Stories from Monday, December 24, 2007

The Southeast Missourian will not publish an issue on Tuesday due to the Christmas holiday. Newspaper offices will also be closed on Tuesday.

The first miracle is that two puppies survived after being abandoned. Their mother, a mongrel and a stray, was picked up by an animal control officer and taken to the shelter on Thursday. On Friday, three Cape Girardeau boys were playing near their home when they found a litter of 13 puppies, all but two dead...

I certainly didn't have to look very hard for business news this past week. Big Sky Airlines was broken by the effort to fulfill the multitude of new cities it tried to serve in the eastern half of the United States, costing Cape Girardeau its commercial passenger service for the second time in nine months...

Christmas Day is business as usual for workers with jobs most don't give a second thought to, unless something goes wrong. They operate answering services and plants for water or sewage treatment or power production. "We're call ourselves 'the quiet company'. ...

Hollyhock Hill Dec. 19, 1968 Dear Thomza: Once again I wish you a Merry Christmas. May your house smell of oranges, cedar, bayberry and gingerbread men. May your fires sparkle brightly and candlelight glow on the cheeks of your Santa and the halos of your angels and all the little Christmas pixies who live under the couch, behind the pictures and in the drawers of the spice cabinet. ...

The Bollinger County woman charged with the murder of her boyfriend in July may get a new judge when her case goes to trial in St. Louis County. Police say Lisa A. Barlow, 43, shot Michael Strong with his gun while he lay on the sofa at the Scopus, Mo., residence he shared with Barlow...

"Closed" is the word for the day, as most Cape Girardeau offices are shuttered; however, proscrastinating shoppers are still able to by last-minute gifts at almost every area store, and residents are able to pay tax bills, with the county collector's office remaining open...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sunny skies emerged across the state Sunday after a winter storm swept through the region and dumped up to 9 inches of snow in parts of western Missouri. Transportation crews reopened highways and cleared roads after the storm created whiteout conditions Saturday afternoon that led to a 30-car pileup on Interstate 29 just north of Kansas City...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt pardoned six people Sunday, giving them the holiday present of cleaning their criminal records. The five men and one woman were convicted years ago of a range of different nonviolent crimes, from stealing to second-degree arson...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Imprisoned pharmacist Robert Courtney showed emotion just once as he described his scheme to dilute tens of thousands of prescriptions to boost profits. When he recalled that he diluted a prescription used to treat a patient for metastatic renal cancer, Courtney put his hands to his face and wept, according to tapes of his interviews obtained by The Kansas City...

CHICAGO -- Illinois has a new strategy for getting deadbeat moms and dads to pay up on late child support payments. The state is holding up professional licenses for barbers, security guards, massage therapists and other workers who must have licenses to practice their professions in cases where applicants are behind by $1,000 or more in child support...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Americans are falling behind on their credit card payments at an alarming rate, sending delinquencies and defaults surging by double-digit percentages in the last year and prompting warnings of worse to come. An Associated Press analysis of financial data from the country's largest card issuers also found that the greatest rise was among accounts more than 90 days in arrears...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Just in time for Christmas, Oregon taxpayers have gotten some extra spending money from an unlikely Santa Claus: their state government. Checks have arrived in mailboxes all over the state, thanks to an only-in-Oregon law that requires rebates to taxpayers when income tax collections top projections by more than 2 percent...

NEW YORK -- Seat 17D is yapping endlessly on an Internet phone call. Seat 16F is flaming Seat 16D with expletive-laden chats. Seat 16E is too busy surfing porn sites to care. Seat 17C just wants to sleep. Welcome to the promise of the Internet at 33,000 feet -- and the questions of etiquette, openness and free speech that airlines and service providers will have to grapple with as they bring Internet access to the skies in the coming months...

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Loyalists of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra won nearly half the seats in Thailand's parliamentary elections Sunday in a striking rebuke to the generals who forced the billionaire populist from power in 2006. The first vote since the coup appeared to be a recipe for continuing political instability: The failure of the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party to capture an absolute majority in the 480-seat lower house of parliament opens the way for his opponents to form a government despite the PPP's substantial mandate.. ...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Gaza's tiny Christian community is keeping a low profile this Christmas, traumatized by the killing of a prominent activist in the wake of Hamas' takeover of the coastal territory. Few Christmas trees are on display, churches are holding austere services and hundreds of Christians hope to travel to the moderate-controlled West Bank to celebrate the holiday in Bethlehem. Many say they don't plan on returning to Gaza...

MILWAUKEE -- Having overcome great obstacles to adopt an Iraqi orphan with cerebral palsy, Scott Southworth is spearheading an effort to find families to care for another 21 disabled children from that unhappy land. Soldiers found the boys in June in a government-run Baghdad orphanage, naked and emaciated on concrete floors in their urine and feces. Swarms of flies covered some. Others were tied to the outside of their cribs...

It is a simple story, but the birth in a stable some 2,000 years ago changed the world. On this Christmas Eve, the story is told again from the Holy Bible (the Gospel according to St. Luke, Chapter 2):And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one unto his own city...

It is traditional to make charitable gifts near the end of the year, especially in the weeks leading up to Christmas and before the Dec. 31 deadline for tax purposes. There is something about the spirit of the religious overtones of the season. And maybe the tax man spurs some of the generous giving...

By Nancy Jernigan The holidays evoke in us the desire to reach out to others. And there are many opportunities for us to share our blessings. We have our ancestors and their culture of caring to partially thank, along with the fundamentally good nature of human beings. Alexis de Tocqueville recognized it and wrote about it in "Democracy in America." In 1835 he wrote about his admiration for the American spirit of voluntary association and voluntary effort for the community good...

Gift from Santa; Act of kindness; Beautiful sight; Cell-phone danger; Caring for veterans; Vote for impact; Running red lights; Cutting corners; Good schools

The signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, military experts say, are post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Among several states shouldering responsibility for the detection and treatment of those conditions, Illinois has a new screening program for all returning National Guard troops and a 24-hour hot line to help veterans with combat-related stress...

A recent report by a committee formed this summer to explore 911 issues in the state recommends funding to help counties maintain their 911 systems, whether it be through legislative action or through the ballot box. The report comes after years of red flags thrown up by county governments and the Missouri Association of Counties about the eroding tax base to fund enhanced 911 facilities, commonly referred to as E911. ...

Merrell

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department reported the following incidents. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Chad Moore, 34, of Scott City received a summons for driving while intoxicated. n Byron Nelson Bollinger, 60, 214 Alpine St., received a summons for driving while intoxicated, careless and imprudent driving and failure to maintain a single lane...

ANNA, Ill. --Lucille Galbraith Stewart, 92, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at her home near Anna. She was born June 4, 1915, at Cobden, Ill., daughter of Fred and Minnie Smoot Jackson. She married Aden Galbraith Feb. 16, 1932, at Jonesboro, Ill. He died Jan. 7, 1955. She later married Glen Stewart Dec. 28, 1963, at Carbondale, Ill. He died July 22, 1979...

PATTON, Mo. -- Karen M. Rhyne, 50, of Perryville, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007 at the home of her daughter in Patton. Rhyne was born Sept. 23, 1957, in Perryville, daughter of Lynn and Barbara Jordan Hanquist. She married Dale Rhyne Aug. 25, 1973, in Perryville...

Minnie Stafford, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Charles Huffman, 73, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro, Ill. Services and burial will be Saturday in Kankakee, Ill.

MASCOUTAH, Ill. -- A tour company wants to offer direct flights to Ireland from a long-struggling airport near this St. Louis suburb, starting next summer. The St. Clair County Public Building Commission, which oversees the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, on Thursday signed off on a marketing effort that would turn the airport into the takeoff point for a total of 20 direct flights to Shannon, Ireland...

Living, working and playing in Cape Girardeau provide the fodder for the latest edition of The Cape, the joint venture publication of Concord Publishing and the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. With features on the amenities of life along the Mississippi River and some of the pillars of the local economy, the publication is in its fourth year and is an important tool for selling the city to prospective businesses and professionals, said John Mehner, president and chief executive officer of the chamber.. ...

Cottage Quilt opens Friday in Jackson The Jackson Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a ribbon cutting at 11:15 a.m. Friday for the Cottage Quilt Shop at 113 W. Main St. Area businesses need to update fire data The Cape Girardeau Fire Department is asking businesses with fire alarms to provide regular updates on contact information. ...

Alliance hires Fowler as department director; Brice Sechrest joins McManaman law office; Baugh, Whitledge take posts at area NASV; SEMO Ready Mix names Morgan as supervisor; Griffin completes specialist certification ; Real estate council names McClanahan president; Area agent honored by Realtors association

The Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging recently held its fourth annual star awards banquet to thank agency volunteers. The theme, "Stars of Wonder, Stars of Light" was held at the Elks Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Award winners included Debbie Stockton, administrator of Oaks Center in Jackson, for outstanding administrator of the nutrition program, Ilena Aslin for outstanding service to the Family Caregiver Program and Public Information and Assistance, Shirley Bennett for outstanding service to the Elders Volunteer for Elders program, Michael and Annette Broy of GraceHealth Services for outstanding service for in-home services and counseling and Ray Pensel for outstanding service to the Ombudsman Long Term Care Program.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Recycling Program recently gave its Recycling Award to MoDOT for the organization's environmental contributions. The award was presented by Gov. Matt Blunt. Since 2003, the Missouri Department of Transportation has used more than 83,000 car tires in its construction projects and enough recycled shingles to roof 305 houses. ...

New Year's Eve dance planned by Elks Lodge; Adult Learning Center to offer classes in 2008; St. Augustine to hold euchre tournament; Presentation on rest offered at library

LOS ANGELES -- Just a week ago, the producers of Jamie Lynn Spears' hit TV show "Zoey 101" were wondering how fans might react to a plotline that had her character thinking of leaving her fantasy-land boarding school. Now that Spears has disclosed that she's pregnant, the network has an even bigger, real-life plot twist to wrestle with...

Jackson boys basketball coach Darrin Scott and Show Me Center tournament director David Ross were in the same boat Saturday night at the conclusion of the inaugural Pepsi Showcase. Both had learned some lessons they hope to apply in the future. Scott's Indians, who entered the week state-ranked, suffered their second straight loss, and this one was downright ugly. Jackson fell 72-51 to Webster Groves in the event's nightcap...

Johnny Hill was incorrectly identified by the photographer in a photo on Page 1B of Sunday's Southeast Missourian. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

ST. LOUIS -- Marian Hossa kept his eye on the bouncing puck, all the way to the winning goal. Hossa scored on a break-in at 19 seconds of overtime, capitalizing on a defensive mistake, in the Atlanta Thrashers' 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- The Patriots set an NFL record with their 15th win. Tom Brady and Randy Moss edged closer to two more marks. And New England still has one game left to reach an even more amazing goal: the first team to finish a regular season undefeated in 35 years...

If Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar thought Tuesday's game at Samford deserved a wow, then what do you say about Thursday's contest at Jacksonville State? Maybe a double wow? That's probably appropriate after the Redhawks pulled out two last-second wins that have given their Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title hopes an early boost...

NEW YORK -- The nation's shoppers -- taking advantage of deep discounts and expanded hours -- jammed stores over the last weekend before Christmas to try to grab a hard-to-find Wii or scoop up bargains on other items. But the spending surge may not be enough to offset what is shaping up to be a mediocre December for some retailers...

Covering government sometimes means passing up small items to pursue bigger stories. This column is where you'll find small but important items and the occasional behind-the-scenes moment. The city of Cape Girardeau's planning and zoning advisory board has approved the comprehensive plan. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Gary Pinkel helped lead long-suffering Missouri into college football's elite ranks this year. Now he has the contract to match that lofty perch. On Sunday, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden announced that Pinkel will receive a $550,000 annual raise and a one-year contract extension. That gives Pinkel a guaranteed $1.85 million a year...

Third-year Bell City coach Brian Brandtner says one of the finest moments he has experienced while leading the Cubs came when his team won last year's Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. "Growing up in the area and being around the Christmas tournament as a small child on up, my whole life, the teams you watch only win it so often," he said. "So it's such a great honor to win it. That was absolutely a special moment."...

A recently awarded $10,000 grant from Jewelers for Children will benefit the neglected and abused children of Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties. Court Appointed Special Advocates, the recipient of the grant, plans to train more volunteers to serve more children. The training will begin Jan. 26...

LEBANON, Mo. -- John Deere tractors and parts are on their way from Laclede County to the land down under. Farm equipment that has been discarded by some for scrap is being shipped to Brisbane, Australia, where it will have a new life. "It's not just one guy ordering parts. It's seven or eight different people who get together to order the parts," said David Marlin, who along with his wife, Robin, owns 2-Cylinder Plus Tractor Salvage in Conway, Mo...

An idea that began as an effort to teach student artists how to access public grants to support their work has blossomed into a semester course designed to give students the tools to turn their passion into a business. Beginning in January, Dr. Joel Ray, a Cape Girardeau neurosurgeon who also operates a business known as Westray Photography, will conduct a weekly seminar for 15 students covering issues ranging from intellectual property and tax laws to dealing with agents and, yes, applying for grants.. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: n At 8:40 p.m., emergency medical service at 1500 Stoddard St. n At 11:07 p.m., lines down at Fifth and Main streets. Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

The halls are decked at the Glenn House for the Christmas season, but the number of individuals coming to see the historic home in downtown Cape Girardeau has been less than in recent years. The Glenn House holds tours from 1 to 4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. During the holiday season -- the month of December -- they host a special candlelight tour, which Donna Grantham said drew about 40 people this year, slightly fewer than usual...