Stories from August 2006

Whatever you do, DON'T buy a backpack with wheels on it. In the world of back-to-school supply lists, it's like committing classroom treason. Purchasing trapper keepers and failing to put your child's name on supplies are similar violations. By now, most parents have realized the list of items they're responsible for purchasing seems to grow a little each fall...

Missouri's sales-tax holiday has store managers anticipating a boost in business this weekend and consumers calculating cost savings on back-to-school purchases. The sales-tax holiday runs Friday through Sunday. The savings are limited to clothing, school supplies, computer software, personal computers and computer-related devices...

It's that time of year again when parents of school-age children look frantically at their bank accounts and wonder if they will have to take out a second mortgage to pay for all those back-to-school supplies and clothes. Even with the upcoming sales-tax holiday, it won't be cheap...

The U.S. Postal Service has pushed back the expected reopening date for its North Frederick Street facility in Cape Girardeau to the first week of September. The one-month delay is due to prior commitments by the contractor and will allow officials to inspect the ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The police chief of this small Scott County town died unexpectedly early Monday from an apparent heart attack. Jeff Womack, 53, of Chaffee was pronounced dead Monday morning at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. "From all indications, he died from a massive heart attack," said close friend and Cape Girardeau Coroner John Clifton. No inquest or autopsy would be conducted...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Bollinger County voters will decide the future of a proposed hike in the county-wide sales tax for the senior center in the Aug. 8 primary election as well as pick between two first-time office-seekers vying for the soon-to-be-vacated recorder of deeds seat. The eighth-cent sales tax increase would generate ...

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves dealt Jorge Sosa to the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leaguer at the trade deadline Monday, one day after the disappointing pitcher was designated for assignment. Sosa was a huge surprise in 2005, going 13-3 with a 2.55 ERA after being acquired from Tampa Bay for a backup infielder during spring training...

CHICAGO -- The blowtorch heat that blistered California last week gripped the Midwest on Monday, prompting communities to throw air-conditioned buildings open to the public and endangering millions of people with outdoor jobs -- including NFL players in training camp...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol's leader is leaving his job, meaning the patrol's top two positions will be open. The patrol said Monday that Col. Roger Stottlemyre, 57, is leaving as of Sept. 1. Stottlemyre started working for the patrol in September 1974...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A year-and-a-half after it lost a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Missouri enacted a new regulation Monday that could make it easier for the Ku Klux Klan to take part in litter cleanup programs. The regulation removes prohibitions on participating groups that deny membership based on race or for whom courts have taken notice of a history of violence...

NEW YORK -- Greg Maddux was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the biggest deal before baseball's nonwaiver trade deadline Monday, while the Washington Nationals surprised some teams by holding onto Alfonso Soriano. A 327-game winner and four-time Cy Young Award winner, Maddux waived his no-trade clause and accepted the trade to Los Angeles, who sent Gold Glove infielder Cesar Izturis to the Cubs. Chicago is giving $2 million to the Dodgers as part of the trade...

LONDON -- Justin Gatlin's coach could face a two-year ban if the Olympic and world champion sprinter is found guilty of a second doping violation, the sport's international governing body said Monday. The International Association of Athletics Federations will only act should evidence link Trevor Graham to any doping violations and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency decides not to take action against him, according to IAAF spokesman Nick Davies...

LAS VEGAS -- Mike Krzyzewski's version of summer school was back in session Monday. With the start of the world championships only 20 days away and their first exhibition game this week, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the rest of the U.S. basketball team returned here for their second segment of training camp...

NEW YORK -- Tests show that some of the testosterone in Floyd Landis' system at the Tour de France was synthetic and not naturally produced by his body as he claimed, according to a newspaper report. The French antidoping lab testing the American cyclist's samples determined that some of the hormone came from an external source, The New York Times reported on its Web site Monday night, citing a person at the International Cycling Union with knowledge of the result...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent his final off weekend at Will Ferrell's movie premiere, judged a Miss Hooters pageant in Las Vegas, then returned home to host a get-together for his online racing league. Now it's back to work, with little time to play over the next six weeks...

There are many ways to measure business trends. The trouble if that most economic surveys are several months old by the time their results are made public. Moreover, a good many of these indicators reflect statewide or national trends that don't allow for local variables...

Southeast Missouri State University his hired Jayson Santos to fill the vacancy as assistant athletic director for compliance, the university announced Monday. Santos begins his duties today. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Texas and obtained a law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston...

Southern Miss football player Mitch Craft was suspended for the first two games of the 2006 football season, according to a report Sunday in the Hattiesburg American newspaper. Craft, a 2004 Central graduate, is heading into his sophomore season at Southern Miss. He was listed at No. 1 on the team's depth chart at middle linebacker according to the university's 2006 Preseason Football Guide...

To the editor: The Missouri Conservation Department recently finished improvements to the Red Star boat ramp on the Mississippi River. This is the only river access during low water for fishermen, pleasure boaters, emergency personnel and towboat operators picking up employees. This improvement is long overdue, but it has been put in jeopardy by work that the Corps of Engineers did at Cape Rock...

To the editor: In response to the letter "Too much noise can be dangerous": First and foremost, there are good and bad levels of noise. You can turn up a "clean" stereo system and listen to it loud without any hearing damage at all. So what. A TV and music in a doctor's office. ...

Whose interests?; Preserve countryside; Tax the producers; Child restraints; Amazing art; Using embryos; Higher-ed testing

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Charles A. Goddard Jr., 89, a lifetime resident of Chaffee, passed away Saturday, July 29, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Goddard was born in Chaffee Oct. 18, 1916, to Charles Arthur and Coletta Pauline Pobst Goddard Sr...

Marissa Louise Ramsey, 40 days, of Fort Knox, Ky., died Wednesday, July 26, 2006, at her home. She was born June 16, 2006, in Fort Knox, daughter of Robert Chad and Suanne Lee Baker Ramsey. Survivors include her parents; a sister, Madelyn Sue Baker of the home; maternal grandparents, Melanie Ann Carr and husband Johnny of Advance, Mo., Chad Lucas Baker of California; maternal great-grandparents, Vivian Webb of Cape Girardeau, Ray Baker of the state of Texas; maternal great-great-grandmother, Wanda Holland of Cape Girardeau; paternal grandparents, Jana Wolfe and husband James of Springfield, Mo., Robert Charles Ramsey and wife Cindy of Jackson; paternal great-grandparents, Robert "Bob" and Dorothy Ramsey of Jackson, and Hattie Barnes of Springfield.. ...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Roberta Maxine Bennett, 77, of Mound City died Monday, July 31, 2006, at her home. She was born Dec. 15, 1928, in Benton, Ill., daughter of Jimmy Bell and Helen Rossio. She was raised by her grandparents, Jim and Lizza Doll Rossio. She and Wathie L. Bennett were married Aug. 24, 1948, in West City, Ill...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Jeffery Glenn Womack, 53, of Chaffee died Monday, July 31, 2006, at his home. He was born Dec. 24, 1952, in Sikeston, Mo., son of Tom Ford and Elizabeth McKibben Womack. He and Marva Morgan were married Dec. 30, 1973, at Parma, Mo. Womack was employed with Missouri State Highway Patrol 25 years, retiring in 2003. He served with Jackson Police Department two years, and he and his wife moved to Chaffee two years ago, where he served as chief of police...

Nigro; Reddick; Berry; Braden; White; Menz; West; Dirden

25 years ago: Aug. 1, 1981 A strike threatened for Monday by the nation's air-traffic controllers could disrupt Ozark Air Lines service in Cape Girardeau under a Federal Aviation Agency contingency strike plan to disallow some carrier flights of less than 500 miles; if the nation's controllers vote to impose a strike Monday, the seven controllers assigned to Cape Girardeau will participate, and pickets will be set up at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport...

Egbert receives honor at SEMO music camp; Delta students visit Washington, D.C.; Dean's lists; Scholarships

How much time do you have left? If you attend ... Cape Girardeau, Scott City and Meadow Heights school districts:…

JERUSALEM -- Israel's prime minister declared Monday there would be no cease-fire with Hezbollah guerrillas, apologizing for the deaths of Lebanese civilians but saying "we will not give up on our goal to live a life free of terror." His Security Cabinet approved widening the ground offensive...

A woman was severely beaten in Cape Girardeau over the weekend, and her alleged attacker was charged and held in lieu of a $50,000 bond. Michael A. Triplett, 21, of 312 W. Lorimier St., was charged with felony A first-degree assault for the early ...

An arrest warrant was issued for a man accused of stealing more than $2,000 under the guise of collecting it for his disabled son during a Cape Girardeau high school basketball game. Timothy J. Heuring, 45, of 613 Sycamore St., was charged Friday with felony stealing by deceit. Bond was ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Farmington, Mo., man caught in a Bollinger County sex sting targeting online predators pleaded guilty to attempted statutory rape. Edward M. Murphy, 43, entered his guilty plea Friday during an appearance before Judge William Syler.

ST. LOUIS -- Johnny Stimage wasn't going to let the heat keep him away from his first look at the St. Louis Rams this season. Stimage, 72, and his son took the day off Monday from the barbershop they own and sat at Rams Park, ...

The candidates for Cape Girardeau County clerk remained closely matched in fund-raising during July thanks to a $5,000 loan to one campaign and a single day of contributions that brought in $2,970 to the other. FIrst-time candidate Kara Clark made the loan to her ...

Matt Hill, Democrat: Nathan Cooper, Republican Media Continuing Committee, Jefferson City, Mo., $325; Missouri State Troopers Association PAC, Jefferson City, Mo., $200; Realtors PAC-Missouri, Columbia, Mo., $325; Teamsters Local Union No. 688 PAC, $325; District 4 Missouri Health Care Association PAC, Jefferson City, Mo., $325; Marion Tibbs, Poplar Bluff, Mo., $187.50; Edison Schools Inc., New York, N.Y., $175; Governmental Affairs Committee, St. ...

Larry Tetley, Democrat: Steve Taylor, Sikeston, Mo., $325; Rice Burns Jr., Sikeston, $325; Missouri State United Auto Workers PAC, Hazelwood, Mo., $325; Ray Clinton, Sikeston, $325; Hoisting Engineers Local 513, Bridgeton, Mo., ...

Paul Sander: Kara Clark Frank Emmendorfer, Cape Girardeau, $300; Bowen Engineering, Cape Girardeau, $325; Kara Clark, Cape Girardeau, $5,000 loan...

By Justin Roach Dear editor: I am writing to ask you a huge favor. Please read this entire letter before throwing it away. Please. I am 21 years old and am serving seven years in prison for crimes I has committed against people of the community of Cape Girardeau...

A Cape Girardeau house fire sparked by a cigarette gutted a living room Monday, but the home's resident escaped safely. About $15,000 in damages were caused to the home at 515 Second St., according to a news release from the ...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

FDA to consider allowing 'Plan B' over-the-counter WASHINGTON -- The government is considering allowing over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill, called Plan B, to women 18 and older -- a surprise move Monday that revives efforts to widen access to the emergency contraceptive almost a year after it was thought doomed. ...

MIAMI -- Spike Lee's movie about Hurricane Katrina might just get an audience from the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but the celebrity director shouldn't necessarily expect President Bush to watch it. FEMA director R. David Paulison said Monday that if he's not too busy grappling with hurricane season, he probably would catch Lee's film, "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," scheduled to air on HBO Aug. 21-22...

RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- It's close to 100 degrees in normally balmy western Wisconsin, and Herman Edwards is wearing a sweat shirt. If his players have to be hot and miserable, then he'll be hot and miserable, too. The first-year coach of the Kansas City Chiefs learned a lot during his playing career as a Pro Bowl defensive back, especially about how much players appreciate the little things in their coach...

ST. LOUIS -- In the battle of guards taken on consecutive picks in the seventh round of the draft by the St. Louis Rams, Mark Setterstrom appears to be running well ahead of Missouri's Tony Palmer. Coach Scott Linehan was effusive about the skills of Setterstrom, a four-year starter at Minnesota taken with the 242nd pick. His endorsement of Palmer, who missed only a few starts in four seasons at Missouri and the 243rd player taken, was less convincing...

ST. LOUIS -- A four-day training camp holdout earned Tye Hill extra scrutiny on his first day of practice with the St. Louis Rams. Instead of easing their first-round pick into the mix on Monday, Hill was given plenty of action with the second unit at cornerback. He also saw time as a gunner on special teams, and tried, unsuccessfully, to cover Torry Holt...

When every road becomes a path to Wal-Mart and the horizon is overshadowed by golden arches, sometimes you just have to start climbing above it all. Occasionally, it's good to have a reminder as to what the earth looked like before credit cards and terrorists. I needed a reminder myself -- something to show me there's more to this place than global panic and the leather couch I watch it from. Somewhere, there was something good to see...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Three people were arrested last week in a Sikeston Department of Public Safety drug bust. Phyllis Gates, 48, of Sikeston was charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia; Serena Stalion, 48, of Jackson, Tenn., was charged with possession of a controlled substance; and Marco Wilson, 21, of Sikeston was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute...

Northbound traffic on Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau will be reduced to one lane for repairs through next week. A paving company will be milling and overlaying bridge ends from the Route AB overpass to Route 61 Center Junction, a nine-mile stretch, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation...

Scott County Associate Circuit Judge David Mann's campaign raised over $7,000 more than his opponent during July, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission. The majority of that money, however, came from the candidate himself. Mann, an incumbent with 27 years experience as judge, faces political newcomer Scott Horman of Chaffee, Mo., in the Aug. 8 primary for the Democratic Party...

With 20 pounds of mail strapped to his waist Tuesday, U.S. Postal Service carrier Mark Smith delivered letters in a sweltering St. Louis neighborhood where more than 1,000 homes and businesses were without electricity. "I can't think of many hotter days than this," said Smith, 51, a 24-year veteran of the Postal Service. "I just drink this ice water and think about retirement."...

Thirty-three percent of Cape Girardeau County seniors never exercise. That's news the Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging plans to use. In the past, spokeswoman Ruth Dockins said, the agency has based decisions on anecdotal evidence and a vague sense about the way things were with Southeast Missouri's senior citizens. Now a new report released Tuesday provides those who work with the area's older residents with figures and facts...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Voters in Perry County will choose a new presiding commissioner Tuesday from among four candidates, two of whom are up and comers and two with a political background. The post is being vacated by Thomas Sutterer, who is retiring at the end of his term...

Someone stole Veronica Hambacker's name, and she'd like it returned. Hambacker, a Democrat from Salem, Mo., is running for Congress in Missouri's Eighth District. Recently, she discovered the online domain names for her full name with middle initial, her last name, and her first and last name have been purchased by a political foe...

Paul Sander's campaign for county clerk will pay Stooges Restaurant $1,105 to refund an in-kind contribution that exceeded the legal maximum, campaign treasurer John Thompson said Wednesday. Stooges, a Jackson barbecue restaurant, provided the food at a mid-July picnic for Sander, the Jackson mayor hoping to replace Rodney Miller. Sander, a Republican, faces Kara Clark, sales director for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, in next Tuesday's Republican primary...

ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- Fred Hicks couldn't decide between a 7- or 9-iron, but that wasn't his only concern. Just finding a spot among giant sagebrush and painful sticklers covering the tee box was challenging enough. The hole was only 125 yards -- a picturesque shot from one perch to another, across a large gully, with the rolling, sage-covered hills of central Washington on the horizon...

LITTLE ROCK -- High school football players, coaches and fans will have to wait for a Pulaski County judge to rule on a lawsuit before they'll know if games scheduled for this fall's season will actually be played, and the judge isn't saying when she might rule...

Two players who will be wearing U.S. uniforms at the Ryder Cup won tournaments last week, a development that would have thrilled Tom Lehman except for one minor detail. They were his assistant captains. Corey Pavin won his first PGA Tour event in 10 years at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, and Loren Roberts captured his first major by winning the Senior British Open in a playoff at Turnberry...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams' quarterback situation leaves little wiggle room. Marc Bulger firmly holds the starting job, and Gus Frerotte appears tucked tightly into the backup spot. That leaves two players going after one slot -- Dave Ragone, who spent his first three years in the NFL behind David Carr in Houston; and Ryan Fitzpatrick, who completed 76 of 135 attempts as a Rams rookie last year as both a starter and backup...

RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- To anyone who ever faced a bleak, empty future, Kyle Turley could already be a hero. Doctors said the All-Pro tackle's career was over, cut short in his prime by a back injury so devastating it nearly destroyed all the strength in one leg...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Samford men's basketball coach Jimmy Tillette has signed a three-year contract extension through the 2013 season, the university announced Tuesday. Tillette, 56, is Samford's all-time winningest coach, leading Samford to a 149-113 record and two NCAA tournament appearances in nine seasons...

A refresher course in decor, room arrangement and efficient storage could be a life lesson earned for this fall's college-bound students. Surely, there's no hard and fast rule that rooms must be a jumble of colors, odds and ends and stuff strewn hither and yon...

The Cairo City Council and Mayor Paul Farris have been fighting a long-running war of attrition for control of the city. The council members have given Farris little of what he wants. They have refused to approve appointees. They've boycotted meetings. And for a time they refused to take out a loan to pay an overdue health-care bill...

To the editor: In response to the story "Missouri lawmakers want all sex offenders to register despite state Supreme Court ruling": Why bother having a judicial system when those who feel they do not need to follow the rulings disregard in public the intent to continue the illegal violation of rights the Supreme Court deemed illegal? Has Missouri become lawless? Who is next on the lynch mobs list? Could it be you? There is no law in Missouri any longer...

To the editor: In response to the story "Heat advisory takes effect:" Now that it's time for heat advisories to be issued and publicized, it would be a great public service to remind your readers that their animals need extra protection too. No animal should ever be left without shade (watch the sun as it moves to be sure you are providing accessible shade all day long.). ...

To the editor: Our families -- who live in the St. Charles, St. Louis and East St. Louis area -- and my husband and I, who and were caught in the recent windstorms that paralyzed these communities, would like to applaud the AmerenUE workers, along with the National Guard and all other volunteers who helped restore electricity and clean up...

To the editor: I want to let people know what they are agreeing to if they allow an ethanol plant come into this area without assurance from the company that it is not going to affect our standard-of-living conditions and air we breath. It seems to me nobody has talked to surrounding community leaders about this plant and what effects it will have on the standard of living we enjoy today...

School hiring; Immigration hearing; Not cheap labor; Stuck in the dust; Right on stem cells; Banner leadership; Nail on the head; Good pay, less turnover; Tobacco dollars; Ugly, but legal; Family medicine; Decorative eyesores

Joseph F. Vernier, 60, of St. Peters, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, and Belleville, Ill., was born Feb. 27, 1946, in Belleville. He died Monday, July 31, 2006, at his home. Mr. Vernier was a retired consultant. He was also retired from Ryerson Steel Co. in St. Louis...

Marissa Louise Ramsey, 40 days, of Fort Knox, Ky., died Wednesday, July 26, 2006, at her home. She was born June 16, 2006, in Fort Knox, daughter of Robert Chad and Suanne Lee Baker Ramsey. Survivors include her parents; a sister, Madelyn Sue Baker of the home; maternal grandparents, Melanie Ann Carr and husband Johnny of Advance, Mo., Chad Lucas Baker of Madera, Calif.; maternal great-grandparents, Sue Webb of Cape Girardeau, Ray and Mary Baker of Mineola, Texas; maternal great-great-grandmother, Wanda Holland of Cape Girardeau; paternal grandparents, Jana Wolfe and husband James of Springfield, Mo., Robert Charles Ramsey and wife Cindy of Jackson; paternal great-grandparents, Hattie Barnes of Springfield, Charles Wilson and Dorothy Ramsey of Jackson, and Pauline Ramsey of Nashville, Tenn.. ...

THEBES, Ill. -- Zelma Caldwell, 87, of Thebes died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Lawrence A. Russell, 66, of Anna died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at his home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Phyllis Freeman, 56, of Sikeston died Monday, July 31, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Feb. 11, 1950, in Pottsville, Ark., daughter of Ray and Jewell Kesler Vick. She and Larry R. Freeman were married Jan. 1, 1970, in Russellville, Ark...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Lloyd Gerald Briggs, 78, of Benton, Ky., died Sunday, July 30, 2006, at his home. He was the son of Quinton and Marie Bonesock Briggs. He married Juanita Elam. Briggs was formerly of Chaffee. He was a former judge in Missouri and had been a lawyer with Saladino, Oaks and Schaaf. He was a member of St. Henry's Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, American Bar Association and Missouri Masonic Lodge...

St. Mary CCW...

25 years ago: Aug. 2, 1981 New building construction in Cape Girardeau during July, while far from a single month record, did show a surge; city building inspector Mason Sachse reports an aggregate cost of $716,602 in building permits, the bulk of this allotted to commercial projects; the most expensive projects for which permits were issued were Otahki Council of Girl Scouts center, Pagoda Gardens, Horky's Gun Shop and Shooting Range, the Plumbing Shop, a six-unit apartment at 3010 Aspen Drive and Burger Chef restaurant.. ...

The Gateway Section PGA Junior Series championships event was survival of the fittest. "It was really hot," said Tanner Werner of Jackson, who competed in the 12- and 13-year-old boys division in the series' season-ending championships event at Crystal Springs Quarry Golf Club in Maryland Heights, Mo. "I just drank a lot of water and Gatorade, and we sat in the shade every chance we got...

It is always fun to get together with family. Recently our family visited with my niece, Tarah Battaglia, and her husband, Steve, in Royalton, Ill. It was our first time to their new home, and we had wonderful time visiting and catching up on family news. Of course the day involved food, and this casserole was on the dinner menu. They were wonderful hosts and we look forward to our next visit with them...

HAVANA -- Fidel Castro said Tuesday that he was stable and in good spirits after surgery, according to a statement read on state television, as the communist government tried to impose a sense of normalcy on the island's first day in 47 years without the bearded leader in charge....

Morning-after pill entangles FDA nominee WASHINGTON -- Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, nominated to head the Food and Drug Administration, insisted at his confirmation hearing Tuesday that "medical ideology" -- not politics -- guided his handling of proposed over-the-counter sales of the morning-after contraceptive. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Two women in their 70s were charged Monday with having homeless men killed in hit-and-run car crashes to collect more than $2 million in life insurance. Olga Rutterschmidt, 73, and Helen Golay, 75, were ...

MAMMOTH, W.Va. -- Two men who sneaked into a closed coal mine to search for scrap metal to sell were rescued after they became lost about 3,000 feet inside the mine, authorities said Crews found Franklin Johnson, 44, and Glen Edelman, 35, Monday evening, a few hours after family members ...

Alline Joy VanBlargan, 75, of Spencerville, Ohio, died Thursday, July 20, 2006, at St. Rita's Medical Center in Lima, Ohio. She was born July 11, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, ...

BOURJ AL-MULOUK, Lebanon -- Heavy ground fighting raged Tuesday near a border village and Israel resumed frequent airstrikes after it decided, in a major expansion of its offensive, to send thousands more troops deeper into Lebanon. The soldiers will go as far as the Litani River, 18 miles ...

SHANGHAI, China -- China slaughtered 50,000 dogs in a government-ordered crackdown after three people died of rabies, sparking unusually pointed criticism in state media Tuesday and an outcry from animal rights activists. Health experts said the brutal policy pointed to deep ...

In high school I was sometimes referred to as the Tacky Queen. It may have been due to my size 42, secondhand plaid pants. Or perhaps my hand-me-down concert tees. Or even my decision to combine those with a red chain wallet, old orange Chuck Taylors and pigtails...

7:30 p.m. today Jackson City Hall 101 Court St. Presentations...

ST. LOUIS -- Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 33 games. His manager thinks he can go a lot longer. Utley kept the major league's longest streak this year alive with two hits -- one in the first inning -- against the team that stopped teammate Jimmy Rollins' 38-game run early season...

n Due to an editing error, scores and standings for Major League Baseball in Tuesday's edition were not updated with all of Monday's available scores. The Southeast Missourian regrets the inconvenience.

Chris Hester views his body as a canvas. The Cape Girardeau man isn't alone. More than a third of 18- to 29-year-old Americans have at least one tattoo, according to a recent study. Nearly a fourth of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 are decorated with tattoos, says the study released by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology earlier this summer...

The Plaza Tire Capahas return to action in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan., at 8 a.m. this morning against the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox in an elimination-bracket game. The Capahas had lost Saturday morning 12-4 to the Houston Apollos...

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- In six LPGA Tour events this year, Michelle Wie has finished no worse than fifth. In three majors, she has finished a combined five shots out of the lead. No wonder the 16-year-old from Hawaii is convinced ...

The Cape Girardeau Pepsi Mid-America Senior Babe Ruth baseball squad's surprising postseason run ended last weekend, when the team was eliminated from the Midwest Plains regional tournament in Bonne Terre, Mo., after three games. Cape, which represented Missouri, defeated Hastings, Neb., 10-3 in Friday's first round before falling to host Mineral Area 3-0 on Saturday and Galena, Kan., 6-3 on Sunday...

PARIS -- Tour de France champion Floyd Landis, whose initial doping tests turned up positive, gets another chance to clear his name when a second set is expected to be released Saturday. However, the 30-year-old cyclist and his lawyer have previously acknowledged that they expect the "B" sample to show the same elevated ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone found in the "A" sample last week...

There aren't many places on this planet better than the porch of a house. I don't think I've ever come across one I didn't like, and every type has its advantages. Open air porch -- "Love it, just feel that summer breeze!" Screened in porch -- "Saves a bundle on mosquito repellent."...

More than one-third of Americans under 30 have at least one tattoo. Chris Hester views his body as a canvas. The Cape Girardeau man isn't alone. More than a third of 18- to 29-year-old Americans have at least one tattoo, according to a recent study...

Aug. 3, 2006 Dear Julie, When I moved to Humboldt County at the end of the 1970s, the Jambalaya was the most unusual nightclub I'd ever encountered. I fell in love with the mix of old hippies and college students, poets and musicians, lesbian activists, artists, underground journalists, jazz pianists who only performed at home and extreme alcoholics who called this place home...

House Speaker Rod Jetton last month issued an urgent call to supporters for money to fuel his re-election campaign after his Democratic challenger reported outraising the three-term incumbent. "Unfortunately, his support amounts to a tidal wave of money, activists and slander headed my way," Jetton wrote. "I believe we are facing the most serious challenge we have ever seen. The scariest part of this whole conspiracy is that it is actually working!"...

"Nickel for your thoughts" just doesn't have the same ring to it. "A dime saved is a dime earned?" "Not a quarter to your name?" How about "that's worth a pretty half-dollar"? The phrases may sound strange now, but according to the U.S. government, the penny is in trouble...

PATTON, Mo. -- Two hundred and eighty students. One set of bathrooms. That combination means long lines in the hallway at the Meadow Heights elementary school. "We always have a line in the hallway," said principal Donna Bristow. She other school officials want to add a second set of restrooms. It's one of a number of major improvements planned for the high school and elementary schools that sit together on a single campus in rural Bollinger County...

Cape Girardeau has a renovated ramp at the Red Star Public Fishing Access Point, but there's one problem: Many boaters can't use it. Due to low river levels and accumulating sediment, the access point has a depth of about 2 feet and large sandbars have formed several feet beyond. The ramp is useable only by smaller craft with shallow drafts...

A 13-year-old girl testified in court Wednesday that an older relative inappropriately touched her over a three-year period. Charles P. Davis, 68, of Grassy, Mo., was charged with felony statutory sodomy and child molestation in connection with some of the alleged incidents...

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma starting quarterback Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team Wednesday after an investigation revealed he broke NCAA rules through his employment at a local business, according to a television report. Oklahoma confirmed that two players had been dismissed by the team but did not identify them. ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Even though former basketball coach Jim O'Brien broke NCAA rules by giving money to a recruit, a judge ruled Wednesday that Ohio State must pay O'Brien $2.2 million plus interest because it failed to follow the terms of his contract...

ST. LOUIS -- It appeared that Ronnie Belliard had a bit of the jitters in his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals. Now that it's over, this year's big acquisition for the stretch drive hopes to settle down and solidify second base. He can forget about the double-play ball in his first at-bat, and the throwing error and the pop fly he staggered under before catching it, missteps he partially atoned for with a successful squeeze bunt...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- An Oregon massage therapist who worked with Olympian Marion Jones and other elite athletes denied using a cream containing testosterone on sprinter Justin Gatlin. Christopher Whetstine, who is under contract to Nike, was drawn into the Gatlin doping scandal by the sprinter's coach, Trevor Graham...

The dog days of August kept Saratoga's horses tucked away in their stables. The thoroughbreds weren't alone in seeking refuge from the intense heat wave that gripped the United States again Wednesday. Temperatures were near 100 in some places and hotter in others, and it wasn't pleasant...

ST. LOUIS -- For months, bulldozers cleared land to make way for John Simmons' dream -- a sparkling new ballpark in the southern Illinois city of Marion, never mind that the wealthy attorney hadn't lined up a team to play in it. Simmons doesn't have to fret about that detail anymore...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams signed Moe Williams to a one-year contract on Wednesday, addressing the need for a backup running back. With Marshall Faulk out for the season because of a knee injury, the Rams have third-year back Steven Jackson in the starting role. Behind him is Tony Fisher, a fifth-year running back from Notre Dame who signed as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason from Green Bay...

About 140 visitors to the Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus Nature Center's recent "Insect Mania" learned about seven Missouri insects that sting and bite at an event that focused on insect pests. They were the honey bee, velvet ant, mosquito, blister beetle, horsefly, water bug and ichneumon wasp...

The wave of efforts to regulate smoking in public places is growing bigger across the nation. In recent days Southeast Missouri Hospital and Stooges restaurant in Jackson have announced they will no longer allow smoking. The hospital's ban -- it hasn't allowed indoor smoking for several years -- extends to outside areas...

Real state issues; Something's rotten; Test results; Democrats' goals; Here are the names; Time to move on; Deserving tribute; Jackson's signs; Why are they there?; President's stand; Thanks for stop sign; School administrator

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The funeral for Jennifer S. Morman of Minneapolis, Minn., was held July 29, 2006, at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home in Rochester, Minn. The Rev. John Darlington officiated. Interment was in Oakwood Cemetery in Rochester. Pallbearers were Don Schulte, Matt Schulte, Stephen Morman, Ruth Schulte and James Stone...

BENTON, Mo. -- Richard Lee Perryman, 70, of Benton died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 17, 1935, in Nocona, Texas, son of Raymond Burk and Ireta Margarit Crawford Perryman. He and Helen Juanita Tinsley were married Oct. 19, 1968, in Cape Girardeau. She died May 15, 1992...

THEBES, Ill. -- Zelma Mae Caldwell, 87, a lifetime resident of Thebes, died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 12, 1918, in Chaffee, daughter to Arlie and Eva Gettings Browning. She and William Caldwell were married April 12, 1937, in Vienna, Ill., by the Rev. H.G. Hurley. He preceded her in death...

ANNA, Ill. -- Lawrence Allen Russell Sr., 66, of Anna died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at his home. He was born Oct. 8, 1939, at Neelys Landing, son of Troy Allen and Pearlie Fulkerson Russell. Russell was a truck driver many years and also a security guard. He owned and operated Mid States Security. He was a member of the Eagles Club...

Gene Allan Burton, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Jan. 16, 1956, in Cape Girardeau, son of Gene and Bernice Amelia Urhahn Burton. He and Grace Michele Leach were married April 23, 1977, in Cape Girardeau...

King; Menz; West; Johnston; Dirden

25 years ago: Aug. 3, 1981 Air traffic controllers at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport join in a nationwide strike, forcing Ozark Air Lines, the largest commercial carrier operating here, to ground scheduled flights to and from Cape Girardeau; four members of the local Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization man a picket line at the airport...

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Plaza Tire Capahas bounced back from a first-round defeat to remain alive in the National Baseball Congress World Series. Plaza Tire scored 11 consecutive runs and knocked off the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox 12-8 Wednesday morning in the loser's bracket of the 42-team event...

If you dive headfirst into this Healthspan thing, you keep coming up against a couple of core realizations. The first one is --Grow up! There are no magic potions when it comes to your health. As appealing as many of these herbal concotions and exotic mechanical devices may seem, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is...

The Alzheimer's Association's annual Memory Walk for Alzheimer's disease will be Sept. 23 at Capaha Park. Registration is free, but participants who raise $75 or more receive a T-shirt. Registration is at 8 a.m.; walk begins at 9 a.m. To register or make a donation, contact the Alzheimer's Association at www.stlalz.org or (800) 980-9080...

Hearing and vision screenings. Immunizations. Physicals. A big part of preparing your child for school revolves around health care, especially for kindergarteners. Missouri requires that children entering public school have nine immunizations, according to Cape Girardeau County Health Department assistant director and nurse Jane Wernsman...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Bombs exploded on a soccer field Wednesday killing 11 young people, and at least 42 other people -- two of them Americans -- died elsewhere in sectarian or political violence. Still, the president said plans are on track for Iraqis to take over security. The surge in sectarian violence has prompted the U.S. ...

The Delta School District will enroll new students next week. Junior high and high school students will enroll from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m Monday and Tuesday. New elementary students will enroll Thursday and Friday. ...

"The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00." So read an editorial headline in one of the most respected newspapers in America. The editorial stated: "There's a virtual consensus among economists that the minimum wage is an idea whose time has passed. ...

To the editor: In hopes of shedding some light on the story about the Thebes courthouse: The Southern Illinois University professor, Mary McGuire, has not seen fit to accept my papers on Heinrich Arnholdt Barkhausen, the architect of the courthouse. He was my third great-grandfather. Had she, she would not be looking in the attic for information...

Cape Girardeau...

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. -- Jessie Hamilton, 93, of Warner Robins, died Monday, June 5, 2006, at Houston Medical Center Hospital in Warner Robins. She was born Dec. 14, 1912, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of John Calvin and Effie May Alexander Reed. She and Kenneth Hamilton were married in January 1950 in Cape Girardeau. He died May 4, 1970...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Carla J. Kobler, 76, of Cairo died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Daystar Care Center. She was born Dec. 22, 1929, in Cairo, daughter of Barney and LaVona Blackburn Myers. She married Dr. William M. Kobler Sr. Kobler was a dental assistant and secretary in her husband's practice in Cairo many years...

Nature Center holds free educator open house The Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus Nature Center will hold a free educator open house from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The Southeast Explorer Mobile Learning Center will be there from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by an exhibit and presentation on stars and constellations from Jackie Wortman from the NASA Education Resource Center. ...

Cape Girardeau...

Cuban focus remains on Fidel, not Raul HAVANA -- Fidel Castro still appeared to be running the show in Cuba on Wednesday after undergoing abdominal surgery and naming his brother acting president. Raul Castro remained out of public view two days after the temporary leadership change was announced. The state news media's focus remained solely on the elder Castro and his recovery, creating uncertainty about who was really in charge...

Kennedy to compete at world games Jill Kennedy, a paralympic track and field athlete originally from Zalma and now living in Charlottesville, Va., will be a member of the U.S. team for the IPC Athletics World Championships, scheduled for Sept. 3 through 10 in Assen, The Netherlands...

ST. LOUIS -- Chase Utley extended his hitting streak to 34 games when the official scorer changed his call on an eighth-inning grounder, then added a single in the ninth to help the Philadelphia Phillies rout the St. Louis Cardinals 16-8 Wednesday night. Utley was 0-for-4 when, with the Phillies leading 11-7, ...

Andy Meyer of the Missouri Department of Transportation dispelled rumors that the Interstate 55 interchange project had been put on hold, announcing that groundbreaking is scheduled to take place Aug. 31. Meyer, project manager, spoke at a joint planning and z...

Paul Sander's campaign for Cape Girardeau County clerk will pay Stooges restaurant $1,105 to refund an in-kind contribution that exceeded the legal maximum, campaign treasurer John Thompson said Wednesday.

Higher fuel prices and less state support are being blamed for Missouri's tourism industry remaining flat through the first six months of the year. But local tourism officials say that Cape Girardeau tourism is still strong, though they acknowledge that it's a cyclical business and fuel prices are having an impact...

Alfred Castillo, assistant trainer and associate head football trainer at the University of Missouri for the past five years, has been hired as head athletic trainer at Southeast Missouri State. Castillo replaces Rob Hunt, who recently resigned to take a job as head football trainer at Oklahoma State University...

Now the question is: What can Boris Said do for an encore? Coming off last month's Pepsi 400 in Daytona, where he won the pole and finished fourth in the race with his new No Fear Racing team, Said still must qualify for ...

After a deep ball that didn't come close in a drill without defenders, a pass that was underthrown in double coverage and one that went high, wide and out of bounds, Drew Bledsoe must have sensed frustration rising in Terrell Owens. So the Dallas Cowboys quarterback made a pre-emptive strike Wednesday morning. Soon after they went to the sideline, Bledsoe went looking for Owens, walking about 50 yards merely to give him an encouraging pat on the rear...

RIVER FALLS, Wis. -- Rain forced the Kansas City Chiefs to cancel their morning practice for the second day in a row Wednesday, but they were still busy in the front office. While former Pro Bowl running back Priest Holmes remained at home in Texas waiting clearance from doctors, Kansas City acquired Michael Bennett from the New Orleans Saints, a one-time Pro Bowler himself who will back up Larry Johnson...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Catcher Mike Matheny has made little progress in his recovery from a concussion and will not play again this season for San Francisco. After another series of tests and appointments with specialists at the University of Pittsburgh last week, Matheny and the Giants' medical staff made the difficult decision that he should spend the rest of 2006 recovering to reduce the risk of further damage to his brain...

A change-up in the Missouri National Guard will secure a military police company in Jackson. With the recent addition of a new National Guard unit, the 1138th Transportation Company in St. Louis, the Guard will begin swapping some of its existing units throughout the state...

Ridership on the new Cape Girardeau bus route has been steady at 300 to 350 riders a week, Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority director Jeff Brune said Thursday. As the transit authority finishes its fourth week operating the bus service, Brune said riders are still discovering the program. The bus operates from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays...

It may have been too hot this week for humans to be away from air-conditioning, but the wildlife at the Sullivan household has been as busy as ... No, not bees. Thank goodness we don't have a problem with bees. Sometimes when you think life is grinding you down, and you forget to give the good Lord thanks for all the blessings in your life, all you have to do is reflect for a moment: Thank you, God, for not putting any bees in my yard...

Democrats will decide Tuesday between two familiar faces and one newcomer in their primary with the winner taking on longtime incumbent Jo Ann Emerson in the 8th Congressional District. Three candidates -- Veronica Hambacker, Gene Curtis and Earl Durnell -- are vying for the right to face Emerson, who won by a 3-to-1 margin in 2004 in a district that has consistently voted Republican since 1980...

As the Rev. Charlie Prost prepares to leave St. Vincent de Paul Parish, the belongings he's packing away include warm memories of the church community he has served the past five years. "The outreach ministries the church is doing here are really exceptional, just wonderful," he said. ...

PHOENIX -- One of the city's two serial killers has apparently claimed another victim. Robin Blasnek, 22, was shot to death while walking over the weekend, and police said Thursday the murder had been linked through forensic evidence and similarities to dozens of other random shootings in recent months...

WASHINGTON -- Two spacewalking astronauts found Thursday the reward for working so well and so fast is ... extra work. American astronaut Jeff Williams and German astronaut Thomas Reiter were so efficient at important repairs to a key new cooling system for the international space station that they finished that primary job 90 minutes early in their five-hour, 54-minute spacewalk...

SHANGHAI, China -- A typhoon slammed into southern China on Thursday, packing heavy rain and 75 mph winds as authorities evacuated tens of thousands of people from their homes. Typhoon Prapiroon, which killed six people earlier in the Philippines, made landfall at 7:20 p.m. over a large swath of coastal Guangdong province, including the cities of Yangjiang and Dianbai, according to the state meteorological bureau...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Tropical Storm Chris ran out of steam in the eastern Caribbean, losing so much strength Thursday that forecasters said it likely would weaken to a tropical depression by evening. At 1 p.m., Chris had top maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, just 1 mph above the minimum to be a named storm and down from 65 mph Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami...

MEXICO CITY -- A human head washes up on an Acapulco beach. Protesters hassle visitors at makeshift checkpoints in the colonial city of Oaxaca. And in Mexico City, leftist demonstrators turn the tourist draws of Reforma Avenue and the Zocalo plaza into sprawling, ragtag protest camps...

JERUSALEM -- A massive wave of guerrilla rockets pounded northern Israel in a matter of minutes Thursday, killing eight people hours before Hezbollah's leader offered to stop the attacks if Israel ends its airstrikes. With four soldiers killed in Lebanon, it was the deadliest day for Israel in its two-front war...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Four years ago, Ernie Weiler Sr. of Ste. Genevieve was basking in the glory of winning $2.8 million in a Missouri Lotto drawing. Like father, like daughter. On Thursday, Weiler's daughter, Sue Palmer, and her husband, Mike, also of Ste. Genevieve, were introduced as the winners of $5.5 million from the drawing of July 26...

ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Weaver's latest rough start and a four-outing track record of giving up nearly a run per inning is not enough to bounce him out of a St. Louis Cardinals rotation that has had struggles across the board. Weaver gave up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings in a 16-8 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The game was just a few minutes old when Chase Utley singled to extend his hitting streak to 35 games. Quite a contrast from the suspense the previous night when he needed five at-bats to keep it going. Utley singled in the first inning to keep his run alive, then added two more hits in the Philadelphia Phillies' 8-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night...

WASHINGTON -- A Republican election-year effort to fuse a cut in inheritance taxes on multimillion-dollar estates with the first minimum wage increase in nearly a decade was rejected by the Senate late Thursday. Republicans needed 60 votes to advance their bill, which links a $2.10 increase in the $5.15 federal minimum wage over three years to reductions an estate taxes next decade. The bill got a 56-42 vote, four votes short of succeeding. The House passed it last Saturday...

The Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center will receive $250,000 in state tax credits to help with its expansion project. Gov. Matt Blunt announced the tax credits in a statement released Thursday by the Missouri Department of Economic Development...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The crush of cars that usually pack in along Sikeston's Ingram Street during rodeo week will have to park elsewhere this year. For the first time in rodeo history, the city's Department of Public Safety has decided to prevent parking along the street which runs adjacent to the rodeo grounds on the city's northern end...

The Scott City Fire Department will hold its annual fund-raiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association next weekend. Firefighters will collect donations during the annual MDA Boot Block for Jerry's Kids from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 12. Donations will be collected on Main Street at Second Street and Interstate 55, with all money going to the MDA. For more information, call the Scott City Fire Department at 264-2126...

Southeast Missouri State University's Child Enrichment Center has earned national accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The center at 1912 Broadway in Cape Girardeau is one of just two child-care facilities in Southeast Missouri accredited by the national association. ...

On a trip to Southeast Missouri Thursday, Republican State Treasurer Sarah Steelman reiterated her commitment to prevent Missouri's investments from benefiting terrorists. Under Steelman, the Missouri treasurer's office was the first to hire a firm to screen state investments for terrorist ties. The transition of funds into the new terror-screened fund was expected to be complete by Thursday...

Incoming college students are hearing the usual warnings this summer about the dangers of everything from alcohol to credit card debt. But many are also getting lectured on a new topic -- the risks of Internet postings, particularly on popular social networking sites such as Facebook.com...

Proposition 1, the half-cent sales tax for roads and law enforcement in Cape Girardeau County, will be the subject of discussion this morning at the First Friday Coffee sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. Commissioner Jay Purcell and Sheriff John Jordan will each make a presentation on the tax proposal. ...

Once upon a time, things that used electricity around the house had "on" and "off" buttons, and "off" meant no electricity was being consumed. But today's appliances and gadgets aren't always "off" when they're "off." Instead, they are in "standby" mode. This is intended as a convenience. TV viewers want to watch their favorite programs as soon as they push the "on" button...

To the editor: War everywhere. High gasoline prices. Lower standards of living for the working-class people in our own country,. Lies and deceit from the current administration. And a Congress that cannot pass any meaningful laws in quick fashion -- unless, of course, that legislation includes a pay raise for themselves and a bunch of pork for their constituents...

To the editor: Since double-dipping is such an issue in the Jackson School District, I thought you might like this e-mail. I have no problem with the double-dipping. Teachers are grossly underpaid. Teacher Applicant After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. ...

Buying grades; Walking to school; You can pay for it; Love of music; Raise minimum wage; Money tree; Survey ignored

Julia Mildred Herbert, 94, of Jackson died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 2, 1912, in Doniphan, Mo., daughter of Elisha Alonzo and Effie Jane Ash Highfill. She first married Floyd Roberts in 1931; married Virgil Payne March 5, 1933, who died in July 1962; and married Joseph Herbert Aug. 5, 1965, who died in November 1988...

HILTON HEAD, S.C. -- Carroll Jane Duncan Shoss, 78, beloved wife of Dr. Milton "Mike" Shoss, died peacefully in her sleep at their home in Hilton Head Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, with her devoted husband of 59 years at her side. Mrs. Shoss, a native of Webb City, Mo., and the daughter of the late Dewey Clayton and Eliza Goodson Duncan, completed her nursing training at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where she met her husband, a radiology intern at the time...

Ethel L. Teichman, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Sarah Nell Hurt, 77, of Advance, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie is in charge of arrangements.

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Bert Ellis Lingle, 81, of Olive Branch died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at his home. He was born Aug. 22, 1924, at Tamms, Ill., son of Ellis Glen and Mae Izetta Powles Lingle. He married Mary Vaughn. Lingle was a self-employed carpenter...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Carey Hughes, 78, of Sikeston, formerly of Haywood City, Mo., died Monday, July 31, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Feb. 10, 1928, in Oran, Mo., son of Earnest and Cora Bell Johnson Hughes. Hughes retired from Schually Steel in East St. Louis, Ill. He was a member of New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Haywood City and served on the usher board...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Paul Eaves, 87, of Sikeston died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Oct. 23, 1918, in Stoddard County, son of Clarence and Josie Allison Eaves. He and Nellie Bernece Eaves were married Nov. 22, 1941, in Benton, Mo...

Lorraine M. Maddox, 89, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Oct. 9, 1916, in Hickman, Ky., daughter of James S. and Phoebe Lewis Barkett. She married John Maddox. Maddox formerly owned Lewis Infant Apparel in Cairo...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Mary J. Harris, 88, of Cairo died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Daystar Care Center. She was born Nov. 23, 1917, in Benton, Ill., daughter of John and Dora Rukasztalis Lenart. Survivors include caregivers, Vicki Warden of Mound City, Ill., Karen Lawrence of Wickliffe, Ky., and Diane Ford of Charleston, Mo...

Garner; Grunloh; Bennett; Myers; Cantrell; Lamoureux

25 years ago: Aug. 4, 1981 The Jackson Board of Aldermen has taken a step toward placing the city's two savings and loans on a more equal footing with the two local banks in regard to depositing of city investment funds in financial institutions; the aldermen, by a 7-0 vote with one abstention, last night approved a motion calling for investment of city funds in all four institutions, with a $300,000 limit on the amount that can be deposited in each of the savings and loan...

'Gateway Arch' premieres Aug. 19 ; Jackson dodgeball tournament Aug. 12; Billington to hold book signing at Hastings; Wood carving show opens Saturday; Ky. Dam Village holdsspecial event

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Inmates in North Carolina who claim they were wrongly convicted got a new avenue of appeal Thursday as Gov. Mike Easley signed a law creating a state innocence commission described as the first of its kind in the nation. The commission, modeled after one in the United Kingdom, was created after several high-profile convictions were overturned in North Carolina...

A suspected Cape Girardeau heroin dealer was bound over to circuit court Thursday. Raiman C. McKenny, 48, of 805 Ranney Ave. waived his preliminary hearing and was scheduled to appear before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis Aug. 14. McKenny is charged with felony possession with intent to distribute heroin and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. ...

Three accused burglars waived their preliminary hearings Thursday and their cases were ordered to continue. Dana L. Sheldrake, 28; her husband Stephen D. Sheldrake II, 24; and his uncle William D. Porter, 43, were each charged with felony burglary for looting a Cape Girardeau County home. ...

NEW YORK -- A lawsuit that claimed a Dutch college student was responsible for the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba last year was dismissed Thursday by a judge who said it should not have been filed here. Holloway's parents, who sought unspecified damages, claimed that if the suit were filed in Aruba, it would re-ignite a media frenzy that could interfere with the ongoing investigation...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

AUSTIN, Texas -- A federal appeals court panel on Thursday refused to let Texas Republicans replace Tom DeLay's name on the November congressional ballot. The finding upheld a July ruling by a federal judge that the ballot must list DeLay, who won a March primary before resigning from Congress on June 9. He now lives in Virginia but is awaiting trial in Texas state court on money laundering and conspiracy charges alleging that illegal corporate cash helped pay for legislative campaigns in 2002...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Repeat offenders will get letters of warning next year and face increasingly harsher penalties, including postseason bans and the loss of scholarships, starting in 2007-08 for continued academic failures, the NCAA said Thursday night...

Foursome wins RSVP golf tournament...

PARIS -- Dehydration is the latest possible reason offered for Tour de France winner Floyd Landis' elevated testosterone levels. "Maybe a combination of dehydration, maximum effort," Jose Maria Buxeda, the cyclist's lawyer, said Thursday after testing began on his backup sample...

Juli Inkster shot a 6-under 66 to take a three-shot lead in the opening round of the Women's British Open on Thursday. Inkster, who at 46 seeks to become the oldest woman to win a major, had a bogey on the final hole after her drive hit a fairway bunker...

LONDON -- Researchers have for the first time developed a "risk score" to try to predict which people may develop dementia. The leading factors virtually mirror those already known for cardiovascular disease: obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to the study published Thursday in the journal Lancet Neurology...

ST. LOUIS -- Right now, mistakes by the St. Louis Rams' rookie tight end tandem can be coached and corrected and nobody really suffers. On Aug. 10, when the Rams open the preseason that situation will change. Quarterback Marc Bulger won't be wearing one of those yellow, do-not-touch jerseys, and the missed blocking assignment that he took note of on Day 1 could have meant a serious injury...

CAPAHAS BASEBALL The Plaza Tire Capahas will try to stay alive in the National Baseball Congress World Series today when they play the Rock City (N.C.) Red Sox at 1 p.m. in Wichita, Kan. Plaza Tire (22-10) is coming off Wednesday's 12-8 win over the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Tony Stewart heads into Indianapolis Motor Speedway at peace, finally able to relax when it comes to the only track that matters to him. His storybook victory at the Brickyard last season fulfilled a lifelong dream for Stewart, giving him a win at the home-state track that had tormented him his entire professional career. His trophy now sits proudly in his living room, proof that Stewart officially conquered his demons...

The Chevrolet Avalanche, arguably the most flexible of full-size pickup trucks because of its fold-down "Midgate" between the passenger compartment and pickup bed, just keeps getting better. The once ungainly Avalanche that used to wear way too much cladding now is streamlined and clutter-free on its exterior...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Opponents of a new state requirement for voters to show a government-issued photo identification filed a second lawsuit Thursday, claiming it could discourage or prevent people from voting this November. The lawsuit's plaintiffs include several Missourians qualified to vote who say they lack an acceptable ID under the new law and hence could not cast a regular ballot in the Nov. ...

An interview with the 'Barnyard' actor by the Southeast Missourian's advertising director, Adam Burnham, and his son, Konner...

At first glance there seems to be little in common between the art of James Parker and Nick Kyle. Parker, a well-known member of the local art community, doesn't produce art to impart meaning. He doesn't try to explore cultural norms or the human subconscious...

Dear Tom and Ray: I am writing to you regarding my neighbor's car. I think it's about to break down. Now, normally I wouldn't care, but I don't have a car and my neighbor gives me a ride down to the bus stop every morning. I really don't want to walk four miles every day at 6 a.m. ...

Dear Tom and Ray: A friend of mine says I am wrong, and I was hoping you would have the answer. Whenever I go on a long trip, I always wash and wax the car before I start, and as the bugs collect, I hit carwashes as needed along the way. Besides, it is great driving a nice, pretty car. ...

Cape Girardeau Central High School's incoming freshmen picked up their textbooks and got acquainted with everything from their class schedules to their lockers and cafeteria food during an all-day orientation Friday. Most of the students were accompanied by their parents who dutifully wrote checks to pay for everything from yearbook pictures to lunch money...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Merle Nipper may not think of himself as a hero, but Friday night he was honored as one. On March 23, 2005, Nipper, 56, rushed into his neighbor's burning home off Route D in Perry County to rescue the elderly couple. He braved smoke and flames to pull Fred and Kathleen Reinwald from the basement of their home. At the time, and even now, Nipper doesn't think anything of it...

The final public pitch for Proposition 1 Friday sounded familiar themes of better roads and improved county law enforcement. With only a few days remaining before Tuesday's vote, Cape Girardeau County officials seeking the half-cent sales tax increase made their case before the biggest audience so far, about 175 people attending the monthly Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce breakfast gathering...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- The lettering on the T-shirts summed up the sentiment: "We survived." More than 3,000 people turned out Friday night for the "Meat on the Mississippi" festival, the first time the people of Caruthersville came together as a community since an April 2 tornado ravaged more than half the town...

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- The state Supreme Court ruled Friday that Vermont courts, and not those in Virginia, have exclusive jurisdiction over a case involving two women battling for custody of a child they had while they were in a lesbian relationship. The unanimous ruling conflicts with a series of decisions in Virginia, where courts ruled the state's anti-gay-marriage laws controlled the case...

SAN DIEGO -- Six Marines accused of injuring civilians in the Iraqi village of Hamdania in April were charged Thursday with assault. Half of the men were already being held on murder charges in an unrelated case. Military officials said that the assaults were uncovered during an investigation into that slaying...

BOSTON -- Safety repairs to a portion of the Big Dig tunnel where a motorist was killed by falling ceiling panels have been completed and the section will reopen once federal authorities give the OK, Gov. Mitt Romney said Friday. Romney gave no estimate when federal authorities would finish their review, but said they were aware of the urgency of addressing traffic congestion that would be partially relieved once the so-called "Ramp A" is reopened...

SHANGHAI, China -- For the second time in days, Chinese authorities have ordered a mass slaughter of dogs to curb a rabies outbreak -- drawing criticism from animal lovers but also support from many who say it's the only way to contain a disease that kills more than 2,000 Chinese a year...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Tropical Storm Chris weakened into a depression Friday morning in the eastern Caribbean. At 7 a.m. Friday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of about 35 mph, 4 mph below the threshold for a tropical storm. Forecasters said it might creep up to tropical storm strength again but wouldn't go much farther than that...

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israel and Hezbollah fought bloody ground battles and exchanged fierce air and missile strikes Friday -- including bombing raids that severed Lebanon's last major supply link with Syria and the outside world, and the guerrillas' deepest rocket attack inside Israel to date...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Creating a system of driving trails to bring historic Missouri Civil War sites to life might sound like a lofty goal, but the president of Missouri's Civil War Heritage Foundation said it's not that groundbreaking. Really. "We're not inventing the wheel here," Greg Wolk said. "It surprises me no one tried to do a Jesse James trail yet."...

LAS VEGAS -- With a sensational debut behind them, the American players lingered on the court for a few extra moments to soak up the last of the "USA!, USA!" chants. It'll be a while before they see or hear from the home fans again. Hours after closing their second training stint here Thursday night by overwhelming Puerto Rico 114-69 in their lone exhibition on home soil, the Americans departed Friday for a month in Asia, culminating with the world championships in Japan...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas' high school football classifications are staying the same for now. A Pulaski County judge on Thursday denied a motion that would have reduced the state's multiplier for the upcoming football season -- and would have forced at least a few teams to change their schedules...

Michelle Wie walked off the course at Royal Lytham pleased with her par saves on the final two holes. Then she got to the recorders' office and realized her effort was all for naught. The 16-year-old Wie was penalized two strokes for making contact with a piece of moss behind her ball during her backswing while hitting out of a greenside bunker at the 14th. ...

ST. LOUIS -- To win the St. Louis Rams' punter job, Andy Groom knows he's going to have to approach it like a challenger fighting a champion in the champion's hometown. To beat out 12-year NFL veteran Matt Turk, he's going to have to score a knockout...

NEW YORK -- Chase Utley's hitting streak ended at 35 games in the Philadelphia Phillies' 5-3 win against the New York Mets on Friday night. Utley went 0-for-5, striking out twice. He hit a bouncer to the right of second base in the seventh inning but Jose Valentin backhanded it and threw him out in a close play at first...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Matt Kenseth has been entrenched in NASCAR's top 10 all season, holding strong in second place the last nine weeks. Despite the solid footing, Kenseth in no way considers himself a lock to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup. With only six races left to ensure a spot in the playoff field, Kenseth can either play it safe and ease his way in or run hard and risk blowing it all...

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter failed to prevent the St. Louis Cardinals' losing streak from reaching eight games, matching a slump they endured in June. The 2005 National League Cy Young winner left Friday night's game with an injury to the thumb on his pitching hand that put a scare into a team already on the skids. His right thumb was swollen, although X-rays indicated no break, after a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers...

WASHINGTON -- Young workers, Wall Street, a couple of airlines and U.S. taxpayers could come out as winners in the pension changes made by Congress. Some older employees, as well as truck drivers and construction workers hoping to retire early, might not fare as well...

A hybrid car stolen from a Cape Girardeau motel was found Friday morning ablaze in Twin Trees Park. A patrol officer came upon the 2004 Toyota Prius on fire around 4 a.m. off East Cape Rock Drive, according to police spokesman Jason Selzer. "There's no way to salvage this car, it's melted," Selzer said of the damage...

The Kraemers hope to meet members of the family when they travel here this fall. Southeast Missourian Descendants of the Bruening family of Germany are hoping to re-establish ties with the Bruening family of Cape Girardeau and plan to travel here in October...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

The 1140th, the Missouri National Guard battalion based in Cape Girardeau, has had a busy couple of years. In March 2005 the battalion returned from a year in Iraq, where the dangerous mission in part involved clearing improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance from roads. In Iraq, members of the battalion completed more than 3,700 combat patrols. All 476 guardsmen who went to Iraq returned...

Some scholars are busily debunking the Bible's account of the great King David, asking: Was he really all that great? Was he largely legendary, Judaism's version of Britain's legendary King Arthur, or totally fictional? These matters are crucial not only for Jews but for Christians, since Jesus' biblical identity as the messiah stems from David's family line...

A hidden treasure became the basis for a children's sermon at St. John's United Church of Christ near Fruitland. Vernon and Bonnie Ludwig have a 79-year-old quilt that was handmade for Vernon in 1927 and has remained tucked away in a trunk ever since. His first-grade teacher's mother made the quilt for him...

Vincentian Marian Youth holds events at church; Churches hold vacation Bible schools in August; Southeast professor to portray Clarence Jordan; Today ; Sunday

I watched a balloon one day. A child released it to fly high into the sky. The string once holding it back had lost its power, and the graceful colorful balloon was free to pursue its dreams at last. I learned a lot from watching that balloon that day...

A lifelong love of sports indirectly led Jayson Santos to Southeast Missouri State. Santos now hopes to help the university's coaches and athletes, if not find a love for NCAA rules and regulations, at least understand them better. The 27-year-old Santos is less than a week on the job as Southeast's new assistant athletic director for compliance. He believes his basic task is relatively simple...

To the editor: In response to Monty W. Keesee's letter, I would like to ask where did he find his information concerning the heath/environment after-effects of engaging an operational ethanol plant? Can he please divulge the origins of his research to the unknowing public?...

Thanks for checking ; Switch to wood; Wasting gasoline ; Unaffordable cab ; Tossing litter ; Hiring concerns; Hospital smoking; Coffeepot power; Cotton welfare; Fuel from sugar; Experience counts; Futility over Iraq; High expectations; Aging tattoos

Ethel L. Teichman, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Nov. 17, 1913, in Allenville, daughter of Lyman and Emma Harmon Hayden. She and August F. Teichman were married Feb. 25, 1935, in Chester, Ill. He died Jan. 12, 1982...

Arthur Herman Siemers, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 13, 1920, in Cape Girardeau, son of August H. and Edna I. Schwab Siemers. He and Mary Jane Miller were married Sept. 25, 1942, in Cape Girardeau. She died June 11, 1959. He later married Meta Koechig June 24, 1961, in Cape Girardeau...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Sarah Nell Hurt, 77, of Advance died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 5, 1928, near East Prairie, Mo., daughter of Jim and Mabel Thompson Munson. She and Jack L. Hurt were married July 6, 1948, in Osceola, Ark...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lillian Alma Thompson, 82, of Perryville died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at her home. She was born Feb. 23, 1924, in Detroit, Mich., daughter of Noel Everett and Hazel Eugas Johnson. She and Ralph M. Thompson were married Jan. 1, 1943, in St. Louis...

Gilberte F. Malone, 84, of Dixon, Ill., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, at her home. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Scroggins; Cox; Koch

25 years ago: Aug. 5, 1981 It is a somber scene at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport at 10 a.m., when striking air-traffic controllers learn they might be unemployed; more than an hour later, however, the four striking Professional Air Traffic Controllers members here are informed the government has apparently extended the back-to-work deadline using a formula based on the times controllers were scheduled to report for duty...

WICHITA, Kan. -- A masterful pitching performance by Chad Bogenpohl helped the Plaza Tire Capahas again stave off elimination in the National Baseball Congress World Series. The Capahas, who dropped their opening game in the 42-team tournament, posted their second consecutive losers bracket victory Friday, beating the Rock City Red Sox of North Carolina, 8-5...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri's flagship campus is embracing a plan to guarantee admission and offer full scholarships to talented but needy fourth-graders. The project, which remains in the formative stages, would initially focus on students from the Kansas City public school system but hopefully expand statewide, University of Missouri-Columbia chancellor Brady Deaton said...

COMMERCE, Mo. -- A century-old home in this Scott County town was one of six Missouri properties recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. "From when first moved in, we knew there was a lot of historical significance to it," Susan Bailey said...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston, Mo., woman was charged Friday for having oral sex with a 16-year-old girl. Jennifer Foreman, 31, was charged with two counts of felony statutory sodomy. Bond was set at $25,000. The defendant is accused of performing oral sex with the girl in her Benton home on seven occasions between April 5 and the end of June, according to a probable-cause statement. ...

The Stoddard County Republican Central Committee filed new disclosure reports this week detailing transactions that earlier reports claimed never occurred. The two reports, originally due April 15 and July 15, reported a total of $8,095 in fund-raising and $8,032 in spending since the beginning of the year. Those totals include $6,000 received from a Dexter, Mo.-based political action committee that was moved to Gov. Matt Blunt's campaign fund...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" marched through the streets of Baghdad's biggest Shiite district Friday in a show of support for Hezbollah militants battling Israeli troops in Lebanon...

BOGOTA, Colombia -- Leftist rebels were blamed for two attacks Friday as Colombia prepares for President Alvaro Uribe's second-term inauguration -- a car bomb that killed four officers outside a Cali police station and an attack that killed two soldiers in a western province...

HAVANA -- Park cleaner Froilan Mezquia sleeps in the shed where he stores his supplies and hasn't had a real meal in three days. The 62-year-old also received years of free medical treatment for throat cancer. In Cuba's communist society, where every day is a struggle but survival is practically guaranteed, Mezquia's story helps explain why people didn't flood the streets clamoring for change when Fidel Castro stepped down for surgery this week...

PHOENIX -- Police on Friday said that two men captured at a gated apartment complex were responsible for a string of apparently random late-night killings that have terrorized residents across this sprawling city for months. Authorities gave no details about why they believe Dale S. Hausner and Samuel John Dieteman are responsible for the three dozen shootings investigators had labeled as the work of the "Serial Shooter," or whether they believed both men or just one pulled the trigger...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea urgently needs food after devastating floods and is willing to accept aid from the South Korean government, a North Korean official said Friday. North Korea earlier this week refused to accept flood relief from the South's Red Cross society, apparently in anger over Seoul's decision to suspend food aid because of the North's missile launches last month. The North's about-face underscored the seriousness of the floods, which began in mid-July...

As voters prepare to make a final decision on Proposition 1, the half-cent county sales tax for roads and law enforcement, supporters are asking that people take a close look at their property-tax bills. The first line on the bill indicates how much the tax collector received for either the county road and bridge fund or the Cape Special Road District...

A new method for voting will be on hand at area polling places Tuesday to make sure disabled voters can vote easily and in privacy. Most voters, area county clerks said, will see no change in the way ballots have been cast in recent years. But the new machines, mandated by the Help America Vote Act, could be the wave of the future...

On Tuesday, Missouri voters will decide whether to extend a little tax that supporters say has paid big dividends. Amendment 1, if approved, would add 10 years to the life of the statewide 1/10-cent sales tax for state parks and soil conservation. The tax provides about $82 million annually that is split between state parks maintenance and upgrades and soil conservation projects...

In her job as a school counselor, Becky Peters has seen more than one child fall asleep in class at the start of a new year. Students are so excited about the first few days of school that they really seem to be doing fine, but "by the end of a regular week they're going to be exhausted just because it's different from what they're used to," said Peters, who works at South Elementary in Jackson...

COBDEN, Ill. -- At first glance the classrooms look like most other preschools across America. Pictures of bright-faced children are tacked on the wall alongside crayon drawings and posters. A dizzying whirl of singing, laughing and teasing moves about the room at knee level. Typical preschool stuff...

Samuel said he wants his players to be able to deal with adversity following a 2-9 season. If there is one recurring theme whenever I speak to Tony Samuel about what he expects from his first Southeast Missouri State football team -- and I'm not talking about wins and losses -- it's toughness...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former senator and astronaut John Glenn and his wife were recovering at a hospital Saturday after a car accident a day earlier, Glenn's former press secretary said. Glenn, 85, and his wife, Annie, 86, were in fair condition Saturday afternoon at Grant Medical Center, nursing supervisor Louis Tejada said. They were expected to be released today after a few final tests, said Dale Butland, a friend of the couple who formerly worked for Glenn...

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Poll results. Demographics. The issues playing best with voters, like immigration, stem cells, homeland security. The three-day annual summer gathering of the National Governors Association is aimed at tackling health care, education and other policy challenges facing every state. But the morning was all about politics and how each party could best come out ahead as 36 states choose governors this fall...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan on Saturday expelled an Indian diplomat it said it had caught with "sensitive documents," and India responded by ordering out a Pakistani diplomat, in a setback to the nuclear-armed rivals' shaky peace process. Pakistan and India often have expelled each other's diplomats over spying allegations. But Saturday's expulsions were the first since the two countries agreed in January 2004 to resume peace talks, the Indian statement said...

HAVANA -- Cuban officials said Saturday that Fidel Castro was steadily recovering from surgery and the government was still preparing for its worst-case scenario: an attack by government opponents taking advantage of the leader's health crisis. Castro, whose 80th birthday is Aug. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- After more than three weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah, the U.N. Security Council is close at last to its first serious response to the crisis. The problem now will be convincing Israel and the Hezbollah militants they are fighting to agree to its ambitious proposals for peace...

By SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE If you happened to be a child in the New York City of 1859, awaiting a letter from, say, Aunt Isabel in Lafayette, Ind. -- containing, perhaps, a shiny silver dollar -- you were going to be disappointed. The mail that your aunt had expected to be unusually timely was going to be late. And what earns this delayed delivery a place in the annals of postal irony is that the letter you were anticipating was aboard America's first airmail flight...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A Republican candidate for Congress has apologized after being arrested in St. Charles County for unresolved traffic violations. Rep. Sherman Parker, St. Peters, is challenging U.S. Rep. Todd Akin in Tuesday's primary for the Republican nomination to represent the 2nd District, which includes parts of St. Charles and St. Louis counties...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- An elementary school gym teacher accused of sexually molesting six students may get a chance to look at the students' records. Greene County Associate Division Judge Mark Powell on Friday said he will review the records and determine whether there's any information relevant to defense attorneys representing Mark Washam...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Up until a year ago, Patty Goss had a job despite physical handicaps caused by a stroke. A state-funded program called Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities provided her with a personal assistant and allowed her to work and still get health care covered by Medicaid...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- World War II veterans who have gathered for years in August at the Truman Museum to honor the former president's decision to bomb Japan in 1945 say this weekend's tribute will be the last. Age has caught up with the veterans, who since 1995 have gone to the museum on or near the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, stood at the president's grave and saluted...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter said Saturday that his bruised right thumb was much improved since he was injured the previous night, and he believes he'll be able to make his next start. In fact, Carpenter said he thought he could pitch Saturday...

Sherri Steinhauer rolled in a 50-foot putt on the way to a 6-under 66 to take a three-stroke lead at the Women's British Open at Royal Lytham in Lyhthan St. Annes, England, on Saturday. After 46-year-old Juli Inkster squandered the three-stroke lead she held following the second round, the 43-year-old Steinhauer took over on the course where she won the first of her two straight British Open titles to move to 7-under 209 after three rounds...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Jeff Burton and rookie Clint Bowyer gave Richard Childress Racing a sweep of the front row Saturday in qualifying for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Burton, who has driven in each of the 12 previous NASCAR races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway without qualifying higher than 16th, made an early lap of 182.778 mph stand up for his third pole of the season and only the fifth of a career that began in 1993...

PARIS -- The Tour de France no longer calls him champion. His cycling team cut him loose. About the only chance Floyd Landis has of keeping his prized yellow jersey will now likely be decided by an appeals process that could drag on for months. Landis was discredited and disowned in short order Saturday when elevated levels of testosterone showed up in his "B" or second doping sample -- as it did in the initial "A" sample released last week...

CANTON, Ohio -- The glory of the newest Hall of Famers' achievements was punctuated by a steady stream of tears and a singular chant: "REG-GIE, REG-GIE." Though a fair share of the crowd sported No. 8 jerseys in tribute to Troy Aikman, their passion Saturday was reserved for the late Reggie White...

ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa was in the dugout cursing the baseball gods when Prince Fielder hit a ball off the end of his bat with the bases loaded that appeared certain to fall. The St. Louis Cardinals led by a run in the sixth inning, and their manager dreaded more adversity for a team trying to end its second eight-game losing streak of the season. ...

GLASGOW, Ky. -- A new book about Mammoth Cave tells the story of the national park's slave history. The book, entitled "Making Their Mark: The Signature of Slavery at Mammoth Cave," is available at the visitor center at Mammoth Cave National Park...

LONDON -- Dresses and diamonds fit for a queen -- Queen Elizabeth II, to be precise -- are going on display at Buckingham Palace. The exhibit, timed to celebrate the monarch's 80th birthday this year, opened July 26 to the public as part of the annual opening of the palace's state rooms...

NEW YORK -- Ten years ago, tourists visiting Brooklyn saw it as nothing more than a side trip from Manhattan. Maybe they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge or took the subway out to Coney Island, but few had dinner here or stayed the night. These days, however, Brooklyn is a destination unto itself...

WASHINGTON -- Republican lawmakers called it the "trifecta bill" -- evoking the image of a three-time winning ticket at the racetrack. But lawmakers from both parties are predicting that they hold the winning ticket after this week's vote on legislation that would (1) raise the minimum wage, (2) cut taxes on multimillion dollar estates and (3) extend tax breaks for business research, college tuition and states sales taxes...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Carnival rides returned for 26th annual Chaffee German Days Friday and Saturday, but the greased pole did not. Rides began last year for the city's centennial celebration. The carnival firm pays the Chaffee Elks, which co-sponsors the two-day event at Frisco Park, a percentage of the profit to operate the carnival, said Elks member Tom Cunningham...

2 teenagers arrested in theft of VA laptop; Teacher says he molested more than 100 students

A traditional change-of-command ceremony held at Navy Operational Support Center in Cape Girardeau included bells and whistles used aboard ship to alert officers of the arrival and departure of high ranking officers. Entering civilian life after seven years of service with the U.S. Navy was bittersweet for Lt. Jeremy R. Freeman, a 1995 Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Scams have been around for all of recorded history. Elaborate schemes intended to bilk as many gullible targets as possible once took time and patience and usually relied on forms of communication that could take days or even weeks. Then came the telephone. Scammers quickly adopted the phone as a tool of the trade. Now unsuspecting marks were lured with instant promises of instant riches...

LIGONIER, Pa. -- A doorway beckons visitors to pass through a book made of concrete that stands some 28 feet high. The simple verse on its open pages reads in part, "Here dreams are real ... and so are your story book friends." There are no massive roller coasters, bumper cars or swings that spin visitors high in the air at this 17-acre attraction, tucked into the rolling mountains of western Pennsylvania...

They won't run out to the roar of a packed arena, but Central cross country runners will get a chance to see what Midnight Madness feels like when the Tigers participate in an opening-day practice at Central beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Monday. The team will make T-shirts to commemorate the program's first midnight practice. All-state runner Brittany Moreland came up with the idea last school year according to coach Mark Hahn...

Hannah Kinder's ability to continually drop time in the pool has helped the Central senior-to-be wrack up frequent-flyer miles as she travels across the country participating in some of the most prestigious meets in the nation. Thanks to her performance at a sectional meet in Columbia, Mo., in July, Kinder has earned a trip to the 2006 Speedo Junior National Championships in Irvine, Calif. The meet begins on Monday and concludes Friday...

To the editor: This was written Sept. 20, 2001, in response to question "How are you doing after the recent events?" as posed by a former Marine comrade. We served together in the 1980s and have not corresponded before or since. "Like most people I was rather numb for a couple of days and went through the motions of life. ...

To the editor: Nearly 61 years ago, on Sept. 2, 1945, the Japanese government surrendered on the battleship Missouri ending World War II. The war was brought to an end by the heroic decision of President Truman to use the atomic bomb on Aug. 6, 1945 at Hiroshima and later at Nagasaki. \...

Misinformed on signs; Too much ethanol; Secondhand smoke; Cell phones and bikes; God's destruction; Road measurement; Tattoo publicity; Controlled supply; Car-seat info; Inconvenience line; Immigrant struggle; Joy of porches

Arthur Herman Siemers, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 13, 1920, in Cape Girardeau, son of August H. and Edna I. Schwab Siemers. He and Mary Jane Miller were married Sept. 25, 1942, in Cape Girardeau. She died June 11, 1959. He later married Meta Koechig June 24, 1961, in Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Marjorie Medvik, 83, of Marble Hill died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006, at her home. She was born Aug. 8, 1922, in Kings Lake, Mo., daughter of Jefferson Davis and Ona May Briscoe Cox. She and John Louis Medvik were married Feb. 4, 1939. He died Nov. 5, 2005...

Harold D. Watson, 76, of Collinsville, Ill., formerly of Scott City, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Ill. He was born Feb. 19, 1930, at Scott City, son of Virgil and Ora Speck Watson. He and Alice Murrell were married Sept. 12, 1981...

MR. & MRS. DAVID A. BROWN LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Rachel Marie Allen and David Anthony Brown were married June 10, 2006, at Harmony Church. Joe Allen of Leopold, uncle of the bride, performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Mark and Barbara Allen of Leopold, and Kenneth and Mary Jane Brown of Marble Hill, Mo...

MR. & MRS. DERIK G. STEVENS Alicia Ann Manker and Derik Gene Stevens were married May 13, 2006, at Cape County Park. Dr. Jay White performed the ceremony. Soloist was Julie LoMedico of St. Charles, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Sharon Manker of Cape Girardeau, and the late Joseph Manker. The groom is the son of Steve and Cindy Stevens of Marble Hill, Mo., and Jeff and LaDonna Glenn of Jackson...

Tammy Helwig and Brian D. Sebastian were united in marriage July 28, 2006, at Fairview United Methodist Church in Columbia, Mo. Nicholas Campbell performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Raymond and Peggy Schnell of Columbia. The groom is the son of Rudy and Evelyn Sebastian, who are deceased...

Jodie Lynn Shelby and Eric Norman Ticer were married June 10, 2006, at Grace United Methodist Church. The Rev. Scott Moon performed the ceremony. Reader was Minyo Ticer of Cape Girardeau, sister-in-law of the groom. Organist was Laura Bollinger, and pianist was Shane Steck. Vocalists were Tina Trickey and Mike Dumey of Cape Girardeau...

Denise Elainia Lehmann and Douglas Lynn Mayfield exchanged wedding vows June 10, 2006, at Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson. Sam Roethemeyer performed the ceremony. Organist was Christy Shinn. The bride is the daughter of James Lehmann of Jackson and Dan and Darlene Petzoldt of Altenburg, Mo. Ralph and Vera Mayfield of Jackson are parents of the groom...

Mr. and Mrs. George Lampe of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa T. Lampe, to David G. Ham. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Ham of Cape Girardeau. Lampe is a 2000 graduate of Rosati-Kain High School in St. Louis. She received a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004. She is a sales engineer with Schweiss Network in St. Louis...

James and Martha Wills of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Tina Renee Seyer, to Daniel Cook, both of Jackson. He is the son of Norman and Doris Cook of Marble Hill, Mo. Seyer is a 1993 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in sports medicine from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. She is employed at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield...

Kerry Knowlson and Jody Basola of Jerseyville, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Katie Knowlson, to Brian Hogan, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Richard and Sharon Hogan of Cape Girardeau. Knowlson is a 1999 graduate of Jersey Community High School, and a 2003 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed by Drury Inns Inc...

Lucretia Dawn "Lucy" and Phillip Todd Luster of Crossville, Tenn., announce their engagement. She is the daughter of the late Roy and Margaret Proctor Sr. Luster is the son of Jeannie and Vernon Cross of Cape Girardeau and Phil and Karen Luster of Finksburg, Md...

Darrell and Kitrina Helderman of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Darlene Jennifer Annette Six, to Danny Ray McMillan, both of Scott City. He is the son of Dennis and Debora McMillan and Mary and Jeff Hency, all of Scott City. Six is a 1998 graduate of Central High School. She is a department manager at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Cape Girardeau...

ORAN, Mo. -- James and Suzanne Sindle of Oran announce the engagement of their daughter, Hannah Marie Sindle, to Andrew Nolan Gadberry. He is the son of Lisa Graviett and Terry Gadberry of Oran. Sindle is a 2001 graduate of Oran High School. She owns a daycare in Oran...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Richard and Judy Dunn of McClure, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Leslie Ann Dunn, to Clinton Lee Zahner, both of Perryville. He is the son of Ralph and Mary Zahner of Perryville. Dunn is a 1997 graduate of Shawnee High School. She received an associate of applied science degree in computer systems and a one year certificate for network specialist from Shawnee Community College in 2003. She is a help desk analyst at TG Missouri Corp...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Debbie Ealy of Houston, Mo., announces the engagement of her daughter, Lynda Marie Jones, to Benn Allan Duvall, both of Jeffersonville, Ind. He is the son of Rick and Chris Francis of St. Louis and Dante Duvall of Perryville. Jones is also the daughter of the late Rick Jones of Sedgewickville, Mo...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Willie Saputo of Leopold announces the engagement of her daughter, Giana Lucia Saputo, to Benjamin Garrett Mayfield. He is the son of Junior and Donna Mayfield of Marble Hill, Mo. Saputo is a 2004 graduate of Leopold High School. Mayfield is a 2002 graduate of Woodland High School. He is a member of Missouri National Guard...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- David and Laurie Austin and Ronald and Sherry Kennedy of Mounds announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa Rene Austin, to Elvis Clayton Little, both of Lewisville, Texas. He is the son of Sally Little of Cairo, Ill. Austin is a 1999 graduate of Meridian High School in Mounds. She is pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Texas Women's University in Denton...

John Rauh of Jackson was inducted into the Missouri State Bowling Association Hall of Fame on July 8, honored for a lifetime of service to the sport. He was introduced to the sport at the age of 15 by his uncle at Trinity Lanes in Cape Girardeau. Rauh has been a member of the Cape Girardeau Bowling Association Board for 29 years, including seven years as secretary-treasurer. He is a life member and Hall of Fame member of the association...

Long earns medalist for Kimbeland ladies Vicki Long was the medalist Thursday in the Kimbeland Country Club Ladies Golf League. In the play of the day, Lillian Schneider won the championship flight, Sharon McCune won the "A" flight and Jackie Anderson won the "B" flight...

The Plaza Tire Capahas will shoot for their third straight win at the National Baseball Congress World Series today when they play the Liberal (Kan.) BeeJays at 8 a.m. After opening the 42-team, double-elimination event in Wichita, Kan., with a loss last Saturday, the Capahas have bounced back with two consecutive losers bracket victories, including Friday's 8-5 triumph over Rock City, N.C...

PHOENIX -- One of the two suspects in a series of apparently random late-night killings discarded a trash bag in which police found a map with red and blue dots representing the locations of the attacks, court documents said. The bag also contained an expended .410-gauge shotgun shell and a piece of paper referring to serial violence, according to a probable cause statement released Friday night...

BULLFROG, Utah -- Lake Powell is barely half-full, thanks to a multiyear drought. Some people are saying the reservoir may never refill naturally and should be drained to reveal the glory of Glen Canyon. But for others, the lake is proving its value, banking scarce water for dry years...

Bus 3, Robert Smith (Brown Diamond) Route begins at 6:22 a.m. on County Road 370, east on Highway 34, north on Route UU. North on County Road 351 turn around, Back to UU to County Road 354, west on 356, turn around, north on 354, west on 350 to Jones residence, Turn around. ...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's top electoral court on Saturday rejected a full recount in the disputed presidential election, ordering a partial count instead, angering leftist protesters camped in the capital demanding a new vote-by-vote tally over their fraud allegations...

ST. LOUIS -- Technology may soon make the paper copy of a resume an obsolete tool for those seeking a job, according to recruiters at this weekend's Missouri Black Expo Job Fair. Although some companies, especially smaller or midsize employers, still prefer hard copies of resumes, many others are encouraging job seekers to go to their Web sites to post their resumes or to get applications...

Voters will make choices Tuesday for the following races and ballot issues. Incumbents are noted with (I). Republican Party Isaiah Hair Jr. Jim Talent (I) Joyce P. Lea Roxie L. Fausnaught Scott Babbit Democratic Party Bill Clinton Young Claire McCaskill...

CAIRO, Egypt -- Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader said in a new videotape aired Saturday that an Egyptian militant group has joined the terror network. It was the first time that al-Qaida has announced a branch in Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation. The Egyptian group, Gamaa Islamiya, is apparently a revived version of a militant group of the same name that waged a campaign of violence in Egypt during the 1990s but was crushed in a government crackdown...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. soldiers sent to beef up security in Baghdad were seen for the first time on the streets of the capital Saturday as Iraqi police used loudspeakers to reassure people that the Americans were there to protect them. But at least 21 people were killed or found dead, most of them in the capital, which is being wracked by bombings and sectarian slayings. ...

Judging by Jody Kelsey's crammed-full shopping cart, it looked like she was buying school supplies for a whole classroom of children. But no. Only her three. Kelsey, who lives in Benton, Mo., was shopping Saturday at the Cape Girardeau Target to take advantage of the sales-tax holiday, which allows shoppers to purchase specified back-to-school items sales tax-free...

Tony Samuel claims to be both excited and curious as he prepares for his first fall football camp at Southeast Missouri State. "This is always an exciting time of the year, when things really start to get going," said Samuel, the Redhawks' first-year head coach who inherits a team that went 2-9 last year. "I think the attitude here is starting to slowly turn and I'm real curious...

CHARDON, Ohio -- Though she's only a 6-pound Chihuahua-rat terrier mix who looks like she belongs in Paris Hilton's purse, Midge has the will, skill and nose of a 100-pound German shepherd. The newest recruit for the Geauga County Sheriff Department's K-9 unit could very well be the nation's smallest drug-sniffing pooch...

The admitted gunman who killed a 17-year-old Cape Girardeau youth was scheduled to be sentenced today. Bernard P. Richards, 19, of Ullin, Ill., pleaded guilty July 17 to felony involuntary manslaughter and misdemeanor leaving the scene of a shooting. He was accused in the Jan. 25 shooting death of Jacob Bowers behind Du-Shell's Furniture, 2103 William St...

An automobile accident on Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County took the life of a Milwaukee, Wis., man late Saturday night. Reginald Adams, 45, received fatal injuries when the vehicle he was riding in ran off the roadway and overturned at approximately 10:15 p.m. ...

A public hearing on the proposed Oak Street recreation trail project will be held at 7:30 p.m. today during a regular Jackson Board of Aldermen meeting. City officials are gathering input prior to preparing the final plans for constructing a new 1-mile trail along Oak Street, between the City Park and North West Lane...

The relationship between commercial interests, environmentalists and federal and state governments is often one of adversary, not partner. Drilling for oil in protected areas, raising fuel efficiency standards and control of logging in protected forests all have become fertile battlefields...

The Rev. Charlie Prost did not say goodbye to about 800 people gathered at a Vincentian Heritage Celebration on Sunday. Instead, Prost assured the church community which he has served for the past five years that he will see them soon. "If I don't see you again here, I will see you in heaven," Prost said...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- For months Rockview residents have been watching the railroad improvement work going on outside their homes -- some of them wondering if the work is part of a plan bigger than the new curve in the track beside their town. Since spring 2005 Union Pacific Railroad has been working on a $4.2 million project to install a new connector track on the edge of the town -- work that is now in its final stages...

Resurfacing work on Scott City's Main Street is scheduled to begin Monday at 5 p.m. The street will be resurfaced from the Interstate 55 interchange to Route N on the city's eastern end. Crews will work daily from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the project and traffic will be reduced to one lane through parts of the work area. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation the project should take about one week to complete as long as the weather cooperates...

Nineteen-year-old Bernard Richards was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for the death of a 17-year-old Cape Girardeau youth and for felony possession of cocaine. Richards, of Ullin, Ill., pleaded guilty in July to manslaughter charges in the Jan. 25 death of Jacob Bowers behind Du-Shell's Furniture at 2103 William St...

Talk to Jerry Wieser about his recent business deal and he sounds a bit circumspect. "I'm not sure where the road will lead me at this point," he said. "I'm just going to get some R&R and see where the road takes me. I like the car business too much to get out of it completely. But you can't go on forever."...

ST. LOUIS -- A day after the St. Louis Cardinals ended their second eight-game losing streak this season, Jeff Suppan kept them from starting a new one. Suppan allowed four hits in 7 1/3 innings and Juan Encarnacion hit a three-run homer, helping the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 Sunday...

LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- Whenever Sherri Steinhauer mentioned to people she had won the Women's British Open twice, they always assumed the tournament was a major. Steinhauer never bothered to correct them. Now she doesn't have to. The 43-year-old American shot an even-par 72 Sunday at Royal Lytham to win the Women's British Open for the third time, and the first since the tournament became a major in 2001...

GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- The ultimate goal for Tiger Woods is to surpass Jack Nicklaus' record for victories in professional majors. Along the way, he also hopes to break Sam Snead's mark for PGA Tour wins. Woods won his 50th PGA Tour title Sunday, shooting his fourth straight 6-under 66 for a three-stroke victory over Jim Furyk in the Buick Open...

INDIANAPOLIS -- If Jimmie Johnson wants to finally capture his first Nextel Cup championship, winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a step in the right direction. Johnson pulled off a gritty win at the Brickyard on Sunday, battling back from an early tire problem to take the lead, only to see it evaporate when a late debris caution bunched up the field. It dropped him from first to eighth and forced him to slice his way to the front in the final 14 laps...

The Salvation Army is issuing a plea for donations to support its relief efforts in the wake of the recent St. Louis storms. More than 12,000 St. Louisians have been helped with shelter, meals, food and water distribution. The Salvation Army will provide relief as long as they are needed...

Elderly people in Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger and Scott counties fare better than many in Southeast Missouri, a new statewide report says. Cape Girardeau County ranked 24th in the state; Perry County ranked 48th; Bollinger County, 66th; and Scott County, 67th...

The city of Jackson will test its weather warning sirens beginning at noon today. Testing will occur at noon on the first Monday of each month. A short tone will be sounded to determine if the sirens are functioning properly.

They've been seen on pregnant bellies and tattooed on foreheads. They've invaded bathroom stalls, cell phones and doctors' offices. They've sneaked their way into movies, TV shows, novels and even Broadway plays. They are ads and, come September, they'll be more maddeningly ubiquitous than ever...

GREAT FALLS, Va. -- Armed with a tape recorder and endless patience, Sharon Heffley has spent the last 17 years unraveling the knot of mispronunciations and garbled syllables common to many international professionals in Virginia. Heffley operates the Accent Modification Center out of her home in northern Virginia, helping upwardly mobile professionals smooth accents that may be holding them back...

Bowling at West Park Lanes is about to get ... cosmic, man. The Cape Girardeau bowling alley will soon undergo a half-million-dollar makeover that, when completed, will mean new lanes, seating and scoring programs. The project will add new "glow lanes," said co-general manager Darryl James, allowing for "cosmic bowling," using glow-in-the-dark pins and balls. West Park Lanes is also adding new scoring monitors that feature bright colors and animated graphics...

Doctor completes Alzheimer's course Dr. Mark S. Hahn recently completed a three-day mini-residency on Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, treatment and care. The Clinician Partners Program, offered through the Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, helps physicians who practice outside metropolitan areas. ...

Celebrations restaurant wins national honors Celebrations Restaurant and Bar, 615 Bellevue St., has been honored with the 2006 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence. Only 3,772 restaurants worldwide were honored with this distinction. To qualify for the program, a restaurant's wine list must present complete, accurate wine information. ...

Cape Girardeau's downtown buildings are responsible for much of its character. These older buildings are irreplaceable assets to the city. Most of those buildings were solidly built and can be expected to stand for a long time. But the recent deadly collapse of the Elks Lodge in Clinton, Mo., and spontaneous crumpling of an apartment building in Cape Girardeau underscore the need for cities to ensure their older buildings are inhabitable. ...

For the rich; School as usual; Forked tongue; Being rehabilitated; Buying supplies; Circling in Iraq; Construction speed; Federal waste; Build it up; Study results; Smoking reality; Hide those tattoos

DIXON, Ill. -- Gilberte France Malone, 84, of Dixon died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, at her residence in Dixon. She was born Oct. 22, 1921, in Cognac, France, daughter of James and France Barrit Mezereau. She and Henry E. Malone were married on April 5, 1973, in Cape Girardeau...

MORLEY, MO. -- John George Demko, 82, of Morley died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 25, 1924, in Bayonne, N. J., son of John and Mary Marcinko Demko. He and Ellen May were married May 28, 1949, in Bayonne, N.J...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Glenda Egner Mowery, 93, of Ullin died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, at the Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Cache Chapel United Methodist Church. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church with the Revs. Scott Kelley and Chris Ritter officiating. Interment will be in the Cache Chapel Cemetery...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Luvene Duckworth, 80, of Dongola died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, at her son's home in Dongola. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Crain Funeral Home in Dongola. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Meisenheimer Cemetery in Dongola...

25 years ago: Aug. 7, 1981 The Cape Girardeau Charter Commission has completed the entire first draft of the proposed constitutional home-rule charter for the city with the completion of Articles 12 and 13 of the document. PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perry County Republican Central Committee has recommended the appointment of Leroy Lukefahr of rural Perryville to serve the unexpired term of Perry County Court Judge Raymond H. ...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Jess Bolen is as surprised as anybody by what his Plaza Tire Capahas are doing at the National Baseball Congress World Series. But Bolen wasn't about to complain after the Capahas posted their third straight tournament victory, 5-2 over the Liberal (Kan.) BeeJays on Sunday...

CHICAGO -- Teens whose iPods are full of music with raunchy, sexual lyrics start having sex sooner than those who prefer other songs, a study found. Whether it's hip-hop, rap, pop or rock, much of popular music aimed at teens contains sexual overtones. Its influence on their behavior appears to depend on how the sex is portrayed, researchers found...

7:30 p.m. today Public Hearings Action items Power and light committee Street committee...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis residents are seeing their out-of-pocket costs pile up after a massive blackout that officials have called the worst power outage in Ameren Corp.'s 100-plus-year history. The utility company sent crews of 4,000 workers to restore power after massive storms hit St. Louis in late July, but it took more than a week for thousands of residents to get electricity restored...

ST. LOUIS -- The death penalty in the United States may be hitting a roadblock: the Hippocratic Oath. Condemned inmates in three states have successfully challenged lethal injection as cruel and unusual. For the first time, judges have sided with inmates in ruling that lethal injection has the potential to be unconstitutionally cruel -- that without doctors present, the procedure could be inhumane...

KFAR GILADI, Israel -- A defiant Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with rockets Sunday after rejecting a U.S.-French truce proposal, killing at least 15 people. Israel also struck hard, killing at least 14 in Lebanon as both sides tried to take advantage of the days before a U.N. resolution is put to a vote...

The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Assault Theft Miscellaneous...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: Jackson Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: Firefighters responded to the following call Sunday:...

401 Independence St. meeting, 7 p.m. Public Hearings Consent Ordinances New ordinances Resolutions Appointments Liquor licenses Other...

Cape Girardeau community leaders recently donated their lunch hours to visit with children at the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Girardeau. Mayor Jay Knudtson, Cape Chamber of Commerce vice president of community development Tim Arbeiter, city manager Doug Leslie and executive director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Chuck Martin were among those who visited...

Local servicemen graduate from training...

First Assembly of God holds fish fry, breakfast...

Cape AARP meeting to feature Scouting program The Cape Girardeau County Chapter of AARP No. 4041 will meet at 12:30 p.m. today for a board meeting at Grace United Methodist Church, followed by a program at 1:30 p.m. on "Scouting Today -- New Directions," by Denise Stewart. There will be a drawing for a door prize...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Half the oil production on Alaska's North Slope was being shut down Sunday after BP Exploration Alaska Inc. discovered severe corrosion in a Prudhoe Bay oil transit line. BP officials said they didn't know how long the Prudhoe Bay field would be offline. "I don't even know how long it's going to take to shut it down," said Tom Williams, BP's senior tax and royalty counsel...

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Two years ago, the nation's governors were wrestling with exploding health-care costs, soaring populations and agonizing choices over how to keep their Medicaid programs afloat. Now, as governors met Sunday for their annual summer meeting, health care seems less hopeless. Their choices are vastly different as many states embark on unprecedented experiments to revamp the health-care program for the poor and health care overall...

Advocate: Bad nursing home care persists; Scientists: Oregon coast 'dead zone' growing; John Glenn, wife, released from hospital

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran vowed Sunday to expand its uranium enrichment, defying a U.N. Security Council deadline for it to suspend its nuclear activities by the end of the month or face the threat of political and economic sanctions. Top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani's statement was Tehran's first warning since the resolution passed that it could step up its atomic program. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Fighting erupted late Sunday in a Shiite militia stronghold of Baghdad, and a suicide bomber blew himself up among mourners at a funeral in Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing 10 people and injuring 22. Three U.S. soldiers were killed late Sunday in a roadside bombing southwest of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. No further details were released...

HAVANA -- Cuba's vice president said Sunday Fidel Castro would return to work in a few weeks after intestinal surgery that forced him to hand over power temporarily to his younger brother. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Castro was out of bed and talking following his surgery...

Half of U.S. still believes Saddam had WMDs; Truck bomb wounds U.S. soldier in Afghanistan

Joshua Hicks, 10, and Benjamin Hicks, 7, both of Cape Girardeau, entered their first tennis tournament Saturday. The brothers found success out of the gate, making their way to the finals in the 12-and-under division at the Jammin' Juniors Tennis Tournament, which concluded Sunday at the Southeast Missouri State tennis complex...

Results Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis; Lap length: 2.5 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (5) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 160 laps, 137.182 mph., $452,861. 2. (20) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 160, $361,141. 3. (10) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 160, $327,636...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa believes his team's second eight-game losing streak, which ended Saturday night, had nothing to do with the team's failure to land an impact player by the trade deadline. La Russa flatly dismissed the notion that players might have been unhappy that they didn't get more help. The Cardinals got second baseman Ronnie Belliard and struggling pitcher Jorge Sosa for the stretch run...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The door knob broke this past week on one of the Capitol office doors used by Gov. Matt Blunt's staff. Perhaps it faltered because of all the people leaving for new opportunities. Hyperbole aside, Blunt has lost seven senior staff members and Cabinet officials in the past three months -- and a total of 10 since taking office 20 months ago...

WASHINGTON -- Memo to job hunters: It may take more work to find work. Employers slowed hiring in July, pushing the nation's unemployment rate to a five-month high and putting pressure on the Federal Reserve to take its foot off the economic brakes...

A task force reviewing Missouri's troubled mental health system must provide short-term corrections while also recommending the best long-term actions to strengthen the program, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder said Monday. The most important issue, Kinder said during a joint interview with interim department director Ron Dittemore, was safety of the people under the care of the Department of Mental Health...

The husband of a Cape Girardeau city councilwoman has been charged with cocaine possession and drunken driving. Brian Tracy, 53, of 689 Highland Drive, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and driving while suspended. The license suspension was due to an alcohol-related offense, according to the probable cause statement...

The Scott City Council voted unanimously Monday night to give businesses that sell alcohol more incentive not to violate city code. The votes came a little more than a month after the city council decided to put two businesses -- Larry's Store 24 and Rhodes Travel Center -- on extended liquor licenses until Oct. 2 to test their compliance with rules against selling alcohol to minors...

Thirty-seven public drinking water systems in the state, including one in Cape Girardeau County, have failed to comply with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources testing requirements. The Corner Store and Cafe on Highway 34 in Burfordville failed to report water samples to DNR during March, April and last September. ...

I hadn't spent a whole day in high school in more than three decades. Not until last Friday. I spent the day with my teenage daughter, Becca, getting a full day of orientation at Cape Girardeau Central High School. With Becca being an incoming freshman, I'm sure I'll see a lot of the school over the next four years...

The gunman who killed a 17-year-old youth in Cape Girardeau in January received a 15-year prison sentence Monday. Circuit Judge William Syler sentenced Bernard Richards, 19, of Ullin, Ill., to seven years' imprisonment for felony involuntary manslaughter. Richards also received an 8-year prison sentence for possession of a controlled substance in an unrelated case...

The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night made changes to the city's controversial sign ordinance but put off discussion of other amendments, including one that would allow directional signs for garage sales. An approved amendment will allow businesses in commercial and manufacturing zones to display one banner sign on a temporary basis. The change was requested by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, which had complained that restrictions on advertising hurt business...

Two contenders for a Missouri U.S. Senate seat will appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" for a debate this fall. Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Talent and his challenger, Democratic candidate Claire McCaskill, will appear on the program Oct. 8, according to a news release from McCaskill's campaign. ...

To hear Karen Anderson tell it, she's pretty much a sneeze waiting to happen. "I'm allergic to pretty much everything you breathe in the air," she said. "And people who don't have allergies don't have a clue about how bad allergies are." For Anderson -- and some of the patients she sees as a Cape Girardeau allergy nurse -- when pollen counts get high, the quality of living gets low...

Two teenage brothers were charged Tuesday in connection to a shooting in Jackson. Cody A. Reid, 17, was charged with misdemeanor discharging a firearm across a public highway and tampering with evidence. He is accused of firing a rifle into a crowd, striking a car window Monday night. No one was hurt...

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Plaza Tire Capahas' run at the National Baseball Congress World Series finally came to an end Monday morning. Plaza Tire, after posting three consecutive wins from the losers bracket following a first-round setback, was defeated 5-3 by the Newton (Kan.) Rebels...

By Matt Blunt This year's state budget includes more tax dollars for Medicaid than any other in our state's history. We are working to build an improved system that provides higher-quality care and is a sustainable use of your hard-earned tax dollars...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Several concerts on the Dixie Chicks' "Accidents & Accusations" tour have been canceled after slow ticket sales, but the group says it has replaced them with other dates. Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chicks' Web site...

Floyd Landis took shots at cycling and anti-doping officials in his first interview since a second drug test showed he had synthetic testosterone in his body during his Tour de France victory. In an interview with USA Today in Monday editions, the American cyclist said he has been treated unfairly and cannot properly defend himself against doping accusations...

GUANGZHOU, China -- With Yao Ming out with an injured left foot, China never had a chance against the powerful United States. LeBron James scored 22 points and Carmelo Anthony added 18 to lead the Americans to a 119-73 win over China on Monday. "We are always going to be ready to play. ...

ST. LOUIS -- After practice Monday, Gus Frerotte wore a T-shirt around Rams Park that read: "Life is good." So far in his brief tenure with his new team, life has been good for the 35-year-old quarterback entering his 13th NFL season. Joining a team with a strong offense that includes Pro Bowl receivers like Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce suits Frerotte, even if he comes in as the backup to Marc Bulger...

CINCINNATI -- Maybe it was only one good night for the St. Louis Cardinals, who didn't want to read too much into their most lopsided victory of the season. The scoreboard suggested otherwise. Yadier Molina homered during a tone-setting, five-run first inning Monday night and drove in four runs overall, leading St. Louis to a 13-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds and the early advantage in their pivotal matchup...

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, began her annual farm tour of the 8th Congressional District Monday visiting farms in New Madrid, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. This is the 25th Emerson Farm Tour, with Jo Ann carrying on the tradition started by her late husband Bill Emerson. She says the timing of the tour is especially important because the Farm Bill, which sets agricultural production and prices, is set for reauthorization in 2007...

The Southeast Missourian is recognizing 2006 valedictorians and salutatorians from local high schools. To submit graduates from your school, contact features editor Callie Clark Miller at 335-6611, extension 128 or e-mail cmiller@semissourian.com Parents -- Wayne and Donna Schwiesow...

Extra Credit; Seyer select as 'Best Teacher'

News that the Cape Girardeau Post Office is targeted to move back to its Frederick Street facility after more than two years at cramped temporary quarters on Christine Street was welcome -- except for the fact that the Frederick Street facility presents its own set of problems, particularly a lack of parking, to postal patrons...

To the editor: At election time, please consider how your vote will play into the national political landscape. While party affiliation means little at the local level (other than sign color or logo), it means much at the state and national level. A vote for a state Democratic candidate provides allies and support for the likes of Pelosi, Murtha and Schumer. ...

To the editor: Missouri consumers have just enjoyed a three-day holiday from sales taxes on back-to-school items. Some lawmakers have proudly described the holiday as a way to help poor Missourians. However, Missourians shouldn't be fooled into thinking that the holiday amounts to substantial tax reform...

Air of arrogance?; Money changers; National disgrace; Mayhem at home; Transit in county; What you're worth; Freedom whiners; Walk to school; Not good location; Penny's worth; Don't raise it; High turnover; Trash lesson; Sale perseverance; Teaching experience; Machine calls

MARQUAND, Mo. -- William Samuel "Bill Sam" Whitener, 77, of Marquand died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 5, 1929, in Marquand, fifth and last child of William Elijah and Nancy Schell Whitener. Bill and Lela Faye Easley were married Jan. 22, 1949, at Patton, Mo...

Gilberte France Malone, 84, of Dixon, Ill., died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, at her home. She was born Oct. 22, 1921, in Boutiers St. Trojan, France, daughter of James and France Barrit Merzereau. She and Henry E. Malone were married April 5, 1973, in Cape Girardeau...

Bettie Mae Moore, 83, of Fredericktown, Mo., passed away Monday, July 31, 2006. She was a 20-year resident of the Air Force Enlisted Village for retirees and widows in Shalimar, Fla., before entering Stockhoff Nursing Home of Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Luvene Duckworth, 80, of Dongola died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, at the home of a son in Dongola. She was born Aug. 19, 1925, in Salem, Ky., daughter of Duke and Leona Lloyd Long. She and Justus Duckworth were married Oct. 2, 1939. Duckworth was a member of First Baptist Church...

Seyer; Nall

25 years ago: Aug. 8, 1981 One of the nation's major seaport renovations is being tackled by a Cape Girardeau firm; R.B. Potashnick Construction Inc. is the prime contractor for a project that will deepen the entrance channels and turning basins in the Los Angeles harbor...

As impossible as it may seem, my junior year of college is rapidly approaching. This, along with the retail job I've held for more than a year, is scaring the bejesus out of me. What happened to the wonder years? Come back high school! Come back prom! Come back Trigonometry! Wait -- scratch that one...

Public hearings Consent ordinances New ordinances Resolutions Appointments Liquor licenses Other...

Public hearings Action items Power and light committee Street committee Amendments...

Cape Girardeau...

Susan Beth Scott and her family are learning international politics plays a part in all sports -- even Paralympic events. Scott, a swimmer with the Gators Swim Team, heads to San Antonio, Texas, this week, unsure if she will swim in one or three events at the U.S. Paralympics Swimming National Championships...

ST. LOUIS -- From one start to the next, Jason Marquis keeps the St. Louis Cardinals guessing. The right-hander is among the league leaders with 12 wins, but twice has given up double-digit runs and is saddled with a 5.68 ERA. His next stab at establishing consistency comes tonight in Cincinnati against Eric Milton...

Sanders wins ladies title at Kimbeland Margaret Sanders defeated Vicki Long in a playoff Sunday to win the Kimbeland Country Club Ladies Golf Championship. Sanders holed a putt from about 18 feet for a birdie on the third sudden death playoff hole. Sanders and Long both finished with 36-hole totals of 16-over-par 156. Sanders had rounds of 80 and 76, while Long had rounds of 77 and 79...

For the next week motorists using Main Street in Scott City can expect nighttime delays. Crews with Apex Paving Co. began work Monday evening on the resurfacing of Main Street from just west of Interstate 55 to Route N on the city's eastern end. Traffic was reduced to one lane in work areas, causing some traffic delays Monday night. Work started on the east end of town near Old Illmo, where fewer cars travel Main Street than in the area closer to I-55...

Tony Samuel doesn't quite know how well-conditioned his Southeast Missouri State football team is right now. But Samuel's first glance at the Redhawks during Monday afternoon's official start of preseason workouts was mostly positive. "Physically, they look better not only from when we got here but from when they left [following last semester]," said Samuel, Southeast's first-year head coach. "Some guys changed their bodies for the better."...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- BP said Monday it discovered corrosion so severe that it will have to replace 16 miles of pipeline at the huge Prudhoe Bay oil field -- work that could shut down the nation's single biggest source of domestic crude for months and drive gasoline prices even higher...

I once heard a friend say that girls who wear pointy shoes are high maintenance, after which I vowed that I would never buy anything "fashionable" again. I'm not from around here. I come from a land of knee-length shorts and sweaters, and I'm not ashamed of that. All that being said, I can honestly say that I never saw myself wearing black leggings with skulls and crossbones on them -- not in a million years...

So here we are, folks. We've made it all the way to August. Congrats one and all. Shots of Jaegermeister all around. Now that we've made it over the hump of blistering mid-summer, life is about to change drastically for all of us Cape nightcrawlers...

Since opening the Cape Club Complex, Jeff Robinson has been one of the most visible members of Cape's gay community. Even straight people know his name and face -- many of them visit his bar for fun entertainment that includes some of the best "female impersonator" shows in the area...

The lawyers are none too happy with the doctors. No, it's not because they lost a class-action lawsuit against a local clinic. It's because they're sick of losing to the medical community in the annual Doctors v. Lawyers basketball game. Sore losers...

Like most coaches, Tony Samuel doesn't put a whole lot of stock into preseason predictions. So Samuel is not flustered by the fact his first Southeast Missouri State football squad was picked to finish dead last in the nine-team Ohio Valley Conference...

I know we have that new bridge and all, but if you're anything like me you rarely see the point of heading over into Illinois (unless you're hungry for "hushpuppies," of course). But now there might not be any reason to leave anymore. That bridge can be used for coming, too, and that's what several bands from Southern Illinois have been doing lately. Here are a few things about three of those bands:...

Some old guy who is probably long dead once said, "As long as there is man there will be war."  I think that it can also be said as long as there is war there will be war protesters. With that in mind I took in the July 20 demonstration at Capaha Park, which was organized by the Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice. Armed with my digital recorder and fountain soda, I informed them that I wasn't a participant but an observer for OFF. This made the SEMOCPJ leadership squirm a little...

Anyone who has "accidentally" watched an episode of Maury or Jerry Springer has seen this scene: a woman bawling over some guy in a wife-beater who's cheated on her 12 or so times. The inevitable question is, "Why do you stay with him?" The answer? "But ah luhve him."...

Trying to become a published author is something akin to trying to get a record contract -- too many fish in the pond, not enough food or oxygen. If you want your work published, there's a distinct possibility you'll try for years and years. In the end, what was it all for? Absolutely nothing (kind of like war, eh?)...

Every now and again a film comes along that is dismissed by critics, goes widely unseen by the general public, and yet is still considered a great film by those who have seen it.  I am here to tell you about a movie that falls within this wasteland of great, but underrated films. I speak, of course, of the classic film "Erik The Viking." ...

THROUGH AUGUST 26 The Southeast Missouri Arts Council hosts exhibitions by Cape Girardeau artist James V. Parker and Oklahoma artist Nicholas Kyle. Parker's work includes collage and multimedia pieces and Kyle's work is made up of sculptural boxes and paintings. For more information call 334-9233...

So you want to go out for a night on the town. Well before you head out in your best duds it's smart to plan out your evening of excess. Cape's downtown is no place to go all willy-nilly, especially if you're new in town or trying out the night scene for the first time (that includes you, college kids)...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Three teenagers were seriously injured Tuesday afternoon when their vehicle was struck by a truck near Sedgewickville. Two 16-year-old girls and an 18-year-old woman were traveling on county Route K in a 1999 Saturn when a 1989 Ford pickup truck failed to yield as it pulled from a private drive. The Saturn struck the truck, which slid off the roadway and hit a tree, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A former UPS driver beat out two seasoned politicians and another candidate to win Perry County's presiding commissioner seat. Carl "Topper" Leuckel won the post vacated by retiring Presiding Commissioner Thomas Sutterer by nearly 600 votes. He beat out lawyer and former Perryville mayor Kim R. Moore and former state representative and current 1st District Commissioner Patrick A. Naeger, all Republicans...

A man whose alleged drug deal spurred an armed robbery and murder in Cape Girardeau was charged for the deal Tuesday. David W. McKee Jr., 19, 510 S. Frederick St., was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute...

Veronica Hambacker won Tuesday's three-way Democratic primary for the 8th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to unofficial results from the Missouri secretary of state's office, Hambacker, of Salem, Mo., took the Democratic nomination with about 40 percent of the votes...

The view from a window on the fourth floor of the new federal courthouse impressed U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson enough to take a second glance. As Emerson gazed out the window that provides a view of the bridge dedicated to her late husband, Bill Emerson, she had one thing to say -- "spectacular."...

PATTON, Mo. -- Voters in the rural Meadow Heights School District appeared Tuesday to have approved a $1.5 million bond issue to upgrade the school complex. Technical problems delayed vote counting in Bollinger County. With most of the votes counted late Tuesday night, the bond issue was passing 434 to 182...

A political newcomer upset a 20-year fixture on the area political scene Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for Cape Girardeau County clerk. Kara Clark, a Cape Girardeau native who returned home two years ago to help care for her ill father, easily won her first election by defeating Jackson Mayor Paul Sander. Clark received 62 percent of the vote to Sander's 38 percent, winning 4,901 to 3,016...

Rep. Jo Ann Emerson toured Cape Girardeau's downtown floodwall with city leaders, representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and concerned citizens Tuesday. But many boating enthusiasts attending the tour were not interested in the floodwall...

ORAN, Mo. -- About 75 residents of Oran met for a candlelight vigil and community meeting in front of city hall at dusk Tuesday. Those involved said the aim of the meeting was to heal a community divided over the town's chief of police, Marc Tragesser...

Corner Store and Cafe owner Cindy Robbins wants to assure customers her business' water is safe to drink. The Burfordville business on Highway 34 is on a list of 37 public drinking water systems in the state that failed to comply with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources testing requirements...

A huge slab of plaster collapsed in the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon, narrowly missing county public works director Don McQuay. The collapse, in the offices of the associate circuit court clerks, was preceded by reports of sounds coming from above the drop ceilings. McQuay was in the office shortly after it closed, attempting to call Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp, when he heard a ripping sound of the plaster giving way...

The Stoddard County prosecutor will review a state investigative report regarding the Bell City School District's actions that led to illegally obtaining state aid. Stoddard County prosecutor Briney Welborn said Tuesday that ultimately he may forward the matter to the Missouri attorney general's office...

Cape Girardeau County officials have confirmed West Nile virus in two samples of mosquitoes. The samples collected in different traps in Cape Girardeau July 24 tested positive for the virus, according to Dr. Christina Frazier. Frazier, a Southeast Missouri State University biology professor, works with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on the mosquito trapping program for the state...

CINCINNATI -- Back at ya! Ryan Freel got three hits and made a down-and-dirty catch on the warning track that inspired a capacity crowd and helped the Cincinnati Reds roll to a 10-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. After losing the series opener 13-1, second-place Cincinnati emphatically evened its series with the NL Central leaders, moving to 3 1/2 games back. The Reds matched their season high with 17 hits -- the same number that St. Louis had in the opener...

Cape Girardeau County voters narrowly approved a proposed half-cent sales tax Tuesday in an election that had all three county commissioners eagerly awaiting returns from every precinct. All three commissioners and Sheriff John Jordan, who together led the public relations campaign for the tax, agreed Proposition 1 would have lost heavily if the vote had taken place three weeks ago...

Sugary drinks are piling on pounds, report says Americans have sipped and slurped their way to fatness by drinking far more soda and other sugary drinks over the last four decades, a new scientific review concludes. An extra can of soda a day can pile on 15 pounds in a single year, and the "weight of evidence" strongly suggests that this sort of increased consumption is a key reason that more people have gained weight, the researchers say. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Planned Parenthood affiliates won a roughly $900,000 victory Tuesday as the Missouri Supreme Court ruled they did not have to repay family planning funds received against the will of the legislature. The 4-3 ruling capped a legal dispute that has lasted most of the past decade as pro-life lawmakers struggled to try to prevent state grants for family planning and other women's health services from going to affiliates of abortion providers...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Buchanan County Auditor Susan Montee cruised to victory in the Democratic state auditor's primary Tuesday while Republicans awaited the outcome of a tight three-way race in their primary. Montee had 69 percent of the vote in her contest against Columbia accountant Darrell Wattenbarger, with 58 percent of statewide precincts reporting results...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska is pinning its hopes for a move up in Big 12 men's basketball on Texas-El Paso's Doc Sadler. Sadler was being introduced as the Cornhuskers' head coach at a Tuesday news conference, exactly one week after Barry Collier resigned to become athletics director at Butler University...

GUANGZHOU, China -- After a pair of big blowouts, the U.S. finally got some competition. The Americans also got a reality check: facing the world's best basketball teams without Carmelo Anthony is far from an easy task. Anthony scored 16 first-half points before being forced out with a knee injury, and the United States hung on for a 90-86 victory over Brazil on Tuesday night...

ST. LOUIS -- Will Witherspoon is the latest to go into the Bermuda Triangle that is the middle linebacker position for the St. Louis Rams. Since London Fletcher left for Buffalo after the 2001 season, several players have tried, and mostly failed, at the position in St. Louis. First Jamie Duncan, then Robert Thomas and Chris Claiborne and others like Brandon Chillar stepped up but ultimately did not get the job done...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott City resident Cindy Gray went to the polls early Tuesday afternoon primarily for one reason. "I basically came out to vote for judge," Gray said. Danny Brown of Scott City was there for the same reason. In fact, he had little interest in the race for the county's presiding commissioner seat at all...

For most of the history of the world, heat was a fact of life. Cavemen and cavewomen made do in the summer just the way billions of people in underdeveloped countries still do: They sweated, they fanned themselves, they sought shade. Heat made beaches popular...

Exxon expose; Mixed media message; Economic push; Spend on kids; Not from prison; Turn off AC; Prefer isolation; Sales-tax math; Tax savings help; On the carpet; List grows longer

Lester H. Bippus, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Feb. 22, 1921, in Chicot County, Ark., son of Otto Franklin and Vera Poole Bippus. He and Frieda James were married Oct. 2, 1942, in Cape Girardeau at First Church of God. She died in August 1974. He later married Lillian Vanover in 1975 in Butler, Ind. She died in August 1984...

Mona A. Hill, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Aug. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

PATTON, Mo. -- Jessie Mae Silver, 100, of Topeka, Kan., formerly of Patton, died Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004. She was born Dec. 8, 1903, at Sedgewickville, Mo., daughter of Edward G. and Mary M. Fadler Johnson. She first married Carlos W. McKinney, then later married Charles J. Silver...

Hilda R. Zoellner, 86, of Longtown, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 27, 1919, in Hildebrand, Mo., daughter of William and Lydia Pohlman Clements. She and Raymond R. Zoellner were married on Nov. 26, 1936. He died April 2, 2001...

ANNA, Ill. -- Helen Louise Stoner, 99, of Anna died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Union County Hospital. She was born March 24, 1907, in Anna, daughter of Dee and Laura Shepard Brimm. She and George E. Stoner were married Sept. 29, 1926, in Jonesboro, Ill. He died July 19, 1982...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Minnie Coleman, 79, of Jonesboro died Monday, Aug. 7, 2006, at Jonesboro Rehab and Healthcare Center. She was born Jan. 5, 1927, in Chicago. She is survived by friends at the rehab center. Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. today at Anna Cemetery, with the Rev. Clifford Heil officiating...

Tyler Blake Pini Manjarrez, 20, of Salem, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, in an automobile accident in Salem. Survivors include his father and stepmother, Mark and Pam Manjarrez of Salem; his mother, Jimberly Manjarrez-Kroenung of Naples, Fla.; two brothers, Hunter Kroenung of Naples, Fla., John Howell of Salem; two sisters, Jessica and Jennifer Manjarrez of Salem; grandparents, Marteen Manjarrez of Salem, Janet Hill-Barnhart and Carrol Barnhart of Cape Girardeau; two stepbrothers, Jeremy Clark of Rolla, Mo., and Wesley Reed of Salem.. ...

Dr. Leonard Martin Edmisten, 87, of Anderson, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, July 10, 2006, at St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. He was born June 11, 1919, in Anderson, son of Oliver and Alda Edmisten. He and Effie Alice Layson were married Dec. 9, 1940...

Zonta Club...

25 years ago: Aug. 9, 1981 The Rev. Kevin P. Popp was ordained and installed as a Lutheran pastor earlier this month at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Concordia, Mo.; Popp is the son of Kenneth Popp of Pocahontas and the late Verna Popp. The Rev. Paul H. Jilg, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, presents his farewell sermon in each of the worship services held this weekend; Jilg has accepted a call to serve Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, Ark...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- With all but three precincts reporting, Bollinger County voters appeared to overwhelmingly support a countywide sales-tax increase as well as a deputy recorder of deeds to run to replace her retiring predecessor. Technical problems with the vote tabulators pushed the finals late into the evening, but with 10 of 13 precincts reporting and absentee ballots counted, the eighth-cent tax increase -- which would generate $70,000 a year for the Tri-City Senior Citizens Nutrition Center -- was all but assured victory with 1,023 voters saying yes and 541 casting no votes.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state law changing the way local governments tax telephone services was tossed out Tuesday barely five weeks after it took effect. The Missouri Supreme Court sided with several cities in their challenge to a new law adjusting tax rates on telephone service and invalidating cities' lawsuits against various phone companies...

Jackson's first shooting in several years broke a window of a moving vehicle, but no one was injured. Cody A. Reid, 17, and his brother, Lonnie D. Reid, 18, both of 4847 Old Cape Road in Jackson, were arrested in connection to the early Tuesday morning shooting...

Sen. Lieberman loses Connecticut primary Three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman fell to anti-war challenger Ned Lamont in Connecticut's Democratic primary Tuesday, a race seen as a harbinger of sentiment over a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 2,500 U.S. ...

Cape Girardeau...

Last week a volunteer at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center came into the office with a cookbook in her hand and said "Happy Birthday" as she handed it to me. I was so excited to receive a 1959 copy of the "Praise for the Cook" cookbook, published by the Procter & Gamble Co., promoting their Crisco product. It is a fun cookbook with interesting chapters like savory sauces, feeding the crowd, cookery for men and a great section on junior cookery. I have really enjoyed reading it...

BBQ to benefit several Southeast programs The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team, women's tennis team and men's and women's track teams will receive a donation for the majority of sales at a barbecue fundraiser Aug. 17 through 19 at the Country Mart in Jackson...

The list of athletes busted for doping seems to grow by the day. It's now reached the point where watching Sports Center reminds me of the high school biology lectures I used to sleep through. Maybe I'm alone, but I never dreamed I'd learn as much as I have about the inner workings and secretions of my favorite ballplayers. ...

On April 5, 1930, after marching nearly a month over 240 miles of dusty roads in blazing heat, he arrived at the sea at Dandi and walked up the beach to where the sun's baking rays had produced a thick salt crust. Bending down, he picked up a chunk and boiled it in seawater...

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Roger Goodell was chosen as the NFL's next commissioner Tuesday, succeeding the man who groomed him for the job, Paul Tagliabue. The 47-year-old Goodell, the favorite for the job for months, worked his way from a public relations intern to perhaps the most powerful job in American sports. He was unanimously elected by the league's 32 owners on the fifth ballot, and will serve a five-year contract...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues signed free-agent goaltender Manny Legace to a one-year contract Tuesday, setting up a likely battle for the starting job. Terms of the deal were not released. Legace, who spent the last six seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, is expected to compete with Curtis Sanford to be the No. 1 goalie in St. Louis...

ST. LOUIS -- Statistics generated for fantasy baseball leagues are fair game in the public domain, not the intellectual property of Major League Baseball, a St. Louis judge ruled Tuesday. St. Louis-based CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc. filed the lawsuit against MLB after CBC was denied a new licensing agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association for the rights to player profiles and statistics...

BEIJING -- Two years to the day before the 2008 Beijing Olympics are set to begin, organizers heralded a smooth construction program and shared concerns about potential traffic and pollution problems. Construction on 12 new Olympic venues and renovation of nine sites is expected to be completed by the end of 2007, said Wang Wei, executive vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games...

It was the one time Tiger Woods could be accused of setting the bar too low. He is three weeks away from the 10-year anniversary of his pro debut -- "Hello, world," he said on Aug. 27, 1996, in Milwaukee -- when his only goal was to earn his PGA Tour card without having to go through qualifying school...

The official start of the 2006-2007 high school sports year began Monday with the opening day of fall practices. For two area teams, Monday marked the first official practice in program history. Woodland and Saxony Lutheran will each introduce new sports programs this fall...

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- These days, Curtis Martin seems more like a ghost than a running back. The No. 4 all-time leading rusher has been squirreled away inside the Jets complex rehabbing his right knee, making it a mystery when he will play again. Even teammates sound spooked when asked about how their teammate is doing...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- With quarterback Brad Smith gone, Missouri running backs Tony Temple and Marcus Woods know they'll carry a much larger load this season. And that suits them just fine. Smith graduated after setting school records for career total yards (13,088) and rushing yards (4,289). His expected replacement at quarterback, Chase Daniel, will focus more on the pass and leave most of the running to Temple and Woods, along with several inexperienced backs vying for playing time...

Aug. 10, 2006 Dear Leslie, Most companies lose money if unable to dispense their product. Oh to be an oil company and just get richer. Shutting down the North Slope oil pipelines shot the price of oil up more than $2 a barrel. Sludge. That's the culprit being blamed for the corrosion that caused the pipeline shutdown. ...

All of the plaster ceiling on the second floor of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson will be removed in light of a partial collapse earlier this week. A slab of plaster above the offices of the associate circuit court clerks fell through a drop ceiling and crashed onto files, computers and desks on election night Tuesday...

Tuesday's election results in Cape Girardeau County included two stunning turns of fortune. Paul Sander, longtime mayor of Jackson, filed for the county clerk's job Feb. 28. Conventional wisdom suggested that Sander, latest in a family line of officeholders, would be a formidable if not unbeatable candidate...

Asking voters to approve a fire safety sales tax in Jackson may be put on hold for a while after a countywide half-cent sales tax narrowly passed Tuesday. Jackson officials have been working on a proposal to build another fire station in the city. They had been considering asking voters to approve a sales tax for the substation but were waiting for the results of the county proposal...

The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority spent more than $500,000 to expand its operations and provided 6,834 rides during little more than a month, director Jeff Brune said Wednesday. Brune, speaking to the board of directors, said ridership figures include 1,432 bus passengers and 3,741 cab ride calls. The remainder of the rides were provided under various contracts that subsidize each rider...

An 18-year-old man was arrested on allegations he exposed himself twice at the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart. Brandon L. Doran, of Gordonville, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor sexual misconduct. He was accused of exposing himself to an 18-year-old woman and her mother inside Wal-Mart around 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to police spokesman Jason Selzer...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The legal morass that has ensnared Maurice Clarett since he was Ohio State's star running back mounted Wednesday when police found four loaded guns in his sport utility vehicle and couldn't subdue him with a stun gun because he was wearing a bulletproof vest...

CINCINNATI -- David Ross hit the pitch so squarely that he didn't even feel it leave the bat. The next few seconds felt surreal, too. Ross' ninth-inning drive off St. Louis Cardinals closer Jason Isringhausen landed on the roof of the batter's eye in center field, a two-run homer that carried the Cincinnati Reds to an 8-7 victory Wednesday night that tightened the NL Central race...

ST. LOUIS -- Marshall Faulk is gone, at least for the season if not forever, for the St. Louis Rams. Edgerrin James left the Indianapolis Colts for a free-agent deal with the Arizona Cardinals. How their replacements do will be a focal point tonight when the Rams host the Colts in the preseason opener for both teams...

ASHLAND, Neb. -- Jimmy L. Gockel of Cape Girardeau was recently honored at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland in recognition of the SAC Elite unit in which he served from 1982 to 1984, providing security to the Strategic Air Command Headquarters Complex, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb...

Sue Kopf, an area preschool educator, laughed at the thought of discovering the gold mine of resources for teachers of all ages. "I've been using Missouri Conservation Department resources for years," she said. "I came here before the Nature Center was built, and the people are always great."...

The surge of retiring baby boomers has been on the radar of public and private policymakers for quite some time. Now there is a source of specific information about Missouri's aging population. It is a 143-page report -- "Missouri Senior Report: Ahead of the Baby Boom: Missouri Prepares" -- produced by the Department of Health and Senior Services and the University of Missouri-Columbia's Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis...

The Ohio Valley Conference released its preseason volleyball all-conference team and poll Wednesday, and for the second straight year Southeast Missouri State outside hitter Jessica Koeper made the list. Koeper, a senior from Jackson, and Redhawks senior setter Jamie Baumstark were each first-team picks...

To the editor: Hey, Ali, Fox News says your rocket landed way to the left. Aim your rocket to the right. Hey, Ali, Fox News says your rocket landed short of Haifa. Raise your rocket higher. Hey, Ali, Fox News says your rocket landed right on target. Fire your rockets for effect...

To the editor: Triple kudos to Jodi Thompson for her letter, "All this, but no praying at school." She has it right. I'm not a teacher. The nearest kin are two nieces who are teachers, one in O'Fallon, Ill., and the other in Doniphan, Mo. The niece in O'Fallon experienced a nervous breakdown because of the stress from trying to teach high school juniors. When I asked her how she taught, her reply was, "Not very well."...

To the editor: I found Mark Olsen's letter regarding the back-to-school tax holiday to be most revealing. I don't know what a research associate does, nor am I familiar with the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in Columbia. You would think a research associate might present a little more balanced argument...

Higher fuel, less pay; Life's lessons; Graduation access; Throwing rocks; Where the jobs are; Up-or-down voting; Unhappy smoker; Ready to learn; Democrats killed it; Mow intersections; Eating mosquitoes; Tattoo expressions; System failure; Real convenience; Sewer energy; Smoking bias; Expired tags; Quick assistance; Something's wrong; Let Israel do the job

Ruby Marie Moore, 85, of Merriam, Kan., formerly of Cape Girardeau and Ballwin, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Sharon Lane Nursing Center in Merriam. She was born Feb. 13, 1921, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Robert Carl and Freida Bertha Siemers Kiehne. She and Thomas I. Moore were married July 28, 1946, in Sikeston, Mo. He died April 3, 2004...

Helen Neil Childress Smith, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006, at her home. She was born June 27, 1925 in Gibson County, Tenn., daughter of the late Claude and Lena Childress of Hayti, Mo. She attended Braggadocio High School in Missouri and graduated from Yorkville High School in Tennessee...

Mona A. Hill, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Aug. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born July 11, 1922, in Bell City, Mo. She and Russell Harris Hill Sr. were married July 21, 1940, in Cape Girardeau County. He died March 12, 1955...

Donna Lee Cook Caksackkar, 70, of Union City, Tenn., died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Dyersburg Regional Medical Center in Dyersburg, Tenn. She was born July 16, 1936, in St. Louis, daughter of Roy Francis and Myrtle Elizabeth Chappel Steger. Survivors include four daughters, Cheri Medlin of Cape Girardeau, Rebecca Fitzgerald of Barnhart, Mo., Jeannie Shea of Jacksonville, Fla., Dawn Gifford of Ridgely, Tenn.; four sons, Leslie and Ronnie Cook of Barnhart, Ricky Pollard of Union City, Donnie Cook of Hornbeak, Tenn.; five sisters, Mary Jo Schwettman, Linda Davis and Barbara Lemming of Scott City, Ruth Feltmyer of Depue, Ill., Janet Sullivan of Chaffee, Mo.; a brother, Roy Steger Jr. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Clarence R. Schremp, 99, of Perryville died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 3, 1907, in Perry County, son of Aaron and Victoria Huber Schremp. He and Adell E. Zahner were married April 9, 1928. She died May 3, 2006...