Stories from Friday, January 6, 2006

CAIRO, Ill. -- The deadlock gripping city government continued Thursday when only one of six council members attended a special meeting called by Mayor Paul Farris. When the meeting dissolved, unable to conduct business for lack of attendance, Farris announced a petition drive to ask a federal judge to declare that boycotting council members have abandoned their posts...

Companies that made significant changes in their operations in the past year are invited to be included in the business timeline to be published in the Southeast Missourian's 2006 Progress edition. The Progress edition will be published Feb. 19 and Feb. 26...

BENTON, Mo. -- Commerce Mayor Bill Bailey isn't surprised to learn that Scott County's residents chose his town's unobstructed view of the Mississippi River as the county's most beautiful scenery. "I think the community and the people here all have known that as long as they've been here," said Bailey. "It's one of the reasons we like it here so much."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State government is taking in more money than expected, meaning elected officials will have an estimated $245 million more than was budgeted to either spend or save in the next six months. Gov. Matt Blunt and legislative budget leaders announced the revised revenue figures Thursday, declaring the better-than-expected financial books the result of economic improvements they helped to spur with their policies...

Caruthersville, Mo. -- Ralph Clayton, 71, a retired general manager of the Caruthersville Democrat Argus, died Wednesday at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Clayton spent 29 years in the newspaper business with the Democrat, its sister papers and the Southeast Missouri Press Association. He was president of the Missouri Press Foundation from 1989 to 1994. For the last 11 years, he has run the family business, Pemiscot Office Supply, in his hometown of Caruthersville...

DETROIT -- The struggling St. Louis Blues were the perfect opponent for Manny Legace. Playing for the first time in more than a month, Legace needed to make only 15 saves for his third shutout of the season, and the Detroit Red Wings beat St. Louis 3-0 Thursday night...

NEW YORK -- Shaun Alexander set an NFL record for touchdowns, led the league in rushing and ran away with The Associated Press Most Valuable Player award Thursday. And with free agency on the horizon, the Seattle running back could parlay his sensational year into unprecedented riches...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Starting in May, Missourians will have a wider array of tax-free investment choices for their college savings accounts as a result of a new state contract. The deal announced Thursday by State Treasurer Sarah Steelman also will give college savers the option of enrolling in product loyalty programs, which would add corporate money to their savings accounts any time they buy certain products...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Dee Brown scored a career-high 34 points and No. 6 Illinois held No. 7 Michigan State nearly 33 points below its average to win their Big Ten-opening showdown 60-50 on Thursday night. The Illini (15-0) extended their home winning streak to 30 games, matching No. 8 Gonzaga for the longest current run in the country...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Suicide bombers infiltrated a line of police recruits and a crowd of Shiite pilgrims Thursday as insurgents killed 125 civilians and five U.S. soldiers, escalating attacks while political factions worked to forge a coalition government...

LOS ANGELES -- Jon Stewart has been tapped to host this year's Oscars, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced Thursday. The Academy Awards show's producer said Stewart has many of the qualities of previous masters of ceremonies...

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The lone survivor of a coal mine explosion that killed 12 others has been moved to a hospital in Pittsburgh to undergo oxygen treatment, West Virginia University hospital officials said Thursday. Randal McCloy Jr. was in a coma and appeared to have suffered brain damage, according to a doctor. He was transferred to Allegheny General Hospital, said Bill Case, a spokesman for WVU's Ruby Memorial Hospital...

Elliott; Laster; Sebaugh; Koeller

The Central girls basketball team fell behind 12-2 against Poplar Bluff and dropped a 48-33 SEMO Conference game at home on Thursday. The Tigers tightened the gap to 16-11 after one quarter and trailed 25-17 at the half. Poplar Bluff (5-7) outscored Central 14-7 in the third to pull away...

Colleges...

Booming businesses; That's no excuse; Leave it one way; Beautiful service; Private pay, not taxes; Each street one way; Pretty displays; True love; Spreading his name; Detour concerns; Comparing cities; Based on faith

ORAN, Mo. -- Mary Lou Penhale, 56, of Grovetown, Ga., entered into rest Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006, at her home. A native of Oran, she was the daughter of M.O. "Dick" and Mary Buell Davis. She had resided in the Tampa, Fla., area many years before moving to Grovetown in 2004. While in Florida she was the assistant to the director of the State Mental Health Care Division, and had been a group home mother...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Amelia T. Essner, 84, of New Hamburg passed away Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was the beloved wife of the late Cyrill A. Essner, who preceded her in death in 1976. Amelia, daughter of Frank and Mary Bles Kieffer, was born March 24, 1921, in Kelso, Mo. ...

Ralph E. Clayton, 71, of Caruthersville died Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, after a sudden illness. Born Oct. 17, 1934, in Caruthersville, he was the son of Dorothy Louise Meek and W.E. "Bill" Clayton. Funeral Mass is set for 11 a.m. today at Sacred Heart Church in Caruthersville. The Rev. Randy Tochtrop will officiate. Burial will be in Little Prairie Cemetery...

Jeffrey Francis Farris, 44, of Hazelwood, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006, at Lake St. Louis, Mo. He was born Nov. 6, 1961, in St. Louis, son of Daniel and Jewel Ackman Farris. He and Sharon Defelice were married in November of 1987. Farris was of the Baptist faith. He was employed by Ford Motor Co...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Willis H. Reynolds, 79, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, at Union County Hospital. He was born March 2, 1926, in Jonesboro, son of Edward Harrison and Rosa Mae Coats Reynolds. He and Mildred Massey were married Sept. 3, 1964, in Jonesboro. She died April 21, 1992...

'BloodRayne'; 'Casanova'; 'Glory Road'; 'Grandma's Boy'; 'Hostel'; 'Munich'; Still in theaters; 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2'; 'Chicken Little'; 'The Chronicles of Narnia'; 'The Family Stone'; 'Fun with Dick and Jane'; 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'; 'King Kong'; 'Memoirs of a Geisha'; 'The Ringer'; 'Rumor Has It'; 'Syriana'; 'Walk the Line'; 'Wolf Creek'; 'Yours, Mine and Ours'

Hazel Marie Williams, 89, of Jackson died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, at Monticello House. She was born July 2, 1916, at Millersville, daughter of James Shelton and Daisy Cowan Godwin. She first married Milford Seabaugh. She and Rawls Williams were married Sept. 9, 1974. He died Jan. 6, 1976...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Joseph A. Hotop, 73, of St. Louis died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2005, at his home. He was born in Perry County, son of Alphonse and Rose Webster Hotop. He and Irene Eftink were married July 20, 1957, at Oran, Mo. Hotop was a 1950 graduate of Perryville High School. He retired from Lindbergh School District as grounds foreman in 1991...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Jessalean Ray, 63, of Berkley, Ky., died Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2006, at her home. She was born Oct. 22, 1942, in East Prairie, daughter of Jesse and May Magdalene Fobar Priest. She and Bobby Ray were married Oct. 12, 1957. Ray lived in Berkley the past several years, and owned and operated the Flower Basket Flower Shop in Bardwell, Ky., before retiring. She was a member of Berkley Baptist Church...

Thelma L. Kortmeyer, 84, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2006, at Brentmore Oak Tree Retirement Community in St. Peters, Mo. She was born Feb. 18, 1921, in Sterling, Colo., daughter of Elmer Snedeker and Anna Cochron. Kortmeyer was formerly of Cape Girardeau...

25 years ago: Jan. 6, 1981 The first winter storm of the season brushes an icy glaze on the area, shutting down schools just one day after resumption of classes and causing traffic snarls as workers set out for their jobs; sleet begins falling around 5 a.m. in Cape Girardeau, followed by intermittent light snow...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Randy Leo Broshuis, 50, of Leopold died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 6, 1955, at Lutesville, Mo., son of Leo Garrett and Agnes Louise Jansen Broshuis. He and Tina Myers were married May 7, 1977, at Lutesville...

It is all but impossible to imagine the range of emotions that swept through the anxious West Virginia families in Tallmansville who were waiting for news of 13 coal miners trapped underground after an explosion. These families were no strangers to mine mishaps, and they understood full well that the longer they waited, the less likely they would ever see their loved ones alive. But they kept waiting for a miracle...

Three men have embarked on a 10-month journey to change their lives. Each has come to Teen Challenge hoping to put his old life of struggling with powerful drug and alcohol addictions behind him. They are placing their new lives in the hands of God...

Steven Limbaugh III's plane landed in Los Angeles on Dec. 7 carrying a passenger that was riding high. Limbaugh had just returned from a six-day trip to Russia, where the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra had recorded a 25-minute composition of his own making. The composer in him was feeling great, but the rock musician in him was worried...

The Community Caring Council of Cape Girardeau has received a grant of $78,950 from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The Caring Council, located on Broadway, is one of 49 organizations statewide to receive such an award. This year's awards totaled $5.8 million and will be distributed to organizations in 80 counties throughout Missouri...

CENTRALIA, Ill. -- Any time he hears of a mining disaster, like the West Virginia explosion this week that left a dozen miners dead, 77-year-old Bill Niepoetter cringes because such tragedies hit mighty close to home. It has been nearly 60 years since the Centralia No. 5 mine in Southern Illinois blew up, killing his father, three other relatives and 107 other men. Images of that day still haunt Niepoetter...

The 1900 block of Independence Street will be partially closed for construction all day Friday. Eastbound traffic will be diverted and westbound traffic will be asked to drive slowly and avoid construction crews. The shutdown along the stretch of Independence near South Plaza Way is for scheduled maintenance on the street's sewer lines...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will meet Monday to inform prospective school board candidates about the duties of board members. The informational meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the board office, 301 N. Clark Ave...

MANTECA, Calif. -- A married couple who got a dog sitter for their puppies but left the man's young children home alone while they vacationed in Las Vegas were arrested Wednesday, police said. Jacob Calero, 39, and Michelle De La Vega, 32, were taken into custody as they arrived home on a flight to Oakland. They had left town Friday to celebrate the new year, authorities said...

Sen. Clinton '00 campaign group fined over gala WASHINGTON -- A campaign fund-raising group for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has agreed to a $35,000 fine for underreporting thousands of dollars spent on a lavish Hollywood fund-raiser in 2000, the man who bankrolled the event said. ...

TALLMANSVILLE, W.Va. -- Some of the 12 coal miners who died in the Sago Mine disaster left farewell notes assuring their loved ones that their final hours trapped underground were not spent in agony, a relative said Thursday. "The notes said they weren't suffering, they were just going to sleep," said Peggy Cohen, who had been called to a temporary morgue at a school to identify the body of her father, 59-year-old machine operator Fred Ware Jr...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

To the editor: It doesn't take long for news to be put on the back burner when current events arise, but that is progress, and you can't stop it. Memories of previous years, however, remain special and never fade. I wonder if the composer of "Thanks for the Memories" had that in mind when he wrote the lyrics...

An armed robbery reportedly occurred early Thursday morning at a convenience store in Fruitland, Mo. According to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, an unidentified gunman wearing a ski mask entered Rhodes 101 at 5040 U.S. 61 and demanded money. He fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured...

To the editor: The National Democratic Party is a pessimistic bunch. In fairness, if I only read liberal-owned newspapers or only watched CBS news, I'd probably be just like them. I'd think Christianity and the religious right were too influential in the Bush administration and downplay the fight to replace "Merry Christmas" with "Happy holidays." I'd think nothing positive occurs in Iraq and curse the soldiers and Marines who return home and say otherwise. ...

To the editor: A couple days after Thanksgiving I was moving from Florida back home to South Dakota. My tire went flat, and I was stranded in the middle of nowhere. I called AAA, but I didn't actually know where I was. I found out later I was about six miles south of Perryville, Mo., but since I couldn't tell AAA exactly where I was they couldn't help me...

Rescuers recover 15th victim from German rink BAD REICHENHALL, Germany -- Rescue workers early Thursday recovered the body of the last person known to be missing in the wreckage of a collapsed ice rink, raising the number killed to 15. Fire official Rudi Zeif said the body was that of a 40-year-old woman unaccounted for since the rink's roof collapsed Monday during a public skating session. ...

Cape Girardeau woman enters guilty plea A Cape Girardeau woman pleaded guilty on Thursday to lesser charges for scratching the face of one police officer and attempting to bite another. Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp sentenced Marsha V. Hinson, 41, of 45 S. ...

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could be sedated for up to three days as doctors fight to keep him alive after emergency brain surgery for his massive stroke, a hospital official said Thursday. Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, director general of Hadassah Hospital, said Sharon would remain in deep sedation and on a respirator for at least two and possibly three days to allow him to "recover from severe trauma." The treatment would decrease pressure in Sharon's skull, and after the sedation period, doctors hope to gradually awaken him, Mor-Yosef said.. ...

MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- With spotlights, cameras and microphones, rescuers searched for survivors of an eight-story building collapse that killed at least 20 people Thursday, the latest tragedy to mar the annual gathering of millions of Muslims in Islam's holiest city...

LOS ANGELES -- This could be the year gay-themed films dominate Hollywood's awards season. The cowboys-in-love drama "Brokeback Mountain," a potential Academy Award front-runner, led nominees Thursday for film prizes from actors and directors unions, including performers Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams and Jake Gyllenhaal and filmmaker Ang Lee...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The Texas Longhorns' drive to the national championship depended on Vince Young. So does their future. It won't necessarily be a pass or run that makes the difference. Instead, it'll come down to a personal decision he makes with his family...

Southeast Missourian Sixty-five youth soccer teams will take part in the 12th annual Saint Francis Indoor Invitational soccer tournament, which begins today and concludes Sunday. The tournament features recreation level boys and girls soccer teams from ages 8 to 18. The divisions through under-13 play a 7-on-7 format while the older teams play 6-on-6...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis Rams' physician said the illnesses suffered recently by the team's former interim coach Joe Vitt, ex-coach Mike Martz and broadcaster Jack Snow are "all wildly different" than the drug-resistant staph infections a medical journal documented in Rams players last year...

Thank goodness Suzuki's Grand Vitara sport utility vehicle moved closer to the mainstream for the 2006 model year. The Grand Vitara's odd, cladding-sided styling is gone, replaced by a more substantial and pleasing look and modern, unibody construction. The small interior is gone, too; the 2006 Grand Vitara is a full 11.5 inches longer than its predecessor and it's a bit wider...

I'm sorry if I've snapped at anyone this week, but I'm experiencing fudge rage. Medical science doesn't have a lot to say about this condition, so I guess it's up to me to spread the word. You've experienced sugar highs? Caffeine rushes? MSG sweats? These are all well-documented in medical journals. But no one bothers much with fudge and its nasty side effects...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Coach Gary Garner has said all along he believed Southeast Missouri State was a much better shooting team than its 40 percent season average indicated. For one game at least, the Redhawks proved Garner right -- and it couldn't have come at a better time...

Three stars (out of four) Johnny Knoxville, starring in "The Ringer," portrays an unhappy office worker who had always been told he would never make it as anything special in his life. Needing money to help a friend, he schemes with his uncle to fix the Special Olympics so the long-time winner would lose...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The frustrations for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team continued to mount Thursday night. "Frustrating. I'd say that's the key word," Southeast coach B.J. Smith said following the Redhawks' 70-61 loss at Eastern Illinois...

Three Rivers Community College won't offer nursing classes in Cape Girardeau because the college and Saint Francis Medical Center can't agree on a contract. The issue centered on Three Rivers' refusal to enter into a partnership with Southeast Missouri State University to teach the nursing and general education courses, college and hospital officials said...

Throughout the centuries artists have known their work can make a powerful statement, politically and socially. Cape Girardeau physician and sculptor Dr. Zenon Duda is no different. Tonight Duda will unveil a massive 15-by-45-foot sculpture installation called "Requiem for the Pawns of War" in Buckner Brewing Co.'s Riverview Room...

Stand-up comedy comes to Pocahontas this month; Arts Council seeks entries for 'Art for the Health of It'; Independent author to have book signing...

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Olin Browne waited six years before getting back to the winners-only Mercedes Championships, and played Thursday as if he doesn't want to wait that long again. Browne was the only player to break 70 in blustery conditions at Kapalua and finished with a 4-under 69 to take a one-shot lead over Vijay Singh as the PGA Tour season began without some of its biggest stars...

Dear Tom and Ray: I have two routes I can take to work, both along interstate highways. The more crowded, direct route is 20 miles and takes me 40 minutes because of stop-and-go traffic. My average speed is only 30 mph if I take the shorter route, but I'm on the brakes a lot. ...