Stories from Wednesday, December 3, 2003

California isn't the only place movies get made. There's a group of hometown filmmakers, armed only with a camera and a dream, who shot an entire movie here in Cape. The film is called "Dark Garden" and was produced by local production company Backwards Logic. And it goes a little something like this:...

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team will hold an intrasquad meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Parker Hall gymnasium. The meet will allow fans an early look at the 2004 squad, which begins its season Jan. 16 at Winona State. The first home meet is Jan. 23 at Houck Field House...

Virginia Tech running back Kevin Jones will pass up his final season of college eligibility to enter the NFL draft, his father and the team's running backs coach told The Associated Press on Tuesday night. "He's coming out," Thomas Jones said in a telephone interview from his Chester, Pa., home. Kevin Jones did not immediately return several messages left on his cell phone, but Virginia Tech called a news conference for Wednesday for the announcement...

To the editor: I mourn the passing of Coach Jack Russell and, most of all, the sort of teacher he was. He was the gym teacher in 1961 when I arrived at Franklin Elementary School in the fourth grade. Coach Russell was exacting in his requirements but forgiving if you just did your best. You always said "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir," "Yes, Ma'am" or "No Ma'am" in his presence. He earned respect and gave it back...

This is regarding the Speak Out comment made by a teacher in the Scott City School District. The comment was made that the Scott City district couldn't afford 10 teacher aides but could afford a new football coach for the 2004-05 school year. The minutes from the school board meeting explain that teachers with limited class sizes had the option to pick between teacher aides or a salary increase. ...

To the editor: Opinions in Central High School's Tiger newspaper on the Tiger Pride Drive issue did not represent all opinions held by the student senate. Many student senate members believe democracy was in action. However, this does not change the disappointment...

ANNA, Ill. -- Joe E. Treece, 78, of Anna passed away Monday, Dec. 1, 2003, at Union County Hospital. He was born June 10, 1925, in Paragould, Ark., son of Clyde and Bertha Ayers Treece. He and Marcia were married Sept. 15, 1949, in Anna. Mr. Treece was a retired farmer, and also had worked for Union County Refuge. He was a member of First Baptist Church...

LILBOURN, Mo. -- Johnnie Long Sr., 73, of Lilbourn died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2003, at his home. He was born Oct. 9, 1930, at Wolf Island, Mo., son of Artie and Ollie Cassel Long. He and Irene Parker were married March 7, 1953. Long served as an alderman and also mayor of North Lilbourn. He was a member of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Marston, Mo., and was ordained a deacon in 1977. He served as Sunday school teacher and superintendent, brotherhood and Bible study instructor...

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Mary Doris Coulter, 68, of Bertrand died Monday, Dec. 1, 2003, at her home. She was born Dec. 17, 1934, in Columbus, Ky., daughter of Richmond and Mary Mae Burton Crane. Coulter lived in Mississippi County most of her life. Survivors include two sons, Garland Summers of Charleston, Mo., Robert Summers of Cape Girardeau; two daughters, Martha Summers of Bertrand, Nancy Young of Murphysboro, Ill.; two brothers, Howard Crane of Cairo, Ill., Jack Crane of Cape Girardeau; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.. ...

Earl Wages, 66, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003, at his home. Friends may call after 9 a.m. Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church, with burial in the church cemetery.

10 years ago: Dec. 3, 1993 After nearly two years of wrangling over minimum property standard for Cape Girardeau, city's board of appeals yesterday turned matter over to city council; but following two-hour meeting of council and board, it's still unclear what action council will take...

St. Mary CWC St. Mary Council of Catholic Women met in the cathedral Nov. 20 for a memorial service for deceased members. The meeting followed in the Huels Room of the parish office building. The group voted to purchase altar supplies and to donate money to St. ...

As Missouri's budget has grown more desperate in recent years, it has become commonplace to scrutinize how existing revenue is being used. There are two major considerations when spending $19 billion dollars: The first is whether or not Missouri really needs to spend so much money to provide state programs. ...

Staff and wire reports Medicine Shoppe International Inc., a chain of retail pharmacies, will acquire Medicap Pharmacies Inc. in a deal announced Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal was expected to close by the end of the year. Medicine Shoppe, based in St. ...

Curtis Strange can relate to the 171 players who will have sweaty palms, dry throats and churning stomachs before every shot during six grueling rounds of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament this week. "Enormous pressure, sleepless night ... everything you've heard, it's all true," Strange said Tuesday, recalling how his first trip through Q-school in 1976 ended in failure...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri coach Quin Snyder hopes his Tigers will stop thinking about the polls. The fourth-ranked Tigers survived their second straight scare, getting 16 points, six rebounds and three blocks from Travon Bryant in a 70-61 comeback victory over Coppin State on Tuesday night. They won their opener at Oakland (Mich.) by five points Saturday...

NORMAN, Okla. -- A No. 1 ranking, a Big 12 title and a berth in the national championship game all seemed to be reasonable pursuits for Oklahoma this season. Still, the dominating fashion in which the Sooners have gone about accomplishing those goals couldn't have been expected for a team that entered the season without a proven quarterback, running back or receiver...

By John C. Danforth ~ From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch News reports of American casualties and shifting public opinion polls about our presence in Iraq point to the most important issue voters will decide next year: whether our nation has the resolve to stay the course and enforce the rule of law against the rule of chaos...

LONDON -- He may not know it -- or know that he knows it -- but Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has won this year's "Foot in Mouth" award for the most baffling statement by a public figure. Britain's Plain English Campaign, scourge of jargon, cliches and legalese, announced the honors Tuesday. The winning entry:...

MOSCOW -- In what would be a mortal blow to the accord aimed at halting global warming, a top Kremlin official said Tuesday that Russia won't ratify the Kyoto Protocol limiting greenhouse gas emissions because it will hurt the country's economy. The United States rejected the accord for the same reason. Without Moscow, the protocol cannot come into effect even if approved by every other nation because only Russia's industrial emissions are large enough to tip the balance...

A Scott City man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 24 years and eight months on felony drug and gun charges. Kenneth E. Scott, 35, was found guilty following a bench trial Sept. 15 of unlawful possession of pseudoephedrine and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey. Upon release from prison, Scott will be placed on supervised release for three years...

Chilly weather calls for warm-up food, and here are a trio of hearty, one-dish stews, easily made in your favorite pan on the stove top. They are nutritious blends of wholesome ingredients, with the emphasis on staple vegetables, sparked with lively seasoning. One is meatless but substantial; another combines beef and barley, and the third chicken and noodles...

Saddam statues come down; 20 arrested in raid BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Workers began demolishing gigantic bronze busts of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad on Tuesday, while U.S. troops to the north arrested at least 20 insurgents in a raid. Iraqi police said a senior former member of Saddam's elite Republican Guard was among those captured in Hawija, 155 miles north of Baghdad. ...

Cape Girardeau police recently wrapped up the "Click It or Ticket" campaign to promote seat belt and child restraint use in vehicles. Officers issued 39 safety belt tickets, 101 speeding tickets and 42 tickets for other traffic and moving violations. The department also increased enforcement of aggressive driving infractions, such as failure to yield and following too closely...

Shoppers logged onto the Internet in large numbers during an unusually early and robust start to the holiday season. Typically, the online holiday season officially starts on the Monday after Thanksgiving, when many people start shopping from the workplace computer. But this year, many online retailers saw sales soar on Thanksgiving Day itself...

Yamnitz Son to Henry Ray and Stephanie Joy Yamnitz of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:12 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2003. Name, Kohlten Ray. Weight, 7 pounds 10 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Yamnitz is the former Stephanie Seib, daughter of Twyla Seib of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Southeast Hospital. Yamnitz is the son of Henry and Sue Yamnitz of Patton, Mo. He is employed at Procter & Gamble...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded Tuesday to the following items: At 9:29 a.m., emergency medical service at 900 Normal. At 11:01 a.m., emergency medical service at 20 S. Sprigg. At 12:46 p.m., emergency medical service at 3439 William. At 1:55 p.m., alarm at 232 Shirley....

The Jackson house rented by Randy and Penny Luttrell burned Tuesday evening, leaving the family without a home or their belongings. When firefighters responded to 304 N. Ohio St., on the corner of Kate Street, fire was coming out of the upstairs eaves and was at the front door, said Capt. Randy Davis...

Most of the students at Franklin Elementary have never seen a gray fox, or even spent time in its native habitat -- the woods. It was city-bound children like these that Lorna Domke had in mind when she sat down to write a story about Missouri's wildlife...

Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda, the new president of BioKyowa's parent company in Japan, traveled from Tokyo to meet with Cape Girar-deau business leaders Tuesday, promising to strengthen the company and maintain a solid relationship with the community. "Visiting Cape Girardeau has been on my priority list," said Matsuda, who took over as president of the Kyowa Hakko Group in June. "We established one of our major production facilities here 21 years ago and it's appropriate that I am here."...

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals expect to break ground on a new stadium by the end of the year, after the St. Louis County Council agreed unanimously Tuesday to sell about $45.6 million in bonds to support the project. County officials said $45 million of that will go to the Cardinals as a loan. The county bonds will go to market later this month. They will be repaid with proceeds from the county's hotel-motel tax...

Central's wrestling team opened the season in thrilling fashion Tuesday night by rallying for a 36-32 win over host Murphysboro, Ill. The Tigers trailed 32-30 entering the final match at 215 pounds (the dual meet started with the heavyweight match, then went from 103 on up)...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A new concrete roundabout in Perryville is frustrating truckers, who see it as a major highway hazard and a waste of tax dollars. They say it's difficult to navigate their large rigs in Southeast Missouri's newest roundabout -- an oval-shaped interchange at U.S. 61 and Main Street...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court justices considered a church-state case involving a college student who lost his taxpayer-funded scholarship because he chose to major in theology. The Bush administration's top Supreme Court lawyer argued it was improper for Joshua Davey to lose the Promise Scholarship he was awarded by the state of Washington. The scholarship was rescinded after Davey declared his major because state officials deemed it an unconstitutional blending of church and state...

WASHINGTON -- After knocking, police don't have to wait longer than 20 seconds before breaking into the home of a drug suspect, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a case involving a man who said he needed more time to get from the shower to the door...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While proud of reforms implemented at the Missouri Department of Transportation under his leadership, Henry Hungerbeeler on Tuesday said he decided public perception of the embattled agency might improve if he stepped down as director...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Area school officials said Gov. Bob Holden's action Tuesday to release $83 million he previously withheld in state education spending as a budget-balancing measure will provide welcome relief, although they remain concerned about their financial futures...

It hasn't taken Matt Painter long to make his mark on Southern Illinois University basketball. Despite losing the top two players off a second straight NCAA Tournament team last season, SIU's rookie head coach has the Salukis off to a 3-0 start, making him the first SIU men's basketball coach to win his first three games...

After a day of giving thanks, spending time with family members and missing terribly those who were not with us, we turn our attention now to Christmas -- my absolute favorite time of the year. For those who know me well, they know I drag all of my Christmas decorations out on Veteran's Day weekend and start getting things ready. ...

Don't want to pay I STRONGLY oppose the Medicare bill and the prescription drug plan in it. As a 27-year-old professional, I and my contemporaries will have to pay for seniors' drugs because they didn't have the foresight to save enough when they were younger. What's next? Will I have to pay for their milk or cable or bingo?...

Scott City man sentenced on gun, drug charges A Scott City man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to 24 years and eight months on charges of unlawful possession of pseudoephedrine and of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Kenneth E. Scott, 35, was found guilty following a bench trial Sept. ...

VIENNA, Austria -- America's allies in Iraq, suddenly besieged by guerrilla attacks that until now targeted mostly U.S. forces, are also under fire at home from a public shaken by the mounting dangers. Although many coalition countries had braced for the inevitability of casualties -- and have responded by reaffirming their intentions to stay put -- their resolve is being tested like never before...

Actor joins campaign to boost AIDS awareness BOMBAY, India -- Richard Gere says he's started a campaign to bring together Bollywood movie stars, sports celebrities, business leaders and government officials to fight the spread of AIDS. "There is a lot of destigmatization that is needed," the 54-year-old actor said Monday. Some 4 million in India are infected with HIV/AIDS...

No one who saw Terry Vernon Lynn II die of a bullet to the head knew of any problems he had with his suspected killer, but each pointed a finger Tuesday from the witness stand at the man they say shot the 26-year-old college student behind Players Lounge...

My fascination with "Trading Spaces" is just sad. Sick and sad. The sad part is that I don't even own a home, so I'm constantly trying to harass my friends into applying to be on the show. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law live in houses a stone's throw from each other, so they're growing accustomed to my arguments on why they're perfect for "Trading Spaces."...

Once considered an exotic dish, the Moroccan cuisine is turning up in trendy restaurants and on grocery store shelves. "A handful of couscous is better than Mecca and all its dust." So says a famous Moroccan proverb about almsgiving. The maxim cannot be tossed off as mere chauvinism about the tiny balls of dough that are Morocco's national dish. ...

Baseball The Marlins announced Tuesday that they have re-signed Mike Lowell and Luis Castillo. Lowell agreed to a $32 million, four-year contract with the Marlins, who also confirmed their $16 million, three-year deal with Castillo. Florida also made a multiyear offer to Ivan Rodriguez, the 10-time All-Star catcher who was a key to the Marlins' World Series title...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Jerry S. Ulrich, 45, of 356 Pecan, Jackson, was arrested Monday on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. Rena B. Pender, 39, of 1011 N. West End Blvd., Cape Girardeau, was arrested Monday on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance...

Court: Police can enter 20 seconds after knocking WASHINGTON -- After knocking, police don't have to wait longer than 20 seconds before breaking into the home of a drug suspect, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in a case involving a man who said he needed more time to get from the shower to the door. ...

Blagojevich to unveil plan for central Illinois economy PEORIA, Ill. -- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will announce funding for about 40 projects on today that he hopes will help create jobs and spark central Illinois' listless economy. A $200,000 study of a regional transportation system for Peoria, Tazewell and Woodford counties is among the projects Blagojevich will unveil as he outlines the fourth of 10 regional economic development plans...

Two years ago Tuesday, at around 10:30 p.m., Guy Conley found himself trapped underneath a pickup truck, his pelvic bone crushed, his shoulder broken and his life in jeopardy. Paramedics flew him by helicopter to St. Louis and gave him about a 20 percent chance to live. And he did. And he doesn't even walk with a limp anymore...

ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk appreciates the blue-collar attitude displayed by teammate Dallas Drake. Power-play goals by Tkachuk and Drake in the first period powered St. Louis to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. Drake did just about everything. Besides scoring his fourth goal, he also had an assist, blocked a shot, and provided a key defensive play. He beat Trent Klatt to the puck and cleared it out of the Blues zone...

Good morning, good afternoon and good night. It all depends on when you're reading this, really. I apologize for not writing you all last month, but between looking for new JOBSES, JOBSES, JOBSES and crawling out of this 27-year stupor, I got a little distracted. So, how's everything? How's the wife and kids? Great! Good to hear. Don't worry, little Jimmy will get that conviction overturned someday soon, I'm sure of it. Oh, me? Fine, great, thanks for asking...

Our nation's youth are getting larger. The fat pundits point to a number of factors. These factors, from fast food to television to gluttonous parents to no parents, have tag teamed to create quite a little obesity problem. This problem is slowly killing kids-- and destroying every shred of their self confidence and dignity along the way...

Outside The Mind Of Laurence Frost

Well, whaddaya know? I'm doing the movie previews again! But it's the last time this year, I promise. Here's some films I know are coming to Cape: THE LAST SAMURAI: Like military war movies, but "Master and Commander" make you seasick? Maybe "The Last Samurai" will be more of your speed. ...

No one likes dating...really....you may love the people you meet....but no one likes the process of dating,it feels like work. You know when you don't have a job,you start looking for a job...the looking for a job becomes the job. Dating is a job.It's my job in fact, well professional hobby. ...

In the 3rd chapter of the .hack saga, "The World" continues to deteriorate as the virus spreads out of control. As the outlaw player, Kite, you must choose your strategy wisely. Not only is the OUTBREAK affecting "The World" in the game, but now repercussions are being felt in the real world too. Is there a way to stop this outbreak?...

I'm walking down Broadway, a few steps from a year here. It's a November day that almost feels like November, people milling about in fresh sweaters and upturned hoods. At least the sky looks right, looks like Novembers I've seen before, half-bald trees waiting for sunset, crowned in a calm blue. It's a day I'd like to remember. But I don't remember very much of my first December in Cape Girardeau, except there wasn't snow...

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: BEST OF 2003 Insider here, as the guys and I are trying to get the Boner out of this bar. Ever since he heard that Evanescence wasn't coming "to see him" this December, he just keeps nursing his beer and singing along with Kid Rock's "Picture" over by the jukebox. Sad.....

When I graduated from SEMO in late 1994, I couldn't wait to get the hell out of the Cape area. I was a native, but I hated it here...