Stories from Friday, June 10, 2005

Most everyone with hair as gray as mine remembers parents -- mothers especially -- who used that look or raised their voices or even swatted us from time to time in an effort to pound some manners into our hides. We were all taught to be polite, respect our elders, say please and thank you, call our teachers "sir" and "ma'am," chew with our mouths closed, keep our shirts tucked in, let girls go first, cover our mouths when we cough and not pick our noses...

W hen gas prices climbed to roughly $2 a gallon this spring, the management and board of directors at the Cape County Transit Authority faced a tough decision. The people they were serving, generally, were the people who can least afford a fare increase. They were senior citizens living on a fixed income...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Jimmie Rogers and his fiance, Debra Haley, are worried about a prowler in their neighborhood in the countryside southeast of Advance. But the prowler isn't a criminal -- it's a cougar. On Wednesday morning, Haley said she saw one of the beasts in the middle of the roadway when she was driving near the couple's rural home in the hills outside the small town...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Advocates for government housing assistance for the poor rallied Thursday to oppose potential cuts in federal spending on housing programs. Roy Jones, housing coordinator for the Cape Girardeau Community Caring Council, said there is already a waiting list of up to two years for rent vouchers under the federal Section 8 housing program...

Major restaurant chain Olive Garden has confirmed its intentions to come to Cape Girardeau's west side next year, while two other highly anticipated eateries -- White Castle and Panera Bread -- both said their plans to operate in free-standing buildings are moving forward...

A row of fiddlers lined the front of the Central Junior High School orchestra room, all trying desparately to hold on to the notes in their heads. Two boys, one of them barefoot, coolly held the necks of bass fiddles taller than they are, and a lone girl carrying an accoustic guitar stood next to the teacher, also with a guitar in hand as he counts out the next measure...

San Antonio delivered a techinical knockout in the fourth quarter. SAN ANTONIO -- As soon as Ben Wallace flung away his headband in disgust, Game 1 of the NBA Finals got away from the defending champion Detroit Pistons, too. Manu Ginobili started the game's decisive surge by bowling over Wallace early in the fourth quarter, a play that led to a blocking foul and a technical on Wallace that started the San Antonio Spurs on their way...

The Cardinals open a three-game series tonight at home against the struggling Bronx Bombers . ST. LOUIS -- After taking two of three from the team that swept them in the World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals move on to an even higher-profile series...

Southeast Missourian Alonzo Nelson was exactly 1 second off his season-best time in the 400-meter hurdles Thursday night. At the NCAA track and field championships in Sacramento, Calif., that margin can make a big difference. Nelson, a Southeast Missouri State junior, completed his first-round heat of the 400 hurdles Thursday in 51.77 seconds and failed to qualify for today's semifinal round...

Two students with local ties will serve as interns at Cooperstown. Chad Jones is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. So is Sean Gallagher. Really. Standing right there alongside the gold plaques of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio and the rest of the gang are two men with ties to Southeast Missouri...

TORONTO -- Canada's Supreme Court dealt a powerful blow to the state monopoly on health care Thursday, striking down a Quebec ban on private health insurance for services provided under the country's Medicare system of universal coverage. Although the unanimous ruling applies only to Quebec, it is sure to bring similar cases in other Canadian provinces and give impetus to a growing movement pushing for public and private care...

WASHINGTON -- Children are warned against riding all-terrain vehicles meant for adults. But many ignore the advice, lured by the exhilaration of speeding along a dirt road or four-wheeling in the woods. The combination of inexperienced drivers on a fast and powerful machine has led to more injuries and deaths, prompting the government to explore ways to make ATVs safer...

Louis Chevrolet would not recognize the car I tested last week that bears his name. In 1911, when the first Chevrolet went into production, there was no such thing as automatic air conditioning, automatic four-speed transmissions, or automatic power windows. ...

WASHINGTON -- Key Senate Republicans privately reviewed suggestions Thursday for raising the Social Security retirement age while limiting future benefits for upper-wage earners, officials said, as they sought momentum for legislation atop President Bush's second-term domestic agenda. ...

WASHINGTON -- The number of people filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell by 21,000 last week, the biggest decline in seven weeks, the government reported Thursday. The Labor Department said 330,000 newly laid-off workers filed benefit claims last week after a surge of 27,000 new claims the previous week, which had been the biggest one-week jump since early 2004. ...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Authorities raided 17 Chinese restaurants around Michigan that they suspect of ducking millions of dollars in taxes and importing undocumented workers as a "modern version of indentured servants." Search warrants were also served at 21 homes of suspected undocumented Chinese workers...

SUCRE, Bolivia -- Bolivian lawmakers accepted Carlos Mesa's resignation from the presidency in an emergency session late Thursday and congressional leaders refused to assume the post, clearing the way for possible early elections amid violent protests and a military threat of intervention...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The adoptive parents and guardians of about 5,800 former foster children are receiving letters this week asking them to submit proof of their incomes so the state can determine whether they are eligible to continue receiving subsidies...

ST. LOUIS -- Veterans who were deployed to the Persian Gulf are more likely than peers not deployed to that area in 1991 to have conditions that sap their energy, or produce persistent, widespread pain, a new national study of 2,200 veterans has found...

OZARK, Mo. -- You don't need to travel to the Far East or South America to experience cultural differences. As Ozark community leaders are finding out, such opportunities can be found within the United States. Residents of Ozark and the Gulf Coast town of Foley, Ala., are preparing to get to know each other better as part of an annual cultural exchange in which Foley residents visit other American communities...

ST. LOUIS -- An impeccable outing by David Wells rescued the Boston Red Sox from getting swept by the team they beat in four straight in the World Series. Wells threw eight innings of four-hit ball and the Red Sox got big hits from David Ortiz and Jason Varitek in a 4-0 rain-delayed victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night...

NEW YORK -- The good news started for Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo even before the 3-year-old finished his cross-country flight to New York earlier on Wednesday. While Giacomo was somewhere above America, trainer John Shirreffs was pumping his fist and thanking his lucky baseball cap as his horse claimed the No. 5 post position for this Saturday's 137th running of the Belmont Stakes...

The Americans are close to qualifying for their fifth straight tournament. PANAMA CITY, Panama -- When it comes to soccer, the United States is now in the same position as England, Italy, Germany and Brazil: It's expected to make the World Cup. After missing out on the sport's showcase event for 40 years, the Americans are close to qualifying for their fifth straight tournament, needing just two wins in their final five qualifiers following Wednesday night's 3-0 victory over Panama...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- They huddle daily in a cavernous auditorium inside the most heavily fortified area of the capital, sometimes shouting as they argue about Iraq's new constitution, sometimes pausing briefly to munch on cookies. But the breaks are few. Lawmakers drafting the country's new charter know they are working against the clock...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Italian aid worker kidnapped at gunpoint in the Afghan capital three weeks ago has been released and has telephoned her mother to say she is safe and healthy, the government said Thursday. Clementina Cantoni, 32, was abducted by armed men on May 16. She was working for CARE International on a project helping Afghan widows and their families...

The career of just about every great slugger traces the arc of a home run: It takes off with breathtaking power and swiftness, levels off late in flight and then falls precipitously. Alex Rodriguez took off faster than any ballplayer in history, but the hardest part of his journey may just be beginning...

WASHINGTON -- Reversing course, the Bush administration said Thursday it was prepared to support a third term for the head of the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency. Last December, the administration called on Mohamed ElBaradei to step down after his term ended this summer. Differences over Iran and also Iraq, where ElBaradei supported extended weapons inspections, were behind U.S. dissatisfaction...

WASHINGTON -- More foreign fighters than ever are crossing Iraq's porous borders to fight U.S. and Iraqi forces, and a growing number are from U.S.-ally Saudi Arabia, a Senate Democrat said Thursday. "The mix is changing," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., citing conversations last week in Iraq with Marine and Army generals. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: * At 7:45 p.m., after-hours burn at 70 Sheridan St. * At 7:51 p.m., power lines down at 600 S. Ellis St. * At 11:10 p.m., power line arcing at 1204 Marilyn Drive. Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

WASHINGTON -- The FBI missed at least five opportunities before the Sept. 11 attacks to uncover vital intelligence information about the terrorists, and the bureau didn't aggressively pursue the information it did have, the Justice Department's inspector general says in a newly released critique of government missteps...

Scott City is gearing up for Summerfest, the yearly midsummer festival event featuring food, games, contests and music held every year in the Scott City Park. This year's festival will take place June 17 and 18. The festival, now in its 29th year, offers residents of the small town a chance to come together and have fun in a family-friendly atmosphere...

Dr. Dave Scala's first six months as superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District will be used to familiarize himself with district programs, employees, state education issues and the community. "My primary objective in the first few months will be to get to know as much about the district as possible," said Scala, who met with the school board in a special meeting Thursday...

Damaged lines cause Scott City power outage Most of Scott City was without electricity Wednesday evening and Thursday morning after lightning damaged some equipment near Warner Avenue. Jean Mason, division manager for AmerenUE, said about 3,000 customers in Scott City were without power from 8 p.m. ...

The Cape Giradeau Police Department released the following items Thursday. Arrests do not imply guilt....

Annika Sorenstam turned her head and studied the large leaderboard behind the green on her last hole Thursday in the LPGA Championship, seeing her name in a familiar position at the top. It didn't stay there long, but it was never far away. Natalie Gulbis rose to the occasion of playing with Sorenstam by closing with five straight birdies, including an 18-foot putt on the ninth hole for a 5-under 67. ...

Larry G. Gray, 53, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 9, 2005, at Life Care Center. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Baseball...

Angle wins JC play of the day; Steele first in club's ladies day

When the SEMO District Fair opens its gates Sept. 10 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau, it will be the start of a historic week: the fair's 150th anniversary. As one of the oldest fairs in Missouri -- records are fuzzy about which was first and which has existed with the fewest interruptions -- the SEMO District Fair has long been a popular attraction as summer winds down, garden produce is harvested, prize pies are baked and show animals are groomed. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Magalene "Maggie" Sauls, 76, of Sikeston died Wednesday, June 8, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born on April 12, 1929, in Risco, Mo., daughter of Luther and Ethel Fuwell Rose. She and Dan Sauls Jr. were married June 1, 1948. He died in January 1955. She married Cory Sauls in February 1957, and he died in September 1965...

Police on cell phones; Something special; Please clean bridges; Ribbons should stay; Who's a hero?; Money speaks; Responsible for safety; Park and talk

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Walter H. Schrumpf, 88, of Perryville died Thursday, June 9, 2005, at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Sept. 8, 1916, at Old Appleton, Mo., son of Henry C. and Rose Mary Ross Schrumpf. He and Helen A. Fuist were married June 28, 1947, in St. Louis. She died Jan. 17, 2002...

To the editor: Thanks to the leadership and vision of state Sen. Jason Crowell and state Rep. Nathan Cooper of Cape Girardeau, the Missouri Legislature overwhelmingly approved reform telecom legislation that promotes market-based competition, encourages investment on advanced telecommunications technologies and protects consumers from excessive cell phone taxes...

ANNA, Ill. -- James M. "Strawberry" Nelson, 79, of Anna died Thursday, June 9, 2005, at his home. He was born Nov. 4, 1925, in Balcomb, Ill., son of Monroe and Susie Bridges Nelson. He first married Mary A. Anderson in 1945 in Union County. She died July 17, 2000. He and Cora E. Cross were married in 2001 in Union County...

WYATT, Mo. -- John O. "Flat" Brown, 81, of Wyatt died Thursday, June 9, 2005, at his home. He was born Aug. 27, 1923, in Mississippi County, Mo., son of Samuel Oscar "S.O." and Gertrude Caldwell Brown. Brown was a farmer. Survivors include a brother, Billy Brown of Wyatt; three sisters, Louise Lynn of Benton, Mo., Mildred Fesmire of Paducah, Ky., and Peggy Griggs of Charleston, Mo...

ANNA, Ill. -- Sgt. Brian Romines, 20, of Simpson, Ill., died Monday, June 6, 2005, near Baghdad, Iraq. He was formerly of Anna. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sheryl Greenburg, 52, of Sikeston died Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. She was born May 8, 1953, in Sikeston, daughter of Robert and Minnie Byrd Boone. Greenburg had been an accounting clerk and a member of Antioch Baptist Church...

25 years ago: June 10, 1980 William M. Dickey, who received the most votes in last week's three-way race for Scott City mayor, says he has asked an attorney to research the possibility of formally contesting a planned runoff election; Dickey received 510 votes in last week's election, compared to incumbent Mayor Alvie Modglin's 467 and John Z. Smith's 60...

'The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lava Girl'; 'Batman Begins'; 'The Honeymooners'; 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'; 'Cinderella Man'; 'Crash'; 'House of Wax'; 'Kicking and Screaming'; 'The Longest Yard'; 'Lords of Dogtown'; 'Madagascar'; 'Star Wars Episode III'

Emanuel; Moye; Massey; Dudley; Flath; Backfisch; Jackson

Union Pacific announced this week that it will be working on major railroad improvements on its track from Scott City to Dexter, Mo., throughout the year. The improvements started in May and are estimated to cost $9.7 million, and will involve replacing ties, spreading tons of rock ballast to create a stable roadbed and replacing surfaces at 62 crossings...

Legislators declared the budget balanced on the assumption the cuts would be made. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt is expected to cut millions of dollars out of the budget passed by the legislature. And that's just the way lawmakers planned it...

LONDON -- With New York's Olympic stadium rejected, the IOC authorized the city's bid officials Thursday to come up with an alternative plan before the vote next month that will decide the site of the 2012 games. New York has been considering its options following Monday's rejection of the proposed $2 billion stadium on Manhattan, the centerpiece of its Olympic bid...

Public pressure makes it likely that seat belts will become a part of school buses, he said. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A national bus safety expert told a task force Thursday that seat belts can make school buses a bit safer, but cost is a concern. The panel, appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt after three school bus crashes in Missouri, heard from Charles Gauthier, director of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services...

WASHINGTON -- Rates on 30-year mortgages fell again this week, dropping to the lowest point since the spring of 2004, according to a nationwide survey. The mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday its weekly survey showed that rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.56 percent, compared with 5.62 percent last week...

WASHINGTON -- The sizzling housing market may be getting a bit too hot, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan suggests. Though the economy in general "seems to be on a reasonably firm footing," rapidly rising home prices in some areas do pose a risk to the housing boom, the Fed chief told Congress' Joint Economic Committee on Thursday...

The (Dexter, Mo.) Daily Statesman As we watch the price of crude oil climb back above $54 a barrel, we note with mixed emotions efforts by the government to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. We applaud the various legislative efforts to provide incentives to manufacturers of alternative fuel sources. Consumers cannot buy what manufacturers do not produce...

AARP is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization for people over the age of 50 with more than 35 million members nationally. One Missourian in every eight -- 750,000 altogether -- is a member of AARP. For older Americans particularly, ready access to affordable utilities -- safe water, air-conditioning in summer, heat in winter, light after dark and telecommunications for social, health and emergency contact -- is absolutely necessary...

Los Angeles Times Just as surely as the sky is blue, law enforcement in Mexico is corrupt. That assumption may too often be true, but it is incomplete. A federal sting that exposed surprising openness to bribery among U.S. soldiers and law enforcement officers on the U.S.-Mexico border ought to turn on a light bulb...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The Confederate battle flag lives on as one of the most divisive emblems of American history. .... The Sons of the Confederacy and like-minded groups have every right to honor Southern heritage in any civil manner they please. ...

After winning four games to open their season last weekend, the Plaza Tire Capahas are looking for another perfect home weekend. But Capahas manager Jess Bolen knows that won't be easy to accomplish, with two of the contests against the St. Joseph (Mo.) Saints...

HHHH (out of four) If you want a feel-good moment, then "Cinderella Man" is one movie that will have you walking out of the theatre with that feeling. For those of you who love the sport of boxing, this takes you back to the "good ole days" of true athletes. Russell Crowe portrays Jimmy J. Braddock, a man who believes in his family, faith and friends...

Saturday's alternative music festival at the Jackson bandshell is the fourth -- and possibly last -- year of the concert. For the last four years, Josh Tomlin and Joe and Will Ettling have spent their own time and money putting together a free music festival at the Jackson Bandshell...

The Rev. Thomas Doyle says no one believed him in 1985 when he warned Roman Catholic leaders that resolving cases of sexually abusive priests could eventually cost the church more than $1 billion. "No one's ever going to sue the Catholic Church," he says one archbishop assured him...

Scott City seeks singers for karaoke contest; Jackson artist wins prize in traveling exhibit; State Fair announces grandstand lineup; Annual Red House Ball to feature live music; Auditions Monday for LibertyFest production; Writers conference will kick off June 24 in Kansas City; Nationally touring bluegrass act to play in Bloomfield

Between playing bass and writing songs with '70s mega-rockers Boston, pursuing a solo musical career in folk/country/rock music and raising two children, Kimberley Dahme is a busy woman. She wouldn't have it any other way. "I was always a musician from the day I was born," said Dahme. "At the age of 3 I was in singing lessons because they couldn't shut me up."...

Dear Tom and Ray: This has been bothering me for years. Back in 1996, I took my 1985 Toyota Tercel in to a Toyota dealership to have the timing belt replaced. They told me it was a 12-hour job, but they'd have it done for me to pick up after work, eight hours later. ...