Region briefs 09/25/02

Two injured Monday after car hits house

PERKINS, Mo. -- Two women were seriously injured Monday night after the driver lost control of her car and drove into a house in Perkins.

Michelle D. Cornelius, 36, of Oran, Mo., was southbound on Route P when her 1992 Chevrolet went off the right side of the roadway and struck a home.

Cornelius and her passenger, 34-year-old Rena Pullum of Benton, Mo., each received serious injuries and were taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

When contacted Tuesday, Cornelius' son, David, said his mother was still in serious condition at the hospital with a broken neck.

"They think she'll be OK, though," he said. "It will take quite a while for her to heal, but they said she has no major nerve damage. The doctors said she was really lucky."

Hospital officials listed Pullum's condition as "good."

The incident was investigated by Trooper R.D. Pipkin.

Absentee ballots not ready in Stoddard County

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Absentee ballots for the November election are not ready in Stoddard County. County Clerk Don White said the ballots won't be ready for a while, because of a last-minute statewide proposition being placed on the ballot proposing a cigarette-tax increase.

White said he feels in order to avoid such problems there should be cutoff dates, even for judges. "I don't have a problem with these propositions," White said. "I'm just saying it should all be done in a timely fashion instead of at the last minute."

As a result of the delayed ballots, White said his office is now taking voter information such as a voter's name, address and other contact information so absentee ballots may be mailed to them.

Ethics Commission dismisses GOP complaint

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Ethics Commission has found no basis for Republican allegations that House Speaker Jim Kreider illegally controlled a political committee after becoming a candidate for state Senate.

The Ethics Commission had been investigating a Republican complaint claiming that Kreider, D-Nixa, controlled Victory Including State Individuals of Nixa -- also known as VISION 2002 -- after entering the Senate race.

Under state law, candidates for political office are prohibited from forming, controlling or directing continuing political committees that are not subject to campaign contribution limits.

"I am very glad to hear that they have moved on this," Kreider said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "We were confident that we would be cleared."

Missouri Republican Party spokesman Scott Baker said the party still believes the committee was controlled by Kreider so he could channel additional contributions to his Senate campaign.

-- From wire reports