Stories from Friday, December 28, 2007

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A St. Louis alderman is recovering after being attacked at a service station in his ward. Gregory Carter was assaulted Sunday by a man aggressively trying to sell CDs and DVDs outside a Shell station. The 49-year-old alderman was knocked out when he was hit in the mouth and fell to the ground, his head striking the pavement...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A hanging stuffed monkey found inside a St. Louis fire station was not a hate crime, the FBI has ruled. The doll was discovered earlier this month. An association of black firefighters distributed pictures showing the doll wearing a striped shirt and overalls, draped by its neck from a strap on a coat hanger...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The debate continues over the state's recently enacted law allowing potential crime victims to use deadly force against their attackers. Officials are still questioning how far people can go if someone enters their home. In Texas last month, a man spotted two burglars carrying items from his neighbor's house. After calling police, he grabbed his shotgun and killed the burglars...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Police have identified two Kansas City residents shot to death in separate crimes this week. Police say 27-year-old Taron M. Adams was found dead in the gutter outside a market Thursday night. He had been shot. Investigators say 32-year-old Janet Alverenga was shot early Christmas morning and died later at a Kansas City hospital. They say she was confronted by several men and shot in the head...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Numerous fender-benders and slide-offs were reported Friday after a winter storm dumped several inches of snow across parts of Kansas and Missouri. Snow began falling across western Kansas midday Thursday and spread eastward across the state and into Missouri...

When Sandra Dallas suggested a travel article to the New York Times, in 1963, about a former Japanese internment camp in Colorado, she was told it was not very interesting. Dallas had taken journalism classes in the former Amache camp buildings, not discovering until later what had occurred at the site during the early 1940s...

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. -- Environmental cleanup crews were working Friday to contain a paint and diesel fuel spill that happened early Thursday morning near a tributary of Apple Creek near the border of Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said about 100 gallons of paint and about 50 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled into the creek from a tractor-trailer operating for Star Transport, Inc., of Morton, Ill. ...

Disclaimer: I am not a financial guru, certified or otherwise. Anything you read in today's column should not be construed as advice. Heck, I'm not sure if I did the multiplication correctly. But I'm honest. At a certain stage in your life, you find yourself thinking more and more about working less and less. ...

Tiffany Thomas, 25, of Cape Girardeau has plans to "party like a rock star" on New Year's Eve. "We planned it out, but it never goes as planned. And, of course, I have a designated driver." Thomas, who turns 26 on Jan. 13, considers New Year's Eve the springboard to her birthday. "The only time I drink is in January," she said...

Police are searching for a suspect in an armed robbery that occurred at an International Grocery store on South Silver Springs Road, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The suspect came into the business Wednesday night, flourishing a black semiautomatic handgun and demanded money, the clerk told police...

Cape Area Habitat for Humanity is planning to finish building five homes in the first half of 2008. The group's officials are pleased that volunteers won't need licenses to do the work. Habitat officials were worried that a revamped ordinance for licensing skilled trade workers in the city of Cape Girardeau would require volunteers to be licensed...

Williamson County, Ill., will likely have first crack at Timothy Krajcir, officials decided Thursday. The alleged serial killer had been slated to make his initial court appearance in a Cape Girardeau County courtroom Thursday to face five counts of murder and three counts of rape related to the 1977 and 1982 murders of five local women...

A story about abandoned puppies is touching any time, but especially at Christmas time. Maybe it's because we associate homeless puppies with the homeless infant whose birthday we celebrate so festively. Throughout the year, the Southeast Missourian dutifully reports all kinds of news. Some of it is sad, even tragic. But then there are the stories of triumph and selflessness and generosity and earnest efforts to bring cheer to otherwise dreary lives...

Trash on Cape Rock; More reflectors; Tailgating motorists; No more Cincinnati; Rear-end collisions; Postal explanation; Enough of candidates; Still in control; Ending the Cold War; Coordinated effort

Our family presented our mother with our annual gift of a year's subscription to the Southeast Missourian, and we decided to include a brief write-up of what the Southeast Missourian has meant to our family over the years. Starting with my grandfather, Joseph Schnurbusch, with the weekly recording of the Old Appleton News and continuing today with my nephew, John Unterreiner, writing current sports articles for the paper, our family has been associated with your fine institution for over a hundred years. ...

WASHINGTON -- Just a freshman in the Senate this year, Democrat Claire McCaskill made good on a pledge to curb fraud and abuse in defense contracting. For veteran Republican Sen. Kit Bond, his top achievement was leading the effort to temporarily revise the nation's electronic surveillance laws...

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. -- When sheriff's officers escorted Jonathan McClard from a Mississippi County courtroom Nov. 13, the 16-year-old's head was closely shaven and the orange Department of Corrections jumpsuit hung on his gaunt frame. A month and a half later, as he sat handcuffed in an interview room at Northeast Correctional Center, McClard's blond curls have grown back, he's gained 10 pounds and now sports a tear-shaped tattoo under his right eye, in honor, he said, of the unborn child his ex-girlfriend lost.. ...

Local police go deer hunting in downtown Cape Girardeau; a deer crashed through the plate glass window of a vacant store on North Main Street, initiating the hunt; after trailing the injured animal throughout the downtown area, it was finally seen at the river, swimming toward the Illinois shore...

Tom Drummond sat in the stands, off to the side, intently watching the Oak Ridge-Woodland game Thursday. The referee wasn't scheduled to officiate the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament until 1:30 p.m., but he arrived nearly two and a half hours early to simply enjoy watching the tournament unfold...

When Tom Allen retired as the director of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, after 23 years, people didn't jump to take his place. "There weren't people waiting in line," said Mitch Wood, Oran superintendent and Allen's replacement...

Emma Kathlean "Kay" Osborn, 69, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born Sept. 14, 1938, at Hahn, Mo., daughter of "Shorty" and Ruth Eaker Proffer. Kay was a graduate of Zalma High School in Zalma, Mo., where she was salutatorian. She and Bobbie Lee Osborn were married June 23, 1956, at Kinder, Mo...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Vernon Euman Phillips, 81 of Morley died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, at his home, due to complications related to Alzheimer's disease. He was born Jan. 14, 1926, near Lamar, Ark., to Lee A. and Sylvia Noe Phillips. His family moved to Missouri in 1938 and he attended Randles School...

Helen Bruce, 83, of Scott City died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2007, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Aug. 21, 1924, at Caruthersville, Mo., daughter of Joseph Wheeler and Mattie Lou Brake Bruce. Survivors include two brothers, Perry and Bobby Bruce of Scott City; and two sisters, Jessie Vanderbol of Campbell, Mo., and Hilda Hoskins of Scott City...

Smith; Glass; Garcia; Stephens

n At 5:08 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2100 block of Independence Street. n At 5:11 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of William Street. n At 11:12 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2000 block of Pear Tree Court. n At 11:24 a.m., a fire alarm at 1701 Lacey St...

Arrests; Theft

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Doctors who treat lower-income Missourians would get a nearly $53 million pay raise under a budget proposal outlined Thursday by Gov. Matt Blunt. Physicians who participate in the state's Medicaid program have long received less money than they would for providing the same services to patients covered by private insurance or the federal Medicare program for seniors...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The director of the zoo where a teenager was killed by an escaped tiger acknowledged Thursday that the wall around the animal's pen was just 12 1/2 feet high -- well below the height recommended by the accrediting agency for the nation's zoos...

SEATTLE -- A woman and her boyfriend admitted to methodically gunning down her parents and four other family members in rural Washington on Christmas Eve, according to police affidavits filed in court Thursday. Michele Anderson, 29, and Joe McEnroe, 29, were ordered held without bail after a court appearance Thursday. The county prosecutor's office expects to have a decision regarding charges today...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. factories saw orders for costly manufactured goods rise only marginally in November -- falling short of expectations for a much bigger gain and underscoring the strains on the economy from housing and credit problems. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that orders for "durable" goods -- products expected to last at least three years -- increased by just 0.1 percent last month. ...

WASHINGTON -- More than 3 million people will have to wait until February to get their tax refunds because of Congress' late fix to the alternative minimum tax, the IRS said Thursday. Congress put a one-year freeze on growth of the alternative minimum tax last week, shielding many middle- and upper-middle income taxpayers from first exposure to the tax. ...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail -- meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto deals a stunning blow to liberal political forces trying to combat rising Islamic extremism in Pakistan. Gathering unrest by her supporters also risks tipping the volatile country into chaos, and puts additional pressure on President Pervez Musharraf as he struggles to keep order and stay in power...

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan -- Moments after a euphoric crowd stretched its arms toward Benazir Bhutto, moments after the charismatic former prime minister made herself vulnerable by saluting her followers through a car's sunroof, the street was awash with blood...

DENVER -- Santa brought just what the nation's ski resorts wanted: the best nationwide snow conditions in several years. From New England to California, the snow dumped in the days and weeks before Christmas. Even Taos, N.M., in the desert southwest, had a 60-inch base...

LEDOKSARI, Indonesia -- Crying relatives watched in horror Thursday as rescuers pulled muddy corpses from Indonesian villages devastated by landslides and floods. At least 87 people were dead or missing, and tens of thousands have been forced from their homes...

SEATTLE -- Warner Music Group, a major holdout on selling music online without copy protection, caved in to the growing trend Thursday and agreed to sell its tunes on Amazon.com Inc.'s digital music store. Until now, Warner Music had resisted offering songs by its artists in the MP3 format, which can be copied to multiple computers and burned onto CDs without restriction and played on most PCs and digital media players, including Apple Inc.'s iPod and Microsoft Corp.'s Zune...

Using Mom's blow dryer you can create an experiment that might get the entire family hooked on science. Ingredients n Blow dryer n Pingpong ball Instructions n STEP 1: Plug the blow dryer into an electrical outlet, switch the setting to high cool and point the flow of air toward the ceiling...

PARIS -- Alain Ducasse has already taken haute cuisine to great heights, in menus for the Concorde jet and for astronauts. But opening a restaurant in the Eiffel Tower comes with its own challenges. Though only 410 feet up, there's no gas cooking because of safety concerns. All the decor had to be light so as not to weigh on the 118-year-old iron structure. And because space is tight, food is washed and prepared in an underground kitchen...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Thursday to put aside a dispute over Israeli construction in a Jerusalem neighborhood and get down to work on a final peace agreement, according to participants at the meeting. The two-hour meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appeared to break an impasse that has clouded renewed peacemaking and cleared the way for a visit by President Bush next month...

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Mischa Barton was arrested Thursday morning for investigation of driving under the influence of alcohol and possessing marijuana after sheriff's deputies saw her car straddling two lanes of traffic. The 21-year-old actress, who starred on Fox's teen drama "The O.C.," was driving on La Cienega Boulevard in West Hollywood when she was stopped about 2:45 a.m., authorities said...

Charleston's Donald Dixon is tired of earning the top seed in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament each year with his Bluejays team and then not winning the championship. His teammates are, too. "I want it real bad," Dixon said. "We've been working hard for it. We're going to continue to play hard because we really want this tournament."...

Jackson's Hunter Grantham spent time watching an exciting game before he stepped onto the court with his team for some Christmas Tournament quarterfinal action Thursday at the Show Me Center. The 6-foot-5 senior glanced on from the sidelines as No. 7 Central upset No. 2 Bell City...

Saxony Lutheran posted a 86-34 win over Marquand at its Christmas Tournament on Thursday. The Crusaders were led by Garrett Fritsche who netted 20 points and Austin Kwikkel, who grabbed 10 rebounds. Saxony outscored Marquand 25-11 in the first quarter and and 31-8 in thie third, cruising to the 52--point victory...

Advance sophomore reserve Matt Ware grabbed an offensive rebound and banked it in with just seconds to go to give the Hornets a 59-58 victory over the Chaffee Red Devils in the consolation quarterfinals of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament on Thursday at the Show Me Center...

SAN DIEGO -- Texas quarterback Colt McCoy led the way Thursday night as the No. 17 Longhorns beat the mistake-prone and 12th ranked Arizona State Sun Devils 52-34 in the Holiday Bowl. McCoy threw for a touchdown, ran for another and fumbled into the end zone at the end of a 30-yard run, with tight end Jermichael Finley recovering for a score. ...

The boys from MTV's "Jackass" and spinoff hit "Wildboyz" have gone 2.0, well, 2.5 to be exact. Johnny Knoxville and his gang of stunt pros and highly supervised stunt bros now have a Web site where fans can find the clips and pranks that didn't make the Jackass sequel released back in 2006...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Snow advisories across Missouri are expiring as a fast-moving storm moves through Missouri, leaving varying amounts of snow and slippery driving conditions. The storm Friday was expected to dump 3 to 5 inches of snow in northern Missouri, with lesser amounts toward central Missouri. The National Weather Service said a snow advisory for northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas would expire at noon CST...

DALLAS -- At least Missouri's practice facility for the Cotton Bowl has a big-time feel. Snubbed by the Bowl Championship Series, the No. 7 Tigers get to work out this week at Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in preparation for their Jan. 1 game against No. 25 Arkansas. Players pass a bronze likeness of longtime Cowboys coach Tom Landry on their way into the stadium, and get an up-close view of the distinctive hole in the stadium's roof and the ring of fame most have seen only on TV...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- DeMarre Carroll scored 19 points to help Missouri run its nonconference home winning streak to 26 games with a 72-38 win over Coppin State on Thursday. Carroll, who came off the bench for the first time this season, shot 7-for-8 from the field and had nine rebounds for the Tigers (9-4)...

Central is back on the map. Persistence pays off. Bell City has one incredible player, and he can, despite reports to the contrary, be stopped. These were the lessons in the chaos that surrounded the 58-54 upset of the second-seeded and defending champion Bell City Cubs by Central on Thursday night at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament...

When Notre Dame junior Austin Greer was matched up against some big bodies last weekend in the Show Me Center, he had a quiet day offensively. With the Bulldogs facing another challenge Thursday night in the Show Me Center in the semifinals of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, Greer was the offensive beneficiary when Scott County Central's press was broken...