Stories from Tuesday, February 12, 2008

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (AP) -- A St. Charles man is accused of exposing a woman to the virus that causes AIDS. Prosecutors say 43-year-old Michael Brian Bergman had unprotected sex with the woman without telling her he had tested positive for HIV. Authorities say Bergman may have exposed at least five men and women to HIV over the past several weeks...

HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) -- An eastern Missouri woman originally charged with murder in the death of a 2-year-old pleads guilty to a lesser charge. Melissa Minehart of Bonne Terre pleaded guilty late Monday to involuntary manslaughter and abuse of a child in the February 2005 death of Codi Aston. Authorities say the child was repeatedly abused while in the care of her father, whom Minehart was dating at the time...

PINEVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- A southwest Missouri sheriff's deputy who helped find the body of a missing child last fall is indicted for allegedly abusing a 14-year-old girl. A McDonald County grand jury indicted Jacob Boles on two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The superintendent of schools in St. Louis must reapply for her job. STLtoday.com, the Web site for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports today that the special administrative board overseeing the district isn't saying members are unhappy with superintendent Diana Bourisaw...

PINEVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- A grand jury has indicted the leader of a southwest Missouri church community on charges of abusing two girls in his congregation. The eight counts supersede identical charges filed by the McDonald County prosecutor late last year...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Utility crews are still working to restore power to thousands of people after an ice storm tore down electric lines in southwest Missouri. City Utilities in Springfield said about 4,700 customers remain with electricity as of late Tuesday morning...

BALLWIN, Mo. (AP) -- More than 1,000 mourners pack the funeral for police officer Tom Ballman, one of five people slain last week at Kirkwood City Hall. A flag-draped coffin was adorned Tuesday with two hats representing Ballman's time as a Kirkwood officer and a Marine. The husband and father of two was remembered as a fun-loving man, but one with a deep commitment to his job...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The thousands of people who car pool or take light rail or the bus to work in downtown St. Louis have always faced one drawback: When they need a car, they don't have one. Enterprise Rent-A-Car and supporters of mass transit unveiled a solution on Tuesday: Rental cars, available on an hourly basis, placed at various locations around downtown...

The ice storm that blew into Bollinger County and most of Southeast Missouri Monday morning downed power lines, causing a loss of electric power from one end of Bollinger County to the other. Marble Hill Fire and Rescue set up a command post at city hall to respond to calls throughout the storm. Carla Watt at city hall said the firemen had been "out working all through the night."...

The most important thing people can do in the aftermath of the ice storm besieging Southeast Missouri is to be neighborly, emergency officials say. "Please check on your neighbors, especially the elderly," says Capt. Paul Breitenstein of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The superintendent of schools in St. Louis will leave her job at the end of the school year. Diana Bourisaw made the announcement on Tuesday after the special administrative board overseeing the long-troubled district said it was initiating a nationwide search for a superintendent, though Bourisaw was encouraged to apply...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Utility crews worked to clear fallen tree limbs from power lines Tuesday as thousands of people across southern Missouri waited without electricity after an ice storm blamed for at least two traffic deaths. At least 54 injuries in crashes were also blamed on the storms that dumped freezing rain, sleet and snow, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House members acted Tuesday to forestall a flare up in an ongoing rivalry with Kansas by passing a bill that would lower taxes for many residents who work in Missouri but live elsewhere. The measure, which was approved 145-0, now goes to the Senate. ...

A quick round up of what's available and what's happening.

The City of Cape Girardeau has released suggestions for safely heating your home if you have no electricity.

The State Emergency Management Agency has been activated to aid Southern Missouri in its response to the ice storm that's left a chunk of the region without power, according to a news release from Gov. Matt Blunt. Both Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties took part in a conference call to SEMA Tuesday morning, said Susie Stonner, spokeswoman for SEMA...

When Carla Barker, of McClure, Ill., had been without power for over 12 hours, she said she grew tired of sitting in her cold house. She took shelter at the warming shelter provided at the Osage Community Center in Cape Girardeau. Tonight, Barker was working as a volunteer, helping to organize supplies and people as the center prepares to shelter up to 40 people without power...

Convicted killer Timothy Krajcir may be making all of his court appearances in Pennsylvania for the charges he faces in connection with the 1979 murder of Myrtle Rupp while never leaving prison in Illinois, a Berks County, Penn., district attorney said Monday...

Emergency crews responded Monday to dozens of accidents across Southeast Missouri including one that claimed the life of a Scott City man who was ejected from his car as it slid off Interstate 55 in New Madrid County. Joshua K. Holshouser, 32, was killed shortly after noon when the northbound 2004 GMC pickup truck in which he was a passenger went off the right side of the road about four miles north of New Madrid, Mo...

The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army have adequate resources to handle the needs of people at the warming centers set up in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, directors of the local aid agencies said this morning. Both Cheryl Klueppel, executive director of the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter and Maj. Ben Stillwell of the Salvation Army Center in Cape Girardeau said they are able to provide for the immediate needs of people seeking shelter...

Some parts of Bollinger County may not have power until Wednesday afternoon, according to a Black River Electric Co-Op spokesman, while other electric companies are not making predictions about when power may be restored. AmerenUE is reporting 7,649 people without power in the 63701 and 63703 ZIP code areas, which cover Cape Girardeau. In Jackson, about 949 AmerenUE customers are without power...

MINNEAPOLIS -- It lived up to its name: The temperature in International Falls fell to 40 below zero Monday, just a few days after the northern Minnesota town won a federal trademark making it officially the "Icebox of the Nation." It was so cold that resident Nick McDougall couldn't get his car trunk to close after he got out his charger to kick-start his dead battery. By late morning, the temperature had risen all the way to 18 -- below zero...

Southeast Missouri State University is seeing trends that could well affect the institution long into the future. Planning to best meet those trends is being addressed through a strategic planning process. Next week, invited faculty members, students, legislators, administrators and business leaders will continue this planning process with a daylong forum...

To the editor:I attended the play at the Wendy Kurka Rust Theater of my all-time favorite movie, "Crimes of the Heart," which I have watched no less than 100 times and find myself repeating lines from the movie on an almost daily basis. I was hesitant to see a play from a movie I loved so much, for I knew it would be disappointing. ...

To the editor:On the day after the storm of Feb. 5, I awoke to find a tree 21 inches in diameter and 60 feet long with a root wad of about 5 feet across the low-water crossing on Cape Girardeau County Road 485. I called the Cape County Highway Department about 8:30 a.m., and in a few hours only two men arrived with a chain saw and one piece of heavy equipment. ...

By Ellen Dillon There has been much said to me, about me (not always complimentary) and for me in the past week, and I hope Southeast Missourian readers will take a moment to consider my perspective on my aborted run for the District 27 seat in the Missouri Senate...

Check the water; Jackson speeding; Helping children; Vicious assault; Teachers' moolah; No callback; Radio schlock; Dreadfully wrong; Not so old; Pedestrian rules; Profits per person

A Cape Girardeau police officer was assaulted during a traffic stop early Saturday morning. Olie L. Welch, 23, of Cape Girardeau, was apprehended about 3:45 a.m., and Officer Justin Adrian, after running a license check, discovered that Welch had outstanding arrest warrants in Scott County for insufficient funds, failure to maintain proof of insurance and operating a motor vehicle without a license. He was also wanted on parole absconder...

A winter storm blamed for at least one traffic death should linger into the mid-morning hours before ending as light snow. Nearly 400 people were without power in the AmerenUE service areas of Southeast Missouri early Monday evening, most centered in the Cape Girardeau area. Many of those without electricity had power back by 7 p.m. Some portions of Jackson reported a power outage for about 45 minutes as a result of a tree limb on power lines...

NEW YORK -- Uno barked at his handler, bayed at the crowd, tried to grab his leash and took a flying leap at a piece of pork loin. Oh, and he gnawed away at a newly printed sign. Now that's one great beagle. His white-tipped tail in perpetual motion, Uno turned the green carpet of Madison Square Garden into his own personal backyard Monday. He also took his first winning steps at the Westminster Kennel Club show, easily earning best of breed at America's No. 1 dog event...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- The bullet holes and blood stains are gone. Kirkwood's city council chamber has new drywall and molding, fresh paint, a new desk. The business of the city will resume soon. Townspeople are going on about their lives after a weekend of mourning...

Southeast Missourian The procession for a Gordonville man who was killed in Iraq while serving with the Missouri National Guard's 1138th Engineer Battalion is tentatively scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to McComb's Funeral home. Staff Sgt. Bradley Skelton, a former Gordonville firefighter, was killed Feb. 6 in Baghdad when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb...

The presentation on autism at Southeast Missouri State University will go on as planned tonight despite the ice and snow that dropped on the area Monday, according to father and son presenters David and Taylor Crowe. Southeast closed its campus and canceled classes at 11 a.m. Monday, but as of late afternoon the Crowes were still going to give the speech scheduled for 6:30 p.m. today in the Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall...

The lone item on the agenda for Monday's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting is Bill No. 83-18; it would create an ordinance to allow the calling of an election in April to issue general obligation bonds by the city to pay its share of the construction of a proposed multipurpose building...

Scott Bechtold issued a disclaimer two hours before five bids to county road paving bids were opened Monday. The county's bid request contained an error. The county highway administer said the county's original request stated half the number of tons required for the chip seal paving materials...

Ongoing drug investigations led to eight arrests in Scott County over the weekend. A collaboration between Scott County Sheriff's Department drug investigations and tactical teams served three search warrants for the recovery of controlled substances at residences in Morley on Saturday night. The first two warrants, served at Emerson Lane in Morley, resulted in a suspect receiving a summons for possession of marijuana, pending filing of formal charges by Scott County prosecutor Paul Boyd...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Even behind a desk, Marty Blotter can't hide the grease under his fingernails, and he wouldn't have it any other way. Blotter could have chosen any number of futures for himself. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Rolla with a degree in engineering, he did his internship in metallurgy with the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington state...

ST. LOUIS -- Police still want to know why a 3-year-old boy was left alone at a suburban St. Louis shopping mall over the weekend. But by Monday, the child's mother was still refusing to show up and talk with officers. The boy was discovered by employees around 8:30 p.m. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Months after the state Supreme Court tossed out a law allowing unlimited fundraising, senators considered separate bills that would again repeal the campaign caps and would allow politicians to get public money for their campaigns...

WASHINGTON -- Democrat Barack Obama would narrowly defeat Republican John McCain if they were matched today in the presidential election, while McCain and Hillary Rodham Clinton are running about even, according to a new poll. Obama outpaces Clinton in a matchup against McCain among men, minorities and moderates in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Monday. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Yahoo Inc. spurned Microsoft Corp.'s $44.6 billion takeover bid as inadequate Monday, betting that it can elicit a higher offer from the world's largest software maker or find another way to deliver a comparable payoff to its shareholders...

Paul William Keller, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 29, 1920, in Cape Girardeau County, the son of William A. and Louisa (Glueckhertz) Keller. He and Irma (Voss) Keller were married May 17, 1945, in Gordonville...

Dottie Audrey Bretzel, 83, of Scott City died Monday, Feb. 11, 2008, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Joshua Keith Holshouser, 32, of Scott City, died Monday, Feb. 11, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo., the result of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City...

Thefts

n At 5:53 p.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of North Sprigg Street. n At 12:34 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1700 block of Hilldale Street. n At 3:52 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1800 block of Scott Street. n At 10:31 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1100 bock of Linden Street...

CONWAY, S.C. -- Investigators went to work Monday trying to figure out what ignited hundreds of weekend wildfires that chased some residents from churches and led others to seek them out for sanctuary. The wind that had fanned the flames in the rain-starved Carolinas and Virginia had died down Monday. The earliest rain in the forecast for South Carolina was today...

DAYTON, Ohio -- A judge declared a mistrial Monday in the case of woman accused of killing her month-old daughter by burning her in a microwave, finding that new defense witnesses bolster her claim that she is innocent. Judge John Kessler made the decision after hearing testimony privately from a juvenile who said he was at the apartment complex of defendant China Arnold on the night her infant died in August 2005. The judge did not give details about the juvenile's testimony...

PHILADELPHIA -- Monday mornings are hard enough. Imagine finding 50 chickens running loose in your high school. Workers arriving about 5:30 a.m. to open Northeast High School in Philadelphia found dozens of hens and roosters wandering around the hallways. The birds were apparently brought to the school sometime over the weekend, said school district spokesman Fernando Gallard...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A high school sophomore arguing with another student shot him during a gym class Monday, saying "It's over now" before handing the gun to a coach, authorities said. The victim, a 19-year-old senior, suffered at least two gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police spokeswoman Monique Martin said. The suspected shooter, a 17-year-old, was in custody...

NEW YORK -- As Valentine's Day approaches, all is not lovey-dovey in the high-stakes online dating industry. The contentious issue of the moment -- pitting one of the three biggest companies, True.com, against its major rivals -- is whether online dating services can enhance their clients' safety by conducting criminal background screenings of would-be daters...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, acknowledging that the country is suffering through a period of economic uncertainty, called on Congress Monday to do more to help people and businesses hurt by the housing slump and credit crunch. In a brief introduction to his annual economic report, Bush said the $168 billion economic rescue package passed by Congress last week will keep "our economy growing and our people working."...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon on Monday charged six Guantanamo Bay detainees with murder and war crimes for the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Officials sought the death penalty in the unprecedented military tribunal case that has been clouded by revelations the key suspect suffered interrogation tactics that critics call torture...

WASHINGTON-- Mailing a letter will soon cost a penny more. The cost of a first-class stamp will rise to 42 cents starting May 12, the U.S. Postal Service said Monday. The price of the Forever stamp will go up at the same time, meaning those stamps can still be purchased for 41 cents but will remain good for first-class postage after the rate increase takes effect...

WASHINGTON -- School budgets have seemed to defy gravity in recent years -- going up steadily without ever coming down. But school board members from across the country say that's likely to change soon, and they're bracing for leaner times forced by the nation's economic downturn...

Hurst; Wessel; Pickett; Phillips; Fodge; Panton; Faignant; Leverson

WASHINGTON -- As pterodactyls go it was small, toothless and had unexpectedly curved toes -- yet scientists are welcoming their new find as another piece in the puzzle of ancient life. "We have this really amazing creature, sparrow sized, which lived essentially in the trees, showing us a very new, very interesting side of the evolutionary history of those animals," said Alexander W. A. Kellner of the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...

ZURICH, Switzerland -- Three armed men in ski masks stole four paintings by Cezanne, Degas, van Gogh and Monet worth $163.2 million from a Zurich museum in one of Europe's largest ever art heists, police said Monday. The robbers, who were still at large, stole the paintings Sunday from the E.G. Buehrle Collection, one of Europe's finest private museums for Impressionist and post-Impressionist art, police said...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq -- In a clear sign the drawdown of U.S. forces from Iraq will be suspended, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday he favors taking time this summer to assess security gains before more troops leave the country, an idea President Bush is expected to support...

Calendar Today n Mended Hearts Club: 6 p.m. in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital. This support group will hold its 12th annual Appreciation Banquet featuring "What's New in Cardiac Services." For more information, call 331-7950. n Share support group: 7 p.m. in Southeast Missouri Hospital meeting room 108. For parents, grandparents and other family members who have lost children due to miscarriage, still birth, neonatal death and ectopic pregnancy...

It wakes you up in the morning; warms you up on a chilly afternoon; and keeps you company while you read the paper or visit with friends. For centuries, coffee has been the choice pick-me-up beverage for millions of people -- 107 million American adults according to the National Coffee Association...

CHICAGO -- Living to 100 is easier than you might think. New research suggests that even people who develop heart disease or diabetes late in life have a decent shot at reaching the century mark. "It has been generally assumed that living to 100 years of age was limited to those who had not developed chronic illness," said Dr. William Hall of the University of Rochester...

Emergency services workers are on the job, no matter what. For others who typically work around the clock, Monday's storm challenged them to define a line between safety and service. Here are a few stories:Essential road travel Groceries, medications, work, hospital...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A significant winter storm brought freezing rain, sleet and thunderstorms to southwest Missouri early Monday, leaving an icy crust more than an inch thick in places and causing schools and courthouses to close. State road crews repeatedly put down salt and plowed aside the resulting slush, but streets and highways remained slippery. The Missouri State Highway Patrol urged people in the area to stay home if possible...

LONDON -- Arriving separately and saying little, Paul McCartney and Heather Mills went to court Monday to reach a financial settlement in their acrimonious, high-stakes divorce. But what happened in Court 34 on the first day of the five-day hearing is shrouded in secrecy. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Five months after a private investment company first made a takeover bid for the apparel maker Kellwood Co., the two sides said Monday they've reached a $542 million merger agreement. At first, St. Louis-based Kellwood opposed the takeover. ...

n Jan. 22, 1927: A major storm bringing ice, sleet and snow reached Southeast Missouri, downing power and telephone lines across Cape Girardeau and cutting telegraph service along the Frisco Railroad line. Highpower electric lines were brought down when two steel towers snapped between Oran and Chaffee, Mo. Utility crews worked to restore power over the next four days...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team hopes to get back on track with what appears to be a favorable closing schedule. Southeast, in a major struggle to make the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, plays three of its final four league games at home...

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team will shoot for a third straight NCAA tournament berth next season without the reigning Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the year. Southeast coach Heather Nelson confirmed Monday that sophomore forward Courtney Alexander recently told her she planned to transfer and will be leaving the program...

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- The rivalry began simmering a couple of years ago, and while it takes place more in the record books than on fairways and greens, it might be the most compelling on the PGA Tour at the moment. It doesn't involve Tiger Woods, whose only rivals seem to be retired...

PHOENIX -- Shaquille O'Neal practiced with the Phoenix Suns for the first time Monday, showing no sign of the hip injury that has sidelined him since Jan. 21. "It was different. It was very intense," he said after the one-hour workout. "I learned a lot. Now I can see why they can go at the pace they play at. When you just do short bursts like this, then you can save it all for the game."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Pat Knight's first plan was to start his career as a head coach at some small "safe" school, far away from the imposing shadow his father would cast. But then he realized how much he loved Texas Tech. So the son of the winningest Division I coach in basketball history happily stepped right into Bob Knight's shoes last week when his father unexpectedly resigned...

WASHINGTON -- Roger Clemens and his accuser, Brian McNamee, will be the main witnesses at a House hearing on the Mitchell Report after New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte and two others were dropped Monday night. Former Clemens teammate Chuck Knoblauch and convicted steroids dealer Kirk Radomski also were dropped from the witness list for Wednesday's public session. ...

Swingle cruisesin girls tennis exhibition Cape Girardeau's Veronica Swingle defeated Cape Girardeau's Susanna Hayward 8-1 in the girls 14 and under division exhibition at the Jammin' Juniors indoor tennis tournament Sunday. In the boys 18 and under division, Cape Girardeau's Brandon Gonzalez defeated Cape Girardeau's Will LaFoe, 6-2, 6-3...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Tony Stewart opened the door for open-wheel drivers to race stock cars. Juan Pablo Montoya kicked it in. Montoya had one of the best rookie seasons in recent NASCAR history in 2007. He won a race, ran strong in several others and finished 20th in the Cup standings -- better than most expected since he was making the difficult transition from open-wheel racing to stock cars...

NEW YORK A major service outage afflicted users of the popular, addictive BlackBerry smart phones across the United States and Canada on Monday, wireless carriers said. Officials with AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless said BlackBerry maker Research in Motion Ltd. told them customers of all wireless carriers were affected...

TIJUANA, Mexico -- A moderate earthquake struck northwestern Mexico near the U.S. border Monday, prompting authorities to evacuate schools and resulting in at least one minor gas leak. No major damage or injuries were reported from the temblor, which an expert said was likely an aftershock from a magnitude 5.4 quake three days ago...

UNITED NATIONS -- Virgin chief executive officer Richard Branson offered Monday to set up an "environmental war room" to lead the world's efforts to find a fix for global warming. The British billionaire, speaking at the start of a U.N. debate on climate change, said it would be run by a world figure in global warming and could serve as "a tool for the U.N." to ferret out good ideas and calculate each nation's costs...

When trying to stay warm, be careful of what you use, say officials with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Only use appliances approved for indoor use and always follow the manufacturer's use and care guide.

Several warming centers have opened up in Scott County, but the only one the sheriff's office is aware of is at Vanhuser. As in Cape County, residents of Scott County are also without power as a result of fallen trees and limbs. According to the sheriff's department, many people are having trouble getting to the warming center...

The following events, schools and businesses are closed or canceled for Tuesday: **Cairo City Council Next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26.

The warming centers in each city are: The Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau, 1625 N. Kingshighway. The center opened at 7:45 a.m. The Salvation Army at 701 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau. The center opened at 8:15 a.m. The Arena Building, 401 Kiwanis Drive, opened at 8:15 a.m...

The worst hit areas from the ice storm that put a hard crust over Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois seem to be from Cape Girardeau to the west and north. In Bollinger County, emergency leaders set up two warming centers to aid people left without power by the storm, said Calvin Troxell, assistant fire chief for Marble Hill. He estimated that half the county's residents are without power...

The Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross has reduced its number of cold-weather shelters in Cape Girardeau and Jackson to two. The Immaculate Conception school cafeteria in Jackson, at the intersection of Hope Street and East Madison Street...

The Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross has reduced its number of cold-weather shelters in Cape Girardeau and Jackson to two. The Immaculate Conception school cafeteria in Jackson, at the intersection of Hope Street and East Madison Street was accepting people for overnight stays Tuesday evening, as was the Osage Community Centre, 1625 N. Kingshighway...