Stories from Sunday, February 10, 2008

The United Way of Southeast Missouri has only missed it's fundraising goal one time, and it doesn't plan on a repeat performance. So far United Way can count on $1.22 million and have another $38,000 waiting in the wings to be officially donated at the end of February putting it at 95 percent of its goal, according to director of development Holly Lintner...

Winter weather will step back to town in Southeast Missouri Monday. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for several counties in the area. Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger, Stoddard and Scott counties were all put under winter storm watches in effect through late Monday night. A winter storm watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulation...

Voices were raised in song at West Park Mall on Saturday. Some were nervous, others were soft, or sexy or well-controlled. The singers were auditioning for the 28th annual Kenny Rogers Children's Center telethon's idol contest March 15 and 16 at Sikeston Field House in Sikeston, Mo. Twenty people had signed up for the chance to be one of the dozen finalists eligible to win $500 at the telethon...

Ed Noffel goes way back with U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. Noffel and Hulshof's father formed a running back-quarterback tandem in high school at Portageville, Mo. Noffel and Kinder have been friends for decades. So the local orthodontist who once straightened Hulshof's teeth had mixed feelings when he heard about Kinder's decision not to run for governor Friday night -- disappointment that his friend decided not to try for the state's highest office, and optimism at the strength of a possible Hulshof-Kinder ticket for a party whose sitting governor has opted out of a re-election bid.. ...

Disabled or low-income veterans who must travel to Poplar Bluff, Mo., or Marion, Ill., for health care will find the trip a little easier following an announcement that mileage reimbursements have been increased for the first time since the 1970s. The increase, to 28.5 cents per mile from 11 cents per mile, was a long-neglected aspect of veterans benefits, said U.S. ...

SCOPUS, Mo. -- Well before 15-year-old Aaron McKinney died in a car crash in 2004, the Woodland High School student knew what he wanted to happen to his body. Before his unexpected death, McKinney had watched the movie "John Q," about a father willing to die to give his son the heart transplant the boy needed to live. McKinney made up his mind to be an organ donor...

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Jaynes of East Prairie, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Nicole Payne, to Justin Anthony Adrian, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Anthony and Jill Adrian of St. Charles, Mo. Payne is a 2002 graduate of Kelly High School, and a 2005 graduate of St. Charles Community College. She is employed at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis...

April Danielle Hemmann and Shane Andrew Brumfield were married June 23, 2007, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Mark Martin performed the ceremony. Pianist was Judy Sharp and soloist was John Litzelfelner, both of Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Dennis and Beverly Hemmann of Oak Ridge. The groom is the son of Linda Brumfield of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and the late Robert Brumfield Jr...

Christina Marie Ciluffo and Ryan Eugene Parker were married Sept. 1, 2007, in Rau Garden at Blanchette Park in St. Charles, Mo. Keith Scarborough performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are C. Gary Ciluffo of Vincennes, Ind., and Susan Puckett of Jackson. The groom is the son of Robert and Charlotte Parker of O'Fallon, Mo...

Hannah Elizabeth Fowler and McGraddie Robinson were married Aug. 11, 2007, at First General Baptist Church in Jackson. Luther Rhodes performed the ceremony. Pianist was Darlene Dumey and soloist was Rowe Arends. Parents of the couple are Kenny and Bambi Fowler, and McGraddie and Gabrielle Robinson, all of Jackson...

Laura and Jack Taber of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Lee Best, to Cody Christopher Kinder. He is the son of Howard Kinder and Amy and Dale Beechem, all of Cape Girardeau. Best is a 2005 graduate of Central High School. She received an associate of applied science degree in business management and computer specialist from Metro Business College in 2007. She is employed by Drury Hotels...

Jodi Lynn Helmeci-Welch of Knoxville, Tenn., and Dr. Michael R. Freeman of Cape Girardeau announce their engagement. Helmeci-Welch is a hairdresser in Knoxville. Freeman is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. He practices gastroenterology and internal medicine...

Jerry and Barbara Bain of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Marie Bain, to Brett Allen Huckstep. He is the son of Dan Huckstep of Cape Girardeau and Angie Willyerd of Kelso, Mo. Bain is employed at Kids Academy in Chaffee, Mo...

Jeff and Debbie Ford of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Ford, to B.J. Tanksley. He is the son of Dwight and Kim Tanksley of Cape Girardeau. Ford is a 2002 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University in 2006, and is pursuing a master's degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a sixth grade teacher with Cape Girardeau School District...

Andrea Rene Tomiser and Jeffrey Dean Whitesides exchanged vows Nov. 3, 2007, at Riu Cancun in Cancun, Mexico. Kieko Juarez performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Victor and Gert Tomiser of St. Louis, and Dean and Carolyn Whitesides of Cape Girardeau...

Morgan Meyer and John Loesel were married June 2, 2007, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. Monsignor Edward Eftink performed the ceremony. Organist was Ann Frank of Bethalto, Ill., aunt of the groom. Soloist was Jane Oehl of Jackson...

David Friese of Perryville, Mo., and Dennis and Karla Dolan of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Susan Marie Friese, to Shane Michael Moss. He is the son of Richard and Karen Moss of Tamms, Ill. Friese is a graduate of Jackson High School. She is a lab technician at Nordenia USA...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Laurel Fullmer Martin and Joshua Millard McClelland announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Victor Martin and Kathy Fullmer of Sedgewickville. McClelland is the son of Robert McClelland of Houston, Texas, and the late Teresa McClelland of Arab, Mo...

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Wilke of Jackson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house Jan. 27, 2008, at Health Point Community Room in Jackson. Wilke and LaVern Sides were married Jan. 24, 1958, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, by the Revs. Walter Keisker and Theodore Schmidt...

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Schaffner of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception and dinner Dec. 16, 2007, at St. John's United Church of Christ in Jackson. Schaffner and Barbara Blattner were married Dec. 8, 1957, at Evangelical United Church of Christ in Cape Girardeau, by the Rev. Arno H. Franke. He is the son of the late Earl and Hedwig Schaffner. She is the daughter of the late Helen and Charles Blattner...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Jennifer Marie Vandeven and Jeremy Steven Lynn were married Sept. 8, 2007, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee. The Rev. Ralph Duffner performed the ceremony. Mary Jansen of Leopold, Mo., was pianist. Vocalists were Tyree Chapman of Chaffee and Jim Simmons of Benton, Mo...

To the editor:On Feb. 1 my wife and I attended a performance at the Bedell Performance Center at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. ?While making our way to our seats I noticed that I had lost my money clip that once belonged to my father. ?I assume that when I pulled our tickets from my pocket the clip came out too.?...

Alpha Mu Master The Alpha Mu Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met at the home of Bernie Gardner with Martha Slaten serving as co-hostess. A vote was taken to approve all of the Beta Sigma Phi Endowment Funds for this year. Marilyn Schwab and Margaret Little presented the program, "The History of Groundhog Day."...

Contributing to society; Better jobs are key; Phones off limits; Begging for troopers; Isn't it broken?; Shoveling snow; Glad to pay; Expensive test; Double standard; Chaffee speed trap; Thanks for help

To the editor:I am writing this letter in response to Rudi Keller's business blog in regard to Spa 151. Lori, my wife, and I sold all of our interest in the ownership of Spa 151 in October 2007. BRENT WILLS, Jackson

To the editor:On Super Tuesday I had the great pleasure of participating in our democracy by standing on a street corner waving a sign for the presidential candidate of my choice. If you haven't undertaken that sort of activity, I highly recommend it...

To the editor:There was an excellent example of the bias of the liberal media in the Feb. 4 Southeast Missourian ("Preserving the legacy"). This is an example of how opinion masquerades as reporting the news. Whenever I see an Associated Press byline, I have learned to watch out for the bias and liberal spin to follow...

To the editor:Recent articles have suggested that agriculture is responsible for hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxia is the absence of oxygen reaching living tissues. In the Gulf of Mexico and in other water bodies worldwide, an overabundance of nutrients encourages algal growth, which subsequently reduces sunlight and oxygen and promotes the loss of aquatic habitat. ...

For those who are interested in open government, Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Jay Purcell has taken a positive step by proposing live webcam coverage of county commission meetings. The idea wasn't a novel one. The Missouri Legislature uses webcams in Jefferson City. But Purcell's suggestion appeared to jolt the other two commissioners...

Chandra Ranae Mansfield and Dustin Mack Miller were married Aug. 11, 2007, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville, Mo. The Rev. Kevin P. Fausz performed the ceremony. Mary Hoehn of Perryville was pianist and soloist. The bride is the daughter of Amelia Mansfield of Cape Girardeau, and the late Garry Mansfield. The groom is the son of Herbert and Kathleen Miller of Perryville...

Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller use this space to offer their views on everyday issues. SHE SAID: I've sort of become obsessed with detailing every possible scenario surrounding labor and delivery of Dawson...

Flowers grow on desks each Valentine's Day. Roses, daisies, carnations, lilies ­-- on the surface, they all mean the same thing: Thinking of you. Dig a little deeper into the garden and each flower whispers a different message. The calla lily is the symbol of magnificent beauty. Getting mimosas means the sender has a secret affection for you. A rose of any color in full bloom means "I love you."...

The Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team dropped to 2-2 this season with its loss at Texas Women's University on Friday. The Redhawks posted a 193.375, but Texas Women's finished with a 194.150. Sandra Blake won the all-around with a 39.175, while Rikara Turner scored a 38.325 in the all-around. Texas Women's did not have any gymnastics in the all-around...

ST. LOUIS -- Jackson senior Justin Miller spent part of last February in St. Louis at Children's Hospital for surgery to repair a hole in his heart. He was back in St. Louis this February, but this time he was standing on the top of the podium after winning the Class 4 District 1 wrestling championship at 152 pounds. His championship helped the Indians to a fourth-place team finish in the tournament at Lindbergh High School...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- It goes without saying that the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team would rather have senior center Missy Whitney on the court. But the Redhawks did just fine for the second straight game without their leading scorer and rebounder, who's nursing an elbow injury...

FARMINGTON -- Central's Zach Wilson knew what to expect heading into his Class 3 District 1 160-pound championship match Saturday night at the Farmington Civic Center. After all, he'd wrestled his opponent, Tayler Decker of North County, twice this season and eight times in his career...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Adam Leonard, one of the Ohio Valley Conference's better 3-point shooters, struggled from beyond the arc for most of Saturday night's men's basketball game. But Leonard came through when it counted the most to help hand Southeast Missouri State another loss...

Miles Smith proved he hasn't lost a step at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational in New York on Saturday. The Southeast Missouri State senior ran the second-fastest time in the United States this year to win the 400 meters, covering the distance in 46.61 seconds...

PHILADELPHIA -- A traffic judge apologized to a man who was hounded for 17 years by officials trying to get his similarly named twin brother to resolve $1,800 in unpaid tickets and fines. The problems all started for 40-year-old Edward Stanley Harris between October 1990 and May 1991. During that period, his twin brother, Edwin Shelby Harris, received eight tickets for moving violations...

Mitt Romney isn't the only casualty in his failed presidential bid. The Mormon church, yearning for broad acceptance, also took a beating. Some denounced Romney's campaign as a Mormon plot to take over the country. Some Evangelicals feared that a Mormon in the White House would draw more converts to his faith...

What weighs more than 2 1/2 tons, has seats for up to nine people, looks conspicuously like a big sport utility vehicle and yet is a gasoline-electric hybrid? It's the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid and its twin, the GMC Yukon Hybrid, which are the largest passenger-carrying hybrids on the consumer market. You might say these new models introduced early in calendar 2008 are the hybrids for big families because gas-electric hybrid cars are limited to five passengers...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis and its astronauts delivered a sparkling new lab to the international space station Saturday, but had to delay installing it by a day because of a crew member's medical problem. One of the two spacewalking astronauts who was to help install the $2 billion European science lab, Columbus, was pulled from the job because of a non-life-threatening condition. The installation won't take place now until Monday...

TOKYO -- On Saturday, the world's top economies promised coordinated action to restore confidence in global markets as financial turmoil slows U.S. growth, but with each country having different priorities, they didn't offer a specific remedy. The Group of Seven industrialized countries warned of risks in the troubled American economy and housing sector, but leavened that with assurances that the world's biggest economy would grow this year, albeit at a slower pace...

Randy Joe Venable, 55, of Scott City died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at his home. He was born Jan. 23, 1953, at Cape Girardeau, son of Reece Hopper and Claudia Marie Smith Venable. He was a mate for Wisconsin Barge Line and Luhr Brothers. He also worked in construction...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama swept the Louisiana primary and caucuses in Nebraska and Washington state Saturday night, slicing into Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's slender delegate lead in their historic race for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Illinois senator also won caucuses in the Virgin Islands, completing his best night of the campaign...

MoDOT to repair Route C Monday Route C in Perry County will be closed Monday while MoDOT crews replace a drainage pipe beneath the road. The repairs will be made in the northbound lane a quarter-mile north of Route E. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-275-6636...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: n Emergency medical service in the 2100 block of William Street. n At 4:47 p.m., emergency medical service in the 500 block of Terry Lane. n At 6:58 p.m., emergency medical service in the 1400 block of North Main Street...

LAFAYETTE, Tenn. -- After the deadliest wave of tornadoes to hit the South in more than two decades, authorities and residents are wondering what could be done differently next time. There will be new interest in tornado sirens in places like Macon County, which has none and suffered 14 deaths, and consideration of other changes there and elsewhere across tornado-prone areas of the South. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood writers got their first look Saturday at details of a tentative agreement with studios that could put the strike-crippled entertainment industry back to work, an offer the union's East Coast president said Saturday he would endorse...

Staff Sgt. Bradley Joe Skelton, 40, of Gordonville died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, in Baghdad, Iraq, while serving with the Missouri National Guard's 1138th Engineer Battalion. He was killed when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device. Skelton was born July 29, 1967, in Cape Girardeau, son of Harold L. ...

DWIs; Summonses; Miscellaneous

The learning curve accelerates when you travel. You've got to be on your toes. Customs doesn't give you a brochure at the border outlining the country's do's and don'ts. One morning you're in Miami and that evening you're in Piura, Peru. You've skipped winter altogether and landed smack in the middle of a world that was just fine without you...

Aycock; McCullough; McHughs; Truitt; Cruz; Schrum; Daniel; Simmons; Ragsdale; Niedbalski; Atchley; DeBrock; Moore

ORAN, Mo. -- Hazel Mae Anthony, 92, of Oran died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, at the Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. She was born Oct. 6, 1915, at Lamar, Ark., daughter of Fred and Alberta Bradley Harmon. She married Bernard "B.W." Anthony on July 19, 1935, and he preceded her in death April 12, 1993, after 58 years of marriage. They moved to Southeast Missouri in December 1936...

Jerry J. Probst, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. He was born June 2, 1933, in Cape Girardeau, son of Fred L. and Blanche B. Knapp Probst. Probst attended Cape Girardeau public schools and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1949. He was inducted into active Army duty in 1958 and was discharged from the Army Reserve in 1962...

BAGHDAD -- Hundreds of U.S.-backed Sunni tribesmen shut their offices and rallied northeast of Baghdad Saturday, demanding the resignation of a provincial police chief they accuse of sectarian bias. The demonstration in the city of Baqouba was organized by local Sunni fighters who left the insurgency to work with the Americans in ousting al-Qaida and other militants from their hometowns...

Penelope Park Mallard, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008, at Golden Living Center in Bloomfield, Mo. She was born Sept. 16, 1948, in Riverside, Calif., daughter of Joseph and Sophie Park. She was married to Thomas Mallard. Mallard worked as a bill collector in the financial business...

LONDON -- A major fire broke out late Saturday at the famous Camden market in London, ripping through one of the city's top tourist draws and a nearby celebrity hangout, fire officials and witnesses said. Flames from the blaze sent bright red cinders and huge plumes of smoke into the night sky. Fire officials said the blaze was brought under control more than three hours after it was reported. There were no casualties reported...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Republican gubernatorial candidates Kenny Hulshof and Sarah Steelman competed with cookies and candies for the tastes of the party faithful Saturday as they pressed toward a primary that some party insiders had hoped to avoid. Republicans gathered by the hundreds for their annual Lincoln Days conference...

Denise Lincoln breathed deeply, but could feel tears welling. The gravity of the decision facing her made her weary. She knew the Family Resource Center was "doing good." From the beginning, her goal at the center wasn't to save the world. She wanted parents, and South Cape, to meet the needs of their children...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- State Sen. Brad Lager declared his candidacy for Missouri treasurer on Saturday as Republicans gathered for their annual statewide conference. Lager, R-Maryville, is a first-term senator who previously served as the House Budget Committee chairman and is among the legislature's more fiscally conservative members...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gambling industry officials said the recent statewide indoor smoking ban could be to blame for an overall decline in state gambling revenue. The Illinois Gaming Board reported that casinos in the state experienced a 17 percent revenue decrease in January compared with January last year. The majority of casinos also reported an almost 6 percent decrease in admissions...

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. -- Crews searching for four missing sugar refinery workers worked Saturday to shore up the wobbly remnants of the plant devastated by an explosion and fire that killed four other people and injured dozens more. Officials clung to hope that the missing men -- three workers and a supervisor -- could be found alive, fire chief Greg Long said...

OREM, Utah -- When 70-year-old Betty Perry was accused of neglecting her lawn, she became defiant. Perry was arrested, handcuffed and briefly jailed in July for declining a ticket for failing to water her lawn. She agreed Friday to re-solve her case by pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge and paying a $100 fine. She also faces six months of probation...

KATMANDU, Nepal -- The alleged leader of a syndicate accused of illegally removing hundreds of kidneys, sometimes from poor laborers held at gunpoint, was deported from Nepal to India on Saturday, officials said. Nepalese authorities handed over Amit Kumar to Indian officials who had been seeking his extradition since he was arrested Thursday at a jungle resort in neighboring Nepal, said Upendra Aryal, a top police officer in Nepal's capital city of Katmandu...

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- William Edward Thompson, 87, of Fredericktown died Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at the Claru Deville Nursing Home in Fredericktown. He was born April 28, 1920, at St. Louis, son of LeRoy and Ellen Thompson. He and Ida Agnes Masters were married Aug. 1, 1968...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Mountain Grove, Mo., man has pleaded guilty to mailing a pipe bomb to West Plains, Mo., police. As part of a plea deal, 60-year-old Donald Schamber admitted Friday to sending the bomb with intent to injure another person. Prosecutors will recommend he serve 10 years in prison. Schamber told investigators that sending the package was part of a plot to incriminate his ex-wife's current husband because he wanted to restore his relationship with her...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- No one may ever know what drove Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton to shoot and kill five people at a city council meeting in this St. Louis suburb. Even those who knew him best were stunned. But Thornton's family and friends -- black and white -- say a history of strained race relations between mostly white Kirkwood and the historically black neighborhood known as Meacham Park might hint at what pushed him over the edge...

YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar's military government, a target of sharp international criticism for failing to hand over power to a democratically elected government, announced Saturday that it will hold elections in 2010. The junta also said a national referendum to approve a new constitution will be held in May...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Mahmoud Qassem, a fishmonger, stores his wares on ice overnight in case the fridge shuts down. Suheil Shaban, 62, a diabetic with a bad knee, rarely leaves his ninth-floor apartment -- he can't trust the elevator to function. A pediatric hospital director says the generator he relies on is almost out of fuel...

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Animal rights advocates are squawking at a measure that would make fried chicken Kentucky's official picnic food. State Rep. Charles Siler is sponsoring legislation to assign the designation to KFC's "finger lickin' good" chicken, first served by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1940...

MUNICH, Germany -- Without forecasting any breakthroughs, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday he believes Russia wants to resolve sensitive security disputes with the United States, including proposed missile defenses in central Europe. Gates also predicted Moscow would "react cautiously" if, as expected, Kosovo declares independence from Russian ally Serbia this month. ...

CARLISLE, Pa. -- Sonya Rinker was looking for a guy: someone who was kind, respectful and had a special place in his heart ... for tractors. She wanted a man who could share the thrill of a good tractor-pull show, who could see beauty in a shiny row of green and yellow John Deere tractors...

When Walter J. Wright bought the strip mall at 1908-1910-1912 Independence St. in 1976, it was leased to Sears as warehouse space. He decided to turn the building into retail shops by tearing 18 feet off the front to provide parking. Now Cape Girardeau's plans to widen and improve Independence Street between Pacific Street and Kingshighway threaten his ability to continue renting the shops out, Wright said...

Six candidates have filed for two seats on the Oak Ridge Board of Education, including incumbents Daniel Seabaugh and Charles Myers; the other candidates are Judy Abrisz, Carol Ruesler, Mary King and Paul Huffman. The week of Feb. 13 to 19 has been proclaimed Jane Albrecht Week in Scott City, and a special dinner and dance have been planned in her honor Feb. 19; Albrecht, a 30-year resident of Scott City, has been involved in numerous projects in the area, most notably the annual PTO Follies...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Yahoo Inc.'s board will reject Microsoft Corp.'s $44.6 billion takeover bid after concluding the unsolicited offer undervalues the slumping Internet pioneer, a person familiar with the situation said Saturday. The decision could provoke a showdown between two of the world's most prominent technology companies, with Internet search leader Google Inc. ...

Parkway South jumped on Jackson early, and the Indians couldn't mount a rally as the Patriots earned the 56-29 girls basketball victory Saturday. Ashten Howard led Jackson with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. The Indians dropped to 12-9 with the loss...