HILL: Yes, it was -- it was kind of spooky Sunday when it was, you know, called off. But then when we called, they was telling us the reason why they called it off was because of the weather. And that makes us feel better because they went back up the next day, but they didn't go far enough.

WYNTER: Marlo and Pete aren't doing too well right now. Tell us about it.

HILL: They're just -- from walking in the chest-high snow and carrying packs and the things they might need, in case it was three or four days rather than just one 1/2 days. And the snow was wet, you know, and it was hard to get through. That's what they're telling me last night that, you know, it was just hard to walk.

WYNTER: Did they ever believe they would make it out alive, especially after the report on Sunday that the search was called off?

HILL: That's when they put everything into gear and decided they was going to walk out or try to find help for all of them. The others, they could have never made it, they said, you know. And they made one path, you know, so it was easier.

But then Marlo, being the smallest, she kept getting into his tracks and sinking. So she started making her own tracks. It was easier for her to walk. But it was harder on her, you know, to push the snow. But they're all all right, you know. And they're doing good. They're just kind of stoved up.

We thought last night we might have to run the father, Albert, to the hospital, but we just went down there and they gave him his meds, you know, on his card. We didn't have to put him in the hospital.

WYNTER: And your grandchildren, little Sabastyan and Gabrayell, they were kept quite busy during this ordeal, but they knew, you said, what was going on.

HILL: Yes, they had it all together. They -- for the grandparents, that was there, trying to keep them together, they was telling them, you know, people's going to know what happened to you, you know. Your teacher wants the story. So you need to -- so they sat down and wrote a little story. I haven't got it. It's in the camper.

So but anyway it was, you know -- they was well mannered. I mean, for 17 days in a motor home with four adults, I would imagine, two little kids are saying "what in the world," you know, but they're all all right. They're spunky. They've been up -- they got me up at 8. You know, I didn't go to bed until after 4, well, 3:30. But it was -- they're fine.

WYNTER: OK, Ed, an absolutely happy ending to an incredible story. We wish your family well.

And we're also finding out, Kyra, that the family, they're not holding a news conference today. Members of the media are camped out in this Ashland, Oregon, neighborhood, just anxious to hear from them what it was like. But we're told tomorrow, 3 p.m. local time, that's when they'll be talking.

HILL: And it will be at...

WYNTER: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Was he adding a little something there, Kareen? Or was he talking to you off camera?

WYNTER: He wanted -- he wanted to mention the Holiday Inn tomorrow, so we'll be here.

PHILLIPS: OK good, I know we will. Kareen, thank you so much.

Well, tense times at the White House. As you know, if you've been watching CNN, a suspicious item near the northwest gate had police and Secret Service scrambling. Secret Service now says a man believed to have tossed the item over the White House fence, well, he's in custody.

We get the latest from CNN's Kathleen Koch.

Kathleen, I'm assuming we got an all-clear right now?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we got the all clear, Kyra, and it only came just over 45 minutes ago. So for nearly an hour and a half, members of the media, myself included were in lockdown, in the White House briefing room.

It was around 11 a.m. that we noticed a commotion occurring near the area where we have our stakeouts, where dignitaries come through the -- the West Wing lobby door, come out and talk to the media. And we -- so I went racing out with my coat and my notepad and gloves and only to see that there was a guard, a member of the uniformed Secret Service, telling all of our camera people, all members of the media, to go back inside, go into the briefing room.

And again, it turned out that this -- what was later determined to be a non-dangerous object had been thrown over the front fence of the White House and onto the grounds by a man who is known to the Secret Service, a man who has done this sort of thing before. Apparently, now, the Secret Service does have him in custody. He's right now being questioned at the Washington field office. We're told he'll likely be charged later in the day.

But a bomb squad appeared. They took it all very seriously. They brought a remote robot that came and retrieved the item and took it back to the truck to be examined. But luckily, it was a false alarm, nothing serious. But, you know, Kyra, they can't take any chances here.

PHILLIPS: All right, Kathleen Koch, thanks so much.

KOCH: You bet.

PHILLIPS: Struggling corporate giant is making employees an offer that it hopes they can't fuse: big pay to go away. Coming up on LIVE FROM.

NIC ROBERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Nic Robertson live in Baghdad. In a few moments, my conversation with Iraq's former prime minister. His thoughts about a possibility of a coming civil war. More in LIVE FROM coming up after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILIPS: The president of the United States making a number of speeches this week. Right now, he's in Wheeling, West Virginia, making his case for the war in Iraq. He's taking, actually, questions from the audience. We're monitoring that Q&A, and we'll bring you anything that becomes extremely interesting.

Meanwhile, a deadly replay from Iraqi insurgents and a different tone from a former Iraqi leader. Former prime minister, Ayad Allawi, talked to our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, who joins me now live from Baghdad.

I guess first up, Nic, bring us up to date on the violence and then we'll get into that interview.

ROBERTSON: Well, Kyra, it has been a very violent day, particularly in Baghdad. There was a religious festival south of the city. Pilgrims were driving back through the city. They were attacked in two different areas by insurgent gunman. Thirteen of the pilgrims were killed, 46 wounded.

Police came to their aid and got involved in a shootout with the insurgents. Two policemen killed in that shootout. Another policeman killed in a roadside bomb.

And another brazen attack, late at night, on a police station about 12 miles south of Baghdad. Insurgents with mortars, machine guns, raided this police station. It's a mayor's office, as well. They killed four policemen there. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior rounded up, they say, 50 insurgents.

In the morning, three more bodies showing up on the streets in Baghdad. A lot of sectarian violence in this city, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Well, we've been talking about that sectarian violence and how it's continuing. And I know you've spoken to former Prime Minister Allawi a number of times, but recently what did he tell you about this? And does he maintain the view that Iraq is in civil war or not?

ROBERTSON: You know, it's really interesting, Kyra. He seems to have walked himself back from saying Iraq is in a full-blown civil war. He said he made that statement at the weekend, because he is so concerned about the descent, as he calls it, into sectarian violence. He's walking himself back a little bit from that statement. But when I talked to him today, he said he still want to ring the alarm bell on the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AYAD ALLAWI, FORMER IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: It's not a full-blown civil war. It's really terrible and severe sectarian violence, which -- which can turn into a full-blown civil war. And sectarian violence is a stage of civil war, one of the stages of -- probably in every stage of civil war.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: And what he says that concerns him the most right now is the big Shia religious party here. He says if they don't form a government of national unity, which is what he wants, he says if they go their own way, form a government out of their own parliamentarians, he says that is a recipe for the country to descend into civil war, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: So does Allawi consider him himself as the next prime minister to break this political deadlock?

ROBERTSON: you know, Allawi only got one in 10 votes, essentially, in the elections in December. And I don't think he really counts himself in for that. He know he can't be prime minister, defense minister, interior minister, the top jobs here, so- called top jobs.

But I think what he would like to see himself as, is perhaps minister for national security. He was talking to me about that today. He sees that as a vital role.

He wants to get the militias out of Iraq. He said there are ministers in Iraq's government that support them at the moment. There are militias out on the streets. He said the country need to bring an end to all of that, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Nic Robertson, live from Baghdad, thanks, Nic.

Back here in the United States, want to bring you live pictures now of that search for two missing boys in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The search is taking place in Havenswood Park, near their homes. We've been talking about this story within the past 24 hours. We're talking about 12-year-old Quadrevion Henning and 11-year-old Purvis Virginia Parker.

The story seems strange, because parents said that they have never threatened to run away. It's not like them to wander off and go missing. So police have intensified the search for these two missing boys.

We can tell you that they've expanded the search zone now to four blocks in all direction of where these kids were last seen. They're doing a shoulder to shoulder search in this wooded area, as you can see.

Even the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has posted pictures of these kids on its web site, as did America's Most Wanted.

We can tell you that divers went into McGovern Park to check the lagoon there. It's not far from where those kids live.

Once again, relatives saying they've never run away before, so it seems very strange that they're dealing with the loss these two children.

Also, the police have contacted all registered sex offenders in that area and have searched their homes. So far, police say they've turned up nothing.

Now Milwaukee police are expected to talk about this case next hour. CNN plans to bring you that news conference live. It's set for 2:30 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific. We'll take it.

America's war dead in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Texas man decided the government wasn't doing enough for either. We're going to talk to him and see what he's doing about it and hear from the family of one those victims when LIVE FROM continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: An animal rights group gets some help from Richard Pryor, even months after he passed away. The legendary comedian, who died in December, sent a bowl, this bowl actually, on which he painted a self-portrait to a humane society near Cleveland. The face is surrounded by these words: little black man in a big white world. The online casino GoldenPalace.com bought the bowl for $7,900 -- or $7,099 in an online auction.

A big labor deal out of Detroit is grabbing the spotlight on Wall Street. Susan Lisovicz live from the New York Stock Exchange with that story -- Susan.

(STOCK REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Let's take a listen to just a few moments ago. The president's been continuing this speech in Wheeling, West Virginia. Another point that he's making for his war in Iraq. We just want to listen to some of the Q&A for just a second.

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