Stories from Sunday, June 12, 2005

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Officials still have not determined the identity or cause of death of a woman found dead Friday in the Mississippi River. The woman's body was discovered floating in the Mississippi River at about 5 p.m. Friday near Thompson Bend, which is about six to eight miles from Charleston. ...

Volunteers showed visiting youngsters simple ways to play on Saturday. Drawing children to visit the Red House Interpretive Center and interact with history was one of the main objectives of Saturday's Summerfest event. Ten adult volunteers came ready to motivate youngsters to dress up in period clothing; play games that don't involve technology; make cloth dolls, potpourri sachets and cloth bags; watch a cradleboard-making demonstration; or ask questions about arrowhead displays...

A Scott City man has been charged with committing a hate crime after punching another man in the face Saturday. Carl Grant, 28, has received the felony charge of assault in the third degree as a hate crime after allegedly punching a 20-year-old man, whose name has not been released. The incident happened after the victim allegedly made a sexual proposition to Grant. The incident occurred at 2:26 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Main and Themis streets in Cape Girardeau, authorities reported...

Celebrations are scheduled throughout Missouri next weekend to commemorate a holiday that isn't marked on the calendars, but one which carries a special significance to many Americans nonetheless. Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in America that began on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news to Galveston, Texas, of the Emancipation Proclamation and Texas became the last state to recognize slaves' freedom. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Given that the state distributes roughly $3 billion a year to local schools, an extra $15 million may seem insignificant. For Missouri's smallest school systems, however, that amount could make a major difference in how much state funding they receive...

At Ramsey Creek Farms, the milk is like the mail -- it just keeps on coming. ¦ Whether it's three in the morning, five in the afternoon or nine o'clock at night, every 10 hours the Schabbings roust themselves out of bed, flick off the television or put a temporary halt to the various other back-breaking chores that are required of a dairy-farm family...

The Cardinals managed just five hits in a 5-0 loss. ST. LOUIS -- The old Randy Johnson responded to Joe Torre's new motivational tactic. A day after the New York Yankees got a tongue-lashing from their manager, Johnson outpitched Mark Mulder and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 Saturday...

The Preakness winner became the second favorite in 10 years to win the Belmont. NEW YORK -- No acrobatics, no long shots. Just an overpowering, seven-length victory by Afleet Alex in Saturday's Belmont Stakes, the final and longest leg of the Triple Crown...

Tanner Cline and Michelle Crosnoe finished as the top male and female runners, respectively, in the second annual Vicky Keller Remembrance Run in downtown Cape Girardeau on Saturday. Cline covered the 5.35-mile course in 33 minutes, 31 seconds. Crosnoe finished in 42:16...

The Southeast sophomore earned All-American honors in the 400 meters. SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Southeast Missouri State sophomore Miles Smith fell short of a national title Saturday night in the 400-meter dash finals at the NCAA track and field championships...

NEW ORLEANS -- Mr. Bill is giving a big "Nooooo!" to appearing in any more public-awareness ads to save Louisiana's wetlands because the creator of the clay character believes the campaign is selling out to big oil companies. Walter Williams, who created the character for NBC's "Saturday Night Live" three decades ago, said he was concerned that the America's Wetland campaign is taking too much of a slant toward the petroleum industry -- the very people accused of having a hand in destroying the state's wetlands in the first place.. ...

NEW YORK -- A 30-year-old firefighter who rushed to the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, was memorialized Saturday at a Manhattan church in one of the last funerals for the 343 firefighters killed that day. Hundreds of firefighters stood in full dress uniform under an unforgiving June sun as a fire truck carrying Keithroy M. Maynard's remains paraded to the Church of the Master with a pipe and drum corps playing "Amazing Grace."...

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- When a group of activists organized a panel discussion on Japanese troops' massacre of residents in the Chinese city of Nanjing nearly 70 years ago, they were not prepared for the overwhelming response. "We got a bunch of seniors to show up and they packed the place. We were shocked. We thought people got over things like this," political activist Ignatius Ding said of the 1991 discussion...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. fighter planes launched airstrikes on an Iraqi town near the Syrian border Saturday, killing about 40 insurgents who were stopping and searching civilian cars, the military said. Seven missiles were fired at heavily armed insurgents near Karabilah, close to the volatile town of Qaim, the Marines said in a statement...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A suicide bomber dressed as a policeman blew himself up during roll call at the heavily guarded headquarters of an elite commando unit Saturday as attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 23 people. Interior Minister Bayan Jabr, meanwhile, said an Iraqi-led offensive to weed out militants in the capital had led to 1,318 arrests and reduced the number of car bomb attacks from an average of 12 a day to less than two...

PHILADELPHIA, Miss. -- Hicks. Rednecks. Racists. People who live in this town of 7,300 have heard the epithets slung their way for decades. And many -- black and white -- cringe as they anticipate how the world will view their town when reputed Ku Klux Klansman and part-time preacher Edgar Ray Killen goes on trial Monday in the 1964 murders of three civil rights workers...

WORCESTER, Mass. -- It took 52 years, but Andy Karlson's conscience is finally clear. On Tuesday, Karlson, 95, fulfilled a promise to repay the American Red Cross the $7,500 it gave his family to rebuild after a devastating tornado in 1953. "I owe the Red Cross something. It's really very little," he said at a ceremony at the organization's new Worcester headquarters...

LONDON -- Ebony Andrews is making a killing -- turning roadkill into art. Andrews, 22, said her artwork is a commentary on how we humans view animals as commodities. She turned a beheaded owl into a desk organizer, and put the insides of a dead squirrel into a remote control for a DVD player...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A taxi cab probably isn't the best getaway car for a bank robbery. At least that's what one suspect learned Monday after a couple of quick-thinking customers and a veteran cabbie foiled his attempt. Police said 50-year-old Maurice Eugene Fields Jr. hailed a cab to take him to the nearby South Carolina Community Bank and asked the driver to wait for him...

The second leg of the Grand Slam might be easier than the first one for Annika Sorenstam, who blew away the field Saturday in the LPGA Championship with her 14th consecutive round in the 60s to take a five-shot lead. Despite a bogey on the final hole and again failing to make birdie on any of the par 5s at Bulle Rock, Sorenstam walked away with a 3-under 69 and a five-stroke lead...

With 35 million windows set to be replaced in homes this year, those who think the tradeout is as simple as a few minutes to plunk the same size window into an existing hole sealed with a bead of caulk, had best think again. The switcheroo is far more complicated, and if not done right, you set your home up for water and air leaks and generally poor window performance...

The world may not revolve around outdoor spas, but many thoroughly modern backyard retreats sure do. No longer an afterthought plopped down in just any old place on a deck or patio, hot tubs are the new backyard focal point to entertain, dine, or soak the day away in a steady stream of heated bubbles, cascading lights or favorite tunes...

When it came to choosing a topic for their new books, three popular authors seemed to agree -- the West is best. The American West, Old or New, is the setting in the latest books by Larry McMurtry, Robert B. Parker and Janet Dailey. Theirs are among new hardcovers that include novels by Nick Hornby, Amanda Quick and Umberto Eco; and nonfiction that take readers back to the American Revolution, on a tour of Istanbul, and into the Clinton White House...

CHICAGO -- The Force. In the "Star Wars" universe, there is nothing more magical or powerful. There is also nothing more sacred to the millions of "Star Wars" fans worldwide. So it would seem the last person "Star Wars" creator George Lucas would want to turn his screenplay for "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" into a novel would be an author who previously had upset countless fans with his interpretation of the Force...

FORT RILEY, Kan. --- An Army sergeant convicted of shooting two fellow soldiers to death last year will serve life in prison with no chance of parole, a military jury decided Saturday. Sgt. Aaron Stanley, 23, of Bismarck, N.D., was sentenced a day after his conviction by the same eight jurors on two counts of premeditated murder. They deliberated about six hours over his sentence -- twice as long as they did over his guilt...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Workers clearing debris from a downtown arena construction site found three canisters stamped "chemical warfare gas," but officials later determined the canisters -- one of which discharged -- posed no health hazard. The cylinders likely contained tear gas for vault protection, police said...

Great Lakes provide ideal waves for many brave surfers. CLEVELAND -- A shadowy figure staggers from the frosty, frothy surf and heads toward shore as seagulls pick through sandy garbage on the Edgewater Park beach -- a two-minute drive from downtown...

LONG POND, Pa. -- It took 14 years, but Michael Waltrip is once again a polesitter on NASCAR's top circuit. The 42-year-old from Owensboro, Ky., ended a qualifying drought of 446 races by putting his Chevrolet in the top spot Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Waltrip got around the 2.5-mile triangular-shaped oval at 169.052 mph for his first pole since Michigan in 1991...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Saturday. Arrests do not imply guilt....

Month-long blockade comes to an end in Bolivia...

HOUSTON -- Two daughters have sued a synagogue after they found a potato chip can in place of their mother's remains behind the locked, glass door of her niche in a mausoleum. When the women visited Vivian Shulman Lieberman's niche in a Houston mausoleum a year ago, they found the cedar chest containing her ashes missing and a can of sour-cream-and-onion potato chips in its place...

Anyone looking for a bright spot in the economy need look no further -- literally -- than their own backyards. Houses are one of the hottest commodities available, thanks to a hot market nationwide and in the Cape Girardeau area specifically. There's considerable talk these days about a housing "bubble" and what economic impact it could have if it bursts. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: * At 9:35 p.m., a smoke odor at 1865 Cypress Drive. * At 10:49 p.m., a transformer fire at 1100 N. Fountain St. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: * At 12:01 a.m., a citizen assist at 3208 Themis St...

QUETICO PROVINCIAL PARK, Ontario -- My father is not an outdoorsman. Before our trip through some of Canada's best wilderness, he'd never even been in a canoe. But last fall, my dad and I spent five days together in a 17-foot boat, paddling through a beautiful, rugged and remote spot that's easily accessible to Midwesterners: Quetico Provincial Park, the geological brother to Minnesota's Boundary Waters, just north of the border...

Southeast Missouri State University professor Robert Hamblin leads a discussion for Winfrey's book club. Few people have summer reading lists that include the classics by Melville or Hawthorne, but when popular talk-show host Oprah Winfrey suggests a book, people listen...

A 7-year-old named Robbie smiled, revealing a missing baby tooth. This was his fifth trip to the Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus with his grandmother since it opened. He had no signs of getting tired of it, either. His grandmother's loving smile assured him this repeat visit was fine with her...

NEW ORLEANS -- It's a city of hot times and cold cocktails, known in the 1800s as the Great Southern Babylon and now as an annual gathering spot for women willing to bare their breasts at Mardi Gras. But now New Orleans is cultivating a new reputation -- as a destination for families...

ORAN, Mo. -- Evelyn Mitchem, 92, of Oran, formerly of Sikeston, Mo. died Friday, June 10, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born April 29, 1913, at Marston, Mo., daughter of Nelson and Dora Maples Pikey. Mitchem was a member of the Morley Church of Christ...

Those who serve; Blame foreign cars; Proud American; Another museum; Too much money; No respect; Curb those cats; Cell phones; Didn't fool anyone; Essential sidewalks; Police in schools; Doggie doo; Campaign promises

Henrietta Minnie Medlin, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, June 11, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 26, 1926, at Dutchtown, Mo., daughter of Henry and Clara Kirn Schwepker. She and Orville Medlin were married Dec. 27, 1947 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He passed away Nov. 23, 1997...

Joseph Lee Mirgeaux, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, June 11, 2005, at his home. He was born Jan. 23, 1917, at Fornfelt, Mo., son of Joseph Henry and Alice Catherine Rozmerski Mirgeaux. He and Dorothy Dirickson were married. She died in 1993. Mirgeaux was a self-employed businessman. He belonged to Cape LaCroix Walker Creek Levy District; was a past member of the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent's Men's Society and affiliated with St. Vincent de Paul Church...

BEECH ISLAND, S.C. --Mary Lucille Rosier, 81, of Beech Island, S.C.; a native of Tiplersville, Mo., and former resident of Sikeston, Mo., died Saturday, June 11, 2005. She and Roy E. Rosier were married. She was a member of the Second Baptist Church of Beech Island and the Charlotte McElmurray Sunday school class. Rosier was a former Sunday school teacher and choir member...

John P. "Jack" Hume, 74, of Jackson died Saturday, June 11, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Edith K. "Gram" Leimer, 88, of Jackson, died Saturday, June 11, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Vernon D. Littge, 79, of Altenburg died Friday, June 10, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Nov. 11, 1925, in Altenburg, the son of Henry and Martha Ahner Littge. He and Caroline Fischer were married Aug. 13, 1950. Littge was a machinist at Littge Manufacturing. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, where he was a church trustee. He was a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran of World War II and was a member of American Legion Post 133...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Samantha Marie Gibbar and Airman 1st Class Joshua Paul Zahner were united in marriage April 30, 2005, at Zion Lutheran Church in Longtown, Mo. The Rev. Paul Winningham performed the ceremony and was soloist and guitarist. Parents of the couple are Jim and Sherry Gibbar of Perryville, and Kenny and Pam Zahner of Silver Lake, Mo...

To the editor; Among the many important pieces of legislation passed in this year's legislative session is House Bill 209, which clarifies the taxation of wireless telephone services. Through commonsense compromise, legislators worked to protect consumers from unbridled taxes -- sometimes as high as 11 percent -- while preserving local revenue for a community's vital services...

Erroneous information; Athletic family

Jim and Margaret Arteme of Benton, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Renea Arteme, to Christopher Lyman Moore of St. Louis. He is the son of James and Katherine Moore of Cape Girardeau. Arteme received a degree in nutrition and dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University, and did a dietetic internship with St. ...

Julious Myers Jr. and Teresa Myers of Oak Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Lynne Myers, to Matthew Bryan Lomedico. He is the son of Mike and Sherrie Lomedico of Jackson. Myers received a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University in May 2005. She is employed at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Rick Drum and Lisa Drum of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Danielle Nicole Drum, to Troy Michael Nussbaum. He is the son of T.L. and Lisa Nussbaum of Whitewater. Drum is a 2003 graduate of Jackson High School. She expects to receive an information reporting technology certificate from St. Louis Community College at Meramec in 2006. She is employed at Buchheit in Jackson...

Kenneth and Amy Blattel of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Tracy Michelle Blattel, to Nicholas John Dannenmueller. He is the son of Jack and Juanita Dannenmueller of Scott City. Blattel received a bachelor of science degree in finance from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a commercial credit analyst at Montgomery Bank...

Frank L. and Donna K. Bollinger of Sedgewickville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Mariah Kay Bollinger, to Jeffrey Wayne Stevens, both of Jackson. He is the son of Ted P. and Judy K. Clark of Jackson, and the late Marion W. Stevens of Marble Hill, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Steve Seyer and Darlene Seyer of Chaffee and Mike and Connie Cossou of Kelso, Mo., announce the engagement of their children, Abbigail Anne Seyer and Clark Aaron Cossou. Seyer is a 1999 graduate of Chaffee High School, and received a bachelor of science degree in social work from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004. She is employed at Bootheel Counseling Services in Sikeston, Mo...

BENTON, Mo. -- John and Sandra Nelson of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Diane Nelson, to Danny Lee Boley. He is the son of Roxanna Boley of Morley, Mo., and Kenny Boley of Oran, Mo. Nelson is a 2003 graduate of Kelly High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University. She is a dispatcher for Scott County E-911...

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hiett of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at a surprise reception May 29, 2005, at Drury Lodge. Hosts were their children. Hiett and Mary Ellen Snider were married May 28, 1955, at First Baptist Church in Delta...

Mr. and Mrs. George "G.W." Burgett of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary May 28, 2005, in Dayton, Ohio. Burgett and Lois M. Stilley were married May 28, 1955, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., by the Rev. Wilbert Allen. Their attendants were Phyliss Lynn and Junior Weisbrod...

25 years ago: June 12, 1980 The foreman of the recent Cape Girardeau County grand jury has reported that its investigation of possible labor union irregularities in the area was hampered by the fact that some of the labor officials called to testify refused to answer questions on Fifth Amendment grounds...

The Standard Democrat SIKESTON, Mo. -- For police here, riding bicycles on the job might save some money spent on gasoline, but it is more about making a connection with the community. "The main thing is, it is a very community-oriented type of policing because it allows you to get out and get more personal and close with the community," said DARE officer Keith Hente, who does bicycle patrols with school resource officer Joey Henry...

FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL Rain continued to rule Saturday during the 21st annual Kelso Klassic fastpitch softball tournament. After heavy rain wiped out much of Friday's opening night of action, the same held true Saturday, meaning the tournament is 14 games behind schedule entering today, when play is expected to resume at 9 a.m...

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Tropical Storm Arlene weakened as it blew ashore Saturday on the Gulf Coast, but still packed enough punch that it brought sheets of rain, 20-foot waves and heavy wind to the same area that was devastated by Hurricane Ivan nine months ago...

SAN DIEGO -- Far fewer Americans with diabetes are ending up in emergency rooms or developing kidney failure -- a sign that diabetes care has improved dramatically over the last decade, the government reported Saturday. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the rate of people with diabetes who need hospitalization or develop kidney failure has dropped about a third since the mid-1990s...

The man who made the comment was leading police to the scene of the crime, authorities said. ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- One of the young men detained in the disappearance of an Alabama honors student admitted "something bad happened" to the woman after they took her to the beach, a police officer said, while prosecutors said Saturday the investigation was at a crucial point...

LONDON -- Hundreds of naked cyclists rode past Big Ben and the U.S. Embassy in London on Saturday to protest the West's dependence on gas-guzzling cars -- and to push for more use of bicycles. The organizers of World Naked Bike Ride 2005 said protests were expected in Australia, Canada, the United States, Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Israel. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan police have arrested eight people suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Italian aid worker, who was freed after three weeks in captivity, the interior minister said Saturday. Ali Ahmad Jalali said the eight have been detained separately since May 16, when Clementina Cantoni, 32, was abducted at gunpoint in the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul. She was freed Thursday and flew home Friday...

BEIJING-- A torrential flood hit a school in northeast China and swept 64 people -- many of them children -- to their deaths, while a fire in the south raced through the top floors of a hotel and killed 31, state media reported Saturday. Authorities in Beijing were struggling to handle the twin tragedies thousands of miles apart, trying to overcome faulty communication in the flood zone and vowing to dispatch an emergency team of investigators to the hotel fire...

One of the biggest trends in home decor these days is the retro look. Vintage is in. Chrome legged dining tables and vinyl-covered chairs in reds, pinks, and blues are being reproduced. Even shag carpeting is making a comeback. So when the real deal comes along, it's a find...

Although it certainly doesn't draw the kind of publicity and attention that football and basketball drafts attract, I love to follow baseball's amateur draft every year. It's a lot of fun to sit at the computer and see all the names pop up on the screen throughout the 50 rounds of the annual two-day affair, which this year took place Tuesday and Wednesday...

SEOUL, South Korea -- Han Ham-youn vividly remembers the day in December 1950 when his family broke apart. China had entered the Korean War, and as its forces stormed south, refugees were boarding ships at the Heungnam port in North Korea. There wasn't much room, and priority was being given to soldiers and war supplies. Han, being fit, single and 17 years old, was placed on a boat and headed to a new life in South Korea, leaving his parents behind...

The 2004-05 high school athletic year was the year of the private school in Southeast Missouri. While only three of the area's 19 Missouri State High School Activities Association member schools are private, those three schools brought home two state titles and three-fourths of the area's state trophy haul...

Summer days mean lighter clothing, lighter meals and, of course, lighter reading. W New books with tales of romance and travel, mystery and misadventure seek to satisfy warm-weather readers wherever they might be -- the beach or back yard, poolside or porch, fire escape or Fire Island, or the living room recliner with the air conditioner pumping full blast...

The Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons American Legion team split a doubleheader Saturday with host Oakville, losing the opener 3-1 and winning the nightcap 6-1. Cape (5-5) outhit its St. Louis County opponent 6-5 in the first game, but four errors proved costly...

Two men meet in an airport, one a sleazy salesman and the other a dance instructor who turns out to be a hired assassin. Both carry identical black briefcases. They chat over the murmur of terminal noise, and one gets up to leave. Here, the accidental switch is made...

Finance ministers from the richest countries agree to a measure benefiting the world's poorest nations. LONDON -- The world's richest countries agreed Saturday on a historic deal to write off more than $40 billion of debt owed by the poorest nations...