Stories from July 2005

Looky there. The calendar says July 1. But you knew that already. You've probably been outside yourself. When summer arrives in Southeast Missouri, it doesn't hold back. Bad news: Your utility bill will look like the national debt next month. Good news: Those green tomatoes will finally turn red...

BEIJING -- The 12 teenagers and young adults, some in ripped jeans and baggy T-shirts, sit in a circle, chewing gum and fidgeting as they shyly introduce themselves. "I'm 12 years old," one boy announces with a smile. "I love playing computer games. That's it."...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- All 16 U.S. troops on a special forces helicopter were killed when the chopper was shot down by insurgents, the U.S. military said Thursday after rescuers recovered the bodies from the wreckage in a mountainous ravine. The MH-47 Chinook helicopter went down Tuesday in eastern Afghanistan while ferrying troops to a battle against militants -- the deadliest single blow to American forces who ousted the Taliban in 2001 for harboring al-Qaida and are now grappling with an escalating insurgency.. ...

CHICAGO -- Boeing Co. turned to an aerospace veteran to help repair the company's strained government relations and lead its market-share battle with rival Airbus SAS, naming 3M Co. Chief Executive W. James McNerney Jr. its new CEO Thursday. McNerney, 55, today becomes the third chief executive of the airplane maker since December 2003, when former CEO Phil Condit resigned in the wake of a defense contracting scandal. ...

Sikeston police arrest 28 for variety of offenses SIKESTON, Mo. -- Twenty-eight people were arrested Thursday morning in Sikeston as part of a raid police had been planning for about three months. Sikeston director of public safety Drew Juden said charges included assault, drug violations and failure to pay back fines. ...

The administration said it would have to deal with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regardless of his past. WASHINGTON -- The young captor gripping the arm of a blindfolded American hostage in the 26-year-old black-and-white photos has a thin, bearded face and dark hair that sweeps down across his forehead. So does the ultraconservative candidate elected president of Iran last week...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Thursday endorsed a free trade agreement with six Latin American nations, handing a major win to President Bush, who has promoted the accord as a mark of U.S. commitment to democracy and prosperity in the hemisphere. The vote was 54-45 in favor of the Central America Free Trade Agreement, setting the stage for a final battle in the House, where the agreement's many critics have vowed to defeat it...

Last year's Indy 500 champ will be in Sunday's field for the Argent Mortgage 300. KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- All Buddy Rice needs to do to upgrade his season is lead a lap Sunday at Kansas Speedway. He came here in 2004 riding the buzz that comes with winning the Indianapolis 500, then held off teammate Vitor Meira in the second-closest finish in Indy Racing League history...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge late Thursday denied an attempt to block the first round of cuts in the state's Medicaid program from taking effect. Medicaid recipients sued a day earlier, contending the Department of Social Services violated constitutional due process rights by not providing parents adequate notice of the cuts in health care coverage. The suit sought class-action status and an injunction preventing anyone from losing Medicaid benefits...

MADRID, Spain -- At the historic Congress of Deputies, pandemonium erupted. Conservatives shouted in fury. Gay activists collapsed in tears. Some began making wedding plans -- or at least deciding who'd pop the question, now that they could. "Today is a dream come true," graphic designer Jose Paz, 38, said after Thursday's vote that made Spain the third country to legalize gay marriage...

Police business; Following the rules; Interesting outcome; A good read; Excellent response; Flag desecration; Turn signals; Spending ideas; Exit 99 needs help; Skateboarding looks fun; Military equality; Public transportation; Need an uproar; Answering prayers

To the editor: The recent Supreme Court decision redefining eminent domain to include private interest is a threat to the basic principle on which America was built. The decision, in essence, makes it easier for a municipality to condemn and take title to land or property which it deems necessary to own in order to further its own progress...

To the editor: The undertaker and the cigarette sellers are the ones who are stuffing their pockets today. I would rather be the undertaker than the cigarette seller whose sign is taped on the door of a tobacco shop in Louisville, Ky., urging smokers to beat the upcoming 30-cent tax increase. That sign certainly is not helping the cigarette smoker, but it sure is keeping the undertaker in business...

To the editor: Lately I have been hearing radio commercials belittling nurse practitioners. The exact quote is "... the only one able to see you is a nurse practitioner," implying that you will get a reduced level of health care and that only by visiting the advertised doctors can you receive real health care...

Recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have created quite a national reaction, both because of the fundamental democratic principles involved and because they leave so much up in the air. The court's decision on eminent domain -- the right of government to forcibly take private property when there is a compelling public benefit and when property owners are given due process and fair compensation -- was something of a wake-up call for many Americans. ...

Robert C. Hoffer, 64, of Petal, Miss., died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Miss. Hoffer worked at Marvin's Building Supply and was retired from Sears, Roebuck and Co. He served in the U.S. Army. Survivors include his wife, Cynthia; two daughters, Rebecca Cater of Florence, Miss., Cathy Davis of Johns, Miss.; a sister, Jolene Stearnes of Cape Girardeau; and four grandchildren...

Clifford J. Kennedy, 83, of Niles, Mich., died Monday, June 13, 2005, at his home. He was born March 14, 1922, at Oran, Mo., son of Joseph P. and Dadie Ruth London Kennedy. He and Maudene J. Breedlove were married Feb. 11, 1944, in Corvallis, Ore. Kennedy worked 30 years at Bendix Corp. in South Bend, Ind., retiring in 1982. He also raised cattle, did crop farming, and trained mules. He moved to Niles in 1951 from Missouri...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jessie J. Sebaugh, 85, of Sikeston died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 26, 1919, at Burfordville, daughter of Otis E. and Daisy Stroder Allen. She and Ovis Seabaugh were married Jan. 4, 1940, in Cape Girardeau...

Eric Doyle Keaton, 46, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 30, 2005, in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Jackie Dale Boatright, 11 months, died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at St. Louis Children's Hospital. He was born July 8, 2004, in St. Louis, son of Dale Boatright and Patricia Brimm. Survivors include his parents of Anna; four half sisters, Amelia Brown, Heather Boatright and Jennifer Wetherington, all of Anna, Michelle Boatright of Harrisburg, Ill.; maternal grandparents, Jack and Becky Brimm of Anna; paternal grandparents, Dale and Joann Boatright of Anna; and paternal great-grandmother, Nola Boatright of Jonesboro, Ill.. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Roy Brown Jr., 76, of Marble Hill died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at his home. He was born July 26, 1928, in Marble Hill, son of Roy and Eula Nanney Brown. He and Lois E. Stevens were married July 29, 1950. She died Dec. 8, 1996. He later married Ann Phillips Aug. 19, 1997, in Paducah, Ky...

Damien Michael Ressel died shortly after birth Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Josh Ressel and Elisha Sturm of Scott City. Survivors include his parents; maternal grandfather, Keith Sturm of Cape Girardeau; paternal grandparents, Dennis and Brenda Ressel of Scott City; paternal great-grandparents, Edward and Kathleen Westrich of New Hamburg, Mo., Luke and Alice Ressel of Scott City; maternal great-grandmother, Laura Sturm of Scott City; paternal great-great-grandmother, Edna Burford of Benton, Mo.; uncles and aunts, Derek, Madelyn and Collin Ressel, Bryan Sturm, Ashley Sturm, and Jamie Holder; cousins, Kristen and Aaron Sturm.. ...

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

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

Bluegrass series with local bands airs on WSIU; Friday night opening at The Artist Studio; Festival guide available from arts council; Strolling bands hit the riverfront at Libertyfest; Troopers association begins ticket sales; Butler County Fair has booths for merchants

25 years ago: July 1, 1980 Consumption of alcoholic beverages along Cape Girardeau streets and sidewalks will no longer be allowed if the city council accepts an ordinance tomorrow prohibiting public drinking; city manager W.G. Lawley says the ordinance is an outgrowth of problems at last year's Southeast Missouri State University Homecoming parade along Broadway...

DePree; Cantrell; Wolfe

Curtis Ray Dye, 39, died June 30, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

Buckner Brewing Co. is known for its burgers and beer, but tonight the owners will unveil a new experiment that will throw art into the mix. The Riverview Room, a new banquet hall on the restaurant's third floor, will play host to an exhibit of two- and three-dimensional art by about 12 local artists. The show will be the unveiling of the new room, which will be available for rent for special functions...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: * At 6:38 p.m., a fire alarm at 1000 Woodlawn Ave. Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 12:04 a.m., a citizen assist in the 600 block of Themis Street. * At 1:22 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1900 block of Delwin Street...

Cape Girardeau...

Jewish squatters forced from Gaza Strip hotel PALM BEACH HOTEL, Gaza Strip -- Israeli forces stormed a Gaza Strip hotel Thursday where Jewish squatters were holed up to disrupt this summer's Israeli withdrawal, in a quick operation that could serve as a blueprint for the pullout itself. ...

The three-dimensional piece called "The Book of the Dead" isn't the usual fare at the galleries of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. The faux book opens to reveal a wooden box with a series of symmetrical square chambers, each one holding some example of decay. Some chambers play host to long-dead wasp nests, others contain dead leaves and still others hold bone and hair. The title is fitting...

ST. LOUIS -- From the inkwell Abraham Lincoln used for a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation to Warren Harding's silk pajamas, a traveling exhibit chronicling the presidency is on view at the Missouri History Museum. Visitors who haven't been to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., will have a chance for some of the National Museum of American History's famed artifacts to come to them. ...

Ticket sales begin today for both Southeast Missouri State University's 2005-2006 Department of Theatre and Dance and Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra seasons. A variety of productions will be offered by the university's theater and dance department in the upcoming year. They include:...

NEW YORK -- Designed to raise consciousness about African poverty, the Live 8 concerts Saturday will feature some of black music's biggest stars -- especially those representing hip-hop. The Philadelphia concert boasts Russell Simmons as one of its producers and A-list acts such as Destiny's Child and Alicia Keys -- a far cry from 1985's Live Aid concerts, which were criticized by some for being "too white."...

n The losing pitcher in the first game of Wednesday's Cape Girardeau American Legion doubleheader was misidentified. Lance Young took the loss. Tyler Bruce plays for the Cape Girardeau Senior Babe Ruth team. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error...

About the only drops of rain in the past two weeks were enough to postpone Thursday night's American Legion baseball game between Jackson and visiting Scott County Post 369 (Medicap). The teams will try to make up the District 14 game this evening with a new time -- 5 p.m. -- and a new location -- Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau...

MLB will decide the consequences for the pitcher's physical confrontation with two cameramen. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Kenny Rogers' immediate future will be decided by Major League Baseball, following the outburst by the Texas Rangers ace that sent a television cameraman to the hospital and prompted a police investigation...

Southeast Missourian Evan Deere, Brett Slaten and Trent Hillis posted their second tournament victories of the week Wednesday in the Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series stop at Kennett Country Club. All three had won their divisions Monday at Cape Girardeau Country Club...

Baseball...

Perryville plans meetings for athletes' parents...

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Guard J.R. Giddens, who is recovering from knife wounds suffered in a bar fight, is leaving Kansas and will transfer to another school, coach Bill Self announced Thursday. "We've talked numerous times about this and basically last night, we came to the conclusion together that it was in his best interests and our best interests to part ways and go in different directions," Self said at a news conference...

Launched in 1966, the original Dodge Charger was a response to the pony-car fad started by the Mustang, but on a much larger scale. It was based on the midsize Dodge Coronet model and quickly became a sales hit because of its muscular good looks and awesome performance provided by V-8s ranging from a 318-cubic-inch to the almighty 426 Hemi...

Colorado defeated St. Louis 7-0 for just its sixth road victory of the season. ST. LOUIS -- For at least one game, the Colorado Rockies looked ready for the road. Rookie Jeff Francis pitched three-hit ball for six innings and Garrett Atkins and Danny Ardoin homered Thursday night in a 7-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that gave the Rockies only their sixth road victory of the season...

CHALLANS, France -- This ride will be different because it's his last -- and so will Lance Armstrong. For a change, he'll savor the sights along the Tour de France route and even the strategy meetings with his Discovery Channel team. Just don't expect his heightened awareness to distract him from focusing on winning his seventh Tour in a row...

LEMONT, Ill. -- Winning the British Open didn't protect Ben Curtis from golf's ups and downs. He's been down for most of the last two years, struggling to make cuts let alone a run like the one that won him the Claret Jug in 2003. On Thursday, though, he was up. Way up. He shot a bogey-free, 7-under 64 in the first round of the Western Open, finishing one stroke shy of the course record and grabbing a share of the lead with Jim Furyk and Todd Fischer...

Soil samples show about 70 percent of Missouri is short of moisture. Rain dribbled on Southeast Missouri Thursday afternoon, but area farmers say it's going to have to do more than that to quench the thirst of their moisture-starved crops. "It's really quite dry," said Glen Birk, a Jackson wheat and soybean farmer. ...

The city of Cape Girardeau will allow a strip-tease club to stay in business for now, despite the club's history of violating the city's adult-business law and the police chief's recommendation against renewing the club's license. City manager Doug Leslie granted a conditional, six-month license to the club on Thursday rather than renew the adult-business license for Stephanie's Cabaret for a full year because of past adult-business and liquor violations at the 10-year-old club...

Bruce Matlock caught $200 Thursday with a broken fishing pole and a video camera. The 17-year-old from Scott City said he broke his fishing pole while making a 30-second anti-litter commercial for the statewide "No MOre Trash!" video contest, sponsored by the Department of conservation and transportation. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A public corruption trial that begins Tuesday in Kansas City could feature some big names in Missouri politics. Those who have received subpoenas to testify include former governor Bob Holden, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and four state senators, the St. ...

Williams disposed of defending champion Maria Sharapova. WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams traded loud shrieks and powerful shots with Maria Sharapova as flash bulbs popped in the fading light, and when it was over, Williams celebrated her Wimbledon semifinal victory as if the title were hers again...

A snake in the grass is one thing. A snake in your engine is another. Meagan Lewis was outside her home on Brandom Street in Jackson Thursday afternoon when she saw the 4-foot black snake in the center of the road moving along with its head up, as if in a strike position...

REVERE, Mass. -- It used to be tough for Mike Vozzella to find a parking spot and a seat in the clubhouse at Wonderland Greyhound Park, his favorite afterwork hangout for the past three decades. In the track's heyday, thousands flocked there every day to watch and wager on greyhound races. Today, Wonderland's 10,000-seat grandstand is closed. An hour before the first race one recent evening, only a few dozen regulars were in the clubhouse overlooking the dirt track...

Kim Baker found herself stuck up a tree, high above August Street in front of an unfamiliar house, surrounded by two firetrucks, two police cars and several curious bystanders. And she couldn't have been happier. The broad leaves had stained her yellow T-shirt. Adults in the neighborhood were looking at this Jackson woman like she was insane, what with her Twizzler in hand, talking aloud to something wrapped in a pillowcase. But that didn't matter to Kim. Rover was safe and life was good...

PUXICO, Mo. -- The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is being profiled in a national report because of a potential environmental risk. On Thursday, the Sierra Club released "America's Great Outdoors," a report that highlights one threatened wildlife area in every state. The organization chose Mingo for Missouri because of a coal-fired power plant Peabody Energy plans to build in Washington County, Illinois...

The winner of the season-opening Daytona 500 has two other wins but has fallen to 14th in the standings. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The time is now for Jeff Gordon to get on the gas and race his way back into NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. Gordon, the four-time series champion, has been in a free-fall the past six weeks, dropping from second to 14th in the standings. ...

Plaza Tire will have its hands full with a home series against Wichita, Kan. Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen has some words of warning for his players regarding their upcoming series with the Wichita (Kan.) Broncs. Come ready to perform at a high level, according to Bolen, or risk being run out of their own park...

New at the theaters ** 'Rebound' Starring Martin Lawrence, Patrick Warburton, Megan Mullally, Breckin Meyer and Kimora Lee Simmons. After a public tantrum in which he kills the school's mascot, college basketball coach Roy McCormick finds himself banned from the court. The only coaching gig he can find is leading a crew of athletically challenged junior-high nerds. Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements, running time 87 minutes. (Town Plaza Cinema)...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Wednesday signed legislation into law that will ban immunizations containing more than trace amounts of mercury for children under 3 and pregnant women. The restriction will take effect as of April 1, 2007. Mercury is sometimes used as a preservative in vaccines...

Four stars (out of four) I went into "Herbie: Fully Loaded" expecting the best from Disney, and that's what I got. This is a family-based movie that brings the past to the present with today's technology and flair. Between the main character's dream of being a NASCAR driver and Herbie wanting to be needed, this movie puts a smile on your face as all ends well. For the NASCAR fans, cameo appearances by several well-known drivers, including Jeff Gordon, make the movie more fun...

High school seniors will get experience working at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. When he decided to develop an aviation program for high school students at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, it never occurred to Rich Payne he might have a hard time finding an example of other such programs in Missouri...

The lights will be off for about a month, which Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson called "unacceptable." Just in time for Cape Girardeau's Libertyfest celebration, the lights on the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge have gone dark. For the third time since being installed in January 2004, the decorative lights on the bridge went out Thursday, this time due to a bad transformer -- the same thing that turned the lights out last October...

A new business will bring 40 new jobs to the area after approval Friday of a $750,000 federal loan. The funding will allow Cape Milling LLC, a startup company, to set up shop at SEMO Port in a space previously occupied by Riverport Terminals. Cape Milling will use the space to produce corn grits, meal and flour for the consumer market and blended corn-based products for federal aid to Third World countries...

Jackson's city government is picking the brains of its constituents in the form of a community survey. The city has sent a four-page document to every household in the city, seeking opinions on various topics, including, for the first time, the idea of a tax increase to support an additional fire station...

MEXICO CITY -- President Vicente Fox said Friday that U.S. activists who have condemned a new Mexican post-age stamp as racist should read the beloved comic book on which it is based before they make judgments. "They don't have information, frankly," Fox said...

NEW YORK -- Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. He was 54...

PASADENA, Calif. -- A NASA spacecraft was speedily closing in on its target Friday, a comet scientists hope to smash open this weekend, producing celestial fireworks for the Independence Day weekend. But the real purpose is to study the comet's primordial core...

After a dismal first round left him on the wrong side of the cut at the Western Open, Tiger Woods figured he could get right back in it with a 64 or 65. He was close. Woods shot a 5-under 66 Friday, putting him six strokes behind leader Chris Couch and giving him at least a chance to make a move this weekend...

The driver of the No. 20 car was involved in an incident with a fan on Wednesday. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Tony Stewart seems to run better when he's surrounded by a little controversy. Stewart won the pole for the Pepsi 400 on Friday, two days after an altercation with a fan at Daytona International Speedway...

WIMBLEDON, England -- Lindsay Davenport left Wimbledon last year thinking she probably had played her last match at the All England Club. Now she is not only back, she's in the final. Today, she'll try for her fourth Grand Slam title and first since 2000 when she faces two-time champion Venus Williams...

The Texas pitcher also was fined $50,000 by Major League Baseball for Wednesday's incident. SEATTLE -- Texas pitcher Kenny Rogers was suspended for 20 games and fined $50,000 by Major League Baseball on Friday for an outburst that sent a television cameraman to the hospital and prompted a police investigation...

But officials saids it is difficult to draw conclusions about the upcoming fiscal year. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri took in a record amount of taxes and revenue during the recently concluded fiscal year, but state officials are remaining cautious in drawing any conclusions about the strength of the state economy...

ST. LOUIS -- New tests confirmed that airborne asbestos is not a problem near the site of a massive fire at a gas distribution business, a Missouri Department of Natural Resources official said Friday. After explosions and a fire at a Praxair Distribution Inc. ...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The prisoners banged on their cells to protest the heat at Guantanamo Bay. They doused guards with whatever liquid was handy -- from spit to urine. Sometimes they struck their jailers, one swinging a steel chair at a military police officer...

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- This picturesque medieval city is bracing for pro-tests by tens of thousands of demonstrators demanding urgent action on aid to Africa and climate change by leaders of the world's richest nations. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, chairman of the Group of Eight summit, is largely on the protesters' side -- but he will also be playing host to close ally President Bush...

WASHINGTON -- When Sandra Day O'Connor graduated from Stanford Law School a half-century ago, women weren't always welcome in top legal jobs. The self-described "cowgirl from Arizona" eventually lassoed one, though -- first female justice on the Supreme Court...

WASHINGTON -- In interviews, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor routinely dismissed the notion that she was a crucial "swing vote," the justice who could sway the nation's highest court one way or the other. Every vote on the court is equal, she would say, no one counting more than any other...

His team has struggled this season even on restrictor-plate tracks. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. wearily climbed from his car, trudged down pit road and reluctantly stopped to answer a few questions. He didn't look, sound or act anything like himself -- especially at Daytona International Speedway, a place he has typically been the driver to beat...

The world's No. 1 player won in straight sets. WIMBLEDON, England -- The best view of Roger Federer's latest masterful performance at Wimbledon belonged to Lleyton Hewitt, and even he felt compelled to call out, "Too good, mate!" when one perfectly placed forehand flew past...

ST. LOUIS -- Once again, Chris Carpenter was almost untouchable. Carpenter carried a five-hitter into the eighth inning and became the major leagues' fourth 12-game winner Friday night, as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 6-0. Albert Pujols homered in the first to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, and Carpenter contributed a sacrifice fly for the Cardinals, who rebounded from a shutout loss in the series opener and improved to 50-29. ...

Lowanda Louise Gremard, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 21, 1924, at Wardell, Mo., daughter of Oscar Clearance and Minnie Jane Taylor Young. She and Ralph W. Gremard were married Sept. 15, 1941, in Caruthersville, Mo...

Curtis Ray Dye, 39, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 30, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 14, 1965, in St. Louis, son of Owen and Valma Duffey Dye. He and Laura Norton were married April 6, 1996, in Jackson. Mr. Dye was a 1994 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. He taught in Cape Girardeau and Perryville, Mo., schools three years, and was a line technician six years at Procter & Gamble. He was a member of La Croix United Methodist Church...

Jackson litter; Blacktop our road; Road is hazard; Dealing with problems; Blame the court; Have it both ways; Communal property; Doing unto others; Business history; Hunkering down

Third Street and Hobbs Chapel United Methodist churches in Cape Girardeau have merged. The churches have shared a pastor for several months, but officially merged congregations in late June. Over the years, the congregation at Third Street had dwindled until there were only 10 people at worship services. The church had survived tornadoes and fire in its lifetime but, with older members passing away, the toll was too much...

People who have lived in Cape Girardeau awhile may think the recent talk about a bicentennial sounds like deja vu all over again. That's because a bicentennial celebration was held in 1992 to commemorate the establishment of the community in 1792 by Louis Lorimier, the commandant appointed by Spain to govern the District of Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 4:47 p.m., emergency medical service at 3400 William. * At 10:17 p.m., emergency medical service at South Pacific Street and Morgan Oak Street. Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:...

Mike Litzelfelner would gladly trade a day of golf for a nice rain shower at this point. "Probably anyone that has anything to do with Bent Creek is watching the weather and doing rain dances and whatever we can do," Litzelfelner said. Bent Creek in Jackson is one of two public courses in Cape Girardeau County -- Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course is the other -- that relies on daily fees for revenues. But the lack of rain has been a problem for golf courses in the area...

The Jackson American Legion baseball team's attempt to play a District 14 game with Scott County American Legion Post 369 (Medicap) was foiled for a second straight day by an unusual circumstance. On Thursday, the game at Jackson's Legion Field was thwarted by rain, one of just two days with rain in the last two weeks...

25 years ago: July 2, 1980 Gov. Joseph P. Teasdale staunchly defended his "Meet the Governor" forums at a press conference in Jackson last night prior to his 70th forum; Teasdale's opponent in the Aug. 5 Democratic primary, State Treasurer James I. Spainhower, has criticized the program as being strictly political...

Wadlow; Cobb; Birk; Davis; Roland; Bollwerk; Eftink; Duckett; Garner

SIKESTON, Mo. -- George Williams, 80, of Sikeston and formerly of Oran, Mo., died Friday, July 1, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born March 27, 1915, at Shirley, Ark., son of Martin and Dovie Shelton Williams. He retired as a packer from Scott County Milling Co. in Oran, and was a custodian at and member of First Baptist Church in Oran...

ANNA, Ill. -- Woodrow W. Gulley, 89, of Anna died Tuesday, June 28, 2005, at Union County Hospital. He was born Sept. 21, 1915, in Ravenden, Ark., son of Isaac and Margaret Fritz Gulley. He and Gladys Coffman were married Oct. 6, 1932. She died May 23, 1994...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Delpha Raye Higdon, 92, of Sikeston died Thursday, June 30, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born April 19, 1913, in Rosiclare, Ill., daughter of Homer and Barbara Leona Widdows Henson. She and Marshall Edds Higdon were married Jan. 27, 1936, in New Madrid, Mo. He died Sept. 26, 1963...

John Burton Davie, 89, of Somerville, Tenn., died Wednesday, June 29, 2005, at his home. He was born Dec. 12, 1915, in Cape Girardeau, son of Frederick and Mary Rogers Davie. He married the former Marie Davis. She preceded him in death. Davie was formerly of Cape Girardeau and Sedgewickville, Mo. He was a farmer...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals on Friday signed first-round draft picks Tyler Greene and Mark McCormick to minor league contracts. Greene, a shortstop from Georgia Tech, was the Cardinals' second pick of the draft and the 30th overall selection. McCormick, a right-handed pitcher, was the 44th selection with a supplemental pick and recently completed his college career at Baylor with a trip to the College World Series...

Schultz School turned into a shooting gallery Friday that had local police and Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle trying to dodge painful paint pellets and take down police officers masquerading as gunmen. A helmeted Swingle felt the adrenaline rush as he emptied 12 rounds from a blue handgun. "I could feel my heart pounding," he said. "I was amazed at how quickly I was out of bullets."...

A loud siren, which is being tested by the city for the first time as a severe weather warning system, will sound at noon on the Fourth of July. The siren will be tested a noon on the first Monday of every month. When not being tested, the siren will sound only when a tornado warning has been issued for the county...

Whitney McFerron Abby Wong is a fashionista. The style-conscious 24-year-old, originally from Bangkok, Thailand, loves to "mix it up" when it comes to dressing herself. On a typical day of waiting tables at her family's Thai restaurant, Cafe n' Me in Cape Girardeau, she might wear a fitted orange and white striped shirt with Asian-style embroidery on the upper-left side, a silver tongue ring and a short gray skirt layered over dark blue jeans...

Cape Girardeau's is one of several local school districts that has undergone or plans to take training. The screams coming from the darkened hallway were enough to set anyone on edge. "Help me! I'm dying!" "Over here, I need help now!" Even knowing the situation wasn't real didn't keep the rescuers' hearts from speeding up a bit as they faced the task of sorting through the "victims."...

The police chief said the military should be able to track down where the items came from. When members of the Scott County Sheriff's Department and the Scott City Police Department served a search warrant Thursday night in Scott City, they got a surprise...

Contractors and subcontractors may be denied building permits if licenses are not kept current. Jackson's inspection department will be cracking down on contractors who do not have city contractors licenses. Building and Planning Superintendent Janet Sanders announced Thursday that the city is implementing new building permit software that tracks contractor licenses and workers' compensation insurance expiration dates...

Virginia Hockman, 80, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, July 1, 2005, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

As the Fourth of July approaches, some Americans appear to be suffering from amnesia. With dramatic headlines such as "Ripping Pages from the Book of Civil Liberties," "Patriot Act Fosters Secrecy, Government Abuse" and "Keep Big Brother at Bay," editorial writers and columnists around the country unfairly criticize legislation that has helped keep America safe since Sept. 11, 2001...

America's conduct in the war on terror has been perceived abroad as arrogant and cavalier, and world opinion regarding the U.S. has fallen. That has left many of us wondering why we should care about world opinion. Conservative commentators in particular have been quick to ask "Who cares what the French think?" and "Why should we care about the attitudes of the U.N. and Old Europe?"...

GENEVA -- A worker for the International Committee of the Red Cross was kidnapped and killed in Haiti, the agency said Friday. Joel Cauvin, a Haitian, was abducted Wednesday evening and found dead near his home Thursday, the ICRC said. It said its 45 staff members in Haiti would continue to administer humanitarian aid despite the escalating violence in the country...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Kennett woman recently won a $20,000 tax-paid prize from a Missouri Lottery scratch-off ticket. The winner, Kristy Schubert, 32, bought the winning ticket from Huck's in Kennett on June 29. --From staff reports...

NEW YORK -- North Korea told the United States that it must withdraw its description of the communist nation as an "outpost of tyranny" and treat Pyongyang as a friend if it wants nuclear talks to resume, a senior North Korean official said Friday...

Calendar ** Sunday Hanover Lutheran Church will hold a patriotic service at 9 a.m. with speaker Hubert Bachmann. Lynwood Baptist Church will present recording artist and composer Enoch during services at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. The concert will feature inspirational music played on grand piano. Admission is free...

WASHINGTON -- A unanimous House quickly passed a bill to meet a nearly $1 billion shortfall in veterans health care that surprised and frustrated lawmakers. Senators, who said that was not enough, had approved $500 million more. Now the movement to quickly inject extra money into veterans medical services must slow down for the House and Senate iron to out the $500 million difference in their response to the unforeseen shortage...

PHOENIX -- Firefighters used a combination of air power and intentional fires on Friday to try to block the progress of a mammoth wildfire that has been creeping toward a central Arizona community. Crews used heavy air tankers to drop retardant to reinforce previously created fire lines, some gouged in the ground by bulldozers. ...

The pounding of hammers and whirring of an electric saw drawing curious onlookers to the church raising at First Baptist Church in Whitewater, and Pastor Phil Berry couldn't be happier. "We're hoping to grow," said Berry. But the building that currently houses the church wouldn't make that feasible. ...

Freedom and independence are words we hear often around the birth of our nation. These are the foundations of our nation and threads that hold our country together. On this Fourth of July weekend, the Southeast Missourian wanted to know what the youngest citizens love about America. The essays that follow are from students at Franklin Elementary School and Central Middle School...

Plaza tire dropped the opener of the three-game series. Southeast Missourian Plaza Tire met what likely could be considered the best team on its schedule Saturday night when the Capahas played the Wichita Broncos in the opener of a three-game series Saturday at Capaha Field...

The six-time champion opened up a big lead over his most feared challengers. NOIRMOUTIER-EN-L'ILE, France -- No easing up for Lance Armstrong in his last Tour de France. Armstrong took a huge step toward winning his seventh consecutive Tour on the very first day of the three-week race. He crushed his main rivals in an opening time trial Saturday, opening up early time gaps that may be big enough to carry him through to victory at the finish in Paris on July 24...

WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams leaned against the wall behind the baseline for several seconds, gasping for air. At the other end of the court, Lindsay Davenport doubled over, using her racket like a cane to rest a bothersome back. Williams had just hit a forehand to win a 25-shot exchange in the third set, the longest point in the longest Wimbledon women's final on record, and neither she nor Davenport looked particularly eager to resume play...

Three Rivers will open six education centers in August; three will go head to head with Southeast's. A bitter feud between Three Rivers Community College and Southeast Missouri State University has prompted Three Rivers to launch its own higher education centers as the two schools aggressively compete for students in the Bootheel...

Supply often runs low in summer, when people are on vacation and forget to donate. With the Fourth of July approaching, the American Red Cross is asking people to take a break from the festivities and roll up their sleeves to help curb a seasonal blood shortage...

Plans show the retailer intends to add more than 10,000 square feet to the outlet on Siemers Drive. The retailing giant with the red and white bull's-eye logo is planning to give Cape Girardeau area shoppers a bigger Target. Through a spokeswoman, Minneapolis-based Target Corp. has confirmed its plans to expand the store at 202 Siemers Drive, but would offer no further details...

The outgoing state chief justice said he doesn't believe activist judges exist. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Latin inscription on the facade of the Missouri Supreme Court Building translates into English as "To speak the law but not to make it." New state Chief Justice Michael Wolff said that simple doctrine on the role of the judiciary and the limits of its authority is one judges take to heart...

Handshakes. Smiles. And laughs. Two current mayors, a couple of lawyers, a few engineers and other elected and appointed officials both past and present patted each other on the back Wednesday afternoon for reaching a monumental and unprecedented compromise that will bring another interstate interchange to the region...

I don't know if people are getting tired of me writing about Miles Smith -- I sure hope not -- but Southeast Missouri State's track and field sensation deserves all the praise anybody can give him ... and more. Smith's latest accomplishment just might be his biggest yet -- and that's saying something -- as this past week he was selected for the United States team that will compete in the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, Aug. 6 to 14. He will be a member of the 1,600-meter relay...

PASADENA, Calif. -- It's a space mission straight out of Hollywood -- launch a spacecraft 268 million miles so it can aim a barrel-sized probe toward a speeding comet half the size of Manhattan and smash a hole in it. But that's what NASA expects its Deep Impact mission to do this weekend, with a goal of viewing the icy core of a comet that may hold cosmic clues to how the sun and planets formed...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- When Holly Charette enlisted in the Marine Corps after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, her family was uneasy about her decision -- and told her so. "We just said that it's dangerous, and things are getting crazier and crazier in the world," Edward Roberts recalled after his stepdaughter's death...

CORNWALL, Vt. -- A rare whooping crane is spending the summer in Vermont after mysteriously veering 800 miles off course on its migration toward the Midwest. One of only about 400 such birds in the world, the 4 1/2-foot-tall female has been in a river floodplain in the Lake Champlain valley since at least June 9, spending most of its time on farmer Randy Quesnel's land...

Bill Waris admitted making a false statement to FBI agents on March 12, 2004. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lobbyist Bill Waris pleaded guilty in federal court Saturday to lying to federal agents, allowing him to avoid an upcoming trial that could have featured some big names in Missouri politics...

To some children, President Clinton was a lifetime ago, so the idea that the United States is celebrating its 224th year might take a little explaining. Some new picture books can help describe the birth and "childhood" of the country: * "Liberty of Death: The American Revolution 1763-1783" (HarperCollins, ages 7 and up) by Betsy Maestro and Giulio Maestro...

Where are my keys? Who has the cordless phone? Did we pay the power bill? If you have asked any or all of these questions recently, you're not alone. One answer to these questions is a home organization center. It may look like just additional cabinetry, but it is actually a multi-functioning stand-up information and organization area...

Drew Keairnes knows his high-paying summer construction job lasts only a precious few weeks before he resumes college life at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Unlike other summer workers who earn and spend -- and spend -- Keairnes socks away at least two-thirds of his $350 paycheck for the lean times once classes recommence. "I keep out $100 for whatever I want to do," says Keairnes...

The small white, sometimes pinkish, blossoms of wild multiflora roses, now past, made the plants almost likable. For the rest of the summer, though, the plants will push their murderously thorny stems skyward and outward, seemingly not content until they have engulfed the whole planet...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suicide bombers struck Saturday in Baghdad and a Shiite city south of the capital in attacks that killed 26 people and injured nearly 50, Iraqi officials said. One of the attackers targeted bystanders and police who had rushed to the scene of an earlier blast...

LONDON -- Twenty years after a scruffy one-hit wonder first demonstrated his gift for lofty dreams and grandiose statements, hundreds of the world's top performers and more than 1 million fans united for 10 free concerts across the globe aimed at fighting African poverty...

A lawsuit filed in 1999 argued the state did not spend enough money on schools and distributed its aid unfairly. TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Kansas Supreme Court said Saturday it will consider keeping schools closed because state legislators have failed to comply with the court's demand that they spend more money on public schools...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The president of the National Organization for Women declared a "state of emergency" for women's rights and planned a march on the state Capitol as news of Sandra Day O'Connor's retirement reverberated through the group's annual convention...

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- More than six weeks after she disappeared from a home where family members were bludgeoned to death, an 8-year-old girl was found safe Saturday, sharing a meal with a registered sex of-fender at a Denny's restaurant in her hometown...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: * At 8:36 p.m., tree fire at 205 Caruthers Ave. * At 8:55 p.m., tree fire at 430 S. Spring Ave. * At 9:34 p.m., emergency medical service at 300 S. Silver Springs Road. * At 9:49 p.m., tree fire at 1015 Good Hope St...

Cape Girardeau ...

State Sen. Jason Crowell and state Rep. Nathan Cooper will be featured Sunday on KRCU's "Going Public" radio show. The two Cape Girardeau lawmakers will be interviewed about current events that affect the Southeast Missouri area. The public affairs show will be broadcast at 3 p.m. on 90.9 FM, the region's Public Radio affiliate station...

Two injured in I-55 accident near Benton BENTON, Mo. -- Two people sustained moderate injuries early Saturday morning after a one-vehicle accident about 2 miles south of Benton. Ruthie Frizeel, 62, and Sammy Frizell, 55, of Waterloo, Iowa, were driving on Interstate 55 when their vehicle ran off the road and overturned in the median. Both were taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

Legal experts on both sides speculate that the president will name the attorney general to the Supreme Court. WASHINGTON -- President Bush could rein the court to the right by nominating a bedrock conservative to replace the retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor...

PINE FLAT, Calif. -- "Forward -- and hard!" The seven-person crew can hardly hear the guide's deep voice above the deafening roar of the Kings River as he tries to steer the boat away from a hole -- the vortex created when water rushes over a boulder with such force it first plunges deep down, then surges back up, flipping over boats and sucking in rafters...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Danica Patrick has another first on her short Indy Racing League resume. The 23-year-old rookie won her first IRL pole Saturday at Kansas Speedway, becoming the second woman to take the top spot. Patrick, the first woman to lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500, turned in a quick lap of 214.688 mph on her second try around the 1 1/2-mile tri-oval in qualifying for Sunday's Argent Mortgage Indy 300. ...

The American completed a four-set semifinal victory over Thomas Johansson. WIMBLEDON, England -- Andy Roddick is 1-8 against Roger Federer and has lost their last four meetings, including last year's Wimbledon final. So does Roddick have something new in mind for today's rematch at the All England Club?...

HIGHLAND, Ind. -- A 9-year-old boy died after falling more than 25 feet from the gondola of a rotating carnival ride during a Fourth of July festival at a town park. "Rider error, operator error, equipment failure -- we don't know at this point," Highland police chief Peter Hojnicki said. "His death was caused by unknown reasons."...

ST. LOUIS -- A lawsuit alleging that the rights of the city's homeless were violated has been expanded to include twice as many homeless people and several more defendants, a newspaper reported Saturday. Two law schools along with the local American Civil Liberties Union and Legal Services of Eastern Missouri on Friday expanded their federal lawsuit against the city and Police Board on behalf of some of the city's homeless, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

To the editor: First, I want the family who lost its house and possessions to know our thoughts and prayers are with them. If the fire department or city can help in any way, we want the family to feel free to call us. Working in these temperatures takes more personnel. ...

To the editor: Old Town Cape would like to extend its sincere thanks and gratitude to the city of Cape Girardeau and Alliance Water Resources for their tireless efforts in revamping and beautifying Water Street. The leadership and administration of the city, the construction crews from public works, the engineering staff and Alliance should be commended for their hard work and applauded for completing such a difficult project in a five-week time frame...

To the editor: The Disabled American Veterans is calling on Congress to act quickly to cover a critical shortfall in funding for veterans health care for the current fiscal year and make sure the Department of Veterans Affairs has the resources it needs in future...

To the editor; My congratulations to Rick Ennis, our Cape Girardeau Fire Department chief, on his efforts to show our residents exactly how our tax dollars are being spent. Our fire department held an open house to display all the new equipment that has been purchased with our tax money. What a great way to show us that they are spending and investing our tax dollars wisely...

Special to the Southeast Missourian With summer in full swing, we see a noticeable increase in outdoor activities. This applies not only to humans, but to many species of wildlife as well. On one hand, we have youngsters out of school with plenty of time and energy. ...

Special to the Southeast Missourian Bass spent the last few months moving from their deep winter homes into the shallows to spawn. Now that it is July, most of the bass are back in the deep water areas to spend the next several months. Exceptions to that would be bass in lakes with heavy vegetation (Lake of Egypt) and rivers with currents (Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland)...

Basketball...

Breys-Whites win couples...

As we celebration our nation's founding, we have an opportunity to reflect on our history of liberty while calling attention to the many individuals and groups who strive to keep us free. n The men and women currently serving in our armed forces deserve a special salute today from every American. Those who have served in the past and those who have died while in uniform are reminders of the cost of a great nation...

KELSO, Mo. -- Erin Rae Fluegge and Robert Alan Woolf were married July 3, 2004, at Francine's Gardens in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Paul Short performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Don and Cheryl Reinagel of Kelso and Dave and Debbie Fluegge of Antonia, Mo. The groom is the son of Robert Woolf of Oran, Mo., and Mary Penhale of Grovetown, Ga...

Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau was the setting Sept. 4, 2004, for the wedding of Andrea Birk and Chad Bogenpohl. The Rev. Douglas Breite performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Mr. and Mrs. Roy Birk of Ann Arbor, Mich. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bogenpohl of Oak Ridge...

Dawna Nell Lannom and Stephen Eric Niedbalski were married May 21, 2005, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. Monsignor Edward Eftink performed the ceremony. Music was by Darlene Bollinger, Laurie Clippard and Jerry Ganiel, all of Jackson...

Donna S. Burk and Steven G. Oldham were married May 27, 2005, at the rock garden in Jackson City Park. The Rev. Jim Matthews performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jerry Johnson of Jackson, and Blanch Johnson and Sam Barnhart of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the groom are Glenn and Mary Sue Oldham of Jackson...

Mount Auburn Christian Church was the setting May 15, 2005, for the wedding of Betina Lyn Lockhart and Edward Harold Lee Hall. Wesley Wright performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Harry and Linda Lockhart of Casselberry, Fla. The groom is the son of Vivian and Danny Birdsong of Williamsville, Mo...

Hazel L. Hitt, 89, of Jackson died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 25, 1916, in Jackson, daughter of Charles C. and Minnie Stoffregen Lowes. She and Harold L. Hitt were married April 16, 1933, in Blytheville, Ark. He died July 14, 1990...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Larry Elmer Henderson, 58, of Dexter died Friday, July 1, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 25, 1946, at Dexter, son of Alberta and Elmer "Shorty" Henderson. He and Joanna Liles were married May 13, 1968, at Circle City, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mary E. Ford, 87, of Advance, formerly of Morley, Mo., died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Feb. 23, 1918, in Marion, Ill., daughter of Edward and Grushie Abney Ford. She was a retired packer at VIP Sheltered Community Workshop in Sikeston, Mo. Ford was a member of Church of God in Morley...

Lloyd D. Causey, 52, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at his home. He was born Feb. 24, 1953, in Cape Girardeau, son of Lemis and Roberta Smith Causey. He was an engineer in river transportation. He served in the U.S. Army. Survivors include two brothers, Larry A. Causey of St. Mary, Mo., Ottis J. Causey of Bloomsdale, Mo.; and a sister, Marita Cheek of Overland Park, Kan...

Wilbur L. "Wimpy" Floyd, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at his residence. He was born Aug. 20, 1917, in Boss, Mo., the son of Luther Roy and Artie Irene Bell Floyd. He and Lorene Helen Tinker were married on Aug. 20, 1938, in Jackson...

Virginia Claire Hockman, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2005, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Saturday, Jan. 3, 1925 in Noble, Ill., the daughter of Hayes and Laura Daggy Rawlings. She and Bill E. Hockman were married Dec. 21, 1946, in Henderson, Ky...

The Commandments; No more roosters; Missouri's law; Destination blues; Muscle for thieves; Need speed bumps; Tired of agendas; Specific withdrawals; Advice for Cairo; Funding the airwaves; Town problems; Spending our money

Mr. and Mrs. Bennie J. Morrison of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary June 12, 2005, with a reception at Port Cape Girardeau. Hosts were their daughters and a son-in-law, Melinda Hilterbrand, Margaret Baber, and Marsha and Matthew Elfrink, all of Cape Girardeau...

Earl Rhodes of Delta and Claudia Rollet of Perryville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Donna R. Kuntze, to Darren W. Bullard, both of Marble Hill, Mo. He is the son of Ben Bullard and Bob and Carol Jones, all of Cape Girardeau. Kuntze is an investigator with Missouri Children's Division...

Darrell and Kathy Litke and Richard and Lori Buttrey of Council Grove, Kan., announce the engagement of their children, Deanna Kim Litke and Thomas Paul Buttrey. The Buttreys are formerly of Scott City. Litke is a 1998 graduate of Council Grove High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in medical diagnostic imaging and an associate degree in radiology technology from Fort Hays State University in 2003. She is a radiology technologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Kansas City, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mark and Marla Delay of Advance announce the engagement of their daughter, Heidi Michelle Delay, to Travis Schiwitz. He is the son of Robert and Dianne Schiwitz of Benton, Mo. Delay is a 2000 graduate of Advance High School, and a 2004 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Dexter Middle School in Dexter, Mo...

Rick and Becky Bain of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Lynn Bain, to Kenneth Alan Karrenbrock. He is the son of Eunice Summers of Piedmont, Mo., and the late Wesley Elliott. Bain is a 2001 graduate of Scott City High School. She is assistant manager at Sonic Drive-In in Jackson...

Kevin and Karen Yarbro of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Erica Yarbro, to Travis Keller. He is the son of Roger and Carolyn Keller of Scott City. Yarbro is pursuing a degree in criminal justice at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Limbaugh, Russell, Payne and Howard law firm...

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Thurman Jr. and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Trankler of Jackson announce the engagement of their children, Samantha Desirae Thurman and Lance Thomas Trankler. Thurman is a 2002 graduate of Jackson High School. She expects to receive a degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University in May 2006. She is employed at J. Baer and Associates...

Brian and Lisa Burger of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Ann Miller, to Matthew Theodore Diebold. He is the son of Gary and Diana Diebold of Jackson. Miller is also the daughter of the late Douglas Miller of Scott City. Miller received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University in May. She is employed with Woodland School District in Marble Hill, Mo...

Gary and Bonnie Peterson of Bourbon, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Peterson, to Jeffery Paul Lappe. He is the son of Paul and Debbie Lappe of Cape Girardeau. Peterson is a 1999 graduate of Bourbon High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Central Methodist University in 2003. She is employed at Fidelity Communications in Sullivan, Mo...

Dr. and Mrs. R. Brent Voszler of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Nicole Voszler, to Jeremy Mitchell Lowery. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stan Lowery of Cape Girardeau. Voszler is a 2004 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed by AFLAC...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Shannon L. Dreyer and Garrett M. Behrle were married Oct. 30, 2004, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. The Rev. Matthew Marks performed the ceremony. Organist was Janet Seibel of Perryville and violinist was Ryan Conrad of Fenton, Mo., cousin of the bride. Soloist was Carol Taylor of Perryville...

Ashley LeAnn Cook and Derik Alden Collier were married April 16, 2005, at Little Whitewater Baptist Church. Jim Collins performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Keith Cook of Patton, Mo., and the late Sheila Cook. The groom is the son of Kevin Collier of Jackson and Pamela Brethold of Patton...

25 years ago: July 3, 1980 Cleanup operations are underway following a savage summer storm that ripped through much of the area late yesterday afternoon, bringing with it 70 mph winds that played havoc with roofs, trees and power lines; damage estimates at Jackson are put around $250,000, and may go as high as $500,000 in Cape Girardeau; between 500 and 700 customers of Missouri Utilities Co. remain without power this morning...

The Allen Laws Oliver chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution displayed its collection of 27 U.S. flags, depicting changes in design as the country grew, at Murtaugh Park on Saturday. The local SAR group, chartered in 1989, has 24 members. It meets every first Saturday of the month at the Red House Interpretive Center, across from Murtaugh Park, to discuss history with visitors and assist individuals who are researching family trees. ...

If retail business success is often about location, location, location, then the creation of another entrance to Cape Girardeau and Jackson represents new opportunity for the region. Mayors Paul Sander of Jackson and Jay Knudtson of Cape Girardeau, as well as county officials and the university, deserve plaudits for working together in finalizing a sensible and fair financing package that will match Missouri Department of Transportation funds to build an Interstate 55 interchange north of Center Junction.. ...

Colorado is in position for its first road series win after a 3-1 victory over the Cardinals. ST. LOUIS -- Nearing the midseason point, the Colorado Rockies have a shot at their first road series win of the year. Improbably, the Cardinals would be the victims...

Garner...

WASHINGTON -- The exclusive club of world leaders known as the Group of Eight has an identity crisis. It often is described as a collection of the richest countries or largest industrial democracies. It is neither. The partnership is under pressure to open the door to new members; China, India and South Korea come to mind. Doing so would reflect the rapidly changing global economy and maintain the strategic role for which the group was organized in the first place...

WASHINGTON -- The federal government reports that the number of documents being classified jumped 10 percent last year to 15.6 million. The numbers come from the Information Security Oversight Office in its latest annual report to the president. ...

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- More than 200,000 anti-poverty campaigners formed a human chain around Scotland's capital on Saturday, echoing the call of the Live 8 concerts. The "Make Poverty History" march launched a week of demonstrations ahead of the Group of Eight summit to be held near Edinburgh next week, with protesters hoping to pressure President Bush and his G-8 colleagues to end the misery of millions in the developing world...

Once again, a large majority of the U.S. Senate is committed to send the Flag Amendment to the states for an up-or-down vote by representatives of the people. Once again, this majority may be just shy of the required two-thirds. And, once again, a few swing senators are coming up with old excuses for stifling a uniquely democratic process of constitutional lawmaking...

The Jackson American Legion junior team won a pair of games Saturday at the Carbondale Tournament. Jackson defeated Carterville (Ill.) 6-5 in nine innings and Shawnee (Ill.) 8-1. Jackson will face Murphysboro (Ill.) today in a meeting of the top two teams in the four-team pool...

Annika Sorenstam tumbled out of the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J., on Saturday, blowing a two-hole lead with four to play in her quarterfinal match against 23-year-old Candie Kung. After conceding a 2-foot par putt to Kung on the par-4 18th, Sorenstam slid her 8-foot par try well right of the hole to end the match...

"This really was an ugly room," Sandi Heidorn tells her tour group. "It took a lot of Lysol to clean the mildew up." She is referring to the sitting room in Big Hill Farmstead, a home on the list of the National Register of Historic Places which is celebrating its sesquicentennial -- that's 150 years...

Editor's note: An interchange connecting East Main Street in Jackson with Interstate 55 is a project that has been talked about since the 1980s. Until a deal to build the interchange was announced last week the project remained a long shot, primarily because Jackson could not afford the $5.8 million cost even with help from the Missouri Department of Transportation. This is the second of a three-part series examining how the interchange came to be and how it may be developed...

Colorful umbrellas shot up along with the eye-popping fireworks Monday night, the steady rain keeping many Independence Day revelers away from celebrations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. But American patriotism was still on display, at first tucked away in the drier nooks and crannies of the indoors and later -- after the rain subsided -- with the dazzling brilliance of the fireworks display that lit the Mississippi River skyline in Cape Girardeau and the City Park in Jackson...

PASADENA, Calif. -- When space history books are rewritten, NASA's success at blasting a crater in a comet is sure to be included as more than just a footnote. It's not the same as putting a man on the moon or blasting average citizens up into space. But like putting robots on Mars, early suggestions are that it captured the public imagination...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to an incident involving one of their own Monday night. At about 10 p.m., officers received a call that Sgt. Kevin Orr was assaulted by a suspect while making an arrest in the area of Hanover and Bloomfield streets, according to Capt. Carl Kinnison...

Student council isn't what it used to be. In local schools, members of student government groups help hire administrators, raise money for charities and drum up community support for tax issues. They even given up part of their summer to learn how to be better leaders...

During the height of the Mississippi River's steamboat days, the section of river in front of Cape Girardeau was under the stewardship of steamboat captain William "Buck" Leyhe. One of the more familiar sites in Cape Girardeau starting in 1901 would be that of Capt. Leyhe, barking orders through a megaphone to the men unloading freight from the deck of his steamer...

WIMBLEDON, England -- A day before Wimbledon began, Andy Roddick stood on a slope overlooking the practice courts at the All England Club. Down below, Roger Federer was going through a training session, and Roddick sneaked a peek. Two weeks later and a short walk away, Roddick got a much closer look in the Wimbledon final, and after absorbing a lopsided loss to fall to 1-9 against Federer, the American arrived at two conclusions:...

TOURS, France -- Lance Armstrong was again content to ride safely behind in the main pack at the Tour de France on Monday, finishing in 87th place while Belgium's Tom Boonen sprinted to a stage victory for the second straight day. Boonen captured the third stage, a 133-mile leg from La Chataigneraie to Tours, in a riveting dash to the line. He won Sunday in similar fashion...

ST. LOUIS -- Despite his pedestrian numbers, there will be no apologies from Scott Rolen about starting in the All-Star Game. Rolen was voted in at third base in balloting announced Sunday despite missing 33 games with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He's batting .260 with five home runs and 22 RBIs, only eighth-best on the St. Louis Cardinals...

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- A Chicago area businessman has agreed to pay $3.1 million to settle a trademark infringement case involving unauthorized use of university logos. Donald Bruno, of Burr Ridge, Ill., was placed on probation for 2 1/2 years after pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a trademark. Bruno agreed to pay $1.15 million in criminal fines and $1.74 million in civil fines, penalties and restitution, according to court records in Will County, Ill...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- An American airstrike in Afghanistan's rugged eastern mountains killed 17 civilians, including women and children, an Afghan official said Monday. The U.S. military confirmed civilian deaths but said the numbers were unclear. An initial airstrike destroyed a house, and as villagers gathered to look at the damage, a U.S. warplane dropped a second bomb on the same target, Kunar provincial Gov. Asadullah Wafa said...

Jackson yard sale acts as fund raiser A yard sale to benefit the Women's Safe House, SEMO Network Against Sexual Violence and the Cape Girardeau Police Department will be held Wednesday through Saturday at 213 N. Russell St., Jackson. The sale starts at 6:30 a.m. each day. Items for sale include donations from 23 families and baked goods...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush turns 59 on Wednesday -- and with just one year left before officially becoming a senior citizen, it's one of those birthdays that marks a good time to take stock of your health. People Bush's age can expect to live another 22 years or so. The goal isn't just to get all those years but to make them quality ones, and live independently as long as possible...

WASHINGTON -- Dwight D. Eisenhower called his Supreme Court appointments the "biggest damn fool mistake I ever made." Richard Nixon unwittingly named the future liberal author of Roe v. Wade. George H.W. Bush's choice now evokes a GOP grumble, "No more Souters!"...

ST. LOUIS -- Abraham Nunez singled home the winning run in the ninth inning of the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-4 victory against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Albert Pujols had two hits, and Scott Rolen had two hits and an RBI for the Cardinals, who completed a 6-4 homestand...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Missouri-Columbia will update maps of flood plains in 10 Missouri counties under a federal grant. Maps of Audrain, Boone, Franklin, Howard, Marion, McDonald, Montgomery, Pike, Ralls and Warren counties will be digitally upgraded under a $997,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency...

Drucille L. Picou, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born on Aug. 12, 1910, in Allenville, Mo., daughter of Harry H. and Carrie Kinder Hinton. She and Louis I. Picou were married Oct. 14, 1941, in Cape Girardeau. He died Oct. 23, 2003...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Emma M. Ochs, 86, of Perryville died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at her home. She was born Aug. 24, 1918, in Perryville, daughter of August and Alma Fluegel Weinrich. She and Leroy A. Ochs were married Sept. 26, 1948. He died May 26, 1997...

Eric Doyle Keaton, 46, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 30, 2005, at Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 16, 1959, son of Warren Keaton and Thelma Sarah Trent Keaton. Keaton was a carpenter, and was active with the Salvation Army. He had lived in Cape Girardeau for about five years...

Hazel L. Hitt, 89, of Jackson, passed away Saturday, July 2, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 25, 1916 in Jackson, the daughter of Charles C. and Minnie Stoffregen Lowes. She and Harold L. Hitt were married April 16, 1933 in Blytheville, Ark. He passed away July 14, 1990...

Eula Blair Stevenson died July 4, 2005. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph Michael Stevenson. She was the second daughter of three, born June 27, 1905, to Clare Lyons Blair and Rylie Blair of Sparta, Illinois. She recently celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. ...

We had a ball; Problems at the core; Scott City interchange; Not a good idea; Water Street beauty; Funeral courtesy; Dogs give love; On the rabid right; Face the facts; Helping both; Stopping terrorism; Thanks for checkbook; Private numbers; Grading system; Curb on fireworks; Lagging enlistments; Now there's funding; Good impression; Cut the labels; He said it best

It's good when a city appeals to major businesses enough that those businesses choose to make a sizable investment in the community. And it's good when new corporate residents look for ways to help the community grow and prosper. Both of those aims were addressed in an agreement between the city of Cape Girardeau and Sears that resulted in the construction of the Sears Grand store on Siemers Drive. ...

25 years ago: July 5, 1980 Gov. Joseph P. Teasdale has a comfortable lead over James I. Spainhower for the Democratic nomination of governor, and Christopher S. Bond is way out front of William C. Phelps for the Republican nomination, a Missourian survey shows...

Eldon E. Maloney, 59, of Jackson died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home.

Wilbert Martin Oberbeck, 87, of Jackson died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at his home. Born May 4, 1918, at Tilsit, Mo., he was the son of Martin and Freda E. Nabe Oberbeck. He worked for the St. Louis Shoe Factory for 13 years. He was an Army veteran of World War II...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Richard L. "Dick" Slinkard, 62, of Marble Hill died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at his home. He was born June 29, 1943, at Cape Girardeau, son of Richard and Velma Bollinger Slinkard. He and Joyce Hancock were married on Nov. 3, 2000...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Verna M. Smith, 71, of Marble Hill died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Elder Care of Marble Hill. She was born May 11, 1934, daughter of Owen and Maybel Brown Doss. She and Lloyd S. Smith were married in St. Louis. He preceded her in death...

Leroy S. Kiefer, 65, of Perryville died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at his home. He was born Sept. 30, 1939, in Cape Girardeau, son of Erby and Esther Probst Kiefer. He and Nora A. Roth were married March 2, 1957, and she survives. Kiefer was a member of Crossroads Methodist Church and the National Guard...

CAIRO, Ill. -- William Roy Downs, 82, of Cairo, died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

Violet M. Wolfe, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, June 30, 2005, in Jackson. She was born March 14, 1918, in Hammonton, N.J., daughter of Elias and Grace Hoping Cossaboon. She and Jake Wolfe were married in September 1950 in Salzburg, Austria. He died in 1974...

Wilma J. Schwert, 85, of Jackson died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 22, 1919, in Hartman, Ark., daughter of Charley and Dora Ellen Moore Wise. She and Walter Howard Schwert were married on Oct. 10, 1944. He died Sept. 29, 1997...

Lateria Flye created a piece of wearable art when she designed beads during a jewelry-making class last week. Her peers also found their creative outlets with the bead-making and jewelry class taught by Helen Towner. The class was one of two held this summer at the Cape Area Family Resource Center and sponsored by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri...

WASHINGTON -- A lifelong boxing fan who himself trains in the ring twice a week, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., is not one to run away when it comes to confrontation -- even when it comes in the form of a letter from a constituent. "I understand that you recently contacted my office requesting that I vote to censure President Bush," King recently wrote Long Island constituent Harry Halikias. ...

7 p.m. today (due to holiday) City hall, 401 Independence St. Study session at 5 p.m. Public hearing * A public hearing regarding the request of Dalhousie LLC to rezone The Lochs Subdivision on the southern end of the proposed development at the Dalhousie Golf Course to R-2, single-family residential district...

Cape Girardeau ...

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Authorities said Monday they found human remains during their search for a missing 9-year-old boy whose sister was found days earlier at a Denny's restaurant with a registered sex offender. Sheriff Rocky Watson said the remains were found in western Montana and would be sent to an FBI laboratory for DNA analysis. He did not say whether the remains were believed to be those of Dylan Groene, and declined to answer questions...

DOHA, Qatar -- Al-Jazeera is nothing if not bold. It has fought repeatedly with Washington, which says its exclusive broadcasts of Osama bin Laden speeches show an anti-American, pro-terrorist bias. Its freewheeling broadcasts have decimated state-run TV stations across much of the Arab world, leading some countries to close its bureaus down...

Mexican officials may have arrested cartel chief; Saudi security forces kill top al-Qaida militant ; Former ruling party wins key race in Mexico

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- In blistering summer heat and blinding sandstorms, U.S. troops marked Independence Day on Monday with barbecues, volleyball and -- for those who have them -- dips in the pool. Bursts of gunfire and wailing sirens served as a reminder of why the troops are here...

PHOENIX -- Matt Morris is pitching like an All-Star, and it doesn't bother him that he didn't get selected to validate his performance. "I don't think about the All-Star Game and I should be on it, or I shouldn't," Morris said Monday after earning his 10th win. "That's not my concern. I'm beyond that. We've got a bunch of representatives from this team, and they all deserve it."...

Edward Hahn, 94, of Jackson, died Monday, July 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Jane Halliday Smith, 94, died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Superior Nursing Home in Paducah, Ky. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

There are moments in your life that you will never forget, like first learning to ride a bike, graduating from high school or getting married. All of these are special occasions that overcome us with a feeling of joy and accomplishment. And every now and then, something you see or hear will remind you of these times you hold so closely to your heart...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- After numerous frustrating finishes, Tony Stewart finally won at NASCAR's most famous track. Stewart dominated the rain-delayed Pepsi 400 on Saturday night, but still needed a dramatic four-wide pass to move to the front, then pulled away on a restart with nine laps left to seal his first Nextel Cup victory in 14 starts at Daytona International Speedway...

Despite moving the start time up two hours to 5 p.m., the Plaza Tire Capahas could not dodge the rain Monday night, as the third game of their three-game series with the Wichita Broncos was called after three innings. The Capahas had just taken a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third with two two-out runs when the rain started to pick up. Both managers met at home plate and the game was called before the start of the fourth inning...

The Cape Girardeau American Legion team finished 0-4 in the annual Red Loehr Memorial Firecracker Tournament, hosted by Ballwin American Legion. The eight-team event concluded Sunday at Ellisville Athletic Association. The Ford & Sons pitching staff was roughed up for a combined 48 runs in four games. That negated an offense that scored 31 runs in the tournament...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- While almost everyone focused on Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon nearly tied the Indy Racing League's record for most wins in a year. Patrick battled mechanical problems and fell off the pace early, and Wheldon lost a duel -- by just .012 of a second -- with Andretti Green teammate Tony Kanaan on Sunday at Kansas Speedway...

The Jackson American Legion junior team lost in the semifinals of the Carbondale Tournament on Sunday to finish tied for third. Jackson (19-15) had beaten Murphysboro, Ill., 5-0 to win its pool with a 3-0 record. Caleb Guilliams pitched five innings of one-hit ball for the win...

No way Jim Furyk was letting go of this victory. Not even to Tiger Woods. After finishing second three times this year, including a devastating loss the previous weekend, Furyk answered Woods' charge with three straight birdies and hung on to win the Western Open in LeMont, Ill., on Sunday. It was his first victory since the 2003 Buick Open...

Independence Day 5K Results from the Independence Day 5K, which took place Monday at Jackson City Park and was sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital and Main Street Fitness Center: 1-mile run (winners) Men 10-and-under -- Riley Duncan, 8:13...

COMMERCE, Mo. -- The discovery of a body near Commerce has resulted in a murder investigation as authorities believe the man was a victim of foul play. According to Scott County chief deputy Thomas Beardslee, the body of a white male, probably in his 60s, was recovered Tuesday afternoon adjacent to the riverbank north of Commerce...

Senator backs production of fuel from agricultural products like corn or soybeans. U.S. Sen. Jim Talent was in Jackson on Tuesday to address voters on a new energy bill recently passed in the Senate, aimed at reducing American dependence on foreign oil...

An injured Cape Girardeau police sergeant was back on the job Tuesday, but some bystanders at a Fourth of July altercation involving him claim police used excessive force and uttered racial slurs and other pejoratives. A group of relatives who live in Cape Girardeau and St. ...

Construction of the new East Main Street interchange on Interstate 55 will pave the way for a new entrance road for the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University's planned life sciences research park and a new outer road along the east side of the interstate...

If Monday night was the party, Tuesday morning was the hangover. Those who had the most fun on the Fourth of July in Cape Girardeau and Jackson were also left with the most work to do, getting up early to rid their neighborhoods and communities of fallen fireworks, paper plates and other tossed-out trash...

Companies that create jobs can keep part of state income taxes paid by their employees. As Gov. Matt Blunt signed an economic stimulus bill into law Tuesday, economic development officials said companies are already expressing interest in creating new jobs in Missouri in order to take advantage of the measure's financial incentives...

More than 200 homes in Cape Girardeau were temporarily without power Tuesday night after a truck struck a utility pole in the 100 block of Clark Avenue, according to the Cape Girardeau Police Department and AmerenUE. The accident occurred around 7 p.m. and no one was injured in the accident, said police. When the truck struck the utility pole a transformer was blown, causing a chain reaction that initially took out power to 243 homes...

Josh Richardson started work for the city of Cape Girardeau on May 15. Cape Girardeau city engineer Josh Richardson resigned Friday amid an investigation by the Illinois attorney general's office of pornographic images found on a computer in the McDonough County, Ill., highway department, where Richardson previously worked...

The Cape Girardeau runner finished No. 1 among 254 entrants. Southeast Missourian Lost somewhere in the confusion of an unexpectedly large crowd of runners for Monday's Independence Day 5K run at Jackson City Park was one very important fact: the winner...

The six-time champion is the overall leader after winning time trial. BLOIS, France -- Lance Armstrong's Discovery Channel squad won the team time trial at the Tour de France on Tuesday, handing the six-time champion the yellow jersey as overall race leader...

Pujols extended his hitting streak to 17 games. PHOENIX -- Albert Pujols drove in two runs with three hits -- including a double and his 22nd homer -- to extend his hitting streak to 17 games and lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-1 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night...

Barbecue and grilling meat out is a favorite of our family year-round. We have been known to be out grilling during rain and snow, and it doesn't bother us a bit. I was really excited about the mail I received this week because it will allow us to try something new on the grill...

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations will give oil-for-food investigators informal notes from meetings about the program, having received no objection from the council's 15 members, a U.N. spokesman said Tuesday. Secretary-General Kofi Annan gave the council until Tuesday to voice opposition to his plan to turn over the documents...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Gunmen attacked a convoy carrying the Pakistani ambassador home from work Tuesday in Baghdad, but the diplomat was not injured. It was the third attack on a foreign diplomat in less than a week in Iraq. The envoy, Mohammed Younis Khan, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that gunmen riding in two cars fired on his convoy in the Mansour district of the Iraqi capital...

The city of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University will conduct a test of their tornado warning siren system at noon today. The test is done on the first Wednesday of each month and will last about three minutes. The test will not be conducted in the case of threatening weather. The alert will consist of a steady tone and is used when tornado warnings have been issued for Cape Girardeau County...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush has had more than four years to think about what he wants in a Supreme Court justice and he has revealed a few clues about his ideal candidate and how he'll make the selection. Since Bush's first campaign for president, court watchers have been talking about how he could have the opportunity to shape the aging court. But Bush has been tightlipped when asked for specifics about whom he would pick...

WASHINGTON -- For the first time since record-keeping started in 1950 no one was killed by a tornado in April, May or June. Normally those are the top months for tornadoes with an average of 52 fatalities, sometimes many more. April was about average with 137 tornadoes. May was way below average with 134 tornadoes. There were 299 twisters in June...

SINGAPORE -- A return to Paris for the first time since 1924? Back to London after more than half a century? A first for the Big Apple? Another fiesta in Spain? A reward for the new Russia? After all the global campaigning, furious lobbying and last-minute pitches by world leaders and sports celebrities, the most glamorous and hotly contested Olympic bid race in history will be decided today when the International Olympic Committee chooses among Paris, London, New York, Madrid and Moscow to be the host city for the 2012 Summer Games.. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Despite good amounts of rain last week in northern and western Missouri, most of the rest of the state is still hurting, the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service reported Tuesday. Farmers averaged 5.7 days suitable for field work last week...

The fast-food chain has an ongoing effort to reshape its image. CHICAGO -- McDonald's Corp.'s work force is about to get an extreme makeover. The nation's largest fast food chain plans to work with high-profile fashion designers -- Tommy Hilfiger and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs are among the top targets -- to create trendy, stylish employee uniforms...

ST. LOUIS -- City courts will test stun belts during trials of some defendants who are perceived to be a danger or flight risk, officials said. The belt, which is mostly or fully hidden, can incapacitate a person for up to eight seconds with the push of a button...

JERUSALEM -- Israel plans to send 45,000 troops to evacuate 9,000 settlers from the Gaza Strip and part of test Bank, Israel's defense minister said Tuesday -- a massive deployment that reflects concern some resistance to the pullout might be violent...

Eldon Ernest Maloney, 59, of Jackson died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at his home. He was born Dec. 20, 1945, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ray and Wilma C. Williams Maloney. Maloney had been a carpenter for Ray Davault, Brown and Root Construction, and operated a lawn service...

Edward "Ed" Hahn, 94, of Jackson passed away Sunday, July 3, 2005, at Lutheran Residential Care East in Cape Girardeau, where he and his wife had resided since June 3. He was born May 28, 1911, in Millersville, son of John and Lucinda Stroder Hahn. He and Lillian Brown were married July 13, 1932, in Jackson. They would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary this July 13...

GIDEON, Mo. -- Wanda Maxine duBarry Fletcher, 80, of Gideon died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Twin Rivers Hospital in Kennett, Mo. She loved her family, her home, her friends, her church and country. Those that knew her and loved her called her by many different names, "Maxine," "Mother," "Grandmother," and "Mimur"...

William K. Mehrle, 47, of Lutz, Fla., died Tuesday, April 19, 2005, at his home. He was formerly of Cape Girardeau. Survivors include his parents, Kenneth and Bettie Mehrle of Sun City West, Ariz.; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Deborah and Darrell Kitchen and Jane and Scott Koch, all of Cape Girardeau...

Correction needed; Recruiting rhetoric; Military thinker; In harm's way; More than you need; Fireworks rule; Bad analogy; Still some wrinkles; Neighborhood display; Proud of brown; Still honorable; But no new taxes; Thanks for celebration

Baseball...

Along with the fireworks and cookouts, this year's Fourth of July was special in another way: It was the deadline set by area communities to be litter free after weeks of cleanup activities and getting out the word about the litter problem and ways to beautify the area...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Florence Lee Howard, 79, of Sikeston died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at her home. Howard was born Aug. 6, 1925, in Huntianna, Miss., daughter of the late Rodger and Mamie Williams. She and George Howard were married in 1942. He died on Nov. 27, 1983...

ORAN, Mo. -- Christena Marie Pobst, 86, of Oran died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 25, 1918, at Oran, daughter of Joseph and Mary Gosche Hahn. She and Louis M. Pobst were married on April 22, 1941, and he died on Aug. 26, 2000...

Zulema Fulkerson, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Feb. 4, 1922, in Conway County, Ark., daughter of Irving and Ella Bryant Harrington. She and Glenn Dallas Fulkerson were married Aug. 28, 1942, at Charleston, Mo...

MORLEY, Mo. -- John Robert "J.R." Lee Jr., 93, of Morley died Saturday, July 2, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Feb. 3, 1912, at Morley, son of John Robert and Tillie Deiters Lee Sr. He and Olivia Gennell Huffstutter were married Nov. 28, 1943, in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Barbara Anita Shaw, 73, of Sikeston died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 30, 1931, in Caruthersville, Mo., daughter of Elmer Clinton and Ida Estelle Curtis Hensley. She and Gene T. Shaw were married Nov. 23, 1963, in St. Louis...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Jane Smith, 94, of Cairo died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Superior Care Nursing Home in Paducah, Ky. She was the daughter of Edwin and Ruth Hudson Halliday. She married James Persell Smith. Smith was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah, and Magnolia Manor Patrons Club. She was a former member of Church of the Redeemer in Cairo...

ANNA, Ill. -- Wanda Jane Cook, 75, of Anna died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at City Care Center. She was born April 12, 1929, in Anna, daughter of Lee and Cora Pearce Brimm. She and Herschel Summers were married in 1928 in Anna. He died in September 1985. She later married John Cook in Anna...

LIXVILLE, Mo. -- Cleo P. Brune, 77, of Lixville died Monday, July 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 1, 1927, at Friedheim, Mo., son of O.H. and Mellie Crites Brune. Brune was a farmer. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church at Friedheim, member of Lutheran Men's Club, and a church trustee...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Louise P. Bishop, 85, formerly of Perryville, died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Cedar Pavilion Nursing Home in Cedar Hill, Mo. She was born Nov. 30, 1919, in Dixie, Ark., daughter of Luther and Pearl Davis Phillips. She and W.C. Bishop were married in October 1949. He died March 25, 1983...

Verlin L. "Fat" Statler, 76, of St. Charles, Mo., died Monday, July 4, 2005, at his home. He was born April 27, 1929, at Sedgewickville, son of Adolph and Ida Statler. He married Helen Kurre. Statler was a supervisor of planning at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, retiring after 30 years of service. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 241 AF&AM and VFW Post 4219...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Al Meadows, 91, of Cairo died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Jennie Stuart Hospital in Hopkinsville, Ky. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

Edward L. Bilek, 77, of Millersville died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at his home. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

The Cape Girardeau Tigers 12-and-under baseball team opened play at the American Youth Baseball Hall of Fame Tournament at Cooperstown Dreams Park in Cooperstown, N.Y., by winning four of its first six games. The Tigers will complete pool play this morning in the 80-team tournament. Elimination bracket games begin this afternoon and the tournament concludes Thursday...

Mike Keathley is on the road to recovery following colon cancer. DEXTER, Mo. -- In the Boy Scout Law, it is stated, "A Scout is true to his family," "A Scout looks for the bright side of things," and "A Scout understands there is strength in being gentle."...

25 years ago: July 6, 1980 Faith Christian Academy, a ministry of Faith Baptist Temple, is planning to begin a 4- and 5-year-old kindergarten program this fall; school will open for classes Aug. 18, with full day classes for first through 12th grade and a half-day of classes for kindergarten; principal of the school is Marvin Wormington...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Louise E. Sturm Hafley Beeson, 90, of Perryville died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born April 25, 1915, at Mount Vernon, Ind., daughter of Francis L. and Lilly Love Crowder Sturm. She and Marvin Lee Hafley were married Dec. 24, 1931. He died on Oct. 5, 1957. She and Karl Beeson were married Oct. 26, 1996, and he died on Feb. 18, 2002...

From staff, wire reports Cape Girardeau County is one of several in Southeast Missouri placed under a drought alert by Gov. Matt Blunt Tuesday. The alert covers 23 Missouri counties in the southeast, south-central and northeast parts of the state. The counties are Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Iron, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Perry, Pike, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, Ste. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne...

There's a conspiracy going on, and I'm going to expose it if I have to befriend and betray every hairstylist in the area. Here's how it works: You go to the salon and get a new hairstyle. Maybe you get just a trim. Either way, when it is finished, you look beautiful. You have a nagging doubt that you may never look the same way again, or at least until you return to the salon for your next appointment...

Public hearing n Held a public hearing regarding the request of Dalhousie LLC to rezone The Lochs Subdivision on the southern end of the proposed development at the Dalhousie Golf Club to R-2, single-family residential district. Consent ordinances (Second and third readings)...

Being a Southern heritage activist, I have been closely following the news stories about the return of the Confederate flag in Missouri. Notice that I choose my words carefully and deliberately. I refuse to refer to the subject of the Confederate flag as an "issue," and for good reason...

NEW ORLEANS -- Scattered rain spread into the Gulf Coast states on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Cindy strengthened and headed toward land, and communities and oil companies started taking precautions. A second weather system was gaining tropical storm strength in the Caribbean and forecasters warned it could hit Florida later in the week...

Cape Girardeau ...

Cape Girardeau firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: n At 9:24 p.m., a grass fire at 2145 Independence. * At 10:37 p.m., a citizen assist at the 2200 block of Cambridge Drive. * At 11:01 p.m., an emergency medical service at the 2200 block of Cambridge Drive...

Explosion tears through police post in Dagestan MAKHACHKALA, Russia -- An explosion tore through a police post in the southern Russian region of Dagestan Tuesday, killing at least one officer and wounding three, a regional police spokeswoman said. The blast took place in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan, said Marina Riasulova, a spokeswoman for the regional Interior Ministry...

LUCKNOW, India -- Militants blew up a security wall with a car bomb and stormed a Hindu shrine at the heart of India's biggest religious controversy Tuesday, triggering a gunbattle in which security forces killed five attackers. Hindu nationalists blamed Pakistan-based Muslim militants for the first major attack on a Hindu temple site since 2002. Police didn't blame any group...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents mounted attacks against Arab and Muslim diplomats in Iraq on Tuesday, wounding Bahrain's top envoy in a kidnapping attempt. Pakistan's ambassador also escaped an assault on his convoy. The attacks came three days after gunmen seized Egypt's top envoy to Iraq as he was buying a newspaper in the capital, appearing to signal an insurgent campaign to discourage Islamic countries from bolstering ties with the U.S.-backed Iraqi government...

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Eight-year-old Shasta Groene told authorities that a man later identified as a violent sexual predator tied up her family before she and her 9-year-old brother were taken away in a pickup truck, according to court papers released Tuesday...

Tiger Woods has returned to No. 1 despite uncommon gaffes The record indicates that Tiger Woods is having a big year. He already has won three times, including the Masters for his first major since 2002, and he has finished in the top three in seven of his 13 starts on the PGA Tour. He has returned to No. 1 in the world. And when Woods says his game is coming together, no one rolls his eyes...

Walks and hit batters were abundant in a 10-5 win over Perryville. Southeast Missourian Control was the name of the game Tuesday in the opener of a doubleheader between Jackson and Perryville in an American Legion contest at Jackson. Jackson starter Cameron Heath and Perryville starter Jacob Donze both had their share of struggles. Heath walked nine batters in 2 2/3 innings. Donze gave up five free passes and hit three batters as well...

Jackson's Babe Ruth baseball team swept a doubleheader on the road at Chaffee on Tuesday. Jackson won 9-6 and 16-1 in five innings. Overall, Jackson improved to 22-5 and 12-2 in district play. Kyle Brown pitched all seven innings in the opener for Jackson. Brown allowed four hits, four earned runs and struck out six. Ryan Watkins and Sam Lincoln had three hits apiece. Travis Niswonger and Sam Sander had two hits apiece...

It seems everyone's having a baby these days. I suppose I'm at the age where that begins. Most of my friends have been paired off long enough to reach that stage. And, as a single, I bear the burden of buying for baby alone. I've bought expensive dresses to wear in their weddings, and I've thrown high-priced bridal showers. I refuse to pitch in on another $200 changing table. I've reached my limit. My mom used the floor, it was free, and I turned out just fine...

July 7, 2005 Dear Julie, James Brown said his performances and church have one thing in common: Both are meant to bring people joy. I would argue that all joy is the same. The Beatles called it being "glad all over." Not every performance leaves us feeling that way, of course, but when people offer themselves from a stage, relinquish their defenses, it's hard not to love whatever they do...

When the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's 13th annual BBQ Fest takes place in August, it will be officially sanctioned by the world's largest organization of barbecue enthusiasts -- the Kansas City Barbecue Society. "What it means is we've moved from a backyard kind of contest to a professional type of contest," said chamber president John Mehner. "It doesn't mean you have to be a professional to cook, though."...

REYNOLDSVILLE, Ill. -- Work will begin Monday to plug a hole in a rapidly disappearing Southern Illinois lake, according to Union County officials. When the water level at Lyerla Lake started dropping a few weeks ago, people initially assumed it was due to the recent drought, Union County Clerk Bobby Toler said. However, Toler said it soon became apparent that something more serious was happening at the popular fishing spot just east of Reynoldsville...

Missouri will hold its second sales tax holiday this August and most Southeast Missouri cities and counties will be required to temporarily suspend their levies. Last year's holiday garnered rave reviews from shoppers and businesses. The 2003 state law establishing the one-time event, however, allowed cities and counties to opt-out of waiving their local sales taxes. Sixty-six counties and 180 cities took advantage of that provision to avoid losing revenue...

The body found Tuesday was identified as the victim of a southwest Missouri homicide. COMMERCE, Mo. -- A man with Southeast Missouri ties is being held as a "person of interest" in the murder of a Barry County man whose body was apparently dumped in the Mississippi River and found Tuesday along the river's banks north of Commerce...

Sanders is on course this year to become the just the fifth player in history with 300 career home runs and 300 career stolen bases. ST. LOUIS -- Reggie Sanders' quest for a first 30-30 season could land him in an even more exclusive club. The St. Louis Cardinals' left fielder is closing in on 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, a feat accomplished by only four players. ...

Their capture presents a complex legal issue for the U.S. government. WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military is holding five U.S. citizens suspected of insurgent activities in Iraq, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday. They were captured separately and don't appear to have ties to one another, spokesman Bryan Whitman said. He declined to identify them, citing a Pentagon policy that prohibits identification of detainees...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly nine years after a fuel tank explosion caused the fatal crash of TWA Flight 800, safety officials say little has been done to reduce the flammability of vapors in aircraft fuel tanks. The Federal Aviation Administration announced in February 2004 that it found a filtering system to make fuel vapors less likely to ignite. The agency said that it would propose in the fall of 2004 a regulation requiring that such systems be installed on large aircraft...

This year's event will set a record for players and prize money. LAS VEGAS -- The World Series of Poker creates legends and changes lives, makes instant millionaires and megastars, pits world-class rounders against online amateurs, brings together Hollywood celebrities and red-eyed denizens of backroom games...

Officials uncertain if they will try for 2016. SINGAPORE -- For a city used to success, defeat was stinging. So dismayed were New York officials by the loss of their 2012 Olympic bid that they pointedly declined to commit themselves to another try for the Summer Games four years later...

Outfielder Scott Podsednik of the Chicago White Sox and Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt earned the final spots on the All-Star teams in Internet fan voting completed Wednesday. Podsednik edged Yankees captain Derek Jeter for the 32nd roster spot on the American League squad. The major league leader in stolen bases also beat outfielders Torii Hunter of Minnesota, Hideki Matsui of New York and Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay...

LAGRANGE, Mo. -- A New London woman hit a $2.1 million jackpot on a progressive slot machine, just two days after the 25-cent machine went online. Brenda Preston won the jackpot Saturday afternoon at Terrible's Mark Twain Casino. Preston, 40, said she was looking at another slot machine she planned to play when the gambler next to her congratulated her on winning...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's business recruitment director resigned under pressure Wednesday after acknowledging she had pleaded guilty to stealing money from a college sorority nearly a decade ago. Randa A. Hayes, 33, submitted her resignation after being asked to do so by the director of Gov. Matt Blunt's Department of Economic Development...

LONDON -- From the streets of Singapore to Trafalgar Square, jubilant Londoners celebrated their upset victory Wednesday over Paris for the right to stage the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Thousands who had crammed into Trafalgar -- built to honor a sea battle that marked another famous triumph over the French 200 years ago -- erupted with joy and disbelief when the president of the International Olympic Committee announced the results in a live broadcast from Singapore, seven time zones away. ...

TEHRAN, Iran -- The fate of Iran's top negotiator in nuclear talks with Europe was thrown into question Wednesday with conflicting reports on whether he had resigned or would stay in his post. The issue is crucial, because the future of Iran's nuclear talks with Europe has been viewed as a key issue in determining relations between the West and the government of ultraconservative president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...

Recently a colleague of mine told me that he discovered his 82-year-old mother had joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. He was appalled. "What's so terrible about that?" I queried. "The thought of my 82-year-old mother in Spandex tights, a jogging bra and fingerless gloves, pumping iron ... it's hard to think about."...

Wonder awaits anyone who has not yet been to downtown Cape Girardeau to see the Mississippi River Tales mural on the floodwall and the just-completed $300,000 renovation of adjacent Water Street. This is a sight and a destination in which all of Southeast Missouri can take pride...

A Millersville teen was injured in a one-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on Cape Girardeau County Road 360, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The patrol reported that Levi Bowers, 16, received minor injuries when he swerved to miss a dog. His vehicle ran off the road and overturned a half-mile east of Burfordville...

Sgt. Curtis Baldwin has graduated from the U.S. Army Primary Leadership Development Course. Baldwin is a combat engineer assigned to the 54th Engineer Battalion, Bamberg, Germany. He is the stepson of Dan M. Baldwin of Millersville and nephew of Christine Murakami of Cape Girardeau. The sergeant is a 1999 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School...

Eisleben Lutheran Church will hold a fish fry from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday. Menu includes all-you-can-eat fish, slaw, baked beans, mo-jo potatoes, hush puppies and drink. Children under 5 eat for free. Carry outs will be available. The event is sponsored by the cemetery and grounds committee...

J. Ann Campbell, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Carolina Medical Center-Pineville in Charlotte, N.C. She was born March 23, 1924, in Brooklyn, N.Y., daughter of Joseph and Theresa Ann O'Brien Gartlan. She and Richard John Campbell Jr. were married Sept. 25, 1948, in Ridgefield Park, N.J...

College competition; Dropout rate; Iraqi terrorists; Out of the mainstream; Dumbing down; Wrong is wrong; County roads; Crack down on drugs; Corporate silence; Plan ahead; Blocking the street; Thanks for mowing; Wonderful column; New justice; Riverfront vandalism

To the editor: I found U.S. Sen. Kit Bond's column about the need for citizens to support renewal of the Patriot Act persuasive for all the wrong reasons. No one who had the capacity to remember the events of 9-11 will ever forget the terrible images and flood of emotions that day brought. But trying to remind me of how confused and angry I was doesn't sound like the proper state of mind to put me for passing laws...

Dr. David Starrett, interim dean of University Studies, has been appointed the permanent dean of the program at Southeast Missouri State University. He also will continue to direct the Center for Scholarship in Teaching and Learning. Starrett had served as interim dean since June 2004, when the board of regents restructured the university's academic affairs division...

25 years ago: July 7, 1980 Cape Girardeau County Court's chances of receiving a $250,000 grant from the Missouri Council on Criminal Justice to build 12 new cells in the Cape Girardeau County Jail appear to be dim, says presiding Judge Gene Huckstep; the court made the application on the grounds that the jail, with expansion, could serve as a regional jail facility...

Arthur Joseph Schulte Sr., 75, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Monday, July 4, 2005, at St. Mary's Health center. He was born Nov. 19, 1929, in Jefferson City, son of J. Henry and Leona Regina Kerperin Schulte. He and Evangeline Ruth Burridge were married Dec. 10, 1955, in Kansas City, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Luther "Jay" House Jr., 60, of Chaffee died Sunday, July 3, 2005, at Sikeston, Mo. He was born June 2, 1945, at Point Pleasant, Mo., son of Luther H. and Lucille Wagoner House. Survivors include three sons, David House of Louisville, Ky., Joel House of St. Louis, Jascon House of Seattle, Wash.; four sisters, Shelby Hones of Yoakum, Texas, Carolyn Anderson of Searcy, Ark., Brenda Crowe of Longmont, Colo., Teresa House of Louisville, Colo.; and three grandchildren...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Wanda Elaine Rudd, 48, of Portageville died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Portageville Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 23, 1956, at Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of Herbert and Emma Boyer Jolly. Survivors include two sons, Jimmy and Brian Rudd of Caruthersville; a daughter, Wendy Partin of Portageville; three sisters, Linda Gooch and Donna Torrey of Portageville, Eva Campbell of Ste. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- William Roy Downs, 82, of Cairo died Monday, July 4, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 3, 1923, son of William Allen and Ruth B. Dunlap Downs. He married Mary Elizabeth Neathamer. Downs retired from Illinois Central Railroad, and served with the Cairo Auxiliary Fire and Rescue Department. He was a member of Tigert Memorial United Methodist Church and VFW Post 2649...

The Associated Press PHOENIX -- David Eckstein's suicide squeeze scored pinch-runner So Taguchi in the ninth inning to give the St. Louis Cardinals a 2-1 victory Wednesday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks and earn Chris Carpenter his 13th victory, tied for most in the majors...

Organizers of this year's Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival are hoping a new direction will help attract a larger crowd to this year's event. For the first time, the festival is incorporating motocross in an attempt to bring in people more interested in extreme sports...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- The tiny town of Rockview near Chaffee, Mo., has long been in an intimate embrace with the railroad. The unincorporated village sits right at the intersection of two tracks -- a north-south track owned by Burlington-Northern Santa Fe and an east-west track belonging to Union Pacific...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A judge gave some of Rush Limbaugh's medical records to prosecutors Wednesday, allowing their long-stalled investigation into whether the conservative commentator illegally purchased painkillers to move forward. Circuit Court Judge Thomas Barkdull III returned other of Limbaugh's records to his attorney, Roy Black, who had argued some of the records contained privileged, even embarrassing, details about medical procedures, symptoms and other issues unrelated to the criminal investigation.. ...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Naomi Raby, 90, of Tamms died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Russell Penrose, 83, of Jackson died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

Jeff Brown memorial fund established to help family A memorial fund has been established to help the family of Jeff Brown, who died recently, leaving behind excessive medical bills and a need for home repairs. Contributions may be made to the Jeff Brown Memorial Fund at any Bank of America...

With the addition of exercise as an element of the new food pyramid, health officials are encouraging people to add exercise to their daily routine and help combat obesity and disease in the process. Walking often provides that exercise. It is "so beneficial because it's low stress and you don't need any equipment except a good pair of shoes," said Sandie Howells, health and fitness coordinator at Saint Francis' Fitness Plus...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mabel I. Webb, 95, formerly of Sikeston died Monday, July 4, 2005, in Spring Arbor, Mich. She was born July 8, 1909, in Sikeston, daughter of Elisah and Anna Irwin Johnson. She married John O. Webb, who preceded her in death. Survivors include nieces and nephews...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Dell Ward Smith, 95, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Elder Care in Marble Hill. She was born Dec. 18, 1909, in Glenallen, Mo., daughter of William F. and Nellie Goodson Underwood. She first married Buford C. Ward, who died April 10, 1957. She and Kline Smith were married Dec. 24, 1959. He died Jan. 27, 2001...

Edward Lee Bilek, 77, of Millersville passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at his home. He was born Sept. 7, 1927, in O'Fallon, Ill., son of the late Frank S. and Ann Foy Bilek. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Frank Ronketto. He and Verna Brennecke were married Dec. 22, 1950, in Cape Girardeau...

Eula Blair Stevenson died July 4, 2005. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dr. Ralph Michael Stevenson. She was the second daughter of three, born June 27, 1905, to Clare Lyons Blair and Rylie Blair of Sparta, Illinois. She recently celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. ...

ORAN, Mo. -- Christena Marie Pobst, 86, of Oran died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 25, 1918, at Oran, daughter of Joseph and Mary Gosche Hahn. She and Louis M. Pobst were married April 22, 1941. He died Aug. 26, 2000...

Fama Pratt, 93, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Jackson, passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at her daughter's home in Poplar Bluff. She was born Nov. 12, 1911, in Hale Center, Texas, daughter of Edward T. and Exah Lou Flake Boyd. She and the Rev. Eugene T. Pratt were married May 13, 1935, in Crowley, Texas. During their married life, Fama faithfully supported Eugene's various ministries. He passed away April 18, 1965...

Ruth E. Harper, 84, of Mount Vernon, Ill., died Monday, July 4, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 20, 1920, in Glendale, Ill., daughter of Charles and Florence Aly Broadway. She and Harry E. Harper were married Oct. 5, 1940, in Cape Girardeau. He died Dec. 8, 1998...

Doris Mae Carlson died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville following an extended illness. Mrs. Carlson was a native of Illinois, the daughter of Ernest and Martha Dahlin. She had lived in Gainesville since 1981, and was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Leola C. Tackaberry Boyer, 81, of Perryville died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. She was born March 30, 1924, in Perry County, daughter of the late Harry J. Tackaberry Sr. and Hilda V. Holtermann Tackaberry. She and James L. Boyer were married on Nov. 30, 1978...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Al Meadows, 91, of Cairo died Tuesday, July 5, 2005, at Jennie Stuart Hospital in Hopkinsville, Ky. He was born March 20, 1914, at Wingo, Ky., son of the late William and Cammie Watson Meadows. He was married to Aileen Meadows...

THEBES, Ill. -- Frank Mathis, 71, of Thebes died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 1, 1933, at Thebes, son of the late Charlie and Sula Winn Mathis. He and Patricia Prater were married Oct. 9, 1962...

Jackson...

MONTARGIS, France -- Lance Armstrong retained the overall lead in the Tour de France when he cruised to a safe finish in Wednesday's fifth stage, won by Robbie McEwen of Australia. Armstrong, going for a seventh straight Tour victory, crossed the finish in 45th place in a pack of riders that clocked the same time as McEwen -- 3 hours, 46 minutes -- for the 113.7-mile ride from Chambord to Montargis...

Mack wins two races over holiday weekend Joey Mack won two more auto races over the Fourth of July weekend, capturing events at Malden Speedway in Malden, Mo., and I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Mo., to bring his total number of victories to seven for the season...

Cape Girardeau city and civic leaders and Missouri Department of Transportation officials want a permanent solution to a reoccurring problem that's left the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in the dark. But at this point, it's unclear why a transformer malfunctioned a week ago today, said MoDOT's new district engineer, Mark Shelton...

With most of the world's best players resting for the British Open, the event lifted its profile by inviting the 15-year-old girl. SILVIS, Ill. -- Sorry defending champion Mark Hensby, Nick Price, David Toms and everyone else here, it's not about you this week...

BELVIDERE, Ill. -- If you've ever wondered how an eighth-grader would design a house, you might take a cue from students in Jan McMahon's classes at Belvidere South Middle School. Their assignment: create a home with working lights from cardboard and furnish it, all on a $500,000 budget...

Errors got the best of the Cape Girardeau American Legion baseball team, which allowed seven unanswered runs in an 8-5 loss to Dothan, Ala., on Wednesday night at Capaha Field. Cape Girardeau built a 5-1 lead after two innings and still led 5-2 when starting pitcher Anthony Wulfers departed the game after five innings...

The Plaza Tire Capahas played nearly flawless defense and banged out 13 hits in an 8-5 road win Wednesday against Fairview Heights, Ill. The Capahas (15-6) host the NBC Mid-South Regional Tournament beginning Friday at Capaha Park. Lanson DeBrock picked up the win with 5 2/3 innings of four-hit work. DeBrock struck out four, walked four and allowed three earned runs. Chad Bogenpohl pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings, and Josh Parham allowed a run on two hits in the ninth...

Tim Blattner had been waiting 20 years for this day. It was about two decades ago when the president of the River Heritage Mural Association first had the idea to paint Cape Girardeau's floodwall. As he stepped to the podium Thursday to deliver his remarks at the dedication of the "Mississippi River Tales" floodwall mural, the man behind the concept of the mural and the actions that brought it to life received a standing ovation from a crowd of about 200 people...

Most are newer Guard members, but a handful have asked to go back, just four months after returning home. For Sgt. 1st Class Mike Smith, coming home from Iraq only meant that he was leaving his fellow soldiers behind. "He hasn't been mentally here since he's been back," said Smith's girlfriend, Carrie Johnson. "His mind has been over there because there are still men over there."...

Many churches have opened their doors to the public for prayer, said the Rev. J. Friedel. Six time zones away from Southeast Missouri, the Rev. J. Friedel woke Thursday morning to the sound of breaking news on BBC radio. The terrorist attacks at 8:51 a.m. ...

LONDON -- The first bomb went off at 8:51 a.m., on a London Underground train just outside the financial district. Five minutes later, another train exploded, then another, and finally a crowded red double-decker bus. In 56 minutes, a city fresh from a night of Olympic celebrations was enveloped in eerie quiet...

Eleven years ago today, my wife and I were walking around boxes stacked all over our home. These boxes contained all our worldly possessions. We had just moved to Cape Girardeau, starting right before the Fourth of July. Most of you won't remember this, but my wife and I can tell you every detail about the local weather that week...

The 15-year-old won his second title this year on the Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series. Jack Connell, the director of golf at Dalhousie Golf Club, thought his son, Jack Connell, the sophomore-to-be at Central High School, posted a respectable score during Thursday's Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series stop at Dalhousie...

Luis Gonzalez' ninth-inning blast lifted Arizona to a 2-1 victory. PHOENIX -- Luis Gonzalez led off the ninth inning with a home run to give the Arizona Diamondbacks a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, salvaging the finale of a four-game series...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Evan Hunter, a prolific writer whose gritty Ed McBain 87th Precinct detective series pioneered the police procedural genre and laid the groundwork for a generation of TV cop dramas, has died at the age of 78. Hunter died Wednesday in Weston of cancer of the larynx, said his agent, Jane Gelfman...

MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. -- Call it a makeover of monumental proportions. A crew began a project Thursday to wash the granite faces of Mount Rushmore to remove decades of dirt, grime and lichens that can damage the complexion of the four presidents...

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Eight-year-old Shasta Groene is out of the hospital -- five days after she was found at a restaurant with the man who allegedly abducted her, and whom authorities suspect killed four of her family members. The girl was released from Kootenai Medical Center to her father, Steve Groene, and is doing well, Kootenai County sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger said. He would not say when she was released...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Thursday banned prescription drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra for most of Missouri's Medicaid recipients, contending taxpayer money shouldn't be spent to try to improve people's sex lives. The decision by the Republican governor comes a little over a month after he ordered the Medicaid program to stop providing erectile dysfunction drugs to registered sex offenders...

ST. LOUIS -- The good -- and bad -- thing about transportation systems is their accessibility by all kinds of people, including terrorists, a Saint Louis University terrorism expert said, a point dramatically made Thursday by explosions at subway trains and a double-decker bus in London...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- A court on Thursday ordered the extradition of suspected eco-terrorist Tre Arrow, one of the FBI's most-wanted fugitives, to face firebombing charges in the United States. Arrow, born Michael Scarpitti, is accused of participating in the 2001 firebombing of logging and cement trucks in Oregon. The FBI claims he is associated with the Earth Liberation Front, a group that has claimed responsibility for dozens of acts of destruction over the past few years...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Al-Qaida's wing in Iraq claimed Thursday it had killed Egypt's top envoy who was abducted by gunmen last weekend and warned it would go after "as many ambassadors as we can" to punish countries that support Iraq's U.S.-backed leadership...

There will always be special events and activities that pose challenges regarding litter. Parades, festivals, air shows, fairs, picnics, outdoor concerts and even family get-togethers are just a few of the occasions when litter is likely to be left behind...

The fifth annual Parks and Rec Day went off with a bang Thursday at the Osage Community Centre. About 850 children went to Parks and Rec Day, which featured many activities, crafts and games. Many kicked off their shoes for the "Space Walk," a large inflatable structure for children to jump in. ...

The Cape Girardeau Sheriff's Department responded to call involving a gunshot victim at around 9 p.m. Thursday. A department employee confirmed that deputies were handling the call but declined to offer details. The location of the incident and the circumstances surrounding it were unclear...

Deiro; Monighan; McGuire; Emerson; Fox; Hahs; Pressley; Smith; Turner; Whaley

Emilee V. Schmidt, 98, of Oak Ridge died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 5, 1906, at Trimble, Mo., daughter of Henry Lee and Nellie Elizabeth Wilson Spann. She and Walker Kennett Schmidt were married Aug. 8, 1940. He died Oct. 3, 1968...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Naomi Raby, 90, of Tamms died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 29, 1914, in Union County, Ill., daughter of John Grover and Winnie Iora Groves Vancil. She and Walter W. Raby were married Oct. 17, 1936, in Jonesboro, Ill. He died Nov. 6, 2002...

Russell Arthur Penrose, 83, of Jackson died Wednesday, July 6, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 31, 1921, in Corning, Ark., son of Arthur and Louella Peyton Penrose. He and Helen Mae Lowes were married Nov. 19, 1944. She died June 8, 2001...

Police: Take action; Smart chicken hawks; It's my property; Acting appropriately; Flag issues; Different conclusion; Back to Iraq; Jackson streets; Some balance; This won't work; Interchange costs; Above the law

To the editor: I wrote a letter about the June 28 house fire in Scott City. I want to apologize to Maria's Restaurant in Old Illmo for not putting Maria's on the list of businesses that donated food that day. Thank you very much, and please accept my apology...

To the editor: Old Town Cape would like to thank everyone who made Libertyfest 2005 possible and fun despite the weather. We appreciate everyone's patience. Some 5,000 people showed up for our magnificent fireworks. The weather created special memories this year. ...

To the editor: Some rather disgusting articles have been written recently, giving the impression that burning or otherwise desecrating the U.S. flag is a way of making use of the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech. What a shame that even some supposedly educated individuals' thinking could become so twisted...

To the editor: You'd think the sky is falling again after the Supreme Court said it was OK for a state to condemn private property for economic development. But what did the justices really say? They said the Supreme Court is not going to try to tell the states what the boundaries are for condemnation...

Only one female is participating in this summer's series. Lindsey Riffle didn't play in Thursday's Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club. If she did, she would have won. By default. Riffle, from Poplar Bluff, is the only girls player on the series this summer. She plays in the 16- to 19-year-old girls division...

The Artist Studio taking signups for workshops; Sikeston museum hopes to draw rodeo fans; Performer to showcase history of Cairo in Cobden; Mystery series author at library to sign books; Cache River Art and Wine Festival July 16; Register now for wire wrap jewelry class; Cape bluegrass group to play at Wappapello

25 years ago: July 8, 1980 Cleanup operations are underway following a massive fire yesterday at the Ceramo Co. plant in Jackson; the blaze, the third major fire at the plant in the past 11 years, caused extensive damage to a 50-by-200-foot storage area on the west side of the building...

WASHINGTON -- Roughly a third of American motorists say cell phone use by fellow drivers is their main annoyance on the road -- and, ironically, a habit that four out of 10 admit they engage in themselves. The Drive for Life poll, a survey on drivers' attitudes conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, found about half of American motorists feel less safe on the road than they did five years ago, and believe they are more likely to get into a crash...

MORANT BAY, Jamaica -- A bridge collapsed into a river swollen by Hurricane Dennis' fierce winds and rain, killing at least four people in southwestern Haiti on Thursday as the strengthening storm lashed Caribbean coastlines. The hurricane's winds neared 135 mph, and it grew to a Category 4 as it sideswiped Jamaica and headed straight for Cuba. ...

Tony Spinner is about as nonchalant as it gets when he talks about coming back to his hometown of Cape Girardeau to play two shows this weekend. For him, it's mainly just a time to catch up. "I need to go see my parents," said Spinner. "It's been almost a year since I've been home. It's really just an excuse to see my parents."...

Cape Girardeau...

The band has inked a recording deal with a California indie label. The real hard work is just beginning for FTB (formerly Flip Top Boxx), but the band is now one step closer to grasping what has become the gold ring for modern rock musicians -- to make a sustainable wage just by playing music...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday: * At 7:10 p.m., trash fire at 1 Cape Rock Drive. * At 7:34 p.m., transformer fire at 321 N. Spring St. * At 6:39 p.m., motor vehicle accident at William Street and Farrar Drive. * At 7:31 p.m., motor vehicle accident with wires down at 205 Caruthers Ave...

LAS VEGAS -- The French countryside could not be farther away, in distance or sentiment, from the long stretch of neon lights that line the Las Vegas Strip. But as the impressionists launched a revolution in the art world more than a century ago, a small art gallery inside the Bellagio resort has been quietly doing the same, albeit to a lesser degree, over the past six years...

Two and a half stars (out of four) Unlike a lot of movies recently, the previews on TV and advanced advertisement were not the only good parts about this movie. The soul of this movie, although there was much ado about aliens, fighting, destruction and frightening speculations on director Steven Spielberg's part, is about five little words, "Take care of our children."...

Area bowling West Park Lanes Results submitted July 5: Men High games: Chuck Bertrand 290, Spence Tollison 277, Brett Nabe 258, Martin Rupprecht 258, Terry Warmack 254, David James 249, Todd Ladd 248, Darryl James 249, Mike Edgar 242, Sam Bell 242, Thor Welker 242, Chris Cox 241, Joe Seib 238, Don Dunn 226, Mike Steinmeyer, Jr. 225...

The Cardinals shortstop was the right man for a ninth-inning suicide squeeze bunt. PHOENIX -- David Eckstein could barely contain himself when he got the sign for a suicide squeeze. "I hope my smile didn't give it away," the St. Louis leadoff hitter said. "I love that play."...

NEW YORK -- Philadelphia Phillies closer Billy Wagner and shortstop Jimmy Rollins were added to the National League All-Star roster on Thursday as replacements for New York Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez and Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis...

NANCY, France -- Downpours, treacherous and slick roads, buffeting winds and a nasty crash in the final dash to the finish line. Not a Tour de France day Lance Armstrong will want to remember. The six-time champion came through soaked but unscathed and kept his overall lead Thursday in the three-week race's sixth stage from Troyes to Nancy in eastern France...

SINGAPORE -- Baseball and softball were dropped from the Olympic program for the 2012 Games on Friday. Each of the 28 existing sports was put to a secret ballot by the International Olympic Committee, and baseball and softball failed to receive a majority required to stay on the program...

JULESBURG, Colo. -- The walk is weak, wobbly and wavering, like a toddler steadying himself for the first time with a hand on the family room coffee table. Confidence is built with each new day and the risks taken to go just a step further and try a little harder...

The surprising first-round draft pick wants to prove wrong those who doubted his talents. DENVER -- Linas Kleiza acknowledges he has detractors, but the former Missouri star says that won't stop him going all-out to earn a roster spot for his new team...

Basketball...

The other day I drove a new car that I swear is the lovechild of an Audi TT and a Nissan 350Z -- with a dash of Mercury Cougar thrown in just to add spice. Mitsubishi calls it their "all-new 2006 Eclipse" and it is their latest incarnation of the hot little street fighter that for a decade and a half has been the darling of the sports-compact craze...

The Cape Girardeau American Legion baseball team ended its nine-game losing streak Thursday night by rallying in the ninth inning to defeat host Farmington 9-5 in a nondistrict game. Ford & Sons scored seven runs in the ninth to rally from a 4-2 deficit. After Scott Brueckner drove in two runs with a basehit to tie the game, Sean Bard delivered a three-run home run to put Cape ahead...

SILVIS, Ill. -- Michelle Wie wants to do more than make history. The 15-year-old shot 1-under 70 at the John Deere Classic on Thursday, keeping her hopes alive of being the first woman in 60 years to make a cut on the PGA Tour. She was on the right side of the line when she finished, but the cut had moved to 2 under at the end of the day...

Don't expect to see Erin Crocker driving a NASCAR Nextel Cup car real soon. With all the fuss over the Indy Racing League's Danica Patrick during the past month, there had been speculation that Crocker's climb to NASCAR's pinnacle would be hurried along to take advantage of the sudden media frenzy about women drivers...

LOS ANGELES -- The NHL and the players' association are closing in on a new collective bargaining agreement, but both sides denied a report Thursday that a deal had been reached. The Los Angeles Times reported that the sides had completed negotiations to end the lockout that wiped out all of last season. But the league and the union said that is premature...

After three years of being denied the title, Plaza Tire looks to win the four-team tournament. Capahas manager Jess Bolen says it's time to bring the title back to Cape Girardeau. The Plaza Tire Capahas try to end three years as the NBC Mid-South Regional runner-up when the tournament begins today at Capaha Field...

New at the theaters ** 'Dark Water' Starring Jennifer Connelly, Shelley DuVall, Ariel Gade, Tim Roth, John C. Reilly and Camryn Manheim. In the middle of a nasty divorce, Dahlia Williams packs up and moves into a new apartment with her young daughter, Ceci. ...

Ford & Sons posted its second straight victory. SIKESTON -- The Sikeston American Legion team was the elixir Cape Girardeau needed to break out of a prolonged slump. Cape Girardeau (13-20), winner of only one of its last 11 outings coming in, picked up its second and third straight wins by posting 10-0 and 11-7 decisions against Post 114 (11-19) at VFW Stadium on Friday...

Both games ended early due to the 10-run rule. The Plaza Tire Capahas have not captured the title in their own National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional since 2001. If Friday night's first-round game is any indication, they might be well on their way to finally getting back in the winner's circle after three straight second-place finishes...

After one week, the six-time champion is wearing yellow and looking forward to the grueling mountain stages. KARLSRUHE, Germany -- They tire the legs and burn the lungs, but the Tour de France's punishing climbs can't come soon enough for Lance Armstrong...

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson met with area senior citizens Friday at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center to discuss a new federal prescription drug program that will take effect at the beginning of next year. Under the MedicareRx Prescription Drug Coverage program, the federal government will pay 75 percent of annual prescription drug costs for all Medicare recipients up to $2,250 and 95 percent after costs reach $5,100. ...

The Mississippi River can be a daunting sight with its huge volume of water rushing south to the Gulf of Mexico. Daunting to most, but not to Aki Busch, Onni Johnson and John Wyman. The three decided Friday midmorning would be a great time for a leisurely swim across the Mississippi in Cape Girardeau...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mark Mulder pitched seven shutout innings in a triumphant return to the Bay area, and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Friday night for their fifth victory in six games. Mulder (10-5), pitching back in the area for the first time since Oakland traded him in December, won his second straight decision. He allowed four hits, struck out one and walked one in an impressive 73-pitch performance...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 5:52 p.m., emergency medical service at 612 S. Sprigg St. * At 5:56 p.m., emergency medical service at 753 Perry Ave. * At 6:52 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of Aspen Drive...

WASHINGTON -- Three weeks before London's bus and subway bombings, a Senate committee voted to slash spending on mass transit security in the United States, a decision sure to be reversed when Congress returns next week. At a minimum, the Senate will restore the $50 million cut, G. William Hoagland, top budget aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Friday...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. groups fighting AIDS overseas are being given an ultimatum by the government: Pledge your opposition to sex trafficking and prostitution or do without federal funds. The new rule has created confusion among health groups that wonder how it will affect them, and has drawn criticism from others who say it infringes on free speech rights and could do more harm than good...

JOLIET, Ill. -- Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson won his first pole in more than a year, taking the top spot Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. His speed of 188.147 mph knocked NASCAR's top qualifier, Ryan Newman, off the pole for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400. Johnson, who drove a Chevrolet, and Newman led six drivers who surpassed Jeff Gordon's year-old track qualifying record of 186.942...

LONDON -- Thousands of Muslims crowded London mosques for Friday prayers, condemning the bombings, but also wary they could be made scapegoats and fearful of reprisals against their growing and vibrant community. At the East London Mosque, near the site of one of Thursday's attacks, an imam told the 8,000 worshippers to be "confident in our identity" as part of London's multicultural fabric...

GLENEAGLES, Scotland -- Leaders of the world's wealthy nations appeared to bow to U.S. pressure on climate change, issuing a watered-down declaration Friday that avoids setting targets or timetables for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But in his final speech at the G-8 summit, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that the G-8 countries and five of the world's largest emerging economies -- China, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa -- had agreed to work together to counter global warming...

GLENEAGLES, Scotland -- World leaders on Friday concluded an economic summit shaken by terrorism, offering an "alternative to the hatred" -- a $50 billion aid package for Africa and up to $9 billion in additional support for the Palestinians over the next three years...

KEY WEST, Fla. -- The first rain from Hurricane Dennis started falling Friday on the Florida Keys as the storm barreled toward the Gulf of Mexico, and forecasters warned that it might score a direct hit on the island chain. The wind weakened steadily from 150 mph to about 110 mph Friday night, but was expected to gain strength as it emerged over the Florida Straits and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico later today. ...

Raymond Dale Hutson, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 8, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Dec. 5, 1916, at Millersville, son of Willie and Maggie Welker Hutson. He and Alpha "Pete" Surlet Plumb were married July 14, 1951, in Piggott, Ark...

Reasonable cost; The SEMO boost; Moral stain; Unruly behavior; Loving experience; Police issues; Backing the officer

To the editor: In this crazy world we live in today we tend to think no one cares about his fellow man. On July 2 I found this statement to be wrong. My friend and I were driving on Highway 25 when I ran over an object in the road that punched a hole in my front tire...

To the editor: I have been critical of the county highway department in the past, but this time I will have to commend the road crew for doing all it can with a grader the last two times fixing the mess made of my corner boundary at the intersection of County Road 465 and County Road 450. It was all smoothed out and had material there to stop erosion...

To the editor; Many people have heard or witnessed the near-tragic events that occurred in the Hanover Street area on the Fourth of July. This is not shocking or appalling to me. This event and more of them will occur more often as long as the mayor, council and police chief continue to ignore the residents in that area...

Basketball...

The Jackson wrestler set or matched three state records. Jackson's Cody Rouse was one of many high school seniors to complete their athletic careers on high notes. But Rouse's high note will linger longer than most, due to its place the state record book...

Today; Sunday; Monday; Friday; Gideons program at Hobbs Chapel July 17; Vincentian Marian Youth to meet at grotto; Praise concert planned at Anna Heights church

Differences in denominational dogma, culture and language aren't keeping three downtown churches from a partnership. For the third consecutive year, Christ Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church are joining together for a vacation Bible school program called "Jesus in the Neighborhood."...

In the past 20 years, Cape Area Habitat for Humanity has helped turn substandard housing into 19 homes that house some 70 people. The organization's volunteers oversee the work, but the essence of the organization's mission is helping people help themselves. ...

Cape Girardeau...

25 years ago: July 9, 1980 The oppressive heat that has clung to most of Missouri and the Midwest shows no sign of abating and, according to the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, it's anyone's guess when a stalled high pressure system bringing the heat will move; the official high at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport yesterday was 101 degrees; in the city, readings topped out at 103 degrees...

Lawrence-Collier; Torbet; Denson; Crowden; Nunley; Moore; Johnson; Smith; Anderson; Flye

CAIRO, Ill. -- Eddie Brown, 75, of Cairo died Friday, July 8, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Heavenly Gates Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Claire H. Quinn, 81, of Perryville died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Green Park Nursing Home in St. Louis. She was born Nov. 7, 1923, in Minnesota. She and Raymond Joseph Quinn were married March 11, 1975. He died April 13, 2005. Quinn was retired from the Missouri Employment Division. She was a member of River Hills Eagles Auxiliary 4034...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Norma J. Plemons, 75, of Tamms died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 26, 1930, in Miller City, Ill., daughter of Herman and Sylvia Greenley Tucker. She and Chester Plemons were married Dec. 23, 1976. He died Jan. 18, 1994...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gladys Beatrice Stewart, 94, of Sikeston died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Heartland Care Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 4, 1911, in Sikeston, daughter of William "Bill" and Edith Mae Cora Swinney. She and Hugh David Stewart were married Sept. 4, 1932. He died in July 1969...

Willa L. "Toots" Haman, 80, of Lake Hamilton, Fla., died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 29, 1924, at Cape Girardeau, daughter of R.W. and Ersa Irene Nichols. She was a graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau and operated a cleaning business in the area for more than 25 years. She moved to Florida six years ago...

WICKLIFFE, Ky. -- Robert "Bob" Skaggs, 73, of Wickliffe died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. He was born in Cairo, Ill., son of Ray and Robbie E. Skaggs. Skaggs worked in the marine industry more than 55 years. He was a deckhand on a towboat and then became vice president of Cairo Marine Service. He established his own company in 1981, and was active with Skaggs Marine Service until his death...

PULASKI, Ill. -- Larry Leon Reeves, 64, of Pulaski died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at John Cochran Veterans Medical Center in St. Louis. He was born Feb. 25, 1941, at Mounds, Ill., son of Carl Franklin and Muriel Janet "Mermie" Palmer Reeves. Mr. Reeves was a PBX truck driver 25 years. He was a member of Pulaski Christian Church...

The Missouri State Highways and Transportation Commission awarded contracts Friday to add turn lanes and widen Highway 51 in Perryville and stripe 176 miles of roadways in Southeast Missouri. Commissioners awarded a $202,648 contract to Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge. The project involves the addition of turn lanes 1,000 feet east of the U.S. 61/Highway 51 intersection in Perryville, Missouri Department of Transportation officials said...

MINNEAPOLIS -- The convicted sex offender accused of kidnapping two children in Idaho wrote about a missing Minnesota girl on his Weblog, and investigators are now looking into whether he might have had anything to do with her disappearance. On his Internet diary, Joseph Edward Duncan III wrote in early 2004 that he was afraid he'd be blamed for the disappearance of 5-year-old Leanna "Beaner" Warner...

EAGLE, Colo. -- A 16-year-old boy whose foot was trapped under a huge boulder for more than 12 hours suffered swelling but no broken bones. William McCann, of Leander, Texas, was climbing Wednesday afternoon in the Holy Cross Wilderness area southwest of Vail when he was trapped by a rock about 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide, Eagle County sheriff's officials said. ...

Nearly everywhere you turn, there's talk about how Americans need to live healthier lives, reduce stress and simplify their daily routines. Maryl Walters will explain more about prayer-based solutions to today's problems during a radio interview at 7:30 a.m. Sunday on KAPE-AM 1550...

For at least one afternoon, Beth Daniel turned the clock back 25 years. Conjuring up memories of her vintage years on the LPGA Tour, the Hall of Famer shot a 6-under 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio...

WHITLEY CITY, Ky. -- It's one of the more conspicuous road signs on U.S. 27, a scenic route that meanders through the Daniel Boone National Forest en route to a popular recreational area on Lake Cumberland. "WARNING!!! Jesus is coming! RU Ready" -- such proclamations, already common throughout the Bible Belt, could become more commonplace along roadsides nationwide following recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that amounted to a split verdict on displays of the Ten Commandments on government property...

The sensational 15-year-old stumbled down the stretch and missed the cut at the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic. SILVIS, Ill. -- One ill-timed three-putt. A stray tee shot. Just like that, Michelle Wie went from historic to just plain history. On the brink of becoming the first woman in 60 years to make a cut on the PGA Tour, the 15-year-old was out after finding big trouble on two of her last four holes in the John Deere Classic. ...

You'd be surprised at how quickly looking up at the ground becomes normal when you're soaring hundreds of feet above the earth, even when all that separates you from the dirt is a thin pane of glass and the thin air...

It may not be an issue that captures the imagination of most Cape Girardeau voters, by Mayor Jay Knudtson says meeting transportation needs is critical for future development. "Kohl's, Sears -- they won't come to you if you don't give them the growth they require," Knudtson said Friday morning, referring to new retail stores that are coming to the area. "It may not be as sexy, but transportation is very important to the growth of our city."...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Legally, it's only been a village for three months. But already its founding mayor and board of trustees have been swamped with governmental paperwork as they struggle to obtain census data essential to efforts to secure state and federal grants...

Regarding what vintage of aircraft best epitomizes cool, Trever Glaus and Trenton Foeste, both age 9, had an old-school-versus-new-school difference of opinion while attending the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival Friday night. Trever, of Whitewater, said sleek modern jets impress him the most. His buddy Trenton, of Chaffee, Mo., said the old World War II era planes are more to his liking...

Voters will be asked to extend the tax to pay for street improvements across Cape Girardeau. It may not be an issue that captures the imagination of most Cape Girardeau voters, by Mayor Jay Knudtson says meeting transportation needs is critical for future development...

McClure officials need the demographic data before they can apply for various grants. McCLURE, Ill. -- Legally, it's only been a village for three months. But already its founding mayor and board of trustees have been swamped with governmental paperwork as they struggle to obtain census data essential to efforts to secure state and federal grants...

Delbert Marriott left quite an impression at the Steamboat Classic triathlon on April 24 in Cape Girardeau. He won the swimming, cycling and running event in a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes and 35 seconds, less than 3 minutes off the course record. "He's a heck of an athlete, and he was a bit cocky," said Chad Sierman, who directed the race for the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. ...

St. Louis was limited to three hits by Hennessey in San Francisco's 2-0 win. SAN FRANCISCO -- Brad Hennessey is no longer worrying each outing which pitch will be the one that sends him back to the minors. That mind-set along with some minor tweaks to his delivery are making quite a difference -- and all but earned him a longer stay in San Francisco...

Soaring over an airplane was all a matter of timing, Cody Elkins said. Cody Elkins doesn't worry about broken bones. He's broken 56 of them in his freestyle motocross career. But on Saturday, he emerged unscathed after jumping his motorcycle over a stunt plane in a move that thrilled the crowd at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival...

Greene County's sheriff had posted pictures in the past but removed them after being threatened with a lawsuit. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Beginning next month, sheriff's offices across Missouri will be able to post pictures of convicted sex offenders in their communities on the Internet...

About 45 nature programs to promote wildlife appreciation and education are held at Trail of Tears State Park during the summer. Saturday's program, "Wildflower Bingo," was attended by visitors from Oak Ridge, Gordonville, Cape Girardeau and Benton, Mo. Susan Kelley presented the program for visitors to learn about wildflowers in a recreational way through bingo. Kelley also gave a laptop video presentation to familiarize the group with common wildflowers before the game...

ROME -- Police arrested 142 people in an anti-terrorism security sweep around Milan prompted by the London bombings, the ANSA news agency reported Saturday. The operation was one of the most visible signs of stepped-up security measures around Italy following threats that Italy might be targeted for its support of the U.S.-led wars...

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Hurricane Dennis dealt a glancing blow to the Florida Keys on Saturday, knocking out power and leaving streets flooded with seaweed as it roared toward the storm-weary Gulf Coast, where nearly 1.4 million people were under evacuation orders...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Ten days on the open sea has led to two years in a locked cell for Philip Charles Mesure. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing a $200,000 sailboat and taking it on a 10-day joy ride last year. Mesure told investigators that during his voyage, he sailed 190 miles in one day and weathered storms alone, federal prosecutor John Stuart Bruce said...

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A father and son are accused of stuffing envelopes -- with more than $200,000 in stolen stamps. Joseph Robert Baker, 51, and Matthew Robert Baker, 21, both of Fort Myers, were indicted Tuesday for the alleged thefts from June to November 2004...

NEW YORK -- Rob Marchese bobbled away a home run ball and prayed for another opportunity to catch one. It came an inning later -- and he blew that one, too. Marchese, a 41-year-old businessman from Queens, was sitting in a folding chair in the first row of the right-field stands at Yankee Stadium during New York's 7-2 win over Cleveland on Thursday night when he stood up and muffed Alex Rodriguez's first-inning two-run homer...

NEW YORK -- There are many interesting critters and species of plant life for young campers to see on a walk through the woods and the bulk of them are harmless. There are, however, a few things children -- and their grown-up guides -- should steer clear of...

NEW YORK -- Swimming lessons, life jackets and lifeguards are not substitutes for parents when children are in the water. Key Club International, a Kiwanis-sponsored organization, is spreading the word about water safety this summer. Drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death among children ages 1 to 14, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping children safe should be a partnership between parents and their kids, according to Key Club...

Rose bushes, especially hybrid teas, are not the prettiest of plants but the flowers sure do look pretty in vases. A few tricks can prolong the indoor show. This advice is belated, but if you want the longest lasting indoor rose blooms, plant a rose variety known for having this quality. Generally, red, pink, and orange roses keep better than do white or yellow roses. And roses with more petals open more slowly and last longer than do roses with fewer petals...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- About 600 U.S. Marines and Iraqi soldiers have launched a fourth counterinsurgency operation in less than a month in a volatile western province in Iraq, this time near Fallujah, the military said Saturday. Operation Scimitar started Thursday with targeted raids in the village of Zaidan, 20 miles southeast of Fallujah. ...

BEIJING -- North Korea said Saturday it will abandon its yearlong boycott of nuclear disarmament talks and resume negotiations this month with the U.S. and four other nations, a breakthrough reached just as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice began a mission to end the impasse...

ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- Forensic divers probed an underwater cavern Saturday on the northern tip of Aruba for a missing Alabama teenager, but turned up no sign of the young woman. Later, the team from Florida State University planned to search a lagoon using remote controlled sensors. They planned to check other sites suggested by local authorities over the next two days, said Dale Nute, a forensic scientist who was helping to coordinate the effort...

SINGAPORE -- The IOC has two suggestions for baseball if it wants to return to the Olympics after the 2012 Games: Put in place tougher doping rules, and put major leaguers on the field. "The message is clear," International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said. "The IOC wants clean sport, the best athletes and universality."...

GERARDMER, France -- Lance Armstrong looked around for help and found none. He was alone, on a Tour de France climb, his rivals swarming all over him. Armstrong's usually trusty teammates failed him Saturday in the first encounter with the mountains, unable to match the punishing pace set on the day's final ascent by riders determined to bring down the six-time champion...

JOLIET, Ill. -- Tony Stewart is pleased to have won twice in a row after nearly a year without a victory. He still believes, however, he's got plenty to prove before he becomes a true contender for NASCAR's Nextel Cup championship. Stewart's victories came at the road course in Sonoma, Calif., and the superspeedway at Daytona...

J.L. Lewis had the lead -- and the attention -- all to himself Saturday in the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. The 44-year-old Lewis shot a 2-under 69 to extend his lead to three strokes at 15-under 198 after three rounds on the TPC at Deere Run...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A career criminal has been sentenced to 12 life terms in prison for his part in a series of holdups at bars, liquor stores and other businesses over a six-week period in 2003 and 2004. Anthony Johnson, 35, will serve the sentences concurrently and be eligible for parole in 25 years...

CHICAGO -- Blogs are everywhere -- increasingly, the place where young people go to bare their souls, to vent, to gossip. And often they do so with unabashed fervor and little self-editing, posting their innermost thoughts for any number of Web surfers to see...

Barbecuing is an art. There are several factors that can make for great grilling. None of these is particularly difficult; however, a combination of the right factors can make you a "grilling hero." First, always have enough fuel on hand. Often, cooking out is a spur of the moment thing and not having enough charcoal can quickly take all the sizzle out of your excitement. ...

There is much yet to be done before motorists begin using the East Main Street interchange on Interstate 55. The interchange is regarded as a major step toward opening up a large area for development and providing another link between Cape Girardeau and Jackson...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls on Friday: * At 4:42 p.m., emergency medical service at 319 N. Frederick St. * At 4:42 p.m., fire alarm sounding at 2825 Bloomfield Road. * At 5:37 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2100 block of Kenneth Drive...

Cape Girardeau...

Even 25 years after the murder of retired Southeast Missouri State University professor Margaret Smith, many people are reluctant to discuss the case. Brian "Andy" Abbott, who is in his 23rd year of a 37-year sentence at the Jefferson City Correctional Center for Smith's death and the theft of her car, declined interview requests from the Southeast Missourian...

WASHINGTON -- No need to wait until President Bush appoints a Supreme Court justice to see how he will make his mark on the federal judiciary. One level down, dozens of conservative appeals court judges appointed by Bush already are helping to shape the law in ways that ultimately could have as much, and in some ways even more, impact than the nine justices of the nation's highest court...

JUNO BEACH, Fla. -- The radio call comes in long past her bedtime but 7-year-old Nacia Goldberg lets out a squeal loud enough to convince her mother she is up for the adventure she was promised. Nacia and her family have spent the last two hours at a turtle rehabilitation hospital waiting for that call, the one that says the giant turtle has crawled onto the sand to lay her eggs...

ANNA, Ill. -- Silas "Si" Otten, 73, of Anna died Saturday, July 9, 2005, at home. He was born Aug. 31, 1931, in Randolph County, Ill., son of Henry C. and Louise Huch Otten. He and Evelyn Boyd were married Aug. 30, 1952, at Salem, Ill. Otten retired from the Anna Quarry after working as a supervisor. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...

ANNA, Ill. -- Harry Peeler, 91, of Anna, formerly of Villa Grove, Ill., died Friday, July 8, 2005, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. He was born April 9, 1914, in Arcola, Ill., son of Harvey and Dora Halk Peeler. He and Ina Vay Peeler were married for over 37 years...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Beatrice Young, 88, of Cairo, formerly of Pulaski, Ill., died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at the Daystar Care Center in Cairo. She was born Nov. 12, 1916, in Tunica, Miss., daughter of Tobe and Emma Kimble. She and Sullivan Young were married in April 1930...

Frank Cyrell Handley Sr., 80, of Scott City died Saturday, July 9, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born on Aug. 15, 1924, at Blytheville, Ark., son of Nora Georgia Rose. He and Jennie Earline Yoakum were married Oct. 17, 1942, at Blytheville...

James Monroe Coker, 75, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, July 7, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 20, 1929, in Seminole, Okla., son of Roy M. and Aline Elliott Coker. He and Ruth Graves were married Aug. 30, 1953, in St. Charles, Mo...

Bumpy interstates; Mess in the park; Negative history; Judicial reasonableness; Keys to success; A real entry; Not to be tolerated; Re-upping numbers; County roads; Assigning blame; Terror aftermath; Iraqi deaths; Big yardsticks; One-way streets; Racial issues; Police response

To the editor: I enjoyed the well-written series of articles on the new Jackson-Cape Girardeau Interstate 55 interchange, and I believe it will probably be a good thing for the region. However, the articles leave a few questions unanswered and fail to emphasize some important points...

To the editor; The tri-state area generally bounded by Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Mo., and Paducah, Ky. Harrisburg, Marion and Carbondale in Illinois have no major airline service or limited service. Yet this area is bound together economically as shown by the advertising on the network television local affiliates. Unfortunately, passengers often resort to land travel to airports in St. Louis, Memphis or Evansville, Ind., for airline service...

This spring, I was flabbergasted to hear the news. It spread as if on wings. It was more than a wildlife story, it was a media event, and it symbolized hope for conservation efforts and the benefits those efforts bring to people. I am referring to the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in Arkansas. Long thought to be extinct, this monarch of the swamp has been quietly eking along in the backwater swamps of the White River basin in Arkansas...

It's a rock star thing. Just about any red-blooded American (at least those born after Bing and Dino, and even some of them) have a center-stage, live-in-concert fantasy. Whatever beat rocks your world -- pop, R&B, heavy metal, Lilith fare -- doesn't matter...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gene and Beverly Koenig of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristen Danielle Koenig, to Thomas James Canter, both of St. Charles, Mo. He is the son of James Canter of St. Charles and Marilyn Bohnert of Perryville...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Wesbecher of Marble Hill annnounce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Laine Wesbecher, to Brent Lynn Schreiner. He is the son of Douglas Schreiner of Perryville, Mo., and Mr. and Mrs. Martin Conrad of Sedgewickville, Mo...

BENTON, Mo. -- Pat and Sally O'Brien of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Elizabeth O'Brien, to Travis Andrew Pobst. He is the son of Andrew and Mary Jo Pobst of Oran, Mo. O'Brien is a 1998 graduate of Scott City High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in accounting from William Woods University in 2002. She is an accountant with Philip J. Black, CPA, in Sikeston, Mo...

Roy and Nancy Birk of Ann Arbor, Mich., announce the engagement of their daughter, Amber Birk, to Shane Brown. He is the son of Gerald and Diane Brown of Jackson and Mary and Dennis Crader of Chaffee, Mo. Birk is a 2000 graduate of Central High School. She is employed at Advance Logistics...