Stories from Sunday, November 25, 2001

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Pronger had a goal and two assists as the St. Louis Blues scored one more goal than they totaled during a five-game losing streak, beating the Phoenix Coyotes 5-3 Saturday night. Pronger had just one assist in the previous four games and was one of four Blues who snapped personal slumps...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A fairly obvious clue led Columbus police to the suspected culprits in the theft of a college mascot's costume. The Brutus the Buckeye costume for the Ohio State mascot had been reported stolen, along with the car it was sitting inside. When patrol officers spotted the stolen car behind a building near campus, they staked it out...

Fashion boots are a study in contrasts. They cover more leg but are sexier than shoes; they are warmer but just as treacherous as any high-heeled pump on a slick sidewalk; and they've been around for decades but have emerged as the hottest trend in footwear...

The Associated Press NABLUS, West Bank -- An Israeli was killed and another wounded in a mortar attack in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, hours after tens of thousands of Palestinians called for vengeance at the funeral of a prominent Islamic militant killed in an Israeli missile attack...

BERLIN -- Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer won the backing of his Greens party Saturday for sending German troops into the war on terrorism, averting the risk of a government collapse. A national party conference passed a motion endorsing the troop pledge after an emotional plea for support by Fischer, who demanded solidarity with the United States and warned the Greens that they would risk political oblivion by bringing down Germany's center-left coalition...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The Sudanese government bombed a village in southern Sudan, seriously injuring eight people, rebels said. The government denied the accusation Saturday. The Sudan People's Liberation Army said in a statement late Friday that government aircraft dropped seven bombs Wednesday in Malual Kon, about 570 miles southwest of the capital, Khartoum...

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- A businessman with little political experience is getting a political boost by citing Rudolph Giuliani's record as New York mayor. It's not Michael Bloomberg, but Ricardo Maduro, who hopes to win today's presidential race with a Giuliani-style "zero tolerance" anti-crime plan...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- In what would be the first major step toward establishing a government, Afghan factions meeting in Germany this coming week will attempt to set up a 15-member council as the basis for an interim administration, a German diplomat said Saturday...

BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- Numbers 57 to 61, their holy war over, were bundled into white plastic bags Saturday and trucked to an unceremonious burial in the "enemies' cemetery" near Kabul. They were Pakistanis, but no one here knew their names. Probably no one ever will...

BANGI, Afghanistan -- A trickle of surrendering Taliban became a flood Saturday, and those laying down arms were greeted like brothers by northern alliance fighters besieging Kunduz. It was unclear whether a hard core of foreigners loyal to Osama bin Laden would opt to fight to the finish...

JALALABAD, Afghanistan -- A senior anti-Taliban commander here said Saturday he believes Osama bin Laden is nearby, moving by night on horseback and sleeping in caves during the day. Hazrat Ali, security chief in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, said he received reports from trusted informants that bin Laden was seen as recently as Wednesday at an al-Qaida and Taliban mountain base called Tora Bora...

Some boots are made for walking. Others keep you looking good -- and your toes warm -- while you strut to the car. There is a boot out there for every possible purpose this season, and style and practicality are no longer mutually exclusive. "Boots are now the culmination of science and style," says Gennie Stuart, director of product management for Rockport. ...

CALHOUN COUNTY, Ill. -- Tending seven parishes might seem a daunting task, but the Rev. Tom Hagstrom takes it in stride. Hagstrom is the sole priest for the seven Catholic parishes that dot the 250 square miles of Calhoun County. "In some ways, I had the best preparation for being a priest in Calhoun County," Hagstrom said. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Tim Hans secretly dabbled in drugs and the occult, defying authority at every turn. Groundings and restricted privileges didn't matter to the Illinois 16-year-old, nor did swats to the backside from his parents -- assuming they could even chase him down...

PITTSBURGH -- For Toby Petersen, the regimen is as much a part of life as sharpening skates or sanding hockey sticks. It is the only way he can play in the NHL, the only way he can step onto the ice and see Mario Lemieux on his line. There is another reason, too: It is the only way he can live...

INDIO, Calif. -- The way Tiger Woods and his buddies were so accommodating on Saturday, you might think they didn't need the $300,000 up for grabs on the front nine of the Skins Game. It's doubtful they do, but here's something that might get their attention -- playing the 18th hole today in a winner-take-all for $1 million...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The last time Gene Fee saw his dog, Zoe, the 125-pound animal was racing straight at a multi-ton street sweeper. Then she was gone. And Fee was sure his Great Pyrenees was a lost cause. "That man swept up my dog," Fee told John Reutter, who jumped out of the dump truck he was driving behind the sweeper when he noticed the distraught pet owner...

WASHINGTON -- The farm lobby could have the upper hand when products such as corn-based fuel compete for the federal government's purchasing power under a little-noticed proposal advancing in Congress. Federal agencies -- which now spend more than $200 billion a year on a vast array of products and are the nation's largest consumer -- would be required to buy "biobased" products whenever they're found to be comparable in price, performance and availability to traditional products...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Police in Chicago and Springfield are no longer looking for a woman who touched off a frantic search by Sangamon County law enforcement agencies last month after she appeared to have been shot while on the telephone with her cell phone company...

PEORIA, Ill. -- Ask downstate tourism officials about a travel slowdown since the Sept. 11 terrorism attacks, and most will tell you that they're doing OK -- but they're worried about Chicago. While places like Peoria lost some convention business and tourists unsure about traveling in uncertain times, officials say things are picking up again...

CHICAGO -- Women with infrequent or very irregular menstrual periods face double the risk of developing adult-onset diabetes, a new study suggests. Such cycles are common in women with a hormonal disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome, which previous research linked to diabetes...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It's been 60 years since World War II, and the war continues to play a prominent role in modern literature, art and film. But with veterans from the war dying at a rate of 1,100 a day, many of their perspectives might never be told...

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Tests have confirmed that a Northwest Missouri State freshman died recently from a bacterial infection, official said. John R. Davison, 18, died Thursday morning at Heartland Regional Medical Center from a Neisseria meningoccemia, a blood-borne bacterial infection, said Jerry Wilmes, Northwest's director of student health. Tests confirmed the diagnosis Friday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kenton Keith, a saxophonist's son and the product of an all-black, segregated school in Kansas City, now speaks for the West's war on terrorism from his diplomatic post in Pakistan. Keith, 62, had stepped back from a career that took him from the center of the cultural scene in Paris to an embassy surrounded by an angry mob in Baghdad, Iraq, to a narrow escape from a bomb that destroyed his car in Istanbul...

ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT -- Justin Frederick flipped back and forth through a box of children's books until he found the one he liked: "Christmas Cats." Then the 19-year-old sailor sat in front of a camera in the TV studio aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier, put on a serious look, and began reading a Christmas story to his 1-month-old son, Zachary, whom he hasn't met...

LOS ANGELES -- Get out the tissues and prepare to weep all over again. "Brian's Song," a story about the friendship between black and white teammates on the Chicago Bears football team, is being retold 31 years after becoming the first TV movie that made it OK for men to cry...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As the regulatory agency charged with enforcing state environmental standards, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources isn't always popular. However, criticism of DNR stems less from its zealousness in ensuring compliance with clean air, soil and water laws than from its job performance. ...

SEATTLE -- Thirty years have passed since D.B. Cooper jumped from a hijacked jetliner with $200,000 in ransom money and disappeared into a remote forest. With the 30th anniversary of the crime coming on Saturday, Cooper's escapade remains unsolved. The FBI has received thousands of tips, but investigators have nothing to go on -- no suspect, no leads, nothing to prove who Cooper was or where he went...

Actor Gregory Peck has helped raise $350,000 to teach adults to read. Peck is the honorary chairman of The Literary Odyssey Dinners, fundraising events that are held at celebrities' homes and feature a well-known author. The dinners, which cost $300 to $2,500 per plate, took place Nov. 3 in Santa Barbara and Nov. 5 in Los Angeles County...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Regional port authority leaders learned this week that Congress secured $930,000 for needed maintenance in ports along the Mississippi River. U.S. Sen. Kit Bond made a brief stop at the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority Saturday to make the federal funding announcement to representatives of New Madrid County, Southeast Missouri and Pemiscot County port authorities...

JACKSON, Mo. -- For 21 years, Bill Reynolds has kept to a routine, coming into the office, picking up canceled checks from the bank and keeping track of the money as Cape Girardeau County's treasurer. It's a job of ledgers and bank accounts that typically receives little public attention. But that's changed since Reynolds earlier this month said he was underpaid at a salary of $42,458 a year and urged his fellow county officeholders to boost his pay. They rejected the idea...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Last holiday season, Californians were asked to conserve power by forgoing festive light displays, or at least turning them on later in the evening. This year's holidays should be a little brighter. The conservation effort last fall helped stave off blackouts when the state's power reserves dropped to about 1 percent in December. But those measures won't be necessary this year...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The same storm system that brought tornadoes and death to southern states Saturday was much more kind here, although it brought enough wind to snap eight utility poles in half, leaving nearly all of Jackson's 12,000 residents without power for hours...

The wheelchair, souped up with snap-on handlebars, a motor and a rough-terrain front tire, zipped around a squiggly little track at the city convention center. "Wow!" exclaimed Donald Feldstein, a shopper scoping out equipment for clients. "That's a standard wheelchair? You take a standard wheelchair and add that front end!" said Feldstein, a vocational counselor at Jackson Health Systems in Miami...

PHILADELPHIA -- A lot has changed in this gritty city since Rocky Balboa stormed up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on film, 25 years ago last week. The boxer's old Italian neighborhood in Kensington speaks mostly Spanish now. The grocers in the Italian Market are more likely to be Vietnamese or Cambodian. But one thing hasn't changed: This is still a city proud of its underdogs...

A new program designed to eliminate an illness related to mad cow disease is forcing farmers, herders and ranchers to register their sheep and goats with the federal government. Under rules that took effect this week, the animals cannot be moved across state lines until they are registered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture...

It's been a beautiful year for U2. The Irish rock veterans have enjoyed the success of a multi-platinum album, nabbed three Grammy awards for their hit "Beautiful Day," and staged their most successful tour to date with sold-out dates across the country...

A journalism think tank suggests that network morning shows are as efficient in promoting the products of their parent corporations as they are in providing news. The Project for Excellence in Journalism, in a report studying the content of the ABC, CBS and NBC morning shows, said all of them had become, partly, "a kind of sophisticated infomercial."...

OXFORD, Conn. -- Less than a day after investigators swabbed Immanuel Lutheran Church for signs of anthrax, about 250 people gathered there Saturday to remember a 94-year-old woman who is the nation's fifth anthrax victim. Ottilie Lundgren was described by friends and family as a loving woman who took joy in collecting owl knickknacks -- her initials were O.W.L. -- and had an occasional Manhattan with dinner...

ASPEN, Colo. -- The message on a conceptual work of art titled, "I Dare You to Steal This $100," resonated with at least one viewer. Someone stole the $100 bill that was part of Rick Magnuson's conceptual artwork hanging in the Aspen Art Museum's Roaring Fork Open show...

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- If Larry Hagman were writing his memoirs as J.R. Ewing Jr., his rascally character in the old TV soaper "Dallas," it would be loaded with recrimination against his enemies. But Hagman isn't J.R. (tell that to those little old ladies who beat him over the head with their handbags for being so mean). And so his autobiography, "Hello Darlin': Tall (and Absolutely True) Tales about My Life" contains surprisingly little payback time...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Malaysian authorities are searching for four men they say conduct break-ins clad only in their underwear. Police have dubbed the group of four men the "Underwear Gang" and believe they are responsible for a spate of robberies in Malaysia, said Zuber Shariff, a senior officer in the northern state of Perak...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- When mission commander Dominic Gorie and his crew rocket into orbit this week, it will be amid unprecedented security during unprecedented times. Fighter jets, helicopter patrols, SWAT teams, military guards, closed roads, tourist bans, media crackdowns and possibly even anti-aircraft artillery are some of the safeguards expected to be in place for NASA's first wartime space shuttle launch...

Deadly thunderstorms swept across the lower Mississippi Valley, flattening homes and poultry farms and ripping down power lines. At least twelve deaths were blamed on the storms and dozens of people were injured. The scream of warning sirens woke Roosevelt Greenwood before dawn Saturday in Madison, Miss., and he crowded with his wife and four children into a tiny hall closet...

TAMPA, Fla. -- A Palestinian man who was held for 3 1/2 years on secret evidence was arrested Saturday for violating his visa and will be deported as a threat to national security, the Department of Justice said Saturday. The Justice Department said in a statement Saturday that Mazen Al-Najjar has ties to alleged terrorist front organizations, including a University of South Florida Islamic studies group...

CLINTON, N.J. -- A young woman who gave birth in a bathroom stall at her high school prom and then killed the infant before returning to the dance floor is expected to be freed from prison next week. Melissa Drexler, now 23, has served just over three years of the 15-year sentence she was given after pleading guilty in 1998 to aggravated manslaughter...

BOSTON -- The FBI is monitoring the investigation into the disappearance of a Harvard biologist because of his research into potentially lethal viruses, including Ebola. Dr. Don C. Wiley, 57, was last seen in Memphis, Tenn., where he attended the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. His car was found on Nov. 16 on a bridge over the Mississippi River, with a full fuel tank and the key in the ignition...

SALT LAKE CITY -- After a warm start to the ski season, the flakes are piling up in the snow-starved Rockies and resorts are opening their slopes in relief and in anticipation of the upcoming the Winter Olympics. Utah's Park City resort, a key venue in the games, planned to open Saturday after a heavy Thanksgiving snowfall. The state's slopes, bare before Thanksgiving, have received as much as 3 feet of snow since Thursday, and more is expected over the weekend...

COLVILLE NATIONAL FOREST, Wash. -- When fighter pilot Scott O'Grady's F-16 was shot down over Bosnia in 1995, he used what he learned here, in the dark forests outside Fairchild Air Force Base, to stay alive and evade capture for six days. Now a new class of pilots, preparing to fight the war on terrorism, is following in his steps in the mountains of eastern Washington...

$$$Start KENNETT, Mo. -- I have no idea what we Americans expressed gratitude for on Thanksgiving 2001, but I would be less than honest if I did not admit to some thought about our future as we began the difficult task of confronting a faceless, terrorist enemy...

"L'audace, l'audace -- toujours l'audace!" exclaimed George C. Scott, in his memorable role as the wartime Gen. George S. Patton, quoting the old German commander Frederick the Great. ("Audacity, audacity, always audacity!") While you were giving thanks to the almighty, a remarkable story appeared Thanksgiving Day in a leading Missouri newspaper. ...

10 years ago: Nov. 25, 1991 Area motorists are reaping benefits of "gas war" among Cape Girardeau service stations; in city yesterday, gasoline prices plummeted to 79.9 cents a gallon at stations owned by Rhodes Oil Co., lowest motorists have seen for months; prices at other stations in town also edge downward...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Ruby Jane Clawson, 87, of Jackson died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at Monticello House. Born Sept. 25, 1914 in Taskee, Mo., she was the daughter of Shadrach and Ada Williams. On Sept. 13, 1940, in Doniphan, Mo., she was married to Deane T. Clawson, who preceded her in death...

ANNA, Ill. -- Alice Isom, 67, of Anna died Saturday at Union County Hospital. Friends may call from 5-8 p.m. Monday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. Funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with burial in Anna Cemetery.

MARINE, Ill. -- Charles Edward McLemore, 75, of Marine and formerly of Southeast Missouri, died Friday, Nov. 23, 2001, at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Born Sept. 3, 1926, in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., he was the son of John and Grace Vaughn McLemore...

TAMMS, Ill. -- June M. James, 73, of Tamms, Ill., died Saturday, Nov. 23, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. James was born June 6, 1928, at Tamms, Ill. She was preceded in death by her mother, Ruth McDaniel. She married Darrell E. James...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Charles E. Bishop, 89, of Jonesboro died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at the Union County Hospital. Born Aug. 22, 1912 in Dermott, Ark., he was the son of Charles Jay and Nora Neal Bishop. A retired tree trimmer, he also made goose, duck and turkey calls...

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- Mary Elizabeth Kinnison Peerson, 86, of Savannah, formerly of Southeast Missouri, died Friday, Nov. 23, 2001, at Savannah Square Health Care Facility. A retired music educator, Peerson was born in Sikeston, Mo., and had lived in Denver, and taught music in Washington D.C...

Elsie L. Riehn, 88, of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001, at Fountainbleau Lodge. Born June 8, 1913, she was the daughter of T.B. and Emma Van Amburg Clodfelter. On Sept. 12, 1931 she was married to Silas Riehn in Jackson. He died April 20, 1971...

ORAN, Mo. -- John Hudson, 97, of Oran died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

Leo W. Steger, 61, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at Gulf Breeze Medical Center in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- President Bush's signature on the Energy and Water Appropriations Act brings good news for New Madrid residents. Among the programs funded is a $4.1 million project to improve the New Madrid riverfront and levee. Leading the support for the project was U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. Emerson first visited with city officials in April about their idea to create a park and improve maintenance of the town's levee...

After seeing Hazelwood East totally shut down Jackson in the Class 5A football semifinals, I wrote that the Spartans had one of the best defenses I'd seen on the high school level. Well, then where does that leave Blue Springs? The Wildcats' defensive' performance against the supposedly explosive Spartans' offense during Friday night's state championship game made what Hazelwood East did to Jackson look like junior high stuff...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. - Myra Renae Gerlach and Jason Lynn McCormick were married Sept. 22, 2001, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills, Mo. The Rev. Mark Martin performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Judy Foeste and soloist was Betty Martin, both of Cape Girardeau. A duet was performed by Tim and Renee Ferlach of Hillsboro, Mo...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. - Diana Patricia Hulshof and Joe Hennemann were married June 16, 2001, at St. Eustachius Catholic Church in Portageville. The Rev. Dave Hulshof of Springfield, Mo., brother of the bride, performed the double ring ceremony. The Revs. Mike Swalina of New Madrid, Mo., and Bill Stanton of Cape Girardeau assisted. Music was provided by Katie Fennewal of St. Louis, Mo., cousin of the bride; Renee Reinagel of Kelso, Mo., cousin of the groom, and Gary Clark of Caruthersville, Mo...

Elizabeth Ann Green and Jeremy Daniel Driskell were married June 9, 2001, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Nathan Kuhlman performed the double ring ceremony. Tim DePriest of Cape Girardeau was pianist and vocalist. Parents of the bride are Ken and Ann Green of Cape Girardeau. The groom's parents are Dan and Gerry Driskell of Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON, Mo. - Melissa Renee Miller and Mark Allan Adams were married June 2, 2001, at the home of the bride's parents. The Rev. Les Cassill of Columbia, Mo., performed the double ring outdoor garden ceremony. Music was provided by Southeast Missouri State University Brass Quintet...

JACKSON, Mo. - Donna Jo Wendel and Barry Lee Eggimann were married Sept. 29, 2001, at Log Chapel of the Ozarks in Branson, Mo. The Rev. Delroy Bender performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Ada Wendel of Scott City and the late Ray Wendel Sr. The groom is the son of Glen Eggimann of Jackson and the late JerLee Eggimann...

SIKESTON, Mo. - Amienia Yvonne Lott of Cape Girardeau and Darryl Tyrone Bolden of Dallas, Texas., were married March 24, 2001, at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Sikeston. Louis "Sonny" Wiggins Jr., performed the double ring ceremony. Music was provided by Kaye Grant Herron of Sikeston, Christopher Wiggins, and Derrick Lutrell...

BLODGET, Mo. - Don and Geri Riley of Blodgett, announce the engagement of their daughter, Kimberly Michelle Riley, to Blake Daniel Burger. He is the son of Danny and Pat Burger of New Hamburg, Mo. Riley is a 1998 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School in Benton, Mo. She expects to graduate from Southeast Missouri State University in December with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education...

Thomas and Margaret Barnett announce the engagement of their daughter, Karen Marie Barnett, to Bradley Wayne Abt. He is the son of Francis Abt and Rebecca Davis, both of Cape Girardeau. Barnett is a 1994 graduate of Perryville High School and is pursuing a degree in nursing at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed by St. Francis Medical Center...

Harry and Fran Rediger of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Michelle Rediger, to Mark Burris, both of Frisco, Texas. He is the son of Phillip and Diane Burris of Tuscola, Ill. Rediger is a 1987 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School, and received a bachelor of science degree from Murray State University. She is employed at the JC Penney Corporate Office in Plano, Texas...

The British have arrived, armed with all sorts of wizardry. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" with its cast of colorful British characters opened to huge crowds in movie theaters last week. We haven't had this kind of British invasion since the Beatles...

ANNA, Ill. -- Vera G. Horner, 93, of Anna died Saturday at Union County Hospital. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Tuesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. Funeral will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with burial in Anna Cemetery.

Anita Ann Steinborn, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at the Lutheran Home. Born Aug. 23, 1904, in Jackson, she was daughter of Henry C. and Matilda Borgfield Best. On Feb. 14, 1925 she was married to Wilson Howard Steinborn. He died July 16, 1979...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mary C. Kilhafner, 88, of Jackson, died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. Born Jan. 13, 1913, in Marquand, Mo., she was the daughter of Arthur and Ollie Dudley Masters. On Nov. 26, 1933, she was married to Andrew C. Kilhafner...

Light dances over the walls, across the warm, hard-wood floors throughout this beautiful home at 2560 Wild Horse Trail. Perched elegantly upon a hill, this home is an elegant focal point for its neighbors. Through the glass door front entrance and Palladium windows of the two-story foyer, blue sky peers through, and intriguing shadows dance across the walls. ...

American food sales to Cuba will soon start flowing, thanks to dictator Fidel Castro's having removed a major obstacle to such trade, the first in 40 years. In one of the dreary, four and one-half hour speeches for which Castro is famous, the dictator said that U.S. ships and vessels from other countries can transport food to his island prison of a nation...

Charter schools are once again in the news, and different observers are drawing different conclusions from the limited evidence now being reported. Charter schools are public schools that are freed up from many regulations imposed on most public schools by the state...

Sunday, Nov. 25 Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:At 9:27 p.m., an alarm sounding at 701 Broadway. At 11:23, an alarm sounding at 630 N.Henderson. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:At 12:24 a.m., a power line arcing at 326 Olive...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Nov. 25 DWIJeremy Ferguson, 23, 296 County Road 645, was arrested Friday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsSteve Nelson, 46, Marianna Ark., was arrested Friday for failure to appear. Jeremiah Twiggs, 18, 1200 Cousin, was arrested Friday for probation violation...

A slowing national economy and local job losses could mean more children and families will go without this holiday season. The Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian are again teaming up to offer a toy collection to help needy families in Cape Girardeau...

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- An indoors fireworks display ignited a wooden stage Saturday at an overcrowded dance club in southeastern Brazil, setting off a blaze that killed at least six people and injured 340 others, authorities said. Patrons panicked as the flames spread through the club, which had no working fire extinguishers and no emergency exit, said Gertel Vaz de Souza, a spokesman for the Belo Horizonte fire department...

The 2001 Downtown Merchants Association Christmas Parade begins at 5 p.m. today. Due to the parade, parking in certain parts of the city will be prohibited. There will be no parking in the following areas until after the parade: Both sides of Broadway from West End Boulevard to Main Street...

At its annual meeting on Oct. 23, the Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health presented its "Above and Beyond Award" to Debbie Leoni, RN, manager of Fitness and Wellness at Southeast Hospital, and to Sandy Duncan, co-manager of Fitness and Wellness at St. Francis Medical Center. Leoni and Duncan were honored for their dedication to the promotion of community health and wellness...

WASHINGTON -- Declassified U.S. documents from his last years as king of Afghan-istan portray Mohammad Zaher Shah as an aloof leader reigning over a nation with declining morale and a feeling of hopelessness. Still, the grandfatherly figure who ruled Afghanistan for four decades now is viewed by many as a symbol of unity for a nation fractured by war and ethnic power struggles...

ST. LOUIS -- Senior quarterback Garrett Taylor ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more, leading the Webb City Cardinals to a 45-0 victory over the Washington Blue Jays to win the Missouri Class 4A state high school football championship for the second consecutive season...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Southwest Missouri State coach Barry Hinson said all along he expected Southeast Missouri State University's Indians -- no matter how shorthanded they were -- to give the Bears all they could handle Saturday night. Boy, did Hinson ever know what he was talking about...

There are few tougher acts to follow than Bill Parcells in New York. Herman Edwards is up to the task. Parcells is a hero in the Big Apple, the man who coached the Giants to two Super Bowl titles and resurrected the moribund Jets. Edwards, the new Jets coach, was once an enemy to New York football fans as the man who picked up "The Fumble" -- a play that defined the Giants' ineptitude for more than a decade...

Ruby May Simpson, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 7, 1918, in Cairo, Ill., the daughter of Oliver R. and Minnie M. Milligan Patterson. She was married to Thomas T. Simpson on Sept. 19, 1953, in Corinth, Miss., and he preceded her in death on Jan. 14, 1993...

It could be worse OUR COUNTY government is a dictatorship. However, it is a benevolent one and allows citizens a degree of freedom. However, if we continue to complain about it in Speak Out or any other forum, it will most assuredly evolve into a malevolent totalitarian dictatorship. Stifle yourself...

To the editor: I want to express my appreciation for the fine job of accuracy in reporting done by Bob Miller and Marty Mishow in their writing of the 5A playoff game in Jackson. They did a great service to both schools and their fine fans. The Jackson Indian football team is composed of a very fine group of young men. They are guided by a very fine coaching staff...

To the editor: I am writing in response to Dr. Stephen W. Stigers' letter in which he stated that a diet containing meat was un-healthy and led to cruelty of animals and that a meat eater "simply cannot follow the heart of Christ's message." I disagree...

NORMAN, Okla. -- There will be no repeat national champion this year. Oklahoma State saw to that in shocking fashion. The Cowboys, 3-7 coming in and 27-point underdogs Saturday, got a 14-yard touchdown pass from freshman Josh Fields to Rashaun Woods with 1:36 remaining to upset No. 4 Oklahoma 16-13...

Department of Conservation JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Venison, sometimes gamey, sometimes tough and often too abundant, poses something of a challenge for hunters. After solving the problems of how to kill a deer and dress the carcass, the final question is what to do with all the resulting meat. One answer is to "jerk" it...

EUGENE, Ore. -- Joey Harrington nearly chose Stanford over Oregon, a notion that makes him smile with relief now. The thought of giving up his lifestyle in laid-back Eugene -- with the five roommates in the well lived-in house, wearing his fuzzy red wig to Ducks basketball games -- for the private-school maturity of Palo Alto seems as silly as the idea of one day changing his name to the more adult-sounding "Joe Harrington."...

INDIANPOLIS -- Kareem Rush blamed a broken nose for a subpar performance earlier in the week. Now that his nose is close to normal, so is his game. Rush scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, and Wesley Stokes scored 14 as No. 5 Missouri beat Xavier 72-60 on Saturday night in the John Wooden Tradition...

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Once Josh Scobey got his feet under him -- and a handle on the ball in a cold, windblown drizzle -- the rest was, literally, history. Scobey managed just 30 yards and fumbled away a pitchout on his first eight carries Saturday, but finished with 198 yards and two scores on 38 carries. He also broke two school records and tied another as Kansas State became bowl-eligible with a 24-3 victory over Missouri...

The Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team withstood a furious second-half comeback by Southern Illinois University to post an 81-70 win Saturday at the Show Me Center. The Otahkians dropped the Salukis to 1-2 in the first meeting between the two schools since 1981. Southeast improved to 3-1 with its third straight victory...

Mama Mansion SE Heaven Dear Mama: I really don't know your mansion number so have just come up with SE. Down here we have so many acronyms standing for multiple worded organizations. Shorthand writing, geared to save space on the printed page. So my "SE" stands for "Somewhere else."...