Stories from Friday, February 22, 2008

KIRKWOOD, Mo. (AP) -- A group of residents in this suburban town is undertaking a petition drive this weekend to delay a mayoral race they say is unfair after a gunman stormed City Hall two weeks ago, killing five people and leaving the current mayor incapacitated...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The winter storm that brought a mix of ice, sleet and snow to Missouri is being blamed for at least five traffic deaths. The wintry mix began Thursday morning and continued on Friday, shutting down schools and businesses and causing hundreds of accidents around the state...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas City Power & Light says financing problems are forcing it to put off the construction this year of a 100-megawatt wind farm promised as part of a deal to build its newest coal-fired power plant. KCP&L and the Sierra Club announced a comprehensive energy plan last March where the environmental advocacy group said it would cease its objections to the Iatan 2 power plant, under construction near Weston, in exchange for the utility agreeing to build 400 megawatts of wind energy by 2012 and implement greater conservation and pollution-cutting strategies.. ...

Police issued an arrest warrant for a woman they believe had an altercation with the victim in a fatal shooting that occurred Friday morning. Tambra Turner, 29, of Sikeston, Mo., is charged with first degree property damage at 1523 N. Spanish St. The property damage incident occurred around 9:18 p.m. Thursday, and involved an altercation resulting in some broken windows at the residence of Chabreshea R. Egson, 20...

Slick roads with patches of black ice caused six vehicle crashes Friday morning in Cape Girardeau, but by 3 p.m. public works crews had headed home, satisfied conditions had cleared. "We're keeping our eye to the sky as to what may or may not happen this weekend. Crews are on-call," said Steve Cook, Cape Girardeau's assistant public works director...

One of the photographs accompanying last Monday's story about the women from Altenburg who have been cleaning other folks' houses since the Depression is on my desk. Every time I look at those four faces -- Arleen, Lillian, Betty, Myrtel -- my day improves. And if I look at the photo for longer than just a few seconds, I start laughing. Out loud...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Life moves faster now for Rep. Steve Tilley, R-Perryville. Elected last year to be the floor leader for Republicans in the Missouri House, Tilley didn't have time to sit down for even a brief moment Thursday morning as he went from a meeting of the House Rules Committee to a Republican caucus and on to the floor for a session that he knew would be cut short by an ice storm raging outside the Capitol...

Scott City police arrested two men on their way to St. Louis on Wednesday and seized a large load of marijuana, considering February is out of season for the drug. Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd charged Orlando Boyd and Christopher Brown with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute...

Waves of freezing rain that covered Cape Girardeau with 1.1 inches of precipitation Thursday are expected to continue until noon today. While the ice slickened roads, led to school cancellations and knocked out some people's power, many officials on Thursday considered the storm minimal in comparison to last week's. And with a predicted high in the mid- to upper 30s, National Weather Service meteorologists are predicting little or no ice or snow accumulation today...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A lot of lazy Missourians, including many in Southeast Missouri, could benefit from adopting the work ethic of Mexican immigrants, House Speaker Rod Jetton said Thursday. Jetton, speaking to publishers, editors and reporters at the Missouri Governor's Mansion, made an example of Wayne County residents in his 156th Missouri House District. ...

BERNIE, Mo. -- A Bernie man was killed late Thursday night when his truck was hit by a train one mile south of Bernie. Kevin G. Hunt, 33, of Bernie was pronounced dead at the scene Thursday night by Stoddard County Coroner Morgan Sifford. Hunt was killed when the truck he was driving stopped on railroad tracks on County Road 784. The crossing was equipped with flashing signals, bells and a cross arm...

ATLANTA (AP) -- Only about 1 in 4 Americans know the warning signs of a heart attack and what to do first, according to a new government report. That's a decline in knowledge since the last survey in 2001, which showed nearly 1 in 3 to be well informed...

We're all Americans; Paying for care; Help with limbs; Holiday surprise; Workers were a blessing

By Denise Lincoln The Cape Area Family Resource Center is faced with tough challenges. The shortfalls in our building adequacy are the same today as they were seven years ago when the board of directors acquired the building at 1202 S. Sprigg St. for the purpose of "providing resources to the families in the southeast quadrant of Cape to become resourceful, responsible, and self-reliant."...

To the editor:I would like to thank the many citizens who volunteered their help in clearing the county roads last week. The many trees and limbs which fell across the roads made it impossible for our crews to begin the task of removing the ice and sleet as quickly as we wanted. As we opened paths through the roads we encountered many places where neighbors had started removing the trees with their own chain saws, tractors and hard work...

To the editor:I was unable to be at the Special Olympics Missouri annual awards banquet due to a family commitment. I wanted to extend my personal congratulations on the Southeast Missourian's selection as outstanding media supporters in all of Special Olympics Missouri for 2007...

Almost since the start of that ugly Labor Day weekend in 2005, when hurricanes ripped much of the South followed by the flooding of New Orleans, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been under fire. The latest black mark on the agency is acknowledging, after months of denial, that trailers used for temporary housing give off dangerous levels of formaldehyde fumes...

Klaus Park, just west of Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, could be the site of a state mental health hospital under a proposal being developed by the cities of Cape Girardeau and Jackson and the county court; the proposal would involve relocating the state mental health facility in Farmington, Mo., here...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two of Missouri's leading gubernatorial candidates are staking opposite positions on the proposed repeal of the state's campaign contribution limits. The Senate voted 24-9 Thursday for legislation repealing donation limits. That sends the bill to the House...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Filling teacher vacancies will require using nontraditional methods, U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told members of the Missouri State Board of Education on Thursday. She pointed to federal programs such as Teach for America to recruit more college students and alternative certifications for people with other careers who want become teachers...

House on county road goes up in blaze Firefighters from East County Fire Department responded to a home fire on County Road 630 around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Fire chief Jim Hanks said the fire began in the garage. It took 45 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the flames that destroyed about 75 percent of the house...

Patrick Cox of Anna, Ill., a former lawyer and public defender, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of theft Wednesday. According to a Union County state's attorney news release, Cox admitted to taking between $10,000 to $100,000 that he had held in a trust for clients and others, including a juvenile, between Jan. 2, 2005, and June 26, 2007...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- House members approve a proposed constitutional amendment that would clarify the right to pray publicly if it doesn't bother others. The measure was approved 132-11 and now goes to the Senate. If approved by senators, then it would be voted on by Missourians...

WASHINGTON -- Rates on 30-year mortgages rose to the highest level in seven weeks, breaking above 6 percent. Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.04 percent this week, up from 5.72 percent last week...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state audit of the governor's office released Thursday indicates continued problems with political and personal use of state vehicles. The audit from Democratic State Auditor Susan Montee recommends legislation be enacted to explicitly define when state-owned cars can be used by the governor for purposes other than official business...

Barbara Alice Stone, 60, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Nov. 11, 1947, in St. Francois County, Mo., daughter of the late Orville J. and Anna Jane Stephens Stone. Barbara was born with Down syndrome. At the age of 7, she was placed in a training school at Higginsville, Mo., and later transferred to a group home in Sikeston, Mo., to be closer to her family. In 2001, she was moved to the Monticello House...

Melva L. Crowell, 69, of Scott City passed away Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at her home. She was born Feb. 23, 1938, in Crump, daughter of the late Oliver A. and Beulah "Boots" Barks Williams. She and Eddie Crowell were married May 23, 1996, in Tennessee. He survives...

Patsy Seabaugh, 62, of Jackson died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at her home in Jackson. She was born Oct. 12, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. Patsy was a member of Elks Lodge 2439 in Dexter, Mo., and Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 4062 in Dexter. Patsy was a life insurance agent...

Charles "Larry" Caldwell, 74, of Scott City died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 8, 1933, at Commerce, Mo., the son of Oscar and Lillian Mae Rasberry Caldwell. He and Nancy Jewell Graves were married June 9, 1962, at Scott City...

Bobby G. Dambach, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. He was born April 29, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, son of Lester L. and Nona E. Gilder Dambach. He and Dorothy Baird were married Feb. 13, 1997. Dambach was a manager at the former P.N. Hirsch and Co., retiring in 1980...

Elizabeth J. Morris, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 13, 1918, at Baxter Springs, Kan., daughter of Joseph K. and Hazelle G. Pickering Morris. Morris was a legal secretary in Oklahoma City before she retired in 1980. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Abbey Road Christian Church...

Alpha Leona Bechel, 100, died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. Amick Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

The funeral for Charles Stone that was scheduled for today is postponed and will be announced at a later date. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Jetoria T. "Sue" Ludlow, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Erma V. Lungwitz Oberndorfer, 86, of Altenberg died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born on Dec. 8, 1921, in Neeley's Landing, son of Reinhold C and Mary C. Baker Kranawetter. She and Elmer T. Lungwitz were married Nov. 15, 1942. He died Nov. 27, 1971. She then married Theophil B Oberndorfer on Jan. 12, 1974. He died March 3, 2007...

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. -- Thomas Joseph Moranville, 87, of Lee's Summit, formerly of Perryville, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at a medical center in Lee's Summit. He was born Dec. 1, 1920, in Silver Lake, Mo., son of Leo T. and Gertrude Tucker Moranville...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Edmund W. Weber, 91, of Altenburg died Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville, Mo. He was born March 22, 1916 in Wittenburg, Mo., son of Otto Frederick and Ida Mathilda Perr Weber. He and Verna Martha Mangels were married Sept. 29, 1940. She died Jan. 13, 2006...

MILLER CITY, Ill. -- Vernon L. "Jack" Thomas, 83, of Miller City died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 17, 1924, in Miller City, son of Calvin Marion and Fannie Alma Dodson Thomas. He was a member of the Pulaski County Memorial VFW Post 8891 of Mounds, Ill., the American Legion, the American Legion, the Rural Letter Carriers Association, Ducks Unlimited and the Alexander-Pulaski Sportsman's Club, where he was a past president. ...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Luther Gene Wilke, 75, of Sedgewickville died Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, at his home. He was born Nov. 30, 1932, son of Aaron and Thelma Fulbright Wilke. He and Shirley Bangert were married June 1, 1957, She died Sept. 23, 1987. He then married Mona Goldsmith on June 28, 1989...

Cook; Day; Fowler; Zoellner; Grieshop; Koehler

Arrests; Jackson: Arrest

n At 5:40 p.m., a box alarm at 4 Village Drive. n at 6:15 p.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of South Henderson Avenue. n At 6:16 p.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of North Pindwood Lane. n At 7:56 m, emergency medical service in the 3000 block of Minutemen Way...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is bracing for a diplomatic backlash after conceding it used British territory to transport suspected terrorists on secret rendition flights despite repeated earlier assurances the U.S. had not. U.S. officials have sought to quell the fallout by apologizing to Britain for what they said was an "administrative error." The admission, however, may reopen a bitter debate between the United States and its allies over how the fight against terrorism should be conducted and compromise future cooperation.. ...

WASHINGTON -- John McCain sought to minimize damage to his man-of-character image and his presidential hopes Thursday, vigorously denying and denouncing a newspaper report suggesting an improper relationship with a female lobbyist. "It's not true," the likely Republican nominee said of the report that implied a romantic link with telecommunications lobbyist Vicki Iseman and suggested McCain pushed legislation that would have benefited her clients...

NEW ORLEANS -- What do mammograms, blood-sugar tests and daytime dozing have in common? All may offer clues that someone is headed for a stroke, new studies suggest. Higher stroke risk was seen in women with artery buildups accidentally revealed by mammograms, in nondiabetics starting to have insulin problems and in older people who nod off a lot...

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Gray wolves in the Northern Rockies will be removed from the endangered species list, following a 13-year restoration effort that helped the animal's population soar, federal officials said Thursday. An estimated 1,500 wolves now roam Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. That represents a dramatic turnaround for a predator that was largely exterminated in the U.S. outside of Alaska in the early 20th century...

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday the United States is prepared to share with China some of the information it has about the U.S. shootdown of a spy satellite. His comments came hours after Beijing complained the missile strike Wednesday could cause harm to security in outer space and some countries...

BERLIN -- A German lawmaker and part-time treasure hunter claimed Thursday he may have found where the Nazis stashed pieces of the storied Amber Room treasure plundered from the Soviet Union during World War II. Working from a map and notes that were among the possessions of a dead Nazi air force radio operator, Hans-Peter Haustein maintains he has now pinpointed the location of the treasure buried in the mountains in the state of Saxony on the Czech border...

Did you know a leaf blower can be used to rapidly unroll an entire roll of toilet paper? Here's the cool science behind this awesome experiment. Ingredients Leaf blower Toilet paper Dowel rod Instructions STEP 1: Place the toilet paper on the dowel rod and loosen the tissue...

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- A ferryboat carrying more than 100 passengers collided with a barge loaded with fuel tanks and sank to the bottom of the Amazon River on Thursday, officials said. At least 10 people died, and another nine were missing and feared dead...

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Serb rioters broke into the U.S. Embassy and set fire to an office Thursday, and police clashed with protesters outside other embassy buildings after a large demonstration against Kosovo's declaration of independence. Masked attackers broke into the U.S. compound, which has been closed this week, just after 7 p.m. and tried to throw furniture from an office. They set fire to the office and flames shot up the side of the building...

LONDON -- The British Medical Association lobbied Thursday for higher taxes on alcohol, an end to happy hours and a steep reduction in the permitted blood alcohol-limit for drivers. A report by the group said new laws were needed to combat an epidemic of alcohol misuse that is costing health and law enforcement services billions of dollars a year...

BAGHDAD -- Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has decided whether to extend his Mahdi Army's cease-fire, and sent the message in sealed envelopes to be opened at the beginning of today's sermons, one of his officials said. Although the content of the message, delivered Thursday to 200 loyal clerics around Iraq, was not known, there were strong indications from officials in his organization that the anti-U.S. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Pauly Shore is suing neighbor Wes Craven for creating a nightmare on his property in a dispute between the two that began last year. Shore claimed that a landslide on his Hollywood Hills property in December 2006 was caused by Craven's failure to properly maintain vegetation and landscaping on a hillside on his property, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Superior Court...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Matt Clement does not consider himself a historian, but when the St. Louis Cardinals called during the offseason, the significance of playing for his third consecutive storied franchise was noted. "I don't take lightly the history of playing for the Cubs, the Red Sox and now for the Cardinals," Clement said. "Not only [did I] get to play for those three cities, but play for them in competitive times...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team left frigid Cape Girardeau on Thursday afternoon in search of warmer climates. While things won't be balmy in Pine Bluff, Ark., the Redhawks should be able to open their season tonight. Southeast and the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff are scheduled to throw the first pitch of a three-game series at 6 p.m...

Tickets for the Class 4 District 1 boys basketball championship game between Notre Dame and Sikeston are not easy to obtain for the general public. Just ask anyone who stood in line Thursday at Sikeston High School waiting for two hours to purchase tickets...

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James finally got some help to win an NBA title. In a complex, 11-player trade involving Cleveland, Chicago and Seattle, the Cavaliers acquired center Ben Wallace from the Bulls and forward Wally Szczerbiak from the SuperSonics, two players to possibly get James and the Cavs through the Eastern Conference and back to the finals...

A deal that would unify America's two open-wheel racing series under the IRL umbrella entered the final stages Thursday. Talks have centered on a proposal in which some teams from the Champ Car World Series would blend into the Indy Racing League. The unification would become one series under the banner of the IRL's IndyCar Series, Champ Car spokesman David Higdon said...

Performance by an actor in a leading role George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Dream Daniel Day-Lewis Works/Paramount)...

Tiger Woods barely broke a sweat. Steve Stricker went into overtime for the second straight day. They had only one thing in common Thursday in the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz., which ultimately was all that mattered. Both are still playing...

Tigers vs. Volunteers used to mean bragging rights within Tennessee. Come Saturday night, this usually inconsequential state rivalry, struts across the national stage. No. 1 Memphis hosts No. 2 Tennessee -- the 38th game between teams ranked Nos. 1 and 2, but only the fifth time the teams are from the same state...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana could have a new head coach when the 15th-ranked Hoosiers travel to Northwestern on Saturday. School officials met Thursday to consider the future of embattled coach Kelvin Sampson, who has been accused by the NCAA of five major recruiting violations over improper telephone calls to high school players. The university was reviewing the allegations and had set a deadline for today to make a report and recommendation on action...

**School closings Oran R-3 School Oak Ridge R-6 and Oak Ridge Early Childhood Center Meadow Heights R-II Delta R5 Cape Girardeau Kelso C7

More winter precipitation has come to Southeast Missouri. What we want to know is, "What's the weather like where you are?" This story is open for your observations about the weather outside right now. Just leave a comment.

Are the roads slick? Is the ground covered? Have tree branches fallen? **Share your weather news and photos with us. Comment here or e-mail your photos to photos@semissourian.com.

Police responded to a deadly shooting in the early morning hours on Friday at 1523 N. Spanish St. The victim was a 20-year-old woman, according to Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the police department. Her name is being withheld pending notification of all family members...

--- The Southeast Missourian asked a few high school students which movies they thought deserved the little naked golden man that everybody on the big screen wants so badly. We got four students from Jackson High School, Notre Dame Regional High School and Central High School to fill out our (shortened) Oscar Quiz. Each student is represented by a different action figure...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Parts of Missouri are getting another slippery mix of sleet and freezing rain. The winter storm that arrived Thursday continued Friday. Around the state, schools and businesses are closed and roads continue to be slippery. Several accidents were reported Friday morning on St. Louis area interstate highways. Forecasters are calling for an additional tenth of an inch of ice accumulation on Friday in the St. Louis region...

PARIS, Mo. (AP) -- Two Paris teenagers are dead after the car they were in crashed on an icy highway in northeast Missouri. The Missouri Highway Patrol says 17-year-old Alicia Carter and 18-year-old Kayla Carter, died after the accident Thursday. The patrol says Alicia Carter lost control of the car on an icy curve on Highway 15, about three miles south of Paris in Monroe County...

All warnings, watches and advisory associated with Thursday's ice storm have expired in Southeast Missouri. On Wednesday night the National Weather Service issued an ice storm warning for Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and some areas of neighboring states. That warning was allowed to expire this morning without any new watches, warnings or advisories being issued...

Chip and seal is a done deal. Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved the $788,124 proposal offered by Blevins Asphalt Construction Co. Inc. of Mount Vernon, Mo. The county engineering estimate was $1,018,970. All five bids received were adjusted to include an additional 2,010 tons of chip-and-seal aggregate. The county's original bid request erred in specifying half the necessary amount...

Less, than 12 hours before a fatal Friday morning shooting in Cape Girardeau, police were called to the same address because of a report of property damage. An altercation occurred between the victim and people that came to the residence, but police have not yet determined whether the two incidents are connected...