Stories from Thursday, August 13, 2009

With the guilty plea of Mark P. Lowery in a Stoddard County courtroom this morning, local police closed the books on a string of burglaries that plagued both Cape Girardeau and Jackson since last fall. Lowery previously confessed to police that he'd committed more than 100 burglaries over the course of the past three years, said Cpl. Adam Glueck, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Contractors will begin milling work on U.S. 61 in Jackson today, reducing the roadway to one lane through Saturday. Work from Route D to the Highway 34 and 72 intersection will take place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each day to minimize traffic interference. Crews will then pave the roadway beginning Monday at 6 p.m., ending at 6 a.m. During this time some streets may be temporarily closed except to local traffic...

Big River Telephone will be part of Missouri's request for $142 million of federal stimulus money to expand high-speed Internet access to remote parts of the state, Gov. Jay Nixon announced Wednesday. A project proposal being submitted today to the federal government calls for laying 2,500 miles of fiber-optic cable and constructing 200 broadband towers across the state. Local Internet service providers then would hook into the system to provide coverage to homes and businesses...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- An autopsy was conducted Wednesday afternoon to determine the cause of death of a high school football player who collapsed during morning practice.

All because two people Fell in Love !! Clayton is the son of Randy and Karen Sanders of Zalma, Missouri. Clayton has been the Sunshine of our life. He has a smile that can make the darkest of days seem bright. How can we Thank our Creator who intrusted us with such a Special Gift, but to share him with the world! As he has taught his parents and a multitude of friends to do,...

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Sgt. Darrin Davis went to the recent Yellow Ribbon event in St. Louis with low expectations -- he thought it was going to be a series of "typical Army classes" that offered little applicable information for National Guard Soldiers who recently returned from overseas deployment...

Cody Honeywell, 15, shooting his shotgun at clay targets in South Dakota. His sister, Katy, 12, took the picture.

Behind the conference table in Dr. Jim Welker's office, several poster-sized sheets of paper are dotted with Post-it notes. "It's kind of hard to miss," said Welker, who today begins his second school year as the superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District...

One of the oldest functioning gas stations in Southeast Missouri

Cape Girardeau is reporting a slight increase in general sales tax revenue while other local governments are seeing declines from 2 to 11 percent.

While some River Valley Carvers create relief carvings of landscape scenes, others practice chipping away at a block of wood until it turns into a miniature bird or small animal. There are members of the Southeast Missouri woodcarving club who carve life-size cigar store Indian chiefs, and others who have handmade Santa Claus ornaments ready and waiting year-round...

A trial has not yet been scheduled in the case of 18-year-old Patton, Mo., man accused of killing his guardian last New Year's holiday, but attorneys in the case have begun taking depositions and preparing witnesses, said Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Gray.

Nathaniel Carter Wooley, 34, of Cape Girardeau pleaded guilty in federal court to one felony count of possession of pseudoephedrine with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County will sponsor a Community Development Block Grant grant to ensure a reliable water supply for Kelly schools. "We've been asked to be a sponsor because they have to have a county sponsor for a CDBG," Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday...

DEXTER, Mo. -- A 61-year-old Stoddard County man died in a farming accident Wednesday morning off County Road 65 north of Route H, near Pyletown.

The vacation of wins highlighted the penalties imposed on the Redhawks program for major and secondary violations in the men's basketball program. The program also saw a reduction in scholarships and recruiting visits.

Even if Nick Grassi cared about individual glory, he would find it hard to attain. Fullbacks in these days of college football are about as anonymous as players come. Fortunately for Grassi, he has never sought the spotlight. He delights in the simple pleasures of the game, like being a good teammate, helping his offense pick up yardage and score points. ... and laying absolute waste to an opponent...

NEW YORK -- Alice in Chains thought it would take a miracle to get Elton John to play on the band's tribute record to their late lead singer, Layne Staley. But it only took a listen to the song to get the rock legend on board. "He's a really warm person," said Alice in Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell of John. ...

Many residents along unpaved roads in Cape Girardeau County would like to see those roads paved. The county paving program, funded by a sales tax passed in 2006, pays for a few miles of paving each year. One of the main concerns with gravel roads is the dust that is kicked up by vehicles. Paving not only provides an all-weather surface, but it also eliminates the dust problem...

Health problem; Career programs; Electric bills; Creating change; Skating rink; Journalist safety; Goldberg approach; Back to school fair

With reference to the Aug. 9 "Government care" Speak Out comment that said a lot of people on Medicare are happy with the government-run program: My experience with Medicare has not been quite so happy. Upon becoming eligible for Medicare, my employer group insurance provider of 44 years automatically dropped my coverage as primary insurer. ...

Bless those who teach, O God, and those who learn from their counsel. Amen.

Aug. 13, 2009 Dear Julie, Early most Mondays and Fridays I take a spinning class at my gym. We ride stationary bicycles while an instructor guides us through imaginary terrain. Sometimes we sprint as fast as we can. "Ride like you stole it," one of the cycling posters urges. Sometimes we stand and charge up hills we've created by turning up the resistance on our bicycle pedals. All this is done to music with a pounding beat meant to propel us forward in place...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Michelle Branch was flipping between MTV and VH1 the other day when it hit her. At 26, the one-time pop princess is hopelessly out of step with pop. "I felt like an old lady," Branch said with a giggle. "I didn't know hardly anybody they played."...

Breast cancer patients with even the tiniest spread of the disease to a lymph node have a much higher risk of it recurring years later and may need more treatment than just surgery, new research suggests. For years, doctors and patients have struggled with what to do about a microscopic tumor or stray cancer cells in a lymph node. ...

GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization backed the United States on Wednesday in a major trade battle with China, issuing a ruling that could ease tight controls and open markets for U.S. makers of everything from DVDs to books and music downloads...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Jackie Harpst expected a busy summer at her not-for-profit housing agency, as work crews backed by Nebraska's share of $5 billion in federal stimulus money headed out to seal windows and spread insulation. Months after Harpst, housing director of the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, thought work would begin, not a single window has been caulked. ...

NEW YORK -- Long-term Treasurys fell Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it would wind down its purchases of government debt and as a surge in stocks lured investors away from safe-haven assets. Investors moved out of Treasurys, sending yields higher after the central bank said it would slow its buying of government debt in the coming weeks in order to hit its target of purchasing $300 billion in Treasurys by the end of October. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois congressional members familiar with the jeering and taunting that have peppered many colleagues' town hall meetings on health-care reform say they've got no plans to host such forums, preferring to get feedback from constituents privately...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- University of Illinois president B. Joseph White on Wednesday scrapped the school's special admissions list of politically connected applicants and gave campus leaders eight weeks to take other measures to prevent future scandals over the influence of clout...

LOS ANGELES -- Enduring the soul-sucking process of buying a used car is bad enough. Watching a movie about soulless used-car salesmen is even worse -- especially when it's a comedy that strains desperately for raunchy, politically incorrect laughs...

LONDON -- Police said Wednesday they have arrested a suspect in connection with a daytime heist that netted $65 million worth of jewelry from a prominent London diamond merchant last week. Police said the 50-year-old man, who was subsequently released on bail, is not one of two captured in security camera footage released by Scotland Yard on Tuesday. ...

DAHANEH, Afghanistan -- U.S. Marines battled Taliban fighters Wednesday for control of a strategic southern town in a new operation to cut militant supply lines and allow Afghan residents to vote in next week's presidential election. Insurgents appeared to dig in for a fight, firing volleys of rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and even missiles from the back of a truck at the Marines, who were surprised at the intense resistance. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Nearly three-fourths of Missouri high school students scored proficient or better on a new standardized exam for English, but barely half met that mark on algebra and biology. Test results released Wednesday by the state education department also showed improvement among elementary and middle school students. Yet roughly two-thirds of Missouri's public schools failed to meet the ever-toughening progress standards established under federal law...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests; Summonses; Assault; Theft; Burglary; Property damage; Jackson: Summonses; Thefts; Burglary; Property damage

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

Craig; Baer; McCormick; Clark

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter is 7-0 with a 1.67 ERA in his last eight starts, and hungry for more dominant outings. He hopes a new workout routine between starts will help him stay sharp the rest of the way. Carpenter beat the Cincinnati Reds for the third consecutive time, and Albert Pujols homered for the second straight game in the St. Louis Cardinals' 5-2 victory Wednesday night...

ST. LOUIS -- Shaquille O'Neal swears he was once a T-ball all-star and a high school first baseman with the "world's biggest strike zone." The 7-foot-1, 325-pound O'Neal was introduced as the "king of cross training" at a news conference Wednesday, part of a promotion for his upcoming ABC show that pits him against other superstars in a battle of athletic prowess. He was joined by St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols to discuss their upcoming home run derby on one of the shows...

CHASKA, Minn. -- Paul Azinger pulled the driver from his bag because there really is no other option at Hazeltine. The sign post on the opening hole has two words and two sets of numbers that serve as a not-so-subtle welcome to the PGA Championship...

MILWAUKEE -- The Brewers' highly touted young core is being shaken up. General manager Doug Melvin made his biggest statement this season about the team's future, sending former All-Star shortstop J.J. Hardy to the minors, cutting third baseman Bill Hall and firing his pitching coach...

ST. LOUIS -- A rebuilt offensive line, a new fullback and a new offensive scheme have St. Louis Rams running back Steve Jackson ready to see it all come together in a game. He'll get the chance Friday, when the Rams travel to New York to face the Jets in the preseason opener for both teams...

The 2009 Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team has been predicted to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference. Defending regular-season champion Murray State is the OVC favorite according to the preseason poll released Wednesday. Voting was done by the league's coaches and sports information directors...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The woman accused of trying to extort Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino approached him in a restaurant six years ago, and the two had sex at a table after closing time, the coach told police. Two weeks later, the married father of five gave Karen Sypher $3,000 after she said she needed an abortion and didn't have health insurance, according to a summary of Pitino's July 12 statement to police. ...

25 years ago: Aug. 13, 1984 More than $129 million in federal and state money flows into Cape Girardeau County annually, according to a study by Cape Girardeau resident Gilbert Degenhardt, a local member of Common Cause, a nationwide citizen's lobby...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri dairy farmers say they need some help from the federal economic stimulus act. Representatives of the Missouri Dairy Association have asked Gov. Jay Nixon to seek a one-time emergency payment of $16.5 million in stimulus money. They say falling milk prices have put Missouri's dairy farmers in their worst economic crisis in the past 25 years...

WASHINGTON -- The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes rose 7 percent from June to July, as the escalating foreclosure crisis continued to outpace government efforts to limit the damage. Foreclosure filings were up 32 percent from the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve delivered a vote of confidence in the economy Wednesday, saying it would slow the pace of an emergency rescue program and indicating the recession appears to be ending. The central bank also held interest rates steady at record lows, with a closely watched bank lending rate near zero, and again pledged to keep them there for "an extended period" to nurture an anticipated recovery...

WASHINGTON -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the nation's top car salesman in recent weeks, has cited the Obama administration's best-seller list of mostly smaller, fuel-saving cars like the Ford Focus to describe the success of the Cash for Clunkers rebate program...

Henry C. "Hank" Mellone, 78, died Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, at his home. He was born Feb. 9, 1931, in New York City. He moved to Cape Girardeau in 1968. Mellone was a veteran of the Korean conflict. He earned a master's degree in business from Washington University. ...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Carol Jean Mayfield, 50, of Sedgewickville died Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at her home. She was born Sept. 9, 1958, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Sylvester J. "Bud" and Mary Frances Tenholder Vandeven. She married Randy Mayfield Dec. 3, 1988...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Cecelia Wallace, 78, of Olive Branch died Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at her home. She was born July 28, 1931, in New Lenox, Ill., to Frank and Emma Pietela Spreitzer. She married Albert E. Wallace, who preceded her in death in 1980...

KELSO, Mo. -- Larry Dale Enderle, 61, of Kelso died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 15, 1948, in Cape Girardeau to Chester James and Olga Meta Schroeder Enderle. Enderle served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve 20 years...

Mary Aquina Nicholson, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at Life Care Center. She was born Jan. 26, 1929, at Fornfelt, daughter of Benjamin Franklin and Ruth Marie Clark Speak. She first married Richard Smallwood Humphries on Dec. 28, 1958. He died Jan. 1, 1984. She and Reginald Nicholson were married Jan. 24, 1985. He died Jan. 17, 1986...

Cynthia Jo "Cindy" King, 46, of Jackson died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at her home. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. to service time Saturday at Cornerstone Wesleyan Church in Scott City. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church...

Jesse Cole Phillips, 27, of Park Hills, Mo., formerly of Jackson, died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

George F. Gregori, 59, of Jackson died Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at his home. Visitation is from 4 p.m. to service time Friday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. A memorial service will begin at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Mark Boettcher officiating...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Helen Inman Sauerbrunn, 94, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at Jonesboro Rehab and Healthcare Center. Friends may call from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Salem Lutheran Church, with David Eidson officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Latreace Turner, 39, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009, at her home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Anna, Ill. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with Enloe Clemmons officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

George E. McLaird, 84, of Jackson died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Highway 51 in Perry County has been reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge repairs on the Chester Bridge over the Mississippi River. Weather permitting, the work will take place 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. For more information, call MoDOT at 888-275-6636...

My voyage north to Lollapalooza was tarnished this year only by a constant rain Friday and what we considered to be a great beer fiasco Saturday. Friday, the three-day music festival offered 24-ounce cans of beer for $8 or 12-ounce cans of beer for $5. You don't have to be a genius to figure out the better deal. Heck, you don't have to be sober to recognize that the Tallboy is the way to go -- and the way everyone went...

The week's entertainment options

Names like Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol permeate even the shallowest of art educations. With the newest art exhibition at the Crisp Museum, those names and more will be within reach for Southeast Missourians. The exhibit, called "Guild Hall: An Adventure in the Arts," features more than 70 works by 40 iconic artists on the walls of the Crisp Museum. The traveling exhibit, brought in part by funds from a Missouri Arts Council grant, features art from the Guild Hall Museum in East Hampton, N.Y...

The effort to rewrite the entire Cape Girardeau zoning code will include a series of public meetings, likely in October, community planner Sarah Wallace said Wednesday.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced several sanctions against the Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's basketball teams in a 2 p.m. conference call with media today...

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced several sanctions against the Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's basketball teams in a 2 p.m. conference call with media today...