Stories from Tuesday, January 15, 2002

District offered $2 million for Schultz (01/15/02)
The Cape Girardeau school board Monday received a $2 million offer from an out-of-town developer for the Louis J. Schultz building and surrounding property. The bid came on the same day names recommended for the fifth-sixth-grade and seventh-eighth-grade centers were announced...

People in Laos have a way of finding fun in everything they do (01/15/02)
Editor's note: Ann Ostendorf of Cape Girardeau is taking a year to travel through England, Pakistan and Asia. This is one in an series of articles she is writing about her journey. aos is possibly the best-kept secret in all Asia. Most Westerners probably don't even know where it is. I didn't a year ago. Those who do probably remember it from the heavy bombing it received during the Vietnam War...

CD gift beefs up KRCU's classical collection (01/15/02)
In December 2000, KRCU general manager Greg Petrowich and "Sunday Night at the Opera" host Barbara Herbert drove to Poplar Bluff, Mo., in a pickup truck on a mission to bring more classical music to Southeast Missouri. In Poplar Bluff, they filled the bed of a Dodge Ram with boxes containing 1,885 classical CDs donated by a single benefactor, Dr. William Duckett. Petrowich estimates the donation augmented the public radio station's classical CD collection by about 70 percent...

Four mall stores close in last 10 days (01/15/02)
Some might see the closing of four stores at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park in a 10-day span as an ominous sign. The mall's manager, Jim Govro, sees it as a golden opportunity. "Everybody thinks that the mall's doing horrible because we have vacancies," said Govro. "It's a living and breathing entity that is always changing. We really see it as an opportunity, a chance to redefine ourselves."...

Ex-Southeast football player charged with rape, incest (01/15/02)
JACKSON, Mo. -- A man who once entertained dreams of playing professional football was in court Monday charged with statutory rape and incest. Ronald E. Shumate Jr., 40, of Dutchtown, Mo., is charged with three class C felony counts of statutory rape and three class D felony counts of incest...

Region digest 1/15 (01/15/02)
Rep. Emerson works alongside area citizens U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., spent Monday in the Eighth District, kicking off her "On the Road and on the Job -- Washington and Missouri at Work" tour. She and her staff will spend four days working alongside constituents in the district...

Six Southeast students attend leadership forum (01/15/02)
Six students from Southeast Missouri State University recently attended a leadership forum on faith and values in Jefferson City, Mo. The students were Ross McFerron of Advance, Mo.; Joel McDaniel of St. Louis County; Daniel Pattengill of Park Hills, Mo.; Brian Privett of Kennett, Mo.; Elizabeth Vaughn of Belleville, Ill.; and Emily Wahlman of DuPont, Ind...

Ag Expo events, soybean meeting planned in area (01/15/02)
Agriculture meetings are on the agenda for Southeast Missouri this week and next. The annual Ag Expo will be held Friday and Saturday at the Black River Coliseum at Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Southeast Missouri soybean growers will meet at Jackson, Mo., on Jan. 23...

Company reviving 'service flags' (01/15/02)
They were a common sight during World Wars I and II: "service flags," the small banners with large blue stars that families would hang in front windows to honor their relatives at war. Now, a St. Louis company wants to revive and expand the tradition, and a local American Legion post is willing to order the flags and sell them at cost...

Contract let for U.S. 412 paving (01/15/02)
Daily Dunklin Democrat KENNETT, Mo. -- The upgrading of U.S. 412 in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties into a four-lane highway has moved forward with the awarding of a contract by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for Phase 5 of the project. Phase 5 will pave an eight-mile section of road...

Actor's car found in lake (01/15/02)
CAMDENTON, Mo. -- A stolen Porsche found submerged in the Lake of the Ozarks belongs to actor Nicholas Cage, authorities say. The $100,000 car was in a transport trailer on its way from California to Pennsylvania when it was stolen Christmas Day from a parking lot in Arnold, south of St. Louis, said Arnold Police Detective Robert Streckfuss...

Man dies when car hit by freight train (01/15/02)
The Associated Press WELLINGTON, Mo. -- John E. Yardley, 26, of Napoleon, Mo., was killed early Monday when his car was hit by a freight train, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The patrol said Yardley pulled onto the tracks at an unsignaled crossing on a road north of Missouri 224, near Wellington...

Constitutional convention issue up to state's voters (01/15/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Voters will decide in November if a constitutional convention is needed to change the state's charter. The Missouri Constitution requires that every 20 years voters decide if a meeting is needed to revise and amend the state charter...

Holden, activist say work needed in civil rights (01/15/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden and civil rights lawyer Thomas Todd of Chicago joined a few hundred people to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s life Monday and urged all races to work together. King, the slain civil rights leader, would have turned 73 years old today. This year's national observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is next Monday...

St. Louis lawmaker quits House (01/15/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Another St. Louis lawmaker is leaving the House. Democratic Rep. Maida Coleman resigned Monday from her 63rd District seat. Coleman is favored to win a special election Feb. 5 for the Senate vacancy created by the Nov. 5 death of Democrat Paula Carter...

Two charged with murder of teen (01/15/02)
The Associated Press CLAYTON, Mo. -- Two St. Louis men were in jail Monday, suspected of killing an 18-year-old girl in August. Roosevelt Fletcher Jr., 28, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action, prosecutors said. Paul Keys, 19, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action...

Missouri tobacco lawyers awarded $111.2 million by panel (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Private attorneys will receive $111.2 million from tobacco companies for their role in pursuing the state's lawsuit against the industry, the lead attorney in the case confirmed Tuesday. A three-person arbitration panel approved paying the team of 48 attorneys $3.834 million a year for 29 years, said lead attorney Thomas Strong of Springfield...

Holden plans budget reshuffling (01/15/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When Gov. Bob Holden proposes his budget next week, he will suggest an unprecedented reshuffling of dollars among agencies in an effort to balance the budget, his financial chief said Monday. Some state programs will be eliminated and others will receive less money so that spending can keep pace with demands in priorities such as education and necessities such as inmate medical care, said budget chief Brian Long...

Bush given robust welcome at meeting with state farmers (01/15/02)
AURORA, Mo. -- Dairy farmer John Samek believes he finally has a president who is concerned about his welfare. In addition to a comprehensive farm bill, Bush told several hundred people Monday at the MFA Aurora Feed Mill that the death tax should be phased out so farmers can pass their assets from one generation to the next without worry...

GOP proposes new laws to open inaugural books (01/15/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Nearly a year after Gov. Bob Holden spent $1 million on his inaugural party, Republican lawmakers are trying to come up with a way to keep tabs on future spending for such galas. Even before the 2002 legislative session opened last week, two bills were filed to make future gubernatorial inaugural committees open their books to the public...

Trial begins in death of mother, kids (01/15/02)
CLAYTON, Mo. -- A jury seated Monday in the trial of a Joplin, Mo., man charged in a family's slaying should expect to see some disturbing evidence -- including crime-scene photos of the pregnant mother dead with her three young children, a defense attorney cautioned...

Columbia clinic to resume abortion service (01/15/02)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A Planned Parenthood clinic plans to resume abortion services nearly three years after a court decision forced it to stop. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri was to announce today that abortions will resume at its Columbia clinic for the first time since after a February 1999 court ruling...

Exiled monks create 'healing' image to commemorate attack (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- Arranging an art show isn't just nailing a row of hooks to the wall. These days, the Smithsonian Institution has to deal with artists like 20 Buddhist monks creating a symbolic depiction of the universe. It's a seven-foot horizontal circle on a low platform, called a mandala, done in millions of grains of colored sand...

Bush officials may have feared conflict in Enron meltdown (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- The meltdown of Enron Corp. threatened broader financial problems, but administration officials chose to do nothing -- even after being reminded by Enron that the government intervened in 1998 to prevent the collapse of a big fund for wealthy investors...

Lower gas prices spur decline in December retail sales (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- Retail sales edged down by a smaller-than-expected 0.1 percent in December as consumers showed resilience in the face of the recession and rising unemployment. The tiny decline reported by the Commerce Department Tuesday mainly stemmed from a 4.2 percent drop in sales at gasoline stations, reflecting lower prices at the pump...

Army Corps revokes some restrictions on wetlands (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- Developers no longer will have to restore or create new wetlands for every acre they drain or fill under new regulations issued by the Bush administration Monday. The new Army Corps of Engineers rules, which revoke some Clinton-era requirements, also will enable developers to win speedy approval for draining and filling permits under the Clean Air Act if the effect on streams or marshes is minimal...

FDA expands use of brain implant (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- A brain stimulator used to control tremors now can be implanted deep into a different part of the brain to fight other debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease, the government ruled Monday. Since 1997, doctors have been able to implant Medtronic Corp.'s pacemaker-like device into one side of a patient's brain to cut the tremors that plague patients with Parkinson's and certain other diseases. Tremor experts have called the Activa system a major advance...

U.S. wants to cut city flight patrols (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- The military has flown more than 13,000 fighter-jet patrols over American cities since Sept. 11 at a cost exceeding $324 million. Now it wants to cut back. The round-the-clock patrols designed to deter terrorists may be straining planes and personnel, the Pentagon said Monday...

Details of Enron deal released (01/15/02)
AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) -- A Swiss investment bank won't pay anything to acquire Enron Corp.'s energy trading business, won't assume any of the troubled company's debts and will share a third of its profits with Enron and its creditors, under terms of a deal made public Tuesday...

U.S. forces pinpoint more hidden complexes (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- American troops captured seven new prisoners in the war in Afghanistan as they pressed ahead with the hunt for hiding al-Qaida terrorists and Taliban leaders, defense officials said Tuesday. The prisoners were caught during one of several ongoing operations, one official said. He declined to give details, saying the efforts continue...

Bush airs fresh concerns about unemployment (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterNEW ORLEANS (AP) -- President Bush aired new fears Tuesday about unemployment, which last month hit a six-year high, and touted free trade as a cure. He accused the Democratic-controlled Senate of stalling trade and energy legislation...

Carnahan makes her Senate campaign official (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Jean Carnahan, the widow appointed to the U.S. Senate after her husband died in a plane crash, will run for the seat this year. The news was no surprise; even before taking the oath of office, Mrs. Carnahan said she would seek to finish the six-year term if she felt she was accomplishing something. And she raised more than $2.3 million in campaign money before the year was half finished...

Alabama woman says her husband was kidnapped in Afghanistan (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- An Alabama man was kidnapped for ransom in Afghanistan while delivering medical supplies last week, his wife told government officials. The woman reported the abduction to the State Department and the office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., a longtime friend. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the report is being investigated but would not identify the man because of privacy laws...

Solutions offered for inconclusive Pap tests (01/15/02)
WASHINGTON -- More than 2 million American women enter medical purgatory every year: Their Pap smears come back inconclusive. The laboratory found something abnormal but couldn't tell if it was an early sign of cervical cancer or not. It's a high-anxiety time, one that -- in these days of 10-minute doctor visits -- women too often grapple with on their own. How can they tell if it's a false alarm, as the vast majority will be, or if they're actually developing cancer?...

Newest Internet suffix makes debut today (01/15/02)
NEW YORK -- Internet users looking to give friends and relatives an easy-to-remember e-mail or Web site address can now turn to their own name. ".Name," the first Internet address suffix created exclusively for individuals, makes it debut today. Some 60,000 addresses with the suffix will be activated by Global Name Registry, a London-based company administering .name...

Buyer of division will share profits with Enron, creditors (01/15/02)
NEW YORK -- The Swiss investment bank that is buying Enron Corp.'s power trading business will share a third of its profits with Enron and its creditors, a source familiar with the situation said Monday. The plan, being presented in bankruptcy court, also calls for UBS Warburg to purchase the unit without paying any cash up front, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity...

Nation digest 01/15/02 (01/15/02)
Judge rules ban on video poker unconstitutional ATLANTA -- A judge overturned Georgia's new ban on video poker machines Monday, calling the law unconstitutionally vague and the result of lawmaking that "poses a real threat to liberty." The Legislature passed the law during a special session last summer, responding to complaints that companies moved thousands of video poker machines to Georgia after they were banned in neighboring South Carolina two years ago...

World digest 01/15/02 (01/15/02)
U.S. Embassy in Yemen suspends most services SAN'A, Yemen -- The U.S. Embassy in Yemen suspended most consular services Monday and warned Americans they could be targeted by terrorists, while Yemeni security officials stepped up protection of the compound, saying it received a specific threat...

Court rules federal suits can trump arbitration agreements (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal anti-discrimination agency may step in to win back pay or other help for workers who have signed away the right to sue their employers, a divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday. The 6-3 ruling clarifies the reach of the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and curbs the ability of employers to keep workplace disputes out of the courts...

2 students seriously wounded in high school shooting in NYC (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterNEW YORK (AP) -- Two students were seriously wounded Tuesday in a shooting in a high school. The shooting happened a few minutes before 2 p.m. at Martin Luther King Jr. High, a public high school on Manhattan's Upper West Side near Lincoln Center...

American Taliban to be charged in civilian court (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has approved allowing the Justice Department to charge American Taliban John Walker Lindh in civilian court on charges of aiding terrorism, government sources said Tuesday. Lindh, 20, was captured in November fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. ...

Buying resumes Tuesday despite earnings anxiety (01/15/02)
AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) -- Buyers returned to Wall Street Tuesday, lured by cheaper stock prices after six straight losing sessions but still anxious about impending earnings reports. With earnings reports imminent -- including Intel's, scheduled after the close of trading -- investors were wary of taking many chances. Stocks gave up solid, early gains and fluctuated sharply during the afternoon...

Opposition party office burned down in Zimbabwe (01/15/02)
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Government-backed militants beat and critically injured several opposition activists in Zimbabwe over the weekend and an opposition party office was burned down, officials said Monday. The unrest, which reportedly included police tear gassing an opposition rally and militants from President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF spraying several homes in Harare with gunfire, capped a week marred by violence...

Leader of group that killed Israeli cabinet minister detained (01/15/02)
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- Palestinian police have detained the leader of a faction that claimed responsibility for the assassination of an Israeli cabinet minister, Palestinian security sources said. Officials from Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine confirmed that Ahmed Saadat has been detained...

WTO rules against U.S. again on tax breaks case (01/15/02)
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The World Trade Organization handed the United States a major loss Monday with a decision that opens the way for the European Union to ask for billions of dollars in punitive tariffs on U.S. imports. Both the EU and the United States, however, immediately signaled their desire to avert a trade war that would dwarf any previous dispute and most likely hurt companies on both sides of the Atlantic...

Fatah and Hamas say they will stick to cease-fire (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterTULKAREM, West Bank (AP) -- Two Israelis were killed in gun attacks in the West Bank on Tuesday, including one with American citizenship, even as the two largest Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, said they would stick by a truce despite the death of a militia leader...

Irishman is elected new presiden to EU Parliament (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterSTRASBOURG, France (AP) -- Irish Liberal Pat Cox was elected president of the European Parliament on Tuesday following an unexpectedly tough fight from a Scottish challenger with close ties to British Prime Minister Tony Blair...

Rioters hit banks in two cities in Argentina (01/15/02)
Associated Press WriterBUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Rioting demonstrators shattered bank windows and trashed automatic teller machines in two provincial cities on Tuesday in a new outburst of violence sparked by a banking freeze and demands for back pay...

Pakistan detains more militants (01/15/02)
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistani police brought in hundreds more Islamic militants for questioning Monday as part of a crackdown that included anti-India extremists. But India was not impressed, and both nations refused to withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops massed along their border...

Last-ditch diplomatic effort saves Colombian peace talks (01/15/02)
SAN VICENTE DEL CAGUAN, Colombia -- Colombia's government and main leftist rebel group agreed Monday to resume peace talks, diplomats and a U.N. envoy said, overcoming an impasse that threatened to plunge the country into a new round of fighting. France's Ambassador to Colombia, Daniel Parfait, read a statement saying that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, had dropped its objections to returning to peace talks that have been paralyzed since October...

Pakistan urged to let refugees into camp (01/15/02)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- U.N. aid officials implored Pakistan on Monday to let more than 13,000 Afghan refugees into a border camp so they can receive aid and protection from the harsh winter. Meanwhile, the United Nations' World Food Program said it had sent its first international staffer back to the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, which had been staffed by locals since just after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States...

Metal sheeting makes fine satellite dish in Kabul (01/15/02)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The metal sheeting was constructed for another time, another place -- to become cans of creamy dessert topping. But in Kabul, where raw materials are scarce and ingenuity abundant, entrepreneurs have given it a different identity...

Strikes on terrorist hide-outs intensify (01/15/02)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- U.S. warplanes intensified bombing raids on terrorist hide-outs in eastern Afghanistan on Monday in hopes of striking Osama bin Laden's die-hard supporters, and the United Nations called on donor nations to step up aid to rebuild the country...

Jackson win ends a three-game slump (01/15/02)
MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- After three straight losses, Jackson's boys basketball team built a solid halftime lead and cruised past Woodland 66-44 Tuesday night. Jackson (7-7) led 13-8 after the first quarter and 28-18 by halftime. Woodland fell to 7-7. "I thought we gave it everything we had," Woodland coach Ted Hahn said. "I didn't think we played bad at all."...

Bluff defense topples ND in 2A-4A showdown (01/15/02)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A dry second quarter helped seal Notre Dame's fate Monday against Poplar Bluff in a battle of two ranked girls basketball teams. Notre Dame made just one shot from the field in the quarter -- part of a 35-percent shooting night -- in helping Poplar Bluff to a 30-15 first-half lead...

After years of losing, Meadow Heights shows signs of turnaround (01/15/02)
PATTON, Mo. -- It used to be if you didn't want to spoil a festive occasion, you dialed 1-800-PAN-THER. For years, the Panthers of Meadow Heights have been the perfect homecoming opponent. "We played four homecomings last year," senior forward Joe Jordan recalled. "Everybody wanted to play us for homecoming -- at least that's the way it seemed."...

Duke returns to top of poll (01/15/02)
Duke returned to No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll Monday, while four schools moved into the Top 25 after a week in which ranked teams lost 17 games. The Blue Devils (14-1) had been on top of the poll all season, including five straight weeks as a unanimous choice, until the loss at Florida State dropped them one spot...

Otahks Chase away losing streak 77-53 (01/15/02)
Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team needed someone to step up and chase away the frustrations of three straight home conference losses. Enter Lori Chase. Junior forward Chase, Southeast's leading point producer, led the Otahkians to a must-win 77-53 victory over Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State University at the Show Me Center Monday night...

Knight, Tech become Big 12 novelty (01/15/02)
By Doug Tucker ~ The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The days when Texas Tech could slip quietly in and out of town are over. Now the Big 12 has the Bob Knight Traveling Road Show, a sort of basketball circus with you-know-who taking center stage...

Redskins quickly hire Spurrier to replace fired Schottenheimer (01/15/02)
ASHBURN, Va. -- Steve Spurrier became the highest-paid coach in the NFL on Monday, signing a $25 million, five-year deal with the Washington Redskins. The Redskins announced the signing of Spurrier a day after firing Marty Schottenheimer. Spurrier, who abruptly left Florida on Jan. 4 after a successful 12-year run, will be introduced Tuesday at a news conference at Redskin Park...

Defending champion Capriati wins her first-round match (01/15/02)
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Jennifer Capriati began defense of her Australian Open championship with precision shotmaking that made short work of Silvija Talaja. Capriati won 6-4, 6-1 in slightly more than an hour Tuesday. She finished by blasting a forehand serve return that rocked Talaja back on her heels. Then Capraiti put her away with an easy forehand...

Sports digest 1/15/02 (01/15/02)
College*** Southeast Missouri State's gymnastics team fell to 0-2 on the season Sunday with a loss to Illinois State in Normal, Ill. Denise Houda won the all-around (38.950) to lead Illinois St. to a 191.400 total. Southeast's Ashley Godwin (38.850) was a close runner-up to Houda as Southeast finished at 188.625. Godwin won the vault as she tied her career-bet with a 9.750 in the event....

Buccaneers end speculation, fire Dungy after six seasons (01/15/02)
By Fred Goodall ~ The Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. -- Tony Dungy was fired Monday night as coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, clearing the way for the team possibly to hire Bill Parcells. Dungy was the most successful coach in club history, compiling a 54-42 record in six seasons and leading the Bucs to the playoffs in four of the past five years...

Bonds agrees to 5-year deal (01/15/02)
The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants agreed Monday night to a $90 million, five-year contract. Bonds, who set baseball's season home-run record by hitting 73 last season, will receive a $10 million signing bonus to be paid through April 2004. He gets salaries of $13 million in each of the next two seasons, $16 million in 2004, $20 million in 2005 and $18 million in 2006...

O'Neal suspended 3 games for Shaq attack (01/15/02)
NEW YORK -- For once, Shaquille O'Neal can be thankful for his poor aim. The Los Angeles Lakers star drew a three-game suspension Monday from the NBA for throwing a punch and fighting with Chicago center Brad Miller. O'Neal actually threw at least two punches, the first of which barely missed the side of Miller's head. ...

Steeler LB named top defensive rookie (01/15/02)
By Barry Wilner ~ The Associated Press Kendrell Bell was passed over in the first round of the NFL draft, only to have the Pittsburgh Steelers trade up 12 spots and chose him in the second round. That made Bell feel wanted, and the comfort paid off handsomely Monday when he was chosen The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year. The inside linebacker from Georgia got 41 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL...

Study links head injury with depression decades later (01/15/02)
CHICAGO -- Concussions and other head injuries in early adulthood may significantly raise the risk of depression decades later, a study of World War II veterans found. The study has disturbing implications for football and hockey players, motorcyclists and others who have taken blows to the head...

Tips on surviving travel disasters (01/15/02)
Disasters come in all shapes and forms. The more you travel the more you realize it is not if disaster will strike, but when. Over the years I have experienced many small disasters that have certainly broadened my horizons and taught me many valuable lessons...

A look at long-term healthcare needs (01/15/02)
Part 1 of 2 parts It's harder and harder to avoid the topic of long-term care these days. Almost everyone has a parent or relative who is receiving, or has received, long-term care. Almost everyone has a story to recite about the unexpected high cost of long-term care...

Forget paying for exercise equipment; stairs are free (01/15/02)
$$$Start hkronmueller I'm ashamed to admit I spent money on one of those ab workout belts that promises to shed two inches off your waist in two weeks or less by sending electrical impulses into your stomach area -- but I did. I should have been wary of the product when the infomercial announcer quickly read a list of warnings as long as my arm, but I was too wrapped up in the thought of having a slender mid-section that the hazards didn't seem to matter. ...

'Today' celebrates 50th anniversary (01/15/02)
NEW YORK -- On its Golden Anniversary broadcast, NBC's "Today" reprised moments grand and goofy from its past 50 years. And at least one live segment Monday morning will likely become part of any future retrospective: Katie Couric and the baby chimp...

Great West building larger facility (01/15/02)
Business Today KENNETT -- Great West, formerly General American Life Insurance Co. Claims Inquiries office, is constructing a new facility for the corporation. The 20,000-square-foot building will be located on South By-pass, on what will be called Great West Drive, and it is scheduled to be completed by June 2002. The announcement was made Dec. 17...

Eagle Oil -- keeps on-site contractors lubed and fueled (01/15/02)
By Jim Obert Business Today JACKSON -- When Jim Rowland and his wife bought Eagle Oil from Les Eagle in 1982, they kept the name of the business and formed a corporation. The business came with a tank wagon for delivery of fuels to farms, and a few small commercial accounts...

Boardings increase at Cape airport (01/15/02)
Business Today Boardings for Cape Girardeau-to-St. Louis flights have been markedly increasing during the past two months, according to airport manager Bruce Loy. "We were up 24 percent in November and 17 percent in December," said Loy. Like most airports in the United States, Cape Girardeau's experienced changes following the terrorist attacks. Following an all-time high of 700 boarding passengers in August, the number of travelers dropped to about 500 in September...

Cape-based telecommunications company purchased (01/15/02)
Big River Telephone acquires LDD By Jim Obert Business Today A local telecommunications company that reaches into Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky from its base in Cape Girardeau was sold in late December to Big River Telephone Co. LDD, which was started in 1983, was sold by Ed Eagleton to a group of businessmen with extensive telecommunications experience in the St. Louis area...

New high school acting as magnet for business (01/15/02)
By Heather Kronmueller Special to Business Today Construction of a high school in southwest Cape Girardeau is prompting road building and attracting entrepreneurs who want to develop an abundance of open property. Among new developments: * A retail center including space for 12 businesses at Highway 74, also called Southern Expressway, and South Silver Springs Road...

Economic outlook conference scheduled (01/15/02)
"What's Ahead for the Year 2002?" is the theme of the fourth annual Economic Outlook Conference scheduled Feb. 15 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The conference will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall...

Guest editorial - The economy and the Democrats' risky strategy (01/15/02)
By David Keene WASHINGTON -- Except in time of war, U.S. elections tend to turn on the incumbent party's handling of the economy. It is a truism the Democrats may run smack into as they prepare to run against a party headed by a popular wartime leader during an economic upswing...

Cape shuns recession -- building continues (01/15/02)
Business Today The country and the state may be sloshing through a recession, but the economic downtwist hasn't halted commercial growth in Cape Girardeau. The city's building permit records show businesses undertook fewer but larger construction and renovation projects this past year...

Agricultural expo Jan. 18-19 (01/15/02)
Dates have been established for the 16th annual Heartland Agriculture and Natural Resource Expo, which will be held at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. More than 100 booths will display products relating to all aspects of agriculture and natural resources in Southeast Missouri and northeast Arkansas...

Business counseling sessions available (01/15/02)
The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Perryville in January. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

Major cement maker awaits permits (01/15/02)
Holcim says committed for long-term By Jim Obert Business Today STE. GENEVIEVE -- Holcim (US) Inc., one of the nation's largest cement manufacturers, and until last month known as Holnam Cement Co., insists it will build a $600 million cement plant that will create 1,000 construction jobs and 200 full-time jobs with a $10 million annual payroll...

State construction up first 11 months of 2001 (01/15/02)
Missouri construction through 11 months of 2001 was up 5 percent, but November totals were down in all phases -- residential, nonresidential building and nonbuilding. Total construction for the year going into the final months topped $7.4 billion going into December, up from the $7 billion during the same period in 2000, according to the F.W. Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill Cos., which keeps tabs on the nation's construction...

Traffic signals for busy intersection (01/15/02)
Business Today PERRYVILLE -- Motorists won't have to depend on luck and prayers to get through the interchange at Interstate 55 and Highway 51 without a fender bender after traffic lights are installed there later this year. Motorists, police, city officials and state highway engineers say it's particularly hard to make left turns off the northbound and southbound exit ramps onto Highway 51...

Jackson permit status for December (01/15/02)
The following is the December permit status of new business-related buildings, expansions and remodeling projects in Jackson. Rodney Bollinger, Jackson Planning and Zoning superintendent, provided information for this report.. New commercial buildings and remodeling...

Renaissance wins lawsuit to make planes (01/15/02)
Business Today Renaissance Aircraft has been awarded $2.7 million in compensatory and punitive damages from the foundation that had claimed it had terminated the company's license to build its aircraft. An Arizona arbitrator made the decision last week...

Classic cars business teams with eBay subsidiary (01/15/02)
Business Today DEXTER -- A Dexter business has joined forces with an international firm in the classic collector cars trade. Kruse International, an eBay Inc. company, has announced it has reached an agreement in which Smith's Auction Co. will acquire partial ownership in its Hot Springs Classic Collector Car Auction held in Hot Springs, Ark., on March 8-9...

Saint Francis plans medical complex in Butler County (01/15/02)
Business Today POPLAR BLUFF -- Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau intends to build a new medical campus here as part of a new alliance with doctors in the Poplar Bluff area. A 50-bed hospital would be part of the complex. "We've always considered Poplar Bluff an important part of our service area," said Saint Francis CEO Steven Bjelich. "That's why we're devoting resources and manpower to it."...

Business 2002 - Lessons from the attack (01/15/02)
By John R. Graham Whatever else the nation has learned from the Sept.11, 2001, attack on America, it is clear that American business was sent a loud wake-up call. Companies discovered their vulnerability, not from without but from within. What happened to business in the weeks since Sept. 11 is revealing-and instructive. For a while, it seemed that companies were actually catatonic, unable to make a move or a decision. No one wanted to do anything because no one knew what might happen next...

New court decisions could impact your business (01/15/02)
The following are three recent workers' and unemployment compensation cases that could have an impact on your business. A recent ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals expanded employer liability to include forces outside of a place of business. ...

Cement maker Holnam becomes Holcim (01/15/02)
Business Today Holnam Inc., one of the nation's largest cement manufacturers, has announced that it has changed its name to Holcim (US) Inc., effective immediately. The move to a new name is not the result of an ownership change or corporate restructuring. The new identity aligns the company with its corporate parent, originally Holderbank Financiere Glaris Ltd., which changed its name to Holcim Ltd. earlier this year...

Mogul's Mexico decision on hold (01/15/02)
Business Today Federal Mogul Corp., an industry employing more than 400 workers at Malden, has backed off a Nov. 1 announcement by a company official that the plant will be moving to Puebla, Mexico, which already hosts one Mogul operation. The final decision was expected Dec. 1, but that date passed without further notice...

MARMC celebrates 50 years in June (01/15/02)
Business Today FARMINGTON -- The Mineral Area Regional Medical Center Auxiliary and Volunteers have a major undertaking planned for 2002. The newly elected officers and committees are ramping up for the hospital's 50th anniversary celebration in June...

Former hotel being renovated (01/15/02)
Will be housing for seniors Business Today KENNETT -- When Ken Maddox drove by the old Cotton Boll Hotel building on First Street for 10 years, he knew the vacant building had to have a purpose. Then, about two years ago, he decided to begin construction on what will become Cotton Boll Commons...

Judge dismisses collective bargaining suit against Holden (01/15/02)
Business Today JEFFERSON CITY -- A judge on Dec. 18 dismissed state Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder's lawsuit challenging Gov. Bob Holden's executive order that granted collective bargaining rights to state workers. Cole County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Brown III ruled that Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, and fellow plaintiffs lacked legal standing to bring the lawsuit and that their claims were speculative and therefore not ripe for judicial review...

Community leaders tour new tech center (01/15/02)
Business Today POPLAR BLUFF -- State representatives, city and school officials, and business leaders recently toured the newly-constructed addition to the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center. "The main purpose of this is to express our appreciation and thanks," said Roger Slayton, director of the Technical Career Center...

Heartland Realty merges with Ashland Realty (01/15/02)
Heartland in Jackson is merging with Century 21 Ashland Realty. "This will improve our services in the Jackson area," said Gerald McElrath, broker and owner of Heartland. "We hope to provide greater home and business selections and faster times in selling properties."...

OSHA seminar scheduled for Jan. 31 (01/15/02)
Julie O'Keefe, attorney with Armstrong Teasdale LLP, will discuss Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new injury and illness record-keeping standards during a program to be held Jan. 31 at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The conference will be from 1-4 p.m., with registration at 12:30 p.m...

Diversifying your portfolio with real estate (01/15/02)
The decline of the stock market since early 2000 has taught many unseasoned investors a hard lesson -- the value of diversification. This isn't merely a matter of diversifying among stocks, though that's important. It includes diversifying among asset classes, and one asset class overlooked by many investors is real estate...

Soil, water conservation meeting scheduled (01/15/02)
The Pulaski-Alexander Soil and Water Conservation District's 54th annual meeting will be held Jan. 24 in the cafeteria at Shawnee Community College. A 6 p.m. dinner will be followed by the business session at 7 p.m. Three directors will be elected, and the group's "Conservation Farmer of the Year" will be introduced...

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