Stories from Sunday, November 12, 2006

The goal is to keep the deer population under control. By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian ANNA, Ill. -- The Union County Farm Bureau hopes hunters will pass the bucks this year. The bureau is sponsoring its second annual "Doe Contest." Every hunter who shoots and registers a tagged doe at the Union County Fairgrounds in Anna during the first season -- Friday to Nov. 19 -- will be entered into a drawing for a Honda ATV. A separate contest for hunters 16 and under offers a $200 prize...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian Thirty-five years ago, Ella Jean Pleasant made a mistake. She climbed into her car in Alexander County, Ill., and drove drunk. While on Highway 146, she collided head on with another vehicle and injured the driver. She was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated...

The dedication ceremony in Benton, Mo., was one of many held throughout the area for Veterans Day. By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian BENTON, Mo. -- Scott City Vietnam veteran Joe Bles has wondered when this Saturday would come. He lived for years in Scott County, where an unused, weathered war memorial sat in honor of the county's World War I dead on the courthouse lawn. ...

Every patch on the quilt tells a story. There's the story of a courageous woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. Or the story of the 87-year-old woman who was diagnosed with cancer seven years ago, and is still alive today. Several squares are memorials, made for loved ones who've lost the fight to breast cancer...

Saddam's execution THE DECISION to execute Saddam Hussein was not made by the United States. It was made solely by the government of Iraq. They have public executions in the Middle East. They chop your head off for stealing or having an affair. Let Saddam get what he deserves. He is responsible for thousands of deaths...

Ten years ago next month, when the Dow was at 6437.10 and the Nasdaq was at 1300.12 -- on Wednesday they were 12,176.54 and 2384.94, respectively -- Alan Greenspan warned against "irrational exuberance." But Tuesday's election results were fresh evidence that two events that profoundly shaped American politics during the past two presidencies were episodes of irrational exuberance unrelated to economic behavior...

To the editor: Did I read correctly last week's report of a Missouri Baptist Convention speaker's proclamation that Islam is evil? If so, this makes me both angry and sad that such misguided beliefs are spoken in the name of Christianity. Obviously, every religion has its followers who cause more harm than good, as demonstrated by words as well as actions...

To the editor: I am certainly not a Donald Rumsfeld fan. For all the reasons many others have given, I felt he was not the right personality for the job he held. However, to make him the sacrificial lamb on the altar of bad decisions isn't fair to the man. ...

To the editor: So what's going to be the true consequence of rewarding and acquiescing to a deceitful Democratic agenda in concert with deceptive media who betray and malign traditional, core Christian values of America? I think this pretty well sums it up:...

To the editor: Words cannot express my gratitude to all of the people who have helped my children and me since the death of my husband, Jeff. I want to especially thank the men and women who are helping us build our garage in Gordonville. I cannot list everyone who has helped, from the framing to providing the food, without leaving someone out. ...

To the editor: Last winter President Bush spoke of our dependence on foreign oil (60-plus percent is imported), emphasizing the role of unstable or unfriendly countries as suppliers. While true, there is much he left unsaid. The price of crude rose from $10 a barrel in 1999 to $78 last summer, mostly due to increased demand and inadequate supply. ...

By DEB RIECHMANN The Associated Press ARLINGTON, Va. -- President Bush marked Veterans Day by praising U.S. troops who have fought oppression around the world, yet spoke only briefly about Iraq, where U.S. commanders are re-evaluating strategy. Bush hailed members of the armed services -- past, present and future -- for their dedication and bravery...

Hit-and-run driver kills mother, children...

Brazilian police arrest hijacker, free hostages...

Cape Girardeau...

Charles Avon McKee Sr., 81, of Colorado Springs, Colo., formerly of Arab, Mo., passed away Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006, at 9:30 p.m. with his wife and children at his side. He had a short, intense struggle with cancer. He was born Aug. 21, 1925, to Roscoe Millard and Clara Glasener McKee...

Lela Popp, 89, formerly of Jackson, passed away Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 11, 1916, in Pocahontas, Mo., daughter of Paul T. and Beulah B. Childs Kranawetter. Lela was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas and was a 1934 graduate of Jackson High School...

William Walker, 85, of Jackson died Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

25 years ago: Nov. 12, 1981 While many Cape Girardeau residents have been swamped with autumn leaves in recent weeks, the city's public works department has been swamped with telephone calls from residents asking when the city will collect leaves; this is the peak time for leaves to fall and, with only two leaf vacuum vehicles, the department is having difficulty keeping up with demand...

James Rathert, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Nov. 13, 1945. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Christine L. Simmons, 76, of Cairo, Ill., died Friday, Nov. 10, 2006, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. She was born June 25, 1930, in Little Rock, Ark., daughter of Robert and Edith Harris. She and Virgle B. Simmons were married Aug. 4, 1945, in Corinth, Miss. He died July 27, 1978...

By JAKE WAGMAN St. Louis Post-Dispatch ST. LOUIS -- From building permits to census revisions, city officials have pointed to all sorts of evidence that downtown St. Louis is finally coming back. But maybe the real proof was nipping at their heels. Downtown, long hounded by empty buildings and vanishing industry, has gone to the dogs...

The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A massive, antique chandelier that had been lowered in the Capitol Rotunda for maintenance was damaged when it fell the remaining few feet to the floor, state officials said Saturday. No one was hurt in the mishap that occurred about 8 p.m. ...

Editor's note: The Associated Press has combed through the results of 2 1/4 years of investigations and uncovered some startling findings about the death of Pat Tillman, a football player who walked away from an NFL contract to serve in the U.S. Army Rangers. This is the last of three parts...

By SAMEER N. YACOUB The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Sunni gunmen ambushed a convoy of minibuses Saturday night at a fake checkpoint on the dangerous highway south of Baghdad, killing 10 Shiite passengers and kidnapping about 50. Across the country at least 52 other people were killed in violence or were found dead, five of them decapitated Iraqi soldiers...

The Associated Press PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- The first large Coast Guard cutter to be built in 35 years was christened Saturday, more than a year after Hurricane Katrina damaged it in the shipyard during construction. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff marked Veterans Day by helping christen the 418-foot, 4,300-ton Bertholf, which the Coast Guard calls a "national security cutter." It is about a third larger than the class of ships it replaces...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Even without star quarterback Antonio Heffner, Tennessee State proved way too tough for Southeast Missouri State. As a result, the Redhawks no longer have a chance to post a winning season -- which had been their stated goal -- in their first year under coach Tony Samuel...

By CHRIS PAGANO Southeast Missourian More than 160 people, mostly families, turned out Saturday for Native American Arts Family Fun Day at Southeast Missouri Regional Museum on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. November is National American Indian Heritage Month...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Working with a Democratic majority for the first time will diminish U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's overall influence in Congress but could also help pass some of her most-cherished legislative initiatives. Emerson expects to hold her seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and retain two of her three subcommittee assignments. ...

Southeast Missourian BENTON, Mo. -- A Morley, Mo., couple was in custody at the Scott County Jail Saturday following their arrest Friday night on assault, weapons and drug charges. Charles V. Roberts, 35, is charged with second-degree domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon and manufacturing a controlled substance. His wife, Teresa G. Roberts, 38, is charged with manufacturing a controlled substance...

By LAURIE KELLMAN The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- So much for the spirit of cooperation. Legislation aimed at President Bush's once-secret program for wiretapping U.S.-foreign phone calls and computer traffic of suspected terrorists without warrants appears stalled, notwithstanding Bush's request last week that a lame-duck Congress give it to him...

By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- By order of the voters, the Republican revolution in Congress is over. A dozen years ago, Newt Gingrich and his fellow revolutionaries swept to power, the "Contract with America" their conservative calling card...

By JIM KUHNHENN The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- It's the question Democrats would rather not ask in their moment of revelry: Are their new majorities in the House and Senate sustainable? What if the war in Iraq is over by 2008? Or what if it is still being waged despite Democratic pledges to change the course? What if voter antipathy toward President Bush is irrelevant in two years? After all, he will be on his way out...

By TRACI CARL The Associated Press MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Daniel Ortega returns to Nicaragua's presidency a shadow of the fiery revolutionary who in Cold War times vowed an endless fight against a U.S. government determined to overthrow him. Balding, weakened by heart trouble and often appearing almost docile, he now preaches reconciliation and stability, and promises to maintain close ties with the United States and the veterans of the Contra army it trained and armed against him...

By ALBERT AJI The Associated Press DAMASCUS, Syria -- A senior Hamas official said that a deal on forming a Palestinian national unity government was near, adding that an agreement on a new prime minister has been reached. "There is some progress on this issue and in the next days, God willing, the remaining outstanding issues will be resolved," Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy leader of Hamas' political bureau in Syria, said in a telephone interview late Friday...

By JUSTIN BERGMAN The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS -- The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Saturday that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Saturday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Assault Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous...

By MELANTHIA MITCHELL The Associated Press SEATTLE -- Growing up, Charlie Parsons played sports, liked to travel and enjoyed learning other languages -- just like his older twin brothers. When they went off to West Point, Parsons soon followed. Now, four months after Capt. Bill Parsons and Capt. Huber Parsons III deployed to Iraq, younger brother Charlie Parsons is again following their lead...

Older Missourians will recall the history of Missouri's highways dating back to the out-of-the-mud campaign led by a man named Harry Truman long before he ever dreamed he might one day occupy the White House. Not-so-old Missourians will recall the fiscally tight years as the 21st century opened when the Show Me State's highways were barely being maintained...

From Manolos to minks and oh, so much bling, these are a few of their favorite things. Pricey meals and Godiva chocolates are prerequisites; weekend jaunts to the tropics standard fare. And if you're lucky, they might even let you pay their rent. Critics call them gold diggers. But the women who prowl online dating Web sites like wealthymen.com and sugardaddie.com know what they want -- and they're not afraid to flaunt it...

The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS -- For $5, residents of one of the city's hardest hit neighborhoods received three tennis balls Saturday -- and a chance to vent 15 months of frustration at the slow pace of rebuilding since Hurricane Katrina. The object of their annoyance sat perched atop a dunk tank -- Bob Josephson, director of intergovernmental affairs in Louisiana for the reviled and much-lampooned Federal Emergency Management Agency...

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team lost its regular-season finale at Jacksonville State on Saturday, but the Redhawks became the first OVC team this season to take a set from the Gamecocks. Jacksonville State posted a 30-21, 22-30, 30-26, 30-23 victory to wrap up OVC play at 16-0 and finish 22-4 overall. Emily Withers had 61 assists for the Gamecocks in the match, which allowed Jacksonville State to have the seventh perfect run through the OVC...

TULSA, Okla. -- Jillian Robbins recorded 29 points and 14 rebounds for her 47th career double-double to lead the Tulsa women's basketball team to a 67-54 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday in the season-opening game for both teams. A Reynolds Center crowd of 1,258, including Connecticut Sun assistant coach Scott Hawk of the WNBA, watched Robbins take the game over late in the first half...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kalen Grimes had career highs of 18 points and 11 rebounds, helping Missouri recover after blowing a 20-point lead to beat Army 67-58 on Saturday in the John Thompson Foundation Classic. Stefhon Hannah hit his first six shots, four of them 3-pointers, and had 18 points. The Tigers (2-0), built to run under new coach Mike Anderson, won their second straight game in the season-opening tournament despite difficulties dealing with Army's structured game...

Central freshman Sam Gramling reached a pair of consolation finals in the high school boys swimming state championships in St. Peters, Mo. Gramling's best finish was an 11th in the 500-yard freestyle. He finished with a time of 4 minutes, 51.39 seconds in the finals, which was more than a second faster than the time he posted Friday in the preliminaries...

The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Researchers at Children's Mercy Hospital have analyzed a decade's worth of data and found what appears to be a trend of earlier pollen seasons, which they believe is triggered by rising temperatures. The group has discovered that during the past 10 years the oak pollen season in Kansas City has begun, on average, a half day earlier each year. ...

Cape Girardeau doctor David Westrich has his own private hunting ground, right in the middle of the industrial area between Cape Girardeau and Scott City. Tucked between the SEMO Port Authority and Interstate 55 are hundreds of acres of wetlands. Long, low pools of water cover much of the ground between man-made levees that retain the liquid, making great habitat for ducks and deer. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Harold N. Dittlinger of Benton celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with mass and a dinner Oct. 21, 2006, at St. Denis Catholic Church. Dittlinger and Barbara Thompson were married Oct. 20, 1956, at St. Denis Church by the Rev. Seyer...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Jeff and Edith Slagley of Bell City announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Jean Slagley, to William Tyler Clover. He is the son of Matthew and Stephanie Clover and Kimberly Gentry, all of Anna, Ill. Slagley is a senior at Bell City High School...

Jeff and Ellen Gibson of Joplin, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Lynn Gibson, to Keith Robertson Jr. He is the son of Keith and Cynthia Robertson of Joplin, formerly of Cape Girardeau. Gibson received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Missouri Southern State University. She is a fourth grade teacher at Duenweg School in the Joplin School District...

Stacey Michelle Brooks and Andrew Lee Buttry were married July 22, 2006, at First General Baptist Church in Jackson. The Rev. Luther Rhodes performed the ceremony. The groom played the piano and guitar and sang. Recorded music was provided by Steve and Scott Brooks of Jackson, father and brother of the bride, respectively. Shanna Gronewold of Ramsey, Minn., cousin of the bride, and Derek King of Jackson read scriptures...

ANNA, Ill. -- Shelly Clover and Jeff Hill were married June 17, 2006, at Von Jakob Vineyard in Alto Pass, Ill. Jerry Ellis, uncle of the bride, performed the ceremony. A reading was given by Tina Jarrett of Murphysboro, Ill. Vocalist was Brenda Allen of Dayton, Ohio, cousin of the bride. Music was by Chautauqua String Ensemble...

Casi Jo Childers and Jonathan Michael Butler exchanged vows Oct. 12, 2006. Judge Gary Kamp performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Terry and Bobbie Childers of Egypt Mills. The groom is the son of Kathy James of Oak Ridge, and the late Michael Butler...

Wanda Ray of Pocahontas, Ark., formerly of Cape Girardeau, announces the engagement of her daughter, Norma Hogan Saunders, to Dale Len Prim, both of Poplar Bluff, Mo. He is the son of Jim and Kay Hale of Poplar Bluff, and the late Harold Prim. Saunders is also the daughter of the late Harold Hogan...