Region digest 04/13/05

Soap Box Derby route set; clinic to be held

Racers have familiar ground to look forward to at this year's fifth annual All-American Soap Box Derby, as organizers dismissed the idea of moving the races to the shorter stretch of Ellis Street. The derby will be May 7 at its traditional route along North Sprigg Street in front of Blanchard Elementary School. The races begin at 9 a.m., but participants should arrive an hour early. The clinic for assembling cars wil be from 8 a.m. till noon Saturday at the Southeast Missouri Hospital parking garage. The Cape Girardeau Rotary Club sponsors the event, which qualifies the champion for the July national races in Akron, Ohio. For more information, call Mary Miller at 651-5870.

Scott City woman pleads guilty to drug charge

A Scott City woman pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a felony count of unlawful possession of pseudoephedrine. Andrea Long admitted that on Jan. 10, she purchased two boxes of pseudoephedrine and a package of eight lithium batteries at two different stores in one day. Officers later searched her vehicle and also found methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She also admitted she had bought the items for others and she knew they would be used for making methamphetamines. Long was on probation for attempted manufacture of a controlled substance at the time of her arrest. She now faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for July 12 in Cape Girardeau.

Two men sentenced on firearm charges

Billy J. Mitchell, 41, of Puxico, Mo., was sentenced to 30 months in prison Tuesday in federal court. Mitchell had previously admitted to being a felon in possession of a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle that was found at his home. He had been convicted of rape in 1993. The same day, William Perkins, 43, of Sedgewickville, Mo., was sentenced to 37 months in prison on a felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Perkins had admitted to possessing four firearms and several rounds of ammunition that were found at his home. He had previously been convicted of possession of a short-barrelled shotgun.