Region digest 06/16/05

Sikeston police arrest 14 following June 5 fracas

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Fourteen people have been arrested after a disturbance in Sikeston earlier this month that injured an officer. Capt. Dan Armour of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety said a crowd of about 80 people gathered at the corner of Ruth and Branum streets the night of June 5 to watch an altercation. When an officer arrived, the crowd threw bottles, rocks and other debris. The officer was hit in the knee with a concrete block but was not seriously injured. According to police, those arrested were charged with a number of crimes, including refusal of a reasonable request of an officer and disorderly conduct.

Perryville man faces rape and drug charges

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Perryville man faces rape and drug charges following the accusation of a 12-year-old girl. Joshua Jay Fry, 22, was arrested June 9 for allegedly raping the girl in his home May 18. Perryville police chief Keith Tarrillion said the girl did not come forward right away, and the Division of Family Services reported the incident to police May 31. Police said they had already been investigating Fry after receiving information that he was trying to get chemicals to produce methamphetamine. Officers found some chemicals used to make the drug in a garage near Fry's home. Fry's charges include first-degree statutory rape, first-degree statutory sodomy and possession of chemicals to manufacture a controlled substance. He is being held at the Perry County jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond.

Friday program evokes ghosts of Cape Girardeau

Lorimier Cemetery will come alive Friday with the ghosts of Cape Girardeau's past, as local re-enactors play the parts of some of the members of the city's historical families. The program, called "Legends and Ghosts of Louis Lorimier," will begin at about 7:30 p.m. The program is free. For more information, call 335-3302.

Neighborhood group will discuss watch program

Neighborhood Connections will have its first official meeting tonight to discuss the possibility of creating a new neighborhood watch program. The group, a local outreach organization for those who live and work in the area between Spanish, Sprigg, North and Independence streets, will meet with Cape Girardeau police representatives to discuss the benefits of a watch program. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, at the corner of Fountain and Themis streets.

Audit: State could save by coordinating buys

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state could save money if agencies coordinate better when buying heavy equipment, according to a state audit released Wednesday. The audit says the Transportation, Conservation and Natural Resources departments together spent about $31 million in the 2003 and 2004 fiscal years on heavy equipment. About $10 million of that was spent on equipment that was similar to items bought by one of the other agencies. But auditors said it was impossible to know how much the state could have saved.

-- From staff, wire reports