Stories from Thursday, January 26, 2006

Jan. 26, 2006 Dear Pat, A remarkable newspaper story appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle soon after I moved to California in the 1970s. It was about a boy of 5 or 6 who had died of leukemia. During his illness he had insisted to his parents that he wanted to die peacefully instead of fighting death in a hospital. They honored his wish...

The president and chief executive officer of National Public Radio will speak at Southeast Missouri State University on March 14 in conjunction with the 15th anniversary celebration of KRCU, the local NPR radio station. Kevin Klose is scheduled to speak at 6:30 p.m. in Dempster Hall's Glenn Auditorium. He will discuss the current state of National Public Radio. The event is free and open to the public...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The sparring match between Mayor Paul Farris and the city council continued Wednesday when four council members found a locked door as they attempted to assemble. City hall was locked up and office workers were sent home early before the four could meet to address agenda items Farris refused to consider during the regular session Tuesday evening. At that meeting, Farris ordered police to clear the council chambers without a vote to adjourn...

WASHINGTON -- As debate in Missouri intensifies over a proposed ballot initiative on stem-cell research, so does the pressure on Sen. Jim Talent to step into the fray. So far, the Missouri Republican has largely remained on the sidelines, declining to take a direct position on a constitutional amendment that would safeguard stem-cell research and treatments in the state...

A Southeast Missouri not-for-profit group will soon receive a $200,000 grant for autism research. The money awarded to the Cape Girardeau-based Tailor Institute will come from the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Dr. David Crowe heads the institue, which is named for his 24-year-old son, Taylor, who is autistic. Dr. Crowe said he hopes this money will allow the institute to become the foremost research facility in the world studying high-functioning autism...

The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a series of regional workshops to discuss statewide transportation needs, trends and conditions and improvements to Missouri's transportation policies and strategies. The workshops are open to the public...

WASHINGTON -- The number of women-owned businesses, many of them one-person enterprises, grew at twice the national rate for all private companies from 1997 to 2002. About 28 percent of all private companies were owned by women in 2002, according to the report being released today by the Census Bureau...

"That's my habit -- whether I'm driving or riding, I belt up. My volleyball season was cut short, but my life wasn't. I'll play again next season because I took an extra moment to click -- will you?" That is the plea Rachel Beydler makes in a 30-second public service announcement that won the 16-year-old Sikeston High School sophomore $1,000 in a statewide competition called "Restrain Yourself."...

Cape Girardeau resident Joe Dirden recently participated in a nuclear-powered submarine "Tiger Cruise," aboard the USS Key West, one of the U.S. Navy's Los Angeles class Fast Attack stealth weapons. The submarine is homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...

Associated Press Writer CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Dee Brown scored 17 points and freshman Jamar Smith had 16 as No. 8 Illinois extended its home winning streak to a school-record 32 games with a 77-53 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday night. With Brown and Smith hitting from the outside, James Augustine, Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle were able to get open shots inside and combined for 30 points as the Illini (18-2, 4-2 Big Ten) worked relentlessly to push the ball down low whenever possible...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Curtis Stinson scored 27 points for the third straight game and Iowa State was 25-for-27 at the free throw line, pulling away in the second half of an 82-58 victory over Missouri on Wednesday night. The road is no longer a problem for the Cyclones (13-6, 3-3 Big 12), who ended a 28-game conference road losing streak last year. They've won six of their last eight conference road games, and ended a five-game slump at Missouri...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush and his top national security advisers are trying to change the debate -- and even the vocabulary -- about the National Security Agency's controversial electronic monitoring program. Don't call it domestic spying, they say. It's a terrorist surveillance program...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A man on the run for 10 days since injuring nine people at a hotel party was arrested at his sister's apartment near Fort Worth, Texas, police and U.S. Marshals said Wednesday. Curtis B. Sharp, 25, had been wanted since the Jan. 15 shooting at the Motel 7 in Missouri's third-largest city. He is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Amid tight security and a sea of green and yellow flags, Palestinians turned out in record numbers Wednesday for their first parliamentary election in a decade and exit polls projected that the ruling Fatah Party would win the most seats, but showed that Islamic militants made a strong showing...

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Douglas A. Edwards, son of Kaye and Douglas Edwards of Cape Girardeau, and his fellow shipmates are in the middle of a scheduled deployment while assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, homeported in Norfolk, Va. Edwards' unit conducted more than 4,000 sorties and provided surveillance, reconnaissance and close air support to ground forces in Iraq. Edwards is a 1999 graduate of Central High School. He joined the Navy in August 2001...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Richard Hatch, who won $1 million in the debut season of the reality show "Survivor," was found guilty Wednesday of failing to pay taxes on his winnings and taken straight to jail. U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres said he was a potential flight risk...

n 9:30 a.m. Feb. 13 and Feb. 16 storytime at Jackson for ages 1 to 8. "Heart Month" is the topic. 1:15 p.m. Feb. 15, storytime at Oran...

Survivor of W.Va. mine explosion out of coma MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The sole survivor of a mine explosion that killed 12 fellow miners emerged from a light coma Wednesday but still cannot speak, his doctor said. Randal McCloy Jr., who had been in a coma since his Jan. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Blacks who smoke up to a pack a day are far more likely than whites who smoke similar amounts to develop lung cancer, suggesting genes may help explain the racial differences long seen in the disease, researchers say. The largest study ever done on the subject also found that Hispanic and Asian smokers were less likely than black smokers to develop the disease -- at least up to a point. ...

To the editor; In response to the story "Wayne Co. native takes part in film on Ecuador tribe": I think your article is outrageous. Two things need to be addressed about it. First, the "Woadoni" are the Huaorani (WAH-oh-RAH-nee), which means "the people" in their language. Second, the Huaorani indeed killed Nate Saints and his party, not because they were bloodthirsty, but because their warning to stay outside their territories was not respected...

Inez Hardy, 91, formerly of Glen Carbon, Ill., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at her home in Jackson. She was born in Kortcamp, Ill., daughter of Edward and Sophie Brasche Daech. She and Lester Hardy were married in 1951. He preceded her in death in 1968...

It takes two to tango, the saying goes, and Cape Girardeau officials and residents affected by the planned Bloomfield Road improvements scheduled to start in April have become pretty good ballroom dancers. When the city first announced its construction schedule to widen Bloomfield from Siemers Drive and Stonebridge Drive, the aim was to limit the inconvenience to local motorists by closing the street, which would speed up the construction. ...

To the editor: The Missouri Department of Revenue says it's cracking down on identity theft with its Show Me Proof customer-friendly program. When I renewed my driver's license, the clerk replaced my Social Security number with a new system-generated number and my post office box address with my physical address. Then she replaced my current middle name, which is my last name from my first marriage, with the middle name on my birth certificate...

Hollywood experience; Thanks for the help; No correlation; Seasonal lesson; Need new flag

Crossing the finish line after a 26.2-mile run -- certainly a reason to celebrate for any human being -- has become old hat for Eric Heins. But when the Southeast Missouri State cross country coach reached the line Jan. 15 at the end of the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, it had special meaning...

To the editor: Just a short reminder for some who would criticize the great job our soldiers under the leadership of commander-in-chief George W. Bush are doing in the war against terrorism and terrorists. During World War II, led by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, an infamous voice dubbed Tokyo Rose was broadcast repeatedly from Tokyo to our military men all over the world. The voice carried three points that it hammered home incessantly:...

TAMMS, Ill. -- John Orsburn, 61, of Tamms died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms from 5 p.m. to service time Friday. A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Clint Nale officiating...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Allene Helderman, 85, of Advance died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at her home. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Edna E. Boyd, 88, of Mounds died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Dec. 15, 1917, in Lamar, Ark., daughter of Wiley M. and Mary Alice Lewis Epperson. She and Walker T. Boyd were married Sept. 5, 1943, in Sikeston. He died Nov. 16, 1979...

25 years ago: Jan. 26, 1981 Cape Girardeau County Court receives a check in the amount of $690.51 as its first reimbursement from the Missouri Tax Commission for reassessment work; Cape Girardeau County is one of three counties which received the first reimbursements made by the commission this year, as part of $15 million the commission intends to spend on reimbursing reassessment work in Missouri counties...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Lloyd C. "Squeak" Hutson, 83, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at his home. He was born Feb. 20, 1922, at Delta, son of Columbus W. and Bertha Ann Williams Hutson. He and Hazel Maxine Bollinger were married Jan. 24, 1948, at Lutesville, Mo...

James Mawery, 39, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born April 14, 1966, in St. Louis. Mawery was a 1985 graduate of Central High School. He was a member of the House of Prayer. Survivors include a son, James Andrea Mawery of Cape Girardeau, and a brother, Mark Mawery of St. Louis...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Brenda Carol Freeland, 52, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at her home. She was born Nov. 18, 1953, at Holcomb, Mo., daughter of William Athel and Ada Louise Reese Johnson. She and Steve Freeland were married June 5, 1971. Freeland was a cashier and sales associate at the One-Stop Store in Chaffee...

Virginia Lee Grueneberg, 68, of Florissant, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at her home. She was born Aug. 26, 1937, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Willard and Inez Hickam Nichols. Grueneberg had been a bookkeeper. She lived in Cape Girardeau 19 years...

Violent crimes rise sharply in St. Louis in 2005 ST. LOUIS -- Violent crimes rose sharply in St. Louis last year, but police say the city's overall crime rate is still down considerably from the mid-1990s. Police statistics released Wednesday showed 8,321 crimes against people in 2005, up 19.6 percent from 2004. ...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

The St. Denis Men's Club of Benton, Mo., will hold a breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Feb. 12 at their Parish Center. The menu consists of homemade whole hog sausage, ham, scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, coffee, juice and milk. Children 5 and under eat free...

Scott County emergency training set for February The Scott County Emergency Management Agency, in cooperation with the Scott County Citizen Corps Council and Scott County Community Emergency Response Teams, offers free training to the public as well as school, church, and community groups in disaster preparedness. ...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library is offering these events for February:...

Briefly The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center has announced that a contract to continue to provide WIC services for federal fiscal year 2006 has been signed with the Missouri Department of Health. Under the terms of the contract, the health department will be able to serve 1,490 people eligible for WIC every month. ...

A 17-year-old boy was killed behind a Cape Girardeau furniture store Wednesday night. The death of the boy behind Du-Shell's Furniture, 2103 William St., appeared to be the result of a gunshot, according to Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton...

When state government issues orders to county governments, it oftentimes doesn't send enough money along to pay the costs. Or, county commissioners from across the region said Wednesday, there's no money at all. The complaints came during a wide-ranging discussion among more than 20 area county commissioners. They met in Cape Girardeau to discuss priorities for the Missouri Legislature and to plan strategies for meeting common goals...

FORT MEADE, Md. -- President Bush defended his spying program on new grounds Wednesday, visiting the ultra-secret facility where the government monitors electronic communications. After a tour of the National Security Agency, Bush said employees there who are secretly monitoring phone calls and Internet traffic are learning what terrorists are plotting against America. Bush said they are taking Osama bin Laden seriously when he says he's going to attack again...

Pope's first encyclical discusses charity, love, sex VATICAN CITY -- Pope Benedict XVI said in his first encyclical Wednesday that the Roman Catholic Church has a duty through its charitable work to influence political leaders to ease suffering and promote justice. ...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It was not a little jarring several years ago when NASCAR fans began arriving at racetracks in Toyota Tundra trucks and other vehicles built by foreign manufacturers. Now, Japanese automaker Toyota is preparing to leave the parking lot and drive into that bastion of American auto racing and culture -- NASCAR's Nextel Cup series...

West Park Lanes Submitted Jan. 23 Men High games: Bruce Turner 287, Ron McCulley 277, Scott Griggs 268, Cory Murphy 268, Jim Simpson 266, Trae Bertrand 265, Mark Lugge 258, Mike Edgar 257, Eldon Fornkohl 256, Mark James 256, Matt Bass 256, Tom Siebert 256, Matt Weldon 255, Sam Bell 255, Robert Forester 250, Bruce Anglin 249, Bill Cox 247, David James 247, Tom Halter 247, Charlie Herbst 246, Darryl James 246, Jason Brothers 246, Josh Sanders 245, James Lyerla 244, Jason Evans 244...

When you're strapped to a table and bordering on unconsciousness, it's good to know someone is in your corner. More specifically, someone is stationed next to you watching out for every aspect of your well-being -- a nurse anesthetist. Certified registered nurse anesthetists are this week celebrating 75 years as an organization -- the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists -- but they have been comforting patients in surgical settings since the Civil War...

It's not hard to figure out what has made the big difference during Southeast Missouri State's season-best four-game winning streak. At least not in coach B.J. Smith's eyes. Defense had definitely done the trick. "The key to us not playing well was how we were not guarding," Smith said. "Now the key is the way we are guarding."...

The Scott City girls basketball team remained winless with a 63-31 loss Wednesday at home against Ste. Genevieve. The Rams fell to 0-14. Ste. Genevieve led 22-11 after one quarter. Kelley Hicks and Donielle Howell led Scott City with eight points apiece...

Gov. Matt Blunt wants to sell Missouri's student-loan agency and use the estimated $400 million in proceeds to fund new buildings, student scholarships and endowed professorships on college campuses. The proposal includes $5 million toward an $18.6 million life-science lab at Southeast Missouri State University's planned research park along Interstate 55. The remaining $13.6 million would have to come from local sources...

ST. LOUIS -- It's called the Black River, but the Southeast Missouri waterway has been more of a gunky brown since the reservoir at AmerenUE's Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant was breached in December. On Wednesday, AmerenUE crews began a three-day process they said should have the water back to normal as early as this weekend...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Hundreds of people rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday, demanding lawmakers make it harder to take private property through condemnation for redevelopment by others. The crowd, which included a mix of people organized by The Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Eminent Domain Abuse Coalition, urged lawmakers to allow the taking of private property only for public uses, such as roads and utility lines...

WASHINGTON -- The five-year housing boom is showing increased signs of cooling, and that's likely to mean slower growth for the entire national economy. The big question now is whether home prices will come crashing to earth with even more severe consequences...

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Kim Clijsters took over as No. 1 in women's tennis, and she got there by defeating someone who used to rule the sport. Clijsters won her Australian Open quarterfinal match Wednesday over Martina Hingis, who was making her Grand Slam comeback after three years of retirement. The victory moved Clijsters into a semifinal earlier today against Amelie Mauresmo...

Morehead State coach Kyle Macy expected his team to experience some growing pains this year, since the Eagles returned just two players from last season. But the Eagles (1-15, 0-10 Ohio Valley Conference) have perhaps struggled even a bit more than Macy envisioned as they enter tonight's 7:30 game at Southeast Missouri State (6-11, 3-8)...

We all know that baby boomers are getting blamed for bankrupting Social Security for future generations. But we aren't all bad. Did you know that we are also being held responsible for lowering the crime rate, according to a recent article in the LA Times?...

With the high school basketball playoffs looming around the corner, coaches will spend more time watching film and preparing game plans in the hopes of bringing home a district championship. For 10 of the area's boys basketball coaches at MSHSAA-member schools, preparing for games isn't the only thing on their schedules. Coaches who serve as athletic directors also have administrative duties such as preparing schedules, lining up referees and working out practice schedules...

A New Madrid, Mo., man was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine-making drugs. Kenny Lynn Tollison, 42, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey for one felony count of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing it would be used to manufacture meth, and one count of possession of a firearm. ...