Ferrell honored

Longtime federal prosecutor Larry Ferrell, center, is bracketed by Associate Circuit Judge Blake Pearson of Scott County and Naz Shareef of Topeka, Kansas, at a retirement reception for Ferrell at Katy O'Ferrell's Irish Pub and Restaurant in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday. Ferrell served 26 years as assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri and led the office in Cape Girardeau since its inception in 1991. Ferrell also was part of the U.S. team advising Iraqi prosecutors in presenting evidence of war crimes in the trial of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Naz Shareef, originally from Kurdistan, served as translator and cultural adviser for his team in Iraq. Ferrell was instrumental in helping Shareef attain U.S. citizenship after service to the U.S. military. Friends and colleagues of Ferrell, including a constellation of judicial officials and law enforcement leaders, filled the restaurant to celebrate his service.