Stories from September 2006

Southeast Missouri State University will limit tuition increases under a plan approved Friday by the board of regents. Southeast will guarantee that tuition for in-state undergraduates won't rise for the next four years by more than $400 annually for a typical academic year load of 30 credit hours...

The Road and Bridge Advisory Board won't include a county commissioner as a formal member, the Cape Girardeau County Commission decided Thursday. In a unanimous vote, the three commissioners approved a questionnaire for potential members of the advisory board and a document stating the mission, qualifications and membership...

Missouri Department of Transportation officials called the groundbreaking that took place Thursday a "unique partnership." Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones called it a "lovefest." After congratulating each other on their partnership, local, state and federal officials broke ground at the future site of the East Main Street interchange on Interstate 55...

My wife thinks the war I'm waging on the squirrels in our backyard is pretty funny. She should laugh. She's the one who gave me a BB gun with a laser scope (I am not kidding) for my birthday a few years ago. I've managed to put the fear of ... something ... in a few of the little buggers. I don't suppose my rodents from Hades believe in God. Mostly they just laugh at me, too...

Some students who scored low on the Missouri Assessment Program tests at Jefferson and Blanchard elementary schools will have an opportunity to transfer to other elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau School District. That's because for the second consecutive year, the schools they attend didn't make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act...

Since nearly every high school football program approaches the start of a season with some sense of optimism, it should not be surprising the struggling Chaffee program is talking victory heading into tonight's opener at Grandview. What may be different about this current Red Devils bunch is they believe they can, and they are looking to back up those words when kickoff rolls around at 7 p.m...

By Claire McCaskill You can tell when it's an election year. Candidates start popping up. Yard signs are everywhere. You're bound to receive a few irritating phone calls just as you sit down to supper. And the politicians you thought you knew start sounding like products for sale...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Comedian Jeff Foxworthy calls his new TV show "Foxworthy's Big Night Out," but some of his guests probably wish he'd stayed home. In one episode of the new series premiering 7:30 p.m. today on Country Music Television, he gets singer Sara Evans to take a whiff from a stinky container of squid guts. The dark-haired beauty recoils in disgust while Foxworthy busts up laughing...

NEW YORK -- Where are Eminem and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog when you need them? Despite Shakira's ever-gyrating hips, Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" and the obscured image of a naked midget, the first hour of the annual MTV Video Music Awards had about as much spontaneity as an episode of "Cribs."...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran defied a U.N. deadline Thursday to stop enriching uranium, opening the door for sanctions, but U.S. and other officials said no action would be sought before a key European diplomat meets with Tehran's atomic chief next week to seek a compromise...

CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- Tourists fled hotels, desperately seeking flights home, and 15,000 residents of Baja California were ordered to higher ground Thursday as a slightly weakened Hurricane John bore down on the resort of Cabo San Lucas. The storm soaked beaches on the mainland's Pacific coast before turning toward Baja California, where it was scheduled to nick the peninsula's southern tip today. It was downgraded to Category 2 with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph...

CHICAGO -- Chief Illiniwek is likely dancing his last performances at University of Illinois sporting events, according to a published report. Citing unidentified university sources, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that the university tentatively plans to drop the controversial American Indian mascot at the end of the upcoming basketball season, leaving open the possibility that the school's teams could host NCAA events in the spring...

Tiger Woods settled over his ball in the ninth fairway and was ready to pull the trigger on a 7-iron when he broke the silence with an important question. "What was the yardage again?" he said to caddie Steve Williams. "I don't remember," the caddie replied as Woods was at the top of his swing...

ST. LOUIS -- Once the St. Louis Cardinals got Dontrelle Willis out of the game their offense took off. Chris Duncan hit a tying pinch homer and Scott Rolen singled in the go-ahead run in a four-run eighth inning of a 5-2 victory over the Florida Marlins Thursday night...

MIAMI -- Marcus Vick caught punts, grabbed a touchdown pass and even played a little quarterback for the Miami Dolphins in their preseason finale. Soon, he'll find out if he showed enough versatility to merit a roster spot. On a night when backups got a final shot to show their worth before 53-man rosters are set Saturday, third-stringer Cleo Lemon completed 21 of 28 passes for 271 yards -- including a 5-yard scoring pass to Vick that helped the Dolphins beat the St. ...

NEW YORK -- How about that? Andre Agassi, 36 years old and burdened by a bad back, held up better than the kid across the net in a thriller that will be talked about for years. Buoyed by a cortisone injection, along with a raucous, sellout crowd that boosted his spirits when things suddenly looked bleak as could be, Agassi extended his career for at least one more match by beating eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 7-5 at the U.S. Open...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- After a year of looking at the faded, damaged sign, Pierre "Nic" Antoine could take no more. The billboard, at U.S. 61 and Route A in Uniontown, showcases historical points of interest in east Perry County. More than a year ago it was damaged by vandals who spray painted it with profanity...

The Show Me Center announced Thursday that Christian rock band Third Day will appear with the David Crowder Band at 6 p.m. Nov. 4. Third Day won Grammys in 2003 and 2005 for Best Rock Gospel Album. Ticket sales start at 11 a.m. Sept. 11. To order, call 651-5000 or visit www.showmecenter.biz...

The United Way of Southeast Missouri asked the community to be part of its winning team Thursday. At a sports-themed campaign kickoff event at the Cape West 14 Cine, United Way executive director Nancy Jernigan announced the 2006 goal of $1.12 million...

The reach and effectiveness of organized giving to good causes has long been a hallmark of American society. Collectively, generous donors are able to have a much greater impact than they might if they tried to help others on their own. Two sizable donations from Cape Girardeau donors last week will go a long way in helping impoverished communities in Nicaragua. ...

Kelly senior Kalie Hughes pitched a perfect game in a 7-0 softball victory on Thursday over visiting Central. Hughes, who also pitched a no-hitter against Chaffee earlier this season, struck out 12 over seven innings to improve to 4-0. Kelly is 4-0 overall...

To the editor: As an osteopathic physician, I am concerned about access to health care for my patients. In 2007, physicians will experience a 5.1 percent reduction in Medicare reimbursements, with additional cuts projected through 2015. Without congressional intervention these cuts potentially could reach 37 percent over the next nine years, while my practice costs are expected to grow at a rate of 2 percent to 3 percent per year...

To the editor: The Aug. 17 article "Drinking, boating, dying" dealt with the death of our son in an insensitive way. I am writing now in response to the Aug. 26 editorial, "Drinking on the water." Misinformation included in the story was an insult to our suffering family, and the editorial only reopened the wound. Why was it necessary to again bring up Caleb's accident in reference to an article focusing on driving a boat intoxicated? No boat was involved in his death...

To the editor: I am an avid reader of Scott Moyers' business column in Monday's paper. However, this past Monday it was very disturbing. I am referring to the information bout a "pet paradise on Broadway." If someone is knowingly selling small rabbits for snake food, I hardly think this qualifies as a paradise. I was appalled at the idea. Please stick with selling birds and fish and bunnies as pets, not as snake food...

To the editor: When the Missouri General Assembly convenes for its veto session Sept. 13, lawmakers will spend a few hours saying goodbye to departing colleagues whose terms are ending, and then we will go home. The Missouri Constitution requires the legislature to meet each September to reconsider bills vetoed by the governor. ...

County money; No workers; Snake warning; Thanks for help; Impact on Jackson

25 years ago: Sept. 1, 1981 Talks between the Shawnee and Cairo, Ill., school districts and their employees are at a standstill pending meetings with representatives of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in each of the districts; employees in both districts are continuing to work although their old contracts have expired...

Andino to perform at Three Rivers; Line dance classes offered in Cape Girardeau; Cedarhurst festival coming Sept. 8 and 9; Big Oak Tree to hold Living History Day; Poplar Bluff plays host to St. Louis artist; Kennett fair taking submissions from artists, photographers; Trails workshops to be held at Rend Lake; Tickets on sale now for 'Spamalot'

CrimeStoppers item leads to dealer's arrest A man wanted for two Cape Girardeau cocaine sales was arrested Thursday morning. More than a month after a warrant was issued for Lorenza W. Goza, 33, of 803 Themis St., he was arrested at 122 S. West End Blvd. ...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission seems ready to start operating under a more formal and informative agenda following criticisms from one commissioner that the other two hold private meetings. The action, proposed Thursday by Commissioner Jay Purcell, is a good step toward complying with the state Sunshine Law, said Jean Maneke, an attorney for the Missouri Press Association...

Despite the fact that the same federal highway bill made the two projects possible, Scott City's Ramsey Creek Bridge is an idea still in the planning stage, while Jackson's East Main Street interchange is becoming a reality. Ground was broken on the Jackson project on Thursday, but a similar ceremony in Scott City could be over a year away...

WASHINGTON -- NASA on Thursday gave a multibillion dollar contract to build a manned lunar spaceship to Lockheed Martin Corp., the aerospace leader that usually builds unmanned rockets. The last time NASA awarded a manned spaceship contract to Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, Md., was in 1996 for a spaceplane that was supposed to replace the space shuttle. NASA spent $912 million and the ship, called X-33, never got built because of technical problems...

WASHINGTON -- Mark Origer entered the last-ditch experiment hoping to beat back his melanoma for a few months, long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. He got far luckier: Almost two years later, his body shows no signs of the aggressive skin cancer...

Three stars (out of four) This film places the members of the popular band Outkast into the fictitious Georgia town of Idlewild during the perilous 1930s. Friends since childhood, Percival (AndrZ Benjamin, aka "Dre" or "Andre 3000") and Rooster (Antwan A. Patton, aka "Big Boi") now lead very different lives. Percival works for his mortician father and dreams of one day becoming a famous pianist. Rooster is married with five daughters and a beautiful but jealous wife (Malinda Williams)...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Sarah Louise "Betty" Cunningham, 91, of Bartlett, Tenn., died Monday, Aug. 28, 2006, at home. She was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church and active in the Women's Society of both Asbury and Bartlett United Methodist churches. She was also a member of the Methodist Hospital Auxiliary. She was a 50-year member of the Order of Eastern Star and also belonged to the Red Hat Society and enjoyed their fellowship...

ORAN, Mo. -- Marcella Helen Schlitt died at 12:16 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 5, 1920, at Kelso, Mo., daughter of George and Katie Glueck Scherer. She married Leon T. Schlitt May 4, 1949, in New Hamburg, Mo. He died Jan. 23, 1979...

Paul Erwin Stewart, 20, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, in a motorcycle accident on State Highway W in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 19, 1985, in Cape Girardeau, son of Mark Stewart and Lizabeth Boone. He and Michelle King were married July 24, 2004, in Jackson...

Larry L. Bannister, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Jan. 24, 1934, in Cantwell, Mo., son of the late Roy Thomas and Hazel Hartle Bannister. He and Helen Rhodes were married July 4, 1953, at Doe Run, Mo...

Elizabeth Ker Hankinson, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, at her home. She was born Dec. 21, 1914, in Staten Island, N.Y., daughter of Joseph and Helen Calvert Handy. She and George L. Hankinson were married June 12, 1937, in Staten Island. He died Aug. 7, 2005...

Carla Seckel, 62, of Scott City died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 19, 1944, at Dexter, Mo., daughter of Dorothy Gaines. She and Paul Seckel were married July 25, 1970, in Cuba, Mo. Seckel had been employed by Cotton Belt Railroad as a cook...

Robert Yancy, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Glenn Leigh, 96, of Perryville died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, at Perry Oaks Nursing Home. He was born May 26, 1910, in Perry County, son of Walter Joseph and Henrietta Elizabeth Barber Leigh. He and Margaret J. Sherrill were married May 26, 1934. She died Oct. 4, 1995...

ANNA, Ill. -- Edna Lorene Sheffer, 83, of Anna died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, at the City Care Center in Anna. She was born Jan. 5, 1923, at Dongola, Ill., daughter of Alphaeus C. and Clara Wilson. Sheffer graduated as a registered nurse from the Shawnee College School of Nursing. She worked as a nurse at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, St. Mary's Hospital in Cairo, Ill., City Care Center and In the Pink Home Health Care...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Lavona Bridges, 81, of Tamms died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, at Day Star Care Center in Cairo, Ill. She was born Nov. 25, 1924, in Olive Branch, Ill., daughter of Hugh and Grace Corbin Smiley. She and Thomas H. Baine were married Nov. 11, 1942. He died in October 1974. She later married William L. "Cody" Bridges, who died Aug. 12, 1988...

The New York art world will visit Cape Girardeau once again today for First Friday. Vernita Nemec, director of the Viridian Artists cooperative in New York's Chelsea district, is in Cape Girardeau to display her piece "The Endless Junkmail Scroll" at Fountain Street Gallery...

Something happened to Dr. Jean Chapman between his last solo art exhibition and this one -- something that would have ended the artistic endeavors of most people who term their art a "hobby." A stroke took away the use of his right hand, but not his mind...

For the first time since 2001, someone other than Brad Smith is starting at quarterback for Missouri when the Tigers open Saturday at home against Murray State. Not that Smith's replacement, Chase Daniel, is worried about it, even if Smith was something of a one-man passing and running show, establishing 69 school, Big 12 or NCAA records. Daniel, a highly regarded sophomore, is OK with the comparisons...

One month after the Southeast Missouri State football team plays at Arkansas, the men's basketball team will open the season -- and the Scott Edgar era -- there. The Razorbacks join Purdue and Iowa State as major nonconference road games on Southeast's 2006-07 schedule, which was released Thursday by the university...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals placed Mark Mulder on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday, a day after the left-hander said he doubted whether he'd pitch again this season. Mulder lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his second start since coming off the DL from a shoulder injury, allowing five runs against the Marlins on Tuesday night. He's 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA after entering the season as the winningest pitcher in the majors the previous five seasons...

CLASS 6 1. Columbia Rock Bridge (6) 2. Hazelwood Central (2) 3. Rockhurst (1) 4. Liberty (1) 5. DeSmet Others receiving votes: Fort Zumwalt West, Blue Springs, Oakville, Jefferson City. CLASS 5 1. Raymore-Peculiar (10)...

Francis Howell Central Parkway North at Central, 7 p.m. Malden at Scott City, 7 p.m. McAuley Catholic at St. Vincent, 7 p.m. Perryville at Pacific, 7 p.m. Chaffee at Grandview, 7 p.m. -- Jeremy Joffray...

SAITAMA, Japan -- As practice wound down, Mike Krzyzewski approached LeBron James, who was shooting baskets alone on a side court. James listened intently as the coach spoke and motioned to a spot in the lane. The two talked for about 10 minutes before Krzyzewski rejoined his staff on another court and James went back to shooting...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Even though their campuses are less than 50 miles apart, Illinois and Eastern Illinois have never met on the football field. That will change Saturday when the defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Panthers take on the Illini -- last season's Big Ten doormat -- at Memorial Stadium...

EASTERN ILLINOIS Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule Schedule TENNESSEE-MARTIN Schedule TENNESSEE STATE Schedule TENNESSEE TECH Schedule...

FIVE REASONS SOUTHEAST CAN CONTEND FOR OVC HONORS Toughness First-year head coach Tony Samuel is able to instill the necessary toughness in the Redhawks that has been a major emphasis of his during preseason practice and that he insists all successful teams must have. "That's the only way I know," Samuel said. "Football is a very tough game. We have to be physically and mentally tougher than the people we face...

Q. What are your impressions of your first Southeast team heading into the season opener? A. They're still learning how to adjust to our style of everything, and we're adjusting to what they're doing. It's still a work in progress. A lot more questions will get answered once we start playing games...

Q. As a senior wanting to finish your college career on a winning team, what kind of feelings do you get from first-year coach Tony Samuel and the assistants that it will happen this year? A. The coaches are real positive and confident. They're confident in what they teach. I think all of that is rubbing off on the players. And we have so many players back from last year, which should help us...

The Indians have had mixed results in nonconference and district play over the past two seasons, but when it comes to SEMO North play, Jackson has ruled supreme. Jackson demolished its conference opponents last season, and again the Indians should be heavy favorites to win the conference crown. With its conference games bunched together in the middle of the season, a trio of wins could give the Indians a boost heading into district play...

Not many good things can be said about the 2005 high school football season for local teams. One of them is this: It's over. And it ended quickly. For the first time since 1992, none of the six teams in the Southeast Missourian coverage area made the playoffs...

Acura's new sport utility vehicle, the 2007 RDX, is a people and cargo hauler with some brains. The first Acura powered by a turbocharged gasoline engine, the 240-horsepower RDX uses innovative variable air flow to deliver more torque than any other Acura -- 260 foot-pounds at 4,500 rpm. This is despite the fact the engine is only a 2.3-liter four cylinder...

Scott City faced plenty of growing pains last year, starting as many as eight sophomores at times. That experience should pay off this season. "They want to be known as the next group who continues the Scott City legacy," Rams coach Terry Flannigan said. "The next playoff group or conference championship group. They want their group to be known for many years to come."...

A member of the Missouri Coaches Hall of Fame, Charlie Vickery has brought a new level of excitement to the program since joining his alma mater last season. Vickery's steady hand has helped lead the Red Devils to strong turnouts for the team and its summer weight program. While the results did not come last year, Vickery seems to be the right coach to help make Chaffee competitive...

Blake Slattery and Garrett Stevens give the Tigers a pair of quarterbacks with two seasons of varsity experience each. Slattery, a senior, and Stevens, a junior, have split the playing time over the past two seasons. Last season, Stevens opened as the starter, but both spent half the season under center. The pair bring alternate styles, with Stevens more of a pocket passer and Slattery possessing the ability to pass and run...

St. Vincent has 10 postseason appearances since 1984, including eight in the last 13 seasons. So, after not making the playoffs last fall in a 7-3 campaign, the Indians are due to return. They won the Class 1 state championship in 2004 in their fourth final four appearance since 1998...

Perryville coach Rick Chastain has the kind of positive outlook that can view an 0-10 football season as a precursor to great things. And that's just what he's doing. Perryville was winless last season, but had three close losses in the last four weeks, including two district games...

Dear Tom and Ray: Am I a jerk or a genius? My son is now 18, and when he was 15, I wrote him a check for $1,500, postdated three years. I told him that if he managed to reach the date of the check without (1) receiving any tickets, (2) being involved in any accidents or (3) breaking any of our house driving rules, I'd cash the check for him. ...

Southeast Missouri State University will limit tuition increases under a plan approved Friday by the board of regents. Southeast will guarantee that tuition for in-state undergraduates won't rise for the next four years by more than $400 annually for a typical academic year load of 30 credit hours. The new plan will take effect with the start of the fall 2007 semester...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Columbine was the wake-up call. Following the 1999 massacre in the Colorado town where two students killed 12 classmates and a teacher before taking their own lives in a two-hour period, tactics of local law enforcement officials have changed...

For over a year city leaders in Sikeston have been fighting against Union Pacific Railroad's proposal to increase traffic through their town. Within that year they were joined in opposition by county leaders, leaders in other Scott County towns and scores of concerned county residents...

Single professionals with demanding jobs and no time for lawn care. New families with no interest in a mortgage. Aging empty nesters who want to spend their twilight years traveling the world but don't want to worry about drippy faucets. These are just a few examples of a growing number of folks who want to live in apartments...

MINERAL, Ill. -- The glory days are long gone for hundreds of small Illinois school districts lost to consolidation over the past 50 years, but stories and pictures about bygone high schools in the state, including many local former schools, have found a home online...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt's administration and Attorney General Jay Nixon criticized each other Friday over a lack of cooperation on legal matters, particularly on a law that would have cut adoption subsidies to some families. A federal judge blocked the 2005 law, which would have eliminated monthly payments to the adoptive families of about 2,000 former foster children. ...

SAITAMA, Japan -- Fed up with its recent failures, the United States assembled a new program with new plan. The end result was all too familiar. Greece used a sizzling stretch of shooting across the middle two quarters to turn a 12-point deficit into a 14-point lead, and beat the Americans 101-95 Friday in the semifinals of the world championships...

Tiger Woods bent over and grabbed his knees, thinking his 3-wood that clipped the top branch of an oak tree had trickled down from the green and into a hazard. Once he realized it was in a bunker, it changed his outlook and put him in a spot that is becoming routine...

ST. LOUIS -- Former Pro-Bowl running back Stephen Davis has agreed to terms with the St. Louis Rams, the team announced Friday. Davis worked out for the Rams two weeks ago just days after spending time with the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington also reportedly showed interest in the back who was drafted by the Redskins in 1996 out of Auburn...

NEW YORK -- From the Day-Glo spandex tights to the hot pink vertical bars on his shirt to the white bandanna wrapped atop his head, James Blake paid tribute to Andre Agassi at the U.S. Open on Friday. Blake donned the sort of garish ensemble Mr. Image Is Everything dared to wear more than a decade ago and, fortunately for Blake, his game looked better than his garb in a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia in the second round...

ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Anthony Reyes will get the first shot at filling Mark Mulder's spot in the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation, starting Sunday against the Pirates. Reyes, 4-6 with a 4.73 ERA, was optioned to Class AAA Memphis in mid-August after a pair of difficult starts. He didn't allow a run in 13 innings in two starts in the minor leagues, winning both of them, and was named the Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week...

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter disposed of the Pittsburgh Pirates so quickly, even he stole an occasional glance at the clock. Carpenter threw a three-hitter to beat the Pirates for the fourth time this season, and the St. Louis Cardinals also got a homer from Preston Wilson in a 3-1 victory Friday night. The game lasted only one hour and 54 minutes, the Cardinals' shortest in more than four seasons...

WASHINGTON -- A hiring revival pulled the nation's unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent in August and flashed a Labor Day weekend message that the slowing economy isn't in danger of fizzling out. The latest snapshot, released by the Labor Department on Friday, was a bit brighter than expected and eased some fears that the economy -- weighed down by a housing slump -- might tip into recession...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

The Grateful Dead were famous for allowing fans to tape their concerts. Those tapes generally were shared with anyone who wanted one. That was just one of many ways the Dead were unique. Most other artists and their record companies guarded their work zealously...

Lutheran Chorale begins second season in October; Tuesday; Wednesday; Friday

"I have no life. All I have is work," many complain. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, was a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. People celebrate with rest and enjoyable activities. But there's more to work than making a living and achievement...

After the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings, distraught U.S. Muslim leaders feared the next casualty would be their religion. Islam teaches peace, they told anyone who would listen in news conferences, at interfaith services and, most famously, standing in a mosque with President Bush...

Cape Girardeau Central High School football coach Lawrence Brookins realizes some folks might think he's a little crazy. But Brookins expressed plenty of optimism Friday night -- even though he had just seen his Tigers suffer a season-opening loss for the third consecutive year...

Jackson and Notre Dame will play for the championship today in the Notre Dame Soccerfest after semifinal victories on Friday. While Notre Dame (3-0) cruised to a 7-0 victory over Poplar Bluff, Jackson (2-0) slipped past Marion 2-1 in overtime. Cape, which fell into the losers bracket after an opening round loss to Marion, suffered a 5-0 loss to St. Pius , which scored all five of the game's goals in a 6-minute span of the second half...

Tony Samuel still doesn't quite know what to expect from his initial Southeast Missouri State football team, although he has a much better handle than he did early last month. But the Redhawks' first-year head coach will begin to find out plenty more tonight when the Redhawks open the season with a 6 p.m. kickoff against Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn...

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team began play in the Arkansas Invitational Friday with a three-game loss to Sacramento State in Fayetteville, Ark. Southeast was swept 31-29, 30-25, 30-16 despite senior setter Jamie Baumstark's second triple-double in less than a week...

To the editor: The Franklin Elementary School PTA is concerned to hear allegations made in the newspaper. The entire PTA board would like to stress that it welcomes any and all parents who seek to be more involved in the education of their children and partnering with the schools. ...

Taking our rights; Thanks for help; Hurricane blame; Dressing for church; Storm swindles; High standards; Working on roads; School bus safety; Behind the doors; Rainy August

Robert Roy Yancey, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 20, 1918, at Pocahontas, son of Robert Theodore and Jesse Maud McLard Yancey. He and Mabel Overbeck were married Dec. 5, 1942, in Gulfport, Miss...

BELL CITY -- Juanita Perry, 83, of Bell City died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 19, 1923, at Bell City, daughter of Harper and Lillie Clark Gilles. She and Henry Perry were married Sept. 23, 1940, in Cape Girardeau...

Joseph Wolsey, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Richard Feagan, 68, of Marthasville, Mo., died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at University Hospital in Columbia, Mo. He was born Dec. 25, 1937, in Glenallen, son of Orville and Katherine Huskey Feagan. He and Anna Faye Jensen were married July 18, 1959, in Riverside, Calif...

Schlosser; Merz; Hemingway; Hahn; Gammons; Geiser; Kester; Way; Stults

25 years ago: Sept. 2, 1981 Air Illinois announces it will resume three St. Louis round trips from the Cape Girardeau market this month; the Carbondale, Ill.-based commuter airline had cut one trip last month, because of service curtailment as a result of the air traffic controllers strike...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- In this small Missouri town, church and community often intermingle. It's been that way for 150 years, say residents, and it's still that way today. Beginning at 9 a.m. today, St. John's Parish in Leopold will celebrate its 150th anniversary with a parade and other activities...

WARE, Mo. -- More than three years in the making, Chaffee High School's first football victory came with confidence and poise. "I promised it to everybody," said Chaffee senior quarterback Michael Lee, who was not bashful about being quoted before the season...

ANNA, Ill. -- A rollover semi-trailer accident in Illinois prompted some lane closures early Friday. The truck rolled over on northbound Interstate 57 south of the Anna exit after midnight. For most of the morning, the northbound passing lane was closed, the Illinois State Police said. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City's election board acknowledged Friday that it has verified more than 300 valid petition signatures initially rejected for a proposed tobacco tax initiative -- new evidence that could affect whether the measure appears on the Nov. 7 ballot...

An accused bank burglar only fled as far as the drive-through teller windows before Cape Girardeau police arrested him Friday morning. Kyle W. Madden, 17, of 535 Asher St., was charged with felony stealing, burglary and property damage. He is suspected of breaking through the front glass door of Commerce Bank, 1880 Cape La Croix Road, early Friday morning, police spokesman Jason Selzer said...

LOS ANGELES -- An interceptor missile destroyed a mock warhead over the Pacific Ocean on Friday in a key test of the nation's missile defense system, U.S. military officials said. It was the most realistic test of the systems that would be used against an attack, said Missile Defense Agency spokesman Rick Lehner...

Jackson started 10 new players on defense in its season opener Friday at home against Francis Howell Central, and the numbers they yielded in the first half were also big. Defending a short field, the Jackson defense gave up 21 points and 176 yards on the ground by halftime...

Starting on Tuesday Cape Girardeau's post office will move to a familiar location -- its former facility on Frederick Street. By Tuesday morning the city's postal operations on Christine Street and Enterprise Drive will be shut down and business will start up once again at the post office's former location...

In August 2003, Randolph County, Mo., had a half-finished jail and a feuding county commission. Allegations of decisions made in secret meetings -- an accusation with a familiar ring in Cape Girardeau County following a sharp exchange among county commissioners last week -- led to a special state audit and an investigation by the Missouri attorney general's office...

A police supervisor faced a tough situation. One of his officers severely beat his wife and stole $30,000. The solution: Ask for a 50 percent cut of the cash. Do nothing about the beating; the wife probably cooked a bad meal. Quickly Bill Adams realized he was far from home...

ARROW ROCK, Mo. To get a sense of how far removed this historic town along the Lewis & Clark Trail is from the Great White Way, consider this. Its entire population could easily fit on a single New York City subway train. With plenty of room to spare...

HOUSTON, Texas -- Not long ago Sahara Aldridge's life was much simpler -- talking to friends, playing basketball and making the transition from middle school to junior high. Then everything changed. A little more than a month ago, Sahara and her family found out the good health most people take for granted is no guarantee. Sahara had cancer on her brain stem...

An Army investigator has recommended that four soldiers accused of murder in a raid in Iraq should face the death penalty if convicted, according to a report obtained Saturday by The Associated Press. Lt. Col. James P. Daniel Jr. concluded that the slayings were premeditated and warranted the death sentence based on evidence he heard at an August hearing. The case will now be forwarded to Army officials, who will decide whether Daniel's recommendation should be followed...

WASHINGTON -- The National Zoo introduced three Sumatran tiger cubs to the public Saturday, more than three months after they were born. The cubs, which now weigh about 25 to 30 pounds, were also given names on Saturday after a monthlong contest. The male cub was named Guntur, which means thunder in Bahasa Indonesian...

LONDON -- Police said Saturday they had arrested 14 people in and around London suspected of trying to train and recruit others for terror attacks. Two others were arrested in a separate raid in the northern city of Manchester. Police said the arrests late Friday and early Saturday were not linked to an alleged plot which emerged last month to bomb as many as 10 trans-Atlantic jets or to the July 2005 suicide bombings on London's transit network, which killed 52 commuters and the bombers...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis man who represented himself at a murder trial no longer faces the death penalty for the 1995 beating death of his grandmother. Charles W. Armentrout III has agreed to drop all appeals of his conviction in return for a recent order by a St. Louis circuit judge reducing his sentence to life in prison...

FONTANA, Calif. -- In the years before the Chase for the Nextel Cup, few would have paid much attention to Kasey Kahne, who was in 11th place entering today's race at California Speedway. Twenty-five races into a 36-race season and 540 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson, Kahne would have been reduced to trying to salvage a mostly lost season with another win or two...

ST. LOUIS -- With Stephen Davis in a Rams uniform, the St. Louis Rams cut veteran Moe Williams and nine other players Saturday to get down to the league-mandated 53-man roster. Davis, a three-time Pro-Bowl running back released by Carolina in the spring, signed with St. Louis on Friday...

Any NFL teams looking for help in the backfield might be encouraged by the availability of a few running backs who were cut Saturday. That includes Ron Dayne, Lee Suggs and Najeh Davenport. Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner who entered the Broncos' training camp as the starter, was released as Denver got down to the 53-man limit. ...

Robert Allenby made a hole-in-one during a torrid stretch that took him from the middle of the pack to the top of the leaderboard Saturday, then finished off a 5-under 66 in blustery conditions to catch Justin Rose in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Mass...

ST. LOUIS -- Salomon Torres' first save of the year was far from routine. The Pittsburgh Pirates' reliever escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth inning then got Albert Pujols to ground out with a man on for the final out in a 1-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night...

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Most of us can't afford the $70,000 price tag on a 23-day trip being offered by the tour operator Abercrombie & Kent. The trip takes you around the globe on a private jet with 48 other travelers to visit nine world wonders. But the itinerary is worth sharing, as it may inspire you to plan -- or dream about -- your own trip of a lifetime to see one or more of these marvels...

BENTON, Mo. -- Two slams of a hammer put Yvonne Moore of Benton in the winner's circle Saturday. She explained her skill in the nail-driving contest simply: "We built a house." The contest, which had competition classes from 5-year-olds to men, was one of many activities at Neighbor Days in Benton on Saturday -- volleyball, horseshoes, home extension and agriculture exhibits, a talent show. New to the celebration were the evening lawn-mower races...

A Scott City woman was arrested Friday on charges of stealing more than $7,000 in gasoline from her employer. Charlotte Wrinkle, 40, is charged with four counts of felony theft and two counts of felony fraudulent use of a credit device. Authorities accuse her of using gas credit cards from her employer, General Sign Co., for her own personal use...

Hurricane John weakens, pounds southern Baja; Al-Qaida video features alleged American terrorist

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

When voters approved an additional half-cent sales tax for roads and the sheriff's department last month, they were encouraged to do so, in part, by a pledge to eliminate all property taxes for roads. The tradeoff, it was suggested, would result in less tax spending by many Cape Girardeau County residents...

Four games is not enough to judge a team by, but if Notre Dame's boys soccer team can play as well as it did in this weekend's Notre Dame Soccerfest at the end of the season, the Bulldogs could be in for a long playoff run. The Bulldogs received a little more competition from Saturday's opponent, Jackson, than they had in their previous two games, but still managed to roll by the Indians 4-1 to claim the title...

Jackson sophomore Greg Gibson and Central sophomore Brittany Moreland highlighted a strong day for local runners at the Jackson Invitational cross country meet with a pair of individual championships Saturday at Jackson City Park. Gibson covered the 2.35-mile course in 12 minutes, 49 seconds, bringing home his second straight title at the Jackson Invitational...

Southeast Missouri State suffered a pair of three-game losses at the Arkansas Invitational on Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark. The Redhawks lost to Stephen F. Austin 30-17, 30-24, 30-16, and lost to host Arkansas 30-16, 30-27, 30-21. Southeast fell to 1-6...

To the editor: Note the headline: "Ford to halt production at 10 plants." Ford also is cutting production by 20 percent, laying off people and closing subsidiaries. General Motors also has discharged numerous employees and closed plants, and their suppliers are in bankruptcy. The reason both major companies are in such a perilous state is that they are losing money like a hemophiliac loses blood...

Out of our face; Reach out to help; Take it outside; Join the few; Pull out now

Duane L. Black, 76, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Aug. 1, 1930, in Glidden, Iowa, son of Paul E. and Lillian A. Robson Black. He and Midori Maruyama were married July 19, 1957. She died Feb. 23, 1991. He married Shirley Bennett on July 24, 1992. She died May 18, 2006...

Paul Erwin Stewart, 20, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006, in a motorcycle accident on State Highway W in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 19, 1985, in Cape Girardeau, son of Mark Stewart and Lizabeth Boone. He and Michelle King were married July 24, 2004, in Jackson...

Hayden Nicholas Thomas Trankler-Melton was stillborn Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was the son of Natalie Faye Trankler and Nicholas "Aaron" Melton of Jackson. Survivors of the maternal family include two grandparents, Frank and Debbie Trankler of Jackson; an uncle, Lance (Samantha) Trankler of Jackson; two great-grandmothers, Agnes Trankler of Oran, Mo., and Alma Bock of Jackson; and a great-great-grandmother, Ruby Bock of Jackson...

Joseph Wolsey, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 1, 1918, in Cape Girardeau, son of Joseph and Minnie Schneeler Wolsey. He and Demova Reed were married in Jonesboro, Ark. She died in June 1992...

ORAN, Mo. --Loretta C. Brucker, 90, of Oran died Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 18, 1916, in Bell City, Mo., daughter of Albert and Dora Dirnberger Vetter. She and Herbert M. Brucker were married Jan. 9, 1946. He died July 24, 1995...

Michelle Renee Amos and Randy Scott Dees exchanged wedding vows June 10, 2006, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. The Rev. Robert Henrichs performed the ceremony. Organist was Lois Fehrmann. Parents of the couple are John and Renee Amos of Jackson, and Anthony and Wanda Dees of Marble Hill, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Megan Michelle Narrow and Luke Joseph Seibel were united in marriage June 10, 2006, at Saxon Lutheran Memorial in Frohna, Mo. David Pieplow performed the ceremony. Readers were Jensyn and Shanna Meyer. Soloist was Whitney Plessel of Milford, Neb...

Katie Rose Townsend and Brian Robert Haas were married June 3, 2006, at New McKendree United Methodist Church South Campus Celebration Center. Allen Ladage and John Rice performed the ceremony. Pianist was Linda Thompson and soloist was Erica Beasley, both of Jackson...

Ashley Logan Throop and Michael Vincent Holloway exchanged vows June 3, 2006, at Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Stacy Green performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Ronald and Paula Throop of Scott City. The groom is the son of Larry Holloway of Jackson, and Diana Holloway of Jonesboro, Ill...

St. Andrew Lutheran Church was the setting May 27, 2006, for the wedding of Lisa Maria Eddings and Kevin Paul Short. The Rev. Paul J. Short, father of the groom, performed the ceremony. Organist was Diann Daume, trumpeter was Dan Berry, violinist was Jake Glaus, all of Cape Girardeau, and keyboardist was Joy Schubert of Jackson. Soloist was Brandon Hahs of Cape Girardeau...

Ashley Myer and Scott Lane were married March 11, 2006, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. David Johnson performed the ceremony. Pianist was Pat Palisch. Vocalists were April Hemmann, cousin of the bride, and Bailey Duncan, cousin of the groom...

Kyla Janae Smith and Matthew Lee Ressel exchanged vows June 24, 2006, at Eisleben Lutheran Church in Scott City. Robert Azinger performed the ceremony. Organist was Christy Bohn of Scott City, and vocalist was Cassie Beary of Columbia, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Rodney and Judy Smith of Jackson, and Barbara and Sam Herndon of Scott City. The groom is the son of Bradley and Sandra Ressel of Scott City...

Kerri Sue Churchill and Wade Matthew Christian exchanged vows June 3, 2006, at Francine's Gardens. Don Henson performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of William and Connie Churchill of Dexter, Mo., and Don and Susan Henson of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Allen and Nancy Christian of Cape Girardeau...

Keith and Bert Scannell of Swansea, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Anne Scannell, to Robert Jonathan Brune. He is the son of Greg and Barbara Brune of Cape Girardeau. Scannell is a 2000 graduate of Althoff Catholic High School in Belleville, Ill. She received a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Southeast Missouri State University in 2005. She is a second grade teacher with Jackson School District...

Tom and June Seavey of Olathe, Kan., announce the engagement of their daughter, Stefanie Renee Seavey, to Jonathan Winn Martin, both of Jefferson City, Mo. He is the son of Dr. Rich and Sue Martin of Cape Girardeau. Seavey is a graduate of Spring Hill High School and Central Missouri State University. She is employed by state of Missouri...

James and Linda Gregory of Idaho Falls, Idaho, announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Anne Gregory, to Chad Albert Brockmire. He is the son of Bill and Pam Brockmire of Cape Girardeau. Gregory is a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography School in Santa Barbara, Calif. She is employed at J.C. Penney...

Michelle Backfisch and Jeff Brunke of Scott City announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Sandra and Dewayne Dlugosh of Lamar, Ark., and the late Mike Backfisch Sr. of New Hamburg, Mo. Brunke is the son of Tom and Paula Brunke of Scott City...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Loretta Below of Chaffee and Samuel Below of Delta announce the engagement of their daughter, Rebecca Jean Below, to Shawn Wesley Kinder. He is the son of Wesley and Teresa Kinder of Randles. Below is pursuing a degree in accounting at Southeast Missouri State University...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- David and Kelley Petitt of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, April Lee Stafford, to Ronald Nathan Ressel. He is the son of Ron and Cindy Ressel of Sikeston, Mo., and the late Mary Ressel. Stafford is a 2002 graduate of Chaffee High School, and is pursuing a degree in social work at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at McKesson Healthcare Resources in Cape Girardeau...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Jerry and Cathy Dillow of Jonesboro and Robert and Gayla Smithey of Ware, Ill., announce the engagement of their children, Laura Ann Dillow and Brandon Davie Smithey. Dillow is a 2004 graduate of Anna-Jonesboro Community High School, and a 2006 graduate of Shawnee Community College. She is majoring in communication disorders and sciences at Southern Illinois University. She is employed at First National Bank of Jonesboro...

ORAN, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Rodger Campbell of Oran celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party Aug. 19, 2006, in Branson, Mo. Campbell and Tomye Garrard were married Aug. 19, 1956, at Parma, Mo., by the Rev. Claude Jenkins. Their attendants were Larry and Phyllis Campbell...

25 years ago: Sept. 3, 1981 The Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday approved the issuance of industrial revenue bonds totaling about $2 million in accordance with a request from First National Bank; the bonds will be used to outfit the bank's new home office to be built along the planned Silver Springs Road south of Route K...

NEW YORK -- Public schools take a lot of criticism, but a growing, loosely organized movement is now starting to take action -- with parents taking their children out of public schools and exhorting other families to do the same. Led mainly by evangelical Christians, the movement depicts public education as hostile to religious faith and claims to be behind a surge in the number of students being schooled at home...

RICHMOND, Va. -- The remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto put a sloppy wet damper on the last big tourism weekend of the summer for many people, making a mess of some oceanfront hotels and leaving beaches and boardwalks less crowded than usual. Ernesto was reduced to an area of rain over western New York state and the lower Great Lakes by Saturday afternoon, after drenching Virginia and North Carolina with up to a foot on its run up the East Coast...

WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service has been auditing more high-income taxpayers but may not be effectively going after one of the biggest problems -- wealthy people who evade taxes by reporting too little business income or overstating business expenses...

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials unsealed more classified documents in 2005 but shrouded data elsewhere by claiming more legal privileges in court, a coalition of watchdog groups reported Saturday. The study by OpenTheGovernment.org shows modest improvement from record 2004 levels in which Americans were kept in the dark about information they should be able to access. Overall government secrecy remained high compared to previous years, it said...

Another year, another kickoff, another goal, more volunteers, more publicity, more work -- some may think this is routine. But it isn't. Why? Because of the results achieved through all these efforts. Because of the lives changed. My hope today is that I motivate and encourage each of you to stay involved with the United Way. ...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Two jet boats collided on Lake Texoma, killing five people and injuring one, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. One of the boats struck the other watercraft on the middle of its side, trooper Kera Philippi said. Four people were in one boat and two were in the other, she said...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric on Saturday warned the prime minister to quell violence or risk "other powers" filling the gap, while police found the tortured and blindfolded bodies of 13 Pakistani and Indian pilgrims and their Iraqi driver...

TYRE, Lebanon -- The beefed-up peacekeeping force in Lebanon began to take shape Saturday as 1,000 Italian soldiers started moving in, the first large contingent of international troops dispatched to help safeguard a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas...

It took a while to get going, but the end result was that the Tony Samuel era at Southeast Missouri State began with a bang Saturday night. Most people probably didn't expect anything different, but the Redhawks made sure Samuel would be able to relish his first game as their head coach by pulling away from Austin Peay 38-13...

Jess Bolen took the Capahas to the NBC World Series in Wichita, placed 13th out of 42 teams with 15 players and somebody has the nerve to criticize him for letting a dad sit in the dugout? I couldn't believe what I was reading. I was in Wichita for those games. I sat in the stands with Bob Gibson as we watched our sons [Levi Olson and Chris Gibson] play a big game, and I can assure you he was there in a "dad" capacity...

Lachelle Cook picked up a pair of victories last weekend in the Southeast Missouri Horseshoe Association tournaments. Cook teamed with Jake Kluesner on Aug. 26 to top a 17-team field at the Oran J.C. Fall Festival. Rose Kern and Danny Williams finished second, while Darrel Vandeven and Patsy Tinkhoff finished third...

I DID not see anything in print regarding the Central football team at the jamboree except for who they were playing. Did they show anything exceptional? IT WOULD seem to me that if transferring high school students have to sit out a year from their sport, it would only be reasonable to for a transferring coach do the same...

St. Vincent topped Notre Dame 25-10, 25-21 for its second straight championship in Notre Dame's Volleyballfest. The Squaws, a Class 2 district champion last year, improved to 7-0 through Saturday. "We played awfully well," St. Vincent coach Mary Rosenquist said. "I'm real happy with how we did, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A big second half allowed Southeast Missouri State to post its first season-opening win since 2002 and hand Tony Samuel a victory in his debut as the Redhawks' head coach. No surprise, then, that there were plenty of smiles in the Southeast corner Saturday night after the Redhawks defeated host Austin Peay 38-13...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- It hasn't taken first-year Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel long to show his players that he won't hesitate to dole out discipline in the area that probably hurts them the most. Playing time. It was announced prior to Saturday's season opener at Austin Peay that starting cornerbacks Monroe Hicks and Todshon Jones had been suspended for the game for violating unspecified team policy. They did not even make the trip...

Perryville's football team made sure right away it would not suffer through another winless season on Friday, beating Pacific 21-7 on the road in the season opener for both teams. Pacific scored off a Perryville turnover in the opening quarter to grab a 7-0 lead, but the Pirates dominated play the rest of the night...

ST. LOUIS-- Jim Edmonds, who missed his 12th start in 13 games Saturday due to post-concussion syndrome, will not accompany the St. Louis Cardinals on their upcoming seven-game trip. Edmonds had been trying to slowly increase his activity level, but has noticed no improvement. So for the foreseeable future he has ceased baseball activities...

NEW YORK -- These days, a good sense of style seems just as important a tool for tennis stars as good racquets and sneakers. The U.S. Open, which runs through Sept. 10 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, is an opportunity for the Maria Sharapovas and Andy Roddicks of the world -- and their sponsors -- to show off what they think is the latest and greatest in athleticwear, beauty products and even home design...

NEW YORK -- Andre Agassi stepped into the drizzle, the pain in his back made more bearable by another anti-inflammatory injection and the knowledge that he'd get extra rest for his third-round match at the U.S. Open. Rain that was barely there in the morning but grew heavy by the evening washed out Saturday's entire schedule at Flushing Meadows. Agassi's match against German qualifier Benjamin Becker was rescheduled for 11 a.m. today...

Everyone has a bad day now and then. But you don't expect it to revolve around cooking pot roast. That was the case in Vail, Colo., recently when a 72-year-old woman's culinary skills attracted some uninvited guests -- a bear and her cub. The woman walked into her kitchen and found the bear standing six feet away. The bear hissed at her and swatted her chest and arm, resulting in some minor scratches, the Associated Press reported...

Jackson is among 30 other cities in the Missouri Public Energy Pool experiencing electric rate increases, but officials say joining the consortium is the best option for purchasing power. City administrator Jim Roach challenges anyone to find a better deal...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson high school graduates from the class of 2006 are better prepared for college classes than their fellow graduates statewide and even nationally, ACT test scores show. Students at Cape Girardeau Central High School had an average composite score of 23.5, the highest it's been in 11 years, said principal Dr. Mike Cowan...

In front of the cameras and bright studio lights, 10 volunteers worked the phones as people from throughout Southeast Missouri pledged money on Monday. But the on-screen volunteers were only a small part of the fund-raising efforts at West Park Mall that brought in more than $500,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association...

"We miss you, Sgt. Bob Davis." "Welcome home, Cpl. Andrew Jackson." Banners displayed in front of several Jackson businesses tell two kinds of war story -- one of heart-breaking grief over a fallen soldier; the other of immense relief of another's safe return...

Two teenagers were charged with beating up a physically disabled man with his own prosthetic leg. The 18-year-old victim was jumped in a parking lot at 921 Hackberry St., Cape Girardeau police spokesman Jason Selzer said. Alexander Harris, 17, was charged with felony assault, a hate crime, and a 16-year-old boy was cited into juvenile court for assault...

WASHINGTON -- A near no-hitter? Yeah, that's worth smiling about. A first career home run? Now, there's a reason to celebrate. Ramon Ortiz came within three outs of pitching the majors' first no-hitter in more than two years Monday, but it was his eighth-inning shot to the bullpen beyond the left field fence that had him practically giddy after the Washington Nationals' 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals...

LOS ANGELES -- Immigration protests that drew hundreds of thousands of flag-waving demonstrators to the nation's streets last spring promised a potent political legacy -- a surge of new Hispanic voters. "Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote," they proclaimed...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Police found the tortured, blindfolded bodies of 33 men scattered across the capital Monday and the U.S.-led coalition reported combat deaths of seven servicemen, a day after Iraqi leaders said the capture of a top terror suspect would reduce violence...

SUNRISE BEACH, Mo. -- Until a few years ago, residents say, the cove near the 18-mile marker on the Shawnee Bend side of the main channel of the Lake of the Ozarks was a pretty quiet place, where families could enjoy the water. Today, boats can be heard roaring around, and the water is littered with beer cans and other items people decide to toss overboard...

ST. LOUIS -- Three of the five known female Torah scribes in the world will be in the St. Louis area in coming months, working on different projects. Shoshana Gugenheim already is in the area, working on the Torah scroll at Congregation Shaare Emeth in Ladue. She also is holding morning and evening workshops at B'nai Amoona Congregation in Creve Coeur and will be in the area through Sunday...

CHICAGO -- Investigators on Monday were still going through debris from a weekend fire that swept through an apartment, killing six children, a fire department official said. A preliminary investigation indicates candles used for light in an apartment without electricity caused the fire, Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Will Knight said...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ryan Newman won a series-high eight races in 2003, yet never contended for the NASCAR championship. He finished a distant sixth in the standings -- seven DNF's that year probably contributed to Newman never challenging Matt Kenseth for the title -- but found little fault with a points system that failed to reward his numerous visits to Victory Lane...

NORTON, Mass. -- Tiger Woods needed only three holes to make it a fair fight. Before long, it was no contest. Woods made two eagles in his first seven holes to turn a rally into a rout, matching the best final round of his career with an 8-under 63 to win the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday and stretch his PGA Tour winning streak to five tournaments...

FONTANA, Calif. -- Kasey Kahne figured that winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at California Speedway was the one way he could assure himself of remaining in the fight for the upcoming playoffs. "I came here telling myself, 'You've got to win. You've got to win. You have to go out there and lead laps,"' Kahne said. "That's all you can do if you want to make this Chase."...

St. Joseph fall dinner to be held Sunday...

More than 30 residents at the Lutheran Home Alzheimer's Unit got a chance to shine Tuesday when they performed in a first-time variety show for family and friends. Preparation for the event included discovering what the residents' talents were and helping them remember material to produce a successful variety show. ...

Keesee earns rank promotion in Air Force; Area student completes ROTC training course

The Red House Interpretive Center announces its events for this month. n 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, historical family reading for children presented on the porch by Cape Public Library and the Red House. Each session is 30 minutes. Children from the Boys and Girls Club will read stories about African Americans...

MINER, Mo. -- Drury Inns Inc. has finalized its purchase of the Raudmont Inn in Scott County, with plans to raze it and build a new 120-room Drury Inn & Suites on the property. The deal closed Aug. 25 and will also include a new restaurant, said Joe Pereles, vice president of development at Drury Inns. A Drury Inns affiliate, Drury Development Corp., intends to build a Steak 'n Shake on the ground the Charles L. Drury family owns adjacent to the site, Pereles said...

WASHINGTON -- Don't tell your cell phone any secrets. It might not keep them. Secondhand phones purchased over the Internet surrendered credit card numbers, banking passwords, business secrets and even evidence of adultery. One married man's girlfriend sent a text message to his cell phone: His wife was getting suspicious. Perhaps they should cool it for a few days...

Financial planner earns estate certificate John H. Wolpers has earned a certificate in estate planning and taxation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn. To receive the certificate, Wolpers, a certified financial planner, completed graduate-level courses in the college's curriculum for a master's degree in financial services. Wolpers also is a certified fund specialist and a chartered retirement planning counselor with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. in Cape Girardeau...

Tower Rock Winery wins gold medal Tower Rock Winery in Altenburg, Mo., has won a gold medal in Missouri's Wine Competition for its 2004 Cynthiana Reserve. Tower Rock's Bob Breuer said the winery won the best of class for dry red wine in the state also and is also a finalist for the Governor's Cup, to be announced Sept. ...

After several months of uncertainty, a plan to use some of the assets of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority appears to be back on track. Gov. Matt Blunt and legislative leaders have announced an agreement that would allow $350 million from MOHELA assets to be used for construction projects at state-supported colleges and universities across Missouri. ...

The Chaffee Red Devils had no shortage of players worthy of the game ball in Friday night's victory at Grandview that snapped the program's 34-game losing streak. There was junior running back Andrew Hendrix, who had 91 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries...

Standing up; Gas is still better; Pet problem; Religious killing; County business; Misleading info; Welcome to PTA; Shoes and socks; Bible preaching; Good church food; Little solace; Presidential success; Safety comes first; Separate agendas; Highway safety; Sweet deal; Safety sense; Give 'em heck; Clean and neat; Let government do it; Lack of response; Rights on the line; Chuckling smokers; Practice your faith; Need godly values; World record; Real terrorists

Roy E. Robins, 84, of Jackson, passed away Sunday, Sept. 3, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 24, 1922, in Bessville (Bollinger County), Missouri. He and Audell Mabuce were married Nov. 22, 1941. She passed away Nov. 1, 1974. He and Juanita Parsons Mabuce were married Feb. 14, 1976...

Charles "Allen" Henderson, 86, of Delta died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending with McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Ivan Summers, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Arrangements are pending with Ford and Sons Mount Auburn chapel.

DIEHLSTADT, Mo. -- Mary Elizabeth Claycomb, 72, of Diehlstadt died Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006, at her home. She was born June 30, 1934, in Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of the late Bill and Eva Copeland Inman. She was a member of the Unity Baptist Church in Benton, Mo. On June 19, 1954, she married Emmett Claycomb...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Mary Ruth Honey, 78, of Tamms died Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006, at her home. She was born Aug. 11, 1928, in Columbus, Ga., daughter of the late James Henry and Birdie Irene Millsap Quinn. She was married to Lorn R. "Pod" Honey Sr., who died in 1999. She was a member of Sandy Creek Baptist Church in Tamms...

Joseph Wolsey, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 1, 1918, in Cape Girardeau, son of Joseph and Minnie Schneeler Wolsey. He and Demova Reed were married in Jonesboro, Ark. She died in June 1992...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- William "Ed" White, 90, of Chaffee died Sunday, Sept. 3, 2006, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. He was born Jan. 20, 1916, in Chaffee to William Henry White and Virgin Minnie Slinkard. He and Dessie Jones were married June 21, 1941. She died on March 1, 2002...

25 years ago: Sept. 5, 1981 Lindsay W. Simmons, who watched Cape Girardeau's financial community grow for well over half a century, dies at his home in Cape Girardeau at age 82; Simmons organized what is now First Federal Savings and Loan Association here in 1927 and served for many years, and up until the present, as its president; he was also associated for many years with First National Bank...

401 Independence St. Public hearings Consent ordinances New ordinances Resolutions Appointments Other...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Me and the Tilt-a-Whirl go back a ways, but it had been a while. When I was younger, the whirling, twirling, hurling machine was a regular piece of my carnival experience -- alongside a scarfed-down corn dog and the sticky fingers left behind by a pink tuft of cotton candy. In the years that followed, I had done without the ride. I wasn't avoiding it; we just never sort of met again...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

US Bancorp Foundation makes donation US Banks in Cape Girardeau and Jackson presented a donation to Teen Challenge and Eagle Ridge Christian School Inc. from US Bancorp Foundation. Each received $500. The Scott County Women in Agriculture will meet at 7 p.m. ...

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Monday he would appoint a mediator for indirect talks between Israel and Hezbollah on the release of two abducted Israeli soldiers, the first public word of negotiations between the bitter enemies since fighting in Lebanon ended...

Man opens fire on tourists in Jordan, killing one AMMAN, Jordan -- A gunman opened fire on Western tourists at Roman ruins in the heart of Jordan's capital Monday, killing a British man and wounding six people before being overpowered. Police said the attacker came from the same area as the slain leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. ...

Ruben Quesada wants you to try his wife's cooking. Really. "Oh, my goodness, believe me, I don't get tired of it," Quesada said last week. His wife, Gracie, and her sisters are from Mexico, and Quesada has been eating their food for years. The family recently relocated to Southeast Missouri from Southern California...

They can be found in the Southeast Missouri towns of Benton, Bernie, Charleston, Dexter, Perryville and Sikeston. There are even two of them in Hayti. And by the end of the year, a gas station offering E85 -- the blend of ethanol and gasoline that is hyped as the answer to everything from high gas prices to global warming -- will arrive in Cape Girardeau...

Top 25 scores Gary Cismesia's 33-yard field goal with 8:06 left lifted the 11th-ranked Seminoles to a 13-10 win over No. 12 Miami on Monday night. Michael Ray Garvin intercepted Kyle Wright's final pass with 29 seconds left, sealing the victory. Louisville's senior running Michael Bush broke his right leg early in the third quarter of the 13th-ranked Cardinals' 59-28 win over Kentucky on Sunday night...

The Assocaited Press LOS ANGELES -- Mark Wahlberg remained invincible at the box office over the long Labor Day weekend. Disney's "Invincible," with Wahlberg as a pro football rookie who makes the team in open tryouts, was the No. 1 movie for the second straight weekend, taking in $15.2 million from Friday through Monday, according to studio estimates. The movie lifted its 11-day total to $37.8 million...

NEW YORK -- With a rebuilt newsroom behind her and new theme music from an Academy Award-winning composer, Katie Couric is set to make the most talked-about debut of the fall television season today on the "CBS Evening News." CBS hopes that many of the viewers who watched Couric in the morning during her 15 years at NBC's "Today" show will stay with her in the evening, lifting a broadcast that has spent several years in the ratings basement...

You slam the steering wheel, curse the timid driver in front of you and turn up the music full blast to drown out the rage. You're seeing red, both literally and figuratively. But the traffic signal is not interested in your anger. It's calibrated to keep traffic moving throughout the city, and that means it can't keep everyone happy all the time...

WASHINGTON -- It's the nation's most troublesome lifesaver. Every day, 2 million Americans swallow a blood thinner called warfarin that puts them on a tightrope: Too little, and they won't be protected from lethal blood clots. Too much, and they can bleed to death...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols homered in his first three at-bats to end a prolonged slump, leading the St. Louis Cardinals over the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-3 Sunday. Pujols connected with the bases empty in the first, and hit two-run drives in the third and fifth, all off Ian Snell (12-9). He is 4-for-6 with four homers and seven RBIs against Snell, and with 42 homers reached the 40-mark for the fourth straight season. It was his third three-homer game, his second of the season...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Doctors say a new option for breast-cancer patients might help persuade more women, particularly in rural areas, to complete their radiation treatments. CoxHealth radiation oncologist Ibrahim Abdalla said MammoSite radiation therapy is as safe and effective as traditional therapies -- and is more convenient. ...

NEW YORK -- The last match of his 21-year career played and lost, Andre Agassi coaxed himself into his courtside chair and buried his face in a towel. Then he looked up through tear-filled eyes at the more than 20,000 people standing and cheering for him in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a tribute that lasted four minutes. Agassi rose and moved to the center of the court for a second round of bows and kisses to the four sides of the arena, gingerly bending his bad back...

The display the Notre Dame boys soccer team put on during its Soccerfest left coach Brad Wittenborn happy that he didn't have to devise a defense against his team. "We have probably the best shooting team we've ever had," Wittenborn said Saturday. "It's not just one or two guys, its six or eight guys that hit the ball. If I had to coach against us, I don't know who I'd focus on."...

Annika Sorenstam went on a run that took her all the way to an LPGA record and a victory at the State Farm Classic in Springfield, Ill. Down five strokes at the start of play, Sorenstam tied the LPGA record for the lowest final-round score by a tournament winner with a 62. She shot 10 under for the day to finish 19 under, two strokes ahead of Cristie Kerr (67)...

MIAMI -- A tropical depression brewing over the open Atlantic was nearing tropical storm strength Monday night, forecasters said. At 10 p.m., the depression had sustained winds of 35 mph, 4 mph shy of becoming a tropical storm and the sixth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season...

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy after becoming ill before practice Sunday and will miss Thursday night's season opener against Miami. Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will be evaluated each week, and he is not certain how long the quarterback will be out...

CHICAGO -- Pudgy toddlers face a good chance of becoming overweight 12-year-olds, according to government research that shoots down the notion that children just naturally outgrow early chubbiness. Children who were overweight at age 2 or later during their preschool years faced a five times higher risk of being overweight at age 12 than youngsters who were not overweight early on, the study found. ...

CHICAGO -- Men who become fathers in their 40s or older are much more likely to have autistic children than younger dads, a new study released Monday shows, bolstering evidence that genetics contributes to the mental disorder. The research involved about 130,000 Israeli Jews born in the 1980s. ...

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team suffered its first loss of the season Sunday afternoon as Missouri State posted a 1-0 victory at Houck Stadium. Southeast, which beat visiting Arkansas-Little Rock by a similar score in its only previous game, fell to 1-1. The Bears from Springfield, Mo. improved to 3-2...

CAIRNS, Australia -- He stalked lions. He faced off with poisonous snakes. He wrestled with crocodiles. When the end came for television's beloved "Crocodile Hunter," it was in an encounter with a stingray and its venomous tail barb. Perhaps it wasn't surprising. Steve Irwin died doing what he loved best, getting too close to one of the dangerous animals he dedicated his life to protecting with an irrepressible, effervescent personality that propelled him to global fame...

Marcia Ritter summed up the Cape Girardeau City Council's sentiments with one sentence: "It's all been said." With no public discussion at its Tuesday night meeting, the council unanimously agreed to amend the city's sign ordinance, rescinding most of the restrictions on garage-sale and real-estate signs it had imposed just five months ago...

A federal judge in St. Louis has ordered the Doniphan, Mo., public schools to end teacher-led prayers at school assemblies. The consent judgment will end a decades-old practice in the school district, American Civil Liberties Union officials said Tuesday. The ACLU successfully argued that the prayers in school violated the constitutional separation of church and state...

A high school senior was attacked over the weekend in Cape Girardeau by two teenagers, one of whom police said used the victim's own prosthetic leg against him. The attack occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 921 Hackberry St., police spokesman Jason Selzer said...

BENTON, Mo. -- Two 17-year-old girls were arrested and charged Wednesday with an Oran, Mo., vandalism spree. Heather Turner and Melba Hays were charged with multiple counts of property damage and tampering with a motor vehicle in the Aug. 22 attacks that targeted Oran buildings and vehicles...

For Richard Combs, the water that overran the banks of Williams Creek into his back yard Aug. 17 brought a sense of foreboding. Combs and three neighbors in Jackson's Annwood subdivision paid about $16,000 in 2003 to match federal grant funds to stabilize the creek bank, which had eroded 20 to 25 feet of his back yard in 2002...

Three people were killed in Perry County accidents during the Labor Day holiday weekend, including a husband and wife. Jason J. Schamburg, 31, was driving a motorcycle with his wife, Amy E. Schamburg, 31, on Route O near Millheim, Mo., when they collided with another vehicle at 1:30 p.m. Sunday...

Former Southeast Missouri State All-American Willie Ponder didn't stay out of work for long. Ponder, who was released by the New York Giants Saturday despite being one of the NFL's top kick returners the past two years, signed Tuesday with the Seattle Seahawks...

ST. LOUIS -- The extended absences of Jim Edmonds and David Eckstein could have been a lot more painful for the St. Louis Cardinals if not for Preston Wilson. He's supplied a dose of power while the Cardinals wait for Edmonds to return from post-concussion syndrome. Wilson's combination of speed and pop has also made for a compelling leadoff option while Eckstein recuperates from a strained side muscle...

ST. LOUIS -- Having survived impalement, exhibiting courage as a kickoff returner will be no problem at all for the St. Louis Rams' newest player. Three days after playing in the 2005 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles, J.R. Reed failed in an attempt to leap a chest-high wrought-iron fence adorned with decorative spikes. He found himself hanging upside down with one of the spikes gouging his left leg behind the knee, the blood pouring out...

STOCKTON, Calif. -- An assistant youth football coach was arrested for felony child abuse after allegedly rushing the field and assaulting a boy on the opposing team, police said. Cory Petero, 36, of Riverbank, turned himself in to Stockton police Saturday night following what witnesses described as a late hit that turned into a brawl, with parents and children from both teams fighting on the field...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas coach Mack Brown on Tuesday suspended starting cornerback Tarell Brown and backup linebacker and special teams player Tyrell Gatewood for Saturday's game against No. 1 Ohio State after their arrest on misdemeanor charges. The loss of Tarell Brown, a senior and Texas' top cover corner, is a big blow to a defense counting on him to match up with the Buckeyes' top receiver, Ted Ginn Jr. ...

WASHINGTON -- A first-inning mistake to Albert Pujols usually isn't enough to decide a game. On Tuesday night, it was all the offense Jeff Suppan needed. Pujols hit his 44th home run, and Suppan took a shutout into the eighth inning to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-0 victory over the Washington Nationals...

A husband and wife duo accused of looting a Cape Girardeau County home were bound Tuesday for Circuit Court. Stephen D. Sheldrake II, 24, and Dana L. Sheldrake, 28, both of 2920 Perryville Road, were charged with felony burglary and three counts of stealing. ...

Four people were injured in a three-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon in Cape Girardeau. Emergency crews responded to the intersection of William and Pacific streets at 3:08 p.m., fire battalion chief Mike Ramsey said. Four people were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Ramsey did not know the conditions of the victims, but said none appeared to have life-threatening injuries. Details on the cause of the accident were not immediately available Tuesday night...

The reopening of the Cape Girardeau post office on North Frederick Street on Tuesday got mixed reviews from nearly everyone. Everyone, that is, except for Mayor Jay Knudtson, the person who had been its most vocal critic over the past year, who now says he understands the move...

Ethanol is not yet king in Malta Bend, a small central Missouri community, but a year and a half after Saline County's ethanol plant opened farmers and non-farmers have only good things to say about the addition to their economy. With all gasoline sold in Missouri required to contain 10 percent ethanol by 2008, the production of ethanol would seem to have a bright future, especially in agricultural counties...

The Bulldogs posted an 8-0 softball victory over Poplar Bluff to improve to 8-0. Miranda Schlosser threw a no-hitter as the Notre Dame softball team continued to dominate the opposition with an 8-0 victory over visiting Poplar Bluff Tuesday. The Bulldogs improved their record to 8-0. Their closest victory was Saturday's 7-4 triumph over their junior varsity squad in the finals of the Notre Dame Softballfest...

Forgive Jacksonville State if the Gamecocks become physically ill at even the mention of Furman these days. One could hardly blame the Gamecocks. For the second year in a row, Jacksonville State opened its season against one of the nation's premier Division I-AA football teams...

To the editor: As it pertains to how to dress appropriately for worship services, to follow a recent Speak Out topic, my congregation still believes in traditional attire, believing that one should dress in nice clothes as you can afford. But we also believe it disturbs God when we sit in our finery and harbor a critical judgment on those who cannot afford expensive clothing for whatever reason. ...

To the editor: I've lived in Jackson for almost 30 years, and I've been an active member of my union and this community during that time. I've never seen things this bad off for working people. This Labor Day, while we celebrate workers with a day off, it's time to take stock of what's really happening...

Butting in; Poor planning; Political facts; Shifting the problem; Testing mold; Lunch decisions; Lights need repair; Parents' fault; Medicaid logic; Rose garden neglected; Time to get out; Chain migration; Church clothes; School forecast; Listen in church; Don't feel safe

FROHNA, Mo. -- Norman S. Evans, 72, of Frohna died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 1, 1934, in Wheat Ridge, Colo., son of Rudy and Paula Fielder Degenhardt. He and Alida Haertling were married Oct. 3, 1959...

Louise Ulen "Easy" Elrod, a wonderful and generous mother to Doctor Burk and Judge Don, and a loving grandmother to Phillip, Rachael and Jennifer, died peacefully of old age at nearly 99 years Monday, Aug. 28, 2006, in a nursing home near Seattle, Wash...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Beatrice Dennison, 91, of Chaffee died Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Feb. 16, 1915. She married Fred Dennison, who preceded her in death. Dennison worked at Inland Shoe Co. almost 30 years. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Chaffee...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Stella Alkemeyer, 90, of Perryville died Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Dec. 20, 1915, at Yount, Mo., daughter of John Henry and Canzada Viola Loberg Biri. She and Willie Herbert "Bill" Alkemeyer were married May 8, 1937. He died Sept. 8, 1989...

Charles G. "Bud" Behymer, 73, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2006, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Murphysboro, Ill. He was born May 19, 1933, in Cooperstown, Ill., son of Charles Otis and Mamie Irene Baldwin Behymer. A veteran of the Korean conflict, Behymer was in the U.S. Air Force from Oct. 16, 1950, to Oct. 15, 1954...

Ivan B. Summers, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Aug. 23, 1921, in Gordonville, son of Wilson Bland and Addie Clara Hitt Summers. He had attended New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. He was a lifetime farmer in the Gordonville community. He was a member of American Legion Post 158 in Jackson many years...

Charles Allen Henderson, 86, of Delta died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. The funeral will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Grant Gillard officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

Daniel G. Reid, 45, of Bradenton, Fla., died unexpectedly Sunday, Sept. 3, 2006, in Bradenton. He was born Feb. 1, 1961, in St. Louis, son of L.C. and Louise Reid. He and Terrie McCormick were married Sept. 5, 1987. Reid moved to Bradenton in 1988. He was fleet supervisor with Manatee County Transit...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Amy E. and Jason J. Schamburg, both 31, of Perryville died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, in a motorcycle accident in Perry County. Amy was born May 24, 1975, in Perryville, daughter of Gary and Norma Christisen Schumer. She was a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. ...

25 years ago: Sept. 6, 1981 The new director of the Wesley Foundation and campus minister at Southeast Missouri State University is the Rev. Barbara J. Phifer; in addition, Phifer also is serving as pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church on Jackson Route 4...

Back-to-school has affected our household. We are back into the homework routine with both of our children. It is amazing how much we have already learned in Spanish and pre-algebra, and we are only four weeks into school. Last week I gave all of you readers a homework assignment. A reader was looking for a recipe for old fashioned butterscotch pie, and several responses came in, so I hope these will work for the person who made the request...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Jazz great Miles Davis' trumpet once wailed in this city's Tuscan Lodge, where Duke Ellington, Billie Holliday and Cab Calloway also have held court over the building's 112 years. Now, the longtime owners of the storied landmark once billed as "an ornament to the city" are pushing to preserve those memories...

A Cape Girardeau bank teller testified Tuesday that an accused robber threatened to kill if his demands were not met. The bank employee, Aaron Randolph, was balancing his teller drawers at US Bank, 3060 William St., around mid-day Aug. 12 when a man slid him a note on a withdrawal slip...

The City of Roses Music Heritage Association endowed a music scholarship Tuesday as festival organizers are preparing for the Cape Girardeau event's 10th year. Representatives from the association, both past and present, presented a $7,000 check Tuesday afternoon at the floodwall to representatives from Southeast Missouri State University. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Tantalized by the prospect of more than $143 million for long-delayed campus construction projects, University of Missouri system leaders on Tuesday endorsed a "good-faith agreement" to increase participation in a state-backed student loan program...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Nearly two years before the fatal crash of Comair Flight 5191, a control tower supervisor at the Lexington airport reported staff shortages in the tower that "can cost lives." According to a safety memo filed in September 2004 and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, the supervisor reported the airport's radar system wasn't working properly but that the air traffic manager refused to call in a mechanical specialist because it would mean paying two hours of overtime...

Cook charged in weekend B&B murders NEWRY, Maine -- A cook was charged Tuesday with shooting and dismembering the owner of a bed-and-breakfast and three other people in a grisly Labor Day weekend killing spree that shocked people across the Maine countryside. ...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan warned Tuesday that Sudan would bear full responsibility for the worsening humanitarian crisis in Darfur, as African Union peacekeepers said they will have to pull out because of the government's refusal to allow a U.N.-led force to take over...

MEXICO CITY -- Felipe Calderon convinced Mexico's top electoral tribunal that he won Mexico's July 2 presidential election. He still needs to persuade the nation. Protesters outside the tribunal wept Tuesday as the decision was announced declaring Calderon president-elect after two months of uncertainty...

Cape Girardeau...

Myers...

NORTON, Mass. -- Tiger Woods was on the back end of the practice range at Torrey Pines a few years ago, trying to find a cure for a swing he could no longer trust, when someone asked him if he could ever repeat the year he had in 2000. "I think I can play that good again," Woods said...

Winning the season opener was nice, but Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel knows that the performance in Saturday's 38-13 victory at Austin Peay was nothing to get overly excited about. Speaking at his weekly media briefing Tuesday, Samuel said a review of the game film revealed an outing that was "pretty average."...

This weekend, the SEMO District Fair begins its 151st year. Whether it's the antique tractor pull, the fireworks, the rooster crowing contest or big-name entertainment in the person of Ronnie Milsap, it has something for everyone. But to me, the biggest attraction is the food...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It didn't take long for the new and improved Will Franklin to show himself. Six plays into Missouri's season-opening 47-7 win over Murray State Saturday, the junior wide receiver took a short pass from quarterback Chase Daniel, made a quick move around the cornerback and ran untouched 60 yards for a touchdown...

NEW YORK -- Jelena Jankovic lost so many matches in a row this year, she lost count. But she'd taken enough stats classes in college to figure this: It was probably time to quit tennis and go back to school in Belgrade. On Tuesday, Jankovic graduated -- to her first Grand Slam semifinal, that is -- by taking away No. 4 Elena Dementieva's serve and coasting 6-2, 6-1 at the U.S. Open...

WASHINGTON -- Move over, Alaska. Geoscientists have made what may be the nation's largest oil discovery off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas. It could be the biggest domestic oil find in 38 years, but production is years away, and even then it won't reverse America's growing reliance on imports or have any meaningful effect at the gasoline pump...

City streets in Jackson will undergo major concrete repairs during the next few months. The city awarded a $135,205 contract to Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge to repair 27 streets through its annual concrete street repair program. Work is scheduled to begin in the next couple of weeks and should be complete by the end of November...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library will put up for sale thousands of used books this weekend to raise money for library operations and future expansion of the facility. Most of the books have been donated by library supporters. Some, however, are well-used library books, library director Betty Martin said...

Sept. 7, 2006 Dear Leslie, Castor Fest has taken many forms in the four years since DC drove her pickup to the cabin on the Castor River to dump a load of lumber that became an outdoor stage that begged to be performed on. One year the Castor Fest theme was "This time we rehearse." This year's was imprinted on souvenir tea towels: A baby dancing with catfish...

Southeast Missouri's rice farmers face falling prices because a biotechnology company negligently allowed a strain of genetically modified rice to escape research fields, a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday charges. The lawsuit, filed by Cape Girardeau attorney Michael Ponder on behalf of three Southeast Missouri rice farmers, seeks unspecified damages against Bayer Cropscience USA, developer of the modified rice...

BENTON, Mo. -- Two 17-year-old girls were charged Wednesday for a vandalism spree in Oran, Mo., two weeks ago. Heather N. Turner and Melba J. Hays, both of Morley, Mo., were each charged with three counts of felony tampering with a motor vehicle, misdemeanor tampering with a motor vehicle and two counts of misdemeanor property damage...

A local teenager serving in the U.S. Army was killed in Iraq Wednesday. Jeremy Shank, 18, of Jackson was killed early Wednesday morning local time. He was in the Army's 25th Infantry Division, based in Hawaii. Details on his death were not immediately available...

Contractors removed the old steel pony truss bridge from County Road 439 Wednesday, taking the structure in one piece to the Cape Girardeau County highway maintenance shed. The bridge, which county commissioners have sought to give away, will now sit until a decision is made on which, if any, of six applicants will receive it...

CAIRO, Ill. -- An Illinois man was accused Wednesday of attempting to kidnap the daughter of a candidate for Alexander County commissioner. Don W. Miller Sr., 68, of Brighton, Ill., was charged with felony child abduction in the Monday incident. He is accused of luring toward a vehicle the 13-year-old daughter of Duane "Street Preacher" Lyon during a Labor Day festival in Olive Branch, Ill...

CHICAGO -- Former governor George Ryan, who was acclaimed by capital punishment foes for suspending executions in Illinois and emptying out death row, was sentenced Wednesday to 6 1/2 years behind bars in the corruption scandal that ruined his political career...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- An electrical problem forced NASA to postpone Wednesday's liftoff of the space shuttle Atlantis yet again, and engineers faced with a tight launch schedule struggled to understand the problem. About 11 hours before the scheduled midday launch, engineers discovered that a coolant pump that chills one of the shuttle's three electricity-generating fuel cells was giving an erratic reading. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A "small but statistically significant" cluster of three patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, has been identified in Herculaneum, state health officials said Tuesday. But Dr. Bao-Ping Zhu, state epidemiologist for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said a new study showed that the overall prevalence of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and multiple sclerosis in Jefferson County was no higher than the national average. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An investigation searching for Internet sex predators led to eight arrests and at least 13 other potential cases, authorities said. Federal and regional law enforcement agencies from throughout the Kansas City area conducted Operation Police Over Shoulder from Aug. 29 through Thursday. Platte County Sheriff Dick Anderson said law officers working at a computer bank posed on Internet chat sites as girls who were 14 years old or younger...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state's financial picture is off to a good start, with the Office of Administration announcing Wednesday that net revenue has increased more than 6 percent in the first two months of the state's fiscal year. Net state revenue increased from $1.04 billion to $1.1 billion through August, the office said. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Two St. Louis men went on a robbery rampage, then led officers on a dangerous chase in two states, police said Wednesday. Gary May, 19, and Kellen Stapleton, 24, both are accused of two counts of first-degree robbery, three counts of attempted robbery, three counts of assault of a law enforcement officer, one count of felony fleeing and one count of tampering. May also faces one count of possessing drug paraphernalia. The incidents all happened Monday morning...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University's fall enrollment in Carbondale has slid 2 percent from last year, prompting the school's hiring of two new recruiters in the Chicago area as part of a push to reverse the decline, SIU officials said Wednesday...

ST. LOUIS -- A Wentzville, Mo., woman convicted of pummeling a St. Louis-area dog breeder over the head with a dead Chihuahua puppy could get up to 18 months in jail and a $1,500 fine. Lisa Hopfer, 34, was found guilty Wednesday in St. Charles County Court of misdemeanor assault and trespassing. She is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 25...

BENTON, Ill. -- A federal jury awarded an Illinois State Police investigator $146,000 in damages after concluding that the state agency retaliated against her when she complained of being sexually harassed by a now-retired supervisory officer. Jurors in Benton sided with Belinda Storey on Aug. 31, ruling that the state police unjustifiably gave her inferior assignments and lower job-performance marks after she complained about the harassment...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Investigators called off the search for a body in a lake north of Springfield on Wednesday after determining that a 5-year-old girl who was rescued after being thrown in was the only victim. The girl, whose name was not immediately released, told investigators that her assailant had told her before throwing her in that her mother was dead and in the water. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Corey Chavous made a fast enough impression on his new St. Louis Rams teammates that they named him a team captain on Wednesday. The veteran free safety, signed to a free agent deal in the offseason, figures to help stabilize a defense that ranked 30th last season. He's also made himself at home in the locker room, with his boom box belting out rap tunes at the end of practice...

WASHINGTON -- Jose Vidro picked a good time to start getting clutch hits. Vidro ended a game of comebacks, lining a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday to give the Washington Nationals a 7-6 victory over St. Louis. "I've missed a lot of chances to contribute to the ballclub," Vidro said. "This has been the biggest hit of the year for me right now."...

A Japanese scholar will lecture today in Cape Girardeau about American author William Faulkner. Nobuaki Namiki, professor of English at Senshu University in Kawasaki City, Japan, will discuss "Faulkner and Post-World War II Japan" in a presentation at 3:30 p.m. ...

A man charged with stealing by using his disabled son to garner monetary donations was bound for circuit court. Timothy J. Heuring, 45, of 613 Sycamore St., waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp scheduled him to appear for arraignment Sept. 18 in circuit court...

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Events at the two-day Commerce Floodfest to be held Sept. 23 to 24 will include a lawn-mower race, car show, karaoke contest, dinner, pageant and cake walk. Prizes will be awarded to the people of Commerce for the most in one family and for traveling the farthest...

Benefit held for Christ Episcopal Church...

Americans across Southeast Missouri -- Muslim and otherwise -- will mark Monday's fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, with heartfelt prayer, sorrowful events and somber reflection. Emergency personnel and the public will gather at 8:30 a.m. Monday at Cape Girardeau's fire station No. 1 on Sprigg Street for a brief ceremony...

In its recent discussions regarding the creation of a road and bridge advisory board, the Cape Girardeau County Commission has suggested that giving one of its own members a nonvoting seat might unduly influence the voting board members or stifle a free and open exchange of ideas...

The B.A. Sports Volleyball Classic title appears up for grabs this year with the past three champions all out of the event. The tournament begins Friday at Notre Dame Regional High School and the Student Recreation Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State...

Nicotine levels; Religious clubs; Parental support; Worship in jeans; Not logical; Safety first; Double taxing; Real diseases; No respect; Respect for military; Fat or fit; Take down signs; Left-wing response; Put them on TV; Slow down

Nona Imogene "Gene" Smith Pind, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at her home. She was born Nov. 6, 1918, on the family farm at Jackson, daughter of Joe and Daisy Gholson Smith. She and Lester E. Pind were married Feb. 17, 1939. He preceded her in death March 23, 2000...

Charles Allen Henderson, 86, of Delta passed away Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 25, 1920, in Jackson, son of Weston and Lena Goodwin Henderson. He and Ann Felker were married Dec. 24, 1950, in Jackson. She passed away Sept. 14, 2004...

Eldred G. Hargens, son of John and Laura Mae Angle Hargens, was born May 27, 1916, at Advance, Mo., and died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006. Eldred's parents moved from Advance to Cape Girardeau, where he completed his education through high school. After high school graduation he worked at Kelso Oil, the International Shoe Co., and both Kilgore and Dormeyer's Drug Stores...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Amy E. and Jason J. Schamburg, both 31, of Perryville died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, in a motorcycle accident in Perry County. Amy was born May 24, 1975, in Perryville, daughter of Gary and Norma Christisen Schumer. She was a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Herbert H. Seiler, 80, of Benton died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Benton is in charge of arrangements.

Eula R. Johnson, 96, formerly of Jackson, died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 5, 1910, at Neelys Landing, daughter of James R. and Mary E. Hartle Robison. She and George D. Clingingsmith were married Dec. 23, 1926. He died March 7, 1930. She married Claude R. Phillips Sept. 17, 1932. He died March 19, 1947. She and Avery Johnson were married Oct. 24, 1958. He died Jan. 2, 1986...

Progressive Club...

25 years ago: Sept. 7, 1981 Labor Day. White's Standard Station, 1001 Broadway, owned and operated by Thurman "Drake" White, has moved to 1800 Broadway to resume business at a location formerly servicing a Standard Oil Co. retail gasoline outlet; the former location, at Broadway and Harmon Street, concludes its position as the longest continuous location of a retail gasoline unit in Cape Girardeau...

It's my birthday and I will die if I want to. Lately, when I encounter yet another birthday careening my way, I try to spend it pretending that it is my last day on earth. This week it arrives, and I will once again immerse myself in this task. You may see this as some macabre indulgence, but I see it as a gift to myself...

Briefly A Healthier You is the theme for an upcoming health fair at West Park Mall. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and will offer interactive booths with healthy tips, information and screenings. Emily Stapleton, owner of Contours Express in Cape Girardeau -- the business sponsoring the fair -- created the fair to help residents lead healthier lives. ...

WASHINGTON -- Sandwiched between a swimming pool store and a spice shop in Fairfax, Va., the Tepeyac Family Center looks like any other suburban doctor's office. But it isn't. The practice combines "the best of modern medicine with the healing presence of Jesus Christ," a brochure at the reception desk announces. An image of the Madonna greets every patient. Doctors, nurses and staff members gather to pray each day before the first appointments...

CLAYTON, Mo. -- A St. Louis man already serving time for burglary was charged Wednesday in the 1994 rape and killing of a north St. Louis County woman thanks to a DNA match 12 years later. Prosecutors said they have matched the DNA of Stanley Johnson, 49, to the scene of the May 5, 1994, killing of Lela Warner. The 68-year old grandmother was found raped and strangled in her bedroom with a vacuum cleaner cord...

Southeast Missouri State University named 521 students to its dean's list for academic achievement during the 2006 summer session. Area students named to the list by hometown: Advance -- Amy McNew, Eric O'Hare, Angela Poe, James Wright. Altenburg -- Ashley Lueders...

Florence could become hurricane by weekend MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Florence gained strength in the open Atlantic on Wednesday and could become a hurricane by the weekend, but forecasters said it was too soon to tell whether it would reach the United States. ...

Locke; Franklin; Rash; Hull; Hale; Rodgers; McCracken; King; Pfaff; Byland; Rico

Mungle family reunion to be held Sept. 17 The Mungle family will have a reunion from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at Jackson City Park Pavillion No. 6. There will be a basket dinner. n The book discussion group will meet at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. Participants will share their views on the book "Feather Crowns" by Bobbie Ann Mason. The novel may be checked out at the reference desk with a patron card...

WASHINGTON -- Global warming gases trapped in the soil are bubbling out of the thawing permafrost in amounts far higher than previously thought and may trigger what researchers warn is a climate time bomb. Methane -- a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide -- is being released from the permafrost at a rate five times faster than thought, according to a study being published today in the journal Nature. The findings are based on new, more accurate measuring techniques...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush on Wednesday acknowledged previously secret CIA prisons around the world and said 14 high-value terrorism suspects -- including the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks -- have been transferred from the system to Guantanamo Bay for trials...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq will take control of its armed forces command today, a major step on its painful path toward independence and an essential move before international troops can eventually withdraw. Despite the progress, there was more bloodshed with at least 36 people killed across the country in car bombs, mortar attacks and drive-by shootings. Police also found 29 bodies...

YAROUN, Lebanon -- An advance team of French peacekeepers wove around rubble and minefields Wednesday as it made its way through destroyed villages on one of its first reconnaissance missions in southern Lebanon. The patrol -- seven men in a jeep and an armored vehicle freshly painted white with U.N. letters on the side -- kept a wide berth from dug-in Israeli tanks positioned in the hilltops...

LONDON -- Authorities charged two more suspects Wednesday in an alleged plot to blow up passenger-laden jetliners bound for the United States, bringing to 17 the number formally charged. One other suspect was released without charge, while two others were still being held. Police have a few hours before a legal deadline to charge or release the two...

VIENNA, Austria -- A young woman abducted 8 1/2 years ago told Austrian TV viewers Wednesday of her anger and frustration that she hadn't simply crossed the street to avoid her kidnapper or gone to school with her mother on the morning she was seized...

JERUSALEM -- Israel said it will lift its sea and air blockade of Lebanon today as it faced widespread international pressure more than three weeks after a cease-fire took effect, ending a bloody monthlong conflict with Hezbollah guerrillas. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said Wednesday that international forces would replace the Israelis at command positions over Lebanese seaports and airports...

Cape Girardeau...

n At 12:08 p.m., a fire alarm at 1701 Lacey St....

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Mark Mulder will undergo arthroscopic surgery next week to repair his rotator cuff after getting a second opinion that concurred with the team's diagnosis. Mulder, 29, went back on the 15-day disabled list last week for the second time this season. He missed two months earlier this year due to rotator cuff damage and impingement in the shoulder, which had caused him to alter his delivery...

Williams claims medalist in Chip-A-Ways action Linda Williams was the medalist Tuesday in J.C. Chip-A-Ways golf action at Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course. Evelyn Riley and Waunita Van Dyke tied atop the B class. Bonnie Miller and Dottie Gill tied for low putts. Sharon Dow won the play of the day, which was longest putt on No. 15...

Repair work will begin Monday on the Interstate 55 interchange ramps at Scott City, weather permitting. Work starts at 6 p.m. and goes to 6 a.m. daily. The southbound on-ramp will be the first to undergo repairs. The ramp will remain open, but traffic will be detoured onto the shoulder, with speed reduced to 25 miles per hour...

TUGELA FERRY, South Africa -- A deadly new strain of extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis discovered in South Africa is likely to have spread beyond the rural area where 52 of the 53 people diagnosed with it have died, the doctor who discovered the super bug said...

The St. Vincent volleyball team remained undefeated with a 25-15, 25-12 road victory Wednesday at Saxony Lutheran. The Squaws (8-0) were led by junior Kailyn Petzoldt, who had 17 service points with four aces, five digs, and 3 kills. Lacey Siegmund added four points, five digs, two blocks and six assists for the Squaws, and Brooke Brown had seven digs, two kills, one ace and one block...

NEW YORK -- Rafael Nadal's shots were off the mark and, more shockingly, even his boundless energy seemed to fail him. After one miss-hit, the man usually in perpetual motion hunched over, hands on knees, to catch his breath. No. 2 Nadal and No. 1 Roger Federer will not become the first pair of men to meet in three consecutive Grand Slam finals during a season: Nadal was upset in the U.S. Open quarterfinals by 54th-ranked Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-1 on Wednesday...

Scott City volleyball coach Carl Ritter Jr. was not sure what to expect out of his team heading into its third match of the season Wednesday against at Notre Dame, which had already played eight matches. Ritter got his answer early in the match, as Scott City dominated the Bulldogs 25-14, 25-16 in a resounding sweep...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kasey Kahne has been on the Chase for the championship bubble before -- twice, actually -- and failed to race his way into NASCAR's title-crowning format both times. He'll be back on the bubble this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, where he's the only driver still mathematically eligible to crack the top 10 and compete for the Nextel Cup title. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Jim West figures he and his fellow residents of Los Alamos, N.M., are too busy biking, fishing and riding horses to spend much money. Perhaps that's part of the reason the town of 18,500 residents ranks No. 1 in this year's A.G. Edwards "Nest Egg Index," an annual ranking of how the nation's cities and states put away money for safekeeping...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon on Wednesday urged Missouri's student loan authority to reject Gov. Matt Blunt's "latest ill-conceived" plan for a college building boom financed by the agency's money. Nixon's sharply worded nine-page letter comes in advance of Friday's board meeting of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, which is to consider -- and potentially vote -- on Blunt's plan...

PITTSBURGH -- They were the NFL's hottest team at the end of last season, with numerous reasons to think they will be better still in 2006. Their quarterback's exceptional offseason injury recovery makes them all the more optimistic this could be a championship season...

Three years ago in November, sidewalks in downtown Cape Girardeau were lined with spectators when the Red House opened its doors to the public. The event celebrated the completion of the rendition of Louis Lorimier's military trading post, reawakening residents to the city's history and the Lewis and Clark expedition...

Shane Ward crawled out from underneath the teacup ride after plugging it into an electrical line. He was setting up for the 151st SEMO District Fair, which starts Saturday and runs through Sept. 16 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau.

Michael Williams doesn't considered himself physically disabled. Born with half his right arm and leg missing, he's learned to do everything anybody else can do, refusing to let it stop him. So when he was attacked this week by two teenagers who used his own prosthetic leg to hit him, he didn't consider it a hate crime...

Legislation has been introduced into the U.S. Senate proposing to name Cape Girardeau's new federal courthouse after the late Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. "It is only fitting that the new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau be named after this great hero of American jurisprudence," U.S. Sen. Kit Bond said in a joint news release with U.S. Sen. Jim Talent. The two senators introduced the legislation Thursday...

Some youngsters go to the fair and stand on their tiptoes so they can get past the "You must be this tall" signs in front of some of the scariest rides. I was never one of those youngsters. The bright, colorful photograph on the front page of Thursday's newspaper reminded me of that...

A 2001 Cape Girardeau rape was purportedly solved when DNA evidence matched that of a Missouri prison inmate, officials said. Ontario R. Reed, 23, formerly of the Malden, Mo., area, was charged Thursday with felony forcible sodomy and forcible rape. Bond was set at $500,000 cash only...

When a special teams unit is playing well, the results of its effort on a football field are often easy to overlook. Making extra points, covering punts and kickoffs, and successfully executing a punt from the snap to the kick can easily be taken for granted...

Jim Furyk and Justin Rose took advantage of perfect scoring conditions Thursday in the first round of the Canadian Open in Ancaster, Ontario. Furyk and Rose shot the lowest rounds ever in professional play on the 90-year-old Hamilton Golf and Country Club course, 7-under 63s that left them a stroke ahead of Brandt Jobe, Nathan Green and Frank Lickliter II on the rain-softened layout...

NEW YORK -- James Blake made Roger Federer work a whole lot harder than he's used to, and it still wasn't nearly enough. The top-seeded Federer dropped a set against No. 5 Blake and faced all kinds of trouble before pulling out a 7-6 (7), 6-0, 6-7 (9), 6-4 victory Thursday night at the U.S. Open to reach a record-tying 10th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal...

ST. LOUIS -- The sports arena that is home to the St. Louis Blues is getting a new name -- the Scottrade Center. The arena had been known as the Savvis Center since suburban St. Louis-based Savvis Inc. paid $72 million for a 20-year naming rights deal in 2000...

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers needed two big plays from unlikely sources to pull out a season-opening victory behind their backup quarterback. Maybe Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban should be flagged for a costly delay, too. Tight end Heath Miller chugged his way down the Steelers' sideline on an 87-yard touchdown pass play midway through the fourth quarter, fill-in QB Charlie Batch's third scoring pass of the game, and the Super Bowl champions beat the Dolphins 28-17 Thursday night in the NFL's first game of the season.. ...

DETROIT -- Joe Dumars is going into the Basketball Hall of Fame just as he played -- under the radar. Making all the noise, drawing all the attention tonight will be two other inductees -- Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins. Barkley, no doubt, will have the most entertaining speech. Wilkins will monopolize the highlight tapes...

PHOENIX -- Scott Spiezio homered twice to back Jeff Weaver and give the St. Louis Cardinals a 6-2 victory over Arizona on Thursday night, the Diamondbacks' eighth loss in nine games. Juan Encarnacion added an RBI single and Chris Duncan also drove in a run for the Cardinals, who opened a 6 1/2-game lead over Cincinnati in the NL Central...

WASHINGTON -- The former No. 2 State Department official said Thursday he inadvertently disclosed the identity of CIA employee Valerie Plame in conversations with two reporters in 2003. Confirming that he was the source of a leak that triggered a federal investigation, former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage said he never intended to reveal Plame's identity. He apologized for his conversations with syndicated columnist Robert Novak and Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward...

It's evident U.S. Army Pfc. Jeremy Shank's family was proud of their son and brother by a sign that hangs from the front window of their Jackson home. "I love my son Pfc. Shank," the yellow ribbon sign reads. Jeremy Shank was the son of Jim and Debbie Shank of Jackson. On Thursday, a family friend said that Jim Shank was not ready to speak to the media...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. --Enrollment at Three Rivers Community College for the fall semester has topped the 3,000 mark, up more than 50 students from a year ago. The community college, based in Poplar Bluff, enrolled 3,043 students, according to preliminary enrollment figures. Fall classes started Aug. 17...

For the most part, visitors to the 151st SEMO District Fair can expect the same kind of fair experience they've had for the last few years. However, some changes have been made to the fair's activities this year -- changes that fair board president Pete Poe hopes will help families make the fair an enjoyable experience while saving some cash...

Once again, this area has shown its generosity by pledging $500,070 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association during the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon on Labor Day. The funds support the MDA, which promotes research seeking cures for 40 neuromuscular diseases and provides assistance to individuals who have those diseases...

The Notre Dame softball team found itself in a rare low-scoring game Thursday, but thanks to errorless defense and a three-hit shutout from Miranda Schlosser, the Bulldogs remained undefeated with a 2-0 victory against visiting Central. The Bulldogs (10-0) were limited to fewer than seven runs for the first time this season...

To the editor: Sunday's editorial about our half-cent sales-tax increase, just passed in August, and the road-bridge property tax cause me to have a flashback. The people were lied to about the River Campus sales tax. It was only supposed to go into effect if the tax and the bond issue both passed. ...

To the editor: Most news catches the eye whether on television or in the paper. Often, we have Iraq for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If Iraq was even heard of in early years, it sure slipped by me. A lighter and certainly more interesting side of news today is the progress that continues to grow concerning the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus that is to be ready by 2007. ...

To the editor: I have recently had the pleasure to experience again what makes Cape Girardeau a great community in which to live. The PTO members at Clippard Elementary School decided to hold a back-to-school picnic and box-top carnival. The box tops we collect earn money for our school, eliminating the need to send our children door to door selling fund-raising items. The picnic was held to give our school families an opportunity to spend time getting to know each other...

Spending priorities; You make me laugh; Values tossed aside; Tired of profiteers; Excellent schools; Thanks for paving; Flying high; Student sales; Successful sale; No double dipping; Paying for service

V. Imogene "Imer" Miller, 86, of Fargo, N.D., died Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006, at Elim Rehabilitation and Care Center in Fargo. She was born March 1, 1920, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of David Lee and Louva Alice Nanney. She and Daniel George William Miller were married March 1, 1943, in Miami Beach, Fla., where Daniel was stationed in the Army Air Corps...

Conna K. Abernathy, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born April 4, 1935, in Gipsy, Mo., daughter of Milton and Mayme Rea Kerr. She and Delbert Abernathy were married June 23, 1957, in Gipsy...

LeeRoy Albert Hess, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at his home. He was born Jan. 3, 1946, at Chaffee, Mo., son of Frank Louis and Martha Mary Peters Hess. He and Barbara Lucille Hagan were married Sept. 23, 1967, in Cape Girardeau...

Ann Chissom Shelton, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 16, 1931, in Daviess County, Ky., daughter of Hobart and Helen Yeiser Chissom. She and John Shelton were married June 16, 1954, in Owensboro, Ky...

Dr. Troy W. Edwards, 90, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Carbondale, Ill., died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006. Friends may call at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale from noon until time of service Monday. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Frank Pierce officiating. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery in Carbondale...

BENTON, Mo. -- Herbert H. Seiler, 80, of Benton died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 25, 1926, at Oran, Mo., son of Herman and Mary Snider Seiler. He and Louise Vetter were married June 13, 1949, at Benton...

Charlene Elode Davis, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, at her home. She was born Feb. 14, 1923, at Ellsinore, Mo., daughter of Lee and Dena Schaefer Rains. She and Roy Calvin Joiner were married June 9, 1939. He preceded her in death. She and Brent Davis were married Jan. 1, 1948. He died April 8, 1988...

Joseph Jamison Russell, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lynwood Baptist Church...

25 years ago: Sept. 8, 1981 More than $100,000 in federal grant money is being made available to the city of Cape Girardeau for improvements at the municipal airport; the funds must be formally applied for by city officials, something city manager Gary A. Eide says will be done later this week...

Don Seabaugh can't believe what has happened to Camp Cape. He recently stood in what was once known as the downtown Camp Cape district and pointed out what's left of the old Cape Girardeau Stockyard building -- it was moved brick by brick from Commerce, Mo., to its location on South Kingshighway. The stockyards were a popular spot to attend horse and mule auctions...

Charges were filed Thursday against a man accused of burglarizing a Cape Girardeau auto store. Frederick R. Rowe, 22, of Sikeston, Mo., was charged with felony burglary, stealing, tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest. He is accused of breaking into Newell's Automotive and Muffler, 144 S. Sprigg St., shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday and stealing four Ventus Sport tires and four Velocity 20-inch rims, police spokesman Jason Selzer said...

A prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer has died. Joe Russell, 83, was pronounced dead early Thursday morning at Southeast Missouri Hospital, from complications of surgery, according to family members. Russell was well known around the city as a partner with the firm of Limbaugh, Russell, Payne and Howard, where he worked since 1949 as one of the firm's original partners. He worked full time up until his death...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission faces an agenda over the next two weeks with several major issues to decide. The work begins Monday, when commissioners will meet with Weldon Macke, the former county auditor, to discuss the impact of Proposition 1 on road and bridge property taxes...

By Robert A. Hrabik My family and I attended the Aug., 17 Christians Against Human Cloning rally at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. The reason we attended was to hear firsthand what was being said by the opposition to Missouri's Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, Amendment 2. ...

LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair, his reputation in Britain badly damaged by his refusal to break ranks with President Bush, gave in Thursday to a fierce revolt in his Labour Party and reluctantly promised to quit within a year. Blair, whose popularity began sinking when he committed his nation to the U.S.-led war in Iraq three years ago, had long resisted calls to publicly set a timeframe for his departure from office. ...

CAIRO, Egypt -- An Arab television station broadcast previously unseen footage Thursday of a smiling Osama bin Laden meeting with the top planners of the Sept. 11 attacks in an Afghan mountain camp and calling on followers to pray for the hijackers as they carry out the suicide mission...

Baroque Ensemble starts season Thursday The Southeast Missouri State University Baroque Ensemble will kick off its season at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with a concert at Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau. The program is open to the public and will include music by composers such as Bach and Telemann, and lesser-known Baroque composers. ...

Last year Bo Bice was just coming off a run on "American Idol" that ended in a second-place finish. Bice helped break the reputation of "Idol" as a pop-only show with his emphasis on rock 'n' roll, especially southern rock. Despite the fact that he didn't win, Bice has still been able to make a name for himself with his debut album "The Real Thing," which went to number four on the Billboard charts in its first week of release in 2005...

This weekend Port Cape Girardeau will trade the screaming guitars and howling vocals of its usual rock 'n' roll show for something a little more elegant. Instead of testosterone-laden guitar licks, Port Cape will be filled with the sound of female voices. One of the area's only all-female vocal ensembles, Voce Festiva, will provide a night of music, and Port Cape will provide the food...

ST. LOUIS -- Steven Jackson has been asking for the ball for a while now, and it appears the St. Louis Rams are going to grant his wish. Entering his third season, playing for a new coach and completely out of Marshall Faulk's shadow, Jackson views this season as an opportunity and not some sort of make-or-break proposition. He's not concerned about heightened expectations heading into the season opener...

Waggener takes post at Indianapolis Stephen Waggener, who had served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Southeast Missouri State baseball team last spring, has accepted a full-time position as an assistant coach at the University of Indianapolis...

Jackson at Parkway North New Madrid County Central at Central Scott City at Portageville Liberty Mountain View at Chaffee St. Vincent at Park Hills Central De Soto at Perryville -- Jeremy Joffray...

After weeks of speculation, it's finally official -- Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will appear at the Show Me Center on Oct. 21. The concert had been rumored for weeks after Southeast Missouri State University announced the show in its Homecoming brochure that was mailed to alumni last month. The concert also appeared on tour date lists posted on several Internet sites...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Flanked by a decaying bridge and a yellow school bus, state officials on Thursday announced plans to repair or replace 800 of Missouri's worst bridges by 2012. The project, labeled the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Plan, will allow a single contractor to both design and build the bridge upgrades as well as maintain the bridges for at least 25 years, at an estimated cost of $400 million to $600 million...

Tours Thursday evening focused on the inside of Southeast Missouri State University's new River Campus. But beyond the plywood walkways and the concrete dust, invited guests couldn't help but notice the spectacular view of the Mississippi River and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge...

Two stars (out of four) Nicolas Cage plays a motorcycle cop who pulls over a mother and daughter to return a doll that fell from atop their packed car. A semi-truck hits the car after the little girl throws the doll back into the street. Mysteriously, no evidence of the mother or girl is found at the scene...

ST. LOUIS -- A highly unsatisfactory preseason could not end fast enough for new St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan. Too many games that presented injury risks, too many older players that needed to be conserved for the games that count and too many players to evaluate led to too little in the way of tangible results for a team hoping to rebound from a 6-10 record in the chaotic conclusion to the Mike Martz era...

Minivans aren't the hot-selling family vehicles that they were in the 1980s. But Hyundai officials still chose to add a first minivan to showrooms this year. The seven-passenger, 2007 Hyundai Entourage is nicely done, with pleasant styling inside and out, six standard air bags and top government safety rating, plentiful amenities, an easy-to-live-with interior and a strong, 250-horspeower V-6 engine...

Incumbent Republican state Rep. Nathan Cooper scored big in fund-raising last month, bringing in more than 30 times the amount collected by Democratic challenger Matt Hill. Cooper, who is seeking his second term representing Cape Girardeau in the Missouri House, collected $26,175, from July 28 to Sept. 2, according to a report filed this week with the Missouri Ethics Commission...

Dear Tom and Ray: I am planning to buy a 2006 Subaru Forester this year and don't want to deal with the trade-in hassle and rip-off, so I'm thinking about selling my five-speed Subaru 1997 Impreza Outback Sport privately. But I've never done it before. ...

Summer is coming to an end and we now see a slowdown in the number and quality of family films. There are still a couple of interesting films later this month. Not the fanfare of Hollywood's hot summer days, but still some decent choices for quality family entertainment. As always, the Dad-and-Lad-o-meter is included to tell you our level of excitement (rated out of 5)...

Naming the new Cape Girardeau federal courthouse after the late Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. is an idea that's been brewing for a few years, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said Friday. Some with an interest in the building have suggested that, like the new Mississippi River bridge, the building should honor Emerson's late husband, U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County's updated war memorial on the Courthouse lawn in Benton should be ready in time for its dedication in about two months, but preparations could come down to the wire. The county government and a committee of private citizens working on the project plan to dedicate the updated memorial on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m. In order for that to happen, though, the work of raising money to pay for the project and the actual work on the memorial must be done quickly...

Calling it "a major landmark in the history of the institution," Southeast Missouri Hospital broke ground Friday on the first phase of its new multimillion-dollar West Campus expansion. In a ceremonial groundbreaking Friday morning, hospital administrators said they hope the new building -- and plans for at least one more -- will help them stay ahead of the curve in meeting increasingly needed medical services...

Gasoline prices have dropped about 60 cents in the last month, which makes fueling up cheaper than it was a year ago. Motorists at gas pumps in Southeast Missouri are seeing some of the lowest prices in the country. Fuel at most local stations was less than $2.30 a gallon, with some charging below $2.15 on Friday afternoon...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- For the fourth time in two weeks, NASA nixed the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis, this time for a faulty fuel tank sensor -- the same glitch that has thwarted two other missions. A fifth liftoff attempt will be made at 10:15 a.m. CDT Saturday to get the spacecraft headed on a mission to resume construction of the international space station...

NEW YORK -- ABC defended a miniseries on the events leading up to the Sept. 11 attacks after Clinton administration officials said it distorts history so drastically that it should be corrected or shelved. "No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible," the network said in a statement Thursday...

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- A U.S. Air Force officer who disappeared earlier this week in Kyrgyzstan was found alive late Friday, reportedly telling people who helped her that she had been kidnapped, Kyrgyz and U.S. officials said. Maj. Jill Metzger, 33, was located by Kyrgyz law enforcement agents who informed authorities at the U.S. air base at the airport in Bishkek, the Central Asian nation's capital, base spokeswoman Capt. Anna Carpenter said...

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israel lifted its sea blockade of Lebanon on Friday, ending the country's two months of isolation as the task of preventing the entry of Hezbollah weapons falls to international warships patrolling offshore. In a further boost to peace efforts, Israel also said it plans to pull the last of its troops out of Lebanon within two weeks...

MADRID, Spain -- Jamal Ahmidan had been in and out of trouble for years in Spain and his native Morocco. He served time as a hashish and Ecstasy dealer and gained a reputation for settling scores with a gun. The 33-year-old rode a motorcycle and reportedly drank alcohol. He was a Muslim who didn't attend a militant mosque or sport the long beard favored by the strictly observant...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Supporters of a ballot measure to raise tobacco taxes in Missouri tried to persuade a judge Friday to allow the proposal to appear on the November ballot. Cole County Circuit Judge Tom Brown heard testimony and arguments, then set another hearing for Monday, when he's expected to rule...

EMINENCE, Mo. -- Horses, not people, are fouling a southeast Missouri river popular among canoeists and campers. The Jacks Fork River draws thousands of visitors each year. But a seven-mile stretch below Eminence, about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis, suffers from poor water quality...

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt's plan to use student loan profits for a college building boom was put on hold Friday after a warning from Attorney General Jay Nixon's office that anyone voting for the plan could be sued. The board of the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority had been expected to vote Friday on the plan to use $350 million of its money to finance construction projects at state colleges and universities...

Annika Sorenstam shot a 7-under 64 to take the first-round lead Friday in the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic in Broken Arrow, Okla., an event she's dominated in recent years. Regularly sinking putts of 15 feet or more, Sorenstam had eight birdies and tied the course record for the 6,602-yard Cedar Ridge Country Club, set in the tournament's opening round last year by Maria Hjorth...

PHOENIX -- Livan Hernandez allowed two hits in seven innings, Conor Jackson tied a career high with four RBIs and rookie Carlos Quentin had a career-high four hits as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 Friday night. Hernandez (11-12), who gave up one run, won for only the second time in six starts since joining the Diamondbacks Aug. 7...

WASHINGTON -- The government said Friday it was fining the American Red Cross a record $4.2 million for violating blood-safety laws. The violations include failing to reject donors who had traveled to malarial areas and allowing blood and related products to be distributed without proper testing, said Margaret Glavin, the Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau has good public schools. So last week's news that Jefferson and Blanchard elementary schools did not make adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind Act came as a blow. Both schools improved their scores over the previous year, but students at Jefferson did not progress enough in communication arts and math, and black students at Blanchard failed to match the goal set by the federal act...

NEW YORK -- It took coming to America for 13-year-old Samyuktha Shivraj to understand what it really meant to her to be Hindu. Since she and her family arrived five years ago, they've been more observant about practicing their faith than they were in India, Shivraj says. They regularly go to their temple in Queens, she's a member of the youth club there, and there are more conversations about what the prayers she's reciting really are saying...

The entire Bible in one hour? With music? Apparently, it can be done. And it will be done this weekend in Cape Girardeau. "If you've ever wondered or had questions about the Bible, or never read Bible all the way through, it's one of cooolest ways you'll be able to get the big picture," said Angel Hillman, worship arts manager at La Croix United Methodist Church...

Community partnership building to be dedicated Sunday; Churches in Daisy, Bollinger Co. hold homecoming services; Hobbs Chapel UMC schedules fall bazaar for Sept. 16; Blessing of animals to be celebrated at First Presbyterian; Sovereign Grace offers telephone access to worship services; Today; Sunday

The Saxony Lutheran boys soccer team posted a victory in the program's first varsity game Friday, beating Webb City 3-2 in penalty kicks during the opening round of the Thomas Jefferson tournament in Joplin, Mo. Saxony Lutheran and Webb City were tied 2-2 after regulation and overtime. The Crusaders then converted all five of their penalty kicks while Webb City made four...

CREVE COEUR, Mo. -- Disappointment. That's the word Jackson football coach Carl Gross repeated over and over after the Indians' 29-25 loss to Parkway North on Friday night. "We're real disappointed, the coaches are disappointed, the kids are disappointed," Gross said...

The University of Missouri-Rolla might not rank among the nation's premier Division II football teams. But the Miners do possess one of the nation's more explosive offenses, one that figures to test Southeast Missouri State's defense tonight. Southeast will try to slow down the pass-happy Miners and move to 2-0 for the first time since 2002 when the squads square off in the Redhawks' home opener. The kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium...

To the editor: As parents attend open house at their child's school, they will hear the consequences of their child's inappropriate actions. Almost always, these will include the limiting or elimination of valuable recess time. We've all heard how important recess is to children and how schools have taken to partially or totally eliminating this part of the day. There are multiple studies that support a child's need for outdoor play. Some findings include:...

To the editor: After reading a couple of comments in Speak Out over the last few days, I'm concerned about area churches with dress codes. I would like to add that we believe at Victory Outreach Christian Center that there is no dress code. If somebody is poor or doesn't have the proper clothing, it doesn't matter. ...

Thanks, meth users; Sneak a little extra; Attack prevention; School visit; Littering with signs; Signs stay too long; School advertising; School solicitation; Handy post office; Possible cancellation; Lend a hand; Doesn't make sense; Designer, not painter; It's a disease; It's not a disease; School pride; Learning to be thin

Joseph Jamison Russell, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Aug. 3, 1923, at Charleston, Mo., son of William Clark and Audrey Cecil Jamison Russell. He and Hertha Clithero were married June 25, 1950, at Columbia, Mo...

Dorothy Louise Alma Kiehne Randol, 85, of Cape Girardeau passed away at the Lutheran Home Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006. Mrs. Randol was born Feb. 2, 1921, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Walter Albert and Kora Marie Christine Hager Kiehne. She married Narvol Arthur Randol Oct. 22, 1939, in Cape Girardeau...

Michael C. "Mickey" Thompson, 65, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 13, 1940, in Murphysboro, Ill., son of Lilburn and Minnie Braswell Thompson. Mickey had worked as a mechanic at McDonald Concrete in Cape Girardeau since 1971, and previously worked for Luhr Brothers. ...

Dr. Troy W. Edwards, 90, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Carbondale, Ill., passed away Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale. The Rev. Frank Pierce will officiate. Interment will be in Oakland Cemetery in Carbondale...

Linda Lou Foster, 58, of Whitewater died Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at her home. She was born July 5, 1948 in Whitewater, the daughter of Truman Gay and Wanda Josephine Noble Nance. Linda and Jerome Foster were married on Nov. 25, 1983. Linda was a member of the Whitewater United Methodist Church and councilwoman of the Whitewater Town Board...

Frances Leota Limbaugh, 89, of Jackson, died Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Pfaff; Byland; Rico

25 years ago: Sept. 9, 1981 The "new tenant" in the old Cape Girardeau fire department headquarters symbolically moves in as city manager Gary A. Eide turns over the keys to the building to Larry Haertling, president of the Cape River Heritage Museum; formerly known as the Southeast Missouri Museum, the museum has been without a home since the summer of 1980, when it closed its doors at 127 N. Water St...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A cleaning woman for the Perry County Republic-Monitor was charged Friday with stealing more than $200 from the newspaper. The Perryville-based weekly paper reported a total of $236 was stolen from a cash box during a three-week period in August, according to a probable-cause affidavit...

Three teenagers were arrested Thursday on suspicion of stealing from unlocked cars in Cape Girardeau Thursday morning. Jesse C. Essner, 19, of 520 Koch Ave., and Corie L. Buckner, 18, of 3858 Whitener Ave., received city summonses and a 16-year-old boy was cited into juvenile court for stealing, police spokesman Jason Selzer said. ...

The following information was released by the office of federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway for defendants who appeared in federal court Thursday before U.S. District Judge Charles A. Shaw: Name: Jorge Lopez-Vargas Age: 40 Residence: Pemiscot County...

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's religious police, normally tasked with chiding women to cover themselves and ensuring men attend mosque prayers, are turning to a new target: cats and dogs. The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a sign of Western influence...

ST. LOUIS -- Carla Carr knew she felt tired a lot, but never suspected sleep apnea. The Fort Gibson, Okla., woman said she never had a diagnosis, although she'd often be awakened by her husband when he'd catch her not breathing during sleep. Carr, 43, was identified as being at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) just before undergoing nine-hour surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in February...

WASHINGTON -- Saddam Hussein regarded al-Qaida as a threat rather than a possible ally, a Senate report says, contradicting assertions President Bush has used to build support for the war in Iraq. Released Friday, the report discloses for the first time an October 2005 CIA assessment that before the war, Saddam's government "did not have a relationship, harbor or turn a blind eye toward" al-Qaida operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi or his associates...

NEW YORK -- Terrific at the start and finish, Maria Sharapova shrieked her way past No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo to end a Grand Slam semifinal jinx. The third-seeded Sharapova beat Mauresmo 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 on Friday to set up a U.S. Open final against No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne, who took the last 10 games against a collapsing Jelena Jankovic for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory...

From winless to perfect. It's just two weeks into the season, but Perryville, which was 0-10 last year, recorded its second straight victory Friday night to remain the lone unbeaten team of the six in the Southeast Missourian coverage area. The Pirates defeated De Soto 24-6, as Kris Cottner rushed for 171 yards and two touchdowns...

MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Florence, chugging through the open Atlantic, was expected to strengthen and veer toward Bermuda and away from the East Coast, forecasters said Friday. Florence was expected to hit the Bermuda area Sunday or Monday, and it could strengthen into a hurricane by then. Early Friday, it was still relatively weak with maximum sustained wind near 50 mph...

I believe you are your work. Don't trade the "stuff" of your life (time) for nothing more than dollars. That's a rotten bargain. Measuring our lives merely (or even mainly) in terms of dollars earned is incredibly superficial. Yet how tempting it is to use money as a prime measuring stick. In the musical "Cabaret," the song "Money Makes the World Go 'Round" has these lyrics:...

The Central football team showed signs of life offensively in the second half Friday against New Madrid County Central, but an inability to stop the run doomed the Tigers in a 32-30 loss at Houck Stadium. Marquese Gates rushed for 240 yards on 28 carries, and Deanton Brown picked up a pair of 13-yard runs on third-down plays late in the fourth quarter to help ice the win...

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team snapped its four-match losing streak Friday by notching a pair of victories at the Memphis Invitational. Southeast (3-6) beat Arkansas-Little Rock in five games, then knocked off host Memphis 30-16, 33-31, 30-19...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In his first career start at Missouri, Chase Daniel threw a school-record five touchdown passes and was named Big 12 offensive player of the week. Such production will be a lot more meaningful if he can keep it up against a school that's not in Division I-AA...

Nine-year-old Seth Perdue wobbled off of the towering carnival ride aptly called the Avalanche and tried to put on a brave face for his dad. "Not so bad," he said at first. But prod him a little bit and the Benton, Mo., boy tells a different story...

Tina Wright knows the difficulties Franklin Elementary School parents face. As parent liaison, she offers a sympathetic ear and suggestions on issues as varied as getting a reluctant student to school and family financial struggles. She refers financially troubled families to various agencies or organizations for help in paying rent and medical bills. She gets calls from parents about homework...

Union Pacific's new plan to improve its efficiency in Southeast Missouri will likely help some Scott County residents, the county's presiding commissioner said. On Sept. 1, the railroad announced it would abandon its proposal to acquire a Burlington-Northern Santa Fe rail line between Rockview and Sikeston, instead double-tracking seven miles of its line between Rockview and Dexter...

For many people, the fact that Piggy Tales products' popularity has skyrocketed in recent months isn't nearly as astounding as the fact that a woman managed to rope her husband into a scrapbooking business. But it's true, says Ryann Juden, a Cape Girardeau native who, along with wife Debbie, started the Piggy Tales scrapbooking company in 2005...

Invite a 10-year-old boy on a walk to see fall foliage, and he won't even glance up from his video game. But ask him to navigate a corn maze or tour a haunted house, and you've got yourself a companion for a fun outing. Here are five ways to get children out of the house this fall...

Five years after terrorists turned Sept. 11 into a date of infamy, marked by death and destruction from hijacked planes, Americans still struggle with a security fallout. It manifests itself in everything from increased airport security to presidential politics...

By Mike Smythe Monday marks the fifth anniversary of one of the worst tragedies in our country's history. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives. It was an attack on everything we stand for in America. We're still living with the effects today and will live with them forever...

NEW YORK -- Maria Sharapova insists she's more about substance than style, and now she has a second Grand Slam title to prove it. Her strokes as piercing as her shrieks by the end, the third-seeded Sharapova beat No. 2 Justine Henin-Hardenne 6-4, 6-4 Saturday night to win the U.S. Open final...

By SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE Standing on the lip of a steep cliff on the Uncompahgre Plateau in western Colorado, Ken Logan rotates a telemetry antenna to pinpoint the radio signal of a female cougar designated F-7. Far below, aspens shimmer and ponderosa pines jut above the rest of the canopy...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Aquila Inc. and Cass County were back in court Friday in their fight over a power plant the Kansas City-based utility built without zoning approval. Aquila's South Harper plant, located near Peculiar, Mo., went into operation in June 2005. It has ramped up, down and up again as various courts have heard arguments that it was built in violation of local zoning ordinances and funded in violation of the state constitution...

Cristie Kerr shot a career-best 10-under 61 on Saturday in the second round of the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic, the top single-round score on the LPGA Tour this year. Kerr's course-record, bogey-free 61 at Cedar Ridge Country Club in suburban Tulsa, Okla., helped her take the lead over Annika Sorenstam, who is the only LPGA player to break 60 in a round...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Tony Stewart once said he should be fired if he failed to make NASCAR's Chase for the championship. If his car owners take him up on the offer, the two-time and defending Nextel Cup champion could be looking for work. In a performance not befitting of a champion, Stewart eliminated himself from title contention with a miserable showing Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. ...

PHOENIX -- Brandon Webb pitched a one-hitter for his third shutout of the season, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night. Webb (15-6) did not allow a runner past second base and got 16 groundball outs for his second win since Aug. 17. It was also his fourth complete game of the season...

DENVER -- Festivals, a cowboy gathering, a cemetery tour and more will take place around Colorado this October. If you're planning a visit to Mesa Verde National Park to take part in the park's centennial celebration, consider visiting Oct. 6-7, when the region also holds its annual Mesa Verde Country Wine and Art Festival; www.mesaverdecountry.com or 800-530-2998...

DUBLIN, N.H. -- Planning a trip to enjoy autumn in New England? Check out Yankee Magazine's Web site, www.yankeefoliage.com. Here you'll find an interactive map that tracks the spread of peak color across New England and watch the leaves change hue on a Web cam that shows a maple tree outside Yankee's offices in Durham, N.H...

RICHMOND, Va. -- The music of the Gulf Coast region will be showcased at the 68th National Folk Festival, a free three-day event taking place in Richmond, Oct. 13-15. Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders will bring Creole jazz and blues from New Orleans. The Lost Bayou Ramblers from Lafayette in southwestern Louisiana will perform Cajun music, and Willie King & The Liberators will bring blues from eastern Mississippi and western Alabama...

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. -- At the bottom of the 174 wooden steps from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center to the lookout on the New River Gorge, Jim Dill removes his woven straw hat, as if he has entered a holy place. "This is breathtaking," he says softly, as wife Rita begins snapping photos. A few minutes later, he adds: "I can't look enough! I've got a sore neck, twisting my head one direction and then the other."...

LONDON -- Betty Kam, a 30-year-old teacher from Hong Kong, carefully planned her July vacation in Scotland. She plotted a detailed itinerary and reserved accommodations for each leg of her journey. The only unusual thing about her trip: She decided to stay in hostels, long the preserve of young and spontaneous backpackers...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush pressed Congress on Saturday to approve his plan for prosecuting suspected terrorists, a proposal lawmakers could debate as early as next week. "As soon as Congress acts to authorize these military commissions, we will prosecute these men and send a clear message to those who kill Americans: No matter how long it takes, we will find you and bring you to justice," Bush said in his weekly radio address. ...

Children from the Cape Girardeau Boys and Girls Club took a morning walk to the Red House Interpretive Center Saturday and read stories for visitors as part of the Historical Family Reading activity. The event was sponsored by Cape Girardeau Public Library and the Red House...

By JOEL RHODES As the images of the disintegrating twin towers were seared into the nation's collective conscious on Sept. 11, my own mind turned to history -- to another day of infamy in 1941 -- to make sense of the carnage. Pearl Harbor and Sept. ...

By TAHSIN KHALID Although my family did not experience any explicit discrimination after Sept. 11, we have noticed in the media the rhetoric has been getting more and more against Islam and Muslims. Sometimes we feel like people look at us as aliens, if not as terrorists...

By CAROLYN KEMPF In the first hours after Sept. 11, the phones sat silent. I had no idea in the next 48 hours a panic would grip America's heart. It seemed the lights on the phones lit up all at once. Thousands of calls began pouring in, with people demanding answers and refunds nonstop for about 45 days straight...

By DAVIS DUNIVAN I moved to New York City from Cape Girardeau three weeks ago to finish school. On my daily commute home from Queens to the Bronx, I cross over the 59th Street Bridge and get a great view of the Manhattan skyline. I wonder what it would have been like to see those two giant towers poking out on the end of the island, looming over everything else...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

In 1981, student tuition at Missouri's state colleges and universities paid for 15 percent of the operating costs of those institutions. Most of the cost was funded by state appropriations. This year, tuition paid for 37 percent of the schools' operating costs, and appropriations dropped to 32 percent. It was the first time that students paid more for their education than taxpayers...

ST. ANN, Mo. -- One swing of the bat from Incarnate Word Academy third baseman Heather Arras spoiled any thoughts of an undefeated season for the Notre Dame softball team. Arras hit a home run to center field to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Red Knights a 2-1 victory in the championship game of the Incarnate Word Slugfest Tournament on Saturday evening at ABC Park...

Saturday scores Pool play/Area teams Jackson defeated Southland, 25-22, 25-5. Notre Dame defeated Holcomb, 25-10, 25-6. Bernie defeated Woodland, 25-20, 25-8. Oak Ridge defeated South Iron, 25-17, 25-17. St. Vincent defeated New Madrid County, 25-7, 25-14...

Bell City coach Erin Hoffman entered the B.A. Sports Volleyball Classic without much expectations for her struggling team. So Hoffman was more than a little surprised when the Cubs found themselves the last of the 40 teams standing Saturday at the Show Me Center, outlasting Bismarck 18-25, 25-22, 25-16 in the championship match for their first title in the 19th annual tournament...

Southeast Missouri State used an impressive one-two rushing attack to eventually overpower upset-minded Missouri-Rolla on Saturday. Tailbacks Tim Holloman and John Radney each gained more than 100 yards, as the Redhawks piled up 303 yards on the ground in winning 44-23...

To the editor: If you are concerned about the ramifications of the potential transfer of students among Cape Girardeau elementary schools, remember the source of this havoc. It is the No Child Left Behind legislation, of which President Bush is so proud. ...

To the editor: This Labor Day weekend, thanks to the generosity of the people of the tristate area, the broadcast here of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon raised $500,070 in contributions and pledges. On behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the families in our community affected by muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases, I want to say thank you...

To the editor: I go to church every Sunday, most Sunday nights and as often as I can on Wednesday nights. Sometimes I wear sandals. Sometimes I wear shorts. Sometimes I wear jeans. And I also wear dress slacks at times with a collared shirt. I was baptized wearing swimming trunks...

To the editor: The article "Owner of strip club calls it quits in Cape Girardeau" recounted how the club's owner, David Capps, fought to keep his strip club "a business of a type not likely to be welcomed by the religion-motivated of Cape Girardeau" open. The article featured gleeful comments by Cape's mayor and his predecessor about the club's recent self-exile...

Keeping streets neat; Voters misinformed; Part of decisions; Devil's religion; Much safer now; Sign made me smile; Saving our children; What went wrong?; Erratic lights; Stooping too low; Thanks for celebration; Good start?; Right decision; Dangerous crossings

Cecil R. Shelby, 88, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 27, 1918, in Dogwood, son of James and Effie Wilburn Shelby. He and Violet Nelson were married July 12, 1941, in New Madrid, Mo. She preceded him in death on Feb. 25, 2001...

Frances Leota Limbaugh, 89, of Jackson died Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 25, 1917, in Doniphan, Mo. daughter of Charles and Frances Hufstedler Booker. She and Alfred H. Limbaugh were married Sept. 30, 1939, in Doniphan. He passed away Nov. 21, 1998...

Adelia C. Meier, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Dec. 30, 1916, at Burfordville, daughter of William and Bertha Feuerhahn Sander. She and Walter Meier were married June 20, 1936 at Tilsit. He died July 7, 1971...

Euna Blanche Smith, 74, of O'Fallon, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel.

Wallace Robert Knight, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Dec. 22, 1922, at Parma, Mo., son of Thomas Calvin and Mary Louisa Richardson Knight. He and Frances Iona Brorein were married Jan. 22, 1945, at Fort Campbell, Ky...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Ellis B. Kuntze, 80, of Altenburg died Friday, Sept. 8, 2006, at his home. He was born Nov. 14, 1925, in Altenburg, son of Herman Benjamin and Mathilda Anna Engert Kuntze. He and Olga Erna Lohmann were married April 11, 1948, in Farrar, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lillian Ellen Cleary, 83, of Perryville died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Oct. 23, 1922, in Perry County, daughter of Herman C. and Berniece Zahner Kiefer. She and Herman Schumer Sr. were married. He died in April 1961. She and John Cleary were married July 21, 1962, and he survives...

ANNA, Ill. -- Anne E. DeHaven, 82, of Anna formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, at her home. She was born Aug. 29, 1924, in Cairo, daughter of George D. and Catherine Carter Mattingly. She and Sam R. DeHaven were married. She was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cairo...

Summer Nicole Albrecht and Andrew Paul Montgomery were married June 30, 2006, at First Baptist Church in Chaffee, Mo. Cliff Day performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jack and Bobbi Howard of Scott City. The groom is the son of Steve and Anita Montgomery of Chaffee...

Sarah Jeanne Slaten and Berin Lee Waller were married Dec. 17, 2005, at St. Francis Xavier College Church in St. Louis. The Rev. Kim Costello performed the ceremony. Pianist was Sue Martin, violinist was Julie Leonhardt, and vocalist was Kris Wilson. Readers were Franci Erdmann and Meredith Stout of Kansas City...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Elowyn Albers Wehrenberg and Wesley Grant Proffer exchanged vows July 15, 2006, at Lakeshore Lodge at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. A violin duet provided music. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Margaret Wehrenberg of St. Charles, Mo., and the Rev. Fritz Wehrenberg of Ames, Iowa. The groom is the son of Gary and Betty Proffer of Chaffee...

Francine's Gardens in Cape Girardeau was the setting June 10, 2006, for the wedding of Alissa Marie Blechle and Thomas William Quaite Jr. Dan Usher performed the ceremony. Music was by Funky Donkey Cheese. Soloists were Bethany Poole-Godwin, Bob Adcox, Ryan Harper and Brad Berry. A duet by Ron and Christa Hitt was accompanied by Angie Hanlin...

Bridgette Rae Bollinger and Brandon Scott Beninati were united in marriage June 10, 2006, at Deerfield Lodge. Dave Swindell of Evansville, Ind., brother-in-law of the bride, performed the ceremony. Steve Schaffner of Cape Girardeau was violinist. The bride is the daughter of Raymond and Joan Bollinger of Bell City, Mo. The groom is the son of Scott and Kathy Beninati of Jacksonville, Fla., and Mike and Gay Halter of Cape Girardeau...

Billy "Bo" and Carol Bragg of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Gabriel Dawn Bragg, to Ryan Jeffrey Dewrock. He is the son of Gary and Vicki Dewrock of Cape Girardeau. Bragg is a 2001 graduate of Central High School. She is a 2004 graduate of Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences, with certification in surgical technology, and is pursuing a degree in nursing at Southeast Hospital. She is a surgical technologist at Doctors Park Surgery...

Franklin and Annette Roth of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Roth, to Travis Lee DeGroot. He is the son of Gary and Carolyn DeGroot of Gordonville. Roth is a 1999 graduate of Scott City High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004. She is a graphic designer with Motorcycle Stuff...

Becky and Joey Elder of Silva, Mo., and Daniel Wood of Clubb, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Chassey Lynn Wood, to Jeremy Tyson Cook, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Robin Cook of Jackson and Duane and Tamara Cook of Marble Hill, Mo...