Stories from Saturday, April 17, 2004

LOS ANGELES -- Best known as Detective Baldwin Jones on ABC's "NYPD Blue," Henry Simmons exchanges his badge and gun for a net and spear to play gladiator slave Draba in USA Network's version of "Spartacus." "Henry is extremely believable. He was the big surprise to me how well he melted into that old world," said Robert Dornhelm, who directed this adaptation of Howard Fast's novel about a slave revolution against the Roman empire...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Lois Loula Christy, 80, of Chaffee died Thursday, April 15, 2004, at her home. She was born Nov. 30, 1923, at Zalma, Mo., daughter of Lee and Lula Fish Slinkard. She and Carl E. Christy were married Jan. 26, 1942. Christy was a member of First Baptist Church...

UNITY, Ill. -- Ollie Latham, 70, of Unity died Thursday, April 15, at his home. Heavenly Gates Funeral Home in Cairo, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Elmer Ray "Blue" Hileman, 95, of Jonesboro died Friday, April 16, 2004, at Union County Nursing Home in Anna, Ill. Hileman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Louis H. Fortenberry, 67, of Cairo died Thursday, April 15, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 11, 1937, in Gulfport, Miss., son of John and Blanche Schmitz Fortenberry. Fortenberry was a graduate of St. Vincent's College High School in Cape Girardeau and St. Mary's Seminary in Perryville, Mo...

Karen Schlestak, 70, of Jackson died Friday, April 16, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Kutis Funeral Home Affton Chapel in St. Louis is in charge of arrangements.

TAMMS, Ill. -- David White, 58, of Tamms died Friday, April 16, 2004, at his home. Crain Funeral Home in Tamms is in charge of arrangements.

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Leonard D. "Buck" Moser, 89, of Glenallen died Friday, April 16, 2004, at Elder Care in Marble Hill, Mo. He was born Aug. 6, 1914, at Stella, Mo., son of John and Myrtle Boll Moser. He and Ava Emma Hopper were married Aug. 8, 1935...

Rosalind Vogel, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 15, 2004, at her home. She was the wife of Raymond H. Vogel. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. April 25 at Trinity Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Douglas Breite officiating. Private entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Donald H. Smith, 70, of Tamms died Thursday, April 15, 2004, at his home. He was born Dec. 10, 1933, at Rolla, Mo., son of David and Melba Jett Smith. He married Norma Jane Davis, who died July 13, 1992. He later married June "Teen" Boyd Sept. 10, 1994...

To the editor: Changing the name of Southeast Missouri State University's mascot and nickname is the most childish thing I've ever heard. Is changing the name of scholarships named after specific people or street names after cultures, races, states, flowers, trees and specific people next? How can someone be proud of his culture of names used for one thing and then be insulted when a college uses it for a sports theme?...

To the editor: It is almost beyond my comprehension that as our troops are putting their lives on the line that there would be meetings to see if our president knew anything about the horror that was to happen on 9-11. I was in high school when World War II was declared. ...

GARRISONVILLE, Va. -- When Paddy's Steakhouse & Pub opened in December 2002, a 12-ounce prime rib sold for $15.99. Today, after a run-up in beef prices and a growing clientele, the menu lists that same cut for $19.99. "You don't want to change your prices because people will think that you're trying to rip them off," said owner Michael Brosnan, who absorbed the higher costs for several months before reprinting the menus. "But you've got to do what you've got to do."...

NEW YORK -- After a career of interviewing political luminaries and celebrities, Barbara Walters will tell her own story. "I've spent my whole life reporting about other people, and I have found it to be very satisfying and interesting work. Now, I have to look inward and write about myself," Walters said this week after agreeing to a million-dollar deal for her memoirs...

Missing soldier shown captive on videotape BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Videotape broadcast Friday showed a U.S. soldier held captive by masked gunmen who said they want to trade him for comrades imprisoned by the U.S.-led occupation. Pfc. Keith Maupin, 20, of Batavia, Ohio, was the first U.S. ...

ST. LOUIS -- This is the third season without Mark McGwire for the St. Louis Cardinals, and they still miss his larger than life presence. The former home run king will make his first appearance at Busch Stadium today since his retirement after the 2001 season, and a near-sellout crowd is expected for the occasion. His old teammates are anxious to see him throw out the first pitch, too...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush secretly ordered a war plan drawn up against Iraq less than two months after U.S. forces attacked Afghanistan in 2001 and was so worried the decision would cause a furor he did not tell everyone on his national security team, says a new book on his Iraq policy...

Bekki Cook D-CAPE GIRARDEAU N $1,200: PHILLIP PAGE, FREDERICKTOWN; JEFFREY GERSHMAN, ST. LOUIS; TOM BRADLEY, SIKESTON; ERIC HARRIS, DESLOGE; ROGER BROWN, JEFFERSON CITY; LANCE CALLIS, GRANITE CITY, ILL.; NANCY RICHARDS, FESTUS; ED HERSHEWE, JOPLIN; ALISON HERSHEWE, JOPLIN; STEPHEN MEYERKORD, ST. ...

In his baseball book "Ball Four," former pitcher Jim Bouton tells an anecdote concerning a complaint he made to the Yankee clubhouse man about the lack of choices in the refreshment bin. "Pete, how come you're always out of orange juice?" Bouton asked...

I think I'm in big trouble. I was going through the pockets of an old jacket and I found something I can't explain -- a crumpled-up dollar bill. A dollar! My wallet is bare and my bank account is nearly nil. So how come I've got this dollar left?...

To the editor: In response to the article "On her way to Miss USA, beauty queen won in Jackson": This was a good article, and thanks for the accurate quotes. Your reporter did some good research and gave an accurate account of the difference between Miss America and Miss USA. Kudos to Shandi Finnessey and Missouri...

10 years ago: April 17, 1994 The Rev. Barry L. Pfanstiel is installed as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel; preacher for service is the Rev. Paul Donner of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Paducah, Ky., and first vice president of Mid-South District Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod...

Stark Son to Dominic Lee Stark and Stephanie Marie Dube of Perryville, Mo., St. Francis Medical Center, 5:13 a.m. Tuesday, March 2, 2004. Name, Daton Lee. Weight, 4 pounds 3 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Dube is the daughter of Gerard and Jean Dube of St. Mary, Mo. She is a manager. Stark is the son of Rick and Sherry Stark of Perryville. He is a carpenter...

Skate park is great idea I JUST read the article about the Jackson skateboarding park. I think it's a wonderful idea. My son and his friends are excited about it also. I'm excited about it because it will keep them off the streets taking the risk of getting hit by a car or in trouble with the law. ...

On May 29, the first national monument to honor those who served in World War II will be dedicated in Washington, D.C. To celebrate the occasion, the Jackson and Cape Girardeau American Legion posts are holding their own celebrations. "It's something that's been a long time coming, and it's wonderful," said Jackson American Legion member Jack Latimer about the national memorial. Latimer is a veteran of World War II and served 30 months overseas...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan donated two Tasers Friday to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and one to the Jackson police. A Taser uses compressed nitrogen to fire probes with an electrical charge that will disable the person the probes connect with. It is reported to be more effective than pepper spray because it disables its target instantly, yet its manufacturer claims it will not interrupt the heartbeat or damage a pacemaker...

It's been 25 years since Cheryl Ann Scherer was abducted from the Rhodes Pump-Ur-Own Station in Scott City during a robbery. Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell was three years into his job on April 17, 1979, when 19-year-old Scherer was reported missing from her workplace around noon that day. Whoever kidnapped her also robbed the store of $480. Scherer's purse was found in the office, and her car was parked next to the office with the keys inside. But no one has seen Cheryl Scherer since...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues center Mike Danton was arrested Friday in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme, the FBI said. Danton, 23, was arrested at the airport in San Jose, Calif., after the Blues were knocked out of the NHL playoffs in a loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday...

ST. LOUIS -- After scrambling to make the playoffs with one game to spare in the regular season, the St. Louis Blues didn't last long once they got there. The lowest-scoring team in the postseason lost in five games to the San Jose Sharks. It's the second straight first-round elimination for a high-priced team built to contend for a Stanley Cup, but one that managed only two goals in three road playoff games...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's standardized tests hold high school students to a high standard and are a good predictor of a student's chances for success in college, according to a study by a University of Missouri professor. Michael Podgursky, who chairs the Economics Department at the Columbia campus, analyzed high school students' performances on the Missouri Assessment Program tests for the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education...

ST. LOUIS -- Tony Womack and Reggie Sanders hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning and Sanders added another for his second two-homer game of the season, helping the St. Louis Cardinals halt an early slump at home with a 13-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team hosts one of the nation's top offensive squads this weekend in a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. OVC newcomer Jacksonville (Ala.) State provides the opposition in today's 1 p.m. doubleheader and Sunday's 1 p.m. single game...

When Southeast Missouri State University and Austin Peay meet this weekend in a battle for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference, there's a good chance Brad Smith will have a key role. Smith, a junior relief pitcher who is tied for the OVC lead in saves, has been arguably the Indians' most valuable player so far this season...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Jerry Dees and Heather Martin of Glenallen are stable but still in critical condition. The Woodland students survived a traffic accident Wednesday that killed Dees' sisters, Jessica Dees and Jennifer Lincoln. Jerry Dees, 13, may undergo surgery on his left leg Monday at St. ...

At the age of 12, Brandon McArthur is a Special Olympian, an honor student, a race-car driver, a Boy Scout and a leading salesman. He even has an award named after him. But above all, Brandon McArthur is a kid. After a day at school, he sits in a recliner in his parents' living room in rural Cape Girardeau County, stroking the week-old kitten in his lap with an unsteady hand and watching "Rugrats." His silence is sometimes mistaken by some for a sign of mental slowness, but his mind is sharp. ...

Baseball A woman was charged with assault and property damage after throwing a rock through the bedroom window at the home of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford, then punching him in the face. Creve Coeur Police Lt. George Hodak said Lisa Rose, 32, drove her car on Lankford's lawn, got stuck in the mud and threw a rock through his window. Lankford called police. A responding officer said he saw Rose punch Lankford...

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kris Woolf won the women's 10,000 in 39:08.67 to highlight Southeast Missouri State University's performances during the first two days of the Kansas Relays. Kim Krieger was second in the 10,000 (39:54.15) while Heather Jenkins was sixth in the shot put (45-11 1/2)...

Perryville picked up two wins on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Fralish Cup Tournament in Carbondale, Ill. Perryville beat Marion (Ill.) 3-2 in penalty kicks, then came back and beat Crete-Monee (Ill.) 7-1. Amber Hacker had a hat trick against Crete-Monee, and against Marion goalie Chastity Marr made 11 saves including a big one in the penalty kicks...

AUSTIN, Texas -- In what he calls his "Mother Teresa Run," Roger Joslin looks for the divine in the faces of everyone he meets. When "Running With Alms," the Austin seminarian takes along a few dollars to help those in need. In Joslin's view, a spiritual experience -- even an encounter with God -- is as likely to occur along a wooded trail as in a church, synagogue or mosque...

Marriage seminar to begin Sunday at Church of Christ Cape Church of Christ will hold a marriage seminar beginning Sunday at the church. Bill Oakley, who has specialized in marriage and family counseling for the last 20 years, will be speaking at the seminar, which runs through Wednesday...

Today Attics Treasures Sale, in the Family Life Center of Centenary United Methodist Church, 7 to 11 a.m. Chicken and dumpling dinner and antique show fund raiser from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church. Proceeds will go toward an elevator...

The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Adam W. Gaspard, 34, of Chaffee was arrested April 9 on a warrant from Cape Girardeau County for probation violation, possession of a controlled substance and DWI...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois officials announced Friday they reached an agreement with protesters to end a 32-hour sit-in at the school's main administration building. The deal clears the way for protesters to discuss the issue of Chief Illiniwek with some state legislators later this month...

The current national news has been so heavy lately, what with the 9-11 hearings and the continued terrorist activities around the world (with major emphasis on capturing hostages, and the terrorists' renewed threats to kill most anyone in Iraq), that this column is devoted to information and some humor. We all need a break...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder had amassed nearly a half-million dollars in his bid for lieutenant governor as of March 31, almost $200,000 more than any of this year's other hopefuls for the office. Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, had $333,559 in his campaign account, according to financial disclosure reports filed Thursday with the Missouri Ethics Commission...