Stories from November 2003

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals announced Friday they will leave season-ticket prices unchanged for the 2004 season despite losing an estimated $10 million this year. After winning three consecutive NL Central titles, the Cardinals finished in third place and drew less than 3 million fans for the first time in six years...

Republican Dr. Steven Tilley of Perryville has declared his candidacy for state representative in the 106th District. Tilley, 32, said he supports gun rights and local control of schools while opposing abortion and tax increases. "I am honored and excited for the opportunity to run to represent the great people of this area in our legislature," Tilley said...

Editor's note: The names of students have been changed in this story. By Callie Clark ~ Southeast Missourian Why do I have to do this junk? I probably won't pass the test anyway." The boy's adolescent voice cracks as he slams a No. 2 pencil onto his desk. He sits with his back to the rest of the class, certain he will never need to know how to round 57.196...

As Becky Zieske holds her circular knitting needle, she wraps the yarn around her fingers and works it into a stitch. Eventually those stitches form a row and the rows come together to create a prayer shawl. As she works, Zieske is praying for a niece in Minnesota who has cancer...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville proved stubborn early before visiting Cape Girardeau Central took control and romped 42-0 Friday night to set up a showdown next week for the Class 4, District 1 title. The Tigers improved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in district play while the Pirates fell to 3-6 and 0-2. Central visits undefeated, state-ranked Poplar Bluff on Thursday with a playoff berth on the line...

Could they do it again? That was the popular question when the Indians fell in a 22-12 hole late in the third quarter of a Class 5, District 1 game Friday against Parkway West. But despite a comeback that put the Indians in the lead midway through the fourth quarter, the magic of Jackson's comeback win over Parkway Central a week earlier was not there against the Longhorns, who got an 80-yard touchdown run from Chris Jackson to pick up their first district win 28-26...

Patty Schlosser is Cape Girardeau County elections supervisor. Her title was incorrect in an article in Friday's edition. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

I WOULD like to thank everyone who was involved in the great storytelling at Bollinger Mill on Oct. 24. The storyteller was wonderful, refreshments were great, the hospitality was super and we had a wonderful time. Thanks to all involved. Supply and demand...

Jill Ann Rhodes, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Gloria L. Taylor, 60, of Anna died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center in Jonesboro, Ill. She was born March 29, 1943, in Flint, Mich., daughter of Andrew and Pansy Wollard Garvin. She and Harry Delbert Taylor Sr. were married July 15, 1961, in Joliet, Ill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Lena Murial Keller, 88, of Anna died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. She was born June 3, 1915, in Anna, daughter of John Amry and Alzada Keller Corbitt. She and Mark Keller were married June 24, 1933. He died Aug. 4, 1986...

Lora Mae Dean, 78, of Sacramento, Calif., died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at Kleiser South Hospital in Sacramento. She was born Sept. 25, 1925, in St. Louis, daughter of Chester D. and Addie Mae Watkins Lemonds. Dean worked in housekeeping most of her life. She was a member of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento. She was formerly of Cape Girardeau...

ELCO, Ill. -- Larry Dickerson, 62, of Elco died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at his home. He was born Aug. 13, 1941, in Elco, youngest of eight children born to James Monroe and Mary Marie Neace Dickerson. He and Janet Kunsman were married June 12, 1964. Mr. ...

Jewell C. Mier, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003, at her home. She was born Feb. 2, 1919, at Randles, Mo., daughter of William T. and Rosa Hughes Sheets. She and Landon F. Mier were married March 21, 1933, at Benton, Mo. He died Dec. 22, 1997...

To the editor: I am writing in regard to a Speak Out comment about smoking at Sears Youth Center that said: "If parents would have done their jobs in the first place, these children would not be where they are. And I am sure they have been around far worse than cigarette smoke."...

To the editor: Why is it that when al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein attacked the World Trade Center and killed several thousand innocent men, women and children, no other countries gave us millions of dollars for rebuilding? The U.S. military went to Iraq, blew up a few buildings here and there and killed a few people to try to get Iraq freedom from Saddam. ...

Autumn has definitely reached Cape Girardeau, and winter is not far behind, which means it's a good time to think about settling in, and the home at 1503 Briarcliff is the perfect place to do just that. This classic Cape Cod style home fits perfectly in Cape Girardeau, with its sturdy brick and buttery yellow shutters and trim that present a homey welcome...

Have you ever felt God planted a special dream inside you before you were born? But you surmised you could probably never bring it to fruition. Or perhaps you're presently living someone else's dream for your life. After reading an article stating "Everyone is born with a dream," I pondered the truth of that belief...

On the Net Catholic bishops' movie reviews: www.usccb.org/movies By Richard N. Ostling ~ The Associated Press Priests and nuns are movie buffs, too. Among them are England's Father Peter Malone, and Sister Rose Pacatte of the Daughters of St. Paul, who lives in Los Angeles...

Scott City seventh-graders and high school seniors are completing a yearlong watershed-ecology study created by Scott City Middle School teachers Leanne Grant and Vicki Wachter. The two say they hope the project will improve scores on the annual Missouri Assessment Program tests...

(Bern, Switzerland) Der Bund The billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky is no little innocent. In the 1990s, as fantastic fortunes were being made overnight in Russia, Khodorkovsky was one of the most dangerous sharks in waters where only a few fish swam anyway...

In the newspaper graphic that showed all the states and their percentage of highly qualified teachers, there was Missouri in dark green -- one of only 13 states to have 95 percent or more classes taught by teachers with bachelor's degrees or who have passed comprehensive tests in their subjects...

(Stockholm, Sweden) Dagens Nyheter From the beginning it has been said that the United States must use a broad arsenal in which diplomatic, police, political and military efforts work together. However, one problem from an American viewpoint is that the humility and willingness to cooperate that existed immediately after the terror attacks in New York and Washington was conspicuous by its absence during the diplomatic prelude to the Iraq war. ...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Nov. 1 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Kelly R. Church, 28, of 515 Cape Meadows, No. 15, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of receiving stolen property...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department Saturday, Nov. 1 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Marla K. Welker, 39, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Nov. 1 Firefighters responded Thursday to the following items: At 5:25 p.m., medical assist at 2200 Broadway. At 11:28 p.m., illegal burn at 1713 Brookwood. Firefighters responded Friday to the following items: At 12:24 a.m., medical assist at 233 E. Cape Rock...

WASHINGTON -- About 12 million American families last year worried that they couldn't afford to buy food, and 32 percent of them actually experienced someone going hungry at one time or another, the Agriculture Department said Friday. It was the third year in a row that the department has seen an increase in the number of households experiencing hunger and those worried about having enough money to pay for food...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is on pace to meet or exceed the legislature's revenue expectations from a three-month incentive period allowing overdue taxpayers to come clean without owing any penalties or interest. The "tax amnesty" period that began Aug. 1 ended Friday, meaning people had to have either paid or postmarked their checks and tax forms...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A U.S. special forces soldier died from wounds he suffered during fighting in a southern Afghan province, the U.S. military said Friday. The fighting broke out Thursday when troops from the U.S.-led coalition patrolling with Afghan militia in Helmand province met between 10 and 15 combatants about 35 miles west of Deh Rawood in neighboring Uruzgan province, the coalition said in a statement...

NOVOSHAKHTINSK, Russia -- Coal miner Valery Grabovsky heard only the breathing of his companions and the concussion of distant blasts as he lay in pitch black under hundreds of feet of rock. One sound brought comfort, the other fear. The explosions Wednesday were encouraging -- a sign that rescuers were trying to blast open a passage to where Grabovsky and 12 other miners had been trapped for a week by icy water that flooded the shaft...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli troops scuffled Friday with Muslim worshippers making their way to Jerusalem from the West Bank for special prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, injuring one Palestinian. The trouble came as Israel imposed tight rules on who could attend the prayers, which are held at a disputed site known as the Temple Mount to Jews and Haram as-Sharif to Muslims. Authorities put age restrictions in place to weed out the young...

NEW YORK -- A former editor of the now-defunct Rosie magazine testified Friday she avoided frequent disagreements with star Rosie O'Donnell because she was afraid she'd lose her job. "I picked my battles," said Cathy Cavender, Rosie's editor-in-chief from December 2000 until she was fired in June 2002. She said she came to realize O'Donnell was "pretty sensitive," and things Cavender thought were innocuous rankled the star...

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. -- Hundreds of firefighters battling Southern California's wildfires used a break in the weather Friday to bulldoze buffer zones around mountain communities in case the heat and fierce winds return. "We've got a sleeping giant out there," Forest Service spokeswoman Sue Exline said...

By Chris Morrill In his recent guest column, Marcus Bond of the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice attacked the Bush administration on a variety of fronts. His comments should not be allowed to pass without rebuttal...

Southeast soccer beats Tech 2-1 Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team closed out its regular season Friday night by beating visiting Tennessee Tech 2-1 in front of nearly 200 fans at Houck Stadium. The Otahkians (9-5-4, 4-3-1) finished in fifth place in the Ohio Valley Conference and will visit fourth-place Tennessee-Martin Tuesday for an OVC Tournament play-in game. The winner advances to Friday's tournament semifinals in Birmingham, Ala. Samford will be the host...

When the season began, this looked like one of Southeast Missouri State University's best chances to win its first Ohio Valley Conference women's cross country championship. Two key injuries later, the Otahkians have gone from solid contender to perhaps a darkhorse for the title, but they still look for a strong showing today in Puryear, Tenn. The women's race will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the men at 10:45...

As a competitor, Matt Griffin's first Tennessee-Martin football team is not as improved as he would like. But as a realist in the early stages of trying to turn around one of the nation's worst NCAA Division I-AA programs, Griffin appreciates the progress the Skyhawks have made...

Baseball The Cardinals have declined to exercise their option on pitcher Sterling Hitchcock, and the 32-year-old left-hander has filed to become a free agent, Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Friday. Hitchcock, who was due to make $7 million in 2004, was acquired Aug. 22 in a trade with the Yankees...

Central's girls cross country team will look to follow up a successful defense of its district title with a top-four sectional finish and a berth in the state meet when the Tigers compete today at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis. The Tigers' top five runners are putting up some of their best times of the year, including Linnea Woldtvedt's first sub-20 minute race at the district meet...

Bell City is not the biggest team around, but with the help of a tenacious team defense, the Cubs are making a trip to the state volleyball sectionals. Bell City will be the only newcomer among the four Class 1 teams making the trip to Advance today. The Cubs (21-9), led by senior setter Whitney Abner and junior outside hitter Katie Niemczyk, will face Gideon (31-2-2) at 4:30 p.m...

Nicole Powers stepped outside of the crowded convention center hall, hugged a friend, and shouted, "Whew!" It was part exhilaration, part relief. After nearly four weeks without income and hours walking the picket lines, Powers was going back to work...

TOKYO -- Kamato Hongo, a Japanese woman believed to have been the world's oldest person, died Friday. She was 116. Born in 1887, Hongo was recognized as the world's oldest by the Guinness Book of Records after an American woman -- Maude Farris-Luse -- died in March at the age of 115...

MEXICO CITY -- Thousands of Mexicans who die in the United States are flown home for burial every year in their native land, where relatives gather at cemeteries on the Day of the Dead with flowers, candles, a favorite meal and nip of alcohol for the spirits of loved ones...

They came to praise Rush Hudson Limbaugh, the late patriarch of a famous Cape Girardeau family, at the unveiling of a new book about him. But even the author, retired Southeast Missouri State University history professor George Suggs Jr., couldn't compete with Limbaugh himself -- interviewed on videotape three years before his death...

Someday, Saxony Lutheran High School is going to have 150 students in four grades. It's going to have 40,000 square feet under roof and 40 acres of soccer, football, softball and baseball fields and pastoral play areas. What today is a wide-open land will be a hub of Protestant parochial education...

Today "Voice for Life" convention from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Deerfield Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The theme is "faith in motion." Mass will be celebrated at 5 p.m. For registration information, phone 334-7298. Benefit auction at 10 a.m. at Iona Baptist Church for a mission, "The Vision House," that serves as a recovery center for women with alcohol and substance abuse problems. For information, call Jo Leadbetter at 651-3598...

Maple Methodist Church to hold bazaar Nov. 8 Maple United Methodist Church will hold its annual holiday bazaar from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 8 at the church. The bazaar will feature hand-crafted holiday items, a sweet shop and "Mom and Pop's" kitchen serving breakfast and lunch...

Months before the U.S.-led war in Iraq, independent and congressional analysts made remarkably accurate predictions of the costs of a post-war occupation, even as the Pentagon refused to do so, or gave very low estimates. The discrepancy is gaining new attention with lawmakers complaining of the costs as they approve the president's request for $87 billion to occupy and rebuild Iraq...

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it has decided not to impose new restrictions on the common weedkiller atrazine. EPA said in a statement it "does not find any studies that would lead the agency to conclude that potential cancer risk is likely from exposure to atrazine."...

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- A man accused of deliberately ramming a stolen pickup truck into six Outlaws motorcycle gang members, killing two, apologized from jail and said he wants to be executed. "I did it," Timothy Pilgreen told The News Herald of Panama City for Friday's editions. "I wish I hadn't, but I did. My lawyer told me to keep my mouth shut, but I gotta say it, I just got to: I'm sorry."...

TAMPA, Fla. -- A judge appointed a University of South Florida professor on Friday to independently investigate the case of a severely brain-damaged woman at the center of a right-to-die battle. Jay Wolfson, an expert on health-care financing, will report to Gov. Jeb Bush and recommend whether the stay the governor enacted to keep Terri Schiavo alive should be allowed to remain...

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- One of the surest ways to feel older is to listen to the radio and hear songs from your childhood -- or, even worse, your adulthood -- described as "oldies." If over the years it seems those songs have gotten newer while you've gotten older, it's not your imagination. Oldies radio stations that once featured songs from the 1950s and '60s now play songs from the '70s...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Rescuers recovered the fourth and final victim of a parking garage collapse Friday, clearing the way for engineers and safety inspectors to begin the delicate, dangerous task of looking for a cause. One freestanding exterior wall and several columns still were in danger of falling at Tropicana Casino and Resort. ...

10 years ago: Nov. 1, 1993 First of about 850 street signs are installed in county as part of comprehensive addressing project for county-wide enhanced 911 system; all streets and roads have been assigned conventional street names and corresponding house numbers...

While at least 60 drug and biotech companies are working on medicines to improve memory, a healthy lifestyle can slow the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a Washington University professor. Dr. Anne Fagan, of the Department of Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine, was the keynote speaker at the 15th annual Alzheimer's Association Research Update at Southeast Missouri State University on Saturday...

Elmer and Dorothy Palisch of Jackson will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary next week. An open house will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 9 in the multipurpose room at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson.

She's trying to fulfill her role as a productive citizen -- holding down a sales job and saving for a better future. But a weak economy has left many college grads and young professionals such as Yaremko slowing their march to independence from the folks at home. But experts who track human development will tell you: The financial downturn is only the most recent factor pushing the start of adulthood later and later...

Clemon and Naomi Crain of Cape Girardeau will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Family Life Center at Centenary United Methodist Church. Host is their daughter, Carolyn Crain. Mr. and Mrs. Crain were married Nov. 9, 1943...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Rick and Brenda Tisher of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Richelle Marie Tisher, to Adam Wesley Bohnert. He is the son of Jim and Brenda Bohnert of Perryville. Tisher is a 1999 graduate of Perryville High School. She is a self-employed daycare provider...

BENTON, Mo. -- Carl Ray and Patsy Miller of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Cindy Carol Miller, to Eric Wayne Dow. He is the son of Flossie Dow of Jackson, and the late Clinton Dow. Miller is a graduate of Kelly High School. She is employed at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri...

Rob and Becky Shaw of Edwardsville, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Cari Shaw, to Tommy Wencewicz. He is the son of Tom and Dotty Wencewicz of Cape Girardeau. Shaw is a 2000 graduate of Edwardsville High School. She is majoring in early childhood education at Southeast Missouri State University...

Celeste and Clyde Nenninger of Cape Girardeau and Richard and Teresa Gemeinhardt of Anniston, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Christina Gemeinhardt, to Mike Berwin, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Charles and Vivian Berwin and Judy Rose, all of St. Louis...

Megan Anne Wagner and Brett DeWayne Richardson exchanged vows Aug. 16, 2003, at Arlington United Methodist Church in Bridgeton, Mo. The Rev. Keith W. Morgan performed the ceremony. Organist was Karen House and soloist was Sam Horne, both of Bridgeton...

Julia Cowsert and Ty Thrower were married Sept. 29, 2003, at Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Judge Peter Statler performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Grace Duff of Tamms, Ill., and the late Lawrence Duff. The groom is the son of Rose Thrower of Jackson, and the late Charles Thrower...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Hinkebein and Ryan Charles Rueseler exchanged vows Aug. 2, 2003, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. The Rev. Ralph Duffner performed the ceremony. Organist was Bernice Kern of Benton, Mo., and vocalists were Chris Scherer of Oran, Mo., and Lorianne Reishman of Chaffee...

Alana Kay Perkinson and Lucas Michael Rouggly were united in marriage July 19, 2003, at First Christian Church of Florissant in Florissant, Mo. Shan Moyers performed the ceremony. Music was by Sharlene Henderson, Valerie Cantrell, Matt Campbell and Jared Rouggly, brother of the groom, all of Florissant. Vocalists were Campbell and Rouggly...

Leah Myers and Todd Allen Pobst were married Sept. 27, 2003, at Chapel of the Doves in Branson, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Kathy Panagos of Jackson and Michael and Joyce Panagos of Fenton, Mo. Terry and Rose Pobst of Oran, Mo., are parents of the groom...

Plus-size model weds rock band drummer LAS VEGAS -- Plus-size model Mia Tyler wed Papa Roach drummer David Buckner in front of thousands of people during an Aerosmith concert at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Tyler, 24, and Buckner, 27, tied the knot Saturday on stage, according to an MGM Grand hotel official. A marriage license for the couple was filed at the Clark County Recorder's Office...

NEW YORK -- ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Vargas concedes her network is stepping into a theological minefield with its one-hour exploration of whether Jesus Christ had a wife. The ABC News special, "Jesus, Mary and DaVinci," is scheduled to air at 7 p.m. Monday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Moving a state's courts into the online, high-tech world is fairly straightforward. All it takes is money, time, and the right people and equipment. But that's only half the task the nation's state courts are confronting. The rest -- for which no technical manuals or prewritten programs exist -- consists of anticipating and addressing the perplexing legal issues that technology can create...

Iraq's neighbors discuss war's impact on region DAMASCUS, Syria -- Iraq's neighbors opened a conference Saturday on the impact of the U.S.-led war that ousted Saddam Hussein, but Baghdad's interim government -- insulted by a last-minute invitation -- snubbed the talks and vowed to reject any decisions made there...

Baseball Barring an unforseen snag, Bobby Valentine is likely to be named manager of a Japanese baseball team on Monday. Valentine arrived in Japan on Saturday to discuss whether he will manage the Lotte Marines of Japan's Pacific League...

TO THE individual who argued that high menu prices hold tips down: If prices are so outrageously high, why are the restaurants in Cape Girardeau constantly filled with patrons day in and day out? Your argument does not hold up to the facts. Restaurant prices are reasonable. Competition between restaurants is helping the customer...

10 years ago: Nov. 2, 1993 Motorists crossing Mississippi River into Cape Girardeau on planned bridge and relocated Highway 74 will have one less eyesore to bear; city council has refused to grant special use permit to Lester Sample for automotive salvage company at Giboney and Maple...

ELCO, Ill. -- Larry Dickerson, 62, of Elco died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at his home. He was born Aug. 13, 1941, at Elco, son of James Monroe and Mary Marie Neace Dickerson. He and Janet Kunsman were married June 12, 1964. Dickerson was a driver employed by Willis Trucking and Jordan Trucking. He was a member of Trinity Pentecostal Tabernacle in Jonesboro, Ill...

Terry Vernon Lynn II, 26, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

William David Townsend, 61, of Dexter, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 3, 1942, at Fisk, Mo., son of James and Myrtle Williams Townsend. He and Barbara Holyfield were married July 1, 1967...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Verbal Lorine Selph, 69, of Morehouse died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at her home. She was born Sept. 23, 1934, daughter of Elmer and Lucie Bradford Leek. She was formerly married to Charles Edward Selph. Selph was employed at the International Shoe Factory in Sikeston, Mo., and worked as a cook at Missouri Delta Medical Center and the Miner Nursing Center...

ALTO PASS, Ill. -- Lula F. Bryant, 90, of Elkville, Ill., and formerly of Alto Pass, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at Oak Grove Nursing Home in Carbondale. She was born April 13, 1913, daughter of Walter and Velma Helm Meadows. She and Clifford G. Bryant were married Sept. 1, 1928. He died Sept. 1, 1979...

Blanche Huff, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at Chateau Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

Jill Ann Rhodes, 64, of Jackson died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 2, 1939, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of James and Flora Fox Abernathy. She married Terry Cora and later married Lester Rhodes. They preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ida M. Niemeyer, 88, of Perryville died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at the Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. She was born Nov. 27, 1914, in Perry County, Mo., daughter to William Lee and Mary Schemel Lee. She and Robert Niemeyer were married 1936 in East St. Louis, Ill. He died in 1995...

Daniel Webster "Bud" Watkins, 64, of Bertrand, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born on Jan. 27, 1939, at Lilbourn, Mo., son of William Jasper "Jack" and Edith Rae Brown Watkins. He and Brenda Vance were married June 11, 1960, in St. Louis...

Jerry D. Castleman, 68, of Normal, Ill., died Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003, at his home. He was born Sept. 19, 1935, in Union City, Tenn., son of William E. and Velma Maddox Castleman. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society or the American Lung Association...

Jennifer G. Radetic, 48, of Jackson died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 8, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Roy W. and Carrie McNeely Darter. She and Tom Radetic were married Aug. 19, 1988, at Cape Girardeau...

To the editor: On Sept. 1, Medicare imposed a $1,590 cap on its coverage for outpatient physical and speech therapy services in all settings except hospitals. Anyone who reaches this cap is required to pay out of pocket for needed therapy. When a person is in a Medicare-certified bed in a skilled nursing facility, he is not permitted to go to a hospital-based clinic and have further therapy paid by Medicare...

To the editor: It's interesting to read some of the opinions on "One nation under God." To be less interested, one would have to be callow, war-hungry and money-happy, because all have a god of some sort. History tells us that. I suggest some of you read "John Adams." In the book, there are many religious groups. All had their god in mind. As you can understand from history, their god didn't always pertain to Jesus, as some of us profess. Romans had idols. Others had sun-gods...

To the editor: Isn't a tip supposed to be a bonus for extra service? At least that's what it started out as. Then it evolved to a specific figure: 10 percent of the bill for giving good service, then 15 percent for just doing the job adequately. Now diners are expected to tip 20 percent regardless of the service...

A vote of confidence THANK YOU to all of the supporters of high school sports. We appreciate how the newspaper covers the events and how they give us some attention. Thank you for covering the soccer season and keeping the general public how well they are supported. We thank you for everything...

With so much bitter division and strife in our world, it is uplifting to see the process unfold in Jackson as the First Baptist Church evolves into two churches. Crossroads is the new church's name. Baptists, like many other denominations, have a long history of splits that have been less than harmonious. And creating two churches out of one in Jackson wasn't an entirely easy process, or one without its own measure of sadness and pain...

Five years ago, preparing a budget for most taxing entities was a fairly simple process of deciding how to spend more money than the year before. The robust economy pretty much guaranteed that taxpayers would be paying bigger tax bills. Indeed, spending in many areas of government more than doubled during the good times...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 2 Firefighters responded Saturday to the following items: At 1:25 a.m., a still alarm at 123 N. Main. At 2:57 a.m., a sounding alarm at 1710 N. Sprigg. At 7:11 a.m., a police assist at Broadway and North Sprigg. At 9:41 a.m., a medical assist at 611 S. West End...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 2 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Harold Edgar Oberndorfer, 39, of 12275 Highway A, Frohna, Mo., was issued a summons Friday for driving while intoxicated, driving with no headlights and for being an unlicensed driver...

The Missouri Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday to help determine whether AmerenUE should be allowed to increase its revenue by raising natural gas rates. The hearing will be at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center and will begin with a 30-minute information session. Customers are welcome to bring service problems with AmerenUE before the commission as well as comment on the proposed rate increase...

A comment by Howard Dean about Confederate flags and pickup trucks has embroiled the leading Democrats in Iowa's presidential caucuses in a name-calling donnybrook. "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," the former Vermont governor was quoted as saying in Saturday's Des Moines Register. "We can't beat George Bush unless we appeal to a broad cross-section of Democrats."...

WASHINGTON -- The chief of the Capitol Hill police says his security personnel will take cues from airport security screeners and sacrifice speed to slower passage through X-ray machine posts. Lines to enter the Capitol complex will likely move more slowly as police try to avoid repetition of a scare over a toy gun that made it through security and into a House office building...

WASHINGTON -- For older Americans wondering how much help they would get from a Medicare prescription drug benefit, the answer depends on their income and annual pharmacy bills. And, it seems, on who's asked. President Bush says the proposal being negotiated in Congress would cut those bills in half...

SELIGMAN, Mo. -- A woman has been arrested in the fatal shooting of the man she shared a home with in this southwest Missouri town, authorities said. Officers found Charlie Hickman, 41, of Seligman, dead on Halloween night while responding to a call of a shooting. Hickman had been shot at close range with a .22-caliber rifle, the Barry County Sheriff's Department said in a news release...

ST. LOUIS -- A fire confined to the roof of the St. Louis Science Center's Omnimax Theater dome prompted the evacuation Saturday of about 200 people from the popular tourist site. Officials said no injuries resulted from the fire, reported about 5 p.m. after a patron spotted flames on the center's roof while he tended to a disabled car outside the site...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Three people were arrested and police had to don riot gear to help disperse a crowd at a Halloween party Saturday morning after officers were pelted with beer bottles. The three were arrested on charges of mob action and reckless conduct and one officer suffered minor injuries, said Sgt. Mike Osifcin...

Saying "I do" before assembled relatives and friends is a thrill for any bride or groom. And increasingly couples are opting to recite their vows in their own home or in the home of parents or friends. At-home ceremonies offer charm and intimacy for small- to medium-size gatherings...

Let's see, what's on the menu today? Tasty black oil sunflower served in a multi-tube feeder of hand-blown glass? Or sumptuous peanut suet slung from a custom-designed tray of stained wood? Oh, the decisions. Backyard birds have never had it so good...

HONG KONG -- Yang Liwei sang a duet with action star Jackie Chan as Hong Kong lavished a superstar's welcome on China's first astronaut Saturday -- a visit derided by critics as a veiled attempt by Beijing to boost the troubled government. Beijing hopes the trip will shore up patriotism in a territory whose residents remain suspicious of Beijing's Communist regime since becoming part of China six years ago -- despite promises that Hong Kong can keep its own administration and Western-style freedoms.. ...

BERLIN -- About 100,000 people took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday to demonstrate against Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's plans to trim Germany's generous welfare state, the biggest show of public opposition so far to his drive to revive Europe's largest economy...

MOSCOW -- With the resignation of his veteran chief of staff, President Vladimir Putin bade farewell to the old Kremlin elite that engineered his meteoric rise to power and played a pivotal role in setting his policy during the last four years. Alexander Voloshin's departure, which closely followed the jailing of Russia's richest tycoon, stirred broad fears that Putin's fellow ex-KGB officers are crowding out Kremlin liberals and laying the groundwork for a redistribution of property that was privatized after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The Security Council will evaluate a list of 225 suspected al-Qaida members handed over by Iran and decide whether to impose sanctions on the terror suspects, a U.N. ambassador said. The U.N. committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban expects to circulate the list on Monday, the committee chairman, Chile's U.N. ambassador Heraldo Munoz...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Ramallah, the bustling heart of Palestinian life in the West Bank, is rapidly becoming surrounded by Israeli settlements, from the trailer homes of hilltop outposts to the cookie-cutter apartment buildings on the nearby outskirts of Jerusalem...

NEW YORK -- CBS is pitching its 75th anniversary bash as "your favorite stars all in one room for one night only!" And here is that room, where scores of CBS stars ranging from Alan Alda and Loni Anderson to Betty White and Tom Wopat (and even Lassie IX) will convene: the Hammerstein Ballroom on Manhattan's West 34th Street, site of "CBS at 75," a three-hour live special airing at 7 p.m. today...

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. -- A car ran a police checkpoint outside an arena where President Bush had spoken and rammed the building Saturday. Authorities swarmed the car with weapons drawn and took away the driver and her three children who were with her. Bush was in his limousine when the car rammed the arena in Southhaven, Mi, but the limo had not left the building and he was not hurt, a senior Bush administration official said. ...

CLEVELAND -- Bicyclists are demanding that the nation's largest radio group be punished because disc jockeys at three stations made on-air comments they say encouraged drivers to throw bottles at bike riders or hit them with open car doors. They say the morning show hosts at Clear Channel Communications stations in Cleveland, Houston and Raleigh, N.C., also suggested motorists blast horns at cyclists, and speed past them and slam on their brakes in front of them...

DURHAM, N.H. -- Today's consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop will be a watershed moment for American religion that will crystallize severe divisions over homosexuality among Episcopalians and their fellow Anglicans worldwide. With the elevation of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the Episcopal Church will become the first major Christian denomination anywhere to choose a bishop living openly with a same-sex partner...

NEW YORK -- More than 30 accidents on Staten Island ferries since 1978 have been attributed to negligent captains or other ferry workers, according to a review of safety records from the U.S. Coast Guard . Passengers or crew members were hurt in at least 50 accidents, the review found, but some of those were due not to crashes but to falls and other mishaps...

NEW YORK -- Like other athletes preparing for the New York City Marathon, Zoe Koplowitz knows the usual tips: Dress for the weather, pace yourself, start out slow. But slow for Koplowitz, who takes to the 26.2-mile course every year with two fuschia crutches that match her eye shadow, can mean a race that stretches well into the next day...

Halloween's over, but the horror of interior decorating remains. We're still in the middle of painting Becca's room. Last weekend, we put on a coat of white, oil-based primer paint after stripping the circus-design wallpaper from the walls with the aid of a steamer that turned the room into a primitive sauna...

The games won't count on their records, but Southeast Missouri State University's basketball teams will face outside competition -- and put themselves on public display -- for the first time this week. I'm sure Southeast fans are anxious -- I know I am -- to get a look at both squads in Thursday's home exhibition games when the men play Truman State and the women face Union University...

The AssociatedPress ST. PAUL, Minn. -- John Gagliardi tied Eddie Robinson as college football's career victory leader Saturday, guiding Division III St. John's to a 15-12 victory over St. Thomas. Gagliardi, celebrating his 77th birthday, is 408-114-11 in 55 years as a college coach, the last 51 at St. John's. He can break the record next week in St. John's home game against Bethel...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- For once, Southeast Missouri State University didn't have to pile up gaudy offensive numbers to beat Tennessee-Martin. The Indians, after outscoring the Skyhawks in wild shootouts the past two years, posted a more conventional 20-7 road victory Saturday...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Andrew Goodenough made his first start at quarterback for Southeast Missouri State University on Saturday. And although far from spectacular, Goodenough was solid in helping the Indians post a 20-7 road victory over Tennessee-Martin...

Area teams in Class 1, 2 and 4 will send runners to the state cross country meet after they qualified through Saturday's round. Saxony Lutheran's boys and Notre Dame's boys will go as teams after they finished in the top two of their events. Class 1: Saxony's first-year varsity program outscored runner-up Clopton by 19 points to win its sectional. ...

FESTUS, Mo. -- Notre Dame advanced to the final four of the Class 3 state tournament for the first time in school history and exacted revenge along the way. The Bulldogs defeated St. Francis Borgia, the team that knocked Notre Dame out of the first round of the playoffs last year, 26-24, 20-25, 25-14 in the quarterfinals at Festus High School on Saturday...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- After three tries, Bell City's volleyball team finally beat rival Advance in the district finals. Now, after two dramatic wins Saturday at the Advance sectional, the Cubs are three matches away from a chance to play for the Class 1 state title...

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- The closer he gets to winning his first Winston Cup championship, the harder it is for Matt Kenseth to ignore the pressure. Kenseth has earned the nickname "Mr. Consistency" this season, leading the season standings since the fourth race...

SAN FRANCISCO -- If the San Francisco 49ers hope to stay in the NFC West race, their quarterback change probably must work out just as well as the Rams' move did. Jeff Garcia isn't expected to play in today's game against St. Louis. His sprained ankle got significantly worse during the week leading up to San Francisco's biggest rivalry game, and team doctors ruled him out Thursday...

The AssociatedPress ST. LOUIS -- Jocelyn Thibault made 31 saves, and Steve Sullivan scored the go-ahead goal in a three-goal second period of the Chicago Blackhawks' 3-2 victory over the Blues on Saturday night. Travis Moen had his first career goal, and Nathan Dempsey also scored in the second for the Blackhawks, who totaled three goals in the previous three games. Chicago is 4-1-2 in its last seven games...

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant heard mostly boos, but more than a few cheers, as he made his return to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, and wound up playing more than he expected. Bryant made three of four free throws in the final 66 seconds, finishing with 15 points in the Lakers' 103-99 victory over the Phoenix Suns. He scored 15 points on 4-for-12 shooting in 37 minutes...

Just hours after Cape Girardeau police responded to a handgun murder Saturday morning in the parking lot behind Player's Bar on Broadway, they were called to a local hospital where a man said he had been shot his yard in the 900 block of College Street...

The first trout ever caught in Rotary Lake, and quite possibly in Cape Girardeau County, was caught by a retired man with his right arm in a sling. Lee Roderick of Jackson, still recovering from rotator cuff surgery a little more than a week ago, didn't let that keep him away from his new favorite fishing hole on opening day...

Just hours after a shooting in the parking lot, bar patrons and staff returned to Players Lounge to remember their slain friend and mourn the tragedy that took his life. Terry Vernon Lynn, 26, of Cape Girardeau was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday behind Players at 632 Broadway...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Nervous Baghdad parents kept children home from school on Saturday, but warnings of terror attacks and anonymous calls for a general strike otherwise had limited impact across Iraq, as U.S. authorities moved to counter an intensifying insurgency...

LIHUE, Hawaii -- The water was clear and there was no indication of danger when a 13-year-old surfing star went out on the waves with her best friend and her friend's father. But as Bethany Hamilton was lying on her board off Kauai's North Shore, a shark bit once and then disappeared, taking off her left arm below the shoulder...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- President Bush campaigned Saturday for Republicans in tight races for governor in Kentucky and Mississippi, where at one event a car evaded police and slammed into the arena hosting a political rally. Bush was lending support to Republicans ahead of Tuesday's vote, seen as an indication of his popularity a year before his own re-election...

Name: David R. Allen Lives in: Cape Girardeau Family: Wife Geneva, a son attending Mizzou and daughters in Kansas City, Mo. Job: Pastor at St. James AME Church. What do you like most about the area? The people and the river...

Amber Etheridge, Miss Missouri 2003, will serve as co-master of ceremonies at the upcoming pageants sponsored by the Jacksonian Charter Chapter of the American Business Womens Association at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15. Information and entry forms for The Miss Jackson Scholarship Pageant, Miss Christmas, Miss Junior Christmas, Miss Holly and the Little Miss Snowball and Little Miss Snowflake Pageants are available at Precious Memories Bridal Store, Jackson, the Jackson Chamber of Commerce office, P.O. ...

Scott County school to hold harvest festival Scott County Central School's first harvest festival and beauty pageant will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in the elementary school gym. Sponsored by the class of 2005, the fund raiser includes games, food and beauty pageants for both genders, including king and queen crownings. ...

A group of Southeast Missouri State University student volunteers and their mentor Melvin Adams, the Southeast coordinator for student involvement ,met with Paul Nenninger, a local volunteer, and Bob Walsh, a Lowe's employee, to assist seniors with the installation of safety devices in their residences...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Due to legislative redistricting, all three of Southeast Missouri's seats in the state Senate will be up for election next year. By coincidence, none of the campaigns for those seats will feature an incumbent. While Republican candidates have already emerged in all three districts, only one district has a Democratic entry so far. But with four months to go until candidates can file for office, plenty of time remains for Democrats to join the other races...

CHICAGO -- Parents should avoid the old standby poison remedy of ipecac syrup and instead call poison control centers when children ingest toxic substances, the American Academy of Pediatrics says, reversing a long-standing position. The antidote, made from roots of the tropical ipecac plant, induces vomiting...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Though Tim Rattay had a smashing debut as an NFL starter, the San Francisco 49ers' defense was even more impressive. Just ask the St. Louis Rams, who had no luck stopping either of them. Rattay passed for 236 yards and three touchdowns filling in for Jeff Garcia, and Cedrick Wilson returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score in the 49ers' 30-10 victory over St. Louis on Sunday...

For business owners, getting the message out about their product or service is more than key. It's crucial. Teresa Morill, a partner in the new Cape Girardeau advertising and marketing agency called AJT Enterprises, says that's why choosing the right advertising vehicle is so important...

DENVER -- The pitches sounded so promising. In one case, sales agents in Colorado offered consumers the opportunity to "buy" a telephone booth for $7,000, which the company the agents worked for then would lease back with a pledge of a 14 percent annual return on the investment...

Temperatures topped out at 80 degrees Sunday, giving jackets and sweatshirts even more time to collect dust in closets. "It's a little confusing," said Susan Kern of Scott City as she and her children enjoyed the weather outside the La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau. "We had just put away our summer clothes and gotten out the jackets, and this happens. I really can't remember ever seeing temperatures like this at this time of year."...

OK, RETAIL salesperson. After I'm finished rifling through the clothes, I'll put them back in their proper place -- on the condition that you'll quit hiding from me and provide at least minimal customer service. Not very Christian I HAVE ceased to be amazed, but I wonder if others are seeing the same things I'm seeing. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A federal appeals panel has restored a Missouri inmate's lawsuit demanding religious use of an American Indian sweat lodge, suggesting that the imprisoned killer perhaps deserved more time to make his case. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a federal district judge erred in dismissing the lawsuit by Lance Pounders, who is serving a life sentence for murder at the Northeast Correctional Center in Bowling Green...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Beyond the images of death and destruction in Iraq conveyed by the media is a vast amount of progress that bodes well for the U.S.-led effort to rebuild the country, a Missouri congressman said Sunday from Kuwait. Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., who spent three days touring Iraq, said he was encouraged by the grass-roots accomplishments of ordinary citizens who are forming local governments and setting up small shops in the cities. ...

A Cape Girardeau man was killed in an Alexander County accident Sunday morning, according to the Illinois State Police. Kenneth L. Tucker, 34, was northbound on Illinois Route 3, one-and-a-half miles north of Interstate 57, when he lost control of his vehicle. The auto left the roadway and overturned, ejecting Tucker, who wasn't wearing a safety belt. He was pronounced dead at the scene...

A student-led attempt to rename the street that runs in front of Central High School has hit a wall of opposition. At their Oct. 20 meeting, Cape Girardeau City Council members requested an ordinance to rename a section of Silver Springs Road to Tiger Pride Drive following a proposal by the high school student senate...

Marathoning rapper:'Diddy Runs the City' NEW YORK -- Running on a bum right knee and just two months of training, hip-hop entrepreneur Sean "P. Diddy" Combs finished the grueling New York City Marathon on Sunday in 4 hours, 14 minutes. The producer-rapper decided in September he would run his first marathon in a bid to raise $1 million for children. ...

HELENA, Mont. -- A railroad inspector and a game warden used the age-old trick of a little hot water to free three mountain lion kittens stuck to a railroad track. Pat O'Rourke was inspecting the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe main line near Butte on Friday when he saw three kittens frozen to the tracks. One was on its back and one was stuck by its tail. The third had a paw on a railroad spike and its belly on the track...

Man sought for tower tampering is arrested SAN FRANCISCO -- A man sought by the FBI for allegedly loosening bolts on a high voltage power line tower in Northern California was arrested Sunday when he walked into a California Highway Patrol office looking for directions...

ELKVIEW, W.Va. -- At a time when the nation desperately needed a few good men, they stood silently among thousands of military volunteers driven by patriotism, financial security and adventure. All had come prepared to face conflict, but theirs was an exclusive club whose members shared a secret they would guard for decades as fiercely as the wars they were enlisting to fight: All were just kids -- boys and girls who fooled the U.S. government...

NEW DELHI -- In a capital city where cows roam the streets and elephants plod along in the bus lanes, it's no surprise to find government buildings overrun with monkeys. But the officials who work there are fed up. They've been bitten, robbed and otherwise tormented by monkeys that ransack files, bring down power lines, screech at visitors and bang on office windows...

Palestinians return to jobs in Israel; ready for peace JERUSALEM -- Following an Israeli offer, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Sunday he is ready for peace talks, while about 6,000 Palestinians returned to jobs in Israel for the first time in a month...

Baseball Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine agreed Sunday to return to Japan to manage the Lotte Marines. He arrived in Tokyo on Saturday and met with officials of the Pacific League team, agreeing to a three-year deal. An announcement is expected today...

Patrick Naeger, a former state representative from Perryville, was recently appointed to serve on the Missouri SenioRx Prescription Drug Commission by House Speaker Catherine Hanaway. Naeger was the lead Republican sponsor of the legislation when the commission was established during the 2001 special legislative session...

7:30 p.m., City Hall A motion to record the disposition of certain city records which have met their retention schedule under RSMo 109.230. A motion approving Nov. 28 as an authorized leave day for city employees. A motion approving change order No. 3 to Robinson Mechanical Contractors Inc. to increase the contract amount by $38,899.55, regarding the water supply well No. 7 project...

Cape Girardeau Monday, Nov. 3 Firefighters responded to the following calls on Saturday:n At 8:34 p.m., a request for medical assistance at 203 S. Benton. At 10:06 p.m., a request for medical assistance at 615 Bellevue St. Firefighters responded to the following calls on Sunday:n At 1:10 p.m., a request for medical assistance at 1744 Northwood Court...

Cape Girardeau Monday, Nov. 3 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Barry Junior Boyce, 25, 702 Grand, Charleston, Mo., was arrested Saturday on suspicion of domestic assault. Gregory Paul Haas, 42, 1754 Oakley, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of domestic assault...

10 years ago: Nov. 3, 1993 Faced with burden of complying with state and federal solid-waste management mandates, city officials are studying how much trash fees in Cape Girardeau will increase next year; new landfill regulations will mean higher waste-hauling and disposal costs; also, closure of city's filled landfill will cost $600,000 next year and $50,000 annually for monitoring site...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- James D. Newcomer, 73, of Perryville, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at his residence. He was born June 16, 1930, at East Prairie, Mo., son of James and Carrie Bond Newcomer. He and Laura L. Prost were married Sept. 6, 1983, at Poplar Bluff, Mo...

Betty Drace, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. --Esther H. Ellis Michaud, 88, of St. Charles, Mo., formerly of Sedgewickville, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at the St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. She was born Dec. 13, 1914, at Doniphan, Mo., daughter of the late Walter F. and Cora Conrad Ellis...

Donald Avery Thiele, 79, of Cape Coral, Fla., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Nov. 2, 2003 at his son's home in Cape Girardeau from complications with cancer. He was born in Licksville, Mo., June 3, 1924, moving to Fredericktown, Mo., as a child. He was the son of Dayton and Samantha Mae Thiele. He and Anna Bell Cornman were married in Hope, Ark., July 28, 1942. They were married over 61 years...

Blanche Huff, 92, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at Chateau Girardeau. She was born Nov. 11, 1910, at Sarcoxie, Mo., daughter of Henry Albert and Kathryn Carver Colwell. She and Russell Huff were married Aug. 11, 1932, at Springfield, Mo. He preceded her in death in 1967...

Southeast Missouri State University's cross country teams failed to contend for Ohio Valley Conference titles as the women finished third and the men were fifth at Saturday's meet in Puryear, Tenn. Eastern Kentucky's women defended their title and won the OVC meet for the 20th time in the past 22 years, scoring 40 points to edge Samford (42). Southeast had 92 points in the 11-team event...

7 p.m. today City Hall, 401 Independence St. Study session at 5 p.m. Public hearings n A public hearing regarding the request of Stan and Kay Thompson for a special-use permit to operate an RV and camping park at 1900 N. Kingshighway in a C-2, general commercial district...

Tough economic times have created hardships for the Cape Girardeau School District, the city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University, but leaders of those governmental entities say residents have much to celebrate. Superintendent Mark Bowles, Mayor Jay Knudtson and university president Ken Dobbins recently told members of Leadership Cape there is much to be positive about in our community...

Congratulations to Craig Thomas, this year's winner of the prestigious Otto Dingeldein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. The award is named for Otto Dingeldein, a silversmith who founded the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri in the 1960s. In 1975, he became the first recipient of the award. He died in 1991, and the council continues to give the annual award in his name...

Insurance errors lead to $1 million refund in state Three major insurers have completed $1 million in refunds to more than 11,000 Missouri policyholders and 39 health-care facilities for errors detected in market conduct examinations by the Department of Insurance...

Local prosecutor receives Lon O. Hocker Award Teresa Bright-Pearson, an assistant prosecuting attorney for Cape Girardeau County, has been selected as a recipient of the Lon O. Hocker Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation. The award is presented each year to three lawyers under age 36 who have demonstrated "unusual proficiency in the art of trial advocacy."...

Local man graduates from MP school Pvt. Darin W. Teague graduated from military police school at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., on Oct. 17. Following a brief trip home, he will be stationed in Germany. Teague is a graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Clark and Vicki Daniels of Cape Girardeau and Rocky and Mindy Teague of Newberg, Mo...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Authorities were investigating how an anti-estrogen pill wound up embedded inside a piece of Halloween candy. Lottie Forrest told investigators she had taken her children trick-or-treating and found the pill when she bit into a soft-center caramel candy Friday evening. She called a hospital and later contacted the Greene County Sheriff's Department for closer examination...

ISTANBUL, Turkey -- When Turkey's prime minister showed up last week at a reception held by President Ahmed Necdet Sezer, he came without his wife, and thus demonstrated how different from fears his first year in office has been. His wife wears a head scarf, which Sezer, an avowed secularist, regards as a symbol of female Muslim militancy. ...

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Targeting American forces with new audacity, insurgents hiding in a date palm grove shot down a Chinook helicopter carrying dozens of American troops Sunday, killing 15 and wounding 21 in the deadliest strike against U.S. forces since they invaded Iraq in March...

DURHAM, N.H. -- The Episcopal Church became the first major Christian denomination to make an openly gay man a bishop, consecrating V. Gene Robinson on Sunday as bishop of New Hampshire. The act almost certainly means disgruntled conservatives will break from the church...

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- A second wave of residents displaced by Southern California's wildfires returned home Sunday as a weekend of cooler, calmer weather helped firefighters begin to get the upper hand. As the threat began to diminish, authorities also sent home some of the thousands of firefighters who have been battling blazes scattered from San Diego County to the suburbs of Los Angeles...

dwilson I thought Kobe Bryant had enough problems healing his injured knee and fighting for his life in court. Apparently he needed a few more. So he decided to tell the media that his teammate Shaquille O'Neal was "fat," "childlike," "unprofessional," "selfish" and "jealous."...

NEW YORK -- Many mutual fund firms are enjoying strong quarterly earnings, thanks to growing investor optimism and a rebounding economy. But a widening regulators' probe into shady trading practices threatens to cut into fund firms' profits. Massachusetts and federal regulators filed civil complaints last week against Putnam Investments for alleged improper activity. It was the first formal accusation of wrongdoing against a mutual fund company...

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Insurgents hiding in a date palm grove shot down a Chinook helicopter carrying dozens of U.S. soldiers heading for home leave Sunday, killing 16 and wounding 20 in the deadliest strike against U.S. forces since they invaded Iraq in March...

Brandon Griffin was a rebounding terror last year --and his offseason work in the weight room could make it even more difficult for the opposition to keep Southeast Missouri State University's senior center off the boards. The 6-foot-8 Griffin, who set Southeast's single-season rebounding record during his first year with the program, has added about 15 pounds to his already rock-solid frame, making him a robust 240...

Oklahoma ended any debate about who's the top team in college football. In the world of the BCS, it's just as important to determine who's second. "We're No. 2!" might not be the catchiest phrase, but you'll hear plenty of it in the coming weeks...

PALM HARBOR, Fla. -- Retief Goosen made back-to-back birdies to hold off a final charge from Vijay Singh and win the Chrysler Championship on Sunday, making Singh wait one more week for a chance to win the PGA Tour money title. Goosen closed with a 1-under 70 for a three-shot victory and became one of only five players to win a PGA Tour event in each of the last three years...

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was having fun at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, and that was bad news for the rest of the field. "My car just drove so good, I could pass and race with whoever I want to," Earnhardt said after winning the Checker Auto Parts 500, keeping his slim Winston Cup championship hopes alive...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In years past, most books being sold as part of a library fund raiser fetched about 50 cents or a dollar each. But the Friends of the Columbia Public Library has found that marketing to collectors worldwide through the Internet is attracting higher prices for rarer volumes...

During his two-day trip to Cape Girardeau last week, Larry Ellis saw extremes in the kind of service he received at two local restaurants -- remarkable and dreadful. And in each case he let the server know exactly how he felt in the only way he knew how...

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Lawyers for Zimbabwe's opposition party submitted 200 pages of allegations of vote rigging and intimidation Monday as the High Court began hearing a long-delayed challenge to President Robert Mugabe's re-election last year. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who was present for Monday's session, alleges ruling party supporters obstructed voters in opposition strongholds and stuffed ballot boxes with "ghost" votes...

Defense Department settles with Linda Tripp WASHINGTON -- Linda Tripp will get more than $595,000 from the Defense Department to settle a lawsuit over the release of confidential personal information about her to a magazine, her lawyers said Monday...

Dressed in a prison orange jumpsuit, Gregory Allen McNeely of Cape Girardeau said little during his initial court appearance Monday as a judge told him he could face the death penalty. McNeely, 24, is accused of fatally shooting Terry Vernon Lynn, 26, of Cape Girardeau shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday behind Players Lounge, located at 632 Broadway...

Sheppard Daughter to Travis W. Sheppard and Deana Marie Story of Thebes, Ill., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6:47 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 2003. Name, Faith Marie. Weight, 2 pounds 7 ounces. Second daughter. Ms. Story is the daughter of Donna Story of Thebes, and the late Bill Story. Sheppard is the son of Don and Barb Jacobs of Fruitland. He is employed at Airborne Express...

PARENTS ACROSS America, you love your children, so help them to counteract the destructive tactics that the liberal enemies within our country are blatantly and insidiously indoctrinating our young people. Wake up, parents, and save your children before it's too late. These conniving leaders are in a desperate struggle to take over America and are using destructive tactics on our country. Don't allow them to conquer your children...

LOS ANGELES -- A year has passed since Frodo and Sam continued their ominous trek to Mordor. It's been six months since Neo lay comatose alongside his nemesis. And three more months will pass before the vengeful Bride gets a chance to kill Bill. Hollywood is in tease mode these days, breaking with the convention that each movie must have a clear beginning, middle and end. ...

War is anything but a game. However, it's a subject that game makers frequently focus on, from re-creations of the Civil War to the latest conflicts around the globe. Now comes "Conflict: Desert Storm II -- Back to Baghdad," an update of last year's "Desert Storm" title from Gotham Games. I played the Xbox version, which supports the console's excellent Xbox Live online gaming operation...

DALLAS -- Unusual fatigue and sleeplessness might be early warning signs of a heart attack in women, a study suggests. The study, published Monday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, surveyed 515 women who had heart attacks and found that 95 percent had such symptoms as much as a month before they were stricken...

Though they aren't certain about all the specifics of Lewis and Clark's journey west, the students at St. Mary Cathedral School know it took them plenty of steps to get to their destination. As part of a school-wide lesson on Lewis and Clark's exploration, the students are trying to walk as many miles as the explorers. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court said Monday it will use the case of a Texas woman whose HMO gave her only one day in the hospital to recover from a hysterectomy to clarify when patients can sue health insurers for denying treatment that a doctor recommends...

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals declined to exercise a $4.5 million club option on second baseman Fernando Vina on Monday, continuing an offseason shakeup after a third-place finish in the NL Central. The Cardinals bought out Vina's contract for $1 million, spokesman Brian Bartow said...

ST. LOUIS -- At the end of the Rams' four-game winning streak, Marshall Faulk was encouraged to recuperate from injuries at his own pace. The team sure needs him now after third-stringer Arlen Harris was held to 9 yards rushing and, perhaps worse, struggled on blitz pickup in Sunday's 20-point loss to the 49ers. Harris was responsible for two of the five sacks on Marc Bulger, and that's always been one of Faulk's fortes...

Meyr earns law degree from Stetson University Trae D. Meyr recently earned a juris doctor degree at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla. Meyr passed the Missouri Bar Exam in July and is now employed by Greensfelder, Hemker & Gayle, Attorneys at Law, in St. Louis...

While serving overseas in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, letters from schoolchildren back in the United States became important to Capt. Elizabeth Sparkes. She didn't know the children, but reading their words gave her a sense a purpose. "You know why you're there," she said...

Even good luck comes with a price. The Jackson Board of Aldermen voted Monday night to spend an extra $47,000 on a well on the north side of town. City officials say the extra funding was necessary because the contractor hired to drill the well made a Jed Clampett-like discovery. Subcontractor Midwest Hydro didn't find bubblin' crude, but it found almost twice the amount of water volume than expected, based on estimates from other wells in the city...

Silver Springs Road will get orange paw prints, but it won't be renamed Tiger Pride Drive in honor of Central High School's mascot as student leaders wanted. The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night voted down the request from the school's student senate, citing opposition from the police department and three owners of property near the school. The vote was 6-0. Councilman Hugh White was absent due to illness...

The new $49.3 million courthouse in Cape Girardeau will be more than a bigger and better home for the federal judicial system in Southeast Missouri. It will also "strengthen the foundation of justice" in the area, said U.S. Sen Kit Bond, by providing citizens a better avenue to the courts, which is the U.S. Constitution's recourse for people to protect their life, liberty and property...

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri Baptists should seize the opportunities before them to rebuild broken families, strengthen dying churches and start new congregations, said the Jackson native who leads the Missouri Baptist Convention. David Clippard, executive director of the convention, addressed an audience of 1,500 people Monday in the first night of the annual meeting in downtown St. Louis...

Approved the disposition of certain city records which have met their retention schedule under RSMo 109.230. Approved Nov. 28 as an authorized leave day for city employees. Approved change order No. 3 to Robinson Mechanical Contractors Inc. to increase the contract amount by $38,899.55, regarding the water supply well No. 7 project...

Deadlines. Why does everything have to have deadlines? Do this by Friday, have that done by Wednesday. Don't put it off. Life seems to be an unending cycle of rushing to get things done. This year, as a senior at Notre Dame Regional High School, my life seems to be flying by. ...

Losing never gets old for some guys, just harder and harder to deal with. Great coaches are like great athletes that way. They don't always know when to say when. It's why one old friend doesn't know what to say to Joe Paterno. "We haven't talked at all," Bobby Bowden said, "probably because Joe's like me. It's one of those things where you're almost so embarrassed, you just wouldn't know what to talk about."...

Central's boys soccer team scored less than two minutes into the game and held off a pesky Jackson squad to move on to the Class 3, District 1 finals with a 4-1 win Monday night at Jackson. The teams had hardly taken the field before Central (23-0) striker Heath Orr buried his 29th goal in the back of the net. Orr's goal tied his school single-season goal record and broke the career goal record of 63...

For the first time in three years, Southeast Missouri State University women's soccer team begins the Ohio Valley Conference postseason tournament as an underdog. But entering today's 2 p.m. tournament play-in game at Tennessee-Martin, Southeast coach Heather Nelson figures maybe that's not such a bad thing...

Associated Press WriterLINN, Mo. (AP) -- According to his foster mother, Dominic James was "a really sweet boy" who liked to run, play with cars and especially to splash in a blowup swimming pool outside. But within two months of arriving at her house, Dominic became ill, frequently vomiting before ultimately losing consciousness and dying...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- People from two local school districts in south central Missouri will vote next spring on whether they want a community college serving their area, one that officials say could provide a new approach to post-secondary education...

Afghanistan unveils draft constitution KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan unveiled a post-Taliban draft constitution Monday, a historic milestone on what has been a bloody, bumpy and often tragic path to recovery after decades of war. The draft starts by declaring that "Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic," then later creates the posts of president and vice president, as well as envisioning two houses of congress...

Cape Girardeau Tuesday, Nov. 4 Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: A fire alarm at 3102 Lexington. A trash fire at 1300 Dunklin. A medical assist at 1534 W. Cape Rock Drive. Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: A gas odor at 301 N. Lorimier St., Apt. 1...

Cape Girardeau Tuesday, Nov. 4 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Depart-ment. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Anthony Wayne Jackson, 111 N. Clark St., Apt. 3, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Sunday for driving while intoxicated, driving while suspended and leaving the scene of an accident...

Baseball All-Star closer Billy Wagner was traded Monday from the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies. Philadelphia sent Houston right-hander Brandon Duckworth, and minor league right-handers Taylor Buchholz and Ezequiel Astacio. ...

10 years ago: Nov. 4, 1993 Parents from across city spoke against closing May Greene as elementary school as part of any change in Cape Girardeau School District; first public forum of school board was held last night at May Greene; 85 people attended and 21 of them spoke...

Jerald Womack of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford & Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Donna M. Ruessler, 55, of Perryville died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, in Perryville. She was born Nov. 12, 1947, in St. Louis, daughter of Thomas Joseph and Bernice Virginia Behrens Hosty. Ruessler was a home health-care worker with Tri County Pyramid Group in Fredericktown, Mo. She was a member of Eagles Auxiliary in Perryville...

Becky Lu Glueck, 48, of Oran, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003. She was born Aug. 10, 1955, in Franklin, Neb., the daughter of Ralph and Jacqueline Netz McAtee Sr. She married Marvin L. Glueck on Sept. 20, 1980. She was a secretary for Guardian Angel Catholic Church and for the Guardian Angel Catholic Credit Union in Oran...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Elmo Westmoland, 86, of East Prairie, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at East Prairie Nursing Center. Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie is in charge of arrangements.

BERNIE, Mo. -- Novella Cornelison, 72, of Bernie died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter, Mo. She was born March 31, 1931, in LaValle, Mo., daughter of Scott and Carrie Trammell Craft. She and Alva Elvis Cornelison were married Jan. 16, 1959, at Bernie. He died Aug. 1, 2001...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Juanita Faye Britt, 70, of East Prairie died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, at East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born May 8, 1933, near East Prairie, daughter of Harve and Cleo Lindsay Ivie. She and C.B. "Berl" Britt were married Dec. 20, 1947...

Terry Vernon Lynn II, 26, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2003, in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 26, 1977, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, son of Terry Vernon Lynn and Theresa Gaye Harris Steagall. Terry attended high school in Conyers, Ga., where he excelled in baseball, pitching a no-hit complete game. Terry also pitched for the Conyers American Legion baseball team...

Betty J. Drace, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 15, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Les and Neldha Irene Sander Segraves. She and Dr. James A. Drace were married in 1948. He died April 28, 1975...

Olga Mungle, 86, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Mungle was born Oct. 3, 1917, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Arthur and Anna Ludwig Loos. She and Gilbert Mungle were married Sept. 17, 1938. He died Jan. 11, 1990...

Lora Mae Lemonds Dean, 78, of Sacramento, Calif., died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at Kaiser South Hospital in Sacramento. She was born Sept. 25, 1925, in St. Louis, daughter of Chester A. and Addie Mae Watkins Lemonds. Mrs. Dean was a member of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament Church in Sacramento...

Dorothy Tod Cox, 78, passed away Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at FJ Davey Nursing Home in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. She was born Jan. 17, 1925, near Advance, Mo., daughter of Mayo and Naomi Tilley Strong. She and James C. Cox were married in 1942. He passed away March 18, 1996...

Lanny Allen Walker, 64, of Jackson died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, at his home. He was born Oct. 4, 1939, in Owensboro, Ky., son of Joseph Allen and Hazel Sanders Walker. He and Nancy Dorner were married Feb. 11, 1962. He was formerly of Livingston, Texas...

To the editor: Thanks to Mike Wells for the article on our Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Action Committee and plans for strategically placed disaster first-aid supplies. However, an extremely important piece of information we wanted to share with the public was left out, that being the cooperation between first-responding agencies in our county and how closely we work together...

To the editor: The Knights of Columbus would like to take this opportunity to thank the Southeast Missourian for its part in making this year's Knights of Columbus Mental Retardation Drive a success. Public information is one of our best resources. By running our news releases each year in the Southeast Missourian, the mentally retarded and developmentally disabled benefit greatly...

To the editor: I'm glad we have knowledgeable people to set the record straight when someone like Alan Journet mixes opinion with fact. However, those of us who have been reading Journet's essays over these many months are aware that he is a true academic. ...

Public hearings Held a public hearing regarding the request of Stan and Kay Thompson for a special-use permit to operate an RV and camping park at 1900 N. Kingshighway in a C-2, general commercial district. Held a public hearing regarding the request of Shiloh, L.L.C., for a special-use permit to convert an existing single-family dwelling into a boarding house at 226 N. Ellis, in a C-1 local commercial district...

On May 6, a tornado ripped through Jackson. In addition to destroying several homes, it ripped apart the complex that served as the headquarters for the police and fire departments. Now the station has been rebuilt. Both departments have been back in their rebuilt quarters since August. The departments recently held an open house to show their appreciation for the help and donations that came pouring in after the tornado...

The goals of the life sciences -- coming soon to Southeast Missouri -- are lofty. The objectives have as much in common with charity as with anything found inside a beaker: feeding the hungry, curing the sick and improving the environment. But science it is...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Warm, dry conditions last week allowed the state's corn harvest to nearly catch up to last year's rapid pace and get slightly ahead of the five-year average, the Missouri Agriculture Statistics Service said Monday. The soybean, sorghum and cotton harvests made gains but remained largely behind schedule as farmers were able to get into the fields an average of 5.6 days last week. The corn harvest is 94 percent complete...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A blast near a holy Shiite Muslim shrine in the city of Karbala on Monday killed three people and injured 12, witnesses said. Meanwhile, in Baghdad, a string of mortar blasts struck near downtown after sunset. The violence came a day after insurgents shot down a U.S. transport helicopter west of Baghdad, killing 16 Americans and wounding 21 in a dramatic show of increasing sophistication in their attacks...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. nuclear chief called Monday for the United Nations to consider putting all production of weapons-usable uranium and plutonium around the world under international control to limit "the increasing threat" posed by countries and terrorists...

CUYAMACA, Calif. -- Volunteer firefighter Carolina Finch was trying to save a convalescent home when she glimpsed the angry orange glow in the sky over her own neighborhood. Rounding the corner, she saw what used to be her two-story redwood house. As the sun rose the next morning, it became clear that she was not the only firefighter whose home was destroyed...

Anglican leaders moved closer Monday to a permanent break with the U.S. Episcopal Church over its first openly gay bishop, but the anticipated split within the U.S. denomination will evolve more slowly as conservatives create a network of like-minded dioceses and parishes...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A month after dropping out of the White House race, Sen. Bob Graham announced Monday he will retire when his term is up next year, dealing a blow to the Democrats' bid to take back the Senate. Democrats had high hopes that Graham, one of Florida's most popular politicians, would win a fourth term in 2004. But in the end, Graham said he had to make the decision that was best for him and his family, including his wife, four daughters and 10 grandchildren...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Springfield, Ill., man sustained moderate injuries Sunday night when his vehicle overturned on Interstate 55. James Ratliff, 64, was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau by helicopter after the 6:20 p.m. accident. It occurred 7 miles north of Perryville. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred when Ratliff lost control of the northbound vehicle and it ran off the left side of the roadway before overturning...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston police subdued a man they say tried to rob a convenience store but got nothing but a used wig. Investigators on Monday released the following account: Robert Peaks Jr. of St. Louis tried to rob the U-Pump-It around 1:45 p.m. Saturday, threatening the clerk with a knife. Peaks grabbed the clerk's hair -- which turned out to be a wig and came off in his hand -- and then tried to walk behind the counter...

Scott Lynn Bragg, 33, a resident of Patton, Mo., was sentenced Monday to three prison terms of seven years each to run consecutively, the result of his guilty plea last month to two counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of assault. It was the maximum for the charges, which is what Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney, asked Circuit Judge William Syler to issue...

Miami's first regular season loss in more than three years cleared a path for Southern California to get to the Sugar Bowl. USC was in second place in the Bowl Championship Series standings Monday, trailing only unanimous No. 1 Oklahoma. "I suspect that this ranking shows the respect people have for our program and the way we're playing," Trojans coach Pete Carroll said. "We hope to continue to play like we have. If we do, good things will happen."...

Notre Dame set up a rematch of last year's Class 2, District 1 soccer final by defeating Sikeston 4-0 Monday at Notre Dame. Top-seeded Notre Dame will face No. 3 St. Pius in the final at 6 p.m. today at Notre Dame. St. Pius defeated No. 2 Hillsboro 1-0 in triple overtime...

CHICAGO -- Ozzie Guillen was certain he was the right person to be the new manager of the Chicago White Sox, regardless of what his resume did or didn't say. Two hours into his first interview, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams agreed. "The passion, the commitment, the energy, the game knowledge, the aggressive attitude," Williams said Monday in introducing Guillen as manager of the team where he spent 13 years of his 16-year career...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Donna R. Hartmann of Cairo and formerly of Carbondale, Ill., died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state Highways and Transportation Commission received a public panel's report Tuesday on how to improve its credibility with state residents but passed over its first opportunity to publicly apologize for dropping a 1992 highway plan...

CHICAGO -- Intravenous doses of a synthetic component of "good" cholesterol reduced artery disease in just six weeks in a small study with startlingly big implications for treating the nation's No. 1 killer. "The concept is sort of liquid Drano for the coronary arteries," said Dr. Steven Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who led the study...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A contract to resurface 44 miles of roadways in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry and Madison counties was awarded Tuesday to Apex Paving Co. of Cape Girardeau. The Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission gave the contract, worth approximately $1 million, to apply asphalt to some area roads...

Cape Girardeau city officials hope to spark development of the Prestwick Plantation residential subdivision with a new financing plan. The proposed development of upscale homes could rely on city bonds to fund construction of water, sewer and street improvements under a new plan proposed by city officials...

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team has been picked to win its first Ohio Valley Conference championship, which means the Otahkians figure to have a big target on their backs. Bring it on, said the Otahkians during their annual media day Tuesday afternoon at the Show Me Center...

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk put the Blues in a bind. Then he put them over the top. Tkachuk, who took a double minor for spearing in the third period, scored on a 3-on-1 break with 31 seconds left in overtime for a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Tuesday night. The Blues' defense helped by holding the Ducks to one shot, keeping the Ducks' lead at 1-0...

It brings in money I AM always amazed about the community's lack of understanding about the university's athletic department. Cutting the athletic department would be a major mistake. There are a lot of alumni who donate money to the school just for athletics, myself included. Every time a sports team plays in a major tournament or is on TV, the university gets money. Contrary to what many of you think, the athletic department does create revenue...

STOCKTON, Mo. (AP) -- Six months to the day after a devastating tornado ripped into Stockton, residents of the southwest Missouri community gathered Tuesday to celebrate all the good things that have happened since then. And they got more good news, word from Gov. Bob Holden that their community of about 2,000 would be getting an additional $2 million in grants from the Department of Economic Development...

PRINCETON, Mo. (AP) -- A 73-year-old man is accused of overpowering a northern Missouri sheriff, taking his handcuffs, gun and squad car before threatening people at the sheriff's office and hijacking a pickup truck. Princeton resident Raymond Button was arrested later Tuesday in Wayne County, Iowa. Keith Davis, the sheriff there, said Button had been charged with felony kidnapping, theft and possession of firearms...

They held a knife to a 60-year-old man's throat, threatened to beat an elderly married couple with a nail-studded board and broke the wrist of a man who was reaching for his wallet. The men who invaded several Cape Girardeau homes in 1996, beating and robbing terrified elderly residents, provided a catalyst for an anti-crime movement that ultimately has led to the capture of 144 fugitives...

With 87.5 percent of Jackson voters saying "yes" Tuesday to waiving a state sales tax rollback, the school district can expect to gain almost $2 million next year without raising local taxes. Superintendent Ron Anderson stood in the basement level of the Cape Girardeau County administrative building watching County Clerk Rodney Miller record the final votes. When the results were all in, Anderson wore a relieved smile. There were 2,590 votes in favor and only 369 opposed...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In rejecting a death row inmate's bid for a new trial, the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday found no pattern showing that blacks historically have been excluded from Cape Girardeau County juries. An all-white Cape Girardeau County jury convicted Earl Ringo Jr., who is black, of two counts of first-degree murder in June 1999 and recommended the death sentence for each charge...

BEIJING -- To the Chinese capital, the dawn of November long meant one thing -- the invasion of winter cabbage, the government-subsidized, not-too-tasty "patriotic vegetable" that sustained the masses through the icy months. Rickety trucks from one-horse towns streamed into the city, laden with heads of "da baicai" -- big cabbage or bok choy. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The chief security adviser in the U.S.-led occupation flatly rejected on Tuesday proposals by Iraqi leaders that the old Iraqi army be recalled to duty to help stem the anti-American guerrilla war. It would be "a mistake even if it had been feasible," said Walter Slocombe of the Coalition Provisional Authority. He said he foresees undisciplined "mobs of people" responding simply to collect pay in job-hungry Iraq...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Yasser Arafat delayed the formation of a new Cabinet on Tuesday by blocking his premier's choice for security chief, which will slow fledgling efforts to restart peace talks with Israel after a three-month freeze in contacts, Palestinian officials said...

General dismissed for praise of anti-Semitism BERLIN -- Germany's defense minister on Tuesday dismissed the head of the country's elite special forces after the general praised a conservative lawmaker under investigation for alleged anti-Semitic remarks...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- By plane, car, even donkey, thousands of copies of Afghanistan's draft constitution are being sent to remote villages as the government tries to win support for the document from a fractured and diverse population. A day after unveiling the long-awaited draft, Afghanistan's constitutional commission said Tuesday that last-minute comments will be taken into account before the final version is submitted to a loya jirga, or grand council, in December for ratification...

A Tuesday morning shooting outside a Cape Girardeau apartment building on Cape Meadows Circle was the city's third such crime within four days. A disturbance in the parking lot was reported to police shortly before 2 a.m. When police arrived, the 33-year-old victim was inside his apartment with four gunshot wounds to his legs...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, Nov. 5 Firefighters responded Monday to the following item: At 3:48 p.m., carbon detector alarm at 1826 Bloomfield. Firefighters responded Tuesday to the following items: At 12:59 a.m., Dumpster fire at 200 N. Pacific. At 2:03 a.m., emergency medical service at 1721 Cape Meadows...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, Nov. 5 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Robert F. Lewis, 40, of 824 E. 6th St., Crowley, La., was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, no valid license and failure to stop at a stop sign...

Not a holiday season goes by that I don't make my Grandpa's famous whiskey balls to share with my friends and co-workers, and it wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't make that batch of peppernut cookies from the recipe Carol Little and her mother shared with me during my college days...

Henry Hungerbeeler, director of the Missouri Department of Transportation, continues to say the state would have to spend an additional billion dollars a year for the next 20 years to complete all the projects Missourians say they want. But Hungergbeeler, like so many others in state government, knows there is no magic wand when it comes to Missouri's budget, which will be about a billion dollars short of revenue to fund existing programs next year...

Baseball Edgar Martinez still won't talk retirement. Martinez, who turns 41 in January, agreed Tuesday to a $3 million, one-year contract with the Mariners. Seattle outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Mike Cameron and infielders Bret Boone and John Olerud won AL Gold Gloves. ...

To the editor: In response to the article "Athletics cuts get attention at SEMO meeting": I read with interest the comments that it might be necessary to cut men's golf and men's indoor track. Has anyone looked at how much is spent on men's football and basketball? It seems that golf and track share such a pittance of the athletic budget. ...

To the editor: While environmentalists and developers shout at each other over the value of fish and surplus commodities, a bit of calculator work makes the eyebrows lift when the subject of the St. John's Bayou levee project is examined. If my figures are correct, U.S. taxpayers are going to shell out at least $60 million for this project. They are doing this, officially, to help the residents of East Prairie who are said to have a flood problem resulting from the Mississippi River...

Rose Hills Garden Club The Rose Hills Garden Club met Oct. 27 at the home of Ella Gateley. The program topic was "Home and Holiday Decorations," presented by Nancy Geiser from Trees and Trends. Bonnie Kipper, president, gave a report on planting flowers and preparing flower beds at the "Little Red House" being built for the Lewis and Clark celebration. This will be done in the spring when the house is completed...

Democrats held on to their last remaining legislative seat in the Bootheel Tuesday with Dr. Terry Swinger's victory in a three-way race for a vacancy in the state House of Representatives. According to unofficial results, Swinger, a Caruthersville optometrist, claimed 60.4 percent of the vote in the special election for the 162nd District seat, which represents Pemiscot County and parts of Dunklin and New Madrid counties. Swinger won all three counties...

10 years ago: Nov. 5, 1993 Number of cases of flu-like illnesses reported last week in Southeast Missouri increased dramatically over previous week, but health officials say figure is still not unusual for first week of November; no confirmed cases of influenza have been reported in area...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Janice Lea Turner, 53, of Sikeston, died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 20, 1950, in East Prairie, Mo., daughter of Sye and Ollie Myers Atkinson. She and Larry A. Turner were married Feb. 18, 1969, in East Prairie...

Bruch "Greg" Latimer, 49, of Illinois died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Illinois. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Theodore Lange, 75, of Jonesboro died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. He was born June 21, 1928, in St. Louis, son of Herbert and Ethel Schueman Lange. Formerly of Wonder Lake, Ill., he was a member of Nativity Lutheran Church...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Elmo Westmoland, 86, of East Prairie died Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at East Prairie Nursing Center. He was born June 7, 1917, at Matthews, Mo., son of Sim and Rose Ellen Chaffin Westmoland. He and Sally O'Connor True were married Nov. 9, 1986...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Carrie L. Parker, 84, of Cairo died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at her home. She was the daughter of Hester and Emily Cowan. She married Clyde Parker, who died Nov. 8, 1989. Parker had been a seamstress at Lowenbaum Manufacturing Plant in Mounds, Ill., and at M. Snower and Co. in Cairo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Cora M. Brooks, 81, of Advance died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born Nov. 25, 1921, in North Fork, Ill., daughter of Abner and Mary Smith Trousdale. She and Wade Brooks were married March 13, 1942, at Benton, Mo. He died in 1977...

Ruth M. Harrison, 83, of Jackson died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 23, 1920, in Cheraw, S.C. She and Wallace Harrison were married Dec. 28, 1941. He died in September 1950. Harrison had worked at Kamp's Coin Wash, Pope's Grocery, and owned the former 3-M's Quickie Mart, all in Jackson. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church...

Capt. James Thomas Carlton, 76, of Mount Pleasant, Utah, died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003, at his home. He was born Oct. 27, 1927, in St. Louis, son of Capt. John T. and Emma Harris Carlton. He and Anna Jane Poulson were married in 1955 in Garden City, Nev...

Sidney "Gene" Morris, 71, of St. Peters, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at his home. He was born Nov. 19, 1931, in Columbia, Mo., son of Sidney and Gladys L. Morris. Morris was an over-the-road driver with Yellow Freight 33 years. Survivors include his wife, Shirley; two sons, Richard Morris of San Marcos, Calif., Dennis Morris of Bridgeton, Mo.; a daughter, Debbie Sigler of Lake St. ...

Gerald E. Womack, 52, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at St. Louis University Hospital. He was born July 24, 1951, in Chicago, son of Willie J. and Genevieve Phills Womack. He and Barbara W. Bissell were married July 12, 1996, in Jackson...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruth T. Berkbuegler, 86, of Perryville died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 30, 1916, in Perry County, daughter of Gilbert and Cecelia Gibbar Henderson. She and Herbert Berkbuegler were married Feb. 17, 1936. He died May 24, 1968...

Jerry Lee Cady, 50, of Freeport, Ill., died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at his home. He was born Dec. 24, 1952, in Imperial, Neb., son of Virgel and Lila Fuqua Cady. He and Cathy Sixt were married in 1975. Cady was a 1971 graduate of Chase County High School, and received a bachelor of arts degree in business administration and economics from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, in 1975...

ANNA, Ill. -- Donald H. Cates, 72, of Chicago, formerly of Anna, died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He was born Sept. 4, 1931, in Cobden, Ill., son of Charles Ford and Anna Elizabeth Hubach Cates. Cates was a custodian at Seventh-day Adventists Hospital in Chicago...

John R. "Jack" Wilhite, 82, of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 17, 1921, son of Dr. John R. Wilhite and Lillian Abington Wilhite Sr. in Liberal, Kan. He married Mary Elizabeth Brockmire on July 22, 1945, in Cape Girardeau...

It was quite a relief when two missing inmates were found Sunday hiding in the Missouri State Penitentiary after 3 1/2 days. For most of that time, authorities didn't know if the two convicted murderers had escaped or simply disappeared in the 167-year-old facility with 25 major buildings. Hundreds of searchers had been looking for the two inmates inside and outside the facility before they were found behind a false wall...

A Cape Girardeau man was sentenced in federal court Tuesday for possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Earl L. Harris, 26, received 120 months for the drug charge and 150 months for the gun charge. The sentences will run concurrently...

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway will give a legislative update this week at First Friday Coffee. Hanaway, R-Warson Woods, will discuss "any issue she wants to hammer on," said Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Mehner. First Friday Coffee is a monthly program held by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. This month's meeting will be at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Show Me Center. For more information, call 335-3312...

The Banner Press PATTON, Mo. -- Voters in the Meadow Heights School District rejected a proposed $1.9 million bond issue on Tuesday. Sixty-one percent, or 392 votes, were against the proposal; 246 votes were in favor of the bond issue. A two-thirds majority was required for the issue to pass...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Insurers must pay $200,000 for injuries a Perry County girl suffered from a treehouse fall even though the policyholder was in arrears on a premium payment at the time of the accident, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday...

WASHINGTON -- On the road to change, the quarters are halfway there. The U.S. Mint's 50-state quarter program, which began with Delaware and will end with Hawaii, reached the halfway mark last week with the debut of the Arkansas 25-cent piece. Quarters are produced in the order that the states ratified the U.S. Constitution and joined the Union. The states come up with the design, which features images or themes honoring the state...

WASHINGTON -- In a major setback to U.S. efforts to attract military help in Iraq, a Turkish official said Tuesday his country won't send peacekeeping troops without a significant change in the situation there. That makes it virtually certain the United States will have to send thousands more U.S. reservists early next year...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Al-Qaida operatives who attacked a hotel and plane in Kenya trained, plotted and obtained weapons in neighboring Somalia, a U.N. report says, lending support to U.S. concerns the lawless Horn of Africa nation could be a haven for terrorists...

BERLIN -- NATO's military commander said Tuesday he sees the alliance taking on more stabilization missions, even pre-emptive missions in troubled regions to prevent them from becoming breeding grounds for terrorism. U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James L. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday urged the United States for the 12th straight year to end its 42-year-old trade embargo against Cuba. The resolution, which is not legally binding, passed overwhelmingly with only Israel and the Marshall Islands joining the United States in voting against...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents struck Tuesday at the center of the U.S.-led occupation, firing mortars after sundown at the heavily guarded district that includes major American facilities. Three people were wounded, the Pentagon said. Spain, a close U.S. ally, withdrew many of its diplomats because of escalating violence...

A croustade is an edible pastry container, a kind of open pie, not baked in a dish. The French word sounds appealing, evoking the idea of a crisp, flaky crust. When it's filled with pears, as in the following easy, seasonal recipe, you can add other associations: fruity flavor and texture, and rich juice...

Rep. Ernie Fletcher easily won the Kentucky governor's seat Tuesday, ousting Democrats from power after 32 years. Mississippi Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove fought to keep his job against Washington lobbyist Haley Barbour as the GOP sought to make further inroads in the South...

It's five days after Halloween. Should we start thinking about Christmas shopping so soon? You bet your maids a-milking we should. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas by nature. The idea is a good one: devote a day to peace on Earth and good will toward men and hope the idea carries through the rest of the year. ...

The souls of the just are in the hands of God; no torment shall touch them. -- From the Book of Wisdom, as quoted by the Rev. John Ditenhafer, principal celebrant at the Mass of the Resurrection for George R. "Buzz" Westfall....

smcclanahan Last Wednesday evening, our family, along with our pastor and his wife, attended the fund-raising dinner at Broadway United Methodist Church in Scott City. While we enjoyed our delicious meal of chicken noodle soup and chili, I noticed Larry Dunger had on an apron that read "United Methodists Make Great Cooks." How right he is...

An average monthly rate increase of $16.26 on natural gas would be a financial hardship on AmerenUE's Southeast Missouri customers, according to the two people who spoke at a public hearing Tuesday night. "It would be a jolt to many people including myself," said Cape Girardeau resident John Jones, who spoke at the Missouri Public Service Commission hearing at the Show Me Center...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team qualified for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals by beating host Tennessee-Martin 2-0 Tuesday in a tournament play-in game. The fifth-seeded Otahkians (10-5-4) advance to Friday's 7 p.m. contest in Birmingham, Ala., against OVC regular-season champion Samford, the tournament host...

The battle of Alabama figures to go a long way toward helping decide the Ohio Valley Conference football championship. Jacksonville State and Samford -- who also just happen to be first-year OVC members -- square off Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. Visiting Jacksonville State (6-3, 4-1) is tied for first place in the OVC. Samford (6-3, 4-2) is just a half-game behind, but a loss would all but end the Bulldogs' title hopes...

For the first time since 1997, Notre Dame's boys soccer team will not be bringing home a district championship. The top-seeded Bulldogs, the defending Class 2 state champions, lost to St. Pius 1-0 Tuesday night in the Class 2, District 1 championship game at Notre Dame...

Heath Orr played the typical role of an underclassman on the varsity squad during his first two years in Central's soccer program. Orr tallied a handful of goals and, more importantly, gained valuable varsity experience. But on a team with stars like John Mark Thompson, now playing soccer at Notre Dame, Orr's offensive potential had not reached the surface...

There's no doubt about it. Kitchen remodels are at the top of the list when it comes to home remodeling. Such projects are for your comfort now, as well as for resale in the future. According to the National Association of Home Builders, residential remodeling is expected to reach $167 billion this year...

by Regina Yoast Dearest OFF! readers, allow us to introduce Tabatha Thompson and Kevin- well, just Kevin- hosts of The Zone 107.1's homegrown music show The Indie Zone. Since its first airing in June 2003, The Indie Zone has attracted quite a loyal following, partially because it's the only show on the radio dial that features local musicians playing their original music...

11/04/03 - The Civiltones, Frederick's Music Lounge 11/04/03 - Slightly Stoopid, Gargoyle @ Washington Univ. 11/04/03 - Jeff Lang, Off Broadway 11/04/03 - Melissa Ferrick, Off Broadway 11/04/03 - Fall Out Boy, The Pageant 11/04/03 - Less Than Jake, The Pageant...

11/3/2003 - Northland (PC) 11/3/2003 - Robocop (GBA) 11/3/2003 - Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (PC) 11/3/2003 - Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom (XB) 11/3/2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (PC 11/4/2003 - Dead to Rights (PC)...

Sometimes, sleep patterns get interrupted. You sleep too much. You don't get enough sleep. You wake up early for no reason. You can't fall asleep at night. For confirmation, I consulted a sleep expert (they actually exist). "Sleep patterns get interrupted," confirmed the sleepspert. So what exactly keeps you up at night? "A number of different things can interrupt Circadian Rhythms, your sleep cycling." Well said, but we need specifics...

Each month, we'll bring you an inside look at the music you hear on The Zone @ 107.1 and the artists that make it. by Leroy Grey Insider here, coming down from a sugar buzz. My head hurts, and there's so much to talk about. Ohhh... First off, did anybody out there dig the NICKELBACK show? THREE DAYS GRACE was a decent warmup, I guess. ...

by Keayn Dunya As Indiana Jones, you'll travel to China in the year 1935 to prevent a powerful artifact from falling into the hands of evil. This globe spanning adventure pits you against evil Nazis and the Asian underworld. It'll take more than just your trusty whip and pistol to avoid the peril of the Emperor's Tomb...

by Leroy Grey Greg's not back yet from his haunted hayride, so it's my turn to talk movies. Sometimes, being in Cape does feel like two hours from civilization. Maybe you heard about the Lord of the Rings Marathon (if not, forget about it; tickets sold so fast, they were crashing websites) that is NOT happening in Cape because it only happens in one theater in the St Louis market, of which we are a part. ...

by Jason Parker So I used to call this little monthly diatribe Kill Your T.V. But I can't insinuate violence anymore. It will now be called Sun and Puppies for Everybody. I have an excuse because I knocked up my wife but it's cool because we meant to do it. ...

So, I'm on a date the other day. (It's a stretch, I know. But go with me here.) The girl looks nice. In fact, the girl looks gorgeous. So, the looks aren't a problem. Yet, the conversation is not going well. Why, you ask?...

Buck up, East Coasters. Some of us out here in the oft-forgotten "Flyover Country" don't quite understand all the hoopla about this storm with the pretty name. Not to say Isabel wasn't bad; sustained winds of 100 miles per hour and massive flooding isn't a good thing by any stretch. ...

So I'm riverbound on Broadway, after hours, my latest column behind me when my next one hits me in the face: a bright white light, bouncing off a storefront window, an artificial campfire for a late-night gathering of aspiring artists...

Salvation Army plans Thanksgiving dinner Keeping a tradition for more than 14 years, the Salvation Army is accepting donations of turkeys and other items to complete its annual Thanksgiving dinner at 701 Good Hope St., Cape Girardeau. The meal is served from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 27. Everyone is invited...

Annual open house offered at high school Notre Dame Regional High School will begin with a welcoming assembly at 6:30 p.m. Monday for the annual grade school/junior high student open house. Individuals interested in making Notre Dame their high school for the 2004-05 school year should come by for a tour and an evening of fun...

Charles W. Guenther of Jackson was recently awarded the 2003 Caller Hall of Fame plaque for his promotion and support of square dancing Approximately 850 square dancers attended the 44th Annual Missouri Federation of Square 'N Round Dance Clubs held in Lebanon, Mo...

Bismarck graduate completes training Marine Corps Pvt. Craig A. Cummings, son of Patricia A. and William A. Cummings of Fredericktown, Mo., recently completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally...

Two weeks after a revolutionary eye surgery that restored his vision once marred by glaucoma, Ronnie Everly still can't lift heavy objects or rake leaves since the dust could carry bacteria and bring on an infection. But those are minor inconveniences compared with the prospect of losing his sight...

Whether Americans opt for Nexium or Prevacid to treat their heartburn, they could have bought the drugs in Canada for less than half the price. As Congress debates whether to allow foreign pharmacies to fill prescriptions, The Associated Press surveyed comparable U.S. and Canadian prices for 10 popular drugs and found the Canadian prices were 33 percent to 80 percent cheaper...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two top politicians from Missouri's political past -- Warren Hearnes and Tom Eagleton -- have added their names to the list of Democrats backing the re-election of Gov. Bob Holden, his campaign announced Tuesday. Holden's camp said Hearnes, a former governor, and Eagleton, a former U.S. senator, sent a letter this week to more than 80,000 state Democrats supporting Holden's re-election bid...

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball teams will get their first taste of outside competition today when the men and women play exhibition games at the Show Me Center. The men take on Division II Truman State University at 7:30 p.m., following the women's contest against NAIA power Union University at 5 p.m...

A high-powered showdown between SEMO Conference North squads Central and Poplar Bluff highlights the final week of football district playoffs. Three area teams are in the hunt for a district title with St. Vincent all but assured of its first district title since 2000. The area's main event, though, will be tonight in Poplar Bluff, where the 8-0 Mules square off with the 7-2 Tigers for the Class 4, District 1 title. Both teams are 2-0 in the district...

The city of Cape Girardeau could find itself saddled with a risky investment if it issues bonds to help fund construction of streets, sewers and water lines to serve the proposed, pricey Prestwick Plantation residential development, some developers say...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little will be held out until the end of the week because of a torn chest muscle, but hasn't been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens. An MRI exam on Tuesday showed the injury, which kept the Rams' best lineman out of last week's loss at San Francisco, was healing faster than had been anticipated. Little, among the league leaders with seven sacks, was listed as doubtful...

NEW YORK -- Cardinals outfielder Albert Pujols, who last season led the major leagues in hitting and finished among the leaders in most offensive categories, was voted player of the year by his peers in balloting conducted by the Major League Baseball Players Association...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Department of Transportation officials say tort reform is needed to reduce the agency's litigation costs for savings that could be shifted to road construction. Chief operating officer Pat Goff said MoDOT settles claims when it is legitimately at fault, but it is often targeted in litigation as the party with the deepest pockets...

Al-Qaida tried to bring more hijackers to U.S. WASHINGTON -- Al-Qaida was attempting to bring additional hijackers into the United States just a few weeks before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, U.S. officials now believe. It is unclear from court documents that outline the theory whether these unidentified individuals were intended to provide additional manpower aboard the four jets that were commandeered or if the plot was to include the hijackings of more aircraft on that day...

Central (7-2) at Poplar Bluff (8-0) Last week: Central 42, Perryville 0; Poplar Bluff 42, Sikeston 3 Last year: Central 47, Poplar Bluff 7 Notes: Central has come on at just the right time and will play for its fourth straight district title. ...

Nov. 6, 2003 Dear Ken, One of the two photographs on my desk at home is a picture of two of my heroes. They are sitting on a wooden step behind the Jambalaya, my old hangout in Northern California. On the left, inhaling deeply from the dregs of a cigarette he rolled himself, is John Ross, trouble-seeking journalist and poet. His poems talked about "The Revolution" and the joy of being able to buy a can of Dinty Moore stew because your government check just arrived...

Parents Without Partners has announced plans for several activities to take place during the month of November. They include: Coping: From 7 to 9 p.m. tonight, Nov. 13 and 20 the group will attend "Coping by Beginning Experience" at Divine Homes Realty, Cape Girardeau. There is a fee...

The Kansas City Star The American public took another slap in the face from Congress as senators once again jacked up their own salaries. ... After years of embarrassing increases, congressional salaries are already too high relative to average American incomes. The latest hike will put the annual congressional salary next year at $158,100...

Today Blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Notre Dame Regional High School. Donors should be at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds. Blood pressure screening from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Cape Girardeau Senior Center. The screening is sponsored by the Generations Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

Stay the course CALLIE CLARK'S stark but brutally accurate portrayal of schoolteacher Jason Bandermann's initiation into a classroom populated in part by confrontational and disinterested students deserves an A-plus. I hope the still idealistic young teacher stays the course...

In a story in Tuesday's edition, it should have been reported that Iona Baptist Church collected $1,100 for its mission offering last year. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

A day of live music has been organized to raise donations for the surviving family of murder victim Terry Vernon Lynn. On Saturday, bands will perform at Players at 632 Broadway. The concert begins at noon and will last until closing time. There will be a $3 cover charge. The bands include Drivin' Rain and Frontal Nudity...

Southeast Missouri State University's money crunch has created a new competition on campus. Academics is battling with athletics in a cost-cutting tug of war. "There are folks around here, and maybe the board of regents, who think this is an athletics club," said Dr. Alan Journet, a biology professor. He and some others believe university officials appear to be protecting sports during the budget crisis...

Southeast Missouri State University faculty members made their case Wednesday for cutting athletics at the same rate as teaching jobs, objecting to the cost-cutting figures presented by the administration. At a Faculty Senate meeting, a majority of senators said they also oppose an athletics department proposal to cut $35,000 to $40,000 out of the $3.8 million the school spends fielding sports teams...

Evanescence guitarist sitting out current tour Evanescence lead guitarist Ben Moody has abandoned the group's world tour, and planned to meet informally Wednesday with representatives of his record label in Los Angeles. "Ben is not on the current dates," Steve Karas, a spokesman for Wind-up Records and one of Evanescence's producers, told The Associated Press Tuesday...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Israel's Defense Ministry announced Wednesday it is easing travel restrictions in the West Bank in an effort to strengthen Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, who remains stuck in a power struggle with Yasser Arafat. But Palestinians said the changes were largely cosmetic and brought no real relief...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush signed legislation Wednesday banning a certain type of abortion, handing the disputed procedure's opponents a long-sought victory even as a federal judge at least partially blocked the new law from taking effect. "For years, a terrible form of violence has been directed against children who are inches from birth while the law looked the other way," Bush said as he signed the ban on a procedure called partial-birth abortion by its critics. ...

Cape Girardeau Thursday, Nov. 6 Firefighters responded Tuesday to the following item: At 9:16 p.m., citizen assist at 1908 Brink. Firefighter responded Wednesday to the following items: At 3:28 a.m., gasoline leak at 353 S. Kingshighway. At 12:52 p.m., medical assist at 229 S. Plaza Way....

Cape Girardeau Thursday, Nov. 6 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Azizi U. Ray, 22, of 721 N. Middle, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Tuesday on a Cape Girardeau warrant for failure to appear...

To the editor: For the earnest students of Central High School, the Students in Government program suddenly became very real. Every year the Optimists sponsor the program where students take the places of various members of city and county government with the hope they will better appreciate and understand the political process...

10 years ago: Nov. 6, 1993 New, 72,000-square-foot federal courthouse is planned for Cape Girardeau along with renovations to existing Federal Building, officials announced yesterday; 1994 federal budget approved by Congress includes $3.9 million for site acquisition and design of courthouse in Cape Girardeau, along with $1.7 million for design and renovation of Federal Building at 339 Broadway...

Bruch "Greg" Latimer, 49, of Collinsville, Ill., formerly of Jackson, died Friday, Oct. 31, 2003, in Wood River, Ill. He was born June 9, 1954, in Newport, Ark., son of Jack and Jean Pardon Latimer. Survivors include his father of Jackson; a brother, Stan Latimer of Jackson; and a sister, Sheila Garland of Ocean Springs, Miss...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Donna R. Hartmann, 72, of Cairo died Monday, Nov. 3, 2003, at her home. She was born Sept. 25, 1931, in Cairo, daughter of Louis E. and Martha Ross Sackberger. She married James B. Hartmann. Hartmann was a former accountant at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church and its Altar Guild...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Edna P. Bohnert, 90, of Perryville died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born July 3, 1913, in Perry County, daughter of Theodore B. and Anna Dambach Tanz. She and Otto G. Bohnert were married Nov. 5, 1939. He died Dec. 26, 1991...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Roy G. Colliflower, 101, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Miner Nursing Center. He was born Oct. 5, 1902, in Hutsonville, Ill., son of John S. and Eliza Johnson Colliflower. He and Lillian V. "Tinch" Michael were married Sept. 16, 1934, at Commerce, Mo. She died June 20, 1998...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Louis P. "Lum" Ralls, 72, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 14, 1930, in Jonesboro, son of Richard Herman and Marie Tucker Ralls. He and Frances Lehmann were married Sept. 30, 1952, in Erlangen, Germany...

Mary Ann Davis, 35, of Benton, Mo., formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, near Commerce, Mo. She was born Nov. 6, 1967, at Tullahoma, Tenn., to Carl and Fran Crosno Rose of East Prairie. She and Bennie E. Davis Jr. were married Sept. 8, 1987...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Raymond W. Schilling, 83, of Uniontown died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Jan. 3, 1920, at Frohna, Mo., son of Frederick and Bertha Wunderlich Schilling. He and Alma Kasten were married Sept. 21, 1946...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruth T. Berkbuegler, 86, of Perryville died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 30, 1916, in Perry County, daughter of Gilbert and Cecelia Gibbar Henderson. She and Herbert Berkbuegler were married Feb. 17, 1936. He died May 24, 1968...

A memorial service for John R. "Jack" Wilhite Jr. of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2:30 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. Vicar Fred Gerlach will officiate. Entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum, with military rites by VFW Post 3838...

Lona Pearl Crader, 80, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Nov. 2, 2003, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Oct. 25, 1923, in Randles, Mo., daughter of William and Minnie Sheets Darby. She and Linder Ray Crader were married April 12, 1941. He died March 30, 1981...

To the editor: This letter is intended for all individuals contemplating retirement from Southeast Missouri State University. In case you were not aware of the discrimination, retirees from the university are assessed a higher monthly health-insurance premium than Southeast pays for its current employees...

When 11-year-old Andrew Tyler of Jackson came home recently after a four-month stay at a St. Louis hospital, it was no doubt among the sweetest of all for him and his family. Andrew nearly drowned in the Jackson pool on June 6. While swimming for the Barracuda swim team, Andrew jumped into the water and went into cardiac arrest due to an electrical disorder in his heart...

For most people within the city limits of Cape Girardeau, dealing with sewage is as simple as a quick flush. That's because almost everyone enjoys, without even thinking about it, a connection to the city's sewer lines. Almost everyone. City officials recently looked into the matter, knowing there were still some septic systems being used. ...

WASHINGTON -- A year before the 2004 elections, the news is grim for Democrats, losers of statehouses in Kentucky and Mississippi in off-year balloting, victims of a wave of retirements by Senate Southerners and petitioners in court hoping to block a Texas House redistricting massacre...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- In lawless Mogadishu, where U.S. officials fear al-Qaida members are plotting their next attack, the word is out: catch a terrorist, collect rewards as high as $5 million. At least four al-Qaida terrorist suspects are in Somalia, Kenyan officials and U.N. experts say, and Americans are trying to capture them in a country without an effective central government for more than a decade, officials and gunmen told The Associated Press...

By Gene Peterman Avelina Lichtenegger, Raj Marasini and Carol Keen -- three recent guest columnists regarding the new math curriculum in the Jackson School District -- are all arguing about who has the best tree. If they would look around at all the religious and private schools with growing enrollments and building programs, they would see that the forest is burning...

Playwright A. R. Gurney is best known for the romantic "Love Letters," a play that follows the friendship and sometime romance between a man and woman from childhood to middle age and does so entirely through their correspondence. The conceit works superbly...

SEATTLE -- Uttering the word "guilty" 48 times with chilling calm, Gary Leon Ridgway admitted Wednesday he is the Green River Killer and confessed to strangling four dozen women over two decades -- "so many women I have a hard time keeping them straight."...

Racine Ghiz just knew. The moment a doctor mentioned that the best thing he ever did for his own special-needs child was to get a trained dog, Racine's maternal instincts kicked in. She knew, she just knows, that a trained dog will improve the quality of life of her 9-year-old son, Josh, a victim of his abnormal and rare genetic makeup. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Lawyers for Gov. Bob Holden and a group public school districts clashed Wednesday over whether the Missouri Constitution empowers a governor to reduce education spending when the state budget is out of balance. The districts are seeking the immediate release of $190 million Holden, a Democrat, withheld from the $4.55 billion education budget in July. The governor's attorneys are asking Cole County Circuit Court Judge Richard Callahan to dismiss the case...

A Chaffee woman was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to five years probation and ordered to pay $48,197.63 in restitution for defrauding an elderly woman with Alzheimer's disease through fraudulent credit-card purchases. Linda Gale Moore, 57, pleaded guilty in July. In doing so, she admitted that during 2000 she befriended June Stubbs, 72, of Chaffee, and used several of the woman's credit cards for personal purchases...

The murder trial for a Cape Girardeau man charged with the shooting death of 31-year-old Billy Jones Jr. began Wednesday in Poplar Bluff in Butler County. Jibril Walton, 26, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Aug. 18 killing...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Johnny Cash won the Country Music Association's single of the year and video of the year awards Wednesday for his rendition of the rock song "Hurt." The announcements drew a standing ovation at the CMA's 37th Annual Country Music Awards...

Louie Been started lifting weights three years ago, and now he says he won't stop until his body gives out on him. The 23-year-old Southeast Missouri State University student from Imperial, Mo., became interested in weightlifting when his friend Ron MacCubbin approached him with the idea and offered to be Been's personal trainer. And at 22, after seeing MacCubbin participate in body- building competitions, Been and roommate Kyle Kuba began competing...

In the first of two days of district championship showdowns between Central and Poplar Bluff, the Tigers' boys soccer team remained undefeated with a 5-1 win Wednesday night at Jackson. Central improved to 24-0 and will play in the sectional round Tuesday at Houck Stadium against the winner of today's District 2 final. The schools' football teams play today at Poplar Bluff...

Proposal is crushed CENTRAL HIGH School students were shot down in their attempt to rename a portion of Silver Springs Road in honor of their school. The city fathers came up with all kinds of crazy reasons to crush the proposal. And we wonder why youths are turned off by government...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Thursday angrily reacted to a U.S.-led move to suspend construction of two nuclear power plants in the impoverished country, saying it will seize all equipment and technical data for the $4.6 billion project. Pyongyang, however, did not revoke its earlier promise to return to six-nation talks aimed at resolving a standoff over its nuclear weapons program -- a scenario some U.S. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- For at least a night, it was all Brandon Twiggs all the time. Twiggs carried the ball 45 times for 210 yards -- both career highs -- to lead Central to a 49-28 win and hand Poplar Bluff its first loss Thursday in the Class 4, District 1 championship game...

Photographs of the construction of the Cape Girardeau Mississippi River bridge taken more than 75 years ago contrast with video of work on the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in a new exhibit titled "Bridge to Our Past and Future." The free exhibition of memorabilia from both projects opens Saturday afternoon on the bottom floor of the H&H Building, 400 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. It will continue the following two weekends...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- A playoff matchup and further success in the early going has given birth to quite a rivalry between the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks. Keith Tkachuk scored his second consecutive game-winning goal and the Blues beat the Canucks 3-2 Thursday night in the matchup between division leaders...

As a vocal teacher, Judith Farris has a reputation for helping actors not known for their voices get up on a Broadway stage and sing. She coached Anthony Quinn ("Zorba the Greek") and Matthew Broderick ("How to Succeed in Business"). As an accomplished opera singer herself, Farris could give them hints to develop the stamina it takes to work eight shows a week...

Kristopher Naeger exhibition opens today An exhibition of paintings by Cape Girardeau artist Kristopher Naeger opens today at the Schock Community Arts Center in Scott City. The show will include more than five years' worth of Naeger's colorful and bold abstract paintings...

JACKSON, Miss. -- The Mississippi Supreme Court has ended a legal battle over the photographs and songs of bluesman Robert Johnson, saying his son is the sole heir to the royalties. Johnson, a traveling musician who recorded "Crossroad Blues," "Rambling on My Mind" and "Hellhound on My Trail," is considered the first modern bluesman, linking the country blues of the Mississippi Delta with the city blues of post-World War II. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986...

LOS ANGELES At last, a holiday-movie season with real tinsel. n Amid the blockbuster big guns of "The Matrix Revolutions" and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Hollywood serves up a wealth of warmhearted fare to put audiences in the holiday spirit, including three very different Christmas-themed comedies:...

'Afterglow' Why, Sarah, why? You have a beautiful voice, a way with a melody. So why is this album just so, well, boring? It's been six years since McLachlan, she of the soaring vocals and the Lilith Fair-organizing, released a studio album. "Afterglow," her latest, wasn't worth the wait...

Four stars (out of four) I was surprised that, as a 61-year-old male, I would really enjoy another Walt Disney cartoon feature -- but I did. Brother Bear is a typical Disney cartoon fantasy feature about a prehistoric Eskimo tribe, mainly about one of the young boys who is soon to enter manhood. ...

10 years ago: Nov. 7, 1993 Donald L. Harrison, president of Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, has been named "Friend of the University"; annual award is highest honor bestowed by Southeast Missouri State University Foundation; it recognizes those who support and who are closely associated with mission of university...

Gibson Son to Greg and Belinda Gibson of Dongola, Ill., Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill., 3:23 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003. Name, Austin Ray. Weight, 6 pounds 5 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Gibson is the former Belinda Foster, daughter of Harold and Sharon Foster of Olive Branch, Ill. Gibson is the son of Paul and Shirley Gibson of Dongola. He is employed at Unimin in Tamms, Ill...

Charles T. Wilson, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Ratliff Care Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ALTO PASS, Ill. -- Billy Joe Doughty, 63, of Alto Pass died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at his home. He was born March 2, 1940, in Alto Pass, son of Elmer Otis and Mamie Dale Smith Doughty. He and Betty Lou Sivia were married Nov. 11, 1962, in Anna, Ill...

Euen Grant "E.G." Andrews Jr., 80, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 27, 1923, at Morley, Mo., son of Euen Grant and Nettie May Riley Andrews Sr. He and Betty Brockett were married July 10, 1941, at Morley...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Thomas Larry "Tom" Crawford, 59, of Rock Hill, S.C., died Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003, at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill. He was born Jan. 18, 1944, in Point Pleasant, Mo., son of Landreth Lee and Ida Mae Renfro Crawford. He married the former Martha Foster...

To the editor: I was appalled to see a Speak Out comment saying Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., is "nothing to be proud of." As a first-year student, my experience thus far has been quite to the contrary. In conversation, all but one of my current first-year peers have expressed how ecstatic they are about their choice of university. In addition, most if not all of the upper-classmen I've met also share the same sentiment...

To the editor: As a relatively new resident of Cape Girardeau, I found the article about the city ruling on the proposed street renaming at Central High School interesting. I do not disagree with the decision. However, many cities including Chicago use a different method. They do not change the actual street name, but rather honor specific people or events by declaring a one-block segment as Honorary "Special Name" Way...

To the Editor: I have never been so proud to be an American. President Bush's signing of the ban on partial-birth abortion has restored my hope for America. I am proud to be pro-life, and I'm proud of my country. There is still a long road ahead, but it was nice to see a politician make a difference in so many lives. ...

To the editor: Was there a study done to determine the need for a new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau? I'm sure there wasn't. The federal courthouse we have is under-utilized and fits our needs just fine. Oh, but it's not opulent and flashy. ...

On their trek across the Louisiana Purchase, each member of the Corps of Discovery consumed at least seven pounds of meat every day. The expedition had to live off the land to survive. Wildlife provided protein and fat reserves, but not all wildlife provide these in equal portions. Examining this can give you new insight to the conditions the corps of discovery tolerated as well as nutrition for us in the 21st century...

Sikeston closes with a win over Perryville Sikeston quarterback Stephen Miller threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Bulldogs closed their season with a 41-20 district win over visiting Perryville on Thursday night. Sikeston (4-5, 1-2 district), also received three touchdowns from Travis Hudson. ...

Jackson (4-4) at Francis Howell (6-3) Last week: Parkway West 28, Jackson 26; Parkway Central 41, Francis Howell 6 Last year: Francis Howell 16, Jackson 13 Notes: Despite missing several chances to complete their second straight comeback, the Indians can clinch the district title with a win and a Parkway West loss. ...

Cindy Gannon has worked with numerous standout setters during her 15 years as Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball coach -- and she rates Emily Scannell among the best. "We've been fortunate to have had some great setters. I consider that a strength of our program," Gannon said. "Emily ranks right up there with all of them. She's had a fantastic career."...

For decades, trout fishing in Missouri meant finding a cold, spring-fed stream somewhere in the Ozarks and standing elbow to elbow with other enthusiasts on a chilly March 1 opening day for trout season. That's all changed. For the first time, there's no need to drive long distances to test those hand-tied flies and other trout-attracting lures. ...

The news about the nation's economic growth during the third quarter of 2003 was heartening, to say the least. The Commerce Department said the gross domestic product grew at a 7.2 percent annual pace from July through September, the fastest rate of growth in more than two decades...

(Minneapolis) Star Tribune When President Bush called a news conference last Wednesday and asked congressional leaders to speed up their glacial negotiations on Medicare reform, he sounded like the anxious homeowner who asked his contractors to install one simple appliance and now finds that they are remodeling the whole house -- with incessant quarrels...

Cape Girardeau Friday, Nov. 7 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Melissa A. Winchester, 32, of 234 N. Lorimier, No. 9, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Wednesday on a Scott County warrant for bad checks...

Cape Girardeau Friday, Nov. 7 Firefighters responded Wednesday to the following items: At 6:07 p.m., vehicle fire at 1120 N. Kingshighway. At 8:30 p.m., alarm sounding at 3026 William. At 11:02 p.m., citizen assist at 414 Washington. Firefighters responded Thursday to the following items: At 3:12 a.m., alarm sounding at Towers Complex...

WASHINGTON -- Regulators disclosed a new legal campaign Thursday against an annoying method for delivering unwanted "pop-up" Internet advertisements, accusing a California company of "high-tech extortion" in its offers for software to block the very ads it was sending...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon announced plans Thursday to send 85,000 Army and Marine combat forces to Iraq early next year to relieve troops completing one-year tours -- a rotation that when combined with another switchout of troops in Afghanistan will be the Army's largest sequence of troop movements since World War II...

WASHINGTON -- After 65 years with hardly a change, the nickel is getting two new looks next year -- one design will feature clasped hands of friendship between the U.S. government and American Indians and the second will show Lewis and Clark on a keelboat...

WASHINGTON -- Military and civilian defense officials improperly used government credit cards to buy 68,000 first-class or business-class airline seats when they were supposed to fly coach, congressional investigators concluded Thursday. Several high-ranking political appointees were among the 44,000 people who bought premium tickets that cost $124 million over two years. ...

Program to help security agencies with translation PHOENIX -- The government critically needs translators and interpreters to plow through an overflow of documents and audiotapes that could contain information on terrorist plots and other security threats, the director of a new federal translation program said Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- Male sex is important even for the lowly nematode, a soil worm that can reproduce without the masculine gender. A new study shows that keeping guys around may be essential to survival of the species. Researchers long have wondered why the male nematode continues to exist since the simple worm reproduces so well without a partner. ...

PALESTINE, W.Va. -- Former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch was raped by her Iraqi captors, a new authorized biography of the Army supply clerk says. The 20-year-old private who was hailed as a hero after her capture and rescue has no memory of the sexual assault, but medical records cited in the book -- "I am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story" -- indicate it occurred...

ATLANTA -- Traffic and sprawl in metro Atlanta need to be fixed. Think smart growth. Think mass transit and mixed-use development. Think live, work and play centers. Sound familiar? The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has set up a growth task force -- a group of politicians, businessmen and environmentalists charged with finding solutions for metro-area sprawl...

VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia -- Attacks by Chechen insurgents left nine Russian soldiers and policemen dead, an official in the Chechen administration said Thursday. Four soldiers were killed and nine others wounded in 18 rebel attacks on military outposts during the last 24 hours, the official said on condition of anonymity. Two rebels and one serviceman died and five others were wounded in a clash near the village of Avtury, he said...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Poland suffered its first combat death since the aftermath of World War II when a Polish major was fatally wounded Thursday in an ambush south of Baghdad. Two American soldiers died in attacks near the capital and along the Syrian border...

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Negotiators for Saddam Hussein tried to strike a last-minute deal with the Bush administration to avoid an invasion after realizing "the threat was real," a Lebanese-American businessman who tried to serve as a go-between said Thursday...

Bertelsmann, Sony Corp. plan music merger FRANKFURT, Germany -- Bertelsmann AG and Sony Corp. announced a preliminary plan to merge their music businesses Thursday, setting the stage for a music company that would vie for world primacy with Universal Music Group...

JUBARA, West Bank -- The Palestinians of Jubara were alarmed when Israeli soldiers began posting notices on telephone poles and at checkpoints around their small West Bank village. The military had already trapped them in a tiny pocket of land between Israel and its West Bank security barrier, giving them only sporadic access to their schools, clinics and fields across the fence...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger will hire a private investigator to look into allegations that he groped women, but he may keep the results from the state attorney general, a spokesman said Thursday. Schwarzenegger's reluctance to turn over the results of the investigation stem from remarks Attorney General Bill Lockyer made earlier Thursday. ...

DIXON, Ky. -- Webster County High senior Zach Cato spends his Mondays mowing lawns and watching football game films. He is not cutting class -- he is taking advantage of his school district's move to a four-day week. "The only ones who are complaining are the ones who don't want to be here at all," the 17-year-old Cato says...

KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Bobby Hatfield, who with partner Bill Medley pioneered "blue-eyed soul" as the Righteous Brothers with hits like "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," died Wednesday night of undetermined causes at a hotel, his manager said. He was 63...

To be perfectly honest, I thought I would never again write the following words: World Famous Downtown Golf Course. But that just goes to show you how things you thought were belly-up can be resurrected with an emergency infusion of the miracle elixir that counts the most when you're down and out: money...

Saturday's game with Tennessee State at Houck Stadium will be our first playoff game. We have to win to stay in the hunt for the OVC championship and a berth in the NCAA playoffs. It will be a playoff atmosphere, and we need your help to create the home-field advantage that we need to beat an outstanding team like Tennessee State...

srobertson On Oct. 31, I had two things on my mind: Halloween and this week's test car, a Toyota Camry Solara. Soskin Toyota provided the vehicle, painted in Absolute Red, just in time for a Halloween cruise, so I pointed the sleek 220-horsepower four-seater toward the rolling hills north of here. But within minutes I noticed something spooky about this vehicle, which I will tell you about in a minute...

By Walt W. Lilly To the editor: I read with interest the statistics cited by Don Kaverman, Southeast Missouri State University's athletic director. What strikes me about the comparisons made between expenditures for Southeast's athletic programs and others in comparable institutions is just how much money is actually spent on athletics in colleges and universities like Southeast nationwide...

Not that it would have counted on their record, but Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach B.J. Smith thought there was a chance the Otahkians could lose Thursday's exhibition opener. Shows you what Smith knows. The Otahkians' defense smothered NAIA powerhouse Union (Tenn.) University in the first half and Southeast rolled to an 84-66 victory at the Show Me Center...

Junior forward makes immediate impact in 93-66 exhibition victory over Truman State. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Dainmon Gonner is being counted on to have a major impact for Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team...

State final four tournaments begin today. By Jeremy Joffray ~ Southeast Missourian The Bell City and Notre Dame volleyball teams have taken different routes but have arrived at the same destination, Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., for this weekend's state final four...

On a day when a number of its soldiers finished up a war games training mission in the Mojave Desert, the troops of the 1140th Engineer Battalion were notified that they may soon be deployed to participate in the real thing. The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday announced the next rotation of U.S. ...

s Les Eagle sits at a small table in the living room of his house, a dim overhead light warmly reveals the many character lines on his face, the result of 83 years of a good, hard-working life. Life is slowing down for Eagle. He sold his business, Eagle Oil Co., and retired. The widower appears to be in good health for a man his age, but he rarely uses his fishing boat anymore. It's harder to get out than it used to be...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department will conduct sobriety checkpoints this weekend. The department is concerned with preventing crashes during increased holiday traffic. Chief Steve Strong said, "These checkpoints are being conducted at high accident locations where alcohol has been a significant factor. We want to increase public awareness about the serious problem of drinking and driving and make the drinking driver aware that he or she stands an ever-increasing chance of being caught."...

A Perryville, Mo., man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court on charges of unlawfully possessing firearms. Shawn Galeski, 26, received 39 months in prison for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He agreed to forfeit seven guns...

Jackson's K-9 police officer, Sgt. Kevin Harris, resigned Thursday after an internal investigation into his conduct. Harris had worked for the department for nearly eight years, police chief James Humphreys said. Harris' wife, Christina Randol-Harris, was charged Oct. 9 with 11 class C felonies for forgery by the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney. A preliminary hearing in her case is set for Nov. 19...

A Cape Girardeau murder suspect took the stand in his own defense Thursday during his trial in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Defendant Jibril Walton, 26, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the Aug. 18, 2002, shooting death of Billy Jones Jr...

Area students will have a chance to express their gratitude to past and present military personnel Tuesday during Veterans Day programs in local schools. While past programs have focused on veterans only, this year school officials say they also plan to emphasize the men and women involved in the war on terrorism...

While Jackson school officials breathe sighs of relief over the $1.9 million in additional funding voters approved this week, officials in Cape Girardeau still search for solutions to their own financial problems. They won't be looking to their western neighbor...

Dr. George Suggs will sign copies of his new book, "Rush Hudson Limbaugh and His Times: Reflections on a Life Well Lived," at 7 tonight at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Cape Girardeau.

LOS ANGELES -- That big, square jaw is finally paying off for Lyndall Grant. The 49-year-old landscaping designer from San Mateo found sporadic work in recent years impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger, but business is booming now that "The Terminator" star has been elected governor of California...

CHICAGO -- A state report that estimates Illinois could save $91 million a year by buying drugs from Canada inflates the savings and wrongly assumes Canadian health authorities can guarantee the safety of drugs sent to the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The Jackson Indians controlled half of their playoff fate entering Friday's district finale at Francis Howell High School. But in a dreadful first half that proved fatal, the Indians controlled little and suffered a 43-34 loss to the Vikings...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge on Friday permanently barred Missouri's concealed guns law, saying it violates the state constitution. Attorney General Jay Nixon immediately appealed the ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court. The ruling by Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer made permanent his October temporary injunction against the law, narrowly adopted by the Missouri Legislature in a September override of a veto by Gov. Bob Holden...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A friend of John Allen Muhammad testified Friday that Muhammad introduced Lee Boyd Malvo to him as a sniper and that Muhammad tried unsuccessfully to fashion a silencer for the rifle allegedly used in last year's sniper spree...

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lanka's president, seeking to justify the political crisis she set off earlier this week, said Friday the prime minister had put the country "in grave danger" in negotiations with Tamil Tiger rebels. President Chandrika Kumaratunga relentlessly attacked her rival's policies in her speech -- though she concluded her appearance by calling for a government of national unity...

NASIRIYAH, Iraq -- Iraqi doctors who treated former prisoner of war Jessica Lynch dismissed on Friday claims made in her upcoming biography that she was raped by her Iraqi captors. Although Lynch said she has no memory of the sexual assault, medical records cited in "I am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story" indicate that she was raped and sodomized by her Iraqi captors, according to U.S. media who said they had advance copies...

Methodist church holds Veterans Day service Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church will have a special service at 9 a.m. Nov. 16 in honor of the Veterans Day holiday. A flag ceremony will be presented by the Honor Guard of the Marine Corps League. The church will recognize members past and present who have served in the military...

Today Holiday bazaar from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Maple United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. The bazaar will also have a silent auction. Sunday Fall Mission Festival at 9:30 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, with the Rev. Dr. Stuard W. Brassie as guest...

Not enough revenue A SPEAK Out caller recently said Southeast's athletic department "does create revenue." This is absolutely correct. The problem is that it creates $3.8 million less in revenue than it costs to run the programs. After you figure in the boosters' contributions, the ticket sales and all the other income, athletics have a net loss of $3.8 million a year, which is made up by the students and the taxpayers...

Barnhill Son to Eddie and Alison Barnhill of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:53 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2003. Name, James Drake. Weight, 8 pounds 9 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Barnhill is the former Alison Sumner. Barnhill is employed by J.C. Cable...

In Friday's edition, information about an art exhibition currently at the Shawnee Community College Anna Center should have said the work shown is by students of Dr. Edwin Smith at Southeast Missouri State University. The students are Michael Dragoni, Laura Eubanks, Lindsay Hurtt, Ritter Seabaugh, Ashlely Smith, Mia Tashima, Jonathan Thompson, James Vandike and Karysah Wolverton. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error...

10 years ago: Nov. 8, 1993 School board accepts retirement of Central High School principal Dan Milligan; Milligan, who has led high school for six years, will leave his post at end of school year. Marble Hill - Mayor Adrian Shell is visibly irritated after brief, nonproductive board of aldermen meeting; once again council refuses to approve Shell's nominee to fill vacancy left by death in February of alderman F.X. Peters...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Clinton Lincoln, 80, of Marble Hill died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 18, 1923, son of Miles O. and Ruth A. Long Lincoln. He and Leola Bollinger were married Aug. 8, 1949, at Jackson...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Alma Anna Turpin, 89, of Houston, Texas, died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital in Houston. She was born Oct. 18, 1914, at New Hamburg, daughter of Joseph and Anna Bollinger Compas. She and Richard E. Turpin were married June 5, 1944...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Joyce Louise Reitzel, 54, of Perryville died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at her home. She was born April 15, 1949, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Howard and Cleora Pingel Blair. She and Michael Reitzel were married Aug. 30, 1975. Reitzel was employed at Wal-Mart in Perryville, and had been a child care provider. She was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church...

Charles T. Wilson, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Ratliff Care Center. He was born Dec. 8, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, son of Edward T. and Mildred Doughty Wilson. He and Margaret J. Cotner were married May 18, 1947, in Cape Girardeau. She died March 18, 2002...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- James Bird, 75, of Jonesboro died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. He was born Nov. 23, 1927, in Pinckneyville, Ill., son of Wilford and Nora Wolfe Bird. Survivors include a brother, Arthur Bird of Pinckneyville, and a sister, Creneilia Bird of Alabama...

Bernard J. "Ben" Broshuis, 83, of Jackson passed away Friday, Nov. 7, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 2, 1920, in Marble Hill, Mo., son of Ben and Elizabeth Wubker Holzum Broshuis. He and Johanna Holzum were married Feb. 27, 1943, at Guardian Angel Church in St. Louis...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Laura Matthews, 91, formerly of Dexter, died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 24, 1912, at Dexter, daughter of George Washington and Martha Ann Cooper Miller. She and Frank Cranston Matthews were married May 17, 1931, in Waterloo, Ill. He died Nov. 9, 1983...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ruth Allene Buckhannon, 94, passed away Thursday, Nov. 6, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, with daughters Darla and Wilmajo at her side. She was born Nov. 24, 1908, in St. Louis, daughter of Walter P. and Elizabeth Stausing Masters. Mrs. B. and William J. Buckhannon were married June 21, 1939. He preceded her in death April 9, 1967...

To the editor: After reading the Southeast Missourian stories about the proposed neighborhood improvement district for the Prestwick development, I have the following observations: What are the guidelines for the bond issue for Prestwick development? The bond issue must be specific on how the money is to be spent. Due to the risky venture, a performance bond should be made in the amount of the bonds issued...

To the editor: Last Tuesday, a very important issue was put before the voters in the Jackson School District. I want to extend our appreciation for this vote of support for the public school system here in Jackson. The positive results reflect the tremendous pride this community has in our schools...

To the editor: I read with interest a comment in Speak Out on proposed deer legislation and the caller's frustration. I will give an analogy that may bring some clarity to this. At present it is illegal for anyone to drive out to our farm and shoot a cow. ...

To the editor: Thank you for your article on Harry Spiller's new book, "Murder in the Heartland." I had seen the interview with Spiller on KFVS-TV and wanted to let some friends know about the book. But it is so new that I couldn't find out anything until I did a search on Spiller and came up with your article...

Today at 9 a.m., some area Christians are planning to be less segregated than they typically are on Sunday mornings. The Downtown Council of Churches is sponsoring a workshop today from 9 a.m. to noon in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital that deals with the issues of racism. Called "Dismantling the matrix of racism," the workshop will address the differences between racism and prejudice and what the faith community can do to combat both...

Cape Girardeau's first skateboard park is on an old tennis court. There are a few metal ramps, a couple of rails and a platform. But it's there, and it's open, and that's more than skateboarders could say before. Prior to the new skateboard facility's opening in little-used Missouri Park at Fountain Street and Park Drive, skateboarders were stuck using homemade ramps, city sidewalks and streets and parking lots...

Those attending this week's groundbreaking for the new federal courthouse on Independence Street in Cape Girardeau found much to admire in the artist's rendering and scale model of the building. The current courthouse on Broadway opened in 1968 and reflects that area's utilitarian idea of modern design. ...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Nov. 8 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Ashli Shea Ayers, 19, of 900 Perry, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of stealing and trespassing...

Cape Girardeau County Saturday, Nov. 8 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI John L. Caldwell, 49, of Jackson, was arrested Nov. 1 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

More students may receive free meals at school under a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week. The School Nutrition Enhancement Act, sponsored by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri and Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut, increases the number of children eligible to receive free meals by phasing out the reduced-price program and raising the income limit on participation from 130 percent to 185 percent of poverty level...

WASHINGTON -- The Homeland Security Department is warning law-enforcement officers al-Qaida may be plotting to fly cargo planes from another country into such crucial targets in the United States as nuclear plants, bridges or dams, an agency official said Friday night...

WASHINGTON -- The economy has created nearly 300,000 new jobs in the past three months after a half-year drought, pushing the unemployment rate down to 6 percent in October and leaving little doubt that the jobs market is bouncing back. The Labor Department reported Friday that payrolls grew by 126,000 last month, more than economists had predicted. ...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- The United States will close its missions in Saudi Arabia today for an undetermined period because of "credible" information that terrorists are about to carry out attacks, the U.S. Embassy said Friday. The United States also warned that Taliban insurgents in Afghanstan may attempt to kidnap American journalists working in that country. ...

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkey and the United States scrapped plans to send Turkish troops to Iraq, a setback for U.S. policy after Washington failed to break resistance to the deployment from Iraq's governing council. Friday's announcement deprived the United States of a much-needed foreign force to contain an increasingly violent insurgency in Iraq. The Bush administration has been pressing Turkey for months to send what would be the first major Muslim contingent of peacekeepers...

JERUSALEM -- A symbolic Mideast peace deal has won praise from Secretary of State Colin Powell, the second senior U.S. official in a week to express support for such "freelance" initiatives at a time of deadlock over a Washington-led peace plan. Powell's letter to the authors of the so-called Geneva Accord, made public Friday, was seen by some as a veiled rebuke to Israel's hard-line prime minister, Ariel Sharon, who has attacked the agreement as subversive. ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The man who managed the Minnesota governor's mansion when Jesse Ventura occupied it has written a book. Dan Creed's book, "Governor Ventura: 'The Body' Exposed," is subtitled "The Man. The Mansion. The Meltdown." He's declining to talk about details of the book until a news conference Wednesday in front of the residence...

PITTSBURGH -- A man hospitalized with complications from a hepatitis A outbreak that has infected more than 185 people died Friday night, hospital officials said. The man, one of five people hospitalized in the outbreak, died less than a week after Pennsylvania health officials announced cases of the infectious liver disease apparently linked to a Chi-Chi's Restaurant at the Beaver Valley Mall, about 25 miles northwest of Pittsburgh...

Evangelist Luis Palau targets younger crowd with skate parks, outdoor festivals By Sarah Linn ~ The Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. - Professional BMXer Bruce Crisman swoops up a concrete slope of Portland's Burnside Skate Park, hanging airborne for a moment before rushing down again...

By Nick Swan As a chronic watcher of cable news, I have come to believe that what the world needs now is not love, sweet love, but sanity. From Gary Coleman's campaign for governor to Kim Jong Il's bouffant hairstyle, it would seem that the planet has gone mad...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Butler County jury deliberated for five and a half hours before declaring Jibril Walton guilty in the shooting death of a Cape Girardeau father of seven. Walton, 26, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action, said Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Bell City will play for the Class 1 state volleyball championship today after winning five games and losing one in Friday's round-robin semifinals. The Cubs (25-9-1) made quick work of their first two opponents at the Multipurpose Building on the Central Missouri State University campus...

The metal blade enters with a squish, slicing cartilage and causing formaldehyde to squirt out. The first cut feels inhumane. But then they start to enjoy it. Before long, fins are being sliced and eyeballs are popping out. Welcome to shark dissecting in Rhonda Young's sixth-grade class at Cape Christian School...

A gun returned by Cape Girardeau police to a man convicted of beating his girlfriend apparently was used in a murder last week. By following the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's authorization, police appear to have inadvertently violated a 1996 federal firearms law that bars people convicted of domestic assault from possessing a firearm and prohibits government agencies from transferring firearms to anyone convicted of that crime...

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway says Missouri should offer a more business-friendly climate, Gov. Bob Holden should release the $198 million he withheld from the elementary and secondary education budget and Southeast Missourians should be proud to be the "epicenter" of leadership in the state legislature...

TIKRIT, Iraq -- An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday -- apparently shot down by insurgents -- killing all six U.S. soldiers aboard and capping the bloodiest seven days in Iraq for Americans since the fall of Baghdad. In retaliation, American troops backed by Bradley fighting vehicles swept through Iraqi neighborhoods before dawn today, blasting houses suspected of being insurgent hideouts with machine guns and heavy weapons fire...

Baseball The defending champion United States baseball team failed to qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics, stunned by Mexico 2-1 Friday in a qualifying tournament. The U.S. team was among the favorites to win the gold medal again, and there was a chance Roger Clemens would have pitched for the Americans...

Ever since Southeast Missouri State University lost to Murray State on Oct. 25, the Indians' margin of error regarding their Ohio Valley Conference title hopes was reduced to zero. The Indians took care of business Saturday by beating Tennessee-Martin 20-7, but today the stakes will be raised considerably when first-place Tennessee State visits Houck Stadium...

On senior night for Southeast Missouri State University volleyball Friday, it was fitting that the Otahkians' three seniors played starring roles in the team's fifth straight victory. Emily Scannell, Sarah Frost and Suzanne Gundlach all sparkled as Southeast won a hard-fought, five-game match from Eastern Kentucky, prevailing 26-30, 30-20, 31-29, 26-30, 15-11 in front of nearly 300 fans at Houck Field House...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team suffered another heartbreaking loss Friday night in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The fifth-seeded Otahkians saw their season end in the semifinals as host and top-seeded Samford prevailed on penalty kicks...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Notre Dame walked away disappointed after being swept in all three matches at the Class 3 round-robin semifinals. The losses dropped Notre Dame --which was playing for its first Class 3 title after placing fourth in Class 2 in 2001 -- into today's third-place game against Duchesne...

For the second time this season, Scott City's football team was victimized by a freshman running back. First it was Paris Tipler of East Prairie in the third week of the season. Friday night at Scott City it was Charleston's Joseph Watts who got the best of the Rams...

In a school of only 57 students, with a sports program that is only in its second year, Saxony Lutheran already has its first state qualifying team. Saxony Lutheran's boys cross country squad, the school's first varsity team, will compete today at the state meet in Jefferson City after winning last Saturday's Class 1 district meet at Spanish Lake Park...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Bell City will play for the Class 1 state volleyball championship today after winning five games and losing one in Friday's round-robin semifinals. The Cubs (25-9-1) made quick work of their first two opponents at the Multipurpose Building on the Central Missouri State University campus...

"Father, mother and me, Sister and auntie say; All the people like us are WE; And everyone else is THEY."Wise words written by Rudyard Kipling many years ago. Still true today! Everyone like us is a WE! We have grown up with a set of standards and values. We have been taught well; we know what we believe, and we believe what we stand for. We are comfortable with our way of living. We believe that we have the best form of government. The "American way" is the only way.

Colleges John Gagliardi became college football's career victory leader Saturday when St. John's rallied to beat Bethel 29-26. Gagliardi, in his 55th season and his 51st at the Division III liberal arts school in central Minnesota, got his 409th victory. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk scored twice, and Chris Osgood made 21 saves for his 39th career shutout in the Blues' 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. Tkachuk, who has nine goals, has scored the game-winner in three straight games for the Blues, who have won five of their last six...

Football games don't get much wilder than Saturday's crucial Ohio Valley Conference matchup between host Southeast Missouri State University and Tennessee State. They also don't get much sweeter if you're an Indian. Southeast scored the last 21 points of the contest in the final eight minutes to rally past TSU 52-35 in front of an announced crowd of 5,375 at Houck Stadium. It was the most points the Indians have scored in a game since 1985, when they beat Tennessee-Martin 57-17...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Former standup comic Wil Watson has a lesson for teachers: make your job a laughing matter. The former comedian who calls himself a "laughologist" gave a lesson in levity to about 250 educators Thursday, saying a few well-placed yuks can relieve classroom stress, engage students and defuse grouchy colleagues...

NEW YORK -- Former prisoner of war Pfc. Jessica Lynch screamed and struggled with Iraqi doctors trying to anesthetize her after one of them said they were going to amputate her leg, according to newly released excepts from her soon-to-be-released authorized biography...

LOS ANGELES -- In his final days as governor, Gray Davis hasn't looked like someone bounced from office in only the second gubernatorial recall in U.S. history. As wildfires devastated Southern California, he muscled resources to battle the flames, and toured the charred region with President Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor-turned-politician who will replace him...