Stories from December 2007

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and Sen. Kit Bond made an appearance at the Southeast Missouri Port Authority to talk to local government and water transportation officials about the passage of the 2007 Water Resources Development Act over a presidential veto...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners are moving forward with their plan to make the county a regional 911 center. At Thursday's meeting, county developer Joel Evans presented the commission with a draft of a letter he plans to send to other counties and municipalities to gauge interest about contracting services...

A woman named Sondra was recently driving west near the Dairy Queen on East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson when the driver behind her began honking her horn and tailgating her. Sondra said the car was so close behind she couldn't see the license plate. She could read the vulgarities on the woman's lips, however...

n At 11:48 p.m., emergency medical service in the 500 block of Good Hope Street. n At 1:25 a.m., an alarm sounding in the 2800 block of Bloomfield Road. n At 2:15 a.m., emergency medical service in the 700 block of Robin Lane. n Emergency medical service on South Hope Street...

ROCHESTER, N.H. -- A distraught man wearing what appeared to be a bomb walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office Friday and demanded to speak to the candidate during a hostage drama that dragged on for nearly six hours before he peacefully surrendered...

HOUSTON -- ConocoPhillips said Friday it plans to develop a multibillion-dollar pipeline that would transport natural gas from Alaska to the lower 48 states and Canada. The oil exploration and production company said it's "prepared to make significant investments, without state matching funds, to advance this project."...

Arts council changes exhibition deadlines The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri has changed its entry deadlines for its Young Emerging Artists Exhibition taking place in February. The deadline for entries is now Jan. 12, instead of Dec. 15, and accepted works are due by Jan. 26. The exhibition is open to artists age 18 to 30. For more information, including eligibility rules, call the arts council at 334-9233 or e-mail artscouncil@capearts.org...

Four arrested after party gets out of hand The "disorderly house" charges leveled at four Cape Place Apartments roommates had nothing to do with housekeeping. Ryan Michael Oshea, 19; Alexander George Tobias, 20; Robert Eugene Phillips III, 20; and Rama Anthony Khawaja, 22, were arrested after a party got out of hand, according to Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Jason Selzer. ...

The Christmas for the Elderly program is intended to help seniors who typically don't have a family, lack basic supplies and can't spend money to treat themselves to a Christmas. Donations can be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway and should include the identifying letter of their recipient...

ST. LOUIS -- Call her old-fashioned, but Mary Gray doesn't want that much access to other people's behinds and underwear. "I'm from the old school," Gray said of the saggy pants ban she helped enact Nov. 12 in Pine Lawn, Mo. "You got to leave something for the imagination."...

LOS ANGELES -- Film and TV writers who've been on strike for nearly a month are mulling a new contract offer from Hollywood studios. Producers said the offer they presented Thursday, dubbed the "New Economic Partnership," would pay writers millions of dollars extra for work shown on the Internet, a central issue in negotiations...

Shirlene Jeanette Winch, 59, of Scott City died Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007, at her home. She was born July 22, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of John J. and Verna Mae Sanford Kelly. She and Allen Eugene Winch were married Oct. 15, 1972, in Scott City. He died March 29, 2005...

Miller; Fisk; Moore; Bahner; Erlbacher

ORANJESTAD, Aruba -- Two brothers rearrested last week as suspects in the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway will be released from jail, a prosecutor said Friday. The two brothers, Satish and Deepak Kalpoe, will be released by today, prosecutor Dop Kruimel said...

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Evel Knievel, the red-white-and-blue-spangled motorcycle daredevil whose jumps over crazy obstacles including Greyhound buses, live sharks and Idaho's Snake River Canyon made him an international icon in the 1970s, died Friday. He was 69...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jacob P. Mattingly, 4 months, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., died November 28, 2007, in Kansas City. He was born July 7, 2007, in North Kansas City, Mo., son of Ryan P. Mattingly and Sara M. Farlow. He is survived by his parents; grandparents, Tom and Gail Farlow of Ste. ...

Christ Episcopal Church to serve chili Sunday Rescheduled from last week, Christ Episcopal Church will open its red doors to the community once again for its "Umpteenth Annual" free chili supper in conjunction with the Christmas Parade of Lights on Sunday. ...

It's hard to believe the University of Missouri is sitting atop the college football mountain. Ranked No. 1 and led by Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel, the Tigers are one game away from playing for the national championship. One more opponent stands in the way: Oklahoma...

Flags to be at half-staff Dec. 7 for Pearl Harbor Gov. Matt Blunt announced Friday that all flags at state facilities will be flown at half-staff in recognition of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7. The flags will remain at half-staff until dusk that evening...

Jerome J. Scherer, 85, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born July 20, 1922, near Benton, Mo., son of Victor and Pauline Welter Scherer. He and Rosalia Duenne were married Jan. 22, 1944, in Charleston, Mo...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Thousands of Sudanese, many armed with clubs and swords and beating drums, burned pictures of a British teacher Friday and demanded her execution for insulting Islam by letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad. Sudan's Islamic government, which has long whipped up anti-Western, Muslim hard-line sentiment at home, was balancing between fueling outrage over the case of Gillian Gibbons and containing it...

Lecture on 'father' of region set for Sunday At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, a lecture, "The Father of Southeast Missouri: Louis Houck," will be presented by Dr. Joel Rhodes of Southeast Missouri State University in the John and Betty Glenn Convocation Center at the River Campus. The presentation is free and open to the public. Call 651-2260 for more information...

Christmas Arts Festival planned for Dec. 9 The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will hold its eighth annual Children's Arts Festival on Dec. 9 with a concert at 3 p.m. and an artists and authors reception at 4 p.m. The concert takes place at Academic Hall auditorium on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, and the reception will be at the arts council's location at 32 N. ...

Leonard W. Lowes, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born March 3, 1921, in Jackson, son of Ed and Mary Augusta Grebe Lowes. He married Helen "Jackie" Alexander. Lowes was a contractor and land developer and owner of Leonard Lowes Construction. He was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral, Knights of Columbus Council 1111, VFW, and American Legion. He was a past member of VIP board and a Cubmaster...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration intends to slash counterterrorism funding for police, firefighters and rescue departments across the country by more than half next year, according to budget documents obtained by The Associated Press. The Homeland Security Department has given $23 billion to states and local communities to fight terrorism since the Sept. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lloyd S. Westmoreland, 54, of Perryville died Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, at St. John's Mercy Rehabilitation in Creve Coeur, Mo. He was born Aug. 17, 1953, in Perry County, son of Lloyd F. and Dorothy L. Busch Westmoreland. He and Ellen L. Balsman were married July 9, 1987...

Arrests; Property damage

MISSOULA, Mont. -- Taking holiday decorations from a man named Clouse this time of year might land you on the "naughty" list. Putting them up in your yard with the tags still on might land you in jail. Michael Allard, 39, is accused of stealing Christmas trees and wreaths from the Montana Wreaths & Pink Grizzly Christmas Store. He was arrested Monday and charged with felony burglary and misdemeanor theft...

More than talk; Blame DESE; Anti-Americanism; Treating bipolar; Wonderful city; Dangerous carts; Wise men on their way; Funeral dignity; Dangerous situation; Need better choices; Leave it to science

In the beginning -- which is to say, early Wednesday morning -- there was a slab of concrete. And the builders set to work, the air infused with the scent of fresh-cut lumber. From the hillside, the volunteer work force of nearly 200 people moved briskly, with intent, from one point to the next. No lollygagging...

CHICAGO -- An Amtrak train plowed into the back of a freight train Friday, critically injuring five people as its engine car was hurtled atop a boxcar. The Amtrak's three double-decker passenger cars remained upright, and most of the 187 passengers walked away unhurt or with minor injuries. Nine people were reported in serious condition and another 30 were treated for bumps and bruises, though fire commissioner Raymond Orozco expected that number to rise to about 50...

'Sportsman's Park' author to sign copies St. Louis-Post-Dispatch columnist Dan O'Neill will sign copies of his new book, "Sportsman's Park" at the Barnes and Noble in Cape Girardeau today. O'Neill will be joined by former St. Louis Browns and Boston Red Sox player Babe Martin. They will be signing books from noon to 2 p.m...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will wrap up its Missouri Valley Conference tour tonight with a game at Bradley. Southeast also will complete its magical, mystery bus tour that, in the past 10 days, has seen the Redhawks log plenty of miles...

The Jackson boys basketball team overcame a 13-point, second-half deficit Friday night to defeat Central 58-54 in overtime to reach the championship game of the Farmington tournament. Jackson, which improved to 2-0, will try to defend its tournament title today at 7:30 p.m. when it faces Salem in the championship game...

Joey Mack traveled 6,250 miles just to compete for a championship. He made those miles count. Mack, 30, of Benton, traveled another couple of hundred miles Friday to pick up his Midsouth Racing Association super late model points championship at an awards banquet in Jonesboro, Ark...

ORAN -- Nick Niemczyk's hot shooting in the second quarter launched Bell City to a big lead. It was his free throws in the final 16 seconds that iced the contest. Niemczyk went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final minute as Bell City held off a furious rally by Scott County Central in the championship game of the Oran boys basketball tournament Friday. The Cubs earned the 75-72 victory in front of an overflowing gym...

Vincentian Marian Youth plans events for Dec. 9 PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Vincentian Marian Youth Encounter will be held Dec. 9 at the shrine church in Perryville. A five-minute Faith Alive will start the evening off at the 6 p.m. Mass featuring contemporary Christian music follows, with the Rev. ...

The season of Christmas is a season of giving -- giving cookies, giving gifts and giving promises. The season of Christmas is a season of good cheer and good will toward men. Christmas is a reminder of a promise that was given centuries before. The season of Christmas also marks the beginning of promises kept...

"Every Parkinson's sufferer moves along a pendulum between deep frustration and great hope," said Michael J. Fox, actor and Parkinson's patient. Anyone who remembers "Family Ties" on television or the "Back to the Future" movies will remember Michael J. ...

A two-day seminar on Missouri's jails and prisons kicks off in Cape Girardeau; Edward D. Daniel, director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, says Missouri needs to develop and implement voluntary minimum jail standards to avoid being "targeted" by prisoner civil rights suits...

Cape Girardeau is famous for many things. The home of Rush Limbaugh (the talk-show host and the other Rush who has an empty federal courthouse named for him). A stopping place for Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The nation's only officially designated (by mayoral proclamation) downtown golf course...

Stan Crader of Jackson turned memories of his years growing up in Marble Hill into a novel that isn't exactly a Christian work, but is one that Christians will enjoy reading. "I did not set out to write a Christian book," Crader said. "It has Christian principles. It could be called uplifting."...

From left, Pat Poole, Waylon Poole, 6, Laci Poole and Jewlian Poole, 3, hunkered down in Allen Greatting's carriage Friday night for a ride along Main Street in downtown Cape Girardeau. Others waited in line for a ride during the Downtown Christmas Open House. Businesses stayed open late for the event...

SAN ANTONIO -- What a wild and wonderful week for Missouri. The Big 12 North champions are ranked No. 1, their quarterback is getting serious talk about the Heisman Trophy and if the Tigers can beat No. 9 Oklahoma in the league title game tonight, they'll play for the national championship...

The Parade of Lights holiday parade along Broadway in Cape Girardeau was ill attended, but enjoyed by those who did brave the weather to see the annual parade.

Visitors to the Missouri town of Brazeau on Saturday were greeted with all the sights and sounds of Christmas of yesteryear as part of the town's eighth annual Christmas walk. The town, along Route C in Perry County, was decked out in Christmas decorations for the event. ...

The Humane Society of Missouri is awaiting a hearing to decide the fate of 26 dogs seized in connection with a Stoddard County dogfighting ring that was broken up Oct. 20. The preliminary hearing for the three defendants in the case was held Nov. 29, and now the Humane Society, while continuing to care for the dogs, must wait to see whether a judge will release the animals to their custody and allow them to be put up for adoption, said Tim Rickey, director of investigations for the Humane Society.. ...

Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller share the same small house, work in the same office and somehow manage to cling to their sanity. Usually, the Southeast Missourian sweethearts offer their views on everyday issues, told from two different perspectives. This one was from Bob's point of view....

In July, the House of Representatives passed the 2007 version of the farm bill, legislation which is generally passed every five years outlining the country's agricultural policies. In the process, it retained many of the subsidy programs deemed a "safety net" by supporters that were found in the 2002 version...

For adults, the annual Jackson Christmas Parade means a chance to watch children's excitement about the approaching holiday season, whether they are participants in the parade or just spectators. For children, it's mostly about the candy. Children and their parents lined East Main Street in Jackson at 2 p.m. Saturday as children brandishing shopping bags collected the goodies tossed from those marching or riding on floats in the parade...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Larry White of Perryville celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a reception and dinner Nov. 17, 2007, at Calvary Temple Church in Fredericktown, Mo. Hosts were their sons. The Whites were married Nov. 23, 1967, at Crossroads United Methodist Church, by the Rev. Donald Blaylock...

Jim and Betty Scheper of Jackson celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary Nov. 17, 2007, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church. Their children and grandchildren hosted the event. The Schepers were married Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 22, 1962, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas...

To the editor:In a recent announcement from the governor's office, Cape Girardeau resident Stephen Bradford was appointed to the HealthNet Oversight Committee established to revamp Missouri's existing Medicaid program, which, among many things, provides funding for in-home care to the poor and disabled. ...

Jill Susan Eichhorn and Nicholas Andrew Schweiss were married Sept. 15, 2007, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Joseph S. Williams performed the ceremony. Pianist was Cheryl Oberhaus and vocalist was Alan Bruns, both of Cape Girardeau...

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt's position on illegal immigrants is clear: He wants Missouri's laws and enforcement activities to plainly signal that undocumented residents are not going to be tolerated. To that end, Blunt already has asked state law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of anyone who is incarcerated. ...

The Tourism Council of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce is finalizing plans for its second annual Living Nativity Scene; the scene will feature live animals from the 5-H Ranch, costumes and community choral groups and will be in Capaha Park. Cathy V. Crites is the new manager of Good Hope Grocery, 104 S. Sprigg St.; the store, operated under the sponsorship of Cape Alternative Services Inc., features all-natural foods and personal care products...

Rebecca Ashley Simmons of Scott City and Brandon Keith Donner of Whitewater announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Randy Simmons of Grand Tower, Ill., and the late Mary Simmons. Donner is the son of Ray Donner of Whitewater and Pamela Hilsabeck of Dyersburg, Tenn...

To the editor:Alan Journet, in a recent op-ed column about transportation alternatives, was right on point. Current proposals for alternative fuels are a wash at best and, when government subsidies are factored in, become wasteful. Our seemingly insatiable appetite for gasoline is both troubling and embarrassing. ...

Openness on the board; Hybrid-car batteries; Stop this nonsense; Valid uses for phones

Sally Buerck of Altenburg, Mo., announces the engagement of her daughter, Andrea Sue Buerck, to Gabriel Carl Hensley, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Rick and Vicki Hensley of Farmington, Mo. Buerck is also the daughter of the late Craig T. Buerck...

Gary and Cheryl Otte of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Tyne Otte, to Brandon James Hill. He is the son of Jane Painton of Cape Girardeau and Terry and Jetty Hill of Jackson. Otte is a 2003 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She received a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Southeast Missouri State University in 2007. She is a graphic artist at Magna-Tel...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Stacey Michelle O'Hare and Jason Michael Van de Ven were married June 23, 2007, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo. The Rev. James Seyer and the Rev. William Huggins performed the ceremony. Organist was Alissa Vandeven of Leopold. Vocalists were Jill Bollinger of Kennett, Mo., and Stan Seiler of Leopold, uncle of the groom...

Amber Nicole Stringer and Clint Thomas Wellin were married July 21, 2007, at Cape First in Cape Girardeau. Bryan King performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Kristina Criddle, Nicole and Alyssa Kimbel, Ben and Jennifer Crass, and music by Freedom Rock Band...

To the editor:Alan Journet's op-ed column on transportation alternatives puts the issue in a nutshell: Corn ethanol is a scam that does not achieve the objectives for which it is touted, and it constitutes more of a drain on our environment and limited resources than a solution to problems of climate change and dwindling oil supplies...

Angela Syrama Heise and Andrew Lee Stone were united in marriage Aug. 4, 2007, at Mount Auburn Christian Church. Wes Wright performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Jeff and Helen Heise and Chuck and Cindy Stone, all of Cape Girardeau. Maid of honor was Caroline Heise of Cape Girardeau, sister of the bride. Bridesmaids were Julie Hite, Cheryl Hagler and Jessica Cook, all of Cape Girardeau...

Sara Colleen Scheper and Travis James Turner were united in marriage July 28, 2007, at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site at Burfordville. The Rev. Samuel Rothemeyer performed the double ring ceremony. Soloist was Beth St. John, accompanied by Dan and Abbie Fieser...

Kimberly Ann Baldwin and Kevin Louis Kluesner exchanged vows Oct. 13, 2007, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. Monsignor Edward Eftink performed the ceremony. Organist was Jerry Ganiel of Marble Hill, Mo., and soloist was Rebecca Miller of Jackson...

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Suedekum of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Jamie LeAnn Suedekum, to Bernard Arvin Macatangay. He is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Tomas Macatangay of Shelby Township, Mich. Suedekum received a bachelor of science degree in social work from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a claims representative with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield...

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and Southeast Missourians can enjoy sights and activities to go along with the holiday season all month long. The Cape Girardeau Parade of Lights will light up downtown in the holiday spirit tonight, weather permitting, and the Cape County Park's Holiday of Lights tour can be enjoyed from the warmth of a car every night in December...

NEW YORK -- One left a starter pistol and a blue suit jacket, barely worn. Another left a lace-trimmed christening gown, probably made for an infant daughter who died. The artifacts, part of an exhibit opening Monday at the New York Public Library, were culled from 400 suitcases left behind by patients at the Willard Psychiatric Center in upstate New York, which closed in 1995...

MISSOULA, Mont. -- A college student accused of shoving a pumpkin pie into the face of a shopping-mall Santa Claus has been charged with misdemeanor assault. Clint Westwood, 22, said he "lightly smooshed" the pie into the man's face Wednesday and shouted, "What do you think of that, Santa?"...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A man carrying a semiautomatic handgun approached a group of San Francisco police officers Saturday afternoon and, with a smile, handed over the pistol in exchange for $150 in gift cards. "I used to fire it at bottles or do some plinking in the woods," said the gun's owner, 48-year-old Bruce Bourne. "But I have a 6-year-old daughter now, and my wife was uncomfortable with it being in the house."...

Volkswagen's priciest -- and biggest -- vehicle in America is spruced up for 2008 with subtle styling updates, more power and improved safety. The 2008 VW Touareg five-passenger sport utility vehicle also retains the across-the-board, five-out-of-five-stars crash test ratings from the federal government that its predecessor had...

Money for farm subsidies makes up only about 10 percent of the farm bill (the version being debated in the Senate calls for $288 billion in funding). Other money goes to research, alternative fuels, school lunch and food stamp programs and other programs...

SAVANNAH, Mo. -- A 41-year-old man who was acquitted of molesting a girl two years ago has been sentenced to 75 years in prison after he was found guilty of having sex with the same girl in another county. An Andrew County jury convicted Edward E. Williams of St. Joseph of felony child molestation and statutory rape after a two-day trial in October. He was sentenced Friday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The holiday season can be overwhelming for some people, especially when it collides with day-to-day activities. That is why some people are looking for outside help with their decorating. Jessica Adams, designer at River City Florist, said convenience seems to outweigh cost when it comes to decorating...

CAIRO, Egypt -- Saudi Arabia is bristling at international criticism over the sentencing of a rape victim to prison and 200 lashes, insisting the West should stay out of its legal system. But the case could empower voices for change in the kingdom's Islamic courts...

KIEV, Ukraine -- An explosion Saturday hit the Ukrainian coal mine where 100 workers died in a methane blast in November, the Interfax news agency reported. At least five miners were seriously injured and another 35 were unaccounted for at the Zasyadko mine in Donetsk, the agency said, citing an unnamed official in the State Industrial Safety Committee...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Two British parliament members met officials in Sudan on Saturday to try to secure the release of a British teacher imprisoned for naming a teddy bear Muhammad and later said the Khartoum government wants to resolve the case. Britain's Channel 4 News quoted the teacher, Gillian Gibbons, as saying in a statement from police custody that she was being treated well...

YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- From scores of billboards to extensive television coverage of President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin's aggressive campaign to mobilize voter support for the Russian leader's party has made it a near certainty it will sweep today's parliamentary election...

WASHINGTON -- Silena Davis had counted on an early tax refund to pay for getting her teeth fixed. Now, because Congress has dawdled all year on a tax bill, she and millions of other early filers could have to wait extra weeks for refunds that last year averaged $2,291...

AIKEN, S.C. -- A bank teller had a million reasons to deny this transaction. Police say a man tried to open an account with a $1 million bill, which does not exist. The teller refused and called police while the man started to curse at bank workers, said Aiken County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Michael Frank...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Snow and ice plastered a wide area of the Midwest on Saturday, disrupting campaigning by presidential hopefuls, making highways hazardous and closing Des Moines' airport. The National Weather Service posted winter storm and ice warnings across parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the eastern Dakotas, Illinois and northern Michigan, although some warnings were lifted by midday. Six to 16 inches of snow was forecast in parts of Minnesota...

ANNA, Ill. -- Elijah Holt Jr., 79, of Pulaski, Ill., died Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, at the Union County Hospital in Anna. There will be no service. Massie Funeral Hom in Mounds, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

Editor's note: Matt Wittmer is a Cape Girardeau native and an avid cyclist. He is helping plot a bike route from Canada to Key West, Fla., as part of the East Coast Greenway. Wittmer's portion of the ride started in September in Washington, D.C., and will end in Key West this month. This is his last column for the ride....

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The mother of a slain 9-year-old girl has filed for divorce from her husband, one of the two men accused of raping and killing the child, according to online court records. David W. Spears, 25, and Chris Collings, 32, were each charged with one count of first-degree murder, forcible rape and statutory rape in connection with Rowan Ford's abduction, alleged sexual assault and murder last month...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Two Columbia teens selling firewood from a vacant lot may have to close down their business because of zoning violations. Columbia protective inspection officials said recently that the teens have to stop selling the firewood until they rezone the land, get a business license and make other improvements, including a "dust-free parking lot," a handicapped-accessible entrance and a bathroom...

Editor's note: This is the first story in an occasional series on the government's role in farming and the millions of tax dollars that support the region's agriculture. By Matt Sanders Southeast Missourian Every year, millions of federal dollars flow into Southeast Missouri's economy, helping to prop up an industry that some say wouldn't exist as we know it without the money -- agriculture...

Want to go? Dec. 2 n Sounds of the Season Holiday Concert: Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation Inc. presents the 12th annual benefit concert at Cape Bible Chapel 2 p.m. Call 334-9254 or visit www.southeastmissourihospital.com. n Christmas Carnival: At VFW on Kingshighway. From 2 to 4 p.m. Games, crafts, prizes for everyone. Especially for children ages 1 to 12 with adult supervision. Call 225-7863...

This three-level home, with three bedrooms and two baths in the Jackson School District is within walking distance of Jackson City Park. Established landscaping and a shady yard combined with double-door entry and shuttered windows create curbside appeal. The front porch extends more than half the length of the house, which is set on a 90-by-142-foot lot...

NEW YORK -- A Bush administration plan to slash anti-terror grant programs by more than half would threaten the safety of U.S. cities, several New York politicians charged Saturday. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer blasted the Bush administration's plan to eliminate some port and rail security programs and cut Homeland Security grants for states and cities from $3.4 billion in the fiscal year 2007 to $1.4 billion in 2009...

Arthur; Bohnert; Smith

BENTON, Ark. -- There will be some extra cash but no holiday fruit baskets for Arkansas prisoners this year. In past years, state inmates received a holiday gift of an apple, an orange and $5 in commissary account money from the Corrections Department. But this year the state's more than 14,000 inmates will get $6 and no fruit...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists hoping to study the ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man are protesting efforts that they say could block them from examining one of the oldest and most complete set of bones ever found in North America. For the third time in four years, the scientists oppose a Senate bill that would allow federally recognized tribes to claim ancient remains even if they can't prove a link to a current tribe...

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. -- For years, David Crismon commuted more than an hour from his home in New Athens to his job in University City as a firefighter and paramedic. But his $300-a-month gasoline bills were starting to add up. Crismon, a battalion chief with the University City fire department, also missed his Great Pyrenees dog, Dozer, on the 24-hour shifts he worked 10 days each month...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- New mint packets being sold by The Hershey Co. look nearly identical to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal powdered drugs like crack, heroin and cocaine and glorify the drug trade, a Philadelphia police official said. Ice Breakers Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside, hit store shelves in November. ...

Leonard W. Lowes, 86, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007, at the Missouri Veterans Home, where he resided in the "A" Wing since October 2006. He was born March 3, 1921, in rural Jackson, son of Ed and Mary Augusta Grebe Lowes. Lowes attended College High School and completed 13 years of education. ...

Unforeseen health problem creates difficulty "This is the first year we've ever done anything like this," said Kathy, a former stay-at-home mom of three. Kathy and her husband, Todd's, financial situation could be anybody's. While raising three children, the couple depended on Todd's average salary while Kathy stayed at home with the children and attended Southeast Missouri State University part time in hopes of becoming a better financial asset for her family in the future...

KEY WEST, Fla. -- A landscaping crew about to grind a tree stump discovered 30 World War II mortar shells buried on property once owned by the Navy. A worker hit and broke one of the shells Friday, but it did not detonate. The mortars could have done serious damage had they exploded, Sgt. Bobby Randolph of the Monroe County Sheriff's office said...

Central finished in third place at the Farmington basketball tournament with a 48-37 win over Doniphan on Saturday. Senior Jajuan Bell scored 22 points to lead the Tigers. Senior Shane Nolen also played well, chipping in 13 points. The game was tight throughout with the Tigers leading by only three at halftime and by three at the end of the third...

Editor's note: This is the first story in an occasional series on the government's role in farming and the millions of tax dollars that support the region's agriculture. By Matt Sanders Southeast Missourian Every year, millions of federal dollars flow into Southeast Missouri's economy, helping to prop up an industry that some say wouldn't exist as we know it without the money -- agriculture...

PEORIA, Ill. -- If the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team hoped Bradley would be looking ahead to Tuesday's highly anticipated home game with 10th-ranked Michigan State, it didn't happen. The Braves were plenty focused from the start Saturday night as they built a big lead early and cruised to a 90-72 victory...

The first of two straight games against nationally acclaimed opponents resulted in a lopsided loss for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team. Southeast coach John Ishee and his players hope things go better today when they face Purdue in a 1 p.m. tipoff in West Lafayette, Ind...

Gators take first place at Carbondale 500 The Gator Swim team won the Carbondale 500 swimming meet behind three first-place finishes by twins Kyleigh and Kristian Troxel. The Gators scored 966 points at the meet in Carbondale, Ill. Kyleigh Troxel won the 500 freestyle, 400 individual medley and 200 individual medley. Kristian Troxel won the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke and 400 individual medley...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Attorney General's Office may be closing in on a deal that will relieve Scott County of its now 8-month obligation to maintain the Forest Hills Memorial Cemetery near Morley, Mo. A court appointed the county as caretaker of the Morley cemetery in March -- and appointed the Sikeston, Mo., city government caretaker of two cemeteries there -- following allegations of fraud against the cemeteries' current owner, Mike Graham and Associates, based in Houston, Texas...

MoDOT has reduced a stretch of U.S. 61 to one lane from uptown Jackson to Fruitland until 4 p.m. today. U.S. 61 is reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction starting at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson, ending at the Interstate 55 interchange at Fruitland, until 4 p.m. today, while MoDOT makes pavement repairs...

On Dec. 9, the Jackson Police Department will be examined inside and out by a team of assessors from the Commission of Accreditation for Law Enforcement agencies, according to a news release from the police department. At the end of the visit, the assessment team will help to decide whether the Jackson Police Department meets the commission's standards for using the latest, most state-of-the-art procedures and policies...

Jackson will open the East Main Street extension to traffic from Oak Hill Road to Interstate 55 on Dec. 17, Mayor Barbara Lohr said today. The 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by an 11 a.m. dedication of the new East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange on I-55. The Missouri Department of Transportation has assured the city that the new interchange will be opened to traffic that morning, "barring some really strange weather," Lohr said...

NEOSHO, Mo. (AP) -- An increase in trees and leaves still on the ground after an ice storm hit southwest Missouri in January may increase the danger of fires this winter, particularly in rural areas. The debris from the storms will be extra fuel for any fires, and those fires will be harder to extinguish, fire officials said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt said Monday he has instructed the Department of Natural Resources to use some of the Taum Sauk settlement money to develop a new state park in Shannon County. "This will help compensate the citizens of Missouri for the loss of natural resources when the reservoir breach flooded Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park," he said in a statement...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- No criminal charges will be filed against people who sent cruel Internet messages to a 13-year-old girl before she committed suicide, the St. Charles County prosecutor said Monday. The parents of Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie, who hanged herself last year, said her suicide came minutes after she received mean messages through the social networking site MySpace...

A Dexter man is in the intensive care unit of a St. Louis hospital following a stabbing that took place in the city early Sunday morning. According to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn and Dexter Police Department Detective Corey Mills, the stabbing took place in the 400 block of North Poplar Street sometime shortly before 1:35 a.m., when a 911 call was received from a witness to the stabbing...

Southeast Missouri State University issued the following news release Monday afternoon: A confrontation involving two Southeast Missouri State University students in a Magill Hall restroom just before 9 a.m. Monday resulted in injury to one of the two...

Department of Mental Health caseworkers in Southeast Missouri will remain on the state payroll and will not be privatized, DMH Director Keith Schafer wrote in a letter to state legislators late last month. Plans to transition case managers to local control were met by an onslaught of concerns raised by parents, who worried they would lose services, and caseworkers, who feared they would lose their jobs...

Sikeston police officers are investigating reports that a man was inadvertently shot in the head Monday. At around 3:50 a.m., the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a 911 call from a caller stating her husband was accidentally shot with a gun, according to a news release issued by the department...

The Jackson shooting that left two dead - including a young girl and the suspected adult male shooter - and injured three others Monday night is among the worst in recent history in Southeast Missouri. In 1992, then 38-year-old Andrew Lyons of Cape Girardeau, was convicted of killing his infant son, girlfriend and the girlfriend's mother...

Kerri Morgan was born with impaired movement from her chest down. But when she was only 1 year old, a virus attacked her spinal cord, leaving her disabled, though not totally paralyzed, for the rest of her life. "I ... tell people that this is just kind of normal to me," Morgan said in a phone interview Friday. "I don't know any better."...

There will be men in tights, a boar's head, a jester performing acrobatic tricks and plenty of fanfare at Central High School's annual Madrigal Feaste Dec. 7 and 8. "We will be re-enacting what a king and his vassels and knights would have done during the 12 days of Christmas," said Dina Strickert, Central's choral director...

Cape Girardeau will be moving into new territory for the city this week as it moves from promoting economic development through tax subsidies to developers to floating bonds for the purchase of industrial sites. The closing of Dana Corp.'s Cape Girardeau facility off Southern Expressway cost the city about 200 good-paying manufacturing jobs. ...

The 150,000 square foot Dana Corp. plant on the south side of Cape Girardeau won't be vacant for long if the city council approves an economic development bond and tax abatement package to finance a move by Schaefer's Electrical Enclosures Inc. of Advance, Mo...

CAIRO, Ill. -- This community once envisioned to become a great Midwestern metropolis has suffered from an economic depression for at least half a century. But flickers of life have appeared recently. Biodiesel and coal gasification are two of the industries considering locating in Cairo. There's talk of relocating the airport to make room for other industries...

To the editor:At church several cars were broken into and our purses were stolen. The reaction was disbelief, reality then anger that we had been violated in a place of trust and that the person responsible had violated me, family, friends and my church. I wanted to lash out, get even...

Cheney's health; Signals fixed; Doing God's work; Math problems; Doesn't make sense; Getting cooler?; Expensive visit to Santa; Funds for education

Becoming a legal driver in Missouri isn't as easy as it used to be. First there is the issue of obtaining a driver's license. To get one, you'll need a birth certificate or other proof of lawful presence in the U.S., a proof of identity (Social Security card) and a proof of residency (a utility bill)...

After a slight rain delay -- a week's time -- the 16th annual Cape Girardeau Parade of Lights finally beat the weather and rolled through town with floats all aglow. About a hundred floats, vehicles and groups of people were originally entered in the parade, but only half of them actually followed through Sunday. ...

JACKSON, Miss. -- Donnie Register has a new reason to be thankful he's married -- police say his wedding band deflected a bullet and probably saved his life. Two men walked into Register's shop at The Antique Market on Saturday and asked to see a coin collection, police Sgt. Jeffery Scott said...

A freak series of heavy thunderstorms last night and this morning floods homes, closes roads, washes out bridges and forces the evacuation of several small area towns; hardest hit were Bollinger County and western Cape Girardeau County; there is an unofficial report of eight inches of rain at Lutesville, Mo...

In its 33rd year, Toybox, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian, will deliver toys to children this holiday season. Tax-deductible monetary donations can be mailed to Toybox Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, 63702-0004...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt created a perception of indifference when the Midwestern Governors Association recently pledged to improve the environment by changing the way the region produces and uses energy. The governors signed pacts to reduce greenhouse gases, increase alternative fuels for vehicles and make greater use of renewable energy sources for electricity...

ST. LOUIS -- The head of a public transportation agency voiced disappointment "beyond comprehension" that a jury didn't agree with the agency's argument that other businesses were responsible for cost overruns on a massive light-rail project. Metro president Larry Salci told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Sunday's edition that he doesn't regret pursuing the expensive lawsuit that ended in a loss for the agency...

CHICAGO -- An Amtrak train was going about 25 mph over the speed limit moments before it hit a stationary freight train on the city's South Side, injuring dozens of people, federal officials said Sunday. The Amtrak train's engineer told investigators he realized the speed limit was 15 mph in that stretch of track but accelerated to 40 mph anyway, National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman Robert Sumwalt said...

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- An Illinois man was fatally shot by authorities after escaping from an Iowa hospital and striking three police cars during a chase in northeast Missouri. The man was identified Sunday as Peter Jamerson, 27, of Homewood. Police said Jamerson, who was being guarded by a sheriff's deputy at a hospital, allegedly stole a truck from the University of Iowa parking department Saturday afternoon...

Wilbert R. Peetz, 83, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 23, 1924, in the Tilsit community, son of the late Edwin A. and Emelie Voges Peetz. He and Dorothy L. Winkler were married Oct. 5, 1947, at Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville. She survives...

Patrick Edward Ellis, 44, of Sedgewickville, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at his residence. He was born July 18, 1963, in Cape Gir-ardeau, the son of Jerry Dean and Leona Ates Ellis. He and Julie Ann Owen were united in marriage on June 18, 1983, at the Sedgewickville United Methodist Church in Sedgewickville...

Champ Preston, 89, of Perryville, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at the Perry County Nursing Home. He was born Feb. 5, 1918, in Lithium, Mo., son of Andrew C. and Cora V. (Ratcliff) Preston. He married Edith M. Lyle on Feb. 6, 1940. She died March 28, 2004...

Michael G. Triplett, 48, of Park Hills, Mo., formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007, in St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 6, 1959, in East Prairie, to William Dallas and Patsy Ruth Guinn Triplett of East Prairie. On Feb. 14, 1983, he married Gloria Vanette Bays. She survives of the home...

Robert L. Hilderbrand, 75, of Perryville, Mo., died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born April 24, 1932, in McBride, Mo., son of Oscar H. and Stella M. (Baudendistel) Hilderbrand. He married Dorothy M. Dobbelare March 17, 1962. She died Dec 6, 2003...

Marion W. Petitt, 68, of McClure, Ill., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery in Thebes, Ill...

DWI; Summons

n At 5:32 p.m., a motor vehicle accident at 1918 North Kings-highway. n At 5:58 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3900 block of William Street. n At 11:55 p.m., an alarm sounding at 3265 William St. n At 12:51 a.m., assistance at 1105 Linden St...

WASHINGTON -- One of the most complete dinosaur mummies ever found is revealing secrets locked away for millions of years, bringing researchers as close as they will ever get to touching a live dino. The fossilized duckbilled hadrosaur is so well preserved that scientists have been able to calculate its muscle mass and learn that it was more muscular than thought, probably giving it the ability to outrun predators such as T. rex...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Highways were still slippery in parts of the Midwest on Sunday as utility crews restored power knocked out by a snow and ice storm blamed for at least eight traffic deaths. A few light flurries lingered over Nebraska, Iowa and southeastern Minnesota as the core of the storm slid through the Northeast...

WASHINGTON -- If lenders temporarily freeze low introductory interest rates on home loans made to risky borrowers before they soar, it would be a modest fix for the country's fractured housing market. The problems are so far-reaching, analysts say, that an emerging Bush administration-backed plan -- nicknamed "teaser-freezer" by one economist -- won't spare many borrowers, or bankers, from the pain of escalating foreclosures and defaults...

A union representing NASA employees accuses the agency's administrator of unfairly tarnishing agency employees by disparaging and misrepresenting a federal air safety project. NASA weeks ago drew intense criticism for withholding results of the research, fearing it would upset travelers and hurt airline profits...

MIAMI -- Kimberly Lindsey marvels that her 3-year-old son Merrick doesn't need to take 10 different medicines anymore. He can safely frolic on the playground among the germs that lurk there. Two years ago, Merrick's liver suddenly shut down. Standard treatment would have meant a full liver transplant and a lifetime on drugs to keep his body from rejecting the new organ. The medication suppressing his immune system would have raised his risk for infection and possibly damaged his kidneys...

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that Israel is not bound by a December 2008 target for a peace agreement set at last week's U.S.-hosted Mideast summit, telling his Cabinet that progress will depend on the Palestinians' ability to rein in militants...

WASHINGTON -- Earth's tropical belt seems to have expanded a couple of hundred miles over the past quarter century, which could mean more arid weather for some already dry subtropical regions, new climate research shows. Geographically, the tropical region is a wide swath around Earth's middle stretching from the Tropic of Cancer, just south of Miami, to the Tropic of Capricorn, which cuts Australia almost in half. ...

BAGHDAD -- Washington's No. 2 diplomat pressed leaders of Iraq's religious and ethnic factions Sunday to take advantage of recent security gains to push through legislation aimed at cementing national reconciliation or risk a return to greater violence...

WASHINGTON -- The groundbreaking deal in Congress to raise mile-per-gallon standards will compel the auto industry to churn out more fuel-efficient vehicles on a faster timeline than the companies wanted, though with flexibility to get the job done...

ADVANCE, Mo. More than 20 years ago, a shop making enclosures for electrical panels opened here with about 10 employees. The company's founder, Frank Schaefer, died at age 53 in 1999, shortly after concluding negotiations to sell his company, Schaefer's Power Panels, to a group of Cape Girardeau investors led by John Tlapek. By that time, Schaefer had grown the company to employ 38 people...

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve policymakers should consider the impact of turbulent financial markets on the economy's health when weighing interest rate decisions, a Fed official said Friday. "It makes no sense to let the economy suffer from continuing declines in stock prices for the purpose of 'teaching stock market speculators a lesson,"' William Poole, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, said in a speech to the Cato Institute...

Commerce names new branch manager; Brown promoted at Landmark Hospital; Child-care providers finish business program; Pobst promoted to VP at 1st Community Bank

Old Town Cape is seekng nominations for its annual awards for historic preservation. The annual awards spotlight a commercial project and a residential project within the 130 square-block district from Water Street to West End Boulevard and from Highway 74 to North Street. ...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez suffered a stinging defeat Sunday in a vote on constitutional changes that would have let him run for re-election indefinitely and solidify his bid to transform this major U.S. oil provider into a socialist state...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Somalia's new prime minister will try to open a dialogue with Islamists to end an insurgency that a human rights group said has killed nearly 6,000 civilians so far this year, officials said Sunday. Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, who formed his Cabinet on Sunday, has vowed to reconcile the nation as it struggles to contain the insurgency...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- Sudan's president will meet a British delegation to discuss a possible pardon for a teacher imprisoned in Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad, a presidential spokesman said Sunday. Two Muslim members of British Parliament, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and Lord Nazir Ahmed, have been in Sudan for two days trying to set up a meeting with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. ...

ACCRA, Ghana -- Coby Asmah is a success in a part of the world that is hardly ever equated with success. The design and printing business he launched from his dining room table 14 years ago now employs 54 people. He drives a new gold sport utility vehicle, dresses as sharply as any Madison Avenue executive and vacations in the United States. And despite winning U.S. citizenship, he has chosen to stay in Ghana...

MOSCOW -- Vladimir Putin's party won a crushing victory in parliamentary elections Sunday, paving the way for the authoritarian leader to remain in control even after he steps down as president. The vote followed a tense Kremlin campaign that relied on a combination of persuasion and intimidation to ensure victory for the United Russia party and for Putin, who has used a flood of oil revenue to move his country into a more assertive position on the global stage...

LOS ANGELES -- Heavy metal fans aren't usually seen making bids at high-end auctions, but they turned out in numbers to snatch up a coat with embroidered bats, sneakers with skulls on them and other items put up for sale by Ozzy Osbourne. "We had Ozzy fans bidding against these sophisticated fine art buyers, which you don't see every day," said Darren Julien, whose company, Julien's Auctions, ran the charity sale Friday and Saturday. ...

WICHITA, Kan. -- They were born in countries that are continents apart. But Wichita is where eight adopted children have discovered the concept of family. And through their children, John and Karen Schlesinger have learned how to confront stereotypes, challenge beliefs and spread a message of universal love, the kind of love that transcends cultural boundaries and stereotypes. The kind that heals, teaches, trusts and celebrates all at once...

Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship has been providing therapeutic horseback riding to children and adults living with disabilities since 2001. It is a not-for-profit organization that depends on the generosity of service clubs, private donations and others to help develop and operate the Oak Ridge facility...

Thanks breakfast held by Boys and Girls Club; Benefit planned for accident victim; Landowner information at conservation center; Jackson Public Library offers holiday programs; Scott City Women's Club to hold home tour; Nature center holds 'Nature's Decor' activity; Woodmen youth club activity planned Dec. 13; Cape library to be closed for holidays

WASHINGTON -- New Hampshire and Iowa will have to wait. The nation's first presidential primary, for Democrats anyway, is being waged among hundreds of party insiders -- superdelegates who could play a big part in selecting the nominee at next summer's national convention...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Despite shooting under 30 percent for the game and losing one of its best players with an injury early in the second half, the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team still had a shot at beating Purdue on Sunday with about three minutes to go...

Central placed second in the the Green Division of the FZN wrestling tournament with 172 points Saturday. The Tigers finished behind only Fort Zumwalt North (286 points) and wrestled their way past Webster Groves (154 points), Sumner (102 points) and Parkway Central (69 points)...

LANDOVER, Md. -- After scoring the game's only touchdown, Clinton Portis lifted his jersey to reveal a white shirt with the words "In memory of Sean Taylor." They played for Sean. They tried to win for Sean, just as Sean's father had told them to. The grief of the Washington Redskins was on full display Sunday, in front of 85,000 fans waving their No. 21 towels...

LSU has a ticket to the title game. Everyone else has a pretty good gripe. The latest chapter in this crazy, unpredictable college football season was written Sunday when LSU won the sport's version of the lottery, being picked to play Ohio State for the championship and leaving about a half-dozen other candidates with plenty to complain about...

ST. LOUIS -- Gus Frerotte carries the blame for the St. Louis Rams' last home loss. He can take credit for the team's first home win, too. Frerotte threw three touchdown passes in the first half, then sweated out two second-half interceptions in a 28-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Rams' first home win this season after five setbacks...

SAN ANTONIO -- The national title hopes are over. The lopsided loss in the Big 12 championship still stings. And Missouri's consolation prize:~ The former No. 1 Tigers fall to seventh in AP poll, settle for Cotton Bowl. a New Year's Day bowl game right back in Texas...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Hugo Chavez sought to cement his power Sunday in a vote on constitutional reforms that could let him remain president for life, a critical test for a leader bent on turning this major U.S. oil provider into a socialist state. Opponents fear a plunge toward dictatorship. Supporters have full faith that Chavez will use the reforms to deepen grassroots democracy and more equitably spread the wealth...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- A local mother found herself on a strange ride when her son, a U.S. Army soldier, received orders to Iraq. Now Sharon Bryant has taken the experience and woven it with her father's letters during the Korean War, turning it into a song called "A Mother's Heart."...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez would take on expanded powers and have a shot at being president for life under constitutional changes considered by Venezuelans Sunday in a vote that raised tensions in South America's top oil exporter. An emboldened opposition and recent violent clashes involving protesters point to a potentially volatile dispute if the vote is close, as some pollsters predict...

MOSCOW -- Early results showed Vladimir Putin's party winning more than 60 percent of the vote Sunday in a parliamentary election that could pave the way for him to remain the country's leader even when he steps down as president. The vote followed a Kremlin campaign that relied on a combination of persuasion and intimidation to ensure victory for Putin's United Russia party...

The preliminaries are out of the way for Southeast Missouri State's basketball teams. This week the "real" seasons begin as Southeast squads open Ohio Valley Conference play with two home games, Thursday against Tennessee State and Saturday against Tennessee Tech...

During the past two years, scientists in Antarctica have drilled more than 4,215 feet into the Earth's core and more than 20 million years back into its sedimentary history in an effort to understand how the planet's climate has changed through geologic time. The object of their search this year,...

An adult man and a child were found dead in a Jackson home Monday afternoon and an adult woman and two additional children were severely wounded in what authorities are calling an apparent murder-suicide.

Police responded to three shooting victims. transporting them to Southeast Missouri.

Southeast Missouri State University issued the following news release Monday afternoon:A confrontation involving two Southeast Missouri State University students in a Magill Hall restroom just before 9 a.m. Monday resulted in injury to one of the two...

Jackson police say they will release more information about last night's apparent murder-suicide on Mary Street this morning. Just before 8:30 a.m. Jackson Police Lt. Rodney Barnes said a press release would soon be sent to media outlets that will provide more information on last night's fatal shooting...

Less than a half-hour before Katherine Moshiri fled her Jackson residence and ran into the lobby of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's department, screaming that her husband had shot her, a Cape Girardeau judge faxed an order of protection against Mir Shahin Moshiri to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office...

New stripes and low-tech reminders to stay in one lane are just two safety features added to many Missouri roads. Now MoDOT wants to know if drivers have notice. To get feedback, the state has launched an online survey asking drivers' opinions. According to Brian Chandler, traffic safety engineer for MoDOT, the survey is just one small part of a larger study on whether the changes have truly made roads safer...

A presentation on "MRSA -- The Superbug" will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Southeast Missouri Hospital's Harrison Room tonight. Discussion on signs, symptoms, treatment and how to best protect against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA...

Cape Girardeau police report seeing an increase in early morning traffic crashes. This morning, two multiple-car crashes injured three people. Sgt. Kevin Orr, of the city of Cape Girardeau's police department, said a two-car crash on U.S. 61, just east of I-55, at 7:10 a.m. sent three passengers from one car, two children and the adult driver, to Saint Francis Medical Center. Orr said one child suffered a broken arm...

The death toll in one of the most violent shooting sprees in Southeast Missouri history rose to three Tuesday. Michael R. Jeffers, 16, died Tuesday afternoon at Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said. He had been shot in the head during the shooting Monday in Jackson that left two others dead and two more in critical condition...

A three-car accident has claimed a second life. Jessica D. Cato, 23, of Advance, Mo., was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday at a St. Louis hospital, according to Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton. Cato was driving southbound on Highway 25, one mile south of Delta, when her 2004 Oldsmobile was struck by a 1998 Toyota driven by Erin L. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Attorney General's Office may be close to relieving Scott County of its charge to maintain the grounds of the Forest Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery near Morley, Mo. County commissioners have talked to the attorney for Jackson resident Dale Birk, who has been named by several sources as the buyer in negotiations to purchase the cemetery -- along with two in Sikeston -- from Houston-based Mike Graham and Associates. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council, on a voice vote with one abstention, unanimously approved the first step in floating up to $5 million in bonds to finance the move of Schaefer's Electrical Enclosures to the city from Advance, Mo. The vote puts the city on a path to assist the 21-year-old company in its bid to purchase the Dana Corp. ...

Jackson will open the East Main Street extension to traffic from Oak Hill Road to Interstate 55 on Dec. 17, Mayor Barbara Lohr said Monday morning. The 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by an 11 a.m. dedication of the new East Main Street/LaSalle Avenue interchange on I-55. Lohr said Monday morning that the Missouri Department of Transportation has assured the city that the new interchange will be opened to traffic that morning, "barring some really strange weather."...

Department of Mental Health caseworkers in Southeast Missouri will remain on the state payroll and will not be privatized, DMH director Keith Schafer wrote in a letter to state legislators late last month. Plans to transition case managers to local control were met by an onslaught of concerns raised by parents, who worried they would lose services, and caseworkers, who feared they would lose their jobs. ...

To the editor:In response to the story "Building unity: Jehovah's Witnesses work crews develop fellowship, wow inspectors during five-day construction project": What a nice article. Today so many are quick to find fault with the way Jehovah's Witnesses worship our Creator -- and, yes, there is an intelligent design. ...

Ethics questioned; Bring back old movies; Great light display; Delta church display; Doing manual labor; Keep them separate

In simple terms, scalping occurs when someone offers to sell tickets to sporting events, concerts or anything else that requires a ticket for admission at a price higher than the face value. For the last 18 years, scalping has been illegal in Missouri. ...

An adult man and a child were found shot to death in a Jackson home Monday afternoon in one of the most violent shooting sprees in Southeast Missouri in recent memory, leaving three more severely wounded in what police are calling an apparent murder suicide...

Donations for Toybox can be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway and should include the name of their recipient. Those who wish to donate cash or a check should make it payable to Toybox, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702...

Two Southeast Missouri State University students became embroiled in a confrontation in a Magill Hall restroom just before 9 a.m. Monday, which resulted in one being transported to Saint Francis Medical Center. One student allegedly pushed another into the glass window divider. That student sustained injuries from the broken glass but was released later Monday after treatment, said Art Wallhausen, spokesman for the university...

Poplar Bluff police seize suspected crack cocaine POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Already on parole for drug distribution charges, a Hayti, Mo., man may face federal charges after local authorities seized about 3/4 of a pound of suspected crack cocaine from his vehicle Friday, according to the Daily American Republic. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Tension is building over the role and makeup of a state committee set up to keep tabs on Gov. Matt Blunt's new health-care program for the poor. The group, which debuts today, is charged with overseeing Blunt's transformation of Medicaid into a prevention-oriented system called MOHealthNet...

A Puxico, Mo., woman was killed and her infant son was injured Monday afternoon when their car struck another vehicle in a head-on crash on a Cape Girardeau County highway. The driver of the second car suffered serious injuries, while the driver of a third car, which struck the second from behind, was treated for minor injuries...

Cape Girardeau's city council approved the first reading of ballot language for the parks and storm-water tax Monday. Voters will cast ballots April 8 to determine whether the half-cent sales tax will be adopted. Three-eighths of the tax would be levied for 10 years; the remaining one-eighth percent would have no sunset and be used to pay for operating costs...

A near-record flood crest is rolling down the Mississippi River and will bring a stage of 45.5 feet to Cape Girar-deau Thursday; Cape Girardeau police begin advising residents north and south of the Main Street Levee District to leave their homes. Hundreds of acres are flooded and numerous homes are endangered as a levee protecting the Dutchtown area from the flooded Hubble Creek gives way in the afternoon; floodwaters rush through about five breaks in the Hubble Creek and Diversion Channel levee, threatening Dutchtown and Allenville.. ...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Marion W. Petitt, 68, of McClure died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 24, 1939, in Thebes, Ill., son of Herman and Essie Meyer Petitt. He married Marie Kelley Oct. 5, 1971, in Cairo, Ill...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Alfreda Simmons, 85, of Charleston died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, in Sikeston, Mo., at the home of a daughter. She was born Oct. 8, 1922, in Light, Ark., daughter of Charlie and Ada Gibbons Smith. She married Thomas E. "Red" Simmons June 13, 1944. He died Aug. 3, 1984...

ANNA, Ill. -- Aaron S. Hain, 72, of Anna died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Dec. 19, 1935. He is survived by a brother, Frank Hain, of Vermillion, Ohio. Graveside funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Anna Cemetery, with the Rev. Bobby Richardson officiating...

BENTON, Mo. -- Wanda Kaye Carey, 48, of Benton died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born March 20, 1959, at Sycamore, Ill., daughter of Frank and Georgia Hicks. She and Gerome Carey were married Jan. 22, 1996, at Van Buren, Mo...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department reported the following incidents. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A juvenile was cited into juvenile court. n Patricia D. Cody, 19, 2837 Themis St., Apt. 4, was arrested on a Scott County warrant for promoting child pornography and on a Sikeston, Mo., police department warrant for contempt of court...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: n At 7:38 p.m., a carbon monoxide alarm in the 2500 block of Lisa Street. n At 11:22 p.m., a box alarm at 1900 Perryville Road. Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

JACKSONVILLE, Mo. -- The wire fox terrier trembled as she stood at the front of the room. A woman steadied the dog, stood the animal on her hind legs and showed the dog's belly to the crowd. The dog was pregnant, due at any moment, and wore a collar that identified her as No. 145...

CHICAGO -- A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better, according to a new study that relied on parents' reports of their children's symptoms. The folk remedy did better than cough medicine or no treatment in a three-way comparison. Honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat, the study authors said...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Hurricane-force winds and heavy rain battered the Northwest for a second day Monday, killing at least two people and leaving entire communities dark and isolated as the storms blocked roads with trees, power lines, high water and mud...

STOWE, Vt. -- A winter storm that wreaked havoc on the upper Midwest began its snowy assault on the East on Monday, spelling trouble for travelers but elation for ski resorts that suffered through an abysmal winter last year. Drivers in much of the region had to navigate a mix of rain, sleet and snow as the storm -- which was blamed for at least 17 deaths -- lumbered eastward, blanketing northern New England overnight and threatening to dump as much as 20 inches in places...

All of this nonsense about 50 being the new 30, 70 being the new 50. It all sounds like a boomer-inspired trick to confuse us about whether or not we are actually getting old. By the way, when exactly are we old? From my 87-year-old mother's perspective, I am just a whippersnapper (whatever that is). ...

Of course smoking is bad for you -- even when you're not doing the puffing directly. Still more evidence of the damage that secondhand smoke can cause was presented this week in Chicago during the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America...

Today Church of Christ, Jackson, 310 N Shawnee, 3 to 7 p.m. First State Community Bank, 2527 William St, Cape Girardeau, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday Lowes Home Improvement Warehouse, 3440 Lowes Drive, Cape Girardeau, 1 to 5 p.m.

Today n Flu shot clinic: 7 to 10 a.m. at Fitness Plus. Cost is $25. Medicare and insurance not accepted. No appointment necessary. Call 331-5316 for more information. n "Staying Afloat Through Life's Storms": 6:30 p.m. in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital. ...

NEW YORK -- Think you're smarter than a fifth-grader? How about a 5-year-old chimp? Japanese researchers pitted young chimps against human adults in tests of short-term memory and, overall, the chimps won. That challenges the belief of many people, including many scientists, that "humans are superior to chimpanzees in all cognitive functions," said researcher Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University...

JENA, La. -- A black teenager whose prosecution in the beating of a white classmate led to one of the largest civil rights protests in years pleaded guilty Monday to a battery charge. Mychal Bell, 17, originally was charged as an adult with attempted murder in the beating of Justin Barker in December 2006. That charge was reduced before a jury convicted him in June of aggravated second-degree battery. An appeals court threw that verdict out in September and ordered Bell retried as a juvenile...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- A British teacher jailed for letting her students name a teddy bear Muhammad as part of writing project headed home Monday after being pardoned, ending a case that set off an international outcry and angered many Muslims. The incident was the latest in a tense relationship between the West and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, an Islamic hard-liner who has been accused by the United Nations of dragging his feet on the deployment of peacekeepers to the country's war-torn Darfur region.. ...

WASHINGTON -- A new U.S. intelligence report concludes that Iran's nuclear weapons development program has been halted since the fall of 2003 because of international pressure -- a stark contrast to the conclusions U.S. spy agencies drew just two years ago...

OTTAWA -- Iran has ordered Canada's ambassador to leave the country, the Canadian foreign minister said late Monday, calling the move entirely unjustifiable. Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier suggested the expulsion of Ambassador John Mundy, who was recently appointed and yet to have his credentials accepted, was a tit-for-tat move by the government in Tehran...

NEW YORK -- Katherine Heigl is still adjusting to the change in her "Grey's Anatomy" character, Dr. Izzie Stevens. As "Grey's" watchers know, Izzie has been having an open affair with her married best friend, Dr. George O'Malley, causing a world of pain for his surgeon-wife, Callie...

Notre Dame's Ty Williams considers the two Class 2 titles he won playing for the Bulldogs the highlight of his high school soccer career. But he added that the 2007 Class 2 player of the year award he received Monday also feels really sweet. "The state championships are better, but it's nice to to be honored like this, especially since my high school soccer career is over," he said. "It is nice to be honored with that award."...

All things considered, Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee felt relieved Monday after hearing the injury news regarding Missy Whitney. X-rays revealed that Whitney, the Ohio Valley Conference preseason player of the year, does not have a broken foot...

The Southeast Missouri State track and field program had several strong performances during its opening meet of the indoor season, Saturday's Arkansas State Kickoff Classic. More than 600 athletes from 12 schools participated in the non-scoring meet in Jonesboro, Ark...

Top-seeded Kelly rolled over eighth-seeded East Prairie in the opening round of the Lady Devils Invitational on Monday night, collecting a 62-32 victory at Chaffee High School. Londyn Backfisch had a game-high 19 points to lead the Hawks (2-0). Kayla Cissell netted 17 points and Sarah Ruff added 15...

MIAMI -- Thousands filled a university arena for Sean Taylor's funeral Monday, with his coach praising his "excitement for life" and the NFL commissioner telling mourners the Washington Redskins star "loved football and football loved him back."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police have discovered that people are willing to go to great lengths to get high, including a troubling new method that features a frightened toad. "Toad smoking," a substitute for "toad licking," is done by extracting venom from the Sonoran Desert toad of the Colorado River. The toad's venom -- which is secreted when the toad gets angry or scared -- contains a hallucinogen that can be dried and smoked to produce a buzz...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- While there will be no criminal charges in the case of a 13-year-old girl who killed herself after receiving cruel messages on the Internet, there have certainly been heavy consequences. St. Charles County prosecutor Jack Banas said Monday he could not find statutes allowing him to charge anyone in the case, weeks after federal authorities came to the same conclusion...

BALTIMORE -- The New England Patriots are still perfect, but looking mighty vulnerable. New England pulled off its greatest escape thus far to become the sixth team in NFL history to start a season with 12 victories. For the second straight week, it was a struggle against a losing team, but the incredibly resourceful Patriots got Tom Brady's 8-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds left to beat the Baltimore Ravens 27-24 Monday night...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- At last, Bowie Kuhn beat Marvin Miller at something. The late commissioner was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday while Miller was rejected by a revamped Veterans Committee stacked with those he regularly opposed -- and beat -- in arbitration and bargaining sessions that altered the history of the game...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The teenage brain, Laurence Steinberg says, is like a car with a good accelerator but a weak brake. With powerful impulses under poor control, the likely result is a crash. And, perhaps, a crime. Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor, helped draft an American Psychological Association brief for a 2005 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for crimes committed before age 18...

During the past two years, scientists in Antarctica have drilled more than 4,215 feet into the Earth's core and more than 20 million years back into its sedimentary history in an effort to understand how the planet's climate has changed through geologic time. The object of their search this year, evidence of the changes that occurred 14 and 15 million years ago, has been called the Rosetta Stone of global climate change...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt said Monday he has instructed the Department of Natural Resources to use some of the Taum Sauk settlement money to develop a new state park in Shannon County. "This will help compensate the citizens of Missouri for the loss of natural resources when the reservoir breach flooded Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park," he said in a statement...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar believes his team is sufficiently battle-tested as it prepares to open Ohio Valley Conference play. Edgar also knows he and the Redhawks will relish being inside the Show Me Center this week, after they had only two of their first eight games at home...

DELTA, Mo. -- A second person has died following a head-on collision near Delta Monday afternoon. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 23-year-old Jessica D. Cato, of Advance, Mo., was pronounced dead at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis Tuesday afternoon. Another driver involved in the crash, 24-year-old Erin Powell of Puxico, Mo., was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at Saint Francis Medical Center...

When Deborah Fisher left her job at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, she told the assistant commissioner that the department has missed its boat. "You can't spend seven hours a day doing only reading and math. China did that, and now they have people who can't create," Fisher said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston man's wife confessed to shooting him in the head in an early Monday morning incident, Sikeston police reported in a press release Wednesday afternoon. Police say that Pamela A. Fox, 48, of Sikeston shot her husband, Willam L. Fox, 47, in the head while he slept Monday morning, according to a confession Pamela Fox gave Tuesday afternoon...

The 2006 OVC championship banner won by the Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team should come down, according to an NCAA infractions committee. Furthermore, it shouldn't be able to claim any wins from 2002 to 2006. According to a letter from the NCAA released to the Southeast Missourian today by Southeast Missouri State University, the committee has ruled that the university's women's basketball program should vacate all wins in women's basketball from the 2002 through the 2006 seasons. ...

New stripes and low-tech reminders to stay in one lane are just two safety features added to many Missouri roads. Now MoDOT wants to know if drivers have noticed. To get feedback, the state has launched an online survey, with a link at www.modot.org, asking drivers' opinions...

Rosemary Berkel Crisp, for whom Southeast Missouri State University's nursing hall and regional museum are named, died Saturday. Crisp, 70, had battled ovarian cancer for 12 years. "She was a very caring individual, always concerned about others and wanting to give back through contributions or through her own personal involvement," said John Rains, the senior vice president of Pepsi MidAmerica, which Crisp co-owned with her husband, Harry L. Crisp II...

The death toll in one of the most violent shooting sprees in Southeast Missouri history rose to three Tuesday. Michael R. Jeffers, 16, died Tuesday afternoon at Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said. He had been shot in the head during the shooting Monday in Jackson...

Every year the joint holiday concert featuring Handel's "Messiah" with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra, the University Choir and the Choral Union is a big event -- the most popular concert on the symphony series. This year, with the concert's first time in the new Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus, the musical directors are expecting it to be even more popular. Instead of one night, there are two, Friday and Saturday...

During the past two years, scientists in Antarctica have drilled more than 4,215 feet into the Earth's crust and more than 20 million years back into its sedimentary history in an effort to understand how the planet's climate has changed through geologic time. The object of their search this year, evidence of the changes that occurred 14 million and 15 million years ago, has been called the Rosetta Stone of global climate change...

Harley Scherer is an unusual young man, and we mean that as a compliment. When Harley was 12 years old, he wanted to restore an old car and asked his parents where he could find a job. At 12, Harley had already found a passion and had started finding ways to pursue that passion, an unusual tact for someone so young...

A fine gentleman; Mizzou's united fans; Fix those lights; Those storytellers; Water and gasoline; Mentos holiday; Too much government; Low reading scores

Single mom appreciates any help Nettie is not particular about what gift givers select for her 5-year-old son, Jacob. "He's a bright kid and loves Spider-Man," she said. The single mom just moved here and is trying to start a new life away from the child's abusive father. ...

FLAG POND, Tenn. -- Authorities are on the lookout for a Grinch who stole the tops off more than two dozen Christmas trees from Danny Tipton's farm. The thief or thieves raided the farm in eastern Tennessee sometime between Nov. 24 and last week and cut the tops off the Fraser firs that were 10 to 12 feet tall...

For the 11th year, a gold coin was anonymously dropped in a red kettle operated by the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau. The one-fourth ounce $10 Lady Liberty coin, wrapped in a $1 bill, was sold to River City Coins and Jewelry for $225. The coin was found Saturday in a kettle at the West Park Mall entrance...

At the dorm at McMurdo Station, the ANDRILL crew can shoot pool or watch a movie. There's a "gerbil gym," said Dr. Scott Ishman, a coffee shop and a bar. The station has a post office, hair salon and store. When the SIU-Carbondale geology professor arrived in early October, the temperature was minus 20 to minus 10 degrees Farenheit. Everyone is issued cold weather gear, including a heavy down parka called Big Red. Now the weather is starting to warm into the teens...

The Rev. and Mrs. Hutson L. Goza Jr. have been added to the pastoral staff of First Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau; the Rev. Goza will be associate pastor, and he and his wife will work as the church youth directors. Lynett Wiggs, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Wiggs of Cape Girardeau, is named "Miss University" at a pageant held in the evening on the Southeast Missouri State University campus; she is a finalist in the 1980 Miss Missouri Pageant...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Katy Trail cyclists hoping to pedal even closer to Kansas City after the state's $180 million Taum Sauk settlement provided funds for the path might want to wait before climbing onto their bikes. A 46-mile westward trail extension is one of the key elements of the state's settlement with Ameren Corp. over the 2005 Taum Sauk reservoir collapse...

Jazz ensembles to appear at Buckner Brewing Co. Southeast Missouri State University faculty and student jazz ensembles will be featured in concerts Thursday and Friday night at Buckner Brewing Co. The Sultans of Swing, an ensemble of university music faculty plus student bassist Jarred Harris, will perform from 7 to 10 p.m. ...

The Central High School Music Department will perform in a combined choir, symphonic band, concert band and orchestra concert at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Bedell Performance Hall at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. The choral program will perform selections from its Madrigal Feaste. ...

Charles R. Kamp, 71, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, at Monticello House in Jackson. He was born April 12, 1936, at Tilsit, son of Albert and Nora (Bodenstein) Kamp, Sr. He and Darlene Wiedbusch were married Sept. 15, 1957, in Chicago, Ill...

Rosemary Berkel Crisp, 70, a noted business leader as co-owner of Pepsi MidAmerica Co., women's health-care activist, philanthropist and mother of six children, died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, surrounded by her loving family, after a 12-year battle with ovarian cancer...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Theodore J. Eckenfels Jr., 88, of Perryville, died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Perry Oaks Manor in Perryville. He was born Dec. 2, 1919, in Perry County, son of Theodore J. and Maria A. Boland Eckenfels. He was married to LaVina Mary Unterreiner. She died Oct. 1, 1973...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Christine N. Chronister, 64, of Marble Hill died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 25, 1942 in St. Louis. She and Ole Monroe Chronister were married Jan. 22, 1967, in Glenallen, Mo. He died Aug. 22, 2004...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Erin Lynn Powell, 24, of Puxico died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was born Sept. 30, 1983, at Dexter, Mo., daughter of Trent and Cathy Edmonds Shipman...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Leo V. "Pick" Narens Sr., 74, of Perryville died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. He was born April 29, 1933 in St. Louis, son of Oscar and Mable Heimberger Narens. He and Shirley A. Rudloff were married April 14, 1951, in St. Louis...

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Vera Edna James, 92, of Sedgewickville, Mo., died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at the Madison County Memorial Hospital in Fredericktown. She was born July 23, 1915, in Sedgewickville, daughter of Ephraim and Emma Wilke Statler. She and Elzia M. James were married Dec. 21, 1935. He died July 20, 1969...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Norman Merle Elsperman Sr., 87, of Chaffee died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 at Chaffee Nursing Center. He was born Jan. 1, 1920, at Vanduser, Mo., son of George and Martha Wells Elsperman. He and Jewell Marie Jackson married Aug. 15, 1942. She died March 8, 2006...

Arrests

n At 3:38 p.m., a motor vehicle extrication outside city limits. n At 4:12 p.m., emergency medical service in the 500 block of Second Street. n At 4:26 p.m., investigate the smell of gasoline in the 1200 block of Cousin Street. n At 6:09 p.m., emergency medical service on Peartree Court...

Maybe it's distraction, maybe it's the sun. Whatever the reason, Cape Girardeau police report seeing more fender benders than usual over the last couple of days, according to Sgt. Kevin Orr. Within 10 minutes Tuesday morning, police responded to a four-car chain reaction crash and a two-car, four-injury accident on Kingshighway...

A Jackson man pleaded guilty in federal court in Cape Girardeau to a single felony count of possessing crack cocaine with intent to distribute it. Donald L. Gilmore, 27, fled from Cape Girardeau police Aug. 17 in Capaha Park as officers attempted to stop him after he delivered an ounce of crack cocaine to an informant. As Gilmore was driving from the area, officers saw him throw a white plastic bag from the vehicle, which was recovered and found to contain 51 grams of crack cocaine...

NEW YORK -- Wall Street wilted Tuesday as investors awaiting next week's Federal Reserve meeting remained uneasy that fallout from the slumping housing market could bring more bank losses and pull the economy into recession. Retreating oil prices and signs of strength in industries outside the financial sector could not keep the stock market from declining for a second straight day. ...

WASHINGTON -- Defending his credibility, President Bush said Tuesday that Iran is dangerous and must be squeezed by international pressure despite an intelligence finding that Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program four years ago. Bush said the new conclusion -- contradicting earlier U.S. ...

BALI, Indonesia -- Never before have so many people converged to try to save the planet from global warming, with more than 10,000 jetting into this Indonesian resort island, from government ministers to Nobel laureates to drought-stricken farmers. But critics say they are contributing to the very problem they aim to solve...

LIVERPOOL, England -- A British teacher returned to her northern English hometown Tuesday after being pardoned in Sudan for insulting Islam by allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Gillian Gibbons took refuge from the media in a hotel, issuing a plea for privacy -- and time to consider interview requests...

BAGHDAD -- Captors holding five Britons demanded Tuesday that Britain pull all its forces from Iraq, posting a videotape showing a bearded, haggard-looking victim more than six months after the group was kidnapped. The purported hostage, speaking clearly with a British accent, identified himself as "Jason" and gave the date as more than two weeks ago. He sat under a sign in Arabic identifying the captors as "The Islamic Shiite Resistance in Iraq."...

ROME -- Remnants of the first known surviving Roman throne have been discovered in the lava and ash that buried the city of Herculaneum in the first century, archaeologists said Tuesday. Decorated with ivory bas-reliefs depicting ancient deities, two legs and part of the back of the wooden throne were dug out between October and November. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Pimp C, one half of veteran Houston rap group UGK, was found dead Tuesday in an upscale hotel. He was 33. "It is with great regret that I must confirm that Chad Butler, aka Pimp C, one half of the legendary UGK, was in fact discovered dead this morning," his publicist, Nancy Byron, said in a statement. "Manager Rick Martin is asking that everyone please respect his family and those close to him at this time and refrain from rumors and innuendo."...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jackson's Hunter Grantham said his team focused a great deal on rebounding in practice after it escaped with a four-point overtime victory against Central last Friday night. "We had a good, hard Sunday practice and came out Monday and practiced real hard and emphasized a lot on rebounding," Grantham said. "And it showed tonight."...

Fresh off winning the Carr Trophy last week, Jackson's Matt Lang continued to be honored for his strong season Tuesday, not only earning first-team all-state honors by the Missouri Football Coaches Association, but also receiving the co-defensive player of the year award for Class 5...

Alex King opened his senior season with the kind of performance Scott City boys basketball coach Lance Amick would like to see every night. With Ryan Modglin helping King out under the basket this year, Amick may get his wish. King had a triple-double, scoring 20 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking 11 shots Tuesday night as the Rams defeated host Saxony Lutheran 59-47...

The short-handed Notre Dame boys basketball team survived an upset bid as the Bulldogs opened their season Tuesday night in the SEMO Conference tournament at Sikeston. Top-seeded Notre Dame, playing without 6-foot-8 all-stater Ryan Willen and fellow returning starter Austin Greer -- both are injured -- slipped past No. 8 Dexter 65-59...

High school football poll KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The final state rankings for Missouri high school football voted on by a 12-member panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. First-place votes in parenthesis, followed by won-loss record, points and last week's ranking...

Class 2 All-Region Soccer (Southeast Region) Parker Rawdon, sr., forward, Clayton; Scott Belsky, sr., midfielder, Clayton; D J Lambert, sr., goaliekeeper, Lutheran South; Nick Platipodis, jr,, sweeper, Lutheran South;Nelson Dorvlo, sr., forward, University City; Patrick McCaffey, so., forward, DuBourg; Sam Brotherton, jr., midfielder, Affton; Clint Carder, jr., midfielder, De Soto; Alex Haverstick, so, forward, De Soto; Scott Droddy, sr., goalkeeper, Sikeston; Patrick Wulfers, sr., forward, Farmington; Mike Alvarado, jr., forward, Windsor; Ty Williams, sr., forward, Notre Dame; Ryan Willen, sr., Midfielder, Notre Dame; Mark Zimmer, sr., defender, Notre Dame; Ryan Bass, jr., goalkeeper, Notre Dame; Mark Himmelberg, sr., defender, Notre Dame; John Unterreiner, jr., midfielder, Notre Dame; Joda Holloway, jr., midfielder, Notre Dame.. ...

If you are not in the Christmas spirit, these recipes will help you get in the mood. Using cranberries, nuts, sweet potatoes and mint, all of these recipes just make it seem like the Christmas season is here. Jodi Thompson of Jackson has sent in all of today's recipes to pass along to you. ...

As I write this column, the weather is balmy and warm. It is hard to believe that this is the last of November. Of course as they always say in the region, if you don't like the weather just wait a few days and it will change. I'm sure that when this column is published it will feel a little more like winter than it does today. Of course winter brings with it cold temperatures, snow, sleet and all of the things that keep us indoors during the bleak days of January and February...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those lords-a-leaping and ladies dancing may want to consider the downside of the holidays: Heart attack season has arrived. December and January are the deadliest months for heart disease, and many of the things that make the season merry are culprits: Rich meals, more alcohol - and all that extra stress...

CHICAGO -- Just in time for runny nose season, new research suggests routine sinus infections aren't really helped by antibiotics and other medicine that's often prescribed. In the British study, people suffering from facial pain and a runny nose with greenish or yellowish mucous generally improved within about two weeks -- whether they took the standard antibiotic amoxicillin, steroid nose spray or fake medicine...

Rock bands to perform at Show Me Center The Show Me Center announced Tuesday evening that alternative rock bands Three Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Seether will perform at the venue at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. Three Days Grace is touring in support of their 2006 disc, "One-X," which went platinum in the U.S. ...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) -- A 41-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the rape and murder conspiracy of a casino employee in St. Joseph. Buchanan County Circuit Court Judge Dan Kellogg on Tuesday ordered Eric A. Sharp to spend 30 years in prison for raping the woman and another 10 years for plotting to kill her...

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (AP) -- Fort Leonard Wood officials have dedicated the largest veterinary and kennel facility in the Army. The veterinary facility is the second biggest in the military, behind the main Department of Defense working dog facility at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas...

Kerri Morgan discussed her passion of playing quad rugby Monday night at Crisp Hall. One of about nine female players in the male-dominated sport, she will try out for the U.S. Olympic team this month. A video of Morgan speaking is available at semissourian.com/gallery...

Ready or not, home heating fuel prices are on the rise. Homeowners have long been aware that adding insulation makes sense. Actually, it makes "dollars and cents" -- in the form of energy savings. The average American will spend $977 to heat the home this year, according to the Energy Information Administration -- nearly 10 percent higher than last year...

Saxony Lutheran senior Max Wieser helped the top-seeded Crusaders to a first place finish at the Woodland Tournament this past weekend, averaging 17 points per game in his team's three victories. Wieser, who was selected to the all-tournament team along with his teammate Zach Bohnert, scored 16 points in the championship game against third-seeded Meadow Heights...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A man suspected in a St. Louis home invasion was critically injured after being shot by a resident of the home, and a police spokesman said the suspect was not expected to survive. Police spokesman Richard Wilkes said the suspect was taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital and was in very critical condition Thursday morning. His name has not been released...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A jury has blamed the city of St. Louis for the death of a wheelchair-bound woman, claiming a broken and overgrown sidewalk forced her into the street, where she was struck by a car. The jury on Wednesday awarded $250,000 to the parents of Elizabeth "Lisi" Bansen, 40, and absolved the driver of the vehicle that hit her...

LAMAR, Mo. (AP) -- A hog breeding farm for 2,400 animals can go ahead in southwest Missouri after a judge rejected a lawsuit from the local township. Richland Township officials in Barton County had asked the court to stop the concentrated feeding operation, or CAFO, under construction for $3 million...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A federal appeals court said Thursday that a Missouri state law limiting protests near funerals should have been put on hold while a judge determines whether it's constitutional. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis threw out a district court judge's decision denying the request for a temporary injunction of the law from a Kansas church that regularly protests at soldiers' funerals...

New media is a genre of visual arts that usually doesn't get much face time with the First Friday gallery crowd. But this Friday, one art show will focus exclusively on new media, possibly providing a first introduction for some to this growing visual art genre...

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather alert for Southeast Missouri, parts of Illinois and Kentucky. Temperatures are expected to drop overnight to 34 degrees. Expect freezing rain, sleet and snow to fall through 6 p.m. Friday, with accumulations of 1 to 2 inches. Roads will be slippery, bridges and overpasses will be slick and visibility will be limited...

A fund for the Moshiri family has been set up to cover medical expenses and funeral costs for Michael R. Jeffers, 16, and Madison Moshiri, 4, who were shot Monday in Jackson. Donations can be made in the name of Katherine Moshiri at any US Bank, said friend Cheri Fisher. Fisher is also working on setting up donation cans at area gas stations and grocery stores...

A jury trial has been set for a Cape Girardeau pastor facing three felony counts for property theft at his former church in Arkansas. The Rev. Cecil Thomas Jr., pastor of Second Missionary Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau, was charged with writing unauthorized checks to himself, the property of Pleasant Grove Church in Osceola, Ark., in the amount of $1,400 each, according to the felony information signed by deputy prosecuting attorney Catherine P. Dean...

A football player for Southeast Missouri State University involved in a bathroom brawl Monday had to have surgery to close cuts on his arm that went down to the bone. Freshman wide receiver Richard Samuel was attacked in the bathroom of Magill Hall by another freshman, said his mother, Christa Samuel. The incident occurred around 9 a.m. after a computer class the two had together...

The administrative shake-up in the Cape Girardeau School District continued with Brenda McCowan, recently replaced as finance director, being placed on administrative leave as of Wednesday. The decision of the school board, which took place in a closed session Tuesday, was announced by Dr. ...

Dec. 6, 2007 Dear Julie, DC's book club has dinner each month at one of the members' houses. Each December they meet at a nice restaurant and invite the men's auxiliary, making us feel guilty about being unread wastrels for the past year...

Fearing for herself and her children's safety after her husband allegedly threatened to kill her, Katherine Moshiri sought refuge at a local shelter, according to a friend. "She said they wouldn't take her because Michael was too old," said the friend, who asked that her name be withheld...

The Christmas for the Elderly program is intended to help seniors who typically don't have a family, lack basic supplies and can't spend money to treat themselves to a Christmas. Donations can be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway and should include the identifying letter of their recipient...

When Deborah Fisher left her job at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, she told the assistant commissioner that the department has missed its boat. "You can't spend seven hours a day doing only reading and math. China did that, and now they have people who can't create," said Fisher, now the executive director of the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education...

One of the objectives of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, which originated in Los Angeles in 1947, is to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas. The goal is to deliver a shiny, new toy at Christmas with the message of hope, which will in turn build self esteem and motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston woman was arrested in connection with a Monday shooting. Pamela A. Fox, 48, of Sikeston, was charged with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action in the shooting of her husband, William L. Fox, 47. At about 3:50 a.m. ...

Christmas came early for Kirk Metje. Metje was selected as the winner of a $2,000 shopping spree sponsored by Old Town Cape, the Southeast Missourian and 20 downtown businesses. Metje's entry was selected from 747 hopefuls who visited 10 of the 20 retailers on Friday and Saturday, said Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape...

The bill to require the National Parks Service to study whether it is feasible or desirable to extend the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail from St. Louis through Southeast Missouri to the East Coast has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatiaves, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson reported...

Wipe out the B.J. Smith era. The NCAA Committee on Infractions decided during an October meeting that Southeast Missouri State University should vacate all of its victories achieved during Smith's four years as coach and have its 2006 NCAA tournament appearance taken away as well...

Most people probably don't expect the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team to have trouble with Tennessee State today. That's understandable, since the Tigers have finished last in the Ohio Valley Conference the past two seasons, going a combined 4-36 in league play...

The awards keep mounting for the Jackson football team. Running back Adam Zweigart, linebacker Blake Peiffer and defensive back Matt Lang all earned a spot on the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association's Class 5 all-state football team Wednesday...

Patience has about run out for Southeast Missouri State president Dr. Ken Dobbins. Informed this week that his scheduled appearance to make an appeal before the NCAA Committee on Infractions has been postponed to next spring, Dobbins on Wednesday fired a letter off to the committee's director expressing his disappointment and frustration with the failure to conclude the now-22-month-old NCAA investigation into the women's basketball program...

Two of Southeast Missouri State's top three scorers have combined to make just two starts. That is just fine with them. Brandon Foust and Jaycen Herring are content doing their damage off the bench for the Redhawks (4-4), who begin Ohio Valley Conference play tonight at 7:30 against Tennessee State (2-4) at the Show Me Center...

Lane, Hahn win Toy Box run Ryan Lane covered the 1-mile course in 4 minutes, 25 seconds to win the Toy Box run Sunday. Jessie Hahn was the top female finisher, covering the course in 6:24. Toy Box run Male results Ryan Lane 4:25; Dillon Klaffner 4:55; Arthur Waddle 5:02; Alex Schneider 5:04; Billy Leighton 5:05; Roy Leighton 5:10; Kevin Hammes 5:14; Neil Bradley 5:25; Johnny Vavak 5:31; Tomoaki Nomi 5:53; Eric Redinger 5:54; Steve Schmittzche 6:02; Dalton Wilson 6:03; Aaron Hahn 6:10; Brennan Redinger 6:39; Robert Bartels 6:44; Mike Higgins 6:46; Kelly Waller 6:59; Ray Nedilaycky 7:06; Mark Waller 8:16; Robert Denecke 9:44; Andrew Lambert 10:59; Dylan Bromar 10:59.. ...

Ron Shumate won more games than any men's basketball coach in Southeast Missouri State history. Had Shumate not built a slumping Division II program into one of the nation's finest, it's doubtful that the Southeast administration would have considered a move up to Division I...

Many members of the Central team did karaoke and other similar activities instead of actual swimming during the first two weeks of winter practice. "We did karaoke, but not the singing kind," Tigers senior Amity Downing said, laughing. "So it is like this ..."...

Central enjoyed a successful start to its girls swimming season, defeating St. Vincent 108-69 on Wednesday. Central's Mary-Catherine Ford snagged two first-place finishes, winning the 50-meter freestyle (31.16 seconds) and 100 butterfly (1:25.28). Jesse Baker also earned two first-place finishes -- the 200 individual medley (2:54.50) and the 100 breaststroke (1:33.18)...

n Jan. 20, 2006 -- Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins asks the Ohio Valley Conference to conduct a review of the women's basketball program based on unspecified allegations of NCAA violations made by a former assistant women's basketball coach, according to a letter from Dobbins to OVC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher...

Nominations sought for preservation award Old Town Cape's Design Committee is seeking nominations for its annual John Boardman Excellence in Rehabilitation Award for a commercial rehabilitation and the Judith Ann Crow Residential Historic Rehabilitation Award. ...

Bledsoe; Birk; Jones; Pfaff; Crawford; McCormick; Schaaf; Turner

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Vincent Vandeven of Marble Hill died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John's Church in Leopold, Mo...

For the next six months or so, the Cape Girardeau school board is putting its trust in Pat Fanger to lead the administrative staff as interim superintendent. The appointment was made official last week after the board had picked Fanger to step in after the board unanimously fired Dr. David Scala...

BAGHDAD -- U.S. military commanders in northern Iraq told Defense Secretary Robert Gates here Wednesday that they need more troops to battle increased attacks by al-Qaida terrorists who have fled north after being pushed out of the Baghdad region. The call for the movement of Iraqi and U.S. ...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- This week one of the most popular and longest running musicals of all time comes to the area when "Cats" takes the stage Sunday at the Carson Center. One of the stars of the Andrew Lloyd Webber modern classic (based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot) phoned in to answer a few questions for SE Live. Kristy Cavanaugh plays Rumpleteaser, one of two mischievous cat burglars...

Let's get this out of the way. Go see "No Country for Old Men." It's an Oscar caliber film. It's made by two of the best filmmakers America has to offer, and it's perfectly constructed. It's a nationally released action and literary film -- which is a rare opportunity for a mass audience and not often allowed through the gates of Hollywood...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a minibus carrying Afghan soldiers south of Kabul on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding 20 others, officials said. Meanwhile, Afghan forces clashed with Taliban who had blocked a main highway in the south, killing 10 militants, an official said...

THEATER Cats The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical phenomenon comes to local audiences. When: 7 p.m. Sunday Where: Carson Center, Paducah, Ky. PERFORMING ARTS Handel's "Messiah" The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra and the University Choir and Choral Union team up for the popular annual Christmas season concert, with performances of Joseph Haydn's "London" Symphony No. 104 and Handel's legendary Christmas piece "Messiah."...

CENTRALIA, Wash. -- Dodging tires, furniture and geysers of water, Bert Carver paddled a borrowed plastic boat through the murky streets of a defeated neighborhood. After surveying his wife's submerged car and the high-water mark at his first-floor windows, Carver glumly pointed out the "For Sale" sign still hanging in front of his newly remodeled house...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court debated the rights of foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday for the third time since 2004, a legal struggle that could still be around when a new president takes office in 13 months. Most questions from the justices seemed to accept that the 305 men held at the U.S. naval base in Cuba, many for nearly six years, have some rights to challenge their detention...

LOS ANGELES -- A tour bus full of people on their way to a taping of the "Dr. Phil" TV show crashed into a tree at a Hollywood church Wednesday, authorities said. Nineteen people suffered mostly minor injuries. The chartered bus with 41 people on board was getting off a freeway around 10:15 a.m. when its brakes malfunctioned, police Lt. Roger Mora said...

ATLANTA -- After taking off their shoes, emptying their pockets and passing through the security checkpoint, travelers at some major U.S. airports can now roll up a sleeve and get a flu shot. "The convenience is great," Danny Manzon, a busy, 53-year-old restaurant consultant, said after getting vaccinated Tuesday at a kiosk in front of an AirTran gate at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. He said he had wanted to get a flu shot for three months but never had the time...

Thursday, Dec. 6 Space: Dare to Dream: Memorial Hall, Southeast Missouri State University, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Blood Pressure Screening: sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital's Generations Family Resource Center, Cape Senior Center, 10 to 11:15 a.m...

The Moscow Ballet's "The Great Russian Nutcracker" hasn't visited Cape Girardeau since 2003, when a production at the Show Me Center competed with performances of "The Nutcracker" by the Minnesota Ballet at Academic Auditorium. This year the Moscow Ballet has "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" all to itself in the city's new state-of-the-art performance hall...

Janetta Rosella Koenig, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Dec. 7, 1927, at Glennon, Mo., daughter of Anthony John and Rosella Horrell Koenig. Koenig was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and its Council of Catholic Women...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some state lawmakers are proposing to give a larger income tax break to low-income elderly and disabled residents as a way to offset their rising property taxes. The legislature's Joint Committee on Tax Policy on Wednesday recommended a $250 increase in the annual income tax credit provided to some homeowners and renters...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Dean Bollinger, 52, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, at Elder Care of Marble Hill. He was born Jan. 11, 1955 at Cape Girardeau, son of William D. and Donna Dunn Bollinger. Bollinger was a well driller. Survivors included his mother; three daughters, Desiree Bollinger, Jessica Bollinger and Chelsea Bollinger, all of Perryville, Mo.; a son, Luke Bollinger of Perryville; two brothers, Roger Bollinger of Del Rio, Texas, and Brady Bollinger of Marble Hill; and one grandchild.. ...

1. "Double Cross" by James Patterson 2. "You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty" by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz 3. "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett 4. "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" by John Grisham...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia -- The Bush administration scrambled Wednesday to hold together a global alliance of suspicion against Iran, saying the clerical regime still has much to answer for despite a U.S. reversal of its claim that Tehran is seeking nuclear weapons now...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Jessica Dawn Cato, 23, of Advance was born May 28, 1984, in Sikeston, Mo., daughter of Don L. Cato and Pamela Comstock. She passed away Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, from injuries sustained in a car accident...

For more than 15 years, local blues legend Bruce Zimmerman and the Water Street Band have been entertaining audiences at Port Cape Girardeau on most Thursday and Sunday evenings. But due to hearing problems, Zimmerman said he will be performing significantly less than twice a week after the New Year...

To the editor:I've been trying for over five years to disability insurance from Social Security. I have proved that I am disabled, but still I can't get it. I want to work, but I hurt every day. A judge told me I'm disabled by my own choice. This judge looked to be too old to be making decisions that affect people's lives...

'The Golden Compass'; 'American Gangster'; 'August Rush'; 'Awake'; 'Bee Movie'; 'Beowulf'; 'Dan in Real Life'; 'Enchanted'; 'Fred Claus'; 'The Game Plan'; 'Hitman'; 'The Mist'; 'No Country for Old Men'; 'This Christmas'

Craig Thomas has the distinction of being Cape Girardeau's only working full-time artist. He is known for his indoor and outdoor murals and his commission work. His wife, Elizabeth, teaches art at Franklin Elementary School in Cape Girardeau and creates multimedia art she has exhibited at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri and with Womart, a group of women artists that is no longer active...

Les than 1 hour away Black Diamond Ranch, near Alto Pass, Ill. The Black Diamond Ranch is hosting Bluegrass Jam Night the first Friday of each month (that means THIS Friday) at its location at 2715 State Route 127, four miles south of Alto Pass. All bluegrass pickers are welcome, and fish and chicken and dumplings is available for dinner. Call 618-833-7629 for more information...

Things are moving and shaking in the Cape Girardeau art world. Depending on when you read this, you may be reading these words on First Friday -- the one day each month when artists throughout Cape Girardeau show their work in studios in prime time. If you've never checked it out, this might be a good month to do so...

Our anti-Americanism; Left Without Morals; Voting for dictators; Farm subsidies; Making Huey blush; Safety-net subsidies; Credits go to Big Oil

ATLANTA -- In a troubling reversal, the nation's teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials and reviving the bitter debate about abstinence-only sex education. The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006...

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Blake Lewis, the 26-year-old beatboxer from Seattle, is not another just-happy-to-be-here "American Idol" finalist. Given a long-awaited shot at a major label album release with his second-place finish (Jordin Sparks was the winner), he's trying to exercise as much artistic control as possible in the Simon Fuller-created machine...

The five bestselling CDs at P Mac Music for the week of Nov. 26 to Dec. 2. 1. Rick Springfield, "Christmas With You" 2. Mudvayne, "By the People for the People" 3. The Eagles, "Long Road Out of Eden" 4. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"...

Three Days Grace concert tickets on sale Saturday Tickets for the recently announced Three Days Grace/Breaking Benjamin/Seether concert at the Show Me Center go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. The concert is at 7 p.m. Feb. 21. Tickets are available by calling 651-5000, all Ticketmaster outlets and online at showmecenter.biz....

Wes Ables, bassist of jazz-rock improv trio Fill, gives us his picks. 5. Lamb of God "A Devil In God's Country" Face melting death metal ... keeps me calm. 4. Daft Punk "Da Funk" Daft Punk is one of my many guilty pleasures. 3. Hugh Masekela "Grazing in the Grass"...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A man opened fire with a rifle at a busy department store Wednesday, killing eight people before taking his own life, in an attack that made holiday shoppers run screaming through a mall and barricade themselves in dressing rooms. Five more people were wounded, two critically...

LOS ANGELES -- The Hollywood writers' strike may have put a stop to television production, but it hasn't stopped the networks from keeping the holiday spirit on their December schedules. Viewers will still find traditional fare and specials throughout the month, along with holiday-themed episodes of their favorite series -- minus a few who didn't make it into production before the strike began in early November...

BERLIN -- The Berlin Zoo's famous polar bear Knut, who was rejected by his mother but went on to win the hearts of millions around the world, celebrated his first birthday Wednesday with more than 2,000 well-wishers. But Knut -- no longer a tiny cub, thanks partly to his penchant for croissants -- probably didn't get a taste of his own giant birthday cake, made with 300 eggs and 22 pounds of marzipan. He now tips the scales at more than 240 pounds and has been on a diet since July...

To the editor:I have noticed Speak Out comments saying tax the rich more, and now Warren Buffett has said the same. This meshes with the Democrats' cries. The problem with this idea is they're all thinking raise the tax rate on the wealthy. This will not affect most of the wealthy. Why? Because most of the tax evasion is done with loopholes...

LONDON -- Keira Knightley has come of age. The 22-year-old star, who played a soccer-loving teenager in "Bend it Like Beckham" and a swashbuckling gentlewoman in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies, enters a world of adult sacrifice and betrayal in "Atonement."...

Residents and businesses along the rapidly rising Mississippi River continue to evacuate as the National Weather Service issues a revised river forecast, which, although lower than had been predicted, still puts the river at a near-record level at Cape Girardeau by Friday; between 400 and 500 people in Cape Girardeau County alone have been left homeless...

Zolla Dolle, 93, of Colorado Springs, Colo., formerly of Cape Girardeau and Sedgewickville, passed away Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at Odyssey Healthcare Center in Colorado Springs. She was born April 18, 1914, in Bollinger County, daughter of the late Benjamin Franklin and Alvenia Caroline Kuhlman Johnson. She and John Henry Dolle were married July 1, 1939, in Sedgewickville...

Arrests

TEHRAN, Iran -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday called the dramatic U.S. turnaround in a new intelligence review a victory for Iran's nuclear program, suggesting it shows the success of his hard-line stance rejecting compromise. But his more moderate opponents at home are hoping the assessment's conclusion that Tehran shelved its effort to develop atomic weapons will boost a diplomatic resolution of the nuclear stand-off with the West...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top Marine general said Wednesday that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected his proposal to shift Marine forces from Iraq to Afghanistan, reflecting in part the Bush administration's concern that recent security gains in Iraq are fragile and reversible...

Where Bobby Steers is from, a "grinder" is a flatbread sandwich with a healthy portion of meat (most of the time). The rest is up to the cook. And in Steers' homeland, southeastern Michigan near the Ohio border, the sandwiches are served on every block...

WASHINGTON -- Orders to U.S. factories rose unexpectedly in October, although much of the gain reflected higher energy prices. The Commerce Department reported that orders advanced by 0.5 percent in October, far better than the flat reading that was expected. However, much of the strength came from a big jump in the cost of petroleum and other energy prices, which pumped up orders at oil refineries and chemical plants. The orders figures are not adjusted for changes in prices...

n An illegal burn was reported at 4:32 p.m. at Marietta and Vickie streets. n An illegal burn was reported at 5:46 p.m. in the 200 block of North Ellis Street. n At 5:49 p.m., emergency medical service in the 400 block of North Frederick Street. n At 6:08 p.m., an alarm sounding in the 3100 block of Independence Street...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Dick Durbin said Wednesday he is seeking a compromise with Republicans to advance a bill that would empower homeowners facing mortgage foreclosures to turn to bankruptcy judges for help. The Illinois lawmaker said he would work with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the Senate Judiciary Committee's senior GOP member, to try to make headway in dealing with what he said was a national crisis...

A diamond in the rough, yet tender and intelligent, "Bella" shines as one of the finest movies of 2007. This simple story is about love, redemption and, most of all, what makes a family. It may bring you to tears, not because the movie has manipulated you to do so, but because the characters are sweet and broken...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration has hammered out an agreement to freeze interest rates for certain subprime mortgages for five years to combat a soaring tide of foreclosures, congressional aides said Wednesday. The aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the details have not yet been released, said the five-year moratorium represented a compromise between banking regulators and the mortgage industry. ...

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thais celebrated their revered king's 80th birthday Wednesday, honoring the world's longest-reigning monarch with festivities and prayers amid concerns about his declining health and potentially divisive elections. Tens of thousands of people, many wearing yellow -- the color that symbolizes devotion to the monarch -- packed the streets around the Grand Palace where King Bhumibol Adulyadej made a rare public appearance from the balcony of his ceremonial Throne Hall. ...

NEW YORK -- James Taylor's new CD/DVD set "One Man Band" is a musical self-portrait that takes him back to the start of his career in the late '60s when he could travel light with just his songs, guitar and a suitcase, and up through the present when he is enjoying a rare second chance at getting his life right...

Arts Council of Southeast Missouri The Arts Council, 32 N. Main St., will forgo its usual First Friday reception for its Children's Arts Festival this month. The festival takes place Sunday, with a free concert at Academic Hall Auditorium at 3 p.m. and an artists and authors reception at the arts council at 4 p.m. Students from 12 schools in three counties participated. For more information, call the Arts Council at 334-9233...

When approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2006, the prescription drug Chantix was heralded as almost a silver bullet in the fight to help people stop smoking. Its ingredient, varenicline, blocks nicotine receptors to the brain while stimulating a dopamine response...

WELLSTON, Mo. (AP) -- Members of the Wellston City Council now have a lot more incentive to make it to meetings. The council agreed this week to give the mayor power to deny paychecks to members who miss two consecutive regular or special meetings without an excused absence...

Interstate 55 from Route AB to Route 74 will be reduced to one lane starting today as MoDOT crews work to replace a guardrail. The work began at 8 a.m. today and is expected to continue daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 14. The northbound section of I-55 will be reduced to one lane...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A federal appeals court said Thursday that a Missouri state law limiting protests near funerals should have been put on hold while a judge determines whether it's constitutional. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis threw out a district court judge's decision denying the request for a temporary injunction of the law from a Kansas church that regularly protests at soldiers' funerals...

The filing period for most Scott County towns' April election ballots opens Dec. 18. Already Scott City Mayor Tim Porch has decided he will run for re-election. Porch was first elected in 2000, when Porch defeated Rodney Holloway and Pete Sturm. The mayor said his main reason for decided to run again is current ongoing projects that involve the city, such as the Ramsey Creek Bridge project and efforts to get a new Interstate 55 interchange constructed. ...

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle will not file charges in a fight that happened Monday morning on the Southeast Missouri State University campus that ended with one student being treated at a hospital. Swingle said in a news release Friday afternoon that there was no clear picture who was the aggressor in the fight, which occurred at Magill Hall. ...

WASHINGTON -- A new report from the National Intelligence Estimate concludes that Iran's nuclear weapons development program has been halted since the fall of 2003, a stark contrast to the conclusions U.S. spy agencies drew just two years ago. -- The Associated Press...

The push for a parks and storm-water tax is being organized this month. Dan Muser, Cape Girardeau's parks and recreation director, said he is working with members of the city's Parks Foundation. Together they will develop a video and slide presentation and recruit members of the public to campaign...

Administrators in the Cape Girardeau School District contemplated sending out supplemental property tax bills after learning about a $700,000 mistake, the district's new finance director, Misty Clifton, said Thursday. Instead, the school board Tuesday approved a shift of taxes from the debt service fund to the capital projects fund to maintain operating funds at the budgeted level, Clifton said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The past week has been a big shuffle for Kristi Orman and her three children. Orman lived in one of the homes that was part of the mortgage fraud scheme that hit Sikeston. She's known that she would eventually have to vacate her home, and had made arrangements to move into an apartment by Monday...

Katherine Moshiri has been released from Saint Francis Medical Center, McCombs Funeral Home director Christi Guilliams said Thursday. Moshiri's 2-year-old daughter Meghan remains at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. Police suspect Katherine Moshiri's husband, Mir Shahin Moshiri, 36, shot Katherine Moshiri and her three children before killing himself Monday in Jackson...

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau was nominated to the federal bench Thursday by President George Bush. Limbaugh, a former Cape Girardeau County prosecutor and circuit court judge, was named to replace U.S. District Court Judge Donald J. Stohr of the U.S. Eastern District Court of Missouri. Stohr became a senior judge last December...

Civilian regiment; Attend public schools; Protective orders; At least be thoughtful; Let Uncle Sam pay; Efficient dispatchers

By Lucas Presson "Twice Adopted: Loved by a President, Redeemed by God." This is the life story of Michael Reagan. Last week, Michael Reagan, the eldest son of the late President Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman. spoke on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. While the university has hosted many great speakers over the years, the latest guest lecturer proved to be one of the most moving in recent history...

Watching hundreds of volunteers put up a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall is a study in efficiency. Cape Girardeau had an opportunity to see this amazing process unfold last week. On Wednesday morning the coordinated team of builders and support crews started with a concrete slab. By Sunday night, the building was basically completed...

On the first Friday of every month Cape Girardeau's art crowd has plenty of viewing options, but those options are mostly in traditional visual arts genres like painting, ceramics and photography. Tonight the art crowd has a different option. Four laptops and four projector screens will be employed to show artistic expression through video, a genre commonly called "new media," at Broadway Books and Roasting...

Donations for Toybox can be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway and should include the name of their recipient. Those who wish to donate cash or a check should make it payable to Toybox, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Steve Walsh, attorney for Curtis Pickering, filed a motion this week for a change of venue. The motion was taken up Wednesday by Judge Stephen Sharp and has been sent to the Missouri Supreme Court to assign a special judge. That judge will then come to Stoddard County and hear the motion for change of venue...

A Steele, Mo., man was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms. James P. Dalton, 40, was sentenced to 94 months in prison on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm in a court appearance Monday in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey...

With the swollen Mississippi River still four feet below its expected crest, residents in its flood plains continue to evacuate their homes in parts of Southern Missouri and Southern Illinois; meanwhile, Gov. Kit Bond is in Washington to seek a federal disaster designation for 22 Missouri counties...

Tom Dirnberger, Scott County's recorder of deeds, said some parties benefited from the housing fraud scheme. Some people sold their properties for more than they were worth. "Plus, they sold numbers of them, not just one or two," Dirnberger said...

Jerry Swan's 3rd Annual Old-Fashioned Acoustic Christmas, Broadway Books and Roasting Company, is 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration offered hope to beleaguered homeowners Thursday with a five-year freeze in loan rates for those who qualify, even as the number of bad mortgages jumped to the highest level ever. The plan represented the administration's biggest action yet to show it is dealing aggressively with the mortgage crisis. T...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Victor George Vandeven, 87, of Leopold died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 3, 1920, at Leopold, son of Jacob and Rosina Elfrink Vandeven. He and Gertrude C. "Gertie" Jansen were married Sept. 20, 1945, at Leopold...

Helen Jean West, 63, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007, at her home. She was born April 9, 1944, in Marked Tree, Ark., daughter of Chalmer and Pearl Williams West. Survivors include a son, Keith West of Cape Girardeau; two daughters, Sheryl Carothers of Peoria, Ariz., Angela Baker of Omaha, Neb.; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren...

Norma Jones, 85, of Columbia, S.C., formerly of Jackson, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007, at National Healthcare-Parklane in Columbia. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Billy Chapman, 71, of Anna died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

Charles Travers, 73, of Jackson died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Roy Richard Blumenberg Sr., 93, of Bertrand, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, at Bertrand Nursing Center. He was born July 12, 1914, in Allenville, son of Louis Lee and Ella Sophia Eggimann Blumenberg. The Blumenberg family moved to Mississippi County in 1922 when Roy was 8 years old. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Audrey Faye Clark, 75, of Chaffee died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 11, 1932, at Chaffee to the late Charley and Gertrude McClain Leggett. Audrey married Daniel Clark Sept. 23, 1950. He preceded her in death Sept. 10, 2001...

n At 3:35 p.m., an alarm sounding at 212 S. Kingshighway. n At 6:13 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1500 block of Independence Street. n At 9:35 p.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of South Sprigg Street. n At 11:02 a.m., a vehicle fire at 301 S. Broadview St...

Arrests

Zyduck; Hepler; Thomas; Sander; Sostillio; Pecaut; Bailey

OMAHA, Neb. -- The young man who killed eight people and committed suicide in a shooting rampage at a department store spent four years in a series of treatment centers, group homes and foster care after threatening to kill his stepmother in 2002. Finally, on Aug. 21, 2006, social workers, the courts and his father agreed: It was time for Robert Hawkins to be released -- nine months before he turned 19 and would have been required to leave anyway...

NEW ORLEANS -- What do you have with three of a kind and four of a kind? A full hospital. Doctors at Ochsner Medical Center delivered triplet boys and quadruplet girls within 24 hours. Pamela Kocke's boys made their appearance early Tuesday, while Alisha Murphy's girls began showing up about 12 hours later, according to a hospital news release. All were doing well Wednesday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- President Bush on Thursday nominated Missouri Supreme Court Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. to fill a vacancy on the federal bench. Limbaugh would replace U.S. District Court Judge Donald J. Stohr of the U.S. Eastern District Court of Missouri...

NEW YORK -- Billy Joel has released a new single, the anti-war "Christmas in Fallujah." But don't expect to hear his voice on it. At 58, Joel felt he was too old to sing the song, which was inspired by letters the Piano Man received from soldiers in Iraq. So he gave it to Cass Dillon, a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Long Island...

Have you ever considered adding a little science to the Christmas tree? Well, using pipe cleaners and borax you can make ornaments that might get the entire family "Hooked on Science." Ingredients n Red and white pipe cleaners n Thread n Water n Borax...

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- His campaign at a crossroads, Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday his Mormon faith should neither help nor hinder his quest for the White House and vowed to serve the interests of the nation, not the church, if elected president...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar said before the season that he wanted to ramp up his fast and furious style even more this year. The Redhawks were at their fastest and most furious Thursday night as they opened Ohio Valley Conference play with a 102-95 win over visiting Tennessee State...

It has not been a good two days for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball program. It came out Wednesday that the NCAA decided in October that Southeast must vacate all its wins from the 2002-03 through 2005-06 seasons because of rules violations under the previous coaching staff...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Jackson Indians looked overpowered against Sikeston in the first half Thursday, heading into the locker room down by 12. The Indians didn't just have to worry about stopping the Bulldogs' 6-foot-6 junior Michael Porter, who poured in 16 points before halftime...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Notre Dame was without two of its top players in Ryan Willen and Austin Greer when it took the court against Charleston in the semifinals of the SEMO Conference tournament on Thursday. Charleston's Jerquawn Sherrell said his team was aware of Notre Dame's vulnerabilities with the absence of Willen and Greer, both sidelined with injuries...

Southeast Missouri State sophomore Karleigh DeLong recently was named an All-Midwest Region honorable mention selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. DeLong is the first Southeast volleyball player to earn all-region recognition in five years, following Emily Scannell, who was also honorable mention in 2002...

VATICAN CITY -- A long-missing Michelangelo sketch for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, possibly his last design before his death, has been found in the basilica's offices, the Vatican newspaper said Thursday. The sketch, drawn in chalk for stonecutters who were working on the construction of the basilica, was done by the Renaissance master in 1563, in the year before his death, L'Osservatore Romano reported...

LOS ANGELES -- Whether he wins or loses on Grammy night, the chances of more Kanye West awards show drama were high after he received a leading eight nominations Thursday. British singer Amy Winehouse received six nominations after months of personal problems that took the focus off her gritty, soulful music. Other top nominees included the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, T-Pain and Timbaland...

ST. LOUIS -- Another day, another member of the St. Louis Rams is lost for the season due to injury. On Thursday, it was kick returner Dante Hall, who has been hobbled much of the season by a high ankle sprain. Rams coach Scott Linehan said the team has decided to put Hall, 29, on the injured reserve list...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa wants third baseman Scott Rolen back. But only on the team's terms. "He's got a contract to play, and we need him to play," La Russa said Wednesday at the baseball winter meetings. "And he's going to be treated very honestly. If he plays hard and plays as well as he can, he plays. And if he doesn't, he can sit. If he doesn't like it, he can quit."...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones is set to give the Los Angeles Dodgers the dangerous slugger they sorely need. Now, they hope he bounces back from a miserable season. Jones and the Dodgers reached a preliminary agreement on a $36.2 million, two-year contract late Wednesday as action picked up on the final night of the winter meetings. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- From Patty Hearst to the Jonestown Massacre, the Phillip Burton Federal Building here has hosted its share of high-profile trials over the years. But they may all pale in comparison to the spectacle of the Barry Bonds perjury case. More than 200 journalists and members of the public are expected to crowd the courtroom and a second overflow room today for a brief hearing that marks the home run king's first public appearance since he was indicted Nov. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday selected outfielder Brian Barton with the 10th pick in the Rule 5 draft during baseball's winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn. Barton, 25, was a member of the Cleveland Indians organization. He is a career .317 hitter, with a .417 on-base percentage, in 354 minor-league games since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2005...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons were suspended Thursday for the first 15 days of next season for violating baseball's drug policy, an indication how the sport might treat any players named in the Mitchell steroids investigation. Guillen and Gibbons were accused in media reports of receiving human growth hormone after January 2005, when it was banned by baseball...

Sara Blattel scored 20 points and Taylor Smith added 12 as Delta knocked off Oran 47-35 in the semifinals of the Chaffee girls basketball tournament Thursday. The Bobcats will face Kelly for the title Saturday. The Hawks beat Scott City 48-35 on Wednesday...

LANDOVER, Md. -- Only days removed from burying a teammate, and without the benefit of a full practice, the Washington Redskins managed to win thanks to a backup quarterback who last completed a pass in 2004. Todd Collins came on for the injured Jason Campbell and threw for two touchdowns Thursday night, leading Washington to a 24-16 victory over the fading Chicago Bears that ended the Redskins' four-game losing streak...

It's lunchtime at Jackson High School, and it's book time upstairs in the library. The Gateway to Great Books discussion group is grabbing sodas and slices of pizza and getting settled in to discuss the two books that were last month's reading selection...

Attempts to reauthorize No Child Left Behind have come to a near standstill, delayed by fervent opponents seeking a loosening of requirements and supporters trying to salvage the no-excuses backbone. Once championed by President Bush as a bipartisan success, negotiations have stalled to the extent that a bill has not been introduced and hopes are slim the act will be reauthorized this year. If the 2001 law is not rewritten, the current form will remain in effect...

ATLANTA (AP) -- In a troubling reversal, the nation's teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, surprising government health officials and reviving the bitter debate about abstinence-only sex education. The birth rate had been dropping since its peak in 1991, although the decline had slowed in recent years. On Wednesday, government statisticians said it rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006...

A deer reconsidered its intention to follow four other deer that had crossed North Sprigg Street on Thursday morning as vehicles approached near Blanchard Elementary School.

Shooting victim Katherine Moshiri released a statement to the media through the Jackson Police Department late Friday. In the letter, Moshiri thanked courthouse staff for helping her obtain an order of protection and police who responded to Monday's shooting in Jackson. "I have no doubt they did everything in their power, and the outcome had nothing to do with any negligence on their part," she wrote. The full text will appear in a future edition of the Southeast Missourian...

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle will not file charges in connection with a fight on the Southeast Missouri State University campus Monday morning that sent a student to the hospital. Swingle said in a news release issued Friday afternoon that, after reviewing the evidence provided him, there wasn't a clear enough picture of who started the fight to file any charges...

ORAN, Mo. --A movie involving Mountain Dew, aliens and penguins, written and acted by teens, will debut today at the Oran Library. "I really just like Mountain Dew pretty much. And the mascots of the library are penguins, so we said, 'Why not use them in the movie?' It's really funny, a little cheesy, but the storyline is laid out," said Christian Ramsey, 13, who came up with the concept behind "The Great Mountain Dew Heist of Oran."...

Katherine Moshiri was just one of 18 people seeking an order of protection this week in Cape Girardeau County. While the order can serve as a deterrent to possible attackers, it has its limits, law enforcement officials warned. "An ex parte is a piece of paper. It will not protect your life," said chief deputy Lt. David James of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department...

A benefit for Katherine Moshiri was prematurely announced in Friday's Southeast Missourian. The date and location have not been finalized. The Southeast Missourian will report the information as it becomes available.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- A few dozen graying Pearl Harbor survivors observed a moment of silence Friday in honor of their comrades who perished in the Japanese bombing of Oahu 66 years ago. Wearing aloha shirts and orchid flower leis, the veterans stood on a pier overlooking the sunken hull of the USS Arizona and saluted the flag as a sailor sang "The Star-Spangled Banner."...

ANNA, Ill. -- Billy Chapman, 71, of Anna died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. He was born Feb. 7, 1936, in Anna, son of Lowell and Mamie Evans Chapman. He and Sharon Highland were married Dec. 25, 1955. Chapman was employed by city of Anna as sexton of the city cemetery for 30 years. He was a life member of Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Vice President Dick Cheney used a speech at a military museum on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack to criticize Congress for its "irresponsible" approach to war funding. "Some members of Congress, in an effort to undermine the mission in Iraq, have decided to stop supporting the soldiers themselves," Cheney told a gathering of military personnel at the National World War I Museum. ...

Joseph -- the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus -- was a simple man. He was a carpenter by trade. His formal education matched that of his children -- none. He was also a new parent. Like any new parent, he probably held tremendous excitement and anxiety in his heart while waiting for the miraculous package tucked away in Mary's womb to arrive...

I-55 down to one lane between Cape, Scott City Interstate 55 from Route AB to Highway 74 will be reduced to one lane starting today as MoDOT crews work to replace a guardrail. The work will begin at 8 a.m. today and is expected to continue daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 14. The northbound section of I-55 will be reduced to one lane. For more information, call MoDOT at 1-888-275-6636...

NEW YORK -- Thousands of patients are facing delays in crucial medical tests because of a shortage of a radioactive substance used in those examinations -- all because of the shutdown of one nuclear reactor in Canada. The substance is used in at least 15 million medical scans a year in the United States, by one estimate. Those scans are used to diagnose and assess a wide variety of conditions including cancer, heart disease and bone or kidney illnesses...

Thomas; Loveless; Daugherty; Zoellner

WASHINGTON -- Angry congressional Democrats demanded Friday that the Justice Department investigate why the CIA destroyed videotapes of the interrogation of two terrorism suspects. The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to find out "whether CIA officials who destroyed these videotapes and withheld information about their existence from official proceedings violated the law."...

Two hours after her older brother Mark overdosed on heroin, Colleen Riordan was upstairs in their mother's house with the same drug. Her family found her 20 minutes later, already turning gray. Now, a year and a half after that overdose, Riordan can hardly sit still. ...

Missouri Supreme Court Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. of Cape Girardeau wouldn't say much about his nomination to the federal bench when reached Friday at his home. "Out of respect for the process, I can't comment," Limbaugh said. But that didn't stop others, including Missouri's two U.S. senators and his father, who is also a federal judge, from praising the choice...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal appeals court said Thursday that a Missouri state law limiting protests near funerals should have been put on hold while a judge determines whether it's constitutional. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis threw out a district court judge's decision denying the request for a temporary injunction of the law from a Kansas church that regularly protests at soldiers' funerals...

Buford "Shorty" Helderman, 91, of Whitewater, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2007, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete with Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home.

Brass quintet to play at Abbey Road church The Southeast Faculty Brass Quintet, a chamber ensemble made up of three faculty members, a student and a community member, will play at the 10 a.m. service Sunday at Abbey Road Christian Church. The group performs for many service activities around Cape Girardeau and plays preconcert music for the Paducah Symphony...

The Christmas for the Elderly program is intended to help seniors who typically don't have a family, lack basic supplies and can't spend money to treat themselves to a Christmas. Donations can be dropped off at the Southeast Missourian office at 301 Broadway and should include the identifying letter of their recipient...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: n At 3:21 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Pioneer Drive. n At 3:58 p.m., a motor vehicle accident at Doctors Park and South Mount Auburn Road. n At 5:12 p.m., a fire alarm sounding in the 2800 block of Bloomfield Road...

If ever there were a time when a person needed her community to stand behind her, this is it. We don't know much about Katherine Moshiri except the hell she has endured in the past week. We know she earned money by selling things on eBay. We know she was a protective mother who sought to shield her family. ...

BALI, Indonesia -- China insisted Friday the U.S. and other wealthy nations should bear the burden of curbing global warming, saying the problem was created by their lavish way of life. It rejected mandatory emission cuts for its own developing industries...

Arrests

BANNING, Calif. -- Ray E. McLane, 84, of Banning, formerly of Illmo, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at his home in Banning. He was born Feb. 27, 1923, in Illmo. McLane was an auto mechanic for 60 years and a member of American Legion Post No. 428 and Downey United Masonic Lodge No. 220 F&AM...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The owner of a Kansas City-area college financial planning service has been charged with preparing falsified documents to help his clients obtain financial aid. Sixty-eight-year-old Ronald Shepard of Lee's Summit was indicted Thursday on 12 counts of Pell Grant fraud and five counts of tax preparer fraud...

Bernadine "Bunny" Harris-Smith, 87, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away peacefully Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, in Sarasota, with her sons by her side. Survivors include three sons, Jerome A. Bartinikas Jr., Thomas E. Bartinikas and Dale L. Harris; a grandson, Christopher Harris; a daughter-in-law, Cathleen Bartinikas; the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Dale E. Smith...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Surveillance images released Friday show a shaggy-haired, bespectacled Robert Hawkins taking aim at holiday shoppers, and his hand-scrawled suicide note offers compassion for his friends and only contempt for his victims. "I know everyone will remember me as some sort of monster, but please understand that I just don't want to be a burden on the ones that I care for my entire life," he wrote. "I just want to take a few peices [sic] of [expletive] with me."...

The Jackson Board of Aldermen approved a plan on Monday to accept $241,681 from MoDOT. The money will refund a portion of the $309,847 slated to for the city's uptown Historic District renovation project. The state aid comes from the Transportation Enhancement Funds Program...

Michael Scott Binns, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home...

How much time and effort do we exert in keeping our friendships? The Christmas season, for sure, causes one to think of friends. During all the holiday hoopla, relationships should enter the forefront of our minds. It is true holiday celebrations entail additional work and expense. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Because the Charleston boys basketball team struggled shooting from the outside during Friday night's SEMO Conference tournament championship game, the Bluejays went to Plan B -- the inside game. By the end of the night, the Bluejays had demonstrated their ability to hit from inside, outside and in transition during a 63-56 victory against Jackson...

The teams picked to finish one-two in the Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball race lost their league openers at home to the squads that tied for the cellar a year ago. Southeast Missouri State, the two-time defending OVC regular-season and tournament champion, hopes to restore some order today...

Three Woodland players scored in double figures as the Cardinals held off Chaffee for a 55-52 road victory Friday night in boys basketball action. Adam Cureton and Jordan King each had 13 points for the Cardinals (3-2), while Kyle Reynolds added 11...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Notre Dame boys basketball team, last year's Class 4 state runner-up, came home from the SEMO Conference tournament with its second consecutive lopsided loss. Not that it's an acceptable showing for the tournament's top seed, but it is understandable...

For Mike Gohn, being inducted into the Southeast Missouri State Athletic Hall of Fame would have been special under any circumstances. The fact it happened just down the road from where he grew up made Friday night's ceremony at the Show Me Center even sweeter...

Southeast Missouri State pitcher Dustin Renfrow is one of three Ohio Valley Conference baseball players recently named to the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award watch list. Renfrow, a senior right-hander from West Plains, Mo., was 5-1 with a 2.46 ERA last season. His ERA ranked third in the OVC and 40th nationally...

To say that Tennessee Tech has dominated the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team in recent years would not be doing the situation justice. The Eagles have owned the Redhawks, winning 10 straight games in the series. Southeast's last victory over Tech came during the 2002-03 season...

While Southeast Missouri State president Dr. Kenneth Dobbins said he was surprised by the severity of the additional penalties the NCAA Committee on Infractions imposed on the university's women's basketball program, the coach of a rival program said the university should have policed the program better...

If there is one word to describe the 1985-86 Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team, it's togetherness. So said several members of the squad who were at the Show Me Center on Friday night for the university's Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony...

While December floodwaters begin their muddy recession in some areas, Southeast Missouri residents brace for a Saturday crest of 44.5 feet at Cape Girardeau, a level just below the 1973 record crest of 45.6 feet; a total of 16 people sought refuge last night in the emergency shelter set up at city hall; an estimated 300 people have been forced from their homes by high water...

Letters on topics of general public interest are welcomed. All letters must be signed. The name of the writer(s) will be published. All letters to be considered for publication must include the name of the town where the writer lives and a daytime telephone number where the writer may be reached during normal business hours...

ALTENBURG, Mo. An area rich in Lutheran Church history is becoming even richer with the completion of the Loeber Cabin Shelter and the Memorial Walkway. Across the street from the Lutheran Heritage Museum is the original log cabin that was the start of Lutheran higher education in America. ...

Passengers using air service from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in November experienced higher-than-normal delays and flight cancellations. Weather and the need to make repairs caused some problems, according to Bruce Loy, Girardeau Regional Airport's manager, and Fred de Leeuw, president of Big Sky Airlines...

Meghan Moshiri, 2, remained at a St. Louis hospital Saturday recovering from wounds received in a shooting at her Jackson home Monday. Meghan's brother, Michael Jeffers, 16, and sister, Madison Moshiri, 4, were shot to death and their mother, Katherine Moshiri, was wounded. Police suspect Katherine Moshiri's husband, Mir Shahin Moshiri, 36, shot his family members before shooting and killing himself Monday afternoon...

The filing period for Scott City's April 8 election doesn't start for more than a week, but Mayor Tim Porch already knows his name will be among those that find their way on the ballot. "I'm going to try to hang in there another four years," Porch joked, but he's serious about his reasons for running for a third term. The city is currently in the middle of different phases of two big road projects -- the Ramsey Creek Bridge, which is already funded, and a new interchange on Interstate 55...

Editor's note: This is the second story in an occasional series on the government's role in farming and the millions of tax dollars that support the region's agriculture. By Matt Sanders Southeast Missourian In the rolling hills of Cape Girardeau County, near towns like Oak Ridge and Pocahontas, large blue or corrugated steel silos for feed grain dot the landscape beside livestock barns with open sides and metal roofs...

To the editor:In response to the editorial "License snafus": You do not have to call in advance of going to renew your driver's license. Because of the volume of calls the National Driver Registry has been receiving, there be some delays. It is for this reason that we recommend that you not wait until the last day to renew your driver's license. You can renew as early as six months before your expiration...

Mr. and Mrs. James Kidd of Gordonville recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Kidd and Rita Hitt were married Nov. 27, 1947, at Rumbranch, Mo. They moved to Gordonville 27 years ago from Arbor, Mo. Their children and spouses are Rebecca and Harold Nelson of Clearfield, Iowa, and Kenneth and Janie Kidd of Arbor. They have five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren...

Deidre Dawn Friese and Gary Wayne Kluesner Jr. were married Aug. 25, 2007, at St. Lawrence Church in New Hamburg, Mo. The Rev. Ralph Duffner performed the ceremony. Music was by Dolly Kluesner, Samantha Simmons and Joe Simmons, all of Chaffee, Mo. The bride is the daughter of Jerry and Debby Friese of Scott City. Gary and Susan Kluesner of Chaffee are parents of the groom...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Kenneth and Jeri Sisson of Zion, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Gretchen Joy Sisson, to Kyle Paul Phillips of Oakland, Ill. He is the son of Kenneth and Barbara Phillips of McClure. Sisson is a 2000 graduate of Little Creek Christian School. She is a certified freelance interpreter in American sign language...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Emily Elizabeth Siebert and Garrett Michael Senciboy were married June 9, 2007, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg, Mo. The Rev. Ralph Duffner performed the ceremony. Reader was Andrea Heisserer of Benton, Mo., cousin of the groom. Organist was Sidney Burks of Chaffee. Mass server was Alex Davie of Chaffee, cousin of the bride...

Denise Hanks and John Quick were married Nov. 10, 2007, at Perkins Baptist Church in Perkins, Mo. Kermit Patton performed the ceremony. Music was by Gary Wagoner. Hanks is the daughter of Tom and Barb Sander of Cape Girardeau. Maid of honor was Debie Pobst of Cape Girardeau, sister of the bride. Bridesmaid was Brittany Hanks of Cape Girardeau, daughter of the bride...

Mr. and Mrs. Earl M. Siemers of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a luncheon and reception Dec. 2, 2007, at Trinity Lutheran Church. Hosts were nieces and nephews. Approximately 180 guests attended. Siemers and Irene Siebert were married Nov. 30, 1947, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit...

Dan and Karen Stover of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Lee Stover, to Kevin Michael Tucker. He is the son of Michael and Donna Tucker of St. Louis. Stover received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed by The Heart Care Group in St. Louis...

Rachel Allison Noon and Scott Thomas Reinagel were married June 23, 2007, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, Mo. The Rev. Oliver Clavin and the Rev. Normand Varone performed the ceremony. Music was by the Southeast String Quartet. Organist was Dr. Gary Miller of Cape Girardeau, and soloists were Renee Reinagel of Kelso and Adam Reinagel of Springfield, Mo...

Ashley Virginia Raines and Joshua Blaine Koehler exchanged vows Oct. 20, 2007, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. Monsignor Ed Eftink performed the ceremony. Readers were Cristy Richardson and Jamie Koehler, godmothers of the groom. Giftbearers were Don and Sheila Beussink, godparents of the bride. Don and Carol Koehler, grandparents of the groom, assisted with the eucharist...

To the editor:I often find myself fascinated with Gene Lyons' column. In his recent piece titled "Beam me up, Scotty" he managed to drag up the old Valerie Plame story and attempted to dust it off and give it new life. Apparently he was willing to believe Scott McClellan if Mr. McLellan was going to say what he wanted to hear. Unfortunately, Mr. McLellan's words fell short of Mr. Lyon's view of the truth, so Mr. McLellan must still be lying...

David and Cathy Hemmann of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Katie Louise Hemmann, to Chad Michael Miesner. He is the son of Rick and Elaine Miesner of Frohna, Mo. Hemmann is a 2003 graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She is a 2005 graduate of Mineral Area College, and expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University in May 2008. She is employed at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Robert and Judy Wright of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Wright, to Michael Sheets, both of Maryland Heights, Mo. He is the son of Britt and Terry Sheets of Florissant, Mo. Wright is a 2001 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in entertainment management from Missouri State University in Springfield in 2005. She is employed at Washington University in St. Louis...

Reports of looting in some areas of the county, evacuated because of rising floodwaters, prompt Cape Girardeau County officials to discuss implementing a curfew; a new river forecast is issued calling for the Mississippi River to crest at 43.7 feet on Friday, a lower stage than earlier predicted...

To the editor:I have a question. In the recent case where the man shot his family and himself, the judge who granted the protection order that was filed on the husband earlier that day stated that there are as many as "15 to 20 protection orders filed in a day." This seems to downplay the importance of Katherine Moshiri's protection order. ...

Rosemary Crisp of Marion, Ill., and her husband, Harry L. Crisp II, have been remarkable supporters of higher education in several states. Rosemary's death last week saddened her many friends. But it also was an occasion to remember the vibrant woman who supported the causes she loved...

To the editor:I grew up in Jackson, attended school at Southeast Missouri State University and currently live in New Jersey. I faithfully follow the Southeast Missourian online, and I have been following the Jackson shootings with much interest and concern...

Long-range issue; Iran's nuclear plan; Tried to get help; Lights in the park; Winter heat; Easy-to-get orders; Paying the price

A bicycle can be a way to get places, but also a way to meet people as one local cyclist discovered on his ride from Washington, D.C., to Key West. Matt Wittmer joined the effort of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, a not-for-profit organization trying to link pedestrian and bike trails from the Canadian border to the Florida Keys using existing trails in all the coastal states and connecting them with safe roads. He started in September and rode into Key West in November...

DORSET, Vt. -- A horse was rescued after accidentally taking an icy plunge in a swimming pool. Jet, a 6-year-old quarterhorse, walked onto the frozen in-ground pool Thursday and broke through six inches of ice into about 3 1/2 feet of water, becoming trapped...

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Two small planes collided over the Everglades Saturday, crashing into the swamp, and authorities said there were likely no survivors. A Piper aircraft and another plane believed to be a Cessna crashed at about 3 p.m., Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said...

MINOCQUA, Wis. -- Dozens of drivers made a mad rush for cheap gas after a station employee accidentally changed the price to 33 cents a gallon. An employee closing Trig's Minocqua Shell for the night mistakenly entered the price of a gallon of gasoline as 32.9 cents instead of $3.299 on Monday night...

The 2008 Ford Taurus X is a tall wagon. No, it's a mild version of a sport utility vehicle. Whatever the description, the Taurus X is an easy-to-drive, nice-riding vehicle with room for up to seven people and flexible cargo space. Its government fuel economy ratings of 16 miles per gallon in city driving and 22 mpg on the highway put the Taurus X among the top third of SUVs for gas mileage. And this five-door model earned five out of five stars across the board in U.S. government crash tests...

Iraqi truck bomber attacks police station BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber driving an explosives-laden truck struck a police station north of Baghdad on Saturday. The truck was allowed through the main gate of the complex in Beiji, the site of Iraq's largest refinery. The driver detonated his payload when two policemen approached him as he tried to enter a parking lot, police said. The blast killed eight people and wounded 16, police said...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Elton John has received a specially made bird-feather cloak for his many visits to Maori communities. "It's the Maori equivalent to an Academy Award" and means the 60-year-old British singer is an honored member of the Ngati Te Whiti subtribe, group chairman Peter Love said Friday in a statement...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Marilou H. Salmon, 81, of Spring Hill, Fla., formerly of Hoffman Estates, Ill., died Monday, Nov. 26, 2007. A private memorial service will be held in Spring Hill. She was born May 4, 1926, in Mound City, to Frances Lentz and George Hooppaw. She attended Chicago College of Business in 1946...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department and the CIA announced a joint inquiry Saturday into the spy agency's destruction of videotapes of interrogations of two suspected terrorists. The review will determine whether a full investigation is warranted. "I welcome this inquiry and the CIA will cooperate fully," CIA director Mike Hayden said in a statement. "I welcome it as an opportunity to address questions that have arisen over the destruction back in 2005 of videotapes."...

When it comes to updating American farm policy, the country is still waiting on the Senate. The farm bill is still caught up in Senate wrangling, but Friday brought good news for the millions anticipating action on the next farm bill as the current bill expires out at the end of this year...