Stories from Saturday, February 9, 2008

The Southeast Missourian has obtained copies of Chaffee Mayor Loretta Mohorc's column for the Scott County Signal announcing her resignation, her letter to the city council in which she retracts the resignation and the city's policies in regards to the police chief's duties.

Families scrambled Friday to find alternative after-school arrangements for their children following news the Family Resource Center would be closing its doors. But after seeking legal counsel Friday afternoon, board members decided to continue operating the center at its 1202 S. Sprigg St. location at least for next week...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Chaffee City Council voted unsuccessfully to impeach Mayor Loretta Mohorc at Wednesday's closed meeting. City attorney David Summers said he was not at the meeting and that he didn't know whether council members broke a law by taking the vote...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder dropped out of the Missouri governor's race Friday night barely two weeks after he entered it, declaring he instead will seek re-election. Kinder, of Cape Girardeau, announced his decision to hundreds of Republicans gathered for their annual Lincoln Days conference after first saying that he had received encouraging support from grassroots organizers, fundraisers, the business community and others...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday coffee went off without a hitch after being delayed by snow Feb. 1. Danny Essner, chairman of the city of Cape Girardeau's parks and recreation advisory board, presented the slide and video show promoting a half-cent sales tax initiative. The 10-year, half-cent parks and storm water retail sales tax is on the city's April 8 ballot...

In the time between Chaffee Mayor Loretta Mohorc's resignation announcement and her decision to stay in office, residents wondered why. Some, including city councilman Bill Dysinger, suggested health reasons. "She's not in good health," he said Thursday. "I think it's stress."...

PATTON, Mo. -- Mildred L. Mayfield, 94, of Patton passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 20, 1913, in the Mayfield Community in Bollinger County, Mo., daughter of Peter and Rosa A. Mayfield Seabaugh. She and Perry Jacob Mayfield were married May 5, 1935. He passed away Oct. 19, 1985...

WASHINGTON -- The popular anti-wrinkle drug Botox and a competitor have been linked to dangerous botulism symptoms in some users, cases so bad that a few children given the drugs for muscle spasms have died, the government warned Friday. The Food and Drug Administration's warning includes Botox, a wrinkle-specific version called Botox Cosmetic, and its competitor, Myobloc, drugs that use botulinum toxin to block nerve impulses, causing them to relax...

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. -- Adren E. Adams, 98, formerly of Lithium, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. He was born Feb. 2, 1910, in Lithium, son of William and Zeba Preston Adams. He and Mary A. Brown were married May 6, 1930. She died Sept. 4, 1998...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- The Kirkwood City Council once considered banning Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton from its meetings, but decided that he, like any other constituent, had a right to be there. At Thursday night's meeting the man shot five people to death in a rage that stemmed in part from a bunch of tickets against his asphalt business...

Jerry J. Probst, 74, died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

N'DJAMENA, Chad -- Turbaned troops patrolled the streets of Chad's capital in pickup trucks Friday while residents took stock of the damage from days of fierce fighting that brought rebels to the doorstep of the presidential palace. Hundreds of civilians were killed and about 1,000 were wounded in the weekend violence in the oil-rich Central African nation, Chad Red Cross officials said. Thousands fled into neighboring Cameroon, though many were headed back Friday...

45 percent of those surveyed said they'd use the money to pay bills WASHINGTON -- The heck with Congress' big stimulus bill. The way to get the country out of recession -- and most people think we're in one -- is to get the country out of Iraq, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll...

Immanuel Lutheran's annual catfish supper begins at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the church basement in New Wells, Mo. Pond-raised catfish will be served, and country store items will be for sale. Children 6 to 11 receive a discounted meal. The meal is sponsored by Fellowship Club and the Lutheran Women's Missionary League and cosponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans River Valley Chapter 30324...

Maxine Ogborn, 88, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Olive Branch, Ill., died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the home of her grandson, Derek Ogborn. She was born March 20, 1919, in Cairo, Ill., to Sam and Mary Childers Levil. She married Arnold L. Ogborn Aug. 31, 1940. He preceded her in death March 22, 1998...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Paula A. Kassel, 97, of Perryville died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Aug. 14, 1910, at Uniontown, Mo., daughter of Benjamin and Bertha Kramer Oberndorfer. She and Oscar C. Kassel were married June 4, 1933. He died Feb. 2, 1993...

To the editor:In response to the story "Small-town police chiefs walk fine line of enforcement": Larry Corn replaced me as chief of police in Chaffee in 2002. He was replaced by David Ivester as temporary chief less than a year later (sometime in late 2003 or early 2004). ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- School will most likely be back in session Monday at Cairo Junior-Senior High after a fire caused classes to be canceled Friday. The fire started around 5:15 p.m. Thursday in a storage closet, principal Lynn Byrd said. About 25 students were in the building for tutoring, and one notified Byrd he smelled smoke. Firefighters responded within five minutes and had the fire under control in an hour and a half, he said...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Cheryl Jean Jackson Pruett, 50, of Chaffee, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister and grandmother, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 31, 1957, at Paso Robles, Calif., to Eugene and Deloris Parker Jackson. She and Ron Pruett were married Nov. 8, 2003...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state Department of Revenue announced Friday that it will have an extra 19 months before it needs to meet new federal requirements for driver's licenses. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security extended a May 11 deadline to give Missouri until the end of 2009 to meet federal regulations for Real ID. Several states also have received the extension...

Pauline Gowin, 102, of Olive Branch, Ill., died at 1 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 11, 1905, in Crawford County, Ill., to John and Nellie (Stoltz) Alexander. She married Kenneth Gowin on Sept. 12, 1929. He preceded her in death June 8, 1992...

Briefly Midwinter revival held at Bible Missionary Bible Missionary Church of Cape Girardeau, 2885 Hopper Road, will have a revival at 7 p.m. Saturday, and 9:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. The Rev. John Young of Irondale, Mo., will be the guest speaker...

Stand-up comedians have it easy. When Rockin' Robbie Hodges performs, he has to keep the crowd laughing for longer than a 15-minute segment, his audience is much too large to squeeze inside a nightclub, and he can't fall back on risque humor if all else fails to get a chuckle...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Like a lot of consumers, Paul McAleer focused on comfort when he recently went car shopping. Adjustable seats, a tilt steering wheel and extra height were all important. Because he's a self-described "fat guy," the Web site designer also has to check to see if he can fit in the seat belt...

Sgt. Bradley Skelton, 40, of Gordonville was killed in Iraq Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, while serving with the Missouri National Guard's 1138th Engineer Battalion. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Maxine Breezeel, 79, of Jackson died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at Monticello House. She was born July 24, 1928, in Detroit, daughter of Rufus and Nora Mae Jones Rule. She and Rudy Breezeel were married Dec. 20, 1946, in Corinth, Miss. He died January 1990...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- She's no Lachelle Lyles, although not many people are. But Crysta Glenn has had a big impact on the boards, helping pick up some slack in Lyles' absence for the surging Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team. "Crysta is doing exactly what we brought her in to do," said Southeast coach John Ishee, whose squad has won seven straight and 12 of 13 as it chases a third straight Ohio Valley Conference championship...

Jackson 66, NMCC 55 The host Indians improved to 17-7 behind Spencer Goodman's 22 points. Jackson finally put away the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Marcus Harris scored 16 points and Hunter Grantham added 12 in the win. New Madrid (55) -- Dontre Jenkins 13, Bryan Waters 10, Justin Beasley 4, Kony Ealy 14, Josh Minner 6, Eddie Macklin 4, Lennies McFerren 4. FG 23, FT 7-17, F 17 (3-pointers: Jenkins 1, Ealy 1. Fouled out: None)...

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee senior Jerrod Steger showed early he was pumped up for senior night against Oak Ridge on Friday. Steger drilled a 3-pointer from the corner 1 minute, 21 seconds into the game, then forced a steal 30 seconds later and cruised in for a layin...

In "The Replacements," an otherwise forgettable football movie, the coach (played by Gene Hackman) is asked by a reporter at halftime what his losing team needs to get back into the game. Hackman's reply is "Heart. Miles and miles of heart." We are approaching the heart-centered holiday of the calendar: Valentine's Day. ...

The Delta School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the high school library. The board normally meets on the second Thursday of the month, but the meeting was rescheduled because of parent-teacher conferences and a basketball game that day, superintendent Nate Crowden said...

KHARTOUM, Sudan -- The Sudanese military said it bombed three towns in West Darfur while striking at rebel forces Friday as senior U.N. officials warned that security was deteriorating dramatically in Sudan's vast western region. The U.N. officials told the Security Council that intensified fighting has worsened the plight of civilians and is hurting chances for a political settlement in the five-year conflict...

ANNA, Ill. -- Valda D. Keller, 94, of Anna died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. She was born Sept. 4, 1913, at Mount Pleasant, Ill., daughter of Jason and Nancy Osman Casey. She and Truman G. Keller were married in 1931. He died Nov. 4, 1967...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Chrysler LLC president Jim Press said Friday the automaker's rejuvenation plan could include jettisoning some dealers and cutting its product lineup by as much as half. Press, speaking to industry executives at the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Roundtable in San Francisco, emphasized that Chrysler's management team has not yet decided the severity of the cuts. ...

Benjamin Elzy Ayers, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. He was born March 19, 1920, in Holcomb, Mo., son of John Elbert and Loutina Taylor Ayers. He and Rosebud O'Guin Knight were married Dec. 23, 1947, in Piggott, Ark. She died March 2, 2001...

SULLIVAN, Ill. -- Steve Jenne's half-eaten sandwich is a story that seems like it will never go away. Of course, it is no ordinary sandwich. In 1960, Jenne was a 14-year-old boy given a big responsibility. The Sullivan High School student was a member of the Boy Scouts and was one of the guards around the picnic table of Vice President Richard Nixon as he ate lunch in Wyman Park...

ANNA, Ill. -- Kasey Rueffer, 62, of Anna died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at her home, after a long battle with cancer. She was born April 23, 1945, in Chicago, and grew up in Carrier Mills, Ill., later moving to Carbondale, Ill., during her high school years. She was the daughter of Raymond and Helen Davidson. She and Terry Rueffer were married March 2, 1991, in Mount Vernon, Ill...

Randy Venable, 55, of Scott City died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team's funk rolled on Thursday night at the hands of a hot Morehead State squad. The Redhawks go up against another team on fire today as they close out a two-game road trip with a 6 p.m. tipoff against Eastern Kentucky...

Saxony Lutheran's defense choked Leopold's offensive efforts in the first and third quarters. The Wildcats shot a combined 3-of-23 (13 percent) in those two quarters Friday night. The Crusaders capitalized on their defense to slow down Leopold and earn the 56-40 victory in boys basketball...

Parents as teachers; Failing students; Wage impact; Make them pay; Becoming inner-city; Wasting dollars; A dumb idea; New Delta school; Filched bank card; Jackson police; Ballot instructions; Do the right thing; Profit motive

Sikeston needed just 90 seconds to score half as many points as it mustered in the opening 16 minutes Friday night at Central. The nine-point spurt, which turned into an 11-0 run to open the second half, lifted the Bulldogs to a 59-44 victory in the SEMO Conference clash...

In Thursday's SE Live insert, the date for the Southeast String Festival at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus was incorrect. The event was actually scheduled for Jan. 31 and canceled due to weather.

Denist O. Gibson, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, at his home. He was born Nov. 26, 1931, in Middlebrook, Ark., son of Chester O. and Zelma Odom Gibson. He and Mary McCarty were married Aug. 12, 1952, at Illmo. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from Jan. 15, 1951, to Jan. 14, 1954...

LOS ANGELES -- The now three-month-old Hollywood writers strike could enter its final chapter today when guild members gather in Los Angeles and New York to consider a proposed contract. If writers respond favorably, the walkout could end as soon as Monday. Writers were wavering between hope and skepticism as they prepared to learn details of the deal for the first time...

Thanks to a cooperative effort between Cape Girardeau officials and a property owner, the city announced last week it has reached an agreement with Rhodes Development Co. to exchange land to eliminate a dogleg on Kingsway Drive near Lexington Avenue and create an opportunity for development...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Gladys Land, 84, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008, at the home of a daughter, Brenda Hatley in Eustis, Fla. She was born July 5, 1923, in Reynoldsville, Ill., daughter of Willis and Bertha King Wilson. She married Carl W. Land Sr. Jan. 29, 1938, in Jackson. He died Sept. 27, 1991...

BIEHLE, Mo. -- An explosion in an automobile repair shop seriously injures Frank Meyer, 31, and the subsequent fire destroys the garage he operates; Meyer, who runs Meyer's Garage on a rural road about two miles south of town, is in St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis with severe burns...

There is a bank that I drive past at least three or four times a day. I am certain, like at most banks, it has wonderful, kind tellers who distribute suckers to children and dog biscuits to the canines who accompany their owners through the drive through. And just like a lot of other banks, it has a digital sign that tells the time and temperature in both Fahrenheit and Celsius...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Twenty-two members of the Vincentian Marian Youth went to Washington, D.C., Jan. 18 to 23 to participate in the annual pro-life March for Life and a youth rally at the Verizon Center in the nation's capital. Jan. 22 marked the 35th anniversary of Roe v. ...

Eva Mae Townes, 92, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 1, 1915, in Hurst, Ill., daughter of James and Genevieve (Spagnoli) Rocassi. She and Waldo "W.B" Miller were married in 1939. He passed away in 1959. She and Lee Townes were married Oct. 1, 1966...