Stories from Sunday, December 28, 2008

Ron and Linda Watts of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Elizabeth Watts, to Michael Christopher Heffner. He is the son of Michael and Sandra Heffner of St. Louis. Watts expects to graduate in December 2009 from Missouri State University in Springfield, where she is majoring in housing and interior design...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mary E. Hoehn, 85, of Perryville died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at her home. She was born June 11, 1923, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of Martin and Nellie Pratte Williams. She and Oliver E. Hoehn were married June 11, 1968. He died Oct. 11, 2006. She was a bookkeeper at Ollie's Sales & Service and was a member of Eastern Star in Perryville...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli warplanes rained more than 100 tons of bombs on security sites in Hamas-ruled Gaza Saturday and early today, killing at least 230 people in one of the Mideast conflict's bloodiest assaults in decades. The government said the open-ended campaign was aimed at stopping rocket attacks that have traumatized southern Israel...

John David Phelps, 60, of Huntersville, N.C., died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008, at his residence. He was born Jan. 22, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, son of Henry and Gerda Phelps. In 1970 he married LaDonna Meinz of Scott City. His second marriage was to Sue Eckler of Huntersville in 2005...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Rev. Vernon Self, 79, was alive to enjoy Christmas. Were it not for his neighbors, he might not have been. At about 10 a.m. Tuesday, Self found himself hanging upside down with his head in the water after his 1996 Buick skidded on ice and overturned into a waterfilled drainage ditch. He was found by his neighbors in the Elk community. With the roads treacherous and help a long way off, they immediately launched a rescue effort to save him...

A hot Advance team had high hopes of pulling off an upset in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament quarterfinals. Notre Dame's torrid second quarter put an early end to the Hornets' dreams. The Bulldogs' stifling defense sparked an 18-0 second-period run Saturday night...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Harlin and Rose Oberndorfer of Altenburg celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family trip to Nashville, Tenn., and a dinner at Delmonico's. The couple was married Dec. 6, 1958, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: n At 6:27 p.m., emergency medical service in the 700 block of North Sprigg Street. n At 7:35 p.m., a motor vehicle accident at Perry Avenue and New Madrid Street. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Eakins of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary July 6, 2008, when they and a son visited their daughter and son-in-law for the birth of their first grandchild. Eakins and Donna Kay Stovall were married July 6, 1968, at Crump Assembly of God Church in Crump, by the Rev. Dewell E. Smith. Their attendants were Wilma Rhodes Huffman, JoAnn Seiler Dallas, Jerry Burnett and Earl Stovall...

Norma F. Robinson, 84, of Jackson died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 5, 1924, at Fruitland, daughter of Charles C. and Mary M. Gross Leimer. She and Leslie "Les" Robinson were married Feb. 2, 1962. He died Dec. 19, 1995...

Community Counseling Center receives grant Community Counseling Center has received grant funding from the Missouri Department of Mental Health regarding Help for the Home Front initiative to provide counseling, crisis and suicide intervention, and group support for family members living with veterans who are serving or who have served in the war on terror. ...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's drug corruption scandals reached into the presidential guard as authorities identified an officer who served in the unit as a possible spy for the country's violent drug cartels. An official of the federal prosecutor's office who was not authorized to be quoted by name identified Arturo Gonzalez Rodriguez on Saturday as an army major who was assigned to a unit of the presidential guard...

Rachel Lee Keller and Billy Russell Dawson were married Aug. 16, 2008, at Essex United Methodist Church. The Rev. Roy Sherfield performed the ceremony. Pianist was Nora Fuchs. Soloist was Kate Wyman, niece of the bride, and duets were sung by Carol Vinson, cousin of the bride, and David Wyman, brother-in-law of the bride...

Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller use this space to offer their views on everyday issues. HE SAID I suppose the Miller household will look back upon 2008 and laugh. What else could we do? Callie and I, until this year, considered ourselves boring people, a couple of up-and-comer wannabes trying to make our way in the world. ...

Dog owners CITY PEOPLE aren't the only ones who have to deal with barking dogs. I live on a county road. My neighbors have six young dogs and two old dogs. The dogs go up and down the gravel road getting into garbage, barking and scaring my cats. People are not considerate. I wish dog owners would think of somebody else for a change...

Sarah Godwin of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Bob Fisher of Benton, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Teresa Fisher, to John Snider, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of the late Vernon and Gregoria Snider of Houston, Texas. Fisher is employed at Carr Textile Corp. in Chaffee, Mo...

Curtis Lorain Palmer, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008, at his home. He was born March 22, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, son of Burt Charles and Christine Cook Palmer. Palmer served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He worked for Santa Fe Railroad more than 20 years...

Randy Morse, Skip Kelley and Ben Harrison delivered food baskets from the Craftsman Union to people in Scott City, Mo. Morse pastors the First Assembly Church in Scott City and has delivered baskets to those in need for 10 years. The men picked up and delivered 19 baskets. They started at 9 a.m. Dec. 18 and spent almost three hours bringing food to houses in Scott City and Chaffee...

2008 Christmas Catholic church tour A tour including Southeast Missouri Catholic churches, open to visitors of all denominations, will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Churches on the tour include Cathedral of St. Mary of the Annunciation, Cape Girardeau; St. Francis Xavier; Sikeston Guardian Angel Church, Oran; Immaculate Conception Church, Jackson; Old St. ...

Crystal Lynette Prosser and Kyle John Heck were married June 6, 2008, at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Middleburg, Fla. Marc Kappel performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Cliff and Annette Prosser of Jacksonville, Fla. The groom is the son of Darrell and Cheryl Heck of Allen, Texas, formerly of Jackson...

Kelly coach Nathan Wills exchanged a few friendly words with Scott County Central guard Drew Thomas before Saturday's second round Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament game between the Hawks and Braves. "I asked Drew before the game, I said, 'Are you feeling sick or anything? You need something to eat? I'll go get you something,'" Wills said...

Central picked up a rare victory against Charleston earlier this season. But the Tigers failed to make it two in a row over the Bluejays. Perennial power Charleston moved into the semifinals of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament with Saturday night's 51-42 win at the Show Me Center...

25 years ago: Dec. 28, 1983 Freezing rain and snow in the morning make driving difficult throughout Southeast Missouri and Illinois, and authorities warn motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary. ResortAir, a St. Louis-based commuter air service which recently expanded into Carbondale, Ill., could soon petition Cape Girardeau officials for permission to lease room at the municipal airport and serve this community...

Moretta Magdalena Pogue and Tyler Franklin Burk exchanged vows Aug. 16, 2008, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, Mo. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. Organist was Betty Ressel and soloist was Renee Reinagel, both of Kelso. Reader was Gina Hileman of Olmsted, Ill...

Cassi Leann Bock and Joshua Douglas Holcomb exchanged wedding vows June 14, 2008, at the Bock Farm in Jackson. The Rev. Samuel Roethemeyer performed the ceremony. Pianist was Christy Shinn of Jackson, and guitarist was David Baldwin of Cape Girardeau...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Harold E. Luehrs, 73, of Frohna died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at his home. He was born Nov. 17, 1935, at Farrar, Mo., son of Theodore and Ella Roth Luehrs. He was a farmer and owner/operator of Harold's TV Repair. He served in the U.S. Army from October 1958 to October 1960...

Leopold senior Dustin Thiele didn't know if he'd ever get the chance to play in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center. He wishes he had a better explanation for his absence the last two years. "Bad luck," Thiele said Saturday after Leopold's 64-53 quarterfinal loss to Jackson. "That's what I call it. I don't know."...

Austin Keillor and Iliana Arevalo, both 13, went on a shopping spree for two days after Christmas, spending more than $500. They bought games, toys, magic tricks and the kind of makeup kits teenage girls covet. Typical teenagers? Not quite. The money came from a pledge walk the two organized to benefit children being cared for at Shriners Hospital for Children in St. ...

Baseball n Southeast camps: The Southeast Missouri State baseball program will host camps at Houck Field House. They are designed for boys age 8 through seniors in high school and cost $95 per camp. A pitcher and catcher camp is Jan. 10, and a hitting camp is Jan. 11. Both sessions are designed for age 13 through seniors in high school. Two prospect camps for age 13 through seniors in high school are Jan. 24 and 25 and Feb. 7 and 8. Info: 986-6002...

One of the biggest issues facing Medicaid recipients is finding a doctor who will accept the generally low payments from the taxpayer-funded health program. The payments, which are lower than those provided by the Medicare program for seniors and the disabled and far below private insurance, often do not cover a doctor's costs...

Jackson senior Marcus Harris did not start against Leopold on Saturday because he was battling the flu. But Harris came off the bench to score 21 points and help the No. 3 Indians beat the No. 6 Wildcats 64-53 in a quarterfinal showdown at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament in front of an energetic crowd at the Show Me Center...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Five area communities have received approval for funding to move forward with voluntary buyout programs to obtain and remove homes in flood-prone areas. The nearly $6 million in combined projects was prompted by severe damage done to many area properties during flooding in March and April...

ORAN, Mo. -- Hand-painted and specially crafted ornaments from across the country hang on the White House Christmas tree, and one of them came from Cleda Neal of Oran. She was commissioned to paint an ornament for the tree when someone from U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's office contacted her...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Terry and Melissa Hoehn of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Kay Hoehn, to Wade Thomas Weibrecht. He is the son of the late Kenneth Weibrecht and Marilyn Mitchell of Perryville. Hoehn received a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Kehrs Mill Elementary School in Chesterfield, Mo...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota is deep in the hole financially, but the state still owns a premier golf resort, a sprawling amateur sports complex, a big airport, a major zoo and land holdings the size of the Central American country of Belize. Valuables like these are in for a closer look as 44 states cope with deficits...

West Park Mall was bustling with people Saturday. "You can tell it's busy," said Amy McAllister of Cape Girardeau. "People are parking all the way back to Taco Bell." McAllister preferred to wait in the car with her stepdaughter, Sierra Sams, 11, while Sierra's father, Brian, made a quick trip to redeem a gift card at EB Games...

HANOI, Vietnam -- The thugs came after dark, as Do Viet Khoa and his family were getting ready for bed. He says they punched him, kicked him, stole his camera and terrified his wife and children. Khoa, a high school math and geography teacher, thinks the message was clear: Stop blowing the whistle on school corruption -- or else...

Because of an anticipated shortfall next year in revenue for Missouri government, prudent state-funded agencies are looking at ways to continue to provide services with less funding. Southeast Missouri State University has been considering what it when its state funding is cut -- a funding reduction that could be as much as 25 percent in a worst-case scenario. A series of public forums will be scheduled in January seeking input...

McBRIDE, British Columbia -- Two frostbitten, emaciated horses were recovering inside a warm barn Saturday thanks to volunteers who spent the week before Christmas digging the animals out of snow in the mountains of northeastern British Columbia. Birgit Stutz said Saturday the rescuers cheered when they finally finished digging a half-mile escape route through the snow for the animals. The horses had been abandoned by a hunter and faced almost certain death...

Kara Marie Deterding and Dennis Ray Blevins Jr. were married July 19, 2008, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Prairie du Rocher, Ill. The Rev. Tom Stout performed the ceremony. Violinist was Veronica Steibel. The bride is the daughter of Ronald and Paulette Deterding of Prairie du Rocher. The groom is the son of Zipporah Blevins of Ashland, Ky...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Norman G. Oehlert, 74, of Altenburg died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at Hunter Acres in Sikeston, Mo. He was born May 20, 1934, at Altenburg, son of George C. and Lena Hemmann Oehlert. He was retired from Timber Export Lumber Co. and was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg...

Kristen Renee Roberts and Matthew Ryan Pinson were married May 17, 2008, at Francine's Gardens. Billy Garner performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Kenny and Tammy Roberts of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of John and Terry VanDeWeghe of Leopold, Mo...

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Rhodes of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a family dinner party Nov. 25, 2008, at Celebrations. Hosts were their daughters. Rhodes and Edvira A. Messmer were married Nov. 25, 1948, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, Mo., by the Rev. Joseph Keusenkothen...

PHOENIX -- In Arizona, seeing Joe Arpaio on TV is nothing new. But the self-described "America's toughest sheriff" now has a national platform to pursue lawbreakers that stretches beyond the 5 o'clock news. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Department, which oversees the state's most populous county, has a starring role in "Smile ... You're Under Arrest!," a new reality show that debuted Saturday on Fox Reality Channel...

As the Cape Girardeau Police Department prepares to retire its two canines, Bolo and Toben, in 2009, the Pay for the Pups project will again kick into gear to help fund the purchase and training of two new dogs. Six years ago, Pay for the Pups, a cooperative effort between the police department, the Southeast Missourian Jr. and local schools, raised more than $18,000 to help pay for Toben and Bolo, according to program organizer Cheryl Ellis...

Wilma Rea Penny Skelton, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born September 5, 1936, in Spring Brook, Wis., daughter of John Carl and Edna Obenchine Riege. She and William "Bill" Skelton were married June 28, 1986, in Pocahontas, Mo...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A warm front that brought record high temperatures to Kansas City on Friday collided with a cold air mass overnight to produce high winds and rare late-December thunderstorms that left 42,000 people in western Missouri without electricity...

HONOLULU -- Crews gradually restored electrical service across parts of Oahu on Saturday after a power failure blacked out the island's population of about 900,000 and thousands of visitors, including president-elect Barack Obama. Residents had been urged to just stay home after the lights went out during a thunderstorm Friday evening. Hawaiian Electric Co. was investigating the cause...

ACCRA, Ghana -- Ghana's presidential contest heads to a runoff vote today, a race that has become a referendum on whether the West African country's stunning growth of the past eight years has trickled down to ordinary people. Neither the ruling party nor the opposition secured enough votes Dec. 7 to win the presidential election outright in Ghana, one of the continent's few stable democracies. On the eve of the vote, the two parties traded accusations of possible rigging...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Jennifer Relli, no age given, of Jackson was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated following a motor vehicle accident involving parked cars at 100 Broadway...

Dear Dr. Dobson: I've always had an interest in creative writing, primarily because I had a teacher who encouraged me to express myself and gave me the skills to do it. My children, however, have not had that exposure. The school system just doesn't teach writing skills anymore. How did you come to be a writer, and how might I give my children a nudge in that direction?...

CONAKRY, Guinea -- Guinea's coup leader declared a zero-tolerance policy on corruption Saturday, vowing to renegotiate the country's numerous mining contracts and warning that anyone who embezzles state funds will be executed. Capt. Moussa Camara also extended an apparent concession to Guinea's opposition, telling them they could help choose a prime minister following international criticism that elections are not planned for two more years...

MONTROSE, Calif. -- Bruce and Sylvia Pardo started the new year in 2006 with all signs pointing to a bright future -- an upcoming marriage, a combined income of about $150,000, half-million-dollar home on a quiet cul-de-sac and a beloved dog, Saki. But things quickly turned sour and divorce documents paint a bitter picture of Bruce Pardo's increasing desperation as he lost first his wife, then his job and finally the dog. ...

A mile and a half of Highway 25, between the Stoddard County Road 114 and Route H, will be closed until at least 5 p.m. today, after Saturday's storm knocked down six utility poles along the road just south of Dexter, Mo. It was the most significant damage reported by 10 p.m. Saturday after a line of severe thunderstorms swept through the Southeast Missouri, along with winds that reached 50 miles an hour at times...

Frances Wood Roberts, beloved mother and grandmother, 82, of Jackson died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 4, 1926, in Wilson, Ark., daughter of John King and Edith Lillian Rapp Wood II. She and Richard Wesley Neal were married July 20, 1946, in Hernando, Miss. He died Feb. 24, 1967. She later married Jon E. Roberts on Jan. 8, 1968, in Cape Girardeau. He died March 1, 2005...

Dylan Geringer enjoyed an impressive evening Saturday for the St. Vincent boys basketball team. Geringer scored 12 points and brought down 16 rebounds to lead the Indians to a 67-37 victory over New Salem Baptist at the Saxony Lutheran tournament. Kyle Rollet added nine points and seven rebounds...

Pet Name: Kimbo (pictured with Derek) Owners: Steve, Carol, Nate and Derek Favorite Activity: Rough housing with the boys! Kimbo also loves eating ice cubes...

Highway 25 reopened to traffic just before 2 p.m. today, according to John Prance, Stoddard County emergency management director.The road was closed on Saturday after high winds blew down utility poles along a half-mile path between Dexter, Mo., and Bernie, Mo.. ...

the icey mississippi in northeast, hannibal, mo.