Stories from Sunday, September 16, 2001

NEW YORK -- The decision to call off today's games would have been disruption enough for the NFL -- unlike anything since the 1987 players' strike. This year, it's merely the latest in a series of setbacks and events, none on the scale of Korey Stringer's death...

BEECHER, Ill. -- They have been married for nearly eight decades, but Arthur and Filomena Ranieri still can't explain the secret to marital bliss. "You don't know. You take a chance," Arthur Ranieri, 103, said of taking the plunge back in 1922. His bride, Filomena, 100, sat at his side on a bench at the front of a local nursing home recently. The couple recently celebrated their 79th wedding anniversary in August...

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- A judge has thrown out all of the evidence against a Collinsville woman accused of cutting off her boyfriend's head and putting it in her freezer. Madison County Circuit Judge Charles Romani Jr. has ruled that police illegally searched Suzanne Johnson's apartment without a warrant...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge has granted a continuance in the criminal trial of the Kansas City pharmacist accused of diluting chemotherapy drugs. U.S. District Judge Ortrie D. Smith on Friday ordered Courtney's trial delayed until Feb. 4. Courtney's lawyers asked for the delay, saying they needed more time to prepare. Prosecutors had objected and wanted an Oct. 1 trial date...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Reading scores for students of the Kansas City School District did not improve enough to guarantee that the district will regain state accreditation and avoid a state takeover next year. The district's third-grade reading scores actually declined slightly, but the district retains its points toward accreditation in that area based on its gains over two years...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys for a man charged with abducting and killing a 9-year-old girl are asking a federal judge to release the names of potential jurors and sequester the final jurors during his trial. An Oct. 29 trial is scheduled for Keith D. Nelson, who is accused of snatching Pamela Butler from outside her Kansas City, Kan., home in 1999. He is charged with kidnapping and causing her death during a sexual assault...

AL-MARJ, Lebanon -- The Lebanese family of a man named as one of Tuesday's hijackers described him as a secular-minded student who had a girlfriend and drank alcohol -- not someone who would be inspired to terrorism by Islamic fundamentalism. As an investigation into the terror attacks spread internationally on Saturday, information about the suspected hijackers was surfacing in Lebanon, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and other countries...

LONDON -- Gently warming a patient's skin before an operation could reduce the risk of surgical wound infection by more than 60 percent, new research suggests. As bacteria that commonly infect surgical wounds become immune to antibiotics -- and therefore more life-threatening -- experts say the heating technique could be a valuable, simple alternative to giving antibiotics before surgery...

LUCKENWALDE, Germany -- It's a money swap on a scale never before witnessed -- but for thousands of elderly Europeans, the historic Jan. 1 rollout of euro cash is a case of been there, done that. "Not again!" complains 67-year-old pensioner Marianne Prehm of former East Germany. "I'd already been through two money changes and now we get this?"...

CAIRO, Egypt -- He is described as soft-spoken, a good listener and infused with the serenity of the deeply devout. His favorite hobby is riding Arabian horses. He is said to enjoy playing traditional healer, dispensing honey and herbs to the sick...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Bob Melia found the ancient burial ground behind the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Lab without turning a shovel of dirt. Which is good, because Melia was looking for the archaeological site from an airplane 1,100 feet up...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- If Corinne Wood becomes Illinois' next governor, she will enter office with a grand total of six years of major government experience -- much of it spent on the campaign trail. Another candidate, Rod Blagojevich, would bring just eight years of government experience to the job, half of it spent in Washington...

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- A Bloomington woman was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing her infant son. Lona R. Griffin, 21, was convicted of first-degree murder June 21 in the suffocation of 1-month-old Joseph Robb. Her son died Jan. 23. Before he handed down a sentence Friday, McLean County Circuit Judge Donald Bernardi told Griffin the case brought sadness to all involved...

KLETTWITZ, Germany -- Two-time CART champion Alex Zanardi lost both of his legs after his car was hit by another traveling about 200 mph Saturday during the American Memorial 500. CART officials described the 34-year-old Italian's condition as "stable" and said he lost one leg above the knee and one below. He was airlifted to a Berlin hospital for surgery...

ST. LOUIS -- Like most of the rest of the sporting world, the St. Louis Blues aren't playing their scheduled games this weekend. And that's fine with them. The Blues are in Anchorage, Alaska, for training camp. But the week's horrifying events stole away any chance of enjoying it...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Six-time NHL All-Star Peter Forsberg is taking a leave of absence after missing the Colorado Avalanche's run to the Stanley Cup title because of a ruptured spleen. "I'm not retiring," he said at a news conference Saturday at Stockholm's Globe Arena, where his team was practicing for an exhibition game against a Swedish club...

MONZA, Italy -- Michael Schumacher honored terrorist victims by driving a car with a black nose on a somber day of auto racing at the Italian Grand Prix. Schumacher, already assured the drivers' title, rode in a Ferrari without advertising for the second straight day as the usually grand celebration at Monza turned sober and respectful...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Under normal circumstances, Tony Stewart never takes a weekend off. Whenever NASCAR's not running, the racing junkie is usually scouring the country looking for a dirt track or some other venue where he can compete. These aren't normal circumstances...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Even before the smoke cleared from the terrorist attacks, Olympic organizers were busy working on ways to make the 2002 Winter Games safer. Some images that emerged from possible changes weren't pretty: Humvees mounted with machine guns guarding the Olympic Village, heavily armed soldiers patrolling the airport and long lines at security checkpoints outside venues...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The United States was a refuge for Rosemary Bichage, a haven where she would reclaim the life that terrorism suddenly took from her. She had no idea the terror would strike again, so unexpectedly and so close. "They are not giving up. They can hurt anybody. They can hurt anybody," Bichage said of Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A former Navy seaman's videotaped confessions to the killing of an officer 33 years ago should be suppressed because it was not voluntary, a federal judge has recommended. Michael LeBrun, a former Navy seaman, faces federal murder charges in the 1968 death of Lt. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Until Tuesday's terror attacks, Osama Yanis was living his American Dream -- naturalized U.S. citizen, owner of two college-town coffee shops, husband of a Missouri native, father of three. The dream has turned into a "nightmare" of rumors, tension and harassment, the Jordan-born Yanis says, because he shares a first name with the prime suspect in organizing Tuesday's deadly attacks on the United States, Osama bin Laden...

PARIS -- A suspected Islamic militant had been planning attacks on the U.S. Embassy and other American interests in France before he was detained in Belgium, a radio station reported Saturday. Richard Lankford, a spokes-man for the U.S. Embassy in Paris, said officials were aware of the report on Europe-1 radio but declined further comment...

SEOUL, South Korea -- Though divided by a sealed border and a half-century of conflict, South and North Korea were united Saturday in their condemnation of the terrorist acts in the United States. However, years of conflicts prevented them from making a joint statement at the start of their talks...

ROME -- A study by an international panel found no connection between electromagnetic emissions from Vatican Radio transmitters in a town outside Rome and leukemia rates in the area, Italy's health minister said Saturday. Residents near the transmitter in Santa Maria di Galeria have said they suspect some local leukemia cases may be linked to the emissions from Vatican Radio, which broadcasts the pope's words around the world in 40 languages...

NEW YORK -- Cranes and bulldozers picked away the heaviest pieces of what's left of the World Trade Center, but the real work was unfolding on a smaller scale: rescuers with plastic pails, toiling in the muck and stink, only able to look forward to more over the weekend...

Red, white and blue dotted the grounds Saturday, the final day of the SEMO District Fair, and most conversations seemed to be focused on the disaster on the East Coast and possible U.S. retaliation. Fair board member Pete Poe, who handles publicity for the fair, said he expects to see similar numbers to last year's attendance. The 2000 fair saw a combined total attendance of 103,101, a modest 3 percent increase over the year before...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Few companies have single-handedly changed a community the way Walt Disney World has since it opened the Magic Kingdom 30 years ago in a sleepy citrus and cattle town. Orlando is now the home of seven of the world's most popular theme parks, has more than 100,000 hotel rooms and attracts more than 40 million visitors a year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After just eight workdays and scant partisan division, the General Assembly completed a legislative hat trick and wrapped up its special session. Gov. Bob Holden called lawmakers back to town Sept. 5 to complete work on two tasks left unfinished when the regular legislative session ended in May -- passing a prescription drug program for senior citizens and changing a livestock pricing law that some felt was hurting small farmers. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A former Intel Corp. employee pleaded guilty to copying vital trade secret information about a new computer chip that the company developed. Say Lye Ow entered his plea Friday under the federal Economic Espionage Act for his role in illegally copying trade secret information...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Bob and Laraine Adams hope a lawsuit will put the brakes on high-speed police chases in the aftermath of the death of their 22-year-old daughter, the victim of a fatal car accident three years ago that they say could have been avoided...

PORT ISABEL, Texas -- A group of barges smashed a 160-foot section out of the only bridge leading to popular South Padre Island early Saturday and at least five people died after their vehicles plunged into the water 85 feet below. An unknown number of people were missing. Thirteen were rescued from the Laguna Madre, part of the Intracoastal Waterway shipping route along the Gulf Coast and two were hospitalized...

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. -- Louie Jensen doesn't know whether to eat it or display it. The Mount Pleasant resident grew a puffball mushroom weighing 14.18 pounds -- or, more accurately, found it growing on a hill in his backyard. "Imagine something big, round and white that would fit on your entire car floorboard," said Carol Howard, Jensen's neighbor. "It's like it's from outer space."...

Terrorism couldn't take away the smiles and laughter of countless children enjoying life on the carnival rides at the SEMO District Fair. In a way, this year's fair was a blessing, a visible monument to the fact that family life goes on even in the worst of times...

Mary E. Collins doesn't see a problem with a proposed boundary change for Cape Girardeau's six city wards that would push her from Ward 4 to Ward 1. It means that, if the council approves the change Monday night, her new councilman soon will be Frank Stoffregen instead of Hugh White...

NEW YORK -- Airlines are cutting back service dramatically to avoid bankruptcy after the terrorist attacks, with three major carriers reducing their schedules by 20 percent and one of them -- Continental -- laying off 12,000 employees. American and Northwest did not specify how many jobs would be affected by their reduction in service...

A scissors-wielding robot arm cut the ribbon Saturday and sent red, white and blue balloons soaring into the sunny sky at the dedication of the nearly $9 million Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building at Southeast Missouri State University. The high-tech ribbon-cutting followed a 1 1/2-hour ceremony under a large red and white tent at which dignitaries talked of both patriotism and the polytechnic school. Over 200 people attended the event, many of them standing outside the tent...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli forces fired missiles from the air and from the ground Saturday at three separate Palestinian security targets in the Gaza Strip, injuring 12 Palestinians and damaging buildings, witnesses and officials said. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said the Israeli strikes were intended to scuttle truce talks that had been tentatively planned for Sunday between him and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres...

GENEVA -- Completing a 15-year quest, China secured an agreement Saturday on the terms of its membership in the World Trade Organization, setting the stage for the world's most populous nation to become a full member early next year. China's entry into the rules-making body for world trade will have far-reaching implications for everyone from American farmers to Chinese auto workers. It will open its state-dominated economy to imports but will also lead to an upsurge in Chinese exports...

NEW YORK -- To the crossword puzzle aficionado, "asp" is the snake that did in Cleopatra. Now, in the 2001 edition of Random House Webster's College Dictionary, comes ASP, meaning "Application Service Provider." At the other end of the list of more than 100 new entries in Webster's is WML, or "Wireless Markup Language."...

LOS ANGELES -- What about Elliott Baines will not be like James Cromwell? Cromwell responds to this question with a long silence. Eventually he says, "Well." He falls silent again. Then he says, "I don't know." Smiling, the 61-year-old actor confesses it's satisfying to finally play someone whose nature and beliefs are close to his own...

NEW YORK -- The World Trade Center toppling in "Deep Impact." Terrorists taking over an office building in "Die Hard." The White House and Empire State Building blowing up in "Independence Day." Suddenly, none of it seems so crazy. Since hijacked jets smashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, our whole idea of "imaginary" has been permanently transformed. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- As if stalkers and paparazzi weren't enough for celebrities to worry about, what if human cloning could some day become so easy that their very DNA could be targeted by over-adoring fans? That table napkin tossed aside by Ricky Martin could be delivered to an unscrupulous laboratory and voila! ... nine months later, an exact human copy of the Livin' La Vida Loca king is born without his permission...

NEW YORK -- They are among the most secretive of America's law enforcers -- a team of armed commandos who travel incognito on planes to watch for hijackers. Most Americans have never heard of the Federal Air Marshals, and the government likes it that way. But the airborne attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have led to promises from the Bush administration to expand the shadowy force, despite questions about whether they really deter terrorism...

In the heart of Manhattan, in Washington's suburbs, in saddened towns elsewhere, mourners grieved and reminisced Saturday at the first wave of services for the terror attacks' victims -- a fearless priest, a feisty TV commentator, a mother and her 4-year-old daughter...

NEW YORK -- The nation's big stock markets completed a successful test of their computer and communications systems Saturday, clearing the way for trading to resume Monday. "Based on today's evaluation of our systems ... at 9:30 Monday morning trading will resume," New York Stock Exchange Chairman Richard A. Grasso said...

Some of the details might be a bit fuzzy, but over the years there have been many memorable sporting events -- both locally and nationally -- that I'll never forget. But probably nothing I've ever witnessed on a playing field will be etched into my memory more clearly than Tuesday's stunning terrorist attacks on the East Coast...

ST. LOUIS -- Four hours on the field Saturday helped the St. Louis Cardinals get back into a baseball frame of mind. The team practiced for two hours followed by a seven-inning intrasquad game, with Matt Morris and Woody Williams the starting pitchers. It was an effort to get geared up for Monday, when major league games resume after six days off in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington...

Moral relativists have obfuscated right from wrong for many years now, explaining away what is bad as merely a difference of perspective or circumstance. On Tuesday, evil was revealed, and its existence should not be diminished. The deaths in New York City were not collateral casualties in a war, which are in themselves troubling, but they were the result of innocent civilians directly and specifically targeted. ...

Mary Susan Hogan Sharp and Paul Nathan Babb were married Aug. 10, 2001, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Milton F. Ryan performed the double ring ceremony. Musician was Jeffrey Overbey of Cape Girardeau. Vocalists were Jessica Sharp of Cape Girardeau, daughter of the bride, and Barbara Sharp of Aurora, Colo., sister-in-law of the bride...

Julie Michelle Glosemeyer and David Richard Ellis were married Oct. 7, 2000, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Dan Schulte performed the double ring ceremony. Readers were Ann Knaup of Jackson, Mo., and William Henderson of Memphis, Tenn. Giftbearers were Bud and Judie Stone of St. Louis, godparents of the bride...

Rebecca Anne Ogborn became the bride of John Edward Zytynski Sept. 1, 2001, at Centenary United Methodist Church. Dr. Clayton L. Smith performed the double ring, candlelight ceremony. Readers were Jennifer Butz of Laurel, Md., cousin of the bride, and Robert Mainord Jr. of Santa Monica, Calif. Organist was Beverly Reece of Cape Girardeau. Additional music was presented by a string quartet composed of Beverly Reece, Eric Miller, Kyle Miller and Dr. Gary Miller, all of Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Julie M. Ponder and Robert D. Tucker were married Aug. 10, 2001, at Zion Lutheran Church in Lincoln, Ill. The Rev. Mark Carnahan performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist was Eleanor Gunderman. The bride is the daughter of Donald and Carol Ponder of Lincoln, Ill. The groom is the son of Linda Warr of Scott City and Roger Tucker of Thebes, Ill...

Dr. Hartmut Krafft and his wife, Ruth, of Munich, Germany, recently made a cash donation of $10,000 to increase the principal of the German Language Scholarship to $53,677 at Southeast Missouri State University. Dr. Krafft is a lawyer in Munich. His wife and her sister, Christine Wenninger, were exchange students at Southeast Missouri State University during the 1972-1973 and 1962-1963 school years, respectively. ...

10 years ago: Sept. 16, 1991 Murphysboro, Ill. - While touring recent hardwood timber cuts in Shawnee National Forest yesterday, U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard, D-Ill., called for one-year moratorium on timber harvesting in the forest; moratorium is needed, he said, because environmental and economic "soundness" of timber harvesting in national forests still needs to be debated...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Lucille Hudson, 99, of Mound City died Saturday, Sept. 15, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Barkett Funeral Home in Mound City.

WHITTINGTON, Ill. -- Mazie Smith, 100, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Sept. 8, 2001 at Eldercare in Marble Hill, Mo. She was born March 17, 1901, in Whittington, Ill., daughter of William and Libbie Taylor Whittington. Survivors include a sister, Mae Taylor of Ewing, Ill.; and three grandsons, William L. Mills of Lubbock, Texas, Dale Pickett of Jefferson City, Mo., and Jerry Pickett, of Mesquite, Nev...

Flags in windows THANK YOU, Southeast Missourian, for printing the flag again. That means a lot to my family. I hope everyone is taking it out and putting it in their windows. I know my neighborhood is. Thank you. Racism is gone NOW IS the time to forget about racism. ...

La Croix United Methodist Church was the setting April 28, 2001, for the wedding of Kara Michelle Ebaugh and Ronny Issa Askar. The Rev. Ron Watts performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist and soloist was Chris Nall of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the bride are Paul and Jeanne Ebaugh of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Abdo and Najah Askar of Burbank, Calif...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Larry and Dianne Brown of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Ann Brown of Cape Girardeau, to Luther Kirk Strickland. He is the son of Jesse and Elizabeth Strickland of Kelso, Mo. Brown is a graduate of St. Vincent High School. She is a sales representative with Southwestern Bell Telephone in Cape Girardeau...

Ron and Glenda Farrow of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their son, Ronald Farrow, to Brandi Sebastian. She is the daughter of Larry and Pam Sebastian of Farmington, Mo. Sebastian is a 1997 graduate of Farmington High School. She is a floral arranger at Walter Knoll Florist in St. Louis...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Mr. and Mrs. Sam McCoy of Olive Branch are observing their 50th wedding anniversary today. McCoy and Willa Fern Haslauer were married Sept. 16, 1951, by the Rev. Howard Wicker at the Trinity Assembly of God Church parsonage in Olive Branch...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Stroup of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Ann Stroup, to Adam Ray Esterline. He is the son of Rhonda Lowery of Dexter, Mo., and Ray Esterline of Dixon, Mo. Stroup is a 1996 graduate of Chaffee High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University in 1999. She is a mortgage loan coordinator at Truman Bank in St. Louis...

BENTON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lynn of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Donna Jean Lynn, to Jason Joseph Claes. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Claes of St. Charles, Mo. Lynn is a 1994 graduate of Kelly High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy in 1999. She is a second year student at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia...

Gary and Peggy Waterland of Arnold, Mo., and Thomas Castleberry of House Springs, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Stacy Marie Castleberry, to Anthony Eugene McCallister. He is the son of Eugene and Judith McCallister of Foristell, Mo...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Dale and Winnie Seabaugh of Jackson announce the engagement of their son, John Dayton Seabaugh, to Terri Michelle Reese. She is the daughter of Terry and Karen Reese of Foley, Mo. Reese is a 1996 graduate of Cornerstone Christian Homeschool, and a 1997 graduate of Hickey Business School. She is employed at Husch and Eppenberger, LLL, law firm in St. Louis...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mae Stokes of Sikeston and James and Marcia Scherer of Oran, Mo., announce the engagement of their children, Michelle Turner and Gilbert Scherer. Turner is a 1990 graduate of Sikeston High School. She is employed by Withers Broadcasting in Cape Girardeau...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Mike and Autumn Hughey of Altenburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Amber Joy Hughey, to Rex L. Overbey II. He is the son of Rex and Opal Overbey of Leopold, Mo. Hughey is a 1998 graduate of Perryville High School, and is majoring in advertising at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Tric's Family Restaurant...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Asher of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Lynn Asher, to Kristan Dee Daniel. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Randy Daniel of New Hamburg, Mo. Asher is employed at Dana Corp. in Cape Girardeau...

Rachel Packard and Gregg Wilhelm announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Daniel and Ruth Houser of Arnold, Mo. He is the son of Raymond and Sandra Wilhelm of Cape Girardeau. Packard received a bachelor's degree in engineering management from the University of Missouri-Rolla. She is head of the design department at Missouri Department of Transportation in Chesterfield...

To the editor: Thank God this attack on our country did not happen a year ago. We have a man in the White House that has a decent idea of what the military is for. It is easy for an ignorant person to say bomb that place of destroy that position. That would not be taking action but simply reacting. ...

To the editor: Television and computers never will be reality. To many people, war is an innocuous spectacle. They believe America should have zero casualties in a war that is fought from a distance with jets and offshore artillery. This thinking is a detriment to our national security, our future and the well-being of our children...

PEORIA, Ill. -- Over the past few decades, Illinois has built a reputation among whitetail deer hunters as a place with abundant opportunities to take trophy bucks. Out-of-state hunters normally flock here for the chance to kill a big deer with an impressive set of antlers, results of successful herd management and months of grazing on corn and other crops. ...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Sept. 16 On Friday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 5:47 p.m., an emergency medical service at 202 South Pacific. On Saturday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 1:45 a.m., an emergency medical service at 422 Good Hope...

The American Red Cross has changed this week's blood drive schedule in order to work in a collection in Dunklin County, said coordinator David Palmer. Originally scheduled to be at the Southeast Missouri State University Center Monday through Thursday, the Red Cross will be holding a blood drive from 2-7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Kennett Monday...

LOS ANGELES -- A gang member convicted of killing a policeman in retaliation for being arrested in front of his girlfriend was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Catarino Gonzalez Jr., 23, convicted in June of first-degree murder. Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry sentenced him Friday...

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A former employee at Los Angeles International Airport was sentenced to five years in prison for twice smuggling firearms past security checkpoints. Lionel Rodriguez, 31, was accused of smuggling five unloaded firearms, four fake hand grenades and several defused explosives past security checkpoints in November 1999. A month before, Rodriguez had sneaked five guns past airport security, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Jean A. Kawahara...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush ordered U.S. troops to get ready for war and braced Americans for a long, difficult assault against terrorists to avenge the deadliest attack on the nation. "Those who make war against the United States have chosen their own destruction," he declared Saturday...

WASHINGTON -- A second arrest warrant for a material witness in the hijackings investigation was issued by federal prosecutors in New York, the Justice Department said Saturday. The person had not yet been arrested at the time the warrant was issued...

WASHINGTON -- Afghanistan is far on the other side of the world in a rough neighborhood where a superpower has tripped once before, and not long ago. But the U.S. military believes it has the long arm and firepower to strike inside Afghanistan, if President Bush decides to retaliate for terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon...

WASHINGTON -- About 7,000 years ago an unknown artist in what is now the African republic of Niger was so impressed with the local giraffes that he or she chiseled a life-size sculpture of a pair of them onto a stone outcropping in the desert. The original couldn't be taken away when it was found in 1997. ...

GREEN BANK, W.Va. -- Rising out of the mist in this Appalachian valley, the stark white disc towers above the countryside, looking more like a flying saucer than the most advanced listening device in the world. Taller than the Statue of Liberty, the Robert C. Byrd Telescope shares the valley with a half-dozen other white discs, all pointing toward the cosmos...

WASHINGTON -- The Enola Gay, the plane used in the bombing of Hiroshima, is headed for restoration and then will be put on display two years from now, much as it looked in 1945. The plane that ushered in the atomic age has been transported to a storage and restoration facility in Suitland, Md...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Sept. 15 DWIJames Berghoff, 31, was arrested Friday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsRobin Melton, 42, Stoddard County, was arrested Friday for failure to appear. Cara Jean Mason, 21, 508 Cape Meadows, was arrested Saturday for contempt of court...

The nation's church is on a hill overlooking the U.S. capital. Although it is the cathedral of the Episcopal Church's Diocese of Washington, the imposing Gothic structure has always served as the gathering place for the entire country whenever events lead Americans to seek religious solace and refuge...

In light of the recent tragic attacks in our country, it is difficult to write about fishing. It just seems so insignificant considering the loss of life, injuries, and destruction that have occurred. However, I will give it my best shot. Many of us love to fish and, in fact, it is my favorite pastime. ...

Department of Conservation JEFFERSON CITY - How colorful will Missouri's fall foliage be this year? The answer, according to foresters with the Missouri Department of Conservation, is "It depends." First, it depends on where you live. If you live in central, northwestern, east central or southwestern Missouri, chances are you will get to see a nice display of autumn reds and golds, maybe even an excellent one. ...

LAKES Bull Shoals (East): 86 degrees, low, dingy; bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye fair. Clearwater Lake: normal, clear; catfish and largemouth bass fair. Council Bluff: 83 degrees, normal, clear; crappie good on small and medium size minnows early p.m. ...

The way Southeast Missouri State University's offense was lighting things up in the first half Saturday night, Southwest Missouri State coach Randy Ball knew his defense would have to step up or else the Bears might be run out of Houck Stadium. Ball got his wish -- and the Bears were able to escape Cape Girardeau with a hard-earned 31-28 victory, thanks mainly to the fact SMS was able to hold Southeast scoreless over the final two quarters...

ST. LOUIS -- Notre Dame picked up possibly the biggest win in the history of its soccer program with a 1-0 victory over nemesis St. Mary's Saturday at the Anheuser-Busch Conference & Sports Center. Tyler Cuba, who learned of his grandmother's death shortly before the start of the game, scored the night's only goal when he scored with two minutes left in the first half...

There are a lot of runners who would like to have Kim Pancoast's "dead legs." Pancoast took fourth place in the 37th annual, 15-team Cape Central Invitational cross country meet Saturday, leading her Lady Tiger teammates to first place. But Pancoast was disappointed in her time of 17:57 on the 2.6-mile course, the same course that she finished in 17:38 last year, good for first place...

Monday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Study session at 5 p.m. Public hearings Consent ordinances An ordinance amending Section 16-33 of the city code relating to motorcycle safety trust fund. An ordinance amending Chapter 16 and Chapter 24 of the city code to remove the words "street foreman."...

Perched on a hilltop, this 2.85 acre Kelley Court setting offers a fantastic view of the surrounding area. Breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the serenity. Travel to the back of the home for a change of pace. Tall trees on the hillside help to add privacy to the in-ground diving pool and surrounding deck area. ...

To the untrained eye, it's easy to assume that all strawberry jams are alike in color and consistency, if not taste, but Patti Jones knows better. "I like a really bright color," she says as Dianne Rellergert and Carol Trankler unscrew rings and pry off lids from jars lined in a row inside the A.C. Brase Arena Building...

Here are the remarks of President Bush during the National Day of Prayer and Remembrance service: We are here in the middle hour of our grief. So many have suffered so great a loss, and today we express our nation's sorrow. We come before God to pray for the missing and the dead, and for those who loved them....

The expression, "There you go," has reached the ranks of the ubiquitous "you know," and "basically." But because of its several meanings and different word accents it is more tolerable. In fact, it can be welcomed to hear. When someone says, "There you go," when he/she has witnessed some minor or possibly major achievement it is good and satisfying to hear. ...