Stories from Thursday, June 30, 2005

June 30, 2005 Dear Leslie, The first stage of our home makeover was accomplished while we were away for a weekend. It sounded like a crazy idea, but our talented friends Gail and Charlie transformed our first floor into rooms both DC and I love to inhabit...

Current rules make it easier for developers to build new structures rather than preserve. Cape Girardeau wants to adopt updated building codes by September that include new regulations designed to make it easier to remodel and renovate old buildings...

He said Karen Byrum didn't make it clear she wanted to contact a lawyer after she was arrested. The rights of a 44-year-old Cape Girardeau baby sitter charged with felony child abuse weren't violated by police before her interrogation, a circuit judge ruled Wednesday, despite her defense attorney's assertion that she was refused access to a lawyer...

Four local entities strike deal to make East Main Street interchange a reality. Jackson Mayor Paul Sander waited about 10 years for this. In a room crowded with some of the area's most important dignitaries, developers and politicians, Sander, dressed in a brown sports coat and an American baseball tie, could finally announce Wednesday what he's been working on for so long...

Wednesday tied two other days for the hottest of the year so far. As temperatures climbed into the mid-90s and the heat index reached 100 in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday, roofer Tom Graham and his colleagues were out working on a building at the corner of Broadway and Spanish Street...

Fifteen different donations are listed on Missouri's tax forms, up from just one in 1989. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although state lawmakers continue to provide a growing array of options for Missourians to make charitable donations on their tax returns, it hasn't resulted in increased overall giving...

June 30, 2005 Dear Leslie, The first stage of our home makeover was accomplished while we were away for a weekend. It sounded like a crazy idea, but our talented friends Gail and Charlie transformed our first floor into rooms both DC and I love to inhabit...

For two weeks, Tom Gallagher didn't have much success reaching his son and daughter, who are working at a camp deep in the Adirondacks. Cell phone reception is weak. Internet access is limited. Still, the Mitchellville, Md., father sent several e-mails reminding them to consolidate federal student loans before higher interest rates kick in Friday...

NEW YORK -- The proposed Freedom Tower at the former World Trade Center site, redesigned to address security concerns, will be the world's strongest and safest high-rise building, officials said Wednesday. The tower will be straighter and squarer, will rise from a base clad in shimmering metal chosen for beauty and blast-resistance and will be topped with an illuminated spire...

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- John Rocchio remembers his wife as a fetching young woman with an air of intelligence and a fine pair of legs. Amelia Rocchio recalls her husband as a handsome young man who didn't have much to say at first. It was the start of something beautiful -- and long-lasting...

CHICAGO -- The city council passed a law Wednesday banning the sale of marijuana-flavored lollipops, gumdrops and other treats, becoming the first major city to prohibit the confections. The candies are legal because they are made with hemp oil, an ingredient used in health foods...

The right-hander pitched six innings in his first outing since April 30 but did not get the decision. CHICAGO -- Kerry Wood returned, and the Chicago Cubs won again. Wood threw six sharp innings in his first start in two months, and Todd Hollandsworth hit a run-scoring single in the ninth inning for a 3-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday that extended Chicago's winning streak to four...

Inaugural event begins today in New Jersey. GLADSTONE, N.J. -- Annika Sorenstam is ready for a new challenge after her disappointing finish in the U.S. Women's Open. Her Grand Slam bid derailed last week at Cherry Hills, the Swedish star will open the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship today against former Solheim Cup teammate Joanne Morley...

SHIRAT HAYAM, Gaza Strip -- Jewish settlers enraged by a clash with Israel troops near this settlement turned on Palestinians, touching off a violent melee that left at least three people wounded, including one Palestinian in critical condition. Palestinians responded by hurling rocks at the settlers, and soldiers fired in the air to separate the sides, the army said. ...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- Police arrested four independent newspaper editors on criminal charges of defaming the military, a media watchdog group said Wednesday. They were detained for seven hours Tuesday and later released on bail. The arrests stem from reports in their Amharic-language weeklies about Ethiopian air force pilots who sought political asylum while training in Belarus, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists...

TORONTO -- Canada can't continue to be a cheap "drug store for the United States" and intends to ban bulk export of prescription drugs when supplies are low at home, the health minister said Wednesday. Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh said he must ensure Canadians continue to have access to an adequate supply of safe and affordable prescription drugs, and he would launch initiatives, including legislative and regulatory changes, to protect the supply and safety of Canadian drugs...

NEW YORK -- Three black men who ventured into a historically white neighborhood early Wednesday to steal a car were chased by a man with a baseball bat, police said. One man was beaten and suffered a fractured skull. The attack happened several hours before dawn in the same section of the borough of Queens as an infamous 1986 beating of three black men whose car had broken down...

Cape fire station will hold open house today The Cape Girardeau Fire Department will have an open house from 10 to 11 a.m. today at Fire Station No. 1, at 1 S. Sprigg St. The event will show off new equipment and protective gear worth $464,180. The equipment was purchased from money raised through a fire sales tax approved by voters last year...

The No. 2 seed outlasted Grosjean in five sets. WIMBLEDON, England -- Andy Roddick knows he's a work in progress, a young player with a record-setting serve, a fearsome forehand, a Grand Slam title -- and key parts of his game that occasionally let him down...

Therapist to discuss topic 'The Defiant Child'; Cape Girardeau Public Library offers activities; Riverside Regional Library plans story times

WASHINGTON -- Consider a move to Gilbert, Ariz., if you're looking to trade in that two-bedroom home for four bedrooms and a pool in the backyard. "Everywhere we go, even back in the Midwest, you hear Gilbert all the time," says Karen Breeden, who moved to the Phoenix suburb last week from South Bend, Ind., with her husband and two children...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush was hurried from his residence to a safer location Wednesday evening and people were evacuated from the White House and U.S. Capitol when a private plane ventured into restricted airspace. The all-clear came within minutes when two fighter jets intercepted the small twin-engine propeller-driven plane eight miles northeast of the Capitol. The alert ended before evacuations were complete at the White House...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, embracing nearly all the recommendations of a White House commission, said Wednesday he was creating a national security service at the FBI to specialize in intelligence as part of a shake-up of the disparate U.S. spy agencies...

The two-time major winner has not played in the event since 1996. LEMONT, Ill. -- Whether he's on the golf course or pulling his big motorhome up to a promotional appearance, someone is always wanting to shake John Daly's hand. Those booming drives and two major titles aside, fans look at him and see themselves. He struggles with personal problems just like they do, and he doesn't exactly have a typical athlete's physique...

The Cardinals beat the Reds 11-3 to improve to 21 games above .500. ST. LOUIS -- Larry Walker dreaded the cortisone shot to his ailing neck, the long needle drilling into his spine from a spot near the collarbone. He loved the results. Fortified by the shot two days earlier, Walker returned to the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup after a five-game absence Wednesday night and hit two-run homers his first two times up in an 11-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds...

IOC will meet July 6 to tab one of five cities for the Summer Games. NEW YORK -- The role of underdog doesn't come naturally to a city that calls itself "The Capital of the World," but that is how New York's Olympic boosters are casting themselves as they scramble to recover from a setback that nearly wrecked their bid for the 2012 Summer Games...

A local building supply company is donating materials, money and manpower to help build a home for a Cape Girardeau family. Bob Bohnsack, executive director of the Cape Area Habitat for Humanity, said Buchheit has committed to funding most of the construction for a house at 633 S. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday: * At 9:39 p.m., emergency medical service in the 400 block of South Frederick Street. Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: * At 2:44 a.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Napa Circle...

Cape Girardeau...

Elson Floyd, president of the University of Missouri system, has suggested a guaranteed cap on tuition for undergraduates, an idea that, if implemented, would be popular with students and parents who write ever-increasing checks as college costs rise at double-digit rates...

What if I told you I could give you something that would help prevent cancer, keep you thin and cure bad breath? It would cost you as little as 20 cents a dose, and it is totally legal. No, I haven't gone to the dark side and started hawking snake oil. Nor have I become suddenly brilliant and eligible for the Nobel Prize. You can be brilliantly healthy yourself as easily as visiting your grocery store and purchasing a cute little box of the Camellia sinensis: the common green tea...

The most highly recruited member of a boys basketball team in Southeast Missourian coverage area this winter has made her decision. Saxony Lutheran senior-to-be Lauren Lueders announced on Wednesday she will attend Vanderbilt University, a perennial Southeastern Conference power which has been in the NCAA tournament field the last six years and 16 out of the past 17 years. The Commodores have made two straight appearances in the NCAA's Sweet 16...

Arnhart, Davis score aces at Kimbeland; Curtis scores hole in one at Cape Jaycee course

To the editor: I would like to thank the office of state Sen. Jason Crowell for its promptness in responding to a personal concern our family recently shared with his office. We had a response in less than 36 hours after the request was made. Within less than 72 hours the problem had been addressed and resolved favorably...

To the editor: The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling on eminent domain was a blow to landowners, whether they be residential, small businesses or farmers. This ruling will allow the taking of property from one private person and giving it to another private person if higher taxes will be achieved...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- April Deanna Rhodes, 42, of New Madrid died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at her home. She was born April 25, 1963, in Los Angeles, Calif., daughter of Alonzo Paul and W. Anna Babb Shipman. She and Terry Rhodes were married Nov. 14, 1983...

BERTRAND, Mo.-- Lawrence David "Larry" Heckert, 84, of Bertrand died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 21, 1921, at Bertrand, son of Doyle and Cecil Meeks Heckert. He and Irene Pulliam were married Oct. 17, 1942. She died Sept. 26, 1991. He and Bonnie Hill were married Feb. 13, 1993...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gary Wayne Lindsey, 49, of Sikeston died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Oct. 12, 1955, in Sikeston, son of Grover Cleveland and Pearl A. Zachary Lindsey. Lindsey was a truck driver with Big Lake Transport in Charleston, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gordon M. Beaver, 72, of Sikeston died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. He was born May 8, 1933, at St. Joseph, Mo., son of Leroy C. and Julia Waite Beaver. He and Mary J. Wood were married June 8, 1956, in Webster Groves, Mo...

Frances I. Rau, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born May 5, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Charles David and Jewel Martin Griffaw. She first married Eugene Norris in 1954. She later married Richard Rau in September 1978 in Tishomingo, Okla. He died May 4, 1992...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Roy Brown Jr., 76, of Marble Hill died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at his home. Liley Funeral Home at Marble Hill is in charge of arrangements.

Sydney Elaine Richards, 89, of Potosi, Mo., departed this life and joined her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Tuesday, June 28, 2005. She passed away at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 27, 1916, in Caledonia, Mo., daughter of John Leroy and Celia Ann Nelson Patterson. She and Edward Thomas Richards were married Oct. 19, 1934. He died July 24, 1974...

Robert "Bob" Price, 76, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Sept. 18, 1928, in Brazeau, Mo., son of Irl and Merle Dempster Price. He and Velda Hand were married Aug. 15, 1948...

A child's innocence; Big cat advice; Limited information; Justice appointments; University logic; Not so long; Innocent comment

To the editor: We must be responsible and begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. A year ago the Iraqi citizens participated in their election, yet they are not and cannot be a true, stabilized democracy as long as our troops are there. Our presence is only fueling the growing insurgency. It is giving them an excuse to continue their fight...

Virginia S. Hinman, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born July 12, 1919, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Norman C. and Frances G. Stubenrauch Seib. Hinman was employed by the city of Cape Girardeau, had been head payroll clerk at D.L. Harrison Construction Co., and also worked for State of Missouri Child Support Enforcement. She was affiliated with Old St. Vincent's Catholic Church...

25 years ago: June 30, 1980 Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. has advised the county court that the authority of assigning circuit court office space rests solely with the circuit court judges; Limbaugh's opinion, in effect, supports the planned move of circuit court offices to Cape Girardeau in that it leaves that decision up to circuit judges, who are the prime movers behind the plan...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Mary Lee Bellamy, 44, of Mounds died Wednesday, June 22, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 15, 1960, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of Sylvester and Elnora Bellamy. Bellamy was a 1979 graduate of Meridian High School and attended Shawnee College. She had worked at Meridian Manor Nursing Home in Mounds and Anna-Jonesboro Nursing Home...

MATTHEWS, Mo. -- William Harland Gilmer Jr., 68, of Matthews died on Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at his residence. Friends may call at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Tom McCandless officiating. Burial will be in Matthews Cemetery...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Viola L. Sides, 87, of Perryville died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at her home. She was born July 9, 1917, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of Herman and Bernice Zahner Kiefer Sr. She and James "Lonnie" Sides were married May 7, 1938. He died Nov. 18, 1985...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Agnes Jewell Montgomery, 85, of Chaffee died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Nov. 22, 1919, in Swifton, Ark., daughter of Dewitt and Ethel Myra King Rowlett. She and Evert Paul Montgomery were married Jan. 15, 1940. He died Feb. 11, 1986...

Lavern Lorraine Penrod, 73, of Jackson died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Jackson Manor. She was born May 24, 1932, at Brazeau, Mo., daughter of Martin and Amalia Rabold Kutscher. She and Charles Roy Penrod were married Nov. 23, 1950. Penrod was a 1950 graduate of Jackson High School. She worked on the family farm with her husband and was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church at New Wells...

WASHINGTON -- By a 60-37 vote, the Senate voted to block the Environmental Protection Agency from using studies that expose people to pesticides when considering permits for new pest killers. The Bush administration lifted a moratorium imposed in 1998 by the Clinton administration on using human testing for pesticide approvals. ...

Don Schilling, a Los Angeles public relations consultant, is a savvy consumer of marketing ploys and, at 57, a man growing more attuned to the allures of pills and potions that promise to boost his health...

Plaza Tire avenged last week's loss to the St. Louis Golden Spikes. A week ago the Plaza Tire Capahas dropped a 7-5 decision on the road to the St. Louis Golden Spikes, as the Capahas were outhit 12-9. The Capahas traveled to St. Louis again Wednesday to take on the Spikes. This time, Plaza Tire didn't even need that much offense, as starter Jamie McCallister threw his second no-hitter of the season in a 13-0, seven-inning victory...

MADRID, Spain -- A Catholic lay group opposed to gay marriage presented lawmakers Wednesday with a petition bearing 600,000 signatures, a day before Parliament was expected to legalize same-sex unions in Spain. The Spanish Family Forum said the signatures were in addition to half a million others presented last month to press the Socialist government to call a referendum on whether Spain should institute gay marriage...

Paragould, Ark., comes away with 7-4 and 4-2 victories, as Ford and Sons falls to 10-14. The majority of the Cape Girardeau American Legion squad's mistakes on Wednesday were limited to just two innings out of the 14 played in a doubleheader with Paragould, Ark., at Capaha Field...

The newly formed South Side Optimist Club was presented with its official charter by Eric Pahl, governor of the East Missouri District of Optimist International Club, at a banquet Saturday. The club, organized in December, will conduct a variety of activities for the area's youths and community...

I'd like to call your readers' attention to a serious problem that appears to increase with the temperature: leaving children in unattended vehicles. When left alone in a car, even for a short time, a child is in danger of heat stroke, dehydration, injury and abduction...