Stories from June 2005

A 26-year-old Sedgewickville, Mo., man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday stemming from an auto accident last year in which a Chaffee, Mo., pastor's wife was killed and two others were injured. Michael Wayne Berry pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and second-degree assault. He admitted that he had been driving under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the accident...

Today is the start of hurricane season in Florida. People around Tampa Bay didn't take it too seriously last year. It was statistically unlikely we'd get hit. I allowed myself to get complacent, even though I spent Hurricane Georges in Pensacola with no power for two days...

Genealogy researchers, abstractors and lawyers have a new tool to peek into Cape Girardeau County's past. The Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson recently released a new book that indexes every individual who passed through probate court systems from 1797 to 2002...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state appeals court on Tuesday reinstated a lawsuit brought by the Missouri Baptist Convention that seeks to force five breakaway church institutions back into the fold. The convention and six affiliated churches sued the institutions in 2001 after they individually amended their corporate charters to declare their independence from convention governance. ...

25 years ago: June 1, 1980 A rededication service is held in the morning at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills; the church was originally dedicated May 30, 1880, according to the Rev. H. Sylvester, pastor. Southeast Missouri State University president Bill W. ...

Zonta Club Foundation; Arnsberg 4-H Club; Alpha Mu Master; Capaha Scottish Rite Women; St. Mary CCW; American Legion Post 158

Betty Jean Leist, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at Heartland Care and Rehab. She was born March 1, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Jessie and Deale McClard Wills. She married Benny Leist, who died in 1992. She had been a nurse aide at Green Meadows Nursing Home in Dexter, Mo., and at Wilson's Nursing Home in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ in Jackson...

Thomas Edward Ritchie, 49, of Fort Smith, Ark., died Saturday, May 21, 2005, in Fort Smith. He was born in 1956 in St. Louis, son of William and Helen Ritchie. Ritchie was a graduate of Kennedy High School, and attended Southwest Missouri State University. He was assistant manager of technical support at LOIS Law...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ena Vogel, 81, of Aurora, Colo., died Wednesday, May 18, 2005, at Hospice of Metro Denver, Colo. She was born May 16, 1924, in Roma, Queensland, Australia, daughter of Thomas Edgar and Williamena Thompson Kemp. She and Albert W. "Pete" Vogel were married July 14, 1945. He died March 8, 1999...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- John Henry Jamison Jr., 77, of Charleston died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born June 16, 1927, in Ripley, Tenn., son of John and Bertha Jamison. He and Delree Brown were married in 1952...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Geneva Tripp, 90, of Albuquerque, N.M., died Friday, May 27, 2005, in Albuquerque. She was born April 22, 1915, daughter of Albert and Margaret Campbell Evans. She and John H. Tripp were married in September 1945. He died April 12, 1991...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jerry R. Smith, 66, of Sikeston died Thursday, May 26, 2005, at his home. He was born April 21, 1939, in Oran, Mo., son of McGoy and Louise Abernathy Smith. Smith was founder of Century 21 Real Estate Co. in Sikeston. He was a member of Elks Lodge 2319, past officer and member of Eagles Aerie 3319 and Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norbert L. Wibbenmeyer, 66, of Bridgeton, Mo., died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at his home. He was born June 28, 1938, in Perryville, son of Leo and Julitta Wibbenmeyer, and was raised in Old Appleton, Mo. He married the former Norma J. Berkbigler...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Coleen Mae Cain, 76, of Tamms died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 25, 1929, in Elco, Ill., daughter of Gilbert and Annie Bass Durham. She married Orville Cain, who died May 19, 1989. Cain was a member of Sandy Creek Baptist Church...

Clara Ida Dirnberger, 96, of Olathe, Kan., died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Villa St. Francis. She is formerly of Scott City. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

ANNISTON, Mo. -- Nadine Self Haley, 80, of Anniston died Monday, May 30, 2005, at her home. She was born April 29, 1925, in Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of Willie and Leoda Bashears Armer. She and Charles Self Jr. were married Feb. 7, 1941. He died May 14, 1994. She and Fred Haley were married Oct. 24, 1997...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Velma Louise Lawrence, 45, of Sikeston died Sunday, May 29, 2005, at her home. She was born Aug. 26, 1959, in Scott County, daughter of James and Lucy Reddix Lawrence. Lawrence lived in Sikeston most of her life. She attended Sikeston High School...

Mary Janette Chapman, 68, died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at the home of her daughter in Sedgewickville, Mo. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with burial in Thompson Cemetery...

Zylphia Idell Morrison, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 15, 1918, at Delta, daughter of Roy F. and Rozlphia Brinner Gilder. She and Carl Edward Morrison were married Sept. 11, 1937, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He died June 17, 1993...

Marie Emerson Hahn, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 23, 2005, in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 3, 1916, at Cedar Hill, Mo., daughter of Frederick Wilhelm "Bill" Gottlieb and Mary Elizabeth Dieckmann Reinemer. She married John Hahn, who preceded her in death...

Good neighbor; Keep the money; Cell-phone biker; Need sidewalk; Safety at night; Use ACT, not MAP; Closer scrutiny; Carefully checked; You will get caught; Install cameras; Less litter?; Keeping his word; Our responsibility; Consider the message; Bleak job outlook; More trash cans; No follow-through; Waiting, and waiting; Extra caution

To the editor: In response to the "Responsible for cuts'" Speak Out contributor: I am perfectly willing to take the responsibility for cuts to Medicaid. I am glad we finally have a governor who realizes that Missouri can't continue to spend money it doesn't have. ...

To the editor: Last week my daughter attended the Girl Scouts' Camp TeAta outside Marble Hill for the last time. The local council voted to close this camp, which has been in operation for 50 years. It was a close-to-home option for the rural Scouts of Rolling Hills with overnight camps, day camps and cookouts...

To the editor: This is an open letter to the Meadow Heights School District. Thank you for 28 years of warm friendships. I never had a student I did not love. I did not always like their behavior, but I always loved my students. During my 27 years as student council adviser, Meadow Heights Student Council became an active organization. ...

Baseball; Colleges

Anyone who has driven very far on Missouri's highways this year is already familiar with the color orange, fewer lanes and detours. The Missouri Department of Transportation "literally will have a thousand work zones" this summer, said Pete Rahn, who has been MoDOT's director since September...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following on Sunday: * At 7:23 p.m., emergency medical service in the 200 block of South Middle Street. * At 8:17 p.m., box alarm at 2932 LaMesa St. * At 9:04 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1200 block of Linden Street...

First test of Cape siren to be at noon today; Judge considers Rush Limbaugh records; Bush to headline Talent fund-raiser in St. Louis; Panel admits tough odds in saving Missouri bases

Southeast Missouri State University plans to award 23 different construction contracts to build its River Campus arts school starting this summer. Fourteen of the contracts, with a total cost between $20 million and $21 million, will be awarded within the next few weeks and new construction could begin later this month, project officials said Tuesday...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center this week. This month's featured speakers will be state Sen. Jason Crowell and Rep. Nathan Cooper, who will be giving a legislative wrap-up. The program will begin at 7:40 a.m. Friday, after a continental breakfast at 7 a.m...

About 500 people lost electricity Tuesday in Cape Girardeau after a tree landed on a power line in the woods near Dennis Scivally Park. The power went off a little before 10 a.m. Tuesday and it was fixed by about 11:10 a.m. Jean Mason, manager of the Southeast Missouri division of AmerenUE, said the outage mostly affected people living in the area around Cape Rock Drive and Holloway Street...

For 18 years, Ray Duffey has been a mover, of sorts -- in charge of an operation that shuttled tens of thousands of passengers each year across countless miles. After today, the longtime Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation owner will still be moving...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court threw out the conviction of the Arthur Andersen accounting firm for destroying Enron Corp.-related documents, ruling unanimously Tuesday that the jury instructions were too broad. The decision was a defeat for the Bush administration, which had declared prosecution of white-collar criminals a high priority following accounting scandals at major corporations. ...

PARIS -- Imperious and nearly impervious, Roger Federer plays the beautiful game. Muscular and macho, Rafael Nadal is, like the uncle who inspired him, "The Beast." Federer is the top player, Nadal the hottest, and their straight-sets victories on a cool, overcast afternoon at the French Open on Tuesday set up a semifinal collision that they, and virtually everyone else, knew was coming...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Buddy Bell, hired as manager of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, promised no quick turnaround for the team with the worst record in the majors. "It's going to take some time to figure this out," Bell said in a news conference at Kauffman Stadium. "Right now we are looking for small victories."...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis Cardinals fan has written a 17-page proposal to save the concrete-and-metal arches atop Busch Stadium when the existing stadium is torn down. The 96 arches ring the top of the stadium, bringing a reminder of the city's famed Gateway Arch into the ballpark...

DENVER -- Needing to retire the best hitter in St. Louis' lineup with the game on the line, the Colorado Rockies turned to the best pitcher they could find in their bullpen. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who won that matchup. Albert Pujols turned what looked like a perfectly placed slider from Jay Witasick into a three-run homer in the seventh inning Monday night to add to the Colorado bullpen's misery and lift the Cardinals to a 5-4 victory...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A sign taped to the door of a cigarette shop urged smokers to "Beat the Tax." Customers took the advice Tuesday, loading up on their favorite smokes just hours before tobacco-rich Kentucky's first cigarette tax increase in a generation...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although the disparity narrowed slightly from previous years, black motorists were 38 percent more likely than white drivers to be stopped by Missouri law enforcement officers last year. The annual racial profiling report released Tuesday by Attorney General Jay Nixon also showed that black drivers who got stopped were 71 percent more likely to be searched than white drivers who were stopped by police...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's president said Tuesday he will hand over senior al-Qaida terrorist suspect Abu Farraj al-Libbi to the United States for prosecution, even though the man is believed behind two assassination attempts against him and could have received the death penalty here...

Consumer confidence rebounds in May; Europe plans counter case at WTO over Boeing

LIMA, Peru -- Peru's bright-eyed "little mermaid" -- a baby born with legs fused from her thighs to her ankles -- giggled and played on her hospital bed Tuesday, ahead of a delicate operation to begin repairing her rare birth defect. Thirteen-month-old Milagros Cerron was in prime condition for the surgery, which was to last four to six hours, said Dr. Luis Rubio, leader of the team of 11 surgeons who were to perform the operation...

Commissioners of youth sports leagues are generally anonymous folks who do a lot of work without much recognition. Rick McDonald received a few thank-yous Tuesday night for his 10 years of service as commissioner of the Cape Girardeau Girls Softball League...

DENVER -- He shut down one of the best lineups in baseball. He outclassed one of the top pitchers in the game. He did it at the toughest pitcher's park around. There was no denying Jason Jennings earned his milestone the hard way Tuesday night, when he became the winningest pitcher in Coors Field history by throwing seven innings in a 2-1 victory over Mark Mulder and the St. Louis Cardinals...

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Larry Brown will return to Detroit to coach at least one more game. His defending champion Pistons made sure of it. Detroit ensured that the Eastern Conference finals will last at least six games, getting a big performance from Richard Hamilton on both ends of the court to defeat the Miami Heat 106-96 Tuesday night in Game 4 of their best-of-seven series...

A few years ago 50 baboons somehow managed to escape at once from the wildlife preserve at the Kings Island amusement park near Cincinnati. Zookeepers, sensing that this development was not good for business at the park, scrambled to lure them back, using a variety of devices. It took four days to get the job done, and though a tranquilizer gun was instrumental in the process, a far more effective tool was the Hostess Twinkie...

WASHINGTON -- It took less than three months for President Bush to push through Congress separate trade deals with Australia, Chile, Morocco and Singapore, but his biggest one -- Central America -- has been lingering for a year. Despite another call Tuesday by Bush for Congress to pass it, the people clamoring most for a vote on the Central American Free Trade Agreement are not its supporters but opponents confident they can kill it...

We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend of doing not much of anything. We have been so busy with baseball and softball it was so nice just to have a couple of days to do some things around the house. We did go eat at the Zion United Methodist Church Memorial Day Picnic and chicken and dumpling dinner. ...

Johnson earns honor at state tourney Barbara Johnson, representing Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson, won the championship flight low gross at the Missouri Women's Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship played Tuesday and Wednesday at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. and Iraqi troops battled foreign fighters near the Syrian border and found the body of Anbar province's missing governor, the highest-ranking Iraqi official kidnapped since the fall of Saddam Hussein, authorities said Tuesday...

The Jackson American Legion baseball team opened the season by holding on for a 7-6 victory against House Springs on Tuesday night at Legion Field in Jackson. Tyler Beussink was the winning pitcher for Jackson after allowing four runs over six innings. Austin Morrison pitched two innings in relief, Jason Meystedt picked up an eventful save in the ninth...

Southeast received two at-large bids and will be represented in three events. Southeast Missourian Southeast Missouri State University will be represented in three events at the NCAA track and field national finals after hurdler Alonzo Nelson and the 1,600 relay team earned at-large berths...

NEW YORK -- Dan Wheldon stood up in his replica race car on a busy Manhattan street and lifted his index finger to photographers, almost as a reminder that he, not Danica Patrick, had won the Indianapolis 500. As Wheldon posed, a man passing by peered through the crowd to get a glimpse...

Spring into summer with salads, but give your salads a role with dash of difference, a character variation. Of course, salads usually seduce diners quite simply, with their irresistibly fresh vegetables and lightly tangy complementary dressings. But you can easily give salads a little extra allure by throwing in a touch of inspiration, preferably something that's already at hand, ready to use, on your pantry shelf. ...

The state can call them up. So can the federal government, and it has, twice to protect the president. But most of the time, they're keeping small communities in Southeast Missouri safe. The members of the Jackson-Sikeston SEMO Hazmat-Weapons of Mass Destruction Team, which was formed in 1999 and enhanced with tactical components in 2001 after the Sept. ...

When Cape Girardeau resident Stephanie Belmar went into Tuesday's taping of the game show "The Price is Right," she didn't know that she would even be a contestant. Nor did she know that the things she learned as a bridal consultant at Famous Barr would help her win the Showcase Showdown: the grand prize round at the end of the show...

Southeast Missouri has enjoyed a spell of sunshine, but farmers and gardeners are in need of some stormy weather. Cape Girardeau only got 3.06 inches of rain in May, down almost 2 inches from the normal 4.94 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. More than two-thirds of this precipitation fell on May 15, and Cape Girardeau has not seen any rainfall since one-hundredth of an inch fell May 23...

WASHINGTON -- Breaking a silence of 30 years, former FBI official W. Mark Felt stepped forward Tuesday as Deep Throat, the secret Washington Post source that helped bring down then-president Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Within hours, the paper confirmed his claim...

Paul Sander is ready for Senior Babe Ruth baseball in Jackson to be recognized as a solid program again. The first-year coach will have his chance to get it done this summer, as he heads the Jackson team into a season in which they will play nearly 30 more games than last summer...

June 2, 2005 Dear Leslie, Whom the idea occurred to first is a mystery. Maybe DC and I were marveling at how our friend Gail has made her house so homey only a few months after moving in. Homey wouldn't be an adjective people use to describe our house. Physicists experimenting with chaos theory could search the randomness of our rooms in vain for an underlying order...

When Cindy Heisserer of Jackson was a little girl, she used to walk with her mother, Jane Bock. This weekend, Heisserer plans to walk a 40-mile marathon in Chicago in memory of her mother, who died in 1988 of breast cancer at the age of 48, when Heisserer was 16...

Insurance executives from as far away as Vermont, risk management people from Texas and New York City, and a state senator stood in the shadow of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Wednesday to gather information about earthquakes and the risks they pose for their areas...

The city attorney of Cairo, Ill., resigned Wednesday so he could represent the city's mayor who was charged with forgery and official misconduct last month. "It appears that I may not be able to represent him [Mayor Paul Farris] in a criminal case and still be the city attorney, so I decided to resign," Alan McIntyre said late Wednesday...

The official grand opening ceremony for Jackson's skate park will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday. The ceremony will include a skateboard demonstration and opportunities to sign up for skate clinics and lessons. Lucas Beine of Jackson will give roller-blading clinics. ...

This can't continue. It absolutely can't. Lowell Peterson remembers those thoughts running through his mind in his last days as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uzbekistan. What was supposed to be a two-year journey for Peterson and his wife, Laurie, ended after only three months in the mostly Muslim, central Asia country...

The new water treatment plant in Scott City was seen as a blessing when it began service last July, replacing the five deep wells the city used for its water. At the time, the wells just weren't doing enough to provide water to the residents of the city...

Former Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Dale Nitzschke will lobby for federal funding for Southeast one more year -- his seventh -- before retiring next summer. He will be paid $120,000, plus up to $45,000 in expenses, the same terms as last year's contract, officials said. The new one-year contract begins July 1, school officials said Wednesday...

Missouri's higher education commissioner says he hopes by the end of June to recommend a solution to a dispute between Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College over the operation of three Bootheel education centers. With funding issues at the center of the disagreement, commissioner Dr. Gregory Fitch said the state may need to review financial records of the two schools to determine the facts...

The second annual Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament raised nearly $12,000 to benefit Saint Francis Women's HeartAdvantage. Sponsored by The Friends of Saint Francis, the mixed double scramble tournament took place May 23 at Cape Girardeau Country Club...

25 years ago: June 2, 1980 An apparent malfunction early in the morning sets off the disaster warning siren at the intersection of Bertling and Belair streets and possibly triggers sirens at several other locations in the city. County court officials say it will probably be Sept. 1 before they actually take possession of the old Cape Girardeau Public Library in Courthouse Park and work can begin on converting the structure into a county office building...

ANNISTON, Mo. -- Nadine Self Haley, 80, of Anniston died Monday, May 30, 2005, at her home. She was born April 29, 1925, in Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of Willie and Leoda Bashears Armer. She and Charles Self Jr. were married Feb. 7, 1941. He died May 14, 1994. She and Fred Haley were married Oct. 24, 1997...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Roger Murphy, 51, of East Prairie died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at East Prairie Nursing Center. He was born Feb. 15, 1954, at Hayti, Mo., son of Robert Junior and Mary Louise Johnson Murphy. Murphy was employed at Budget Laundry and Cleaners. He was a member of Christian Tabernacle in Sikeston, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Larry Wayne Mier, 66, of Advance died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 27, 1938, at Randles, son of Landon and Jewell Sheets Mier. He and Hester Putney were married Sept. 19, 1958, at Dexter, Mo...

Dyann M. Hartless, 66, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, June 1, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 18, 1938, in Camden, Mich., daughter of Donald and Pauline Marks Waters. Hartless served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1960. Survivors include two sons, Danny Hartless of Burfordville, Bobby Hartless of Hillsdale, Mich.; a brother, Duane Waters of Jonesville, Mich.; two sisters, Judi Antrim of Manchester, Tenn., Audrey Fields of Reading, Mich.; and two grandchildren...

Earl Eakins, 85, of Delta died Wednesday, June 1, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

Mary Janette Chapman, 68, of Cape Girardeau was surrounded by her loving family when she passed away Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at her daughter's home near Sedgewickville, Mo. She was born May 7, 1937, at Randles, daughter of Lemuel and Lucy Simmons Stacy. She and Ellis P. Thurm were married March 5, 1954. She later married Arnold "Bus" Chapman Oct. 18, 1986. He passed away Oct. 17, 1989...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norbert L. Wibbenmeyer, 66, of Bridgeton, Mo., died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at his home. He was born June 28, 1938, in Perryville, son of Leo and Julitta Wibbenmeyer, and was raised in Old Appleton, Mo. He married the former Norma J. Berkbigler...

Clara I. Dirnberger, 96, formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Villa St. Francis in Olathe, Kan. She was born Oct. 17, 1908, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of George E. and Mary Dittrich Roth. She and Clement A. Dirnberger were married May 29, 1939, and lived 38 years in Detroit, Mich., as a homemaker...

Riding in trucks; Not practical; What's next?; Too many choices; Questionable advice; Same as the Old Boss; Dangerous hazard; Just an obstruction; No-cheating policy; Bear policy; Waiting for judges; Reserve differences; Poor handling; Speeding trucks; Thanks to deputy; Making decisions

To the editor: In reading the article regarding minority drivers being stopped at higher percentages then non-minority drivers, I am amazed that this is even being dealt with. Let me share with you my non-scientific but practical evaluation of this report. ...

To the editor; Recently The Marshall (Mo.) Democrat-News ran a story about the Saline County NAACP chapter's first-ever roundtable for the African-American community. Democratic state Rep. Joe Aull was also there and used the opportunity to discuss the subject of the Confederate flag, stating: "Last year Governor [Bob] Holden ordered that Confederate flags not be allowed to fly at certain cemeteries. ...

To the editor; In response to my latest critics, I am only 16 years old, so I have never enjoyed many of the benefits some of the Speak Out callers spoke of. However, I have the guts to write a letter to the editor with my name attached. I stand behind my comments. ...

Bruce Thomas was a great wrestler at Southeast Missouri State University, the only one in the history of the old Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association to complete four years without a conference loss. He also was a great wrestling coach, guiding Jackson High School teams to a 105-10-3 record in dual matches from 1982 through 1995. That record included a winning streak of 52 matches in a row. Thomas also has contributed much time to the sport he loves as a wrestling official...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Tuesday. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests * Dale Ernest Howard, 22, 6008 Route Y, De Soto, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of stealing. * Mashiki Jerry Mosley, 36, 535 N. Sprigg St., was arrested on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia...

Delphanie Rollins, 35, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, June 31, 2005, at her home. Friends may call Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home in Cairo, Ill. Funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Bishop Paul Jones will officiate. Burial will be at Spencer Heights Cemetery in Mounds, Ill...

Jim and Cindy Brown of Sikeston, Mo., were winners of a 2005 red Ford Mustang in the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri's third annual automobile raffle. The couple had entered the drawing because they felt the $100 donation was for a good organization. Earlier in the year they had adopted a cat from the Humane Society...

Tornado siren warnings begin tests for summer ; Cape library gets grant to improve Web site; Scott County Women in Agriculture meeting today; Beginning Experience holds benefit dance; Rummage, bake sale to benefit upcoming fair; Catch-and-release fishing event to be held Saturday; Cape library announces June reading events; Centennial run/walk to be held in Chaffee; Yard sale planned on Saturday to benefit SADI; Benefit dance planned for Followell family; Poker run to benefit Kenny Rogers center; Petzoldt reunion at Altenburg Sunday

Bell City organization sponsors fish fry...

WASHINGTON -- In the fourth round of the national spelling bee, Dominic Ranz Errazo finally got a word he could relate to: "emetic," which means inducing one to vomit. "It sounds like the nervousness I get up here," said the seventh-grader from Goose Creek, S.C...

WASHINGTON -- A chance meeting at the White House between a young Navy courier and a veteran FBI official forged the friendship and trust that were critical to The Washington Post's coverage of the Watergate scandal. Bob Woodward was the Navy lieutenant and W. ...

The San Francisco Giants extended Felipe Alou's contract through the 2006 season Wednesday, ending any speculation about whether the manager would return for a fourth season. The 70-year-old Alou and the Giants have a mutual option for 2007. Alou, who took over the team from Dusty Baker after the 2002 season, is one of only three managers in franchise history to win at least 90 games in his first two years...

SAN FRANCISCO -- An in-house video meant to prepare San Francisco 49ers players for dealing with the media backfired on the NFL team Wednesday when it was learned that it featured racist jokes, lesbian soft-porn and topless blondes. The 15-minute video, a copy of which was sent anonymously to the San Francisco Chronicle, features the team's public relations director, Kirk Reynolds, impersonating Mayor Gavin Newsom in the mayor's office and other places around town...

PARIS -- Shouts of bravo mingled with expressions of surprise as unseeded Mariano Puerta, an Argentine back from a nine-month drug suspension, and Nikolay Davydenko, a Russian on the rise, set up an unlikely French Open semifinal. In a pair of five-set marathons Wednesday, Puerta and Davydenko emerged the winners who will face each other Friday for a spot in the final against the winner of the more celebrated semifinal between No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 4 Rafael Nadal...

WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- A young black woman accused of sending racist threats to minority classmates at her small Christian school could face three to five years in prison if convicted of a hate crime. Alicia Hardin, 19, of Chicago pleaded not guilty to hate crime charges in Lake County Circuit Court in Waukegan on Tuesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An unusually high number of rabid animals has been reported in Missouri so far this year, prompting the state to issue a public health advisory. The Department of Health and Senior Services said Wednesday that 18 animals had tested positive for rabies as of May 23, compared to six during the same period a year ago...

UNITED NATIONS -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan fired a staffer for manipulating contracts under the Iraq oil-for-food program, the first dismissal to result from a U.N.-backed probe of the $64 billion humanitarian operation, a spokesman announced Wednesday...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch voters worried about social benefits and immigration overwhelmingly rejected the European Union constitution Wednesday in what could be a knockout blow for a charter meant to create a power rivaling the United States...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A senior Shiite cleric said Wednesday that Iraq's government has opened indirect communications with factions in the Sunni Arab-dominated insurgency and is trying to persuade them to lay down their arms and return to Iraq's political fold...

LIMA, Peru -- Doctors successfully separated the fused legs of a Peruvian baby during a risky, nationally televised operation Wednesday, and said they hoped the vivacious, bright-eyed girl would be walking in two years. But they cautioned that 13-month-old Milagros Cerron, who was born with a rare congenital defect known as sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome," will need years of reconstructive surgery before she is fully healed...

NEW YORK -- Stocks strode higher Wednesday as investors grew hopeful that the interest rate tightening cycle might soon draw to a close, but a late-session rise in oil prices limited Wall Street's gains. Bonds rallied, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note below 4 percent...

NEW YORK -- U.S. manufacturing expanded at a slower-than-expected rate in May, constrained by high energy prices and fat inventories, especially in the automobile sector, figures from a private research organization showed on Wednesday. Stock prices rose on speculation that the weak performance could give the Federal Reserve second thoughts about more interest rate hikes...

LADYSMITH, Wis. -- Even when he was district attorney, Robert Rogers did not exactly act like one of the white hats. It was no secret he smoked marijuana. He used to swagger into court in jeans and a T-shirt, which was a big deal back in the 1970s. To some, he came across as arrogant and vain...

CINCINNATI -- Apollo moon mission astronaut Neil Armstrong has threatened to sue a barbershop owner who sold the spaceman's hair trimmings for $3,000. The buyer said Wednesday he won't return the locks but will donate the purchase price to charity...

PHOENIX -- The San Antonio Spurs no longer have to worry about being on the wrong side of playoff history -- or about facing Amare Stoudemire. All they have to think about now is trying to win another NBA championship. Tim Duncan had 31 points and 15 rebounds and the Spurs' defense keyed a game-changing 18-4 third-quarter run, giving them enough of a cushion to hold off Stoudemire and the Phoenix Suns with a 101-95 victory Wednesday night that ended the Western Conference finals in five games...

DENVER -- Mark Grudzielanek had four hits and two RBIs, and Matt Morris fought through six shaky innings to remain unbeaten in the St. Louis Cardinals' 8-6 victory against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night. Some of the Mile High air had been taken out of Coors Field, with just 21 runs scored the previous four games at the hitter-friendly park -- 5.3 per game...

WASHINGTON -- More than 30 years after becoming the largest group of schoolchildren in U.S. history, baby boomers have finally lost their record -- to their children. A total of 49.6 million children attended public and private school in 2003, beating the previous high mark of 48.7 million, set in 1970 when the baby boom generation was in school...

In its 150th year, organizers of the SEMO District Fair are hoping an entertainment schedule featuring variety and a country music headliner will help bring in more people than ever before. The fair will run from Sept. 10 to 17 at Arena Park. Last year, 97,665 people attended the fair over eight days...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When hundreds of federal workers watch the news today they'll see reports of nuclear threats and rioting in the streets of Kansas City. Breathe easy, the newscasts are fake. But they are part of an exercise to test the federal government's ability to respond to the very real possibility of a crisis...

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Continued warming of the ocean will spur high hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this season and increase the probability of a storm moving inland, forecasters said. An updated forecast by William Gray and his team at Colorado State University, released a day before the hurricane season officially started Wednesday, predicts 15 named storms, with eight of those becoming hurricanes. ...

ATHENS -- About half a million children in Europe are suffering classic middle-aged health problems because they are too fat, according to new estimates released Wednesday. Obesity among European children has been on the rise over the last 15 years, but experts are now starting to see the health consequences emerge on a large scale...

Corrections * Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon's name was misspelled in a headline in Wednesday's edition. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error. * A story in Wednesday's edition incorrectly reported the dates of the NCAA Division I track and field championships. The event is June 8 through 11 in Sacramento, Calif. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error...

Dalhousie Golf Club had busy weekend Dalhousie hosted two events over Memorial Day weekend: the Quota Tournament and a couples scramble. Also at the course, Mary Kinsella scored a hole in one Sunday on the par-3, 106-yard No. 8, using a 6-iron. The ace was Kinsella's first. It was witnessed by Matt Kinsella...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A bomb from a suicide attacker tore through a mosque during Wednesday's funeral for a Muslim cleric opposed to the Taliban, killing at least 20 people, and the local governor said an al-Qaida-linked militant was responsible...

It sounds like the plot for another Batman sequel: The villain sprays Gotham City with a trust hormone and people rush to give him all their money. Banks, the stock market and even governments collapse. Farfetched? Swiss and American scientists demonstrate in new experiments how a squirt of the hormone oxytocin stimulates trusting behavior in humans, and they acknowledge that the possibility of abuse can't be ignored...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday * At 8:28 p.m., emergency medical service at 1900 Delwin St. * At 9:51 p.m., emergency medical service at Arena Park. * At 10: 51p.m., emergency medical service at 1400 N. Spanish St...

A lot of their parents and grandparents can be seen indulging in this practice. But is it really an indulgence, just some wacky way of connecting to a lost childhood? Perhaps it signifies an age-empowered stance: "I'm older and I'll belch if I want to."...

The Jackson Senior Babe Ruth baseball team recovered for a doubleheader split in its home opener Wednesday night. After Chaffee prevailed 6-5 in the opener, Jackson rolled to an 11-0 victory in five innings. Jackson is now 3-1. Chaffee won the first game despite having just six hits compared to 11 for Jackson...

Miles Smith's winning time Saturday in the 400-meter dash at the NCAA Mideast Regional not only put him in elite company nationally. It also placed the Southeast Missouri State sophomore in some pretty special company around the world. Smith's school-record performance of 45.16 seconds ranks him 14th in the world this year. His time is the 19th-fastest on the list, with several of the ranked competitors appearing on the list multiple times...

Lotions, soaps won't carry organic label; Florida strikes deal to avert coastal drilling ; 7-year-old suspected in death of infant sibling; Philly can't fire Muslim firefighter over beard

Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan acknowledges that the Redhawks have over the past two years not lived up to the lofty standards he had previously established for the program. This season, which concluded last week with an 0-2 showing at the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Paducah, Ky., was particularly disappointing, as the Redhawks went 24-32 for only their second losing record in 11 years under Hogan...

Maybe you noticed, on Thursday's Health page, that Shape Up Cape has revved up for another summer of fitness fun. And maybe you noticed that one of the Southeast Missourian teams, Fit to Print, includes eight health-conscious members of the news staff. And maybe you noticed yours truly is among them...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- About two dozen Southeast Missouri school districts stand to receive less additional money than originally anticipated from the state's new education funding formula because of a change in how revenue from a statewide sales tax is distributed, according to some education groups...

Cape Girardeau County has hired former auditor Weldon Macke to help clean up the books left behind by a restitution clerk who was recently arrested for embezzling funds from the prosecutor's office. Monica Krauss, a four-year employee of the office, was charged last week with three counts of forgery and one of stealing $958.69 after an investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

Cape Girardeau County will likely spend at least $200,000 on a huge technology upgrade. Information systems director Eric McGowen recommended at Thursday's county commission meeting that three software companies be invited to the county to demonstrate their systems...

During his visit to Cape Girardeau Thursday, David W. Kemper said he noticed "a bank on every corner," and admitted it was something he didn't understand. "There are a lot of community banks," said Kemper, chairman, president and CEO of Commerce Bancshares Inc. "Frankly, I'm not sure why there are so many."...

Just one day after a group of officials visited Cape Girardeau to discuss the risks of earthquakes in the area, an early-morning quake centered in Tennessee shook much of Southeast Missouri. The magnitude 4 earthquake occurred at about 6:35 a.m. Thursday about 10 miles outside of Dyersburg, Tenn., according to information released by the State Emergency Management Agency. ...

Construction will soon begin on a new elementary activity center in the Chaffee School District. At a recent meeting, the school board accepted a bid of $1.33 million from Penzel Construction for the project. After years of problems, Chaffee Elementary School's battle against a lack of space will end this summer...

Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis declared a mistrial Wednesday in the trial of an accused rapist after a prospective juror blurted out an answer to a prosecutor's question that made it impossible for the defendant to receive a fair trial. "He [the prospective juror] was being candid and said it [what he said] in good faith. He wasn't trying to cause any trouble," Lewis said Thursday...

Small talk fills the air as one woman greets another in the hot-dog line. Nearby, two children drag their mother over to inspect the fire truck parked on the street. Above, three brightly colored balloons drift into the sky after being freed by a toddler who couldn't quite hold on tight enough...

People living along Highway 34 around Burfordville may have some significant inconveniences when plans are finalized and construction begins for improvements along that road, but many of them see it as a necessary sacrifice. Don and Sharon McCarty may end up having to move as a result of proposed improvements to Highway 34 in the Burfordville area, but they aren't angry...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt will release the $100 million he withheld earlier this year from public universities no later than June 27, his spokesman confirmed Thursday. On Feb. 24, Blunt announced that 70 percent of money due to nine four-year institutions, including Southeast Missouri State University, for the months of March, April and May would be delayed until June, the last month of the 2005 fiscal year. ...

Fiscal restraint and supply and demand are fueling the gains in the median sales price of single-family homes in Cape Girardeau rather than speculation and easy credit terms, say area real estate agents. "The market here is more in balance," said Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas L. Meyer Realty Co...

When Melissa Kakouris took the position of executive director of the Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce in January, she began a crash course in rodeo organization. She didn't know much about the sport before taking the job, she admitted, "but I do now."...

First Friday opening at Gallery 1.2.5; First Friday opening at The Artist Studio today; Wickliffe Mounds to hold Family Fun Day June 11; Market House offers summer drama classes; Underbergs to hold reception for Dahme; Trail of Tears, Bollinger Mill to present concerts; Local author releases book of collected poems; Felix Valle House holds French "veillee" June 11; Opera, ballet performances coming to Poplar Bluff

25 years ago: June 3, 1980 Seven loaded barges break loose from a 25-barge tow on the Mississippi River north of Cape Girardeau; however, by midmorning all of the free-floating barges have either run aground or have been taken back in tow. Voters in Jackson overwhelmingly approve a $500,000 bond issue to help finance a new fire and police headquarters; in a light turnout, the proposal receives 127 votes more than the two-thirds majority necessary for passage; the facility will be erected at the intersection of highways 61-72-25 and will cost $750,000.. ...

A story in Wednesday's edition about three women participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this weekend in Chicago omitted the name of a fourth participant, Lisa Newman of Jackson. She and the others will walk 26 miles Saturday and 13 miles Sunday to raise money to fight breast cancer...

Hearnes; Donaldson; Bowman; Ressel

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Pearl Mae Whitney, 64, of Charleston, died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at the Clearview Nursing Home in Sikeston. She was born April 9, 1941, in Clarksdale, Miss., daughter of the late Walter and Susie Mix Whitney. Whitney was a resident of Missouri since 1946. She was a member of the Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Wyatt, Mo...

Delphanie Rollins, 34, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, June 30, 2005, at her home of an apparent heart attack. Friends may call Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home in Cairo, Ill. Funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Bishop Paul Jones will officiate. Burial will be at Spencer Heights Cemetery in Mounds, Ill...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Russell O. Stilts, 82, of Weatherford, Texas, died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at Campbell Health Systems in Weatherford. He was formerly of Advance. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Jewell M. Williams, 95, of Anna died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at City Care Center. She was born Sept. 12, 1909, in Union County, Ill., daughter of Moses and Edith Weinberger Miller. She and R. Lee Williams were married Dec. 24, 1931. He died Oct. 23, 1995...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dennis W. Bohnert, 36, of Perryville died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at his home. He was born Jan. 4, 1969, in Perry County, Mo., son of Elmer and Earlene LaRose Bohnert. Bohnert was an equipment operator with Earthworks. Survivors include a son, Justin Bohnert; his parents, all of Perryville; three brothers, Randy Bohnert of Old Appleton, Mo., Rick Bohnert of Perryville, David Bohnert of Frohna, Mo.; and a sister, Crystal Winschel of Oak Ridge...

Robert Darrell Norman, 57, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at his home. He was formerly of Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Donna D. Ebersohl Coryea of St. Louis died Thursday, June 2, 2005. Survivors include her husband, Leroy Coryea; children, Bobbi Jo (Jeff) Renner of Jackson, Leroy C. Coryea Jr. of House Springs, Mo., Ruth E. Livingston of St. Louis; six grandchildren, Olivia, Jon, Danaa, Christian, Elene and Brynne; three sisters, Jo-Ann (Charlie) Lombardo, Betty Bauer and Barbara Richie; a cousin, Charles Ebersohl; sister-in-law; aunt; great-aunt; and friend...

Earl A. Eakins, 85, of Delta died Wednesday, June 1, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 26, 1920, in Allenville, son of Robert and Louise Diamond Eakins. He and Oma Louise Bullinger were married Nov. 28, 1938. She died Jan. 19, 2001...

Allen Laws Oliver Jr. of Dallas, Texas, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away Saturday, May 28, 2005, five days after his 90th birthday. He was born May 23, 1915, in Cape Girardeau, son of Allen Laws Oliver of Cape Girardeau and his wife Olivia Leachman Oliver, formerly of Virginia...

Too much worrying; Not college material; When life begins; The Rush Limbaugh Pool; Equal pay; We're not socialists; More dangerous?; Outrageous sale items; Keeping up with Murray; Gag; Tossing trash; Road in special district; Train those dogs; Shame on us; Stiffer penalties; Now it's worse; Sale is a menace

To the editor: Recently I received the biggest and most precious blessing of my life. I reached the age of 99 years filled with love from my family, Christian rearing and a clean, wholesome life for which I shall be forever grateful. I am thankful to the many friends who, on May 15, gave me such a completely memorable day and for their love, kindness and generosity...

Baseball...

The revelation, after three decades of ironclad secrecy, of the identity of Deep Throat has set the nation abuzz -- at least that part of the nation old enough to remember the Watergate years, the investigations of the highest levels of government and, finally, the resignation and pardon of then-president Richard M. Nixon...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Tuesday. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests * A subject is in custody pending filing of formal charges for stealing animals. * Shawn S. Carnell, 30, 103 David St., Sikeston, Mo., was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana...

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Even after Jeff Sluman polished off his best round of the year, a 7-under 65 that gave him a one-shot lead in the Memorial, he was quick to ask the question on just about every player's mind Thursday. What did Jack shoot? In what might be his final PGA Tour event on American soil, Jack Nicklaus sent a fan to the hospital after hitting him with a tee shot, sent the gallery to its feet with back-to-back birdie putts inside 6 inches and spent most of the gray, cool day at Muirfield Village holding his own until three bogeys on the last four holes dropped him to a 75.. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- As usual, the attacks struck without warning, and the targets were mundane: a restaurant shredded by a car bomb, a market sprayed with bullets from driveby shooters, a coffee shop rocked by explosives hidden on motorcycles left outside...

TULKAREM, West Bank -- Israel freed 398 jailed militants Thursday, fulfilling a months-old pledge that officials hope will bolster Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his moderate allies as they contest with radical groups for support among Palestinians...

Weighing a little too much might not kill you, but there's nothing healthy about it, the head of the nation's health agency said Thursday, distancing herself from a controversial report suggesting that being overweight isn't so bad. Health experts increasingly are faulting a recent study by scientists at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that concluded obesity is not nearly as dangerous as was thought and that being a little plump might actually lower the risk of death...

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A prosecutor told jurors during closing arguments of the Michael Jackson trial Thursday that the pop star targeted a vulnerable cancer survivor, brought the little boy "into the world of the forbidden" in his bedroom and molested him...

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Escorted into court by her fiance, runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks tearfully pleaded no contest Thursday to faking her own abduction. She was sentenced to probation, community service and a fine. "I'm truly sorry for my actions and I just want to thank Gwinnett County and the city of Duluth," Wilbanks said in court...

The Joplin Globe Missouri legislators have tried to offer relief to property taxpayers over the years in the form of special breaks for older residents and the poor. But the problem with the never-ending growth of assessments continues. People are finding that their property taxes are going up just about every year, regardless of whether they make improvements to buildings or houses. .....

PHOENIX -- George Mikan, the "gentle giant" who a half-century ago brought fame and stability to the fledgling world of professional basketball and literally transformed the game, has died 18 days shy of his 81st birthday. Mikan died Wednesday night at a Scottsdale rehabilitation center following a long fight with diabetes and kidney ailments. ...

DENVER -- It takes more than one big hit to break out of the kind of slump Todd Helton has been in lately. Still, this was a pretty big hit, and it came against a darn good pitcher. Helton tied the game with a two-run single with the bases loaded in the ninth, and Brad Hawpe followed with the winning walk Thursday to help the Colorado Rockies defeat St. Louis 8-7, handing Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen his first blown save of the season...

PARIS -- Medical charts and ages, rankings and records won't mean much when Mary Pierce and Justine Henin-Hardenne clash Saturday in the French Open final. They are players who defy logic and obvious number crunching, reminding fans that champions are more than the sum of their wins and losses or backhands and forehands. Their low seedings never mattered on their marches through the draw to semifinal victories Thursday, nor did the formidable health problems each overcame to get this far...

One of the biggest music festivals of the season will take place in Scott City Park Saturday. This festival won't be about the bottom dollar or promoting bands. Instead it will be about celebrating the life of one of Southeast Missouri's most successful musicians -- Randy Leiner -- and building on the legacy he left behind...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush chose California Rep. Christopher Cox on Thursday to run the Securities and Exchange Commission, assigning him the delicate regulatory dance of protecting investors' rights while not stifling business. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday. * At 1:56 p.m., haz-mat spill at Lexington and Chesapeake avenues. * At 6:22 p.m., emergency medical service at 1700 New Madrid St. * At 9:50 p.m., citizen assist at 606 Silver Springs Road...

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will play host this month to a first-of-its-kind exhibit giving the state's senior citizens a chance to show off their artistic talent. Starting today and running through June 25, Gallery 100, located at 32 N. Main St., will present the "Good Vintage" traveling exhibit -- a juried showing of artwork by residents 50 or older from around Missouri...

MIAMI -- With their star guard watching the final 10 minutes from the locker room, the Miami Heat moved within one victory of the NBA Finals. Whether Dwyane Wade can help them take the final step remains to be seen. Wade was injured while taking a charge against Rasheed Wallace in the third quarter, and the pain was too much for him to take when he returned early in the final period of Miami's 88-76 victory over the defending champion Detroit Pistons on Thursday night...

New at the theaters 'CINDERELLA MAN' Starring Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger, Paul Giamatti and Craig Bierko. Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock starts taking fights to feed his wife and family, but as he piles up unlikely victories, he becomes a national hero whose spectacular comeback inspires the nation. Rated PG-13 for intense boxing violence and some language, running time 144 minutes. (Cape West Cine)...

Local artist Harry McDaniel thinks Cape Girardeau is on the cusp of a revolution, and he wants to be on the cutting edge. "This town is on the verge of a cultural explosion," said McDaniel. "We are branching out and growing. There's this whole younger generation of people wanting to do creative things."...

HHH (out of four) This movie is about Paul "Wrecking" Crewe (Adam Sandler) who used to be a superstar pro football player, but seems to be fading out of the spotlight. Crewe ends up in the same prison as former college champ and coach, Nate Scarboro (Burt Reynolds)...

Mack cruised to two wins over weekend Joey Mack of Benton put together an impressive month of auto racing in May. Mack won two events and had three top-10 finishes. His victories were Friday at the Malden Speedway and Saturday at the Poplar Bluff Speedway. He earned $2,100 with the two wins...

Southeast Missouri State baseball players Freddy Lopez and Bo Jenkins did not have to wait long to find a place to continue their careers following the Redhawks' early exit at the Ohio Valley Conference tournament last week. Lopez and Jenkins joined the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League on Thursday. The Grizzlies play their home games at GMC Stadium in Sauget, Ill...

The Jackson Senior Babe Ruth team won a pair of dramatic contests at home Thursday night against Portageville by scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh inning of each game. Jackson (5-1) won the opener 1-0 and the nightcap 7-6. Trevor Thompson scored the only run of the first game, coming home on a suicide squeeze by Travis Niswonger. Thompson had singled for one of Jackson's three hits in the game...

CONCORD, N.C. -- Carl Edwards still is adjusting to sudden fame. Luckily for NASCAR's newest star, his girlfriend steals the spotlight every time she's on his arm. Edwards is dating Olympic swimmer and part-time model Amanda Beard, who has caused a stir at the handful of races she's attended this season...

The Plaza Tire Capahas had a successful season last year, compiling a 30-12 record and making their 23rd straight appearance in the National Baseball Congress World Series. But longtime manager Jess Bolen has some good news for fans who enjoy watching and following Cape Girardeau's tradition-rich summer baseball team...

The American labor movement has reached a cataclysmic stage. The percentage of organized labor membership in private industry is a quarter of what it was in most of our lifetimes and shrinking fast. ...

A story in Saturday's edition should have said Gov. Matt Blunt symbolically signed the appropriations bill for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education at a news conference in Cape Girardeau.

There are towns called "Avalon" in California, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, England and France, but the Toyota Avalon is not built in any of them. Georgetown, Ky., is home to Toyota's flagship sedan, which has been re-fashioned and re-engineered for 2005. ...

After almost 50 years of playing pool, 61-year-old Larry "Hambone" Richmond of Advance, Mo., is pretty sure he has the game down. "Hambone" said the members of his pool team in Advance call him the "ace in the hole." "I even taught some of them how to play," Richmond said...

Some say 10 percent, others say 20 percent. A few aren't comfortable at less than 50 percent. Opinions on how much reserve funding is enough vary from school district to school district in Missouri, depending on revenue sources, past financial history and general preference...

Cape Girardeau's historic Glenn House hasn't always been treated well. Over the years, the Victorian-era home that is now a house-museum has seen its share of owners and tenants, some of whom haven't been kind to the 122-year-old home. The Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau has owned the house for about 35 years, said association building and grounds supervisor Bill Port, but in the last 18 months, several major repairs have been made to the home, some of them using $31,117 of surplus funds from the Convention and Visitors Bureau.. ...

25 years ago: June 4, 1980 In an interview with The Southeast Missourian newspaper, U.S. Rep. Bill D. Burlison defends his allegiance to national Democratic Party leadership as helping him become a more effective congressman, but denies that those ties brand him as a liberal; the interview also touches on a check he received from Letha Hence...

Nogueda; Burke; Black; Demyan; Ponder; Kiefer

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Flora M. Bradford, 97, of Perryville died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at PerryOaks Manor. She was born Oct. 23, 1907, at Perryville, daughter of John B. and Mary H. Zoellner Pingel. She and Vinton E. Bradford were married Feb. 26, 1940. He died in July 1975...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sarah E. Smith, 77, of Sikeston died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Jan. 2, 1928, in East Prairie, Mo., daughter of Elmer and Nora Couch. She and Joseph C. "Joe" Smith were married Jan. 1, 1954. He died Nov. 16, 1977...

Delphanie Faye Rollins, 34, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 30, 2005, at her home of an apparent heart attack. She was born Sept. 9, 1970, in Harvey, Ill., daughter of William E. and Mary Rollins. Rollins had lived in Cape Girardeau since 1972 and was a 1989 graduate of Central High School...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Russell O. Stilts, 82, of Weatherford, Texas, died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at Campbell Health Systems in Weatherford. He was born Sept. 22, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, son of Joseph Frederick and Pearl Marie Stilts. He and Irene Fowler were married Sept. 19, 1942, at Benton, Mo. She died May 11, 1996...

Robert Darrell Norman, 57, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at his home. He was born Sept. 9, 1947, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ernest Lee and Bruxie Glisson Norman. Norman was a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. He was a rating specialist 35 years with the Veterans Administration in St. Petersburg...

Walter G. McCormick, 63, of Rockledge, Fla., died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at his home. He was born Dec. 24, 1941, in Cape Girardeau. McCormick was a carpenter for the city of Rockledge. Funeral will be private. Announcement courtesy of Ford and Sons Funeral Home...

Chloree "C" Williams, 96, of Jackson died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Edith T. Snead, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born June 9, 1907, in Altamont, Ill., daughter of George Samuel and Nellie C. Byers Snead. She and Grenville H. Snead were married Nov. 24, 1928, in Wellston, Mo. He died Oct. 8, 1985...

Mildred I. Sievers, 84, of Jackson passed away Thursday, June 2, 2005, at Monticello House. The youngest of four children, she was born Feb. 15, 1921, in Oak Ridge, to Ira and Bernice Riehn Walker. When Mildred was 2 months old her mother passed away and she was raised in the home of Eula Surface. She and Charles L. Sievers were married April 5, 1946. He passed away Oct. 6, 1985...

More shock time; Sidewalk spending; Stem cells wasted; Flying the flag; Ivy on trees; Beautiful rose garden; Dog safety; He's no hero; Stem cell information; Support the arts

To the editor: As president of Associated Industries of Missouri, this state's leading business trade organization, it is my job to fight for legislation benefiting businesses and the people they employ. That's why AIM supports House Bill 209. I commend the bill's sponsors, Shannon Cooper and Senator John Griesheimer, for creating a fair tax system that recognizes the changing nature of the communications industry. ...

To the editor: Thank you for your story on Don Roth. I am Don's niece and, speaking for his family, we all miss him terribly. It is good to hear other people say how much he will be missed. We knew him as a compassionate, caring man who put everyone else before him. Don almost never took a day off. If he did, it was for a family get-together, and again he would see to everyone's needs before his own. Once he had, you could always find him asleep under a shade tree for some much needed rest...

To the editor: Clint E. Lacy's letter says, "If slavery is going to be used as an offend-o-meter to decide what symbols can be displayed, then liberal Democrats should be just as offended about the display of the U.S. flag." I view the U.S. flag as a symbol of important and valuable things, things the U.S. ...

To the editor: I think Ed Baker of old Illmo should be the man of the year. He has been in the wrecker service, body shop and gas station business for 43 years. Mr. Baker has been to Canada, Oklahoma, New York and a lot of places with his wrecker to pull trucks and cars in. He would do anything to help people get going again...

Colleges...

"I must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work." -- John 9:4 Red print in the Bible means Jesus is talking. So I pay closer attention. There's a blind man along Jesus' path, and the man's been blind since birth. ...

Nearly 800 sex offenders in 14 states have been getting Medicaid-funded prescriptions for impotence drugs, the Associated Press reported earlier this week. Sex offenders are people whose combinations of sexual, psychotic and personality disorders, mental retardation and addictions require that police keep track of them once they're identified. Giving them Viagra, Cialis and Levitra cannot help them or society...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Friday. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI * Melissa Sue Operle, 22, 644 S. Spring St., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Arrests * Arthur Kent Whitfield, 23, 1005 S. Ellis St., was arrested on a Jackson County warrant...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 5:03 p.m., emergency medical service in the 100 block of Silver Springs Road. * At 2:02 p.m., hazardous materials in river * At 6:38 p.m., box alarm at 25 S. Kingshighway...

Business and community leaders from across the state attended the 47th annual Governor's Business Development Conference on Thursday and Friday. The conference included speakers and sessions about economic development and available resources for businesses...

Standard-Democrat ORAN, Mo. -- Things have changed since the first Oran Car Show 10 years ago. "In the first one, we only had 39 cars entered and it rained all day," said Oran Chamber of Commerce president Ed Evans. "The second year it went up to close to 100 and has been growing ever since."...

Assault charge against woman dismissed ; Community of Christ ordains new leader; Moberly, six officers and Taser sued over incident

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon on Friday released new details about mishandling of the Quran at the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects, confirming that a soldier deliberately kicked the Muslim holy book and that an interrogator stepped on a Quran and was later fired for "a pattern of unacceptable behavior."...

WASHINGTON -- The bones of the mighty T. rex tell a lot about the great dinosaurs, but one major detail has been missing: how to determine gender. Researchers think they have found the answer. A team led by Mary H. Schweitzer of North Carolina State University reports finding a layer of medullary bone inside the leg bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in Montana...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Looking for answers after a historic sweep at the hands of the worst team in baseball, an upset George Steinbrenner held a conference call Friday with New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman and manager Joe Torre. Torre said it has become an increasingly rare occurrence in recent seasons for The Boss to include him in such discussions, but this was a rare situation...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce was held out of minicamp Friday due to an irregularity in a heart test given to all players. "His physical showed just a slight abnormality," coach Mike Martz said. "He had a little glitch." After watching the first of two workouts Friday, Bruce said he believed the test was a mistake. ...

LANSING, Mich. -- In the rough and tumble Big 12, Missouri is always looking for an edge to impress recruits. The Tigers thought they had found one with a mammoth 614-page football media guide -- unofficially, the largest in the nation -- that is mailed to prospective student athletes. But now the NCAA is taking it away with an edict that colleges trim their media guides to a maximum of 208 pages for next school year...

DESLOGE, Mo. -- The police officer's Quarter Pounder with Cheese tasted a little funny, and for good reason: It was laced with methamphetamine. The incident happened in December in Desloge, Mo., about 50 miles southwest of St. Louis, but was not made public until Friday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Confederate flag is rising again in Missouri, and an NAACP leader is vowing a "drastic" response. Republican Gov. Matt Blunt has ordered the Confederate battle flag to fly Sunday at the Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville, where an afternoon graveside service is planned to mark Confederate Memorial Day...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police have acknowledged that detectives returned only one of 50 calls made to them by the tipster who led to an eventual break in the case of a beheaded girl known for years only as Precious Doe. "We dropped the ball," Sgt. Dave Bernard, who led the four-year investigation into the killing of the girl whose headless body was found April 28, 2001, in a wooded area near a Kansas City park. Her head was found nearby a short time later...

WASHINGTON -- Job growth slowed nearly to a crawl in May, with new hiring registering the smallest gain in almost two years. The unemployment rate dipped to a low 5.1 percent, however. The latest employment snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, kept up the recent pattern of choppy job creation. Employers boosted payrolls by just 78,000 after a hiring spurt of 274,000 in April...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A boy was fatally mauled in a pit bull attack at his home Friday, authorities said. Police killed one of two dogs in the house, and captured the second. The attack occurred in the city's Sunset District, about a block from Golden Gate Park, according to San Francisco Fire Lt. Bill Wickliffe...

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- The case ended Friday as it had begun 14 weeks earlier, with videotapes being played in a dimly lit courtroom. And the last faces jurors saw on the big screen were those of Michael Jackson and his accuser. Before the case was put in their hands, jurors were told to believe one or the other. Defense attorney Thomas Mesereau Jr. called the boy a cunning liar. Prosecutor Ron Zonen painted Jackson as a pedophile who lured the boy into a sex trap...

As Missourians, we all have a stake in our state's success. As Democrats, we showed in the last legislative session that we stand for opportunity and responsibility -- the opportunity for Americans who work hard and play by the rules to live the American dream, and the responsible stewardship to get us there...

While the Jackson American Legion schedule includes more than 40 games spanning over two months, if the first three games are any indication, Jackson fans could see plenty of offense this summer. After scoring seven runs in a 7-6 win Tuesday in its season opener, Jackson put up 11 runs on the board for an 11-1 five-inning rout of Metropolis in the first game of a doubleheader Friday night at Jackson. In the nightcap, Jackson (3-0) once again routed Metropolis 12-1 in five innings...

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Jack Nicklaus pressed both hands to his lips for a farewell kiss to the crowd as he walked off the 18th green Friday afternoon at the Memorial. Two groups behind him, Tiger Woods fired at as many flags as he could and moved quickly into contention...

PARIS -- Rafael Nadal celebrated his 19th birthday with the match of his young life. The precocious Spaniard won a showdown Friday against top-ranked Roger Federer 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the final in his first French Open. Nadal avenged a loss to Federer at Key Biscayne two months ago and extended his winning streak to 23 matches, all on clay. Nadal became the youngest men's finalist at Roland Garros since Michael Chang, the 1989 champion at age 17...

HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros can make almost any opposing pitcher look great these days. It was Chris Carpenter's turn Friday night. Carpenter pitched eight mostly dominant innings, and Albert Pujols hit a solo homer in the ninth to lead the Cardinals to a 2-0 win over the Astros...

Staff from Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's three regional offices will hit the streets beginning June 13 as part of the new constituent outreach program, Congressional Connections. Emerson said Congressional Connections will replace Mobile Offices, a program in which one staff member traveled across the district. Emerson said the change will allow people to talk to staff from their own region who can work with them personally...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. intelligence and foreign allies have growing evidence that wanted terrorists have been residing in Iran despite repeated American warnings to Tehran not to harbor them. The evidence, which stretches over several years, includes communications by a fugitive mastermind of the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing and the capture of a Saudi militant who appeared in a video in which Osama bin Laden confirmed he ordered the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to U.S. and foreign officials...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Despite earlier concerns, state government now appears likely to close out its fiscal year with a balanced budget, thanks partly to strong individual income tax collections. Figures provided Friday by the state treasurer's office show the state's net general revenue was up almost 4.2 percent through Thursday, compared with the same period last year. That is comfortably above the 3.8 percent forecast upon which the state budget had been based...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Branson travel club owner Jim Kilroy says giving people time to rethink their decision to join will be good for consumers and the travel industry. He's hoping a proposal that aims to weed out unscrupulous travel clubs from Missouri's tourism industry will help accomplish that goal...

HELENA, Mont. -- The hordes of Lewis and Clark fans expected to visit the Gates of the Mountains area along the Missouri River haven't materialized and plans to deal with them have "died a quiet death," officials said. So far, the millions of anticipated Lewis and Clark bicentennial tourists haven't shown up, and neither have the restrictions discussed in 2002 by federal and state officials for the popular, scenic "Gates" area northeast of Helena...

VIENNA, Austria -- It was a balmy spring day, and the man thought he'd fetch some ice cream from the freezer he shared with other tenants in his apartment complex. But when he lifted the lid, he recoiled in horror at the gruesome sight of a frozen infant wrapped in plastic...

DAKAR, Senegal -- From Africa's locust-devastated western dust bowls to the conflict-ridden central jungles and the AIDS-struck south, aid officials calling for urgent hunger relief say a lack of money is making it increasingly difficult to help the continent's most vulnerable...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia, a state with one of the worst obesity problems in the country, has called in the big guns for help. For the first time ever, federal disease investigators in Atlanta are studying obesity, just as they would investigate the rapid spread of an infectious disease...

Saying that they adhered to a theme of "promises made, promises kept," state lawmakers Jason Crowell and Nathan Cooper said Friday that legislation that was recently passed will make the state more business friendly and help create jobs. "We wanted to improve Missouri's entrepreneurial climate," Sen. Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau said at the chamber of commerce-sponsored First Friday Coffee. "It was a concerted effort with a tone set by Gov. Matt Blunt."...

Kentucky diocese to pay $120 million in abuse case COVINGTON, Ky. -- The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington agreed Friday to set up a $120 million fund to compensate victims of child-molesting priests and other employees. It would be the nation's biggest settlement in the scandal that has staggered the church. The settlement in the class-action case is subject to court approval. The lawsuit accuses the diocese of a 50-year cover-up of sexual abuse by priests and other workers...

LOS ANGELES -- When the Rev. Alan Meenan took over as senior pastor at the nationally prominent Hollywood First Presbyterian Church, it had been losing members for 20 years. ¶ Now, hundreds of new worshippers are flocking to an alternative service staged by the church at a nearby nightclub that offers live rock music and a casual atmosphere that doesn't frown on flip-flops and nose piercings...

The first-year Scott County American Legion team won for the first time this season, beating Jonesboro's senior team 8-7 in the Paragould, Ark., tournament on Friday. Scott County (1-2) built an 8-1 lead and held on for the victory. Andy Stephens allowed one run over the first three innings; Russell Carroll surrendered six runs over 2 2/3 innings; and Caleb Daughhetee closed out the final 1 1/3 innings...

The Plaza Tire Capahas played their first game of the year Friday night -- but they appeared to be in midseason form. Combining a solid offensive attack with stellar pitching from Jason Chavez, the Capahas opened the 2005 campaign with a 10-0 rout of the visiting Valmeyer (Ill.) Lakers...

Gospel concert planned at Villa Ridge today The Gloryroad Travelers of Mounds, Ill., and the Liberty Boys of Western Kentucky will sing at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Villa Ridge, Ill., at 7 p.m. today. For information, call (618) 995-2306. ** Friends event brings cars, slide to church in Cape...

More local coverage...

25 years ago: June 5, 1980 Despite a recent opinion by state Attorney General John Ashcroft, who said it is permissible for establishments holding restaurant-bar liquor licenses to sell package liquor on Sunday, the Cape Girardeau City Council moved last night to restrict such sales; the ordinance was taken up after it was learned that one restaurant-bar liquor license holder has been selling package liquor on Sundays and a local food store had applied for a similar license in order to begin Sunday package liquor sales.. ...

Gary and Clodine Metje of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception May 29, 2005, at Evangelical United Church of Christ. Hosts were their children and grandchildren. The couple was married May 29, 1955, at Evangelical Church...

J. Kent and Ann Eggers of Poplar Bluff, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Alice Eggers, to Jeffrey Ray Morris, both of Jackson. He is the son of Myra Morris of Jackson and David Morris of Foley, Ala. Eggers is a 1999 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. She is enrolled in the radiologic technology program at Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is employed at Wal-Mart Pharmacy in Jackson...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Carroll and Jane Drake of Sikeston announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal Lynn Drake, to Robert Charles Ressel. He is the son of Robert and Betty Ressel of Kelso, Mo. Drake is a graduate of Sikeston High School and Southeast Missouri State University. She is a teacher with Sikeston School District...

Harry and Loida Springmeyer of Nashville, Tenn., formerly of Cape Girardeau, announce the engagement of their daughter, Brandi Springmeyer Smith of Woodstock, Ga., to Colin Ashford Greene. He is the son of David and Nancy Greene of Stone Mountain, Ga...

Steven and Carol Horst of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Emily Horst, to Jason Michael Jones. He is the son of Steve and Patti Jones of Jackson. Horst is a 2000 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2004. She is employed at Procter & Gamble...

Betty Phillips of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter, Angela Kay Phillips, to Randy Joseph Whitticre. He is the son of Larry and Melinda Whitticre of Cape Girardeau. Phillips is a 1995 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in child development from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004. She is employed at Kies Eye Center and at Domino's Pizza...

Brad and Shari Eggimann of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylie Eggimann, to Floyd Scholz. He is the son of Marilyn Scholz of Jackson, formerly of Scott City, and the late Jerry Scholz. Eggimann received a bachelor of science degree in agribusiness from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Specialized Office Services Inc...

Melissa Rene`e Pierce and August Daniel Sanford were married May 7, 2005, in an outdoor cemetery in Benton, Mo. The Rev. Naamon Eaker performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Steve and Sherri Pierce of Cape Girardeau, and Roy and Shirley Sanford of Benton...

Wendy Lovelady and Britt Durham exchanged vows April 9, 2005, at the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo. Dr. Derek Staples performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Randy and Sheila Lovelady of Cape Girardeau, and Larry and Tamara Durham of Tupelo, Miss...

Andrea Leigh Proctor and Tarlton Brewer were married Nov. 25, 2004, at Robert E. Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va. The Rev. Jay Sanderford performed the ceremony. Paul Asplin of Arlington, Va., was harpist. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Proctor of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Richard Brewer of Charlottesville...

Krystal Gail Meador and David Howard Barberis II were married March 18, 2005, at First General Baptist Church in Jackson. The Rev. Luther Rhodes performed the ceremony. Jerry and Scarlett Meador of Delta are parents of the bride. The groom is the son of David and Pat Barberis of Dutchtown and Tom and Jeryl Kuehn of Jackson...

Jennifer Price Cramer and William Sparkman Overstreet were married April 2, 2005, at John Knox Presbyterian Church in Greenville, S.C. The Revs. Chuck DeBardeleben and John Brearsley performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Donna Cramer of Cummings, Ga., and Ronald Cramer of Clewiston, Fla. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James S. Overstreet Jr. of Birmingham, Ala...

Burfordville Baptist Church was the setting Sept. 25, 2004, for the wedding of Samantha Jo Crader and Joseph Riley Leazenby. Patrick Tankersley performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Randy and Martha Crader of Burfordville, and Doyle and Linda Leazenby of Marble Hill, Mo...

Holly Mirly and Jim Mroczkowski were united in marriage April 16, 2005, at Church of the Immacolata in St. Louis. The Rev. Robert Evans performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Tom and Terry Mirly of Jackson, and Jim and Dianna Mroczkowski of St. Louis...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Danny Lynn Parr, 46, of Golconda, Ill., formerly of Marble Hill, died Thursday, June 2, 2005, at the Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, Ill. He was born Oct. 16, 1958, at St. Louis, son of William and Betty Cloninger Parr. He worked as a car dealer for several car companies...

Virginia A. Seabaugh, 94, formerly of Jackson, died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral home in Cape Girardeau.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Ruby Story Triplett, 83, died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born April 29, 1922, at Sikeston, daughter of William and Etta Barnett Henley. She and Ray Story were married. He preceeded her in death...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Harry R. Helton Sr., 60, of Villa Ridge, formerly of Mound City, Ill., died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at his home. Helton was born March 25, 1945, in Mound City, Ill., son of William Archie and Rose Rachael Smith Helton. He was a member of First Assembly Church of Canalou, Mo., and was a retired caregiver at Habcare Home Health Services in Sikeston, Mo...

Shirley A. Francis of Springfield, Mo., died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Mercy-St. John's Health System in Springfield. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

THEBES, Ill. --Clyde Groves, 85, of Thebes died Friday, June 3, 2005, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Chloree "C" Williams, 96, of Jackson joined her Heavenly Father Friday, June 3, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 17, 1908, at Rum Branch, daughter of Mayo C. and Naomi Tilley Strong. She and Earl Williams were married Feb. 12, 1931, in Jonesboro, Ill. He passed away March 13, 1970...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Virginia Fenwick Roche, 83, of Elmhurst, Ill., formerly of Perryville, died Wednesday, June 1, 2005, at her home. She was the daughter of Floyd and Octavia Fellows Fenwick. She graduated from Perryville High School in 1938 and was a homemaker...

Suenell Freese, 86, formerly of Jackson, passed away Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 6, 1918, in the Neelys Landing community, daughter of Willis Wissman and Willie Marie Noland Sams. She was a 1935 graduate of the former Fruitland High School. She and Clemens L. "Clem" Freese were married April 11, 1936, in Cape Girardeau. He passed away Jan. 16, 2003...

Bessie LaPlante, 94, of Fredericktown, Mo., died Friday, June 3, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 4, 1911, in Fredericktown, daughter of James and Susie Amelia O'Bannon McGraw. She and Thomas Perry LaPlante were married Dec. 19, 1936, in Fredericktown...

Should be prosecuted; Comparing tuition; Confusing blame; Not unintentional; Recommended reading; Stopping speeders; Protect the children

Of all the periods of the year, the presummer period is when bass spend the most time actively feeding. In Southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and northwest Kentucky that period occurs in June. Water temperatures are from the mid 70's to low 80's, optimal for bass metabolism, growth and therefore feeding. As any bass angler will tell you, feeding bass are the easiest to catch...

College baseball...

If you are pining for a country home, then the house at 196 Pine Hills Lane in Jackson may be the perfect home for you. It's a simple country ranch-style home on three acres with some nice features. An open house is being held there today from 1 to 3 p.m...

In the many efforts being made to beautify our communities and to get rid of accumulated litter, there are big projects and some anti-litter successes that receive little or no attention. Today we pay tribute to those industrious individuals -- many of them known only to themselves or a handful of family and neighbors -- who choose to pick up whatever litter they see simply because it is a good thing to do...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: * At 7:50 p.m., illegal burn at Bloomfield and South Benton streets. * At 9:06 p.m., alarm at 630 N. Henderson Ave. * At 9:25 p.m., alarm at 2101 William St. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Friday. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI * Joseph L. Myers, 26, 814 West St., Sikeston, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. * A man was taken intop custody pending charges of driving while intoxicated...

FRENCH CAMP, Miss. -- The meandering Natchez Trace winds through lush forests and expansive fields of yellow wildflowers, offering a serene escape from the beaten path. But it also offers a bridge to the past -- where bandits waited in the shadows and American Indians struggled to survive the advance of settlers, traders and soldiers...

ST. LOUIS -- Alex Barron, the St. Louis Rams' first-round pick, has hit the wall. Barron was primarily a left tackle at Florida State and is moving to the right side. That's one of his challenges. The other one, and the bigger one, is adjusting to life in the NFL...

St. Louis will host Boston for a three-game series. ST. LOUIS -- It's June interleague baseball, not a World Series rematch. That's what the St. Louis Cardinals keep telling themselves. "It ain't the World Series anymore," Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen said. "Ain't no big deal anymore. Say we sweep them, what does that mean? Nothing."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- National Democratic chairman Howard Dean quoted the Bible, the golden rule and moral values Friday while chastising Republicans for failing to practice what they preach. In appearances at the Uptown Theater here and at the National Federation of Democratic Women Convention in Kansas City, Kan., Dean said the GOP frequently speaks of its morals but consistently makes cuts affecting the poor...

Planning on adding a new screen door for your home? Or replacing an old one? Before you spend anywhere from $75 to possibly hundreds of dollars for a traditional framed and hinged "fixed" screen door, you may want to consider the latest innovation: retractable door screens...

SINGAPORE -- Pentagon chief Donald H. Rumsfeld said Saturday that U.S. pressure for political and economic change in China is not intended to undermine the Beijing government. He criticized China for increasing military spending despite the absence of a threat from another country and said the Asian power risks diminishing its global influence unless it opens up its political system...

BEIJING -- China tightened security around Tiananmen Square on Saturday to prevent memorials on the anniversary of the bloody 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. But in Hong Kong, tens of thousands of protesters staged a candlelight rally. In Sydney, Australia, a Chinese diplomat who is seeking asylum emerged from hiding to address a memorial rally...

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio -- Gary Shafer was making breakfast when his grandson walked into his farmhouse early last Sunday, placed the barrel of a small-caliber rifle loosely against the older man's neck and fired three times, killing him. Two shots in the right side, one in the left...

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Some people think Dylan and Shasta Groene were snatched by drug dealers. Others think they might be hiding in the woods. There's a motorcycle gang war theory and a cult theory. Nearly three weeks after 8-year-old Shasta and 9-year-old Dylan were reported missing from the home where their mother, older brother and mother's boyfriend were bound and bludgeoned to death, investigators say they have no clue where the children are -- and no suspect or motive...

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. -- An 81-year-old woman who fell into her bathtub was trapped for six days before a concerned neighbor and a police officer rescued her. The woman was alert when the pair got to her, said the neighbor, Larry Nelson. "I walked into the bathroom and she said, 'Hi Larry!' I asked if she had heard me rap on the doors, and she said, 'Yes, but what could I do?'...

MADISON, Wis. -- Big Bucky's back. The rare, big and extremely stinky flower that caused a sensation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when it last bloomed in 2001 could become the world's largest flower when it blooms again next week. The titan arum stood at 6 feet, 4 inches Thursday in a UW-Madison greenhouse, on pace to rival the world record for cultivated flowers when it blooms and releases its trademark roadkill scent in the coming days...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A man who pedaled from California to Chicago along Route 66 to celebrate his 66th birthday says that's just the beginning. Doug Waterman wants to ride California's Highway 101 on his 101st birthday -- in 35 years. Waterman says the 2,448-mile cross-country ride he completed last month isn't something he'd ever want to do again. But he says it's something he'll always remember...

Because he doesn't compete in the more high-profile sports of football or basketball, Miles Smith just might be flying a bit under the radar when it comes to recognition by area fans. That's a shame, because what the sophomore recently accomplished -- and the best still might be to come -- ranks in my eyes among the most impressive feats in the history of Southeast Missouri State athletics...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The Missouri Supreme Court has done a good job in recent years policing the excesses of the death penalty. ... But it hasn't been perfect, and the U.S. Supreme Court had to correct one of its mistakes this week. The high court set aside the death sentence of a south St. Louis County man who was shackled during his trial with leg irons, handcuffs and a belly chain...

Today marks the first anniversary of my father's death, and I will mark it by visiting the aircraft carrier that bears his name, USS Ronald Reagan, and lay a wreath in honor of my dad. As I get ready for that ceremony I think back over the past year and what I've learned as I traveled all across America on speaking engagements to different organizations and listened to thousands and thousands of my fellow Americans express their love and admiration for Ronald Reagan...

Springfield News-Leader Americans don't understand the need to budget and save money. Since 1992, the country's savings rate has dropped from 7.2 percent to less than 2 percent. That's one of the unfortunate factors in the current debate over Social Security reform. ...

Jackson's new skate park is just the beginning. About 100 people attended the official opening of the skate park in Jackson City Park on Saturday. Demonstrations were held at the ramp while a neighboring pavilion offered refreshments and free helmets...

Brad Lively, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound former college tight end, lies on his back on a padded adjustable bed in a small rehab room inside the Fitness Plus workout facility. His right foot is planted flat against a raised surface. His face, which looks younger than his 38 years, quivers in pain and determination as he scoots his upper body farther down the table, forcing his rear end closer to his heel. He scoots an inch. An exhale. Another inch. A grimace. Another inch. Another shade of red...

WASHINGTON -- The days of buying certain cold remedies off the drugstore shelf may soon be gone, a casualty of the methamphetamine epidemic. Picking up on laws already passed in more than a dozen states, Congress is thinking about requiring the nation's retailers to sell medicines like Sudafed behind the pharmacy counter to make it harder to get the ingredients needed to make highly addictive meth...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Despite the recent passage of legislation to overhaul Missouri's system for funding public education, a pending lawsuit challenging how the state distributes financial aid to local school districts is likely to continue. More than 300 of Missouri's 524 public school districts, including 52 in Southeast Missouri, are involved in the case, which was launched in January 2004. ...

Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen isn't about to read too much into a three-game, season-opening domination by his team. Still, Bolen has liked what he's seen so far from the Capahas, who swept a doubleheader from the visiting Valmeyer (Ill.) Lakers Saturday afternoon, romping 10-5 and 12-1 in five innings...

The Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons American Legion squad picked up its first win of the summer with a 4-3 victory over Mountain Home (Ark.) at the Paragould, Ark., Tournament on Saturday. Ford and Sons (1-1) scored all four runs in the second inning with the help of a two-run home run by Ty Craft and several Mountain Home errors. Trevor Irwin had two of Cape's four hits and added an RBI...

David Toms feared his 5-iron was headed for the back bunker on the par-3 fourth hole, so when it kissed off the pin and dropped into the cup for an ace, he figured Saturday might be his day at the Memorial. He wasn't the only guy who felt that way...

PARIS -- Grand Slam, indeed! Justine Henin-Hardenne slammed Mary Pierce grandly in the French Open final on Saturday, reducing the Frenchwoman to tears and an apology to fans after the most lopsided title match at Roland Garros in 17 years. Henin-Hardenne couldn't have played much better, or Pierce much worse, than they did in a 6-1, 6-1 drubbing that gave the Belgian her second French championship and fourth major trophy just months after she returned to tennis from a long layoff caused by an energy-draining blood virus and a knee injury.. ...

Cardinals pitcher Jason Marquis helped his own cause with a two-run home run. HOUSTON -- Facing the Cardinals' powerful lineup is a daunting task for any pitcher. Especially a rookie such as Wandy Rodriguez. Reggie Sanders hit a grand slam and pitcher Jason Marquis added a two-run homer during an eight-run third inning against Rodriguez, and the Cardinals held off the Houston Astros 11-9 Saturday...

Most of Randy Leiner's 51 years were spent playing in rock 'n' roll bands. All nine of the major bands were listed on the back of the Randy Leiner Memorial Music Festival T-shirt many people wore Saturday at Scott City Park. Leiner's face was on the front...

WASHINGTON -- The continuing uproar over U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib has a top Senate Republican looking at the need to clarify in law the rights of foreign detainees. On the heels of Amnesty International calling the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, "the gulag of our time," Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., will hold hearings this month on the treatment of foreign terrorism suspects there...

SEATTLE -- Danielle Fisher has been climbing mountains for nearly a quarter of her lifetime. Of course, at age 20 that's only been about five years. Last week, Fisher became the youngest person to climb the highest peaks on each of the seven continents -- completing the feat when she reached the 29,035-foot summit of Mount Everest on Wednesday. ...

NEW YORK -- While Congress and the White House wrangle over federal policy on illegal immigrants, states and cities are wrestling with ways to accommodate their U.S.-born children -- most of them American citizens, all with full rights to public education...

LATIFIYAH, Iraq -- Iraqi soldiers took the lead Saturday in a sweep with U.S. forces of farmsteads and fields in an area south of Baghdad known for its deadly insurgent attacks and called the Triangle of Death. The Iraqis stood up well in blistering heat that neared 110 degrees, but a commander balked at sending his men into a particularly dangerous area, forcing the U.S. soldiers to conduct follow-up missions...

Central team camp changed to July 18 The Central High School football team camp first session originally scheduled to begin Monday has been postponed to July 18 through 21. The second session still is scheduled for July 25 through 29.

The Cape Girardeau Riverdogs baseball team split two games in a round-robin event at Centralia, Ill., on Saturday. The Riverdogs had a one-run lead in the sixth inning but fell 5-4 to Centralia in the first game. The local squad then routed Jasper, Ind., 18-6 in five innings...

Want a head start on your summer look? Brad Johns, the creative director of the Avon Salon & Spa, says you should "beach" your hair. Beaching is gradual highlights that are lightest in the front and darker in the back, mimicking what really happens to hair when you're sunning yourself, Johns explains...

NEW YORK -- When you're packing your beach bag, leave the stained T-shirt and fraying shorts at home. Pick out your best beach ensemble instead. Don't have a beach "ensemble" yet? It's time to get one, says Joe Zee, editor in chief of Vitals, a fashion magazine that alternates its focus on men and women each month. ¶ "If you really look at the way fashion designers have approached swimwear, it's as clothing," Zee observes...

Want to put caviar on your face instead of eating it? (Who doesn't?) Want to have something done to your body called a mud wrap? Want to pamper yourself instead of your toddler? Then you'll be glad to know that a new luxury spa -- that features, among other things, caviar facials -- is coming to downtown Cape Girardeau. Spa 151 on the River, so named because it's located at 151 S. Spanish St., is holding a grand opening June 18...

25 years ago: June 6, 1980 Demonstration displays of the county's new punch-card voting system have been set up at a number of banks and savings and loan offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson; County Clerk Rodney Miller says the displays offer voters the opportunity to use the system before the Aug. 6 primary election...

Clifton Floyd "Cliff" Denny, 97, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Mount Erie, Ill., died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. He was born April 12, 1908, in Mount Erie, son of Noah and Barbara Kantzer Denny. He and Wilma Keyser were married Nov. 1, 1938, in Portland, Ind...

MAYFIELD, Ky. -- Johnny Dewayne Riggs III, infant son of Johnny Dewayne Riggs Jr. and Suprene Nacole Lee, died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at Jackson Purchase Medical Center in Mayfield, Ky. Survivors include his father of Cairo, Ill.; his mother of Barlow, Ky.; his maternal grandfather, Steve Lee of Mayfield; his maternal grandmother, Teresa Pearson of Barlow; and his paternal grandfather, Bubba Riggs of Cairo...

Fred William Robertson, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. He was born July 8, 1925, in Cape Girardeau, son of Charles and Veda Schrand Robertson. Robertson served in the U.S. Navy from Oct. 20, 1943, to Jan. 19, 1946. He was an optician for Rhea Optical for 35 years, since 1947. He was a member of VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau, and an avid bowler and fisherman...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Shirley Penrod Francis, 70, of Springfield died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Mercy-St. John's Regional Health System in Springfield. She was born Jan. 28, 1935, daughter of Floyd and Emma Williams Vavak. She and Ivan E. Francis were married April 3, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nev...

Plagiarism OK if ...; Political warfare; All about money; Enforce the promises; Here's the source; Iraq's future; Political opportunity; Disappointed alumnus; Safety first; Marketable degree; Great graduation; Wasted embryos; Dirty tricks; More heroes; Really important; Action photos; Tending the gardens; Faded ribbons; Faithful employee; Children's 'rights'; Crucial vote; Be very afraid; Ask any bald guy; Junk to treasure; Too much aggravation; Not a privilege; Video advantage

Great Americans are in our midst. That is the belief behind the Southeast Missourian's Spirit of America Award, which each year honors someone who represents the spirit of the country at its best. The newspaper is accepting nominations for the third annual Spirit of America Award to be presented July 4 at Libertyfest in downtown Cape Girardeau...

US Bank names market president; Accountants attend school audit conference; Big River Telephone hires 2002 Southeast grad; Health department names employee of the month; Commercial manager at US Bank named; General Electric Capital appoints insurance rep

Business Development Center offers counseling...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls on Saturday: * At 5:22 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1100 block of North Kingshighway. * At 6:01 p.m., car fire at 520 Morgan Oak St. * At 10:27 p.m., motor vehicle accident at North Kingshighway and Interstate 55...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Sunday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Autumn N. Crowden, 17, 1413 N. Frisco St., Chaffee, Mo., was arrested upon suspicion of being a minor in possession of alcohol...

* Name: Rose Musgrave-Quinn...

AARP meets today for tour of the Marquette; McClure census forms distributed today; Damage assessment course held in Scott Co.; Fun Club begins today at Red Star Baptist; Jackson Municipal Band to perform Thursday; Jaco family reunion planned for Saturday; Open house at Trail of Tears on Saturday; Wampler reunion to be held in county park; Overbeck family to meet in county park Sunday

The League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri elected and installed officers to serve from 2005 to 2006 at its annual meeting held at the Johnson Facility Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. New officers are president Janice Miller, first vice president Mary Ellen Sharp, second vice president Barbara Port, secretary Linda Burns, treasurer Nelda Steffen, directors Frances Harris, Pamela Hearn, Luitgard Ramsey, Jonell McNeely; nominating committee Glenda Quinn, Martha Vandivort.. ...

For information on the following events, call 335-0797 or 243-2298. * From 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and June 15, 22 and 29, PWP will attend line dance lessons at Silver Saddle Country Dance Club, 330 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. There is a cost. The activity is open to the public...

WASHINGTON -- Wanted: expert with a deep understanding of what makes the economy tick. Must have credibility with Wall Street and the ability to deal deftly with financial turmoil, anytime, anywhere. Politically adept. A consensus builder. Unflappable. Business experience welcome, but not required...

WASHINGTON -- A leading Senate Democrat said Sunday the United States needs to move toward shutting down the military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "This has become the greatest propaganda tool that exists for recruiting of terrorists around the world. And it is unnecessary to be in that position," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del...

HOUSTON -- Already trailing 3-0 after the first inning, Roger Clemens sidled up to Astros manager Phil Garner in the dugout and warned him to get ready for a long afternoon. Most days, that's an insurmountable deficit for the worst offense in the majors. On Sunday, Houston erased it by the second inning and finally gave their ace some run support...

MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade's health could play a part in Larry Brown's immediate future. Wade's availability for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between Miami and Detroit tonight was still unknown on Sunday, but whether the Heat's leading scorer can play may be a major contributing factor whether Brown will be coaching for the final time...

PARIS -- Rafael Nadal, the new king of clay, put on a show worthy of the royalty watching him. Red dust caked Nadal from his hair to his sneakers after his French Open triumph Sunday, the charismatic teen who plays with a pugnacious smirk holding both dirty hands up to a beaming King Juan Carlos of Spain in the box above...

ST. LOUIS -- After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, the St. Louis Rams' new starting left guard is happy to just be on the field. Rex Tucker hasn't played an entire year since 2001. "I'm just happy to be here," Tucker said at the team's three-day minicamp. "I'd be lying if I told you I'd assumed I'd always keep playing...

Bart Bryant hit some dramatic shots Sunday at the Memorial, even if no one seemed to notice until an unlikely par on the final hole gave him a one-shot victory over Fred Couples. Bryant stole the lead from Couples with a 5-foot birdie on the 17th, then somehow escaped with par after his tee shot went into the hazard down the left side of the 18th fairway. He took a penalty drop, hit into 15 feet and watched the putt catch enough of the left side of the hole to drop for a 4-under 68...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Hundreds of people turned out for a Confederate memorial service Sunday held under the rebel battle flag, as others demonstrated their disapproval outside the Missouri Governor's Mansion. The crowd at the annual ceremony at Confederate Memorial State Historic Site in Higginsville was about four times larger than organizers had expected. Site administrator Greta Marshall attributed the roughly 400-person turnout to the return of the Confederate flag...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A $6 million judgment against the United Methodist Church in Missouri is about $500,000 more than the church's total net assets and could bankrupt the church, the Missouri conference's new bishop told members over the weekend. Last month, a Springfield jury awarded $4 million in punitive damages to Teresa Norris, who already had been awarded $2 million in compensatory damages...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein will go on trial within two months on charges of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors focusing on 12 "thoroughly documented" counts, including the gassing of thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq, a spokesman for Iraq's prime minister said Sunday...

ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- Two men were charged Sunday in connection with the disappearance last week of an Alabama teenager who was visiting the island with classmates to celebrate their high school graduation, Aruba's attorney general said. Authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island also requested a special diving team from the FBI because of rough currents in some areas, said Attorney General Caren Janssen...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran injected some breathing space into the global crisis over its nuclear program on Sunday, saying it will extend its suspension of uranium enrichment until the end of July to give European negotiators time to prepare a proposal it can accept...

BINT JBEIL, Lebanon -- Hezbollah and its Shiite allies claimed victory in southern Lebanon in Sunday's second stage of national elections, a vote the militant group hopes will prove its strength and send a message of defiance to the United States. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters drove through the streets of Beirut waving the group's yellow flag in celebration. ...

SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, France -- World War II veterans and dignitaries were gathering in Normandy for ceremonies today to honor the sacrifices of Allied soldiers who died in the D-Day landings 61 years ago. Dozens of ceremonies were planned to commemorate those who fought and died on the five blood-soaked beaches during the June 6, 1944, siege that marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime. ...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinians angered with their government's failure to provide security jobs or seeking revenge for past killings have engaged in armed confrontations that are calling into question Mahmoud Abbas' ability to pacify his territories. ...

NEW YORK -- "Doubt," John Patrick Shanley's drama of suspicion and certainty set in a parochial school in the Bronx, was named best play Sunday as the 2005 Tonys celebrated the best of a busy Broadway theater season. "Monty Python's Spamalot," an irreverent romp inspired by the British troupe's film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," took the prize for best musical, as well as for director Mike Nichols and featured actress Sara Ramirez, who portrays the divalike Lady in the Lake in the zany spoof.. ...

SOLVANG, Calif. -- Michael Jackson was taken to an emergency room Sunday for treatment of a back problem that has plagued him throughout his molestation trial. He later left to the thunder of flashbulbs. Jackson, accompanied by a bodyguard, arrived at the Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital about five miles from his Neverland ranch at about 2:30 p.m., spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain said...

Q: I have read many times that Water Street needs to be one way going south, but have never understood why. If Main is already going south, why can't Water Street go north? A: "Water Street could be made one-way northbound, but this would create its own set of problems," said Kent Bratton, Cape Girardeau city planner. ...

Ron Niswonger believes he was born to fish. He's been doing it since age 3, first in the creek in front of his parents' Southeast Missouri home and now in professional fishing tournaments around the state. "It's magic, that's all I can tell you," Niswonger said. "When I was little, heaven to me was sitting on a bank watching the cork disappear under the water."...

Cape Girardeau sewer, water and trash customers should expect higher fees beginning with their July bills, but city officials maintain that the increases are nominal and are needed mainly to help pay city employee raises that were given in January. An ordinance introducing the rate increases is to be introduced at Monday night's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting and the public is invited to give its input during a public hearing...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- For quite a while now, Katy Railroad Bridge 191.1 over the Missouri River literally has been a bridge to nowhere. The last locomotive crossed its steel frame when Ronald Reagan was president. And it's not even possible for a train to try it again...

The first time Eula McSpadden cut someone's hair, it was her own. She was 3 years old, standing on her bedroom dresser and watching in the mirror as she delicately trimmed her little-girl locks. That was 77 years ago. But McSpadden knew way back then she wanted to be a beautician. So when she celebrated her 80th birthday last Saturday, she also celebrated the fact that her dream had been realized. In fact, McSpadden has been a beautician for 50 years with no sign of slowing down...

ST. LOUIS -- From brightly hued bowling balls to champagne cocktails and scores displayed on plasma TVs, hip new bowling alleys have popped up around the nation in recent years, providing patrons with remarkably upscale spots to roll a few frames. The venues typically combine a lounge-like atmosphere with an unconventional twist on food and drink. Think Pop Rocks-rimmed martinis rather than a pitcher of draft beer...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In a computer-crammed space at Savage Beast Technologies, divergent melodies seep softly from headphones worn by young men and women who listen to music with the intensity of submarine sonar operators. Their job is to discern and define attributes in tunes by artists as diverse as teen diva Hilary Duff and jazz legend Miles Davis...

Five-year-old Isabelle Singh petted a coyote at the new Cape Girardeau County nature center on Sunday. But she wasn't bitten because the fur she touched was on a pelt laid out by the Department of Conservation to educate children about Missouri mammals in the center's first "Naturalist's Notebook" presentation...

There have been some close games and some blowouts in the Cape Girardeau baseball rivalry between the Plaza Tire Capahas and Riverdogs, but one thing has remained constant. The tradition-rich Capahas never lose to the upstart Riverdogs. That trend continued on a steamy Sunday afternoon at Capaha Field, as Plaza Tire used a seven-run sixth inning as the springboard for a 10-0 romp. The contest was stopped in the bottom of the eighth inning on the 10-run mercy rule...

NEW YORK -- Negotiations on a controversial proposal to build a $2 billion stadium that is part of the city's bid to play host to the 2012 Summer Olympics continued on Sunday, with only one day to go before a rescheduled vote on the project. The Public Authorities Control Board's vote on $300 million in state funding for the West Side Stadium was postponed for a second time Friday and rescheduled for today...

Central seniors Brandon Cooper and Scott Brueckner were selected to participate in the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 4 Senior All-Star Game, scheduled for Saturday at T.R. Hughes Stadium in St. Charles. Cooper led the Tigers with a .431 batting average to go along with 24 RBIs...

Farmington Road at the intersection of West Jackson Boulevard will be closed beginning today as work continues on the Highway 34/72 widening project in Jackson. Farmington is a fairly busy residential street that many residents use to cut over from Highway 34/72 to Main Street or Route D...

DOVER, Del. -- Greg Biffle says taming The Monster Mile is no easy chore -- even though it appeared that way as he cruised to his fourth victory of the season Sunday in a crash-littered MBNA 400. "I almost wrecked a couple of times, but was able to save it," he said after his surprising run toward the top of Nextel Cup competition got a boost from the lopsided victory. "I got it where the wheel wouldn't turn and I got completely out of the gas. It was a miracle that I kept it off the wall."...

The Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons American Legion team faltered defensively Sunday during a 7-5 loss to Jonesboro (Ark.) to conclude its particapation in the Paragould (Ark.) Tournament. Cape went 1-2 in the tournament and is also now 1-2 on the season...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls on Saturday: * At 5:22 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1100 block of North Kingshighway. * At 6:01 p.m., car fire at 520 Morgan Oak St. * At 10:27 p.m., motor vehicle accident at North Kingshighway and Interstate 55...

7 p.m. today City hall, 401 Independence St. Study session at 5 p.m. Public hearing * A public hearing to discuss the past performance by the city in carrying out the Community Development Block Grant 2000 loan and 2001 grant to construct a building and water main to support the location of an aircraft manufacturer at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

It's common for Catherine Moreton to hear teenage friends begin explanations for car accidents with sentences like: "Well, I was talking on my cell. ..." "I've found that whenever I try to talk on my cell phone and drive, I don't have two hands anymore," said Moreton, a 17-year-old incoming senior at Central High School. "I've probably had some close calls myself because of that."...

Cape Girardeau City Council members got a glimpse Monday night of what the city's new $2 million fire station will look like, as an architect presented a drawing and description of the biggest project from last year's quarter-cent sales tax measure...

The late Scott City businessman Don Roth will be memorialized with a day set aside in his honor. At the Monday night meeting of the Scott City Council, Mayor Tim Porch signed the proclamation setting aside May 7 as a day to remember and celebrate Roth...

On the same day that Farmington Road was closed for phase one construction of the Highway 34/72 widening project, the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night made an important move on the beginning of the second phase of the project. The board Monday night accepted a $703,859 bid from Dutch Enterprises Inc. to remove the city's water and sewer lines for the phase two stretch -- from West Main Street to the city limits...

When Centenary United Methodist Church senior pastor Clayton Smith came to Cape Girardeau eight years ago, he never expected to attend his own funeral. Church member Christy Howard said Smith had his 50th birthday shortly after he became Centenary's pastor, so several members of the congregation decided to give him a surprise. To mark Smith's milestone birthday, the group borrowed a casket from a local funeral home, carried candles and walked by his house pretending to cry and wail...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- A man led police officers on a chase Sunday evening on the gravel roads of two Southeast Missouri counties before hitting a dead end in Advance. After nearly a half-hour pursuit, officers from the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Advance police caught up to the suspect, Michael E. ...

Authorities are investigating a Saturday morning incident where witnesses say two armed men forced their way into a Cape Girardeau apartment. Cape Girardeau Sgt. Jason Selzer said police responded at 9:27 a.m. Saturday after witnesses claimed two men kicked down an apartment door in the 200 block of North Lorimier Street and started waving guns. ...

The Traveling Acoustic Open Mic featuring Lindsey Bowerman will perform at the Cape Girardeau Public Library in the community room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Also, area residents interested in starting a songwriting club are asked to meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. prior to the performance at the library...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Retired public school superintendents would have to stay retired under a provision of an education bill the Missouri Legislature approved last month. The provision aims to end so-called "double-dipping" by retired school administrators who come back to work such roles at full salary while simultaneously drawing retirement pay...

Missouri education department wants personal finance class to become mandatory. Arming students against the dangers of credit cards, payday loans and other financial pitfalls is an important part of Donna Lute's finance class at Scott City High School...

St. Louis won 7-1 in the teams' first meeting since Boston swept the World Series last fall. ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris gets excited for every start, it's just his nature. Facing the Boston Red Sox got him really pumped up, even if it wasn't the World Series...

The defending champions returned to the NBA Finals with an 88-82 victory. MIAMI -- The pressure of Game 7 didn't faze the defending champions. In a deciding game that stayed close the entire 48 minutes, the Detroit Pistons summoned their experience and played with poise down the stretch of the fourth quarter to defeat the Miami Heat 88-82 Monday night...

Jackson baseball opponents saw more than their fair share of No. 30 on the base paths this season. Indians senior Jason Meystedt, who dons the No. 30 jersey, got on base in more than half his plate appearances, finishing with a .529 on-base percentage. Meystedt was second on the team with a .412 batting average to go along with 17 walks...

LONDON -- Britain shelved a referendum on the European Union constitution Monday, following the charter's rejection by French and Dutch voters. The development strongly suggests the treaty cannot survive in its current form, and removes a major complication for Prime Minister Tony Blair. Across Europe, many people saw the British announcement as a final nail in the coffin of the EU charter...

Larger "vote centers" and more than one day to cast ballots are part of the proposals. The nation's election administrators say it's time to restructure elections to reflect the way Americans live, scrapping neighborhood precincts and Election Day for large, customer-oriented "vote centers" where people could cast ballots over a period of weeks...

The loans are built on the assumption that home prices will continue to rise. SAN FRANCISCO -- Once a frustrated renter, Chris Economou is now a happy homeowner, enjoying a splendid view of San Francisco and an $80,000 increase in his property's value since he bought the one-bedroom condominium for $435,000 a year ago...

Disabilities law applies to foreign cruise lines WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court, expanding the scope of a landmark federal disabilities law, ruled Monday that foreign cruise lines sailing in U.S. waters must provide better access for passengers in wheelchairs. ...

NAJAF, Iraq -- Scores of supplicants filed slowly past Muqtada al-Sadr, kissing his hands in a show of loyalty to this fiery young anti-American cleric who has created one of the most dynamic religious and political movements in Iraq. But despite the support he enjoys, al-Sadr said in a rare interview he would steer clear of Iraqi politics as long as U.S. troops remain in the country, and warned the current government legitimizes the occupation instead of preparing for its end...

However, Abu Farraj al-Libbi does not appear on the FBI list of the world's most-wanted terrorists. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan said Monday it handed over a senior al-Qaida suspect to the United States even though he had been the country's most wanted man for allegedly masterminding two bloody attempts to blow up President Gen. Pervez Musharraf...

WASHINGTON -- Before they can even read, almost one in four children in nursery school is learning a skill that even some adults have yet to master: using the Internet. Some 23 percent of children in nursery school -- children age 3, 4 or 5 -- have gone online, according to the Education Department. By kindergarten, 32 percent have used the Internet, typically under adult supervision...

WASHINGTON -- The number of murders fell last year for the first time since 1999, part of a nationwide decline in all types of violent crime, according to FBI data released Monday. Cities with more than 1 million people had the greatest decrease in violent crime, 5.4 percent, while cities under 10,000 saw the greatest decrease in murder, 12.2 percent...

However, the Supreme Court ruling does not stop California's law or similar ones in nine other states. WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's elderly members have dealt with cancer, chronic back pain and other ailments. They've also lost spouses, children and friends to illness...

Consent ordinances (Second and third readings) * Approved an ordinance amending the city code by establishing handicap parking on a portion of Broadway. * Approved an ordinance approving the record plat of Cape Meadows Second. * Approved an ordinance accepting permanent waterline easements and temporary construction easements from various property owners for waterline improvements along Bertling Street and Old Sprigg Street Road...

Cape Girardeau...

Local pupils earn high education scholarships...

Cell phones have picked up their share of critics as they have become more popular among communicating consumers. There are complaints about cell phones ringing in public places like theaters and restaurants. There are complaints about the loud, one-sided conversations that annoy anyone nearby. And there are worries about the safety of using cell phones while driving...

Update Olympics...

To the editor: Jane Gaffigan's letter regarding Medicaid cuts reflects many misconceptions common to people who do not work with people who have disabilities. Many disabled and elderly people have worked long and productive lives only to see all they have worked for disappear into the black hole of catastrophic medical expenses. Others are born with or develop disease requiring tens of thousands of dollars each year for medications. No insurance program will touch them...

To the editor: "Keeping it natural" caught my attention since Shawneetown is a small community about eight miles from where I grew up. It's true that millions of acres of forest thrived in Missouri when the Europeans arrived, but was the area desecrated, plundered and laid waste? Hardly...

Shirley Penrod Francis, 70, of Springfield, Mo., died Friday, June 3, 2005, at Mercy-St. John's Regional Health System in Springfield. She was born Jan. 28, 1935, at Sank, Mo., daughter of Floyd and Emma Williams Vavak. She and Ivan E. Francis were married April 3, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nev...

Wesley Leon Littleton, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 14, 1925, at Neelys Landing, son of John A. and Oza Ann Craft Littleton. He and Wilma Imogene Huffman were married Feb. 8, 1946, at Jackson...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Doris L. Tejeda, 79, of Sikeston died Sunday, June 5, 2005, at Clearview Nursing Center. She was born March 14, 1926, at Illmo, daughter of John and Rose Holmes Wooley, Tejeda was a certified nurse aide at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Kansas City, and at area nursing homes...

Martha Ann Craig, 77, of Glenwood Springs, Colo., died Sunday, April 17, 2005, at her home. She was born Sept. 28, 1927, in Fulton, Ky., daughter of Rex and Arah Payne. She and Charles Craig were married Dec. 21, 1947. He preceded her in death. She was a 1944 graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau, and received a bachelor's degree in English and chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University in 1947...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Carrie G. Dickerson, 84, of Sikeston died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Dec. 5, 1920, in Blandville, Ky., daughter of George W. and Emily Tinnon Dickerson. Dickerson was a graduate of Sikeston High School and Draughon Business College. She was a seed analyst with Dan McCoy Seed Co...

Tom W. Seyer, 51, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, June 5, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born May 25, 1954, at Chaffee, Mo., son of Peter Bernard and Cora Leona Schaefer Seyer. Seyer was a truck driver with Quality Carriers in Memphis, Tenn. He was a member of Elks Lodge 1810 in Chaffee...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Blanche Howard, 92, of Bloomfield died Saturday, June 4, 2005, at her home. She was born March 13, 1913, at Bloomfield, daughter of Harry and Isa Link Taylor. She and Sidney Hendley were married in 1937. He died in June 1952. She and Dail Howard were married Aug. 18, 1984. He died Jan. 23, 2000...

Nora F. Brown, 80, of Scott City died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Joseph W. Little, 34, of Wadsworth, Ohio, died Saturday, June 4, 2005, in Wadsworth. He was born Dec. 6, 1970, son of Joe and Kay Little. Little was a computer programmer with Ana-Comp. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Survivors include his parents of Wadsworth; a sister, Barb Nicodemus of Wadsworth; and grandmother, Helen Little of Cape Girardeau...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Cory Ray Lee, 27, of Bell City died Sunday, June 5, 2005, at his home. He was born Oct. 15, 1977, at Sikeston, Mo., son of Dale and Sheila Adams Lee. Lee attended Bell City schools. He was a member of Advance Eagles in Advance, Mo...

CACHE, Ill. -- Jerry H. "Bud" Pecord, 88, of Cache died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo, Ill.

Berck...

25 years ago: June 7, 1980 Cape Girardeau County Coroner Harold G. Cobb has been appointed acting sheriff, following the resignation of Sheriff James J. Below yesterday; members of the county court are considering Below's permanent replacement. Almost two months after the scheduled completion date of the system, Cape Girardeau city officials are starting to classify the still incomplete disaster warning system as just that -- a disaster; a test Friday of less than half of the system was even less successful than a test Wednesday, when three of the seven sirens tested failed to perform correctly.. ...

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A judge Monday upheld Democrat Christine Gregoire's victory in last fall's governor's election, and defeated GOP candidate Dino Rossi said he would not appeal -- ending the legal fight over the closest gubernatorial race in U.S. history...

Linda Jean McCormick, 62, of Rockledge, Fla., died Sunday, May 29, 2005. Her husband, Walter Jene McCormick, 64, died Wednesday, June 1, 2005. Both were formerly of Cape Girardeau. She was born May 15, 1943. He was born Dec. 24, 1941, son of Elmer E. and Juanita McCormick. They were married Oct. 26, 1962, in Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson hooked up for the first American Legion district game of the season for both teams Monday night at Capaha Field in a contest that featured two of the area's top high school pitchers. With Jeremy Brinkmeyer on the mound for Cape Ford & Sons and Tyler Beussink starting for Jackson, Monday's game had all the makings of a good pitchers duel. It did not work out that way for either starter, with Cape edging Jackson 11-8 in the opener of a doubleheader...

The Cape Girardeau and Jackson American Legion junior teams split a doubleheader at Jackson on Monday. Cape won the opener 9-8, with Jackson taking the second game 19-13. Chris Brotherton finished with six hits over two games for Cape (7-2). Justin Myers was the winning pitcher for Cape in the opener, and Tyler Propst pitched the final inning for the save...

Accident-in-waiting; Blame the Democrats; Can't we all get along?; Real problems; Mockingbird's songs; Big difference; The Golden Tears; No fancy frills; Beware of advice; Nothing's off limits; Must be a good job; His civic duty; Kicking up the war

Editor's note: This Mark Bliss column was originally published Feb. 2, 2003. You may have heard of the Fox TV show "Man Versus Beast." Well, this was a case of beast against Buddy. It was a disaster of epic proportions. Our dog, Cassie, chewed the hand and most of the arm off Bailey's beloved Buddy Bear...

Einstein's advice inspired local public libraries to take a chivalrous approach to this year's summer reading programs, one that libraries hope will pull children's minds off the television and into a book. "That's what we're trying to do this year, feed their imaginations," said Sharon Anderson, youth services coordinator at Cape Girardeau Public Library...

Jackson senior Jason Meystedt has played his share of baseball games at Capaha Field during his high school days, ranging from American Legion games to SEMO Conference tournaments. Meystedt will now call Capaha Field home after signing to play baseball for Southeast Missouri State University...

Cape Girardeau city officials say they're interested in bringing a floating dock to the city's riverside park. At Monday night's city council meeting, Mayor Jay Knudtson said he, chamber of commerce president John Mehner and Convention and Visitors Bureau director Chuck Martin would travel to Alton, Ill., soon for a firsthand look...

In Basil Harrison's eyes, the 31 acres behind his house are a vanishing memory. To Harrison, it was a pristine piece of family property, purchased in the 1940s by his grandfather, R.B. Potashnick. For more than four decades, the land that sits on the south side of Lexington Avenue between Cape Rock Drive and Old Sprigg Street Road sat unblemished as a part of Northland Hills Orchard...

John and Jerrianne Wyman have reached an agreement to sell the historic Royal N'Orleans Restaurant to Ed Radetic, a local lawyer and restaurateur who currently owns Dairy Queen/Fresco. The deal marks the sale of the last of the longtime Cape Girardeau restaurateurs' eateries...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Saying the Missouri Legislature has failed to fix serious flaws in how the state funds public education, a group of school districts announced Tuesday that it won't back off its lawsuit asking a court to declare the system unconstitutional...

The Virginia high school star trumped his brother's No. 2 selection. NEW YORK -- Justin Upton was simply too good for the Arizona Diamondbacks to pass up. Despite having a few talented shortstops already in their minor league system, the Diamondbacks added another when they made the Virginia high school star the top pick in the baseball draft Tuesday...

ST. LOUIS -- After drafting college players almost exclusively last year, the St. Louis Cardinals took three high school players among their top six picks on Tuesday. Colby Rasmus, 18, a center fielder at Russell County High School in Phenix City, Ala., was the 28th overall pick. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Herron, 18, from Wellington Community High School in Florida, was the 46th overall pick and the team's fourth selection...

Tempers flared as St. Louis defeated the World Champions for the second straight night. ST. LOUIS -- The offense that deserted the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series is back in a big way for this interleague series against the Boston Red Sox. Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders homered off previously unbeaten Matt Clement, and Jeff Suppan worked six solid innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 9-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night...

Southeast athletes will have to run career times to make a splash at the NCAA championships. Southeast Missourian While Miles Smith enters this week's NCAA championships as a solid contender for All-American status -- if not more -- Southeast Missouri State's other two entries in Sacramento, Calif., are definite underdogs...

Southeast taps into the potential of Miles Smith in the 400 Joey Haines admits he would not be truthful if he said he thought Miles Smith already would rank as one of the nation's -- no, make that world's -- premier 400-meter runners at this point in his college career...

The Associated Press Writer RICHMOND, Va. -- Texas Instruments is replacing thousands of calculators issued to students in Virginia after a sixth-grader discovered that pressing a certain two keys converts decimals into fractions. That would have given students an unfair advantage on Virginia's standardized tests, which require youngsters to know how to make such conversions with pencil and paper...

WILMINGTON, Del. -- General Motors Corp. may be closing more plants and eliminating the jobs of one of every six employees in the United States, but the world's largest automaker isn't going out of business anytime soon. That's the point chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner tried to make repeatedly and as clearly as possible Tuesday at a sometimes contentious gathering of GM shareholders in Delaware at the company's 97th annual meeting...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Advocates and opponents of laws that loosened restrictions on marijuana use in Columbia were in rare agreement Tuesday, saying a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing federal prosecution of medical marijuana users will have little or no impact in the city...

The Associated Press Writer TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Republican Rep. Katherine Harris, who as Florida's secretary of state was both praised and vilified for her part in the 2000 presidential recount, said Tuesday she will run for the Senate next year against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson...

The gingered watermelon salsa served with this spicy chicken dish is a creative way to conjure up a fresh taste of summer that will satisfy the palate and do no damage to the waistline. The low-fat recipe is from the "Summer Cookbook" selection in the June issue of Cooking Light magazine...

NEW YORK -- Anne Bancroft, who won the 1962 best actress Oscar as the teacher of a young Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" but achieved greater fame as the seductive Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate," has died. She was 73. She died of uterine cancer on Monday at Mount Sinai Hospital, John Barlow, a spokesman for her husband, Mel Brooks, said Tuesday...

Sears Holdings stock falls after earnings report CHICAGO -- The inaugural quarterly results from newly merged Sears Holdings Corp. didn't impress investors, who sent its stock tumbling Tuesday after the nation's No. 3 retailer posted a small first quarter loss amid still-sluggish sales at Kmart and Sears stores. ...

LONDON -- Some were baby-faced teenagers too young to grow facial hair. Others said they were snatched from their families and forced to work for Afghanistan's Taliban. The stories of the youngest detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, chart their journeys from childhood in the villages of Afghanistan to U.S. custody, according to military tribunal transcripts obtained by The Associated Press under a Freedom of Information lawsuit...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A Sunni Arab politician said Tuesday two insurgent groups were willing to negotiate with the government, possibly opening a new political front in embattled Iraq. But a string of coordinated deadly bombings signaled that militants remain fierce...

ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- The attorney for two former security guards arrested in the disappearance last month of an Alabama honors student said Tuesday his clients were being investigated for murder and kidnapping. The men have not been charged in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway and authorities have not said she was a victim of foul play. Earlier in the day, police said they had not ruled out accidental death in the case...

The branches must return $668,850 with 9 percent annual interest added. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A circuit judge has ordered two Planned Parenthood branches to repay the state $668,850 in family planning grants, upholding a prohibition on state money going to the affiliates of abortion providers...

ATLANTA -- Former president Jimmy Carter on Tuesday called for the United States to shut down its Guantanamo Bay prison to demonstrate the country's commitment to protecting human rights. "Despite President George W. Bush's bold reminder that America is determined to promote freedom and democracy around the world, the U.S. ...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- An Alabama woman gave birth this week to a baby girl after undergoing the first known successful ovary transplant in the United States. Stephanie Yarber, 25, gave birth Monday night to a 7 pound, 15 ounce girl named Anna, said her identical twin sister, Melanie Morgan. It was the sister who donated the ovarian tissue that made Yarber fertile...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals have had such success with Albert Pujols, they decided to draft his cousin. The team selected 17-year-old Wilfrido Pujols, an outfielder from Fort Osage High School near Kansas City, in the sixth round on Tuesday...

Afleet Alex seemed to have the steadying touch of an 8-year-old cancer victim. PHILADELPHIA -- Afleet Alex had a stumble in the Preakness that made hearts skip and fists tighten before he coolly regained his footing and won the race. It was shocking to many, but not to Liz Scott, who was reminded of how her daughter Alex used to stumble while learning to walk, yet always caught herself and stayed determined to keep going...

The league's last two champions meet in a series that begins Thursday in San Antonio. SAN ANTONIO -- The NBA Finals will be more about substance than style, more about matchups than minutiae. Neither the Detroit Pistons nor the San Antonio Spurs are all that sexy on the surface, but both are a sight to behold for basketball purists. And if one looks deep enough and factors in a few special subplots, there might just be that little extra something that draws in the masses...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim Bunning is from a state perhaps best known as home to the horse industry, but Kentucky is also where 8,000 Delta Air Lines employees live, which helps explain why the Republican lawmaker was fuming on Tuesday. Why, he wanted to know, have Delta and other airlines continued to negotiate growth in their employee pension plans when they're defaulting on or having trouble meeting their existing retirement obligations?...

Cape band begins concert series today The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band will begin its summer series "Concert in the Park" at 8 p.m. today in the Capaha Park Band Shell. The concert is free, and guests can bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on while watching the show. ...

Cape Girardeau...

Here are two press releases, one from Attorney General Jay Nixon and the other from Doyle Childers, director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, regarding the lawsuit over a railroad bridge at Boonville, Mo., that either is or is not part of the Katy Trail. The Katy is a popular walking and biking trail along abandoned railroad right-of-way, much of it along the Missouri River, across the midsection of the state...

The Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons American Legion team rolled to a 13-3 victory over host Ballwin on Tuesday night. The game was stopped after seven innings by the 10-run rule. Trevor Irwin pitched a complete-game five-hitter with two strikeouts and four walks...

Basketball...

To the editor: What happened to compassionate conservatives? Clearly they weren't paying attention to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled 6-3 Monday to maintain federal anti-drug policies and ignore states rights in the case of Gonzales v. Raich...

What about the Dutch?; Reasons for sidewalks; Admitting failure; Money for research; Majority voters; It's a right; Waiting for checks; Environmental efforts; Not above the law; Blocked calls; No walkers, just a mess; Rest areas need repairs; Not about abortion; Drinking problem; Sign in tall weeds

Raymond D. "Bud" Niswonger, 80, of Whitewater passed away Monday, June 6, 2005, at his home. He was born Sept. 16, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of Freeman and Ruby Henry Niswonger. He and Norma Jean Kinder were married Sept. 10, 1953. Bud was inducted into the U.S. ...

MILLER CITY, Ill. -- Jerry H. "Bud" Pecord, 88, of Miller City died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 16, 1916, in Miller City, son of Jerry W. and Jennie Schlamer Pecord. He married Velma Louise Pecord, who died in 1987...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Eleanor Elizabeth Hahn, 84, of Sikeston died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born March 19, 1921, in Sikeston, daughter of Benjamin F. and Anna J. Brown Hahn. Hahn was the first secretary for Scott-Mississippi Electric Cooperative. She was then secretary more than 50 years at the Bank of Sikeston. She was a member of Missouri-Kentucky Bankers Association, life member of Order of Eastern Star and St. Denis Catholic Church at Benton, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Nora Frances Brown, 80, of Sikeston died Monday, June 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 5, 1924, in Farrenberg, Mo., daughter of Ralph and Lillie Violet Moss Brown. She was raised by her stepfather, Bryan Haynes. She and Bennie F. Brown were married Aug. 31, 1945, in New Madrid, Mo. He died May 8, 1973...

Miriam Kathleen Goodwin, 90, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, May 22, 2005, in San Antonio, Texas. She was born Oct. 11, 1914, in Paragould, Ark., daughter of James Thompson and Martha Louvenia Agee. She and Gordon Leonard Goodwin were married Nov. 24, 1927...

Dooley; Poe; Schmidt; Schlick; Mills; Hasty

New Salem UMW; Lamplights FCE

25 years ago: June 8, 1980 Tim Smith, of Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, is serving a 12-week internship at First Presbyterian Church; much of his internship will be concentrated on the duties of an associate pastor, since the Rev. Sam Peters, associate pastor of First Presbyterian, will be in Europe with his family for a month this summer...

Former Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) High School star Josh Alley was selected in the 10th round Tuesday on the first day of baseball's amateur draft. Alley is a junior outfielder at the University of Tennessee, which won an NCAA regional title over the weekend and plays at Georgia Tech this weekend in the NCAA super regional round...

Garcia wins titles at Sikeston tourney Daniela Garcia, who was the lone senior on the Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team this past spring, won the women's championship at the Ed Nunnelee Memorial tennis tournament in Sikeston this past weekend...

May was one of the driest months on record. I just heard the weather forecast for the next week, and the prospects of rain don't seem very good. Because of the lack of moisture gardeners are bringing out their hoses and sprinklers. The boring task of watering is about to begin...

LA PAZ, Bolivia -- Violent street protests choked off Bolivia's crippled capital on Tuesday, as the collapse of President Carlos Mesa's government failed to quell demands by the poor Indian majority for more power from the white elite that has ruled the country for decades...

ST. LOUIS -- Campbell "Cami" Elizabeth Garland volunteers at her former school to help hearing-impaired children learn to speak full sentences. "I thought it would be nice to help people who don't know how to talk," Garland, 19, said during a break at the school, St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf in Chesterfield...

Cape Girardeau School Board members will hold their first meeting with incoming superintendent Dr. David Scala on Thursday. Board president Dr. Steve Trautwein said the meeting, which is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon at the board office at 301 N. Clark Ave., will be used to discuss a variety of issues...

WASHINGTON -- The FBI would get expanded powers to subpoena records without the approval of a judge or grand jury in terrorism investigations under Patriot Act revisions approved Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Some senators who voted 11-4 to move the bill forward said they would push for limits on the new powers the measure would grant to law enforcement agencies...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: * At 5:43 p.m., wire arcing at 312 Bellevue St. * At 6:35 p.m., furnace malfunction at 1474 Rose St. * At 7:39 p.m., false call at Lexington Avenue and Kingshighway. * At 8:25 p.m., fire alarm at 430 N. Frederick St...

JERUSALEM -- Clashes and mortar fire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip killed six people Tuesday, one of the deadliest days of violence since Israel and the Palestinians declared a cease-fire four months ago. While the two sides said they would still observe the truce, the fighting raised already heightened tensions and threatened nascent efforts to coordinate Israel's upcoming withdrawal from the Gaza Strip with the Palestinians...

The recipe mail was brisk this week with recipes coming from Cape Girardeau and Jackson. I look forward to trying a couple of these recipes soon. I hope you enjoy them and don't forget to send in your favorite recipes to share with other readers. ** Pork Ribs with Honey Whiskey Sauce...

Before your spring flowering bulbs melt back into the soil until next year, take a last look at their dying leaves. You might want to note their locations so that you can dig up and spread out overcrowded bulbs. Or, you might want to use some trickery to get some favorites to multiply even faster...

It didn't take me long to figure out I can't afford a house and a house cleaner. Working my 60-hour-a-week job in Cape Girardeau, I quickly learned a house cleaner was the only way I could avoid total squalor at home, but it took a long time to get past the guilt. Then I found out virtually all of my older, professional girlfriends had help at home...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A recent Kansas Supreme Court ruling declaring insufficient the Kansas Legislature's efforts to improve public school funding could offer some indications as to how a similar Missouri case will unfold, according to the attorney for a group of Missouri school districts...

Stephen Williams drives the streets in an unmarked city car, the shabby castaway of a police detective who didn't care much about maintaining it. Cape Girardeau's planning services office gets the leftovers, Williams says, but he doesn't seem to mind. He has bigger things to think about as he pauses at a stop sign on Good Hope Street, gazing at several houses with crisp new siding and sparkling windows...

Anti-trash campaign organizers make plans to keep cleanliness after mayors' deadline. Cape Girardeau County and Scott City are on track to be cleaned up by next month, but participants in a widespread anti-litter campaign are working on a plan for the future as well...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- When comic book creators used the name Metropolis for Superman's home city, they probably didn't know there was a real Metropolis in Illinois. Of course, the real Metropolis is a city of about 7,000 people, whereas the fictional version is something more akin to New York City...

Cape board moves new subdivision issue to start of meeting; upset neighbors miss out on decision. It was a small group of neighbors, but one that intended to have its say at a planning and zoning commission meeting Wednesday night about concerns over a 41-lot subdivision in northeast Cape Girardeau...

The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools has given an initial five-year accreditation to Southeast Missouri Hospital's College of Nursing and Health Sciences. "We are pleased that this respected regional accrediting body has validated the quality of our college as an institution of higher learning," said college president Tonya Buttry, Ph.D., RN. ...

June 9, 2005 Dear Patty, A few years ago, while talking with my old English professor about a book of poetry he'd written, the subject turned toward a love poem. I confessed to being confounded by all the different kinds of love that seem to exist in the world: romantic love, platonic love, self-love, brotherly love, and on and on. He looked at me with the eye of a teacher concerned that he'd loosed on the world a student lacking an elemental understanding about the universe...

I can remember when I was in grade school, possibly third grade, sitting in the car with my dad at a stoplight. We were listening to the Cardinal game and he said, "You could become an announcer one day. I think you would be good at it." As a kid, I would announce hockey and baseball games that were on TV. My friends and I always announced the games while playing Sega. We had a lot of fun with it...

Detroit's Brown and San Antonio's Popovich worked together the last two summers. SAN ANTONIO -- Rasheed Wallace gained a full realization of the depth of the friendship between coaches Larry Brown and Gregg Popovich when the Detroit Pistons were trying to come up with a strategy to stop a specific opponent...

The Southeast sophomore posted the fourth-fastest time among 26 competitors. SACRAMENTO, Calif. --Southeast Missouri State sophomore Miles Smith comfortably advanced to the 400-meter dash semifinal round at the NCAA track and field championships. Smith, who entered the meet with the nation's fifth-fastest time this year, posted the fourth-fastest time among the 26 competitors in Wednesday night's first round of the 400...

Personnel files of presidents, famous writers, pro athletes will be available for the first time. OVERLAND, Mo. -- When Elvis Presley entered the Army, the public started writing. Presley's military personnel file -- with a "current address" of Graceland -- contains a 1958 letter from a couple in Sacramento, Calif., to first lady Mamie Eisenhower. ...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- David Wells threw eight innings of four-hit ball and the Boston 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. The Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep in the World Series rematch, looking more like the team that swept the Cardinals last fall than the one that lost the first two games by a combined score of 16-3...

One of every seven people in the United States is Hispanic, a record number that probably will keep rising because of immigration and a birth rate outstripping non-Hispanic blacks and whites. The country's largest minority group accounted for one-half of the overall population growth of 2.9 million between July 2003 and July 2004, according to a Census Bureau report being released today...

New Zealand's 19-and-under national team is part of the 14-team field. One of the major highlights of the area fast-pitch softball season will take place this weekend in Kelso, Mo. The 21st annual Kelso Klassic, a 14-team event featuring squads from three states along with an entry from New Zealand will be Friday through Sunday on two fields at the Kelso City Park...

The Wall Street Journal It's good to see that Amnesty International has had to backtrack from its comparison of Guantanamo Bay to the Soviet "gulag." Less than two weeks after making that analogy, Amnesty's U.S. boss issued what amounted to a full retraction on "Fox News Sunday" this weekend...

They match map points with locations in anything from police blotters to real estate listings. SAN FRANCISCO -- Tracking sexual predators in Florida. Guiding travelers to the cheapest gas nationwide. Pinpointing $1,500 studio apartments for rent in Manhattan...

Editors at about one in four newspapers who responded to a survey say they never allow reporters to quote anonymous sources, and most others have policies designed to limit the practice. One editor said his paper's rules are so strict they would have disqualified Deep Throat as a source...

Around the country, Indian tribes are frustrated by what they say are inadequate federal funding and long delays in replacing aging buildings at the 184 schools supported by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. The federal government not only takes a long time to replace schools, but also fails to maintain them, said Jacqueline Johnson, executive director of the National Congress of American Indians. ...

Afghan rebels kill two Americans, wound more KABUL, Afghanistan -- Rebel rockets struck U.S. troops unloading supplies from a helicopter in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing two and wounding eight in one of the bloodiest assaults on American forces since insurgent violence picked up in March. ...

ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- A judge ruled Wednesday there was sufficient cause to keep holding two former hotel security guards in connection with the disappearance of an Alabama high school student. The decision means authorities may hold Nick John, 30, and Abraham Jones, 28, for nearly four months while prosecutors investigate possible murder and kidnapping charges in the disappearance of 18-year-old Natalee Holloway, defense attorneys said. Neither man has been formally charged...

SAN MARCOS, Mexico -- The Volcano of Fire has rumbled back to life with its strongest eruptions in 20 years, spewing lava and ash clouds that had some residents who remained in their homes Wednesday casting nervous glances at the peak. The volcano, which straddles the line between Colima and Jalisco states 430 miles west of Mexico City, has had six spectacular eruptions in the past three weeks...

SHIPPINGSPORT, Ill. -- Bernard Strozewski, 84, straightens up his jeans and walks down the hillside on his riverside retirement property near the Illinois River so he can show a greenhorn the difference between tough, bitter dandelion greens and dandelion greens suited for a salad...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Sales of a stretchy toy called the "yo-yo waterball" will soon end in Illinois after Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed a bill Wednesday banning sales of the popular drugstore item. The toy is a liquid-filled rubber ball attached to a rubbery, sticky cord. Some consumer safety groups and parents say the cord is a suffocation hazard for children. The ban will go into effect Jan. 1, 2006...

Kansas City among those in the hunt, although the impact of the shrine is not yet known. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With Charlotte's civic leaders setting the pace for enthusiasm, five cities made it through qualifying in the race to build a NASCAR Hall of Fame...

The Rams parted ways with their controversial offensive tackle. ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Kyle Turley, who missed last season with a back injury and then clashed with coach Mike Martz in the offseason, has been released after failing a physical...

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. -- A dozen or so fans chased after a cart that whisked Annika Sorenstam away from the 18th green at Bulle Rock on a steamy Tuesday, thrusting flags and caps for her sign. She is the center of attention wherever she goes, even if it might take her awhile to figure out where she is...

Powered by a freshman's home run, Michigan became the first team east of the Mississippi River to win a softball national championship. OKLAHOMA CITY -- Freshman Samantha Findlay powered Michigan to its first NCAA softball title, hitting a three-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Wolverines a 4-1 victory against UCLA on Wednesday night...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Wednesday confirmed California Judge Janice Rogers Brown for the federal appeals court, ending a two-year battle filled with accusations of racism and sexism and shadowed by a dispute over Democratic blocking tactics. Senators quickly followed by ending another long-term filibuster, clearing the way for a vote today on former Alabama attorney general William Pryor as outlined in an agreement last month that averted a showdown that could have brought Senate action to a halt.. ...

Reports show U.S. troops are dying at a rate of two a day in Iraq. WASHINGTON -- The Army appears likely to fall short of its full-year recruiting goal for the first time since 1999, raising longer-term questions about a military embroiled in its first protracted wars since switching from the draft to a volunteer force 32 years ago...

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

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: * At 12:32 a.m., emergency medical service at 3200 William St. * At 4:30 a.m., an alarm sounding at 717 N. Sprigg St. * At 11:38 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1500 block of Hill Street...

From 500 B.C to 1500 A.D., caravans carrying goods and information between Europe and China traveled a 4,000-mile network of paths that came to be known as the Silk Road. Over 2,000 years, the trade along this route was as responsible as anything for how Europe and Asia developed...

The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center has announced a contract with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Heart Disease and Stroke Program to promote the existence of an auto-external defibrillator registry for the fiscal year 2005. ...

Nine-year-old Killian Owen was the first child to try an experimental leukemia treatment that was showing promise in adults -- but the chance came too late. Yet the youngster left a precious legacy: Scientists are using his preserved cells to help create stronger drugs for other children desperate for new options...

To the editor: According to a recent Associated Press article and another article on cell phones on the front page of the Southeast Missourian, the FBI and other official keepers of violent crime statistics report that murders and other violent crimes have decreased significantly since 1999, while car wrecks among teens using cell phones have increased...

To the editor: Characterizing the argument over the possible removal of the bridge at Boonville, Mo., as development versus preservation oversimplifies the issue, since the removal of the bridge could threaten the future of the Katy Trail itself, and the trail provides economic benefits for the communities along it as well as for the state generally...

Memorable history; A powerful tool; Personal freedoms; Cell-phone safety; Cell-phone study; It's a holy book; Best speech ever; Sidewalks are safer

PATTON, Mo. -- Wendell M. "Jack" Whitener, 88, of Patton passed away Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 3, 1917, at Bernie, Mo., son of William and Nancy Schell Whitener. He and Wilma Wallis were married Oct. 12, 1940, at Liberty Congregational Methodist Church...

Virginia A. Seabaugh, 94, formerly of Jackson, passed away Saturday, June 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Feb. 18, 1911, at Fisk, Mo., daughter of Fred and Bertha Sides Abernathy. She and Burton Seabaugh were married Feb. 8, 1930, in Cape Girardeau. He passed away April 8, 1989...

Jeffrey Duane Brown, 47, of Jackson died Tuesday, May 30, 2005, while on vacation in Nassau, Bahamas. He was born April 11, 1958, in Cairo, Ill., son of Bert and Gertrude Brown. He and Susan Kell were married May 7, 1996, in Jackson. Brown was a graduate of Shawnee High School at Wolf Lake, Ill., and Shawnee Community High School at Ullin, Ill. He had worked at Rapco in Jackson and at Dana Corp. in Cape Girardeau. He had owned and operated Brown's Guns and Ammo in Jackson the past four years...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mary Alice Springs, 82, of Sikeston died Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Nov. 25, 1922, in Stoddard County, Mo., daughter of Henry F. and Christine York Stanley. After the death of her parents, she was raised by Homer and Bertha York. She and Harold "Hot Shot" Springs were married Nov. 1, 1941, at Charleston, Mo...

Helen Eichhorn, 81, of Inverness, Fla., died Wednesday, June 1, 2005, in Inverness. She was born Dec. 6, 1923, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Lawrence and Hattie Hooker. She married Elmer Eichhorn, who died Feb. 24, 1990. Eichhorn lived in Cape Girardeau 30 years. She moved to Inverness in 1962 from Clearwater, Fla. She was a member of First Assembly of God Church in Inverness...

ANNA, Ill. -- Adonis Watson, 86, formerly of Anna, died Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Ill. She was born Sept. 9, 1918, in Anna, daughter of Dee and Vica Young Brimm. She and Paul Watson were married Aug. 19, 1939. He died Sept. 18, 1998...

LILBOURN, Mo. -- Gloria Dean Tillman Pratcher, 52, of Lilbourn died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She was born June 6, 1952, in Jaywye, Mo., daughter of Tom and Mattie Johnson. She and Hubert Pratcher were married June 8, 2003...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Norma Jean Mitchem, 58, of Sikeston died Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Dec. 15, 1946, in Burdette, Ark., daughter of Oscar and Lillie Irene Bowers Watkins. She and Richard Mitchem were married Dec. 23, 1964, at Bell City, Mo...

Kiefer; Ostendorf; Heeb; Hayman; Lintner; Hensley

25 years ago: June 9, 1980 The county court, in discussing the county sheriff's department, says it will consider holding former sheriff James J. Below responsible for damages prisoners have caused in the 1-year-old jail; the court has also decided against asking state highway patrol Sgt. Norman Copeland to assume the duties of sheriff through the end of the year because his patrol benefits might be in jeopardy should he take a temporary leave of absence...