Region digest 1/29/02

Cape man pleads guilty to meth charge

A Cape Girardeau man pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to manufacture methamphetamine.

Patrick W. Scholl, 31, of 1537 N. Water St. faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines for two felony drug charges.

With his plea, Scholl admitted that he was working on a batch of methamphetamine and that police caught him when they searched his car May 30. During the search, officers from the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and Cape Girardeau police found a number of meth-related items.

Special assistant U.S. attorney Abbie Crites-Leoni prosecuted the case. Sentencing has been set for April 29.

Bootheel man sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison

A Portageville, Mo., man was sentenced Monday to 8 1/2 years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber sentenced Buddy W. Newsom, 36, on a charge of a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On Nov. 12, 2000, Missouri conservation agents found Newsom with a loaded Marlin .30-.30 caliber rifle at a deer camp in Carter County, Mo.

Since Newsom had previously been convicted of 14 felony offenses, including seven burglaries and one conviction for escape from confinement, he is prohibited from handling a gun.

Gov. Holden names new student regent at SEMO

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden has appointed Laura Hockensmith, 20, of St. Louis to serve as the new student regent at Southeast Missouri State University. Hockensmith is pursuing a marketing degree at Southeast. She is a member of student government and the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

She will serve a term running through May 1, 2003.

Student regents on public college boards in Missouri don't have voting power.

Hockensmith replaces Doug McDermott whose term ended Jan. 2. She is expected to begin her duties as student regent once she is confirmed by the state Senate.

Capital improvements program given council

Cape Girardeau city planner Kent Bratton submitted the first draft of the 2002-2007 capital improvements program to the city council Monday night.

The document will not be in actual proposed form until the council has completed its review and the document is ready for public hearing. A public hearing on the program is scheduled for Feb. 19. The program is available at city hall.

Forum to be televised tonight on Channel 5

The mayoral candidate forum that took place on Jan. 15 will be aired for the final time at 6 p.m. today on Channel 5. The candidates are Jay Knudtson, Melvin Gateley, Walter White and Stan Wicks. The primary election is Feb. 5.

Cape recreation guide put on city Web site

The Cape Girardeau 2002 recreation program guide is now on the city's Web site.

The address is www.cityofcapegirardeau.org.

Program registration forms are also online but they still need to be completed manually and signed to be official.

-- From staff reports