Region/state digest 07/25/04

Vehicles collide, burst into flames in Illinois

Two men were seriously injured in a three-vehicle accident in Illinois Saturday morning. According to the Illinois State Police, a three-car accident occurred at 7:55 a.m. Saturday in Alexander County on Highway 3. Lorenzo P. Golden of Cairo, Ill., was driving a Dodge Intrepid south on Highway 3 near Highway 127 in Alexander County when he drifted across the center line and sideswiped a Ford Explorer driven by Bonnie Smith of Mounds, Ill. Golden continued south and struck head-on a Dodge truck driven by Lyndel G. Vaughn of Olive Branch, Ill. Golden's and Vaughn's vehicles burst into flames. Golden and Vaughn were taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau with major injuries. Smith was uninjured. Golden was cited for no driver's license and lane violations.

Two area men die in single-vehicle accidents

Two deaths were reported in separate accidents in Southeast Missouri. Robert "Bob" Lee Keen, 78, of Benton, Mo., died at 5:50 a.m. Saturday in a single-car accident four miles north of Diehlstadt, Mo., on Highway 77. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Keen's vehicle ran off the road and overturned. He was pronounced dead at the scene by Scott County Coroner Scott Amick. On Friday, Stirling H. "Abe" Boyts, 81, of Chaffee, Mo., was killed when his vehicle left the right side of the roadway two miles north of Chaffee and struck two embankments.

Couple plans to turn old courthouse into inn

TUSCUMBIA, Mo. -- The old Miller County Courthouse will be a place for suitcases, not briefcases, if the new owners have their way. Ron and Christie Helton bought the old courthouse and the adjacent jail for $20,000 at an auction Friday. They plan to convert the courthouse to an inn and keep the jail as an attraction. The courthouse was built in 1858, with an addition in 1913. It was vacated in 2003 when the county built a new courthouse. "We would really like to restore it to the grand opening of 1913," Christie Helton told the Jefferson City News Tribune.

State's seat belt usage up, MoDOT says

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Seat belt usage in Missouri has increased, but there's still work to be done, state transportation officials said Friday. The latest data from the Missouri Department of Transportation shows about 76 percent of Missouri residents use seat belts. That's a 3 percent increase from last year, but it's still below the national average of 79 percent. Missouri has made improvements; seat belt usage was at just 60 percent in 1998. Under state law, police can only ticket motorists for not wearing a seat belt if they are stopped for another offense. Figures released by the department show that last year, 1,232 people died on Missouri roads -- and 68 percent of them were not using seat belts or child safety seats.

Sikeston paper endorses McCaskill's challenge

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Standard-Democrat has endorsed State Auditor Claire McCaskill in the Aug. 3 gubernatorial primary, calling her "the best hope of the Democratic party to challenge Republican Matt Blunt in November." McCaskill is running against incumbent Gov. Bob Holden. In an editorial published Wednesday, the newspaper criticized Holden's leadership skills and said McCaskill would be more effective in working with the Legislature. "Bob Holden is not a bad person. But he's also not a leader," the editorial read.

-- From staff, wire reports