Stories from Wednesday, February 4, 2009

bjbjN Title: 3-2-1 time s up, did you make it? Content: Dear Sam: I have been struggling for the last four years to find a teaching job. I want to find a way to make myself stand out from the crowd and I was hoping to be able to do that with my r...

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Would a dose of herbal tea slow the march of beetles killing millions of acres of pine trees across the West? Sort of. But instead of brewing up a cup, U.S. Forest Service scientists found that sprinkling tiny flakes containing the pheromone verbenone over lodgepole pine forests cut the number of trees attacked by bark beetles by two-thirds...

Handling cards IN regard to the Christmas cards being torn up in the mail: I work for the U.S. Postal Service. The biggest problems that I saw with Christmas cards are they were not sealed properly and came open during processing. Also, they are not flat. ...

Verla B Cobble Kinder, 87, of Daisy died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 24, 1922, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Joseph and Frieda Wills Cobble. She and Glen Stephen "Dude" Kinder II were married June 13, 1947, after he returned from World War II. He died Jan. 26, 1999...

KELSO, Mo. -- Marie Elizabeth Hibbing, 86, of Riverside, Calif., formerly of Kelso, died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009, at Kaiser Medical Center in Riverside. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

NEW YORK -- Was "MacGruber" a "Saturday Night Live" sketch or Pepsi commercial? Depending on when you were watching television over the weekend, it was hard to tell. On Saturday night's "SNL," the recurring bit starring cast member Will Forte aired three times during the show, each time with comical over-the-top promotion for Pepsi...

Despite last week's winter storm that glazed much of Southeast Missouri with a crippling layer of ice, tickets for the Feb. 11 high school boys basketball game between Scott County Central and Sikeston have sold out. At 12:10 p.m. Tuesday, a full week before the first boys basketball meeting between the schools in 38 years, the Show Me Center announced all 6,844 tickets for the event had been sold...

CAIRO -- Hamas officials said Tuesday they are ready to commit to a cease-fire with Israel for at least a year in exchange for a full opening of Gaza's borders, as the group began a new round of truce talks with Egyptian mediators. At the same time, foreign ministers of pro-U.S. Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, met in the United Arab Emirates in a show of unity in support for Egypt's efforts to forge a long-term truce and against Iran, Hamas' most important ally...

Sikeston Public Schools plans to resume classes on Thursday, a district employee said this morning. The school district last held classes on Jan. 26, before last week's storm knocked out power to residents in the community.Southeast Missouri State University reported in a news release today that its College Goal Sunday event scheduled for Saturday at its Sikeston campus is postponed to Feb. ...

WASHINGTON -- The House on Tuesday approved creation of an office in the Justice Department to help university security forces train for and prevent violent incidents such as those at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. The National Center for Campus Public Safety would issue grants to campus safety agencies, encourage research into improved college safety and conduct training...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Angela A. Espinoza-Velasques, 24, 2863 Whitener St., Unit B1, was arrested on suspicion of driving without a license, failure to show proof of insurance and unlawful tint of windows...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, the president announced Tuesday, a key step for a space program that worries the U.S. and other world powers because the same rocket technology used to launch satellites can also deliver warheads...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Construction workers are anxious, and investigators are puzzled. Someone has been sending San Francisco's portable toilets up in flames in a wave of potty pyromania. "It's an outrage," said Scott Johnson, a 57-year-old contractor who has been working on apartment building renovations on Russian Hill, the elegant neighborhood that is home to famously crooked Lombard Street and has had most of the fires...

Hailey Lynn Dacus, 7, of Fruitland, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau from injuries received in an automobile accident. She is the daughter of Mitchell and Victoria Linhart Dacus...

The Special Olympics basketball tournament was held at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau Jan. 24. "Special" is the perfect word to describe the event. My grandson, Dalton Myers, played for the SEMO Wolf Pack team. The team received the silver medal for the tournament...

WASHINGTON -- The latest round of layoffs and cost-cutting measures came Tuesday on the heels of tens of thousands of layoffs ordered by a slew of companies last week alone. However, in a positive sign for the housing market, an index that tracks signed contracts to purchase existing homes rebounded in December as buyers snapped up properties at deep discounts...

Jackson came out on top in a battle of state wrestling powers Tuesday night. The Indians won five of the last seven matches to rally past host Farmington after the Knights had captured four of the first seven bouts. Jackson's 40-27 victory kept the Indians perfect in dual matches on the season at 7-0...

PATTON, Mo. -- William "Bill" Lindell Garland, 60, of Patton died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 2, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, son of William Vern and Thelma Loraine Barks Garland. Garland worked for VIP industries and was a member of the Little Whitewater Baptist Church...

On Valentine's Day, true love tends to speak in chocolate. But what works well when time to toast to that love? "A good rule of thumb when pairing chocolate with a beverage is to look for one that is very low in tannins as well as acidity," said Thierry Muret, executive chef for Godiva Chocolatier...

Heavy ice and snow from last week's storm caused a roof to collapse at Blair Packaging at 24 S. Sheridan Blvd. in Cape Girardeau, and it could be six to eight weeks before the roof is repaired. Marketing director Joe Bullock said the company's vacuum-forming capabilities and high-speed manufacturing are at a standstill. Because of the instability of the roof, the company is unable to retrieve equipment...

With the American Junior Golf Association's marquee event coming to Dalhousie Golf Club this summer, a few different wrinkles will be part of the mix, but Dalhousie still plans to be able to give back to the local golf community. The AJGA's Rolex Tournament of Champions is scheduled for June 30 through July 4, bringing the top 144 junior golfers in the association to town. The event also will include a junior-am event to raise money for local high school and junior golf programs...

SAN FRANCISCO -- California's highest court will hear oral arguments next month in legal challenges to the state's voter-approved same-sex marriage ban. The state Supreme Court has scheduled a March 5 hearing date for arguments in a series of lawsuits trying to overturn Proposition 8...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Barbara Jean Moore, 50, of Chaffee died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at her home. She was born July 10, 1958, at Randles, daughter of Bill Lancaster and Violet Standley Moore. Moore had worked at the former Carr-Textile in Chaffee. Survivors include her mother of Chaffee; two brothers, Joe Crader of Chaffee, Randy Moore of High Ridge, Mo.; two sisters, Margie White of Cape Girardeau, Brenda Moore of Sikeston, Mo., and fiance, Andy Schlosser of Chaffee...

ATLANTA — A millionaire by the time he was 30, Millard Fuller gave up his fortune and invested his life in Habitat for Humanity — a Christian charity that has built more than 300,000 houses and turned poor people into homeowners by using "sweat equity" and no-interest loans...

HOUSTON -- Football coaches love recruiting. What they don't love is baby-sitting recruits for months after they've committed to play for them. Many wish there was an early signing period so they could lock down recruits in December and leave behind the business of holding their hands to make sure they don't change their minds before it can be made official Feb. 4...

25 years ago: Feb. 4, 1984 A five-year, $25 million-plus capital improvement program that city manager Gary Eide describes as "an investment in the future of our community" was presented to members of the city council Friday; the plan includes improvements at the Municipal Golf Course, two new fire trucks, a disaster warning system, various sanitary sewer projects and street and airport items...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team spent nearly two months getting its record back above .500. Now the Redhawks want to start putting some distance between themselves and the break-even point. The Redhawks (11-10) will shoot for their third straight win tonight against NAIA Harris-Stowe (4-13)...

Despite Monday's fatal accident on Interstate 55, Missouri highways are statistically the safest they have been in nearly four years. The number of fatal traffic accidents has dropped from 1,257 in 2005 to 941 in 2008, according to a report by Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. This year, the state will push for more seat-belt use; 479 people killed in 2008 were not using them...

In response to news from area charities that needs for services are outweighing funds available, the United Way will hold a kettle campaign at businesses in Cape Girardeau and Jackson this weekend. "We [are] getting the buckets back out but not the bells this time," United Way director Nancy Jernigan said during a Tuesday morning news conference attended by leaders of area charities and businesses inside her organization's headquarters at 430 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. ...

Gary Wayne Cook, 61, of Burfordville passed away Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, at his home. He was born Feb. 3, 1948, north of Burfordville, son of Orville and Mildred Hanners Cook. Gary attended the former Burfordville School. He worked at Jackson Co-op, Sailer Roofing Co., Drury Construction and Contrend Inc. in Cape Girardeau. He had been unable to work the past nine years due to his health...

ANNA, Ill. -- Clifford Leo Benefield, 84, of Anna died Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Ill. He was born April 9, 1924, in Thebes, Ill., son of Claude and Nettie Benefield. He and Minnie Lou Schiro were married in September 1951 in Piggott, Ark...

LOS ANGELES -- Where is the lifetime supply of diapers, formula and baby wipes? The free van? The brand-new house? Women who give birth to six, seven or eight babies are often showered with gifts from big corporations, local businesses and strangers. But that is not happening with the Southern California mother who delivered octuplets last week...

As the fallout of a devastating ice storm enters its second week, about 24,200 homes and businesses in the region still are without power. The number Tuesday included 1,500 who get their service from AmerenUE, 16,500 who belong to rural cooperatives and 6,200 served by municipal utilities...

GORHAM, Ill. -- L. Lucille Scholz, 89, of Gorham, passed away Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Ill. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Pettett Funeral Home in Murphysboro. Burial will be in Goodbread Cemetery...

Southeast Missouri political and business leaders won a split decision Tuesday when the Missouri Air Conservation Commission named two counties as having excessive ozone pollution but excluded two others, including Cape Girardeau County. The decision, which ratified the revised staff recommendation from the Department of Natural Resources' Air Pollution Control Program, must be approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. ...

The Southeast Missouri State University Foundation has acquired two properties on Broadway in Cape Girardeau that will be used for university parking. 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. ...

A salmonella-triggered recall of foods that might contain contaminated peanuts has people looking askance at a number of foods. The lesson is a familiar one to those with food allergies: Peanuts and peanut products can appear in all manner of unlikely foods...

Until I got involved in gardening, Valentine's Day always evoked images of hearts, chocolates, Hallmark cards, a dozen roses and a sweetheart to give them to. Sorry, sweetheart, but you're going to have to share. Valentine's Day really means it's the start of vegetable gardening season because Feb. 14 you must plant lettuce seed...

"Once in a lifetime" is losing some of its edge in describing the ice storms that have hit Southeast Missouri and surrounding areas in recent years. This year's blast of freezing rain, sleet and snow was, without a doubt, a monster. Hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses, schools and other public buildings have been without power across several states...

A fatal crash that claimed the life of a 7-year-old girl Monday is still under investigation, police say. Hailey Dacus, 7, of Jackson suffered extensive head injuries when the passenger side of a 2004 Chevrolet Venture minivan driven by her mother, Victoria Dacus, 25, struck a Hummer parked by the roadside, said Sgt. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: n At 3:44 p.m., carbon monoxide call in the 100 block of Longview Drive. n At 4:34 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Bloomfield Road. n At 4:35 p.m., emergency medical service in the 500 block of Good Hope Street...

NEW YORK -- In his first public comments about what it was like to safely land a passenger jet in the Hudson River, US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger described the ordeal as "surreal" and said the silence in the cockpit after both engines lost power was "shocking."...

Nona Mae Walls, 70, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 1, 1939, at Chaffee, Mo., daughter of Elmer Dale and Dorothy Katherine Grojean Crites. She and James Curtis Walls were married May 13, 1961, in Memphis, Tenn. He died Dec. 13, 2007...

Jones Son to Hugh and Gina Jones of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro, 9:25 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009. Name, Matthew Edward. Weight, 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. Jones is the former Gina Lage, daughter of Wally and Dori Lage of Cape Girardeau. She is an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee University. Jones is the son of Lee and Sue Jones of Murfreesboro. He is publisher of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette and the Marshall County Tribune...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge plans to unseal hundreds of pages of court documents at the heart of the government's case against home run king Barry Bonds, who's accused of lying to a grand jury about using performance-enhancing drugs. Among the documents to be released today are a transcript of a recorded conversation between Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson and Bonds' former business partner Steve Hoskins, as well as positive drug test results that prosecutors say belong to Bonds...

WASHINGTON -- In the midst of promoting his $800 billion-plus economic proposal, President Obama chose for his new commerce secretary a Republican senator with such a reputation for fiscal discipline that he once voted to shut down the department. If confirmed by the Senate, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire will take over an agency charged with everything from creating jobs and regulating trademarks to conducting the 2010 census and issuing weather forecasts...

ROSENDALE, N.Y. -- A mysterious and deadly bat disease discovered just two winters ago in a few New York caves has now spread to at least six northeastern states, and scientists are trying to find solutions before it spreads across the country. White nose syndrome poses no health threat to people, but some scientists say that if bat populations diminish too much, the insects and crop pests they eat could flourish. ...

After six years, our son Ross has his braces off. Thanks to Drs. Noffel and Feuerhahn, and all of their great staff, he has a big bright beautiful smile. I think getting the braces off makes him look older, which I am not so excited about. Every time I see him it is a surprise to me how different he looks. ...

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has released the name of a man killed Monday night in an accident on Interstate 55 in Scott County. Morris S. Maltzman, 62, of St. Charles, Mo., was killed when the car he and Justin C. Brown, 24, of Pennsylvania, were traveling in was struck by a tractor-trailer...

Monday's TBY story on senior discounts should have read, "Ryan's Steakhouse in Cape Girardeau offers a discount buffet for seniors ages 60 and up. The buffet is $5.99, drink included, and available from 1-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday."

By Michael Jensen Since this column originates in Sikeston, Mo., all talk of the massive chaos from last week's ice storm may be somewhat lost on readers outside this community. But Cape Girardeau and other areas have also had their share of natural disasters, so everyone reading this can appreciate the sense of isolation and frustration being felt by many this week...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- St. Louis' Brad Boyes was just glad to finally contribute. Boyes scored twice and added an assist to help the Blues beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 Tuesday night. "It's been awhile since I put one in so it felt good," Boyes said of his first goals since Jan. 15. "We've been playing well. We've been playing solid. For us right now unless everyone goes, we struggle. If everyone picks up what they've got to do, that's when we're succesful."...

Friends, family and members of the National Guard will be among Friday's invitees to a memorial for Staff Sgt. Brad Skelton. The memorial is being organized by Ross Gartman, who once served with Skelton in Iraq. Skelton, 40, of Gordonville, was serving in Iraq with the Farmington, Mo.-based Missouri National Guard's 1138th Engineer Company when he died Feb. 6 after his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad...

BLAKELY, Ga. -- This rural stretch of southwest Georgia has long been tied to the peanut, and to give the region's famed cash crop due reverence, an 8-foot monument topped by a peanut carved from marble sits in the shadow of the town's historic downtown courthouse...

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama on Tuesday abandoned his nomination fight for Tom Daschle and a second high-profile appointee who failed to pay all their taxes out of fears of ugly confirmation battles. "I screwed up," Obama said. "It's important for this administration to send a message that there aren't two sets of rules -- you know, one for prominent people and one for ordinary folks who have to pay their taxes," Obama said in one of a series of interviews with TV anchors...

Doyle W. Sample, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, at his home. He was born Aug. 27, 1937, in Cape Girardeau, son of Leonard and Lola Mungle Sample. He and Cora Lee Moore were married June 16, 1957, in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Sample served in the National Guard...

BEIJING -- After hesitating over the sensitive footage of a protester in Britain shouting "dictator" and throwing a shoe at Premier Wen Jiabao, China's carefully controlled state broadcaster ran it Tuesday. The move was a display of openness, but the footage already was leaking into China via satellite television and the Internet. Critics said it showed the increasing power of such media to erode information controls...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- As Missouri prepares for a road game at No. 16 Texas tonight, the Tigers are trying to figure out how they can be so dominant at home and so mediocre away from Mizzou Arena. Missouri is 14-0 this season at home, the longest winning streak to start the season since the arena opened in 2004. And those victories have been by an average margin of 28 points...

NEW YORK -- Three straight BCS breakdowns aren't keeping the big-time recruits away from Ohio State. Coach Jim Tressel is set to turn another batch of blue-chippers into Buckeyes, putting together a class that should rate among the best in the nation today, the first day high school players can make their verbal commitments to colleges official...

the morning after the storm

While thousands are coming home to electricity for the first time in days, thousands more in Southeast Missouri will likely be without power for weeks.We've heard reports that members of SEMO Electric Cooperative could be in the dark for another four to six weeks, including some in Scott County. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — A boil water order that has been in effect for parts of Marble Hill since Thursday was lifted at 11 a.m. this morning, city collector Carla Watt reported today.The order resulted from a main break on High Street that happened at 4 p.m. Thursday...

All persons interested in the production of meat goats are invited to attend the next meeting of the Southeast Missouri Meat Goat Producers Association. The meeting will be held on Sunday, February 15 at the Ryan's Family Steak House in Farmington, MO. ...

Two New Madrid County residents were found dead in their home this morning, likely due to carbon monoxide poisoning, according to New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens. The names of the two individuals have not been released pending notificatin of family members, Stevens said, but authorities believe they were mother and daughter...

A man convicted of killing his neighbors' dog will serve 30 days in jail, Associate Circuit Judge Michael Bullerdieck ruled Wednesday. Ralph H. Ziegler, 58, 1315 Ashland Hills, pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to one charge of animal abuse for poisoning a Sheppard mix named Lola...

Ice and snow on the tree. Scott City

"Fanboys" isn't so much a cohesive movie with a plot as it is a shoddily shot litany of random geek arcana. The year is 1998, and four friends schlep from Ohio to California to break into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch and sneak an early peek at "Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace." There's Eric (Sam Huntington), who's on the verge of reluctantly taking over his dad's car dealerships; Linus (Christopher Marquette), who's still bitter with Eric for bailing on their plan to create a comic book series; the furry, portly Hutch (Dan Fogler), who still lives in his mom's garage (he repeatedly insists it's a carriage house, a joke that's not even funny once); and the scrawny Windows (Jay Baruchel), who's obsessed with the online girlfriend he's never met.. ...

DUNKLIN COUNTY, Mo. — Hundreds of splintered and leaning utility poles line the highways of Dunklin County today, as communities work toward what officials say will be a lengthy recovery. Power has been returned to 90 percent of Malden and Clarkton, while Campbell stands at 50 percent and Kennett at 20 percent, according to Emergency Management Director Larry Kelly. All of the towns in the southern part of the county remain in the dark...

Ice built up on the bird feeder. Scott City

Sugar & Spice are 7 week-old Papillon mixes. They also have 2 brothers available for adoption. Contact The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, 573-334-5837.

For those unable to attend the Jan. 31 placement exam because of icy conditions, Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau will offer another placement exam for the class of 2011 for Saturday at 8:15 a.m. According to a press release from development director Tony Buehrle, all eighth graders interested in taking the exam should report to the school at 8 a.m. Test takers are asked to bring two No. 2 pencils. For more information call the school office at 335-6772...

SEMO’s culinary commentator Tom Harte is shown here training the domestic chefs of tomorrow! Tom works with Dr. Georganne Syler presenting a monthly cooking program at Schnucks in Cape Girardeau. During the twice-annual ‘Cooking With Kids’ event, they team-up with United Way’s Born Learning group to promote fun and learning to parents with young children...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. - Citing a sudden unforeseen drop in sales for the first quarter of 2009, officials with TG Missouri announced it will temporarily lay off more than 140 production and support team members effective Feb. 9.After the layoffs the manufacturer of automobile safety systems and interior/exterior automotive parts will employ about 900 senior and top performing team members...

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A woman and her teenage daughter are found dead in their New Madrid County home, apparent victims of carbon monoxide poisoning. Authorities were dispatched Wednesday to the home in Matthews when the two didn't show up for the first day of class at East Prairie High School in neighboring Mississippi County...