Stories from Wednesday, January 3, 2007

AmerenUE's biggest electricity customers have had their say on the utility's request for a rate increase. Now it is the public's turn. At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the Missouri Public Service Commission will hold simultaneous public hearings in Cape Girardeau and Dexter, Mo., on Ameren's request to charge customers a total of $360.7 million more annually for electricity. ...

A Cape Girardeau man who used another man's prosthetic leg to attack him will spend the next six months in Cape Girardeau County Jail after pleading guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor assault. Alexander S. Harris, 1204 Bloomfield St., attacked a disabled man in the parking lot of the victim's apartment building complex at 921 Hackberry St. in the early hours of Sept. 3...

CAIRO, Ill. -- An Anna, Ill., man is in custody, charged with felony aggravated battery with a firearm and felony aggravated battery Tuesday, said Alexander County Sheriff's Capt. Arnold Burris. Tyler Jay Baine, 37, is accused of stabbing one man and shooting another at about 4 a.m. Sunday in the Hush Puppy Saloon in McClure, Ill...

For us average Joes, it's the perfect time to kick bad habits, do a few push-ups and shoot for the stars. For elected officials, there is a much greater opportunity. The 110th Congress, which convenes Thursday, was elected to bring change. During the November election there was a powerful national sentiment that the 109th batch was a rival for ineptitude with Harry Truman's famous "do-nothing Congress" of 1948...

Below minimum; CATS on buses?; Menu selections; A great time; Enjoy the column; Miss the sparkle; Cooking pralines; Parking problem; Shining star; Good dog walkers; Unfriendly parking; Instant gratification; Legal power grab; Weakening rights; No big bills; Phone intruders; Covered with mud; Flag etiquette; Christmas thanks; Thanks for phone; Special recognition; Slow pace

To the editor:All of this finger-pointing, blaming and name-calling is so typical coming from most of the right-wing Republicans in this area. To claim that Democrats and liberals are to blame for the animosity in politics is absurd. To claim that Jane Fonda and the young Clintons of the 1960s are to blame for the conditions we live in today are so senseless. This should show everyone how closed-minded and illogical these people really are...

To the editor:It's heartbreaking to me that in the age of economic growth, Cape Girardeau has yet to step up. I'm a native of Cape yet choose to live elsewhere to survive financially. I would love to reside in Cape and be closer to my family. However, there are no jobs to keep residents afloat and offer viable wages. ...

Rodney Miller was the dean of Missouri county clerks when he retired from Cape Girardeau County government service last week. For 28 years he supervised county elections and handled county business with widely admired professionalism. A former football player, high school and college coach and longtime official for area prep games, Miller was the go-to guy when the county commission needed advice about insurance coverage, tax questions or any of the myriad issues that confront a county...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold two safety seminars this month, one for motor carriers and the other for farmers. Both sessions will be held at the MoDOT regional office in Sikeston, officials said. On Jan. 23, MoDOT will update motor carriers on the latest commercial vehicle safety regulations and federal hazardous materials rules. ...

Charges have been filed against a Cape Girardeau man after his disappearance Nov. 16 as a witness in October shootings involving five men. Xavier J. Norwood, 19, also known as Robert Norwood, is being sought for his participation in two of the incidents...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Joyce James is a familiar face at the Bollinger County Library, always ready with a book suggestion for patrons. And although she has no formal training as a librarian, James is such a vital staff member that she's been named Missouri's Outstanding Library Employee for 2006...

The Missouri Department of Revenue will eliminate more than a third of its auditing staff positions in its Cape Girardeau fiscal services division office by February, an agency spokeswoman said Tuesday. Agency officials plan to eliminate five of the current 13 auditing jobs in the local office at 3102 Blattner Drive...

A 26-year-old Cape Girardeau woman is in custody after reportedly stabbing her boyfriend in the chest Friday. Beverly D. Haley, of 735 William St., Apt. 7, is in Cape Girardeau County Jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond, charged with first-degree domestic assault. The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years if convicted...

Southeast Missourian A woman and a girl were injured in a one-car accident on Cape Rock Drive Tuesday evening. Cape Girardeau Fire Battalion Chief Bob Kembel said the driver of the vehicle reportedly struck a utility pole near Lexington Avenue and overturned in the road about 6:09 p.m...

Sue Anne Rademaker, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006, at her home. She was born Feb. 5, 1946, in Sparta, Tenn., daughter of Willie Carson and Peggy Anne Herndon Brown. She and Tim Rademaker were married Aug. 24, 1968, in Strongsville, Ohio...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Steven P. Dain, 60, of Olive Branch died Monday, Jan. 1, 2007, at his home, following an extended illness. He was born Sept. 12, 1946, in Cairo, Ill., son of Albert E. and Sue LeSar Dain. Mr. Dain retired from Cairo High School where he was a teacher and guidance counselor 31 years. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Leon Lauck, 65, formerly of Chaffee, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. Announcement courtesy of Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- The Rev. Cletes Eugene Miller, 84, of Marion, Ill., formerly of Carbondale, Ill., and Murphysboro, died Monday, Jan. 1, 2007, at Parkway Manor in Marion. He was born June 17, 1922, at Thebes, Ill., son of Eugene and Alma Webb Miller. He was married Oct. 28, 1939, to Ethel Sams...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Helen Marie Crump, 81, of Chaffee died Monday, Jan. 1, 2007, at her home. She was born June 25, 1925, at Chaffee, daughter of Fred and Coletta Regina Compas Lux. Crump was a retired supervisor for the Thorngate LTD in Chaffee. She was a volunteer for the nursing home ombudsman for the Southeast Missouri area. She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church and Daughters of St. Ambrose...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Terry Ray Hampton, 55, of Perryville died Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006, at his home. He was born July 4, 1951, in Sikeston, Mo., son of Joe M. and Emma Berniece Franks Hampton. Hampton was a meat cutter several years at Stan's Food Mart. He lived in Sikeston most of his life. He was a former member of Concordia Lutheran Church and recently became a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville...

Humphrey Denny Davis, 79, of Fayette, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, at Cooper County Memorial Hospital in Boonville, Mo. Davis was a reporter at the Southeast Missourian from 1951 to 1954. He was born May 8, 1927, in Fayette, son of Lionel Winchester and Sarah Elizabeth Denny Davis. He and Barbara Ellen Hartsgrove were married June 6, 1954...

THEBES, Ill. -- Thelma Aileen Renshaw, 75, of Thebes died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 23, 1931, in Gale, Ill., daughter of Alma Adams. Renshaw graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and Edwardsville with a master's degree in library science. She had been a teacher and librarian more than 30 years. She was a member of American Association of Librarians and member of Latter-Day Saints...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Charleen M. Stevens, 46, of Perryville died Monday, Jan. 1, 2007, at her home. She was born Oct. 11, 1960, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of James and Lillian Moonier Schmidt. Stevens was employed in housekeeping. Survivors include two sons, Westley Barnett and Josh Stevens of Perryville; two sisters, Joyce Favier of High Ridge, Mo.; Sharon Brown of Perryville; two brothers, Gerald and Paul Schmidt of Perryville...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Lindell Joy Myers Sr., 71, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, at his home. He was born Dec. 26, 1935, son of Walter and Eva Jordan Myers. He and Hester Francis were married in November 1953. She died in June 1981. He later married Christene Hill April 17, 1982...

Todd E. Sides, 26, of Jackson died Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 22, 1980, in Cape Girardeau, son of Terry L. and Cheryl Penny Sides. He was a 1998 graduate of Jackson High School and had been employed at the T. Wayne Lewis Family Dentistry in Jackson since his graduation...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Charles F. "Jake" Richardet, 78, of Alsip, Ill., formerly of Perryville, died Sunday, Dec. 24, 2006, at his home. He was born Feb. 29, 1928, at Perryville, son of Lester and Florence Layton Richardet. Richardet first married Mary Lou Enlow. He later married Betty Lois Cox, who died Sept. 26, 1974. He then married Ida Lucenti...

n At 7:24 a.m., medical assist at 3100 Mimosa Drive. n At 10:10 a.m., alarm sounding at 2825 Bloomfield Rd. n At 11:45 a.m., citizen assist in the 400 block of South Benton Street. n At 3:36 p.m., box alarm at 518 S. Benton St. n Emergency medical service at Bainbridge Road...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests; Summonses; DWI; Thefts; Property damage; Miscellaneous; Jackson: DWI; Assault; Summons; Thefts; Property damage; Miscellaneous

The Scott City Council expressed frustration with Union Pacific Railroad at its regular council meeting Monday night over late notice of blocked intersections in the city. Council members say the railroad didn't notify them in enough time that crossings at Oak and Rose Con streets would be blocked...

In the year just ended, the city of Cape Girardeau issued 377 building permits for an aggregate cost of $10,439,514; major projects completed during the year included the Marquette Cement Mfg. Co.'s new plant and West Park Mall. John T. Hedden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Hedden of Cape Girardeau, has been recommended by Sen. John C. Danforth as a finalist in competition for appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for the class beginning in the summer of 1982...

With the ushering in of a new year, I have to stop and count my many blessings -- which add up to far more than I deserve. Among those many gifts I have been given are members of my precious family. As my nieces become adults I have a different relationship with them, and it's so much fun. My niece Christa has been trying new recipes occasionally and she has one that is a real keeper. Add this recipe to your files for this new year...

HADLEY, Mass. -- Her eyes wide, 5-year-old Naomi Burisov licks the frosting off her cupcake and settles into her favorite part of cooking class: Eating. "Mmm, I like the chocolate," she says as she sits with 12 aproned children and their parents at a sold-out kids cooking class offered by her local Whole Foods grocer. "I love making all the stuff."...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A man hunting for American Indian artifacts with his sons along a gravel bar on the Missouri River has uncovered an ancient fishhook that is making collectors envious. "The first thing I thought is, 'I hope this isn't metal,'" said Eric Henley, who found the hook last month near McBaine...

In an ambitious move, the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart, is seeking to make 2007 a year of increased energy efficiency by pushing the sales of environmentally friendly light bulbs. Wal-Mart hopes to sell 100 million 13-watt, compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in the coming year. This increase by the sales giant would increase the total sales of the bulbs in the United States by 50 percent, according to industry statistics cited by the New York Times...

SEATTLE -- Starbucks Corp. is cutting trans fats from the doughnuts, muffins and other treats in half of its U.S. stores and plans to eventually drop the artery-clogging fats from company-operated coffeehouses across the country. The world's largest specialty coffee retailer has been working to eliminate trans fats from its food menu for about two years, spokesman Brandon Borrman said Tuesday...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, facing a Democratic-controlled Congress for the first time, is urging lawmakers to work with his administration and warning that "political statements" in the form of legislation would result in a stalemate. "Together, we have a chance to serve the American people by solving the complex problems that many don't expect us to tackle, let alone solve, in the partisan environment of today's Washington," Bush wrote in a guest column for The Wall Street Journal posted on the newspaper's Web site Tuesday night.. ...

REMBANG, Indonesia -- Fishing boats rescued dozens of survivors from the sea Tuesday, four days after a ferry went down in a storm off Indonesia. But 400 other people remained missing. Strong winds and poor visibility prevented aircraft from joining the search Tuesday, but ships patrolled the waters off the Java coast in the area where the ferry sank before midnight Friday...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- For hundreds of young men, the promise of a brighter future and the Somali government's victory over a fundamentalist Islamic movement were symbolized by a flickering blue screen in a dusty Mogadishu movie theater. "This is freedom and entertainment," Ahmed Abdi Ali said Tuesday as an Indian movie about a torrid love triangle played -- the kind of film that was banned by the Muslim militants. "The Islamic courts are gone."...

MAKASSAR, Indonesia -- Relatives waiting for news about a missing jetliner broke down in tears Tuesday after learning that senior Indonesian officials erroneously reported the Boeing 737's charred wreckage had been found and that a dozen people may have survived...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's prime minister ordered an investigation Tuesday into Saddam Hussein's execution to try to uncover who taunted the former dictator in the last minutes of his life, and who leaked inflammatory footage taken by camera phone of the hanging...

HENLEY-ON-KLIP, South Africa -- Oprah Winfrey headed a celebrity lineup that included Tina Turner and Spike Lee at the opening Tuesday of the talk show queen's new leadership academy for poor South African girls. The true stars, though, were Sade and Megan, whose father killed their mother and then himself; Zodwa, whose mother died of AIDS, and some 150 other girls who Winfrey said had a "light so bright" that it shone through their deprivation and helped their dreams come true...

DETROIT -- Two people were found stabbed to death Tuesday morning at a sports bar owned by Detroit Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, authorities said. Police arrested a former employee, according to news reports. The victims were a man and woman who both worked for Cheli's Chili Bar, officials said. They were found shortly after 9 a.m. on the restaurant's second floor, said police spokeswoman Yvette Walker...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Boise State Broncos left their resort hotel Tuesday to make room for the Florida Gators, who arrived to prepare for next week's BCS title game against Ohio State. But the ninth-ranked Broncos remained the talk of college football on the day after their exhilarating 43-42 overtime victory over No. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri government isn't spending enough to ensure public school children get a proper education, about half of the state's school districts argue in a trial beginning Wednesday. The trial comes nearly three years after the lawsuit was filed and follows a similar court battle that ended in 1993, when Cole County Circuit Judge Byron Kinder ruled the state's plan for funding public schools was unconstitutional. ...

For Christmas, my mom bought me a 15-piece pot and pan set. I'm still not sure if she gave the set to me as a joke after I acknowledged I didn't know the difference between a sauce pan and a skillet, or if she wants me to improve my cooking skills. Either way, I haven't used them yet -- don't worry Mom, I will!...

BOSTON -- In a suspense-filled final day of the legislative session, Massachusetts lawmakers kept alive a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday that would put a stop to gay marriage in the only state that allows same-sex couples to wed. The vote came after weeks of mounting legal and political pressure on legislators from both sides in the debate...

WASHINGTON -- The hours spent sitting in doctors' waiting rooms, in line for the CT scan, watching chemotherapy drip into veins: Battling cancer steals a lot of time -- at least $2.3 billion worth in the first year of treatment alone. So says the first study to try to put a price tag to the time that people spend being treated for 11 of the most common cancers...

ST. LOUIS -- Andy Murray's start as coach of the St. Louis Blues has been a big success. Except when he's facing the Chicago Blackhawks. Nikolai Khabibulin made 38 saves and the Blackhawks erased a third-period deficit with a three-goal flurry in a 4-1 victory Tuesday night. Last month, they spoiled Murray's debut in St. Louis with three third-period goals in a 3-2 victory...

WHITTINGTON, Ill. -- The latest perspectives on critical crop production issues for corn, soybean and wheat growers will be discussed at the Southern Illinois Crop Management Conference Jan. 30 and 31 at the Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center, Whittington, Ill...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Education, health care and taxes -- the big three of domestic issues -- all will be on the agenda as Missouri lawmakers convene today for their annual session. Republican Gov. Matt Blunt and legislative leaders want to cut taxes -- the question is which ones, and by how much -- as one way to deal with an expected revenue surplus...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Jerry Bagby is typical of the oil men who are prospecting for a fortune in the Midwestern biofuels boom. He's convinced there's oil in these hills -- and he's found a well that no one else is using. Bagby and a longtime friend have cobbled together $5 million to build a new biodiesel plant on the lonely croplands outside this Stoddard County town. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Mike Anderson's defense-first system is making a believer of Stefhon Hannah. The junior college transfer, in his first year with the Tigers, added five steals to his NCAA-leading average Tuesday as Missouri beat Mississippi State 83-75. He also scored a career-high 27 points to go with five rebounds and five assists for the Tigers (11-2)...

DENVER -- National Guard helicopters dropped emergency food bundles and bales of hay for people and livestock trapped by snowdrifts as high as rooftops Tuesday after back-to-back blizzards paralyzed the Plains. At least a dozen deaths were blamed on a weekend storm that knocked out electricity to tens of thousand of people in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma and left herds of cattle without food or water. ...

MIAMI -- For much of the Orange Bowl, the high-powered Louisville Cardinals were stalled in neutral. They blew a field goal, lost two fumbles and dropped a potential touchdown pass. But despite the rash of mistakes, there was no stopping the Cardinals from their first major-bowl victory in 15 years...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- As a point guard, Tarina Nixon usually isn't in a position to grab many offensive rebounds -- especially not directly underneath the opposing team's basket. But, by her own admission, Nixon was in the right place at the right time Tuesday in the late stages of a tight Ohio Valley Conference contest...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- This time, Southeast Missouri State made sure it would not experience another heart-breaking Ohio Valley Conference defeat. And thanks to a monster second half, the Redhawks kicked their six-game losing streak to the curb in a big way...

Woodland and Oran rolled to easy victories Tuesday night in the first round of the Delta New Years Tournament. Woodland built a 16-point by halftime and defeated Chaffee 62-49, while Oran also led by 16 points by halftime as it posted a 55-17 victory over Meadow Heights...

Chaffee's field of mayoral candidates has expanded to four with less than two weeks left in the filing period for the April municipal election. The most recent candidate to enter the race is Ron Davis, a general contractor with 15 to 20 years of experience in Chafee's city government as a councilman. Davis, a Chaffee resident for about 40 years, said he thinks the city government should be run similar to a business, providing service as efficiently as possible to its customers, city residents...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The nation remembered Gerald R. Ford on Tuesday for what he didn't have -- pretensions, a scheming agenda, a great golf game -- as much as for the small-town authenticity he brought to the presidency. In an elaborate national funeral service in Washington and then more simply at his final homecoming in Grand Rapids, the 38th president was celebrated for treating politics as a calling rather than blood sport...

Please, bow your heads for a moment of silence for 2006. It was a good year, it was a bad year, it was a year of "truthiness." It was a year that saw the situation in Iraq worsen, the death of James Brown, the formation of the Raconteurs and a Democratic election win. An odd year, right?...

Meet Liesl Schoenberger, violinist, fiddler and on-and-off member of the famous Mike Renick Band. If you've seen Liesl jamming with Mike and crew, then you know just how good she is. Liesl is far from your typical musician. Some have said she's a prodigy on the violin, others have called her a "wunderkind." Since she was a child Liesl has spent a large chunk of her life studying and playing the violin, a path that has led her to learn with the likes of Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer at Carnegie Hall.. ...

Hello Friends, my name is Ilene and I am your new columnist. I hope you enjoy the below material. Does anyone remember "Archie" comic books? If not, I don't know where you've been for the past seven decades, but I won't hold that against you. I grew up borderline obsessed with the slick little paperbacks and even met one of the illustrators for "Archie." I also met Marie from "Sesame Street," but that is another story...

JANUARY 6 Contra Dance: Want to learn how to dance the old-school way? The Cape Girardeau Friends of Traditional Music and Dance will host its Contra Dance at Christ Episcopal Church from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The dance is taught and called to live music, and no experience is necessary. The event is open to the public...

Local radio, through no fault of its own, was already being phased out by the illegal music pirates who could just as easily make hundreds of burnt albums of their favorite artists than wait for said artists to be played on any station. But now the Whithers Broadcastings and River Radios of the world have more to worry about, and some of the blame rests squarely on their own shoulders...

Was I envious -- nay, jealous of the fall 2006 graduates of Southeast Missouri State University? I suppose that I was. I could have given my time in college a little longer; OK ... community college. Just the same, there's a ton of stuff I missed out on: Lively debate, socializing, networking, etc. ...

Party Nate and Shiv Schiwitz can melt your face in three different genre's of music. The notorious pair, while unassuming and goofy-looking on first glance, are actually the driving force behind three of Cape Girardeau's top bands: Squadcar, a punk-metal project with tracks like "I Hate Jackson" and "Will You Help Me Move;" Pizzasauras Rex, the most serious of the three, is more pop-rock than anything; and the world-famous Rock Solid, the 80s metal, in-your-face, shredder-fest these guys are most famous for.. ...