Stories from Saturday, October 21, 2000

An 18-year-old Cape Girardeau man was charged with second-degree murder and three other crimes Friday in connection with a shooting in Indian Park near downtown Cape Girardeau. Robert Criddle of 323 S. Hanover remained in the city jail late Friday on $1.25 million bond. He also is charged with armed criminal action, stealing and tampering with physical evidence in the Thursday shooting death of Jesus Sides, 19, of Cape Girardeau...

Fifty years ago today, in a narrow valley north of the Korean town of Opari, U.S. forces withdrew after enemy troops ambushed them on three sides with mortar, automatic-weapons and small-arms fire. When one of the soldiers left behind for dead was seen trying to crawl to safety, U.S. Army medic Richard Wilson ignored all pleas and returned to the previous position armed only with morphine, bandages and a Red Cross armband. The two men's bodies were found days later lying beside each other...

JACKSON, Mo. - Supporters of the Jackson School District bond issue simply wanted to get their message out. They never intended to violate the state's campaign finance law, Assistant Superintendent Rita Fisher said Friday. A campaign committee called Keeping Jackson Schools First paid for 200 yard signs and a billboard to push for passage of a $6 million bond issue on the Nov. ...

It was 5:30 a.m. when I first heard the news report that my governor was dead. All I could do was scream "NO!" at the television set, then sit and stare in amazement as the scant details available at the time were reported. I was in shock, and I sought comfort in my family. I called my husband, who had worked overnight and already knew of the accident. This was something new for us, this grief over a political figure, and we didn't really know what to say. Our call was short...

Republican governors will stop in Kansas City and Cape Girardeau Monday to stump for the Bush-Cheney ticket. Govs. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Bob Taft of Ohio and Kenny Guinn of Nevada will be in Cape Girardeau Monday for a campaign stop. The event is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Horizon Screen Printing, 430 Broadway...

The purpose of the big, yellow school bus that sat outside of Central High School Friday morning was education rather than transportation. The bus is one of two traveling the country to introduce students to the workings of the federal legislative branch, a mobile television production studio and the public affairs broadcasts provided by the C-SPAN cable network...

Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds has watched for more than 20 years as technology becomes more and more valuable in the operation of county government. Now, Reynolds, 62, is running unopposed for a sixth term as county assessor and would like to see the county take its technology a step further...

PIC wasn't out of business long. The Private Industry Council (PIC) of Southeast Missouri, founded in 1983, was disbanded briefly when the new Workforce Investment Board (WIB) came into being July 1 of this year. Many of PIC's former board members were named to the WIB, which includes 46 members, including two private sector members From each of the 13 counties it serves...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Outside money continues to fuel both campaigns in the 25th District state Senate race, with the fund-raising and spending advantage overwhelmingly going to Democratic Sen. Jerry T. Howard of Dexter, Mo. During the latest finance reporting period, Howard outraised his Republican challenger, state Rep. Bill Foster of Poplar Bluff, Mo., by a 13-to-1 ratio, and outspent him 11-to-1...

Miki Gudermuth, director of the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, will be the guest Sunday on KRCU's "Going Public" show. She will discuss the legal rights of the disabled and her organization's efforts to promote independent living for handicapped persons...

Children from throughout the region snuggled up to some of their favorite authors Friday during the Children-Young Adults Literature Festival at Southeast Missouri State University. Award-winning writers -- including Patricia Hermes, author of "My Girl" and "My Girl 2" -- gave students insight into how and why they do their jobs during the literature festival, a two-day event held to develop an interest in reading in student readers...

Rick Althaus thinks the ballot box is the appropriate place to vote with conviction, but he'd rather cast a ballot based on a political belief rather than a religious conviction alone. Area ministers and political observers say that most voters would agree with Althaus, a university professor and former state senate candidate...

As a team that has struggled in recent years, and with a new coaching staff in place, Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians were expected to find the going a bit rough this season. And that is exactly what has happened so far. Entering today's homecoming game against Murray State, the Indians are 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. They have suffered three straight losses...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Delta, despite a one-hitter by Rebecca Cook, dropped a 3-0 heartbreaker to Worth County in semifinal action of the Class 1A softball tournament Friday afternoon at the Rainbow Sports Complex. The Lady Bobcats, reaching the final four in their first year of fall softball, saw their improbable run end on one shaky inning...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The close game Kelly coach Melanie Heuring anticipated did materialize. The way it happened was her worst nightmare. Kelly's shaky defense doomed the team to a 2-1 loss to Lawson in a Class 2A semifinal contest on Friday. The Lady Hawks outhit their opponent six to five, but committed five errors...

SIKESTON -- Offense, defense and special teams. When it comes to outplaying Sikeston, Cape Central pulled off the hat trick Friday night in a dominating 23-0 victory at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium. Cape Central's offense was too unpredictable. Its defense was unforgiving and its special teams were, well, special...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- Jackson High School's football team got off to a slow start Friday night, but that did little to prevent the Indians from rolling up another lopsided victory. The Indians ran only five offensive plays and gained just nine total yards in the first quarter. They did not record their initial first down until more than 15 minutes had elapsed, that coming with a little more than eight minutes to play in the second period...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Southeast improved its OVC record to a perfect 9-0 with a sweep of Tennessee-Martin Friday night, handing head coach Cindy Gannon her 299th career win in the process. Southeast improved to 13-8 overall with the 15-12, 17-15, 15-9 win. Tennessee-Martin fell to 14-5 overall and 8-3 in the conference...

Jim Lohr admits he's liable to get a few chills today during Southeast Missouri State University's homecoming football game with Murray State. Southeast's 1955 and 1975 football teams will be introduced at halftime on the FieldTurf of Houck Stadium. Lohr played on the undefeated 1955 squad that won a Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship and he coached the 1975 team to a MIAA title...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- St. Vincent opened defense of its Class 1A, District 1 title with a convincing 35-0 victory over Chaffee Friday night in high school football action. Mark Gotto rushed for three touchdowns and Eric Lindsley added two more on the ground as St. Vincent, ranked No. 2 in 1A, improved to 8-0 overall. Chaffee fell to 3-5...

District competition for boys and girls cross country teams gets under way this weekend. Jackson will host the Class 4A, District 1 meet today at Jackson City Park. The girls are scheduled to start at 11 a.m., the boys at 11:45 with each navigating a 3.1-mile course...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Robert N. Pennington, 71, of Sikeston died Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000, at his home. He was born March 20, 1929, in Butler County, Mo., son of W.N. and Pearl Merritt Pennington. He and Dorothy Inez Reeves were married April 11, 1953, in New Madrid County, Mo...

PATTON, Mo. -- A Marquand, Mo., pedestrian was seriously injured Thursday night when she stepped in front of a vehicle. Patricia Long, 52, was taken by helicopter to St. Francis Medical Center after the 7:20 p.m. accident on state Highway 51 at Patton...

Son to Alan and Belle Eftink of Memphis, Tenn., Baptist Memorial Hospital East in Memphis, 9:40 p.m. Friday, Aug. 4, 2000. Name, Joshua Michael. Weight, 7 pounds 10 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Eftink is the former Belle Peel, daughter of Bonnye Peel of Memphis, Tenn., and the late Robert Peel. She is office manager at Baker, Donelson, Bearman and Caldwell. Eftink is the son of Bruce and Janie Raines of Kelso, Mo., and Mike and Jean Eftink of Gordonville, Mo. He is an accountant at Ernst and Young...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Thomas Lee "Tom" Jolley, 41, of Las Vegas, Nev., died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2000, at his home. He was born April 9, 1959, at Sikeston, son of Edward Lee and Olla Lee Waters Jolley Sr. He and Helga Mann were married Jan. 27, 1981. Jolley was a 1977 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School at Benton, Mo. He served in the U.S. Air Force...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Graveside service for Catherine Echols of Dongola will be held at 1 p.m. today at the American Legion Cemetery. The Rev. Jay Franklin will officiate. Crain Funeral Home in Dongola is in charge of arrangements. Echols, 78, died Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000, at her home...

Boy, did August A. Busch III, chairman of Anheuser-Busch Cos., get a tongue-lashing for suggesting states consider lowering the drinking age, which has been 21 across the nation for at least a dozen years. Busch was speaking at a beer-industry event in New Orleans when he said, "Bottom line: Instead of pretending that prohibition on college campuses is realistic, we should be investing in helping those young people learn to make healthy and responsible choices."...

It's not surprising that a study of food-stamp recipients show they eat more sugar and fat than non-recipients. In general, the least expensive, most filling food has the worst nutrition. If you've got a family to feed on a tight budget, the choice is easy, even if you have food stamps to help with food costs...

Al Gore's moment of a lifetime is fast approaching, and he can see it slipping through his fingers. What do you suppose he's planning to do about it? It's hard to deny that for now at least -- and time is growing short -- things are going George W. Bush's way. ...

I WAS just reading the article about the Jackson alderman's wife charged with assault. Isn't it somewhat of a conflict of interest that the city is letting the spouse of a city employee even be an alderman for the same city? AS A taxpayer in Cape, would I be able to talk the city into raising the manholes where the streets have been resurfaced? Two good examples are at Broadway and Sprigg and Main and Mill. ...

ST. LOUIS -- This week has been one of the most painful weeks in the history of Missouri. All of us are stunned into a mood of incredibility. We deeply grieve for the three men who perished and for their families. We have lost a man whose qualities are increasingly rare in public life...