Region/state briefs 01/17/03

Perryville woman injured in snow-related accident

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Perryville woman sustained moderate injuries Thursday morning when her vehicle slid off a snow-covered road and hit a tree.

Natalie Roy, 22, was taken to Perry County Memorial Hospital after the 8 a.m. accident.

The mishap occurred near on Route T, .8 mile west of Perry County Road 700.

River rising prompts opening of closed areas

ST. LOUIS -- The Mississippi River was beginning to creep back up Thursday after nearing a historic low at St. Louis, with some barge traffic resuming and a riverboat casino reopening.

The river level was up only two-tenths of a foot at St. Louis, but the U.S. Coast Guard forecast called for a one-foot rise over the next several days, Lt. Chris O'Neil said. As a result, the Coast Guard reopened two two-mile stretches that had been closed a day earlier -- one near Ste. Genevieve, Mo., about 60 miles north of Cape Girardeau, and near the Jefferson Barracks bridge in south St. Louis County.

Still, restrictions continued Thursday. Barges drafting more than nine feet still were barred from the two sections, O'Neil said. The Coast Guard also advised, but didn't demand, that southbound tows include no more than 20 barges, and that northbound tows be limited to 24 barges.

Hospital expected to release Kingery today

JEFFERSON CITY -- State Rep. Gayle Kingery, R-Poplar Bluff, is recovering well from a cardiac stent procedure and was expected to be released from St. Mary's Hospital in Jefferson City this morning, according to Peggy Heidbreder, Kingery's legislative assistant.

Kingery, 63, experienced chest pains Tuesday and was taken to the hospital where doctors found 80 percent blockage in one of his arteries.

"We saw him yesterday. He was doing just fine," said Jerry Long of Poplar Bluff. "He had had the catheter procedure yesterday morning and had the stent put in.

"He was really feeling good, visiting and talking, wanting to get back to work."

Heidbreder said KIngery would be staying at his place in Jefferson City for a few days recovering.

Kingery, a freshman representative, was elected to the House in November, replacing Mark Richardson, who was term-limited.

Felon jailed after giving false name to police

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Providing someone else's name to police during a vehicle stop has landed a four-time felon back in the pen.

Charles E. "Chocolate" Harris, 39, of Haywood City, Mo., pled guilty to forgery and was sentenced to two four-year sentences in prison for signing false names on two fingerprint cards at the Mississippi County Detention Center.

Oct. 29, Harris was a passenger in a car stopped by Trooper Ron Eakins of the Missouri State Highway Patrol for a routine traffic violation.

During the standard warrant check on the vehicle's occupants, Eakins asked Harris what his name and birthday were. Harris responded by providing him with the name of another person.

As the name Harris provided was reported as having an outstanding warrant, he was arrested under the assumed name.

During processing at the Mississippi County Detention Center, Harris provided another false name in an effort to fool Eakins, using this name to sign two fingerprint cards.

Eakins later determined that the person he had under arrest was in fact Charles Harris and that Harris had an outstanding warrant for absconding from parole.

Inmate serving life term dies at correctional center

CAMERON, Mo. -- An inmate serving a life sentence at the Crossroads Correctional Center died Thursday of unknown causes.

The prison's superintendent, Mike Kemna, said he doesn't suspect foul play, but until the results of an autopsy are completed Friday, he doesn't know how 41-year-old Chester Parkus died.-- From staff, wire reports