Stories from Friday, June 30, 2006

Award-winning tenured Jackson teacher Patti Miinch resigned abruptly Thursday evening just before the start of a public hearing in front of the Jackson school board to contest school officials' intention to fire her. Miinch's attorney, Ken McManaman, said school officials wanted to fire her on grounds of immorality and absenteeism. The school administration claimed she failed to attend a teaching seminar that she was expected to attend and lied about it, McManaman said...

WAYNESVILLE, Mo. -- The life sentence for a convicted murderer of a Cape Girardeau County man was imposed Thursday. Justin Brown, 26, of Cape Girardeau, was convicted by a jury May 18 with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 2002 death of Ralph Lee Lape Jr., 54...

A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was taken into custody Thursday after local police responded to an early morning call that a man was armed, drunk and suicidal at his girlfirend's Cape Girardeau residence. Everett Way, 46, faces a felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon and was in custody at the Cape Girardeau jail on a $7,500 cash-only bond, police said. No one was injured in the incident...

BENTON, Mo. -- A jury trial for a 47-year-old grandmother woman accused of child abuse for shaking her 2-month-old granddaughter ended in a mistrial Thursday as attorneys sought a plea agreement. Prosecutors alleged Susan Garner, of Sikeston, Mo., shook her 2-month-old granddaughter in early 2004 while baby-sitting the child at her daughter's rural Scott County home. She was charged June 28, 2004, with felony abuse of a child...

While we were waiting in the shade Sunday afternoon to hear instructions on how to play golf on downtown streets and in parks, several cheerful golfers made the same comment: This must be a dream come true. Indeed it was. In just a few minutes, the First Annual Louis J. Lorimier Memorial World-Famous Downtown Golf Tournament and All-You-Can-Eat Catfish Buffet would begin...

For the 13th year in a row -- and the second time this year -- classic car lovers will descend on the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau in search of their favorite automobile. Smith's Auction Co. of Dexter, Mo., is sponsoring a classic car auction today, starting at 5 p.m., with doors opening at 8 a.m. Saturday and the auction to resume at 10 a.m...

Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority's takeover date for taxi service from Kelley Transportation is at hand. At a board meeting Friday morning, staff reported that they believe they are ready. Over the next 10 days, the transit authority will work on final preparations for a fixed route system...

SEMO discloses NCAA violations in men's and women's basketball programs, school will begin self-imposed sanctions while awaiting completion of NCAA investigation Southeast Missouri State University's women's and men's basketball programs violated NCAA regulations, school officials announced at a news conference on Friday...

Cape Girardeau's Libertyfest will not only celebrate American independence but also the city bicentennial this year, and Jackson residents will be treated to an expanded concert from the city's municipal band. Every year Old Town Cape's Libertyfest draws thousands to downtown to catch live entertainment and watch fireworks. ...

A plan to control storm runoff in Cape Girardeau County was expanded Thursday to cover a wider range of commercial development in response to concerns from a woman who lives downhill from recent construction. Regina Tucker of Pocahontas Drive told members of a committee studying a proposed storm-water ordinance that construction of a convenience store near her home left a ditch 2 feet deep behind her home. ...

There's been a lot of talk lately about the promise of biofuels -- liquid fuels like ethanol and biodiesel made from plants -- to reduce our dependence on oil. Even President Bush beat the biofuel drum in his last State of the Union speech. Fuel from plants? Sounds pretty good. But before you rush out to buy an E-85 pickup, consider:...

ALTON, Ill. -- Motorists seeking gasoline blended with ethanol will have one-third more sites to get the fuel in Missouri and Illinois under a program launched Thursday by Ford Motor Co. and the nation's second-largest ethanol producer. Ford, the nation's second-biggest automaker, and VeraSun Energy Corp. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon filed suit Thursday to force the cleanup of a site that contains several thousand old computer monitors. Nixon said the Rolla-area business has allowed thousands of old computer parts -- mainly monitors -- to pile up over several years without the proper permit, violating state hazardous and solid waste laws and creating a public nuisance...

MOSCOW -- The United States, Russia and other industrialized democracies increased pressure on Iran on Thursday to accept an international offer to end the standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear program, saying they expect an answer next week. It remained unclear, though, whether Iran would provide a substantive response that quickly to a proposal that the United States and other nations have hoped might resolve their long-running confrontation with Iran...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The alternative fuel E85 seems to be everywhere. It's in ads by General Motors, the world's biggest automaker, and speeches by politicians including President Bush. Politicians, environmentalists and automakers are pointing to E85 to reduce the nation's reliance on oil...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Bush administration has been unable to muster even half of the 2,500 National Guardsmen it planned to have on the Mexican border by the end of June. As of Thursday fewer than 1,000 troops were in place, according to military officials in the four border states of Texas, California, New Mexico and Arizona...

As part of his "Missouri Matters" community outreach effort, Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., is sending a representative to Jackson to meet with residents. Jeff Glenn, district director, will be at the Cape Girardeau County administrative building, 1 Barton Square, at 9 a.m. Wednesday. For more information, contact Talent's Southeast Missouri office at (573) 651-0964...

A picnic will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at Auburn Creek Assisted Living and the Arbors, 2910 Beaver Creek Drive, Cape Girardeau. Barbecue, music and fireworks after dark are planned. For more information, call 651-0199. POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Six World War II veterans from the Poplar Bluff area will tell their stories at a panel discussion from 2 to 4 p.m. ...

All Cape Girardeau city offices will be closed Tuesday in observance of Independence Day. City offices will resume normal business hours Wednesday. The scheduled city council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday at city hall. Tuesday's trash and recycling pick-ups will be collected on Wednesday. There will be no special Wednesday pickups. All other trash and recycling routes continue as scheduled...

In less than 40 days Missourians will go to the polls to cast ballots in the state's primary election. In Cape Girardeau County, the major race in the primary is for county clerk. Jackson Mayor Paul W. Sander and Kara Clark of Cape Girardeau are battling it out...

To the editor Sikeston Mayor Mike Marshall's letter makes sense on the surface. However, what needs to be realized is that you put the tracks in the countryside, and towns expand into the countryside as well. Then you still have the same problem. Why not build new overpasses so the problem will be eliminated without all the expense?...

To the editor Two articles have appeared recently in the Southeast Missourian stating that no district in Southeast Missouri meets the requirement of No Child Left Behind concerning highly qualified staff. The law mandates that districts have 100 percent of staff highly qualified. ...

Weeds on Route W; Chain restaurants; Age for mowing; Thanks for road; Dark streets; Money for people; Defining leadership; Invest in tomorrow; Attracting geese; Dentists and Medicaid

KELSO, Mo. -- Caroline Stella Robert, 92, of Kelso died Tuesday, June 27, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 31, 1913, at New Hamburg, Mo., daughter of George and Katie Glueck Scherer. She and Charles Frank Robert were married May 18, 1937, at New Hamburg. He died Dec. 5, 2001...

MILLER CITY, Ill. -- Joda Lea Spaulding Dillow, 24, of Miller City, formerly of Villa Ridge, Ill., died of malignant melanoma at 12:07 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, 2006, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. She was born July 10, 1981, in Cape Girardeau...

Hoffman; Triller; LeGrand; Eftink; Maloney; Dees; Jordan; Wagoner; Stausing; McClanahan; Wilcox

25 years ago: June 30, 1981 The first proposed plan for realigning Missouri's 34 senatorial districts has been advanced by Republican members of a commission charged with getting the job done, and it is headed for a collision with Southeast Missouri Democrats...

Due to a source error, Lindsey Neal was omitted from the sixth grade A Honor Roll at Nell Holcomb School District.

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court rebuked President Bush and his anti-terror policies Thursday, ruling that his plan to try Guantanamo Bay detainees in military tribunals violates U.S. and international law. The president and congressional Republicans immediately pledged to work on a new strategy for special trials for some of the hundreds of suspected al-Qaida and Taliban operatives rounded up in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries...

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Tom Watson is set to make one more stab this week at one of the few career goals to elude him, capturing a professional tournament championship in front of his hometown fans. Twice in the past five years the popular Kansas City native has come close, finishing runner-up to Dana Quigley both times...

BERLIN -- It would have been a classic World Cup final: Germany vs. Argentina in Berlin's 72,000-seat Olympic Stadium, a showdown between two soccer powers with five titles between them. Instead today's match is only a quarterfinal. But still special...

Boxing; Miscellaneous

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Brian France created NASCAR's championship format to add drama to the title chase. Three years later, he's still not satisfied and plans to tweak the system again. "What I have always said about the Chase was we needed a few years under our belt to see how it evolved, how it changed the strategy, see how the actual formula we have really works," NASCAR's chairman said Thursday. ...

STRASBOURG, France -- Could an American succeed Lance Armstrong as Tour de France champion? The two favorites are European -- 1997 Tour champion Jan Ullrich of Germany and Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso -- but one of the best fields of U.S. riders will provide plenty of competition for the podium...

Rivals during the high school season, recent Central graduate Zach Kluesner and Jackson senior T.J. Smith shared the top spot in the Tour division for 16- to 19-year-old boys Wednesday in a Gateway PGA/Southeast Missouri Junior Series event at Bent Creek in Jackson...

When you see a big, blonde-haired, husky 13-year-old in Jackson, thoughts immediately turn to football. The community has been known to produce a few corn-fed linemen over the years. And Tanner Werner looks like he could fill that mold one day. He's got the thick ankles and legs that would serve an offensive guard or tackle well...

The Plaza Tire Capahas managed just three hits in a 10-0, seven-inning mercy-rule loss Thursday to the Waterloo Buds at Waterloo, Ill. The Buds (17-1) scored two runs in the second, four in the third and four in the sixth to finish off the Capahas and even the season series. Plaza Tire defeated Waterloo 4-3 at Capaha Field earlier this year...

ST. LOUIS -- To say 2006 is a busy year for Miles Davis and the estate of the late jazz virtuoso would be like saying Davis was a decent trumpet player. CDs, a DVD, a book, a movie, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and even a USC marching-band halftime performance are a few pieces that make up something of a comeback for the King of Cool in his 80th-birthday year...

Variety of music offered at July 4 LibertyFest; Acoustic Open Mic takes indefinite hiatus; Notre Dame to hold 'Young Author's Camp'; Garden Gallery holds jewelry-making class; Wickliffe Mounds to hold workshop on cattails; Saint Louis Art Museum announces film series; Two exhibitions open today at Contemporary Museum

The story is simple -- boy meets girl, boy and girl giggle and shuffle about uncomfortably in the classic teen courting ritual, boy and girl start to like each other, boy and girl go their separate ways. All told, it's over in less than 15 minutes...

It wasn't the hero's welcome they expected. There were no homecoming parades or handshakes. When U.S. soldiers returned from the Vietnam War, most didn't even receive a "thank you." Instead, soldiers returned home to protesters and anti-war demonstrations...

After considering the issue for several years, the Chaffee City Council will likely change its zoning regulations Monday night to allow modular homes in regular residential districts. According to city regulations, modular and standard mobile homes are restricted. Those homes can only be placed in special mobile home parks in the city...

The following information was released by the office of federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway for defendants who appeared in federal court Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Name: Matthew Perry Age: 38 Residence: Sikeston, Mo. Charge: Distribution of five or more grams of cocaine base...

WASHINGTON --The government has recovered the stolen laptop computer and hard drive with sensitive data on up to 26.5 million veterans and military personnel. The FBI said Thursday there is no evidence that anyone accessed Social Security numbers and other data on the equipment...

Stem-cell funding bill to be revived in Senate WASHINGTON -- Urged anew by Nancy Reagan, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is reviving a bill to expand federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research despite objections from some conservatives and a veto threat by President Bush. ...

Cape Girardeau ...

Cape Girardeau ...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli warplanes struck the Palestinian Interior Ministry early today, setting it ablaze as Arab leaders tried to forge a deal that would halt the Israeli offensive and free a 19-year-old soldier held by gunmen allied with the ruling Islamic Hamas...

KUWAIT CITY -- Women in this conservative oil-rich emirate voted in parliamentary elections Thursday for the first time, balloting that also inspired surprisingly vocal calls for reform and criticism of the ruling family. The polls marked a new stage in the U.S. ...

For the first time in nearly two years, KRCU will bring folk music from outside the area to Cape Girardeau for its Folk Coffee House. On Thursday, the series will return with a 7 p.m. concert at Grace Cafe featuring Michael Johnathon. The last time a Folk Coffee House was held was August 2004 when the Czech and Slovak bluegrass act Fragment performed. ...

One star (out of four) (This review contains spoilers) What is it with men and remote controls? World domination? Simply their own little universe domination? Adam Sandler arrogantly plays a young married man with children who gets the offer of a lifetime -- a magical universal remote control. ...

The Cape Girardeau Senior Babe Ruth baseball team was firing on all cylinders Thursday night as they posted a pair of 10-run rule victories against Sikeston in a doubleheader at Capaha Park. Cape Girardeau (7-10) won the opener 11-1 in a game that was stopped in six innings by the mercy rule, then added a 15-1 decision in five innings in the nightcap...

The Bloomfield Road Phase 3 construction project will be substantially completed and the road reopened next week. The road will officially open at a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for 10 a.m. July 7 on the east end of the project. The $801,104 project is the reconstruction of Bloomfield Road from Siemers Drive to the Stonebridge subdivision and is a Transportation Trust Fund 2 project. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds' personal trainer refused to testify Thursday to the federal grand jury investigating the San Francisco slugger for perjury. Greg Anderson, who served three months in prison after pleading guilty last year for his role in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid scandal, could be sent back to prison if found in contempt of court for refusing to testify...

So the 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at dealerships is front-wheel drive, not rear-wheel drive like the Monte Carlo that NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon races in Nextel Cup every weekend. And the Monte Carlo in showrooms includes seats for five, while Gordon and fellow race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. have only driver's seats in their racetrack-ready Monte Carlos...

NEWPORT, R.I. -- Michelle Wie stood on the balcony of the stately clubhouse at Newport Country Club, which ordinarily offers a spectacular view on a century-old golf course that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. Thursday afternoon, she was lucky to see 180 yards away to the fifth green...

Harrison Frazar returned from a long layoff to grab a share of the first-round lead in the Buick Championship in Cromwell, Conn., shooting a season-best 6-under 65 to join Heath Slocum, Peter Lonard and Scott Verplank atop the leaderboard. Frazar, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, hadn't played a tour round since withdrawing after the first round in Memphis last month. ...

WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams waited until the last minute to get going. Down a set and 5-2, the defending champion won 11 of the next 13 games to stave off a huge upset and beat Lisa Raymond 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2 on Thursday in the second round at Wimbledon...

ATLANTA -- Taking up a sensitive issue among religious conservatives, an influential government advisory panel Thursday recommended that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer...

ST. LOUIS -- The head of Missouri's transportation system favors separating large trucks from cars and other light vehicles on Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City. Director Pete Rahn of the Missouri Department of Transportation said heavy trucks make up more than 40 percent of the traffic, four times the rate for which the highway was designed in the 1950s, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Thursday...

Al Gore has traveled the world delivering a presentation on global climate change, proving that humankind must confront global warming now or face devastating consequences -- this film captures his journey as a worldwide environmental champion. Rated PG for mild thematic elements, running time 100 minutes. (Cape West Cine)...

Dear Tom and Ray: I live in Vermont, and I have two possible ways to go to work. The first way is what people who don't live in Vermont would call "quaint," but what I would call "lousy." The road winds through the hills and is dirt for part of the way. ...

About 50 customers and employees were evacuated from Cape Girardeau's Hobby Lobby Friday morning after fallen power lines caught the building's roof on fire. According to store manager Dave Vaughn and Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Steve Niswonger, the fire started when a private sanitation truck dumping trash knocked over power lines onto the roof of Hobby Lobby...