Stories from Friday, November 19, 2004

The week before Thanksgiving is way too early to be singing Christmas carols. Way too early. But there I was Wednesday night at the Show Me Center with my foot tapping to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's "O Holy Night." I'm not a toe-tapping fellow most of the time...

Beginning this weekend the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol will concentrate on keeping motorists safe through the Thanksgiving holiday. Cape Girardeau police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint starting Friday, said police chief Steve Strong. Motorists may notice minor delays in traffic flow throughout the weekend. The objective, Strong said, is to keep drunken drivers off the road...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- About 8.4 percent of Missourians lack health insurance, with young adults the most likely to be going without it, according to a survey released Thursday. The survey conducted for the state Department of Health and Senior Services estimates that 463,000 Missourians do not have health insurance...

Author Wade Stevenson needs to look no further than his own life to find material for his historical thrillers, including the time spent growing up in Southeast Missouri. Since leaving his hometown of Scott City -- then Ancell -- in 1955, Stevenson has traveled the world during the 32 years he spent working for the United States government handling sensitive information. He now lives in Wheatland, Wyo...

The road leading to the Jackson Recycling Center, Eastview Court, will be closed today and Saturday. It will reopen on Monday. To get to the center on the days the road is closed, turn off Main Street onto the gravel road near Co-op Service Center and follow the signs. For further information, call Lysa at Jackson Public Works Dept., 243-2300...

For more than half a century, Clearwater Lake and Wappapello Lake have controlled flooding of the Black and St. Francis rivers, with the main beneficiary being the flat farmland south of Poplar Bluff, Mo. Torrential rains in the spring of 2002 provided the toughest test ever at Clearwater Lake. ...

To the editor: In reference to the comment about city's pay plan: Those children who are hungry have the option of eating a free school breakfast and lunch. In addition, those women you claim only live on $5,000 to $6,000 a year may only bring that much in as cash money, but that does not include their food stamps, WIC, child support, use of food pantries, use of clothing closets, places that give free diapers and formula, utility assistance and so on that we all pay for out of our taxes...

To the editor: I read the letter "Jackson facilities are adequate." I don't think students having to study in converted storage spaces or having to sing in bathrooms is adequate. Neither is attending functions in the gym where the air conditioning cannot cool it. And the plumbing is worn out...

To the editor: On Saturday, citizens of Cape Girardeau and the surrounding towns will have an opportunity to participate in the nation's single largest service project, Scouting for Food. This event last year brought in more than 60,000 cans of food for the Salvation Army, FISH and other local agencies...

Pray for the Iraqis THERE ARE a lot of people praying for the president and praying for U.S. soldiers. Just once I would like to hear someone praying for the millions of Iraqi men, women and children who are dealing with the loss of power and destruction of their homes and are being injured and killed as part of their liberation...

John W. Kosharek, 90, of Houston, Texas, formerly of Scott City, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004, in Houston. He was born June 17, 1914, in Steuben, Wis., son of Charles and Mary Kosharek. He and Beatrice Marie Hamilton were married Dec. 31, 1937, in Waukon, Iowa. They shared 61 years together...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Verdell Wolters, 75, died Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004, at Perry Oaks Manor in Perryville. She was born July 19, 1928, in Randolph County, Ill., daughter of Martin and Hulda Weaver Brockmeyer. She married Edgar Wolters, who preceded her in death...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Thelma Onetia Woods, 83, of Marble Hill died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at her home. She was born July 8, 1921, at Marble Hill, daughter of John E. and Flossie Limbaugh Brown. Woods retired as a machine operator at Serta Bedding Co. in St. Louis. She was a member of Fellowship Church in Marble Hill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Forrest P. "Tiny" Lingle, 81, of Anna died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Ill. He was born April 6, 1923, at Mill Creek, Ill., son of George and Minnie Knupp Lingle. He and Beverly Sue Jennings were married Nov. 27, 1954, in Balcom, Ill...

VERGENNES, Ill. -- Vivian Blythe, 67, of Vergennes died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Ill. She was born Dec. 15, 1936, daughter of Floyd and Angeline Sikora Miller. She and Everett Blythe were married March 4, 1955...

WASHINGTON -- One-third of President Bush's top 2000 fund-raisers or their spouses were appointed to positions in his first administration, from ambassadorships in Europe to seats on policy-setting boards, an Associated Press review found. The perks for 246 "pioneers" who raised at least $100,000 also included overnight stays at the White House and Camp David, parties at the White House and Bush's Texas ranch, state dinners with world leaders and overseas travel with U.S. ...

Annika Sorenstam was hitting the ball so well she knew exactly where it was going. Combine that with an unusually calm day in south Florida, and her name atop the leaderboard was no surprise. Sorenstam birdied four of the last five holes Thursday, twice with a 7-iron into greens surrounded by trouble, giving her a 6-under 66 and a one-shot lead after the first round of the season-ending ADT Championship in West Palm Beach, Fla...

It's been a dozen years since the final race of the NASCAR season could promise this kind of suspense. When the checkered flag drops Sunday with the Nextel Cup Chase championship on the line, three of the most popular drivers on the circuit are all within a few car lengths of current points leader Kurt Busch, and a fourth, sentimental favorite Mark Martin, could mathematically still pull off the upset...

Gerald Jones passes on his whistle after 40 years By Jeremy Joffray ~ Southeast Missourian Few things remain constant in the world of high school football. Players come and go. Coaches move up and eventually move on. Even the school stadiums are renovated or replaced...

Both teams have suffered three straight losing seasons and will be looking for an opening victory. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian A young and inexperienced -- yet quite talented -- basketball team figures to greet Southeast Missouri State University's men during their season opener tonight...

Nationally ranked Oklahoma will provide a daunting challenge for Southeast. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian B.J. Smith has not shied away from playing a rugged pre-conference schedule since he began coaching Southeast Missouri State University's women...

Southeast will take a three-match conference winning streak into Saturday's play. ~ By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team hopes a late-season surge pays off with success in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament...

Hollywood celebrities and past presidents traveled to Little Rock, Ark., for the ceremony. By James Jefferson ~ The Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Bill Clinton, America's first baby boomer president, opened his library Thursday with a rock 'n' roll gala that hailed the $165 million glass-and-steel museum as "a gift to the future by a man who always believed in the future."...

NEW YORK -- Whoopi Goldberg is back on Broadway in the one-woman show that launched her career 20 years ago, and much is the same: same theater, same big-name producer and much of the same material. Another thing that's the same? She still has no idea what might happen next on stage...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Members of Walt Disney World's largest union group, representing 40 percent of the resort's 51,000-person work force, late Thursday approved a three-year contract proposal as the current contract was set to expire. The vote -- the fourth attempt at passage -- was 3,771 for the contract, 2,669 against...

LONDON -- Nearly a week after his death, speculation still swirls around what killed Yasser Arafat. Cirrhosis of the liver, AIDS, a blood disorder and poisoning are frequently mentioned in unconfirmed reports -- all consistent with the little that is publicly known about the medical condition that landed the Palestinian leader in a French hospital...

His call for an end to civil war came at a Security Council meeting in Kenya. By Chris Tomlinson ~ The Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya -- U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council on Thursday to issue "the strongest warning" to the forces fighting in Sudan to bring an end to the civil wars there...

BRANSON, Mo. -- The Acrobats of China will mark their eighth season in Branson with a new theater. The New Shanghai Theatre is being built on Highway 165. Construction began in October, but the groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday. Bill and Janet Dailey will own the theater, which will feature modern Chinese architecture and will seat about 900 people. Performances are scheduled from May 15 through Dec. 14...

CHICAGO -- The Montreal Expos remain in limbo, already out of one home but not quite ready to move into a new one. Instead of rubber-stamping the Expos' proposed move to Washington as expected Thursday, Major League Baseball owners made the surprise decision to table the vote. Commissioner Bud Selig said the move will still take place, with a vote by owners coming by Dec. 6...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Georgia Clemons, 94, of Mounds died Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo, Ill. Friends may call from noon to service time Saturday at Bethel Church of God in Christ in Mounds. Burial will be in Beech Grove Cemetery...

McCLURE, Ill. -- David Lee "Speedy" Anderson, 43, of rural McClure, died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, near McClure from injuries sustained in an auto accident. He was born June 18, 1961, in Anna, Ill., son of Edward Dwain Anderson and Frieda Dickerson Anderson...

Wanda Lucille Hartline, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 18, 1916, in Tamms, Ill., daughter of Charles and Rana Walters Raby. She and Earl T. Hartline were married June 2, 1934, in Dongola, Ill. He died May 24, 1999...

'Irreconcilable differences' get attention in Chile SANTIAGO, Chile -- A 48-year-old woman became the first person in Chilean history to file for divorce Thursday, ushering in a new era for this heavily Roman Catholic country that had been the last in South America with no divorce law. The justice minister called the new law a historic step, but Maria Victoria Torres said it was far more personal -- "a window that opens to look at a new life with dignity, without fear."...

Hospital system bans smoking on its property RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Workers, patients and visitors were banned from smoking anywhere on SSM Health Care properties starting Thursday. The health-care system made its 20 hospitals and three nursing homes in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma smoke free...

A U.S. Marine commander cautioned that fighting will continue throughout the country. By Tini Tran ~ The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. troops sweeping through Fallujah on Thursday said they believe they have found the suspected command center of the insurgent group headed by Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi...

Gunmakers not responsible for weapon use in Illinois SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed two lawsuits that accused gun manufacturers of creating a "public nuisance" by knowingly letting their weapons fall into the hands of criminals. ...

A proposed plan that would boost pay for Cape Girardeau city employees fails to adequately reward longtime police officers and firefighters, some public safety employees say. "There is a huge amount of unhappiness in both the police and fire departments over this pay plan," said John Oliver, an attorney for the Cape Girardeau Police Officers Benevolent Association...

Rescuers are dragging portions of the river from Cape Girardeau to Thebes, Ill. By Linda Redeffer ~ Southeast Missourian The Cape Girardeau Fire Department rescue crew and the Missouri Water Patrol searched the Mississippi River again Thursday looking for the body of a man who reportedly jumped off the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Wednesday afternoon...

Hell hath no fury like a customer scorned. That was the theme of the fifth annual education day sponsored by Medical Group Management Association's Southeast Region and the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, held Thursday at the Plaza Conference Center. Nationally renowned customer service expert Nancy Friedman came into town as the event's keynote speaker to tell more than 200 people from local organizations how to avoid incurring their customers' wrath...

There's not a school superintendent in Missouri who hasn't memorized the acronyms by now -- AYP, MAP, NCLB. Recent state and federal laws have generated a dictionary's worth of new terminology and new requirements to match, so much so that the limelight has fallen away from older accountability systems, such as the Annual Performance Reports...

Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District applied for a $750,000 grant. By Kathryn Alfisi ~ Southeast Missourian The Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District is applying for a $750,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources that would promote conservation among farmers...

Hahs Son to Brandon Christian and Marilyn Kathleen Hahs of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:06 p.m. Monday, Oct. 18, 2004. Name, Andrew Walker. Weight, 7 pounds 1 ounce. First child. Mrs. Hahs is the former Marilyn Orlando, daughter of Art and Cathy Orlando of O'Fallon, Mo. Hahs is the son of David and Candy Hahs of Cape Girardeau. He is employed at Bank of America...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Lou Holtz will retire as coach at South Carolina after the season, The Associated Press learned Thursday night, apparently paving the way for Steve Spurrier to replace him. Holtz told his team before Thursday's practice that he was retiring, according to a source close to the program who spoke on condition of anonymity. All season, the 67-year-old Holtz said he was worn out and tired, and even said Spurrier would be a good choice to succeed him...

ST. LOUIS -- Mayor Francis Slay has often pointed to 2003 police statistics as an indication that St. Louis is becoming a safer place. He still believes it is, despite acknowledging Thursday that those figures were wrong. In fact, not only did crime not decline to historic lows as was initially believed, the crime rate rose 4 percent in 2003, Slay and Police Chief Joe Mokwa said at a news conference called in part to respond to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch top-of-page-1 story about the error...

The list includes Meridia, Crestor, Accutane, Bextra and Serevent By Diedtra Henderson ~ The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- At least five medications now sold to consumers pose such risks that their sale should be limited or stopped, said a government drug reviewer who raised safety questions earlier about the arthritis drug Vioxx...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Imo E. Cooper, 84, of East Prairie died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born Feb. 16, 1920, in Supply, Ark., daughter of James P. and Mary P. Hilliard Powell. She and J.B. Cooper were married Sept. 3, 1937...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- James Earvin Shands, 81, of East Prairie died Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Sept. 24, 1923, in Medina, Tenn., son of Huhie and Tina Elizabeth Todd Shands. He and Norah Pauline Parmer were married Oct. 9, 1943...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Gladys M. Fisher, 92, of Cairo, died Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004, at her home. She was born Jan. 7, 1912, in Wickliffe, Ky., daughter of George Luther and Hassie Rene Coleman Stephens. Survivors include a daughter, Earlene Fisher of Cairo; three sons, Lanzy Baker of Springfield, Ill., George and Charles Fisher of Olive Branch, Ill.; a stepdaughter, Thelma Beckwith of Olive Branch; a stepson, Ray Fisher of Olive Branch; several grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and great-great-grandchildren.. ...

TAMMS, Ill. -- May "Sherry" Dickerson, 74, of Tamms died Thursday, Nov. 18, 2004, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 16, 1930, in Elco, Ill., daughter of Joseph and Mable Sharp Lazar. She first married Wilburn Dickerson, who died in 1996. She later married James Edward "Jim" Bridges...

KLONDIKE, Ill. -- Roberta Hughes, 92, of Klondike died Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004, at her home. She was born July 14, 1912, in Marvel, Ark., daughter of John and Dillie Woods Sowers. She married Garfield Hughes. Hughes was a member of New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, served in many auxiliaries, was superintendent of the Sunday school and was a member of the Mothers Board...

25 years ago: Nov. 19, 1979 Ideal weather this year has resulted in what agronomists say is the finest grain harvest of the decade in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois; corn and soybean yields are far above average as the harvest nears completion, and the excellent yields follow an outstanding wheat harvest last spring...

Christmas crafts and gifts extravaganza begins The ninth annual crafts, gifts and collectibles show starts today and runs through Sunday at the Bavarian Halle, north of Jackson. It runs from 5 to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. ...

'Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason' Starring Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Jacinda Barrett and Jim Broadbent. Six weeks after the events in "Bridget Jones's Diary," erstwhile London singleton Bridget Jones is still happily dating human-rights lawyer Mark Darcy. ...

Three stars (out of four) "After the Sunset" is about a team of master thieves played by Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek, who always seem to have the perfect alibi, while FBI agent Stanley Lloyd always seems to be one step away from catching them. Seven years after the second of the three Napoleon Diamonds was stolen, Lloyd finds the thieves on the Island of Paradise where the third diamond is to be on display. Lloyd thinks this will be his chance to finally catch them red-handed...

Baseball n Roger Clemens' son signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to play baseball for the University of Texas. Koby Clemens, a senior at Houston's Memorial High School, signed the papers at his Houston home. Koby Clemens will start his career as a third baseman...

Three people were injured in a one-vehicle accident at 4:45 p.m., Wednesday on Cape Girardeau County Road 203, a mile west of Cape Girardeau. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred when a 1993 Chevrolet driven by Charles Motley, 15, of Jackson, ran off the roadway and hit a utility pole...

Chevrolet transforms its S-10 pickup into the larger, bolder, more sophisticated Colorado. Colorado! The name evokes a feeling of adventure, freedom and wide-open spaces. Chevy has wisely adopted the name for its new mid-size pickup truck and dumped the old S-10 moniker, which didn't really tell you anything about the old product. ...