Stories from Tuesday, February 3, 2009

CAIRO, Ill. — Elsie M. Swoboda, 89, of Cairo died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

Mary Voelker of Sikeston, Mo., never envisioned spending her Monday afternoon at a Cape Girardeau laundry facility. But last week's winter storm knocked out power at her home, forcing her to make the 35-mile trek to wash laundry and complete her college assignments from Southeast Missouri State University's Sikeston center at the Cape Girardeau campus...

BENTON, Mo. -- A tractor-trailer struck a car being pushed by two men Monday evening on Interstate 55 south of Benton, killing one of the men and sending the other for treatment at Saint Francis Medical Center, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said...

Eric Holder won Senate confirmation Monday as the nation's first black attorney general. The vote was 75-21, with all the opposition coming from Republicans. Holder's chief supporter, Sen. Patrick Leahy, said the confirmation was a fulfillment of civil rights leader Martin Luther King's dream that everyone would be judged by the content of their character...

The world's most famous groundhog saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting that this already-long winter will last for six more weeks. Punxsutawney Phil emerged just after dawn in front of an estimated 13,000 witnesses. The annual ritual takes place on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in Punxsutawney, a borough of about 6,100 residents some 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — Everett M. James, 58, of Marble Hill died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at his home. He was born Dec. 15, 1950, in Lutesville, Mo., son of Earnie and Beatrice Hill James. He first married Shirlene Hodge on March 10, 1973. He later married Norma Sitze on Sept. 6, 1998. She died Sept. 27, 2002. He then married Patricia Diana Long on July 19, 2003...

Irene R. Beussink, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born March 15, 1930, in Leopold, Mo., daughter of Henry John and Frances Helena Seiler Wubker. She and Ernest Henry Beussink were married July 1, 1950, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold...

Virginia Ann Smith, 79, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Advance, Mo., died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Feb. 29, 1929, near Advance, daughter of Comelous and Althea Zimmerman Cox. She and Billy J. Smith were married Sept. 22, 1948, in Piggott, Ark. He died June 1, 2007...

I would like to take this time to lament the loss of an important landmark during the recent winter storm: the Willow Grove Skating Rink in Chaffee, Mo. The skating rink has been a source of fun for generations of residents from not only Chaffee, but also the many surrounding communities...

Kelly W. Lilly, 26, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Jan. 8, 1983, in Perryville, Mo., son of James Lilly and Tina Glastetter. Survivors include a son, Kristopher Lilly of Cape Girardeau; his mother of Phoenix; a sister, Amanda Lilly of Festus, Mo.; maternal grandmother, Caroline Allbritton of Cape Girardeau; paternal grandmother, Velma Lilly of Perryville; and fiancee, Sandy Enlow of Cape Girardeau...

Bill and Sharon Hopkins of Marble Hill, Mo., members of the Cat Ranch Art Guild, are the featured artists for the First Friday reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 6 at WESTRAY Art Gallery. Bill Hopkins is a writer and photographer. Sharon Hopkins paints landscapes and other subjects. The gallery, 1930B Broadway, is open Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., and remains open until 9 p.m. on First Fridays...

TRENTON, N.J. -- New Jersey lawmakers are singing the same old tune -- nothing. They put off a vote Monday on choosing four state songs, leaving the state the only one without an official ditty. A state Senate panel considered a bill that would have adopted an official state anthem, children's song, popular song and ballad...

BERTRAND, Mo. — Mabel Ann Peters, 92, of Bertrand died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born May 10, 1916, in Monette, Ark., daughter of William Theodore and Florence Jane Pitts Woods. She and John Albert Peters Sr. were married Oct. 19, 1935. He died April 3, 2005...

WEEHAWKEN, N.J. -- After five years fielding thousands of calls to one of rock 'n' roll's most celebrated phone numbers, disc jockey Spencer Potter is hanging up on Jenny. Her seven digits are familiar to anyone who paid attention to pop music in the early 1980s: 867-5309, immortalized by the band Tommy Tutone...

Today Preparation for Childbirth class The class is intended as a guide to expected bodily changes, labor signs and stages, pain control options, labor techniques and basic infant care. Tips on relaxing, positioning and breathing will also be discussed. Refreshments will be provided. Bring the "Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting Kit" provided by your physician office...

ANNA, Ill. — Kenneth L. Meskill, 78, of Anna died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Union County Hospital. He was born May 6, 1930, in Phillips, Wis., son of Bert and Lena Zapfe Meskill. He owned Meskill Construction Co. in the Chicago area 45 years. He retired in 1997 and moved to Southern Illinois...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Efforts to bring the Missouri Senate into the computer age have crashed, again. Senate leaders pulled the plug Monday on a proposal to let senators have laptop computers at their chamber desks, after opponents attached restrictions...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Jo Ann Hayden, 76, of Perryville died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Nov. 1, 1932, in Perryville, daughter of William and Irene Buehler Lurk. She and Donald Hayden were married July 20, 1956. He died Nov. 13, 1997...

A car wreck during rush hour Monday in Cape Girardeau left one child dead and three other people injured, said Sgt. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The accident took place when a minivan traveling westbound on Highway 74 near the Shawnee Sports Complex entrance struck a parked vehicle, Selzer said...

LONDON -- It was hardly a blizzard, but it still shut down the city that beat the Blitz. The biggest snowfall to hit London in 18 years idled the city's buses and Underground trains Monday, stranded thousands of airline passengers and raised the question of why a predicted winter storm caught authorities unprepared...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Mary A. Seabaugh, 70, of Perryville died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. She was born Sept. 6, 1938, in Palm City, Fla., daughter of Augusta Alice Gilliard. She and Troy L. Seabaugh were married Jan. 31, 1961. He died Sept. 18, 1993...

Jackson Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: n A false alarm at Lee Avenue. n A false alarm at Lee Avenue.

Bless, O God, those who make decisions about those who are in authority. Amen.

Thousands of people in Southeast Missouri remain without power a week after ice and snow swept through the area, damaging 4,000 electric poles and causing six weather-related deaths in Missouri. But utility crews continue to work feverishly to restore power, and shelters remain open for those residents who are struggling to keep warm...

I had the opportunity on Jan. 24 to work with and witness the outstanding service of two Southeast Missouri State University sororities: Gamma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Chi Omega. These sorority members volunteered their Saturday night to help at the benefit auction for my niece and her family whose daughter is a patient at St. ...

Southeast Missouri State's opponent for its final home men's basketball game of the season has been revealed. The Redhawks (3-20) will play Northern Illinois (6-13) on Feb. 21 in the annual ESPN BracketBusters series. The tipoff is set for 7:45 p.m. at the Show Me Center...

Perryville guards Ava Johnson and Alicia Kueker combined for 33 points to lead the Pirates girls basketball team to victory Monday. The Pirates outscored Grandview by nine points in the third quarter on their way to the 74-54 win. Johnson scored 17, while Kueker added 16. Makenzie Schirmer chipped in 13 points...

Hearts take center stage in February, and not just in the form of chocolate-filled boxes or lacy cards to loved ones. February is American Heart Month, drawing attention to that hard-working organ that we use so often in love and life but sometimes ignore when it comes to healthy practices...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Anita de la Garza, 81, of Perryville died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Jan. 20, 1928, in Penitas, Texas, daughter of Hipolito and Catarina Rivas Zamora. She and Rodolfo de la Garza were married July 19, 1952...

One of the aims of a residential historic district is to preserve the character of a neighborhood and protect it from whims that could destroy the essential elements that make an area worth preserving. To that end, the Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission has been working on guidelines for the city's first residential district. ...

The first half was one to forget for Notre Dame's Jane Morrill. The junior went 1 of 11 from the field and her team was down to the hot-shooting Central girls basketball team. But Morrill and her Bulldogs teammates heated up in the second half on offense and defense, emerging with the 56-43 win at the Show Me Center...

Revised history IT is sad to read revisionist histories of FDR's administration in Speak Out, all designed to undermine President Obama's aggressive and pragmatic action to deal with the Bush recession and stop it from steamrolling into a depression. There's a long way to go, but I predict future historians will rank President Obama as up there with the greats like Washington, Lincoln and FDR...

MILWAUKEE -- Michael Phelps doesn't seem to be in much hot water with his sponsors following his public apology despite being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe. From apparel company Speedo to luxury Swiss watchmaker Omega, several sponsors are standing by the 23-year-old swimming phenom -- at least for now. Other big companies, like Visa Inc., Subway and Kellogg Co., aren't talking yet...

PERRYVILLE, Mo.— Billy G. McClure, 70, of Perryville died Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, at his home. He was born April 21, 1938, in Bragg City, Mo., son of Virgil Thomas and Edith Ferguson McClure. He and Charlotte J. Casey were married Oct. 8, 1960...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Jerry L. Curry, 44, 812 Good Hope Street, was arrested on a warrant. n A subject is in custody pending charges for operating a motor vehicle without a valid license...

WASHINGTON -- Chocolate for your sweetheart this Valentine's Day? Folks may be surprised to know how far back chocolate goes -- perhaps 1,000 years in what is now the United States. Evidence of chocolate was been found in Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, N.M., the earliest indication of the tasty substance north of Mexico, Patricia L. ...

CAIRO, Ill. — Alice Marie Johnson, 29, of Charleston, Mo., formerly of Cairo died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Oct. 21, 1979, daughter of Chester Johnson and Sheila Brown McKinley. She attended Jamp Special Education and graduated from Egyptian High School in 1999...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans circulated a plan to drive down the cost of mortgages by expanding the federal government's role in the industry, officials said Monday night as debate opened on an economic stimulus bill at the top of President Obama's agenda...

Charges were filed last week against a Cape Gir­ardeau woman who was allegedly caught shoplifting more than $700 worth of beauty items from Kmart. Angela D. Richards, 22, of 1413 William St., was charged Thursday with third-degree assault and theft...

An article in Sunday's Southeast Missourian incorrectly listed the e-mail address of attorney Gordon Glaus, who is compiling the names of potential volunteers for the September visit of the Tour of Missouri bicycle race. The correct e-mail address should have been gordonglaus@yahoo.com...

ST. LOUIS -- Sylvester Croom, who resigned under pressure as coach at Mississippi State in November, is returning to the NFL as an assistant coach for the new-look St. Louis Rams. Coach Steve Spagnuolo announced the hiring Monday, along with four others -- Tom McMahon as special teams coordinator, Rock Gullickson as strength and conditioning coach, Brendan Daly as defensive line coach and Matt House for defensive quality control...

With a light agenda, the Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday evening reviewed the city response to last week's ice storm and concluded that it went about as well as it could. As the public works department sought to clear streets, the city's newest snowplow broke at the welds holding it to a mounting bracket, public works director Tim Gramling told the council. ...

WASHINGTON — President Obama plans to nominate Sen. Judd Gregg as commerce secretary today, the White House confirmed Monday as the New Hampshire Republican disclosed an apparent deal to keep his seat out of Democratic hands "I have made it clear to the Senate leadership on both sides of the aisle and to the governor that I would not leave the Senate if I felt my departure would cause a change in the makeup of the Senate," Gregg said in a statement. ...

Annie Luvenia Jenkins, 96, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 28, 1912, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Frank and Lydia Runnels. She married Fred L. Jenkins, who died in 1949. Survivors include three sons, Harold and Samuel Jenkins of Cape Girardeau, William Jenkins of Cleveland; two daughters, Charlotte Wade and Peggy Primm of Cape Girardeau; 19 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren...

WASHINGTON — Trying to keep his Cabinet nomination, Tom Daschle presented his case Monday evening in a closed meeting with former Senate colleagues after publicly apologizing for failing to pay more than $120,000 in taxes. President Obama said he was "absolutely" sticking with his nominee for health secretary. ...

25 years ago: Feb. 3, 1984 State legislative leaders are optimistic funds for a Cape Girardeau multipurpose building will be approved this session, a Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce gathering is told; further, it is learned Gov. Kit Bond has said he will sign a general appropriation bill for the facility if one is passed by the legislature...

We received word today that Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will be the featured speaker at this month's First Friday Coffee event, coming up this Friday morning. Kinder is going to speak before local business leaders about this summer's Tour of Missouri stop in Cape Girardeau.Click here for details on the time and location of Friday's event, and check back Wednesday for more details on Kinder's appearance.. ...

The AARP Tax-Aide has announced dates for its free income tax assistance in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and other locations. Free assistance is available for low- to moderate-income people, senior citizens 60 years and older and handicapped individuals. Service also may be available for the homebound...

Some area schools are still dealing with poor road conditions and power outages from last week's ice storm, forcing closings. Among the schools verified by the Southeast Missourian as closed on Tuesday are:Advance R-IV...

Administrators at Delta public schools in Cape Girardeau County have reported the school district will be closed Wednesday, the only school district that has reported a closing to the Southeast Missourian so far.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will be the speaker at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee. Kinder will discuss the upcoming Tour of Missouri bicycle race that will occur Sept. 7-13. Cape Girardeau has been selected as one of the stops on the tour...

Alex Bader made sure his last chance to play in the Show Me Center was a game to remember. The senior guard knocked down five 3-pointers in a 17-point effort to lead Notre Dame past city rival Central 70-34 on Monday night. Bader knocked down three 3-pointers in a row in an 83-second span in the third period, when the Bulldogs turned a comfortable margin into a rout...

In radio and television ads, some companies claim they know "the secret credit card companies don't want you to discover" that can reduce the amount owed and the interest rates being charged if you will use their services. If you have an experience with one of these companies, contact...

Verla B. Kinder, 86, of Daisy died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home...

This Cardinal was waiting to get to the birdseed at our feeder.

Cape County Joins 2009 National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week Observance February 2-6, 2009, is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week (TDVAPW), and victim advocates throughout the country are using this week as an opportunity to educate the public about the pervasive crime that inconspicuously affects teenagers worldwide...

The Southeast Missouri State University Foundation has acquired two properties on Broadway in Cape Girardeau that will be used for future parking for the university. The foundation received Howard's Athletic Goods at 900 Broadway and the former Sinclair gas station at 834 Broadway through a charitable trust from owner Dave Howard. ...

Valentines Day can be a trying time for victims of domestic violence. A holiday designed to celebrate love between two people can bring unneeded pain to those trying to recover from abusive relationships. Therefore, the Safe House for Women is turning Valentine's Day on its ear with a weeklong celebration entitled "Love Yourself." The week of February 8-14, we will encourage clients throughout the region with education presentations designed to promote self-empowerment and financial independence. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Walter F. Schubert, 87, of Perryville died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 7, 1921, in Perry County, Mo., son of Max and Irma Bergmann Schubert. He was married Dec. 25, 1946, to Vivian Schamburg, who died April 29, 1987...

Cape Girardeau County was excluded Tuesday from the list of Missouri counties with ozone pollution bad enough to require new regulations. The Missouri Air Conservation Commission, meeting in Jefferson City, accepted the recommendations of the Department of Natural Resources's Air Pollution Control Program that Cape Girardeau County be listed as "unclassifiable" for ozone pollution...

I thought I would make a postcard type picture from a photo I took in my front yard last week.

Cape Girardeau police released more details this afternoon about why a 7-year-old Jackson girl wasn't wearing her seatbelt before she was killed in a Monday evening crash and why a vehicle was parked along the side of Highway 74, causing the crash. The wreck occurred around 5 p.m. Monday on Highway 74 about a tenth of a mile west of the intersection at Minnesota Avenue, when a minivan struck a vehicle parked on the side of the road...

According to Sweet Sounds Management, which represents former SCORPIONS drummer Herman Rarebell, Herman's new project HERMAN ZE GERMAN AND FRIENDS will perform at this year's Rocklahoma festival on Friday, July 10. The band will reportedly play one of the side stages after POISON's main-stage set and before DEF LEPPARD's performance. ...