Region digest 09/28/05

Cape teen faces charges in three cases

A Cape Girardeau teen who left Missouri after being charged with selling crack has several court dates in coming weeks. Lorenzo Tate, 17, will appear before Circuit Judge William Syler today for a probation violation hearing. Tate pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor theft charge and received a suspended sentence of 90 days in jail. On Oct. 18, Tate will have a preliminary hearing on charges that he sold crack on June 17 to an undercover agent on South Hanover Street. The same day, he has another preliminary hearing on charges of possessing crack and leaving the scene of an accident for an incident that occurred June 21. Tate traveled to Atlanta after charges were filed for the June 21 incident. Evansville, Ind., police arrested Tate Sept. 17 while he was on a Greyhound bus headed for St. Louis. Tate is being held at the Cape Girardeau County Jail. Bond was set at $25,000.

Buick strikes truck, spins, hits moped

Three people received minor injuries when a car hit a truck and a moped early Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Sprigg Street and Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau. James Minton, 71, of Cape Girardeau was driving north through the intersection when Martha Violes, 69, of Arnold, Mo., struck the side of his truck with her Buick Century. Both vehicles spun, and the car struck a moped that had stopped at the intersection. Voiles, the moped's driver, Jackie Burton, 50, of Cape Girardeau, and a passenger in the truck, Larry Bannister, 71, of Cape Girardeau, were taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Minton and another passenger in the truck were not injured.

Subpoena of doctors sought in Limbaugh case

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Prosecutors investigating Cape Girardeau native Rush Limbaugh over his use of prescription painkillers want to subpoena the radio commentator's doctors and the doctors' employees, according to a motion filed Tuesday. Limbaugh's attorneys are fighting the move, arguing that the doctors' testimony could reveal privileged medical information. Assistant state attorney James Martz told the court he would ask the witnesses only about matters relating to their investigation of Limbaugh's possible "doctor shopping." Limbaugh acknowledged an addiction to pain medication, attributing it to severe back pain, and took a five-week leave from his radio show to enter a rehabilitation program in October 2003.

Buchanan Co. auditor running for state auditor

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Buchanan County Auditor Susan Montee said Tuesday that she will seek the Democratic nomination for state auditor and kick-start her campaign with $500,000 of her own money. Montee, 46, is a certified public accountant and a lawyer -- two qualifications she plans to tout in her first statewide race. She is seeking to succeed Democratic State Auditor Claire McCaskill, who is challenging Republican Sen. Jim Talent in 2006 instead of seeking re-election. Two suburban St. Louis Republicans -- state Rep. Jack Jackson, of Wildwood, and state Sen. John Loudon, of Ballwin -- already have said they are running for state auditor. Other Republicans also are considering the race, including House Speaker Rod Jetton, of Marble Hill.

Cape woman charged with endangering son

Numerous visits to the hospital and toxic levels of anti-seizure medication led hospital staff and police officers to believe that a Cape Girardeau woman had intentionally overmedicated her son. Holly K. Hency, 26, faces felony charges of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. The charges were filed Sept. 16 by the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney. She was released on a $30,000 bond Sept. 21. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 17. According to the probable cause statement, staff at Southeast Missouri Hospital reported that Hency's 4-year-old son, Austin, had visted the emergency room four times in one month and two other times at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. On each of the four visits, toxicology screenings revealed dangerously high levels of Depokote, a medication used to treat epilepsy, migranes and bipolar disorder.

New Cape recycling center to open Saturday

Cape Girardeau will close its recycling drop-off facility at 120 N. Broadview St. at noon on Friday and open its new recycling center at 9 a.m. Saturday at 2007 Southern Expressway. The new center is at the city's recently opened public works building, city officials said. The recycling center will operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The Saturday hours will extend through Oct. 29. The recycling facility then will be closed on Saturdays until next spring. Saturday hours will resume on April 1, city officials said.

-- From staff, wire reports