Region/state briefs 02/27/03

Shooting case bound over to circuit court

The suspect in a shooting that left a 20-year-old Cape Girardeau woman seriously injured laughed at her in court Wednesday while she testified about her injury and cried, said Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle.

A preliminary hearing was held in Jackson for Zatron R. Twiggs, 17, charged in connection with a Jan. 20 shooting on the 400 block of S. Ellis Street in Cape Girardeau.

Twenty-year-old Erica Hempstead was shot once in her lower back and required surgery to remove the bullet from her right kidney. She and her sisters were allegedly arguing with Twiggs before the incident.

Twiggs was arrested a week after the shooting at a house in Carbondale.

Associate Circuit Court Judge Gary Kamp found probable cause and bound the case over to the circuit court. Twiggs' next court appearance will be March 5.

Lions Club educated about hospital history

More than 50 Lions Club members attended Wednesday's luncheon in Cape Girardeau at the Holiday Inn. The group saw a PowerPoint presentation highlighting the history and 75th anniversary of Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Hospital administrator James W. Wente expressed his pride in being a part of the hospital's history for the last 28 years.

Marketing director Sally Owen narrated the presentation, which detailed the accomplishments and struggles of the hospital over the years. She also presented statistical comparisons between the facility that opened in 1928 and the medical center it has become today.

Wente expressed his gratitude to those in the audience who have been a part of that history.

"I have a deep passion about Southeast Hospital," he said. "I'm honored to represent our board, 200 doctors, 1,600 employees, 700 volunteers and 1,000 association members who want to thank you for letting Southeast be an irreplacable asset in the community."

Sikeston woman killed in crash on I-55

A Sikeston woman died Wednesday in a two-car crash on Interstate 55, about six miles north of Sikeston. Tammy Parker, 40, was driving northbound in a 1996 Infiniti, when she lost control on a snow-covered patch of road and skidded across the median into the path of a southbound car, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. She was declared dead at the scene.

Raymond Burns, 47, of Bethalto, Ill., was driving the southbound 1997 Ford. He was not hurt, but his passenger, Richard Hill, 44, received minor injuries and sought medical attention on his own, the patrol said.

New circuit judge to be sworn in Monday

Chief Justice Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. will swear in John P. Heisserer on Monday as the new circuit judge for Division II of the 32nd Judicial Circuit Court, which serves Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties.

The ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. at the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau.

Heisserer was selected by Gov. Bob Holden to fill a vacancy left by resigning Circuit Judge John Grimm, who exits his post Friday. Grimm is returning to practice at the Cape Girardeau law firm of Limbaugh, Russell, Payne & Howard.

Cape man sentenced on theft charges

Brian D. Culver, 40, of Cape Girardeau, was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to five years probation for bank larceny and possession of stolen money. He was ordered by U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber to pay $30,800 in restitution to his former employer, Brinks Inc.

As an employee, Culver loaded cash cassettes into ATMs at Commerce Bank, Bank of America and Firstar Bank. In May 2000, Brinks received a complaint from Commerce that the bank's records had disclosed a shortage of $3,690 from their ATM at 113 W. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson. Later in 2000, Brinks received notice of other cash shortages from ATMs. It was determined that Culver had stolen $30,800 from the banks.

-- From staff reports