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Promoting peace is beautiful, but not functional
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/09/03)
To the editor: Got peace? No. What the United States does have is the inevitable prospect of war. War is bad, there is no real doubt about that. Saddam Hussein is bad. I don't think anyone doubts that either. But what are the alternatives? Sooner or later there will be a war...
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Soldier killed in Afghan crash buried in Ozarks
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
NEOSHO, Mo. -- A soldier killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan was remembered Saturday as a dedicated but fun-loving crew chief. About 300 civilians and service members packed a tiny country church near Neosho to say goodbye to a fallen hometown hero, Army Staff Sgt. Daniel L. Kisling Jr...
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Mother of Internet twins says portrayals are unfair
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- The mother of twins, widely scrutinized when the children were twice adopted over the Internet, said she's been falsely portrayed around the globe. For one thing, Tranda Wecker tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in a Saturday story, she never sold her babies over the Internet. A broker who arranged the adoption got the money, she said...
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Agencies close down day care
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- After a building inspector condemned two structures serving as day-care centers, police intervened and shut down the sites. More than two dozen children were sent home, after their parents were called, from Kid's World Christian Academy on Friday morning...
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Found skull believed to be ancient bison's
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- Mary Ball was searching for arrow heads along the Missouri River in St. Charles County last week. What she discovered was much more historic. Ball, 35, found a skull that experts believe belonged to a bison that died about 10,000 years ago, during the ice age...
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Festus boy brings joy to hospitalized children
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- Ethan Hampton made his rounds recenty at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. He wasn't wearing a white coat and carrying charts, though. Ethan, of Festus, is just 9 years old. Dressed in a St. Louis Blues shirt, he pushed a cart full of toys. Big, bright letters on the side of his cart spell, "JOY CART, by Ethan."...
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Businesswoman writes children's books about stay-at-home father
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Kori Reed wants to give dads their due. "Not too many children's books have fathers as their main characters," said Reed, who works full time as communications manager at Quaker Oats in Chicago. "I wanted to change that." Reed has written and published three children's books on fathers who have left the workplace to stay at home and raise their children...
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Great-grandmother rarely misses day at bowling alley
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Not every great-grandmother would find a sport that requires you to roll a 10-pound ball more than 50 feet all that appealing, but for Doris Sanders, it's right up her alley. "I started bowling in 1974," Sanders explained. "I wanted something that I could do with other ladies and that would get me out of the house."...
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Lighting key in indoor portraits
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
When it comes to indoor portraits, we should have one major goal: to take a flattering picture of our subject. That's easily accomplished, no matter what kind of camera you use, be it a $10 single-use camera or a $4,000 digital camera. Here are a few basic guidelines for indoor portraits that will result in pictures that will please you and your subject...
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Put stop to fungus gnats
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
Every creature has its own little niche on this planet, but how good could something with a name like "fungus gnat" be -- to us humans, at least. Fungus gnats are those tiny, black flies you sometimes see near houseplants, flitting around the leaves or, nearby, pressed against window panes or dead on windowsills...
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Kuwaiti suspect denies killing U.S. contractor
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
KUWAIT CITY -- A Kuwaiti civil servant who previously admitted killing one U.S. computer contractor and injuring another claimed Saturday that authorities forced him to confess, his attorney said. Sami al-Mutairi, 25, denied the Jan. 21 shooting of the two computer contractors near a U.S. military camp in Kuwait, counsel Mohammed al-Mutairi told The Associated Press...
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Death sentence for Iranian scholar may be set aside, lawyer say
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's Supreme Court has reviewed the death sentence of a professor accused of questioning the rule of hardline clerics and likely will set it aside, the professor's lawyer said Saturday. But clerics warned they would execute Hashem Aghajari themselves if his death sentence is overturned...
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Unknown van Gogh fetches $550,000 at auction
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
TOKYO -- An unsigned painting initially valued at $83 was auctioned off Saturday for $550,000 after it was revealed to be a previously unknown work by Vincent van Gogh. The hammer fell after only about five minutes. The oil painting, a dark profile of a frowning middle-aged peasant woman in a white bonnet, goes to the owner of a small Japanese art gallery...
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Man dead after Friday confrontation
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
PROTEM, Mo. -- A Kissee Mills, Mo., man is dead after making threatening phone calls to a rural Taney County man and charging into his home, authorities said. The body of Mark Lee Davidson, 31, was on the ground at the front door of the home when sheriff's deputies arrived Friday night...
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Footprints lead police to alleged snowblower thief
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
GRANITE CITY, Ill. -- Madison County sheriff's police say a snowblower thief's snowy footprints led them right to his hiding place. Police said that as Donald E. Farris Jr., 21, and his father, Donald E. Farris Sr., 40, drove away from a Granite City apartment complex with two stolen snowblowers Thursday night, the owner of the machines jumped into the bed of their truck...
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Man gets life for wife's slaying
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- A man who told police he poured glue down his estranged wife's throat before strangling her has been ordered to spend life behind bars without parole. Donnell Winfield, sentenced Friday by a St. Louis judge, pleaded guilty in December to charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and endangering the welfare of a child. In exchange for those pleas, prosecutors abandoned plans to seek the death penalty...
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Sports letter 2/9/03
(Other Sports ~ 02/09/03)
Sportsmanship is a credit to Central, Notre Dame To the editor: In this day and age when we so often are ready to correct and criticize teenagers, allow me to salute both Central High School and Notre Dame Regional High School for the excellent display of sportsmanship, pride and athletic competition this past week...
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FanSpeak 2/9/03
(Other Sports ~ 02/09/03)
It's 1.35 percent better THE ATMOSPHERE at the Notre Dame-Jackson girls basketball game and Notre Dame-Central games was outstanding. It's obvious the additional 1.35 percent of the student body Notre Dame now has pushed them over the edge against the larger public schools...
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Bulldogs edge Oakville 65-63
(High School Sports ~ 02/09/03)
Notre Dame's boys' basketball team withstood a perfect first-quarter shooting performance and a late comeback from visiting Oakville to hold on for a 65-63 win Saturday. Oakville shot 10-for-10 from the field in the first quarter and led 23-15. Notre Dame (15-6) slowly chipped away at the lead and trailed 37-31 at halftime...
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Jewish author's book compares the words of Jesus, Muhammad
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
Here's an unusual religious triple play: A Jewish writer compiles a book that compares the words of Jesus with those of Muhammad from six centuries later. "Jesus and Muhammad: The Parallel Sayings" was edited by Joey Green, who also produced "Jesus and Moses: The Parallel Sayings" (both Ulysses Press). As an added feature, he commissioned a foreword by Sayyid M. Syeed, secretary general of the Islamic Society of North America...
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Fire report 02/09/03
(Police/Fire Report ~ 02/09/03)
Cape Girardeau Sunday, Feb. 9 Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: At 4:19 p.m., a medical assist at 513 N. Fountain. At 4:27 p.m., a medical assist at 2412 Lynnwood. At 4:33 p.m., a motor vehicle accident at Bellevue and Frederick...
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Big Easy reverts to good old trolley days
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
NEW ORLEANS -- Tennessee Williams and Marlon Brando immortalized the image of streetcars rattling through steamy nights in "A Streetcar Named Desire." But the fabled olive-green streetcars that once stretched into every corner of this diverse city eventually faded from the back streets, reduced 40 years ago to a single line that runs past the mansions of St. Charles Avenue...
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Gourmet foods appear in Vegas casino buffet lines
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
LAS VEGAS -- Kelly O'Neill peered into the pans on a recent Saturday night at Le Village Buffet in the Paris Las Vegas Casino: Bouillabaisse. Salmon flambe with sorrel sauce. Veal stew marengo. "What is this?" asked O'Neill, a 22-year-old from San Diego. "I don't know what this is. The mac and cheese has a weird name. Where's the lasagna and spaghetti?"...
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PGA officials defend DQ of Zoeller
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
PGA Tour officials Saturday defended their decision to disqualify Fuzzy Zoeller for a rules violation following the opening round of the Royal Caribbean Classic. Zoeller was disqualified Friday for hitting practice shots on the Crandon Park Golf Course after his first-round 73. Zoeller agreed to give a lesson to a local television reporter, and because the practice range was full, decided to use the vacant sixth tee...
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Earnhardt claims Budweiser Shootout
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The late Dale Earnhardt didn't like to play games on the racetrack. If he could lead, the man known as The Intimidator did just that. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has the same philosophy. "We never really do play with them," the younger Earnhardt said despite waiting until the last five laps Saturday night to take command of the Budweiser Shootout. "I've just always gone to the front...
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Healthy Love grabs lead at Pebble Beach
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- It's been two long, painful years since Davis Love III raised a trophy. Back injuries, neck injuries, elaborate mental blocks and plain old laziness -- Love has battled them all. But two years after he erased a seven-stroke Sunday deficit to win the 2001 Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, Love is healthy and hungry again...
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Blues' Weight ends scoring drought in win over Sharks
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- Empty net or not, Doug Weight was happy to finally score again. The St. Louis Blues' All-Star scored his first goal in 29 games to cap a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night. He's among the league leaders with 44 assists, but admitted his 12th goal with 27.4 seconds to go, felt good...
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Peruvians, Missourians discuss lead contamination
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Separated by thousands of miles and different languages, residents of Herculaneum, Mo., and La Oroya, Peru, where the Doe Run Co. operates lead smelters, found they have much in common. They met Saturday -- with the help of an interpreter -- at a Presbyterian church in this community about 30 miles south of St. Louis to share stories as well as strategies for ridding their communities of lead contamination while retaining the industry that drives their towns' economies...
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Yasser Arafat welcomes high-level contacts with Israel
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
JERUSALEM -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat -- shunned by the Israeli government for more than a year -- on Saturday welcomed the renewal of high-level contacts between the two sides and called for additional talks. But a senior Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said the U.S.-backed proposal for relaunching full-fledged negotiations had been put on hold until Israel forms a new government, a process expected to take several weeks...
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Shiite allies A change in Iraq's leadership could change entir
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
TEHRAN, Iran -- For the moment, bus caravans head into the desert each dawn carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims toward holy sites in Iraq. But this ancient journey has often been blocked by modern wars. The next conflict -- if it comes -- may do even more than disrupt spiritual travels between the world's main Shiite populations, some experts say...
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It's a Ming thing
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
HOUSTON -- Growing up, Gordon Quan was the only Asian kid on his block, one of only a thousand in the entire city. But times have changed. Three years ago, Quan, 54, became just the second Asian-American ever elected to the city council. But even Quan never imagined this:...
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Images of Dad forever etched in my memory
(Column ~ 02/09/03)
Dad died Tuesday. It's a simple, short sentence that doesn't do justice to his long life. He was 84 when he died, having battled Parkinson's disease for the past decade. Becca and Bailey knew him simply as grandpa. They remember him in his frail years...
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Head underground with visit to Missouri's caves
(Column ~ 02/09/03)
Our trip this week is to Meramec Caverns near Stanton, Mo., which once served as the hideout of outlaw Jesse James. Meramec Caverns, found along what used to be Route 66, is a seven-story, 400 million-year-old complex of mineral formations. Guided tours lasting 80 minutes explain the historic and geologic aspects of the cave...
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This world is for the birds
(Column ~ 02/09/03)
Editor's note: The Reflections column by Ellen Shuck will return next week. "God made everything beautiful in its time; God has also put eternity into our minds." Ecclesiastes 3:11 I ventured out into the cold brisk air to put more birdseed in the bird feeder. I hurried back into the warm house. Before I could close the door, the yard was filled with birds of every description....
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Is heartworm shot better than pill?
(Column ~ 02/09/03)
By Dr. John Koch Question: I have been considering switching my dog to the new shot that prevents heartworms. It is such a hassle to give these pills each month. I understand that the shot only needs to be given once every six months. Is it just as effective as the pills?...
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Muslims offer prayers to avoid war in Iraq, head to Mecca in pr
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
By Alaa Shahine ~ The Associated Press MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Nearly 2 million Muslims converged on this city holy to Islam on Saturday for the annual pilgrimage. Some of the faithful offered prayers to avert a U.S.-led war on Iraq...
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Otahks' OVC title hopes take a hit
(College Sports ~ 02/09/03)
Eastern Kentucky wins second-place showdown 81-75. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Southeast Missouri State University women's coach B.J. Smith didn't have to look far to find one of the most glaring reasons for the Otahkians' 81-75 loss to Eastern Kentucky Saturday night...
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Richardson wins dunk at All-Star competition
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
ATLANTA -- Jason Richardson's bounce pass off Carlos Boozer's forehead was the highlight of the afternoon. His final throw-down in the dunk contest was the perfect ending to the night. Richardson had the most dynamic day of any of the participants in All-Star Saturday -- even if one of his opponents in the Rookie Challenge wasn't all that happy about it...
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Otahkian gymnasts beaming after win
(College Sports ~ 02/09/03)
A week after being edged out by the University of Illinois-Chicago Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team put up its best performance of the year and seventh-best team score in school history in a 194.375 to 192.425 victory over the 40th ranked University of Illinois Saturday at Houck Field House...
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Colonels pull rank on Indians
(College Sports ~ 02/09/03)
Eastern Kentucky breaks Southeast's spell with 79-75 victory. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian A lengthy scoreless drought late -- coupled with some clutch play by Eastern Kentucky -- led to without a doubt Southeast Missouri State University's most disappointing loss of the season...
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Jackson's economic insulation
(Local News ~ 02/09/03)
While many cities across the state, including some in Southeast Missouri, are swimming against a financial current, Jackson is comfortably floating along in its own economic fishbowl. Just 10 miles away from the county seat in the region's retail epicenter, the city of Cape Girardeau will ask voters in April to approve a tax package. Cape Girardeau officials' main concern? Basic operations. Sales tax revenue has not come in as expected, and the city is fighting just to keep up with inflation...
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Inspectors say new Iraqi talks are 'useful'
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- With a shadow of war on the horizon, U.N. disarmament chiefs faced their Iraqi counterparts Saturday in "useful" and "very substantial" talks to finally get answers to questions about anthrax, VX and other forbidden arms from the past...
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Friends reflect on priest who disappeared in Honduras 20 years
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
ST. LOUIS -- The Rev. James Carney, friends say, was a maverick -- a radical Roman Catholic priest whose convictions led him to challenge injustice in his adopted country of Honduras. Twenty years after his disappearance and death, Honduran officials said last week that Carney's remains may have been located in a common grave in a jungle region of their country near the Nicaraguan border...
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Georgia priest sentenced for sexually abusing two brothers
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
ROCKVILLE, Md. -- A Roman Catholic priest -- sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing two brothers -- was ordained in Georgia despite indications he was not a suitable candidate, prosecutors allege. A pre-sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors painted the Rev. ...
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U.S. military works on 'sleeping' weapons
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- They loiter. They sleep. They hide. And when an enemy sticks his neck out, they kill. The Department of Defense is preparing new weapons that can loiter over a battlefield or sneak into enemy territory and "sleep" until an appropriate military target blunders into their sights...
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Tens of thousands march in support of striking Venezuelan oil w
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
CARACAS, Venezuela -- Tens of thousands of Venezuelans marched Saturday in support of 9,000 oil workers fired for leading a two-month strike against President Hugo Chavez that battered the economy of this oil-dependent nation. Tens of thousands of Chavez opponents gathered outside four Caracas office buildings of the state oil monopoly, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A., or PDVSA, waving national flags and chanting anti-government slogans...
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Report- Turkey to accept 38,000 U.S. troops for Iraqi war
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
By Harmonie Toros ~ The Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey's top civilian and military leaders agreed Saturday to allow the United States to send 38,000 troops to the country to open a northern front should there be war with Iraq, television reported...
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Car bombing of night club kills 32 in Bogota, Colombia
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombia's government blamed leftist rebels Saturday for a car bomb that ripped through an exclusive social club, killing 32 people -- including six children -- and injuring 162 in the worst terrorist attack in Bogota in more than a decade...
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Boy band marks back-to-back albums
(Entertainment ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- When B2K debuted a year ago, the prospects for a new boy band weren't bright: There was a growing backlash against teen pop, and recent heartthrobs were fast becoming has-beens. Yet the R&B quartet from Los Angeles has managed to buck the trend. Within nine months, they've released two albums that have gone gold; had the best-selling R&B single of 2002 with "Uh Huh"; and notched their first No. 1 single, "Bump, Bump, Bump," a rump-shaking dance song featuring P. Diddy...
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Nickelodeon finds success with quirky stars
(Entertainment ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- Nickelodeon has won the hearts of children with cartoons like "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Rugrats," and "Dora the Explorer." The cable TV network has also won the wallets of parents, turning out a series of toys and other products linked to its shows...
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Study- TV shows depict more sex
(Entertainment ~ 02/09/03)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Sex on television is heating up, but more TV programs are including the risks and responsibilities of sexual behavior, a study released Tuesday found. The percentage of shows depicting or implying sexual intercourse rose from 10 percent two years ago to 14 percent in the 2001-02 season, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation study...
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Teacher to write new 'Godfather' novel
(Entertainment ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK-- A new name has entered the house of the Corleones: Mark Winegardner, a fiction writer whose previous subjects include baseball, Cleveland and organized crime, has won a contest to continue the saga of Mario Puzo's fictional crime family...
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Former intelligence officer, ex-wife suspected of espionage
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
SPOKANE, Wash. -- National Guard intelligence officer Rafael Davila admits he spent years bringing home secret and top-secret documents, stacking them in his basement and finally in a rented storage locker. He told the FBI he just wanted to read them...
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N.J. bus driver charged in deaths
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
TRENTON, N.J. -- The driver of a tour bus that crashed en route to an Atlantic City casino, killing two passengers and injuring 28, has been charged with careless driving, state police said Saturday. Prosecutors had not determined whether criminal charges would be filed against Guang Mi Ling, 38. The careless driving charge was filed Friday, hours after the crash, state police Sgt. Kevin Rehmann said...
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2-year-old Florida child missing for year is found
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A 2-year-old boy missing from the care of Florida's troubled Department of Children & Families' care for more than a year has been found and taken into state custody. Police picked up Keontae Rattray in good condition on Thursday. The child was with his 19-year-old mother, Tracy Rattray, authorities said...
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Fresh terror alert raises security nationwide
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- Police stepped up security at airports, subways and hotels Saturday, one day after the nation was put on heightened terrorist alert and law enforcement officials indicated New York was a possible target. City officials told residents to be vigilant, but go about their business. Many New Yorkers did just that...
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Memorial held at collection site
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- "The conquest of space is worth the risk of life," and must continue despite the deaths of the seven Columbia astronauts, the director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center said at a memorial service Saturday, one week after the shuttle was lost. ...
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Indians' talent level leaves little room for error
(Sports Column ~ 02/09/03)
Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team, while much improved this year, will more than likely finish with its second consecutive losing season. It would take a major hot streak down the stretch to avoid that. But the Indians have posted quite a few high-quality wins already, beating Ohio Valley Conference powers Murray State and Tennessee Tech while also defeating Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Southwest Missouri, who are among the top teams in the Horizon League and Missouri Valley Conference, respectively. ...
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Diamond engagement rings are always in fashion
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- The Diamond Information Center says "a diamond is forever." The promotional phrase is pretty darn close to the truth. The slogan, used in public relations and advertising campaigns, borrows heavily from the beliefs of ancient societies...
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The search for responsible health care
(Editorial ~ 02/09/03)
The push to provide prescription-drug benefits for America's senior citizens has been under way for several years. One reason it is taking so long to come up with a plan is that the most ideal proposals are the least affordable. Debate over government-subsidized prescription benefits for the elderly was renewed when President Bush announced, as part of his State of the Union address, his plan to spend $400 billion over the next 10 years to revamp Medicare -- primarily to pay for the prescription-drug benefits.. ...
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28,000-mile puzzle
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
Search for clues to Columbia disaster takes toll By Pauline Arrillaga ~ The Associated Press SAN AUGUSTINE, Texas -- "All right!" a voice booms from the trees. "Let's move out!" It is a cold, cloudy morning in the dense woods of East Texas, a week into the seemingly endless search for remnants of space shuttle Columbia...
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Critics question bias from NASA-appointed commission
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
WASHINGTON -- The NASA-appointed commission conducting an independent investigation into the Columbia accident is too closely linked to the space agency and has too little time to do its work, say critics who wonder whether the public can trust the findings...
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Celebrating culture in worship
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
DON FRAZIER * dfrazier@semissourian.com Sean Braxton, 14, performed as part of St. James AME Church's Spotlight on Youth during services Jan. 26 held at the Cape Girardeau church. The Rev. David R. Allen, Sr. looked on in the background. By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian...
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LeBron's World
(Professional Sports ~ 02/09/03)
AKRON, Ohio -- LeBron James leaned his head against the folded-up wooden bleachers inside the high school gymnasium a year ago and talked about life. That was when he was still LeBron James, basketball prodigy and curiosity. The St. Vincent-St. Mary's student hadn't been anointed "The Chosen One" yet...
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College ending program for minority students
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
TRENTON, N.J. -- Princeton University will stop offering a summer enrichment program for minority students because of concerns that it could be targeted in an affirmative action lawsuit. Administrators of the Woodrow Wilson School Junior Summer Institute made the decision earlier this week after Princeton's lawyers determined the program's race-based admissions policy could not be defended in court. The decision was announced Thursday...
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Bethlehem board votes to sell assets to ISG
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
PHILADELPHIA -- Bethlehem Steel's board voted unanimously Saturday to sell its mills to International Steel Group, a deal that could bring the once-mighty industrial giant out of bankruptcy and create the nation's largest steelmaker. Bethlehem has been reviewing a $1.5 billion offer from Cleveland-based ISG since Jan. 6, and the companies reached an agreement in principle last week after chief executive Robert Miller said he and financial advisers agreed it was "the best value achievable."...
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Bomb explodes in medical plaza near Afghan governor's mansion
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- A bomb exploded Saturday in a medical plaza a half-mile from a provincial governor's mansion in eastern Afghanistan, police and eyewitnesses said. One person was hurt. Several small explosions have occurred in Jalalabad in recent months, and are usually blamed on fugitive Taliban and al-Qaida, who can easily flee to neighboring Pakistan or to nearby Kunar province...
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New dating services help baby boomers find mates
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- Internet dating wasn't an option for Jordan Stevens. The 38-year-old financial consultant says he doesn't keep a computer at home because his work days are spent at a PC, and he doesn't want to conduct personal business on the job. And, after being out of the dating scene for seven years while he was married, Stevens wanted more insight into the singles scene than the Internet could provide...
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Arts center offers taste of architect Frank Lloyd Wright
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
BARTLESVILLE, Okla. -- For visitors who really want to linger in architect Frank Lloyd Wright's tallest building, there will soon be beds. A 21-room boutique hotel is scheduled to open early March inside the Price Tower, whose 19 stories Wright designed for New York City but realized only on the prairie of this northeast Oklahoma oil town...
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Travel briefs 2/9/03
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
'Harlem Song' revue boosted tourism NEW YORK -- Even though it struggled at the box office, the musical revue "Harlem Song" brought tourist dollars to Harlem, says the head of New York City's tourism bureau. Cristyne Nicholas, president of NYC & Co., says upper Manhattan museums saw increased attendance in 2002 and restaurants such as Amy Ruth's and Sylvia's reported a surge in business that they attributed to "Harlem Song."...
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Carnival craze - Threats of war fail to dampen spirits
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
MOBILE, Ala. -- An economic crunch and threats of war with Iraq haven't altered preparations for Mardi Gras in Mobile, which some historians say is where the masked cavorting began in the United States in the 1700s. If anything, carnival veterans say the whoops and hollers may be louder this year as people shout away apprehensions _ or try to drown their sorrows in the festive happenings...
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South Korea's ruling party fears U.S. getting emotional
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's ruling party said Saturday it feared Washington might be getting emotional in its handling of a nuclear standoff with North Korea, a day after President Bush left open the possibility of a military strike. "North Korea's recent moves cannot be praised, but we cannot help expressing concern as to whether emotions have interfered with U.S. ...
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Rumsfeld to Europe- Further delay could make war more likely
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
MUNICH, Germany -- In a jab at major U.S. allies, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Saturday countries such as France and Germany that favor giving Iraq another chance to disarm are undermining what slim chance may exist to avoid war. "There are those who counsel that we should delay preparations" for war against Iraq. ...
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Report - Turkey to accept 38,000 American troops
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey's top civilian and military leaders agreed Saturday to allow the United States to send 38,000 troops to the country to open a northern front should there be war with Iraq, television reported. Washington had asked to station 80,000 troops in Turkey, but in the face of strong public opposition to war Turkish leaders asked the United States to scale back its request...
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Dan Craig, racquetball
(Community Sports ~ 02/09/03)
For Dan Craig, racquetball came easy. So easy in fact that after only two years, Craig is one level away from a professional ranking. And the best part, Craig has brought his talents to the local university to fire up a first-year racquetball club. Craig, 20, became interested in the sport after high school when he worked at a health club...
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Officer in Kuwait thanks Sikeston woman for fudge
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Soldiers typically are happy when they receive a package from home, but when PFC Zach Stacy receives one, everyone in the Marines' 9th Communication Battalion gets excited, even the brass. "One of the guys will holler, 'Hey! Zach's got a box from his grandma -- come on!'" said M.B. Wethington of Sikeston, Stacy's grandfather...
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Boys learn how to fly with the Eagles
(Local News ~ 02/09/03)
Less than 2 percent of all Boy Scouts achieve Eagle Scout rank, which isn't lost on Zachary Dale of Cape Girardeau. He felt honored in joining 78 other boys from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois Saturday to receive the recognition at Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall...
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Cardboard cutouts, flash of insight set off DNA revolution
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
NEW YORK -- Fifty years ago this month, on a foggy Saturday morning in Cambridge, England, a 24-year-old beanpole of an American scientist sat down with a few white cardboard cutouts and set off a revolution in biology. The cutouts, about the size of teacup saucers, looked basically like an elementary school geometry project: Some were hexagons, others looked like a hexagon with a pentagon attached...
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Researchers use ancient milk fat to track history of dairy farm
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
WASHINGTON -- Dairy farming became widespread in Britain as early as the new stone age -- around 4,000 B.C. -- a team of researchers at England's University of Bristol reports. Mark Copley, an archaeological chemist, said evidence of milk fats was found on broken pieces of pottery at several ancient sites in southern England...
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Business approach results in significant savings for Senate
(Column ~ 02/09/03)
Can any aspect of government be run, in the cliche of aspiring politicians, "more like a business"? Herewith, a tale of success. On Feb. 5, 2001, a Republican majority took office in the Missouri Senate as a result of special elections held in late January of last year. ...
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Parties dealing on budget fix
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Both Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Bob Holden toned down the rhetoric last week as the first moves were made toward compromise on how to best fix the state's most pressing budget problem. Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder and House Speaker Catherine Hanaway said they would endorse legislation that would allow the state to use money borrowed against future proceeds from the state's financial settlement with tobacco producers to help plug a $350 million budget hole for the fiscal year ending June 30.. ...
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Legislators exploring options to pay for education
(State News ~ 02/09/03)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While taking an ax to the budgets of most state agencies, lawmakers went to extraordinary lengths last spring to increase spending for public education. But with an estimated shortfall of at least $350 million in the current state budget, some are wondering if that was a good idea...
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Lawyers' group starts push for death penalty changes
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
SEATTLE -- Six years after urging a halt to executions, the American Bar Association is ready to issue states another challenge: fix shoddy defense systems for accused killers. The nation's largest lawyers' group is overhauling 14-year-old standards for capital defense lawyers in the face of criticism from Supreme Court justices and others about the quality of legal representation...
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State Department issues warning
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
WASHINGTON -- All but essential U.S. diplomats, along with family members, are being advised to leave Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon as tensions with Iraq mount. The State Department, in an advisory Friday, also cautioned private citizens to leave those countries and not to travel to Israel. Further, it urged Americans to leave Iraq and said it was closing the Polish office in Baghdad that provided consular service to Americans in the absence of U.S. relations with Iraq...
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Islamic militants show media the camp Powell called poison site
(International News ~ 02/09/03)
SARGAT, Iraq -- U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called the camp in northern Iraq a terrorist poison and explosives training center, a deadly link in a "sinister nexus" binding Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida. But journalists who visited the site depicted in Powell's satellite photo found a half-built cinderblock compound filled with heavily armed Kurdish men, video equipment and children -- but no obvious sign of chemical weapons manufacturing...
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Polls suggest public move to support Bush on Iraq
(National News ~ 02/09/03)
The Bush administration has strengthened public support for military action against Iraq in recent days, but the public strongly prefers that the United States get the backing of allies and is very worried about the consequences of a war, polls suggest...
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Ban on size, number of snakes defeated
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
MURRIETA, Calif. -- A proposal to put the squeeze on pet snakes has slithered by. Some residents in this southern California community couldn't charm the City Council into restricting the size, type and number of snakes a resident can own. The board voted against the proposed law Tuesday...
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Surrounded by space
(Community ~ 02/09/03)
With the cost of building a house ever increasing, it's important to make the most use of space in a house. The house at 1334 Wedgewood in Jackson is a good example of a fine home built with a consciousness of space. This brick and vinyl home actually has four levels, but it has been built with a split-level concept to make the most of space. ...
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Out of the past 2/9/03
(Out of the Past ~ 02/09/03)
10 years ago: Feb. 9, 1993 It's official; Cape Girardeau Board of Education voted last night to take to voters $25 million bond package that includes two new school buildings, addition to Jefferson Elementary School, earthquake resistance, air conditioning and electrical updates for existing buildings; school officials say tax increase of 72 cents would retire bonds...
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Roberts-Craft
(Engagement ~ 02/09/03)
Stephen and Bonnie Roberts of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Louise Roberts, to Larry Edward Craft. He is the son of Edward and Peggy Craft of Jackson. Roberts is a graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in special education from Southeast Missouri State University, and a master's degree in elementary administration from Southeast University. She is a special education teacher at Scott City Elementary School...
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William Versheldon Sr.
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- William J. Versheldon Sr., 89, of Perryville died Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born July 10, 1913, at Perry County, Mo., son of August and Anna Gotto Versheldon. He and Ruth A. Zoellner were married March 17, 1933...
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Flossie Chapman
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
GRASSY, Mo. -- Flossie E'Lois Chapman, 79, of Grassy died Saturday, Feb. 8 2003 at Marble Hill, Mo. She was born July 13, 1923, at Judsonia, Ark., daughter of James E. and Allie Kemp Walker. She and Harley James Chapman were married Jan. 4, 1943, in Bloomfield, Mo. He died Jan. 5, 1968...
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Mary Shuffit
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
BENTON, Mo. -- Mary Ellen Shuffit, 81, of Benton died Saturday, Feb. 8, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 20, 1921, at Morley, Mo., daughter of George Miles and Birdie O'Neal. She and J.W. Shuffit were married July 26, 1951. He died in April 1980...
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Bertha Horrell
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Bertha Jane Horrell, 91, of Marble Hill died Friday, Feb. 7, 2003, at the Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 1, 1911, at Leopold, Mo., daughter of Jacob H. and Adelheid Jansen Elfrink. She and Christopher Horrell were married May 17, 1932. He died Jan. 7, 1974...
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Margaret Alexander
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Margaret Ellen Alexander, 82, of Sikeston died Saturday, Feb. 8, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 11, 1920, in Gideon, Mo., daughter of Robert Franklin and Susan Frances Heath McGill. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Sikeston. She owned and operated Margaret's Beauty Shop in Sikeston for many years...
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Jeanette Ramsey
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jeanette Ramsey, 63, of Sikeston died Friday, Feb. 7, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 3, 1939, in Itta-Bena, Miss., daughter of Naomi Holmes Moore Manning of Pocahontas, Ark., and the late Fontell Moore. She and L.D. Ramsey were married July 28, 1965. He died Sept. 9, 1975...
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Lanie Black
(Obituary ~ 02/09/03)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Lanie G. "Leather" Black, 84, of Charleston died Saturday, Feb. 8, 2003, at East Prairie Nursing Home. He was born July 9, 1918 at Naylor, Mo., son of Lanie G. and Sara Oliver Black Sr. He and Sue Belle Whitehead were married July 11, 1945. She died Oct. 5, 1973...
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Speak Out A 02/09/03
(Speak Out ~ 02/09/03)
Use common sense WE DON'T need judges in small-claims court. We need mediators, people with common sense. They could do a much better job. No interference FOR THE home to be effective, the school should not interfere in the home. School time is school time, and school property is school property. ...
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Speak Out A 02/11/03
(Speak Out ~ 02/09/03)
INSURANCE companies can without your permission access your credit report. They can base your rate not only on your driving ability and how much your car is worth, but also on your credit report. We got a rate increase based on our past credit history. I have a hard time understanding how my credit report can in any way, shape or form make any difference on what kind of a driver I am. This needs to be changed...
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Visitor impressed by Tower Rock's size, grandeur
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/09/03)
To the editor: Thanks so much for the article about Tower Rock in eastern Perry County. The last time I visited the rock, I was impressed by it's size and grandeur and even more amazed to see people actually climbing to the top (not for faint of heart)...
Stories from Sunday, February 9, 2003
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