Stories from Saturday, January 14, 2006

Every day the health of millions of Americans is put in jeopardy just from drinking tap water. At least that's what the not-for-profit Environmental Working Group says. Government regulators provide a different view, one that says the water Americans drink every day is clean and safe...

The above-normal temperatures Southeast Missouri has seen this January are likely to continue in the immediate future despite a dip back to more seasonal conditions on Friday. In the two weeks since the beginning of the year Cape Girardeau has seen high temperatures consistently above the low-40s average highs typical of January. Only two days this year have highs dipped into the normal range -- Jan. 6 and 7, when downtown highs reached 39 and 38 degrees...

SEATTLE -- Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck's eyes widened. His eyebrows raised. His head shook slightly. He seemed impressed. Not because Seattle is two wins from the Super Bowl. Or because the Seahawks are hosting a divisional playoff game at Qwest Field for the first time today...

A varsity high school basketball game is 32 minutes long. So when Notre Dame's boys basketball team led 25-10 over Jackson after one quarter and 40-26 at the half on Friday at home, it would have been a little premature to write off the Indians. Jackson took advantage of the full 32 minutes, scoring the game-winning basket on a layup with 28 seconds left to secure a 69-66 come-from-behind win...

The Asssociated Press ATLANTA -- Kari Lehtonen made 37 saves in his second career shutout and the Atlanta Thrashers beat the St. Louis Blues 2-0 Friday night for their franchise-record tying fourth straight victory. Lehtonen, who injured his groin in the first game of the season, improved to 5-2 and posted his first shutout. The Thrashers also had two four-game winning streaks early in the 2003-04 season...

If Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks are to compile only their second two-game winning streak of the season -- and build on their best performance of 2005-06 -- they'll have to beat the Ohio Valley Conference's hottest team. Austin Peay, one year removed from a miserable season, will carry an overall six-game winning streak and a four-game OVC victory string into today's 5 p.m. contest at the Show Me Center...

LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A suicidal eighth-grader who pulled a handgun in class and briefly took another child hostage was shot by a SWAT team member Friday when he later threatened deputies, Seminole County officials said. Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack and briefly took a fellow student hostage during a classroom scuffle...

MOSUL, Iraq -- Insurgents apparently shot down a U.S. Army reconnaissance helicopter in this northern city Friday, killing its two pilots, in the second fatal helicopter crash in Iraq in less than a week. One witness said he heard machine-gun fire before the helicopter crashed, and children told soldiers that the sound of gunfire came from three or four directions and that the helicopter was flying erratically, possibly trying to evade it...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran threatened Friday to end surprise inspections and other cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog if it is referred to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program, and the president vowed his country won't be intimidated by sanctions...

Tyco International to split into three companies TRENTON, N.J. -- Tyco International Ltd., still recovering from scandals that saw its longtime former chief executive sentenced to prison, said Friday it plans to split into three public companies. Carving Tyco's electronics and health care businesses from its remaining operations was expected, but Wall Street still punished the company on news the breakup would reduce profits, cost $1 billion and take a year to complete. ...

WASHINGTON -- Laura Bush predicted on Friday that the United States soon will have a female president -- a Republican, and maybe even Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. "I think it will happen for sure," Mrs. Bush said about a woman in the Oval Office...

Southeast Missouri State athletes swept all the Ohio Valley Conference indoor track and field athlete of the week awards during the first week of reporting. Freshman Whitney Thomas (female track athlete of the week), senior Heather Jenkins (female field athlete of the week), senior Alonzo Nelson (male track athlete of the week) and senior Andrew Lambert (male field athlete of the week) were honored for their performances during last month's season-opening Arkansas State Kickoff Classic...

To the editor: I cannot believe someone wrote a letter to the newspaper to display such narcissism about how much better looking he is compared to the stars of the movie "Killshot." Maybe that person should stop and think maybe there were hundreds or thousands of extras applications turned in and his didn't cut it. Or maybe it was a first-come, first-serve basis, and that person's application did not make it in time. But that's just my way of thinking...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Coach Mike Mularkey's abrupt resignation came as a shock to the Buffalo Bills. An even bigger surprise might be who refused to rule himself out as a candidate for the job -- Marv Levy. A week after taking over as the Bills general manager, and despite owner Ralph Wilson insisting Levy wouldn't be considered to replace Mularkey, the 80-year-old Hall of Fame coach declined to say he wasn't interested...

Cape Girardeau...

"Killshot" director John Madden and his film crew walked around downtown Cape Girardeau last week surveying camera angles for the filming that followed this week. Dressed in black, cell phones to their ears, they stood in the middle of the intersection of Broadway and Main Street, movie mafiosi surveying their new turf...

To the editor: Before the invasion of Iraq, then-White House budget director Mitch Daniels had this to say about the cost: "an affordable endeavor." He quickly dismissed the $100 billion to $200 billion estimate of then-Bush administration economic adviser Lawrence Lindsey as "very, very high." As it turns out they where both a little off...

HONOLULU -- Chad Campbell and Jim Furyk each shot 3-under 67 on Friday and were tied for the lead at the Sony Open going into a weekend that again will not include Michelle Wie. But as always, she kept it entertaining. With a 5-foot putt on the 18th hole for her seventh birdie of the round, the 16-year-old finished with a 2-under 68 to match her record from two years ago as the lowest score by a woman competing on a male tour...

ST. LOUIS -- Autographs from NL MVP Albert Pujols will go for $150 apiece and NL Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter's signature will fetch $90 -- all for charity at the St. Louis Cardinals' 10th annual Winter Warmup this weekend. Virtually the entire team will make appearances at the three-day event which begins today at a downtown hotel near the team's new stadium. ...

To the editor: We have completed four years of a successful venture in high school sports. I have always believed that the boys Christmas tournament is the premier basketball event in Southeast Missouri. This started when I first had the pleasure of playing in this tournament for three years, coaching for five years, assistant director for 16 years and now as tournament director for the past eight years...

Trashy interstate; Bring out the red carpet; Insurance for prisoners; Teachers' workload; A real star; Standing up for kilts; Existing code ignored; Get students involved; Prayer for heroes

Israel's interim leader wins high approval ratings; Bus, train crash in Russia kills at least 21 people; S. Korea, U.S. make deal on American beef imports

Everett E. Corey, 67, of Jackson died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006, in Jackson, with his family by his side. He was born July 19, 1938, in St. Louis, son of Everett A. and Gertrude Burgen Corey. He and Charlotte Welker were married Oct. 4, 1987, in Cape Girardeau...

Stubenrauch; Essner; Hemmila; Matrisotto; LaBelle; Shockley; Hindman

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Wilma C. Matlock, 82, of McClure died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006, at her home. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Linda Sue Maborn, 51, of Cairo died Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at the Cairo High School gymnasium from noon until service time today. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. today in the gymnasium, with Garlin White and Rickey Townsend officiating. Burial will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds...

BENTON, Mo. -- Lillian Dempster Scherer, 78, of Benton died Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Oct. 3, 1927, in Diehlstadt, Mo., daughter of Edwin R. and Mary Arlene Wills Dempster. She was a graduate of Diehlstadt High School. She and Sylvester "Bud" Scherer were married Feb. 10, 1948. He preceded her in death Dec. 22, 1976...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Verna M. Weber, 85, formerly of Frohna, Mo., died Friday, Jan . 13, 2006, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville, Mo. She was born Dec. 3, 1920, at Frohna, daughter of Theodore Benjamin and Flora Christiana Palisch Mangels. She and Edmund Walter Weber were married Sept. 29, 1940...

25 years ago: Jan. 14, 1981 A wealth of bills pertaining to corrections, probation and parole has prompted the formation of a new Senate Corrections Committee to be chaired by 27th District state Sen. John C. Dennis, D-Benton, Mo.; in addition to Dennis, five other Democrats and three Republicans have been appointed to the committee...

The Bloomfield Road project will now be done in two phases, allowing it to remain open longer, in response to concerns from residents. The first phase will involve work between Siemers Drive and Ramsey Creek Bridge. During this phase, the stretch of Bloomfield Road will be closed with a local detour. The detour will lead from Shawnee Parkway and cut cross-country on a small gravel road to the Stonebridge subdivision...

SAN FRANCISCO -- California's oldest death row inmate -- a 75-year-old who is legally blind and nearly deaf -- is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to do something it has never done before: block an execution because of the condemned man's advanced age and infirmity...

ST. LOUIS -- So they're long shots for a medal next month at the Turin Olympics. Rena Inoue and John Baldwin gave fans something to remember Friday night by successfully landing one of the most difficult maneuvers in pairs figure skating. Their throw triple axel was a first. No other couple -- not even the Russians and Chinese who have dominated this event -- have performed one...

WASHINGTON -- Soaring energy prices pushed wholesale inflation up in 2005 by the highest amount since 1990. Meanwhile, retail sales rose by a moderate 0.7 percent in December with almost all of the strength coming from higher car sales. The Labor Department reported that wholesale prices rose by a bigger-than-expected 0.9 percent in December, closing out a year when wholesale prices rose by 5.4 percent, the biggest advance since a 5.7 percent jump in 1990...

A second meeting will be held Monday night to discuss options and gather support for the restoration of the old Benton High School. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a tour of the facility and continue at 7:30 p.m. with a meeting at the Scott County Courthouse. Those interested in attending or seeking more information can call Jeff Scherer at (573) 545-3125 or Christy LeGrand at (573) 545-3111...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Grass fires driven by high winds destroyed at least 24 homes and forced hundreds of evacuations in Oklahoma, which remained extremely dry despite snowfall earlier in the week. The worst fire raged in southern Oklahoma near Ratliff City, where it burned through at least 20 homes overnight, said Michelle Finch, fire information officer for the Oklahoma Forestry Department. ...

Associated Press Writer DAMADOLA, Pakistan -- An airstrike in a remote Pakistani tribal area killed at least 17 people on Friday, and a senior Pakistani official said the target was a suspected al-Qaida hideout that may have been frequented by high-level operatives, possibly the No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri...

The Central boys basketball team played without two starters Friday night and suffered a 79-74 road loss to hot-shooting New Madrid County Central. Point guard Jajuan Bell was benched because of disciplinary reasons, while forward Garrett Ozbun sat out with a broken nose suffered during Saturday's win over Parkway South...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt DWIs Arrests Assaults Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous Cape Girardeau County The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County sheriff's office. Arrests do not imply guilt...

MECCA, Saudi Arabia -- Pilgrims who ignored instructions to leave behind baggage and others who joined the rituals illegally, swelling the huge crowds, caused the stampede that killed 363 people during the Islamic hajj pilgrimage, Saudi authorities said Friday...

WORCESTER, Mass. -- The inmate on trial for strangling a child-molesting defrocked priest, John Geoghan, considered himself a savior of abused youngsters, an investigator testified Friday. Lt. Edward Hammond, an internal affairs investigator for the state Department of Correction, interviewed inmate Joseph Druce after Geoghan's slaying in August 2003...

WASHINGTON -- Arizona conservative Rep. John Shadegg jumped into the contest to become the No. 2 Republican in the House on Friday, shaking up a touchy contest about the party's direction in what could be a difficult election year. Shadegg joins Missouri Rep. ...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- They will probably look for scorch marks and melted plastic, examine equipment for signs of a short-circuit, establish whether the methane detectors were working and take air samples to check for highly combustible coal dust. They will also take notice of where the bodies lay, track the victims' footprints and perhaps look for farewell notes in the miners' lunch pails...

AmerenUE must submit a plan Tuesday for restoring the Black River by eliminating the suspended clay and other solids that turned the once-clear stream a cloudy gray. The change in water quality is one of the lingering effects of the reservoir rupture on Proffit Mountain that sent more than 1 billion gallons of water crashing through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. ...

The Roman centurion wanted Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant (Matthew 8), but added, "I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed." Jesus commended the soldier's "great faith" and announced, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." Verse 13 reports, "And his servant was healed that same hour."...

Christ Church offers an illustrated message for youth; Trivia night scheduled for Jan. 28 at St. Joseph; Parents' night out, valentine's party planned at Grace UMC; Grace UMC collects food for FISH pantry this month; Monday - Wednesday; Thursday; Friday - Jan. 21; Sunday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In some of his pharmacies, Matt Hartwig doesn't even stock emergency contraception because so few women ask for it that it would go out of date on the shelf. But Hartwig has filled prescriptions for the morning-after pill in the past and is willing to in the future...

While you can't go home again, you can work near there if you don't mind the long hours. Kirsten Short, 28, of Charlotte, N.C., has learned that lesson while working as an assistant accountant for "Killshot." A Cape Girardeau native, Short has been staying with her parents while working in a makeshift office in a hotel room...

It's true that Austin Peay is relying on several freshmen to fill key roles this season. But it's also true that the Governors' main men continue to be their two senior stalwarts who have already been a part of two Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship teams, along with three squads that reached OVC tournament title games...

Divorce. The former U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy under George W. Bush, Douglas Feith, called it the opposite of peace; and it's certainly caused conflict in many religious settings over the years. Many denominations' stance on the issue has softened in recent decades however, making divorce less taboo in some churches...