Stories from Sunday, December 16, 2007

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A multiple shooting in Perry County today resulted in three deaths and one person taken to the hospital in St. Louis, according to Perry County coroner Herb Miller. According to a news release from the Perry County Sheriff's office, Jerry Moore, 68, Diane Moore, 55, both of Perryville, and Dennis Stanfill, 54, of Barnhardt, Mo., were killed. Allen Kennon, 46, of Perryville was injured and taken to a St. Louis hospital...

Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller share the same small house (still), work in the same office (again) and somehow manage to cling to their sanity (barely). Older and wiser (she's wiser, he's just older), the Southeast Missourian sweethearts offer their views on everyday issues, told from two different perspectives....

Southeast Missourian PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert Miget, Perryville's mayor, died Saturday at his home. Perry County Coroner Herb Miller said the death was the result of natural causes. The city government will now need to select an acting mayor in the interim between now and the April municipal elections. That decision will likely be made Tuesday night when the Perryville City Council meets...

Funding for the Lewis and Clark Parkway will get a boost Monday. That's when the Cape Girardeau City Council will vote to accept partial funding for the first 6,750 feet from the state, according to city manager Doug Leslie. The Lewis and Clark Parkway will be a secondary road parallel to Interstate 55. The first phase will start at the future LaSalle Avenue and head south...

By this morning, snow has likely covered much of Southeast Missouri. But with temperatures forecast to rise into the mid-30s in Cape Girardeau today, it may not stick around long. Saturday night, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., was forecasting 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation in the Cape Girardeau area...

NEW YORK -- If you're looking for something a little different to do over the holidays this year, here are a few offbeat attractions from the Hampton Hotels Hidden Landmarks Web site. n Visit West 11th Street in Cleveland (across from Rowley's Inn) where the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story" was shot...

NEW YORK -- Looking for a hotel bargain? Then heed the findings of CheapTickets.com's "Cheapometer," which offers month-by-month projections for when hotel rates will be cheapest in 2008 in popular destinations around the world. For example, hotels in Athens will be 68 percent cheaper in January than at its peak tourism period, the Web site said...

LURAY, Va. -- One of Virginia's most scenic roads is getting a face-lift. Shenandoah National Park has begun a yearlong construction project to rebuild portions of the 105-mile Skyline Drive. The work will be done on a 34-mile stretch between the Thornton Gap entrance station at the road's intersection with U.S. 211 and at the Swift Run entrance station at the road's intersection with U.S. 33...

Not even a year after its debut, Mazda's biggest and heaviest sport utility vehicle, the CX-9, has a new, more powerful V-6 engine and a new safety feature. Thank goodness the sleek styling, large wheels and tires, across-the-board, five-star safety rating and pleasing interior remain...

Amanda Marie Sharp and Christopher Paul Parker were married Dec. 30, 2006, at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Greenville, N.C. The Rev. Pat McDevitt performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mary Sue and Paul Babb of Santa Cruz, Calif., and the late John Roland Sharp. The groom is the son of Paul and Earlon Parker of Rocky Mount, N.C. Mrs. Babb is formerly of Cape Girardeau...

Secrets in Congress; Released rapist; Where are the fathers?; Generous gesture; Punishing the elderly; Slap on the wrist; Thanks to detective

Francine's Gardens was the setting June 24, 2007, for the wedding of Laura Lee Quigley and Roy Eugene Givens III. The Rev. Mike Jacobs of Carrsville, Ky., brother-in-law of the groom, performed the ceremony. Randy and Alice Quigley of Jackson are parents of the bride. The groom is the son of Arla Givens of Carrsville and the late Roy E. Givens Jr...

Deanna Marie Smith and Matthew H. Jones were married Oct. 6, 2007, at the Johnson Farm in Martinsburg, Mo. Jim Graham performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jobonda Smith of Auxvasse, Mo., Fred Smith of Columbia, Mo., and Fred and Betty Johnson of Martinsburg. The groom is the son of Gary and Kay Jones of Scott City, and Jeannie Boxdorfer of Jackson and the late Ervin Boxdorfer...

Laura Beth Hoffman and James Leroy Albers II were married Aug. 4, 2007, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Dave Hulshof performed the ceremony. Servers were Logan Buchheit, cousin of the bride; Carson Bruenderman and Luke Mosherman. Pianist was Lenny Kuper of Cape Girardeau, trumpeter was Andrew Szymanek of Chicago, cousin of the groom, and soloist was Dawn Szymanek of Chicago, aunt of the groom...

Micah Christine Goodrich and Lance Thomas Schlick were married Sept. 22, 2007, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Paul Short performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jamie and Debbie Groves of Oak Ridge and Mike and Melinda Goodrich of O'Fallon, Mo. The groom is the son of Gene and Debby Schlick of Fruitland...

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Siebert of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a luncheon reception Nov. 24, 2007, at St. Mary's Cathedral Parish Center. Hosts were their children. The Sieberts were married Nov. 29, 1947, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in St. Louis. Their attendants were Joan Boyle, Lorraine and Jean Ellerbrock, Lucille Siebert, Al Goewart, Larry Siebert, Clarence Siebert, and Bill Boyle, all of St. Louis...

Robert and Kay Watkins of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristen Annette Watkins, to Darren Henry Meyer of Columbia, Mo. He is the son of Gerald and Rose Meyer of Maryville, Mo. Watkins is a 2002 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri in 2006. She is public affairs manager at Dow Chemical Co...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ashley Elizabeth Hinkebein and Brian Robert Aufdenberg were united in marriage Oct. 6, 2007, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee. The Rev. Ralph Duffner performed the ceremony. Organist was Dana Lynch and soloist was Chris Scherer, both of Oran, Mo...

Jay and Nancy Propst of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Adele Elizabeth "Addie" Propst, to John Joseph "Sean" Agler. He is the son of Maura Agler of Uniontown, Ohio, and the late Gary Agler. Propst is a 1999 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of Central Missouri. She is an art teacher with Collier County Public Schools in Naples, Fla...

Lesley Renee Lehenbauer and Gregory Paul Meier were united in marriage Oct. 20, 2007, at Zion Lutheran Church in Palmyra, Mo. The Rev. David Johnson performed the ceremony. Organist was Wanda Lehenbauer of Monroe City, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Ronald and Michelle Lehenbauer of Hannibal, Mo. The groom is the son of Paul "Butch" and Eileen Meier of Jackson...

Stephen and Mary Robertson of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Robertson, to Timothy Alan Haynes, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Brent and Tammy Haynes of Springfield, Mo. Robertson is a 2002 graduate of Central High School. She received a degree in communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2006. She is a development associate at the American Red Cross in St. Louis...

David and Nancy Hester of Delta announce the engagement of their daughter, Myra Jean Hester, to Eric Joseph Schwartz. He is the son of Joe and Yvonne Schwartz of Scott City. Hester is a graduate of Delta High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a dietitian with Fresenius Medical and a consultant for long term care...

Recent incidents make it clear that Missouri needs to revise its Sunshine Law to protect public access to government records and meetings. The governor's office has destroyed what likely are public records, sparking an investigation by an independent panel appointed by the attorney general...

To the editor:In response to the letter "Let shoppers protect themselves": Business signs saying guns are prohibited don't mean much. According to Missouri statute 571.107 it is not a crime for citizens with a concealed carry permit to enter private property whose owner has posted the premises as being off-limits to concealed firearms...

M.G. Lorberg Jr., the chairman of the Speech, Communications and Theater Department at Southeast Missouri State University, died yesterday at a local hospital following a heart attack at Grauel Language Arts Building on the university campus; he was 61 years old...

To the editor:I would like to applaud the leadership shown by U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson in co-sponsoring the Local Radio Freedom Act. This resolution acknowledges the important role local radio serves in not only promoting new music and artists, but also in promoting the community as a whole...

St. Vincent CCW The St. Vincent Council of Catholic Women met Dec. 3 for the annual Christmas party. Special guests were the Rev. David Hulshof and the Rev. Rahab Isadore. Musical entertainment was provided by four students from St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School...

For nearly two years Southeast Missouri State University has been dealing with official probes into alleged wrongdoing in the women's basketball program. Now it appears the NCAA process won't be concluded for several more months. To Southeast officials, that's too long...

Dear Tom and Ray: OK, perhaps life begins at 50 with a 55-year-old sports car. My brother Eddy (No. 3 out of six), acquired this wonderful chick magnet of a car back in 1964. My parents swear that the only reason they assented to the purchase of this risky vehicle was that Eddy had already been given a death sentence -- Hodgkin's lymphoma, diagnosed in early 1964, which would end his life just before Christmas in 1965. ...

Santa is definitely coming to town. But he'll be calling first. The Red Man has been making calls to Southeast Missourians and believers around the country checking in to see who's behaving. Jared Tanz, recreation coordinator for city of Cape Girardeau's parks and recreation department, helped the Southeast Missourian get a quick interview with the Jolly One. We learned he really does like chocolate chip cookies the best. Here's what else he said:...

The tale of a jolly man who watches children year-round and surfaces in December has long been regaled. Though it's changed slightly over the hundreds of years -- like children getting chocolate and candy instead of dates and nuts -- the gist of the Santa Claus legend has stayed the same. His appearance has changed somewhat, and the details are vague, but the children of today knew the basics...

GRESHAM, Ore. -- A tow truck driver upset over a recent ticket tried to tow a police cruiser, authorities said. The 32-year-old man was arrested after he hooked his truck to the marked police vehicle while an officer was responding to a domestic disturbance call, police said...

KHORGOS, Kazakhstan -- The driver of the 18-wheel tractor-trailer from China idling at the Kazakhstan-China border said apples were the cargo he brought to Almaty, Kazakhstan's booming commercial center. For Kazakhs, there's a tart irony in the shipment...

GENEVA, Ill. -- Squirrels like to steal the rosehips from Bill Shumway's wreaths as they hang in a tent on Third Street. "We had a full ear of corn ... I don't know where it went ... so we could hopefully distract Mr. Fat Squirrel," said Shumway's sister and assistant, Suzie Harrod. She poked branches of Oregon boxwood into a kissing ball while Shumway showed customers his wares...

LOS ANGELES -- Faced with the indefinite suspension of negotiations, the union representing striking Hollywood writers told its members Saturday it would try to deal directly with Hollywood studios and production companies, bypassing the umbrella organization that has been representing them...

Those wishing to contribute to individual profiles already published should indicate the recipient's name. Cash and check donations should be made payable to Toybox, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63702. Unemployment puts a damper on the holidays Ordinarily Mom and Dad both work to pay the bills and provide Christmas for this family with four children. Recent unemployment has forced them to live on one salary, and it is a hardship...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A British suspect in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners escaped from police custody in Pakistan on Saturday, officials said. Rashid Rauf fled after appearing before a judge at a court in the capital, Islamabad, said Khalid Pervez, a city police official...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Utility crews continued working late Friday and Saturday in a new snowstorm to restore power to thousands of Missourians who lost power in an earlier ice storm. The two major utilities with outages in southwest Missouri and north of Kansas City had about 27,000 customers still off the grid Saturday. At the peak of the ice damage Tuesday, more than 165,000 customers lost power in southwestern, northwestern and central Missouri...

James Harold "Buddy" Edwards, 83, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born March 28, 1924, to the late Payton and Ella Standridge Edwards. He worked for California Spring Co. ...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- An alliance of Illinois colleges will offer online instructional work on homeland security. The partnership includes Southern Illinois, Illinois State, Northern Illinois, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Governors State and Chicago State...

BANGALORE, India -- A 2-year-old girl who was born with four arms and four legs left a hospital in southern India on Saturday, little more than a month after surgeons removed her extra limbs. The surgeon who led more than 30 doctors in the marathon surgery said Lakshmi was making good progress and should be mobile soon...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Sixty years after transistors were invented and nearly five decades since they were first integrated into silicon chips, the tiny on-off switches dubbed the "nerve cells" of the information age are starting to show their age. The devices -- whose miniaturization over time set in motion the race for faster, smaller and cheaper electronics -- have been shrunk so much that the day is approaching when it will be physically impossible to make them even tinier...

Kenneth W. Moffett Sr., 65, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007, at Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Baton Rouge, La. He was born Sept. 10, 1942, in Kansas City, Mo., son of Kenneth Oren and Charlene Overby Moffett. He and Ethel Mae Peffer Moffett were married Jan. 26, 1961, in Independence, Mo...

CHICAGO -- Illinois Democrats likely to vote in the presidential primary support Barack Obama 2 to 1 over Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to a new poll done for the Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV. Obama had 50 percent of voter support compared to 25 percent for Clinton and 25 percent of voters supporting another candidate or saying they were undecided in the poll published in tody's Tribune. ...

SCRANTON, Pa. -- A woman who was cited for loudly cursing at her overflowing toilet -- and then at a neighbor who told her to quiet down -- has been acquitted on First Amendment grounds. District Judge Terrence Gallagher dismissed the disorderly conduct charge against Dawn Herb, 33, ruling Thursday that she was within her rights when she let loose a string of profanities Oct. 11...

WARWICK, R.I. -- Craig Price was a brawny teenage football player with a baby face and winsome smile who lived with his parents in a small ranch house in the Buttonwoods section of town. One summer night in 1987, he crept across his neighbor's yard, broke into a little brown house and stabbed Rebecca Spencer 58 times. She was a 27-year-old mother of two...

MONETT, Mo. -- Authorities in southwest Missouri have captured a 34-year-old fugitive wanted on a murder charge in New Jersey. Gabriel Torres of Camden, N.J., was captured Friday in an apartment in Monett, said Detective Robert Evenson of the Barry County Sheriff's Department. The department said Torres had been on the run since a murder warrant was issued for his arrest Dec. 4 by Camden County in New Jersey...

NEW YORK -- Men are not discriminated against by "ladies' nights" at Manhattan nightclubs, just as people in their 20s do not suffer because some restaurants let children eat for free or have "early bird" specials for older customers, according to nightclub lawyers fighting a federal lawsuit...

TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey on Friday became the first state to require flu shots for preschoolers, saying their developing immune systems and likelihood of spreading germs make them as vulnerable to complications as the elderly. State Health Commissioner Dr. Fred M. Jacobs approved the requirement and three other vaccines over the objections of some parent groups...

Charlotte Mirly Tiedt, 82, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, passed away Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 21, 1925, in Seattle, daughter of Herman "Dutch" and Carolina Leuhrs Kessner. Charlotte and Raymond Gilbert Mirly were married July 17, 1943. Charlotte sold Avon for many years and Raymond worked for Heuer Sons Farm Implements for over 25 years before establishing the family business known as Translectric...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: n At 8:14 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1600 block of Perryville Road. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: n At 5:16 a.m., a citizen assist in the 700 block of Perry Avenue...

BALI, Indonesia -- Two weeks of international climate talks marked by bitter disagreements and angry accusations culminated Saturday in a last-minute U.S. compromise and an agreement to adopt a blueprint for fighting global warming by 2009. Now comes the hard part...

Wayne Edward Abernathy went home to be with Jesus on Dec. 13, 2007, surrounded by family and friends. Wayne was the son of Glenn and Toria Strong Abernathy. He was born on Nov. 15, 1946. He and Judy Dees were married on May 10, 1969. He was a member of the Red Star Baptist Church. He was a meat cutter in the Cape Girardeau area for 37 years, last working for Save-a-Lot...

Tyren Matthew Licare-Craft was delivered stillborn Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was the son of Travis Matthew Craft and Kristen LeAnn Licare of Jackson. Survivors includine paternal grandparents Mark and Betty Lampe of Jackson and Matthew Craft of Zalma, Mo.; great-grandparents Robert and Shirley Moss of Dutchtown and Mary Craft of Whitewater; maternal grandparents Scott and Lisa Licare of Jackson; maternal great-grandparents Dorothy Gerecke of Jackson, Vincent and Elizabeth Licare of Cape Girardeau and Lorraine Licare of St. ...

Cindy Schmoll was hired as director of the Horizon Enrichment Center in 2002 to increase the population at the center, then only attended by five people. "We were struggling to stay open," she said. She talked to those who run special education programs in the schools and to civic clubs. ...

Fred B. Sitzes, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 29, 1922, in Gipsy, Mo., son of Raliegh Ray and Clara Arnelia Stilts Sitzes. He and Delores C. Murphy Sitzes were married Jan. 28, 1950, in Chicago...

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Billy Gene Minson, 71, of Fredericktown died Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Sept. 4, 1936, in Wayne County, Mo., son of Vester W. and Artie M. Gipson Minson. He and Jessy Henderson were married June 30, 1956, in Wayne County...

Cara Glueck stands at the front of a classroom quizzing her students about how to add a quarter, a dime, a nickel and a penny. Most know the answer and speak up when called on, although no one is required to. The 10 people in the classroom are all over 21 years old...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A passenger handcuffed after a car chase with police early Friday tried to save a sheriff's deputy who had suffered a fatal heart attack moments after arresting him, authorities said. Police later arrested the driver of the car, who fled after the 5:30 a.m. chase. He has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the deputy's death, authorities said...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items Saturday. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs n Lauriann Pruitt, 46, 1305 Broadway, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and driving an unlicensed vehicle...

Jimmy Ray Henson, 61, of Scott City died Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

PITTSBURGH -- Snow fell from the Plains across the Midwest on Saturday, accumulating as much as a foot in places, as the second wintry storm in a week barreled through on its way to New England. Tens of thousands of people still had no electricity since the first storm slammed Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri earlier in the week. That storm was blamed for at least 38 deaths, mostly in traffic accidents...

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Police stepped up patrols at Louisiana State University as they investigate the killings of two doctoral students from India, while the campus remained open Saturday for the last day of exams. Unlike other schools where shots were fired after the massacre at Virginia Tech, officials opted not to shut down LSU. Investigators believe the killings were part of an isolated home invasion, chancellor Sean O'Keefe said Friday...

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- Call it "Northern Exposure," large animal style. In a scholarship program for veterinarians similar to the one used by the human medicine doctor in the 1990s television show, Missourians now can have veterinary school paid for in return for committing to four years of work in a rural area...

WASHINGTON -- People taking out home mortgages may gain new protections soon against shady lending practices as the Federal Reserve seeks to back even the riskiest borrowers, already hit hardest by the housing and credit crunches. Rules expected to be proposed Tuesday would apply to loans made by all types of lenders, including banks and brokers. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Before Bob Jansen can teach English to the adult immigrants in his lowest-level class, he has to show about a quarter of them how to hold a pencil. "It takes a lot of patience to teach this class," Jansen said before his students recited the alphabet and practiced vowel sounds during a recent phonics lesson at the Don Bosco Community Center...

LOS ANGELES -- Losing patience with Britney Spears, Kevin Federline's attorney has said he plans to seek consequences. Mark Vincent Kaplan, who represents Spears' ex-husband in their child custody case, said Friday that he would ask for sanctions against the pop star for calling in sick to her court-ordered deposition...

FULTON, Mo. -- State Sen. Chuck Graham pleaded guilty Friday to driving while intoxicated. Graham, who appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Carol England in Fulton, was fined $500 and ordered to pay $122 in court costs on the misdemeanor DWI charge. He could have received as much as six months in jail on the charge...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- President Pervez Musharraf lifted a six-week-old state of emergency Saturday, telling a skeptical nation the crackdown was to save Pakistan from a conspiracy rather than ensure his own political survival. But Musharraf also made clear he would keep a tight lid on dissent, entrenching limits he imposed under the emergency including strict curbs on press freedom and the replacement of independent-minded judges with jurists friendlier to the U.S.-backed leader. ...

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Tom Schmitt displays photos from Abu Ghraib and winces. The former military police officer is mortified that detainees at the Iraq prison were dragged on leashes and stacked nude in a pyramid. The Army takes those mistakes seriously, Schmitt told 45 military police captains. While soldiers and officers may have been experienced in police tactics, he said, they lacked the skills to handle situations beyond their military training...

WASHINGTON -- The controversy over destroyed CIA interrogation tapes is shaping up as a turf battle involving the courts, Congress and the White House, with the Bush administration telling its constitutional coequals to stay out of the investigation...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert J. Miget, 71, of Perryville died Saturday, Dec. 15, 2007, at his home. Miget was born Oct. 28, 1936, at Perryville, son of Wilbert Leo and Esther Stella Taylor Miget. He and Margie Bauer were married Jan. 30, 1960. Miget worked at the Republic-Monitor newspaper in Perryville from 1959 to 2001. ...

TOKYO -- Japanese monks and nuns hit the catwalk in Tokyo on Saturday in a bid to spread Buddhism among younger people in this rapidly aging society. The fashion show opened with a Buddhist prayer set to a hip-hop beat at the centuries-old Tsukiji Honganji temple, where nearly 40 monks and nuns from eight major Buddhist sects showed off elaborate robes in an effort to win back believers...

PERRYVILLE -- Bell City point guard Ethan Watkins is glad for two reasons to be back playing high school basketball. Watkins, who had to sit out for one year because of his transfer from Scott City, said it was a difficult time for him not only because of his passion for the game, but also because he was eager to play in some live game action with Cubs guard Nick Niemczyk...

PERRYVILLE -- St. Vincent's Justin L'Hote poured in a game high 21 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead the Indians to a 40-36 win over rival Valle Catholic in the first game of the Heartland Hoopfest on Saturday at the Perry Park Center. However, L'Hote's highlight of the game might not have been his seven field goals, but instead a blocked shot he made on Valle's Casey Koller, who had a breakaway after another teammate stole the ball from L'Hote...

Tiger Classic Team results -- 1. (tie) Northwest-House Springs 300.5, Fort Zumwalt North 300.5; 3. Seckman 286; 4. Eureka 260; 5. CBC (Memphis, Tenn.) 258; 6. Mehlville 229; 7. Jackson 222.5; 8. Ste. Genevieve 200.5; 9. Francis Howell North 194; 10. Fox 180; 11. McCluer North 164.5; 12. Marquette 159; 13. Poplar Bluff 150; 14. Cape Central 144; 15. De Soto 135; 16. St. Charles 134.5; 17. Pattonville 112; 18. Bolten (Tenn.) 110; 19. Sikeston 53; 20. Dexter 42...

Jake Glore has been Blake Peiffer's nemesis on the wrestling mat the past two years. Peiffer almost turned the tables Saturday night, but the Jackson High School senior fell just a bit short. Peiffer dropped a tense 2-1 decision to Glore -- a Seckman senior -- in the 215-pound championship match of the 34th annual Tiger Classic high school wrestling tournament...

A four-alarm fire in the basement of a house on the corner of Bloomfield Street and South Plaza Way put a family on the street, but all safe and accounted for shortly after 6 p.m. today. The fire started in the basement, but flames were visible from the ground level of the home, said Fred Vincel, a battalion chief with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...

For the Whitworths of Jackson, procrastination is holiday tradition. "We always wait till the last minute. We like doing it that way -- it seems like everybody's a little more in the holiday spirit," said April Whitworth during a break from shopping Saturday at West Park Mall, her first real day of Christmas shopping this year...

SAN DIEGO -- Jim Edmonds is returning to Southern California after eight seasons in the Midwest, eager to prove he's healthy and still an everyday player. He'll get that chance starting March 31 when he takes his position in Petco Park's spacious center field...