Stories from November 2006

Cape school board rejects bid The Cape Girardeau school board won't sell Schultz School to a Kansas construction company because the price was too low, school officials said today. The board, meeting in closed session on Tuesday, rejected the $350,000 bid from Garrison Construction of Prairie Village, Kan. It was the only bid received for the school property at 101 S. Pacific St...

Southeast Missourian An Oran, Mo., woman will represent the state in the upcoming Miss USA pageant. Amber Seyer, 20, won the title of Miss Missouri USA in Springfield, Mo., on Sunday. The Miss USA Pageant will be in March or April. Organizers won't release the date until later this month...

The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars to pay for snappy, well-produced commercials and to dispatch goodwill envoys like Karen Hughes to far-flung parts of the globe. All with the same messages: "Our government is not on a crusade against Islam."...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones is making one more lap around the political circuit as he seeks a fourth term as presiding commissioner. Opposing Jones is Teamsters Local 600 business agent Victor Farrow, who hasn't raised any money, put out many yard signs or appeared at many campaign functions...

Southeast Missourian The Missouri Department of Transportation's signal crew will be making improvements to several traffic signals during the next few weeks in Cape Girardeau. The crew will work at the new Route K/Siemers Drive traffic signal today and Thursday, weather permitting. Lanes will be reduced from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m...

For eight years, the 161st District of the Missouri House of Representatives has been under Republican control. But the situation used to be much different. Before Charleston resident Lanie Black won election to the seat in 1998, the 161st District was a faithful Democratic seat for decades. His first election was the exception, not the rule...

Voters in the 160th District of the Missouri House of Representatives will face a tough choice Nov. 7. The two political newcomers competing for the seat, Republican Ellen Brandom and Democrat Larry Tetley, place strong emphasis on conservative social values...

A fund-raiser in need of empty bowls got quite a few last Friday made by Southeast Missouri State students. "We knew they were making some, but we didn't think it would be quite that many," said co-organizer and local potter Pam Duncan of the more than 100 bowls made by students in Benji Heu's ceramics classes...

By MIKE SCHNEIDER The Associated Press CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will send a space shuttle to repair the 16-year-old Hubble Space Telescope, agency administrator Michael Griffin announced Tuesday, reversing his predecessor's decision to nix the mission...

The Associated Press SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine -- The lawyer who divulged President Bush's drunken-driving arrest days before the 2000 election was arrested Tuesday after he was spotted on a highway overpass wearing an Osama bin Laden Halloween costume and holding a toy gun...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- More illnesses aboard a riverboat have forced cancellation of a third trip before it began. About two dozen passengers on the Mississippi Queen became ill late last week on a seven-day cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul, Minn. The outbreak was similar to illnesses on the same boat that caused the company to disembark nearly 500 passengers in Cape Girardeau on Oct. 23...

Researchers fear its evolution may have been steered by vaccination programs. By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The bird flu virus is changing, but it still doesn't appear to spread easily from person to person. As a result, there doesn't appear to be an increasing risk for people "other than the fact it seems to be pretty widespread," says Dr. Michael L. Perdue, of the World Health Organization's Global Influenza Program in Zurich, Switzerland...

Marie Butler, 85, of Jackson passed away Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. She was born May 1, 1921, in Morley, Mo., daughter of Luther and Ida Bryant Gipson. She and Tony L. Butler were married Oct. 23, 1937, in Benton, Mo. He passed away Aug. 18, 1992...

James Shannon Learue, 33, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 24, 1973, in Sikeston, Mo., son of James M. and Cora Learue. He and Rachal Poole were married Feb. 4, 2006...

Jerome Abernathy, 81, of Oriole died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at his home. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert L. Berkbigler Sr., 74, of Perryville died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born July 23, 1932, in Perryville, son of Daniel and Mable Miget Berkbigler. He married Wanda Niemeyer. Berkbigler was a mechanic, and member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. He was a past member of American Legion and AmVets...

Pearl C. Thompson, 81, of Jackson died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 10, 1925, in Neely's Landing, son of Denver and Early Craft Thompson. He and Dora Dowling were married Oct. 25, 1947...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Shelby William Farrow, 29, of Perryville died Monday, Oct. 30, 2006. He was born June 2, 1977, in Cape Girardeau, son of Gene and Frances Driskell Farrow. He and Kari Brewer were married Aug. 28, 2002. Farrow was baptized in the Gospel Assembly Church. He worked at Farrow Hardwoods and Veneer Inc. with his father and brother...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Evelyn Marie Brandy, 72, of Sikeston died Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at the home of a daughter in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 14, 1934, in Charleston, Mo., daughter of William and Bertha Decker Nicholson. She and Tommie Lee Brandy Jr. were married in 1952. He died Nov. 27, 1995...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Donna Mae Bienlien, 72, of Perryville died Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Georgian Gardens in Potosi, Mo. She was born May 4, 1934, in Prairie du Rocher, Ill., daughter of Ralph and Laura Queffene Donjon. She and Howard John Bienlien were married Sept. 30, 1950. He died Feb. 12, 1991...

Halter...

The Saxony Lutheran boys soccer team finished up its inaugural season Tuesday night with a loss in the semifinals of the district tournament. Host St. Pius, seeded second, beat the third-seeded Crusaders 5-3 in the semifinals of the Class 1 District event at Festus, Mo...

Chalk up another perennial Ohio Valley Conference heavyweight that has fallen at the hands of resurgent Tennessee-Martin. Earlier this season, it was Jacksonville State, which captured OVC championships in 2003 and 2004 before finishing third last year, that went down to the Skyhawks...

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith admits he has questions about his retooled Redhawks -- just like most people seem to have. Smith hopes to begin getting some answers Friday when the Redhawks have their only exhibition game, a 5 p.m. tipoff against NAIA Lambuth (Tenn.) at the Show Me Center...

25 years ago: Nov. 1, 1981 Rose Theatre was officially rededicated Friday as the Forrest H. Rose Theatre as part of the Southeast Missouri State University Homecoming celebration; the theater is named for the first head of the university speech department and former dean of the college, who died in 1969...

Cape man pleads guilty, receives probation An accused peeping Tom was placed on probation Tuesday and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. Brian T. Isaac, 33, of 2300 Jane Drive, entered a guilty plea to attempted invasion of privacy. He was accused of peeking through a hole in the wall between Tans-R-Us, 91 S. ...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian The husband of a Cape Girardeau city councilwoman admitted to police that cocaine found in his truck was his and that he had a decades-long drug problem, an officer testified Tuesday. Brian Tracy, 53, of 689 Highland Drive, appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Scott Thomsen on charges felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor driving while intoxicated and driving while suspended. His wife is councilwoman Debra Tracy...

The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Many natural gas customers of Atmos Energy Corp. will see their bills drop starting today, the Missouri Public Service Commission said. The drop reflects changes in wholesale costs of natural gas and adjustments in the company's tool for handling under- or overcharges for gas costs...

By SAMEER N. YACOUB and JAMAL HALABY The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A witness testified at Saddam Hussein's genocide trial Tuesday that he survived a massacre by feigning death when Iraqi soldiers shot at Kurdish detainees. The witness, who testified from behind a curtain to conceal his identity, said he was one of dozens of prisoners who were taken in buses to an execution site in western Iraq in April 1988 during the crackdown by Saddam's regime on the Kurdish population...

World Series Champions! Who would have ever thought a month or so ago the St. Louis Cardinals would pull off such a magnificent thing? We were out of town and we were able to watch the big game with cousins and family in Indiana. Everyone was rooting for the Cards and it was so much fun to be with a big group of family cheering them on to victory...

The non-violent overthrow of Czechoslovakia's communist government in 1999 was called the Velvet Revolution; growing up in St. Louis, the preferred ice cream of my youth was called Velvet Freeze; and the late crooner Mel Torme was called the Velvet Fog (or to those who weren't fans, the Velvet Frog.)...

No consequences...

By ANDREW ZIMBALIST When team owners fail, the media lets everyone know about it. When they succeed, they often go unnoticed or, at least, underappreciated. The owners of the St. Louis Cardinals seem to fall into the latter group. Let's start with the obvious:...

The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority board has wisely asked for more facts before authorizing service and fare changes for its bus and taxi services that started in July. Transit authority executive director Jeff Brune wants to discontinue the practice of charging half-price to anyone who calls to reserve a taxi ride 24 hours in advance...

To the editor: After all was said, the SEMO Veterans Corps Vietnam-era members humbly say to Cape Girardeau-area citizens: Thank you for remembering us. We deeply appreciate it. THOMAS M. MEYER, Cape Girardeau

To the editor: It has come to my attention another reason why we shouldn't name our landmarks after local people. My family was so embarrassed while watching the evening national news when our Rush Limbaugh III acted up and made fun of Michael J. Fox, who has been fighting Parkinson's disease, by throwing his arms around and moving his body back and forth. Shame on Rush...

To the editor: Part of my life experience includes having lived around terrorists in Sri Lanka for two years with the CIA ultimately using me as an informant. As terrorism is no mystery to me, I'd like to share some of what I've learned. Confronting terrorism with violent force is like throwing gasoline on fire. ...

By LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press CHICAGO -- In a small study with big implications, researchers found some of the strongest evidence yet that sudden infant death syndrome -- a medical and sometimes legal mystery once known as crib death -- may be caused by brain-stem abnormalities...

Cape Girardeau...

SAN DIEGO -- Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman dropped his appeal on Tuesday and will begin serving a four-game suspension for testing positive for steroids this week. Merriman, who's tied for the NFL lead with 8 1/2 sacks, will miss games at home against Cleveland, at Cincinnati, at Denver and against the Oakland Raiders...

NEW YORK -- The final three games of the World Series failed to crack the top 10 in prime-time ratings. The St. Louis Cardinals' Series-winning Game 5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on FOX was the most-watched of the three games last week, finishing 12th with 16.28 million viewers in prime time, Nielsen Media Research said Tuesday. Game 4 was 13th at 16.11 million, and Game 3 was 16th at 15.58 million...

The games won't count on the record, but Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar is still anxious about seeing his team go up against outside competition for the first time. Edgar will get that chance Thursday and Friday as the Redhawks have both their exhibition games on consecutive nights...

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team could not have scripted a better start to its opening Ohio Valley Conference tournament game. As a result, the Redhawks did not need to sweat out a first-round victory. Southeast scored three goals in the first 25 minutes of play and cruised past Austin Peay 3-0 Tuesday night at Houck Stadium...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- As far as Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is concerned, the reason Tony Temple is no longer the starting running back is simple. "You're not allowed to fumble," Pinkel said. "What can I say~ I don't want to be cold. You're not allowed to fumble."...

Craig Thomas' massive mural reads like an open book, its carefully drawn page edges featuring swirls of color to represent marbling common in old books. "It is a 'wow,'" said Cape Girardeau Central High School librarian Julia Jorgensen as Thomas worked atop a scaffold, adding broad strokes to another hardback book depicted on the wall mural taking shape above the main entrance to the school library...

By CHARLES HUTZLER The Associated Press BEIJING -- The U.S. and Chinese governments announced Tuesday that North Korea agreed to rejoin six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, a surprise diplomatic breakthrough that comes only three weeks after the communist regime conducted its first known atomic test...

Hello again. I hope you made it through Halloween unscathed. I didn't. For some reason I decided it was a good idea to dress up like Hunter S. Thompson for Halloween, you know, since I'm a journalist and all. What I didn't realize is that dressing like Thompson means you have to act like him...

Spent Christmas in Cape lately? If you have, then you've no doubt heard of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Last year TSO played to a near sellout crowd of just over 5,000 at the Show Me Center. The year before that 4,300 people watched them rock out Christmas, baby...

For some, Thanksgiving is a time to gorge on massive quantities of food and fall asleep in front of the TV. This used to be the case for me. Now, I have much more to worry about. I have been vegetarian for some time now, but this is my first Thanksgiving as such...

Meet Doom in the A.M., the best band you've never heard of. Moreover, this punk quintet is easily one of the best groups, punk or otherwise, around -- and they don't really care to get caught up in any kind of hoopla. "We're only going to be a band because we want to be a band and do bandly things," says drummer Jon Thrower. "And we're not going to do anything just to make anybody happy, except us."...

Who could've guessed that 30 years after the English band the Sex Pistols released its shocking first single, "Anarchy in the U.K." in November 1976, it would be celebrated in any way by anyone. And what rational person could've seen punk -- begun with snotty attitudes, on- and off-stage violence, aggressive instrumentation, overt sexuality and political confrontation -- go from extreme underground to, in some cases, poppy.  ...

It's a crying shame that demolition derby couldn't have caught on the way NASCAR has. Somewhere along the line stock car racing became the new national pastime. I don't see how.  The level or, at least, frequency of destruction in demolition derby is unparalleled. ...

NOVEMBER 6 Emil C. Weis Lecture: The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Communication will present its annual Emil C. Weis lecture. This year's speaker is Cassandra McKeown, a political science professor at the University of South Dakota and former public defender. Lecture begins at 6 p.m. at Glenn Auditorium in Dempster Hall...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, arrived at the Republican Party headquarters at 500 Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday for an unpublicized drop-in to motivate volunteers making phone calls for local candidates...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Missouri Baptists are upset with Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, for supporting gay and lesbian issues but not angry enough to boycott the company. On Wednesday, delegates from 2,100 Baptist churches in Missouri attending the annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention approved a resolution calling on Wal-Mart to "reconsider their policy which offends so many customers."...

Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Probable cause was found against an Illinois man accused of arranging to have sex with a 15-year-old girl as part of a Bollinger County online sex sting. William J. Heyduck is charged with attempted statutory sodomy...

Southeast Missourian Local authors will discuss the history of Cape Girardeau at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. In conjunction with the city's bicentennial celebrations, the Historical Association is presenting its final "Remembering Cape Girardeau" program in a series of four...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Missouri's two major party candidates for U.S. Senate made Cape Girardeau their battleground Wednesday with Republican incumbent Jim Talent reaching out to shore up his conservative base and Democratic opponent Claire McCaskill hoping to energize area supporters...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian There's a big target on the 161st District Missouri House race and Republicans have made an enormous commitment to winning the contest by spending almost $150,000 to promote the GOP candidate. That spending is more than Republican Gary Branum and Democratic nominee Steve Hodges have raised in their combined efforts. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Lanie Black, R-Charleston, who is being forced out by term limits...

By MARK BLISS Southeast Missourian The Cape Girardeau school board won't sell the old Schultz School to the highest and only bidder, a Kansas City-area construction company that wanted to buy the building and property for $350,000. The board rejected the bid following a closed-door meeting Tuesday...

Southeast Missourian Congress needs to provide more funding to the Veterans Administration to improve medical services for veterans returning from the Iraq war, Democratic congressional candidate Veronica Hambacker said Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Hambacker and ex-Marine Cloy Richards of Salem, Mo., said veterans who were injured in the war are returning home to find that they can't get timely medical care at VA hospitals...

A little mental exercise never hurt anyone. With Notre Dame Regional High School's fall production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap," the audience can flex their mental muscle in a dramatic game of "Clue" while enjoying a stark, well-written and entertaining murder/mystery at the same time...

Cape Girardeau and Sikeston both want the highway, which they expect would be an economic boon. By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian The Federal Highway Administration has approved funding for two separate four-year $500,000 studies to take a look at which Interstate 66 route makes the most sense -- either across Illinois to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in Cape Girardeau or through Kentucky to Sikeston, Mo...

By ERRIN HAINES The Associated Press LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- An Ethiopian immigrant was convicted Wednesday of the genital mutilation of his 2-year-old daughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in what was believed to be the first such criminal case in the United States...

By TOBY MUSE The Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia -- Hundreds of leftist rebels bombarded a remote police station with makeshift mortars in a pre-dawn attack Wednesday and ambushed a column of police reinforcements, killing at least 16 officers, authorities said...

By PAUL GARWOOD The Associated Press ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's military defended its deadly missile strike on an Islamic school, saying Wednesday it was necessary to prevent terrorist trainees from escaping. Critics said the government used disproportionate force in the attack, which killed 80 people...

The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state's student loan authority wants the attorney general's office disqualified from a lawsuit filed alleging the authority violated the state's open meetings law. Attorney General Jay Nixon sued the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority in February, alleging its board violated Missouri's open meetings law as it sought to develop a response to Gov. ...

He heaped praise on U.S. troops and accused Republicans of twisting his words. By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Thrust into the midst of the midterm election campaign, Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday to "any service member, family member or American who was offended" by remarks deemed by Republicans and Democrats alike to be insulting to U.S. forces in Iraq...

By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Six candidates are vying for three seats in Bollinger County races for circuit clerk, recorder of deeds and treasurer. And the candidates themselves are touting a need for change or the value of experience, depending on whether they're the incumbent or the challenger...

Southeast Missourian A 50-year-old man who fled from a Jackson auto accident and later reported his vehicle stolen was arrested this week. Gary T. Turner, of Benton, Mo., was charged with felony leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, misdemeanor driving while revoked and misdemeanor filing a false police report. The accident occurred Oct. 22 at the intersection of Highway 25 and Jackson Boulevard, according to a Jackson Police Department news release...

Homemade Christmas celebrated at Scott City ...

Southeast Missourian The Chateau Girardeau Garden Club recently held an appreciation tea in the Courtyard Garden recently. The community at Chateau Girardeau and the larger community have donated many of the garden club needs, enabling the group to grow...

Delegates overwhelmingly supported a resolution against Amendment 2. By LINDA REDEFFER Southeast Missourian In the final day of its annual meeting, the Missouri Baptist Convention voiced overwhelming opposition to Missouri's proposed stem-cell amendment in a show-of-hands vote Wednesday...

William R. "Bill" Siemers, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Oct. 7, 1922, in Gordonville, son of the late Alvin and Eula O'Neil Siemers. He and Irene Masters were married April 6, 1947, at Hanover Lutheran Church. She passed away June 19, 2002...

William H. "Jerome" Abernathy, 81, of Oriole passed away Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at his home. He was born May 29, 1925, in Oriole, son of Omer and Louise Kanard Abernathy. He and Letha Ruby Edmonds were married July 19, 1947, in Cape Girardeau. Jerome was employed 30 years by the former Bangert Auto Body in Jackson, retiring in 1974. After retirement he drove a school bus 13 years for Nell Holcomb School...

Russell Junior Smith, 79, left for his heavenly home at 12:40 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, from his residence in Charleston, Mo. Mr. Smith was born July 6, 1927, in Colbert County, Ala., to Samuel Ervin Smith and Neva Virginia Rutherford Smith. After serving as a corporal in the Army, he moved to Charleston with his parents in December 1950. There he met and married Ava Nell Sims in May 1953...

Bertha Anna Alyea, 79, of Columbia, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at her home. Service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Campus Lutheran Church in Columbia. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church from 1:30 p.m. until time of service...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Goldia G. Heck, 84, of Perryville died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at Perry Oaks Manor. She was born Feb. 22, 1922, in Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., daughter of George and Lillian Tucker Griffard. She and Arnia E. Heck were married July 18, 1938. He died July 26, 1992...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dora Matilda Nations, 95, of Panama City, Fla., formerly of Perryville, died Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, in Panama City. She was born March 12, 1911, at Lixville, Mo., daughter of Fritz F. and Minnie Yamnitz Kaiser. She and Joseph Graden Nations were married Sept. 25, 1937. He died April 4, 2001...

Ervin H. Sieck, 83, of Chicago died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2006, at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill. He was born July 26, 1923, in Canyon, Texas, son of the Rev. J.H.C. and Marie Lentz Sieck. He married Laura Prudence Kneibert, who died Sept. 26, 1989...

Robinson...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- For nearly 50 minutes, Tuesday's Class 2 District 1 boys soccer championship between top-seeded Notre Dame and No. 3 Sikeston took on the feel of last year's title game, a 1-0 Sikeston win in penalty kicks. Notre Dame's players were determined not to let that happen again, and with two goals within a 2-minute span less than 10 minutes into the second half, Notre Dame put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs added a third tally later in the half for a comfortable 3-0 win...

In the last 10 years, St. Vincent and Hayti have combined for nine district football championships. When St. Vincent and Hayti meet 7 p.m. tonight in Perryville, the winner again will walk away with a district title while the other team's season ends...

Basketball n League registration: The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department's 2007 men's basketball league will accept registration through Dec. 8, and a managers meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Osage Community Centre. The league begins Jan. ...

SILEX, Mo. -- A funeral is planned for Friday for a high school sophomore who collapsed and died at basketball practice this week in the eastern Missouri town of Silex. David Jack "D.J." Chastain III, 15, collapsed and stopped breathing Monday night at Silex High School during the first practice of the basketball season...

Nov. 2, 2006 Dear Julie, Our friend Dave built our dogs a stairway to our bed. It consists of six tiny steps that lead to a platform 2 feet into the air, the exact height of the bed. Lucy and Alvie immediately figured out how to use the stairs. Hank, unfortunately, doesn't equate these stairs with the stairs he uses every day to reach the second floor of the house...

The story in Wednesday's paper about the race for the 161st House district said Democrat Steve Hodges opposes raising the minimum wage. It should have read he supports raising the minimum wage.

25 years ago: Nov. 2, 1981 Voters throughout much of Cape Girardeau County will go to the polls in special elections tomorrow; in Cape Girardeau, voters will be deciding the issue of adopting a charter government; a $1.5 million bond issue finance school building additions will be on the ballot in Jackson, and Delta voters will decide the fate of a 70-cent school levy hike...

9 a.m. today County Administration Building 1 Barton Square in Jackson Routine business Action items Discussion items and appointments...

The following information was released by the office of federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway for defendants who appeared in federal court Monday before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Weber: SENTENCED Name: Dewayne Harris Age: 48 Residence: Sikeston, Mo...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Rotaries make donations to Safe Kids program Cape Girardeau Rotary Club and Cape Girardeau West Rotary Club each donated $500 for a total of $1,000 to Southeast Missouri Hospital's Safe Kids program to purchase premature babies' car beds. Premature babies require special car beds to transport them from the hospital or to doctor visits, enabling them to maintain their breathing...

Jackson Altenburg...

At least 10 shot during Halloween street party SAN FRANCISCO -- Gunfire broke out between two groups at a massive Halloween street party in the city's Castro district, wounding at least 10 people, including innocent bystanders, police said Wednesday. ...

By CURT ANDERSON The Associated Press MIAMI -- Alleged al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla claims he was tortured during his 3 1/2 years in U.S. custody as an enemy combatant, including threats of execution and being forced stand for long periods. Padilla's lawyers are asking a federal judge to dismiss the terror support charges against him because he suffered from "outrageous government conduct" during more than 1,300 days in military custody...

The Associated Press DALLAS -- Blockbuster began a new service Wednesday that allows customers renting DVDs online to return them to neighborhood stores and receive a free in-store rental. It's one of several new consumer perks that Blockbuster Chief Executive John Antioco hopes will strengthen ties between the company's online and brick-and-mortar businesses...

The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Drugstore operator CVS Corp. announced Wednesday it is buying pharmacy benefits manager Caremark Rx Inc. for about $21.2 billion in stock, creating a company that will have formidable power in negotiating lower prices with drug companies...

GM, Toyota, Ford post big October sales gains DETROIT -- Lower gas prices boosted truck sales in October, helping two of the domestic Big Three and Toyota Motor Corp. post sales gains compared with a dismal October last year. General Motors Corp. led all automakers with a 17.3 percent increase, fueled by a 33.2 percent rise in truck and sport utility vehicle sales. ...

By NOOR KHAN The Associated Press KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- A suicide car bomber struck a NATO convoy Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, wounding two soldiers and damaging a vehicle, while a NATO air strike killed three suspected insurgents in the east...

By SAM F. GHATTAS The Associated Press BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Hezbollah is threatening street protests to force early elections in Lebanon if its demands are not met for a "national unity" Cabinet that would give the militants and their allies veto power over key decisions...

By JILL LAWLESS The Associated Press LONDON -- Two brothers charged in an alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners were released Wednesday after a British court ruled the evidence against them was insufficient to warrant a trial. Umair Hussain, 25, and Mehran Hussain 23, had been charged with failing to disclose information about an act of terrorism in connection with the plot, which police said they foiled in August...

By STEVENSON JACOBS The Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Bearing rum, flowers and candles, thousands of voodoo followers flocked to Haiti's largest cemetery on Wednesday to rouse sacred spirits and remember lost relatives in raucous Day of the Dead celebrations...

By DAVID BAUDER The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Reality shows are among the best on television for children, a parents' watchdog group says. Of the shows currently popular among young people, "American Idol," "Dancing with the Stars" and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" are the most suitable, said the Parents Television Council...

You've probably heard this one: How many men does it take to screw in a light bulb? Three. One to screw in the bulb and two to listen to him brag about the screwing part. There are a lot more where that came from, all mining the rich humor lode of the male mind. Men aren't from Mars, they are eternally from the locker room it seems...

Briefly Health center receives flu vaccine Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center has received a shipment of flu vaccine and will be offering public flu clinics beginning today. Health department registered nurse LaDeva Enderle said the flu vaccine supply this year appears to be ample...

Southeast Missouri State defensive end Edgar Jones was named this week to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in NCAA Division I-AA football. The Buchanan Battle List, a group of 16 players under consideration for the award, was released by the Sports Network, which specializes in covering Division I-AA football...

Cody King drinks Rockstar several times a week for energy. Emilee Glueck says Monster energy drinks are addictive. Eric Meyer says he needs Red Bull to keep him awake. These Scott City High School students' energy drinks of choice are raising concerns with nutritionists and physicians. The drinks, laden with caffeine and sugar, can hook teens on an unhealthy jolt-and-crash cycle...

Central (4-5) at Sikeston (1-8); Portageville (0-8) at Chaffee (2-7); Hayti (7-2) at St. Vincent (5-4); Jackson (5-4) at Seckman (5-4); St. Pius (1-8) at Scott City (5-4); Perryville (4-5) at Kennett (1-7)

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kalen Grimes thought he understood what new Missouri coach Mike Anderson's all-out style of basketball meant. He, along with the rest of his teammates, quickly discovered they still have plenty to digest. The new era that replaces years of turmoil under Quin Snyder features a full-court, up-tempo game that produced three NCAA tournament bids in Anderson's last four seasons at Alabama-Birmingham. It's more than just running...

By SETH BORENSTEIN The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Obese mice on a high-fat diet got the benefits of being thin -- living healthier, longer lives -- without the pain of dieting when they consumed huge doses of red wine extract, according to a landmark new study...

With nearly five years of the federal No Child Left Behind Act under their belts, educators and politicians are beginning to think about reauthorizing the legislation that aims to make schools accountable and measure performance. The practical effect of NCLB, say many educators, is that any small problem areas tend to be magnified, reflecting on entire schools or entire school districts. ...

To the editor: in response to the story "Teens and the election: Minimum wage most important issue to many local youths": These children want to raise the minimum wage, but look carefully at what would happen. That fast-food $4 meal would probably go to the $6 now charged in Alaska. Everything else would rise accordingly, making it harder on people who are elderly and on fixed incomes...

To the editor: As someone who has family in Southeast Missouri and has spent countless months and summers in Cape Girardeau, I have been a longtime reader of the Southeast Missourian. There has been something particularly disturbing to me recently, and that is the lack of journalistic integrity in the paper...

To the editor:...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- They lined the streets in silence. More than 1,000 of them stood holding American flags as the funeral procession crept by. Time seemed to stop in New Madrid Wednesday as virtually all of its cotton workers, firefighters, veterans, schoolchildren and farmhands took time to honor a hero...

Billy Pat Wright, Republican; Boyce Wooley, Democrat

Nathan Cooper, Republican; Matt Hill, Democrat

Ben Lewis, Republican; John Heisserer, Democratic

Ellen Brandom, Republican; Larry Tetley, Democrat

Rod Jetton, Republican; Michael Winder, Democratic

Gerald Jones, Republican; Victor Farrow, Democrat

Gary Branum, Republican; Steve Hodges, Democrat

Quick lunches are bad I'VE BEEN reading all the recent studies, comments and articles about the "no snacks at school" policies with avid interest. I'm an licensed dietitian with a doctorate in dietetics. My emphasis was youth nutrition and eating habits. ...

The Nationals won the 8- and 9-year-old division of the Southeast Missouri Fall Ball Baseball League. Members of the team, from left: Corson Crosnoe, Carter Bess, Winston Welter, Andrew Barwick, Jon Schumer, Anthony Hink; Middle -- Christian Retter, Adam Pope, Trent Propst, Grant Ward, Landry Moore, Hayden Clubb; Back -- coach Ken Retter, coach Marty Pope, coach Jay Crosnoe and coach Cory Crosnoe. Not pictured: Jack Gerecke and J.D. Harding...

Making analogies is not my strong suit. But I've been making them for about two weeks now. Solid. The reason, kind and gentle readers, can be summed up in two words: New computers. Not just new computers, but new computer guts too. In the world of high-class computing, I'm sure there is a proper word, or maybe even a whole batch of them, that refer to what I call "computer guts." But you get a sense, I think, of my loss to express myself in computerese...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Following the apparent accidental death of an infant in Sikeston, local authorities there were warning parents against sleeping with their young children. Benjamin Holstein, 1 month, was pronounced dead at 1:28 a.m. Wednesday at Missouri Delta Medical Center, according to a news release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

ST. LOUIS -- The swath of land from north of St. Louis down to Marked Tree, Ark., is roughly the size of Texas, much of it rural and all of it vulnerable to earthquakes. Speakers Thursday at the New Madrid Earthquake Conference in St. Louis had a tough message for most of the 11 million people who call this area home: You're on your own...

A program allowing Cape Girardeau County property owners to make their tax payments as installments instead of a lump sum grew substantially during the year, County Collector Diane Diebold said Thursday. About 180 residents have taken advantage of the program, which Diebold said helps people, especially those on a fixed income, manage their money...

By GARY GENTILE The Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Tom Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner have been put in charge of United Artists, a film studio that was formed nearly 90 years ago by Hollywood actors including Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford...

The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- When it comes to killing off Missouri's wild hogs, conservation officials hope hunters will see the job not as a sport, but as a mission. Voracious, wily and known to carry disease, feral hogs can be killed without a permit at any time of the year in Missouri. In fact, the Department of Conservation encourages hunters to pick them off during firearms seasons for deer and turkeys...

By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- President Bush, campaigner in chief for a party in peril, set out on a rescue mission for embattled candidates in the unlikeliest of places Thursday as Republicans struggled to minimize their losses in next week's elections...

The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission delayed for a third time its vote on whether to let AT&T Inc. acquire BellSouth Corp., because it can't decide what conditions should be placed on the deal. The vote was scheduled for today, but the agency sent a notice Thursday night saying the item had been removed from the agenda...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian CAIRO, Ill. -- At various times over the past year, motorists driving through Alexander County could spy a solitary figure walking along the road, sometimes carrying a sign touting his candidacy for county office...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian CAIRO, Ill. -- Regardless of who takes the Alexander County sheriff's seat on Tuesday, the county's residents will be the winners if the candidates' similar plans come to pass. Both Democrat David Barkett and Republican Richard Grapentin are pushing 24-hour sheriff communications as one of their main goals in the upcoming election...

Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A stabbing victim testified in court Wednesday that his alleged attacker stabbed him in the chest multiple times with little or no provocation. Charged with first-degree assault, Ralph R. Carnahan, 18, of Zalma, Mo., appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Scott Thomsen for a preliminary hearing in Marble Hill...

Barbara Freeman, 65, of Jackson died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at her home. She was born Jan. 26, 1941, in Gideon, Mo., daughter of Alvin and Clarine McGee Howell. She and Boyce Freeman were married March 6, 1957, in Bell City, Mo. She was a member of Christian Faith Fellowship...

Betty J. Pierce, 72, of Creve Coeur, Mo., died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Delmar Gardens of Creve Coeur. She was born May 23, 1934, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of the late Chester and Hazel Turner Jones. She and Melvin Pierce were married in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death...

Maxine Marie Graham passed away Sept. 29, 2006, at her residence at Sunrise Assisted Living in Hermosa Beach, Calif., at the age of 93. She was born in Benton, Mo., June 23, 1913. Her parents were George W. Pearman, longtime president of the Bank of Oran, and Goldie Rutledge Pearman...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Mamie Sue Schmidt, 48, of Frohna died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 13, 1958, in Perryville, Mo., daughter of Walter and Willa (Golden) Gerler. Survivors include a daughter, April Woods of Austin, Texas; a son, Jade Schmidt of St. Louis; two brothers, Ralph Gerler of Mexico, Mo., and Ray Gerler of Altenburg, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- James C. Eastwood, 81, of Chaffee died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at his home. There is no public service. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

Ruth Ann Johnson, 44, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Jan. 1, 1962, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Johnny Lee Edward and Lubertha Hilton Johnson Sr. Johnson attended Central High School, and was a member of Christ Church of the Heartland...

ANNA, Ill. -- Carl L. Hubbs, 78, of Anna and formerly of Quincy, Ill., died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at Union County Hospital. He was born Jan. 24, 1928, at Wolf Lake, Ill., son of Robert and Della Veach Hubbs. Hubbs was a member of Grandview Baptist Church...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Betty June McCommons, 80, of Dongola died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Ill. She was born Sept. 25, 1926, at Millcreek, Ill., daughter of Elbert O. and Clair Verneal Jordan Hileman. She and Ira "Jod" McCommons were married Nov. 8, 1941, in Jackson...

Oma L. Bailey, 95, formerly of Perryville, Mo., died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Chateau Girardeau. She was born Jan. 24, 1911, in Calico Rock, Ark., daughter of Rufus B. and Estel Cockran Freeman. She and Joseph Eugene Bailey were married Feb. 12, 1929. He died June 7, 1989...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Hester M. Phillips, 75, of Perryville died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Aug. 30, 1931, at Silver Lake, Mo., daughter of Romanus and Theresa Deming Duvall. She and Melvin J. Phillips were married Sept. 7, 1949. He died Jan. 15, 1984...

District Standings Class 5 District 1 Class 4 District 1 Class 4 District 2 Class 3 District 1 Class 3 District 2 Class 2 District 1 Class 2 District 2 Class 1 District 1 (-- clinched district title and playoff berth)...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- St. Vincent recovered a fumble deep in Hayti territory on the opening play of the game and did not look back in clinching the Class 1 District 2 football title Thursday with a 24-13 win at home. Hayti entered the game ranked No. 7 in Class 1 and sporting a 7-2 record...

Despite winning 30 matches and bringing home a third-place trophy, Bell City's young volleyball team had trouble dealing with pressure at times last season. The Cubs players were disappointed following their performance at the Class 1 final four. A year later, the Cubs have already surpassed the 30-win mark -- Bell City is 34-1 and has reeled off 31 straight victories -- and are ready to shoot for the program's third state title when round-robin play for Class 1 gets under way at the state final four today in Warrensburg, Mo.. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- For all the talk about games against Southern California and Texas being measuring sticks for Nebraska, there is none bigger for Bill Callahan this season than Saturday's meeting with Missouri. The Cornhuskers were the preseason pick to win the North and advance to the Big 12 championship game for the first time since 1999. But two straight losses have rattled the Huskers' considerable fan base, which was expecting tangible improvement in Callahan's third year as coach...

ST. LOUIS -- Manny Legace made 44 saves and Bill Guerin scored twice, leading the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. Doug Weight assisted on all four St. Louis goals, giving him nine assists in his last five games. Dan Hinote and Bryce Salvador also scored for the Blues...

House Speaker Tip O'Neill once observed that "all politics is local politics." Since then, a good many newspaper editors have paraphrased O'Neill's remark: "All news is local." That is never more true than when the news involves one of our own...

To the editor: The op-ed piece by Gary Rust was to tell us the reasons to re-elect Sen. Jim Talent. The only reason I saw in the piece was that Rust thinks Talent is a good guy. My reason for wanting to fire Talent can be checked out at any time by going online and looking at his voting record. Talent has:...

To the editor: Chad Craft posed the question, "What exactly have the war protesters been right about?" I assume Craft is referring to those protesting the Iraq invasion, since this part of the so-called war on terror has been the focus of most of the protest. ...

Military is let down...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Welcome to the national championship hunt, Louisville. Brian Brohm threw for 354 yards and a touchdown, and the fifth-ranked Cardinals took advantage of key mistakes by No. 3 West Virginia for an impressive 44-34 victory Thursday night that could give them an inside track to the Bowl Championship Series title game...

SEMO Northern Division SEMO Southern Division SEMO Central Division MAFC Red Division MAFC White Division MAFC Blue Division Thursday's Games Sikeston 25, Central 14 St. Vincent 24, Hayti 13 Chaffee 39, Portageville 0 Caruthersville 30, Charleston 7...

Gavillon Bland scored two second-half touchdowns to help host Sikeston pull away from playoff-bound Central 25-14 on Friday night. The Bulldogs (2-8) beat the Tigers (4-6) for the second time in three years in the Week 10 battles that conclude the regular season and district play...

ATLANTA -- Look at all the fun Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are missing. An end-of-the-year bash for the top 30 on the PGA Tour money list turned into a final exam Thursday at the Tour Championship. Retief Goosen and Joe Durant shared the lead at 2-under 68, the highest score to lead an opening round at East Lake, and only six other players managed to break par in cool, blustery conditions...

25 years ago: Nov. 3, 1981 Not in recent history, if ever, has the Cape Girardeau Police Department hosted as many convicted felons as are now in custody here; there are 13 prisoners spending time in the city jail, and 10 have already been convicted of crimes ranging from capital murder to sodomy and robbery; the city is obliging the Missouri State Penitentiary and the State Training Center for Men at Moberly, Mo., by holding the prisoners while cases in which they are involved are being heard in federal court here.. ...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian ANNA, Ill. -- In an open race for Union County sheriff, one challenger hopes to bring about change while the other plans to build on past successes of the department. Democrat David Livesay and Republican Steven J. Hoepker are vying for the open position left by a retiring David Nash...

Education to be topic at First Friday Coffee The subject of discussion this morning at the First Friday Coffee will be the findings of the state's Alliance on Math, Engineering, Technology and Science Education. The event is sponsored by the Cape Girar-deau Chamber of Commerce. ...

House Speaker Tip O'Neill once observed that "all politics is local politics." Since then, a good many newspaper editors have paraphrased O'Neill's remark: "All news is local." That is never more true than when the news involves one of our own...

Snubbed in all-OVC selections, Southeast takes on Samford today. BY MARTY MISHOW Southeast Missourian Perhaps Southeast Missouri State women's soccer coach Heather Nelson can use the snub for motivation. As the Redhawks prepared for tonight's semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, they received word Thursday that none of their players made the all-OVC first team...

Southeast Missourian Scott County Public Water Supply District No. 4 is now another step closer to supplying water for some of county's southern residents. But northern Scott County residents may have a while to wait. In July, Scott County Public Water Supply District No. ...

By NASSER KARIMI The Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel, in military maneuvers Thursday that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region...

Ecologists, economists warn of potential "collapse" by 2048. By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Clambakes, crabcakes, swordfish steaks and even humble fish sticks could be little more than a fond memory in a few decades. If current trends of overfishing and pollution continue, the populations of just about all seafood face collapse by 2048, a team of ecologists and economists warns in a report in today's issue of the journal Science...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Noon Optimist League registration Saturday Final registration for the Cape Noon Optimist Indoor Soccer League will be 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the offices of Bradshaw, Steele, Cochrane and Berens, located at 3113 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau...

Southeast dance concert begins Nov. 10...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian Mike and Glinda Seabaugh love art, but they see something missing from the local art scene that has blossomed in recent years. Local art lovers can see a large spectrum of work when the art galleries in Cape Girardeau that open their doors on the First Friday of every month. But the Seabaughs think an important art culture is underrepresented -- Native American art...

By ANN M. JOB The Associated Press Who would have guessed that Saturn would have one of the most stylish midsize sedans of the 2007 model year? The 2007 Saturn Aura looks good riding on its standard and sizable 17- and 18-inch wheels and tires. Replacing the forgettable Saturn L-Series that ended production for 2005, the new, five-passenger Aura also stands out with eye-catching rear styling with a high, European-styled trunk lid and light-emitting diode taillamps...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- What looked to be a wide-open Chase for the championship last week might actually only be a two-man race to the title. It would be fitting if it indeed comes down to a race between Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson, because they were the best of the field during the regular season. The two combined to hold down the top spot in the standings for the entire 26 weeks before the Chase started...

By MALCOLM FOSTER and MARGIE MASON The Associated Press NEW DELHI, India -- Dodie Gilmore is a spry 60-year-old who loves the outdoors, but when she could no longer straddle her faithful horse, River, she knew it was time for a new hip. But how could she afford it? As an independent contractor for a small Coldwell Banker real estate franchise in Durant, Okla., she knew her privately purchased health plan would never pay up to $40,000 for the operation...

On most First Fridays, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is a place where visitors can see the creations of one or two featured artists and the ongoing display by the many artists of the local Visual Arts Cooperative. But on a few First Fridays each year, the Arts Council's wall space becomes a backdrop for artists whose styles are as divergent as their places of residence...

In Dreamworks upcoming release, "Flushed Away," we are taken inside the depths of London's sewer system where the mice definitely play. This CGI film, using the style of "Wallace and Gromit," will provide an enjoyable adventure for audiences everywhere. Leading the voice-over talent is X-man turned preppy mouse Hugh Jackman. Lad and I had a chance to talk to him about his career and his involvement with the film...

Passengers aboard the Delta Queen enjoyed a view of the Mississippi River and the Cape Girardeau riverfront while the paddlewheeler was docked Thursday. The boat was on its way south to Memphis. Another riverboat, the Mississippi Queen, is docked near St. Louis for deep cleaning after two disease outbreaks. Nearly 500 passengers disembarked in Cape Girardeau last month during the first outbreak...

WASHINGTON -- Growth in productivity -- the key ingredient for rising living standards -- skidded to a standstill in the late summer while workers' wages and benefits shot up at the fastest clip in more than two decades. The combination of slowing productivity and rising wages was seen as a formula for inflation troubles down the road. It could keep the Federal Reserve from cutting interest rates any time soon and possibly lead to another increase...

When Cape Girardeau native Chris Buehrle left Cape Girardeau years ago to start his own company, he never imagined his hometown would one day play such a prominent role in its expansion. But it has. On Thursday, Buehrle -- along with a slew of local economic development officials and government leaders -- announced that a new call center is coming to Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza that could create as many as 400 new jobs over the next few years...

Missouri's state auditor post has seemingly been a jumping-off point for politicians like former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond and even current auditor Claire McCaskill, who is running for the U.S. Senate. But Sandra Thomas, the Republican state auditor candidate who was in Cape Girardeau Thursday, said that's not the case for her...

To the editor: From 1947 through 1973, production increases were closely mirrored by worker income, effectively tracking each other. Beginning in 1974, as production increases continued, worker income started stagnating, while over the last 30 years CEO pay has risen 700 percent. This practice of trickle-up economics has got to be stopped as Big Business practices its "they make it, we take it" mentality...

Amendment 2 proposes to strip the Missouri Legislature of most powers to regulate medical experimentation on cloned human embryos. Although Amendment 2 raises other issues, it raises a concern that has not yet been discussed enough: Missouri's reputation. Amendment 2 may make Missouri the Nevada of medical experimentation...

Perhaps Southeast Missouri State women's soccer coach Heather Nelson can use the snub for motivation. As the Redhawks prepared for tonight's semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, they received word Thursday that none of their players made the all-OVC first team...

On most First Fridays, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is a place where visitors can see the creations of one or two featured artists and the ongoing display by the many artists of the local Visual Arts Cooperative. But on a few First Fridays each year, the arts council's wall space becomes a backdrop for artists whose styles are as divergent as their places of residence...

Four stars (out of four) It is time for another game with the psychotic mastermind Jigsaw. With each film in the "Saw" series, things get a little more dark and a little more twisted. Jigsaw's plan to make people who take life for granted see the error of their ways and appreciate it is taken to a whole new level. Jigsaw's apprentice Amanda's obsession with him is explained in flashes back to the previous films, as we see how their relationship developed...

This month there are two bands I want to see, badly -- Wolfmother and My Morning Jacket. In an ideal world I could jump in my car, drive for 30 minute, jump out, rush to claim my spot at the front of the arena floor and wait for my brains to be rocked out of my head...

The Scott County Sheriff's Department's new canine has been on active duty for about a month and half. By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian Lance Farrow had nowhere to run. After leaping from a 14-foot-high bridge, he took off running from Scott City police officers who pulled him over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

Judith Farris received the Celebration Award; Jeanine Larson Dobbins received the Women of Achievement Award. By CHRIS PAGANO Southeast Missourian A former opera singer and a literacy director were honored Friday at the third annual Zonta Women of Achievement luncheon at the Plaza Conference Center...

By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian Drivers have been unnerved by the noticeable absence of roadway striping on portions of U.S. 61 -- East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson and Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau -- but state road crews have put the lines back in place...

Grossly inaccurate SEN. JOHN Kerry's remarks about the "uneducated" being "stuck in Iraq" shows how ignorant he is about today's military. Serving in our military is an honor. Military service is chosen by many of our best and brightest. Think of all of the physicians, nurses, police officers and others in our communities who serve selflessly) because these highly educated individuals believe in a higher purpose than forwarding their own agendas. ...

Early last month, the Rev. Jeff Williams and his wife Abby has just sold their house in Jackson with plans to move into the loft of the garage of the house they were building themselves near Gordonville. The garage hadn't been completed yet, but they still had time...

To the editor: According to Joy Bell, "If security is the goal, we should vote for those who'll demand diplomacy." If history serves me right, diplomacy has been used in an attempt to appease terror before. On Sept. 29, 1938, Neville Chamberlain returned from signing the Munich agreement with Hitler. ...

By MARK BLISS Southeast Missourian Grant Gillard carefully pulls out a wooden frame from a box crowded with bees. The frame, one of several in the box, is covered with a honeycomb. Even on a cold November day, some of Gillard's bees fly in and out of the entrances to the hives at a grassy site east of Interstate 55 near Fruitland. The box is one of about 120 hives the Jackson man maintains at about 10 sites in Cape Girardeau County...

By CATHERINE TSAI The Associated Press COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The Rev. Ted Haggard said Friday he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a male prostitute. But the Christian evangelist insisted he threw the drugs away and never had sex with the man...

Warsaw man's life shaped by working with metals. By SARAH DANIEL The Sedalia Democrat WARSAW, Mo. -- The smell of hot metal hangs in the air as sparks fly. Roger Rice, 61, of Warsaw, uses a blowtorch to trace a pattern of a hummingbird on a flower that he has drawn on a metal plate. The hummingbird and flower fall from the plate and onto the floor of the metal shop scattered with tools, projects to complete and long iron rods of all diameters...

The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. -- An investigation is looking into the reliability of life science research conducted by a team led by the University of Missouri-Columbia's recognized expert in reproductive biology, the Columbia Tribune reported...

By DAVID HAMMER The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Rep. Bob Ney of Ohio, who pleaded guilty last month in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling investigation, resigned from Congress on Friday. The Ohio Republican, who had been pressed to quit by fellow lawmakers, sent a letter of resignation to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, according to Ney's chief of staff, David Popp...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian Tuesday's election for Illinois Appellate Court judge comes down not to who has the most experience, but what kind of experience each candidate has. Judge Stephen McGlynn is hoping to retain his post as appellate judge for the 5th Appellate District, which encompasses Illinois' 37 southernmost counties. He was appointed to the court in July of 2005...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

By LINDA REDEFFER Southeast Missourian What began with a fire concluded with a burning. On Nov. 26, 1992, the 100-year-old Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church, 3024 State Highway 177, was destroyed by fire. The congregation worshipped for three years in the activity building while members made plans to build a new church...

Rita Ann Mayfield, 53, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Feb. 8, 1953, at Chaffee, Mo., daughter of Clarence A. and Alma B. Schwartz LeGrand. She and John Mayfield were married March 14, 1981, at Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Margaret M. "Marge" St. Mary, 62, of Morehouse, Mo., formerly of Sikeston, died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born April 7, 1944, near Fayette, Ala., to the late Eulas Clinton and Sylvia Roseddie Tidwell Hubbert...

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Betty Joyce Lishman, 60, of rural Bertrand died Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006, at her home. She was born April 1, 1946, at New Madrid, Mo., daughter of Willam Junior and Clentine Black Blaize Neal. She and Johnny Ray Lishman were married March 19, 1987...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Melissa D. Urick, 53, of Poplar Bluff died Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Oct. 23, 1953, at Griffin, Ga., daughter of Louis and Emily West Futch. She and Lloyd Jacob Urick were married April 8, 1999, at Bloomfield, Mo., and he preceded her in death...

George L. Sanders, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel.

Emma J. Bartels, 96, of Jackson died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at the Monticello House. Arrangements are pending at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

25 years ago: Nov. 4, 1981 In an extremely light vote yesterday, Cape Girardeans adopted a city charter by a 6-to-1 margin; at Jackson and Delta, school propositions went down to defeat; for the second time in three months, a proposed $1.5 million bond issue to finance additions to three Jackson schools failed...

Four individuals and the 1976 baseball team will be inducted into the Southeast Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame today at the Show Me Center. The ceremony is scheduled for 2:45 p.m., with a reception at 2 p.m. The Hall of Fame inductees will also be introduced at tonight's football game, when Southeast hosts Tennessee-Martin at 6 p.m. at Houck Stadium...

The Bell City volleyball team fell in its first two matches in round-robin play Friday in the Class 1 state final four in Warrensburg, Mo., and had to settle for a spot in today's third-place match. The Cubs (34-3-1) lost their first five sets of the day before salvaging their sixth and final game. Bell City's 1-5 mark Friday set up a third-place match at 9 a.m. today against Osceola, which also won just one of six games...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Missouri looks to get its season back on track at a place where it hasn't won since 1978. The Tigers visit Nebraska today, with the winner earning sole possession of first place in the Big 12 North. Missouri (7-2, 3-2) opened with six straight wins but has lost two of its last three, including last week's mistake-filled 26-10 defeat to Oklahoma. The loss knocked the Tigers out of the Top 25...

By PETER DEJONG The Associated Press MARRUM, Netherlands -- A herd of horses marooned on a lowland knoll for three days by rising floodwaters waded to safety on Friday, led by wranglers following an underwater path marked out by half-submerged stakes...

By WAYNE PARRY The Associated Press NEWARK, N.J. -- It took an urban cowboy from the farms of South Africa to corral and lasso a 600-pound bull running loose Friday in the streets of New Jersey's largest city. For Denton Infield, now an animal control officer, rounding up wayward cattle was second nature, even if the scene was not...

By JIM KUHNHENN The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Wealthy Americans and legions of small donors are helping finance an onslaught of last-minute political advertising and a fierce voter turnout drive over the next three days, closing out a midterm election that is projected to cost more than $2.6 billion...

The other day I was waiting to renew my driver's license. The person ahead of me in line began to get into an argument with the clerk: Customer: "You called me a liar!" Clerk: "You can't cuss in this office!" For those of us waiting, it was a time of feet shuffling and looking away. ...

In her own quiet way Doris Pekarek is helping people become closer to God. Pekarek, who is retired from the former Hecht's store shoe department, makes rosaries. Then she gives them away, mostly to children, people who are ill or handicapped, or who seem like they need a little prayer...

By STEVEN R. HURST The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq canceled leave Friday for all military officers two days before an expected verdict -- and possible death sentence -- in the trial of Saddam Hussein. For the second time this week, a top Bush administration official huddled with the Iraqi prime minister...

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY COMMISSION ACTION Thursday Routine business Discussion items and appointments Items not on agenda...

The Heartland Pops Orchestra and Chorus will present its annual Christmas Concert at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Cape First Church. This year's guest choir will be the Notre Dame Regional Concert Choir under the direction of Ellen Seyer. The special guest narrator for the concert will be KFVS12 anchor Ryan Tate. The concert will feature Christmas music and non-Christmas music from "Les Miserables" and Andrew Lloyd Webber. For more information, call Jerry Ganiel at 579-6127 or Janell Hinkebein at 243-3367...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian Eleven years have passed since Disney on Ice visited Cape Girardeau. On Thursday the event will return with a show commemorating Disney's 100th anniversary. The Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic" tour will visit the Show Me Center Thursday through Nov. 12, with a theatrical performance featuring characters as old as Mickey Mouse and as new as the fish Nemo from "Finding Nemo."...

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- A fixture in Southern Illinois politics, state Rep. Mike Bost has served in the legislature for more than a decade. First elected in 1994, the Republican is once again seeking re-election to the 115th House District seat. He faces a challenge from Green Party candidate Charlie Howe, 62, of Carbondale, Ill...

Southeast Missouri State will try to disrupt Tennessee-Martin's storybook football season tonight. And in the process, the Redhawks will attempt to move closer to a rare winning campaign. Those are the major plot lines surrounding the 6 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference game at Houck Stadium...

B.J. Smith expected his retooled Southeast Missouri State women to receive a solid test in their only exhibition game. Consider the exam passed with flying colors. The Redhawks, who lost six key seniors from last year's Ohio Valley Conference championship and NCAA tournament team, looked like they hadn't missed a beat in crushing Lambuth 87-61 Friday night at the Show Me Center...

NEW YORK -- Greg Maddux has become a constant in an era of change. The slick-fielding pitcher won his 16th Gold Glove on Friday, tying the record shared by pitcher Jim Kaat and third baseman Brooks Robinson. "I take great pride in my fielding," Maddux said. "This award means a lot to me."...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Before this year, Southeast Missouri State had never beaten Samford in women's soccer. That all changed Friday night -- and now the Redhawks are one win away from their first NCAA tournament berth. The Redhawks overcame a 2-0 second-half deficit and scored the game-winning goal with just 26 seconds left in the second sudden-death overtime period to stun top-seeded and host Samford 3-2 in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

Three years ago, members of the first-year boys cross country program Saxony Lutheran studied pictures of the state course at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City, Mo., they took off the back of a T-shirt. Now, a fourth-place trophy and back-to-back state titles later, the Crusaders feel like home at the course where they will try to wrap up their third consecutive title today...

Adam Scott tried to keep stress out of his round on Friday, and he did that by keeping his ball out of the rough. The result was a 3-under 67 that gave him a share of the lead with Joe Durant in the Tour Championship. One of eight players in the 27-man field without a PGA Tour victory this year, Scott put himself in position to change that by making only one mistake on another chilly Atlanta afternoon amid the golden flora of East Lake...

It was only an exhibition -- but that's the way Scott Edgar no doubt envisions his first Southeast Missouri State basketball team playing all the time. One night after Southeast struggled to beat Division III Westminster, Edgar's "Fast and Furious" style clicked on virtually all cylinders...

HARRISBURG, Ill. -- State Rep. Brandon Phelps, a Harrisburg Democrat, says he's worked to bring jobs to Southern Illinois. But his Republican opponent, Rhonda Belford of Rosiclare, Ill., contends he hasn't done enough to improve the business climate and the economy in Illinois' largest geographical district...

There are seven low-income projects in the area but only three allotments of credits. By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian Four developers proposing seven low-income housing projects in Cape Girardeau, Perryville and Scott City are jockeying for three slots that will make millions available to them in state and federal tax credits and low-interest loans...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian A hotly contested U.S. Senate race and an emotional debate over stem cells should lead to a busy day at area polling places, area election officials said late Friday. Absentee voting in the region is running well ahead of past off-year elections, leading officials to predict a strong turnout...

By MARK BLISS Southeast Missourian PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville school officials want voters to approve a $3.36 million general obligation bond issue in Tuesday's election. The measure would increase the school district's tax levy by 31 cents per $100 assessed valuation for six years to pay off the bonds...

The Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's decision last month not to file charges against a 17-year-old Central High School student after the student allegedly wrote a note regarding a "pretend" shooting at the school was based on the burden of proof. Missouri law requires, in such cases, proof that the student actually intended to carry out the plan. Prosecutor Morley Swingle doesn't believe the facts support such a proof...

Church chaos GOING TO church is something I want to do to thank God for all his blessings. But after church last Sunday, I found myself so upset that I got absolutely nothing out of it and had to go home and ask for God's forgiveness. My parents taught me how to behave in church. Two families allowed their children to scream repeatedly, throw fits and cause chaos during the service. When children act up, leave or take turns going to church so the rest of the parish can get something out of it...

To the editor: As an elected messenger to our Missouri Baptist Convention held in Cape Girardeau, I wanted to express my appreciation and pride to our great city of Cape Girardeau. Some 1,400 Baptists from across our state gathered in Cape Girardeau this week for our annual meeting, and we were treated graciously by businesses and citizens. ...

To the editor: A Nov. 1 article in the Southeast Missourian over the battle in the 161st District state representative race between Democrat Steve Hodges and Republican Gary Branum stated that the Democratic Party sent out direct-mail pieces indicating Hodges opposes raising the minimum wage...

Amber Seyer's family and friends gave her the confidence she needed to compete in the Miss Missouri USA pageant last weekend. It was an intense night for the 20-year-old Oran woman, who competed against 63 other women for the chance to represent the state in the Miss USA pageant...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian In the last hours before the Nov. 7 midterm election, Democrat and Republican officials believe there is still time for races to be won or lost. "Missouri is a swing state. Missouri's margins are so small that this makes the difference. It made the difference in 2004, and it will make the difference in 2006," said Josh Haynes, campaign manager for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson...

By BRIAN BERGSTEIN The Associated Press CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The past few years have shown that U.S. government intelligence goes only so far. One of the biggest challenges is recognizing vital information in foreign languages -- and acting quickly on it...

By MARY PEMBERTON The Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A Web site is taking some of the guesswork out of when to make a Thermos of hot coffee, throw on a scarf and venture out into the cold night to take in the northern lights -- even if you're far away from the aurora epicenter in Alaska...

By RACHEL ZOLL The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Katharine Jefferts Schori took office Saturday as the first female leader of The Episcopal Church and the first woman priest to head an Anglican province, two landmarks that could quickly be overshadowed by divisions over the Bible and sexuality throughout world Anglicanism...

The Associated Press PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Touring with the Blue Angels was supposed to give Ernie Christensen a respite between deployments as a combat pilot in Vietnam. But Christensen, a retired rear admiral who went on to command the Navy's Top Gun fighter school, said flying with the Blue Angels was sometimes more demanding than combat...

By JOHN GEROME The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Some entertainers say award shows don't matter. Not Brad Paisley. When the singer went to last year's Country Music Association gala in New York with a leading six nominations and left 0-for-6, it hurt...

The Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea called Japanese officials "political imbeciles" on Saturday for saying they will not accept Pyongyang as a nuclear power, less than a week after the reclusive communist state agreed to return to international arms talks on its atomic program...

The Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey -- Thousands of nationalist Turks marched in the capital Saturday, vowing to defend the secular regime against radical Islamic influences and urging the government not to make too many concessions in order to gain European Union membership...

By GREG KLINE The (Champaign) News-Gazette URBANA, Ill. -- Gary Parker looks at images from Saturn's moon Titan and sees the Sangamon, the Illinois, the Wabash and other earthbound rivers. Oh, there are differences to be sure. That stuff running in Titan's rivers is probably liquid methane, not water, for one thing. And if you plucked a stone from the shore to skip across the surface, you likely would be skipping ice, not rock...

The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No shirt, no service? What about no clothes at all? A couple that began squabbling in a motel room Friday morning carried their dispute over to an adjacent Waffle House diner in the nude, police said. A woman, who was not identified, told officers she was staying in a room with Larry Boyd when he took a hit of cocaine, starting trashing their room and choking her...

The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Gaming Commission is usually in the business of regulating casinos, not running them. But the commission voted unanimously Friday to take over a southeast Missouri casino until a licensed buyer can be found...

By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Long locked out of power, Democrats appear poised to win control of the House and possibly the Senate in midterm elections this week amid a national clamor for change after four years of war in Iraq. Democrats also are on track to replace Republican governors in several states, New York, Ohio and Massachusetts among them...

By BRANDIE M. JEFFERSON The Associated Press PLYMOUTH, Mass. -- Men in knickers shout directions in archaic English as they work together building a house. Women in long skirts and bonnets sit in the shade, taking breaks from sewing to gossip. At the English Village at Plimoth Plantation, it's always 1627...

By LISA CORNWELL The Associated Press CINCINNATI -- Financial barons and wealthy socialites once traveled the country on luxurious private railroad cars, dining on fine china and crystal and pampered by stewards. Today's travelers can recapture that romantic era with journeys on some of the same cars...

By MARK SHERMAN The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Americans still will be chewing over election results Wednesday morning when the nine Supreme Court justices file into their courtroom for two of the biggest cases of the young term. Voters in some states will be deciding whether to impose restrictions on abortions; one proposal would outlaw almost all abortions in South Dakota...

Question: We have an adopted girl who came to us when she was 4 years old. She is difficult to handle and does pretty much what she pleases. For us to make her obey would be unpleasant for her, and we don't feel we have the right to do that. She's been through a lot in her short life. Besides, we're not her real parents. Do you think she'll be OK if we just give her a lot of love and attention?...

Southeast Missourian Supporters and opponents of a proposed state constitutional amendment in Missouri that would increase the tax on tobacco products will be featured today on the local radio show "Going Public." Also featured on the program is an interview with Cassandra McKeown, former public defender and professor of political science at the University of South Dakota...

Northwest Airlines to recall furloughed pilots...

Southeast Missourian The Southeast Missouri State University Art Guild will host a chili cook-off from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The event will raise funds for the guild, an organization of student artists, and will be held in Memorial Hall. For more information, contact Rochelle Steffen at (573) 275-7039 or e-mail her at girl.photo@yahoo.com...

Moscow police detain hundreds at rally...

By CHRIS PAGANO Southeast Missourian About 100 youths from the Division of Youth Services were guests of Southeast Missouri State University Athletic Department, Criminal Justice Department and the football team Saturday. Boys ages 13 to 19 from New Madrid Bend, Girardot Center and Sears Youth Center toured the team's facilities, heard a presentation in the weight room, played flag football with the players and were special guests at the criminal justice tailgate party and the evening game...

Southeast Public Radio to focus on stem-cell initiative in show on Oct. 22 brief Southeast Public Radio will focus on the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative in a special Election 2006 edition of the "Going Public" radio show on Sunday...

Cape Girardeau...

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...

Emma J. Bartels, 96, of Jackson passed away Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Sept. 25, 1910, near Tilsit, daughter of August F. and Bertha J. Sternberg Bartels. Emma was confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit in 1924, and was a faithful, lifelong member, serving many years on the Altar Guild...

Rita Ann Mayfield, 53, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. She was born Feb. 8, 1953, in Chaffee, Mo., daughter of Clarence A. and Alma B. Schwartz LeGrand. She and John Mayfield were married March 14, 1981, in Cape Girardeau...

Shirley Heinrich, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at her home. A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Chapel.

25 years ago: Nov. 5, 1981 In unprecedented action, the Cape Girardeau County Democratic Central Committee announces it has endorsed state Rep. Jerry Ford of Cape Girardeau in his Democratic bid for the 10th Congressional District; it is the first time the committee has endorsed a candidate before a primary election...

Baseball n Individual/group lessons: Former Southeast Missouri State standout and current professional baseball player Zach Borowiak is offering individual and group training for youngsters through high school age at the Prospect Sports Academy indoor training facility, located at 9727 Highway 61 in Jackson. Info: Borowiak, (618) 534-9920...

ST. LOUIS -- A week after LaDainian Tomlinson steamrolled the St. Louis Rams, along comes Larry Johnson to administer more punishment. Johnson, the Kansas City Chiefs' 230-pound feature back, likely is licking his chops. He had 155 yards on a franchise-record 39 carries and caught two passes for a total of 41 touches last week against the Seahawks, yet claimed no soreness the next day...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Saxony Lutheran's two-year reign as the Class 1 boys cross country champion ended Saturday at the Oak Hills Golf Center, where the Crusaders had to settle for third place at the state cross country championship. Lone Jack topped the field with 71 points, followed by Valley Park with 88 and Saxony with 96. West Platte rounded out the top four with 123 points...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Zac Taylor better watch out. Maurice Purify says he's coming after his job. "It might happen," a smiling Purify said after Nebraska's 34-20 victory over Missouri on Saturday. "My QB rating is better than his." Purify threw a 28-yard TD pass to Terrence Nunn on his first career attempt and then caught a scoring pass from Taylor as the Cornhuskers bolted to leads of 17-0 and 27-6...

Football opportunities To the Editor: Marty Mishow's column in the Oct. 29 edition of the Southeast Missourian referenced a traveling football team that local resident George Foster is attempting to establish. Although it was unintended, the column insinuates that there are no other alternatives for economically disadvantaged youth to play football in the city of Cape Girardeau. This cannot be further from the truth...

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Bell City entered the Class 1 state volleyball tournament having lost only one match and a total of six sets all season. The Cubs left the University of Central Missouri's Multipurpose Building with a 1-7 mark in state tournament sets and three losses and a tie added to their record. On Saturday morning, Bell City fell 25-23, 25-15 to Osceola in the consolation match and took home a fourth-place trophy...

All the smiles creasing the faces of the people making up Southeast Missouri State's fifth Athletic Hall of Fame class pretty well told the story. The group expressed great pride that the university they still hold dear to their hearts deemed them fit for induction into such an exclusive club...

Not the same IN THE Oct. 25 edition, Southeast Missourian sports writer Jeremy Joffray noted in an article that the New Salem Baptist volleyball team was unbeaten and that they would be putting their record up against the best teams in the state during the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association Tournament. ...

Kimbeland second atSEMO Cup tournament The Kimbeland Country Club contingent finished second at the SEMO Cup golf tournament on Oct. 14 at Hidden Trails in Dexter, Mo. Westwood Hills Country Club of Poplar Bluff had the first-place score. The event included 36 holes of competition in four formats -- nine holes each of scramble, four-ball, Chapman and alternate shot -- with teams scoring the best five two-man scores among its six entries...

By RACHEL KONRAD The Associated Press DUBLIN, Calif. -- A balding, bespectacled working stiff inexplicably loses his voice -- except when speaking in rhyme or pinching his nose. It may sound like a farcical plot for a popular cartoon satirizing American office culture, but "Dilbert" cartoonist Scott Adams says he recovered less than a week ago from just such an affliction...

Southeast Missourian INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Three suburban Kansas City men have been charged with destroying more than $300,000 worth of construction equipment in what prosecutors described as a joyride gone bad. "It clearly and completely got out of hand," Jackson County Prosecutor Mike Sanders said. "It's a very large loss, not only to the construction companies, but to the community."...

By SAM HANANEL The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Like a student cramming for final exams, Claire McCaskill pulled an all-nighter. The Democratic Senate candidate, scrambling for votes before Tuesday's election against Republican Sen. Jim Talent, embarked Friday night on a fast-paced tour of the St. Louis area. Her itinerary included more than 30 stops over 24 straight hours, and was to end with a rally Saturday night...

By LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press CHICAGO -- Time seems to pass at an excruciatingly slow pace when you're waiting for medical care. Whether it's emergency room treatment, routine doctor's appointments, or those anxious days between getting poked and prodded for medical tests and receiving the results, waiting happens to just about everyone seeking medical care...

The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- With all eyes on Missourians to see how they'll vote on everything from a U.S. senator to stem cell research, one set of inquisitive onlookers has traveled far to watch from the sidelines in the Kansas City area...

Polls showed Ortega with a lead over his opponent but just shy of winning outright. By TRACI CARL The Associated Press MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- With an army of observers keeping watch, Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega makes his fourth attempt to return to the presidency today in an election being monitored closely by the United States and its antagonist Venezuela...

It was hoped that Saddam's trial would heal the deep wounds among Iraqis. By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's prime minister on Saturday urged his countrymen to accept the verdict against Saddam Hussein without violence, then in the next breath declared that the former dictator must get "what he deserves" with the decision that could send him to the gallows...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A step up to Class 3 in cross country did not seem to slow down Notre Dame, which finished third in the boys race Saturday at the state meet at the Oak Hills Golf Center. Nationally-ranked Potosi cruised to the title with 16 points, West Plains was second with 115 and Notre Dame had 142 points. Branson rounded out the top four with 160 points...

It's finally here. Ready or not, this week the Southeast Missouri State basketball games start to count on the records. Of course, the real seasons for both teams will come a little later down the road, when Ohio Valley Conference play begins. But this week, two squads in transitional periods tip off campaigns that figure to be interesting on a variety of levels...

Man stabbed by antlers after deer accident RATCLIFF, Texas -- A freak accident left a man hospitalized on Friday after he was apparently stabbed by antlers. Authorities say Paul Nash, 45, and girlfriend Gayla File were driving on Highway 7 from Ratcliff when they hit a deer. ...

By TRAVIS LOLLER The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- When country music acts started noticing more Hispanic fans at their concerts, it didn't take long for Music Row to start dreaming of its Next Big Audience. After all, many Hispanics in the United States, especially Mexicans, already love norteno, a traditional sound that sprang from the rural experience of northern Mexico...

By IOAN GRILLO The Associated Press OAXACA, Mexico -- Rickety buses and cars carrying leftists from across Mexico rolled into Oaxaca's university Saturday to join protesters preparing for a massive march to confront police. Demonstrators plan to march today from the university to police encampments in the center of the city as part of their five-month protest to oust the state's governor...

By STEVE QUINN The Associated Press VICTORIA, British Columbia -- A blue haze crowns the Olympic Mountains as the Victoria Clipper plies Puget Sound, heading from Seattle to Victoria, on the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada...

By JESSE HARLAN ALDERMAN The Associated Press POCATELLO, Idaho -- Jeffrey Meldrum holds a Ph.D. in anatomical sciences and is a tenured professor of anatomy at Idaho State University. He is also one of the world's foremost authorities on Bigfoot, the mythical smelly ape-man of the Northwest woods. And Meldrum firmly believes the lumbering, shaggy brute exists...

Krista Kathleen Olson and Peter Lowell Weeks exchanged vows Aug. 5, 2006, at Cape Bible Chapel. Dan Greene performed the ceremony. Pianist was Shane Steck, guitarist was Lowell Weeks, and vocalists were Becky, Erica and Lowell Weeks. The bride is the daughter of Dr. Gary and Cindy Olson of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Lowell and Lynda Weeks of Syracuse, N.Y...

Megan Leigh Thiele and Brandon Christopher Lorenz were united in marriage Sept. 30, 2006, at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. Terry Culbertson performed the ceremony. Violinist was Suzanne Wittwer of Columbia, Mo. Ed and Doris Thiele of Jackson are parents of the bride. The groom is the son of Dane and Sherry Lorenz of Fruitland, and Todd and Teresa Burns of Jackson...

Rachel Sanderson McPhillips and Julius "Jay" Plucker V were married Aug. 5, 2006, at Christ the Redeemer Episcopal Church in Montgomery, Ala. The Revs. Gregory Evans and Carrie Tuttle performed the ceremony. Pianist was Corbett Lunsford of Chicago, brother-in-law of the bride; and vocalists were Grace Lunsford, sister of the bride; and Summer Whatley of Montgomery...

Stacey Leigh Simon and Zachary Joe Adams were married May 27, 2006, at Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis. Rabbi Joshua Talb performed the ceremony. Music was by the Chesterfield Quartet. The bride is the daughter of Mark and Carolyn Korlin of St. Louis. The groom is the son of Bob and Pam Adams of Jackson...

Jo Ann Dallas of Cape Girardeau and Dwayne and Terry Hutson of Marquand, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kimberley Rose Hutson, to Martin Hoffman Jr., both of Jackson. He is the son of Martin and Deborah Hoffman of Cape Girardeau. Hutson is a 2000 graduate of Jackson High School, and a 2006 graduate of the nursing program at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. She is a licensed practical nurse at the Lutheran Home...

Doug Roberts of Oran, Mo., and Sue Roberts of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Tina Marie Bloodworth, to Ryan Edward Walther, son of Ralph and Mary Walther of Gordonville. Bloodworth is a graduate of Oran High School, and is attending Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo. She is employed at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Warren of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th anniversary at home with family and friends. The couple was married Oct. 11, 1946, at the home of the bride in Cottage Hills, Ill. They lived in the Alton, Ill., area several years before he retired, and then moved to Missouri in 1984...

Fifth Grade -- Aleksandra Aleksandrova, Cheyenne Allen, Austin Bagley, Chandler Bagley, Miranda Barnes, Bailey Bliss, Jacob Boerboom, Dalton Buchanan, Skyler Carter, Hector Castorena, Eric Craiglow, Cadie Crites, Josh Greaser, Emily Hagan, Britany Hubbard, Karley Ing, Colin Keele, Kendra Kelch, Truman Kinsey, Gabriella Knox, Bailey Kralemann, Samantha Lewis, Rachael Long, Dakota Lott, Nathan Lutes, Jesse Mahan, Duncan McKinley, Aaron Mehner, Alex Mehner, Jasmine Mohdzain, Tyler Myers, Alyssa Nimmer, Alex Ogle, Vikas Rudrappa, Jessica Shirrell, Travis Simmons, Kaitlyn Staggs, Jordon Stone, Caleb Strictland, Scottie Thomas, Kristen Thompson, Dusty Tolbert, Tanisha Watkins, Taylor Welker, Ashley Westbrook, Kristen Wikel, Bo Wilfreth, and Ben Yount. ...

6th grade -- Rachel Diamond, Jacob Schenimann 7th grade -- Elizabeth Heise 8th grade -- Amanda Alberternst, Morgan Caldwell, Isabelle Criddle, Ivie Ervin, River King, Lechelle Pope 6th grade -- Daniel Bollinger, Allison Gribler, Skyler Hanks, Savannah Hess, Kendra Kennedy, Tara Lane LaBeff, Austin Murphy, Clayton Myers, Alexia Phillips, Clayton Reece, Will Simmons, Scott Smith...

9th Grade -- Ellen Ashcraft, Londyn Backfisch, Kelsey Blue, Cory Brock, Kristal Carmack, Mallory Cowger, Hollyanne Hoerning, Justine Hulshof, Cody Kern, Carissa Klipfel, Andy Klunk, Evan Masters, Ariel Morrow, Chelsea Paul, Brittany Pemberton, Torie Price, Ryan Rolwing, Cory Slusher, Neely Tetley, Hannah Vinyard, Aaron Welter...

7th Grade -- Renae Bartels, Courtney Beggs, Neelye Blue, Harley Criddle, Myra Henson, Dallas Naramore 8th Grade -- Alex Amelunke, Rachel Bartels, Charles Draughon, Lisa Henderson, Dylan Lands, Heather Malone 9th Grade -- Katie Brucker, Alan Collins, Staci Devore, Lindsay Dolan, Cody Helderman, Anthony Hendrickson, Kaylee Kohler, Brianna Long, Lynn McKuin, David Nettles, Amanda Slinkard, Taylor Smith...

Kindergarten -- Damon Bartels, Andrew Brown,Trevor Fluegge, Gracie Huffman, Jaden Kight, Devin Lesch, Leannah Lunsford, Carlie Milz, Landon Rhodes, Macey Smith, Dezirah Swain, Amber VanGennip 1st Grade -- Robbie Adams, Bailey Beggs, Kirstin Buchheit, Tamera Dennis, Cassie Eichhorn, Liam Green, Trenton Henson, Andrew Hess, Adam Hodge, Raymond Jeffries, Joseph Landewee, Casey Lands, Clayton McDaniel, Kim Nettles, Tyler Stroder, Chris Tolbert, Cameron While...

4th grade -- Brianna Carron, Brooke Grable, Amanda Lee, Lane Lukefahr, Leah Puchbauer, Marissa Schamburg, Jacob Seabaugh, Chelsea Seyer, Rebecca Slinkard, Thomas Warren, Zachariah Watkins, Kaylen Woods. 5th grade -- Patricia Austin, Andrea Blackwell, Patrick Cochran, McKenzie Elam, Jacob Hengl, Emma Hemmann, jacob LeGrand, Cameron Moore, Janelle Myers, Andrew Puchbauer, Rachel Seyer, Morgan Smith...

4th grade -- Isaac Armstrong, Logan Bader, Joshua Barber, Jordan Brown, Spencer Brown, Darin Campbell, Seth Carr, Calen Crites, Rachel Crites, Ty Crowden, Faith Detweiler, Jessie Dunlap, Drake Froemsdorf, Casey Gray, Layton Hahs, Jericka Helton, Jack Jeffers, Emily Jones, Austin Keller, Aleisha Kelley, Lenzy Ladd, Jordan Mackey, Willie McFarland, Caylee McLeod, Ashton McWilson, Devin Murphy, Natalie Payne, Amelia Popp, Brandon Price, Makayla Price, Justin Sanchez, Jasmine Scott, McKinzie Scott, Shelby Seabaugh, Taylor Seabaugh, Ashley Shelton, Alex Smith, Jackson Smith, Heather Stark, Joshua Stone, Tommy Tran, Bricela Trejo, Dalton Tripp, Mason Turner, Abby Vargas, Sierra Welker, Drew Weston, Haley White. ...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian Changes are in the works to help a Cape Girardeau-based child-advocacy center expand and improve services. Last month, the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence brought in an outside consultant to hold five focus groups where participants were asked questions about the organization...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian Veterans Day activities in the Southeast Missouri area will dedicate a revamped war memorial in Scott County, honor the memory of Jackson native Cpl. Jeremy Shank, who was killed this summer in Iraq, and celebrate veterans with a night of music and dancing at the Arena Building...

As the 95th anniversary nears, the organization will undergo a transformation to modernize. By JENNIFER FREEZE Southeast Missourian When Kay Azuma was a Girl Scout troop leader in 1987, issues affecting a girl's life are a lot different than today...

When Major Beth Stillwell of the Salvation Army arrived in Cape Girardeau three months ago, an Empty Bowls fund raiser was marked on her calendar. "I had no idea what it was," she said. "I thought, 'empty bowls, what is that?'" After the first ever Empty Bowls project on Sunday, Stillwell now knows. And she couldn't be more pleased with the event that raised more than $3,000 to fight hunger in Southeast Missouri...

Two days before the midterm elections, U.S. Sen. Jim Talent made a final stop in Cape Girardeau Sunday asking voters for their support on Tuesday. During his visit to Cape Girardeau, Talent spoke about his accomplishments in the Senate and his record on issues like promoting renewable fuels, fighting methamphetamine and passing a Medicare prescription drug plan for seniors...

Immigration cows Instead of amending the Patriot Act to put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration, just give every immigrant and terrorist a cow. Did a good job I think Oran police chief Marc Tragesser is doing a wonderful job. I hate to see him go, but he has to do what he has to do. ...

The Hubble Space Telescope has enabled scientists to make incredible discoveries since it was placed in orbit in 1990. The Hubble Deep Field is a point in the sky where 3,000 galaxies were found, some 10 billion years old. The Hubble Deep Field gives astronomers clues to how galaxies form...

The Rev. Ted Haggard's letter asked members of his church for forgiveness By COLLEEN SLEVIN The Associated Press COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Before the elders began explaining to the congregation at New Life Church why its founder wasn't there Sunday, the youngsters were sent out of the room...

Saddam, 2 co-defendants sentenced to hang for Dujail killings. The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity on Sunday -- and sentenced to hang. The verdict set off celebrations in the streets of some Iraqi Shiite Muslim communities in Baghdad-- and anger among Sunni Muslims, who long looked to Saddam as their benefactor and protector...

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A round-the-clock curfew imposed ahead of the verdict against Saddam Hussein kept a relative peace in Iraq's most dangerous regions Sunday, but the U.S. military announced two more American deaths and police said 72 people were killed or found dead nationwide by daybreak...

By IOAN GRILLO The Associated Press OAXACA, Mexico -- Thousands of anti-government demonstrators marched through this tense colonial city Sunday, demanding the security forces abandon camps they set up last week to end a five-month protest. Masked police officers clutching automatic weapons watched the protesters from rooftops as they marched to a plaza about a block away from the encampments, yelling "Get out federal police!"...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis County judge has become the first in Missouri to impose a death penalty without a jury recommendation since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2002 left it unclear if a judge could take such action. St. Louis County Circuit Judge Steven H. Goldman on Friday sentenced Scott McLaughlin to death for the fatal stabbing of his former girlfriend, Beverly Guenther, in Earth City...

Army Guardsmen graduate from training...

Fried chicken served at United Church of Christ...

By CHRIS PAGANO Southeast Missourian Richard and Christa Francis of Cape Girardeau did not plan for their baby to be delivered at home. The couple had already been through hospital births of their two girls, Cameron, 7, and Ann'a, 5, and expected nothing out of the ordinary...

Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau Public Library has several events planned for this month, including:...

Joseph Charles Isaac, 88, of Jackson died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at his residence in Jackson. He was born March 24, 1918, in Wise County, Va., the son of Joseph and Hannah Wakin Isaac. He and Alice Fisher were married on July 1, 1950, in Jackson, Tenn., and she survives...

Harley Edward "Joe" Johnson, 82, passed away Nov. 3, 2006, at his home in Marble Hill. He was born April 20, 1924, in Glen Allen, the son of James Franklin and Minnie Bessie Thompson Johnson. He and Lena Maxine Myrick were married on Nov. 7, 1942. She died May 17, 1994. He and Joyce Crites Davis were married on June 2, 1995, and she survives...

Erma E. Martino, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Carl M. Frey, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born on Dec. 12, 1924, in St. Louis, the son of Virginia Drone and Charles Frey. Frey was an accountant and a veteran. Survivors include three daughters, Maureen Daniels of Richmond Heights, Mo., Jane Longinotti of Rolla, Mo. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Any Big 12 school that's not making a dramatic conversion, or saying hello to an NBA-ready freshman, or at least nearing some historic milestone is just not keeping pace with the times. Like tectonic plates shifting continents around, change is transfiguring this league. From the Gulf of Mexico to the snow-covered caps of the Colorado Rockies, from the banks of the Mississippi to the plains of Oklahoma, almost nothing in the Big 12 will seem the same...

Southeast Missourian The Central football team is not quite heading into its first playoff appearance since 2003 on a high note. The Tigers, with a chance to break a string of two straight sub-.500 regular seasons, lost 25-14 Thursday night to a Sikeston team that had only one previous win...

With a trophy in hand, Adam Scott can now call this his best year. His most consistent season was missing only a PGA Tour victory, and Scott took care of that Sunday in the final event, closing with a 4-under 66 to capture the Tour Championship in Atlnata by three shots over Jim Furyk...

25 years ago: Nov. 6, 1981 A Gordonville man associated with Cape Mercantile Bank in Cape Girardeau since its inception, Dewey Keller, was named recipient of the Friend of Agriculture Award at the 22nd annual Area Appreciation Night sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee last night...

The Associated Press SEBRELL, Va. -- Three Boy Scouts and an adult leader returning home from a camping trip were killed Sunday when their vehicle ran off a rural highway, crashed into a tree and burst into flames, state police said. John Oliver, 43, and three members of Boy Scout Troop 17 in Franklin died at the scene, said state police Sgt. ...

Cape Girardeau County Commission Agenda 9 a.m. Monday County Administration Building 1 Barton Square in Jackson Routine business Action items Discussion items and appointments...

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

Cape Girardeau...

Extension center offers nutrition program A nutrition program called "Eat Well, Be Well with Diabetes" will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 Thursday and Nov. 16 and 30 at the University of Missouri Extension Center, 684 Jackson Trail, Jackson. Class size is limited. ...

7 p.m. today Study Session, 5 p.m. Communications Public hearings Appearances Consent Ordinances New ordinances Resolutions Appointments Other...

7:30 p.m. today Jackson City Hall 101 Court St. Public hearings Action items Power and Light Committee Street committee...

The recovery effort will continue at least through today. By MARTIN GRIFFITH The Associated Press RENO, Nev. -- Two more bodies were recovered Sunday from the rubble of a downtown hotel, bringing the death toll to 11 in the city's deadliest fire. Officials said the toll could still rise...

By ANNIE HUANG The Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's president refused to resign on Sunday and denied allegations that he and his wife had embezzled public money. But the opposition did not buy his defense and prepared to launch a new campaign to remove him from office...

By DAVID GERMAIN The Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh alter-ego Borat made glorious returns at the box office, surprising Hollywood with a No. 1 debut. "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," 20th Century Fox's big-screen incarnation of Cohen's Kazakh journalist from "Da Ali G Show," took in $26.4 million during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday...

By DAVID BAUDER The Associated Press NEW YORK -- Brian Williams has the smile of a man about to unleash a secret weapon. Or two. He's preparing for his first election night as NBC News' chief anchor Tuesday knowing he'll be flanked on the broadcast by his predecessor, Tom Brokaw, and Tim Russert, the Washington veteran popular for his plainspoken intensity during tense nights of vote counting...

K's Merchandise hasn't even closed yet, but the real-estate company charged with selling the building at 371 S. Broadview St. is already sending out feelers. After 10 years here, K's Merchandise will close soon, probably after the beginning of the year when the bulk of the merchandise is sold. But speculation has already started on what could go into the 87,000-square-foot building and what it will sell for...

Prosecutors rejecting more FBI terror probes...

Power shortage leaves Europe in darkness...

Kelly's state final four run in softball helped the Hawks net four first-team all-state spots in the recently released Missouri Softball Coaches Association all-state team. Senior pitcher Kalie Hughes, senior catcher Summer Proctor, senior third baseman Brittany Ponder and sophomore outfielder Sarah Ruff all made the first team for Class 2...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team had been close to an NCAA tournament berth before, losing narrow decisions in the 2001 and 2002 Ohio Valley Conference tournament finals. But this year the Redhawks finally broke through...

Pizza Hut is stepping up its Cape Girardeau presence with plans to have as many as three restaurants here within the next two years, including a new 4,500-square-foot store at North Pointe Plaza on North Kingshighway. Two years ago, A&D Management of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, bought the Pizza Huts in Cape Girardeau and Jackson and owns 11 Pizza Huts in Missouri. Now, the company wants to freshen its look, location and improve on delivery times...

NEW LONDON, Mo. -- In April 2005, Andy Leake was repairing a tractor when he slipped and fell flat on his back on a concrete slab. Two days later, when he leaned over to pick up a 50-pound bag of seed corn, his life changed. "I was in agonizing pain. It was terrible," said Leake, who uses a powered wheelchair as he runs a family farm of 2,800 acres in Ralls County, about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis. "I had pain across my chest. It was like a belt, all the way around."...

NEW YORK -- Closed-end funds have the misfortune to carry a name that connotes exclusivity, certainly not the more egalitarian overtones of a term like mutual fund. But closed-end funds aren't the province of Wall Street insiders and can be as much an everyman investment tool as mutual funds...

A car crashed through the side of a Cape Girardeau clothing store Monday morning. At 9:54 a.m., the front end of a Chevrolet Suburban plowed into the building, breaking through a wall and window of Thorngate LTD., Outlet Store, 10 N. Sprigg St. The store was closed at the time, and no one was injured. Additional information on the accident, including how the crash occurred, was not immediately available Monday morning...

Johnson rushed for 172 yards, becoming the second straight running back to punish the St. Louis Rams' defense in the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-17 victory on Sunday. It wasn't nearly enough. "I'm a little disappointed because I feel we did leave 200 yards of rushing on that field," Johnson said. "The way we were going out there and just pushing them backward and shakings things up, we should have done even more."...

WASHINGTON -- House control at stake, President Bush campaigned Sunday in endangered Republican districts across GOP-friendly middle America. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, hoping to become the first female speaker, stumped for Democratic challengers in the left-leaning Northeast...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian The Scott City government will likely seek up to $200,000 in state funding to help bring in a new company that will create at least 50 new jobs over the next two years. The city is seeking a Community Development Block Grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development to improve the city's sewer and storm water drainage systems to accommodate the needs of the new company...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian A Cape Girardeau woman's SUV crashed into a clothing store Monday morning as she made a turn from an intersection. The 1997 Chevrolet Suburban crashed through Thorngate LTD. Outlet Store, 10 N. Sprigg St., at 9:54 a.m., police Sgt. Barry Hovis said. No one was injured...

Becoming familiar with every aspect of the county highway department will be the panel's first goal. By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian The Cape Girardeau County Road and Bridge Advisory Board will embark on a detailed review of how road dollars are spent and whether the county's "first-come, first-served" paving policy has been followed, the panel decided Monday...

By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian Montgomery Bank has announced that James P. Limbaugh has been promoted to the newly created position of president of the bank's Commercial Banking Division. Limbaugh will be responsible for the management of the commercial lending activities for the entire bank. He has served in various capacities at Montgomery Bank since 2000...

Cape Girardeau County's new transit system has encountered some growing pains in its first four months but ridership is at expected levels, its executive director told Cape Girardeau city council Monday night. Officials hope the ridership experience will improve with new dispatching software and bus-stop shelters...

Whatever else you do in the voting booth today, don't circle the symbols. Despite the fact that the party symbols -- the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant, the Independent Statue of Liberty and the Progressive leaf -- are still prominently displayed on the ballot, voters no longer have the option of voting a straight-party ticket...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Morley, Mo., woman was bilked out of $550 in an Internet scam police said was run by a Nigerian and two Washington state women. Each scam racked up between $100 and $800, with a total of more than $6,500, from various people throughout the country, according to Longview, Wash., police detective Terry Reece...

Today is Election Day -- perhaps one of the most important midterm elections to come along in a long, long time. This election is being viewed by many as a test of the Bush administration's policies, particularly the course of the war in Iraq. This election may well decide which political party controls one or both houses of Congress -- a change that could be expected to have a sizable impact on most Americans...

Freedom to change REGARDING THE comment that we have enough problems in America, like people living in cardboard boxes: What happens if we bring all of our soldiers back and another terrorist attack occurs and kills these people? They may be living in a cardboard box, but they have the freedom to change...

The Associated Press RIALTO, Calif. -- A wind-driven wildfire scorched more than 300 acres of brush Monday, torched an industrial yard and forced the evacuation of two schools, officials said. The blaze 60 miles east of Los Angeles had threatened 100 homes earlier in the day, but firefighters corralled the fire enough to call off firefighting aircraft within several hours, fire officials said...

The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO -- Microsoft Corp. has upgraded its online mapping service to include three-dimensional tours of 15 U.S. cities, marking another step in its dogged pursuit of Internet search leader Google Inc. With the improvements unveiled Monday, Microsoft is hoping to upstage Google's popular "Earth" software...

By BETH GARDINER The Associated Press LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday he opposed the death penalty for Saddam Hussein even though the deposed Iraqi leader's trial had reminded the world of his brutality. Asked about Saddam's sentence at his monthly news conference, Blair noted that Britain opposed the death penalty "whether it's Saddam or anyone else."...

Shirley Violet Heinrich, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at her home. She was born Jan. 24, 1926, in Chicago, daughter of Albert Otto and Violet (Heller) Brach. She and Clifford A. Heinrich were married July 27, 1951, in Chicago. She was an avid antique collector, buying and selling for many years. She was a resident of Cape Girardeau seven years, moving from Elmhurst, Ill...

Erma E. Martino, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. She was born March 1, 1914, in Mounds, Ill., daughter of Joe P. and Nellie (King) Roberts. Mrs. Martino was a registered nurse at hospitals in Michigan and Delaware...

Frances A. Beck, 85, of Chaffee, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at the Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

George L. Sanders, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 3, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. He was born April 4, 1925, in Vienna, Ill., son of John M. and Winnie Albritten Sanders. He and Helen Priest were married Dec. 15, 1959, in St. Louis. She died Feb. 18, 2000...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Katherine M. Sadler, 70, of Bloomsdale, Mo., formerly of Perryville, died Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City, Mo. She was born June 27, 1936, in Perryville, daughter of Bertrand G. and Frances McCauley Besand. She and James S. Sadler were married Nov. 19, 1955...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lillian V. Hoffman, 93, of St. Charles, Mo., formerly of Perryville, died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at Charlevoix Healthcare Center in St. Charles. She was born July 20, 1913, at Wittenberg, Mo., daughter of Alfred E. and Christina Rabold Mueller. She and Gilbert F. Hoffman were married Aug. 27, 1944. He died April 28, 1989...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jess David "J.D." Schaffer, 75, of Sikeston died Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, in the Emergency Room at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born April 9, 1931, at Kewanee, Mo., son of James Clifford and Mary Magaline Roberts Schaffer. He and Corrine L. Moulder were married May 29, 1950, in Clay County, Ark...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mary L. Mahan, 100, of Charleston, formerly of Mounds, Ill., died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at Charleston Manor Skilled Nursing Facility. She was born Aug. 30, 1906, in Braggadocio, Mo., daughter of Emerson Lee and Lillie London Hamelback. She married George W. Mahan, who died in 1965...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Eathel Maurine Clay, 84, of Marble Hill died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at her home. She was born June 27, 1922, at Dexter, Mo., daughter of Roger and Lessie Marie Brashear Peck Vaughn. She and Franklin Leonard Clay were married June 27, 1963...

John York, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at his home. He was born June 2, 1956, in Cape Girardeau son of Jack and Ellen York. York was a custodian with Cape Girardeau School District. He served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 1982. Survivors include a sister, Patty Lunsford of Cape Girardeau; wife, Nancy York of Scott City; three brothers, Forest Zook of Cape Girardeau, Jack York of Macclenny, Fla., Jim Robison of Crestview, Fla.; and a sister, Mary Russell of Cape Girardeau...

In recent years, Jackson's boys soccer program has had to play second fiddle to the girls team, which has been on a streak of five straight district titles. The boys program has achieved some success of its own, including back-to-back district titles in 1997 and 1998, and is ready to take center stage this season 7 p.m. tonight, when the Indians square off against Hazelwood Central in the Class 3 sectionals at Farmington...

The Notre Dame boys soccer team has racked up impressive records and statistics each of the past three seasons, only to have its season end in disappointing fashion with a district championship loss. The Bulldogs broke through their district barrier Wednesday at Sikeston, and now they will take their first step toward a second state title with a Class 2 quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. tonight against Lutheran South at the Anheuser-Busch Center in Fenton, Mo...

Southeast Missouri State's first experience in the NCAA women's soccer tournament is off to a rousing start. First, the Redhawks were greeted by an enthusiastic gathering of more than 100 supporters Monday afternoon to watch the NCAA selection show at Buffalo Wild Wings...

Paul Azinger took over the U.S. Ryder Cup team in more ways than one, persuading the PGA of America to give him four captain's picks and revamping the criteria so that money and majors determine who makes the team. "I'm going to get the blame if it doesn't work," Azinger said Monday. "I would like some of the credit if it does."...

25 years ago: Nov. 7, 1981 A newly constructed suspension footbridge is dedicated at the I.R. Kelso Wildlife sanctuary just north of Cape Girardeau at Juden Creek; the bridge, which replaces one that was swept away when the creek flooded eight years ago, was constructed by Navy Seabees from the Naval Reserve Training Center here...

Monday Discussion items and appointments Items not on agenda...

Cape teen accused in attack pleads innocent A teenager pleaded innocent Monday to charges accusing him of assaulting a disabled teenager with his own prosthetic leg. Alexander S. Harris, 17, of 1204 Bloomfield St., was charged with felony assault motivated by discrimination in the Sept. ...

Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau city government offices will be closed Friday in observance of the Veterans Day holiday on Saturday. City offices will resume normal business hours Monday. Thursday's trash and recycling collection routes will be picked up on Wednesday. The Friday trash and recycling pick-ups will be made on Thursday. There will be no Wednesday special pick-ups , and all other pick-ups will remain on their normal schedule...

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

Communications Public hearings Consent Ordinances New ordinances Resolutions Appointments Other...

Thele...

The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brooks & Dunn's inspirational song "Believe" won three trophies, including single and song of the year, at the 40th Annual Country Music Association Awards Monday night. But one of the night's more poignant moments came from a winner who wasn't even there -- Keith Urban. The Aussie country star, who last month entered a rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse, won male vocalist of the year for the second year in a row...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

The Associated Press CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- A Marine pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice before testifying that his squad executed a known insurgent who turned out to be a civilian. Lance Cpl. Tyler A. Jackson, 23, entered the pleas through his attorney, Thomas Watt, at a military court hearing...

Tge Associated Press LONDON -- An al-Qaida operative captured in Britain planned to bomb the New York Stock Exchange and plotted a series of murderous attacks on London, including a scheme to blow up a London subway train as it passed below the River Thames, prosecutors said Monday...

Electoral officials have yet to release final results from Sunday's vote. By TRACI CARL The Associated Press MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Daniel Ortega, the revolutionary Marxist who battled a U.S.-backed Contra insurgency in the 1980s, was closing in on Nicaragua's presidency, appearing Monday to have defeated four opponents with promises that he was a changed man...

By BASSEM MROUE The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A day after Saddam Hussein was sentenced to hang, the Shiite-dominated government offered a major concession Monday to his Sunni backers that could see thousands of members of the ousted dictator's Baath party reinstated in their jobs...

The Associated Press MADRID, Spain -- Spanish prosecutors demanded Monday some of the stiffest sentences in the country's history for the seven lead suspects in the 2004 Madrid train bombings, seeking jail terms of more than 38,000 years for each. The sentence request was included in the 300-page pre-trial recommendations that prosecutor Olga Sanchez presented to the National Court on Monday, chief prosecutor Javier Zaragoza told reporters...

By CHRISTY LEMIRE The Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- The Rev. Ted Haggard has been fired amid allegations of gay sex and drug use, but the evangelical leader can still be seen at the height of his powers -- preaching to thousands and condemning homosexuality -- in the documentary "Jesus Camp."...

Two students receive National Merit honors Jackson High School seniors Shannon Felker and Sarah Sutterer have been named "Commended Students" in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program. They placed in the top 5 percent of more than 1.4 million students who entered the competition by taking the 2005 Preliminary SAT-National Merit Scholarship test...

By Emily Viers Special to the Southeast Missourian Cape Central High School students and teachers are familiar with Adam Glueck. The Cape Girardeau police officer walks through the halls of Cape Central in between classes. He serves as the school's resource officer...

Let me introduce myself, my name is Moritz Platscher and I'm from Germany. I'm 16 and will spend the next nine months living in Jackson. I already finished grade 10 in Germany, so I should be in grade 11 right now. But here, at Jackson High School, I'm still considered a sophomore as there are 13 years of school in Germany but only 12 here...

SEATTLE -- Craig Terrill had three of the Seattle Seahawks' nine sacks and Seneca Wallace threw a touchdown pass to get his first win as an NFL starter, a 16-0 victory over the Raiders on Monday night. Wallace went 18-of-30 for 176 yards, and Maurice Morris ran for a career-high 138 yards on 30 carries for the Seahawks (5-3)...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams kickoff returner Tony Fisher is likely out for the rest of the season with a right knee injury, leaving the team short at running back. Results of an MRI exam were not in, but coach Scott Linehan said Monday it was "probable" that Fisher tore a ligament in his ACL. Fisher, also the team's third-down back, was hurt making a cut on his second kickoff return on Sunday against the Chiefs...

By R.B. FALLSTROM The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- There's a perfectly good reason for the St. Louis Rams' three-game losing streak on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Tougher competition has landed the team at .500 midway through Scott Linehan's first year as coach. ...

The same starting five that left the court in Indianapolis with Florida's first national championship will start this season with the No. 1 ranking. The Gators were the runaway choice Monday in The Associated Press' preseason college basketball poll -- no surprise, since they have everyone back for a run at being the first repeat national champion since Duke in 1992...

Riley, Sams win_Point to Point Run Anthony Riley covered the 9.5 miles from HealthPoint Plaza in Cape Girardeau to Main Street Fitness in Jackson in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 31 seconds on Saturday morning to capture the Point-to-Point Run. The race was sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital, which operates both fitness complexes...

Defending national champion Florida returns all five starters. By JIM O'CONNELL The Associated Press Bob Knight needs 11 victories at Texas Tech to put the ultimate stamp on his coaching career. Bob Huggins is back on the bench at Kansas State, looking to re-establish his...

The Associated Press STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State coach Joe Paterno had surgery on his broken left leg and two torn knee ligaments, and plans to coach next weekend -- possibly from a box above the field. The 79-year-old coach underwent surgery Sunday and was resting comfortably the next day at Mount Nittany Medical Center...

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE The Associated Press BOSTON -- Besides extra pounds, dieters also seem to carry a hefty independent streak. A survey finds that 70 percent of Americans who are trying to lose weight are following their own diet plans and have no interest in seeking a doctor's help...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Marshall Brown scored 22 points Monday night as Missouri finished its exhibition season with a 94-40 win over visiting Lithuania Academy. Brown scored 12 of those points in the first half as the Tigers took just nine minutes to build a 20-point lead...

Somewhat lost in the shuffle of Saturday's performance by Tennessee-Martin's nationally ranked defense was the fact Southeast Missouri State's defense was impressive in its own right. While the Skyhawks' defense lived up to its billing during a 28-14 victory at Houck Stadium, the Redhawks' defenders kept their team in the game until almost the very end...

Central High School senior Megan Ruth was in elementary school when she saw images of students fleeing from a Colorado high school. In April 1999, the nation was shocked as two high school students opened fire on their Columbine High School classmates and teachers, and ultimately ended their own lives...

Voters in the Cape Girardeau area likely will face showers when they go to the polls today. Whether rain will affect the Election Day parade of voters remains to be seen. Light rain blanketed the area Monday, and forecasters said similar weather could greet people today with temperatures climbing into the mid-50s to low-60s...

Thank goodness it's Election Day. By now, most Americans are sick and tired of all the negative political advertising. Television is saturated with so many political commercials this time of year that it's painful to watch. In addition, we're flooded with postcards urging us to vote for this candidate or that candidate. We're hounded by phone calls from various candidates and issue campaigns...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- After traveling thousands of miles and spending millions of dollars, Republican Sen. Jim Talent and Democratic challenger State Auditor Claire McCaskill joined other Missourians on Tuesday in casting ballots in their closely-watched U.S. Senate race...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Marshall Brown scored 22 points Monday night as Missouri finished its exhibition season with a 94-40 win over visiting Lithuania Academy. Brown scored 12 of those points in the first half as the Tigers took just nine minutes to build a 20-point lead...

By JENNIFER FREEZE Southeast Missourian The search for a police force in Oran has begun. The city's three police officers, including chief Marc Tragesser, had resigned by 8 a.m. Tuesday, Mayor Tom Urhahn said at a regular board of aldermen meeting Tuesday night...

By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian The last year has been a distressing one for Katie Jenkins of Cape Girardeau, who has spent countless hours waiting and worrying while her father served his yearlong tour of duty in Iraq. "It's been difficult," said the 20-year-old Southeast Missouri State University student. "You try to tune out the fact that he's been in a dangerous place, but it's hard."...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau's financial house appears to be in order, but the city may still be too reliant on sales-tax revenue, according to a recent report. Finance director John Richbourg submitted his quarterly revenue and expense summaries to council members at Monday's city council meeting...

"I feel so betrayed." The statement was startling because of its anger and because the source -- my normally forgiving mom -- who almost never gets worked up. The target of her anger was equally surprising: David Eckstein, the Cardinals' diminutive shortstop and World Series hero...

Gov. Matt Blunt will recognize several area law officials today for their efforts in guaranteeing the funeral of a Jackson soldier was undisturbed by protesters. Blunt issues proclamations just about every month, but today's presentation will be the first time Blunt has honored law enforcement members for upholding the new state law making it a crime to protest in front of or around a funeral's location, spokesman Brian Hauswirth said...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A mother accused of leading her daughter beneath a train that later severed the child's arm pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the incident and was sentenced to one year in jail. Glenda Ross, 34, of Scott City, was originally charged with three counts of felony endangering the welfare of a child in the Oct. ...

Crass commercialism MATT SANDERS doesn't like to pay to go big commercial rock bands because, I guess, he thinks it's uncool. I admire that. However, Sanders seemed to pledge to lower himself to uncoolness if the Show Me Center would book some big commercial rock bands. It bothers me that Sanders would indulge in such a betrayal of his commitment to coolness for crass commercialism...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian In a race that ended in a mirror image of the 2004 contest, Circuit Judge Ben Lewis won two of three counties in the 32nd Judicial Circuit to win a full six-year term on the bench. In 2004, a big win in the smallest constituency, Bollinger County, provided Lewis, a Republican, with the edge needed to take the seat from John Heisserer, a Democrat. In this year's race, Bollinger County went to Heisserer while Lewis captured Perry and Cape Girardeau counties...

By SCOTT MOYERS Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Two incumbents won easily, but a third candidate had to sweat out an evening of ups and downs before winning in a Republican sweep in Bollinger County races for circuit clerk, recorder of deeds and treasurer...

Southeast Missourian PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Voters rejected a $3.36 million general obligation bond issue Tuesday that would have paid off debt for past school improvements and freed up money to further upgrade the Perryville public schools. The vote was 2,531 for the bonds to 3,514 against. The measure needed just over 57 percent approval to pass...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian SIKESTON, Mo. -- This year voters in the 160th District of the Missouri House of Representatives had a choice between two political newcomers -- Republican Ellen Brandom and Democrat Larry Tetley. Both are former business owners, both espoused conservative values, both are from Sikeston. On election night, voters overwhelmingly selected Brandom...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian State Rep. Nathan Cooper, R-Cape Girardeau, fended off a challenge from Democrat Matt Hill Tuesday to retain his seat in the 158th District of the Missouri House of Representatives by a comfortable margin. In Cooper's first run as an incumbent and first general election with a Democratic opponent, he received 62 percent of the 11,938 total votes cast...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian DEXTER, Mo. -- For the second time in two years voters in southwestern Cape Girardeau County appeared to have delivered the 159th District of the Missouri House of Representatives to Billy Pat Wright. In 2004, Cape Girardeau County voters in the 159th District helped put Wright in the Missouri House of Representatives for the first time...

By MARK BLISS Southeast Missourian MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton was re-elected Tuesday to a fourth two-year term in the legislature. Jetton, a Republican, defeated Democratic challenger Michael Winder, an ironworker from Marquand, Mo...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, celebrated her election -day victory with more than 200 supporters at the Drury Lodge. Emerson beat Veronica Hambacker, 59-year-old former president of the Missouri State Teachers Association from Salem, Mo., and will enter her sixth term in Congress...

By JUAN A. LOZANO The Associated Press HOUSTON -- A federal appeals court has upheld a judge's ruling to vacate the conviction of Enron Corp.'s late founder, Kenneth Lay, who had been found guilty earlier this year of committing fraud and conspiracy in one of the biggest corporate scandals in U.S. history...

The Associated Press NEW YORK -- A construction worker was jailed Tuesday on charges of murdering an actress who was found hanging from a shower rod. Diego Pillco, 19, confessed to the slaying of 40-year-old Adrienne Shelly, prosecutor Marit Delozier said at Pillco's arraignment...

The Associated Press CHICAGO -- A United Airlines plane's wing clipped the tail of another jetliner Tuesday morning as they taxied toward takeoff at O'Hare International Airport, aviation officials said. No injuries were reported. One of the planes was turning left and the wing of the second plane, another United flight, hit the first plane's tail, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro...

By IBRAHIM BARZAK The Associated Press BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip -- Israeli forces ended a weeklong offensive Tuesday aimed at halting rocket attacks from this northern Gaza town, leaving behind wrecked homes, uprooted trees and sewage-covered streets. But hours after the pullback, the Palestinian rocket fire resumed...

The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Tired of off-campus parties that are anything but fun for nearby homeowners, elected leaders in this college town on Monday unanimously approved new laws cracking down on nuisance party hosts and their landlords...

By DAVID A. LIEB The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missourians gave low-income workers a raise Tuesday, overwhelming passing a ballot measure to boost the state's minimum wage. The minimum wage increase was supported by nearly three-quarters of the voters, with about half of statewide precincts reporting results...

By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Resurgent Democrats swept toward control of the House and gained ground in the Senate on Tuesday in elections shaped by an unpopular war in Iraq and scandal at home. CNN projected the Democrats will take control...

Freda Lee Suedekum, 82, of Nashville, Tenn., died Saturday, Nov. 4, 2006, at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. She was born March 19, 1924, in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include her husband of 56 years, Almon W. Suedekum; two sons, Lynn Suedekum of Nashville, Ron (Teresa) Suedekum of Franklin, Tenn.; five grandchildren, Heidi, Chris, Maggie, Parker and Garrett Suedekum...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- John Ervin Chanley, 68, of East Prairie died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at his home. He was born May 6, 1938, in East Prairie, son of John Daniel and Alma Ester Flick Chanley. He and Martha Sue Reed were married Aug. 16, 1956, in Corinth, Miss...

Linus A. Heisserer, 87, of Scott City died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Frances Alma Beck, 85, of Chaffee died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born June 27, 1921, at Kelso, Mo., daughter of Louis and Regina Blattel Hahn. She and Wilford "Bill" Beck were married April 10, 1947. He died Jan. 26, 1998...

William Howard "Bill" Gerhardt, 34, of Warrenton, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 6, 2006, at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Washington, Mo. He was born Dec. 20, 1971, in Cape Girardeau, son of Reginald and Dolores Linebarger Gerhardt. He married Jennifer Shanks...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Alfreda Crader, 78, of Paragould, Ark., formerly of Marble Hill, died Sunday, Nov. 5, 2006, at her home. She was born Jan. 17, 1928, at Blodgett, Mo., daughter of Charlie P. and Pearl M. Cobb James. She and Woodrow S. Crader were married June 5, 1946...

Gentry...

FENTON, Mo. -- Notre Dame's record-setting offense was unleashed on Class 2 quarterfinal opponent Lutheran South on Tuesday in a 5-1 rout at the Anheuser-Busch Center. The Bulldogs (24-1) will face West Plains (19-5-2) in the semifinals 6 p.m. Friday back at the Anheuser-Busch Center. This will be the second final four trip for Notre Dame, which won the state title in 2002...

It has been a struggle at times for the Central football team this season -- as a season-ending loss that doubled Sikeston's win total indicated -- but the Tigers were good enough at a key time of the season to make its first appearance in the sectionals since 2003...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- The Jackson Indians came up empty on all fronts of the goal department Tuesday night at Farmington High School. Playing in their first sectional soccer game since 1998, the Indians failed to record the program's first playoff victory, falling 2-0 to Hazelwood Central in the Class 3 contest...

Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina led a preseason All-America team of underclassmen. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward was the top vote-getter Tuesday on the team chosen by the same panel that selects The Associated Press' college basketball poll. Joining Hansbrough were juniors Joakim Noah of Florida, Ronald Steele of Alabama and Glen Davis of LSU and sophomore Brandon Rush of Kansas...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After losing three of four following a 6-0 start, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel is glad to have a week off to regroup. Pinkel said the Tigers (7-3, 3-3 Big 12) aren't ready to panic, despite a tough month that began with a 25-19 loss at Texas A&M on Oct. 14. After beating Kansas State, Missouri lost to Oklahoma and Nebraska, all but eliminating the team from competition for the North division title...

ST. LOUIS -- Former St. Louis Blues defenseman Al MacInnis was named Vice President of Hockey Operations for the team Tuesday. "His knowledge and awareness of the game are well respected in the NHL. He is a first-class person and will play a major role in our quest to build a winner in St. Louis," Blues president John Davidson said in a statement...

Eastern Illinois no longer controls its own destiny in its quest for a second consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship. But the Panthers remained in the hunt Saturday by beating Tennessee State -- and in the process aided Tennessee-Martin's bid for its first OVC title...

American Legion Post 158 The Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158 in Jackson met Sept. 12 and Oct. 10 with Dick Decker, commander, presiding. At the Sept. 12 meeting, Kenny Koehler introduced Rob French and Mark Lewis, who spoke about the baseball program...

With the holidays just around the corner, lots of people are planning to entertain or have houseguests. You want your home to look its best. To that end, we offer some of our favorite cleaning tips to help you get through the season with a bit less stress and your home no worse for the wear...

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and I know many of you are making plans for family gatherings. Family traditions are a wonderful thing, and it would be even better if you would share them. Please send in your favorite Thanksgiving recipes or family traditions so we can have a column full of great recipes and ideas. Send those to me at the e-mail address listed at the end of this column...

25 years ago: Nov. 8, 1981 The Rev. David V. Dissen, who formerly served First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Clearwater, Fla., is installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau; Dr. Robert Sauer, first vice president of the national Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is the guest speaker...

By MARTHA IRVINE The Associated Press CHICAGO -- Some parents are writing their college-age children's resumes. Others are acting as their children's "representatives," hounding college career counselors, showing up at job fairs and sometimes going as far as calling employers to ask why their child didn't get a job...

The following information was released by the office of federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway for defendants who appeared in federal court Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Charles A. Shaw: SENTENCED Name: Randy Green Age: 47 Residence: Sikeston, Mo...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Late returns from Mississippi County Tuesday night show Democrat Steve Hodges will replace Rep. Lanie Black in the 161st District of the Missouri House of Representatives. With all 36 precincts in the district reporting their unofficial totals to the Missouri Secretary of State's office, Hodges held a 153-vote lead over Republican Gary Branum, a New Madrid farmer. ...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Republicans swept all but one of the contested area legislative races, losing the seat GOP committees spent more than $150,000 to defend. The only Democratic victory was in the 161st District, where Steve Hodges of East Prairie defeated Republican Gary Branum of New Madrid in a narrow victory...

Southeast Missourian Cape Girardeau Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones cruised to a fourth term Tuesday, winning a landslide victory over challenger Victor Farrow. Jones, a Republican, ran on a record of sound fiscal management and economic expansion. Farrow, a Democrat, was almost invisible on the campaign trail, not attending many events or campaigning to any extent...

Southeast Missourian A Southern Illinois judge pushing for more diversity in the Metro East-favored 5th Judicial District of the Illinois Appellate Court appeared to unseat the incumbent judge. Saline County Judge Bruce Stewart ran on the Democratic ticket against Republican Judge Stephen McGlynn in Tuesday's election for the appellate district, which encompasses Illinois's 37 southernmost counties...

Southeast Missourian MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- Two Illinois state representatives, one a Republican and the other a Democrat, appeared to be headed for victory Tuesday night in their re-election bids. State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, Ill., was winning by more than a 6,500-vote margin with results in from five of 11 counties in the 118th House District late Tuesday night...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian ANNA, Ill. -- There's a new sheriff in Union County, one who promises to help curb the drug problem in the area. Following the retirement of Jim Nash, Democrat David Livesay beat out Republican Steven J. Hoepker to become the county's new sheriff in Tuesday's election...

The Associated Press CLEVELAND -- Fire swept through a house early Tuesday, killing four children and injuring three other people, one who jumped from a second-story window and two boys who were pulled to safety after a passer-by broke a basement window, a fire official said...

By WILLIAM NSOYOH The Associated Press YENAGOA, Nigeria -- An American and a Briton kidnapped from a ship mapping petroleum deposits off Nigeria's oil-rich southern coast were released Tuesday, government and company officials said. The two men taken hostage Thursday were employed by a Norwegian firm working with Chevron Corp. to map the seabed for potential petroleum deposits when gunmen raided it and fled in speedboats...

Australian Senate votes to lift stem-cell cloning ban CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia's Senate narrowly voted Tuesday to lift the country's ban on cloning human embryos for stem-cell research. The bill, which was approved 34-32, would relax rules on stem-cell research and allow therapeutic cloning of embryos for medical research. The House of Representatives still needs to pass the bill before it becomes law, but lawmakers had expected the Senate to pose the biggest hurdle...

New proof that Southeast Missouri is home to the most intelligent, graceful and beautiful women in the state was provided recently when Amber Seyer of Oran was crowned Miss Missouri USA. Seyer, a junior at Lindenwood College in St. Louis, represented Scott County at the pageant in Springfield...

To the editor: Interests vary among people. Some can be surprisingly strange. Give it a thought, and you just might agree. Did you know a voice can be related to one's personality? That is indeed true, believe it or not. That, in part, is what has prompted me to write...

To the editor: In October 2006, my husband (Johannes Kraemer) and I, (Gail Kraemer, nee Bruening) from Germany, visited Cape Girardeau for the first time to do genealogical research on the Bruening family. Our Bruening research was a real success, and we would like to thank the many family members, friends and others who helped us with the genealogy...

To the editor: To my knowledge, photography has been an accepted art medium for more than 75 years worldwide. In the United States, photography is a part of many notable art institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian Institution...

By Raymond Scalettar An interesting government-funded study recently published in the Archives of Internal Medicine reported that men with healthy lifestyles who consumed light to moderate amounts of liquor, beer or wine had a 40 to 60 percent reduced risk of heart attack compared with men who had similarly healthy lifestyles but did not drink at all...

By ALAN SCHER ZAGIER The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- The eyes of scientists, politicians and business leaders across the country were on Missouri and its proposed constitutional amendment to protect stem-cell research Tuesday. Known as Amendment 2, the ballot measure was the only one nationally in Tuesday's election to directly address the disputed research technique...

By DAVID A. LIEB The Associated Press Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill sought to take away the seat of Republican Jim Talent on Tuesday in one of the nation's tightest -- and potentially pivotal -- Senate races. After a $40 million contest that consumed thousands of campaign miles, early election results confirmed what polls had predicted: a close race...

By CHRISTOPHER WILLS The Associated Press CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich persuaded Illinois voters to put aside any doubts about his honesty Tuesday and give him the chance to tackle an ambitious second-term agenda. His optimistic message -- coupled with millions of dollars worth of negative ads -- overwhelmed Republican Judy Baar Topinka's efforts to focus on federal investigations of the Blagojevich administration and the state's financial problems...

The Associated Press BERLIN -- Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest car maker, said Tuesday that Bernd Pischetsrieder will step down as chief executive after four years and be replaced by Martin Winterkorn, head of the company's premium Audi unit. Pischetsrieder, 58,who got a five-year contract extension in May, leaves with the company profitable but in the midst of a painful cost-cutting program...

By MARCY GORDON The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Consumer borrowing fell in September by the largest amount since the recession of the early 1990s, weakened by a huge drop in auto loans. The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that borrowing declined at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in September, compared with a 4.6 percent rate of increase in August. Borrowing fell by $1.2 billion in September -- the biggest drop since a $1.78 billion decrease in April 1992...

Southeast Missouri State placed women's basketball coach B.J. Smith on leave Thursday for personal reasons, athletic director Don Kaverman said. "We're not commenting on the reasons," Kaverman said Thursday. He added that the leave, during which time Smith will be paid, was indefinite...

Southeast Missourian A man who allegedly threatened to kill his girlfriend was charged with domestic assault Wednesday. Danny Bierschwal, 36, of Risco, Mo., is accused of waving a knife in front of his 38-year-old girlfriend and her two teenage sons around 10 p.m. Tuesday in Cape Girardeau, police Cpl. Jason Selzer said...

The event was to gauge the county's readiness for the arrival of an airborne disease like avian flu. By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian Asking "what if" can be fun, but when contagious disease is the topic, the implications are deadly serious. Approximately 65 area officials, medical professionals, first responders and others met Wednesday at the Osage Community Centre for a "table top" exercise. ...

Southeast Missouri State University plans to rely on a major St. Louis developer to transform approximately 400 acres of farmland into retail stores, commercial businesses, science and technology research operations and residential development. School officials are looking at inking an agreement with THF, which has developed a number of mixed-use developments...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- People wishing to protest at funerals of soldiers may find it much more difficult to do in Missouri with law enforcement agencies willing to ensure the services are protected, Gov. Matt Blunt said Wednesday. In the governor's Jefferson City office, Blunt issued a proclamation to Cape Girardeau-area law enforcement officials who worked to enforce Missouri's Funeral Protest Law...

Election night difficulties led to late returns from some area counties Tuesday night, causing final vote counts to be delayed until near midnight in some cases. In both Stoddard and Mississippi counties, several ballots were rejected by optical scan machines and had to be taken before a resolution board to verify voter intent...

Just one vote I WONDER how many political candidates realize that very little of what they said had much influence on voters, who know the candidates can't do what they promise. They only have one vote if they get elected. Best subdivision I AM a property owner and resident of Whispering Oaks subdivision in Cape Girardeau. ...

First the Southeast Missouri State University women's soccer team clinched the Ohio Valley Conference title Sunday, which guaranteed it a place in the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. And the best part was that the team would be making its first NCAA appearance in St. Louis...

In a recent news story in the Southeast Missourian, a woman was described as a "Bootheel author." As it turns out, she is from Bloomfield, Mo. Bootheel? As it turns out, folks in Southeast Missouri are just as particular about their geographic designations as Missourians statewide are about the pronunciation of MissourEE. Or is it MissourUH?...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian The barrage of on-air advertising, direct mail and telephone calls is over, and Marble Hill, Mo., voter Lela Green was ready for it to end after voting Tuesday. Green, who at 80 has been voting since Harry Truman was president, said she was almost unable to use her telephone with all the intrusive pleas for a vote...

By DERRILL HOLLY The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested Wednesday as she led about 50 protesters to a White House gate Wednesday to deliver anti-war petitions she said were signed by 80,000 Americans. The Berkeley, Calif., woman, whose son was killed in Iraq more than two years ago, was arrested along with three other women on the sidewalk outside the White House gate, said Lt. ...

By MARYCLAIRE DALE The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA -- Bill Cosby settled a lawsuit Wednesday with a woman who said the entertainer drugged and sexually assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia. Terms of the settlement will remain confidential, according to a one-paragraph statement released jointly by both sides...

By PAUL HAVEN The Associated Press MADRID, Spain -- The electoral rebuke for President Bush and the resignation of his defense secretary, both deeply unpopular away from American shores over the Iraq war, was celebrated throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia...

By HENRY MEYER The Associated Press MOSCOW -- Russia has rejected European-proposed U.N. sanctions aimed at forcing Iran to halt its suspected nuclear weapons drive, but Moscow appears to be applying its own pressure by threatening to delay a key nuclear power project...

The new look is part of extensive repairs necessary after an escape attempt. The Associated Press BUFFALO, Mo. -- Prisoners returning to a southwest Missouri county jail damaged in a failed breakout will find a new color scheme -- pink with blue teddy bear accents...

The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- City officials in Kansas City were reeling Wednesday, a day after voters approved a ballot initiative that requires the city to build a light-rail system. Expected to go down in flames like six previous ballot attempts had, the initiative instead passed overwhelmingly in four metro area counties, despite what critics said was a lack of specifics on how the project would work and a source of money too small to do the job...

By JIM SUHR The Associated Press CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Dogged by allegations of plagiarism and "intellectual dishonesty," Southern Illinois University's chancellor will be replaced with an interim chief of the 20,000-student Carbondale campus, the university system's president announced Wednesday...

By DAVID ESPO The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Restored to power, congressional Democrats pledged Wednesday to press for a new course in Iraq and move promptly to raise the minimum wage. "We will not disappoint" the American people, said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, speaker-in-waiting...

By BOB LEWIS The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. -- Democrat Jim Webb won Virginia's pivotal Senate race Wednesday, unseating Republican George Allen and giving the Democrats total control of Congress for the first time in 12 years. After GOP Sen. Conrad Burns' loss in Montana, the Virginia contest was the last undecided Senate race in the country. Webb's victory gave the Democrats 51 Senate seats and majorities in both the House and Senate for the first time since 1994...

By ROBERT BURNS and KATHERINE SHRADER The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- After years of defending his secretary of defense, President Bush on Wednesday announced Donald H. Rumsfeld's resignation within hours of the Democrats' triumph in congressional elections. Bush reached back to his father's administration to tap a former CIA director to run the Pentagon...

Southeast Missourian Ten volunteers were honored for their service since the center's opening in 2001 at a recent Cape County Archive Center event. Altogether, 81 individuals, plus the Jackson High School Honor Society, have worked 7,230 hours processing records, deeds, creating huge probate and circuit court databases and creating an 1890 census book...

Southeast Missourian One-of-a-kind holiday gift items can be found at the 11th annual Christmas Extravaganza scheduled for Nov. 17 to 19 near Jackson. The best thing about the show is that proceeds from the event will benefit the Notre Dame Performing and Visual Arts Program, Operation Freedom Soldier Christmas packages, Toys for Tots and Christmas for the Elderly...

ORAN, Mo. -- William H. "Bill" Jansen, 81, of Oran died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006, at the Lutheran Home. He was born March 21, 1925, at Leopold, Mo., son of Henry Joseph and Caroline Arnzen Jansen. He and Dorothy Schoen were married July 14, 1945, at New Hamburg, Mo...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- James H. Robinson, 74, of Advance died Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 28, 1932, at Enough, Mo., son of the Rev. Andy and Lucy Morley Robinson. He and Francis Dentson were married April 12, 1952, at Arbor, Mo. She died in 1991...