Stories from Sunday, April 29, 2007

Four counterfeit $100 bills slipped by the attention of cashiers and other money handlers recently, but not because employees were negligent. Counterfeit bills of any denomination are such a rarity most people will probably never see any, said Jim Bohnert, assistant special agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in St. Louis...

Cape Girardeau has found a little-used Missouri statute that makes it possible to zone land outside of its limits, and the city may decide to take advantage of it. "We're in the process of annexing more ground to the city of Cape Girardeau than we ever have before," said Mayor Jay Knudtson. "As our boundaries grow, the responsible thing to do is make sure we're taking new territory that meets certain minimum standards to sustain long-term growth and long-term maintenance."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A state appeals court Friday overturned the conviction of a former Columbia police officer serving a life sentence for the death of a University of Missouri-Columbia student with whom he had an affair. A Clay County jury convicted Steven Rios, 30, in May 2005 of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the throat-slashing death of Jesse Valencia, 23. Rios was not eligible for parole under the sentence imposed in July 2005...

Bits of history; Does not compute; Officers on patrol; Islamic beautification; Adult decisions; Security issue; Cyclists have rights; Smoking bashers; County donation

Kevin and Donna Etzold of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kaydee Lynne Etzold, to Gregory David Chandler. He is the son of David and Ada Chandler of Farmington, Mo. Etzold is a 2001 graduate of Central High School. She expects to receive a degree from Southeast Missouri State University in May, where she is majoring in housing and interior design. She is a shift supervisor at Ponderosa Steak House...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Amy Mastain of Columbia, Mo., and Brad Martens of Perryville, Mo., announce their engagement. Mastain is the daughter of James and Betty Mastain of Waverly, Iowa. Martens is the son of Richard and Carole Martens of Perryville. Mastain is a graduate of Janesville High School in Janesville, Iowa, and Allen School of Radiologic Technology in Waterloo, Iowa. She is a radiologic specialty technologist at Columbia Regional Hospital in Columbia...

Mark and Leslie Goben of Lompoc, Calif., announce the engagement of their daughter, Nicole Pamela Stanfield, to Jarret Lynn Green, both of Jackson. He is the son of Gail and Tommy Marrison and Rickey and Mary Green, all of Camden, Tenn. Stanfield received a bachelor's degree in English from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Hot Topic...

To the editor:Mommy, I'm lying here remembering my first days of school. Remember how I thought those big kids were so cool? I watched them on the swings, their legs pumping strong. Mommy, you smiled and said, "That will be you in not too long."...

To the editor:Democrats continue to delay funding for our deployed troops through a sad display of political showmanship. Last month, not a single Democrat bothered attending the troop-surge brief by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, senior commander in Iraq. ...

To the editor:Sex offenders and child predators continue to pose a threat to the safety of Missourians. However, with new legislation and programs being implemented annually, the state has become one of the nation's leaders in combating these horrific crimes...

To the editor:I would like to thank everyone who participated in the Cape LaCroix Creek Cleanup April 21. I appreciate the time and effort from the 114 participants who ranged in age from 3 to 80 years old. This was definitely a communitywide effort that included families, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Parents Without Partners, the Ozark Society, Alpha Phi Omega and the juvenile office as well as Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center teen club members, volunteers and staff. ...

To the editor:Separation of church and state: What does that really say? Everyone knows that the word "state" means government, and "separation" means just that: separate. A torn piece of paper is separate from the other piece of paper. The church is not a building. ...

To the editor:Central Middle School principal Frank Ellis has been a reinforcement for children who have great parental guidance at home, and he's been hope for those who don't. This man has not just taught our children academics, he's taught their hearts and shaped the attitudes of the adults they will one day be...

To the editor:The tragedy at Virginia Tech touched the entire nation. Campus officials continue to walk the fine line between open access and safety and security. It is worth noting that Southeast Missouri State University president Ken Dobbins had the foresight about 10 years ago when he was vice president for administration and finance to begin implementing a comprehensive campus safety and security plan that included campus escorts, strategically placed video cameras, a siren warning system, a full communication plan and regularly scheduled tabletop exercises. ...

To the editor:In response to the story "Jackson school bus drivers roll through stops, according to video": I have lived in the Jackson School District now for seven years, and this is the most useless use of space I have ever seen in this paper. With drugs and school violence so out of control, what does this prove? This is the ranting of a fired bus driver who got what she deserved, and you run with this like it is the Virginia Tech tragedy all over. ...

John and Mary Vandeven of Leopold, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Ann Vandeven, to Kirt Michael Burger. He is the son of Charlie and Carol Burger of Scott City. Vandeven is a 2001 graduate of Leopold High School. She received a bachelor's degree in housing and interior design from Southeast Missouri State University in 2006. She is a loan specialist in student financial services at Southeast...

David and Judy Hutteger of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Hutteger, to Randol LeRoy Morris Jr. He is the son of Randol and Marlene Morris Sr. of Cape Girardeau. Hutteger is a 2001 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor's degree in human environmental studies from Southeast Missouri State University in 2006, and is pursuing a master's degree in human environmental studies at Southeast. She is employed at the University Child Enrichment Center...

Lavern Wachter of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter, Beth Wachter, to Nick Menneke. He is the son of Mike and Ruth Ann Menneke of Mexico, Mo. Wachter is also the daughter of the late Eugene Wachter. Wachter received a bachelor of science degree in health science. She is employed at Concordia Seminary in Clayton, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mike and Nancy Reiminger of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Nicole Reiminger, to Matthew James Dennis, both of Sikeston, Mo. He is the son of Jim and Lynn Dennis of Evansville, Ind. Reiminger is a 2000 graduate of Delta High School at Delta. ...

Raymond and Donna Petzoldt of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Suzanne Raye Petzoldt, to Dwayne Harold Matthews. He is the son of Harold and Wanda Matthews of Jackson. Petzoldt is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is a registered nurse at Saint Francis Medical Center...

There is some positive news for Cape Girardeau regarding toxic chemicals produced by industrial processes. The latest figures from the Environmental Protection Agency show that the production of such byproducts was cut nearly in half from 2004 to 2005, and the release of toxic chemicals continues to be well below figures reported 10 years ago...

Cape Girardeau County Court for several years has paid an area construction contractor to renovate various county offices without taking bids and since 1979 has failed to file a prevailing wage request with the Division of Labor Statistics, a Missourian inquiry reveals; some labor union officials contend the practice of not seeking bids for renovation is illegal...

Clarence Shirrell doesn't charge admission to his zoo -- he actually encourages people to check out his collection of animals. Shirrell's zoo doubles as his business, Concrete Castings, which is just north of Jackson. The collection of llamas, a camel, zebra, swans and other animals are good for his business, Shirrell said...

To the editor:President Bush has a clear plan for victory in Iraq that begins with training Iraqi forces so they can defend their country and fight the terrorists. We are making tremendous progress toward this objective. Withdrawing from Iraq, as Democrats in Washington propose, would send a dangerous signal to our enemies that we cut and run when the going gets tough. President Bush is offering a clear strategy to win, not a political quick fix...

Hailey Christina Fehr and Aaron William Simmers were married Dec. 18, 2006, at Walt Disney World Wedding Pavilion in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Rev. Jack Day performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Earl and Marsha Fehr of Scott City, and Tim and Sharon Simmers of Cape Girardeau...

Sara Lynn Davie and Brandon Ellis Bradshaw were married Oct. 7, 2006, at Deerfield Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Luther Rhodes performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Randy and Dixie Davie of Gordonville, and Ellis and Trenna Bradshaw of Whitewater...

Kristiana G. Farnsworth and Paul G. Mueller exchanged vows Dec. 9, 2006, at St. Charles Christian Church in St. Charles, Mo. The Rev. Adam Mueller, father of the groom, performed the ceremony. Scriptures were read by Dr. Kirk Farnsworth, father of the bride. Organist was Bruce Nehring of El Paso, Texas, uncle of the bride...

To the editor:A new report titled "Death on the Job" shows that 185 people lost their lives on the job in Missouri in 2005 and another 102,600 were injured. Nationally, 5,734 workers died on the job and 4.2 million were injured. For Latino and immigrant workers, the news is even worse. ...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The United States has lost its global standing during George W. Bush's presidency and needs a Democratic commander in chief to restore America's place in the world, Democrats running for the White House said Saturday. "We are today internationally and domestically a nation that is no longer a leader," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, one of three candidates to address a convention of the South Carolina Democratic Party...

n At 2:31 p.m., emergency medical service at 400 S. Broadview St. n At 3:14 p.m., emergency medical service at 400 S. Pacific St. n At 3:25 p.m., alarm at 2525 Boutin Drive. n At 7:21 p.m., emergency medical service at 200 S. Spanish St. n At 6:17 p.m., stand by at 1 Airport Road...

Assault; Arrest; DWIs; Jackson: Arrest; Thefts

Cureton; Griffith; Comer

Charles M. Lee, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 26, 2007, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Dec. 11, 1920, in Charleston, Mo., oldest child of John M. and Delia Sitzes Lee. He lived there until moving to Cape Girardeau in 1962. He and Kathleen Elliott were married Sept. 20, 1939. She preceded him in death. He later married Naomi Hudson McRill Aug. 2, 1969...

Jackie Lockridge, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 19, 2007, at his home. He was born Oct. 16, 1956, in Mississippi, son of Joe B. and Mary Jones Lockridge. Lockridge was a chef at various restaurants. Survivors include a sister, Ella Lockridge of Cape Girardeau...

Iva "Pearline" Poston, 83, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Friday, April 27, 2007, at her home. She was born Nov. 3, 1923, in St. Louis, daughter of James and Victoria Faulkner Lewis. She and John H. Poston were married Dec. 14, 1945. He passed away Dec. 12, 1985...

J.T. Whitesides, 98, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, April 27, 2007. He was born Oct. 14, 1908, in Boone County, Mo., to William Velpo and Lila Dinkle Whitesides. He and Mary Frances Mitchell were married Jan. 17, 1931. She died May 20, 1977. Whitesides was a retired accountant for City Bus Lines in Columbia, Mo., and Hathman Construction Co. in Columbia, Mo. He was a member of the Wilkes Methodist Church in Columbia, Mo., and a lifetime member of the Columbia Elks Lodge...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush urged lawmakers Saturday to come together on the complex and emotional issue of immigration, calling it "a critical challenge" now before the nation. "We need a system where our laws are respected. We need a system that meets the legitimate needs of our economy. ...

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Iranian police shoved and kicked them, loaded them into a curtained minibus and drove them away. Hours later, at the gates of Evin prison, they were blindfolded and forced to wear all-enveloping chadors, and then were interrogated through the night...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- A suicide bomber trying to assassinate Pakistan's interior minister detonated his explosives in a crowd surrounding the official Saturday, killing 22 people and wounding 35. Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao was slightly injured, and state television showed him walking to his car after the blast with bloodstains on his face and white tunic. His son, two security guards and two members of his staff were among the injured...

BERLIN -- Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker, a physicist who researched atomic weapons for the Nazis and became a philosophy professor who espoused pacifism after World War II, died Saturday, his family said. He was 94. Weizsaecker had been severely ill for a long time, his daughter-in-law said by telephone from his house. She declined to provide her name...

BAGHDAD -- A car bomb exploded Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala as the streets were packed with people heading for evening prayers, killing at least 58 and wounding scores near some of the country's most sacred shrines. Separately, the U.S. military announced the deaths of nine American troops, including three killed Saturday in a single roadside bombing outside Baghdad...

TALLINN, Estonia -- Estonian officials said Saturday that they had begun exhuming a grave thought to hold the remains of Soviet soldiers killed by the Nazis, a day after the removal of a memorial on the site provoked widespread rioting by ethnic Russians...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Al-Qaida-linked plotters hoped to reproduce the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, planning to send suicide pilots to military bases and attack the oil refineries that drive the economy of Osama bin Laden's homeland, the government said Saturday...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Fifteen years after the state banned yard waste from municipal landfills, the city of Columbia is seeking an exception for its future power-generating bioreactor. The $2.5 million bioreactor, expected to begin operating next year at the city landfill, will be the first in Missouri. The bioreactor will use water to speed the breakdown of organic waste in the landfill, in turn producing methane gas that will be turned into electricity...

SENECA, Mo. -- Think you and a partner could carry off a 100-yard egg toss? A group in Seneca has gambled $200 that says you can't. But there's a $10,000 prize if you can. The big contest takes place July 3, during the two-day Fourth of July celebration in the small, southwest Missouri town on the Kansas border...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The moving vans are packed. Nearly 2,000 miles away, the new job as president of Washington State University awaits. For the past four-and-a-half years, Elson Floyd has served as the public face of higher education in Missouri. In a farewell interview with the Associated Press, he proudly recounted a long list of accomplishments as president of the University of Missouri system -- but also challenged lawmakers to significantly bolster their support...

CHICAGO -- Former U.S. senator and presidential candidate Carol Moseley Braun suffered a broken wrist late Friday when a mugger tried to steal her purse as she tried to enter her home near the University of Chicago, authorities said Saturday. Braun, who made a run for the presidency in 2004, had exited her car and was standing with a relative at her front door when her assailant came out of the bushes and tried to take her purse, according to her spokesman, Kevin Lampe...

ALAPAHA, Ga. -- Hogzilla, a near-mythical monster hog that roamed south Georgia, is about to get a little bigger. An independent filmmaker is producing a horror movie about the super swine called "The Legend of Hogzilla," and has even enlisted the beast's killer on the set as an adviser...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- At a glance, it seems simple. Illinois consumers are getting hit hard by higher electric rates, and most lawmakers are eager to help them. So passing a relief plan should be a snap. But politics is never that easy. Tussles between top legislative leaders, complicated regulatory decisions and a high-powered lobbying blitz are all helping to stall a resolution for consumers...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys representing officers of a now defunct Islamic charity face a challenging list of tasks, including finding an Arabic translator with a high-level security clearance who doesn't already work for the government. In 2004, federal agents raided Columbia-based Islamic American Relief Agency-U-S-A as part of a criminal investigation. The charity's assets were later frozen...

WYNNEWOOD, Okla. -- Flames and smoke poured into the sky Saturday over an oil refinery where lightning set off a fire and an explosion that was felt miles away, authorities said. No injuries were reported and there were no immediate evacuation orders in the south-central Oklahoma town, said Mike Hancock, a spokesman for Wynnewood Refinery Co...

TRENTON, N.J. -- The high-speed automobile accident that critically injured Gov. Jon S. Corzine has focused attention on the practices of governors' official drivers across the nation. Corzine, who took his first steps Wednesday since his April 12 crash and is expected to leave the hospital in the week ahead, suffered 11 broken ribs, a severe leg fracture and other injuries when the state sport utility vehicle in which he was a passenger went out of control and smashed into a guard rail...

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Senior Kevin Sterne will see the scar on his thigh every time he pulls on his pants. Freshman Hilary Strollo will have to decide whether to bare her stomach in a swimsuit. And on the day someone slips a wedding band on her finger, junior Katelyn Carney will see the healed-up hole that a Virginia Tech gunman put in her left hand...

SAND CREEK MASSACRE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, Colo. -- More than 142 years after a band of state militia volunteers massacred 150 sleeping Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians in a misdirected act of vengeance, a memorial to the tragic event was officially dedicated Saturday...

NEW YORK -- It started with a clogged dust mask that fell onto the desk of Jan Ramirez on the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2001. A friend had used the paper mask to breathe while fleeing downtown Manhattan as the air was filled with grit and smoke from the World Trade Center towers...

Who knows how the rest of the season will go for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team. But if the Redhawks wind up winning the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title, they might look back on what happened last Sunday at Austin Peay as a pivotal point...

Jackson scored two first-half goals and held on in the second half to down St. Vincent 3-1 in the championship game at the Perryville Invitational soccer tournament Saturday. "The first half was ours," Jackson coach Zack Walton said. "We controlled a lot of it."...

Seventh-seeded Kelly moved on to the consolation finals by beating No. 5 Chaffee, while No. 6 Notre Dame dropped a consolation semifinal game Saturday in the SEMO Conference tournament. Kelly, which had a bye into the consolation semifinals, knocked off Chaffee 13-9...

Craft update; Basketball advice

A lot can change in 10 years. In 1997, seven different proposals to split the softball, football, basketball, volleyball, wrestling, track and field and baseball state tournaments into separate public and private tournaments failed, with none garnering more than 40 percent of the vote...

SIKESTON -- Honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. Obviously all are admirable traits in any individual, but they're also the nine core values emphasized in a cutting edge program designed to foster character development in America's youth...

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner helped draw a crowd of 2,748 for the annual Heartland Promise Keepers rally Saturday night at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. This was the fourth year for the event. The Heartland Promise Keepers is a Cape Girardeau-based chapter of the international men's Christian organization, which was founded in 1990. ...

The construction team arrived Friday evening to empty the basement family room at the home of Shannon, Amy and Sahara Aldridge. Out went the furniture, pictures and sports memorabilia. Down went the drop cloths. The extreme room makeover, sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri, moved into full swing early Saturday morning with volunteers from the Eagles Lodge 3775 painting and preparing the room for transformation into Sahara's dream room...

SEATTLE -- There were a few surprises for the University of Washington's Class of 1957 when they opened a time capsule sealed 50 years ago. Among audiotapes and copies of the yearbook and school newspaper were 1980s-era porn, a condom and some dirty underwear...

Jackson roared out to a huge lead for the second straight day of the SEMO Conference Tournament, but this time the Indians had to sweat it out as they squandered a 10-0 lead Saturday before scoring late to win 11-10 at rival Central. The third-seeded Indians (13-7) had a nine-run first inning against Notre Dame on Friday, and in the semifinals Saturday the Indians scored nine in the second to build a 10-0 lead over No. ...

Southeast Missouri State failed to sweep Saturday's doubleheader but still climbed into a first-place Ohio Valley Conference tie. The Redhawks split with visiting Eastern Illinois, winning the nine-inning opener 10-5 and dropping the seven-inning nightcap 14-4...

After being no-hit in the opener, Southeast Missouri State bounced back to salvage a doubleheader split with the Ohio Valley Conference's best softball team Saturday. Tennessee Tech clinched its second straight OVC regular-season title by beating the host Redhawks 7-0...