Stories from Sunday, January 1, 2006

All right, I'll admit it. I didn't give the Notre Dame boys basketball team much of a chance at the title entering the 61st annual Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. But I was not alone. The Bulldogs were seeded just fifth, which is not generally conducive to winning it all. Nobody around the area seemed to be talking much about Notre Dame being a prime contender...

WASHINGTON -- Medicare's prescription drug coverage rolls out Sunday, a benefit being hailed as the most significant advance in the program's 40-year history. Most senior citizens should see their medicine become more affordable because of the new coverage. Still, not everyone will save, and Medicare's 42 million beneficiaries have been patient, if not hesitant, about enrolling in a private plan...

IRVING, Texas -- Before kickoff against the St. Louis Rams tonight, the Dallas Cowboys will know whether they are playing for a playoff spot or merely the pride of finishing 10-6 a year after going 6-10. The Cowboys insist they'll give their best effort regardless of what's at stake...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- During four decades, Glenn Poshard has risen through the ranks at Southern Illinois University -- recipient of three degrees, adjunct professor, vice chancellor and head of the board of trustees. Now the former five-term Democratic congressman and one-time Illinois gubernatorial candidate is taking on the school's biggest role -- and challenges -- as president of the 35,000-student, two-campus university...

ST. LOUIS -- There was a miracle of sorts on a recent night at the Oak Bend Branch of the St. Louis County Library. Nine children, 10 dogs and two cats were together in a room. There was no shouting or running, little barking or hissing. Just the sound of children reading aloud...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- It took five years and a contested decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, but Doug McDaniel finally has his captive audience. "Most people, when you start talking about eminent domain, get glassy-eyed and don't think that it could ever happen to them," he said...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- ABC affiliate KQTV will continue to be available over St. Joseph Cablevision after both sides reached an agreement Friday on a three-year retransmission contract. The agreement, whose details weren't disclosed, averted a blockout of the station on the cable system. The old agreement was set to expire Dec. 31...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Ann Meng was at work when she saw a man who made her blood run cold. It was him. The man who had broken into her home and raped her. There was no question in her mind. She called the police and later picked him out of several lineups. Julius Ruffin was convicted of the attack in Norfolk in 1982 and sentenced to five life terms in prison...

GULFPORT, Miss. -- Puppies are popping up everywhere amid the rubble left by Hurricane Katrina. Animal welfare workers are seeing the tip of what they fear will be a big boom in dog births in parts of Louisiana and Mississippi hammered by the storm...

PALU, Indonesia -- Suspected Islamic militants set off a powerful bomb packed with nails Saturday at a busy market frequented by Christians, killing eight people and wounding 45 as they bought pork for New Year's Eve celebrations. The blast occurred in Palu on Sulawesi Island, which has been plagued in recent years by religious violence and terrorism by Islamic extremists...

NEW ORLEANS -- In the first hours of every New Year, the nation's seafaring officers take up an endearing naval tradition: writing wordplay, doggerel and poetry in their log entries. Each new year, officers get down to business and try to find ways to pull a ship's location, ammunition, engine status and speed into a poem that flows with rhyme and wit...

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. -- A 37-year-old man was charged with child endangerment after one of two toddlers he was baby-sitting was found drunk, authorities said. Suffolk County sheriff's deputies investigating a family court case peered through the window of a Patchogue home Tuesday and saw Juan Reyes passed out with the children wandering around the house...

Not mandatory; Starting salary; More jobs; Areas for playing; Location, location; No more crime; Bad conscience; Unfair taxation; Canine assistance

With Southeast Missouri State struggling so much in Ohio Valley Conference road games so far, it becomes even more important for the Redhawks to make noise at home. And, considering that Southeast's early-season conference schedule is road-heavy, that places added emphasis on Monday's televised matchup with Eastern Kentucky at the Show Me Center...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

The start of a new year is a time for reflection and a time for making plans. For many of us, New Year's Day is the first day to test all those ambitious resolutions we made. As today's editorial cartoon suggests, resolutions should be realistic -- but not so low as not to be challenging...

Headache, poor sense of well-being, sensitivity to light and sound, diarrhea, loss of appetite, trembling, nausea, fatigue, decreased heart rate and blood pressure, dehydration, lack of concentration, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, weakness. The list of symptoms for a hangover is longer than that for the average cancer...

The lasting image of the 2005 Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament may be of the champion Notre Dame Bulldogs, but eventually the tournament will likely go down as the year of the blowout. A last-second shot by Jackson's Drue McNeely in the championship game --won by Notre Dame, 74-65--put the total of single-digit scoring margins to three for the tournament in 26 games...

Eula Louise Jones, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, at her home. She was born May 24, 1922, at Oak Ridge, daughter of John Pearl and Annie Dora Engelmann Ates. She and Raymond M. Jones Jr. were married Aug. 1, 1942, at Cape Girardeau. He died April 6, 1994...

If Southeast Missouri State wasn't in such a mediocre position in the Ohio Valley Conference right now, the sole focus against Eastern Kentucky on Monday would likely be on revenge. But coach B.J. Smith believes the struggling Redhawks need to get their own house in order more than they need redemption at this point...

Mary Hunt, 103, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005 at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 12, 1902, in Reynoldsville, Ill., daughter of Amon and Serena Bell Brown Goss. She and Elton Hunt were married April 30, 1929, at Cape Girardeau. He died Feb. 26, 1999...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Dallena Ruth, 81, of Jonesboro died Friday, Dec. 20, 2005, at City Care Center in Anna, Ill. Friends may call after 10 a.m. Saturday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Lola K. Miller, 88, of Dongola died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2005, at her home. She was born Nov. 8, 1917, at Elco, Ill., daughter of Ernest Paul and Mary A. Guild Mowery. She and Don R. Miller were married March 23, 1940. He died Dec. 9, 1988...

Antoinette C. Cantoni, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 30, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born on June 12, 1938, in St. Louis, Mo., to Anthony and Carmellia Mercurio Bellistri. Antoinette was married to Philip T. Cantoni on April 15, 1961; he survives. ...

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and leaders in both houses of the state legislature are making heating-bill relief one of their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session. When the session begins Wednesday, legislators will immediately take action on reinstituting the Utilicare Fund -- a fund to help low-income Missouri residents pay for winter heating costs -- through passing a supplemental appropriations bill for $6.1 million...

Improve their health. Become computer literate. Upgrade road quality. Several politicians and one football coach will take a crack at following through with New Year's resolutions. Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald W. Jones wants to catch up with the 21st century and learn how to use a computer. ...

Judge grants John Hinckley overnight visits ; Fla. teen leaves Baghdad for home after journey; Tennessee uses shame to stop drunken driving

London subway workers stage New Year's Eve strike; Chinese president vows that country will open up; Five German hostages have been freed in Yemen

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route C in Cape Girardeau County will be closed on Wednesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a drainage pipe beneath the roadway. The section between Route 61 and the intersection of Route C and Route CC near Pocahontas will be marked off and closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT...

2005 was another year of championships and change in Southeast Missouri athletics. The staff at the Southeast Missourian selected the top 10 stories of the year and a handful of other highlights (see Page 4B). The runaway winner was Miles Smith, Southeast Missouri State's sprinter who ran to prominence on the international level:...

Jerry and Nancy Stone of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Anne Stone, to Kent Roger Zimmerman. He is the son of Roger and Joyce Zimmerman of Shiloh, Ill. Stone is a 1986 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Southeast Missouri State University in 1991, and a master's degree in counseling from Webster University in 1999. ...

Lauren McMorries and Shawn Franklin Smee were married June 4, 2005, at Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Ark. Jerry Muckensturm performed the ceremony. Pianist was Becky McKee, organist was Ellen Philpot, and soloist was Megan Osborn, all of Jonesboro...

Sara Dawn Atkins and Mark Steven Lueder were married May 14, 2005, at Jackson City Park. The Rev. Douglas McClellan performed the ceremony. Vocalist was Ginny Hahn of Chaffee, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Jack and Bernice Atkins of Chaffee, Mo. The groom is the son of Arthur Lueder Jr. of Cape Girardeau, and the late Marion Lueder...

Ashley Ann Miller and Matthew Theodore Diebold were married Oct. 1, 2005, at Immaculate Conception Church in Jackson. The Rev. J. Friedel performed the ceremony. Pianist was Kendra Anderson of Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Brian and Lisa Burger of Jackson, and the late Douglas Miller of Scott City. The groom is the son of Gary and Diana Diebold of Jackson...

Erica Elizabeth Crane and Kyle Mason Thompson were married June 11, 2005, at St. John's United Church of Christ in St. Charles, Mo. The Rev. Ric Zuch performed the ceremony. Music was provided by pianist Heather Clagett of Indianapolis, Ind.; Elegant Ensembles of St. Louis; and soloist was Sarah Allrich of St. Charles...

Ken Hosea and Elaine Hosea of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristen Hosea, to Daniel Deck. He is the son of James and Linda Rapp of Jackson. Hosea is a graduate of Jackson High School and Stage One the Hair School. She is a cosmetologist at Style Stop Lifestyles in Jackson...

Kevin and Judi Collins of Tallahassee, Fla., formerly of Olive Branch and Tamms, Ill., announce the engagement of their son, Brandon Wade Collins, to Heather Anthony. She is the daughter of Jim and Susie Anthony of Atlanta, Ga. Anthony is a graduate of Florida State University. She is employed by Bureau Veritas, Berryman and Henigar...

Mr. and Mrs. James Sanford of Scott City will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary Wednesday. Sanford and Laura Humphrey were married Jan. 4, 1936, in Jackson. The couple has a daughter, Betty Rosenquist of Scott City; four grandchildren, Deaonna (Paul) Dale of Salem, Mo., Ed Ressel Jr. of Kelso, Mo., Deborah (Rick) Tittle of Sikeston, Mo., James Ressel of Cape Girardeau; and five great-grandchildren, Ian, Isaac and Eric Dale, Amber and Sean Dannenmueller...

Dr. J. Russell and Susie Felker of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Jane Felker, to Timothy Francis Morgan, both of Wiley Ford, W.Va. He is the son of Stephen and Norma Morgan of Rush, N.Y. Felker received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from Ohio Wesleyan University. She is employed at the YMCA youth center and is a substitute teacher in Maryland. She is pursuing a teaching certificate...

Thurston; Holliman; Wondel; Goin; Ramsey; Johnson; Flessner; Allen; Bryeans; Self; Armes; Baudendistel

25 years ago: Jan. 1, 1981 The petition drive aimed at placing a home-rule charter proposal before Cape Girardeau voters is being termed highly successful by officials of the Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the signature campaign; several thousand signatures have been obtained so far on the charter petitions, far in excess of the number required to place the proposal on the ballot in April...

High School Miscellaneous n Central tabs new AD: Darrick Smith left his post as athletic director at Central after two years and was replaced by Central assistant principal and former girls basketball coach Mark Ruark. Basketball n State champs: New Salem Baptist Academy of Marble Hill swept the 2004-05 boys and girls Class 1A championships in the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association...

Multiplier needed WHATEVER THE reason for Notre Dame's success this season in boys basketball, I think it justifies using the multiplier in the MSHSAA classifications. Public schools are at a disadvantage of not being able to have students from outside their geographic boundaries...

WASHINGTON -- Before the next big hurricane's winds howl ashore, Homeland Security officials want an emergency communications network operating, emergency medical facilities treating patients, and teams dispatched to search for victims at the likely ground zero...

At a recent Red Cross event, Saundra Blankenship showed off the pin she'd received for serving as a Red Cross volunteer with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The small, nondescript pin symbolized more than recognition for this 41-year-old woman who once was diagnosed with cancer and dealt with her brother's drowning...

NEW YORK-- It's certainly not the first time that the West has borrowed Eastern styles, but a number of the fashion and beauty looks that credit the new film "Memoirs of a Geisha" as inspiration are quite literal in their translation. Banana Republic, in conjunction with Sony Pictures, launched a line of kimono-style, sash-tie tops and dresses. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Bombings and shootings killed at least 20 people across Iraq on the final day of the year Saturday, while U.S. troops shivered in the cold during a performance by an "American Idol" singer as part of New Year's Eve celebrations. The U.S. military also reported the death of an American soldier from wounds, bringing its death toll in Iraq for 2005 near last year's record level...

SYDNEY, Australia -- A pulsing heart of red lights shone from Sydney's Harbor Bridge early today as tens of thousands watched fireworks ushering in the new year. Revelers around the world began partying, visited places of worship and gathered with family to welcome 2006...

DULUTH, Minn. -- Scott Cameron never imagined his modest memorial to American troops in Iraq would transform a quiet street here into the latest front of the nation's tense debate about the war in Iraq. His sign tallying the war's dead and wounded rests feet from the local Army recruiting office, and Cameron's refusal to take it down despite Army requests has drawn national attention. The fuss is giving the Vietnam veteran a chance to air a view he wishes he'd expressed long ago...

Just like every year, 2005 had its share of riveting, important news stories, events like Hurricane Katrina that hold our attention for days, weeks, months. Then there are those other stories you find yourself drawn to: the ones that might not really matter, but they're just so deliciously weird you can't turn away...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- A British aid worker and her parents were whisked out of Gaza early Saturday after being released by Palestinian gunmen who abducted them two days earlier. Elsewhere, dozens of armed men demanding jobs briefly seized several government offices in a central Gaza town, underscoring the spiraling chaos that has plagued the coastal strip since Israel's pullout...

WASHINGTON -- A third of people suffering serious depression recover with the first antidepressant they try, and well-educated white women are most likely to benefit, according to initial results of an eagerly awaited study on the controversial drugs...

Over the past several months, thousands of homeowners in Missouri and Illinois got a disturbing letter in the mail. The letter was from Safeco, their insurance provider, and it read: "Thank you for insuring your home with Safeco. We appreciate your business and the trust you place in us. We are writing to inform you that Earthquake Coverage will no longer be available for your home when your policy comes up for renewal."...

Down to the final out and facing one of the best closers in the major leagues, the St. Louis Cardinals' season was all but over. Not so fast. That adversity turned out to be the signature moment in the stellar career of Albert Pujols, the catalyst for the team's second straight 100-victory season. His memorable blast off Brad Lidge shocked into total silence a Houston Astros crowd ready to celebrate, keeping the Cardinals alive in the NL Championship Series at least for one more game...

Cape Girardeau's first train rolled into town in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 125 years ago to much fanfare -- boisterous bands, cheering crowds and a huge celebration. At least that's the way Louis Houck, the man who had the railroad built, told the story for years...

HE SAID: As I approach 30, I think more about big-picture issues. Smaller moments take on bigger meaning. I wonder if I say certain things or act certain ways because it's imbedded in my psychology since I was a child. Why do I believe in God? Why am I always trying to please people?...