State briefs 7/16/04

Pastor who vanished now faces sodomy charge

SARCOXIE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri pastor who disappeared for several days last month is charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Donald Peckham, the 71-year-old pastor of Jubilee Christian Fellowship Church in Sarcoxie, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of second-degree sodomy. The alleged incident took place at Peckham's home, authorities said. The charge is the result of an investigation by a special task force initially formed after Peckham disappeared on June 21.

Kansas newspaper thief is a real sly fox

OTTAWA, Kan. -- Neighbors in a subdivision of this small western Kansas community have spent weeks trying to catch whoever was stealing their Kansas City Star newspapers. The bold burglar crept onto driveways while subscribers slept, grabbed a paper, then turned tail and ran. The case was finally solved this weekend when Steve Thompson caught the culprit red-handed, or maybe red-pawed. A red fox had been grabbing newspapers and taking them to a hollow behind the subdivision, Thompson said. The Ottawa dentist tracked the furry felon to a large pile of newspapers near its den.

LA company signs onto KC arena plan

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment firm signed an agreement Thursday to contribute $50 million toward construction of a proposed downtown arena, city and corporate officials announced. The agreement commits Anschutz Entertainment Group to covering construction cost overruns, absorbing any operating deficits for 35 years and working to bring a National Hockey League or National Basketball Association team to the city. AEG's contribution hinges on voter approval Aug. 3 of proposals to add $1.50 to the city's daily fee on hotel room occupancy and $4 to the daily fee on rental cars. The fees would raise an estimated $123 million toward construction costs, expected to total $225 million to $250 million.

Mother charged with killing two of her babies

MOBERLY, Mo. -- A Moberly woman whose two babies died just over a year apart was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder. Carla Kay Clay, 23, was being held in Randolph County jail on $1 million bond after being charged in Randolph County Circuit Court with the deaths of her baby girl on June 21, and her infant boy on June 8, 2003. Moberly police said they were called to Clay's house at 4:05 a.m. on June 21 in response to a baby not breathing. The infant was taken to the local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police said. Police did not say how old the baby was.

Pork cracklings detained over supervision issue

ST. LOUIS -- The Food Safety and Inspection Service is urging consumers not to eat pork cracklings sold by a St. Louis company because they were produced without the presence of supervisors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The FSIS announced in a news release Thursday that it is detaining an undetermined amount of the cracklings, which were sold in 2.5 ounce plastic bags labeled "Downhome, Hot, Krispy, Snacklin', Cracklin' Fried Out Pork Fat with Attached Skin." The labels are printed with the establishment number EST.13546 inside a USDA inspection mark.