Stories from Thursday, June 23, 2005

N ot far from Goose Creek amid the fields and forests outside Jackson is a historic cemetery and the remains of the area's oldest Baptist church. Piled at the far edge of the cemetery are the logs that once formed Old Bethel Baptist Church, a congregation that founded nine other Baptist churches from Fredericktown to parts of Wayne and Bollinger counties nearly 200 years ago...

Firefighters from the Cape Girardeau and Scott City fire departments spent most of Wednesday battling two fires at HAVCO Wood Products Inc., located in the Scott City industrial park near the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. Firefighters from both departments responded to a call at 9:38 a.m. ...

Cape Girardeau will celebrate its bicentennial as a city in 2006, beginning in February with a re-enactment of the filing of a plat that set the original boundaries of the town. A committee headed by city spokeswoman Tracey Glenn is currently planning for the bicentennial...

The basic rules of economics apply everywhere. Even in the business of selling illegal drugs. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force has noticed that $100 doesn't go quite as far as it used to. For months, a task force representative says, the street price for methamphetamine has been increasing, a trend officials say can be attributed to increased difficulty in producing methamphetamine in homemade labs...

While most of Cape Girardeau is focused on the United States this Fourth of July, Ryan Fenwick's thoughts are likely to be in another part of the world. On July 5, Fenwick will leave for Tokyo, Japan, as part of Rotary International's World Peace Scholars program...

June 23, 2005 Dear Patty, In Arizona, a "stow it, don't throw it" campaign discourages smokers from tossing their cigarette butts out the car window. That's backed up by a maximum $500 fine. It's a littering violation, but Arizona is primarily concerned with preventing wildfires...

The St. Louis pitcher continued to struggle in a 7-6 loss to the Reds. CINCINNATI -- Even when he struggled, St. Louis left-hander Mark Mulder could count on getting left-handed batters out. Now, even that is not a sure thing. The slumping Mulder gave up two home runs to left-hander Adam Dunn and a two-run double to Ken Griffey Jr., another left-hander, as Cincinnati scored seven runs in the first three innings and held on for a 7-6 win on Wednesday...

Miles Smith to run in the USA Track and Field Championships Miles Smith recently finished an impressive college track and field season -- but the year of competition is far from over for Southeast Missouri State's sensational sophomore. After winning All-America honors with a fifth-place performance in the 400-meters at the NCAA Championships on June 11, Smith will compete in the USA Track and Field Championships, set for today through Sunday in Carson, Calif...

NEW YORK -- An attempt to raise the world's largest ice pop in a city square ended with a scene straight out of a disaster film -- but much stickier. The 25-foot-tall, 17 1/2-ton treat of frozen Snapple juice melted faster than expected Tuesday, flooding Union Square in downtown Manhattan with kiwi-strawberry-flavored fluid that sent pedestrians scurrying for higher ground...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- House Speaker Rod Jetton is performing a grueling balancing act -- biking the 225-mile Katy Trail State Park with his son this week while simultaneously supporting both the governor and historic preservationists in a clash over an old Katy Railroad bridge...

Springfield News-Leader State legislators were the first to suggest it: A ban on tuition increases for the first four years a student is in college. Now University of Missouri president Elson Floyd has picked up the idea. He's floating a proposal to guarantee an undergraduate tuition rate for four or five years...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch There's an old saying in rural, job-starved Missouri: "You can't eat scenery." As a matter of fact, scenery feeds a lot of Missouri families these days. ... It accounts for nearly one-tenth of the state's jobs ... and the number keeps growing. .....

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southern Baptists ended an eight-year boycott of the Walt Disney Co. for violating "moral righteousness and traditional family values" in a vote during the last day of the denomination's annual convention Wednesday. The Disney resolution, passed at the SBC's 1997 convention in Dallas, called for Southern Baptists to refrain from patronizing Disney theme parks and Disney products, mainly because of the entertainment company's decision to give benefits to companions of gay and lesbian employees.. ...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Battered by lawsuits, the nation's top supplier of bullet-resistant police vests is urging its customers to replace vests containing the synthetic fiber Zylon, saying they may not be safe. Second Chance Body Armor Inc. said Wednesday that tests suggested the vests "may fail to perform and result in serious injury or death." The company sent warnings to police agencies nationwide...

Technology has changed a lot of things at the library since 1980. Today is the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the current Cape Girardeau Public Library building. And the changes that have occurred over those years couldn't even have been conceived when the library opened in 1980...

St. Maurus Parish picnic and homecoming set...

Multiple Sclerosis Society seeks achievers The Multiple Sclerosis Society is accepting nominations for the 2005 Annual Achievement Awards honoring people affected by MS. Categories include individual achievement, mother and father of the year, caregiver of the year, employer of the year, unsung hero. The deadline is July 29. Entry forms are required for all nominations. For more information, call the MS Society at (314) 781-9020 or visit www.gatewaymssociety.org...

There have been 11,000 attempts in Congress to amend the Constitution, and 27 have won ratification. WASHINGTON -- Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning hoped a bigger Republican majority in Congress and wartime patriotism would give the proposal the best chance in years to advance to the states for ratification...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Iraq won wide and concrete support from the international community Wednesday, prompting bursts of optimism for the country as it struggles to rebuild its security forces in the midst of withering terror attacks. No new money was offered at a meeting that was never intended as a donors conference, but the gathering was applauded as proof that sharp differences over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq could be put aside to help Iraqis now...

The star has the first two jewels in hand as the U.S. Open begins today. CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. -- Annika Sorenstam engaged in a friendly match Wednesday at Cherry Hills, trying her best to treat this U.S. Women's Open like any other week instead of such a grand occasion...

The NBA will play its first Finals winner-take-all in 11 years. SAN ANTONIO -- One of the most vivid memories Robert Horry has from the last Game 7 in NBA Finals history was New York Knicks guard John Starks firing up shot after shot after shot after shot -- almost none of which went in...

Associated Press CHICAGO -- Numerous U.S. airlines kicked off the summer with a round of fare increases, citing the latest surge in fuel costs for the need to charge up to 3 percent more per trip. The move means customers of the largest carriers could pay an additional $20 or more as the busiest travel season of the year gears up...

WASHINGTON -- Blending conservative principles with political caution, key Republicans rallied Wednesday behind a plan to introduce Social Security personal accounts on a more modest scale than President Bush favors. "Our bill is the first bite at a bigger reform," Texas Rep. Sam Johnson said at a news conference. Several Republicans said the proposal may be brought to the House floor next month, possibly as part of a broader measure making changes in pensions and other retirement issues...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- During nearly two decades of using guide dogs, Jim Pelfrey hasn't experienced any big problems with his animals being harassed or attacked. Pelfrey is nonetheless grateful for the Missouri Legislature's approval of a bill to make such actions criminal...

It's a job that no doubt will be half heart-breaking and half infuriating -- examining the battered bodies and scarred psyches of children who have been sexually and physically abused. But it's a job that Leigh Little says she is about to tackle with vigor as the new licensed nurse practitioner at the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence...

Americans who rely on expensive drugs to maintain tolerable health are crafty. Many of them have been splitting pills to save money for years. Why split a prescription drug? Because pills with a 30-milligram dose of medication generally cost only a little more than the same medication in a 15-milligram dose, for example. So splitting a 30-milligram pill results in a cost savings of nearly 50 percent for a 15-milligram dose...

Baseball...

Alice Marie Julian, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 11, 1929, at Commerce, Mo., daughter of Jesse Richmond and Alice Loftin Sanders. She and Rowland Leroy Julian were married Oct. 7, 1978, in Jackson, Mich...

Vera Elizabeth Schoen, 95, of Jackson died Monday, June 20, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girar-deau. She was born Jan. 27, 1910, at Oak Ridge, daughter of Theo-dore Emanuel and Annette Willer Kasten. She and Gilbert H. Schoen were married June 12, 1936. He died Nov. 11, 1990...

A graveside service for Martha Ann Finch Craig of Glenwood Springs, Colo., will be held at 1:30 p.m. June 30 at Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Clayton Smith will officiate. Craig, 77, died Sunday, April 17, 2005, at her home. She was formerly of Cape Girardeau...

Agnes Louise Meinz, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Jan. 11, 1917, at Allenville, daughter of Guy and Ruth Mansker Lesch. She and Carl William Meinz were married Dec. 12, 1950, in Piggott, Ark. He died July 8, 1959...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Virtus E. "Red" Wiggs, 84, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, June 22, 2005, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. He was born May 22, 1921, at Lick Creek, Ill., son of James Edd and Hattie Emory Wiggs. He and Margaret L. Foehr were married Aug. 2, 1939, in Perryville, Mo. She died July 28, 2004...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Dessie B. Witzman, 78, of Olmsted died Tuesday, June 21, 2005, at her home. She was born April 4, 1927, in Milburn, Ky., daughter of Zola and B. Mae Jackson. She married Warner O. Witzman, who died in 1987. Witzman retired as a cook with Meridian School District. She was a member of St. Luke's Lutheran Church...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Edna Mae Cummins, 73, of Sikeston died Wednesday, June 22, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 31, 1931, in Mount Pleasant, Texas, daughter of True Bardo and Ather Leo Dethridge Whorton. She and Charles J. Cummins were married Sept. 7, 1948, in Piggott, Ark...

25 years ago: June 23, 1980 Things couldn't have been much smoother for the weekend Riverfest on the Cape Girardeau riverfront, say chamber of commerce officials; they estimate 40,000 people from a five-state area attended the two-day event. Cape Girardeau's new public library at Clark and Woodlawn is dedicated in the morning and is immediately opened to the public; about 150 people are on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony; most stay to inspect the facility, and many of them immediately go to the book racks to find reading material.. ...

Might save lives; Better actress; Criminal research; Park is locked; Patriotic displays; Time for rationing; Too many pets; Roadside ditches

Estelle Lucille Seabaugh, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, June 22, 2005, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Dec. 27, 1915, in Pres-cott, Ark., daughter of Marion and Effie Trout Pierce. She and Odis Seabaugh were married Jan. 2, 1934, in Jonesboro, Ill. He died in 1991...

Martha Poe Vandivort, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 20, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Feb. 26, 1910, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Benjamin E. and Maude Browning Vandivort. She and S. Russell Vandivort were married Sept. 25, 1937. He died Sept. 28,1977...

Scott Co. investigating possible graverobbing BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Sheriff's Department is investigating the possible theft of a corpse from a century-old grave. The investigation is related to a large hole dug in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, off a rural road north of Route HH several miles east of Miner, Mo. ...

The Veterans Administration Community Clinic in Cape Girardeau has ranked in the top 10 in the country, according to a VA patient satisfaction survey that gauges health-care accessibility including efficiency, the quality of care and the ability to get treatment quickly...

Cape Girardeau...

A survey examining religion in medicine found that most U.S. doctors believe in God and an afterlife -- a surprising degree of spirituality in a science-based field, researchers say. In the survey of 1,044 doctors nationwide from a variety of specialties, 76 percent said they believe in God, 59 percent said they believe in some sort of afterlife and 55 percent said their religious beliefs influence how they practice medicine...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: * At 2:46 p.m., an alarm sounding at 3120 Independence St. * At 4:24 p.m., smoke at 804 N. Cape Rock Drive. * At 9:38 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Sycamore Circle...

BISMARCK, N.D. -- Claire Brook said the mountain lion she saw had "very pretty teeth." And Kenneth Campbell said its growl was not as loud as one would think. The mountain bikers said they came almost face to fang with a cougar on Monday on the Maah Daah Hey Trail in southwestern North Dakota...

Gina Kurre Rogers, a 1980 Jackson High School graduate who now lives in St. Louis, appeared in the May edition of Alive magazine, featured as one of St. Louis' fittest moms. Six other mothers were also selected mothers. Rogers relied on training for a triathlon as a means of losing weight after pregnancy. Now she stays fit by running, keeping up with her Pilates exercise and spinning regimen and chasing after twin 5-year-old boys...

Yellow Roadway Corp., the nation's largest less-than-truckload carrier, is closing newly acquired regional carrier USF Dugan and confirmed Wednesday that the Cape Girardeau terminal was among those that would close July 8. The Cape Girardeau USF Dugan terminal employs 22 people, including 18 drivers, according to a company spokeswoman...

WIMBLEDON, England -- Three tight sets, big-serving Mark Philippoussis and a broken net failed to faze Marat Safin. The big Russian waited out a five-minute delay while the Centre Court net was replaced in the second set, and he then finished off Philippoussis 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4 Wednesday to reach the third round at Wimbledon for only the second time...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Chance Wheeless homered leading off the bottom of the ninth inning to give Texas a 4-3 victory over Baylor on Wednesday night, putting the Longhorns into the championship round of the College World Series. Texas (54-16) tied the game at 3-all in the eighth when Nick Peoples ran over Baylor catcher Josh Ford in a violent collision at the plate to score on a sacrifice fly...

ST. LOUIS -- The team's for sale, the league has been shut down for a year and just lost a national television contract. But life goes on for the St. Louis Blues. On Wednesday, the team with the odd distinction of 25 straight playoff appearances without a sniff of the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals announced that head coach Mike Kitchen has been signed through the 2005-06 season. Terms were not released...

The Plaza Tire Capahas suffered just their second loss of the season as the host St. Louis Golden Spikes posted a 7-5 victory Wednesday night. "They've got a pretty good ballclub, and they hit the ball well," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, whose squad fell to 10-2...

Former tobacco city becomes 'Diet Capital of the World' DURHAM, N.C. -- As she sat atop the remains of the patio chair that crumpled under her weight, Jean Anspaugh realized it was time -- time to leave law school, leave her home in California and head for "The Diet Capital of the World."...

Since the floodwall murals were completed in November, those who helped see the project to completion have been eagerly anticipating July 7. Actually, the entire project hasn't been completed just yet, with the sidewalk lining the wall and the reader boards explaining the significance of each of the 24 scenes still under construction. But by July 7, those things will be in place, and the official dedication of the massive downtown beautification project will be held at noon...