For her fearless questioning of scandal-tainted political foes and her own spotless image, Kiyomi Tsujimoto had in just a few years become one of Japan's most visible - and popular - political leaders.

Yesterday, however, the outspoken lawmaker was at the center of its latest scandal, as her own party acknowledged crooked bookkeeping at her office.

Though it was unclear whether any laws had been broken, the scandal has underscored sentiment among the already weary Japanese public that there are few innocents in the country's political landscape.

"They're all doing the same thing," said Takashi Baba, a college student in Tokyo. "I'm disappointed because I was supporting her."

Tsujimoto, a leading member of the Social Democratic Party, Japan's opposition socialist faction, initially denied any misdeeds as the corruption allegations prompted calls for her to resign.

But she flip-flopped over the weekend, acknowledging to reporters that she paid a government-salaried secretary only a fraction of her roughly $75,000 annual income, and used the rest for office expenses.

While doing so is not illegal, Tsujimoto may have broken a law requiring the reporting of such shifts in payments as a political donation.

"There were some grave mistakes," conceded Sekisuke Nakanishi, head of the party committee investigating Tsujimoto's faulty accounting.

It was the third scandal to erupt in as many weeks - after Tsujimoto's own prickly interrogations led two lawmakers to resign from Japan's ruling party in the wake of corruption charges.

It's been a mild year for tornadoes so far, but the National Weather Service warned yesterday there's still plenty of time for them to strike.

The agency said that just 11 tornadoes have been reported so far this year, well below the 178 usually experienced by mid-March.

"Things could easily turn around, making this an above-average year," said Joseph Schaefer, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center, "It's just too early to say that we have lucked out."

Schaefer said "the storm pattern is starting to pick up pace with strong cold fronts coming through. I'd be surprised if the slow start continues."

So far this year the strong storms that spawn twisters have been blocked by the track of storm movement.

"Typically winter season tornadoes are the result of large weather systems which cross the country, bringing cold air down from Canada and drawing warm moist air up from the Gulf of Mexico. The collision of air masses helps to spawn tornadic thunderstorms," Schaefer explained.

This year the storm tracks either stayed to the north or moved right along the Gulf coast, so the moist air and the cold didn't have the chance to collide and form tornadoes.

An Ask Fork woman has pleaded innocent to a charge of murdering her husband.

Debrah Olson, 47, is accused of fatally shooting Rob Olson, 46, on Feb. 26.

Investigators said Olson was angry with her husband after his decision to euthanize their dog, which had been shot earlier by a rancher after it chased cattle.