Stories from Wednesday, August 19, 2009

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A proposal to require domestic animals within Sikeston city limits be spayed or neutered raised several concerns at Monday morning's city council meeting. The overlying questions was how the ordinance would be addressed. "We don't have the luxury of staffing to enforce lots of the nuisance laws," said Chief Drew Juden of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

A boil-water order is in effect until 8 a.m. Thursday for part of the city of Cape Girardeau, according to an advisory from the city government. The order covers the area north of Bertling Street from Big Bend Road west to Cambridge Drive, including Greenbrier Drive, El Rio Drive, Old Sprigg Street, Lakewood Drive, Lakeshore Drive, Cape Rock Village and Old Sprigg Street north to Kelly Court...

Four passengers in a Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority bus requested transport to a hospital Tuesday morning after the stopped vehicle was rear-ended by a pickup truck on Farrar Drive at William Street. According to Cape Girardeau police, the truck had been parked behind the bus at the stoplight, but then traveled forward and struck the bus. Neither driver was injured...

Beautiful sunrise over Jackson, MO.

Storm clouds sweeping over Jackson, Mo. Monday evening.

Storm clouds moving over Jackson towards Cape Monday evening.

Molly has always been quite prissy, unless your feet get to close to her hair. When that happens she will chase you down and nip your toes or ankle.

An eyewitness account, a surveillance video, and a tip led to burglary charges filed Tuesday against a man accused of stealing more than $20,000 worth of jewelry from CP McGinty Jewelers, 117 N. Main St., last week. Michael H. Taylor, 56, who listed 545 S. Frederick St. as his last known address, faces charges of second-degree burglary and felony theft in connection with the Aug. 10 break-in...

Chad Ressel caught these with the help of Grandpa reeling them in.

A toddler involved in an apparent swimming pool accident at a Jackson home over the weekend died early Tuesday afternoon in the hospital, according to Heidi Suppelsa, spokeswoman at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Jared Ryan Birk, 20 months, had been hospitalized since Sunday...

Webster Groves, MO.-- On Wednesday, August 5, 2009, Colby Cole of Webster Groves, MO, set an aviation world speed record on his first birthday. Colby, son of Elizabeth and Morry Cole, "co-piloted" a flight from St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia, IL to Dane County Regional Airport, Madison, WI, in World Record time. ...

Rebekah Page is pictured here with the first turkey she has ever gotten. Rebekah shot it on her first hunt.

Second time around For the second time in less than a year Rebekah Page, 9 and Shelby Page, 8 went to Chelsey McCormick at Che Rose Salon and donated 10 inches of hair to Locks of Love.

Maggie is a 3 year old Chihuahua/Min Pin mix. She is spayed and housebroken. Maggie is available for adoption at The Humane Society of SEMO, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

Tuesday evening's farewell performance of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra in Cape Girardeau marked the end of an era for conductor Robert Austin Boudreau and his troupe. The orchestra performed for a crowd that Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Chuck Martin estimated to be around 2,500. The audience filled the amphitheater seating between the floating stage and the floodwall and extended well beyond the floodgates at Themis Street and Broadway...

The position of wide receiver stands out in terms of returning production on a Southeast Missouri State football team that brings back quite a bit of experience. "You have to be on top of your game every day [in practice] because the next guy can step up," senior Walter Peoples said. "I think we're one of the strongest groups on the team."...

LOS ANGELES -- Chad Billingsley claims he got just as much satisfaction from the first pitch of his comeback start as the final fastball, which coaxed a rally-killing double play grounder from Albert Pujols. Though the other Dodgers might disagree with that, they're just grateful to have their slump-stopping starter back in good health...

The Missouri attorney general's office will offer a free Sunshine Law workshop Aug. 31 at the Cape Girardeau County administration building in Jackson.

More community involvement may be a way to address graduation rates in the Cape Girardeau School District. The Education Solutions Team, which includes school and community leaders, has been meeting since February. The middle school and junior high school committee made a presentation at the group's first meeting of the school year Tuesday. The committee advocated a community support system to reach out to students...

A handful of suspected illegal immigrants appeared in court Monday on state charges of forgery and identity theft. Most of the cases stemmed from arrests made at Flickerwood Arena, a cattle and feed vendor in Jackson, in July, and from warrants served at a Cape Girardeau restaurant in late June...

The companies vying for Cape Girardeau's subsidized commercial passenger service believe there is a large untapped market here.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Dudley, Mo., man was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer Tuesday morning near Sikeston, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Robert Deveau, 26, was walking in the westbound lane of U.S. 60 around 4:15 a.m. when a tractor trailer driven by Larry Teague, 34, of Puxico, Mo., hit him. New Madrid County Coroner Jimmy McSpadden pronounced Deveau dead at the scene at 5:20 a.m...

A section of Route A in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane through Thursday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge repairs. The affected road is on the bridge between County Road 253 and Walnut Street. Weather permitting, work will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m...

Less than two weeks remain for some Missouri businesses owners to reregister their fictitious name. A change in state law requires businesses that registered with a fictitious name on or before Aug. 28, 2004, to reregister it before Aug. 28, 2009. A fictitious name is filed by an individual who operates the business using a name other than his or her actual name...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A Doniphan man remains in jail on $500,000 bond after being charged with fatally shooting another man early Saturday morning, the Daily American Republic reported. Thomas D. Cates, 27, was charged Saturday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action by Ripley County assistant prosecuting attorney Siegrid Smith Maness in the death of William R. Hamilton, 50. Cates, who is being held in the Doniphan City Jail, is to appear at 9 a.m. Aug. 26 for arraignment before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas D. Swindle.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The nation's food banks, struggling to meet demand in hard times, are turning to prison inmates for free labor to help feed the hungry. Several states are sending inmates into already harvested fields to scavenge millions of pounds of leftover potatoes, berries and other crops that otherwise would go to waste. Others are using prisoners to plant and harvest vegetables...

WASHINGTON -- President Obama won praise from his Egyptian counterpart Tuesday and spoke of an "extraordinary opportunity" for peace in the Middle East, saying he was encouraged by U.S. efforts to restart talks between Israel and the Palestinians...

WASHINGTON -- Faced with a delay, health officials are trying to counter problems with swine flu vaccine production including a logjam at factories that fill the syringes. The newest calculations show the nation won't have the expected 120 million doses ready to dispense by Oct. ...

LEXINGTON, Ga. -- An elderly woman killed by a pack of wild dogs had been out for a walk when she was attacked, and her husband died trying to fight off the animals when he discovered the scene near their Georgia home, authorities said Tuesday...

CHICAGO -- As political debate continues over end-of-life counseling, a new study finds offering such care to dying cancer patients improves their mood and quality of life. The study of 322 patients in rural New Hampshire and Vermont also suggests the counseling didn't discourage people from going to the hospital. The research didn't look at costs...

MIAMI -- Wise Latina. The catch phrase of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearings has since taken on a life of its own, generating sales of T-shirts, note cards, dog jerseys and even thongs. Sotomayor uttered her now famous words on several occasions -- and her critics on many more. And while the newest Supreme Court Justice sought to explain the phrase, her supporters have embraced it...

KABUL -- An open secret among U.S. officials in Kabul is that Afghanistan was the Bush administration's second-string war. Taliban violence skyrocketed, prompting President Obama to boost the American commitment. Now, both the winner of Thursday's presidential election and his international partners face a game of catch-up if they are to turn the tide of the Taliban insurgency...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's top opposition leaders announced they were joining a grassroots reformist movement to present a united front against the government. The "Green Path of Hope," a political movement created by opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, seeks to be a rallying point for the opposition to continue its campaign against the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad...

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea prepared Tuesday to launch its first rocket, four months after North Korea launched its own and was placed under U.N. sanctions. The North has warned it would watch the international response to South Korea's launch Wednesday...

CHANGQING, China -- A mayor apologized to residents of two Chinese villages where more than 600 children were sickened by lead poisoning, saying a nearby smelter targeted by protests would not reopen until it meets health standards, state media said Tuesday...

HAVANA -- A delegation of U.S. Roman Catholic Church leaders urged the Obama administration Tuesday to seize what they called a rare political opportunity to lift the 47-year economic embargo against Cuba's communist government. Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fla., said the U.S. ...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- People in flood-prone Haiti and the Dominican Republic awoke to good news Tuesday as it appeared the first named storm of the Atlantic season had largely spared their shared island. The two countries on the island of Hispaniola are vulnerable to storms, with many impoverished people clustered along rivers, but there were no reports of major damage from the remnants of Tropical Storm Ana. ...

JERUSALEM -- Israel has quietly moved to halt new housing projects in the West Bank, while outwardly rebuffing U.S. pressure to stop construction in its settlements, Israeli government officials, peace activists and settlers said Tuesday. It isn't the full settlement freeze the Obama administration has wanted, but it indicates Israel is seeking a compromise in what has become a public disagreement with the U.S., its most important ally...

The peak of the backyard gardening season makes it easy to eat lots of fresh produce, but the onslaught of harvest can also lead to culinary fatigue. If you're not into canning or don't have the extra freezer space, you'll need some creative ideas to keep all that food from going to waste. The first step is to look for new dishes and times (such as breakfast) to add vegetables to the menu...

WASHINGTON -- Former House Republican whip Tom DeLay, called the "Hammer" for his arm-twisting talents, wants to show the world some fancy footwork. Selected as a celebrity performer on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars," DeLay said Tuesday on "Good Morning America" there's nothing odd about a conservative kicking up his heels...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday: Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Monday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

Cape Girardeau: DWI; Arrest; Summonses; Assaults; Burglary; Thefts; Property damage; Miscellaneous; Jackson: DWI; Arrests; Thefts; Property damage

Paying bonuses to executives and other employees of private corporations receiving federal bailouts to stay in business has been the cause of considerable ire. That anger is being directed toward the Missouri State Employees Retirement System, which paid $460,000 in bonuses last year as its investments lost $1.8 billion. ...

Infant mortality; Selling cars; Neglected crisis; Missourian freed; Sizing up; Political squirming; Health stats; Column messages; Government help; More bashing; Too many people; Who will pay?; Indecent details; Learn from mistakes; This is change?

Jared Ryan Birk, 20 months, son of Dale and Teresa Birk of Jackson, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, at Children's Hospital in St. Louis. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ralph Wayne Beam, 59, of Perryville died Monday, Aug. 17, 2009, at his home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to service time Thursday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Lixville Cemetery...

Moore; Schaefer; Ford; Heisserer; Butler; Rueseler; Butrum; McClanahan; Menz; Weissinger; Amschler; Burnett

25 years ago: Aug. 19, 1984 Dr. J. Gordon Kingsley, president and professor of religion and literature at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., is the guest speaker at the morning worship service at First Baptist Church; the service is part of the church's sesquicentennial celebration...

Due to a source error, Dr. Todd Lumsden was misidentified in Monday's People on the Move. He is a partner in Eye Consultants Inc.

Fill our desire, O God, to care for one another and to give comfort. Amen.

I am not a believer in the Al Gore-inspired global warming industry. Actually, I lump this discussion in with the New World Order/Trilateral Commission crowd. Unfortunately, the true believers tune out any opposing discussion and advance their plans to save the planet through new and improved light bulbs or whatever is the paranoid vogue du jour...

One of my favorite Missouri politicians has always been Gov. Warren Hearnes. He was a conservative Democrat who bucked his own party machine to be elected governor. He was considered a potential vice presidential candidate and successfully withstood unfair political charges against his reputation...

My traditional recommendation for fall fertilization of a cool-season lawn starts with an application of high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 28-0-4, in early September. You can also make this same application on warm-season lawns if you do it in late August. At this time of the year soils are often warmer than air temperatures, so the fertilizer encourages lawn grasses to produce an abundance of roots...

Helen Meyer of Cape Girardeau sent in a recipe for Sponge Candy, or Molasses Puffs as Mavrakos Candy Store in St. Louis called it. As you might remember from last week, Polly Graffner of Cape Girardeau was looking for this recipe, as well as the chow-chow recipes that follow. I went online and found many recipes and some interesting history about the puff candy. I also found there is quite a large fan club for the candy, and those who remember Mavrakos enjoyed theirs the best...

Are your big dinner party plans clashing with your small budget? Consider keeping your plates small, too. Spanish-style tapas are by definition low-budget, since they are small plates of food traditionally served at bars. Most can be prepared quickly and using inexpensive ingredients, allowing you to serve a varied and flavorful menu while keeping costs down...

The following items were released by the office of acting federal prosecutor Michael W. Reap. Sentencing Name: Terrvell Williams Age: 24 Residence: Cape Girardeau Sentence: 72 months Charges: two felony counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of cocaine base...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Plant detectives in Ssoutheast Missouri are on the lookout for soybean rust after the fungal disease turned up in Arkansas and parts of Mississippi. Soybean scouts from the University of Missouri's Delta Research Center in Portageville are collecting leaf samples from eight monitoring fields in southern Missouri. Budget cuts have forced the center to scale back its statewide testing program...

ST. LOUIS -- More than 90 Missouri nursing homes make payday loans to their own employees at high interest rates, then deduct payment of the loan, interest and fees from the workers' next paychecks, officials with the Better Business Bureau said Tuesday...

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A gunman who committed suicide after killing three women and wounding nine others at a Pittsburgh-area health club wanted to leave his estimated $225,000 estate to the University of Pittsburgh. ...

SEATTLE -- Voters in eco-conscious Seattle were deciding Tuesday whether to pay a 20-cent fee for every paper or plastic bag they get from supermarkets, drug stores and convenience stores. City leaders had passed an ordinance to charge the bag fee, which was to start in January. ...

MIAMI (AP) -- Bill became a major hurricane far out in the Atlantic on Tuesday, with winds whipping near 125 mph. The National Hurricane Center said people in the Leeward Islands should monitor Bill's progress. Hurricane hunter planes found that Bill, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, had strengthened to a Category 3 storm Tuesday night...

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea lost its most fervent champion of peace and democracy with the death of former president Kim Dae-jung, winner of the Nobel Prize for his efforts to foster reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. ...

WOODRIDGE, Ill. -- Many of the hockey players tearing around on the ice at the U.S. Olympic hockey orientation camp were toddlers when Mike Modano was picked first overall in the 1988 NHL draft by the Minnesota North Stars. One of them, Patrick Kane, hadn't even been born...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) -- California investigators are looking for up to six marijuana growers suspected of starting a large wildfire north of Santa Barbara with cooking gear. Investigators found about 30,000 marijuana plants near the origin of the fire in a remote canyon. ...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ivan Rodriguez is coming home to the Texas Rangers. The 14-time All-Star catcher who started his career with the Rangers at 19 was acquired in a trade Tuesday with the Houston Astros for minor league pitcher Matt Nevarez and two players to be named...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sean Weatherspoon might be getting the feeling he's the last man standing. Missouri's unanimous all-Big 12 linebacker is among the handful of standouts back from a team that won its second straight North division title while reaching double figures in victories for the first time. Gone are quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin and star tight end Chase Coffman...

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre unretired again and will be wearing purple this time. Chew on that, cheeseheads. Pulling an about-face on his playing status for the second straight summer, the three-time MVP quarterback will suit up for his old rival Minnesota starting with Friday's preseason game at the Metrodome. The goal: help the Vikings win that elusive first Super Bowl...

ST. LOUIS -- Marc Bulger survived three sacks in the preseason opener. Then a simple snap exchange resulted in a pinkie injury that will keep him out for two weeks -- and perhaps open the door for backup Kyle Boller. Bulger injured the finger on his passing hand taking a snap from Jason Brown in the Monday morning practice at Rams Park. X-rays revealed a small fracture in the finger. He has his fourth and pinkie fingers taped together...

WASHINGTON -- It's tough to find much compromise in the health-care debate, but at least someone is saying thanks for trying. The drug industry and a consumer advocacy group on Tuesday launched a $3.5 million ad campaign in the home states of 15 senators to thank them for being willing to work across the political divide. The group includes 13 Democrats and two Republicans...

Obergoenner, Matthews grab win Todd Obergoenner and Emily Matthews combined to shoot a 120 to win the Jacks 'n' Jennies golf tournament at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. The team of Brevin Giebler and Jo Billings shot a 127 to finish second in the championship flight...

ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright hit his second homer of the season in his last start. It's on the mound, though, where he really excels at going deep. The St. Louis Cardinals' 14-game winner has been an extraordinary innings eater. He has worked six or more innings in 23 consecutive starts heading into today's start at Los Angeles, a mark of tenacity for a pitcher best known for getting the final out of the 2006 World Series...