Stories from Sunday, December 2, 2001

FRIDLEY, Minn. -- Born on a reservation, Sonja Tanner was shocked to learn that Europeans sometimes knew more about American Indian history than she did. Tourists from places as far away as Germany and Japan would drop historical tidbits on the local Dakota or Ojibwe tribes while trying to book visits to tribal lands through Tanner's travel agency...

COBDEN, Ill. -- The first time Roberta Elliott struck hammer to steel, she was hooked. "It's one of those things, you either love it or you hate it. For me, it's very exhilarating," Elliott said. "When you work the steel, when you're hammering a lot, it's like a runner's high. The endorphins get built up. That's a really good feeling."...

WHEELING, Ill. -- A 39-year-old Wheeling woman stopped for whiskey, beer and cigarettes just after hitting and killing a 72-year-old pedestrian with her car, prosecutors claim. Sheila Holub is charged with reckless homicide in the hit-and-run death of Donald Santowski Wednesday, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Scott Biestek said...

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. -- A graduate student at the University of Illinois at Springfield is recording information about a darker era of Morgan County history. Jacksonville native Vance Scott Martin, an intern at the Illinois State Archives in Springfield, has been working for about three months transcribing original, handwritten Morgan County poor farm records from 1848 to 1932...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A brother and sister from whose homes police seized enough PCP to make millions of doses of the hallucinogenic drug were ordered held without bond on conspiracy charges, federal prosecutors said. Tyron D. Washington, 29, and his sister, Durron S. Washington, 31, were each charged Friday with one count of conspiracy to distribute at least 1,000 grams of phencyclidine, commonly known as PCP, U.S. Attorney Todd Graves said...

ST. LOUIS -- An Egyptian aircraft mechanic detained on immigration charges for more than two months will be released from jail next week and allowed to fly home, his lawyer said Friday. Osama El Far, 30, was an airplane mechanic at Lambert Airport in St. Louis before he was detained Sept. 24 for overstaying his student visa. El Far is being held in the Mississippi County Jail in Charleston for the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service...

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. -- A Warsaw man has admitted sexually abusing hundreds of young girls whose assaults he videotaped. Elza Terry, 55, pleaded guilty Friday to all 16 charges against him. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 24. Terry faces up to six life terms in prison for raping and sodomizing two girls who were 6 and 8 at the time. The girls lived near Terry in Belton when he resided there in 1999...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Imagine a world in which you carry your entire DNA profile on a plastic card in your wallet, which your doctor could swipe through a machine to make a nearly instantaneous diagnosis. Or a world where such diseases as Alzheimer's, cancer or depression have been cured or controlled with new "designer" drugs...

PEKIN, Ill. -- Seventy-three-year-old Bill Thurmond offers proof that you're never too old or too young to learn how to juggle. "Anyone can learn how -- or at least try," the Minier resident told a crowd of about 45 would-be jugglers of all ages at a recent Pekin Public Library family activity night...

CARTHAGE, Mo. -- Marti Mosemiller has awakened to the Precious Moments message. It's not the kind of conversion that will have her lining shelves in her Greenwood, Ind., home with the kitschy, porcelain bisque figurines that carry a religious message...

CARTHAGE, Mo. -- The Precious Moments Chapel Center has been transformed for the holidays. When the sky grows dark, the park begins to glow with more than a million twinkling lights. A one-act show, "Christmas Remembered," also has been added as part of the weekend entertainment at the center's Wedding Island. ...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Business is bustling -- and squirming and stretching -- at Southern Illinois' most sophisticated nursery for newborn babies, where ribbons are stuck to tiny girls' heads and their ankle ID bands are about as big as their daddies' wedding rings...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A water pipe break has caused between $100,000 and $200,000 worth of damage to the main branch of the Kansas City Public Library. The pipe broke late Friday or early Saturday in a staff office area on the third floor of the building, damaging carpeting and a second-floor area filled with adult fiction and foreign language books. Some of the books had recently been purchased, said Jami Schaefer, community affairs supervisor for the library...

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- A plan is under way to move 50 inmates into the Bonne Terre prison facility as part of a boot camp program this spring, according to a Department of Corrections spokesman. Bonne Terre is home to a $168 million prison which has not previously held inmates...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Travis Stephens ran for a career-high 226 yards and No. 5 Tennessee stopped No. 2 Florida on a 2-point conversion with 1:10 left Saturday to further scramble the national championship Rose Bowl picture. The Vols (10-1, 7-1 SEC) advanced to next week's SEC title game against either LSU or Auburn, with a chance to play Miami for the championship in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 3...

WASHINGTON -- Michael Jordan is heading home to Chicago to have his ailing knee examined. Playing his fourth game in five nights, Jordan faded badly in the second half of the Washington Wizards' game against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night and was taken out of the game with 3:50 remaining...

ST. LOUIS -- Scott Mellanby scored with 1:17 left and Scott Young added two goals as the St. Louis Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on Saturday night. St. Louis has won four consecutive games, including a 3-1 victory Thursday night in Columbus. The Blues also have won their last five home games...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Kent Williams scored 22 points Saturday to lead Southern Illinois to 72-60 upset victory over Indiana. Indiana (4-2) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the game, but Southern Illinois (6-1) pulled ahead 8-6 on a jumper by Rolan Roberts and led the rest of the way...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Arthur Johnson had 16 points and 10 rebounds as No. 3 Missouri overcame a sluggish first half to beat Grambling State 100-76 Saturday. Missouri (7-0) shot 34 percent in the first half and led only 36-29. The Tigers, playing their second straight game against Southwestern Athletic Conference competition, shot 55 percent the rest of the way as Johnson scored 13 points en route to his second straight double-double...

STATESBORO, Ga. -- Adrian Peterson ran for 153 yards and two touchdowns, leading Georgia Southern to a 60-35 victory over Florida A&M on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The Eagles (11-1) are bidding for their third straight championship and the seventh in school history...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After the terror attacks, with the sports world suspending play for who-knew-how-long, Kent Heitholt issued this stern challenge: Don't let unspeakable violence paralyze America. The games should resume, the Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor wrote, "to thumb your nose at the bully by going about life."...

ATLANTA -- Remember the Atlanta Falcons? Oh, yeah, that's the team that spent one proud season as the Dirty Birds, flapping their arms all the way to the Super Bowl. Just as quickly, they faded back to obscurity, a super fluke that won only nine games the last two seasons...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Jay Rice figured he could get $1,800 a night in rent on his Deer Valley condominium during the Winter Olympics. With 2 1/2 months until the games, he still hasn't signed a tenant. So Rice, a 46-year-old hedge-fund manager, is hedging his bets. He's advertising a "half-price" condo in newspaper classified ads...

We can send men and women into space, but we can't get reliable Christmas tree lights. Every year, we faithfully drag out our colored lights and check each strand before we hang them on the fluffed branches of our artificial tree. This year was no exception. Every strand glowed brightly. So I began the task of wrapping the strands around the tree from top to bottom. When I was finished, I plugged in the lights and surprisingly they worked...

The Associated Press It's special to bring out treasured holiday decorations each year, but it's also fun to have family members cooperate on some new ones to add to the mix. Besides lending a holiday look to a home, it adds to the festive spirit of those living there. Pine cone parade...

NEW YORK -- All year round, but particularly as the end-of-year holidays draw near, the prospect of entertaining inspires cooks and hosts with the urge to make a special effort. There's no shortage of writers who have anticipated that interest in putting on a good show and want to help it along...

Jonathan Budil knew he was beaten. Laying his black king in the middle of the board, he let out a sigh, looked across the table at his opponent and quietly said, "Thank you" as he shook his hand. Budil, 34, was playing chess Saturday with opponent Jim Musumeci, 51, in the second round of the U.S. Chess Federation tournament at the Zimmer Radio Group/Bank of America building in Cape Girardeau...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Scientists with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation and the University of Oklahoma plan to decipher the genetic blueprint of a legume plant, a discovery they say could ultimately lead to improved varieties of crops. The non-profit philanthropic foundation has already spent $5 million doing preliminary work for the project, and has decided to dedicate an additional $5 million, said Michael A. Cawley, the foundation's president...

Associated Press photos/Andres Leighton Lorena Anaya, 4, from Spain, petted a dolphin at Manati Park in the tourist town of Bavaro, 115 miles east from Santo Domingo. While programs that offer the chance to swim with dolphins are enjoying a boom in popularity, the debate is growing about whether captivity and close interaction with people harms the dolphins.By Duncan Mansfield ~ Associated Press Writer...

Collecting scenes of a famous manger in Bethlehem came naturally to Jane Stuart. She has been a obstetrical nurse for 35 years and has three children of her own. The connection between mother and child has always been powerful in her life. "I loved the Christmas story and more the mother and the child," she says. "I've always been drawn to it."...

The meetings aren't long, but they're meaningful. The monthly gathering of the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission -- which is made up of architects, contractors, landlords, laborers, developers and ordinary residents -- generally last no longer than an hour...

BAVARO, Dominican Republic -- The two dolphins glide around the tourists, who hesitantly reach out to stroke the glossy backs. A photographer snaps a picture. One of animals seems to grin. "You can feel the connection with them, they seem to know us," Lim Streckland of St. Louis said as he emerged from the pool...

DALLAS -- As congressional negotiators work on a plan to improve security at the nation's airports, people who follow the airline business are concerned about the industry's ability to win back fliers who are staying home out of fear. Air travel, which dropped sharply after the Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings and attacks, is slowly recovering as some travelers have gotten over their initial anxiety about flying...

JACKSON, Mo. -- In a city with sparkling neighborhoods and a median family income exceeding $34,000, most Jackson residents don't have to worry about affording a Christmas gift for their children or having enough to eat during the holidays. But last year, hundreds of Jackson children received toys through the annual Toys for Children campaign and more than 250 food baskets were distributed through the Jackson Elks Christmas Program...

NEW YORK -- She slips into the firehouse every night around 7, a tiny woman with a sunny smile and a gentle sense of purpose that makes even the most exhausted firefighters pause. They call her the flower lady. They know she lives nearby, that she works during the day, that maybe once she appeared on Broadway...

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Notre Dame College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in operation for 51 years, is closing at the end of the academic year because of declining enrollment and a limited endowment, college officials said Thursday. Trustees met Wednesday night with the college president, the Rev. Anthony De Conciliis, and voted to close the school on May 31...

KENT, Wash. -- In 1984, the Green River slayings were the focus of a task force made up of dozens of investigators trying to find the person responsible for the deaths of 49 women in the Northwest, the nation's worst unsolved serial killings. Detectives followed thousands of leads, interviewed victims' friends, witnesses and possible suspects in the killings around Seattle and Portland, Ore...

MIAMI -- One day after the 2001 hurricane season ended, the weakened tropical depression Olga remained far out in the Atlantic on Saturday. Olga was expected to weaken further to a low pressure area over the next few days, said hurricane specialist Miles Lawrence...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The last time David Jones visited the 100-acre zoo in Afghanistan's capital, he admired bears and mountain goats native to the land as herds of red deer grazed peacefully. "It was then quite a nice zoo for that part in the world," said Jones, director of the North Carolina Zoo...

By Samantha Critchell ~ The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Putting up holiday decorations is fun. Taking them down is not. Maybe that's why there are so many wreaths still hanging on the door when the Easter bunny comes knocking...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Tribal warriors claimed to be making a major assault on Taliban forces defending Kandahar's airport Saturday night as thousands more fighters from another anti-Taliban faction headed toward the city from the north. In Germany, negotiations for a post-Taliban government saw progress when the northern alliance reversed itself and submitted nominees to serve on an interim administration alongside three other factions. ...

KOENIGSWINTER, Germany -- Talks on Afghan-istan's political future moved into a decisive phase Saturday after the northern alliance said it was prepared to transfer power to a U.N.-backed interim council and allow an international security force, clearing the way for an agreement...

TRES ESQUINAS MILITARY BASE, Colombia -- Protruding above the jungle like a giant white golf ball on a tee, Washington's latest investment in the war on drugs scans the horizon for small planes ferrying cocaine over the Amazon. The $13 million radar station was just inaugurated by President Andres Pastrana and the U.S. ...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- When a critically ill AIDS patient comes to Philippe Castera, the voodoo priest consults with the spirits and often tells the patient to lie in a coffin for 24 hours. The treatment isn't intended to attack the virus but the evil spirit believed to be causing the illness. Seeing the patient, Castera enters a trance, during which he says one of the spirits possesses him...

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Nelson Mandela, the former president of a country now beset by a deadly AIDS epidemic, commemorated World AIDS Day Saturday by urging South Africa's youth to fight the disease and accept those who suffer from it. "There is no difference whatsoever between somebody who is HIV-positive and myself," Mandela said. "We should approach people who are HIV-positive. We must give them love and support and not marginalize them."...

JERUSALEM -- Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowded pedestrian mall in downtown Jerusalem late Saturday, causing dozens of casualties, city police said. Paramedics said at least one person was killed, and witnesses said they saw several bodies lying on the ground...

NEW YORK -- Reba is in a jam. Not Reba McEntire, the Reba who reigns as queen of Nashville, toast of Broadway and instant sitcom star. No, it's Reba Hart -- the Dallas soccer mom of McEntire's new WB comedy -- who's the Reba with a mess of problems...

NEW YORK -- Bernie Mac will never be confused with Dr. Spock. Benjamin Spock, legendary baby doctor and best-selling author, urged parents to seek an understanding of their child's psychological needs. Bernie Mac, gruff-love advocate and hero of a new sitcom bearing his name, calls for beating some sense into their hard little heads...

NEW YORK -- It's a touching tale of hope and goodwill, of believing in something overwhelmingly good. It takes place in New York 54 years ago, but it's as meaningful today as it was then. Now "Miracle on 34th Street" has been reproduced in a handsome facsimile of the original 1947 book by Harcourt Inc. The small, hardcover edition, measuring 7 3/4 inches by 5 inches, has been faithfully copied down to the original typeface -- positioning and spacing of all the words re-created line for line...

LOS ANGELES -- For years, "Lou Grant" television star Ed Asner has worked hard to stay in the business. And it keeps getting harder. "With my gray and balding head, I don't work so much," the 72-year-old actor said. "If I didn't fight vigorously to produce or stick my nose into areas I have never worked in before, I would probably have to go. But I ain't going."...

Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Eddleman of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th anniversary with a dinner Nov. 16, 2001, at Celebrations. Hosts were their children, Bill and Hope Eddleman, and Sue Glueck, all of Cape Girardeau. Eddleman and Glenda Rose Deevers were married Nov. 16, 1951, at Centenary United Methodist Church by the Rev. R.C. Holliday. Their attendants were Elaine Smith Brame and Marvin Hoffman...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Robert Lee Suggs, of Lexington died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001. Arrangements are incomplete at Massie Funeral Home in Cairo, Ill.

CAIRO, Ill. -- David White, 83, of Springfield, Ill., formerly of Cairo, died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 at the Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. Arrangements are incomplete at Massie Funeral Home in Cairo.

COBDEN, Ill. -- Jack L. Moore, 66, died at his home Friday, Nov. 30, 2001. He was born Nov. 22, 1935, in Cobden, the son of Glenn and Wanda Winn Moore. He was a retired machinist. He is survived by two sons, Donald Moore of Aurora, Ill., and Ronald Moore of California; his father of Jonesboro, Ill.; two brothers, Wayne Moore of Cobden and Frank Moore of Anna, Ill; and a sister, Barbara Norton of Alto Pass, Ill...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Viola K. Arnold, 80, died Friday, Nov. 30, 2001, at the Beverly Nursing Center in New Madrid. She was born Sept. 2, 1921, in St. Louis, the daughter of August A. and Lucy Brown Zartt. She married Curtis Arnold on Oct. 22, 1955. He preceded her in death on Jan. 23, 1992...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Lora Everett Cox, 91, passed away Saturday, Dec. 1, 2001 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Friends may call Monday, Dec. 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson, followed by the funeral service at 1 p.m. at the funeral home...

ORAN, Mo. -- Cornelius "Colonel" Dannenmueller, age 82, of Scott City, formerly of Oran, died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born at Oran on Nov. 10, 1919, to the late Albert and Rosalia Welter Dannenmueller. Colonel served in the U. S. Army during World War II...

Christmas spirit TO THE people who have been calling Speak Out about the little things that bothered them during the Christmas parade: Please don't complain about such a beautiful event. We should be happy we have so much Christmas spirit in this town...

This most recent cold snap packed a walloping wind with it. I was walking in my backyard and felt a chill every time the wind whipped. The feeling was a bit refreshing when I considered the mild temperatures of the past month. It did not take long for that fresh feeling to wear off and be replaced with discomfort. I knew that I had several months of these cold winds to deal with. That is when I started to consider how wind hits my house and how I can stop it with trees and shrubs...

To the editor: Congress has passed a resolution to establish Tuesday, Dec. 4, as a National Day of Reconciliation before God. "This event isn't about Sept 11, although that has a major part to play," according to House majority whip Tom DeLay of Texas. "This is about a nation that has pushed God out of its institutions and out of its homes and out of its communities, coming back to God and showing God that we are a nation that honors and reveres him."...

Department of Conservation JEFFERSON CITY-- Missouri hunters enjoyed nearly perfect weather for the second year in a row and posted a record harvest of 205,867 deer during the November firearms deer hunt. Daytime high temperatures ran 10 to 20 degrees above normal during the 11-day November segment of firearms deer season. Lack of rain also encouraged hunters to stay in the field during the segment, which is open to hunting with modern firearms and muzzle-loading rifles...

10 years ago: Dec. 2, 1991 Many Cape Girardeau residents irate over recent changes in city's solid waste service should be pleased they won't have to endure $5 fee for collection of discarded Christmas Trees after holiday; City Council nixes plan to charge for pickup; instead, council votes to provide service free, provided residents call in tree-collection requests...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Anne Yavonne Branscum and Brandon Corey Borgfield exchanged vows June 30, 2001, at a private ceremony in Jackson. The Rev. Glenn Hamilton performed the double ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Walter Branscum of Kelso, Mo., and Shelba Branscum of Jackson. The groom is the son of Terry and Betty Borgfield of Jackson...

Susan Kay Giles and Nicholas Todd Hemmer were united in marriage Oct. 20, 2001, at First Christian Church. The Rev. Philip Curran performed the double ring ceremony. Organist and pianist was Beverly Reece of Cape Girardeau. Additional music was presented by a string quartet comprised of Beverly Reece, Eric Miller, Kyle Miller and Dr. Gary Miller, all of Cape Girardeau. Soloist was Lara Robey of Cape Girardeau. Scripture was read by Virginia Lakemeyer of Chesterfield, Mo., aunt of the bride...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Johnson of Valrico, Fla., formerly of Bloomfield, announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Christine Johnson, to Steven David Albritton. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leland Albritton of Sun City, Fla...

Larry and Brenda Schloss of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Erin Elisabeth Schloss, to Randy Lee Koehler. He is the son of Roger and Margie Koehler of Jackson, Mo. Schloss is a 1993 graduate of Notre Dame High School. She received a degree in mass communication from Southeast Missouri State University in December 2000. She is a victims advocate for the Network Against Sexual Violence...

Joy Hill of Cape Girardeau and David Holshouser of Perryville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah L. Holshouser, to Bret N. Hughes. He is the son of Barry N. Hughes of Glen Allen, Mo., and the late Bonnie Sue McCarter of Marble Hill, Mo...

Bob and Lee Watson of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Jo Watson, to Zachariah Moore Arnold. He is the son of Dr. Mike and Vona Jane Arnold of Springfield, Mo. Watson is a 1998 graduate of Central High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of arts degree in public relations and Spanish from Drury University at Springfield in December...

FRUITLAND, Mo. -- Pamela Jean Birk and Robert Aaron Haupt were married July 7, 2001, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, Mo. The Rev. David P. Johnson performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Orville Perr Jr. of Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Ted and Nancy Ernst of Fruitland. The groom is the son of Johnnie and Kathie Haupt of Fruitland...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Faith Lutheran Church in St. Louis was the setting April 28, 2001, for the wedding of Christina Renee Sides and F. Keith Johnson. The Rev. John Brunette performed the double ring ceremony. Keyboardist was John Schuesner and soloist was Betsy Bircher-Kloeckner, both of St. Louis...

Traci Lynn Pedtke and John David Mayfield were married June 16, 2001, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in DuBois, Ill. Msgr. Melvin Vandeloo performed the ceremony. Pianist was Donna Piotrowski of Tamaroa, Ill., cousin of the bride; trumpeter was Robert Giles of Cape Girardeau; and vocalist was Dr. Jeanine Wagner of Carbondale, Ill...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Jennifer Lynnae Peters and Joshua Lynn Turner were married Sept. 22, 2001, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo. The Rev. Bill Huggins performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Mary Jansen; soloist was Jill Landewee; and vocalists were Bob and Jean Clubb, Melissa Thele and Jennifer Brotherton, all of Leopold...

BURFORDVILLE, Mo. -- Amy Marie Aufdenberg and Michael Andrew Cracraft exchanged vows July 21, 2001, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, Mo. The Rev. David Johnson performed the ceremony. Organist was Lois Fehrmann and trumpeter was Scott Vangilder, both of Jackson. Soloist was Connie Aufdenberg of Burfordville, sister of the bride...

Lee Catherine Chesnick and Gary Mitchell Burchell were married Sept. 3, 2001, in Cancun, Mexico. Parents of the bride are Lee and Judy Chesnick of Old Appleton, Mo. The groom is the son of Gary and Dianna Burchell of Clarkton, Mo. A reception was held Sept. 29 at the American Legion Hall in Jackson...

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech forward Pawel Storozynski's eligibility to play will be reinstated in two weeks. The NCAA Reinstatement Committee has ruled the Lodz, Poland, native will be eligible to play when the Red Raiders visit the Houston Cougars Dec. 14. That is the next game scheduled after Tech hosted Texas Christian on Saturday...

Several area high school athletes received all-state accolades for the 2001 girls fall softball season. Picking up first-team honors were Amanda Nuyt of Perryville (Class 3A) and Caitlin Hoeh of St. Vincent (Class 2A). Selected to the second team were Notre Dame's Lindsay Reinagel (Class 2A), Kelly's Natalie Lewer (Class 2A) and Delta's Rebecca Cook (Class 1A). Poplar Bluff's Jessica Wilson, a senior outfielder, was chosen for the Class 4A second team...

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the Navy on Saturday over the sinking of the nuclear submarine Kursk, indicating poor planning could in part be to blame for the disaster and casting doubt on the theory that it sank in a collision...

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The manhunt for fugitive real estate heir Robert Durst came to a sudden end when the murder suspect was arrested at a Pennsylvania store for allegedly stealing a sandwich and Band-Aid for a cut under his nose, police said. District Justice Barbara Schlegel said Durst volunteered his name to police when he was taken into custody Friday and gave a New York address. A computer records check revealed he was wanted as a fugitive, she said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With most things, you get what you pay for. Missouri Department of Transportation officials are adamant that state residents want the transportation improvements they would get for $1 billion a year in additional revenue. Packages with a smaller price tag, they say, would only raise expectations that couldn't possibly be met...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Like the dark chasms that hide Muslim terrorists from the rest of the world, Missourians will soon enough find themselves enveloped in a sea of darkness, confusion and fright as the Day of Judgment approaches in January when the governor of Missouri unveils the state's new budget...

The wish lists for Christmas toys seem to grow as the holiday approaches. Yet many area children won't be receiving an abundance of gifts this season because their families cannot afford them. Toybox is a joint program of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian that provides holiday toys and gifts to needy children up to age 12. ...

WASHINGTON -- In select cases, the Bush administration is considering making concessions on both the death penalty and the use of military tribunals to gain custody of suspected terrorists held in Europe, a senior U.S. official said. It is the first indication that the United States might be willing to negotiate with other countries on how suspected terrorists will be tried...

WASHINGTON -- Danger to U.S. troops in Afghanistan is increasing as the Taliban militia and al-Qaida disintegrate, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld warns. "Let there be no doubt, there will be further casualties in this campaign, in Afghanistan and elsewhere," Rumsfeld said Friday, the 55th day of the U.S. aerial assault that has punished but not finished off the Taliban...

WASHINGTON -- Workers wearing protective suits and air tanks pumped poisonous gas into a Senate building contaminated with anthrax in a cleanup Saturday intended to make it possible to reopen shuttered offices. "We've taken great pains to have a plan that we think is effective," said Lt. Dan Nichols, a Capitol Police spokesman...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush appealed Saturday for Congress to pass his stimulus package and help Americans hurting from an economic downtown that has grown worse since the terrorist attacks. In his weekly radio address, Bush sparred with congressional Democrats over whether his proposal would truly help the growing number of people put out of work because of the attacks and the onset of a recession...

WASHINGTON -- Poor people soon could face a new choice at the supermarket: vitamins or food. Food stamp recipients could use their benefits to buy vitamin and mineral supplements under Senate legislation overhauling agriculture and nutrition programs...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Dec. 2 On Friday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 4:50 p.m., emergency medical service at 1427 Ozark St. At 7:34 p.m., alarm sounding at 823 Clark. At 8:51 p.m., emergency medical service at 2115 William. On Saturday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 12:56 a.m., alarm at 2551 Bloomfield...

CRAZY HORSE, S.D. -- A peace prayer pipe that belonged to a survivor of both the 1876 Battle of the Little Big Horn and the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre has been presented to the Indian Museum of North America at Crazy Horse Memorial. Dewey Beard was a boy when warriors under Crazy Horse defeated Custer's 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn...

Mr. G still lives in his own home but has some problems getting around. He cannot see well, which limits his activities. Mr. G, 88, has a dog to keep him company in his small house. The two would like a few gifts for Christmas since they survive on limited income and help from Medicaid and Medicare...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Jackson High's boys basketball team (2-1) trounced North County 54-28 to claim fifth place in the Farmington Tournament Saturday night. Leading by a slim 20-18 first-half margin, the Indians defense held North County to 10 second-half points...

Southeast Missourian The frustration continued for Southeast Missouri State University's Indians Saturday night. A 71-58 loss to Western Illinois in front of 3,926 fans at the Show Me Center dropped Southeast to 0-4 for the first time since the 1950-51 season, when the Indians started out 0-9...

If you long for the laid-back joys of country living, but depend on the convenience of town, this property at 167 Hogan Lane in Cape Girardeau County could be for you. Located in the Jackson School District off Route W and County Road 603, it is only a few miles from the convenience of both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo...

CANBERRA, Australia -- One of the world's biggest dance music companies wants to turn jets from collapsed Australian carrier Ansett into airborne night clubs. The British-based Ministry of Sound told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Tuesday it had put a proposal to Ansett's administrator to buy four jets...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after swindling people who had lost their pets. William Arnold Muniz, 40, scoured out-of-state newspaper advertisements, then contacted people who placed ads looking for their cats and dogs. He told them he found their animals and needed money to return them, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office...

LONDON -- King Henry VIII's writing desk, the wedding suit of King James II and a giant bed that got a mention in Shakespeare -- it's British history at a glance. The Victoria and Albert Museum's British Galleries have been refurbished and reorganized at a cost of $45 million to house a significant new collection of British culture, art and design from the 16th-century reign of King Henry VIII to the time of Queen Victoria...

Last winter, Attorney General Jay Nixon commenced what has long had the look of a vendetta against two respected Cole County circuit judges. Their names are Thomas Brown and Byron Kinder. Like Nixon and State Treasurer Nancy Farmer, who also figures in the matter, both Brown and Kinder are Democrats, so the dispute can't be laid to partisan differences...

The leadership at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources says it is committed to change. DNR director Steve Mahfood says he is implementing a restructuring of the huge department that will make it more responsive to all citizens. If true, this is certainly good news. DNR, home to something like 2,000 employees, has become a runaway agency, a government unto itself...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Dec. 2 DWIJeffrey W. Parkhill, 24, of 130 S. Missouri St. was arrested early Saturday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsDaniel K. Upchurch, 22, of 315 S. Pacific St. and Charles B. Coker, 25, of 839 Morgan Oak were arrested Friday for inhalation of solvents...

A 31-year-old female is being held in the Cape Girardeau County jail on $5,000 bond after assaulting a Cape Girardeau police officer Friday. Daniel Marie Patterson of Cape Girardeau was arrested for assaulting an officer and property damage. The incident happened at 7:15 p.m. Friday when officers responded to a theft call at Wal-Mart on William Street...

In former creative writing workshops I have stressed the value and craft of making your reader, See, Hear and Feel. Feel, as in some emotion -- joy, sorrow, laughter, compassion, etc. The easiest of these guidelines is, at least for me, See. With an abundance of legitimate adjectives, as well as some made up, one can make the Peace Rose or a red apple still hanging on a tree branch, come pictorially alive in the reader's mind's eye. ...