Stories from Thursday, November 11, 2004

Cape Girardeau's planning and zoning commission remains stuck in debate over the proposed design for extending Fountain Street and how much it would cost to build. Smith & Co., a Poplar Bluff, Mo., engineering firm, estimates it would cost more than $1.23 million to build a decorative, divided boulevard with a brick-paved roadway and roundabouts at three downtown intersections. ...

Piles of leaves border Cape Girardeau city streets this week as public works crews prepare for the monthlong task of hauling away Mother Nature's trash. It's a daunting job, particularly in the older parts of the city where mature trees blanket lawns with leaves...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Cecil Barriner's third trial for allegedly murdering two New Madrid County women in 1996 began Wednesday with the prosecution explicitly describing the brutal crimes to the jury. Barriner, formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., is charged with fatally stabbing Irene Sisk, 74, and her granddaughter Candy Sisk, 19, in their Tallapoosa home on Dec. 16, 1996...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. - St. Mary's of the Barrens Seminary in Perryville was founded in 1818 by a small band of Italian Catholic priests. It was built as a place from which their order of Vincentian missionaries could carry out their vowed mandate to train priests and aid the poor of the region...

For the past few months, the Medical Group Management Association Southeast Region and the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce have had the same problem. Both wanted to recruit nationally-renowned speaker and educator Nancy Friedman to Cape Girardeau to talk to local medical groups and businesses about customer service, but alone neither seemed to have the pull to reel her in...

Nov. 11, 2004 Dear Julie, We were in Springfield, Mo., watching a performance of "Nunsense" starring our niece, Darci, as one of the five Little Sisters of Hoboken. One of the nuns on stage asked if any Catholics were in the audience. His neckware gave one man away...

Beatrice "Miss Bea" Mayfield, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at Heartland Care and Rehab Center. She was born Feb. 8, 1920, at Scopus, Mo., daughter of Pervis and Sarah Pulliam Crites. She and Ernest M. Mayfield were married in 1939 in Bollinger County, Mo. He died May 17, 1978...

To the editor: In the Old Testament we find the book of Leviticus. Notice the first four letters of that name: Levi. This book was written as the Levitical law to be followed by Levite priests. To be one of these Levite priests, one must prove his lineage all the way back to Levi. ...

To the editor: Senior centers are irrelevant to baby boomers, and the state must stop wasting our tax money on such unnecessary, do-gooder ventures. All senior centers in Missouri must be shut down immediately. There is essentially no demand for them, and all the jobs associated with them must be terminated. Trying to market senior centers to baby boomers is akin to selling American flags to the Chinese - they simply don't want any...

To the editor: Beginning Friday, the Missouri Department of Conservation will begin a new drawing procedure at Otter Slough and Eagle Bluffs. This experimental procedure will give all folks who wish to hunt ducks and geese a chance to draw for a hunting spot. Up till now, only one person from each party has been allowed to draw. Hunting parties typically range from one to four people...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Jackie Lucille Smithee, 85, of Glenallen died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at Elder Care of Marble Hill. She was born Oct. 2, 1919, at West Fork, Mo., daughter of James Roscoe and Eliza Jane Copeland Kent. She and Alfred Allen Smithee were married in April 1979. He died March 19,1990...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Virginia Whiteside, 81, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Jan. 8, 1923, in New Madrid County, Mo., daughter of John and Grace Cornie Couch. She and Oren K. Whiteside were married Dec. 26, 1942, at Benton, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Oliver Amos "Red" Snider Jr., 59, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 12, 1945, in Cape Girardeau, son of Oliver Amos and Connie Marie Fox Snider. He and Rita Ann Boehmer were married Dec. 7, 1984...

FALLUJAH, Iraq -- U.S. troops, on the verge of gaining control of the city, fought pockets of resistance in this former militant stronghold Wednesday and uncovered what the Iraqi commander said were "hostage slaughterhouses" in which foreign captives had been killed...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gary H. Moll, 62, of Perryville died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at his home. He was born June 1, 1942, in Morris, Ill., son of Howard and Alvera Gibbar Moll. He married Mary E. Henderson, who died Aug. 4, 1987. Moll was an engineer on a riverboat...

PATTON, Mo. -- Gleta Fulton, 93, of Patton died Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004, at Stockhoff Nursing Home in Fredericktown, Mo. She was born July 9, 1911, at Patton, daughter of John F. and Carrie Stanfill Miinch. She and Hadley James Fulton were married July 18, 1931. He died Jan. 30, 1990...

Leona A. Dennis, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2004, at Ratliff Care Center. Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Rita Johnson, 85, of Sunrise, Fla., died Monday, Nov. 8, 2004. She was formerly of Margate, Fla., and Chicago. She married Stuart Johnson, who preceded her in death. Survivors include two sons, Dr. David Johnson of Cape Girardeau, Thomas Johnson of Vero Beach, Fla.; a daughter, Caryl Hanlon of Sunrise; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild...

Today's date, Nov. 11, holds a special place in the hearts of veterans around the world, but no more so than in the United States, where the nation is observing Veterans Day. At first, Veterans Day was set aside to remember the armistice, signed on Nov. 11, 1918, that ended World War I. The holiday initially was called Armistice Day. In 1954, Congress changed the name to Veterans Day to honor all veterans who have served in the military...

In areas where creeks and rivers can become volatile, the best flood insurance is preparation for the inevitable. Cape Girardeau built its floodwall that protects the city from the Mississippi River, and the LaCroix Creek/Walker Branch Flood Control Project. Those projects have saved the city many millions of dollars in damage that would have occurred in their absence...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush nominated White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, who helped shape the administration's controversial legal strategy in the war on terror, to be attorney general Wednesday. He would be the first Hispanic ever to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Linas Kleiza had 23 points and nine rebounds to lead Missouri to a 90-60 exhibition victory over Northwest Missouri State on Wednesday night. Missouri led 52-39 at halftime and extended its lead to as many as 31 points in the second half. Four Tigers scored in double digits, including Thomas Gardner, who finished with 19 points...

WASHINGTON -- Federal authorities lowered the terror alert status for areas around financial institutions in New York, Washington and Newark, N.J., saying Wednesday that additional security precautions had reduced the threat. Lowering the threat level from orange to yellow -- the midpoint on the government's five-level terror warning system -- comes three months after the alert was raised because of concerns the institutions and the areas around them could be al-Qaida targets. ...

NEW YORK -- It shocked many pundits when ABC's new series "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" became the breakout hits of the new television season. But not the folks at Initiative, a top New York media agency, who say they've developed a new tool to help predict which shows will succeed or flop...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Yasser Arafat, who triumphantly forced his people's plight into the world spotlight but failed to achieve his lifelong quest for Palestinian statehood, died Thursday at age 75. The French military hospital where he had been treated for nearly a month said he died at 3:30 a.m. The Palestinian leader spent his final days there in a coma...

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- France, the United States and other nations launched one of the largest evacuations of Africa's post-independence era Wednesday, requisitioning commercial jets to fly out thousands of foreigners following attacks on civilians and peacekeeping troops...

NEW YORK -- Bobby Cox was voted NL Manager of the Year on Wednesday for leading the rebuilt Atlanta Braves to a record 13th straight division title, and Buck Showalter won the AL honor after his Texas Rangers went from also-ran to contender. Cox received 22 first-place votes and 10 seconds for 140 points to win easily. Tony La Russa of St. Louis, who has won four manager of the year awards, was second with 62 points, and Jim Tracy of Los Angeles was third with 52...

NASCAR returned to its roots Wednesday by lifting a ban on liquor ads on cars, opening the door for teams to be sponsored next season by distilled spirits. "We felt the time was right," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "Attitudes have changed, and spirits companies have a long record of responsible advertising."...

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve nudged interest rates up another quarter-point on Wednesday, the fourth moderate rate increase in the past five months, as Fed officials pointed to encouraging signs that the economy is finally rebounding from its summer slowdown...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov.-elect Matt Blunt on Wednesday tabbed Michael Keathley of Dexter, Mo., to supervise the daunting task of preparing the state budget proposal Missouri's incoming chief executive will deliver to the Missouri Legislature in January...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- No matter the color or the size, shoes are on the feet of hundreds of Iraqi children, who are able to walk across the harsh desert with more than soda cans wrapped around their feet now. Tonya Ulrich and other spouses of the U.S. Army Reserve's 428th Transportation Company spent 20 hours packing more than 3,000 pairs of shoes into 82 boxes recently...

Barbara Jean Hepler, 58, of North Little Rock, Ark., died Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004. A service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum. The Rev. Paul Short will officiate. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Toria Elizabeth Abernathy, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2004, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 8, 1915, at Burfordville, daughter of John and Emma Henderson Strong. She and Glenn William Abernathy were married March 9, 1946, in Piggott, Ark...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Running back Adam Schwent carried the Ste. Genevieve Dragons football team to a Class 3 state final appearance last season. While this year's Dragons (7-4) do not have a back that comes close to the dominance of Schwent, the combination of Taylor Huck, Kellen Stolzer and Tanner Wolk did the job on the ground for Ste. Genevieve on Wednesday night in a 20-7 sectional win over visiting Perryville...

SHELBINA, Mo. -- St. Vincent rolled past South Shelby 24-7 in a Class 1 sectional football contest Wednesday at South Shelby. The Indians (10-1) travel to Salisbury (11-0) on Monday night for a Class 1 quarterfinal game. St. Vincent scored on its first possession with three passing plays, two running plays and a penalty on South Shelby. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Martz called out his players on Monday, saying it was time to step up. Two days later, if anything, the St. Louis Rams' coach was even more agitated about his team's slide. He wasn't interested Wednesday in what the players had to say about his inflammatory remarks, instead adding fuel to the fire in a news conference that was short if not sweet. Usually Martz talks for about 20 minutes but he stormed off the podium after about 5 minutes this time...

WASHINGTON -- Driving 6 mph over the speed limit got Roy Caballes pulled over. But what happened next landed him at the Supreme Court, which considered Wednesday when police can use drug-sniffing dogs. Caballes was wearing a suit and driving a new Mercury when he was stopped on an Illinois freeway in November 1998. It looked like he would get off with a warning until Krott the drug dog showed up and sniffed out $250,000 worth of marijuana in Caballes' trunk...

Jackson basketball players and coaches hit the court on Nov. 1 for the start of practice with a mix of excitement and emotion. The Jackson program is coming off a 22-5 season in which the varsity team had its highest win total since 1993 and reached the district final before bowing to Class 5 state champion Poplar Bluff ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The director of the state Transportation Department provided a preview Wednesday of how officials plan to spend new money voters have set aside for roads, with an immediate focus on repaving heavily traveled routes. Pete Rahn presented the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission with a plan for issuing about $1.3 billion in bonds to make roads, in the agency's new slogan, "smoother, safer, sooner." Voters last week overwhelmingly passed a state constitutional amendment to direct all vehicle sales taxes and some gas taxes to improving roads and bridges.. ...

The start of the early signing period for NCAA schools Wednesday garnered eight athletes for Southeast Missouri State, with more expected before the period ends Nov. 17. High school seniors and junior college athletes are eligible to sign binding letters of intent with college programs in most sports during this period, with football being the notable exception...

October was Neighborhood Nights Month in Cape Girardeau -- a time for neighbors to foster caring and concern for each other and promote a stronger and more effective community. Organized by the Vision 2020 City Advisory Board, chairman Nancy Jernigan said, "These gatherings gave neighbors a chance to celebrate the things we all share and discover the diversity among us that makes America great. ...

Salvation Army putting kettles out around town Salvation Army volunteers will again be ringing bells in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Bell ringing will begin Friday at various locations. A goal of $225,000 has been set, with the money to be used for ongoing operation of the Salvation Army. To volunteer, call 335-7000...

Southeast Missouri The United Way of Southeast Missouri has raised 80 percent of its 2004 campaign goal of $1 million. The following employee campaigns reported significant increases: Sam's Club: $9,346, a 300 percent increase. Wood and Huston Bank: $7,893, a 66 percent increase...

n Name: Steve Schaffner Lives in: Cape Girardeau Family: Wife, Linda Sue; daughters, Stephanie, 18, Charlotte,14. Job: Orchestra director at Central Junior High and Central High School. What do you like most about the area? The music! We've got great music programs in our schools and lots of great musicians in our area...

Chili, chicken noodle soup on tap in Kelso An all-you-can-eat chili and chicken noodle soup supper will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Augustine school gym in Kelso. Children 5 and under may eat free. The meal is sponsored by the St. Augustine Booster Club...

The group plans to meet Sunday to form an official chapter. By Chris Pagano ~ Southeast Missourian A local group interested in the Lewis and Clark expedition's westward journey is taking the next step to becoming a chapter of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation...

Animals adopt us I AGREE with the adopting of pets. My son has his companion that we adopted in 1997, after she had adopted us. She has moved with him and been his constant companion. I adopted my own pet in 1998. Both were spayed. Both have been a blessing. Stop by the Humane Society and see which animal adopts you...

From Verdi's classic opera "La Traviata" to new Broadway sensation "Avenue Q," students from the opera and theater workshop at Southeast Missouri State University will bring to life scenes from a diverse selection of operas, oper-ettas and Broadway shows with "A Little Stage Music" at 8 p.m. today (Nov. 11) in Academic Auditorium...

25 years ago: Nov. 11, 1979 KFVS12 has implemented a new policy regarding the telecast of information during periods of severe weather; Vice President-General Manager Thomas J. Josephsen says KFVS will remain on the air past its normal sign-off time when a major portion of its coverage area is under a severe weather watch, warning or other unusual emergency situations...

Wilson Son to Jeremy Brandon and Elizabeth Ann Wilson Sr. of Chaffee, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:47 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004. Name, Wyatt Owen. Weight, 6 pounds 13 ounces. Third child, second son. Wilson is employed at Raben Tire Co. Inc...

Basketball Hotshot contest: The Jackson Parks and Recreation Department is offering a Points for Pizzas Basketball Hotshot Contest on Nov. 20 at the multi-purpose building by Jackson High School. Registration is 9 a.m. with the contest to begin at 10. Divisions for ages 9-11, 12-14 and 15-17. No fee; Domino's pizzas for top three finishers. A half-court shoot-off also planned. Info: 204-8848...

Today Preparation for Childbirth Class 1 meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Healing Arts Center conference room. This is a four-session class and is free to all participants. For more information, call (877) 231-2229. Asthma education program at 6:30 p.m. in the Generations Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Program is for asthma sufferers and their families. To register, call the Generations Center at 651-5285...

'Tis becoming the season to be jolly. 'Tis also the season to catch a cold and flu. But, as it turns out, if it is your season to be jolly, then most likely it will not be your cold season. It seems that the jolliest among us are the most immune from catching that common cold bug. This, according to some very good new studies that confirm a growing body of research that our "emotional styles" have a definite influence on our physical health...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Tuesday: At 8:03 p.m., emergency medical service in the 700 block of South Pacific Street. At 10:22 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2000 block of Kenneth Drive. Firefighters responded to the following items on Wednesday:...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Wednesday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Melena Zerlinda Broglin, 27, 365 Estate Drive, was arrested on a warrant for probation and parole violation. Matthew Komorech, 23, 1717 Bertling St., was arrested on a warrant for probation and parole violation...

Dutch grappling with wave of ethnic violence UDEN, Netherlands -- The brazen daylight murder of a filmmaker who criticized Islamic fundamentalism has shattered Holland's fabled tranquility. A wave of attacks on mosques and churches -- and a firebombing at a Muslim elementary school -- is raising troubling questions about Dutch society's relations with a large and increasingly restive Muslim minority. ...

From staff and wire reports Many ABC affiliates around the country have announced that they won't take part in the network's Veterans Day airing of "Saving Private Ryan," saying the acclaimed film's violence and language could draw sanctions from the Federal Communications Commission...

When Ron Beasley walks with the Sons of the American Revolution in the Veterans Day parade in Jackson today and again Saturday in Cape Girardeau, he takes a certain amount of pride in putting his family history in motion. Beasley is related to a Revolutionary War soldier who served with George Washington at Valley Forge...

The following local teachers were chosen for the eighth annual edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Teachers are nominated for the recognition by former students. Southeast Missouri State University -- Rick Althaus, Ronald Clayton, Robert Gifford, Victor Gummerscheimer, Steven Hoffman, Karie Hollerbach, Dieter Jedan, Ernest Kern, Paula King, Mark Langenfeld, Milo Miller, Agatha Leehinwa Nnazor, Gail Overbey, David Probst, Julia Ray, Joel Rhodes Tammle Stenger, Stuart Swope, Diane Woods,. ...

Jackson police have arrested a man -- a retired police lieutenant from El Paso, Texas -- they say is the suspect who robbed the Horst Pharmacy in Jackson earlier this month. Jeffrey Earl Lattimer, 48, of 199 Oak Hill Road in Jackson was charged Wednesday with the class A felony of pharmacy robbery in the first degree, according to Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle...

When does a 100-year anniversary seem young? When someone else celebrates a 122-year anniversary! Last Friday, The Banner Press in Marble Hill, Mo., was recognized by the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce with a longevity award for its 122 years of service. Along with Banner Press editor Scott Moyers, it was my privilege to represent the newspaper at that chamber's annual awards dinner...

From staff and wire reports MEDICAL OFFICIALS ARE URGING FAMILIES TO NOT JUST TALK TURKEY THIS THANKSGIVING BUT ALSO MEDICAL HISTORY -- GENERATIONS OF IT -- TO HELP IDENTIFY BREAST, HEART AND OTHER PROBLEMS EARLY ENOUGH TO PREVENT THEM. N "KNOWING YOUR FAMILY'S HISTORY CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE," SURGEON GENERAL RICHARD H. CARMONA SAID. "THANKSGIVING IS A PERFECT DAY FOR TALKING ABOUT FAMILY HISTORY. ... YOU'LL BE AMAZED AT WHAT YOU LEARN."...