Region digest 1/8/03

Portions of interstates restricted for repairs

Traffic on two area interstates will be restricted this week so that crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation can make repairs.

Interstate 55 near Benton will be restricted to one lane until Thursday so that repairs can be made to the Ramsey Creek bridge on Interstate 55 about four miles north of the intersection of Highway 77.

Northbound traffic will be restricted to one lane daily while repairs are being made.

The work began Tuesday and should be finished by Thursday afternoon.

Traffic along portions of Interstate 57 in Mississippi County also is reduced to one lane as repairs continue.

The concrete repairs are three miles north of the intersection with I-55. Northbound traffic on I-57 in that area is reduced to one lane but should be restored by noon today.

Southbound traffic on the interstate west of Highway 105 also is restricted because of repairs. It should be open to both lanes of traffic by Friday.

Appeals board will hold public hearing on codes

The Cape Girardeau Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Osage Centre on the proposed new building codes.

The hearing is to consider comments made at the Dec. 16 city council public hearing and to make specific recommendations to the council on the codes.

At the December hearing, several contractors raised issues regarding the proposed codes, including seismic design for residential, egress requirements for basements and proposed changes to the electrical code.

The board of appeals reviewed the proposed codes over the past two years. It is considering a total of seven model codes, all adopted by the International Code Council. Currently, the city uses a combination of model codes from various sources.

Cape man sentenced

for unlawful possession

A Cape Girardeau man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition.

Michael J. Farrow, 43, was sentenced to 43 months on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

On Jan. 27, 2002, Cape Girardeau police responded to a call at Farrow's home. While there, police were told by his wife, Ann S. Farrow, that he had obtained a shotgun.

Farrow had been previously convicted of felony stealing and selling an imitation controlled substance.

Robber sentenced

to additional terms

A convicted murderer serving prison time on an unrelated robbery charge was sentenced Monday in Scott County to two additional 30-year terms for first-degree robbery.

In November 2002, a jury found James L. Woodson, 39, guilty of two Cape Girardeau robberies. Prosecutors said Woodson used a handgun to rob the Citgo convenience store at 263 Farrar Drive on Aug. 19, 1999, and a Pizza Hut restaurant, formerly at 703 Broadway, three days later.

Woodson will serve the two sentences concurrently. Assistant prosecutor Ian Sutherland handled the case, which was moved to Scott County on change of venue.

Woodson was convicted in July 2002 of first-degree robbery in Scott County and sentenced in October to 25 years in prison.

Woodson was charged as a prior and persistent offender because of two 1980 convictions for murder and burglary in Alexander County, Ill., the prosecutor's office said.

-- From staff reports