Region/state digest 12/14/05

Maintenance to close part of Route W today

A section of Route W two miles south of Highway 177 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. Missouri Department of Transportation maintenance crews will replace a drainage pipe under the road.

Gay students seek own fraternity at Mizzou

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A national fraternity for gay and bisexual male students and their supporters is headed to the University of Missouri-Columbia. Delta Lambda Phi consists of 18 chapters nationwide. On Friday, the University of Missouri-Columbia group will be inducted as a colony, the first formal step toward full recognition. Two previous efforts in recent years failed for lack of interest.

Representative, senator honored by bus group

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and U.S. Sen. Kit Bond were recently recognized by the American Bus Association as 2005 Legislators of the Year. The two worked to establish and fund a federal grant program for bus security administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Eagle Ridge open house rescheduled for Thursday

Eagle Ridge Christian School's holiday open house has been rescheduled for 9 a.m. to noon and 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday because of the snow last week. For more information, call 339-1335.

-- From staff, wire reports