Region/state digest 11/20/04

Kruse drops out of ag secretary consideration

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Farm Bureau president Charles Kruse of Dexter said Friday that he has withdrawn his name from consideration as President Bush's next agriculture secretary. Kruse, whose son was killed in an accident in August, said he wants to remain close to his family, which would be difficult if he went to work in Washington. "It would be an honor for me to serve in his administration, working on behalf of agriculture and our country that I so dearly love. But I find that my consideration to fill this position comes at an inopportune time for my family and me," Kruse said. He said he spoke Friday with the White House and asked that his name be removed from consideration as a successor to Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman.

Girl in custody in scheme to shoot Joplin students

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri high school girl was in juvenile custody Friday after she compiled a list of 16 students who she allegedly planned to shoot, authorities said. None of the people on the list were harmed, authorities said. Authorities did not say if the girl had obtained a gun. The alleged plot began to unravel Wednesday when the parents of a fellow Joplin High School student learned the girl was planning what she referred to as a "school shooting." The parents called police, who got the school's administrators and resource officer involved. The girl acknowledged making a "hit list" when she was confronted Thursday, police said. While no one was harmed, the girl was in juvenile custody because of the seriousness of the threats, police said. Juvenile authorities said Friday that they could not release any details, including whether the girl had been charged with any crimes.

Missouri's jobless rate drops slightly last month

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's unemployment rate dipped slightly in October to 5.6 percent, one-tenth of a percentage point lower than the revised rate for the previous month. The seasonally adjusted rate showed little change in the state's labor market, with total nonfarm jobs dipping by about 3,300 when comparing preliminary October figures with September's numbers, the federal Labor Department said Friday. Missouri's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has hovered between 5.5 percent and 5.7 percent since July. Missouri's unemployment rate was slightly higher than the national rate of 5.5 percent for the third straight month.

Historian presenting program at Cairo church

CAIRO, Ill. -- Historian Louise Ogg will present "Communications: Telephone, Telegraph, Tell a Woman" and the story of one of Cairo's most prominent personalities at 2 p.m. Sunday at the parish hall of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, Sixth Street and Washington Avenue in Cairo. The public is invited to the free event.

Dead bobcat found on parking lot in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS -- A dead bobcat in a trash bag was found on a McDonald's restaurant parking lot in St. Louis Friday. Animal control officers weren't sure how the 20-pound animal got there or how it died. An employee was cleaning the lot when he discovered the trash bag, looked inside and found the animal's body. Bobcats in Missouri live primarily in the hills of the Ozarks, with some in areas of northern Missouri around the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. An estimated 220,000 live in the state. It is legal to hunt and trap them, though the conservation department urges tolerance unless the animals are being destructive. A spokeswoman for the conservation department said the animals are not a threat to humans, but may attack smaller pets.

Oran woman injured in one-car accident

An Oran, Mo., woman sustained minor injuries in a one-car accident on County Road 205 a mile south of Cape Girardeau. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Mary Martinez, 34, ran off the right side of the road at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, lost control of her 1992 Ford and hit a bridge abutment. She was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital.

-- From staff reports