Region/state digest 08/10/02

Caruthersville man drowns in pond near Hayti

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A Caruthersville man drowned Thursday in a boating mishap.

Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell identified the victim as Mitchell Wooden Sr.

Wooden was pronounced dead at the scene by Pemiscot County Coroner Jim Brimhall.

Greenwell said his office had received a call around 6:15 p.m. Thursday of a possible drowning in a pond off the East Outer Road of Interstate 55 north of Hayti, Mo.

Deputies were met at the scene by an upset young man who said his friend had fallen out of the boat from which they had been fishing and was drowning in the pond.

After searching for nearly half an hour, authorities found Wooden on the bottom of the pond, where he had become entangled in a tree branch.

Two inmates charged after helping in escape

KENNETT, Mo. -- Two inmates of the Dunklin County Jail who helped another inmate escape last weekend now face additional charges.

Terry Gene Gooch, 20, and Edward Harry Gibbs, 29, have been charged with aiding an escape, according to Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Sokoloff. The charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.

Gooch, of Tiptonville, Tenn., was being held in the jail on first-degree robbery and armed criminal action charges. Gibbs, of Malden, Mo., was being held for stealing.

The two are accused of aiding in the escape of Milton Roy Taylor, 35, of Poplar Bluff on Aug. 3. He was recaptured Tuesday.

Taylor also faces escape charges and is being held in Butler County without bond.

At the time of his escape, Taylor was being held on a $30,000 bond for drug trafficking. He was also free on bond for a murder charge in Butler County.

Congressman Blunt files for divorce

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has filed for divorce from his wife, Roseann.

The paperwork was filed Thursday in Greene County Circuit Court, according to the docket sheet available on the court's Web site. Blunt, 52, made the couple's separation public in June, saying in a brief statement that he was deeply disappointed to announce the news.

The Blunts are from Strafford in the congressman's Southwest Missouri district and married in May 1967. They have three grown children, the oldest of whom is Missouri Secretary of State Matt Blunt, 31.

Benefit dance to fund Scott City skate park

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- The Scott City Curb Grinders will hold a benefit dance from 6 to 10 p.m. today at Scott City Park.

The dance will feature live entertainment by Verdigris, Effort and Atoshi Station. There will be a sound system operated by Jody Fouts, and food and drinks will be available.

Admission is $5, and all proceeds will be used to build a skate park in Scott City.

Exam office to be closed from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4

The Missouri driver examination office in Cape Girardeau will be closed from Aug. 30 through Sept. 4 for the Labor Day holiday, state Department of Public Safety officials said.

The office, at the Osage Community Centre, will reopen for testing on Sept. 5 at 8 a.m.

-- From staff, wire reports