Stories from February 2007

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Ballpark Village project in St. Louis could be delayed for more than two months, the result of a stall in negotiations between the city and the developer. A City Hall hearing scheduled for Wednesday was canceled. The mayor's office attributed the holdup to haggling over legal language. But an alderman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the delay was the result of significant changes sought by Baltimore-based Cordish Co....

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A snowsuit may have saved a 3-year-old St. Louis boy thrown from his mother's SUV after it was struck by a stolen Jeep. Juanesea Logan's Chevy Blazer was stopped Wednesday evening at an intersection on the city's north side when it was struck by a stolen Jeep Cherokee that was being chased by police. The impact knocked Logan's son, Keith Falker Jr., from the vehicle...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt has organized a group, largely made up of state employees, to continue efforts to improve the state's mental health system. The Mental Health Transformation Working Group will use a $14.2 million federal grant to create a comprehensive state mental health plan, with efforts at work force development, improving technology and training, among other things, the governor's office said Wednesday...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A city board overstepped its authority when it removed a convicted felon from the Feb. 27 city primary ballot without requiring the candidate's accuser to present evidence, Associate Judge Rodney Clutts said in an order reinstating Charles Koen's candidacy for city council...

Feb. 1, 2007 Dear David, A book I'm reading claims to contain the secret of life. I'm a sucker for claims like that. I have books on the secrets of golf in general, putting, the swing plane and the swing tempo, along with books on the secrets of relationships, sex, meditation, martial arts, yoga, the harmonica, the guitar, Venice, Paris and more...

Cape Girardeau school board members have yet to see the audit report of the school district's finances for the past fiscal year, even though board policy required them to approve it three months ago. Brenda McCowan, finance director for the school system, has a draft copy of the audit for the 2005-2006 fiscal year, which ended June 30, but she's holding onto it for now...

While water skiing with her friends at Lake Wappapello in the summer of 1970, Judy McMullin lost her brand-new high school class ring. "I had only had it a month," said McMullin, a graduate of Central High School who now lives in Chaffee, Mo. "I was so disappointed that I'd lost it so soon."...

Historic parts of Cape Girardeau will have a little more light shed on them beginning Monday. At 8 a.m. today, crews from Cotner Electric Co. will begin installing nine 13-foot street lamps in areas leading from the new Southeast Missouri State University River Campus to downtown...

Cape Girardeau public works crews hit the streets Wednesday afternoon to put down a protective layer of salt in anticipation of the city's first measurable snowfall this winter. Clouds that moved over early in the afternoon spit only a few flakes by dark, but forecasters stood by a prediction that up to an inch of snow would fall overnight...

More than 16,000 alumni of Southeast Missouri State University live in the St. Louis area, ranking the Cape Girardeau school seventh among the largest college and university alumni groups in the metropolitan area. The St. Louis Business Journal recently ranked the top 25 colleges in terms of alumni living in the St. Louis area...

About 40 members of the Cape Girardeau Lions Club got a sneak peek at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus for the Visual and Performing Arts Wednesday. Site manager Carl Cooper said work is on schedule for a fall semester opening. Separate sections of the campus, though, will be substantially complete at different times...

Southeast Missourian The Missouri Senate on Wednesday confirmed James P. "Jim" Limbaugh as the newest member of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents. Limbaugh, 52, of Cape Girardeau, is regional president of Montgomery Bank. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in teaching from Southeast...

Cape Girardeau police found a man wanted for murder when officers arrested him late Tuesday night on suspicion for drug and weapons charges. Deniquay T. Jefferson, 23, address unknown, is wanted for murder in Flint, Mich., police said. Jefferson was arrested near the intersection of Broadview Street and Spartech Drive at about 11:22 p.m. after a struggle with police, Cpl. Jason Selzer said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- In the last two days in Sikeston, two search warrants have been served, three people have been arrested, three guns recovered, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and a runaway juvenile from Memphis, Tenn., have been found. According to a news release issued Wednesday by Sikeston Department of Public Safety director Drew Juden, police officers arrested Travis Williams, 25, Tuesday. He had been sought during Operation Jack Frost in December...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Southwest Missouri may be getting the state's first major natural history museum, thanks in part to an Ice Age cave that is drawing national attention for its treasure trove of fossils from an era when giant animals roamed the earth...

9 a.m. today County Administration Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson Routine business n Payroll change form Action items n Pulaski County order regarding State of Missouri v. Justin Brown Discussion items and appointments n 10 a.m., Jack Green and Kara Clark regarding health reimbursement accounts...

Two planned Cape Girardeau seminars on building codes have attracted 30 to register so far. The seminars to be held at the Osage Community Centre will focus on residential and commercial building codes, respectively. The seminars are being sponsored by five area cities and Southeast Missouri State University...

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson and Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Mehner will lead the annual "State of the City" town hall meeting Friday. The forum will take place at 8 a.m. Friday at the First Friday Coffee program held every month at the Show Me Center...

Bootheel man arrested for statutory rape CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A Pemiscot County man was arrested for the alleged statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl, Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department Lt. Ryan Holder said Tuesday. Johnnie R. Greenway, 22, of Caruthersville confessed to the alleged crimes and was charged with two counts of second-degree statutory rape as the result of an investigation by the Caruthersville Police Department and the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department, Holder said. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The investigation of child kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin has expanded, with authorities searching one of his previous homes and investigators in Illinois looking into a possible connection to the 2003 murder of a 7-year-old boy. Devlin, a 41-year-old pizzeria manager, faces kidnapping charges in two rural Missouri counties for the abductions of Shawn Hornbeck and 13-year-old Ben Ownby. ...

Arrests; Arrest

NEW YORK -- The United States lags far behind virtually all wealthy countries with regard to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding, a new study by Harvard and McGill University researchers says...

BOSTON -- Several illuminated electronic devices planted at bridges and other spots in Boston threw a scare into the city Wednesday in what turned out to be a publicity campaign for a late-night cable cartoon. Most if not all of the devices depict a character giving the finger...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Best-selling author and columnist Molly Ivins, the sharp-witted liberal who skewered the political establishment and referred to President Bush as "Shrub," died Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 62. Ivins died at her home while in hospice care, said David Pasztor, managing editor of the Texas Observer, where Ivins had once been co-editor...

WASHINGTON -- Thousands of the nation's richest farmers would lose their government subsidies under a Bush administration plan to curb farm spending. Proposals released Wednesday would reduce federal agriculture spending by $18 billion over the next five years. They represent President Bush's vision of a new farm bill: a system of supports that would protect farm income and crop prices and keep food prices stable...

n At 6:31 p.m., medical assist in the 1400 block of Water Street. n At 9:35 p.m., medical assist in the 200 block of South Lorimier Street. n At 6:40 a.m., fuel spill in the southbound lanes at the 92 mile marker of Interstate 55. n At 7:25 p.m. emergency medical service in the 700 block of New Madrid Street...

Maddox; Simelton; Patterson-Pratt; Meyer; Palmer; Hawn

Elizabeth "Betty" Bahn Reese died Tuesday Jan. 23, 2007, in Little Rock, Ark. She was born Nov. 9, 1917, to Emil L. and Viola E. Taylor Bahn in the house they built at 428 Themis Street in Cape Girardeau. She descended from her father's German stock traced back to the 1500s and her mother's German and British stock -- some of the latter were in the U.S. by colonial times...

Jane Ellen Poston, 69, of Omaha, Neb., passed away peacefully Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007, at Mercy Medical Center in Merced, Calif. She was born Jan. 5, 1938, at Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of Joseph and Lola Mae Ward McAllister. She and Norman Poston were united in marriage Aug. 18, 1956...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Candius Eugina "Candy" Rose, 44, of Morley died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007, at her home. She was born Sept. 28, 1962, in Sikeston, Mo., daughter of Bob and Betty Ingram Wallace. She and Allan Rose were married May 15, 1990, at Benton, Mo...

The Lord answered all of our prayers throughout his illness. When we asked the Lord if he could stay, He said "No, I want my son home." Billy Ray "B.R." Johnson went home to be with the Lord Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007, while surrounded by his wife, daughters and nephew, Mike...

Nelson Brunke, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 29, 2007, at the Lutheran Home. He was born March 2, 1917. Friends may call from noon to service time Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery...

William Dale "Billy" Holder, 52, of Scott City died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 5, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ardell Anthony and Margaret Bridgett Johnston Holder Sr. Holder worked 25 years at VIP Industries, where he was a packer. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Lela Sarah Ellen Trentham, 91, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 4, 1915, at Bessville, Mo., daughter of Jacob and Sarah Caroline Pulliam Sitzes. She and Harold Trentham were married Oct. 11, 1931. He died April 15, 1980...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Grace Helen Weinkein, 84, of Perryville died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at The Cedars at the Jewish Center for the Aged in Chesterfield, Mo. She was born Dec. 9, 1922, in Perryville, daughter of Rudolph and Flora Cissell Huber. She and Alvin J. Weinkein were married Sept. 5, 1942. He died Sept. 5, 1978...

Robert Clyde Miller, 54, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at his home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

BOSTON -- Lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos, soaps and lotions can temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts in rare cases, apparently by disrupting their hormonal balance, a preliminary study suggests. While advising parents to consider the possible risk, several hormone experts emphasized that the problem appears to happen infrequently and clears up when the oils are no longer used. None of those interviewed called for a ban on sales...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez was granted free rein Wednesday to accelerate changes in broad areas of society by presidential decree -- a move critics said propels Venezuela toward dictatorship. Convening in a downtown plaza in a session that resembled a political rally, lawmakers unanimously gave Chavez sweeping powers to legislate by decree and impose his radical vision of a more egalitarian socialist state...

BIRMINGHAM, England -- Police foiled a major kidnapping plot, the first of its kind in Britain, with the arrests Wednesday of nine terror suspects who reportedly planned to torture and behead a British Muslim soldier and broadcast the killing on the Internet...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq indefinitely halted all flights to and from Syria and closed a border crossing with Iran as the government prepares for a new security crackdown aimed at crushing violence in the capital and surrounding regions, a member of parliament and an airport official said Wednesday...

PARIS -- Blacks in France are standing up to be counted, aspiring to become a political factor in presidential and legislative elections later this year. A small but groundbreaking new poll suggests that blacks face widespread discrimination in France, raising questions about a country long proud of its official colorblindness -- and where collecting racial data is banned...

NEW YORK -- Miss USA Tara Conner, who nearly lost her crown for hard-partying in New York nightclubs, says in the upcoming issue of People magazine that her recent stint in rehab was a wake-up call. "I didn't think I had an issue -- but I was willing to do anything to save my job. ... I've realized that I suffer from the disease of alcoholism and addiction," says Conner, who logged in 31 days at the Caron Foundation rehab center in Wernersville, Pa...

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team, featuring a new coach and plenty of returning talent, hopes to build on its breakthrough season from a year ago. Southeast posted its first winning record since 1997 last season, going 12-11 and finishing on a four-match winning streak...

West Park Lanes Submitted Jan. 29 Men High games: Rod Davis 277, Sam Bell 277, Michael McGuire 276, Don Dunn 269, Loy Shrum 268, Dan Atkinson 266, Mike Freeman 265, Roy Davis 264, Albert Zoellner 259, Bob James 258, David Barberis 257, Jerry Campbell 256, Rick Lewis 256, Shawn Barker 255, Pacer Schaupert 254, Earl James 253, Mike Ireland 253, Craig Dillman 252, Zel Evans 249, Matt Bass 248, Tom Siebert 248, Duane Statler 247, Ryan Nabe 246, Tom James 246, Lamar Houston 245...

A total of 135 individuals were honored Wednesday during the annual Southeast Missouri State Scholar-Athlete Luncheon at the Show Me Center. Those recognized have a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average, and they represent 52 percent of all the athletes at Southeast. Twenty athletes have perfect 4.0 GPAs...

Baseball n Southeast winter camps: The Southeast Missouri State baseball program will offer its annual winter camps at Houck Field House. A high school select camp is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday for boys in grades 9 through 12 (8 a.m. to noon each day); and a high school select camp is scheduled for Feb. 10 and 11 for boys in grades 9 through 12 (1 to 5 p.m. each day). The cost for each camp is $95. Southeast coaches and players will instruct. Info: (573) 986-6002...

Church music; No ATV license; All about money; Dog warning; Use blinkers; Rousing performance; Time for raises; No confidence; Railroad nostalgia; Need competition; Band memories; Gospel church

When the federal No Child Left Behind Act established periodic testing as a measure of a school's success or failure in delivering instruction to elementary and high school students, one of the aims was to set some benchmarks for achievement by students and, it was presumed, measure the quality of public education in general...

Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois residents begin assessing the damage from a weekend of rain, snow and ice storms that washed out roads and flooded highways in the southern portions of the area and buried northern portions under a blanket of white; and if that isn't enough, the National Weather Service warns of another winter storm moving toward the region that may bring heavy snow tonight or Tuesday...

St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee, Mo,. will serve breakfast from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday in the parish hall. The menu includes whole-hog sausage, biscuits and gravy. For more information, call (573) 204-0441...

Cape Girardeau County Republican Women meet; Dance to be held at the Christ Episcopal Church; Civil rights videos shown at Cape Public library; Doctors and lawyers to play basketball Feb. 24; Outstanding Older Worker nominees wanted; Bank of Missouri donates to nutrition center

The United Way of Southeast Missouri and the Volunteer Intergenerational Center are currently seeking nominations to recognize outstanding community volunteers at the 20th annual Volunteer Awards Luncheon to be held April 17. This program was developed to recognize the array of efforts contributed from numerous individuals and organizations that have significantly impacted our community in the past year...

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Cape Girardeau and Scott counties is expanding the Volunteer Intergenerational Center into the Scott County area, effective now. VIC previously existed only in Cape Girardeau County. RSVP and VIC recruits volunteers of all ages in order to help expand services in not-for-profit agencies who are struggling with today's social issues and problems. ...

CHICAGO -- Mark Smithe admits to a moment of doubt before shelling out $10,000 for a 65-inch high-definition, flat-panel, plasma TV and related gear last week. The hesitation was brief. He's a Bears fan, after all, and what better way to experience the Super Bowl than to see and hear every Brian Urlacher glare and crunching hit through a system with 2 million pixels and theater-quality speakers?...

To the editor:My brother and I were raised to vote the Democratic ticket, and we grew up hearing that the Democratic Party was the poor man's party. It's not that way anymore. It is the liberal party under the controlling thumbs of Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and the Clintons...

NEW YORK -- Barry Bonds' contract with the San Francisco Giants isn't final just yet. After the commissioner's office rejected Bonds' $15.8 million, one-year deal because it contained a personal-appearance provision, the team sent revised documents to his agent, Jeff Borris...

Health center continues to provide WIC services The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center announced it signed a contract with the Missouri Department of Health to continue to provide WIC services for 2007. Under the contract, the health center will be able to serve 1,420 people eligible for WIC each month. ...

Recently, someone said they saw me walking down the street, looking "very lord of the manor." If only. But it did get me to notice how I and other vintage folks carry ourselves. What I started seeing were certain themes: Older women who look like stiffened ballerinas. ...

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- David Hoskins had 25 points and Cartier Martin had 22 points and 11 rebounds, leading Kansas State to an 80-73 victory over Missouri on Wednesday night. Akeem Wright added 12 points for the Wildcats (16-6, 5-2 Big 12), who have won six straight and own their first five-game conference winning streak since the Big 12 began play in 1996-97. The string started with an 85-81 victory over the Tigers on Jan. 13 in Columbia, Mo...

Sonya Daugherty ranks among the most prolific scorers in the history of Missouri high school girls basketball. People who have watched Southeast Missouri State play over the past few weeks now know why. After seeing little action as a freshman last year and getting off to a slow start this season, Daugherty has all of a sudden turned into one of the Ohio Valley Conference's top offensive players...

I was reading the Jan. 25 article by TJ Greaney in the Southeast Missourian, "Residents discuss their ideas for improving Cape Girardeau," and the one idea that made complete sense to me was expressed by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Giebler: Broadway needs to be improved since it is the corridor to downtown where so many wonderful improvements have been made by merchants in terms of improving storefronts and opening businesses that attract visitors as well as local residents...

Southeast Missouri State's football recruiting class picked up two more committed players recently, with an offensive lineman from Florida and a running back from Columbia Rock Bridge announcing their intentions to sign with the Redhawks on Feb. 7...

NEW YORK -- Balancing on one leg with his upper body and opposite leg parallel to the floor, dumbbells in each hand, Bryan West instructs his class to extend straight arms forward and then row back with bent elbows to strengthen the upper back. Challenging more than multiple muscles, Buff Yoga turns traditional practice on its head...

NEW YORK -- President Bush challenged corporate America Wednesday on the lavish salaries and bonuses paid to chief executives, saying their pay should be tied to how much they help their companies' shareholders. "America's corporate boardrooms must step up to their responsibilities," Bush said in a speech on Wall Street addressing the state of the U.S. ...

MIAMI -- LaJuan Moore was smiling Wednesday, and it wasn't just because he was going to the Super Bowl. "He's always like this," his mother said. "Been that way since he was a little baby." The smile wasn't what Colts running back Joseph Addai noticed when the two first met in the ninth grade at their Houston high school...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A state lawmaker indicted for bank and credit card fraud said Thursday that he will remain in the Legislature while fighting the charges in court. Democratic Rep. John Bowman, of north St. Louis County, and 16 others are accused of fraudulently applying for business credit cards at Bank of America, then using those cards to rack up more than $1.2 million in charges...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A suburban St. Louis man tried to buy as many explosives as possible in preparation for what his associate called a "war," according to court records cited in a copyright story in Friday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Mousa Abuelawi, 22, of St. Charles, was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with three counts of illegal possession or distribution of a machine gun and conspiracy to violate machine gun statutes...

I have often said that I took my first newspaper job more than 40 years ago because of a Jersey milk cow named Lulu. That is not entirely true. Lulu was the resident milk cow on the Killough Valley farm where I grew up in the Ozark hills over yonder. I was the resident milker. It was an unsatisfactory arrangement, on the whole...

RISCO, Mo. -- What happened to Teresa Butler? That's a question the 400 residents of this rural New Madrid County town want answered. Fliers for the missing woman hang from the windows of the lone convenience store along Highway 62. Every Sunday, the congregation of the First Baptist Church of Risco says a prayer for her. Along with Butler's family, they pray for answers...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Commission wants to spend less on housing county inmates in other jurisdictions, but the sheriff doesn't know if that's possible. Reducing costs is a priority, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Thursday, "but the alternative is not good. Do you back off on law enforcement? No, that's definitely not an option. Judges don't want to turn these people out on the street. I don't know any good solutions."...

Super Bowl time is here, and that means the bigger the party, the bigger the television screen must be. Across the nation, an estimated 2.5 million people will purchase a television for Super Sunday, according to a recent study conducted by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association. Many others will rent a set for the game only to return it the next day...

The region's first measurable snowfall was on the light side, only about an inch in Cape Girardeau, but that was enough to close schools. Cape Girardeau public school officials decided early Thursday morning to cancel classes even though snow barely covered the ground in some places. ...

Woman charged with stealing from church A Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman is charged with stealing more than $250,000 from the church where she once worked. Kimberly R. Puckett, 44, is charged with two counts of felony stealing by deceit. An arraignment is set for Feb. ...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department is looking for a 36-year-old East Prairie, Mo., man in connection with a reported assault and robbery Wednesday night. Terry L. Dean is charged with assaulting and robbing a man in his Pocahontas residence, said Lt. David James...

Sikeston, Mo., businessman Brad Bedell was reappointed Thursday to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents by Gov. Matt Blunt. Bedell, 38, currently serves as president of the board of regents. His new term would end Jan. 1, 2013. Bedell's reappointment is subject to Senate confirmation...

Thursday Routine business n Approved payroll change form Action items n Approved payment of $22,752.25 to Pulaski County order regarding State of Missouri v. Justin Brown Discussion items and appointments n Approved proposal from Jack Green and Kara Clark, county clerk, regarding health reimbursement accounts...

Cape Girardeau County Commissioners reluctantly complied Thursday with a court order demanding the county pay $22,752.25 to Pulaski County for housing murder suspect Justin Brown. Commissioners had originally balked at paying the money, the final installment on the change-of-venue case that ended in May with a guilty verdict and life sentence for Brown in the 2002 death of Ralph Lee Lape Jr. ...

Public four-year colleges in Missouri could lose some state aid if their tuition increases exceed the rate of inflation under legislation being considered by state lawmakers. Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins hopes lawmakers will revise the measure so it doesn't penalize schools such as Southeast that have relatively low student fees. Dobbins testified before the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday...

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Juan Martinez was looking forward to returning to his construction job after a one-month sentence for violating probation on drug charges. But when he got out of the Orange County jail, he was met by immigration agents bent on deporting the 23-year-old illegal immigrant to Mexico...

WASHINGTON -- Millions of lower-income working people are missing out on substantial tax refunds, the head of the Internal Revenue Service said Thursday as he promoted a tax credit to help them. The earned income tax credit is "the largest means-tested benefit program in the country. It lifts millions out of poverty every year," IRS commissioner Mark W. Everson said...

BOSTON -- Two men who authorities say placed electronic advertising devices around the city were released from jail Thursday, apparently amused with the publicity stunt that stirred fears of terrorism and shut down parts of the city. Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, were released on $2,500 cash bond after each pleaded not guilty to placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct for a device found Wednesday at a subway station. ...

AUSTIN, Texas -- A proposed ban on smoking in all bars, restaurants and work sites across the state is igniting a big-money fight at the Texas Capitol. Anti-smoking forces are lining up against the tobacco industry and some restaurant owners, with lobbyists from both sides seeking to win over lawmakers. ...

CANCUN, Mexico -- He is called "Super Tonio," and at a whopping birth weight of 14.5 pounds, the little fellow is causing a sensation in this Mexican resort city. Cancun residents have crowded the nursery ward's window to see Antonio Vasconcelos, who was born early Monday by Caesarean section. ...

TEHRAN, Iran -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched anniversary celebrations Thursday for Iran's Islamic Revolution with a defiant promise to push ahead with the country's controversial nuclear program. Ahmadinejad suggested Tehran would announce next week that it is beginning to install a new assembly of 3,000 centrifuges in an underground portion of its uranium enrichment facility at Natanz that the United States has warned could bring further sanctions against the country. ...

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia faces unfair criticism and needless military threats from the West, lashing out in an annual news conference at U.S. plans to deploy missile defenses in Eastern Europe and rejecting grumbling that he is using Russia's gas and oil exports as political weapons. ...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Gunfights erupted across the Gaza Strip Thursday, killing at least six people after Hamas militants hijacked a convoy delivering supplies to the rival Fatah-allied security forces, effectively destroying a short-lived truce. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. Army engineers have torn down houses and surrounded the newly cleared space with razor wire atop concrete blast walls for neighborhood bases, the first outward signs of the coming Baghdad security crackdown. American and Iraqi commanders are pulling together a force that numbers -- on paper at least -- about 90,000 troops for what many see as a last-chance drive to curb the debilitating violence that has turned Baghdad into a battleground and killed -- according to the United Nations -- more than 34,000 civilians last year alone.. ...

WASHINGTON -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq told a Senate panel Thursday that improving security in Baghdad would take fewer than half as many extra troops as President Bush has chosen to commit. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination to be Army chief of staff, Gen. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A pair of suicide bombers detonated explosives Thursday among shoppers in a crowded outdoor market in a Shiite city south of Baghdad, killing 45 people and wounding 150, police said. Bombs and a mortar attack killed at least 17 others in both Shiite and Sunni areas of Baghdad...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A winter storm rushed across the Southeast on Thursday, closing schools and grounding flights a day after coating roads with deadly ice in the Plains. A winter storm warning covered the western Carolinas and northern Georgia on Thursday afternoon, and more than 4 inches of snow fell in spots...

PARIS -- The world's leading climate scientists said global warming has begun, is "very likely" caused by man, and will be unstoppable for centuries, according to a report obtained today by The Associated Press. The scientists -- using their strongest language yet on the issue -- said now that world has begun to warm, hotter temperatures and rises in sea level "would continue for centuries" no matter how much humans control their pollution. ...

Betty Mosley's anguish and grief reverberated throughout the Division III courtroom in Cape Girardeau County Courthouse Thursday, leaving few dry eyes in the courtroom gallery filled with her family and friends. Her 23-year-old son, Clayton R. Mosley, is charged with murdering her husband of 25 years in their home at 1854 Martin Court on Jan. 5...

** Jackson ** Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: n Confined space on Florence Street. n Emergency medical service on Elwanda Drive. n Light ballast at Kiowa Trail. n Confined space standby on Florence Street.

Arrests; Jackson: Thefts

Hitt; Young; Sykes; Carlton; Cagle; Hill; Neely

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Louise Ruby Kondrad, 84, of Park Hills died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Country Meadows Nursing Center. She was born July 22, 1922, at Flat River, Mo., daughter of William and Jannie Dame McClain. She married Harry H. Kondrad. Mrs. Kondrad was a member of Cantwell Church of God...

Gladys M. Garvey, 92, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Oct. 25, 1914, in Fitzgerald, Ga., daughter of Duncan and Sarah Walker McCrimmon. She and James Patrick Garvey were married Feb. 9, 1952. He died Nov. 3, 1987...

Bobby C. Miller, 54, of Dutchtown died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at his home. He was born Sept. 13, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, son of C.B. and Doris Trickey Miller. Miller was of the Methodist belief and was an avid horseback rider. He worked over 10 years at Procter & Gamble, and was owner/operator of Miller Pallet Co. He was a member of Fraternal Order of Eagles, and thoroughly enjoyed his 54 years here on Earth...

John Edward Howard, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. He was born April 23, 1941, in Hayti, Mo., son of George Franklin and Elizabeth Hagaman Howard. He and Barbara Derrington were married March 18, 1965, in Germantown, Tenn...

Doris V. Cooper, 71, of Scott City died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 2, 1935, in Millersville, daughter of Otto and Estelle Howard Thorne. Cooper retired from Drury Lodge, where she was a housekeeper 14 years...

ORAN, Mo. -- Clyde Curtis, 72, of Oran died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran is in charge of arrangements.

Alma L. Masters, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 24, 1913, in Egypt Mills, daughter of H.C. and Nora Mae Miller Corse. She and Maple Masters were married June 30, 1934. He died Nov. 5, 1996...

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Vera Lou Black, 65, of Bertrand died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was formerly of Oran. She was born Oct. 28, 1941, at Bell City, Mo., daughter of Yewell Aubrey and Earlie Lucille Martin Taylor. She and Darrell Black Jr. were married July 29, 1983...

Few consumers know it, but they can find the lowest-priced new car in America in Chevrolet showrooms. The Chevrolet Aveo, which has new styling, a slightly larger body and new suspension for 2007, beats all Korean- and Japanese-branded cars sold here with a starting manufacturers suggested retail price, including destination charge, of just $10,560...

The lack of success for the football and men's basketball programs in the 2005-06 school year was beginning to have a profound financial impact on Southeast Missouri State's financial picture for the athletic department. That point is driven home on a few occasions in the Independent Accountants Report that was discussed briefly and accepted by Southeast Missouri State's board of regents on Dec. 15...

Money matters n Some ongoing issues from 2005-06 will have an impact on Southeast Missouri State's financial bottom line for 2006-07: For the women's basketball program, the university will pay the three remaining coaches an additional $17,000 this year on top of their base salaries, and on top of the $37,500 former head coach B.J. Smith is receiving for not coaching the team from December through this May...

Obey traffic laws; Spanking works; Choice, not law; Not feasible here; Utopian Leopold; Let's work together; Protecting children

Since 1989, nearly 20 distinguished Cape Girardeans have been honored with the Rush H. Limbaugh Award, including the award's namesake, a lawyer whose lifetime of achievement set a high bar for service to the community and beyond. This year's recipient, another lawyer, adds luster to the prestigious award. In accepting, Albert Spradling III said something Rush H. Limbaugh would have been proud of: "I'll try to live up to it."...

A dozen families living along Sherwood and Briarwood drives in northern Cape Girardeau have filed suit in Circuit Court here against the city of Cape Girardeau, claiming it has been negligent in the maintenance of the sewer system in their neighborhood...

To the editor:I love libraries. Let me rephrase that. I love quiet libraries. The Cape Girardeau Public Library lacks ample shelf space and adequate meeting rooms. There are too few computers. It needs to expand. But it does not need a lounge area with a coffee bar or snack center. ...

To the editor:David Limbaugh's recent column questions the leadership and foreign-policy credentials of Sen. James Webb. Since Limbaugh apparently claims expertise in these areas, let's compare his resume to Webb's. Regarding leadership, Webb earned the Navy Cross, Silver Star and other decorations as a Marine infantry officer in Vietnam. ...

To the editor:A recent Speak Out contributor passed judgment on President Bush by repeating that the Hurricane Katrina rescue had been botched. There are some facts missing in this argument. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin predicted a Hurricane Katrina death toll of 10,000. Twenty-five thousand body bags were stockpiled. The latest computer model predicted 60,000 dead. Yet weeks after the storm, fewer than 1,000 bodies had been found in all of Louisiana...

To the editor:That op-ed piece by Bill Springer on reading books was great. My favorite part of the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" was at the end of the trial and Gregory Peck is walking out of the courtroom. In the balcony an elderly black man tells Atticus' children, "Stand up, your father is passing." You don't see that kind of admiration for public figures anymore. It may have just been part of that culture...

To the editor:Shame on Americans. Only 40 percent of eligible voters participated in the elections last November. Therefore, less than 40 percent condemned our engagement in Iraq. Dubious politicians claim that as a mandate. Because of apathy, only the few speak for all...

Two stars (out of four) "Smokin' Aces" is something only for the hard-core action-movie watchers. It is jam packed with all our favorite actors and lots of shooting, slashing, stabbing and blood splattering. The movie would have been better without all the gore...

Jeremiah's opens new space for live music; Red House calls for artists and crafters; KRCU offers Black History Month shows; Poetry competition coming to Cape; Logan Museum closed for construction; Boys and Girls Club holds fund-raiser; Missouri arts advocates to visit Jefferson City; -- From staff reports

Have you ever seen a performance of Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues"? I have. And I will be the first to admit, few times in my life have I blushed so much. If you haven't seen this (how to describe it?) evocative series of stories, you may have some misconceptions. First off, "Vagina Monologues" isn't about sex, but it is. It isn't about man-hating feminism, but it is about feminism. Most of all, it's about the human condition...

NEW YORK -- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is already the NFL's most prolific pitchman, but marketing experts say a Super Bowl win could catapult him to a level few gridiron stars have ever achieved. In case he wasn't feeling enough pressure about Sunday's game in Miami, the two-time NFL most valuable player should consider this: Experts say a win could allow him to not only triple his income from endorsement deals but also command profit-sharing or ownership stakes from the companies he endorses.. ...

MIAMI -- He points, he pivots, he barks out more orders than a coffee shop waiter at lunchtime. When Peyton Manning is running the show for the Indianapolis Colts, it's difficult to decipher if he is performing magic or just blowing smoke. "That would be impossible to answer without giving away secrets," Manning said with a smile...

MURRAY, Ky. -- The Murray State men't basketball team beat league-leading Austin Peay 77-68 on Thursday night, ending the Governor's 11-game winning streak. The Racers outrebounded the Governors 23-7 in the second half, behind a nine-rebound effort from senior Shawn Witherspoon...

The Oran girls basketball team hit the .500 mark with Wednesday's trouncing of Sikeston. Oran forced the visiting Bulldogs into more turnovers (31) than they had points in the 54-24 victory. "We did a good job of causing some early turnovers with our full-court pressure," Oran coach Larry Boshell said. "Once the girls forced the turnovers, they capitalized by converting layups. We have some quick girls who are very productive in our press once they get in the right spots."...

MILWAUKEE -- Parents or guardians of players will be the only fans allowed to watch two high school teams play after a melee led to six injuries and 10 arrests. Bradley Tech's boys team defeated Bay View High School 82-81 in an emotionally charged overtime upset Tuesday night. Tech students rushed their court in celebration, but it soon turned rowdy, with several fights breaking out on the gym's floor and one woman jumping on the back of a police officer...

Tiger Woods opened his title defense in the Dubai Desert Classic with a 4-under 68 on Thursday, leaving him three strokes behind leaders Ross Fisher and Graeme McDowell. Woods flew halfway around the world after winning the Buick Invitational on Sunday in San Diego for his seventh straight victory on the PGA Tour. The Dubai tournament is a PGA European Tour event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Associate Judge Rodney Clutts said a city board overstepped its authority when it removed a convicted felon from the Feb. 27 city primary ballot without requiring the candidate's accuser to present evidence. Clutts issued an order Wednesday reinstating Charles Koen's candidacy for city council...

ST. LOUIS -- Abducted teen Shawn Hornbeck assisted his alleged captor Michael Devlin by keeping guard over another snatched boy after Devlin repeatedly left the youngsters alone in his apartment, an official said Thursday. Shawn's cooperation with Devlin was the result of what Shawn experienced during his first 30 days of captivity after Devlin allegedly kidnapped the boy in 2002, an official close to the investigation said. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Mike Matheny's decision to retire was made for him. His doctor refused to clear the longtime catcher to play in 2007 after a concussion sidelined him for the final four months of last season. Matheny's announcement Thursday that he is hanging up his catching gear after 13 major league seasons came as no surprise. ...

New at the theaters: 'Because I Said So'; 'The Messengers'; STILL PLAYING: 'Babel'; 'Blood and Chocolate'; 'Catch and Release'; 'Charlotte's Web'; 'Dreamgirls'; 'Epic Movie'; 'Freedom Writers'; 'Happy Feet'; 'Night at the Museum'; 'Primeval'; 'The Pursuit of Happyness'; 'The Queen'; 'Rocky Balboa'; 'Smokin' Aces'; 'Stomp the Yard'; 'Volver'; 'We are Marshall'

WASHINGTON -- People are saving at the lowest level since the Great Depression, and that could be a problem for the millions of baby boomers getting ready to retire. In fact, the Commerce Department reported Thursday that the nation's personal savings rate for all of 2006 was a negative 1 percent, the worst showing in 73 years...

Freshman baseball player Jim Klocke was recently named the 2006 Pro-Line Player of the Year by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association. Klocke received the honor during the Honors Luncheon at the MHSBCA Annual Convention in Jefferson City, Mo., on Jan. 20...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state lawmaker indicted for bank and credit card fraud said Thursday that he will remain in the legislature while fighting the charges in court. Democratic Rep. John Bowman, of north St. Louis County, and 16 others are accused of fraudulently applying for business credit cards at Bank of America, then using those cards to rack up more than $1.2 million in charges...

Saxony Lutheran's ever-growing sports program will add yet another offering this spring as the Crusaders will compete in boys golf. The Crusaders' athletics program, which initially began with boys junior varsity basketball in 2002, now offers varsity teams in boys and girls basketball, cross country, track and field, volleyball, softball, baseball and boys soccer. Soccer made its debut in the fall...

Jackson's wrestling team swept a double dual meet with Central and Poplar Bluff on Thursday at Jackson. The Indians moved to 7-1 in dual meets. Jackson beat Poplar Bluff 64-13 and Central 50-22. Central also fell to Polar Bluff 39-35. Jackson 64, Poplar Bluff 13...

The historical exhibit at the Cape Girardeau Public Library is simple: a few panels and a museum case that give just a hint of the story of the city's black population. Through pictures, artifacts, written interpretations of history and copies of historic documents, the exhibit gives library visitors a taste of how Cape Girardeau's black population has lived from the pre-Civil War era until now. ...

One Cape Girardeau art gallery will feature unique Valentine's Day gift ideas tonight at its First Friday reception. The Edward Bernard Gallery will open its doors from 5 to 9 p.m. with a collection of pieces owner Peg MacDougall hopes will make great gifts...

Tonight the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will have what few Cape Girardeau art galleries ever do on First Fridays -- a featured artist who's black. And while February is officially Black History Month, this situation was not created by design...

Dear Tom and Ray: Does my husband know what he's talking about? When my husband fills up his car with gas, he always turns the car off and removes the key from the ignition, which turns the radio off -- even if I'm busy listening to "Car Talk" on NPR! It drives me crazy, but he insists that having current passing through the vehicle is a disaster waiting to happen while filling up the gas tank. ...

Kaylen Martin intently focused on the chess pieces, contemplating her next move. "You have to be quiet and you have to concentrate," she explained. The sixth-grader at Cape Girardeau Central Middle School isn't alone. More than 50 fifth- and sixth-graders stay after school to play chess for about an hour each Wednesday, starting in October and ending in late February...

Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton was justified in removing state Rep. Scott Lipke as chairman of an important crime-fighting committee, two lawmakers said in a letter to the Southeast Missourian written at Jetton's request. Reps. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, and Kenny Jones, R-California, wrote that Jetton was forced into the action. "Due to a chain of events that occurred in the committee, the speaker had no choice but to remove Lipke as chair," they wrote...

McCLURE, Ill. -- A semitrailer driving eastbound on Highway 146 struck and killed a pedestrian walking the opposite direction Friday. The accident occurred at just before 3:30 a.m. in McClure, near Highway 146's intersection with Highway 3. The truck was driven by David R. Jones, 29, of Scott City, the Illinois State Police said. Further details are being withheld until the next of kin can be notified...

Political cycles; Not an empire; Respectful teens; How to discipline; Shades of the KGB; Tail wagging dog?; Registering offenders; Drug informants; Cold jail; Bad example; After the storm; Driving on the left; Late audit; District dallying; Why change?; Demand answers

Big Brothers Big Sisters in Cape Girardeau operates an after-school mentoring program at Jefferson, Clippard, Blanchard and Franklin elementary schools and at Central Middle School that serves 150 students. Another 56 students are on a waiting list to get a mentor...

After opening in the morning despite an unexpectedly heavy snowfall, the Cape Girardeau Public Schools are forced to call off classes at 11 a.m., an almost unprecedented course of action; Southeast Missouri receives 4 to 8 inches of snow. Voters in the Jackson School District yesterday approved one bond issue and rejected another; a $1,090,000 bond issue to finance additions to the junior high and West Lane Elementary schools won approval, while a $410,000 bond issue to finance construction of an addition to the high school gymnasium failed.. ...

Top seed Saxony Lutheran and No. 2 Chaffee used double-digit semifinal victories Friday to move into the Mississippi Valley Conference tournament championship at Meadow Heights. Saxony Lutheran will face Chaffee at 8:30 tonight. Saxony Lutheran (17-3) and Leopold were deadlocked at the end of the third quarter before the Crusaders used a 22-11 fourth quarter for a 68-57 win...

The only Ohio Valley Conference team Southeast Missouri State's women have not yet faced is next on their agenda. But Southeast acting head coach John Ishee pretty much knows what to expect from host Tennessee-Martin in today's 4 p.m. tipoff -- a major challenge...

The Southeast Missouri State women's gymnastics team, ranked 29th nationally, had little trouble winning Friday night's Wisconsin-LaCrosse Invitational. Competing against five Division III programs, the Redhawks tallied a score of 190.850. Host Wisconsin-LaCrosse was second (182.050), followed by Wisconsin-Oshkosh (177.925), Winona State (177.350), Wisconsin-Stout (176.425) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (172.950)...

Officials at Southeast Missouri State University disclosed Friday that the circumstances surrounding former women's basketball coach B.J. Smith's teaching of a "Coaching of Basketball" class did not include a reportable NCAA violation. In response to a request from the Southeast Missourian regarding documents in the NCAA investigation, the university's custodian of records and associate to the president, Art Wallhausen, wrote in an e-mail that there were no documents related to the question of academic integrity from the class.. ...

Southeast Missouri State figures to confront a desperate Tennessee-Martin team tonight. That's because about the only realistic chance the Skyhawks have of making the Ohio Valley Conference tournament hinges on beating the Redhawks in the 6 p.m. tipoff in Martin, Tenn...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests; Assaults; DWIs; Thefts; Property damage; Miscellaneous; Arrests; Jackson: Arrests; Thefts; Property damage; Miscellaneous

n At 5:25 p.m., citizen assist at 1400 S. West End Blvd. n At 6:55 p.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of Hazel Drive. n At 8:18 p.m., gas leak in the 400 block of Mason Street. n At 8:38 p.m., motor vehicle accident at William Street and West End Boulevard...

Cagle; Hill; Neely; Thoma; Dodd; Richards; Killman; Earnheart; Mills

Anthony J. "Tony" Somora, 69, of Independence, Kan., died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007, at Via Christi-St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita, Kan. He was born Aug. 3, 1937, in Chicago, son of Anton and Pauline Krsak Somora. He and Angela "Dee" Scilingo were married Sept. 12, 1959, in North Riverside, Ill...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- A new pair of hands pulled Punxsutawney Phil from his stump this year, so it was only fitting that the groundhog offered a new prediction. Phil did not see his shadow on Friday, which, according to German folklore, means folks can expect an early spring instead of six more weeks of winter...

BOSTON -- Some legal experts say prosecutors will have a hard time proving that two men intended to cause a scare when they planted blinking electronic devices around Boston in a publicity stunt for a cartoon show. They say the key difficulties prosecutors face are demonstrating that the men intended to cause fear, and that the devices, which depict a cartoon character, looked dangerous. The state must prove both to win felony convictions for placing a hoax device, the experts said...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Clyde H. Curtis Sr., 72, of Morley died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 6, 1934, at Cuba Landing, Tenn., son of Melvin B. and Flora Ella Williams Curtis. He first married Rosa Brown Feb. 12, 1951. She died Aug. 31, 2001. He and Lucille Stidham were married Dec. 8, 2006...

ORAN, Mo. -- Dorothy Halter, 80, of Oran died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran is in charge of arrangements.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Bernita Crawford, 88, of Charleston died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 16, 1918, at Steele, Mo., daughter of Arthur and Estie Mae Chunn Key. She and Guy Thomas Crawford were married April 9, 1938. He died May 4, 1992...

The twin-engine plane was diving toward the ground Friday morning at a speed of well over 400 miles per hour. Its pilot and co-pilot were unconscious from oxygen deprivation. The plane's nose was tilted down and in about 15 seconds would collide with the earth northwest of Cape Girardeau...

They don't have magic wands to fix all the city's problems, but they'll sure talk them out. Cape Girardeau's monthly First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center was a town hall forum with Mayor Jay Knudtson and Chamber of Commerce president John Mehner presiding. They responded to questions on the "state of the city."...

A Jackson businessman is suing the city to be placed back on the ballot for mayor in the April 3 election. John Graham, owner of a copy machine company, will be in court Tuesday for arguments challenging the city's decision to remove him from the race for mayor for nonpayment of property taxes. To argue his case, Graham hired attorney Bekki Cook, former secretary of state for Missouri...

Jackson High School senior Leigha Wilkerson gleefully huddled around a computer screen with a group of other students Friday afternoon, making decisions on a simulated business program. "We're making money," she said as she looked over numbers on the screen that kept track of the simulated sales. "We're doing good."...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A convicted felon challenging his dismissal from the ballot cannot be a candidate for Cairo City Council, a judge ruled Friday. Phillip Matthews, who was seeking the Ward 2 seat, had been removed from the ballot by a city election board Jan. 5 following a challenge to his candidacy from Thomas Simpson, who is also seeking the spot. The board found that Matthews, who was convicted of theft in 1998, could not be a candidate under state law...

Matt McGee has it down. Without sponsors, the sport of rodeo would be a lonely circuit. McGee was quick to credit his after his turn in tie-down roping Friday night at the 19th annual Show Me Center Championship Rodeo in Cape Girardeau. "A growing thing in rodeo is sponsors," said McGee, a Cape Girardeau resident of the past two years. "It makes it possible for us to be out on the road."...

As the local V-Day production of "The Vagina Monologues" prepares for its fifth annual performance, the event's producer and director says this year is the most important yet. With the recent news of the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence's loss of funding for its Green Bear children's education program, "Monologues" producer and director Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs said she hopes the production can help raise awareness about the program's importance...

Tiles falling from above, a structural crack running the height of the building and dirty water leaking into every nook and cranny. Is this the way to welcome newcomers to Cape Girardeau? Leaders at the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitor's Bureau say no. And they're now seeking to move out of their 50-year-old downtown structure...

Zalma men get court dates for alleged theft ZALMA, Mo. -- Charged with second-degree felony burglary, two Zalma men have March 1 court dates before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis. The burglary charge carries a maximum 15-year prison term. Curtis W. Wallace, 17, and Nickolas J. ...

WASHINGTON -- Cloneburgers won't come with warnings. When the government approves food from cloned animals, expected in the next year, the Food and Drug Administration doesn't plan special labels. Government scientists have found no difference between clones and conventional cows, pigs or goats...

WASHINGTON -- Low-wage workers will have to wait to see an increase in the minimum wage, a Democratic priority now caught in a party dispute over business tax breaks. Democrats were trying to avoid an impasse over the legislation, but differences between House and Senate bills to raise the wage floor by $2.10 an hour posed the first test for a party newly in control of Congress...

WASHINGTON -- Keeping troops in Iraq for another year and a half will cost nearly a quarter-trillion dollars -- about $800 for every man, woman and child in the United States -- under the budget President Bush will submit to Congress Monday. Bush will ask for $100 billion more for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan this year and seek $145 billion for 2008, a senior Pentagon official said Friday. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The head of the Senate's Environment Committee called on the White House Friday to hold a summit grouping the 12 largest greenhouse-gas emitting nations. Sen. Barbara Boxer's comments came on the heels of a report released by a U.N.-sponsored panel of climate scientists which said there was little doubt the man-made emissions are to blame for global warming...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. Army helicopter crashed Friday in a hail of gunfire north of Baghdad, police and witnesses said -- the fourth lost in Iraq in the last two weeks. The U.S. command said two crew members were killed, and the top U.S. general conceded that insurgent ground fire has become more effective...

LONDON -- Britain will have to "put up with me for a bit longer," Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday, a day after police revealed that they questioned him a second time in an investigation into whether political honors such as knighthoods were traded for cash...

PARIS -- The bleak outlook of a major new report on climate change shifted the onus onto governments, even mankind, to take action, with dire warnings Friday from around the world that drastic, rapid change is needed -- not least from the United States...

Slouched at a computer, the "hunter" perks up as a 12-point buck eases into view on his screen. Maneuvering his mouse, he swivels the rifle and focuses the cross hairs. With a click of the mouse, the rifle fires a bullet, mortally wounding the animal...

BETHANY, Mo. -- A regional effort to find a cat who became lost when its caretakers died in a car accident more than a month ago has come to a happy ending. Frankie the cat, a lilac-point Siamese male, was found Wednesday, hungry but healthy near the site of an accident that killed his keepers, Dale and Forrest Weber, on New Year's Eve...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Bypassing the legislature altogether, Republican Gov. Rick Perry issued an order Friday making Texas the first state to require that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. By employing an executive order, Perry sidestepped opposition in the legislature from conservatives and parents' rights groups who fear such a requirement would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way Texans raise their children...

LADY LAKE, Fla. -- Disaster crews with dogs went from one pile of debris to another in a search for bodies Friday after powerful storms, including at least one tornado, smashed hundreds of homes across Central Florida and killed at least 19 people. It was the deadliest combination of thunderstorms and tornadoes to hit Florida in nearly a decade, cutting a 40-mile swath of destruction across four counties just before daybreak, terrorizing residents of one of the nation's biggest retirement communities, and leaving trees and fields littered with clothes, furniture and splintered lumber.. ...

Ministers listen to people's problems and offer counsel. They live their lives in front of their congregations. But when a pastor has a problem, where can he go for help? The Rev. Fred Burgard and his business partner, Paul Cordes, have opened Shadow Rest Ministries just outside Cape Girardeau. Shadow Rest is a quiet place with two rustic cabins where a minister -- and his wife -- can go to sort out problems, take a short rest or reflect on life...

His hair is gray and his step has slowed just a bit, but Bill Burlison still has a lean body, a sharp mind and an abiding affection for the Democratic Party. The 75-year-old former congressman from Southeast Missouri, defeated in 1980 after six terms in office, has returned home to set up shop as a lawyer in what he calls his "third career."...

The biggest day in football is the second-biggest day in eating. Country Mart and Schnucks supermarkets in Cape Girardeau were prepared Saturday with finger foods that can be eaten all game long. A front display at Schnucks produce section had Super Bowl XLI balloons and wicker baskets shaped like footballs, perfect for peanuts and pistachios, while Country Mart had specially decorated cakes, brownies and cake-sized chocolate chip cookies...

In the last days leading up to Tuesday's special election to fund a $9 million addition to the Cape Girardeau Public Library, supporters are making the last push for yes votes. "We're feeling very positive right now because Cape Girardeau is such a generous community and people time and again have stepped up when they see there's a real need," said library director Betty Martin...

Hayley Autumn Bridges and Derek Joseph Hood were married May 13, 2006, at Grace United Methodist Church. The Revs. Scott Moon and Marvin Pyron performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Robyn Hosp and Julie Walker of Jackson, Mike Dumey of Cape Girardeau, Toni Becker of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Lance Lane of O'Fallon, Ill. Guitarist was Toni Becker, pianists were Shane Steck of Columbia, Mo., and Tim DePriest of Cape Girardeau. Music was also by the church bell choir...

THEBES, Ill. -- Mr. and Mrs. Harold McNelly of Thebes will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception Feb. 10 at Olive Branch Community Building. Host will be Debra Goins of Anna, Ill., daughter of the couple. The event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m...

Steve and Jane Neier of Union, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Lynn Neier, to Richard Randal Lindeman, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Randy and Mari Lindeman of Manistee, Mich. Neier is a 2002 graduate of Union High School. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Riehn of Oak Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Riehn, to Guy Joseph Krueger. He is the son of Jackie Krueger of Murphysboro, Ill., and Donald Krueger of Lake Zurich, Ill. Riehn received a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design from Southeast Missouri State University in 2002. She is a graphic designer at Silkworm Inc. in Murphysboro...

John and Teresa Thompson of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kaci Lynn Thompson, to Luke Steven Hubbard, both of Jackson. He is the son of Kenny and Irene Meyers of Palmyra, Mo. Thompson received a bachelor's degree in marketing from Southeast Missouri State University. She is community manager of development with American Cancer Society...

Ed and Gabriela Kuntz of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Cecilia Kuntz, to Andrew Colburn. He is the son of Scott and Kathy Colburn of Spring Grove, Ill. Kuntz is a 1999 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2003. She is an engineer with Procter and Gamble...

Kathleen Mueller and Jeffrey and MaryLynn Mueller of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Mueller, to Dennis Allen Savat. He is the son of Dennis and Freda Savat of McClure, Ill., and Jeanne Hoffman of Leopold, Mo., and the late John Hoffman...

Rich and Dotty Behring of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Sandy Michelle Behring, to Alfred Edward Lowrey. He is the son of Sue Lowrey of New Madrid, Mo. Behring is a 1999 graduate of Central High School, and received an associate degree in business management from Metro Business College in 2002. She is the surgery scheduler at Cape Girardeau Urology Associates Inc...

Kenneth and Joan Seabaugh of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Seabaugh, to Charles McGinty III. He is the son of Charles and Laura McGinty of Cape Girardeau. Seabaugh received a bachelor of science degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2003. She is employed at Red Letter Communications...

Jeane Godwin of Jackson and Wayne T. Godwin of Sikeston, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal J. Godwin, to Ronald L. Mayberry. He is the son of Ron and Sandy Mayberry of Shawneetown, Mo. Godwin is a 2004 graduate of Jackson High School, and a 2005 graduate of Trendsetters School of Cosmetology. She is employed at Jackson Great Clips...

Mr. and Mrs. Steve Crain of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Lisa Elizabeth Crain, to Alex Dunlap Parsons. He is the son of Martha Parsons of Cape Girardeau, and the late Eugene Parsons. Crain expects to receive a degree in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University in December 2007...

Sheila Kay Edmonds and Dennis Keith Ainsworth exchanged vows Jan. 7, 2007, at Crossroads Fellowship in Jackson. Brian Anderson performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Max and Maxine Brown of Webb City, Mo., and Viola Ainsworth of Cape Girardeau...

MIAMI -- Super Bowl Sunday, once the manliest of annual celebrations, is getting a shot of estrogen. Sports-savvy ladies are brushing up on their football lingo and planning couples activities to reconnect with their men, while other game widows will revel in a night of freedom...

As young children, Jean and Jan Fulton were never allowed to compare -- only share. Even now, the 38-year-old identical twin sisters continue to share everything from their matching wardrobe to their bank account. If you thought you were seeing double -- you might have if you've met the Fulton women...

Worship together; ATV concerns; Proud of choir; Parking-lot lessons; Outside consultants; No whipping; Cheap labor; Paying for assistance; Fewer barges needed; Daily involvement

When Gov. Matt Blunt took office at the start of 2005, the state's Medicaid program -- mostly for low-income Missourians who rely on the federal-state program for health care -- the system's skyrocketing expense was a financial train wreck waiting to happen...

Lindsay Brooke Dement and Joshua Blake Miller were married July 1, 2006, at Centenary United Methodist Church. The Rev. Jeffrey Long performed the ceremony. Soloist was Beckha Pfanstiel of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the couple are Jerry and Toni Dement and Blake and Kathy Miller, all of Cape Girardeau...

The Cape Girardeau area continues to dig out from the winter's heaviest snowstorm as yet another storm threatens to hit tonight; the National Weather Service says to expect 4 inches or more snow on top of yesterday's 8 to 12 inches. Two longtime Cape Girardeau Board of Education members say they won't seek re-election, guaranteeing there will be three new faces at the helm of the public schools' administrative body in the spring; J. ...

To the editor:Regarding the article "Bill would end bans on carrying guns openly": Here is what the Missouri Supreme Court had to say about Article 1, Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution. In State v. Wilforth, the court stated: "We do not desire to be understood as maintaining that in regulating the manner of bearing arms the authority of the legislature has no other limit than its own discretion. ...

To the editor:Mexico has 100 million people, and half want to live in America. From 12 million to 20 million Mexican illegals have crossed into the U.S. In the last 20 years the flow of illegals has doubled twice. Now the yearly estimate of those who evade our border guards and get in is between 800,000 and 1 million...

To the editor:Regarding the Jan. 27 story "Cindy's success: Cape woman with Down syndrome reaches 20-year mark with sister's kidney": The generosity of live organ donors like Becky Atkins is remarkable. But we wouldn't need many live organ donors if Americans weren't burying or cremating 20,000 transplantable organs every year...

To the editor:In response to Jeanne Kirkton's Jan. 30 letter: The bill to which she refers (Senate Bill 217) would enact complete firearms pre-emption, which by no means provides firearms to those who would otherwise be prohibited. Pre-emption merely means that localities would be unable to pass laws and statutes that are contradictory to already established state law regarding firearms. ...

To the editor:Regarding the disciplining of a child: Read Proverbs 13:24. The production of wasteful attitudes may be prevented if parents faithfully discipline their children before faults have firmly rooted themselves. Discipline of children should be patterned after the divine discipline of Hebrews 12. It is not love, but the lack of it, that refuses to check those propensities that are sure to lead to future tragedy...

Arrests; Arrests

n At 11:16 p.m., alarm sounding in the 2000 block of North Kingshighway. n At 12:46 a.m., alarm sounding at Towers Complex. n At 9:11 a.m., medical assist in the 2000 block of Pear Tree Court. n At 10:19 a.m., stand by at Trail of Tears State Park. n At 11:40 a.m., vehicle fire at 1028 N. Kingshighway...

ORAN, Mo. -- Dorothy M. Halter, 80, of Oran died Friday, Feb. 2, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born April 27. 1926, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Seth and Mary Eaker Craft. She and Paul "Junior" Halter were married Oct. 4, 1947. He died Jan. 19, 2000...

Edward A. Frenzel, 59, of Jackson died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

Eighty men and women braved the frigid waters of Trail of Tears State Park's Lake Boutin Saturday to benefit the Special Olympics Missouri Southeast Area. While the temperature hovered just at the freezing mark, bitterly cold winds coursing over the frozen surface of the lake made the air temperatures much colder, causing participants in the Cape Girardeau Area Polar Bear Plunge to shiver as they waited at the shoreline for the signal to jump in...

Barbara Lunceford, 49, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 at home. She was born Nov. 5, 1957 at Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Myrtle Madeline "Lena" Albright, 85, of Cairo, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Ill. She was born Sept. 1, 1921 in Mattoon, Ill., daughter of Tom and Blanche Ham. Albright was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Air Force. She was a member of Washington Avenue Baptist Church in Cairo...

Ruby J. Dykes, 86, of Delta died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo.

John Kennedy, 78, of Whitewater, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo.

Zenoba Smothers, 97, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Bloomfield, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Jan. 28, 1910, near Swinton, daughter of Linnie Ridge and Logan A. Hobbs. She and Harvey H. Smothers were married June 28, 1927. He died April 22, 2004...

William Herbert Bailey, 93, of Burfordville, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 13, 1913 at Bunker, Mo., son of Ed and Effie Perry Bailey. He and Ida Marie Buxton Bailey were married. Survivors include two daughters, Kathy Jones of Jefferson City, Mo., Debby Abney of Burfordville; two sons, Danny Bailey of Saudi Arabia, Kenny Bailey of Japan; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren...

LOWNDES, Mo. -- Romaine Rogers White, 87, of Lowndes died Feb. 3, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born July 4, 1919 in Rhodes, Mich., son of Hugh and Alice Belle Cann Goodrich. She married Charles Rogers on Dec. 27, 1937. He preceded her in death. She later married Chester White, who also preceded her in death...

7:30 p.m. Monday Jackson City Hall 101 Court St. Jackson Action Items Power and light committee n Consider a motion to set the annual Jackson Board of Aldermen/Cape Girardeau City Council joint meeting for 7 p.m. March 12 at the Osage Community Centre...

Southeast Missourian McCLURE, Ill. -- Illinois State Police on Saturday identified the pedestrian killed in an accident on Highway 146 as Mark Walker. His age and address were not provided by police Saturday, nor were details of the accident. A semitrailer driving east on Highway 146 struck and killed Walker, who was walking the opposite direction, at about 3:30 a.m. Friday. The accident occurred in McClure, near Highway 146's intersection with Highway 3...

Anxiety takes over in the Barberis house in Dutchtown every time a hard rain hits. Even if it's dry in Dutchtown, a hard rain a few miles north of their house along Hubble Creek can make for a dangerous situation. "This comes through like the Mississippi River when it floods," Pat Barberis said as she sat in her living room, pointing toward the back of the home where Hubble Creek cuts through Dutchtown on its way to the Diversion Channel...

8:30 a.m. Monday County Administration Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson Routine business n None at this time. Action items n None at this time. Discussion items and appointments n 9:30 a.m., Discussion and possible action on Mental Health Board appointments...

LONDON -- Officials confirmed Saturday that the H5N1 strain of bird flu had been found in turkeys on a commercial farm -- Britain's first mass outbreak of the disease that has ravaged Asia's poultry stocks and killed more than 160 people worldwide...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with explosives hidden beneath cooking oil, canned food and bags of flour obliterated a Baghdad food market on Saturday, killing at least 121 people in one of the most fearsome attacks in the capital since the U.S. invasion in 2003...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A man accused of shoving a cell phone down a woman's throat was convicted Saturday of second-degree domestic assault. The charge, the lesser of two that jurors considered, carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison. If jurors had convicted him of first-degree domestic assault, Marlon Brando Gill could have faced up to life in prison...

Thousands of people have resettled on the Mississippi River's East Bank since it was hit by Hurricane Katrina. By CAIN BURDEAU The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS -- The Army Corps of Engineers is proposing to divert up to $1.3 billion for levee repairs from the Mississippi River's East Bank, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, to the West Bank, where tens of thousands of people have resettled...

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Relying on self-deprecating jokes, unusual candor and outright flattery Saturday, President Bush wooed lawmakers he not only needs but will have to answer to in the final two years of his presidency. Bush had not seen fit to attend a Democratic congressional retreat since 2001, his first year in office. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Westminster Christian Academy girls basketball team extended its winning streak to 14 games Saturday afternoon. But it didn't come without a big scare from Notre Dame. The Bulldogs never led in the game, but they tied the score twice in the fourth quarter before falling 58-56 in west St. Louis County...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Considering that Tennessee-Martin had lost just one Ohio Valley Conference home game all season, Southeast Missouri State acting head coach John Ishee did not expect an easy time Saturday. But Ishee and the Redhawks got more than they bargained for, as the Skyhawks beat Southeast convincingly 63-54...

PATTON -- The Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team hit all 14 free throws it took in the second half, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to capture its third MIssissippi Valley Conference title in four years 66-51 over Chaffee on Saturday at Meadow Heights...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State's Redhawks really have no explanation why they've had more Ohio Valley Conference success on the road than at home so far this season. The Redhawks were simply pleased that they made big plays down the stretch Saturday night to avoid another heart-breaking loss...

Shea Smith had her best offensive performance of the season for the Delta girls basketball team in her comeback from a knee injury suffered during the softball season. Smith, a senior guard who was selected as the Southeast Missourian's Player of the Year last season, fired in three 3-pointers and scored 16 points as Delta rolled past Shawnee (Ill.) 72-35 on Saturday...

LEWISTOWN, Mo. (AP) -- Concerns that a leaking propane tank is a potential fire hazard led authorities to evacuate about 580 residents from this northeast Missouri town. The 15,000-gallon Heetco tank is near the center of town. Residents may be out of their homes for two or three days, said David Keith, Lewis County director of emergency management...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Ameren Corp. told federal regulators it wants to rebuild the Taum Sauk reservoir, but the company first must settle legal troubles from state agencies resulting from the reservoir's collapse. The utility filed plans Monday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to start construction on the reservoir this year. The mountaintop basin, which powers a hydroelectric plant, should be up and running by 2009, according to the plan...

Assessments of existing home values in Cape Girardeau County are likely to rise 6 to 7 percent this year as a result of reassessment, which will mean either higher tax payments this fall or a cut in tax rates, depending on how values of commercial and farm property fare...

Three rural fire protection districts in Scott County are considering consolidating into one in a move proponents say would provide the districts with more political and purchasing power. Officials with the county's three northernmost rural fire districts -- the Oran Fire Protection District, the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District and the New Hamburg-Benton-Commerce (NBC) Fire Protection District -- have begun discussion the idea in public meetings in the past few weeks...

Construction of a city-owned baseball field in Jackson's Brookside Park will likely be a reality in the near future. Officials announced last week that the Missouri Army National Guard approved a request to complete engineering and dirt work for a baseball field similar to the American Legion Field in City Park...

People all over the world love Flat Stanley. Who's Flat Stanley? He's a cartoon character who in Jeff Brown's 1964 book got flattened by a bulletin board and now can go on all kinds of adventures thanks to his flatness. Soon he's flying like a kite and catching art thieves by pretending to be a painting on a wall...

To the editor:Voting to kill the DeMint amendment was a vote for the status quo and against transparency and accountability. The meaning of earmarks in the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007 covers only about 5 percent of projects. ...

To the editor:We are responding to recent stories, letters and Speak Out comments regarding state Rep. Scott Lipke's losing his position as committee chairman. We both served on the Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee with him and were able to see firsthand his knowledge and expertise as the leader of this committee...

Randy Jordan, 11-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Welker of Cape Girardeau, takes an icy dip in the Capaha Park lagoon, when he chases his skidding lunch box out onto the ice and falls through; he is rescued by Edward J. Propst and another man, who formed a human chain to pull the boy to safety...

Vaccine choice; Not the worst of times; Grant gone awry; Following the family; Chicken soup; More on cheerleaders; Heavy homework; Paid trips; Problem parents; Changing audits; Wisdom and talent; Teaching the test; Late decision; School cancellation; Bad reputation; Model schools; Right questions; Put money back; Street lights; Pit bull bashing; Streets not cleaned; Single parents; Great start; No seconds

For some area residents, Sunday was a national holiday. "Super Bowl is one of my favorite holidays," said Sherri Voerg. She gathered with a group of friends at the Rude Dog Pub in downtown Cape Girardeau Sunday afternoon to watch the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts compete in Super Bowl XLI...

GRASSY, Mo. -- Eleven miles west of Marble Hill, off of Route H, is the 50-acre homeland of the AhNiYvWiYa (Ah-ni-yu-wi-ya) tribe of American Indians. Their name translates to English as "the human people," and that theirs is a peaceful, humane community is not in doubt. They practice and speak an ancient language and uphold centuries-old traditions. Tribal members say they want little more of the outside world than to be left in peace and granted 501c(3) status as a not-for-profit group...

401 Independence St. 7 p.m. today Study session, 5 p.m. Public hearing n A public hearing to consider vacating the city's interest in a right of way easement at tract 24 on Mount Auburn Road. Consent ordinances n An ordinance approving the record plat of Lynwood Hills Second South Subdivision...

William "Bill" Sheldon Stratman Sr., 56, of Grassy, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 9, 1950, in East St. Louis, Ill., son of Sheldon Stratman Jr. and Bernadine Stratman. Stratman worked as a mail sorter for the U.S. ...

John Lee Kennedy, 78, of Whitewater, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, at his residence. He was born April 5, 1928, in Perkins, Mo., son of Henry Lee and Rosa Lee Simmons Kennedy. He and Patsy L. Taylor were married March 4, 1951. She died May 24, 2005. Kennedy was an Army veteran and served during World War II. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Delta and a member of the VFW Post 3838...

Ruby J. Dykes, 86, of Delta died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007, at her residence. She was born Dec. 12, 1920, in Logan County, Ark., the daughter of Dewey Lee and Nettie Brown Eskew. She and Ira B. Dykes were married Nov. 14, 1942. Dykes was a member of The Church of God of Prophecy in Delta...

Barbara Sides Lunceford, 49, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007, at her home. She was born Nov. 5, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, the daughter of Roy Francis and Hilda Lydia (Rubel) Sides. She first married Frank L. Snider Jr. He proceeded her in death on May 5, 1999. Later, she married Gary Lee Lunceford on Dec. 9, 2000, in Cape Girardeau. He proceeded her in death on Jan. 7, 2006...

Toshiye K. Suzuki, 95, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at the Lutehran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 7, 1912, in San Gabriel, Calif., the daughter of Seiichi and Suye Kobayashi. She and Yoshimichi Jafe "Y.J." Suzuki were married on Dec. 16, 1933, in Norwalk, Calif. He proceeded her in death on May 1, 1979...

Kathleen Alfreda Green, 81, of Scott City died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at the Perry Oaks Manor in Perryville, Mo. She was born Feb. 15, 1925, in Ancell, Mo., daughter of Otto Frederick Walter and Anna Agatha Sander. She and Harry Leon Green were married Nov. 15, 1941. He died July 1, 1983...

Ronald Zane Wissman, 61, of Oak Ridge died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at his residence in Oak Ridge. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Arrests; Summons; Assault; Theft; Miscellaneous; Property damage; Miscellaneous

n At 8:39 p.m., vehicle fire at Capaha Park. n At 5:15 a.m., medical assist in the 1000 block of Oak Ridge Court. n At 12:12 p.m., public assist in the 1500 block of Scott Street. n At 1:02 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2500 block of Boutin Drive...

Since 2000, the Hispanic population of Cape Girardeau County has grown by about 200 people. Grade schools in the Cape Girardeau area have seen increases in the enrollment of Hispanic students. The percentage of Hispanic students at Clippard Elementary rose from 1.5 percent in 2002 to 6.2 percent in 2006. Blanchard, Franklin and Alma Schrader elementary schools have also seen increases in Hispanic enrollment...

The Southeast Missouri State tennis team opened its season with a 7-0 loss at Evansville on Saturday night at the Tri-State Athletic Club. The match was the first for the Redhawks under coach Mark Elliott. Southeast lost two doubles matches to yield the doubles point to the Purple Aces (3-0). ...

MIAMI -- Tony Dungy, beaming and sporting an NFL champions cap, waded through the mob on the soggy field until he found his quarterback, Peyton Manning. And there they stood in the rain, the winning Super Bowl coach and the MVP, finally savoring a moment that was a long time coming...

Hospital CEO earns management credential ; Noah's Ark sails into Cape Girardeau; Edward Jones rep gets specialist designation; Jackson beautician goes to training in Las Vegas

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams has now spent more time spacewalking than any other woman, setting the record on Sunday as she and a crew mate upgraded the international space station's cooling system. Williams broke the previous female spacewalking record of more than 21 hours when she and Michael Lopez-Alegria completed the second of what could be a precedent-setting three spacewalks in nine days. The new record is 22 hours and 27 minutes...

FAIR PLAY, Mo. -- Dewey Rumfelt doesn't want to hear the details about what happened to his little sister on the day she was killed nearly 30 years ago. But he does want her killer to be executed -- and he wants to be there when it happens. On Friday, police in St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When walking into the main entrance of the Governor's Mansion, most people are struck by the beauty of the furniture, paintings, the amazing height of the 17-foot ceilings and the feeling of home. But behind the scenes, the mansion is in need of help...

ST. LOUIS -- Many of today's zoo animals reach a ripe old age compared with their companions in the wild. While that's a point of pride for zoo keepers, it's also a challenge. The St. Louis Zoo has more older animals on its hands than in the past. That's good news for the animals -- such as the aged chimps, bears and lemurs -- but it also means they suffer many of the same health problems of human senior citizens, from achy joints to failing livers...

NEW YORK -- As the popularity of stomach surgery has skyrocketed among obese adults, a growing number of doctors are asking, "Why not children, too?" For decades, the number of children trying weight-loss surgery has been tiny. The operations themselves were risky, with a death rate of about 1 in 50. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush will send Congress a $2.9 trillion spending request today that seeks billions of dollars more to fight the Iraq war and tries to restrain the spiraling cost of the government's big health care programs. Responding to the new political realities of a Democratic-controlled Congress, Bush will propose balancing the budget in five years, matching a goal put forward by Democratic leaders. ...

WASHINGTON -- A revolt against a national driver's license, begun in Maine last month, is quickly spreading to other states. The Maine Legislature on Jan. 26 overwhelmingly passed a resolution objecting to the Real ID Act of 2005. The federal law sets a national standard for driver's licenses and requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases...

WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators working on rules to secure the calling records and other private information of telephone customers are running into resistance from phone companies and law enforcement agencies. The rules, an effort by the Federal Communications Commission to combat "pretexting," are circulating among the commissioners for comment and may be voted on this month...

TOKYO -- Mitsutoshi Fukatsu has been with his wife for three decades, but their lives have grown apart. As a busy stationmaster in central Japan, he has usually come home only to eat, bathe and sleep. Now with retirement looming, the 56-year-old wants to get to know his wife better. He calls her by her name, Setsuko, instead of just grunting. And he says he recently learned a new phrase: "I love you."...

NEW YORK -- The scenario is all too common on the crowded streets of New York: A car crashes into another, confusion ensues and a slew of people at the site call 911 to offer the same or similar information. Now the city wants to broaden the 911 system to accept digital photos and video clips of accidents and crimes. But the expansion of the massive 911 system, which already handles roughly 11 million calls a year, raises questions about what to do with all that data...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Hamas gunmen attacked bases of Fatah-allied troops with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades early Sunday, part of a four-day campaign by the Islamic militants to weaken the security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Gen. Dan McNeill, the highest ranking U.S. general to lead troops in Afghanistan, took command of 35,500 NATO-led soldiers Sunday, putting an American face on the international mission after nine months of British command. The transition comes after a year of sharply increased violence following the alliance's push into the Taliban's southern heartland, and military officials said privately they expect McNeill to take a harder line with militants than his predecessor, Gen. ...

LADY LAKE, Fla. -- President Bush designated four central Florida counties as disaster areas, releasing millions of dollars in aid as residents began recovering from tornados that ripped through the region, leaving at least 20 people dead. National Guard troops, neighbors and residents cleaned up in the rain Saturday, pulling blue tarps over houses that still had walls...

NEW YORK -- Along with the trademark Clydesdales, talking animals and high-end computer graphics, there was a new entry this year in the annual showdown of advertisers in the Super Bowl: amateurs. Starting in the first quarter, a goofy spot for Doritos showing a hapless driver distracted by a pretty woman passing by marked the first time a purely amateur-created ad aired during the Super Bowl. ...

Mine explosion leaves 32 dead in Colombia SARDINATA, Colombia -- An explosion tore through a makeshift coal mine in remote northeast Colombia on Saturday, killing 32 miners, a civil defense official said. Rescue crews had located the bodies buried more than 1,300 feet below ground but were unable to safely remove them, said Yesid Arias, who was helping to coordinate the operation. ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Leaving the congestion and sky-high housing prices of the San Francisco Bay area for a quiet retirement near the state capital seemed like a no-lose idea to Achilles Melendres. So he bought a two-story home in a rapidly growing neighborhood north of downtown Sacramento last year. He's now wondering if he made the right decision...

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Boats ferried supplies to desperate residents of Indonesia's flood-stricken capital on Sunday as rivers burst their banks following days of rain. At least 20 people have been killed and almost 340,000 forced from their homes....

TOKYO -- Japan's ruling bloc lost a key local election on Sunday, a possible bellwether of public support after a Cabinet minister caused an uproar by calling women "birth-giving machines." The setback compounds the problems for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration, which has also lost a minister and a top adviser in separate scandals...

Seeking peace, Arab diplomat returns defeated CAIRO, Egypt -- The Arab League sent Mokhtar Lamani to Iraq to persuade its bitterly divided Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders to make peace. He failed, and has now resigned, disillusioned and nearly drained of hope...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. command has ordered changes in flight operations after four helicopters were shot down in the last two weeks, the chief military spokesman said Sunday, acknowledging for the first time that the aircraft were lost to hostile fire...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- His ambitious social programs are built on Venezuela's petroleum wealth, but President Hugo Chavez is increasingly talking up environmental causes and urging the world to cut back on oil use to fight global warming. He wants to use some oil revenue in a venture to manufacture solar panels and has begun doling out millions of energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs to homes nationwide...

ST. LOUIS -- A wedding dress was found on a conference table at City Museum. A half slip and high heels turned up at America's Center. A child's tooth in a baggie -- including money from the Tooth Fairy -- was left behind at the St. Louis Zoo. Welcome to the world of lost and found, where everyone has been a finder, keeper, loser or weeper...

Mardi Gras brunch at Cairo manor CAIRO, Ill. -- Two seatings at the annual Mardi Gras brunch, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 18, will be available at the historic Magnolia Manor, 2700 Washington Ave. The event will feature food, a champagne fountain and a live band. The manor will be festively decorated and beads will be given to all attending. Proceeds will benefit the maintenance of the manor. For more information or reservations, call (618) 734-0201...

Thorngate employee reunion slated Feb. 19 The employees of the former Thorngate Ltd. plant in Chaffee, Mo., will gather at 5 p.m. Feb. 19 at Ryan's Steak House in Cape Girardeau for their 11th annual reunion. All former employees are invited to attend...

Area man completes Navy training Seaman recruit Trevor C. Milam recently completed his Navy basic training and graduated from the Navy Recruit Training Command Center in Great Lakes, Ill. He will remain in Great Lakes for the next several months for training as a medical corpsman. Milam is a 2004 graduate of Central High School, Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Kristie Milam of Kelso, Mo., and Donnie Milam of Cape Girardeau...

The Habitat for Humanity-Cape Area Inc. volunteers were busy raising the walls of Habitat partner Dustin Runnels' home during the last weekend in January. It is the 26th home Habitat has built in Cape Girardeau. Located at 748 S. West End Blvd., a crew of about 30 Southeast Missouri State University volunteers from Alpha Phi Omega and Zeta Phi Beta, Runnels' friends, Habitat partner family member Lori Fann (who will soon be a Habitat for Humanity homeowner) and crew chief Steve Barry (also a Habitat partner family member) worked in wintry weather to get the job done.. ...

MIAMI -- Peyton Manning finally has an answer for that perpetual question. Yes, he can win the big game -- and yes, he can do it in a big way, too. His career-long quest for a championship ended Sunday in Miami with an efficient performance against the Chicago Bears that added a Super Bowl MVP award to his long list of achievements...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A year ago, this story seemed like a fairy tale. Mitch Mustain was headed to Arkansas along with three of his high school teammates -- and their coach had been hired as the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator. Mustain was the quarterback of the future, Gus Malzahn the offensive innovator moving up to the college level...

Aaron Baddeley had already conquered the pressure of leading down the stretch on the PGA Tour. Jeff Quinney still hasn't. Baddeley birdied three of the final four holes and took advantage of Quinney's late collapse Sunday for a one-stroke victory in the FBR Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., the Australian's second win on the tour...

Winery to introduce champagne house Crown Valley Winery of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., will introduce the first champagne house in the Midwest with a grand opening Feb. 17. The state-of-the-art facility in Farmington, Mo., will produce Crown Valley's sparkling wine using two fermentation processes and will feature tours, a gift shop and a deli...

Jared Van Slyke, the son of former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Andy Van Slyke, is headed to Southeast Missouri State to play football. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch featured Van Slyke in Saturday's edition. The Southeast Missourian had previously published a report of Van Slyke's intentions in October, following an appearance on a St. Louis radio station by his father...

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- Additional charges will be filed Monday against kidnapping suspect Michael Devlin, already accused of abducting two boys, one of them by gunpoint, St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said in a statement. More details are expected at a news conference at 3 p.m. at the St. Louis County Justice Center...

NEW YORK -- Wanted: M. fund w/ top 25 percent rank. Given the scads of mutual funds out there, investors might be tempted to turn to the want ads rather than sort through heaps of funds in hopes of finding a good match. More often, befuddled investors depend on fund rankings to bring a cool empirical eye to their search. But those who invest solely based on rankings risk disappointment...

MIAMI -- Isaac Daniel calls the tiny Global Positioning System chip he's embedded into a line of sneakers "peace of mind." He wished his 8-year-old son had been wearing them when he got a call from his school in 2002 saying the boy was missing. The worried father hopped a flight to Atlanta from New York where he had been on business to find it had been a miscommunication and his son was safe...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Textbooks, pencils, paper ... prison tour? A state senator wants to require public schools to take their students on a field trip to a state prison during their freshmen year of high school. The goal is to "show them that crime doesn't pay," said Sen. ...

LEWISTOWN, Mo. (AP) -- This northeast Missouri town remained virtually empty again Tuesday, two days after a leaking propane tank forced a mandatory evacuation of the entire community. Emergency management officials said it was still unclear when more than 500 evacuated residents will be able to return home...

UNION, Mo. (AP) -- A Franklin County judge on Tuesday refused to suppress an interview accused kidnapper Michael Devlin granted to a woman working for the New York Post, saying doing so would violate the Constitution. Franklin County Associate Circuit Judge David Tobben also refused to hear a request by Devlin's attorneys to move Devlin to the St. Louis County Jail from Franklin County...

DELTA, Mo. -- Mayor Carol Collins resigned Monday evening, acknowledging that she had violated the Missouri Constitution's ban on nepotism last year when she appointed her brother-in-law to the Delta Board of Aldermen. With 18 townspeople on hand -- a big turnout for a city meeting -- Collins rose at the beginning of the meeting to announce she was stepping down. ...

Bailey's bed seems to have a life of its own. The mattress regularly slides partly off the bed. When I go to wake up Bailey, I often find her asleep on her sliding mattress. I wonder how she can sleep at such an angle. The mattress would slip entirely off the bed if it weren't for a nearby table that serves to put the brakes on all the slipping and sliding...

Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton took an unusual step Monday and attacked the work of a fellow Republican lawmaker to explain why state Rep. Scott Lipke was not chosen to lead a committee in the Missouri House of Representatives. Lipke, R-Jackson, and Jetton, R-Marble Hill, are from adjoining districts. ...

Repealing Missouri's unenforceable misdemeanor law banning homosexual acts between consenting adults was the right thing to do, Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said Monday. In an interview, Swingle said lawmakers have a duty to erase unnecessary language from the statutes when it is declared unenforceable by a settled court decision. Swingle's view was echoed by Peter Joy, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in criminal law...

Cape Girardeau's Central Middle School opened five years ago in the district's former junior high school, bringing fifth- and sixth-graders from throughout the school system to a single school. Today, local educators and students alike say the move has created a melting pot of cultures that has allowed students from different neighborhoods to become friends. The school also has made the transition to junior high school easier for sixth-graders, officials say...

Snowy roads create havoc Thursday DEXTER, Mo. -- Ice and snow played a major role in vehicle accidents throughout the area Thursday. n Two Dexter children sustained minor injuries after the school bus they were riding in Thursday morning struck a pole guy wire due to icy conditions. ...

Cape Girardeau County commissioners are looking for a little help. On Thursday morning, commissioners spent more than an hour behind closed doors interviewing a potential candidate to become a part-time assistant, a post commissioners want to create to deal with road easements, grant funding and other policy issues...

Monday Discussion items and appointments n Appointed Don Pugh and Patricia Book to the County Mental Health Board. n Received annual county highway report from Scott Bechtold, highway administrator. Closed session n Interviewed candidate for position of assistant to the county commission...

The Cape Girardeau School District would have to spend nearly $550,000 to start up a preschool and child-care facility even if a local company provided the space and utilities, officials said Monday. The board also voted to extend superintendent Dr. David Scala's contract for two years...

Public hearing n Held a public hearing to consider vacating the city's interest in a right of way easement at tract 24 on Mount Auburn Road. Consent ordinances n Approved the record plat of Lynwood Hills Second South Subdivision. n Approved the record plat of Regent's Parc Subdivision...

Cape Girardeau is in the freshman class of Missouri's DREAM Initiative and the city hopes to shine as a star pupil. "This is exciting," said Mayor Jay Knudtson at Monday night's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting. "Right now the stars are aligned as well as they're ever going to be aligned. As such we need to look at what we've got to do to leverage and capture this opportunity."...

Monday Jackson City Hall Action Items Power and light committee n Set the annual Jackson Board of Aldermen/Cape Girardeau City Council joint meeting for 7 p.m. March 12 at the Osage Community Centre. n Approved an ordinance accepting the dedication of an electric line easement deed from the Heise Family Trust for the 34.5 kilovolt Electric Line Transmission Project...

The Scott City government hopes to straighten out a zoning mess affecting one area of the city within as short a time as possible. The city council will meet with the city's Planning and Zoning Commission at 7 p.m. today to discuss the zoning of the I-1 area adjacent to Interstate 55 south of Main Street. ...

About 40 people turned out on a cold February evening to sip coffee drinks and watch a Reader's Theater presentation of "To Kill a Mockingbird." The event Monday at Barnes & Noble bookstore in Cape Girardeau kicked off this year's United We Read program. The month of readings and discussions will focus on Harper Lee's 1960s classic best seller about racial injustice in a small Southern town...

Oren O. O'Dell, 62, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 20, 1944, in Sumner, Ill., son of Elda and Clista Cleetis Auteberry O'Dell. O'Dell was a maintenance worker many years. He worked at Maco Management in Scott City until retiring in 2006. He was a master mason at Chaffee, Mo., Masonic Lodge 615...

ANNA, Ill. -- Gilbert L. "Gib" Pender, 70, of Anna died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 13, 1936, in Alto Pass, Ill., son of Fred and Helen Rhodes Pender. He and Lou Ella Casper were married March 21, 1959, in Cobden, Ill...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Betty Colleen Ezell, 69, of Dexter died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at her home. She was born June 12, 1937, in Essex, Mo., daughter of Clemmer and Reba Tedford DeJournett. She and Glen Ray Ezell were married June 27, 1955, in Union City, Tenn...

ANNA, Ill. -- Harriet M. Simpson, 90, of Springfield, Ill., died Monday, Feb. 5, 2007, at Sunrise Manor in Virden, Ill. She was born March 20, 1916, in Kalamazoo, Mich., daughter of Cecil W. and Julia Rosa Guthrie Simpson Sr. Simpson was a self-employed accountant...

Jim Schnell, formerly of Beloit, Kan., died following a lengthy illness at the age of 91, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, in Powell, Wyo. He was preceded in death by an infant brother, a sister, Mary Jo Schnell, and his wife, Paula Schnell. He is survived by two sons, Chris Schnell of Cape Girardeau, Mike Schnell of Cody, Wyo.; a daughter, Deborah Schnell of San Jose, N.M.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren...

Bobby Elvis Dees, 53, of Fort Worth, Texas, died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, in Arlington, Texas. He was born Aug. 31, 1953, in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include a son, Bobby Elvis Dees Jr. and wife Cindy of Whitewater; an adopted son, Matt Dees of Cape Girardeau; three grandsons and three granddaughters; two brothers, Paul Wayne Dees of Farmington, Mo., Billy Joe Thorne of Chaffee, Mo.; two half sisters, Pauline Bridges of South Carolina and Lou Conway of Cape Girardeau...

Charles Parmer, 87, of Dutchtown died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at his son's home in Dutchtown. He was born Jan. 9, 1920, in Lutesville, Mo., son of Charles A. and Mary Lou Burr Parmer. He is survived by a son, Doyle Parmer and wife Julie of Dutchtown; a daughter, Violet Marie Lashmet and husband Jim of Scott City; a brother, LeRoy Parmer of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Pauline Shands of East Prairie, Mo.; and seven grandchildren including Christna Parmer of Dutchtown, Mindy Lemons of Cape Girardeau, and Richard Lashmet of Scott City; seven great-grandchildren including Grace and Cole Lemons of Cape Girardeau and Breanna Williams of Dutchtown.. ...

Ronald Zane Wissmann, 61, of Oak Ridge died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at his home He was born July 1, 1945, in Cape Girardeau, son of Jesse Eugene and Mary McLain Wissmann. Wissmann was employed by Cape Girardeau Fire Department 30 years, retiring as a captain. He was a member of Red Star Baptist Church, VFW Post 3838, Egypt Mills Antique Tractor Club and Parents Without Partners...

Georgia L. Hedgecorth, 87, of Ironton, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 5, 2007, at The Baptist Home. She was born Aug. 3, 1919, in Elvins, Mo., daughter of Walter T. and Pearl Johnson Bayless. She married Cecil W. Hedgecorth June 25, 1946. He preceded her in death May 31, 1988...

Mark L. Walker, 47, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 2, 2007, as a result of injuries sustained in a pedestrian-semitrailer accident in McClure, Ill. He was born Nov. 14, 1959, in South Haven, Mich., son of William and Mildred Walker. Survivors include his mother of Jackson; two sisters, Sheila Marks of East Prairie, Mo., Lisa Greenwalt of Jackson; four brothers, Terry and Rick Walker of Lilbourn, Mo., Jack Walker of Lantana, Fla., Rocky Walker of Risco, Mo.; and a special friend, Mary Lillard of the home.. ...

You know the moment of anticipation from the time the bowling ball is released until the time it hits the pins. The local organizers for the state's open bowling championship have been stuck in that spot for a few months now. The anticipation finally is near an end...

The chances of Southeast Missouri State earning a home game for the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament are fairly slim. Which might not be such a bad thing, according to the Redhawks. Southeast continues to play better on the road than at home. The Redhawks won at Tennessee-Martin 73-69 Saturday night...

The filing of five additional candidates for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education brings to 10 the number of persons seeking three positions on the board; the latest to file are Vicki Outman, Diane Zachary, Vonda Slinkard, Frank Bain and Lyle Hutteger...

Scrutiny required; Glorifying God; Tracking funds; Fining parents; Need help; Send a bill; Religious component; School investigations; Community benefit; Come clean on jail; Church morality; Ruining lives; Smoking choice; Not using blinkers

The Missouri State High School Activities Association oversees the rules and conduct of sports, music contests and other activities of the 1,000 public and private schools that voluntarily choose to belong to the organization. Occasionally, the MSHSAA is asked to look into allegations of rules violations. Its findings are not always popular...

To the editor:The recent ice storm in Southwestern Missouri created a state of emergency for many counties. President Bush declared these counties a federal disaster area. Gov. Matt Blunt implemented the statewide mutual-aid system, which called for resources in unaffected areas to assist...

To the editor:If AmerenUE is granted a rate increase by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the electricity we use in our homes for basic needs like refrigerating and cooking our food should be protected from the higher cost. The Missouri Association for Social Welfare has proposed to the PSC an "essential service rate." The commission would calculate the amount of electricity needed for basic appliances in a typical modest home. ...

To the editor:I am writing to express my thanks, on behalf of the board of directors of the Cape Girardeau Public School Foundation, to those in our community who contributed to our gala Saturday night. The Penguin Party Gala marks the first event, since the foundation's reorganization in 2004, that so many gathered and contributed to our effort. The funds raised will support our Great Ideas teaching grants for Cape's public schoolteachers to use in innovative classroom initiatives...

Hunze; Griffin; Aufdenberg; Roley

NEW YORK -- She was a 16-year-old honors student, keenly interested in politics and eager to work for her candidate in last fall's congressional elections. But when election day came around, the girl wasn't on the campaign trail. She was in the hospital, with anorexia...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush unveiled a $2.9 trillion budget Monday that rewards the Pentagon with a record $50 billion budget hike but pinches programs cherished by Democrats, including health research and heating subsidies for the poor. In control of Congress for the first time in a dozen years, Democrats accused Bush of trimming domestic programs, using smoke and mirrors to predict a balanced budget in five years and ignoring a hidden tax threat to middle-class families. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Bombings and mortar attacks killed dozens across Baghdad on Monday as Iraqi troops set up new checkpoints and an Iraqi general took command -- indications that the much-awaited operation to restore peace to the capital is gearing up nearly a month after it was announced...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- The U.S. Embassy warned Americans on Monday of a heightened terrorist threat against Westerners in Sudan. The U.S. message followed a similar warning that the United Nations sent its staff in Sudan last week, said a U.N. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue with journalists...

BOSTON -- Turner Broadcasting Systems and an advertising agency agreed Monday to pay $2 million in compensation for planting blinking electronic devices around the Boston area in a publicity stunt that set off a terrorism scare. The agreement between Turner, Interference Inc. ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The RCA Dome never felt so good to the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. After a rain-soaked victory in Miami the night before and then a frigid, bone-numbing homecoming parade through the streets of downtown Indianapolis on Monday night, the Colts finally arrived at the stadium for a raucous celebration with their fans...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jimmie Johnson was the clear favorite to win last season's Nextel Cup championship, an easy pick after coming so very close so many times before. This year's pick isn't nearly as obvious, with 50 drivers revving their motors in pursuit of dethroning NASCAR's newest champion. Jeff Gordon wants a fifth Nextel Cup title. Tony Stewart is fired up after missing last year's Chase, and Matt Kenseth's goal is to win a second title, this time under a new points system...

Southeast Missouri State will get letters of intent from two Columbia Rock Bridge players on Wednesday. Cornerback Mukai Matsiga gave his commitment to the Redhawks last week, the Columbia Tribune reported in Sunday's edition. He joins teammate Andrew Adams, who previously had committed to play for Southeast...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Casey Mears got a new crew chief Monday, just four days before NASCAR begins preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500. Fortunately for Mears, he's teaming with last year's race-winning crew chief. Darian Grubb, who led Jimmie Johnson to the Daytona 500 victory, will now lead Mears' No. ...

NEW YORK -- Sean Avery, the NHL's most-penalized player the past two seasons, was traded to the New York Rangers on Monday night in a deal that sent checking forward Jason Ward to the Los Angeles Kings. Avery had 10 goals, 18 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 55 games this season with the Kings, who also acquired the rights to unsigned forwards Marc-Andre Cliche and Jan Marek. Los Angeles sent 19-year-old prospect John Seymour to the Rangers...

By Jay P. Greene and Marcus A. Winters From The Wall Street Journal Who, on average, is better paid: public school teachers or architects? How about teachers or economists? You might be surprised to learn that public school teachers are better paid than these and many other professionals. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Ameren Corp. told federal regulators it wants to rebuild the Taum Sauk reservoir, but the company first must settle legal troubles from state agencies resulting from the reservoir's collapse. The utility filed plans Monday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to start construction on the reservoir this year. The mountaintop basin, which powers a hydroelectric plant, should be up and running by 2009, according to the plan...

A bone-chilling cold wave with temperatures as low as 42 below zero shut down schools for thousands of youngsters Monday, sent homeless people into shelters and put car batteries on the disabled list from the northern Plains across the Great Lakes. At least four deaths were linked to the cold weather...

Notre Dame's girls basketball team wrapped up the SEMO Conference on Monday with a 60-57 win at district foe Dexter. The Bulldogs (14-7) finished a perfect 8-0 in the conference. Notre Dame built a 29-21 halftime lead and withstood a second-half comeback for the win...

CLAYTON, Mo. -- A Missouri man accused of kidnapping two boys and holding one for more than four years was charged Monday with molesting them -- nearly 70 times in all. The charges were the first time authorities have openly accused Michael Devlin of molesting the children...

If Jilisa Ward is having a bad day, she knows what will cheer her up. The Central High School senior volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club in Cape Girardeau almost every day after she gets out of school. "I can come here and these kids make me laugh. They make me happy, and they make me feel less stressed out," Jilisa said Monday afternoon at the club...

The Florida Gators are No. 1 for the fourth straight week. This time, there's no doubt about it. Florida became the first unanimous No. 1 in The Associated Press college basketball poll in nearly two years, garnering all 72 first place votes Monday...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- It's been nearly a month since Iowa State's comeback win at Missouri, but the momentum the Cyclones gained that night is still paying off. The Cyclones gave first-year coach Greg McDermott a Big 12 opener to remember back on Jan. 6, rallying from 16 down to beat the Tigers 66-65 on a tip-in by freshman Wesley Johnson. Iowa State (12-10, 3-5 Big 12) has lost five of seven since then, but McDermott said the comeback in Columbia was a major step forward for the program...

WASHINGTON -- A 59-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 8 1/2 years in prison on charges stemming from his use of stolen identities in an attempt to acquire more than $100,000 in payments intended for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jeffrey Alan Rothschild, who's also known as Jeffrey Zahler, pleaded guilty in August to bank fraud, mail fraud and money laundering in late 2005. ...

Two students nominated to military academies Timothy Guillams of Perryville, Mo., and Joseph Moore of Sikeston, Mo., were among 11 high school students in Southeast Missouri nominated to the nation's military academies. Moore is a principal nominee to the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Guillams is an alternate to the U.S. Military Academy...

Standing in my basement, my finger poised over the record button, I wait patiently for a good song to come on my radio. There it is: "The Sign" by Ace of Base. Record. Deodorant commercial. Pause. "I Swear" by All-4-One. Record! At 11 years old, I decided to claim a musical identity and create my first mix tape, purging myself forever of my mother's old Neil Diamond tapes...

You don't normally see grown men crying and hugging each other at a punk-rock show. But when Doom in the A.M. ended their nearly year-long reign of terror at Ragsdale's on Jan. 25 (playing on a triple bill with Minus the Star and Moodminder), the crowd -- many of whom had been getting drunk alongside bandmates since their first practice sessions in drummer Jon Thrower's basement last spring -- turned surprisingly wistful for a bunch of twenty-something punks and poets...

Hi Friends, Typically, well for as long as I can remember, I have acted utterly nauseated by the sickly sweet pink and red "i wuv u" teddy bears and fake, nasty, processed chocolate that flood the shelves of each and every store around this overrated, Hallmark-fueled February holiday...

Fill, Cape's very own jazz-rock sensation, started playing open mic nights at The Camp on Main Street ... when it was alive and kicking. Guitarist Chris Stephens and bassist Wes Ables met drummer Brandon Glenn during an improvisational jam thrown together by Bob Camp himself. After what has been described by Wes as a "horrible moment of beautiful noise," Fill was born -- and so was the smooth section of the current local music scene...

Now Harris has taken a new path, away from his rock 'n' roll roots and into jazz and classical as he studies at Southeast Missouri State University. The amazing bassist and all-around-nice-guy answered these questions via e-mail for OFF music editor James Samons...

Ahh... Valentine's Day. Even though there are 364 other glorious days in the year, Feb. 14 is chosen by lovers to express their love for one another through flowers, teddy bears and candy hearts. Another favorite expression of love is through food. A stomach filled with tasty food and wine is likely to be a happy one. ...

Cape Girardeau has been baptized in blood. It's a phenomenon that would make the members of Dethklok proud -- the city is now brutal. Now you might be saying, what the hell are you talking about Sanders? Well if you don't know by now, it's just too late...

For the last two weeks of this past January Cape Girardeau was the fighting mecca of Southeast Missouri; not "boxing" fighting but "fighting" fighting -- mixed martial arts, kickboxing, wrestling and good old trading punches to the face. It is amazing that what was once banned in 49 states is now family entertainment. ...

Since they teamed up to start Cape's first film festival two years ago, Michael Huntington and Pat Bond have been two of the most visible faces in a small-but-growing local film movement. And despite disagreements and an up-close taste of the way big Hollywood does things (remember 'Killshot'?) the two are still at it, preparing for their third Show Me Digital Film Festival Feb. 24 at Port Cape. To get involved or for more information visit www.showmefilmfest.com...

Fists of Phoenix frontman Daniel Seabaugh is no longer a teenager. "I just turned 20 last week," he says. He's standing on the stage of the Enchanted Forest, the sawdust-covered upstairs venue owned by his parents, and talking to guitarist Ian Bolton about the song he's just written...

LEWISTOWN, Mo. (AP) -- Lewistown residents -- at least some of them -- were going home Wednesday. The entire northeast Missouri town -- its population estimated at 580 by the U.S. Census in 2005 -- was evacuated Sunday due to a leaking propane tank. Starting Wednesday morning, residents in some parts of town gathered at the Lewis County Fairgrounds. Each resident was to be accompanied by utility workers who were checking each home to make sure it was safe before utilities were turned on again...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A key legislator says a measure to cut taxes on Social Security and other retiree benefits may be illegal. The House Special Committee on Tax Reform endorsed the proposal Tuesday in Jefferson City, but chairman Rep. Bryan Stevenson later said the bill violated a 1989 U.S. Supreme Court decision that barred states from taxing some public pensions while exempting others...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Two teenagers were recovering Wednesday after their rescue from a frigid lake in suburban St. Louis. Michael "Frankie" Ho, 16, and Michael Throgmorton, 15, had ventured 75 feet from shore when they fell through a soft patch of ice near the lake's center Tuesday night, said Battalion Chief John Moody with the Community Fire Protection District in Overland...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's transportation system is "improving dramatically," thanks to a funding bump but is headed toward a cliff unless the state finds a way to offset a funding drop-off in three years, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Multiple explosions at a chemical distribution facility shook an industrial area of Kansas City Wednesday, sending an ominous smoke cloud above the downtown skyline and prompting the evacuation of nearby schools and businesses...

"If you build it, they will come." That, of course, was the catch phrase from 1989's "Field of Dreams," starring Kevin Costner. It was spoken by a disembodied voice encouraging an Iowa corn farmer to plow over his crops and build a baseball diamond...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- A Chaffee police officer is charged with four counts of misdemeanor patronizing prostitution, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Tuesday. The charge is for offering something to another person so that person or a third person will engage in sexual conduct...

State lawmakers are looking at legislation that might change the minds of those reluctant to buckle up. House Bill 90, introduced by state Rep. Neal St. Onge, R-Ballwin, to the Missouri House of Representatives would allow law enforcement officers to stop motorists to give them tickets for not wearing seat belts...

Tuesday was a night of churning stomachs for library supporters, but in the end Cape Girardeau voters approved the expansion of the public library by 119 votes. The measure asked for an $8.9 million addition to the Cape Girardeau Public Library to be funded by doubling the portion of the property tax for library use on homes within the Cape Girardeau district. The final tally was 1,249 votes for the measure, 1,130 against...

The Cape Girardeau school board has extended superintendent Dr. David Scala's contract for another two years. The board took that action in closed session late Monday night on a 5-2 vote. Board members Charles Bertrand and Tom Reinagel voted against the two-year extension...

A 35-year-old Jackson woman is in custody Tuesday accused of stealing money from the Jackson post office. Jackson police interviewed Amanda S. Overbeck on Monday, who reportedly confessed to the theft and to possessing a controlled substance, according to a police release Tuesday...

A Bernie, Mo., man was seriously injured in a traffic accident Monday after his vehicle was struck by a school bus. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, an accident occurred at 4 p.m. on U.S. 60 at Route FF, two miles west of Sikeston, as northbound motorist Carl A. ...

The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau will move into the H&H building at 400 Broadway next month, a three-block move from the space at 100 Broadway. "It's a very appealing location. It's move-in ready, so it needs no rehab or renovation. It's smaller, but to be perfectly honest we're not using every square foot of the building we're in right now," said CVB executive director Chuck Martin...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- A Southern Illinois historic preservation group wants to raise $100,000 or more erect statues to commemorate the Lincoln-Douglas debate that occurred in Jonesboro on Sept. 15, 1858. The group, Promoting Appreciation of Structural Treasures or PAST, wants to have two life-size, bronze statutes sculpted depicting Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. The statues would be erected at Lincoln Memorial Park in Jonesboro, the site of the famous debate...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- A Cobden, Ill., woman charged with solicitation to murder appeared in Union County court Tuesday. Valorie Spurlock, 42, appeared for arraignment before Circuit Judge Mark M. Boie. Spurlock was indicted by a Union County grand jury last month for murder solicitation, possession of methamphetamine precursors, child endangerment and participation in methamphetamine production...

BARDSTOWN, Ky. -- A fast-moving blaze killed 10 people early Tuesday -- six of them children -- in Kentucky's deadliest house fire in at least 30 years. Two people were injured. Neighbors said the pair had to be prevented from running back into the flames in an attempt to rescue the screaming children...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A NASA astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections was charged with attempted first-degree murder Tuesday and jailed on $25,000 bail. "The intent was there to do serious bodily injury or death," said Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones, referring to a new steel mallet, knife, rubber tubing and large garbage bags that police found in Lisa Marie Nowak's possession...

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic-controlled House will vote next week on a nonbinding measure opposing President Bush's decision to dispatch more troops to Iraq, officials said Tuesday, in a wartime clash between Congress and commander in chief. The precise nature of the measure remains to be determined, the officials said, although Brendan Daly, a spokeswoman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said, it will be "our opposition to the surge" in troops...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Palestinian factions on the brink of civil war gathered Tuesday in Mecca, Islam's holiest city, in a last-ditch effort to end their bloody conflict. The Saudi-led push is key to any future peace talks with Israel -- and to Arab efforts to blunt Iran's growing power. ...

PARIS -- Nearly 60 countries signed a treaty on Tuesday that bans governments from holding people in secret detention, but the United States and some of its key European allies were not among them. The signing capped a quarter-century of efforts by families of people who have vanished at the hands of governments. ...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki complained Tuesday the long-awaited Baghdad security operation was off to a slow start and warned that insurgents are taking advantage of the delay to kill as many people as possible. But he also reassured Iraqis that security forces will live up to their responsibilities...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration wants to impose a new user fee on commercial barges to help pay for the soaring cost of maintaining the nation's river channels. But barge operators say they already pay steep taxes to keep the Mississippi River and other waterways navigable. And the director of the SEMO Port Authority, Dan Overby, said the plan could hinder port operations if the fees force shippers to switch to rail or truck carriers...

Jennifer Claire Ireland, 27, of Blue Springs, Mo., passed away Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at North Kansas City Hospital. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John LaLande Catholic Church. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery. A celebration of life service will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church of Blue Springs...

John W. Dalton, 96, died Monday, Feb. 5, 2007, at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, Mo. He was born Oct. 9, 1910, in Jackson, son of Henry and Anne Taylor Dalton. Dalton was the former owner of Dalton Florist in Jackson. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Scottish Rite, Shrine Club, and was a 32nd Degree Mason...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Jewel Reimler, 88, of Advance died Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 1, 1918, near Advance, daughter of Fred C. and Minnie I. Taylor Croy. She and Chris F. Reimler were married Oct. 26, 1935, at Jackson. He died March 30, 1976...

Regina L. Brown, 28, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 5, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Mae von Schlutter, 77, of Burbank, Ill., formerly of Neelys Landing, died Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Harry Emerson Coleson, 74, of Olive Branch died Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, at his home, following an extended illness. He was born Feb. 13, 1932, in Pulaski, Ill., son of Lloyd Edgar Coleson and Ruby Bell Harp Coleson Rogers. He and Mary Marie Deweese were married Jan. 28, 1961, in Olive Branch...

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

Thompson; Ford; Unterreiner; Rhodes

NEW YORK -- As anticipated, the Super Bowl and "American Idol" overshadowed everything on television last week. But for executives in the TV industry, there was another reason why it was an important week: They finally got the chance to learn what college students think...

The Jackson girls basketball team struggled shooting the basketball Tuesday night and needed six free throws in the final minute to push past rival Central 46-39 at the Show Me Center. The Indians led by as few as three points twice in the final minute, but they hit six straight free throws down the stretch to hold off the Tigers. Jackson (15-5) has won three straight after dropping back-to-back games to Notre Dame and Nerinx Hall on consecutive nights...

The Jackson boys basketball team could not take advantage of a huge size advantage against short-handed Central on Tuesday night at the Show Me Center, but the Indians had enough to squeak by the rival Tigers 55-49 in a battle of district foes. The Indians have five players 6-foot-3 or taller in their rotation, while Central used just two players listed at 6-3 or taller. But Jackson post players Hunter Grantham and Antonio Garritano had just nine points combined through three quarters...

Every year for the past 29, Southeast Missouri State University has invited high schools in the region to enter the best artwork by their juniors and seniors in an exhibit at the University Museum. This year more than 500 entries were received from 25 high schools in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois...

Centerre Bank, formerly First National Bank, last week finalized its contract for purchase of four acres of land at the southeast corner of Independence Street and Mount Auburn Road as the site for its new main banking home. While they're not ready to slam the floodgates and break out the sandbags, river watchers are keeping an eye on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for potential flooding this spring...

Choir performances; Spending priorities; Paying for basics; Cooperative effort; Sparkling post office; Political machine; Keep out of jail; Getting donations; Pick and choose; Not a military threat; Preschool benefits; Running for governor

By Rod Jetton There has been much discussion concerning my decision to replace state Rep. Scott Lipke of Jackson as a committee chair. Legislative leaders in our region have urged me to explain my actions and clarify the situation. The problem centers on Jessica's Law that we passed last year. As chairman of the Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety, Lipke sponsored and handled this bill as it moved through the legislature...

My daughter, Lexie, will be celebrating her 10th birthday in a couple of days, and that calls for a party. My husband and I love getting together with family to celebrate important milestones in the lives of our children, especially a birthday. The other night Lexie said, "Mom, in one week I will be double digits!" How important some things are when you are 10...

The peanut, an underused food source for birds, is now beginning to attract the attention of bird aficionados. Interest in the peanut has peaked because it has several advantages for both birds and for the person who feeds them. Although I am not a bird nutritionist, I understand peanuts are packed with calories in the form of carbohydrates and fats. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two Missouri lawmakers are challenging a National Football League policy prohibiting local television stations from covering games on the sidelines. Legislation filed Tuesday would force the NFL to allow local TV cameras on the sidelines of games hosted by the Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams, both of whom play in publicly subsidized stadiums. Media denied reasonable sideline access could sue for damages...

PAMPLICO, S.C. -- The living room of Sam Ard's brown doublewide trailer speaks to his short but successful NASCAR career. Trophies surround the fireplace and crowd its mantel. Plaques and pictures dot the living room walls. What's not there speaks to Ard's life after NASCAR, the two championship rings and a handful of grandfather clocks from Martinsville Speedway that he sold because "we was running short on cash."...

AMES, Iowa -- Missouri never gave Iowa State the chance to stage another comeback. Stefhon Hannah scored 15 points and Missouri's up-tempo attack gave the Cyclones fits from start to finish as the Tigers thumped Iowa State 77-55 Tuesday night. Matt Lawrence had 13 and Kalen Grimes added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Tigers (14-8, 3-6 Big 12). ...

WASHINGTON -- Women with early stage breast cancer may soon get another gene test to help predict whether they'll relapse in five or 10 years, information that could influence how aggressively they fight the initial tumor. The MammaPrint test isn't the nation's first such predictor for breast cancer -- a competitor has sold here since 2004 -- but on Tuesday it became the first to win formal approval from the Food and Drug Administration...

The field in the contest for mayor of Jackson was set Tuesday when John Graham, a businessman who filed a lawsuit to win a ballot slot, lost a ruling from Judge Benjamin Lewis. At the end of more than 90 minutes of argument and testimony, Lewis ruled Graham's failure to pay his property taxes before the last day to file for the mayoral job made him ineligible to run. ...

NEW ORLEANS -- In the neighborhood President Bush visited right after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. government gave $84.5 million to more than 10,000 households. But Census figures show fewer than 8,000 homes existed there at the time. Now the government wants back a lot of its money...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Biofuels could generate an additional $542 million in economic activity in Missouri each year through 2013, according to a state report released Tuesday. The report, produced by the Department of Economic Development, projects that state subsidies and tax breaks for the ethanol and biodiesel industries would result in a $14.8 million annual loss in state revenue but a net gain in Missourians' personal income of $492 million annually...

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is proposing to shutter its main nuclear reactor and allow U.N. monitoring in return for massive energy shipments and normal relations with the United States, according to an American nuclear expert who visited Pyongyang last week. ...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Blues ownership, which alienated fans by raising ticket prices shortly after purchasing the franchise that finished last overall in the NHL, announced Tuesday it will cut rates for next season. The majority of the seats in the Scottrade Center will be reduced an average of eight percent...

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. -- Lew Burdette, MVP of the 1957 World Series when he pitched the Milwaukee Braves to their only championship, died Tuesday. He was 80. Burdette had been ill for an extended period with lung cancer. Family members were with him when he died at home, they told the Atlanta Braves...

Alex Steen snapped a tie late in the second period and Andrew Raycroft made it stand up with strong third-period play in goal, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on Tuesday night. Alexei Ponikarovsky added a power-play goal for the Maple Leafs, who have won the first four games of a five-game trip and have won five in a row overall. Toronto has also won eight of nine on the road...

The Notre Dame boys basketball team notched its 20th victory of the season Tuesday night, routing visiting Kennett 85-47. Ryan Willen poured in 30 points for the Bulldogs, who improved to 20-4 overall and 6-1 in SEMO Conference play. Ty Williams added 12 points for the Bulldogs, followed by John Unterreiner with 11 and Austin Greer with 10...

Ice in the Mississippi River is beginning to cause problems for barges north of St. Louis, but the floes passing Cape Girardeau are doing little to hamper river traffic here, area barge operators and port officials said. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued rules Monday limiting the width of barge loads passing through locks north of St. Louis. Near zero daytime temperatures have caused the river to ice over quickly, corps spokesman Alan Dooley said...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- An explosion at a chemical plant in an industrial area of Kansas City sent a huge smoke cloud above the downtown skyline Wednesday. The explosion and fire in the area known as the East Bottoms, just northeast of downtown, billowed smoke that could be seen for miles. There were no immediate reports of injuries...

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- An Oklahoma man who prosecutors said was a gang leader was convicted of killing two Joplin residents in a drug-related dispute. Thomas "Mad Dog" Smith, 33, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder Wednesday in the Dec. 15, 1999, shooting deaths of Paris Harbin, 20, and Chandy Plumb, 25, in Joplin...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Another explosion on Thursday slowed firefighters' progress as they tried to put out a day-old fire that engulfed a chemical distribution plant. The last of the hot spots were being doused Thursday morning when another explosion came from inside the Chemcentral Corp. plant, Battalion Chief Joe Vitale said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The state began its defense of the way it pays for public schools Thursday, with a key legislator who crafted the spending plan justifying its design. About half the state's 524 school districts sued the state three years ago, claiming Missouri does not spend enough on education and does not divide the money fairly. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The World Series trophy traveled to the state Capitol on Thursday as lawmakers honored the St. Louis Cardinals for their baseball championship. The House and Senate both passed resolutions Thursday congratulating the Cardinals on their World Series victory over the Detroit Tigers last fall...

Feb. 8, 2007 Dear Julie, At the beginning of the musical "The Light in the Piazza," American tourists Clara Johnson and her mother Margaret are walking in the work of art that is Florence when a gust of wind blows Clara's hat high into the sky. It lands in the grasp of a handsome young man who doesn't speak English but has been Clara's since the second he saw her. And she his...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The wife of a former Chaffee police officer accused of patronizing prostitution said Wednesday that the charges against him are "bogus." Daniel L. Ayers, 31, of Cape Girardeau, is out on a $1,500 bond, charged with four counts of misdemeanor of patronizing prostitution...

Cape Girardeau's only classical chamber music series will return Sunday with a repeat performance from one of last season's most popular artists, Mira Frisch. The Sundays at Three concert Sunday at Old St. Vincent's Church will be the first performance of 2007. ...

The public feud between Rep. Scott Lipke and House Speaker Rod Jetton, already a source of friction in regional Republican politics, could last into 2008 if Lipke decides to challenge Jetton's best friend, state Sen. Jason Crowell, in a primary battle...

Dexter aldermen say no to liquor license DEXTER, Mo. -- Aldermen voted 3 to 2 against issuing a package liquor and Sunday sales license to Eldon Evans of Evans' Quick Shop. The Rev. Kenneth Biggs of the First General Baptist Church, his wife, Doris, and a number of parishioners from area churches in Dexter commended the board for rejecting the license application and urged them to make the same decision if the situation presented itself again. ...

Cape Girardeau's Historic Preservation Committee will employ Southeast Missouri State University to conduct an architectural survey in old areas of the city. The survey is scheduled to begin this month. Dr. Steven Hoffman, coordinator of the historic preservation program at Southeast and president of Old Town Cape, will direct the survey using students of the university's historic preservation program...

Two area parochial schools will hold open houses on Sunday. Saxony Lutheran High School will hold an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Tours of the school will be offered. Information will be provided on curriculum, athletics and school activities. Immaculate Conception School in Jackson will hold an open house from noon to 1:30 p.m. Visitors will be able to tour the music room and meet the music teacher...

A precautionary boil water order has been issued for about 1,500 Cape Girardeau residents in the area east of Sprigg Street from Bertling Street to Washington Avenue, including Towers Student Housing Complex and the Show Me Center. This order is due to a 14-inch water main break near old Sprigg Street resulting from university maintenance activities. Officials say the main has been isolated and repair is underway...

Southeast Missourian A two-story home in Scott City was gutted by flames Wednesday, but no one was injured from the fire. The Scott City Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 2:09 p.m. Wednesday at a two-story home at 701 W. Chestnut St. Fire chief Jay Cassout said the fire was fully involved when firefighters arrived with smoke and flames visible in the home's front room. ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Tired of what he sees as NCAA meddling in University of Illinois business, a member of the Illinois Legislature has proposed legislation that would tax the organization. Rep. Chapin Rose, a Mahomet Republican, isn't sure the bill he filed last week will get far in the legislature, but he hopes it eases NCAA pressure on the university over its disputed mascot, Chief Illiniwek...

ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Teachers and administrators at Central Elementary School knew they had a problem with F.H., a 12-year-old who had been accused of going into a bathroom stall and sexually assaulting a first-grade boy. But instead of calling police and removing F.H., district officials covered up the attack and allowed him to remain in class, leading to the sexual assault of three more first-graders, parents say...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA said Wednesday it would review its psychological screening process in light of an astronaut's arrest on charges she tried to murder a woman she believed was her rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections. Deputy NASA administrator Shana Dale said the space agency would evaluate the process "to determine if any modifications are advisable."...

A number of doctors do not feel obligated to tell patients about medical options they oppose morally, such as abortion and teen birth control, and believe they have no duty to refer people elsewhere for such treatments, researchers say. The survey of 1,144 doctors around the country is the first major look at how physicians' religious or moral beliefs might affect patients' care...

Dorothy Mae Stanley von Schlutter, 77, of Burbank, Ill., passed away Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill. She was born Feb. 26, 1929, at Neelys Landing, the youngest daughter of Marshall and Nellie Johnson Stanley. She and Jack E. McCain were married in 1945. They divorced in 1968. In 1973 she was married to Charles E. von Schlutter, who survives...

Victor Lee Scifers, 78, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 13, 1928, in Minonk, Ill., son of Lewis E. and Anna Timmerman Scifers. He and Lacreta I. Bennett were married July 30, 1953 in Streator, Ill...

Grace Ida Reid, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Aug. 16, 1909, in Sedgewickville, daughter of George F. and Ella Lou Johnson Ellis. She and John W. Reid were married Jan. 22, 1938, in Bardwell, Ky. He died Aug. 14, 2001...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Thelma J. Browning, 85, of Olive Branch died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Wanda Surman, 80, of Chaffee died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 6, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Floyd and Estalee Robbins Potts. She and Frederick Surman were married Dec. 27, 1947...

Regina L. Brown, 28, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 5, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Nov. 29, 1978, in Farmington, Mo., daughter of Randy and Elaine Barnes Franklin. She and Fred Brown Jr. were married Aug. 18, 2001, in Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Marie Naomi VanAmburg, 98, of Fenton, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at St. Joseph Hospital in Kirkwood, Mo. She was born April 18, 1908, in Ullin, Ill., daughter of Alonzo Leondis and Julia Ann Meisenheimer Echols. She and Benjamin VanAmburg were married March 30, 1940, at Benton, Mo. He died Oct. 19, 1984...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Martha C. Oliver, 91, of St. Louis died Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, at LaClede Oaks Manor. She was born Sept. 30, 1915, at Uniontown, daughter of Reinhold and Anna Hopfer Telle. She married Carl Boos in 1947, who died in 1953. She and Clinton Oliver were married in July 1959. He also preceded her in death...

Richard G. Noah, 57, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ralph James Lueders, 88, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Newton Wellesley Alzheimer's Center in Wellesley, Mass. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

n At 6:56 p.m., sprinkler problem in the 200 block of Mount Auburn Road. n At 9:05 p.m., fallen man in the 2500 block of Albert Rasche Drive. n At 9:18 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1700 block of Colonial Drive. n At 10:30 p.m., emergency medical service in the 400 block of South Pacific Street...

Arrests

Elmer Mansfield's objective is to expand the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program to collect and distribute new toys to children who are victims of disasters and desperate situations, year-round. As a Toys for Tots coordinator, Mansfield typically gets community groups involved in collecting toys early in the Christmas holiday season...

Friends and family of Lisa Chundi Watkins Rose will hold a benefit to help pay for the medical expenses incurred after Rose's car accident in November. Rose's accident occurred in Jefferson City when she hit a deer, was knocked unconscious and then struck several trees before her vehicle stopped...

The Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation is offering a travel opportunity that also will help support the work of the foundation. Travelers may board the new Crown Princess and set sail on a seven-night cruise from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6. The Crown Princess, built in 2006, accommodates 3,000 passengers...

Steak night scheduled by VFW ladies auxiliary The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838 Ladies Auxiliary will sponsor a steak night from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the VFW, 1049 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau. The public is invited. St. Joseph K of C holding fry to benefit schools...

Trudy Lee has seen the movie "The Ultimate Gift" twice and compares it to the holiday favorite "It's A Wonderful Life." Lee, director of planned giving and president of Southeast Council on Philanthropy (SECOP) recently discussed a special showing of the film...

Notre Dame FCCLA makes plans for dance; Notre Dame trivia night date changed; Benefit for Rheta Bentley taking place Feb. 18

Parents may not realize the harm in sending their child to bed with a bottle filled with milk or juice. But in fact, it's become such a problem that Cape Girardeau pediatric dentist David Johnson sees about two infant patients per day with tooth decay...

Editor's note: This column was originally published Oct. 20, 2005. One thing is for certain: stress -- or more specifically how we respond to it -- will age us and shorten the precious time we have to do our thing on this earthly plane. To rephrase a popular saying, "Stress happens." It is how we are dealing with it, or not dealing with it, that matters...

Asthma education program for children and adults who deal with asthma, at Southeast Missouri Hospital's Generations Center, 6:30 p.m. Weight loss surgery support group at Southeast Missouri Hospital's Generations Center, 10 a.m. to noon. Heart Smart poster contest award ceremony at the Harrison Room in Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2 p.m...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- A cholera outbreak in Somalia has killed more than 115 people and hospitalized 724 in towns where people were forced to use contaminated water from a flooded river, doctors said Wednesday. Tests conducted by the international medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontiers confirmed the cholera outbreak in towns along the Shabelle river. ...

The numbers behind an international child pornography bust Wednesday were themselves disturbing: Nearly 2,400 suspects from 77 countries allegedly paid to view videos depicting sexual abuse online. But the nature of Internet traffic makes it sadly unsurprising that people would figure they could hide so much hideous material...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. Marine transport helicopter crashed in flames Wednesday in a field northwest of Baghdad, killing all seven people aboard, the U.S. military said. It was the fifth U.S. aircraft lost in less than three weeks and the latest sign of growing problems with aviation in Iraq...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Baghdad's streets were electric with tension Wednesday as U.S. officials confirmed the new security operation was underway. U.S. armor rushed through streets, and Iraqi armored personnel carriers guarded bridges and major intersections...

BISSAU, Guinea-Bissau -- When the government of one of the world's poorest nations learned that Whoopi Goldberg had taken a DNA test showing her ancestors hail from here, the news reverberated through the halls of parliament. It was, the country's leaders decided, a chance to change the image of this West African nation plagued by coups since wresting independence from Portugal in 1973. ...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The 225-mile Katy Trail is best known for crossing nearly the entire width of Missouri, but cyclists will soon be able to ride the trail even closer to the Illinois border. State officials have reached an agreement to extend the trail from its current end in St. Charles another 11 miles north to Machens...

Sister M. Virgilia Beikler, who for 13 years was administrator of Saint Francis Hospital on Good Hope Street in Cape Girardeau and in that capacity exercised the primary leadership role in the construction of the new medical center on Route K, died of a heart attack at Saint Francis; she was 74 years old...

Audit concerns; Renewable energy; Keep the ban; Future paradise; Republican tears; Drive on the right; Erosion skepticism; Selecting passages; Snow helper; Far-Left spewing; Proper staffing; Blame drainage district; Teacher standards; Touring Stanley; Single-parent choice

Attempts in recent days by Missouri House Speaker Rod Jetton of Marble Hill, Mo., to smear the reputation of state Rep. Scott Lipke of Jackson are not only falling flat, they are beneath the dignity of a legislative leader whose forthrightness and passion have been considered his strongest assets...

To the editor:The Feb. 3 article involving state Rep. Scott Lipke tells of two men, state Rep. Mike Parson and state Rep. Kenny Jones, who were encouraged by House Speaker Rod Jetton to write to the Missourian defending Jetton's decision to remove Lipke from his position as a committee chairman. ...

To the editor:I am writing about a growing concern in this country. Individuals who work in many different jobs in the United States are subject to random drug testing. My son-in-law has been in the U.S. Army for almost 32 years and has been required to undergo random drug testing several times a year...

WASHINGTON -- Three U.S. Army Reserve officers were indicted Wednesday, accused of taking part in a bid-rigging scam that steered millions of dollars for Iraq reconstruction projects to a contractor in exchange for cash, luxury cars and jewelry. An American businessman in Romania was charged as the go-between for the military officers and the contractor. ...

ROME -- They died young and, by the looks of it, in love. Two 5,000-year-old skeletons found locked in an embrace near the city where Shakespeare set the star-crossed tale "Romeo and Juliet" have sparked theories the remains of a far more ancient love story have been found...

WASHINGTON -- A long-awaited transcript of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s last conversation with air traffic control was released Wednesday but revealed little about the flight in which he was killed in July 1999. Records show a mere 34 words were exchanged between Kennedy and an air traffic controller as he requested and received permission to taxi to a runway for takeoff from a small airport in New Jersey headed to Martha's Vineyard...

WASHINGTON -- A New York congressman on Wednesday jokingly suggested the Bush administration may fear a "platoon of lesbians" more than terrorists in Baghdad, given the military's resistance to letting homosexuals openly serve. Rep. Gary Ackerman's criticism of Pentagon policy came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Buckle up, race fans, for a season that promises to be like nothing ever seen before. With the mandated Car of Tomorrow, changes to the Chase for the championship, Toyota's arrival, ESPN's return and the introduction of former Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya, 2007 will prove this ain't your father's NASCAR...

The small, exclusive club of openly gay professional male athletes has a new member. Former NBA center John Amaechi, who spent five seasons with four teams, on Wednesday became the first NBA player to publicly come out. His admission comes three years after his playing career ended, making him the sixth professional male athlete from one of the four major U.S. sports to openly discuss his homosexuality...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Tony Young scored 25 points to lift No. 21 Southern Illinois to a 60-50 victory Wednesday night over late-charging Bradley and remain tied atop the Missouri Valley Conference. Randal Falker added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Southern Illinois (20-5, 11-3), which led by as many as 19 in the first half but saw its margin dwindle to five in the closing minutes...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri doubled its take of in-state recruits in a 27-player class announced Wednesday. The Tigers are coming off an 8-5 season capped by a one-point loss to Oregon State in the Sun Bowl. Among the payoffs: the No. 1 overall prospect in the state as judged by two recruiting publications. According to Rivals.com, Missouri landed eight of the top 14 players in the state. Last year the Tigers settled for four of the top 20. The Tigers' class was rated 32nd in the nation...

Results from the Cape Girardeau USBC Bowling Association district tournament last month:Team event SINGLES event DOUBLES event All-events...

Two anti-hunger bills pushed for the past two years by House Speaker Rod Jetton won first-round approval Wednesday in the Missouri House. Jetton, R-Marble Hill, is proposing a tax credit of up to $2,500 for donations to food pantries that serve the poor. ...

The Cape Girardeau and Jackson fire departments trained for ice rescues Wednesday at the Capha Park lagoon in Cape Girardeau. They first cut a hole in the ice with a chain saw. Then assistant fire chief Mark Hasheider, in the black dry suit, demonstrated how to roll into the hole and pull oneself out...

The Southeast Missouri Black and Gold Chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association will get together at Buffalo Wild Wings for Saturday's basketball game between Missouri and Kansas. The game will tip off at 2:30 p.m. The game-watching party will take place in the VIP room...

BEIJING -- International talks on North Korea's nuclear program convene today with a new sense of optimism about the possibility of the first tangible progress on the communist nation's disarmament since negotiations began more than three years ago...

ST. LOUIS -- Gov. Matt Blunt's chief of staff on Wednesday accused Attorney General Jay Nixon's campaign of soliciting contributions from Ameren Corp. after Nixon launched a criminal investigation of the company over the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse...

DECATUR, Ill. -- How do you spell Scott Wiese? In a few weeks, that'd be P-e-y-t-o-n M-a-n-n-i-n-g. Wiese, a die-hard fan of the Chicago Bears, signed a pledge in front of a crowd at a Decatur bar last Friday night that if the Bears lost Sunday's Super Bowl, he'd change his name to that of the man who led the Indianapolis Colts to victory...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to require those seeking to learn the confidential sources of reporters to get a court order first. Legislation filed in both the House and Senate would require a circuit judge to weigh the public interest, accessibility of the information and any alternatives to compelling journalists to reveal their sources...

The Notre Dame girls basketball team, which earlier in the week wrapped up the SEMO Conference title, continued to roll Wednesday night by pounding visiting St. Vincent 85-28. Notre Dame, which has won six of its last seven games, improved to 15-7. Meridith Medlin led the Bulldogs with 21 points, Kristain Burger scored 18, Alex Fowler had 14 and Brooke Beussink added 11...

Morehead State still is having a solid bounce-back season, but the Eagles are no longer the surprise darlings of the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast Missouri State hopes to continue the Eagles' struggles tonight -- while also putting an end to its problems at home...

While Josh Parham often dreamed about playing Division I baseball, for the longest time he figured it wasn't very realistic. But Parham not only made it that far, the Jackson High School graduate has turned into Southeast Missouri State's best pitcher out of the bullpen entering his senior season...

WASHINGTON -- Executives from Wal-Mart and three other large U.S. employers on Wednesday joined union leaders in calling for "quality, affordable" health care for every American by 2012. However, they did not propose any specific policies to achieve this goal, or commit to spending any extra money in the near-term to provide health coverage to more workers...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Extra financial aid soon will be available to low-income Missourians struggling to pay their winter heating bills. Gov. Matt Blunt said he intends to sign legislation today spending $6.3 million on the Utilicare program, which helps people pay utility bills and weatherize their homes to improve energy efficiency...

After losing 25 seniors from his first Southeast Missouri State football team, coach Tony Samuel knew he needed a big recruiting class to replenish the Redhawks' roster. Samuel said he and his staff came away with plenty of quality as well as quantity as Southeast announced 29 signings on Wednesday, the first day of the national letter of intent period...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Firefighters worked Thursday to douse the last of the flames at a chemical distribution business where several explosions shot fireballs hundreds of feet in the air and sent a vast plume of black smoke drifting over the downtown skyline...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A tractor-trailer was involved in a fiery crash on a busy interstate that killed one person, injured three others and shut down the highway, authorities said. A truck carrying refrigerators knocked a car into an embankment near a guardrail repair crew around 11 a.m., starting a chain-reaction on Interstate 435 north of Kansas City, said Sgt. Scott Meyer, a spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

Hale; Riegert; Hancock; Stevens; Bollinger...

MOSCOW MILLS, Mo. (AP) -- A second-grader is accused of taking a loaded handgun to school, but it's his mother and her husband who face charges. Tina Powell, and her husband, David Himmel, were arrested Thursday on child endangerment charges after more than 80 firearms were allegedly found at their home in Moscow Mills, about 50 miles north of St. Louis. Police said some of the weapons were loaded, and ammunition was within reach...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Former Lt. Gov. Harriett Woods, an activist Democrat who championed other women politicians after becoming the first to hold elected statewide office in Missouri, has died of leukemia. She was 79. Woods had been diagnosed with leukemia in March while teaching political and community involvement in New York. She died about 10 p.m. Thursday at her home in the St. Louis suburb University City, surrounded by family, her son, Andrew Woods, said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt will make another trip to Mexico next week to meet with political leaders to spur development of a Kansas City port linking the United States and Mexico. Blunt said his goal for the trip is to spur trade ties and advance a proposal to open an international port in Kansas City. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- A man accused of tossing a 5-year-old girl into a Springfield lake to terrorize his estranged wife pleaded guilty Friday to all five felony charges against him. Johnnie Jerome Kerns, 29, of Springfield, could be sentenced to 55 years or more in prison, prosecutors said. Sentencing is set for May 11 in Greene County circuit court...

During February, Black History Month, schoolchildren learn about icons from the past. They fill their heads with dates and facts about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. But what about the present? Who are the men and women shaping the future of Cape Girardeau and its black community?...

This month two theater groups in Cape Girardeau will present two plays to the public by well-known playwrights. The theater presentations begin with the River City Players community theater group's production of the 1963 Tony-nominated Neil Simon comedy "Barefoot in the Park," which begins its run Feb. ...

Jackson lawyer John Lichtenegger added a new layer of opposition Thursday to provisions of a higher education bill pending in the Missouri Senate. The bill, which would recognize the legality of selling the MOHELA student loan portfolio to fund campus buildings, also takes aim at tuition costs, measures of academic achievement, disputes between colleges and student financial aid. ...

When cold weather hangs around like an urchin's runny nose, you can do one of two things:Wear warm clothes. Or whine. What amazes me is how many people in parkas are complaining about the cold spell we've been having. We're all spoiled, rotten to the core. We've had some mild winters in recent years. And this year we didn't have winter at all until January was almost half over...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The former Chaffee police officer charged with patronizing prostitution spoke only briefly Thursday about his arrest. At his news conference in Circle Park, Daniel Ayers told a small crowd and members of the media he was "set up" by police...

The United Way of Southeast Missouri announced Thursday it exceeded its 2006 campaign goal by more than $50,000. An estimated $1.17 million has been raised, with a few campaigns still underway and pledges continuing to come in. "The United Way is fortunate to serve communities that have generous, charitable people," said Jean Mason, 2006 campaign chairwoman. ...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Shawnee Community College will construct a medical arts building and a new technology center, financing them with a $6.2 million bond issue. The college's board of trustees approved the sale of the bonds earlier this week. The college plans to break ground for the new structures in April, school officials said Wednesday...

A Cape Girardeau man accused of robbing the Payless Shoe Source, 3437 William St., Saturday morning may be linked to two other robberies, police say. Gregory D. Williams, 32, of 321 Albert St., is charged with first-degree felony robbery. Police allege he tied up the store manager of the Payless Shoe Source, 3437 William St., threatened her with a gun and robbed the store's safe of $60.50...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A soldier whose stored possessions were sold while he was in Iraq has received their full value of $8,000 and an apology from the storage company. Patrick Rogalin, a 20-year-old Army Reserve specialist, was flooded with offers of help after his case became a national news item late last year. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Another explosion Thursday slowed progress in dousing a massive fire at a chemical distribution plant, forcing officials to evacuate businesses that had been allowed to return to the area. A series of 55-gallon drums ignited at the Chemcentral Corp. plant Wednesday, sending fireballs hundreds of feet in the air and causing an ominous plume of black smoke to drift over the downtown skyline. Nobody was killed in the blasts, but two workers at the plant suffered minor injuries...

WASHINGTON -- NBC's Tim Russert deflected criticism of his ethics and credibility as he completed a heated second day of cross-examination Thursday in the trial of former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter Libby. Russert, who testified that he never discussed outed CIA operative Valerie Plame with Libby, was the final prosecution witness before special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald rested his three-week perjury and obstruction case. Libby's attorneys will begin calling witnesses Monday...

MAROUN EL-RASS, Lebanon -- U.N. troops sent tanks and armor Thursday to a tense area along the frontier with Israel to try to determine whether an Israeli bulldozer crossed into Lebanon, sparking the first shootout since last summer's Hezbollah-Israel war...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Thelma Browning, 85, of Olive Branch died Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Feb. 6, 1922, in Tacoma, Wash., daughter of Harry and Jessie (Sackett) Ball. She married Ernest Browning on July 16, 1941...