Stories from Thursday, December 11, 2003

Central didn't stretch its streak of quarterfinal appearances to four this season, but that didn't stop the Tigers from landing two players on the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association's all-state team today. Senior quarterback Mitch Craft and senior kicker Colin Schermann each made the Class 5 second team. Craft is a first-time selection to the team...

Arthur B. Miller, 87, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at Life Care Center Nursing Home in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

Velma Marie Arnac, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Oct. 26, 1924, in Aguilar, Colo., daughter of Joseph and Emma Oberosler Zanetell. She and H.R. Arnac were married Oct. 4, 1952, in Pueblo, Colo...

Stephen Randolph "Randy" Hawkins, 48, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at his home. He was born Jan. 17, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, son of Milton Thomas and Ruby Janet Curnell Hawkins. Survivors include a son, Michael Coomer of Cape Girardeau; six brothers, Michael and Jerry Hawkins of Sikeston, Mo., Scott Hawkins of Tempe, Ariz., Mark Hawkins of Watauga, Texas, Matthew Hawkins and Troy Estes III of Morley, Mo.; six sisters, Roxanne Johnson of Loganville, Ga., Leslie Barrett and Marcy Penrod of Morley, Kathy Dunaway of Cape Girardeau, Semona Penrod of Vanduser, Mo., and Marla Stephenson of Sikeston.. ...

ORAN, Mo. -- Charles Eftink, 80, of Oran died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at Chaffee Nursing Home in Chaffee, Mo. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Oran is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mamie Aslee Haynes, 73, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Sept. 8, 1930, in Eldridge, Tenn., daughter of James Aubrey and Rosie Priester Fowler. She married Wayne Haynes, who died in 1969...

ANNA, Ill. -- Michael M. Hartline, 51, of Centralia, Ill., died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Centralia. He was born Dec. 21, 1951, in Anna, son of Junior M. and Lillian May Reynolds Hartline. Survivors include four sisters, Joyce Sanders of Anna, Jana Fear of Dongola, Ill., Sue Hartline-Shepard of New York, and Sherry Hartline-Lee of Garner, N.C...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Elmer J. Rowley, 72, of Chaffee, died Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at the home of a sister in Chaffee. He was born Sept. 30, 1931, in St. Louis, son of Elmer J. and Clare Weharfritz Rowley Sr. Rowley had worked in maintenance at Great Lakes Trailer Court in St. Louis...

PERKINS, Mo. -- William Crowden, 86, of Perkins died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Retired Army Lt. Col. Mary F. Gonzales, 75, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews, Mo. She was born June 19, 1928, in Sikeston, daughter of John T. and May Trent Gray. She married A.T. Gonzales, who preceded her in death...

Pauline Rude Canupp, 77, of Wilmington, Ill., formerly of Grand Chain, Ill., died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at the Embassy Care Center at Wilmington. She was born March 26, 1926, at Grand Chain to Leo and Ida Schmidtt Rude. She was a member of the St. Rose Catholic Church at Wilmington. She also had attended the St. Catherine Church at Grand Chain...

Oran, Mo. -- Helen Furlong, 76, of Oran died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

10 years ago: Dec. 11, 1993 Two current Cape Girardeau city councilmen will square off in April in a race for the mayor's seat; yesterday, Al Spradling III filed an election petition for mayor; he will challenge Melvin Gateley, who filed for the seat on Nov. 10...

Mills Daughter to Daniel James and Shelley Jean Mills of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:57 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, 2003. Name, Bethany Jean. Weight, 7 pounds. Mrs. Mills is the former Shelley Warner, daughter of Bill Warner and Charlotte Warner of Patton, Mo. Mills is the son of Ermajean Mills of Marquand, Mo., and the late Nehemiah Mills. He is employed at Standley Batch Systems Inc...

Baseball Andy Pettitte is likely to decide by Friday whether to stay in New York or sign with the Houston Astros, and officials with the Yankees said Wednesday there's a good chance he might bolt for his hometown team...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Emma E. Emmendorfer, 86, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Perry Oaks Manor. She was born March 20, 1917, in Perry County, daughter of Alphonse and Mary Evelyn Mattingly Weisler. She and Valle Andrew Emmendorfer were married in 1948 in Perryville. He died April 17, 1966...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wilmer E. Miesner, 78, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 22, 1925, in Perry County, son of Henry J. and Engel M. Verseman Miesner. He first married Lorene Weinhold Sept. 12, 1948. She died April 23, 1978. He and Anna Schultz were married May 16, 1981...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Two Missouri basketball players denied on Wednesday an allegation caught on a jailhouse recording by ousted teammate Ricky Clemons that they received cash from two assistant coaches. Missouri coach Quin Snyder said he had the "utmost confidence" in the accused assistants, Lane Odom and Tony Harvey, and that they remain on his staff. But Snyder and the assistants said they couldn't comment further because of ongoing NCAA and university investigations...

Tracy Schreiner likes to just get down to business when it comes to bowling. She doesn't need warm-ups or stretches. Just give her the ball. "I just go out there and go," she said. It's the same technique she's used since she was 8, when friends invited Schreiner and her family to a friendly bowling outing. That's when she discovered her passion for the sport...

Dec. 11, 2003 Dear Julie, Dogs like ours make Christmastime a bit awkward. We can't invite friends over for wassails because Hank would greet them as warily as he does almost everyone. We can't put presents on the floor around the Christmas tree because Alvie would give them a soaking. So we have ourselves an inhospitable, above-ground little Christmas...

PEORIA, Ill. -- James W. Owens, a longtime Caterpillar Inc. executive, was named Wednesday to replace retiring chairman and chief executive Glen A. Barton at the heavy-equipment manufacturer. Owens, 57, was named vice chairman and will move up to head the company when Barton retires Jan. 31...

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday dismissed as meaningless Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's reported comments that he would move some Jewish settlements as part of a unilateral plan for dealing with the Mideast conflict...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Making use of a new state law, two of Missouri's largest utilities are seeking state permission to impose surcharges on customer bills to pay for the replacement of old water mains and the relocation of natural gas pipelines. Some 335,000 St. Louis County customers of Missouri American Water could see rate increases on their January bills...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri would require photographs on all driver's licenses, and no veils or masks would be allowed, under legislation filed at the request of public safety officials. Missouri currently issues licenses without photos to drivers who object on religious grounds to having their images displayed. In addition, temporary licenses without photos are issued for members of the military stationed outside Missouri...

WASHINGTON -- Freddie Mac is paying a $125 million fine and faces possible curbs on its growth as federal regulators blame management misconduct for a $5 billion misstatement of earnings by the second-largest U.S. buyer of home mortgages. In a report Wednesday, regulators accused the government-sponsored company of violating its public trust...

Along with the rest of the country, a particularly nasty flu season is sweeping across Southeast Missouri. Each year about 36,000 Americans die from influenza, but researchers at the Mayo Clinic predict that number will double to 70,000 this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report widespread breakouts in at least 10 states, mostly in the West...

We have seen it time and time again: This is an overwhelmingly generous community. The biggest recent example was when Shoeboxes for Soldiers asked the community -- at the last minute -- to chip in $1,500 to help ship Christmas gifts to soldiers overseas. By 5 p.m. the next day, the group had received $9,000...

To the editor: How many times have you heard someone say, "I'll never get that old." Well, don't be so sure. When my twin sister and I turned 15 years of age, I said to her, "Think how old we will be when we are 30 years of age." Now I more than triple that...

Billy Gene Mills, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at his home. He was born Sept. 4, 1930, in Cape Girardeau, son of Paul W. and Eleanor Louise McLain Mills. He and Betty Brooks were married Oct. 23, 1955, in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Mills formerly owned and operated Kagmo Electric and Myco Enterprises. ...

Dennis Leroy Howard Jr., 37, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 24, 1966, in Cape Girardeau, son of Dennis Leroy and Barbara Senciboy Howard Sr. He was also known by his friends as L.A. Buchanan...

Thomas J. Reynolds, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 29, 1917, in Cape Girardeau, son of Henry Joseph and Mary Catherine Donnelly Reynolds. He and Ruth Blumer were married July 9, 1940, in Cape Girardeau...

Today Preparation for Childbirth Class 4 meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Healing Arts Center conference room. For information, call 331-5107. Sibling Class for children ages 4 to 10 meets from 6 to 8 p.m. in Generations Resource Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Pre-registration is required. Call the Generations Center at 651-5825 for details...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded Tuesday to the following item: At 10:21 p.m., natural gas leak at 41 S. Hanover. Firefighters responded Wednesday to the following items: At 8:39 a.m., medical assist at 1200 N. Cape Rock. At 12:50 p.m., alarm at 1000 Towers Complex...

A three-drug cocktail used by many HIV-infected people proved clearly superior to other combinations at treating new patients in the biggest head-to-head comparison of AIDS medications to date. The combination works better and longer, is easier to take, and suppresses the virus more quickly, the international study found, offering powerful confirmation of what many AIDS specialists already believed...

Even as federal officials try to round up extra doses of the flu vaccine, many experts are wondering just how much protection the shots will give the millions who have taken them. Vaccine makers produced 83 million doses this year, but the early and intense outbreak in some Western states has dried up supplies in many places. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it is trying to redistribute what is left and might buy additional doses from a British maker...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration estimates that 7.3 million Medicare recipients will sign up for the new prescription drug discount card next year, including 4.7 million with incomes low enough to receive $600 from the federal government to pay drug bills...

WASHINGTON -- Inside hospital pharmacies, tiny bar codes just an eighth of an inch tall adorn the blister packs that hold single-pill doses of certain drugs, like Dilantin for seizures and Lipitor for cholesterol. With a handheld scanner, health-care workers guard against medication mixups by matching each pill's bar code to a hospitalized patient's wristband and medical chart. ...

The pounds won't miraculously melt off your thighs with a few sessions of Pilates, but your mind will get a good workout. Pilates is an exercise system that works the muscles in the body to tone and strengthen while developing good posture, better breathing and greater concentration...

Two Missouri school districts -- they're neighbors, about the same size with similar academic programs and extracurricular activities. In both districts, more than 96 percent of classes are taught by highly qualified teachers. Students in each score higher than the state and national average on college entrance exams...

More than four times smaller in size than Cape Girardeau or Jackson, the Scott City School District had significantly fewer discipline incidents than the other districts last year. According to Scott City schools' annual report card, which was released Dec. 1, only four students were suspended for 10 or more days and just one student was expelled in 2002-03...

WASHINGTON -- A divided Supreme Court upheld the broadest restrictions on campaign donations in nearly 30 years Wednesday, ruling the nation is better off with limits on the financial influence of deep-pocket donors even if money can never be divorced from politics...

Monetary donations for the Cape Girardeau Jaycees' Christmas toybox can be mailed to P.O. Box 4; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702-0004. Toybox-- Daniel, 7, and Darren, 3, love to sing and they would love any kind of musical toys or radios. Darren also likes Sponge Bob Squarepants. Daniel likes Leap Frog games and Spider-Man...

Central will have a chance to avenge last season's district finals loss to Poplar Bluff when the two teams meet tonight in the Sikeston Tournament. But those awaiting the first matchup of 6-foot-8 centers Tyler Hansbrough and Scott Chestnutt likely will have to wait...

Delta's girls basketball team defeated Chaffee 55-41 in the final first-round game of the Chaffee Tournament on Wednesday. Sarah Cook scored 21 points to lead Delta (3-0). Chaffee (1-2) was led by Samantha Hendrix with 13 points. Scott City outscored East Prairie 19-2 in the first quarter and won 64-27 to advance to the consolation finals...

Charleston has won the past two Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament titles, and they're the favorites to do it again this month. Charleston, No. 1 in the Class 3 state poll, was voted the top seed for the boys basketball event that begins Dec. 26 and ends Dec. 30. All games are at the Show Me Center...

It wasn't bad enough that Southeast Missouri State University fell tantalizingly short of a major upset Tuesday night at Arkansas. Things got worse on the return trip home when the Indians' bus broke down a little more than two hours into a scheduled seven-hour drive back to Cape Girardeau...

Marge Thompson was honored by Sigma Pi Kappa recently for her work in historic preservation. Thompson, 78, is active in preserving her historic family home in Cape Girardeau and serves as director of the Cape River Heritage Museum. Standing, from left, are Dr. Steven Hoffman faculty advisor of Sigma Pi Kappa, Michelle Stanfield, Lisa Thomas, Marge Thompson and Terri Foley past president of Sigma Pi Kappa.Southeast Missourian...

The law of love THE TEN Commandments are in the Jewish Bible. They are for the Jewish people, the people whom God "brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." Christians do not follow the Ten Commandments. We follow the law of love, a much more joyful but more difficult task...

MADD candlelight vigil at Cape police station The Cape Girardeau Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapter will hold the annual MADD Candlelight Vigil of Remembrance and Hope today at the police station at 40 S. Sprigg at 6:30 p.m. Chief Steve Strong and Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle will be guest speakers. Ornaments with names of victims will be placed on a Christmas tree in the lobby of the station. A reception will follow...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIn Daniel P. Lawrence, 27, of 615 Lafayette, No. 5, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and no license plate light...

Officials in Cape Girardeau schools are hopeful that $1.3 million in cuts is all it will take to escape the financial hole the district is in. Originally, the district had planned to cut $2.2 million from a $35 million budget. On Monday, superintendent Mark Bowles will make cutback recommendations to the school board for $800,000 less than that amount...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- In the northern city of Mosul, small arms fire and a roadside bomb killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded four. Guerrillas also struck at an Air Force C-17 transport plane with a ground-fired missile, forcing it to return to Baghdad, a senior Pentagon official said. The U.S. military in Baghdad said the plane reported an engine explosion on takeoff Tuesday; one of the 16 people aboard was slightly injured...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- For the second time in a week, the U.S. military admitted Wednesday that Afghan children were killed in attacks against Taliban and al-Qaida suspects, crushed under a wall at a compound stacked with a fugitive militant's weapons...

LAS VEGAS -- R&B and hip-hop dominated Wednesday's 2003 Billboard Music Awards with sultry singer Beyonce and R. Kelly each earning four awards. Beyonce, who appeared at the ceremony in a sequined Versace dress, won new female artist of the year, new R&B artist, Hot 100 female artist and a special Hot 100 award for most weeks at No. 1...

Reality of flu sets in for singer David Bowie TORONTO -- Influenza is keeping David Bowie in bed and off the stage, forcing the postponement of two more concerts on the North American leg of his "Reality Tour." The 56-year-old rocker has failed to make concert dates in Atlantic City, N.J.; Washington; Boston and Philadelphia since last week. Bowie's managers and promoter Clear Channel Entertainment now hope to launch the North American tour Friday at Toronto's Air Canada Center...

Oklahoma quarterback Jason White capped his return from two serious knee injuries by being chosen Wednesday as The Associated Press College Player of the Year. White emerged as the nation's top-rated passer and led the third-ranked Sooners to a berth in the Bowl Championship Series title game...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Secretary of State Matt Blunt has been activated for a short duty with the Naval Reserve and will be stationed over Christmas in England, a spokesman said Wednesday. Blunt is to serve Dec. 15 through 31 at the West Ruislap Royal Air Force Base near London, the same place where he spent about six months as an assistant operations and security officer after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said Blunt spokesman Spence Jackson...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Russia suggested it would not restructure Iraq's debt. Canada threatened to stop sending aid to Baghdad. The European Union said it would study whether global trade rules had been violated. Across Europe, response was swift and angry Wednesday to the U.S. order barring firms based in important allied countries -- opponents of the Iraq war -- from bidding on Iraqi reconstruction projects...

Jackson's massive infrastructure movement will continue in 2004 as the city plans to spend nearly $2.8 million on three major transportation projects. Jackson will hold a public hearing Monday night on its proposed 2004 budget. The board of aldermen will review and pass a budget the same night...

WASHINGTON -- Several hundred union members rallied outside the Labor Department on Wednesday, calling for tougher laws to protect American workers and denouncing the Bush administration for what they said were anti-union policies. The rally was one of more than 90 events in 38 states designed to call attention to hurdles workers face when trying to form unions...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff, Jackson and Sikeston school districts were the biggest area beneficiaries of Gov. Bob Holden's recent decision to release $75 million he had previously withheld from the public education budget. Area school officials say the action has eased -- though not necessarily eliminated -- the need to deficit spend this year and should allow some districts to carry slightly stronger budget reserves into the next fiscal year. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After more than a decade at the helm, Joe Driskill will step down as director of the state Department of Economic Development at the end of the year. A Southeast Missouri native, Driskill leaves as ranking member of the governor's cabinet in terms of years served. His tenure is believed to be among the longest of any department head in state history...

Wear comfortable shoes. That may be the best advice for the 663 people who have signed up to run, walk or ride their bicycles across the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge on Saturday in Cape Girardeau. "It's not too late to participate," said Terry McDowell of the Cape Girardeau Roadrunners, which is helping to organize the event...

Gohn family benefit will feature silent auction A silent auction will be held from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dec. 19 and from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Dec. 20 at Cape West 14 Cine to benefit the Gohn family, victims of a Nov. 26 house fire. Auction items include gift baskets contributed by churches, area businesses and the movie theatre. ...