Stories from Wednesday, June 21, 2006

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- It's over. Four years of delays, appeals and objections, and the sexual abuse case against a Marble Hill, Mo., church leader is over. On the eve of his trial, 71-year-old Hurley Dixon, who now lives in North Carolina, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the sexual assault of a mentally handicapped woman...

Gov. Matt Blunt came to Cape Girardeau Tuesday to unveil his initiative to help smaller communities secure funds for downtown revitalization. Speaking in the plaza in front of the KFVS12 building, Blunt said help is needed in much of small-town Missouri, though not as urgently in Cape Girardeau, where urban renewal has long been a high priority...

Democrats in Southeast Missouri hope their first real rally in more than 20 years will mark the beginning of a turnaround for a political party that has been abused at the ballot boxes by their Republican rivals for decades. "The fact is, I think the Democrats got lazy and took things for granted. That's what happens when you don't make the effort," said Annis Fortner, an organizer of Saturday evening's rally in Dexter, Mo., and vice chairwoman of Stoddard County's Democratic committee...

The niece of Bonnie Huffman has a message to a letter writer who claims to have information about her aunt's murder 52 years ago. "If his conscience bothered him enough to write a letter two years ago, then I hope it's bothering him more today," said Wanda Ross...

A Cape Girardeau woman reported she was raped in her bed by an intruder, police said Tuesday. The 18-year-old was sleeping in a bedroom of her apartment on the northeast side of town when she woke up to the sound of her front door opening and closing around 9 a.m. Monday, police spokesman Jason Selzer said...

The mall's name change is official: West Park Mall is back. The new owner of the former Westfield West Park on Monday officially completed its acquisition of six shopping centers, including the one in Cape Girardeau. Centro Watt, the firm that announced its intentions to buy the malls last month, said the joint-venture company's first order of business was to change the name of the malls back to what they had been called prior to Westfield buying them...

ZALMA, Mo. -- Six 4-foot-tall marijuana plants were found in the closet of a Bollinger County man, who was arrested for the clandestine cannabis. Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, officers from the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department issued a search warrant for the suspect's home on County Road 614 near Route W in rural Zalma around 9:30 p.m. Monday, chief deputy Leo McElrath said...

A 90-day sentence was handed down this week for a woman who punched a police officer when he pulled her over for drunken driving in Cape Girardeau. Circuit Judge William Syler sentenced Mary M. Chalmers, 29, of Jackson Monday to 90 days in prison for misdemeanor assault of a law enforcement officer. ...

DALLAS -- Dwyane Wade dazzled Dallas one last time -- and with a sizzling four-game comeback, the Miami Heat are NBA champions for the first time. Just as Shaquille O'Neal and coach Pat Riley predicted nine years apart, there will be a parade in South Florida...

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for information to determine if a stream can or does support swimming or other recreational activities. Those that are designated for swimming must meet more stringent bacteria standards to protect the public. ...

WASHINGTON -- Federal and local police across the country -- as well as some of the nation's best-known companies -- have been gathering Americans' phone records from private data brokers without subpoenas or warrants. These brokers, many of whom market aggressively across the Internet, have broken into customer accounts online, tricked phone companies into revealing information and sometimes acknowledged that their practices violate laws, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.. ...

A comic book used the name of the former Blues player without his permission. ST. LOUIS -- A Missouri appeals court has upheld a $15 million jury verdict against a comic strip creator for using the name of former NHL enforcer Tony Twist without his permission...

CHICAGO -- Joe Crede and A.J. Pierzynski homered during an 11-run, 12-hit third inning Tuesday night and the Chicago White Sox used their biggest scoring output in a decade to rout the St. Louis Cardinals 20-6. Pierzynski and Paul Konerko had three RBIs each in the third-inning outburst that featured seven straight hits off Mark Mulder...

DALLAS -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 by the NBA on Tuesday for his outbursts following Game 5 of the NBA finals. Cuban was cited for "several acts of misconduct" committed after Dallas lost 101-100 in overtime to the Heat in Miami on Sunday night...

Nadine E. Quentin, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 19, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Aug. 15, 1913, in Granite City, Ill., daughter of Leonard and Lillie Skaggs Tedder. She and Gustav R. Quentin were married in St. Louis. He preceded her in death April 5, 1975...

Veterans whose illnesses have been linked to Agent Orange exposure are invited to the Stars and Stripes Museum in Bloomfield, Mo., July 22 to receive the Order of the Silver Rose, a medal created just for them. The Vietnam Living History Day event at the museum July 22 will honor all Vietnam veterans...

Colleges; Tennis

Thanks to veterans; Taxi stipulations; Thanks P&Z; Shredder needed; Story did not glorify; Where are the signs?; One-way vs. two-way; Praise for golf course; K-I-T-C-H-E-N; Campaign question; Maize or corn?; Miller series engaging; Blinded by hatred; Military credentials; Sign suggestion; Sign rebellion

James "J.R." Dodd, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 19, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 10, 1929, in Manila, Ark., son of Truman Elder and Ruby Dodd. He and Bonnie Jean Flowers were married Jan. 22, 1952, in Manila. She died Oct. 10, 1999...

Ruby T. Harrison, 64, of Camden, Tenn., died Sunday, June 18, 2006, at Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tenn. She was born July 14, 1941, in Stockton, Calif., daughter of Roy and Yaeme D. Nada Murakami Sr. She married James "Woody" Harrison. Harrison had worked in the dietary department at a nursing home, and had worked in a factory. She was a member of Tennessee River Baptist Church...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Dean Loftin, 88, of Olive Branch died Monday, June 19, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 25, 1918, at Commerce, Mo., son of Henry and Martha Clark Loftin. He married Karen McClarney May 1, 1968, at Morley, Mo...

OMAHA, Neb. -- David Cooper went 5-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, including the go-ahead single in the eighth inning, in Cal State Fullerton's 7-6 victory over top-seeded Clemson in the College World Series on Tuesday. The fifth-seeded Titans (50-14) came from behind for the second straight game and will face North Carolina on Wednesday. Fullerton would have to beat the Tar Heels twice to win Bracket 1 and reach the best-of-three championship series this weekend...

BARRINGTON, R.I. -- Nick Price teamed with Tim Clark to win the CVS Charity Classic best-ball tournament Tuesday, with Price holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff against Brad Faxon and Mike Weir. Both teams closed with a 9-under 62s to finish at 19-under 123 on the Rhode Island Country Club course. Weir forced the playoff with a 5-foot birdie putt on the final hole of regulation in the two-day tournament...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The sad discovery came after a massive weekend search involving 8,000 U.S. and Iraqi troops -- the remains of two missing American soldiers near an electrical plant just a few miles from where they had disappeared. But the troops could not immediately recover the bodies late Monday: An Iraqi civilian in the area warned them to be alert for bombs...

CARTERVILLE, Mo. -- The family of a man who was shot to death by a Carterville police officer three years ago has reached a settlement with the city and police department. If the settlement is approved by a court, the city's insurance company and police department will pay $99,000 to the family of Jessie C. Hembree, of Webb City...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams have restructured their front office, eliminating the general manager position and naming two vice presidents. The Rams on Tuesday named Tony Softli as vice president for player personnel. Softli, who was formerly director of college scouting for the Carolina Panthers, will lead the player personnel department that will include longtime general manager Charley Armey, whose new title is vice president for pro personnel...

Germany cruised into the second round of the World Cup on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over Ecuador that exhibited flashes of the form that made it a three-time champion. While Poland beat Costa Rica 2-1 in Hanover in a game between two already eliminated teams, Germany moved on as Group A winner, with Ecuador in second place...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- There was more scoring, plenty of intriguing story lines and hardly anyone watching at home in the U.S. The first Stanley Cup finals of the post-lockout era showcased all the positive steps taken by the NHL to get over its debilitating labor dispute -- but also highlighted the daunting challenge of persuading anyone beyond the hard-core fans to notice...

BENTON, Mo. -- John Grady Corbitt, 76, of Red Bud, Ill., died Tuesday, June 20, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, Ill. He was born Sept. 28,1929, in Camden, Tenn., son of Meredith Smith and Ila Jane Wiseman Corbitt. He and Lois Anita Reed were married Sept. 8, 1949, at Charter Oak, Mo...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Celestine Marie Eeftink, 81, of Marble Hill died Monday, June 19, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 20, 1924, at Leopold, Mo., daughter of Anthony and Rose Vandoren Stoverink. She and Lawrence Eeftink were married Sept. 13, 1947, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold...

Harrell; Riley

Zonta Club; Wonderworkers FCE; Capaha Scottish Rite Women's Club; Cape County Chapter of AARP

25 years ago: June 21,1981 Riverfest co-chairman Pete Poe declares the festival a "great success" and estimates the two-day attendance at between 25,000 and 28,000; rain was constantly a threat to this year's Riverfest; the organizers held their breaths Friday, when early morning rains drenched the city and flooded parts of it...

The opening round of the 99th Missouri Amateur Championship on Tuesday at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City got off to a rocky start for the five local entries competing. Ben Brumitt, a Poplar Bluff High School graduate who currently resides in Cape Girardeau, shot a 77 to finish seven strokes off the lead on the par 72 layout. Bryan Norton on Mission Hills, Kan., shot a 70 for the first-round lead. Norton held a three-stroke lead over six players, who all shot 73s...

This Japanese-inspired card by Southeast Missouri scrapbooker Sue Stephens could be used for nearly any occasion. To make the card: Cut out of solid color cardstock a piece with dimensions of 1 and 3/8-inch-by-4 and 1/8-inch and two pieces 1/2-inch-by-2-inch...

Cape Girardeau public schools will receive an estimated $480,000 more in state aid next school year, the first boost in state funding for the district in more than a dozen years. Cape Girardeau school officials and state Sen. Jason Crowell welcomed the increased funding under a new state funding formula that will be phased in over the next seven fiscal years...

To the editor: Addiction is a disease. Chemical imbalances involving the brain's neuro-receptors and synapses are recognized as causes of this disease. In addition, having a parent with this disease increases one's risk of developing it...

To the editor: I recently read a letter concerning Ann Coulter, the author of numerous scathing political works. Let me enlighten the man who praised her. Ann Coulter is as crazy as they come. She is the right-wing "It" girl simply because of her bleached hair and her striking similarities to an anorexia patient. ...

To the editor: I have seen the face of the nation change in many respects. I've seen the rise and fall of the Democrats and now am watching the fall of the Republicans. I've seen the weather change. When I was a kid, for many days you could slide down a hill on a sled. ...

The following information was released by the office of U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway for defendants in who appeared in federal court Monday before U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton SENTENCED Name: Ricardo M. Bedoya, aka Esteban C. Colon Age: 63...

Cape Girardeau...

NEW ORLEANS -- Nine months after they rode to the rescue in the desperate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, National Guardsmen carrying M-16s returned to the city Tuesday to reinforce a depleted police department and battle a surge in violence. The 100 or so soldiers will patrol the streets in ravaged neighborhoods left deserted by Katrina, freeing up police officers to concentrate on more heavily populated sections...

TOKYO -- Japan's announcement Tuesday that it would immediately start pulling its ground troops from Iraq brought to a close a mission that symbolized the country's push to take a more assertive role in world affairs. Defense chief Fukushiro Nukaga ordered the withdrawal to begin Tuesday and said it would take weeks. ...

SEMO Gators win title in Mississippi The SEMO Gators 10-and-under baseball team won the championship of the June Jam Tournament in Southaven, Miss., improving its record in USSSA play to 21-2 this season. The Gators are ranked No. 1 among 20 Missouri teams playing at the AAA level and are eighth in the national rankings. They have won five tournaments and placed second in the other event they entered...

Residents who took part in a public hearing on county roads showed so much concern about dust control that the Cape Girardeau County Commission wants information about the costs of taking action. In their meeting Thursday, commissioners will hear options from county highway administrator Scott Bechtold, Commissioner Jay Purcell said Tuesday...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The tradition-rich Plaza Tire Capahas have dominated the all-time series against the upstart Riverdogs, although in recent seasons several of the games were close. That, however, has not been the case so far this year. The Capahas posted their third lopsided victory over the Riverdogs in the past eight days, winning 14-3 on the road Tuesday night...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hopes for swift negotiations with Luke Hochevar, Kansas City's overall No. 1 draft pick, may soon begin to fade. The Royals have made an offer to the big right-handed starter, who sat out all last year after refusing a $2.98 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But they're still waiting for a counteroffer from Scott Boras, his California-based agent, who has represented other clients with whom Kansas City had trouble reaching agreements...

Central's struggling volleyball program has shown signs of growth in its three years under coach Maile Gannon, becoming competitive while slowly inching toward a .500 record. If the Tigers are going to turn the corner and become a winning program, they will have to do it under another coach's watch. Gannon was recently hired as the head coach of rival Jackson...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Supporters of renewing the state's parks and soil sales tax kicked off their campaign Tuesday, saying the money has benefited people across the state. Missouri voters will consider in August whether to extend the one-tenth cent sales tax to help fund state parks and fight soil erosion. ...

Alice Roosevelt Longworth once described her father, Theodore Roosevelt, as someone who wanted to be "the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral." At the inaugural evening session of the Chautauqua at the Osage Community Centre, historian Doug Mishler strived to live up to that image by bringing the energetic, outspoken Roosevelt to life. ...

TOKYO -- North Korea declared Tuesday it has a right to carry out long-range missile tests, despite international calls for the communist state to refrain from launching a rocket believed capable of reaching the United States. The bristling statement from North Korea to Japanese reporters in Pyongyang came as France and the U.N. secretary-general raised the alarm over what are believed to be the reclusive nation's preparations for a test of the Taepodong-2, with a range of up to 9,300 miles...

There has been a lot of talk lately in Cape Girardeau about downtown revitalization. A lot of talk about trying to recapture some of the energy that once built this river town. Gov. Blunt flew into town to speak about the topic, and Old Town Cape never stops. Urban renewal is hot, and I can see why...

Every once in a while I have to clean up the recipe files and include those that I have had piling up. Today is that day. There is a variety of recipes for you to try, including a chowder recipe. Some of us enjoy soups and chowders year round. If you are not one of those, clip it and save it for cooler fall and winter weather...

My long-suffering father has put up with many "creative" building schemes as designed by his crazy, yet undeniably endearing, only daughter. There have been successes -- a geometric bookcase and matching TV stand -- and failures-- the TV stand that looked more like a 1950s robot. Through it all Dad mostly smiles. He explains to me the faults in my lackluster drafting skills and ill-conceived plots. And he helps me build it or fix it anyway...

NEW YORK -- Dan Rather, the hard-charging anchorman who dominated CBS News for more than two decades but whose final months were clouded by a discredited story on the president's military service, is leaving CBS after 44 years, the network announced Tuesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent last month, better than the April figure and also besting the national rate, federal labor data shows. Missouri's rate was below the national level of 4.6 percent and a full point below the state's May 2005 rate of 5.4 percent. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Missouri was among the top six states in the country for its jobless rate decrease over the past year...

The only campaign promises judges should make, Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Wolff recently opined, is to decide their cases fairly and always follow the law. Because unlike political candidates, he said, judges are handcuffed by the law and their opinions on issues don't really matter...

A nursing shortage. Tort reform. Long-term health-care. In addition to the formidable job of overseeing a 254-bed regional medical center and its 1,800 employees, Steve Bjelich knows running a hospital means you have to be well versed in a lot of issues...

Last month, I was lucky enough to attend a conference at Osage Beach, at Tan-Tar-A Resort no less, which sits directly on the banks of the wonderfully scenic Lake of the Ozarks. The focus of the two-day event was to give advice to small-town community leaders on how to capitalize on living in rural Missouri...

Glenn Campbell's cell-phone voice mail is telling: After asking callers to leave a message, he can't help but make a pitch for his company. "No matter where you're at," he says jovially, "wear a hat." Campbell jokes that if it sounds hokey, blame the marketing professors at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. After all, that's where he honed his marketing skills...

In March 2005, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, flanked by Cape Girardeau-area doctors and lawmakers, touted a new tort reform law at a ceremonial bill signing at a local hospital. Blunt said the law makes wide-ranging litigation and medical malpractice reforms to address what he said was a medical crisis in the state...

Missouri is, of course, known as the "Show-Me State." Some 66 years ago, Missourians showed the nation a pioneering method for minimizing politics from the selection of judges: the Non-Partisan Court Plan. It remains, by any reasonable analysis, the most effective way of ensuring that judges remain as separate as possible from politics...

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld describes a lawyer as being like the only kid playing a board game who has actually read the rules of the game. When the dice are rolled and a piece lands on a particular spot, all eyes turn to the only kid who read the rules to find out what happens next. Another wag likened trial judges to football referees. Both preside over rough-and-tumble contests to make sure each side plays by the rules...

Bankruptcies filed through May for the Southeastern Division of the Eastern District of Missouri's U.S. Bankruptcy Court are listed below with their corresponding case number. The Southeastern Division includes the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne. Court is held in Cape Girardeau...

Commercial building permits recorded at the Cape Girardeau Division of Inspection Services Office during May. Penzel Construction Co., 720 Bertling, Christ Church of the Heartland, expansion, $9,545,000 Knoebel Construction Co., 201 S. Mount Auburn, Knoebel Construction, remodel, $216,933...

Cape Girardeau County Tax liens and lien discharges recorded at the office of Janet Robert, Cape Girardeau County recorder of deeds, during the month of May are filed by the Missouri Department of Revenue except as indicated by IRS designation. For information concerning the dollar amount of the liens, contact the recorder's office at 243-8123...

Transport Refrigeration, 3359 Highway 34, Cape Girardeau Ship N Go, 1131 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau Rapid Rooter, 124 Wyandet Lane, Cape Girardeau Plaza Pharmacy, 1701 Lacey, Cape Girardeau Tap Enterprises, 1333 N. Sprigg, Cape Girardeau Smokey Mountain Art Glass, 611 Greensferry Road, Jackson...

An industrial fixture in Poplar Bluff has begun a major expansion of operations to be completed within the next two years. Mid-Continent Nail, one of the largest domestic nail manufacturers in the country, will invest more than $1.45 million and create more than 50 full-time jobs at its manufacturing operation in Poplar Bluff Industrial Park. The company currently employs about 140 workers...

Patients, naturally, want good, qualified doctors. But so do hospitals. That means that simply being a licensed physician does not guarantee doctors will be granted hospital privileges, area hospital executives say. Hospital privileges are the "prescriptions" that allow physicians to perform certain procedures or operations, or even to admit a patient...

Picture a warm summer night, a little breezy if you're lucky. It's Friday. You just got off work and there's a sense of anticipation and freedom from the routine of the work-week. Now it's time to head downtown, kick back on the grass on the Common Pleas courthouse lawn, and get into some music...

Prevailing wisdom among loss prevention experts is that 10 percent of the population are so honest they'll return a dime they found on a business's doorstep. With another 10 percent, you have to watch your back pocket. Especially if they work for you...