Stories from Sunday, November 18, 2001

WASHINGTON -- The brightening and dimming of the sun may account for a 1,500-year cycle of cooling and warming on parts of the Earth, a study of ice in the North Atlantic suggests. Researchers found that a very slight difference in the amount of solar energy reaching the Earth can have a powerful chilling effect on the climate: ice builds up in lands bordering the North Atlantic, the average temperature drops in Europe and North America...

STOCKTON, Mo. -- Brian Hammons firmly believes that there are a lot of nuts all over the country, but the best ones come from Missouri. Hammons is referring to eastern black walnuts, of course. He's president and chief executive of Hammons Products Company. The 55-year-old company nestled in the southwest Missouri town of Stockton is the country's only commercial processor of the black walnuts. And this is their busy season...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- In a convoy of vehicles with his picture plastered on the windshields, the Afghan president ousted five years ago by the Taliban returned Saturday to the capital to reclaim his post. His return raised worries over the effort to build a broad-based, post-Taliban government...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Backstage it was just like the Miss America contest: Women were having their hair, nails and makeup done for their moment in the spotlight. But as the eight contestants came out on stage for the annual Arkansas Health Care Association nursing home queen pageant Thursday, it was with canes, wheelchairs and walkers. All but two were over 80...

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia -- Ethnic Albanians anxious to determine their own futures mobbed polling stations Saturday to vote in the first province-wide elections since NATO and the United Nations broke Slobodan Milosevic's grip on Kosovo. Lines snaked around schools and public buildings, but apart from some pushing and shoving, little serious trouble marred the vote to choose deputies for a parliament that will run Kosovo together with the United Nations and the alliance...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- In the heart of Tripoli, off a boulevard lined with buildings from Libya's colonial past, is the building that until recently sheltered an organization led by one of the world's most notorious terrorists -- Abu Nidal. Today, the green-shuttered building houses the Arabic Language Institute, one of Libya's most respected research academies...

OTTAWA -- Finance ministers for the Group of 20 agreed Saturday to freeze assets of terrorists and implement a sweeping U.N. resolution against terrorist financing. With dozens of riot police outside keeping protesters well away from the meeting site, officials from the European Union, the United States, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and 15 other nations adopted an "action plan on terrorist financing" during talks Friday night and Saturday...

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Authorities have found a package containing a lengthy letter from suspected Sept. 11 hijacker Ziad Jarrah to his girlfriend, telling her he would not return from the United States, German prosecutors confirmed Saturday. Frauke Scheuten, spokeswoman for the federal prosecutors office, said a package containing the letter had been sent to Germany by Jarrah, suspected of flying the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. ...

HAVANA -- Fidel Castro removed a major obstacle to the first American food sales to Cuba in 40 years, saying Saturday that U.S. ships or vessels from other countries can bring the goods to the communist island. In a 4 1/2-hour speech that began late Friday, Castro said he would abandon his insistence that the food be shipped on Cuban vessels. The United States had rejected that idea...

ATHENS, Greece -- Scuffles broke out between police and demonstrators Saturday following a march on the U.S. Embassy to mark the anniversary of a 1973 student uprising that helped bring down Greece's military rulers. Anarchist demonstrators hurled stones and wooden clubs at hundreds of police officers standing outside the embassy in Athens. Police responded with tear gas. No one was injured authorities said...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli troops withdrew from the West Bank town of Tulkarem on Saturday, the army said, the latest in a series of pullbacks from six towns the military entered last month, drawing U.S. complaints. Palestinian officials said the withdrawal had begun, but was not yet complete. A pullback from Tulkarem in the northern part of the West Bank, would leave troops only in the town of Jenin...

STOCKTON, Mo. -- Eastern black walnuts that grow wild across Midwest and east-central United States have a distinctive taste that can add flavor to many recipes. Here are few recipes offered by Hammons Products Company of Stockton: Zucchini Nut Bread...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Former J.C. Nichols Co. attorney Charles Schleicher was acquitted of racketeering and fraud charges after a federal judge found insufficient evidence for a conviction. U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith's ruling Friday brought an abrupt end to a three-week trial that was expected to continue for at least two more weeks...

SEDALIA, Mo. -- Glass -- its origins go back as far as time itself, when magma contained just the right mineral balance and cooled to create obsidian. And then, someplace in a sandy desert, a fire burned hot enough to leave crystals of glass in the bed of ashes to be noticed by someone unknown, but with a large imagination...

Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go. It sounds so tranquil, doesn't it? But if you're like millions of other Americans, you'll be going by car to grandma's this holiday season, and chances are, you may have a couple of children along...

DENVER -- A museum that has drawn big crowds with exhibitions of masterpieces by European artists will celebrate American art and paintings of life and death in New York City. The Denver Art Museum will be showing a collection of paintings by iconoclast Alice Neel, works from the Cos Cob Art Colony of American Impressionists, and some of the private collection of Western art the Harmsen family recently donated...

FOXBORO, Mass. -- When Kurt Warner takes the field against New England, he will be able to look across the field and see another former backup quarterback who just needed a chance to play. "I love to watch stories like that, guys that get an opportunity to come in and play well and see the excitement that guys like that generate," Warner said as the St. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lawyers for the man who pleaded guilty last month to killing a 10-year-old Kansas girl want the judge to dismiss the jury picked for the penalty trial and to move it out of western Missouri. The jury was picked earlier this week, and the trial to determine whether Keith Nelson should die or spend the rest of his life in prison is set to get under way Monday in U.S. District Court...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A woman who was convicted of second-degree murder in a fatal hit-and-run accident has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Circuit Judge Henry Westbrook followed a jury's recommendation Friday when he sentenced Crystal Dianne Pacheco to 30 years on the murder charge, five years for drunken driving, two years for leaving the scene of an accident and one year for driving on a revoked license. The sentences will run concurrently...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Visa violations have landed 29 Israeli citizens in the custody of the immigration services office in Kansas City. They are part of a larger group of Israelis detained nationwide since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Published reports have put the number at close to 100 Israelis detained, mostly young adults held on charges on violating their tourist visas by holding jobs in the United States...

OAKWOOD, Ill. -- It has been a year since Linda Katcher last saw her son, Ryan. "He once gave me a birthday card that read 'I was going to give you a trip to the Bahamas -- but I knew you'd miss me too much,'" she said. There's no doubt about how much Katcher misses her son today and every day...

CHICAGO -- When Lauren Danforth started vicious vomiting spells -- every five to 10 minutes, 20 times daily for a week -- doctors suspected the flu, appendicitis, or anorexia. Some friends still figure the episodes that come every month or so are all in her head...

CHICAGO -- Chicago Muslims celebrating Ramadan are planning to build a minaret at Daley Plaza for the first time, joining Christians and Jews in decorating the public square for the holidays. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago has the city's preliminary approval to build an ornate reproduction of the tower used to call Muslims to prayer. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Former President George Bush said Saturday he thinks the war on terrorism that his son is fighting is the biggest problem any president has confronted in decades. "It's far bigger than what I had to face. It's far more complicated," said Bush, whose 1988-1992 term in the White House included a war against Iraq...

NEW YORK -- Theater quiz time: What do Jerry Springer, Sally Jessy Raphael, Penn & Teller, Dave Holmes, Cindy Adams, Gilbert Gottfried and Robin Leach all have in common? Answer: They have no idea what they're getting themselves into. Over the next two months, each will step into a Broadway theater to temporarily replace Dick Cavett as the narrator of "The Rocky Horror Show," the raucous musical based on the cult movie...

Executives at ABC and CBS News are talking about sharing equipment and other ways they could work together to cut costs while maintaining editorial independence. Neither network would talk publicly about their negotiations, reported Thursday in The New York Times. But executives at both networks, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the private meetings, which took place as recently as Wednesday...

The Associated Press SAN ANTONIO -- The deadly storms that battered Texas caused widespread flooding and tornado damage, but the impact was not all negative. The region's stricken water supplies have been dramatically boosted. "When we have rain like this, it's good news for us," said Margaret Garcia, a spokeswoman for the Edwards Aquifer Authority. "It means the aquifer will go up and be healthy when we start the new year."...

Associated Press/Gino Domenico Actor William Shatner, 70, posed in a restaurant at New York's Parker Meridian hotel. He was promoting his role as host for two UPN "Iron Chef USA" specials.The Associated Press Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox herald themselves as the latest in video game evolution...

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Yahoo! Inc. will cut 400 jobs, or 13 percent of its work force, as it reorganizes itself in search of "sustainable, profitable growth," the Internet company told analysts Thursday. It is the second round of layoffs at Yahoo this year. In April, the company cut 420 jobs, 12 percent of its work force...

WASHINGTON -- Exercise can help older people avert a form of arthritis that can turn ordinary activities such as getting out of bed into a painful -- perhaps impossible -- chore, a study finds. Those who regularly walked or did weight training were less likely to lose abilities to perform activities of daily living, such as getting out of bed, the study says...

SAN DIEGO -- A study has found young women are better able to cope with stress than young men, leading researchers to suggest there may be such a thing as a female "anti-stress" hormone. German researchers said Tuesday they found differences in the way men and women fared on a memory test given to a small group of college students after they experienced stress...

SAN DIEGO -- The brain waves of professional musicians respond to music in a way that suggests they have an intuitive sense of the notes that amateurs lack, researchers said Wednesday. Neuroscientists, using brain-scanning MRI machines to peer inside the minds of professional German violinists, found they could hear the music simply by thinking about it, a skill amateurs in the study were unable to match...

ASHLAND, Ky. -- Just a few months ago, David Edwards was an ex-con who had lost his job, needed back surgery and had no idea what he would do when his unemployment checks ran out. Then the unbelievable happened -- he won $41 million in the Powerball lottery...

SPRINGFIELD, Ky. -- As farmers scanned the prices on their burley tobacco at the Washington County Co-operative Warehouse, one grower cautioned a farm wife not to expect too much for Christmas. "You can forget about that fur coat," said Edward Hill, drawing laughter from farmers shadowing a bevy of tobacco buyers and a singsong auctioneer, an autumn tradition at burley warehouses across the South...

There is no question that the best team won Saturday's Class 5A semifinal football game between Jackson and visiting Hazelwood East. But the Indians -- even though I know nobody associated with that fine program cares anything about moral victories -- certainly proved their legitimacy despite a 21-0 loss...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Like scores of other columnists, blessed with the constitutional guarantees of free speech and a free press, I attempt, most often vainly, to provide readers with enough facts and background to reach their own conclusions about the pressing problems of the day...

NEW YORK -- Among terrorist weapons experts worry about, one device tops the list: the atom bomb. While chances are remote that a terrorist might obtain one of the suitcase-sized nuclear bombs produced by the United States or former Soviet Union, analysts worry that a crude but deadly device might be fashioned from stolen nuclear material and a few sticks of dynamite...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The long-lost Super Bowl ring of Walter Payton has reportedly turned up under a college student's couch. The late Chicago Bears star lost track of the ring while speaking to a high school boys basketball team in 1996 about the importance of trust...

The Associated Press DALLAS -- Brian Michael grew up too fast, caring for his younger brothers while their single mother carted them in and out of homeless shelters. He came into Karen Hopper's foster care a street smart and angry 6-year-old...

"Harry Potter" creator J.K. Rowling has cast a spell on Hollywood that rivals any wielded by the boy wizard. Authors are notoriously rebuffed by filmmakers and studio bosses eager to reshuffle storylines or change characters to fit their own creative or marketing vision. But Warner Bros. was eager to please the British writer, envisioning her "Harry Potter" series as a franchise of seven movies that could generate billions of dollars over the next decade...

For William Shatner, the voyage continues at warp speed. Just check him out at breakfast earlier this week. Even sitting still, the once-and-forever Captain Kirk is on a quest. He presides. He glows. He rhapsodizes, seemingly as thrilled to discuss his slice of multi-grain toast as his latest batch of projects...

Leftovers are a serious part of the holiday feasting, tasty follow-ups to look forward to, prolonging the treat. Usually, leftovers are built into the cook's master plan -- after all, when we're calculating quantities who among us would plan to have not quite enough?...

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A woman who played a prominent role at the altar in a Roman Catholic congregation that was banished in 1999 for violating Vatican rules was ordained as a priest Saturday by an independent Catholic bishop. "There are many women who are called to be priests and that people are ready for that. There's no need to be afraid of it," the Rev. Mary Ramerman said after a three-hour service...

NEW YORK -- An Algerian has been charged with assisting an Osama bin Laden-trained terrorist who was caught with a trunkload of explosives apparently intended for a terror plot during millennium celebrations. Samir Ati Mohamed, 32, allegedly provided Ahmed Ressam with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol with a silencer so he could rob banks to fund his New Year's attack, according to a federal complaint made public Friday...

LOS ANGELES -- Harry Potter and his flying broomstick are sweeping away box-office records. The first big-screen adventure of the boy wizard, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," grossed $31.3 million in its debut Friday, the highest single-day take ever, according to distributor Warner Bros...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Deep in the geology department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha lie unpublished, detailed maps of Afghanistan's cavernous terrain. The library guards one of the largest foreign-held collections of Afghan manuscripts, and the professors are among the top U.S. experts on the region...

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Tom McDonough and Sean Moriarty opened 911 Marketplace in May hoping their store would be successful with shoppers searching for fire, police and emergency-themed gifts. But since Sept. 11 the they have been overwhelmed. The pair, who work in the training unit of the St. Paul Fire Department, say they're stunned by the shop's growth...

CRAWFORD, Texas -- Laura Bush took the lead for the administration Saturday in the latest public effort to discredit the Taliban, decrying the ruling militia's "brutal oppression" of women in Afghanistan. The campaign is meant to make restoring women's rights a priority when a new government emerges after the war...

The Associated Press SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The president of the University of California system reiterated his call for a new college entry exam to replace the SAT, while the head of the company that owns the popular exam defended it as the "best test in the world."...

Contraction is this nation's latest spelling word. It's the talk of Major League Baseball and soon fourth graders everywhere will be forced to learn the word. Our oldest daughter, Becca, is in fourth grade. But she hasn't talked about contraction. Lately, she and her younger sister, Bailey, have asked us about redoing their bedrooms. But as far as I can tell, none of that involves contraction...

WASHINGTON -- Authorities closed two Senate office buildings Saturday and awaited test results from a letter suspected of containing anthrax that was sent to a senator. The discovery jolted Congress again just as threat from the deadly bacteria had seemed to recede. "It's kind of chilling when you see your name on something like this," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, to whom the letter was addressed...

Mr. and Mrs. Charley Reed of Springfield, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Melody Ann Reed, to Kenneth Ryan Wasson of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Wasson of Springfield. Reed is a graduate of Glendale High School in Springfield, and is attending Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield...

City leaders say it's a likelihood. More pragmatic state transportation officials say it's a possibility. The U.S. Census Bureau won't even hazard a guess. But even if the greater Cape Girardeau area makes the bureau's list of new urbanized areas in March -- allowing the creation of a Metropolitan Planning Organization -- such an group may not have the regulatory teeth some hope it will...

10 years ago: Nov. 18, 1991 Although number of deer killed last weekend in Southeast Missouri was down from last year, local wildlife experts say they doubt there are fewer deer in area; Saturday marked start of nine-day firearm deer season in Missouri; hunters in Cape Girardeau County tagged total of 408 deer over weekend, down from 477 killed in first weekend of season last year; experts blame warm weather for lower kill...

The Cape Girardeau County Chapter of the Civil War Round Table will meet at 2 p.m. today in the Fellowship Room of Hanover Lutheran Church. Guest speaker will be John Coleman, professor of history at Southeast Missouri State University. The topic will be "The Civil War in the Life of an American Historian."...

Thomas Kelly SchoolFirst Quarter A Honor Roll 12th grade -- Jeremy Baker, Alana Burford, Ashley Butler, Adam Daughhetee, Chase Deason, Shannon Deshaney, Adam Duncan, Ashley Hahn, Brian Hency, Roger Jaynes, Amy Kern, Natalie Lewer, Adam Lofton, Bridgett Riley, Garrett Stricker, Brian Taulbee...

Kelly Elementary SchoolFirst Quarter Honor Roll 3rd grade -- Jennifer Abate, Garrett Alsup, Douglas Beggs, Taylor Beggs, Audrey Camren, Johnna-Marie Carter, Siobhen Castro, Brady Culver, Eric Dennis, April Eskew, Lacey Kight, Christopher Limbaugh, Joshua Long, Kyle A. ...

Addie Markert, 75, died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Sarah E. Millar, 91, of East Prairie died Friday, Nov. 16, 2001, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Aug. 21, 1909, in Marion, Ill., daughter of William D. and Ora B. Davis Priest. She had lived in East Prairie most of her life. She was a member of the First Christian Church...

ANNA, Ill. -- Jess V. Hammack, 74, of Anna died Friday, Nov. 16, 2001, at his home. He was born Sept. 26, 1927, in Unionville, Ill., son of Harry Alexander and Nina Curry Hammack. He and Luella M. Sitter were married Jan. 24, 1959. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He had worked as a stuntman for the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show and was a member of the American Federation of Labor Union...

Lenita Rohlfing, 88, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jonesboro, Ill., died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna, Ill.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dewan Douglas Rose Jr., 43, of Perryville died Friday, Nov. 16, 2001, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 13, 1958, at Muskogee, Okla., son of Dewan D. Rose Sr. and Patsy Jo Duggan Rose. He was a line machine operator at Solar Press...

The weather may have seemed like summer outside, but indoors it was beginning to look and smell like a cinnamon-glazed holiday. Snowmen, Santas, quilted wreaths and reindeer peeked around Christmas-laced booths as hundreds and hundreds of vendors from a five-state area took over the city for the weekend...

Two former reporters' minority status helped land them full-time teaching jobs at Southeast Missouri State University this fall, even though they fell short of the standard requirements for faculty jobs. The hirings reflect the school's commitment to increased diversity in all departments, officials say. Southeast has come under scrutiny from an accrediting organization whose review team last year said the school didn't have enough minority faculty and staff...

Time to give thanks WITH THANKSGIVING a few days off, I hope people will celebrate the day. As a nation, we have seen and lived through some horrendous experiences of the past two and a half months. However, we have also seen the true generosity of our people through the many blood drives, fund raisers and overall spirit of patriotism and nationalism that had been neglected for so long. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Steve and Dona Eversole of St. Charles, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Tonya Eversole, to Jason Lukefahr. He is the son of Robert and Susie Lukefahr of Jackson. Eversole received a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001. She is employed with Michael Tanner Furnishings...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Marilyn Lowes of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter, Jill Lindsay Lowes, to Matthew Todd Allen, both of Corpus Christi, Texas. He is the son of Paul and Jan Allen of Columbus, Kan. Lowes is also the daughter of the late Ronald Lowes...

Dennis and Joy Siebert and Cindi and Ken Kramer of Jackson, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsay Erin Siebert, to Rodney Theodore Sebaugh. He is the son of Ted and Thekla Sebaugh of Springdale, Ark. Siebert attended Jackson High School...

Leah Ann Reed-Hane and David Alan Conyers were married July 28, 2001, at Lakeshore Terrace Club House in Incline Village, Nev. Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. William Hane of Incline Village and Keith M. Reed of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Dorothy Bannister of Glendale, Ariz., and Lewis Conyers of Charleston, S.C...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Angela Michelle Eftink and Adam Christopher Laws were married Aug. 11, 2001, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City, Mo. The Rev. David Coon performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist was Betty Vandeven of Chaffee. Vocalists were Ruth Heisserer, Christy Hency, Delores Pobst and Rosemary Bryeans...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Claudia Deann Stoffregen and Scott William Voges were married Aug. 25, 2001, at Jackson Church of Christ. Bryan McCallister performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Gelena Stoffregen of Jackson, and the late Fred Stoffregen. The groom is the son of W.L. and Anna Dean Voges of Jackson...

WHITEWATER, Mo. -- Valerie Nicole Williams and Jonathan David Stidham were married Sept. 22, 2001, in an outdoor setting at the home of the bride's parents. C.B. Stidham of Rockview, Mo., grandfather of the groom, performed the double ring ceremony...

Cheryl A. Mothes and Richard L. "Rick" Hetzel were united in marriage Sept. 29, 2001, at Grace United Methodist Church. The Revs. Anselm Keith Williams and Larry Gallamore performed the double ring ceremony. Organist and pianist was Laura Bollinger of Cape Girardeau. Vocalists were Mike Dumey of Cape Girardeau and Julie Walker of Jackson, Mo...

GORDONVILLE, Mo. -- Cynthia Dawn Rodgers and Matthew James Jansen exchanged vows Oct. 6, 2001, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo. The Rev. Bill Huggins performed the ceremony. Organist was Mary Jansen, and vocalists were Leeann Jansen, Sharon Vandeven, Bob and Jeanne Clubb...

Amy Leigh Brown and Sonny Hodges were married Oct. 6, 2001, at Black Forest Villages. The Rev. John Ferguson performed the double ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Rodger and Debbie Brown of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Gene Hodges of Jackson, Mo., and Linda Hodges of Altenburg, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- David Shawn Talley, 22, of Brownwood, Mo., died Friday Nov. 16, 2001, following a car accident in Wayne County. He was born June 15, 1979, at Cape Girardeau, son of Kenneth and Frankie Futch Talley. He was a service technician with Talley Heating and Cooling...

GRAYRIDGE, Mo. -- Charles D. Harlan, 61, of Grayridge died Friday, Nov. 16, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 17, 1939, in Grayridge, son of Thomas and Viola Kamin Harlan. Harlan was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. Survivors include a son, Randy Throgmorton of Dexter, Mo.; a daughter, Beth Cook of Cape Girardeau; a brother, James Harlan of Grayridge; two sisters, Gloria Ritch of Grayridge and Beverly Hargrove of Napa, Calif...

CHICAGO -- New research bolsters the idea that brain scans can help determine whether mild memory lapses are early signs of Alzheimer's. Currently, doctors often diagnose Alzheimer's disease through psychological tests, plus a battery of medical procedures to rule out other possible causes of dementia. But the most definitive diagnosis can be made only after death, when the brain can be dissected...

The hunger to be a parent is so overwhelming for some couples that, when children aren't conceived, it can be devastating. There are struggles to overcome and grief to bear. For some, the torment comes in suffering miscarriages or dealing with the emotional and hormonal upheaval of in vitro fertilization. Three couples from Cape Girardeau County rode an emotional roller coaster for years as they tried to become parents...

Federal tax-relief proposals now moving through Congress as part of the stimulus package could result in lower tax revenue to Missouri, according to state budget officials. "While good news to taxpayers," the Associated Press reported, "the federal plans could force Missouri government to cut expenses, programs or personnel to make up for lost revenue."...

One of Cape Girardeau's most distinguished citizens has received additional recognition for his lifetime of leadership and accomplishments in the field of university outreach and extension. The well-deserved award went to 91-year-old Cape philanthropist B.W. Harrison, who is the 2001 recipient of the Gordon Warren Land-Grant Award, given annually to a person who exemplifies the land-grant mission of the University of Missouri and assists others in the community and state...

Cape Girardeau County Sunday, Nov. 18 DWIDanny R. White, 40, of Chaffee, Mo., was arrested Nov. 9 for driving while intoxicated. Jerry E. Myers, 33, of Columbia, Mo., was arrested Nov. 10 for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsMary Lou Rister, 50, of Wolf Lake, Ill., was arrested Nov. 9 for fraud on warrants for Cape Girardeau and Stoddard counties...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 18 SummonsBrenda Hail, 231 Mill Street, was issued a summons Friday for failure to pay city fees. Jackie Kaempfer, 1927 North Kingshighway, was issued a summons Friday for failure to pay city fees. Bob Haggard, Whitewater, Mo., was issued a summons Friday for failure to pay city fees...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 18 Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:At 1:04 a.m., an emergency medical service at 1505 Jessica. At 10:57 a.m., an emergency medical service at 900 Normal. At 11:16 a.m., an emergency medical service at 360 South Mount Auburn...

Local Boy Scouts were kept busy Saturday morning, as local residents left out thousands of cans of food to be collected for the annual Scouting for Food day. This year's totals showed continued improvement, said Bill Crowell, senior district executive for the Boy Scouts in the Cape Girardeau and surrounding area, which includes Perry, Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties, and parts of Scott and Stoddard counties. ...

Margaret Harmon, president of the Scott County Historical and Genealogy Society, will be the guest today on KRCU's "Going Public" show. Harmon will discuss the history and culture of Scott County. The public affairs program will air at 3 p.m. on 90.9 FM, the region's Public Radio affiliate station...

WASHINGTON -- One aspect of this week's crash of an American Airlines jetliner stands out, aviation experts say: The tail shouldn't have fallen off. Neither the turbulence from the jumbo jet that took off just before doomed Flight 587, nor pressure put on the rudder by pilots reacting to the wake, should have been strong enough to break off the tail...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Hazelwood East's linebacker/fullback David Richard was right. People weren't talking about Jackson running back Mario Whitney after the Class 5A semifinals Saturday. The chatter was mostly focused on the Spartans' defense. Hazelwood East showed why it is ranked first in the state and Jackson showed it could compete against anybody as the Spartans knocked off the Indians 21-0 in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Jackson Stadium. ...

Sitting elegantly at 2114 Yorktown on a quiet cul-de-sac is a house that offers much in the way of little luxuries. A winding path artfully leads past a decorative outdoor lamp that could be from another century. The first thing you notice upon entering the home is the sunken living room and large brick fireplace. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Hazelwood East is a brash, confident bunch. That's not surprising, considering the Spartans are the state's top-ranked high school football team and one national poll considers them to be the country's 20th-best squad. And in the days leading up to Saturday's highly-anticipated Class 5A semifinal against fellow unbeaten Jackson, a few of the Spartans made comments to the media that didn't seem to afford the Indians much respect...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Jessie V. Bueckman, 80, of Perryville died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2001, at her home. She was born Jan. 12, 1921 in Claryville, Mo., daughter of William E. and Louise M. L'Hote Manche. She and Earl L. Bueckman were married July 11, 1952. He died June 18, 1987...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- Tom Miller, 74, of Rockview died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 10, 1926, son of Earl and Emma Smith Miller. He and Kathryn Caul were married Aug. 12, 1948 . He served in World War II in the United States Navy and worked as an engineer for Frisco Railroad Company in Chaffee, Mo., before retiring...

Norman W. Copeland, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Jan. 24, 1928, at Fredericktown, Mo., son of Arthur W. and Myrtle M. Dennis Copeland. He and Wilma Jean Clark were married March 17, 1955, at Fredericktown...

To the editor: I am looking onto Fountain Street, pondering Thursday's front page: "Crack Alley: Battling drugs on South Fountain Street." This is my neighborhood. I puzzled as I read about arrests in 1995. Were there more arrests? Apparently not. Had there been a new outbreak of violence in the region of Indian Park? Seems not. Was there a renewed emphasis on cleaning up Cape Girar-deau's drug problems? Apparently not...

To the editor: It's about Harry Potter. There's really no debate to the subject in my eyes. But for those interested, there's a great book called "Harry Potter and the Bible" by Richard Abanes. He's done the research and does a really good fact-based comparison...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Billy Vessels, the elusive Oklahoma halfback who won the 1952 Heisman Trophy, died Saturday. He was 70. He died at his South Florida home after a long illness, said his son, Billy. Vessels was an All-American in 1952 and was the first Oklahoma player to win the Heisman. In 1950, he led Oklahoma in rushing and receiving, helping the Sooners capture their first national title. He was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Even though the season has just begun there's a definite sense of urgency for Clarence Gilbert, the lone senior on the Missouri roster. "There's no tomorrow for me," Gilbert said. "Those other guys can say 'Well, I had a bad game.' This is my last time and I'm trying to do the best with my opportunity."...

MIAMI -- Ken Dorsey put No. 1 Miami back on track for the national championship game, throwing four touchdown passes as the Hurricanes overwhelmed No. 14 Syracuse 59-0 Saturday. Dorsey, coming off four interceptions in a near loss to Boston College, rebounded against the Orangemen (8-3, 5-1 Big East). With teammate Bryant McKinnie shutting down NCAA sack leader Dwight Freeney, Dorsey picked apart the secondary, and the Hurricanes snapped Syracuse's eight-game winning streak...

EDINBURG, Texas -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team bounced back from Friday's loss to Montana to capture third place in the Texas-Pan American Tournament. The Otahkians knocked off the host squad 72-55 Saturday to claim consolation honors in the four-team event and even their record on the season at 1-1...

Southeast Missouri News Service BENTON, Mo. -- Kelly High School standout distance runner Adam Daughhetee recently signed a letter of intent to run track and cross country at Southeast Missouri State University. Daughhetee, a senior, is a two-time state champion in the 1,600-meter run. He has also received all-state honors in the 3,200-meters, and as a member of the 4 x 800 meter relay team...