Stories from Sunday, November 11, 2001

$$$Start By Nancy Arnold POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Two hundred twenty-five years ago, 57 men who longed for peace and freedom risked their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor by signing the Declaration of Independence. The immortal words of the Declaration's second paragraph say it all:...

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that he was "very optimistic" that a compromise could be found with the United States on missile defense and that he looked forward to hearing President Bush's specific proposals at their summit next week...

There's nothing like winning a new, 32-inch TV to make you feel good about life. Joni won the TV in an employee drawing at Southeast Missouri Hospital where she works. She immediately called me to tell me the good news and enlist my help in hauling the monster box back home...

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Driving her green pickup truck over rutted dirt tracks into Colombia's civil war, Mireya Mejia Araujo believed the opposing sides knew her well enough to let her do her job. But in Colombia, where 3,700 people were kidnapped last year alone, not even the local peace counselor, a sort of wartime social worker, is safe...

ALGIERS, Algeria -- Violent winds and heavy rain lashed northern Algeria, collapsing buildings, flooding roads and killing at least 287 people, authorities said Saturday. Torrential rains began drenching Algiers on Friday, causing muddy waters to rush through city streets and several buildings in one of the city's poorer sections to crumble to the ground. Authorities said the death toll in Algiers alone was 280...

NEW YORK -- "Luxury" is far more personal than a fur coat, expensive handbag or spa treatment. Something truly luxurious turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. It will be different for each and every person. But take heart: Luxury doesn't have to be defined by its price tag. Life -- and the nearest department store -- has a few little luxuries to offer...

$$$Start sikeston By Michael Jensen SIKESTON, Mo. -- Separating fact from fiction, myth from reality sometimes isn't so simple. Beginning today and running for the next three days, the Southeast Missourian will explore the issues of race and drugs, conflict and resolution, progress and stagnation in my hometown of Sikeston...

With all due respect to Southeast Missouri State University's Indians, who have been very fun to watch this season, the year's most exciting football game at Houck Stadium -- by a wide, wide margin -- was a high school affair. The several thousand fans who had the good fortune to witness the contest know exactly what I'm talking about...

MUNDELEIN, Ill. -- When 11-year-old Nick Dietrich heard about the tragedy in New York, he said he felt an urge to help. "I just wanted to help clear the stuff out and try to find people who are still living," he said. In the aftermath, 8-year-old Evan Ruffolo said he wanted to do something for the children affected by the tragedy...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Pest control companies are finding a new way to root out termites: They're using dogs like Radar. Not "radar" as in fluorescent-screen, "ping-ping-ping" high technology, but "Radar" as in Midwest Pest Control's low-tech, "sniff-sniff-sniff" hound dog...

ST. LOUIS -- On a summer Sunday morning, Ellie Torgeson Harris turned her car onto Park Avenue at Mississippi Avenue in Lafayette Square. To the east on Park, she saw what appeared to be a dog, staggering. She went closer and recoiled in horror at what a veterinarian later determined were acid burns. "He literally didn't have a face," she said...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- A Cameron woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of her 2-year-old son. Brandy Burrell, 23, pleaded innocent Friday to second-degree murder and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. The boy's father, Isaiah Washington, 18, of St. Joseph, was charged earlier in the week with second-degree murder for allegedly beating Isaiah Washington Jr. to death...

EUREKA, Ill. -- The mysterious disappearance of Woodford County Sheriff Bill Myers -- who went missing after questions were raised about thousands of dollars in charges to department credit cards -- may have been solved. Myers was admitted to BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal Oct. 31 and was there at least through Thursday for an undisclosed condition, the (Peoria) Journal Star reported Friday, citing sources it did not name...

Southeast Missourian SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston City Council's allegation that too much Section 8 housing and unenforced rules governing it were hurting the city instantly angered those who oversee the program. The statements came in a letter to the community published last fall and signed by the entire council. It called for a reduction of Section 8 vouchers, a federal program that subsidizes rent for poor or elderly people...

LUBBOCK, Texas -- When the idea of Texas Tech hiring Bob Knight first came up, two distinct groups formed quickly: Passionate supporters and passionate opponents. Nearly eight months later, with the Red Raiders days away from their opener, the sides have found some common ground: Knight has exceeded their expectations...

ST. LOUIS -- There's little danger of the St. Louis Rams taking their latest opponent for granted, even though the Rams are double-digit favorites. For one thing, they lost twice to a so-so Carolina Panthers team last season. The first one ended their 15-game home winning streak and the rematch was a seven-turnover, 16-3 loss at Carolina in early December...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- To hear his coach, Justin Gage's school-record receiving day was just scratching the surface. Gage caught 13 passes for 236 yards, the best ever at Missouri, in a 41-24 victory over Baylor Saturday. He caught two touchdown passes and threw for a third score on a reverse...

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk had two goals and an assist to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday. In his first game against his former team after last year's trade, Tkachuk scored a power play goal at 2:21 of the first to give St. Louis the lead for good...

When Ed Thompson opened the new Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shop on Broadway in March 2000, he expected big business and got it. At first. "We were doing absolutely fantastic," Thompson said. "I couldn't have asked for a better opening." In fact, the opening was so good that the Cape Girardeau Jimmy John's won the franchise's 2000 award for the best opening...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston was known as Big Prairie to the first settlers who arrived from the American Southeast at the end of the 18th century. John Sikes, a merchant, married into the Stallcup family that owned much of the land. "I, John Sikes, am going to start me a town and I am going to call it the town of Sikeston," he stated in the land title setting up the town in 1860...

DOHA, Qatar -- The World Trade Organization formally invited the world's most populous country, China, to join on Saturday, bringing the once-isolated communist country -- and its 1.2 billion consumers -- firmly into the global marketplace. Trade ministers from almost all the WTO's 142 members unanimously approved China's application for membership, after more 15 years of negotiations...

NEWPORT, Vt. -- Cindy Trahan's fight began four years ago when her daughter Jessica, a ninth-grader at North Country Union High School, collapsed at school, unable to breathe. Trahan got to the school in time to ride with her daughter in the ambulance to the hospital. "One of the guys in the back of the ambulance said, 'We're losing her,"' she recalled. "I said, 'No, you're not losing her, you're not losing my daughter."'...

NEW YORK -- Ex-Beatle George Harrison reportedly has received experimental cancer treatment at Staten Island University Hospital. The 58-year-old Harrison was treated by Dr. Gil Lederman, the hospital's director of radiation oncology, according to published reports...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Christopher Chyba insists he sleeps, but it's hard to imagine how he finds time for more than a quick nap here and there. An astrobiologist who also happens to be an expert on international relations, bioterrorism and nuclear security, Chyba is devoted to searching for intelligent life in the universe and doing his part to make life on Earth a little wiser, too...

CHICAGO -- It's a popular science exhibit that explores the slimy, the crusty and the scaly. But we're not talking sea urchins, moon rocks and dinosaurs here. This one's about "grossology," the unapologetic and sometimes stomach-churning study of body functions and fluids that are rarely talked about openly -- but that kids love to giggle and squirm at...

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- Mayor Joseph P. Ganim faces a daunting task: leading one of the state's poorest cities in a weak economy with 24 felony corruption charges hanging over his head. He pleaded innocent last week and has refused to resign, but the indictment has raised doubts about the mayor's ability to effectively govern Bridgeport...

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Ken Kesey, whose LSD-fueled bus ride became a symbol of the psychedelic 1960s after he won fame as a novelist with "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," died Saturday. He was 66. Kesey died at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, two weeks after cancer surgery to remove 40 percent of his liver...

NEWARK, N.J. -- They worked 12-hour days at the Newark Penn Station newsstand, selling newspapers to commuters headed to the World Trade Center and other Manhattan destinations. Then, a day after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Mohammed Jaweed Azmath and Ayub Ali Khan ended up in Texas, having traveled nearly 1,600 miles in two days by airliner and train. ...

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Heather Schlossman thought she had a stomach virus and went home from work early. It turned out she was ready to give birth. "I started getting really bad cramps and thought I had eaten something bad," said Schlossman, 26. The pain quickly became so severe she had her husband, Mike, take her to Lancaster General Hospital, where an emergency room doctor was perplexed as he examined her...

NEW YORK -- Authorities are dropping charges against all but one of the 18 firefighters arrested after a raucous protest at the World Trade Center site, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said Saturday. The firefighters were arrested after five police officers were injured during a Nov. 2 rally, in which firefighters protested their numbers being reduced at the site...

CHICAGO -- An exhibition at the Museum of Science and History features details of what the ancient Greeks ate and drank, from evidence left inside cooking pots and storage jars often admired for the beauty of their outer decoration. Modern science, chemical testing and DNA analysis, provided the keys for researchers...

Associated Press/Douglas Healey Horses congregated for food at Lee's Riding Stable in Litchfield, Conn. Litchfield offers an idyllic environment, providing a peaceful place to spend a day strolling among history and nature.By Scott Bauer ~ The Associated Press...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- It was a year of house parties and garage funk bands and the electric bugaloo. Michael Harris and his friends were trying to have the best time they could for the least amount of money. He was a high school junior in 1978, the sixth of 13 children who grew up on Thompson Street in the predominantly black, mostly poor Sunset neighborhood...

You would be hard-pressed to name two more different heroes than Marshal Matt Dillon, the Wild West lawman of "Gunsmoke," and Seattle's snooty shrink, Dr. Frasier Crane. Even so, Kelsey Grammer, beginning his ninth year in the "Frasier" title role after nine years as the same character on "Cheers," has his sights set on Marshal Dillon. James Arness played Dillon for a record 20 seasons. That's a record Grammer aims to match playing Frasier...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A year ago, when Sikeston residents grumbled about their elected officials, it wasn't so much about their decisions -- there was some of that -- as it was about who they were. All but two elected officials in the city's history were white in a town that's now 22 percent black. They mostly lived on Sikeston's north side, the neighborhood that houses the city's wealthiest residents...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Terror suspect Osama bin Laden claims he has nuclear and chemical weapons and will unleash them if the United States uses similar weapons against him, according to an interview published Saturday in one of Pakistan's largest newspapers...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two decaying bodies uncovered in two weeks. A street corner where toughs routinely turned their violence on police. A toothless property law that allowed landlords to cultivate slums. These and other conditions in 2000 sent frustrated Sikeston citizens to their city councilmen. Do something, they insisted. Now...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- After abandoning a key northern city, Taliban forces retreated south Saturday toward the capital, Kabul, where the opposition threatened to launch a major attack within days. Opposition forces claimed to have seized three provincial capitals in what may signal the collapse of Islamic militia's rule in the north...

NAPLES, Fla. -- John Daly and partner Frank Lickliter shot a 13-under-par 59 Saturday to take a one-shot lead over defending champions Brad Faxon and Scott McCarron after two rounds in the Franklin Templeton Shootout. The 12 two-man teams of PGA Tour players competed in a best-ball format Saturday in the $2 million tournament hosted by Greg Norman. Faxon and McCarron had a one-shot lead after Friday's first round, played in modified alternate shot. Sunday's final round is played as a scramble...

NEW YORK -- Tourists heeding the urging of New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani to come visit are finding bargains at more than 350 of New York City's best hotels, museums, restaurants, stores, Broadway shows and other businesses. They are participating in a promotion called "Paint the Town Red, White & Blue," organized by NYC & Co., as the city's tourism arm calls itself. ...

A church supper at Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, Mo., was held on Saturday. The date for the meal was listed incorrectly in Saturday's edition.

Funeral service for Jerry Lee Owens, 51, of Detroit, Mich., formerly of Cape Girardeau, will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Johnny Thomas will officiate. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call from noon on Monday until the time of the service...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Glen Long, 87, of Marble Hill died on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born on Aug. 3, 1914, at Scopus, Mo., the son of Francis M. and Martha Jane Cook Long. He was a retired farmer and a member of the Hurricane Fork General Baptist Church...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Charles "Herman" Goss, 70, of Cahokia, Ill., formerly of Dexter, died on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001, at his home. He was born on Sept. 9, 1931, at Arbyrd, Mo., the son of Charlie and Lessie Black Goss. He was the retired owner/operator of Herman Goss Tree Service of Cahokia. He was a member of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Cahokia...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Joseph D. Beasley Sr., 63, of East St. Louis, Ill., died on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001, at his home. He was born on Nov. 17, 1937 at Murfreesboro, N.C., the son of Joseph W. and Elsie Futrell Beasley. He was a truck driver for the Lanter Co. of Twin Lakes, Ill., and a member of the Bethel Baptist Church of East St. Louis. He was a veteran of the Air Force...

Marie Bertha Eifert Landgraf, 93, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Nov. 9, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 14, 1908, at Fornfelt, Mo., the daughter of Daniel and Pauline Will Eifert. She married Arthur E. Landgraf of Cape Girar-deau on May 11, 1933. He preceded her in death on Dec. 21, 1961...

MY PREDICTION has been borne out. In his super Sunday column, state Sen. Peter Kinder praised a proposal supported by two U.S. senators, Patty Murray and Olympia Snow. In a previous column, the senator paid scintillating tribute to a longtime liberal Democrat living up north a ways. Though there were doubting Thomases, I take some pride in the fact that I long ago predicted that Kinder not only had the ability to, but would achieve great growth in office...

To the editor: In light of the events since Sept. 11, I suspect for most Americans this Thanksgiving Day has taken on a new meaning. As family and friends gather in a few days to enjoy fellowship and food, a reminder of our blessings and a prayer for continuation of freedom will likely be offered. Food is a strong tradition for Thanksgiving...

10 years ago: Nov. 11, 1991 Veterans Day. Pearl Harbor veterans were honored yesterday during Veterans Day ceremony at Freedom Corner in Capaha Park following parade; Dec. 7 marks 50th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor; estimated crowd of 300 people, including many veterans and their families, attended event...

Associated Press WriterALGIERS, Algeria (AP) -- The death toll in floods that inundated the Algerian capital and several other cities climbed to 447 on Monday, with an unknown number of people still missing, the interior minister said. The torrential downpour on Saturday left at least 4,000 families homeless, Interior Minister Nourredine Yazid Zerhouni told state-run radio...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Davis of Cotton Plant, Ark., announce the engagement of their daughter, Connie Lynn Davis, to Brent Lynn Roth. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson O. Roth of Frohna. A Dec. 15 wedding is planned at First United Methodist Church in Cotton Plant...

Darcy Morgan of Chaffee, Mo., and David Morgan of Pensacola, Fla., announce the engagement of their daughter, Danielle Morgan, to Brock Alspaugh, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Patricia Siegel and Michael Alspaugh of St. Charles, Mo. Morgan is a 2001 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is pursuing a master's degree in administration, and is a graduate assistant in the School of Polytechnic Studies at the university...

ORAN, Mo. -- Coy and Duranda Cochran of Oran announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal Gail Cochran, to Jeremy Martin Pobst. He is the son of Vernon and Susie Pobst of Oran. Cochran is a 1998 graduate of Oran High School, and is pursuing a degree in early childhood education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a contractor for the state of Missouri to teach Independent Living Programs...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Dennis and Shirley McCormack of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Marcie Ann McCormack, to Gregory Paul Brown. He is the son of Danny and Carolyn Brown of Scott City, Mo. McCormack received a bachelor of science degree in fashion merchandising from Southeast Missouri State University in 1999. She is employed at Famous-Barr...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jackson was the setting Aug. 4, 2001, for the wedding of Susan Ann Koenig and Larry Charles Ahrens. The Rev. Donald Reder and the Rev. David Mueller performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Wanda Aufdenberg of Jackson, and soloist was Keith Koenig of Jackson, brother of the bride. The St. Paul Lutheran Church Choir in Fulton, Mo., also sang...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Jennifer Elizabeth Simmons and Jimmy Dale Parker II were married June 2, 2001, in an outdoor setting at the home of the bride's parents. The Rev. Don Slatton performed the double ring ceremony. Pianists were Lindsey Chubboy of Jackson and Wilma Hueter of Festus, Mo., aunt of the bride. Vocalists were Shawnda Strand of Carthage, Mo., and Adrian True of Jackson...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Linda L. Whelan and Dale F. Piatt were married Oct. 13, 2001, at the home of Barb Hammers, sister of the bride. The Rev. Philip Jordan performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Cletus and Edna Jansen of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Thelma Piatt of California and Dale Piatt Sr. of Utah...

BENTON, Mo. -- Rachel Lynn Record and Jason Paul Crocker were married June 16, 2001, at Church of St. Mary-Aldermanbury Winston Churchill Memorial in Fulton, Mo. The Rev. Michael Burt performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Julia Matthews of Fulton...

To the editor: The Perry County School District's students, staff, administration and board of education are very appreciative of the community's support of the 50-cent levy increase. We would like to thank all the individuals and groups who worked so hard on behalf of the students and staff. ...

To the editor: I moved back to Cape Girardeau after living elsewhere for 25 years. I was impressed with all the city services: taxi passes for the elderly, recycling and cleanup projects. This fall, the leaves are falling in astronomical quantities. ...

A single poster is all that announces what might be the biggest movie event of the year at Cape West 14 Cine. Nonetheless, tickets to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" are already selling quickly for its Nov. 16 opening, said Kevin Dillon, theater manager...

Southeast Missouri State University student Heather Tallent hasn't settled on a career, but the 19-year-old already is majoring in motherhood. The Cape Girardeau teen and another 19-year-old mother, Nikki Seiler of Leopold, Mo., talked of juggling jobs, school and parenting duties during a luncheon meeting Saturday, sponsored by the Missouri Mentoring Partnership parenting program...

Jack Frost nipped at participants' noses at Saturday's early morning Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis, but the 70 or so runners and walkers quickly warmed up as they moved around the Westfield Shoppingtown in Cape Girardeau, raising money for arthritis sufferers and study of the disease...

UNITED NATIONS -- President Bush, in a warning to world leaders, said Saturday all nations are possible targets of terrorism and must join with the United States in a campaign to prevent more attacks. "Each of us must answer for what we have done or what we have left undone," he said...

READING, Pa. -- A man forced to resign a municipal council seat because of his criminal past unwittingly won the seat back by receiving two write-in votes in an election. Told of his victory in Tuesday's election for the Bernville Borough Council, Marlin L. Sonon had no idea that anyone had voted for him in an election for Bernville Borough Council. Sonon outpolled five other write-in candidates by one vote. There were no declared candidates...

WASHINGTON -- Trace amounts of anthrax were discovered in new locations in two congressional office buildings where earlier tests had detected the presence of the deadly bacteria, authorities said Saturday. The health threat was deemed minimal, said a spokesman for the Capitol Police...

LEVERETT, Mass. -- Only the tinkle of wind chimes and the answering call of a chickadee break the stillness of an autumn morning as the sun sparkles on the blazing white dome of the New England peace pagoda. The 100-foot-high, lotus-shaped shrine, built by an order of Japanese Buddhists, has been described as a dollop of whipped cream perched on the isolated hilltop in this western Massachusetts town. ...

LITCHFIELD, Conn. -- At the turn of the 19th century, young men and women in search of higher education came to this New England town, often spending weeks bouncing on boats and stagecoaches to get here. Home to a progressive women's academy and the country's first law school -- which counted among its students the likes of Aaron Burr and John C. Calhoun -- Litchfield promised an idyllic environment for both learning and social opportunity...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 11 DWIBenjamin Edward Wodicker, 1930 Delwin, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsStephen Dewayne Flye, 1208 S. Sprigg, was arrested Saturday for family offense. Cittie Louise Wade, 23, 612 Koch, was arrested Friday for failure to pay fines....

Jackson Sunday, Nov. 11 Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:An emergency medical service on Francis Drive. A citizen assist on West Adams. An illegal burning on Old Cape Road. An emergency medical service on Park Circle. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Nothing is expected to change in Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball circles this year. Which means that Tennessee Tech is expected to once again dominate the league. The Golden Eaglettes, who have won or shared four of the past five OVC titles and have captured 14 league championships overall, are solid favorites to add to that total...

It was a night for offensive milestones Saturday as Southeast Missouri State University's football team closed out the 2001 campaign by rolling past Division II Quincy 38-6 in front of a season-low 3,800 fans at Houck Stadium. The Indians (4-7), who broke a four-game losing streak, set the school's single-game total offense record by compiling 638 yards against the overmatched Hawks (2-8). The previous mark was 588 yards against Tennessee-Martin in 1986...

Tennessee Tech coach Jeff Lebo doesn't know if his team is prepared to handle the pressure that comes from being the preseason favorite to win the Ohio Valley Conference men's basketball championship. But he knows one thing: he'd rather be in that position than the alternative...

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Miller of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner at Holiday Inn Oct. 20, 2001. Miller and Mary Lee Burciaga were married Oct. 20, 1951, at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. L.W. Cleland performed the ceremony...

Falling interest rates have provided an opportunity for families and individuals who have never before been able to own their own homes and this house at 1717 David St. is the silver lining found in every cloud. While it may not have a white picket fence, this house has everything else embodying the American dream of a home...

Southeast Missouiran The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team finished its regular season with a 30-23, 30-26, 30-22 victory over Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech Saturday at Houck Field House. Southeast finished the regular season at 14-13 overall and 10-6 in the OVC...

Today is the 11th day of the 11th month. At the 11th hour of this day in 1918, the armistice that ended World War I -- known then as "the war to end all wars" -- was signed. The guns that had devastated Europe for more than four horrific years fell silent, and an exhausted world began to turn to the difficult work of peacetime reconstruction...

The periodic hearings of a special committee of the Missouri Senate looking at Gov. Bob Holden's order establishing public-employee collective bargaining continue to yield amazing revelations. The latest: From the governor on down, officials of the Holden administration who are charged with implementing the order don't know who is covered by it...

Sometimes, when we strive for wider visions, to get around the troubles of the day, we must construct unusual windows. Windows that aren't there. Let me tell you again about our old kitchen cabinet that had a window in it! The cabinet was like one you might see now in an antique store. ...