Stories from October 2004

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Constitution Party, which advocates a government that operates under a strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, is fielding a full slate of statewide candidates in the Nov. 2 general elections. The party's hopefuls include Bruce Hillis of Dexter, Mo., who is running for lieutenant governor...

The Insurance Services Office, a national independent organization that collects data from towns and cities across the United States, has given Jackson a poor rating in its building code study. In other words, people planning to build in Jackson won't save a lot of money on their home insurance...

It's been a hobby of mine for many years to dream about the perfect place to live. Where, preferably without leaving the territorial boundaries of the good old United States of America, can you find the best weather and best overall living conditions?...

"The Diary of Anne Frank" is not the easiest production to pull off well with its weighty subject matter demanding a lot of the director and the actors, but the Southeast Missouri State University's production of "The Diary of Anne Frank," directed by Dennis Seyer, steers clear of those dangers and brings the story of Anne Frank to life...

A city committee wants Cape Girardeau residents to hold block parties or other get-togethers this month as part of a Neighborhood Nights Month program. It's a new effort by the city's Vision 2020 Community Relations Council to strengthen community ties, said committee chairman Nancy Jernigan...

Three recently awarded grants will be used toward making Jackson a safer place to live. Two of the grants are from the Department of Homeland Security. The city of Jackson was awarded a grant of $62,486 to upgrade radios and to increase security in the fire and police departments and at water department locations, said fire chief Brad Golden. The money will also enhance equipment at the police and fire departments...

For Cape Girardeau, the beginning of local television was a slide show. In 1954, broadcast entrepreneur Oscar Hirsch -- who operated the only commercial radio station in town for 27 years -- gave viewers in the area their first televised images of local life, which included slides accompanied by voice-overs showing his station's new transmission tower going up a few miles northwest of the city just off of U.S. 61. The tower is still visible from the highway today...

~ From The Wall Street Journal In case you were lucky enough to miss it, here's a recent fund-raising letter from New Jersey Democratic Senator Jon Corzine: "Voter suppression and intimidation . . . in Florida again!? The GOP used voter intimidation and outright fraud to hand Florida to George W. Bush in 2000, and if we don't stop them, they'll do it again."...

This previously published letter is being reprinted with a new headline that eliminates confusion caused by the original headline. To the editor: In response to "Violence dots map of Iraq despite political optimism": The following was a statement made in article: "On Friday, the day of rest across the Muslim world, clashes broke out in Ramadi and parts of the capital. ...

Message to young drivers I VERY much appreciated the article about Jason Schafer. I attended his funeral, and I understand the shock and grief of the community. The article talked about Jason being an upstanding young man and being an organ donor. I hope Jackson and Cape Girardeau high school kids will take something from this. ...

To the editor: The biting irony of this presidential campaign is that the Democrats' ultra-liberal candidate is running on a war record that until now he found thoroughly shameful -- and which we learn is dubious at best. The Washington Post, conducting its own investigation, has concluded that John Kerry did not volunteer for combat duty, as he would now have us believe. ...

Arts council holds First Friday opening reception From 5 to 8 p.m. today, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, 32 N. Main St., will hold its First Friday opening reception. This month the arts council is featuring the wood sculpture of Southeast Missouri State University graduate Ron Koehler in the Lorimer Gallery, while the woodcuts of Diego Rios will be on display in Gallery 100. ...

lthough she now lives in New York City, opera singer and vocal teacher Judith Farris has never forgotten about her Cape Girardeau beginnings, and the people who were part of those beginnings have never forgotten about Farris. Which is why Farris' Tuesday performance at her alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University, means a lot to both parties...

I remember the audience waiting in anticipation for the fifth-grade talent show to begin. I was to go onstage to sing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," and caught myself thinking, "What could be more fun?" Unlike playing the cello, my instrument since age 5, singing was easy. I didn't have to worry about finger position or reading notes. I simply opened my mouth and out came my voice -- the instrument I was born to use -- to the "delight" of the audience...

To the editor: It is time for voters who are not yet decided to choose a presidential candidate that best represents their concerns. Good jobs, affordable health care, the means to send a child to college and the ability to purchase a home are some of the things everyone desires. The last four years have made it difficult to achieve these goals...

One-half star (out of four) I expected a lot more from actor-turned-director Forest Whitaker. Katie Holmes delivers a rather disappointing performance as Samantha, the president's daughter. Everything about this movie is completely absurd and overly dramatic. Simply watching it induced hyperglycemia. The script was bursting with romantic clichés, "unexpected" twists and "unpredictable" resolutions...

Cape Girardeau homeowners and business owners whose houses and businesses are no longer likely to flood but who are still paying for flood insurance got a bit of good news this week. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that it may have new flood-plain maps by next spring, some two years earlier than the federal agency's original timetable...

'Ladder 49' Starring John Travolta, Joaquin Phoenix, Jacinda Barrett, Morris Chestnut, Billy Burke, Balthazar Getty, Tim Guinee, Robert Patrick and Jay Hernandez. Jack Morrison is a firefighter who's making the transition from inexperienced rookie to seasoned vet, guided by his mentor, Mike Kennedy (John Travolta). ...

10 years ago: Oct. 1, 1994 Show Me Center director David Ross has never had a worse week in promoting entertainment events; both The Pointer Sisters concert, scheduled for Tuesday, and Kenny G concert, scheduled Oct. 13, have been canceled. City of Cape Girardeau will have piled up debt of more than $100 million by next year, and most of it came during past decade...

Edward J. Claussen, 43, of Jackson died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 27, 1960, in Chicago, Ill., son of Theodore L. and Eleanor M. Fries Claussen. He married Tonya R. McCall April 27, 1996...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Evelyn H. Cross White, 87, of Ullin died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. She was born June 29, 1917, at Hustonville, Ky., daughter of Henry and Debbie Burton Hudson. She married Alfred Cross Aug. 14, 1937, at Fayette County, Ky. He preceded her in death Feb. 24, 1981. She later married Norman F. White on May 10, 1988, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death in April 2000...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Deloma "Toots" Colwell, 80, of Poplar Bluff died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at The Cedargate in Poplar Bluff. She was born Aug. 14, 1924, at Fisk, Mo., daughter of Everett H. and Ossie A. Walker Hall. Colwell had lived in Arizona and moved to Poplar Bluff in 1992. She was a retired business owner...

Uvalde McDowell, 88, of Jackson died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 1, 1916, in Cheetham, Texas, daughter of Alfred and Missouri Thompson Lassen. She married Cecil McDowell, who preceded her in death...

Dr. William F. Ansberry, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Life Care Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Louise Pauline Grojean, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Dec. 5, 1919, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Louis and Anna Hargens Bierschwal. She and Gene Crenshaw were married Feb. 12, 1944, in Cape Girar-deau. She later married Char-les "Sonny" Grojean Aug. 22, 1975, in Gordonville. He died Jan. 11, 2004...

Jackson football coach Carl Gross thought his team was a little flat in a victory against Sikeston last Friday following an emotional week for the team and the school. The Indians will not have that luxury tonight if they want to improve to 5-0. Jefferson City travels to Jackson for a 7 p.m. kickoff...

Starting out with five participating schools three years ago, the Notre Dame Invitational cross country meet has grown three-fold heading into Saturday's meet. Fifteen schools will compete with varsity to junior high teams racing. Area schools participating include host Notre Dame, Saxony Lutheran, Delta, Advance, Oak Ridge and Meadow Heights. Central's junior high team will compete in the meet...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Thursday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Jeffrey Vincent Mirgeaux, 2038 Perryville Road, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Arrests Max D. Fryer III, no age given, Box 4, LaGrange, Ark., was arrested on a warrant from DeSoto County, Miss., for possession of precursors...

Jefferson City (3-1) at Jackson (4-0), 7 p.m. Last week: Jackson 28, Sikeston 8; Jefferson City 28, Poplar Bluff 7 Last year's meeting: did not play Notes: Jackson faces its toughest test this season against visiting Jefferson City, the first team on its schedule above .500 while the four previous opponents are a combined 4-12. ...

Skull found by hunters in Dunklin County KENNETT, Mo. -- Authorities from Missouri and Arkansas are excavating a site in the Red Onion area of Dunklin County after some hunters found a human skull there. The identity of the skull has not been determined, said Dunklin County Sheriff Bob Holder. ...

Cape man pleads guilty on crack cocaine charge A Cape Girardeau man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday to charges of distributing crack cocaine. Jamoris Nunley, 22, pleaded guilty to one felony count before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. ...

The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Consumers were tightfisted with their money amid soaring gasoline costs in August and hurricane-related disruptions last week sent applications for jobless benefits to their highest level in seven months. Overall spending was flat in August, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. ...

WASHINGTON -- The House emphatically rejected a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage Thursday, the latest in a string of conservative pet causes advanced by Republican leaders in the run-up to Election Day. The vote was 227-186, 49 votes shy of the two-thirds needed for approval of an amendment that President Bush backed but the Senate had previously scuttled...

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros have done little wrong in the past month after doing little right for most of the season. After firing their manager and playing catch-up for the past three months, the Astros began Thursday with an improbable lead in the NL playoff race. They were atop the wild-card standing for the first time this season, a half-game ahead of San Francisco and the Chicago Cubs, who lost Thursday in Cincinnati...

Tiger Woods pursed his lips and cursed under his breath as he stood over his first tee shot, feeling spasms in his back and knowing the sharp pain that was coming with each shot. He yelped after his second drive. His knees buckled after making contact on the sixth tee. He stopped a half-dozen times and lifted his shirt so his caddie could rub heating cream between his shoulder blades...

ST. LOUIS -- At Washington University, a dizzying array of details must be met to turn a school campus into a presidential debate site -- like adding 53 miles of fiber optic cables, 1,500 temporary phone numbers and 25,000 feet of new carpeting. Organizers said transforming the university's field house into a debate forum for President Bush and Sen. John Kerry by next Friday is no simple task, but the university knows what must be done...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Effective today, Missouri's piecemeal approach to concealed guns becomes a little easier to understand: If you live in most of the St. Louis area or Jackson County, you can't have them. If you live anywhere else, you can. Rural Osage County, just east and south of Missouri's capital, has been the only place outside the state's largest cities not to accept applications for concealed weapons permits...

ST. LOUIS -- About $100 of the $150 that John Haynes spends on prescription drugs every month comes out of his pocket -- for heart and breathing medication for him, blood pressure medicine for his wife. That's a problem facing too many Missourians, said State Auditor and gubernatorial candidate Claire McCaskill said...

TROY, Mo. -- More than two dozen people face drug charges after a massive sweep in eastern Missouri, authorities said Thursday. Eighteen suspects were rounded up Wednesday, and authorities were searching for 10 more, Troy Police Chief Jeff Taylor said. All of the crimes allegedly occurred in Lincoln County, and most of the suspects live there. A few are from nearby Warren and St. Charles counties...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican Matt Blunt has agreed to a televised gubernatorial debate against Democrat Claire McCaskill in his hometown of Springfield but has turned down a similar offer in the traditional Democratic stronghold of St. Louis. The Springfield debate is to occur Oct. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A string of bombs killed 35 children and wounded scores of others as U.S. troops handed out candy Thursday at a government-sponsored celebration to inaugurate a sewage plant. It was the largest death toll of children in any insurgent attack since the start of the Iraq conflict...

The Associated Press LONDON -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he will undergo a medical procedure today to correct an irregular heartbeat, a surprise announcement linked to treatment he had a year ago. Blair also used the opportunity to end months of speculation about his leadership future by announcing that he intends to serve a full third term if his party is re-elected in national elections expected next year. He stressed he would not seek a fourth term...

MOSCOW -- Russia's Cabinet approved the Kyoto Protocol on Thursday in a crucial step toward putting the long-delayed climate change treaty into effect, although without participation by the United States. Final approval by the Russian parliament, which would push the treaty past its required ratification threshold, was not guaranteed, however. ...

NEW YORK -- In a blow to the Justice Department's post-Sept. 11, 2001, powers, a federal judge said the government's ability to conduct secret and unchallengable searches of Internet and telephone records violates the Constitution. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on Wednesday struck down a USA Patriot Act provision that allowed the FBI to gather phone and Web customer records and then barred the service providers from ever disclosing the search took place...

The Associated Press JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops struck deep inside the largest Palestinian refugee camp Thursday, battling masked gunmen in an unprecedented campaign to stop deadly rocket fire on Israeli towns. Twenty-eight Palestinians were killed and 131 wounded, the bloodiest single-day toll in fighting in 30 months...

srobertson If you are like a lot of us who need to haul a lot of people and stuff, I've got just the vehicle for you. And the best part is, it handles like a dream and provides a quiet, plush ride. It's the latest incarnation of Dodge's famous Caravan minivan, which for the past 20 years has been hauling everything from soccer kids to sacks of cement for more than 10 million owners worldwide...

The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball program's Dig for Life campaign taking place this month is in its fifth year -- and its meaning to coach Cindy Gannon is as strong as ever. In 2000, Gannon lost her mother to breast cancer, and she decided to begin Dig for Life, which helps raise money to educate area women about breast cancer prevention and to help families already affected by the disease. ...

Although the turnout this week for Southeast Missouri State University's fantasy baseball camp was its lowest ever, that didn't seem to deter the several local residents who participated in Thursday's final evening of activities at Capaha Field. "I help with the training staff at Southeast and coach Hogan has been trying to get me to do this, but I'm usually too busy with my boys," said Cape Girardeau chiropractor Brian Stevens, 41. ...

Moral victories typically do not count for much in sports. But after playing its most complete game of the season in a narrow 21-13 loss to St. Louis University High on Thursday night at Houck Stadium, Central's football team left the field feeling pretty good about its effort...

Jackson knocked off visiting Notre Dame in a matchup of two of the area's top volleyball programs, as the Indians picked up a 33-31, 25-23 home victory. Leading the attack for the Indians (13-4-3) were Molly Hartmann (14 digs, six blocks), Amanda Peiffer (eight blocks), Jody Gipson (12 assists) and Shay Priester (eight kills)...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa on Thursday officially counted right-hander Chris Carpenter out of the first round of the playoffs. Carpenter, 15-5 with a 3.46 ERA, has been sidelined with nerve damage in his right biceps since Sept. 18. He had hoped to miss only one start before a medical exam last week revealed the problem...

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris struggled in his final tuneup for the playoffs, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 Thursday night to send the NL Central champions to their first four-game losing streak of the season. Keith Ginter hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and Scott Podsednik hit a two-run shot in the fourth...

Cape Girardeau businesses and organizations might have seemed peculiarly lacking in leading women Thursday, as many of the area's top female professionals and civic-minded women attended the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau's Women of Achievement luncheon...

As groups of Democrats and Republicans gathered at separate Cape Girardeau restaurants Thursday to cheer on a candidate in the presidential debates, it was clear many minds were made up a long time ago. Travis Strobach and Rob Vollmer, students at Southeast Missouri State University, joined a GOP group at Cedar Street restaurant and bar. Both said they have their minds made up for Bush. Vollmer said he came to listen to Kerry contradict himself...

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush Thursday night of a "colossal error in judgment" in ordering the invasion of Iraq. "The world is better off without Saddam Hussein," the president shot back in campaign debate, adding his rival once said so himself...

TRENTON, N.J. -- Vioxx, the blockbuster arthritis drug heavily promoted on television and taken by tens of millions of people, was pulled from the market by its maker Thursday after a study found it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Experts advised patients to immediately stop taking Vioxx and talk to their doctors about alternatives...

Dear Tom and Ray: I just bought a new Toyota Corolla last year, and I love it. I'm a visiting nurse and have to find the homes of new clients all the time. I'd love to have one of those new-fangled navigation systems that tell you how to get to specific addresses. ...

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Meet Staff Sgt. Chad Cloutier: part counselor, part personal trainer, part teacher's aide. He is an Army recruiter with an arsenal that includes offers of more than $70,000 in college aid and $20,000 in bonus money, a black "Army of One" motorcycle parked outside his office, and a laptop that plays hip recruiting footage in potential recruits' homes...

There are your traditional and time-honored Christmas productions like "The Nutcracker" and "A Christmas Carol," and then there is Trans-Siberian Orchestra's holiday offering coming to Cape Girardeau next month. "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" is co-sponsored by the Southeast Missourian, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and by KFVS12, celebrating its 50th anniversary...

The intersection improvement at Route D and Farmington Road is one of Jackson's biggest street projects this year. But just north of the intersection, the concrete gives way to a cheap hybrid surface, one that is splotched with patches and potholes...

When it came time to raise money for the United Way of Southeast Missouri, Central High School students asked themselves this question: What would Andrew Jackson do? He would, the students decided, change their arch rival's mascot from the Indians to the Jackson Red Hawks...

Exactly what is the fastest way to consume five saltine crackers? T.J. Crowden figured the answer was stacking the crackers and shoving them all in at once -- a technique that inevitably caused the Eagle Ridge Christian School 12th-grader's gums to gum up and his lips to spray crumbs across the floor...

nce the leaves start falling and the temperatures start to drop, area churches start cooking. Whether it's a sausage supper at a Lutheran church, a chicken and dumplings dinner or apple butter from Evangelical United Church of Christ, food sales help area churches fund mission projects...

Four of the five men known as the "slingshot vandals" were sentenced recently while the fifth goes to trial next week. Chad Burton of Cape Girardeau pleaded guilty Aug. 23 and was sentenced to two years in jail. That sentence was suspended. Lawrence F. ...

Renaissance Aircraft and the city of Cape Girardeau remain at odds over lease payments surrounding the financially troubled airplane manufacturer after the company paid out far less than the amount city officials said was owed by the Friday deadline...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following item on Wednesday: At 4:24 p.m., emergency medical service in the 900 block of Hackberry Street. Firefighters responded to the following item on Thursday: At 1:08 a.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of Granite Street...

Central's football team completed the first half of its regular-season schedule Thursday at home with a 21-13 loss to St. Louis University High School, one of the St. Louis area's top teams. Despite the Tigers' 1-4 record after five games, Central's encouraging play against the Jr. Billikens should give it momentum as it heads towards district play and a shot at a fifth straight district title...

The Indians suffered their first loss in convincing fashion, falling 48-21. By Jeremy Joffray ~ Southeast Missourian If Jackson football's first real test of the season came Friday night in a home matchup with Jefferson City, then the Indians failed miserably...

Scott City football coach Terry Flannigan said his offensive line is still a bit of a work in progress. The Chaffee Red Devils are probably happy enough without seeing the finished product. Scott City rolled up a 34-point halftime lead and posted a 47-20 victory in its homecoming game Friday night...

Notre Dame's soccer team dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to visiting Lafayette on Friday night. The Bulldogs (7-7) posted their only goal when Bryce Willen scored with 4:30 left in the second half to send the game to overtime. Chris Bartelsmeyer scored for Lafayette, located in west St. Louis County, to end the game in overtime...

It's hard to gauge which team has the emotional edge entering today's Ohio Valley Conference football game between Southeast Missouri State University and Eastern Illinois. That's because the Indians and Panthers are both coming off dramatic wins that marked their first victories of the season...

Demolition work will continue on the old Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau on Monday with a small blast scheduled to raze a concrete pier in the river near the Illinois shore. The blast is scheduled for noon. It will be small compared to the recent blasts that took down the metal spans, said Missouri Department of Transportation construction inspector Rick Lamb...

WASHINGTON -- John Kerry used suspect accounting in sizing up the cost of the Iraq war and President Bush got his opponent's position wrong on withdrawing troops as the two men rushed to knock each other down as many pegs as possible in their first debate...

SEATTLE -- Three laptop computers containing campaign plans were stolen overnight from the Bush-Cheney state headquarters office, Republican officials said Friday. Between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., after the last campaign worker had gone home from the office in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, someone threw a rock through the office window of Jon Seaton, executive director for President Bush's state campaign, said Chris Vance, state GOP chairman...

CAIRO, Egypt -- Arab viewers, many suspicious of U.S. intentions in their region, watched the U.S. presidential debate with wariness, some dismissing the event as a trivial "American show" long on rhetoric and short on specifics. While some viewers said Democrat John Kerry appeared to best President Bush in the debate itself, analysts suggested Friday that Bush still appeals to many in the Middle East -- to governments looking for continuity, to reformers looking for pressure on their countries, and to militants who see Bush's policies spreading support for their anti-American rage.. ...

NEW YORK -- With an estimated 62.5 million viewers, the first Bush-Kerry debate was a television hit that demonstrated Americans' intense interest in the presidential campaign. The viewership was up 34 percent from the 46.6 million people who watched the first debate between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, according to Nielsen Media Research. That 2000 debate also had competition from a baseball playoff game...

ST. LOUIS -- Rick Ankiel won his first game in 3 1/2 years with a four-inning relief stint marred only by an errant curveball that beaned a batter, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-1 Friday night. Ankiel (1-0), activated from the disabled list Sept. 1, gave up two hits in his 50-pitching outing, including a home run by Keith Ginter. Ankiel struck out two and walked none his first victory since April 8, 2000, when he beat Arizona's Randy Johnson...

HOUSTON -- NASA's spaceflight leadership council decided Friday to delay the spring 2005 launch date for the first shuttle scheduled to return to space since last year's Columbia tragedy, citing hurricane damage and more work needed to meet a panel's recommendations...

This is in response to the letter writer who said a headline in the Southeast Missourian about autism was "absolutely irresponsible." She said the fact of the matter is beyond any doubt that vaccines containing thimerosal, a preservative, do not cause autism...

SAMARRA, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi forces battled their way into the heart of this Sunni stronghold Friday and moved house to house in search of militants in what appeared to be the first major offensive to regain control of areas lost to insurgents before the January elections...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Police found Lori Hacking's body in a landfill Friday after picking through the trash for weeks in a search for the young Utah woman allegedly murdered by her husband. The state medical examiner's office used dental records to identify the remains about six hours after they were discovered...

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri's top law enforcer sued an online ticket broker Thursday, accusing the business of illegally reselling St. Louis Cardinals playoffs tickets for far more than face value. Attorney General Jay Nixon asked a judge to bar Show-Me Tickets Inc. from further "scalping" any of the more than 2,800 tickets he alleges the broker "hijacked" to profit off of Cardinals fans...

Ranchito drag strip I'VE NOTICED in the last couple of weeks that the police department has been running radar at Mount Auburn Road and a few other roads. I'm sure it will help the city make more money. But believe me, if they'd like to make a ton of money, they need to run radar on Ranchito Drive. My mother lives on that street. It's a drag strip. And maybe my mother would be able to get out of her driveway without having accidents...

Baseball n WGN-TV analyst Steve Stone met Friday with Chicago Cubs president Andy MacPhail, general manager Jim Hendry and manager Dusty Baker after the broadcaster questioned managerial strategy and criticized the team's approach. During a postgame TV show Thursday, Stone wondered about Baker's moves in the 12th inning of a 2-1 loss to the Reds. ...

Briefly Ugly quilt weekend planned at DePaul Center St. Vincent DePaul's Christian Service group and the Council of Catholic Women will sponsor an "ugly quilt" weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 16 and from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17 at the DePaul Center gym. Lunch is provided on Oct. 16. Participants will be making sleeping bags for the homeless. No sewing skills are required for volunteers to help. To participate, call Alma Heisserer at 335-9275 or Sue Iten at 335-0372...

10 years ago: Oct. 2, 1994 The Rev. Hays Rockwell of St. Louis, bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, visits at Christ Episcopal Church in morning. First official function is held in morning at new, $17,000-square-foot Salvation Army headquarters at 701 Good Hope St.; Capt. Elmer Trapp is making plans for upgrading Army's services to community, including help for disaster victims and a midnight basketball league for youths...

Dr. William F. Ansberry, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 18, 1926, at Logansport, Ind., son of Michael C. and Mary Elizabeth Frecking Ansberry. He and Ruth Elizabeth Baynes were married April 17, 1954, at North Vernon, Ind...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- E.H. "Sonny" Pullen, 86, formerly of Diehlstadt, Mo., died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. He was born Sept. 1, 1918, in Mississippi County, son of Alfred Edwin and Arto Oakley Pullen. He had lived in Mississippi County his entire life. He was a member of Southside Baptist Church in Charleston, Mo., and was a self-employed truck driver...

Myrtle Hilpert Kuntze, 97, of Tulsa, Okla., died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Mayfair Nursing Home in Tulsa. She was born Aug. 22, 1907, in Burfordville, daughter of Joseph and Arza Howard Meyer. She and Albert G. Hilpert were married Sept. 29, 1928, in Cape Girardeau. He died Dec. 8, 1963. She and Alvin Kuntze were married Nov. 18, 1978, in Cape Girardeau. He died in July 1979...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- James C. Simpson Jr., 58, of Sikeston died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born March 26, 1946, at Diehlstadt, Mo., son of James C. and Beulah D. Poley Simpson. He and Ruth A. Jones were married Feb. 10, 1968, at Charleston, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Alma Loar Mashek, 83, of Advance died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 18, 1921, in Advance, daughter of Jacob and Loar Jenkins Tropf. She and Raymond "Bud" Mashek were married June 15, 1947, at Marquand, Mo. He died Aug. 31, 2003...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Wilbert E. Yates, 91, of Carbondale, Ill., formerly of Jonesboro, died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. He was born Dec. 7, 1912, in Terre Haute, Ind., son of William D. and Margaret Louise Neuman. He and Margaret M. Isgrig were married Nov. 24, 1938, in Terre Haute...

Anderson L. Hayden, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Feb. 14, 1913, in Sikeston, Mo., son of James and Emma Krone Hayden. He and Mildred V. Hayden were married in 1937. She died April 21, 2002. Hayden was assistant superintendent at Marquette Cement. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Lions Club, and a volunteer at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Hermina Reiker, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Aug. 2, 1911, at Gordonville, daughter of Henry and Katy Ressel Millering. She married Clarence E. Reiker, who died in 1973. Mrs. Reiker was a telephone operator 35 years at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. She was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral, Telephone Pioneers, Saint Francis Medical Center Auxiliary, Friends of Saint Francis and Council of Catholic Women...

Calvin G. Walter, 79, of Jackson died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Jackson Manor. He was born Feb. 13, 1925, at Campbell, Mo., son of Gilbert and Eva Fleming Walter. He and Lorene Lincoln were married June 13, 1947. Calvin was inducted into the U.S. Navy July 9, 1942. He was a signalman second class and received a Purple Heart due to injuries sustained in World War II. He was honorably discharged Nov. 2, 1945...

To the editor: We are safe in assuming, after reading Alan Journet's latest letter condemning President Bush, that he will vote for John Kerry. This is his right. I read with interest as he bashed Bush on an array of issues, which also is his right. When Journet stated Bush was not in line with mainstream values, giving the impression that he and Kerry are, I felt compelled to speak out...

To the editor: Those of us who spoke against the changes in Cape Girardeau's animal ordinance have failed to communicate the fundamental principles involved. The point is not how many pets one may have, but how to treat other creatures in our community with compassion. ...

To the editor: Here is my answer to the question as to whether Dan Rather should be fired or retired. I say fired. In the event that the network cannot bring itself to part with Rather, I hope pressure will be put upon him through public opinion in such force that he will retire, although I think he will have to be carried out shouting all the way...

Two Ohio Valley Conference volleyball teams headed in totally opposite directions hooked up Friday night -- and the squads kept going that way. Eastern Illinois continued its strong start as the Panthers continued Southeast Missouri State University's struggles with a 31-29, 28-30, 30-23, 30-24 victory in front of more than 200 fans at Houck Field House...

"Once you've said 'It is enough,' you're lost. Keep adding, keep advancing, and keep walking: Do not stop, do not turn back, do not turn from the straight road.'" (St. Augustine) I thought about that quote and found it made an enormous amount of sense -- containing timeless wisdom we can all learn from...

The leaner version of the City of Roses Music Festival that transpired last weekend in downtown Cape Girardeau was a success. The size of the crowd was difficult to gauge, but organizers estimate there were 1,500 people at the three outdoor stages at the peak of the festival Saturday night in addition to those listening to music in the downtown nightclubs at the same time...

Cape man leading state career, tech group Dean Whitlow, assistant director of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, has been chosen to serve as president of the Missouri Council of Career and Technical Administrators for the 2004-2005 school year. ...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Scott A. Reichert, 21, 303 Briarcliff St., Waterloo, Ill., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and driving without headlights...

The Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center operates a "boot camp for the unemployed" that has helped participants land jobs, center director Rich Payne said Friday. "Most of these individuals are unemployed, underemployed or laid off," Payne told a crowd of about 150 people at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- It takes serious cash and some shrewd politics to make it to the White House -- and not just for the people who want to be president. Every member of the U.S. Olympic team will get the opportunity to make the traditional trip to Washington this month, but only after a good amount of wrangling over finances and the size of the invitation list...

Playing some of his best golf in the worst conditions, Ernie Els breezed through a wacky day of weather at the American Express Championship on Friday by starting with four straight birdies and finishing with an 8-under 64 at Thomastown, Ireland. Els was at 11-under 133. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A new-look Missouri defense will try to slow a surging Colorado offense when both teams open Big 12 play today in Columbia. After switching to a 4-3 defense in the offseason, Missouri (2-1) is tied for second in the conference in scoring average, allowing 14.7 points per game. ...

CHICAGO -- U.S. Senate candidates Barack Obama and Alan Keyes took part in a wide-ranging candidates forum Friday night, discussing everything from immigration and health care to the war in Iraq. The two candidates did not appear on stage together during the two-hour forum organized by the Community Renewal Society, a social justice not-for-profit organization affiliated with the United Church of Christ...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An audiotape that surfaced Friday purportedly by al-Qaida's second-in-command urged Muslim youths to carry out pre-emptive strikes against the United States and its allies. The tape aired by Al-Jazeera television identified the speaker as Ayman al-Zawahri, an Egyptian-born confidante of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. ...

The Associated Press SIALKOT, Pakistan -- A suicide attacker carrying a bomb in a briefcase struck a Shiite mosque crammed with hundreds of worshippers in eastern Pakistan, killing at least 25 people and wounding more than 50 during Friday prayers. Shortly after the attack, experts defused a second bomb outside the mosque, where hundreds of angry Shiites had gathered to protest the attack...

The Associated Press BASRA, Iraq -- Three southern Iraqi provinces, which lie atop more than 80 percent of Iraq's huge oil reserves, are considering setting up an autonomous region, claiming the area is being marginalized by the central government, officials said Friday...

PHILADELPHIA -- Two of the biggest forces in rock music over the last 20 years were plugging in their amplifiers Friday to kick off a high-volume effort to oust President Bush on Nov. 2. Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. will bring a dose of music and politics to the Wachovia Center, starting a 10-day series of "Vote for Change" shows in battleground states. ...

MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. -- Mount St. Helens, the volcano that blew its top with cataclysmic force in 1980, erupted for the first time in 18 years Friday, belching a huge column of white steam and ash after days of rumblings under the mountain. Small earthquakes resumed within hours of the blast, suggesting pressure inside the mountain was rebuilding. Scientists said there could be more steam eruptions soon...

SEATTLE -- Ichiro Suzuki set the major league record for hits in a season with 258, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old mark with a pair of singles Friday night. The Seattle star chopped a leadoff single in the first inning, then made history with a grounder up the middle in the third...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Police have arrested a salvage-yard worker from suburban Detroit in the death 23 years ago of Southern Illinois University student Susan Schumake, whose strangled body was found in a thicket of bushes and trees near the campus. Daniel Woloson, 45, of Brownstown Township, Mich., appeared Friday in Jackson County Circuit Court where Judge Thomas Jones told him he would be formally charged with Schumake's murder at an arraignment Oct. 20, State's Attorney Mike Wepsiec said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two days after the August primary elections, the all-star squad of the Missouri Democratic Party appeared before a crowd of thousands assembled on the Capitol lawn to see the presidential ticket of U.S. Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards...

October is generally when public health centers and private physicians begin giving flu vaccinations, but they're not available yet in Cape Girardeau County. "We're not planning to start until much later in the month or the first of next month," said LaDeva Enderle, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center...

Some came to compete, while others came for inspiration. The River Heritage Quilt Show opened at the Arena Building on Saturday, and new to the event was a bed turning, where certain quilts, some going back to the mid-19th century, were showcased on a bed...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. After 38 years, Morris Waller is finally at rest. So too are fears and uncertainty of his surviving family and friends, now that their lost son is finally home. On Saturday, more than 100 of Waller's family and friends came together at Waller's full military funeral at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery. ...

I don't ride bikes much, haven't since I was 15 years old. I taught my 6-year-old son how to ride a bike several months ago, and I love watching him waddle side to side through the park on his two-wheeler. But I didn't enter the bike shop Wednesday morning to buy a bike for me or my son. I went to write a story...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Saturday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs Phillip A. Brown, 47, of 13 N. Fountain St., received a summons for driving while intoxicated. Matthew L. Litzelfelner, 19, of 208A S. Pacific St., received a summons for driving while intoxicated...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Friday: At 8:40 p.m., emergency medical service to the 1200 block of Benton Street. At 11:24 p.m., citizen assistance at the 1100 block of Linden Street. Firefighters responded to the following items on Saturday:...

Disappointed. Embarrassed. Upset. Those are likely just a few of the feelings that went through Perryville football coach Rick Chastain's head as he watched his Pirates fall 20-0 Saturday at the hands of previously winless Park Hills Central on homecoming day at Perryville...

With Matt Schaefer around Friday night, it was almost hard to notice that the rest of the Scott City football team was doing its part in a near-perfect first half. Schaefer, the Rams' elusive senior running back and the area's leading rusher for the second year running, piled up 198 yards and four touchdowns in the first half of a 47-20 victory against Chaffee. He finished with 220 yards rushing and five TDs on 21 carries...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon is in his fourth campaign for the office he holds and, if victorious, would become the longest-serving attorney general in Missouri history. Nixon, 48, said he takes his challenger seriously. But Nixon has not bothered to set up a campaign Web site; a machine answers the phone at his campaign office; and -- with about a month until the election -- he has run no television ads...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Through two games of Southeast Missouri State University's Ohio Valley Conference football schedule, one thing is clear. There are few dull moments where the Indians are concerned. One week after a wild 51-48, four-overtime victory over Samford, the Indians were totally outplayed Saturday by Eastern Illinois in their first OVC road contest...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State's defense continued to contain more holes than Swiss cheese, and this time the offense also couldn't hold up its end of the bargain. Yet somehow, the Indians nearly pulled off the miracle before Eastern Illinois held on for a 35-28 Ohio Valley Conference victory in front of 10,124 fans at O'Brien Stadium on Saturday afternoon...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University coach Tim Billings did not hold back with his disgust following the Indians' 35-28 loss at Eastern Illinois Saturday afternoon. While Billngs would have gladly accepted a fluke victory, he knew the Indians deserved a much worse fate than the final seven-point margin after being outgained 612 to 378 in total yardage...

SAN FRANCISCO -- When Brandon Lloyd was a college student interning at a St. Louis television station, Rams receiver Isaac Bruce gave a few tips on NFL life to the Illinois standout. When Rashaun Woods was preparing for the draft at Oklahoma State last year, Bruce called him to provide insight and instruction...

ST. LOUIS -- At the end of this season St. Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce will have played on the lightning-fast artificial turf at the Edward Jones Dome for since 1995, and he has the unsightly turf burns to prove it. "They're not permanent," Bruce said, displaying various spots of discoloration on his arms. "They'll go away."...

WASHINGTON -- In the presidential campaign's closing weeks, Democrats are bracing for an "October Surprise," an event so dramatic it could influence the election's outcome. The capture of Osama bin Laden, for instance. It's part of American political lore: the party out of power worries about a last-minute surprise engineered by the party in power. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Ben Sheets put a stylish finish on a frustrating season, shutting down the National League's best team. Sheets threw his fifth complete game of the season and the Milwaukee Brewers took advantage of a shaky playoff tuneup by Jason Marquis for a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday...

ST. LOUIS -- Woody Williams has the fewest victories on the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation. But he, not Matt Morris, will get the honor of starting their playoff opener. "More than anything else, he's feeling physically the best he's felt all year," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said Saturday. "We think it gives us the best shot in case there's a Game 5."...

SAN FRANCISCO -- It's not the hippest thing on four wheels, but a tiny electric car that is smaller than most golf carts offers a fresh way to see familiar San Francisco landmarks. It also will make you a tourist attraction. "Oh, way to ride!" a camera-toting out-of-of-towner called out as a friend and I inched down Lombard Street, the San Francisco attraction known as the "crookedest street in the world." His was one of many odd stares we got from young and old alike as we braved San Francisco's crowded streets in a doorless, fire-engine red Global Electric Motorcar -- which maxes out at 29 mph.. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois bills itself as the country's leading producer of pumpkins, with the town of Morton as the "pumpkin capital" -- an epicenter of all things round and orange. Family-friendly roadside patches and harvest celebrations throughout the state make it an ideal autumn destination...

Murle MacKenzie Lindstrom Breer's time in Cape Girardeau, which she estimates was about 18 months or two years, was brief. But it was memorable. Then known as Murle Lindstrom, she was a Cape Girardeau resident when she accomplished one of the most memorable athletic achievements for someone with ties to the area...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new science fiction movie starring Robin Williams is coming to theaters with a little high-tech wizardry of its own. "The Final Cut," which tells of computer chips that record a person's life but can be edited of wrongdoing after death, will be released on Oct. 15 in 27 markets. The movie will be shown exclusively at 115 theaters operated by AMC Theaters, the film's distributor, Lions Gate Films, said Thursday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge has ruled that a new state law banning most sexually oriented billboards along Missouri highways can remain in effect while opponents challenge it in court. The owners of a Kansas City strip club and a company that operates adult bookstores along Interstate 70 sued the state over the law that took effect Aug. 28, saying it violates the companies' First Amendment rights to free speech...

FLINT, Mich. -- For a few moments last weekend, they were the hottest act in town. But Treephort wore out its welcome at a downtown club when the lead guitarist set his thong on fire, then removed it and scurried around the stage naked. The Atlanta-based band was about 20 minutes into its set Saturday night at Flint Local 432 when guitarist Joe Klein dropped his pants, set fire to the thong and removed it. ...

Commerce returning to Haiti; violence continues GONAIVES, Haiti --On the streets, vendors sold sacks of flour and avocados Saturday as commerce slowly returns to this flood-ravaged city -- with sharply higher prices that are putting a pinch on the desperately poor and hungry. ...

Corrections In Friday's edition, Jefferson City's mascot was incorrect. The school's nickname is Jays. We regret the error. The Chaffee football player pictured in Thursday's edition was Buddy Walker, whose name did not appear on the Chaffee roster. We regret the error...

Voting advice THANK GOD for the ministers and preachers and others who aren't afraid to hurt some of the flock's feelings by telling the truth about what you should stand for and vote for if you're a Christian. I've seen many squirm in their seats and later say the preacher shouldn't have done that. ...

Gleason Son to Aaron and Brenda Gleason of Chesterfield, Mo., St. Luke's Hospital, 10:44 p.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2004. Name, Carter Kai. Weight, 6 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Mrs. Gleason is the former Brenda Thompson, daughter of Linda Thompson of Jackson, and the late Glen Thompson. ...

Pardon our French GOOD THING we don't expect sports people to be good at foreign languages. Au revoire? But why try if the result is going to be so laughable? (Au revoir was spelled incorrectly in Thursday's edition. We regret the error.) Need more participation...

Thanks to community To the editor: Words cannot express our gratefulness to all of you who are helping us through these difficult times in the loss of our beloved son, Jason Benjamin Schafer, but we will try. Whether it be prayers, a speaking part, pallbearers, special music, money contributions, ushers, the signing of the basketballs or pictures, dedications of his initials on the JHS football helmets, planting a tree, wearing No. ...

25 years ago: Oct. 3, 1979 The Southeast Missourian marks its 75th anniversary, reaffirming the promise made by George, Fred and Harry Naeter in 1904 to bring Cape Girardeau a quality newspaper. Program designed to give portion of downtown Cape Girardeau a major facelift was presented to the city council last night; A.M. Spradling Jr. asked the council for the legal tools to form a Cape Girardeau Redevelopment Corp., which would oversee the downtown redevelopment...

ANNA, Ill. -- Larry Chamness, 58, of Anna died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Union County Hospital. He was born Oct. 1, 1946, at Anna, son of Frank and Eva Kinder Chamness. He was a retired ironworker and a member of First Baptist Church in Anna. He served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War and was a member of VFW Post 3455...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Robert Charles Achenbach, 89, of Cairo died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Daystar Care Center. He was born May 15, 1915, in Muskeegan Heights, Mich., son of Charles and Clara VanBroukerst Achenbach. He and Francoise Mary were married in 1937...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lorene A. Sauer, 82, of Perryville died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Perry Oaks Manor in Perryville. She was born April 15, 1922, in Biehle, Mo., daughter of Louis and Josephine Baundendistel Gebhardt. She and Lonnie L. Sauer were married Oct. 20, 1945...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Loretta Ann Baker, 56, of Portageville died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 27, 1947, in Tiptonville, Tenn., daughter of James Lee "Tiny" and Lillie Blakley Williams. She and Kenneth Baker were married Aug. 8, 1975, in Joliet, Ill. He died July 5, 2000...

To the editor: The Sept. 24 article regarding my father, Dwight Thomas, was brought to my attention through a friend who did not appreciate the tone of the article. I would like to know why this negative style of journalism was included in an obituary article. Some of the unproven rumors that were mentioned were painful and a slap in the face to my father's friends, family and memory. I do not believe our feelings were considered...

To the editor: Regarding Friday's article, "Partisan crowds: Area supporters came out to cheer on their favorite": I am the owner of Pat Patterson Photography. Many people, especially Republicans for whom I have made portraits, have questioned me in regard to the unflattering remarks about President Bush's attitude during Thursday's debate...

Special to the Southeast Missouri A caravan of minivans pulled through a service gate and down a trail leading to a managed pine savanna complex. The passengers are foresters and wildlife biologists headed to a land management workshop. I couldn't help chuckling as one of the vans pulled off the trail onto an adjoining fireline and parked. ...

Yellow Book USA wins Division II title Yellow Book USA, the runner-up in the Corporate Games' Division II (99 or fewer employees) last year, captured the championship this year by a narrow margin. The event concluded Friday night with final events at Osage Community Centre and closing ceremonies at Shawnee Park Sports Complex...

house under construction offers homeowners a nearly blank canvas for design. It gives the advantage of having never been anyone else's decorating backdrop. Midwest Construction Co. is building the house at 2124 Perryville Road in Cape Girardeau and a number of local builders and craftsman have contributed to the project. The house is being featured during the "Parade of Homes," today through Oct. 10...

This is a day of celebration for the Southeast Missourian, and the festivities will last for another year. Today -- Oct. 3, 2004 -- is the 100th anniversary of the Southeast Missourian. Over the years, the Southeast Missourian has worked hard to make Cape Girardeau and the region it serves a better place in so many ways. ...

The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Lori G. Wolfe, 19, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Sept. 25 on a warrant from Alexander County, Ill., for failure to appear on an original charge of driving under the influence...

MARGAREEN, Afghanistan -- Abdul Razaq stands among the menfolk of this dusty village of Afghan nomads and rejoices that democracy has at last come to his country after more than two decades of warfare. "It means I can finally cast my ballot for Hamid Karzai," the Kuchi tribesman said Saturday, echoing the words of some 300 other men gathered to learn from U.N. education officers how to take part in the Oct. 9 vote. "Karzai is our leader. Karzai is our king," Razaq and the others repeated...

Businesses at Cape airport to stay open The Landing Place restaurant and other businesses at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport including two car rental firms will remain open while the runways are closed to air traffic later this fall because of construction work, airport manager Bruce Loy said. ...

MINNEAPOLIS -- An anti-discrimination group is warning parents about a "white power" music label that is using bulk mailing lists to send racist CDs to teenagers across the country. An official of Panzerfaust Records said it was pressing 100,000 copies of a "pro-white sampler CD" in a campaign dubbed Project Schoolyard USA, after a similar effort earlier this year in Germany...

BOSTON -- The "combover" has long been a source of bafflement, even as it has provided bald men such as former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani with valuable head coverage. But though reactions to it vary, the combover's importance in hair history is undeniable. For their contribution, the father and son who patented this baldness-beater 26 years ago were awarded an Ig Nobel prize in engineering last week...

MADISON, Wis. -- Anthony Davis made up for his missed month in a hurry. Davis returned from an eye injury Saturday and sparked No. 20 Wisconsin's 24-7 victory over Illinois by rushing for 213 yards and three touchdowns. Davis took care of a stagnant offense, and the defense was as dominant as ever. The Badgers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) held their fifth straight opponent to a touchdown or less, a feat they last achieved in 1951...

MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- The Webster County sheriff was removed from office for misconduct Friday, but the ouster may not last long. Judge William Hass ordered Sheriff Ron Worsham out of office immediately, ruling that the state presented sufficient evidence during an August trial to find him guilty of neglect of office...

BRANSON, Mo. -- A Branson man has put a face to the anonymous references people often make to "they" by changing his name to just that: "They." The former Andrew Wilson, a 43-year-old self-employed inventor, was granted legal permission recently by a circuit judge to change his name...

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Inside a coffee house in southwest Topeka, a documentary film crew interviewed residents here last week for a sense of the modern-day American dream. The crew rolled into town after traveling more than 2,000 miles from Seattle -- all at 10 mph and with a person following behind on a Segway, a small two-wheeled battery-powered vehicle...

SALINA, Kan. -- As the 10 women who make up the horseback drill team "Quiet Thunder" practiced one of their routines, they smiled and chatted, every once and a while letting out hearty laughs. They shouted out to each other from horseback about what was and wasn't working with the routine they were practicing...

NEW YORK -- For some mothers who took time off after childbirth, deciding to go back to work is the easy part. The real challenge is finding work that will be emotionally and financially rewarding, and that still allows them to do their other full-time job: raising the kids...

NEW YORK -- It was mere months ago that most fashion fans would have shunned a poncho. n You can almost hear them saying, "What, that shapeless thing?! Our hippy-dippy mothers wore it -- and we won't." But that was months ago, and the fashion cycle has gone full circle...

NEW YORK -- Forget fall. Fashion designers and their inner circles have moved on to spring. They recently made their predictions of what the hot looks will be during New York Fashion Week. The big story is skirts. "I understand skirts are selling well for fall, so it seems like a good decision," said Cindi Leive, Glamour's editor in chief...

GAUHATI, India -- In a shattering series of attacks, suspected separatists hit nine targets -- a railroad station and eight markets -- with bombs and gunfire across two states in northeastern India on Saturday, killing at least 44 people. The violence was some of the deadliest to hit this ethnic patchwork region, where more than three dozen insurgent groups have been active -- including one of Asia's longest running separatist conflicts, dating to shortly before India gained independence from Britain in 1947.. ...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Three or four times every minute, Mount St. Helens shivered. Sometimes the majestic peak even shuddered, the trembling beneath reaching a crescendo, a magnitude of 3.3. The earthquakes that started a week ago -- precursors to Friday's eruption -- are a reminder that the 8,364-foot sleeping giant is but a part of a volcanic "ring of fire" so vast that it encircles the Pacific Ocean...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- All former U.S. prisoners of war who suffer from heart disease or stroke will receive government health-care benefits without having to prove the ailments were linked to their captivity, Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi said Saturday night. ...

In recent years, thousands of good-paying American jobs have been sent overseas. Free trade has made it much easier for corporations to do business elsewhere, but free trade does not make it easier to protect workers and the environment elsewhere. This results in lost American jobs and downward pressure on American wages and benefits; leading to just what short-sighted leaders in the world business community hoped for -- to make quarterly results better...

SAMARRA, Iraq -- Afraid to stray from home, residents buried the dead in their gardens Saturday as U.S. and Iraqi forces battled pockets of resistance in this former insurgent stronghold, where the American military said 125 rebels were killed and 88 captured in two days of fierce fighting...

SEATTLE -- Government scientists raised the alert level Saturday for Mount St. Helens after its second steam eruption in two days was followed by a powerful tremor. They said the next eruption was imminent or in progress, and could threaten life and property in the remote area near the volcano...

Kerri Elizabeth Baber and Douglas Wilson Cook were married Sept. 5, 2004, at Deerfield Lodge. Fred Poston performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Margaret Baber of Cape Girardeau, and David and Marsha Baber of Scott City. The groom is the son of Glen and Mary Ellen Cook of Cape Girardeau...

Cheryl Katherine Hilterbrand and Neil Slatinsky were married May 11, 2003, in an outdoor setting at Enchanted Hills in Springfield, Mo. Michael Hutchens performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Melinda Hilterbrand of Cape Girardeau and Kenneth Hilterbrand of Jackson. The groom is the son of Cathy Slatinsky and Christopher Slatinsky of Springfield...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Idona Sue Bess and Martin James Scheffer were married Aug. 14, 2004, at the Courthouse Park gazebo in Cape Girardeau. Judge John P. Heisserer, cousin of the groom, performed the ceremony. The late Dennis and Ruth Ann Bess of Chaffee are parents of the bride. The groom is the son of the late Lawrence and Adella Scheffer of Chaffee...

ORAN, Mo. -- Lenell Diane O'Connell and Justin Andrew Hahn were married Aug. 15, 2004, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran. The Revs. J. Freidel, Lewis Hejna and John Harth performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Diane O'Connell of Kennett, Mo. The groom is the son of Morris and Shirley Hahn of Oran...

Grace United Methodist Church was the setting June 5, 2004, for the wedding of Stephanie Rhea LeDure and Charles Wayne Rhyne. The Rev. Scott Moon performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Wilma LeDure of Scott City, and the late Garland LeDure. The groom is the son of Paula Woods of Scott City...

Holly Lee Lambert and John Thomas Hottel exchanged vows June 16, 2004, at Princess Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nev. The Rev. H. Glenn Morris performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Tom and Debra Lambert of Scott City. The groom is the son of Kristina Hottel and Dave Perreault of Twin Falls, Idaho...

Courtney Lee Clabaugh and William Michael O'Shea Jr. were married April 17, 2004, in an outdoor setting at historic Congress Hall in Cape May, N.J. Mayor Jerome Inderweis performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are David and DeeAnna Clabaugh of Jackson, and William and Elaine O'Shea of Cape May...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri survived costly penalties and three missed field goals with a dominating second-half defense Saturday, beating Colorado 17-9 in the Big 12 opener for both teams. The Tigers (3-1) beat Colorado (3-1) for the first time since 1998 and just the third time in 20 years...

The Notre Dame boys cross country team had three runners in the top seven to finish second Saturday at the third annual Notre Dame Invitational at Notre Dame Regional High School. Poplar Bluff dominated the boys division, claiming the top four spots. John-Mark Lewis won the meet with a meet record 16 minutes and 24 seconds...

Kevin Harris' absence from the local restaurant scene was brief. In December 2003, Harris sold the KFCs in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Dexter, Sikeston and Charleston. Those were the last of 13 KFCs that Harris' father, Lloyd Harris, had owned and operated for 38 years...

The city council may establish a task force to consider possible revisions to Cape Girardeau's animal-control law as it also looks to grant a temporary special-use permit to allow a Cape Girardeau couple to comply with a new limit on the number of dogs and cats that city residents can own...

LABEL: 'Seven Laurels' By Kathryn Alfisi ~ Southeast Missourian Linda Busby Parker was a professor at the University of South Alabama, teaching mass media classes, when she woke up one morning in 1997 and decided she was going to change her life...

While the Show Me Air Kings held their annual model airplane show Sunday at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, girls from Troop 336 of the Girls Scouts of Otahki Council earned their aerospace badge. About 30 models were displayed in the show with 17 designs flown, which included Snoopy flying his dog house, a pizza box-like design and a witch...

Special to the Southeast Missourian Chris Thompson was in town Sunday with a simple pitch but a hard sell: Go the distance. The Olympic bronze medalist, who specializes in the mile, conducted a clinic for young swimmers Sunday at Central Municipal Pool. He emphasized the benefits of distance training...

25 years ago: Oct. 4, 1979 The consolidation ballot that would have gone to Illmo and Scott City voters in August will be presented to them in November; as a result, voters won't vote on whether or not to name the consolidated town Scott City, but instead will vote on the name Newport...

Fox Daughter to Bruce Alvin and Jennifer Noelle Fox of Oran, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:12 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, 2004. Name, Natalie Marie. Weight, 7 pounds 9 ounces. Seventh child, fourth daughter. Mrs. Fox is the former Jennifer Froemsdorf, daughter of Tom and Liz Froemsdorf of Chaffee, Mo. Fox is the son of Roy Fox of Ellington, Mo. He is employed in sales...

ANNA, Ill. -- Robert Armand St. Germain, 68, died of lung cancer Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at his home. He was born Jan. 27, 1936, in Manchester, N.H., son of Armand and Irene St. Germain. He and Glorine were married. She died in 2001. St. Germain was retired and had moved to Southern Illinois in 1992. ...

Harold L. Nothdurft, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Russell Gardner, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at the home of his son in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Drew Henry Carr Asher, 1 day old, was born Sept. 30, 2004, at St. John's Hospital at St. Louis, Mo., son of Matthew and Kelli Steiner Asher of Bell City, Mo., and passed away Oct. 1, 2004, at the hospital. Survivors include maternal grandparents, Julian and Teresa Warren Steiner of Bell City; paternal grandparents, Allen and Norma Asher of St. ...

Turn up the heat IT'S NOT time to stop criticizing Dan Rather. It is time to put the heat on CBS for allowing someone who is supposed to be a journalist to continue working even after this despicable incident with the forged documents. CBS did the right thing with Connie Chung. Now it is time to do the right thing with Rather. No wonder network news viewership is shrinking rapidly...

Wilbur R. Becker, 85, of Cape Girardeau, a decorated Naval officer, died on Monday, Sept. 27, 2004, at the Lutheran Home of natural causes. He was born in Festus, Mo., on Feb. 27, 1919, to Emma and Sylvester Becker and was raised by his grandparents, William and Anna Schweppe...

To the editor: Having been working in Missouri to canvass and register voters, I didn't notice Gene N. Isom's reply to my letter until today. Isom said Zell Miller is just one of thousands of Democrats who can no longer vote for Democratic candidates. ...

To the editor: Joe Sullivan ("Greener pastures near to home") is so right about the best place to live. I've been around, and give me Southeast Missouri every time. Having been born and reared in Cape Girardeau makes me homesick, especially this time of year. I have been a Poplar Bluffian since 1957, which is fine and dandy too. There will be 77 of us at the Cape Girardeau Country Club to reunite and celebrate as 1948 Tigers next weekend. That's a special time to be from Cape too...

To the editor: Sen. John Kerry presented a better alternative to President Bush in the first debate. While the senator was calm, collected and in command of the material, the president was fidgety, nervous and only able to spit out tired, worn-out campaign sound bites. ...

Basketball n The Connecticut Sun reached the WNBA Finals for the first time by beating the New York Liberty 60-57 Sunday behind Taj McWilliams-Franklin's 18 points to complete a two-game sweep of the Eastern Conference finals. Golf n Tiger Woods says he's planning a Caribbean vacation, but Barbados is abuzz with reports that he's set to wed Swedish model Elin Nordegren this week...

7 p.m. today City hall, 401 Independence St. Study session at 5 p.m. Public Hearings A public hearing regarding the request of Rivendell Properties LLC for a special-use permit for a planned unit development for professional retail and office space on Lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Lexington Place First Subdivision and Lot 1 of Lexington Place Fourth Subdivision on the east side of Lexington Avenue north of North Church Street in an R-1, single-family dwelling district...

No parent wants his or her child to pick up a bad habit, but it seems that too many of our nation's youngsters are doing just that. They've been watching what adults eat and noting how little they move about -- and are doing the same. Obesity rates among children are skyrocketing, and health officials are alarmed about what the consequences could bring. About 30 percent of American children and teenagers are overweight or obese...

Agritourism conference coming to Bloomfield The second annual Southeast Missouri Agriculture Tourism Conference will be held Oct. 26 in Bloomfield, Mo., at the Elderland Angus Beef Cooperative on Highway 25 North. Registration will begin at 3:45 p.m. Preregistration is requested by Oct. 20. For more information, call (573) 568-3344...

Cape Girardeau city clerk receives honor Cape Girardeau city clerk Gayle Conrad has been awarded the designation of Missouri registered city clerk from the Missouri City Clerks and Finance Officers Association and Southwest Missouri State University...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Sunday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Allen Dwayne Mills, 28, of 810 W. Gladys St., Sikeston, Mo., was arrested on a Scott City warrant for nonsupport. He also received a summons for false declaration...

Six Jackson residents wound up stuck on a sandbar Sunday night on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River, directly across from Cape Rock Park. Capt. Brian Shaffer of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department said a passing fisherman brought back five of the passengers while one stayed with the boat until firefighters arrived. They determined the 24-foot boat was too embedded for the department to help. The man rode back with firefighters...

Chateau Girardeau threw a party like none they had thrown before. And Thursday's guest of honor wasn't the typical resident. Buddy, the first therapy dog at the Chateau, celebrated his first birthday with residents. The Scooby-Doo-themed occasion was complete with homemade treats for Buddy, along with cake, entertainment by Mary and the Four Ks and balloons for the 50 residents who came with cards and gifts...

Cape Girardeau County Chapter of AARP meets The Cape Girardeau County Chapter of AARP will meet at 1:30 p.m. today at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Gir-ardeau. The program will be "Historical Homes in Cape Girardeau County," by Dr. Lisa Speer, president of the Historical Society. There will be a door prize drawing...

7:30 p.m. today n A resolution approving the city of Jackson's participation in the Greater Cape Girardeau Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Motion to close certain streets on Tuesday for the band parade. An ordinance approving final plat of Fairfield Estates Third Subdivision...

n Name: Teresa Wildman Lives in: Cape Girardeau Family: Daughter Olivia, 1 year old. Job: Fund-raiser/grant writer for Child Advocacy Center (SEMO-NASV). What do you like most about the area? I like the sense of belonging and connection I feel to this area. ...

St. Denis Parish holding family-style dinner St. Denis Parish of Benton, Mo., will hold its annual all-you-can-eat family-style dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the parish center. The menu includes chicken and dumplings, kettle beef, chicken and dressing, sweet potatoes, buttered potatoes, green beans, corn and homemade desserts. Children 5 and under eat free. Carry-outs will be available. For more information, call (573) 545-3017 or (573) 545-9270...

Patriots 31, Bills 17 Quarterback Tom Brady and defensive end Richard Seymour combined to secure the New England's record-tying 18th straight victory, 31-17 over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Brady put the Patriots ahead for good with a 2-yard scoring pass to tight end Daniel Graham four minutes into the fourth quarter. ...

Barry Bonds won his second National League batting title in three seasons and shattered the on-base percentage and walks records he set two years ago. The 40-year-old outfielder hit .362 for the San Francisco Giants and finished with a .609 on-base percentage, topping his old mark of .582. Bonds walked 232 times, 34 more than the previous record, and his 120 intentional walks obliterated the old mark of 68, also set by Bonds in 2002...

THOMASTOWN, Ireland -- The pressure to win made Ernie Els feel like he was in a major. Given all he has been through this year, his victory in the American Express Championship sure felt like one. Emotionally spent from a Grand Slam season of heartache, Els reasserted himself as a major force Sunday by outlasting Thomas Bjorn in a brilliantly played duel in the cold rain at Mount Juliet. He closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory and his first World Golf Championship...

Felix Trinidad doesn't believe in tuneup fights. His comeback after more than two years of retirement was a doozy, and now he wants the biggest name out there, Bernard Hopkins. After Trinidad knocked out Ricardo Mayorga in the eighth round Saturday night, completing a scintillating performance before a raucous crowd in New York, he turned his attention to the only man who has beaten him...

WASHINGTON -- Sandwiched between higher-octane presidential debates, this week's matchup between Sen. John Edwards and Vice President Dick Cheney pits the Democrats' chief of cheer against the Republicans' shrewd and serious second-in-command. The presidential understudies meet Tuesday at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland for their only debate of the campaign. ...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The killing in Afghanistan goes on, with less than a week to go before a historic experiment with democracy -- direct presidential elections. The deaths of three Afghan soldiers and two militants over the weekend -- barely noted in news reports -- brought to at least 957 the number of people reported killed in political violence this year, according to an Associated Press review. The toll includes about 30 American soldiers...

n Bloodied by weeks of suicide bombings and assassinations, Iraqi security forces emerged Sunday to patrol Samarra after a morale-boosting victory in this Sunni Triangle city, and U.S. commanders praised their performance. On Sunday, residents said they heard sporadic explosions as U.S. and Iraqi forces hunted for rebel holdouts in an otherwise calmer Samarra. Iraqi police patrolled the city, while American soldiers and Iraqi National Guard members searched houses for insurgents and weapons...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- In the months before the invasion of Iraq, the United States groomed exiled opposition groups as the nucleus of a future government to replace Saddam Hussein. Now with elections approaching, the parties still enjoy little support among ordinary Iraqis who view them as corrupt puppets of Washington...

GAUHATI, India -- Militants bombed utilities, a tea plantation and a crowded marketplace in northeastern India on Sunday, intensifying violence that has killed 57 people in two days and snarling efforts to bring cease-fires in a region where dozens of ethnic rebel groups are fighting for separate homelands...

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon pledged Sunday to escalate a broad Israeli offensive in northern Gaza, saying troops will remain until Palestinian rocket attacks are halted. Israeli officials said the offensive -- in which 58 Palestinians and three Israelis have been killed -- will help clear the way for an Israeli withdrawal...

NEW YORK -- Conan O'Brien said he was looking forward to "being on at a time when people can see me" when he replaces Jay Leno as host of the "Tonight" show in five years. NBC announced last week that O'Brien, whose show airs at 11:35 p.m. Central time, will move up an hour earlier when he takes over for Leno in 2009. The move by NBC -- and endorsed by Leno -- was to keep O'Brien from jumping to another network when his contract expired...

LOS ANGELES -- The animated fish story "Shark Tale" swamped the competition, opening as the top weekend movie with $49.1 million and potentially breaking the record for best October debut. John Travolta and Joaquin Phoenix's firefighting adventure "Ladder 49" premiered in second place with $22.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday...

Florida schools hit by hurricanes set to reopen MIAMI -- Thousands of Florida students have had, in some cases, more than a month off from school because of the devastating hurricanes that have hit in recent weeks. Schools in six of the hardest-hit counties -- Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, Polk and St. Lucie -- reopen Monday. State officials said only two districts -- Escambia and Santa Rosa -- will remain closed this week but will reopen Oct. 11...

If you have a question, e-mail factorfiction@semissourian.com or call Speak Out (334-5111) and identify your call as a question for "Fact or fiction?" Q: I'm wondering if you could tell me why the area of Cape called Red Star is called that? A: The Red Star District was named for a brand of shoes made by the old Roberts, Johnson and Rand Shoe Factory on North Main Street, said several people with ties to the district. ...

The series point leader slips on TV after winning the EA Sports 500. By Mike Harris ~ The Associated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Dale Earnhardt was nearly perfect on the racetrack. His only real slipup Sunday came in Victory Lane during a postrace television interview...

Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Carlos Beltran met in the middle of the field for hugs, manager Phil Garner tipped his hat to the crowd and confetti showered fans at Minute Maid Park. Amazingly, the Houston Astros were in the playoffs. And when they won Sunday to take the NL wild card, all of the postseason pairings were set -- no need for any tiebreakers this year...

SAN FRANCISCO -- There was nothing wrong with the Rams' offense that a trip to San Francisco couldn't fix. Marc Bulger passed for 186 yards, Marshall Faulk rushed for 121 more and St. Louis sent the woeful 49ers to their first 0-4 start in 25 years with a 24-14 victory on Sunday night...

The Joplin Globe Just how do you keep underage teens from quaffing a few beers? Increasing penalties, say, by taking away or denying the opportunity for a driver's license or withholding a diploma? Hitting adults who supply the beer or liquor to minors with automatic jail time or heavy fines? Higher taxes on beer?...

TRENTON, N.J. -- Vioxx was already a big success as an arthritis pain reliever, but Merck & Co. thought it could be an even bigger seller. The drug seemed to have some cancer prevention qualities, so the drug maker began a long-term study to test it for that use...

Fifteen years ago, while living together in Colorado, Brad Poole and Michael Risch kicked around the concept of an upscale drinking establishment in their hometown of Cape Girardeau. But like so many dreams, it fell by the wayside as the two went their separate ways...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Marilyn Ison came up with the slogan: "Autumn Lane Farm. For The Egg Less Traveled ... Support Local Farmers." She also writes the Autumn Lane Farm brochures and designs its labels. She's the sales department and delivery crew. And twice a day, she collects the eggs from her 940 hens...

Editor's note: The names of the children have been changed for their protection. By Tony Rehagen ~ Southeast Missourian COBDEN, Ill. -- Dakota is a first-time rider. Perched atop a black quarter horse, the 10-year-old is having trouble finding the gas pedal...

A fictional character created by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department resulted in a man's arrest over the weekend, authorities said. William L. Greiner, 51, of Cape Girardeau was charged Sunday with the felonies of attempted enticement of a child and resisting arrest...

ST. LOUIS -- It's part of an intensifying car-rental rumble: As Enterprise Rent-A-Car beefs up its visibility around airports, longtime airport leader Hertz increasingly is muscling into America's neighborhoods, the closely guarded turf of Enterprise...

MOUNT ST. HELENS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Wash. -- As scientists warned that an eruption of Mount St. Helens appeared imminent Sunday, eager tourists camped out along park roads, hoping to catch a glimpse of the seething volcano without being overcome by ash and smoke...

The boiling magma rumbling and rising within Mount St. Helens isn't the only thing scientists fear. When large volcanoes erupt they can unleash an awesome arsenal of natural weapons, devastating communities and landscapes even hundreds of miles from the blast...

A new task force will look at possible revisions to a new animal-control law, the Cape Girardeau city council decided Monday night while approving a temporary permit for one couple who have five dogs and want to provide foster care for strays. "We are in large part to blame for not having the proper language in there," Mayor Jay Knudtson...

Cape Girardeau city officials may try to preserve the concrete entrance to the old Mississippi River bridge as an overlook where visitors could get a good look at the landscape. The concrete section that stands at the end of Morgan Oak Street is scheduled to be demolished as work continues on toppling the rest of the bridge...

The Scott City Police Department recently purchased two Taser guns with money received from private funds, police chief Don Cobb announced at Monday's Scott City Council meeting. This is the first time the department has had Tasers, which are able to send an electrical charge from 21 feet. ...

ST. LOUIS -- For at least one game, the pass-happy Rams relied on the running game. But as far as coach Mike Martz was concerned, "fast and furious" still applied. A week after coming under heavy criticism for a game plan that featured 49 passes and just 15 runs in a 28-25 overtime loss at home against New Orleans, Martz used the run early and often in a 24-14 win Sunday night at San Francisco, evening the Rams' record at 2-2...

WASHINGTON -- Usually just a campaign sideshow, this year's vice presidential debate has taken on new life as a high-stakes showdown in a tightening presidential race. Dick Cheney's mission is to slow John Kerry's sudden momentum, while John Edwards' assignment is to feed doubts about President Bush's handling of Iraq and the economy...

Southeast Missouri State University football coach Tim Billings entered the season thinking this would be the Indians' best defense since he took over the program in 2000. But right now, Billings would give anything for his defense to simply not rank as the worst he's had in Cape Girardeau -- and perhaps the worst in school history...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The only scheduled broadcast debate of Missouri's U.S. Senate campaign is set for Oct. 12 at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Republican incumbent Kit Bond and Democratic challenger Nancy Farmer will be joined at the university's Jesse Hall by Libertarian nominee Kevin Tull and Constitution Party nominee Don Griffin, organizers said Monday...

Editor's note: This is the third in a six-part weekly series examining key issues in the Missouri governor's race. By Marc Powers ~ Southeast Missourian JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Overhauling Missouri's civil litigation system has been the legislative Holy Grail for Republicans since they took control of the legislature in 2003. Thus far, the quest has twice been thwarted by gubernatorial veto...

Psychologists define learning as "a more or less permanent change in behavior, or a behavioral tendency, as a result of experience." I have been taking advantage of this opportunity to learn the French language and experience the French culture, as well as better understand myself...

One of the strangest aspects about being abroad for an extended period of time is the disconnect that has developed between me and events back in the states. Like a fading pulse, it has become increasingly difficult to get a feel for what's going on back home. The reasons, of which there are many (geographical, cultural, emotional, etc.), have all conspired to make me feel even farther away from home than I actually am. This distance is especially pronounced in regards to current events...

Sell. Sell. Sell. Everyone sell. Sell everything from candy bars to mums. The students at Notre Dame Regional High School began the gigantic fund-raising effort known as "Activity Week" on Sept. 17. Each class competes to see who can raise the most money. The week started when everyone in the school came together to find out what the theme would be...

MOJAVE, Calif. -- A stout, star-spangled rocket plane broke through the Earth's atmosphere to the edge of space Monday for the second time in five days, capturing a $10 million prize aimed at opening the final frontier to tourists. The privately built SpaceShipOne took off underneath the belly of a mother plane that carried it about nine miles over the Mojave Desert. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Almost two months into the season, Woody Williams was so disgusted with his performance that retirement seemed to make sense. Flash forward, and find him as the deserving starter for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the NL playoffs Tuesday against Odalis Perez and the Los Angeles Dodgers...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court appeared poised Monday to alter the system used for sentencing 64,000 federal criminal defendants a year, but justices clashed over whether changes would create greater inequity. Judges, not juries, consider factors that can add years to defendants' prison sentences, under the government's 17-year-old system which has been challenged as unconstitutional...

The Wildcats rallied to victory in the first set and then rode the momentum. By Toby Carrig ~ Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- First, Leopold stole Woodland's momentum. Next, the Wildcats were able to unleash Amber Nenninger. That combination was too much for the Cardinals in Leopold's 26-24, 25-11 victory Monday night at Woodland...

Ho. Ho. Ho. Santa's got a permanent job at Holiday World. Of course, that's not surprising since the theme park -- billed as the world's first theme park -- is in Santa Claus, Ind. The small, rural town appears to have cornered the market on Santa statues. They're everywhere. Nearby is the Santa Lodge, complete with Christmas lights year round and a giant Santa statue on the front lawn...

The City of Jackson officially owns a soccer park. The Jackson Board of Aldermen passed handful of ordinances Monday night, accepting 28 acres of property from the Jackson Industrial Development Corporation. A contractor set up equipment on Monday and will begin work today, city engineer Dan Triller said...

Few things are more frustrating to someone looking for a job than dropping off a resume or application to a prospective employer and then never hearing back from them. That's the frustration that the Southeast Missouri Career Center is trying to alleviate...

Questions about how to conduct public meetings through Internet chat rooms or e-mail and whether those meetings are open to the public have long posed legal quandaries for school boards and city and county governing boards. But revisions to Missouri's Sunshine Law bring the statute into the technology age...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents unleashed a pair of powerful car bombs Monday near the symbol of U.S. authority in Iraq -- the Green Zone, where the U.S. Embassy and key government offices are located -- and hotels occupied by hundreds of foreigners. Two other explosions brought the day's bombing toll to at least 24 dead and more than 100 wounded...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Thirty Afghan women leaned forward on their plastic chairs Monday as an instructor showed them how to count votes and seal them away to keep the country's first presidential election as fair as possible. "There might be journalists and foreigners watching, so be professional," Rahima Wasifi told the class during a crash course ahead of Saturday's vote...

CAPE GIRARDEAU CITY COUNCIL ACTION Proclamation Council recognized centennial of Southeast Missourian newspaper with a proclamation. Consent ordinances (Second and third readings) Approved the acquisition of property for the improvement of Vantage Drive west of Farrar Drive, and Farrar Drive north of William Street...

Bombings, shootings in northeastern India kill 63 GAUHATI, India -- Sleeping villagers heard men outside their huts, calling them to come out. They stumbled into the early morning darkness Monday and the intruders began firing automatic weapons, killing six people and wounding seven. ...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Monday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Flora Jean Riley, 35, 105 C North St., Wilson City, Mo., was arrested on Cape Girardeau warrants for contempt of court for failure to pay fines for improper registration and no proof of insurance...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items Saturday: At 6:58 p.m., illegal burn at 628 Olive St. At 7:49 p.m., emergency medical service at Broadway and Caruthers Avenue. Firefighters responded to the following items Sunday: At 6:54 a.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of South Kingshighway...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Thirteen-year-old Virginia Marker was always the kind of student who wanted to get lost in the crowd, hoping teachers wouldn't call on her. That was until this year when Stonewall Jackson Middle School decided to separate its 610 boys and girls into single-sex classes for part of the day. Only weeks into the one-year experiment, Marker has improved her D average in math to a C...

Marching Tigers take part in band competition The Central High School Marching Tigers recently competed in a band competition in Farmington, Mo. A total of 10 bands competed in the gold division against Central. The school's drum majors placed first in their category, and the band placed fifth...

Baseball n Bob Melvin was fired as manager of the Seattle Mariners on Monday, a day after the team ended the season with its 99th loss. Melvin, who lasted two seasons, was told of the decision during a morning meeting at Safeco Field, and general manager Bill Bavasi called a news conference for later in the day...

Scramble concludes ladies day schedule Betty Price, Priscilla Kirby and Kathy Morris formed the first-place team in the Cape Girardeau Country Club Ladies Day three-person scramble Thursday. The event concluded the ladies day events for the year. Two teams tied for second: Marlena Jones, Keiko Fujiwara and Phyllis Seabaugh formed one of those teams; Beth Mapes, Jean Mabrey and Sarah Cochrane formed the other...

Smokers have rights IN RESPONSE to the recent comment about smoking at the SEMO District Fair: I don't like the smoking. I am a nonsmoker, but my husband is a smoker. But the fair covers a great big area. That's like going into the park and not being able to smoke in the park. You can't regulate smoking everywhere. If you don't like breathing second-hand smoke when you're in a public area, you should move somewhere else. Smokers do have rights...

Frazer Son to Deanna Lynne Frazer of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 8:38 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004. Name, Ayden James Gross. Weight, 7 pounds 2 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Frazer is the former Deanna Gross, daughter of Bonnie Gross of Evansville, Ill., and Joyce Gross of Red Bud, Ill. She is a waitress...

25 years ago: Oct. 5, 1979 A proposal from the state Coordinating Board for Higher Education that could result in asking that budgets for laboratory schools at four state universities be cut in half for the 1980-1981 school year is a "hard pill for us to swallow," says Southeast Missouri State University interim president Bill Stacy; proposed budget would cut funding for Southeast's University School by almost half to $280,640...

Russell M. Gardiner, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at the home of a son. He was born Feb. 19, 1926, in Sparta, Ill., son of Melvin and Elsie Hopke Gardiner. Gardiner was a regional sales representative more than 26 years with Lewis Brothers Bakery. He was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral and VFW Post 3838...

THEBES, Ill. -- Richard Dwain Bennett, 67, of Wheatfield, Ind., died suddenly Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, at Porter Memorial Hospital. He was born July 8, 1937, at Thebes, son of Richard Hugh and Zelva Dunning Bennett. He and Shirley Simpkins were married Aug. 24, 1957...

Preston Lee McKinley, 48, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Dec. 13, 1955, in Sikeston, son of Horace Lee and Joyce Ezzell McKinley. He and Becky Perry Way were married Feb. 13, 2001. Formerly of Bertrand, Mo., he moved to Cape Girardeau in 2001. He was employed in construction...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Donald Joe Smith, 69, of Cobden died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at his home. He was born Oct. 20, 1934, at Cobden, son of Herbert L. and Edith Smith. He and Pat Whitney were married March 12, 1966, in Cobden. Smith was retired from Choate Mental Health and Development Center and Heartland Harvest...

ST. MARY, Mo. -- William Vincent Moll, 91, of St. Mary died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Jackie Lowes. He was born April 28, 1913, at Silver Lake, Mo., son of Henry and Elizabeth McLain Moll. He and Viola M. Weinrich were married July 17, 1948. She died July 6, 1998...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Jack M. Fisher, 53, of Glenallen died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 25, 1951, at Gideon, Mo., son of Ruben and Nellie Crutchfield Fisher. He and Susan Robbins were married April 2, 1976, at Clubb, Mo...

Lucille Cook, 82, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 28, 1921, at Whitewater, daughter of Lee and Ida Barks Huffman. She and Ruthford Cook were married Dec. 24, 1938. He died Dec. 30, 1980...

Harold L. Nothdurft, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born April 27, 1919, in Cape Girardeau, son of Otto H. and Ida Ulrich Nothdurft. He and Jewell P. Nelson were married Aug. 13, 1939, in Cape Girardeau. She died Jan. 18, 1981...

To the editor: I write to publicly thank Southeast Missouri State University's Dr. Glenn Williams for organizing the second annual Freedom of Speech Run. The race is a proud event that celebrates our First Amendment rights, which I exercised on the course at about mile two and a half. There, a volunteer and a police officer were standing on a corner. I raised my arm to high-five them as I ran by, but only the volunteer, who was doing an outstanding job, high-fived me...

To the editor: In the first presidential debate, I was hoping to hear two things. First, I wanted to hear John Kerry lay out his plans for the future of Iraq and for winning the war on terror. I wasn't disappointed. Kerry staked out a strong plan for peace in Iraq as well as the rest of the world...

To the editor: Regarding James Nall's Sept. 25 letter: Of course America is treated like a 10-year-old child by politicians, but not because people are dumb. People simply do not care. The average American has no interest in what is happening in the world or even within the United States. The average person wants to come home and sit in front of the TV and pass the evening away watching sitcoms and munching on potato chips. And they are quite happy to leave the details to their politicians...

To the editor: If, as W.K. Zellmer suggested in his recent letter to the editor, John Kerry "put himself in for a Purple Heart" for "inadvertently and rather ignominiously" shooting "himself in the butt" in an effort to evade further combat duty because "three Purple Hearts got you reassigned," then I'm confused as to why I should support John Kerry, our troops or our political process. ...

To the editor: Perhaps the president's poor performance in the first debate was really a ruse to lower the expectations for the remaining debates. Deviousness and deceit are not desirable substitutes for calm, intelligent reasoning in our president. The message is: Anybody but Bush...

The Central girls tennis team completed its regular season with a 14-0 record in dual matches after beating visiting Sikeston 8-1 on Monday afternoon. The Tigers won five of the six singles and swept the three doubles matches. Central will compete in the nine-team Class 2 District 1 tournament Thursday at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park in St. Louis...

The loss of any loved one can be a trying time for a family. But the loss of a family member serving in the military can be especially difficult. And to know that a son or daughter has been killed in a war when no body is recovered is the worst scenario of all...

What the hell's wrong with you? Don't you ever shut up? The hateful sentences are written in the shape of a knife and a fist upon posters around the Southeast Missouri State University campus. The message: Abuse isn't always physical. Southeast Missouri State, along with the state attorney general's office and Verizon Wireless, has started an on-campus campaign on partner abuse awareness...

Factory orders down for first time in four months WASHINGTON -- Orders placed with U.S. factories fell for the first time in four months, the Commerce Department said Monday, with demand dropping sharply for commercial airplanes and parts. Factory orders declined by 0.1 percent in August, following an increase of 1.7 percent in July. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Most major state crops are developing faster than usual, the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service reported Monday. Maturation of corn, soybean and rice crops is ahead of both last year and the average, according to the state. Ninety-nine percent of corn has reached maturity, ahead of the five-year average of 97 percent and a few days faster than last year...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- American researchers Dr. Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine Monday for their work on the sense of smell -- showing how, for example, a person can smell a lilac in the spring and recall it in the winter...

LOS ANGELES -- Janet Leigh's most famous scene was so terrifying it put her off showers for the rest of her life. Leigh, who died Sunday, insisted she always took baths after seeing the finished cut of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," in which her character was slashed to death in a motel shower in what may be the silver screen's most memorable murder...

Four soldiers charged in Iraqi general's death FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The Army charged four soldiers with murder Monday, accusing them of suffocating an Iraqi general during an interrogation last fall. Chief Warrant Officers Jefferson L. Williams and Lewis E. ...

MOUNT ST. HELENS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Wash. -- Mount St. Helens blew off more steam Monday, shooting a billowing white plume several hundred feet above the volcano and thrilling hundreds of visitors who had gathered below the rumbling mountain. "Wow. ...

Today is the last day for Missouri residents to register to vote in the Nov. 2 general election. Judging by the constant traffic reported at the county clerks' offices in the region, voter turnout should be as heavy as ever this year. "It has been very steady," said Cape Girardeau County election supervisor Patti Schlosser about the number of people coming by the Jackson county clerk's office to register to vote. "You can't do anything else, you just work on voter registration."...

Missouri gubernatorial candidate Matt Blunt accepted the endorsement of the National Rifle Association during campaign stops in Cape Girardeau and elsewhere around the state Tuesday. NRA chief executive officer and executive vice president Wayne LaPierre accompanied Blunt on the campaign stops, which began with an 8 a.m. gathering of about 30 Blunt and NRA supporters at the NRA shelter at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau...

An 8 p.m. concert featuring opera singer Judith Farris and the Southeast Missouri State University orchestra was postponed Tuesday due to a campuswide power failure. The concert will be performed today at noon at Academic Auditorium, university officials said...

Bum pum; bum pum; bzzzzzzz bum pum. The standard snare drummers' cue rattled all over uptown Jackson Tuesday as 11 high school bands and hundreds of onlookers enjoyed the Jackson Band Festival. The festival offered a chance for the bands to take center stage. For the bigger bands like Jackson, Cape Girardeau Central and Perryville, the festival affords them the chance to step out of the football team's shadow...

Each year, The Other Half and I take one vacation together and one apart. This, combined with our individual checking accounts, opposite work schedules and separate bathrooms, causes some observers to ask, "Do you really call this a marriage?" Nine years, no emergency room visits. 'Nuff said...

Now that leaves are beginning to fall, some homeowners are thinking about raking and burning them. Fire departments from Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City have regulations about burning leaves and other yard waste. Cape Girardeau fire Capt. Sam Welker advises that yard waste may be burned only on the homeowner's property, not in the street. Welker said that fires should not be built under power, telephone or cable lines, or within 50 feet of any structure...

Sporting perhaps the two top pitchers in the area, Kelly is looking to take its veteran softball squad deep into the playoffs after falling in the Class 2 quarterfinals last season. Kelly (18-6) is the top seed heading into Thursday's Class 2 District 1 tournament at St. Vincent. The Hawks will play at 4 p.m. against the winner of the Crystal City-East Prairie game...

From staff and wire reports LONDON -- U.S. health officials warned Tuesday of major flu shot shortages after British health officials abruptly pulled the license of the maker of half the U.S. vaccine just as flu season was about to begin. The news means the United States will face "a significant shortage," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health's infectious disease chief. American vaccine experts suggested shots this year would likely be rationed...

PINE LAWN, Mo. -- The wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry told a crowd at a community health clinic Tuesday that her husband wants to expand the reach of health care to more people while preserving choice for patients and physicians...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After a summer of knocking on doors and staffing booths at town festivals, political groups are claiming big successes in signing up new voters for the Nov. 2 election. The actual results will be known soon. Today is the last day for Missourians to register to vote on Election Day...

At the pace Chaffee's offense has improved in the last three weeks, the Red Devils may be able to hang 56 points on the scoreboard in the season finale. OK, that may be an exaggeration for winless Chaffee. "Hopefully, something will go our way and we'll pull one out here," Chaffee coach Terry Brashers said after Friday night's 47-20 loss to Scott City...

CLEVELAND -- Sen. John Edwards accused the Bush administration Tuesday night of bungling the war in Iraq and presiding over a historic loss of jobs. "Your facts are just wrong," Vice President Dick Cheney shot back in a crackling campaign debate. In a clash at close quarters, Edwards accused Cheney of "not being straight" with the American people about the war. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Larry Walker is back in the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade, and he's making the most of his second shot. In the Cardinals' playoff opener, the three-time batting champion led the hit parade. Walker homered twice and St. Louis tied a postseason record by hitting five home runs, overwhelming Odalis Perez and the Los Angeles Dodgers in an 8-3 blowout Tuesday...

WASHINGTON -- The White House staunchly defended its Iraq policy Tuesday as new questions emerged about President Bush's prewar decisions and postwar planning. An impending weapons report undercut the administration's main rationale for the war, and the former head of the American occupation said the United States had too few troops in Iraq after the invasion...

Renaissance Aircraft will have until Nov. 1 to make bond and lease payments totaling more than $61,000 or face eviction from a city-owned hangar at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The city council set that deadline in a closed-door meeting late Monday night after the financially troubled company failed to make all the payments that city officials said were due last Friday...

A squirrel that crept into a transformer is responsible for a power outage at Southeast Missouri State University's campus Tuesday evening, leaving thousands of students and hundreds of concert-goers in the dark for hours. A spokesman for the university's public safety department said just before 10 p.m. ...

Red Sox get road win against Angels Curt Schilling pitched 6 2-3 effective innings, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Millar homered during a seven-run burst, and the Red Sox beat the Angels 8-3 Tuesday in Game 1. Pedro Martinez will pitch against Anaheim's Bartolo Colon in Game 2 tonight before the best-of-five series moves to Boston...

CONCORD, N.H. -- Few things can make a man who loves to cook feel more utterly useless than a newborn. Admittedly, I'd gotten a bit ahead of myself by the time my wife and I brought our son home from the hospital recently. My head already was full of tastes and textures I wanted him to experience as soon a possible...

Jimmy Buffett having more fun than ever NEW YORK -- Jimmy Buffett is far from "wasting away in Margaritaville." At 57, he continues to tour and record, with no plans to slow down. "Well, I always said that I wouldn't use a teleprompter and if I start to sing real flat, I'll hang it up," the singer says in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes II" to air tonight. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- More than 3,000 U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a major operation Tuesday against insurgent strongholds just south of Baghdad, their second mission in five days to wrest control from militants whose attacks threaten national elections seen as crucial to stabilizing this turbulent country...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed a militant leader and a father and his son, officials said today, bringing to 75 the number of Palestinians killed in a weeklong offensive aimed at ending Palestinian rocket fire on Israeli towns...

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans sought to quash a persistent Internet rumor that President Bush wants to reinstate the draft if he is re-elected, engineering an overwhelming vote Tuesday killing legislation that would do just that. Republicans accused Democrats of feeding the rumor mill to scare young voters and their parents into voting against Bush...

A state panel is prepared to go after companies that refuse to document their hazardous materials and pay a state-imposed fee. The Missouri Emergency Response Commission held its quarterly meeting in Cape Girardeau Tuesday. Several local law enforcement officials attended. Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones is a member of the commission...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Tuesday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Paul Scott Simpson, 20, 625 Jefferson St., was arrested on a Sikeston warrant for contempt of court. Brandon Marquis Daniels, 21, no address given, was arrested on city warrants for contempt of court for failure to pay fines for failing to wear a seatbelt and two counts for failing to appear in court...

Firefighters responded to the following items on Monday: At 4:34 p.m., emergency medical service in the 900 block of South Kingshighway. At 5:08 p.m., service call at 712 Normal Ave. At 5:53 p.m., grass fire at Interstate 55 and William Street. At 5:55 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of Aspen Street...

In the garden: Bulb-planting basics Spring-flowering bulbs need a certain number of hours of cold temperatures in order to bloom. The soil temperature should be below 60 degrees before you plant them, which usually means planting in October and early November. ...

Credit the Irish with putting a colorful face on Halloween. Carving jack-o'-lanterns is a Halloween custom brought to this country by Irish immigrants arriving to escape "the Hunger," or the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. "A legend grew up about a man named Jack, who was so stingy he was not allowed into heaven when he died," a U.S. ...

Can run with Chaffee FB follow in Z-rec form Tickets on sale for Central-Jackson Advance tickets can be purchased for the Central-Jackson football game set for Friday at Jackson High School. Tickets are on sale at the Bank of Missouri, SEMOSpecialties and Sports, and Howards Sporting Goods...

Class 1 District 1 at Naylor Teams: No. 1 Delta (13-10), No. 2 Chaffee (7-5), No. 3 Naylor, No. 4 Thayer, No. 5 Couch Schedule: Thursday, First round -- Thayer vs. Couch, 11 a.m.; Semifinals -- Delta vs. Thayer-Couch winner, 12:30 p.m.; Chaffee vs. Naylor, 2 p.m.; Friday, Championship, 3 p.m...

Basketball n Scottie Pippen played the sidekick to basketball's greatest star, creating a partnership the Chicago Bulls parlayed into an NBA dynasty with six titles in the 1990s. Pippen's career came to an end Tuesday as he announced his retirement following 17 years in the league. He made the announcement standing in front of the six championship trophies he helped the Bulls win...

Correction Volunteers from Evangelical United Church of Christ used 50 bushels of apples to make apple butter. An incorrect figure was published in Saturday's edition.

Cape Girardeau Area CWU The Cape Girardeau Area Church Women United had their annual Awareness Luncheon at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. Marilyn Fronabarger and Joyce King, president, welcomed guests and members. The purpose of this meeting was to learn about agencies that are in the community. ...

25 years ago: Oct. 6, 1979 Members of Boy Scout Troop 8 of Trinity Lutheran Church spend a day outdoors, cutting and splitting trees at the corner of Frederick and Themis streets where old Trinity Lutheran Church stood before being razed last spring; the boys annually cut and sell firewood to help earn money for troop activities...

Ruby Wammack, 81, of Jackson died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Arrangements are pending with McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

James Russell Launius, 87, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, at his home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Collin Brimm, 78, of Oxford, Ark., formerly of Jonesboro, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, in Oxford. He was born Nov. 2, 1925, in Union County, son of Oziah Dee and Nettie White Brimm. He first married Florence Hubbs. He later married Wanda Lee Morgan Feb. 14, 1997, in Oxford...

Lucille Marie York, 95, of Millersville died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. She was born Sept. 4, 1909, in Dorchester, Ill., daughter of John Harmon and Maymie Caroline Gorham Lovell. She and Joseph L. York were married Nov. 27, 1928, in St. Louis. He died Jan. 31, 1964...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Marshall W. Bonifield, 80, of Charleston died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Nov. 27, 1923, in Charleston, son of Wroe W. and Ferrel Irene Howard Bonifield. He and Mary V. Morgan were married Jan. 30, 1947...

Louis Barone, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Ollie Mae Bowen, 90, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Elder Care. She was born Aug. 2, 1914, at Grassy, Mo., daughter of Noah F. and Ida Mae Upchurch Newell. She and Noble H. Bowen were married Dec. 26, 1936, at Benton, Mo...

James Sadler, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at his home. He was born June 13, 1932, at Oak Ridge, son of Benjamin and Nora Danenport Sadler. He and Joann May were married Feb. 23, 1952, in Piggott, Ark. She died April 27, 2004. Sadler retired as a master sergeant with the U.S. Air Force...

Margie P. Scott, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, at her home. She was born Jan. 10, 1927, in Oak Ridge, daughter of William C. and Flossie Clingingsmith Roberts. She and Harold Scott were married April 6, 1946, in Cape Girardeau. He died Nov. 25, 1992...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Evelyn H. Lane, 93, of Perryville, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Lane was born May 21, 1911, in Fruitland, Mo., daughter of George and Addell Caldwell McNeely. She was a case worker for the Missouri Department of Family Services. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Perryville...

Call them barbarians THE ASSOCIATED Press states that bombing attacks by Iraqi militants killed 35 Iraqi children and wounded scores of other Iraqis. Why doesn't the AP call these beheading barbarian savage terrorists by their actual name, instead of cleaning them up as militants. Barbarians should be called what they are...

To the editor: In response to "Finding a bicycle's place on the road" by Bob Miller: Thank you for a well-balanced, well-written article. I appreciate that Miller took the time to ride a bike and try to understand the passion many of us feel when we ride. I do not understand nor appreciate the Speak Out comments, but it did point Miller to a story. Dustin and John have done a great deal to promote bicycling in the Cape Girardeau area...

To the editor: This letter is in response to your article, "Blunt, McCaskill tout help for business," which omitted that Matt Blunt has received the endorsement of both the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business, the two most prominent advocates of small business...

To the editor: A recent Speak Out comment made a derogatory remark about Christians that was misinformed. The Lord Jesus would reply to such falsehood, "You don't know the Scriptures, therefore, you do greatly err." The comment about "being sick about putting God back in school" displays a lack of common sense. ...

To the editor: After reading Lance Hahn's letter, I can safely assume that he'll vote for President Bush, as will I, for the same reasons. Bush has stood resolute on the major issues, whereas John Kerry has not. Kerry shifts gears so much he'd wear out the transmission in a Kenworth...

MURRAY, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's golf team had a strong showing at the Murray State Invitational, finishing third among 10 squads in the 54-hole event that concluded Tuesday. Murray State won with a score of 857, followed by Morehead State (867) and Southeast (869)...

Playing without its top two middle hitters, Notre Dame's volleyball team still managed to cruise past visiting Bloomfield 25-22, 25-18 Tuesday night. With Laura Browne and Amanda Essner out, Notre Dame used a balanced scoring attack to improve to 20-3-1...

While hurricanes have dumped buckets of rain on the Eastern Seaboard, Southeast Missouri has been parched. August rainfall recorded for Cape Girardeau totaled 6.15 inches in August, but only 0.02 of an inch was measured in September. Last year the area had 16.52 inches of rain during August and September...

An Altenburg, Mo., man sustained moderate injuries at 4:50 p.m. Monday after he struck a horse on U.S. 61 near Fruitland. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Daryl Preusser, 44, was taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment of moderate injuries. After his 1980 Ford Fiesta struck the horse, it left the side of the road and struck a tree...

The murder trial of Robert L. Grant of Scott City has been moved to Dent County, south of Rolla. According to court records, the change of venue to move the case was approved Friday. Judge Max Price of the 42nd Judicial Circuit is scheduled to hear a case review Oct. 25...

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Tennessee Tech receiver Drew Hixon, who has been unconscious since a collision in a game Sept. 11, has been transported from Florida to Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center at the University of Virginia. Hixon, the son of Washington Redskins assistant coach Stan Hixon, was injured in a helmet-to-helmet collision in a game against South Florida...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Several environmental groups said Tuesday they have abandoned their legal bid to block construction of one of the world's largest cement plants, settling for an "imperfect compromise" they say ensures some safeguards near the Missouri site...

WASHINGTON -- Oil prices darted above $51 a barrel Tuesday as output in the Gulf of Mexico remains in shambles more than two weeks after Hurricane Ivan tore through the region. Even as the advance in crude futures begins to appear unstoppable, with traders saying $55 a barrel seems possible, some analysts are convinced a speculative bubble has formed. They say prices have become inflated as institutional investors, such as hedge funds and mutual funds, pile on bets in the energy markets...

Careful use of the right ingredients can mean diners end up with the best deal: plenty of good taste, without paying the penalty of getting too much fat along with that savory pleasure. Pork chops with apples and thyme is an easily made dish with a seasonal flavor, and this recipe from EatingWell magazine's fall issue has only about 9 grams of fat. The magazine's suggestion for side dishes to round out the meal: quick barley and pureed squash (frozen squash is very convenient)...

LOS ANGELES -- Rodney Dangerfield, the bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating one-liners brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies and made his lament "I don't get no respect" a catchphrase, died Tuesday. He was 82. Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced Aug. 25 at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center...

Last night, electrical darkness shut down a highly-anticipated performance at Academic Hall: Judith Farris (Cape Girardeau native, New York opera singer and teacher to the Broadway stars), was scheduled to sing with the Southeast Missouri Chamber Orchestra. ...

smcclanahan It is such a joy to see our children grow in age and maturity. Each day brings a new set of problems and victories. As they have turned 7 and 10 years of age, sharing a bedroom was just not going to work out much longer. Each of them, having their own interests and hobbies, needed their own space, not only to live in, but to put all of their stuff...

On Monday, on the 47th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, humanity again made space-flight history. SpaceShipOne -- designed by Burt Rutan and his company Scaled Composites and built with money from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen -- won the privately funded $10 million Ansari X Prize by becoming the first private vehicle, capable of carrying three individuals, to fly into space twice in a two-week period...

Eastern Kentucky finally had some good fortune go its way -- and perhaps just in the nick of time to help save the Colonels' Ohio Valley Conference title hopes. The Colonels, who had been playing without star quarterback Matt Guice since the season opener, welcomed Guice back from an injury and he played a major role in Saturday's 39-36 win at Samford in two overtimes...

The driver lost his Nextel Cup lead after being penalized for using a curse word after Sunday's victory. By Mike Harris ~ The Associated Press A slip of the tongue on TV cost Dale Earnhardt Jr. first place and $10,000, penalties imposed by an increasingly image-conscious NASCAR...

More than 140 years ago, the spot that now houses Central Middle School was the site of a major clash between Confederate and Union troops that took the lives of more than 330 soldiers. So it was only fitting that the school be the first in Cape Girardeau to receive a special video about local Civil War history...

Typically, the identity of the winner of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's annual Commitment to Excellence Award is withheld until after the presenter's description of the company, its origins and achievements. But this year, the uniqueness of that company's services and history made it obvious in the first few sentences...

A report of alleged domestic abuse that occurred Sept. 13 caught the attention of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Wednesday morning the Norfolk, Va.-based PETA faxed a letter to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle urging him to vigorously prosecute Paul Clifton Oakley, 43, of Cape Girardeau...

Oct. 7, 2004 Dear Julie, William Least Heat Moon packed only two books in his van before beginning the quest chronicled in his book "Blue Highways." One was Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," filled with exuberant poems about the American spirit. The other was "Black Elk Speaks," a different but no less eloquent perspective on the original American soul then and now struggling for survival...

The Central softball team showed it was not ready to relinquish its hold on the Class 4 District 1 title just yet, upsetting third-seeded Farmington 3-1 Wednesday at Jackson. Central will face No. 2 Poplar Bluff at 5:30 p.m. today in the semifinal round at Jackson. Top-seeded Hillsboro meets No. 4 Sikeston in the other semifinal...

Southeast Missouri State University's rash of injuries had primarily been limited to the defense through the first five games of the season. But this week the offense also has been hit. All-American tight end Ray Goodson, who did not even appear to be injured following Saturday's 35-28 loss at Eastern Illinois, underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State tax revenue through the first quarter of Missouri's fiscal year was slightly behind what was budgeted, but not enough to be worrisome, a state official said Wednesday. Net general revenue collections for the fiscal year that began in July totaled about $1.65 billion, up 2.6 percent from the first three months of the previous year, the Department of Revenue said...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush blistered Sen. John Kerry on Wednesday as an apostle of "retreat in Iraq" and tax-and-spend liberalism at home. The administration is "out of touch with reality" Democratic running mate John Edwards countered in a campaign growing more caustic by the day...

ST. LOUIS -- Making the most of their Missouri visit, President Bush and Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry plan to linger in St. Louis following their televised debate Friday night at Washington University. A day after the second in a trio of televised presidential debates, Bush is to attend an invitation-only fund-raiser Saturday morning at the downtown America's Center convention hall for Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Blunt -- Missouri's secretary of state -- and the state's GOP. ...

The safety of Celebrex and other pain relievers was questioned Wednesday as scientists in the United States and regulatory agencies in Europe said they feared such drugs might raise the same risk of heart problems as those blamed on the arthritis medicine Vioxx...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The crisis in the nation's flu vaccine supply has led to renewed calls to modernize a half-century-old manufacturing system that relies on millions of chicken eggs and a lot of educated guesswork. Because it takes at least six months to produce the annual flu vaccine, no manufacturer can replace the 46 million shots Chiron Corp. won't ship this season...

WASHINGTON -- DO YOU YAWN THROUGHOUT THE DAY OR GET SLEEPY WHILE DRIVING? DOES YOUR FAMILY COMPLAIN ABOUT LOUD SNORING? N YOU MIGHT BE ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS WITH UNDIAGNOSED SLEEP APNEA, WHICH CAUSES MORE THAN FATIGUE -- IT ALSO SEEMS TO SPUR HEART DISEASE AND OTHER SERIOUS ILLNESSES. NOT TO MENTION UP TO A SEVENFOLD INCREASE IN THE CHANCE OF A CAR CRASH...

Dequicia Rawls often cannot stay awake in school, no matter how hard she tries. The 15-year-old sits in her 10th-grade classes at Douglas County High School in Atlanta and "zones out" before falling asleep. Dequicia sleeps during the day because a sleeping disorder called restless leg syndrome makes it difficult for her to sleep at night...

ST. LOUIS -- The last two weeks of the regular season were agonizing for Jim Edmonds, robbed of enthusiasm once the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL Central. One of the team's trio of MVP candidates, his average dipped to .301 after a finishing 1-for-29 slump. Edmonds is happy to playing games that count again after contributing to a record five-homer barrage in Game 1 of the NL division series against the Los Angeles Dodgers...

Barricaded and fenced off, a well-worn concrete section of Cape Girardeau's old Mississippi River bridge awaits demolition -- its roadway now a bridge to nowhere as the once-linked steel spans have been razed by demolition blasts. But Mayor Jay Knudtson hopes this last piece of the 76-year-old bridge -- the concrete-railed entrance at the end of Morgan Oak Street -- can be saved from the wrecking ball that could start tearing it down in 30 days...

Truman Smith's fascination with gardening started with baseball, but the Cape Girardeau resident's green thumb has now earned him national recognition. The local retiree loved America's favorite pastime so much, he began helping prepare the field before games at Southeast Missouri State University, where he worked as a history professor...

Spaghetti day on tap at St. Paul Lutheran The seventh annual St. Paul Lutheran School PTL spaghetti day will be held Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall in Jackson. Menu includes all you can eat spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, dessert and drink. Tickets are available from any St. Paul student, through the school office or at the door. The dinner is co-sponsored by Thrivent Financial...

Knights prepare for Tootsie Roll drive The Knights of Columbus 32nd Annual Mental Retardation Drive will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the statewide drive, Tootsie Rolls are given in exchange for a donation to the cause of helping the mentally retarded in Missouri to help themselves. Knights of Columbus representatives can be identified with yellow aprons at area businesses including Wal-Mart, Kmart, Hobby Lobby and grocery stores...

Children make choices every day. Their parents and mentors help them choose what to wear, what to eat and where to go. But sometimes parents aren't as comfortable helping their young children make decisions about drugs and alcohol. Volunteers are now taking on that responsibility in second- and fourth-grade classrooms all over Cape Girardeau...

Helping needy countries TO THE people who think that we are sending too much money to other countries in their time of need: We are sending money to very poor countries. The United States is the wealthiest country in the world, but most of the people are too greedy to even care about others in the world...

A handful of Jackson firefighters will be in St. Louis Friday during the presidential debate to provide assistance in the event of a chemical attack. Jackson's fire department, along with Sikeston's, make up the 44-member Southeast Missouri Hazardous Material Homeland Security Response Team -- 22 from each department. Fewer than 12 from Jackson will be in St. Louis Saturday. Fire chief Brad Golden said he couldn't say exactly how many would be making the trip...

Court: Limbaugh medical records properly seized WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday that prosecutors did not violate Rush Limbaugh's privacy rights when they paid a surprise visit to his doctors and seized his medical records for an investigation into his use of painkillers. ...

WASHINGTON -- Crude futures surged above $52 a barrel Wednesday as a possible strike by Nigerian oil workers loomed and petroleum output in the Gulf of Mexico continued to suffer more than two weeks after Hurricane Ivan whipped through the region. Oil producers in the Gulf say a significant obstacle is that some pipelines in the region are still shut down while damage is inspected and fixed...

Strong earthquake rattles eastern Japan TOKYO -- An earthquake struck eastern Japan late Wednesday, shaking buildings in Tokyo and other nearby areas, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The 5.8-magnitude quake hit at 11:40 p.m. and was centered some 40 miles beneath the earth's surface in Ibaraki state, northeast of the capital, the Meteorological Agency said...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Tuesday: At 5:45 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1100 block of Landgraf Street. At 6:18 p.m., emergency medical service in the 200 block of South Kingshighway. At 7:09 p.m., emergency medical service in the 900 block of Hackberry Street...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Wednesday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests John Clay Matthews III, 31, 609 Taylor St., Sikeston, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of an attempt to obtain a fraudulent prescription...

Today Blood pressure screening from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at Cape Senior Center, sponsored by the Generations Family Resource Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital. For information, call 651-5825. Healthy Bites Luncheon from 12:10 to 12:40 p.m. at Saint Francis Medical Center's new Fitness Plus conference room. There is a cost. Call Janet Smith at 331-5399 for information...

They don't prepare us for it. They conveniently fail to mention it in Marriage 101. And even "Survivor" offers no clues on how to survive it. "Bed death" is what I'm talking about: when sexuality flees -- or sneaks out of -- the marriage bed...

Basketball Southeast Fall Coaches Clinic: Southeast Missouri State University's men's and women's basketball programs will host a coaches clinic 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Show Me Center. Southeast men's coach Gary Garner will instruct on the triple-post offense. ...

Stoverink tops SEMOhorseshoe circuit Cori Stoverink teamed up with Virgil Schreckenberg for a second-place finish in the Southeast Missouri Horseshoe Assocation's Tournament of Champion on Sunday, capping a year in which he earned the most points throughout the season...

Clay Son to Chad Bryan and Mindy Rae Clay of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:18 a.m. Monday, Sept. 27, 2004. Name, Wilson Chandler. Weight, 7 pounds 4 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Clay is the former Mindy Farrow, daughter of Tom Farrow and Judy Farrow of Jackson. She is employed in social service at Monticello House. Clay is the son of Donna Clay of St. Louis, and the late Wilson Clay. He is a salesman with Sapaugh Motors...

25 years ago: Oct. 7, 1979 In observance of World Communion Sunday, several Protestant churches in Cape Girardeau hold special communion services; at Grace United Methodist Church, over 500 small loaves of bread, baked by the women of the church, are distributed to each family that attends the morning worship service...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Richard M. Lucy, 85, formerly of Sikeston, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Westminster Retirement Village in Blytheville, Ark. He was born Jan. 2, 1919, in LaForge, Mo., son of Fed and Mary Lucy. He and Wilma D. Allen were married July 25, 1964, in Sikeston. She died May 22, 1986...

Louis J. Barone, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at the Lutheran Home. He was born May 25, 1935, in Proctor, Vt., son of Louis Joseph and Hazel Fourtier Barone. Barone was a lasting room foreman at John Frye Boot Co. in Marlboro, Mass., and had been a custodian at Scott City Grade School...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Lester Triplett, 79, of Chaffee, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

John Wilson Tracy Jr., 84, of Daisy died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Kindred Hospital in St. Louis. He was born June 19, 1920, in Corning, Ark., son of John Wilson and Iva Ellen Hurst Tracy. He and Audrey Jane Smith were married July 17, 1949. Tracy farmed in the Daisy area all his life, and was a maintenance worker at Washington University in St. Louis...

Lola Mae Russom, 94, of Scott City died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. She was born Aug. 23, 1910, at Whitewater, daughter of Francis and Caroline Fulbright Simmons. She and Lester Lowell Russom were married Sept. 26, 1928, in Piggott, Ark. He died Jan. 12, 1969...

Ruby R. Wammack, 81, of Jackson died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Monticello House. She was born June 21, 1923, in Sage, Ark., daughter of Johnny and Elizabeth Mynatt Wammack. Wammack had worked at the former Superior Electric Co. in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of Illmo Baptist Church. Formerly of Yuma, Ariz., she moved to Jackson in 1979...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Evelyn H. Lane, 93, of Perryville died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 21, 1911, at Fruitland, daughter of George and Addell Caldwell McNeely. She and Robert B. Lane were married Dec. 27, 1928. He died April 3, 1989. They were married 60 years...

James Russell Launius, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, at his home. He was born Jan. 23, 1917, at Bloomfield, Mo., son of Dwight T. and Elma A. Aslin Launius. He and Mary Lee Barham were married Sept. 15, 1940. She died Feb. 24, 1996. He and Imogene Eaton Hastings were married Aug. 22, 1998, in Cape Girardeau...

To the editor: I am retirement age, and never in an election have I seen such hatred and vitriol directed at so many who dare to hold different political views. Letters on our newspaper's editorial page spew out that message of hatred, and some of them are written by people I previously respected...

To the editor: The Missourian has been important to me through the years. I was a paper boy during World War II, and I could tell you about some wonderful experiences connected therewith. I can tell you the exact boundaries of my two routes and the names of a number of my subscribers...

To the editor: I just finished reading Bob Miller's article about bicycling in Cape Girardeau, and I have one thing to say. Bravo, Bob. I hope drivers will read your article as well. RON RUPPEL, Cape Girardeau

Anyone who has been around awhile knows downtown Cape Girardeau is a far different place than just a decade ago. The Marquette Towers renovation, opening of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, the floodwall murals being painted, the new federal courthouse under construction on Independence Street and the highly anticipated turning of earth for the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus have put the building blocks in place for a downtown renaissance...

A Sikeston, Mo., motorist was injured in a one-car accident on Highway 77 six miles south of Benton, Mo., at 4 p.m. Tuesday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, June Hart, 68, was southbound in a 1994 Mercury when the vehicle ran off the roadway and overturned...

WASHINGTON -- Residential heating costs are projected to soar this winter to more than $1,000 on average because of higher fuel costs and expected colder weather, the government said Wednesday. People will pay on average an additional $133 to $270 to heat their homes when compared with last winter, which was seen as an unusually expensive heating season...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A former employee pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling more than $50,000 from the Branson School District. Janette McSpadden, 41, admitted to four counts of embezzlement during her appearance in federal court in Springfield. McSpadden faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine for each of the four counts...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Missouri Army National Guard missed its recruitment goal by about 16 percent in the last year but was able to retain enough soldiers to meet its overall goal for staff levels. Some 1,395 recruits were attracted in the year ending Sept. 30, according to 1st Lt. Tammy Spicer, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Army National Guard. That's 270 short of the state goal...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Making his first public appearance since a series of medical problems sidelined him this spring, evangelist Billy Graham on Wednesday toured preparations for his weekend crusade in Kansas City. Graham, 85, never left a golf cart as he looked over the stage set up at Arrowhead Stadium and addressed reporters, but he said he felt healthy...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Enraged supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide armed themselves with machetes, guns, rocks and bottles and roamed a downtown slum, threatening to behead foreigners after U.N. peacekeepers and Haitian police arrested dozens of people Wednesday...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran said Wednesday it has processed several tons of raw "yellowcake" uranium to prepare it for enrichment -- a key step in developing atomic weapons -- in defiance of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. Converting raw uranium into hexafluoride gas does not violate any agreements Iran has made regarding its nuclear program and was done with the full knowledge of the International Atomic Energy Agency. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Campaigning for Afghanistan's first direct presidential election ended with a burst of violence Wednesday as attackers set off a bomb in a failed effort to kill interim Afghan leader Hamid Karzai's vice presidential running-mate...

MULTAN, Pakistan -- Two bombs exploded at a gathering of Islamic radicals in central Pakistan before dawn today, killing at least 33 people and injuring dozens in what appeared to be the latest in a string of sectarian attacks, police said. The blasts came as about 3,000 people in Multan were marking the anniversary of the death of Maulana Azam Tariq, the leader of outlawed Sipah-e-Sahaba group. ...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- In an historic move that could extend Europe's borders to the edge of the volatile Middle East, the European Union recommended Wednesday setting mostly Muslim Turkey on a course for full membership in the prosperous 25-nation bloc...

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- McDonald's Corp. has a new music partner: Destiny's Child. The fast-food company announced Wednesday that the R&B group will play an integral role in its "I'm lovin' it" ad campaign, which kicked off last year with Justin Timberlake in a starring role...

LOS ANGELES -- Drew Carey is going for the green, even appearing before a gathering of television critics with green hair. The temporary dye job was to draw attention to "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show," which debuts 7:30 p.m. today on the WB. The series stars Carey and many of his quick-witted chums from his "Whose Line is it Anyway?" series and his tour group, including Brad Sherwood, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Julie Larson and Sean Masterson...

NEW YORK -- Howard Stern has long had two words for the Federal Communications Commission -- and in 15 months, he can finally utter them on the air. The self-proclaimed "King of All Media," perhaps the most influential radio voice of the last 20 years, is shifting his salacious act to satellite radio and freeing himself from the increasingly harsh glare of federal regulators. ...

WASHINGTON -- Contradicting the main argument for the war in Iraq, the top U.S. arms inspector said Wednesday he found no evidence that Iraq produced weapons of mass destruction after 1991. He also concluded that Saddam Hussein's ability to develop such weapons had dimmed -- not grown -- during a dozen years of sanctions before last year's U.S.-led invasion...

When I served in the Missouri House in the mid-1970s, the Republican Party had an outstanding legislator in my freshman class. He was from an urban area and was intelligent, funny, outgoing and a tremendous floor debater. We became good friends, and it was a learning experience to see how his one major flaw eventually caught up with him...

While many sports teams try to create a family environment, Central's tennis team has one built in. Central varsity singles players Brett and Sarah Ford are sisters. Brett, a senior, plays at No. 3 singles, while freshman Sarah plays No. 5. Brett and Sarah's cousin, Kristen Ford, plays on the junior varsity squad...

Led by second-place finisher Trey Maevers, the Saxony Lutheran boys cross country team finished first in the Oak Ridge Invitational on Wednesday. Brandon Etzold, Peter Winningham and Kory Mueller also were in the top 10 for Saxony. Cody Roper of Advance placed first in the boys race, while Oak Ridge's Sam Zoellner topped the girls field...

Anyone who wants to know more about their family heirlooms can bring them to an appraisal between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Cape Career and Technology Center, 1080 S. Silver Springs Road. Malcolm Ivey of Ivey-Selkirk Galleries in Clayton, Mo., will send eight experienced appraisers: two who will appraise furniture and two will appraise fine arts (paintings, prints, old photographs, lithographs and posters). ...

Editor's note: The following column was originally published in July of 2001. I've heard folks, usually of a particular age, say something like: If you live long enough, you'll see everything. But I didn't know exactly what they meant. Until about 4:02 p.m. Tuesday when an e-mail popped up on my computer screen...

A 5-year-old Benton, Mo., girl, a passenger on a motorcycle her mother was operating, was injured at 6 p.m. Wednesday when the motorcycle ran off the roadway. Kaitlyn Webber, daughter of Jennifer Burnell, 29, of Benton, was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau for treatment of moderate injuries...

Missouri's APlus Schools scholarship program, contrary to some media reports, hasn't been expanded to public four-year colleges, the program's state director said Thursday. The program provides funding for qualified students to attend Missouri's community colleges or technical schools...

A Cape Girardeau police officer was injured Thursday afternoon when a suspect he was trying to question pushed him down a flight of stairs. According to patrolman Jason Selzer, Sgt. Kevin Orr, 44, was taken to a local hospital emergency room for treatment of a cut above his eye, which required stitches, and injuries to his knees and face. He was released around 3 p.m...

So much has changed in the 28 years since Bill Ferrell was elected Scott County sheriff. And so much is about to change. On Dec. 31, Ferrell will walk out of the sheriff's office for the last time. He isn't really retiring, he says, but leaving a job he's given his life to so he can do something else for a while and be with his family more...

The Tigers' four-year streak of district titles came to an end with a 4-3 semifinal loss. Central softball's four-year reign on the Class 4 District 1 title came to an end Thursday night with a 4-3 semifinal loss to Poplar Bluff at Jackson. The sixth-seeded Tigers, featuring only two seniors, ended the season 8-18. Second-seeded Poplar Bluff will move on to Saturday's championship game against top-seeded Hillsboro...

River City Players bring audience into the jury room The River City Players' latest dinner theater production, "Twelve Angry Jurors," opens today at Port Cape's River City Yacht Club. The production is a jury-room drama that is based on a televised play that aired in the 1960s. ...

It started simply enough. Ron Koehler made his first paintbrush sculpture as an example for his art class at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., about 10 years ago. Thirty-five hundred brush sculptures later, Koehler's example has turned into a never-ending series...

Painter Kay WalkingStick has always thought of herself as an artist, even before the gallery shows and write-ups in prestigious publications. "As far as I was concerned, my career started when I was in college. I had a clear idea I was an artist, I didn't have a clear idea of me as a painter," said WalkingStick, who is also an art professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y...

Three stars (out of four) At the beginning of "Ladder 49," Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is a rookie fireman introduced to Capt. Kennedy, (John Travolta) while he is drinking Old Bushmills and wearing boxers with red hearts on them. Morrison meets the other firefighters via a fake confessional with a "chaplain." This sets the tone of camaraderie and friendship with Morrison and his soon-to-be buddies...

'Friday Night Lights' Starring Bily Bob Thornton, Lucas Black, Derek Luke, Tim Mcgraw and Jay Hernandez. Focusing on the religion that is Texas high-school football, "Friday Night Lights" tells the story of the 1988 Odessa Permian High Panthers. ...

25 years ago: Oct. 8, 1979 MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Firefighters from Marble Hill, Lutesville, Glenallen and Bollinger County fire departments spent much of the weekend battling fires; firefighters fought a house fire at Marble Hill, three brush fires and a grain silo fire at the Ronnie Hindman farm near Sturdivant...

Sotelo Daughter to Carlos Alberto Sotelo and Amanda Kay Troyer of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:33 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004. Name, Isabella Rose. Weight, 8 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Ms. Troyer is the daughter of Katrina Rhodes of Cape Girardeau and Robert Pierce of Silicon Valley, Calif. She is employed at Monticello House. Sotelo is the son of Teresa Ramirez and Juan Sotelo of Lima, Peru. He is self-employed...

Ben Frank Wiseman, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Feb. 2, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of Henry Hezekiah and Mary Van Amburg Wiseman. He and Evelyn Marie Ringwald were married May 8, 1942, in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gary Ronald Darnall, 53, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at his home. He was born Jan. 13, 1951, in Sikeston, son of Harry Robert and Jolene Darnall. He and Rita Carolyn Skinner were married in 1970. She died in 1973. Darnall worked at Mercer's Body Shop. He attended Miner Baptist Church...

Lottie L. Job, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004, at Fountainbleau Lodge. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kaitlyn Jewell Ward, 6 weeks, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at her home. She was born Aug. 20, 2004, in Sikeston, daughter of Roy L. Ward II and Jennifer Lee Corbin. Survivors include her parents; a brother, Tyler Ward of the home; paternal grandparents, Roy L. and Ann Ward Sr.; maternal grandparents, Jerry and LaDonna Corbin; paternal great-grandparents, Edna and Don Kitchen; and maternal great-grandparents, Howard and Luthell Brewer, all of Sikeston...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Fannie Lou Fodge, 95, formerly of Blodgett, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Nov. 17, 1908, in Anniston, Mo., daughter of Ernest D. and Berten W. McGrew Peck. She and Charles L. Fodge were married Aug. 15, 1924, in New Madrid, Mo. He died Jan. 15, 1987...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- James Lester Triplett, 79, of Sikeston, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 24, 1925, at Dexter, Mo., son of H.C. and Effie Elizabeth Duncan Triplett. He and Ruth Wornica were married Feb. 26, 1945...

Rudy Melvin Emmons, 58, of Jackson died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 30, 1946, at Benton, Mo., son of Eugene W. and Mildred Angle Emmons. He and Dahlia Puerta were married March 4, 1967, in Key West, Fla...

To the editor: Who will lead us into a more moral society in the future? If we practice good morals in everything we do, the Lord will bless us and help us take care of the less important issues. Who we vote for is just one way we can practice good moral conduct...

Rottweiler alert ROTTWEILERSCAN be very gentle, but the same gentle dogs can turn on you, your family or friends in a heartbeat and inflict serious injury or death. Statistics prove Rottweilers are the No. 1 dog involved in fatal attacks, especially attacks involving children -- often the children of the owners of the dogs. ...

I had never visited you in person before, but I've known you well through my mother's memories of a pleasant childhood here. And so we came to visit the scenes of those long-ago days she so lovingly described. The journey into the past was triggered by a communication from cousin Charlotte Caffee, who was researching family history and wondered if I might be able to help trace the Parker family...

To the editor: My brother, SM Sgt. John Weimer, is stationed in Iraq. He sent me an e-mail that said, "Someone from Cape sent me a phone card with no return address, just a message, 'Love and Prayers from Someone Who Cares.'" He would like to say "Thank You," and so would the rest of the family...

To the editor: Anti-Americanism in Europe goes way beyond Arab immigrants and low birth rates as Mona Charen suggests. I have lived in Europe the past seven years and know Europe well. Europe does fear its large Arab and Turkish minorities, and Europe has suffered many Muslim race riots in its cities over the past years. ...

To the editor: While dining at Port Cape Monday night I was approached by an artist, Cameron, working on the river floodwall mural, and was shown a picture of a person on one of the panels, Capt. William "Buck" Leyhe. Amazingly, I looked just like this guy and was asked to model for the mural...

Baseball n Sammy Sosa was fined $87,400 -- one day's salary -- for arriving late and leaving early at the Cubs' regular-season finale at Wrigley Field. Sosa arrived 70 minutes before Sunday's first pitch, and he apparently left 15 minutes after the first pitch without putting on his uniform, according to security cameras in the team's parking lot. ...

The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team will look for its first Ohio Valley Conference victory of the season at 7 tonight when Tennessee Tech visits Houck Field House. The Otahkians also will play at home Saturday, facing Austin Peay at 2 p.m. Southeast is 1-12 overall and 0-3 in OVC play...

Delta set up a rematch with Naylor in the Class 1 District 1 softball final with a 13-3 five-inning victory against Thayer in the semifinals Thursday at Naylor. The championship game is set for 3 p.m. today. Delta lost to Naylor last year after winning the previous three district titles...

For decades the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce has recognized businesses and organizations that play a significant role in the community. In years past, the chamber bestowed an "Industry of the Year" award on one deserving business. Now that award has been renamed the "Commitment to Excellence" award because it better represents what the honor recognizes...

Bryce Willen scored a header on a free kick to give Notre Dame (9-8) a 1-0 boys soccer victory against Jackson at home. Andrew Buelow assisted on the goal. Nathan Kolda recorded the shutout. VOLLEYBALL Leopold 25-25 Jackson 18-23 Leopold (14-5) swept visiting Jackson (14-9-3). ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following item on Wednesday: At 8:07 p.m., emergency medical service in the 500 block of Alta Vista Drive. Firefighters responded to the following items on Thursday: At 1:10 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1900 block of Delwin Street...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Thursday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Jennifer T. Bagwell, 26, 617 Sycamore St., was arrested on a city warrant for failure to appear for improper registration...

Cindy Schmoll, director of Horizon Enrichment Center in Cape Girardeau, will be the next guest on "Independently Speaking." She will be speaking about services that Horizon offers adults with disabilities on the program to air on WDKA49 (Channel 17 on cable) on Sunday at 5:30 a.m. and on Cape Girardeau Cable Access Channel 5 on Tuesday and Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. "Independently Speaking" is produced by the Semo Alliance for Disability Independence...

Editor's note: A student's name in this story has been changed. By Callie Clark ~ Southeast Missourian Abbey Aguirre was called to Cape Girardeau by God. The 70-year-old Hispanic woman believes that with all her heart. "I feel like a missionary here," she says...

WASHINGTON -- Sept. 11 families spent the week pleading, screaming, and in some instances weeping for Congress to pass intelligence reforms needed to prevent another such attack, but election year politics put some of them on different sides of the debate...

WASHINGTON -- Japanese vehicles dominate the government's annual list of vehicles with the best fuel economy, but Ford Motor Co. can claim the most fuel efficient pickup and sport utility vehicle. The manual version of the hybrid Honda Insight tops the list of 2005 vehicles with 61 miles per gallon in the city and 66 mpg on the highway, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy said Thursday. ...

WASHINGTON -- Leading House Republicans and Democrats exchanged harsh recriminations Thursday over the second ethics committee rebuke in a week for Rep. Tom DeLay, the GOP's No. 2 leader. The day after the 57-year-old Texan was cited by the House ethics committee for questionable conduct, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said his Republican colleagues should decide whether "they want an ethically unfit person to be their majority leader or do they want to remove the ethical cloud that hangs over the Capitol?". ...

ST. LOUIS -- Milton Bradley was back in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Thursday, a day following a clubhouse confrontation between the outfielder and a reporter he called an "Uncle Tom." Rich Levin, a spokesman for the commissioner's office, said major league baseball officials had made several telephone calls on the matter. Levin said there will not be an investigation...

ATLANTA -- With plenty of incentive, Rafael Furcal made sure the Atlanta Braves' season lasts at least two more games. Set to report to jail once the postseason ends, Furcal hit a two-out, two-run homer in the 11th inning that sent the Braves over the Houston Astros 4-2 Thursday and tied their NL playoff series at one game each...

ST. LOUIS -- An electrician who died while working on lights in a runway area at Lambert Airport was identified Thursday as a suburban St. Louis man. Dean Nordmann, 35, of Bridgeton, apparently was electrocuted about 1 p.m. Wednesday, said Pat Kriegshauser, executive vice president of Sachs Electric Co...

ST. LOUIS -- President Bush needs to do a lot more than improve his body language for tonight's second debate, says Democrat John Edwards. The Republicans say it's John Kerry who's got the explaining to do about his policies. "The president of the United States, in order to perform well in a debate, needs to do more than not screw up his face and needs to do more than string a sentence together," vice presidential candidate Edwards said Thursday in Bayonne, N.J. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Americans can rest assured that terrorists won't get the opportunity to disrupt the Nov. 2 election, Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday. Ashcroft, speaking to about 200 Rotary Club members in Springfield, reiterated that he has issued a directive allowing the FBI to seek the help of other federal agencies to ensure the election goes off without a hitch...

ST. LOUIS -- For 39 years, the Gateway Arch has towered as homage to America's westward expansion. Having lost his mother to breast cancer, Jim Talent wants it basked in pink light as a hopeful symbol of the fight against the disease. With Missouri Republican colleague Kit Bond, Talent this week won Senate passage of a bill that would put the 640-foot-tall landmark awash in pink floodlights in observance of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Carter County officials are reprinting absentee ballots for the Nov. 2 general election after discovering that President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were left off. The ballots were mailed beginning Sept. 21, and Carter County Clerk Becky Gibbs said several voters noticed the oversight...

EILAT, Israel -- An explosion tore through a resort hotel in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula where Israelis were vacationing at the end of a Jewish holiday Thursday night, killing at least 30 people and wounding more than 160, officials said. Two smaller blasts were reported later at other tourist sites in the Sinai, and witnesses gave reports that car bombs caused all three explosions. ...

Sectarian bombing in Pakistan kills 39 MULTAN, Pakistan -- A bomb attack on Sunni Muslim radicals in central Pakistan Thursday killed at least 39 people, wounded more than 100 and prompted the government to ban religious and political gatherings nationwide. Two bombs planted in a car and motorcycle exploded at a predawn gathering of about 3,000 Sunnis in the city of Multan in what police suspected was a sectarian attack...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Rockets struck a Baghdad hotel housing foreign contractors and journalists late Thursday, drawing return fire and underscoring the precarious security in the heart of the Iraqi capital. Outside Baghdad, roadside bombings killed two more American soldiers...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's first-ever presidential vote puts this nation of mud-brick houses and tribal fiefdoms on the edge of an improbable experiment with democracy. Osama bin Laden's training bases have been uprooted, and Afghanistan is no longer a haven for international terrorists. But three years to the day since a U.S. bombing campaign toppled the Taliban regime, Islamic militancy lives on, the drug trade is booming and warlords hold sway over much of the country...

NEW YORK -- The most influential Anglican leader in Africa -- home to nearly half the world's Anglicans -- said Thursday that the U.S. Episcopal Church has created a "new religion" by confirming a gay bishop in New Hampshire, breaking the bonds between the denominations with roots in the Church of England...

LOS ANGELES -- NASA's Mars rovers don't seem to be wearing out, so mission planners have begun to think more boldly -- including a plan to let one climb up a steep slope from a crater it has been exploring to set out across a plain. "The rovers have lasted longer than expected, but as long as we have them we're going to keep them busy," project manager Jim Erickson said Thursday in a conference call with reporters...

Lava dome continues to rise at Mount St. Helens MOUNT ST. HELENS, Wash. -- Part of the lava dome in Mount St. Helens' crater has risen 50 to 100 feet since Tuesday while earthquake activity remained low, signs that magma is moving upward without much resistance, scientists said Thursday. With the latest rising, an area of the crater floor just south of the nearly 1,000-foot lava dome has risen about 250 feet since the mountain began stirring two weeks ago, Lowenstern said...

Mention lazy susan and most folks think about an appliance on the kitchen table. But Mr. Honda thinks it belongs in a minivan. The anxiously awaited 2005 Odyssey is here, and a lazy susan is just one of the nifty features in the totally redesigned people mover...

Southeast Missouri State University women's soccer coach Heather Nelson knew the Otahkians' freshmen class would be good. Nelson just didn't anticipate her five newcomers -- all products of St. Louis-area high schools -- being so good so fast. "I think they've done better than I anticipated," Nelson said. "I didn't expect so many to be starting."...

In the ebb and flow of a rivalry approaching 100-years, Central will be cast in the underdog role tonight when it visits Jackson. Last year heading into the annual Central-Jackson clash, the Tigers were off to a 4-1 start and considered one of the top teams in the area. Jackson, a mediocre 2-2 at the time, dominated the Tigers en route to a 27-14 win...

The Tigers will play in the sectional tournament on Saturday. By Bill Hester ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian The Central girls tennis team will be represented again at the state meet. Central coach Annette Slattery's streak of 24 years with a player at the state tournament continued Thursday when Dani Gross and Brett Ford qualified in doubles with a second-place finish at the Class 2 District 1 Tournament at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in St. Louis...

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Matheny, Edgar Renteria and the St. Louis Cardinals can win with singles, doubles and triples, too. After tying a postseason record with five home runs in the opener, the Cardinals stayed in the ballpark for Game 2 Thursday night. The result was exactly the same: another 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In his two-plus years on the Missouri Supreme Court, Judge Richard Teitelman has ruled with the prevailing side 92.3 percent of the time and provided the pivotal vote in several narrow 4-3 decisions. Teitelman was appointed in March 2002 by Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat. On Nov. 2, Missouri voters will decide if Teitelman deserves a full 12-year term on the court...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Until Republican Rob Mayer toppled a popular incumbent four years ago, the 159th District seat in the Missouri House of Representatives was safely Democratic. With Mayer stepping down to run for the Senate, Democrats view the district as one of their best opportunities to regain lost ground in Southeast Missouri. ...

Over the last several decades, the city of Jackson -- and its residents -- largely ignored the pedestrian population. Property owners allowed the sidewalks in front of their homes to crumble and disappear over time. The city didn't require or encourage developers to build sidewalks. Developers and homeowners declined to build sidewalks in many neighborhoods...

If the parents won't come to you, you go to the parents. It's a simple concept, one that Central Junior High principal Lee Gattis hopes will be enough to attract hard-to-reach parents to a special, second-chance back-to-school night Tuesday at the Salvation Army gymnasium...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and his vice president conceded Thursday in the clearest terms yet that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, even as they tried to shift the Iraq war debate to a new issue -- whether the invasion was justified because Saddam was abusing a U.N. oil-for-food program...

NEW YORK -- Suitcases full of cash, secret bank accounts, covert operatives, corrupt politicians on the take. A report detailing alleged illicit U.N. oil-for-food deals with the former Iraq government paints a portrait of Saddam Hussein as an international gangster -- not a nuclear terrorist...

Parents hearing that Jackson schools are using infrared technology to teach children how to read shouldn't fear for their children's health. The schools' use of phonemic sound-field amplification systems has few side effects, except perhaps improvements in attention spans, class participation and behavior problems...

A Cape Girardeau man who caught the attention of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals when he was charged with animal abuse in addition to three felony counts of domestic abuse was charged with another felony Friday. Paul Clifton Oakley, 43, in court for a preliminary hearing on the charges that he abused his live-in girlfriend and her kitten, reportedly escaped from custody and was captured minutes later in a doghouse on Bast Street in Jackson...

Congress could fuel expansion of the nation's ethanol industry, a top official of the Missouri Corn Growers Association said Friday. The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the America Jobs Creation Act of 2004, which includes provisions that would benefit ethanol manufacturers, said Fred Stemme, communications and marketing director of the corn growers association in Jefferson City...

BENTON, Mo. -- On Dec. 31, Ferrell will walk out of the sheriff's office for the last time. He isn't really retiring, he says, but leaving a job he's given his life to so he can do something else for a while and be with his family more. In November, Scott County voters will choose between Democrat Rick Walter and Republican Wes Drury to succeed Ferrell...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- St. Vincent added to its stable of running backs Friday night with the first start for Kyle Kline, the leading rusher from last year. But quarterback Alex Armbruster and tight end Danny Rellergert stole the show in a 46-6 homecoming victory against Crystal City...

By early in the fourth quarter the sea of orange and black Central football fans packed into the visitors stands at Jackson on Friday night were making their way to the exit. It turned out about 40 minutes of watching the Tigers get dominated by rival Jackson was all some Central fans could take. Jackson took care of Central 35-6 in the 91st meeting between the two rivals...

Fans of small school volleyball should be in for a treat today with the eight-team Scott City Volleyball Tournament kicking into gear at the high school and middle school. Area schools Scott City, Oran, Chaffee and Saxony Lutheran will be joined by Twin Rivers, Malden, Marquand and Campbell. Scott City and Oran have both had strong seasons so far and could be favorites to make it to the tournament finals...

Delta's softball team was eliminated from the Class 1 District 1 tournament 3-0 by host Naylor in Friday afternoon's championship game, thanks to two crucial errors and great pitching by Naylor's Meagan Young. Delta hurler Sarah Cook also dominated and allowed just four hits, but was done in by errors in the second and sixth innings. Sara Blattel was the primary offensive threat for the Bobcats, going 3-for-3...

ST. LOUIS -- In a testy debate rematch Friday, Sen. John Kerry derided President Bush as the first leader to preside over job losses in 72 years and said he had transformed huge budget surpluses into massive deficits with wartime tax cuts for the rich. Bush said Kerry would have to raise taxes on middle-class Americans to pay for $2.2 trillion in new spending programs...

LOS ANGELES -- He sings, he dances. He serves as the Dodgers' unofficial cheerleader, racing nonstop around the dugout and constantly pumping his teammates up. Most important, Jose Lima pitches -- and very well at Dodger Stadium. He'll pitch there tonight against the Cardinals in the most important start of his life...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. For years, it was as if Rogers Strickland lived in two separate worlds. He started a successful construction business, but it never seemed to intersect with his spiritual, faith-driven side. Until he realized it had to. "I was good at it, and I was making money, but it wasn't enough," Strickland said. ...

ALDERSON, W.Va. -- Martha Stewart exchanged her clothes for prison-issue khaki trousers and readied to sleep not on cotton linens, but on plain, military-grade sheets. Slipping all-but-unnoticed past supporters and TV crews in the darkness, Stewart reported to the Alderson Federal Prison Camp in rural West Virginia to begin serving her sentence for lying about a stock sale. ...

LOS ANGELES -- President Bush has unwittingly become a muse for a growing number of artists inspired by the war in Iraq and the upcoming presidential election to make political statements through their craft. Painters, sculptors, graffiti artists, guerrilla poster makers and aspiring artisans have been showing an unprecedented level of political outrage, said Carol Wells, director of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics in Los Angeles...

BOSTON -- This self-proclaimed band of idiots is going to play for the pennant. David Ortiz homered in the 10th inning to send the Boston Red Sox into their second consecutive AL championship series, completing a three-game sweep of the Anaheim Angels with an 8-6 victory Friday...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Thursday: At 3:51 p.m., an electrical call at 1744 Bessie St. At 10:30 p.m., emergency medical service in the 200 block of Mason Street. Firefighters responded to the following items on Friday:...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Mikell Dwayne Abraham, 27, 144 Lorimier St., Apt. 3, was arrested on a city warrant for failure to appear for probation revocation and possession of a controlled substance...

Peoria, Ill., Journal Star Gov. Rod Blagojevich called former Congressman Glenn Poshard out of retirement last week to head the troubled Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board. Now Poshard should help the governor retire the board. The agency was created in 1974 to control health care costs by preventing costly overbuilding at the same time it ensured statewide access to care. ...

Today First Presbyterian Church in Jackson will kick off its "40 Days of Purpose" campaign at 6:30 p.m. Another kick-off celebration will be held a 4 p.m. Sunday. For information, call the church office at 243-4265 or coordinator Dawn Pourney at 243-1042...

Children's ministry party at Wesley United church Wesley United Methodist Church in Fruitland will hold a Kid's Zone Party from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 17. Children ages 4 to 11 are invited to attend and are encouraged to wear costumes for a contest. Master illusionist D.J. Edwards will be the special guest. For more information, call Pastor Kevin at 243-5948...

Cycling n Two Belgian cyclists - a former world champion and a 2000 Olympic silver medalist - were suspended by their federation in separate doping scandals. Filip Meirhaeghe, a former world champion mountain biker, was suspended for 15 months after he tested positive this year for an endurance-enhancing substance...