Stories from Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Mark Nussbaum is a third-generation farmer who's going against the grain. The soil under his fingernails comes from the same land near Jackson that his grandfather, Leo Nussbaum, bought as a cattle and crop farm in 1935. Mark's father, Rudy Nussbaum, made the decision to shift the farm's primary yield from beef and soybeans to timber. They harvest oak, hickory, cherry and walnut trees from the 600-acre woodland...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican Peter Kinder's razor-thin margin of victory in the recent election for lieutenant governor got a bit thinner on Tuesday with the release of amended vote totals. With another 4,296 votes tallied, Kinder now sits just 14,583 votes ahead of Democrat Bekki Cook out of 2.65 million cast. The revised, but still unofficial, result trimmed 1,672 votes from Kinder's election night lead...

Sections of three major highways in Southeast Missouri will be resurfaced under the Missouri Department of Transportation's "smooth roads" program, but exact locations for such roadwork haven't been determined, MoDOT officials said Tuesday. MoDOT plans to spend $400 million over the next three years to put a smooth surface and safety features on the state's 2,200 busiest miles of highway...

At Central Junior High, students will pause in the hallways to read their classmates' ultimate dreams, carefully written out on paper clouds and taped to the walls. At Jefferson Elementary, parents and grandparents will seat themselves next to students in classrooms for a day of learning...

Editor's note: This column originally ran Dec. 5, 2000. Heidi Hall's column will return next Wednesday. I thought the presidential election might be settled before I had to write this column. I never dreamed my good name would become linked to a state with the population density of many foreign countries but with the total brain mass of a Chihuahua...

Cape man involved in Taste incident sentenced A Cape Girardeau man involved in a Jan. 1 fight that led to the shooting death of Anton Miller was sentenced Tuesday to 32 months for being a previously convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Shamir Houston, 22, had previously been convicted in Cape Girardeau County in 2001 for unlawful use of a weapon and attempted kidnapping. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- For Missouri linebacker James Kinney, an upcoming personal milestone is a minor concern, at best. Kinney said Monday that he didn't realize he was 10 tackles away from breaking DeMontie Cross' school record of 415, until reporters informed him of it...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri hunters shot a record number of deer during the opening weekend of the fall firearms season. Hunters reported killing 133,136 deer on Saturday and Sunday, breaking the 2002 record of 127,251 deer killed on the season's opening weekend, Jim Low, a spokesman for the Missouri Department of Conservation, said Tuesday...

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday college football poll voters should be aware that ESPN has a contract with the Southeastern Conference when they consider the cable sports network's analysis that Auburn should be the nation's No. 2 team and not Oklahoma...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Tuesday picked National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who once tutored him on global affairs, to be his top diplomat, saying her foreign-policy experience and struggle against racism uniquely qualified her to be America's "face to the world" as secretary of state...

WASHINGTON -- A record 157,000 illegal immigrants were removed from the United States during the past year as U.S. authorities stepped up efforts to track down those who may pose security risks, the government said Tuesday. About half of those deported in the year ending Sept. ...

WASHINGTON -- Congressional negotiators have reached agreement on major changes in special education, aiming to boost discipline in class, better identify children with disabilities, get help to students earlier and reduce lawsuits by parents. "Passage of this bipartisan agreement will cap more than two years of work," Judd Gregg, Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee, told The Associated Press on Tuesday...

Southeast Missouri State University's Jessica Koeper, a sophomore outside hitter from Jackson High School, has been named to the all-Ohio Valley Conference second team for volleyball. Koeper, Southeast's kills leader, is tied for fourth in the OVC with an average of 3.91 kills per game. She helped lead a strong late-season Southeast charge that earned the squad a berth in the OVC tournament that begins Saturday in Richmond, Ky. Southeast is seeded fourth for the six-team event...

The Gamecocks can clinch sole possession of the OVC title on Saturday against Southeast. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Jacksonville State still needs one more win to nail down a second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship...

St. Vincent used offense, defense and special teams to control previously unbeaten Salisbury. SALISBURY, Mo. -- St. Vincent's dominance of Salisbury both offensively and defensively was fairly evident throughout Monday night's Class 1 state quarterfinal game...

A commitment to customer satisfaction has earned Drury Inns a loyal following of customers and the attention of the Better Business Bureau. The St. Louis-based corporation with deep roots in the Cape Girardeau area began as a limited service hotel in 1973 in Sikeston and today has more than 100 locations in 17 states...

Flight attendants to hold strike votes PITTSBURGH -- The nation's largest flight attendants union said Tuesday it would hold strike-authorization votes at four major airlines, accusing the industry of using the bankruptcy process to cut workers' pay and other benefits. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The fatal shooting of a wounded and apparently unarmed man in a Fallujah mosque by a U.S. Marine angered Sunni Muslims in Iraq on Tuesday and raised questions about the protection of enemy fighters once they are out of action. International legal experts said the Marine may have acted in self-defense because of a danger that a wounded combatant may try to blow up a hidden weapon; a key issue was whether the injured man was a prisoner at the time...

The Associated Press PARIS -- France's foreign minister indicated Tuesday that his country has no intention of publishing Yasser Arafat's medical records and will leave the decision about what to do with them up to his family. Michel Barnier's comment came shortly after Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said he had formally requested that France publish Arafat's medical records...

NEW YORK -- Vladimir Guerrero had such a huge impact during the final week of the season that voting for the American League Most Valuable Player award wasn't even close. Guerrero easily defeated his competitors on the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on Tuesday, becoming just the fifth player to switch leagues and earn the honor in his first season with his new team...

The Tigers improved to 2-0 with a 77-61 victory over Houston. By R.B. Fallstrom ~ The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Linas Kleiza had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Missouri outscored Houston 20-1 over a 6 1/2 minute span that began near the end of the first half of a 77-61 victory over Houston in the second round of the Guardians Classic on Tuesday night...

With 11 of his 15 players being newcomers -- and with just one returning starter -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball coach B.J. Smith is counting on many of those first-year performers to assume key roles. Topping that list is 6-foot-2 center Tatiana Conceicao, a junior college transfer who Smith believes is as talented as any player he's had -- including some of those from his days at Northeastern A&M College who went on to play professionally...

Dainmon Gonner's numbers indicate a solid rookie basketball season last year for Southeast Missouri State University -- but coach Gary Garner believes the best is still to come for his senior forward. And Gonner couldn't have agreed more during Southeast's media day activities Tuesday afternoon at the Show Me Center...

WASHINGTON -- Wholesale prices -- catapulted by more expensive energy and food -- soared last month by the largest amount in more than 14 years. With inflation at the producer level accelerating sharply after months of good behavior, chances are rising the Federal Reserve will boost interest rates for a fifth time this year on Dec. 14...

LAS VEGAS -- Weight-loss experts have a novel prescription for people who want to shed pounds: Get some sleep. A very large study has found a surprisingly strong link between the amount of shut-eye people get and their risk of becoming obese. Those who got less than four hours of sleep a night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who got the recommended seven to nine hours of rest, scientists discovered. ...

NEW YORK -- A man who set himself on fire in front of the White House this week was a key witness against a sheik accused of funneling millions of dollars to al-Qaida and the Palestinian Islamic group Hamas, defense attorneys said Tuesday. Defense attorneys said Mohamed Alanssi is a confidential informant central to the prosecution of Sheik Ali Hassan al-Moayad, a leading member of an Islamic-oriented political party in Yemen who is awaiting trial in federal court in New York. ...

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- The rapper Young Buck was being sought by police Tuesday for allegedly stabbing a man who punched hip-hop legend Dr. Dre at the Vibe awards. Buck fled the Santa Monica airport hangar where the awards were taped Monday night, police Lt. Frank Fabrega said...

Let's start at the beginning: Mario Puzo's best seller, "The Godfather." This is the book so riveting that it sold 21 million copies worldwide, so entertaining that it prompted an Academy Award-winning film and its equally brilliant sequel, so realistic it that became a primer for subsequent generations of genuine mobsters...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The latest round of the legal battle between Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar and U.S. beer giant Anheuser-Busch Ltd. remained unresolved Tuesday after the European Union's high court passed the case back to judges in Finland. The case is part of a tussle dating back almost a century and involving dozens of lawsuits for rights to the Budweiser, Bud and Budvar beer labels...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip --The interim Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has asked Palestinian militants to halt violence during the campaign for Jan. 9 presidential elections, a participant in truce talks said Tuesday. Abbas is trying to work out a deal with rival Palestinian groups on a cease-fire and possible power-sharing. ...

To the editor: In response to "Answering kids' questions about hunting not a task to take lightly": Thank you. I grew up at Benton, Mo., and I hunted with my dad and grandfather and many great friends. That was in the 1950s and 1960s. Now it seems that some kids will never realize the joy I felt growing up that way. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your gift to someone who read the article...

To the editor: In response to "Family seeks law against hunting while drinking": I want to thank Linda Redeffer for the great story she did on behalf of my family and myself. I know that even if I can't get this passed, at least hunters will think twice. This story means a lot to us, because we know there are people out there who really care. David and my mom would be very proud to have known Redeffer. I am sure they are looking down on her with a smile. Thank you so much...

To the editor: In response to "Before the flood": Perhaps you did not intend for it to seem as if the city helped build the downtown levee, but that is the way it reads. The downtown landowners and the federal government provided all the funding for that levee, unlike the Cape LaCroix Creek levee...

Colleges n Missouri added its third recruit on Tuesday, signing 6-foot-9 Leo Criswell of Kansas City to a national letter of intent. Criswell averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds as a junior at Kansas City Piper before transferring to Coastal Christian Academy. He was rated the nation's 26th best forward by Rivalhoops.com and a top 50 national recruit by several services...

Katie Niemczyk was the heart and soul of the Bell City volleyball team. Niemczyk is undersized for a standout volleyball player at 5 feet, 3 inches, but what she lacked in size she made up for in effort. Whether it was hitting, passing or defense, Niemczyk was always there when the Cubs needed her...

In the garden: Cleaning garden tools Now that the ground temperature is dropping, along with leaves from the trees, it's time to think about cleaning and storing your garden tools. Here are some useful tips: Make a protective sheath for a shovel by cutting a piece of rubber tubing lengthwise and slipping it over the edge of the shovel blade. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Monday: At 5:16 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Spanish Street. At 6:19 p.m., citizen assist at 1111 Themis St. At 7:33 p.m., emergency medical service at Independence Street and West End Boulevard...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Tuesday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs George Vernon Bellefeville Jr., 21, of Glenallen, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, failure to yield and driving without a valid license...

WASHINGTON -- Revelations of bid-rigging within the insurance industry may lead Congress to a "Pandora's box" of unethical conduct, a top investigator told Congress on Tuesday, just before two more executives pleaded guilty. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who launched an investigation Oct. 14 into major insurance brokerages suspected of price-fixing, told the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that more disclosures of bad practices were coming...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Margaret Hassan, an aid worker kidnapped after decades of helping Iraqis, was believed murdered, her family and aid officials said Tuesday after Al-Jazeera television said it received a video showing a hooded militant shooting a blindfolded woman in the head...

smcclanahan Our school is planning an all-school field trip to see the "The Polar Express" and there will be activities for students to do as the time approaches to go see the film. Leasa Maxfield, a teacher at our school, has been making plans for the field trip and a variety of activities in which the children can participate. She shared these recipes with me to pass on to you...

Construction crews are close to finishing major improvements near Interstate 55 and William Street. The $1 million project could be finished before Thanksgiving, said Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer Scott Meyer. "It is rapidly wrapping up," he said. "We are trying to get out before the Christmas rush."...

Although it may not even be time to thaw the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner, the spirit of Christmas looms large in Cape Girardeau this week, or at least it does at the Show Me Center. The venue will play host to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "Christmas Eve and Other Stories" tonight, the Moscow Ballet's "The Great Russian Nutcracker" on Thursday and the 34th annual Christmas Arts and Crafts Extravaganza on Saturday and Sunday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The last-minute effort by some conservative groups to oust Missouri Supreme Court Judge Richard Teitelman may have failed, but it focused renewed attention on a process for determining judicial service that exists mostly in obscurity...

A masked man believed to be the same man who held up two Cape Girardeau businesses tried to rob the Save-a-Lot at 1905 E. Jackson Blvd. on Tuesday, Jackson police said. According to Lt. Rodney Barnes, a man in a black sweat shirt and a green Halloween mask walked in at about 8 p.m., when the store was closing. The suspect, carrying a Wal-Mart shopping bag, approached a clerk, who warned the manager over the intercom and scared the suspect away...

McCadams Son to Joseph S. and Nichole K. McCadams of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:03 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, 2004. Name, Cade James. Weight, 6 pounds 8 ounces. The couple also has twin daughters. Mrs. McCadams is the former Nichole Trankler, daughter of James and Rita Trankler of Jackson. McCadams is the son of Bob and Karen McCadams of Jackson. He is employed at Cape Surgical Clinic...

VFW Post 3838 Ladies Auxiliary The Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 3838 met Thursday with Judy Thrower, president, presiding. Membership chairwoman Glenneta Vogelsang reminded all members to pay dues by Dec. 15. General orders and communications were read by Jane Jenkins, secretary. Deborah Griffin, Voice of Democracy chairwoman, announced the winners of the Voice of Democracy contest: Justin Voss, first; Heather Hileman, second; and Chris Griffith, third...

To the editor: In response to "Stress found to activate enzyme that impairs memory, study shows": Your article on how stress causes forgetfulness describes research recently published by Dr. Amy F. T. Arnsten of Yale Medical School. The research suggests that a stress-activated enzyme in the brain named protein kinase C impairs short-term memory and other cognitive functions. ...

To the editor: "A labor of love" is how the late Albert Spradling Jr. described the work involved when he took on the case of a 7-year-old boy who was found unconscious and suffering from smoke inhalation and malnutrition in the house where he lived with his mother and her boyfriend. He had been locked in the basement for several days -- the mother and friend left town -- when the house caught fire...

Quieter in Jackson HOORAY, RESIDENTS of Jackson. It sounds like the city council is looking at enforcing the current noise nuisance laws. If you are tired of the loud car stereos and loud cars, trucks and motorcycles, let the mayor and your alderman know that you support the effort to make Jackson a quieter town. Give them your support...

Mildred Marie "Midge" Wilson, 76, of Cape Girardeau was called to her heavenly home Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004, in Houston, Texas. She was born Feb. 23, 1928, in Cape Girardeau. Mildred was welcomed by her husband, Walter A. Wilson; a son, William Austin; her mother, Edith, and father, William Lafayette Johnson; and brothers, Leonard Lafayette and Larry Kent Johnson...

Janet C. Matthews, 77, of Sun City, Ariz., formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004. She was born Oct. 14, 1927, in St. Louis, daughter of William Arthur and Wavel Clark. She and Thurman F. "Doc" Matthews were married Aug. 8, 1948, in Cape Girardeau...

Alma Virginia Cope, 87, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 15, 2004, at the home of a son in Jackson. She was born Oct. 2, 1917, at Ten Mile, Mo., daughter of Ira Menzo and Ennola Russell Sauer. She and William Paul Spell were married April 7, 1935. He died July 18, 1944. She and Alfred L. Cope were married May 6, 1946, in Pocahontas, Ark. He died April 19, 1993...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Steven Page Loomes, 37, of East Prairie died Monday, Nov. 15, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born April 25, 1967, in Sikeston, son of Robert and Ruth Pate Loomes. He married Trina Brooks. Loomes was a farmer and attended New Beginnings Church...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norma Jean "Sis" Galloway, 75, of Perryville died Monday, Nov. 15, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 18, 1929, at McBride, Mo., daughter of William J. and Mildred E. Dallas Wingerter. She and Earl J. Wood were married Oct. 2, 1951. He died Nov. 24, 1979. She and Howard Wade Galloway were married June 21, 1989. He died Aug. 19, 1992...

25 years ago: Nov. 17, 1979 In less than a month, Cape Girardeau County Court plans to begin discussing next year's operating budget; this coming year, the county can expect to receive increased revenue of about $700,000 from sales tax revenue after property taxes have been reduced, and $118,516 in state gasoline tax revenue as a result of passage of Amendment 2...

A simple stuffing combines mushrooms, onions and celery with bread cubes for a classic, earthy complement to the bird of the day. The recipe is from "Everyday Food" magazine's November issue and it provides for baking stuffing in the turkey, and extra in a baking dish...

KRCU, Southeast Public Radio, will begin airing a new program on food beginning at 3 p.m. Friday. The show will air on 90.9 FM and repeat at 10 a.m. Sunday. The presentation is called "From Soup to Nuts," and serves a feast of information on food and culture. The show comes from To the Best of Our Knowledge and has Jim Fleming as host. He will be joined by 14 award-winning chefs and food writers to talk of everything from the seasonal bounty of the farmers' market to the fresh-baked bread...

When you have had your fill of offbeat Thanksgiving dinner variations, and want to revisit something all the family will recognize as holiday tradition, the place to go may well be the new "Good Housekeeping Great American Classics Cookbook" (Hearst Books, 2004)...

COMMERCE, Mo. -- The 108-year-old city hall building in Commerce is one step closer to being listed on the National Register of Historic Places after the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation approved its nomination Friday. This was just one of several steps taken in the process of getting the building on the National Register, which would make it open to receive federal and state money for restoration...