Stories from Sunday, December 23, 2001

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Christmas season has always been special to America, partly because its observance holds such meaning for those of us who are Christian and partly because it reminds all of us of the magical qualities that make up our society and its remarkable, almost unbelievable blessings...

Two years ago, ABC News tracked the dawning of the new millennium around the world with an ambitious 24-hour broadcast anchored by a hardy Peter Jennings. This year, the news division will mark the transition to 2002 with a New Year's Eve program that is reduced in size -- to 3 1/2 hours -- but not necessarily in scope...

You can learn some things about Marlene Dietrich by watching Turner Classic Movies' "Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song." 1. She had an unconventional marriage, wedded to the same man for decades while mostly living apart from him and having love affairs...

TOKYO -- A fishing boat suspected of spying for North Korea sank off southwestern Japan late Saturday after trading machine gun fire with Japanese coast guard vessels at the end of a six-hour chase, officials said. Two coast guard sailors suffered minor wounds in the firefight, and an estimated 15 crewmen from the fishing boat were dumped into rough seas when the vessel went down 240 miles off the Japanese island of Amami Oshima...

BEIJING -- Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf says he's "reasonably sure" that Osama bin Laden has not escaped to Pakistan and that there's a "great possibility" that he is dead. Musharraf spoke Saturday in an interview on Chinese state television...

BOSTON -- A passenger on a jetliner bound from Paris to Miami tried to ignite a possible explosive in his shoe Saturday, but flight attendants and fellow passengers subdued him, authorities said. The plane, escorted by military jets, landed safely in Boston...

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- The news was broadcast on television and radio. Mullahs announced it in the mosques. Teachers even went door to door to spread the word personally. School is back in session for the girls of Mazar-e-Sharif. More than three years after the Taliban banned female education, schools for girls in this northern Afghan city reopened Saturday to an almost euphoric reception...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Last-minute political wrangling delayed the Argentine Congress from appointing an interim president Saturday night as lawmakers quarreled over how long a caretaker should remain in office and when to call new elections. The political roadblock came shortly before Congress was to name Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, a provincial governor, to fill the office vacated Thursday by Fernando de la Rua. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan's new prime minister was sworn in Saturday before an audience of commanders in combat fatigues, dignitaries in turbans and women in headscarves -- not burqas -- and promised to seek security and development for his war-wrecked nation...

ST. LOUIS -- Alderwoman Sharon Tyus, who called Mayor Francis Slay a racist and a bigot earlier this week, is still fuming about a Board of Alderman vote to approve a new ward map and is using parliamentary maneuvers to make her point. Tyus, whose ward on the city's heavily black north side is shifting to a racially diverse south side neighborhood, demanded that all bills pending before the board on Friday be read aloud before a vote. ...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The Duenweg police chief has been charged with assault for allegedly firing two shots into a fleeing vehicle. The second-degree assault charge was filed Friday against Rick Marble, 39. He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 17 in Jasper County Circuit Court...

ST. LOUIS -- Inmates at the city workhouse tried to take over a wing of the medium-security facility Saturday evening, but officials quelled the disturbance shortly afterward. Dora Schriro, commissioner of the city's division of corrections, said the uprising started about 6 p.m. ...

A couple of years ago, on one of those middle-of-the-night bus rides so common in professional sports, Pat Williams sidled up to B.J Armstrong, who was playing his final days as an NBA point guard. Williams, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, was working on a book about Michael Jordan, and the longtime teammate of His Airness in Chicago seemed like a good source for information. Williams recalled their conversation after B.J. had read the manuscript...

WASHINGTON -- Kurt Browning was so upset over his second-place finish he pretended to ram his head into a concrete wall and called himself a loser. A couple of hours later, Kristi Yamaguchi also finished a close second after falling on a triple loop, but she was all smiles...

NEW YORK -- Just like he did in the past, Michael Jordan added to the New York Knicks' misery. Jordan had another Madison Square Garden moment to remember Saturday night, hitting a tiebreaking jump shot with 3.2 seconds left as the Washington Wizards rallied to beat the Knicks 87-86 Saturday night for their ninth straight victory...

DENVER -- A bye week couldn't come at a worse time for the Denver Broncos, who have more than just a loss to Kansas City and season-ending injuries to two players to stew over. For a team that had a realistic hunger for the Super Bowl entering the season, the premature death of its playoff hopes is tough to swallow...

FOXBORO, Mass. -- The game was over and the victorious New England Patriots wouldn't leave the field. The Patriots had just beaten the Miami Dolphins 20-13 Saturday, overtaking them for the AFC East lead and adding another wonderful memory to the collection at Foxboro Stadium, which will be demolished after the season...

Keb' Mo' doesn't leave home without his candles and bubble bath. It's one way the singer-songwriter gets a sense of normalcy and routine on the 150 nights a year he's on the road, away from his Los Angeles home. "I crave balance. I'm a Libra," he explained...

NEW YORK -- The city has started building public viewing platforms around the World Trade Center terrorist attack site to give visitors a vantage point. Three of the 13-foot-high platforms are planned.

It was the empty look in the girl's eyes in the newspaper picture that caught Michelle Porter's attention. Then the story about the Afghan child and her fellow orphans seized Porter's heart. "She was cold and starving. I just wanted to pick her up and give her a hug, and tell her everything was going to be all right," said Porter, 36, of Newburgh, Ind...

Like you, I'm mindful of those innocent souls of Sept. 11, so many of them young people, for whom Christmas 2000 was their last. Ever since that date, The New York Times has been publishing obituaries of those who perished. Of course, as they are so numerous, few can keep track of the countless Americans we lost...

Parity was the prevailing theme entering last year's University High School Christmas Tournament. While there appeared to be no super teams at the top of the field, there seemed to be plenty of balance throughout the 16-team event. And that's exactly how things played out as, for the first time since 1990, a Class 1A squad -- Advance -- won the tournament. And the Hornets happened to be seeded fifth, which was the lowest seed to capture the event in a long time...

At Vickie Evans' house, a bassinet is on standby. So are burping pads, Lilliputian nail clippers, and a portable playpen -- all courtesy of a shower hosted by her friends. Now all Evans and her husband need is a visit from their first grandchild, a baby boy born in mid-December...

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri hired Tom Howard as its new executive director in September 2000, at a point when it was foundering financially. His remedy in part was to cut programs in half to enable the organization to live within its $120,000 budget...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Weeks of tromping through grassy brush at 3 a.m., lugging a heavy backpack, shining a spotlight into the night looking for pairs of emerald-green eyes finally paid off for a team of state biologists. Before dawn one morning, Arizona Game and Fish workers spotted their quarry, little masked critters staring back at the light...

Eighty-year-old priests work past retirement age because no youthful replacement waits in the wings. Some parishes are left without resident pastors altogether. In Catholic hospitals, the sick wait for the holy sacraments or a comforting word. Habit-wearing teachers are no longer the norm at Catholic schools and instead are replaced with street-clothed administrators and non-Catholic teachers...

NEW YORK -- Has dating Pamela Anderson tamed Kid Rock? The outlandish rap-rocker recently admitted that he's stopped wearing his trademark fur coats in deference to his new sweetheart, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. Instead, he's been sporting faux fur...

335-6611, extension 126

FREDERICK, Md. -- Security has improved at an Army laboratory that works with anthrax since the deadly microbes were mailed to two senators, but during much of the 1990s, it was not stringent enough to prevent a possible theft, former scientists at the post said...

Catholic congregations in Southern Missouri are flourishing in numbers, posting a 6,000-member gain over the past year. But finding priests to serve them is another matter. The Springfield-Cape Girardeau Roman Catholic Diocese hasn't been spared from a national pattern that developed over the last few decades: fewer priests available to fill the pulpit...

NEW YORK -- A metal beam fell from the ceiling of a subway tunnel, puncturing a train car and injuring three passengers, police said. The beam, encased in concrete, hit the front car of a No. 5 train on Friday as the train was approaching a station near Battery Park in lower Manhattan, said a police spokesman...

As he steps from the lectern and heads to the pews where students from St. Denis parish school sit, the Rev. Normand Varone tells the children about what a good man Joseph was and how important his role was in listening to the angel and raising Jesus as his son...

PHILADELPHIA -- Students and teachers returning to classes after the holidays are going to find someone new in charge of the schools. State leaders seized control of the Philadelphia school district at 12:01 a.m. Saturday -- setting in motion what experts called the most ambitious reform program ever attempted...

JERUSALEM -- Israel has banned Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from attending Christmas Eve services in the West Bank town of Bethlehem this year, according to a government statement issued early Sunday. The statement, from the Security Cabinet, charged that Arafat "is not acting to dismantle Palestinian terror groups or stop terror attacks against Israel."...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is expected to seek at least $15 billion in new spending for domestic security in his 2003 budget, to fund everything from local police to baggage screening equipment. In Congress, "there will be a strong desire to spend more than that," said Rich Meade, staff director of the House Budget Committee...

SAN FRANCISCO -- There is probably no one in greater need of a good attorney in the world today than John Walker Lindh, the 20-year-old American captured fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan. So it comes as little surprise his parents have hired San Francisco legal whiz James Brosnahan...

DENVER -- Denver Nuggets coach Dan Issel took a leave of absence Saturday, the day he was to return from a four-game suspension for shouting an insensitive ethnic remark at a fan. No timetable was set for Issel's return, though general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said he believed Issel would need only a day or two to make a decision on whether to come back to the team...

The Associated Press SUNRISE, Fla. -- Twenty-four hours after letting an opportunity slip away, St. Louis said goodbye to its recent road blues. Keith Tkachuk and Cory Stillman scored less than two minutes apart early in the third period to lift St. Louis to a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night...

Dr. Allen Gathman, a biology professor at Southeast Missouri State University, has received the Pride Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching, as well as a high level of scholarship and service. "The main thing is that I'm down in the trenches doing my day-to-day work," Gathman said. "It makes me feel as if people out there think I am doing something right."...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Angel Antiqua Atchley and Mark Steven Hahn were united in marriage Aug. 18, 2001, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Paul J. Short performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Pat Palisch; pianist was Georgia Dalton, great-aunt of the bride; soloist was Nicholas Dalton, cousin of the bride; trumpeter was Matt Martin; and flutist was Misty Massa...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Robin Christina Wiegand and Stephen Paul Masters were married July 14, 2001, at St. Paul Lutheran Church. The Rev. David Johnson performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Pat Palisch and soloist was Greg Farrow, both of Jackson...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Rebecca J. Picker and Bryan J. Lohmann were married June 30, 2001, at Peace Lutheran Church in Steeleville, Ill. The Rev. Harold Bolm performed the ceremony. Organist was Georgia Eckert and soloist was Phyllis Winkelman. The bride is the daughter of Daniel and Deborah Picker of Steeleville. The groom is the son of George and Judy Hopfer, Susan Favier, and Palmer and Sandy Lohmann of Perryville...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Jamie Susanne Glastetter and Kyle Michael Shaffar exchanged vows May 12, 2001, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. The Rev. Milton Ryan performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Janel Mason of Scott City, Mo., and Susan Layton of Cape Girardeau...

ORAN, Mo. -- Geri Ann Cagle and Ronald Dale Sinuard were married April 14, 2001, at Morley Baptist Church in Morley, Mo. Joey Manning performed the double ring ceremony. Music was provided by Destiny Lewis of Morley, niece of the groom, and Glenn Lewis of Sikeston...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Bonnie Jo Hopper and Lance Cpl. Jeremy Nigel Reeves were married Dec. 23, 2000, at Enchanted Gardens in Jackson. The Rev. Randall Morse performed the double ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Steve Kerby and Martha Kerby of Benton, Mo. The groom is the son of Steven and Sheilah Enderle of Chaffee, Mo., and Gregory Reeves of San Antonio, Texas...

Mr. and Mrs. Alan W. Haman of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Courtney Blake Haman, to Jeffery Howard Bourbon. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Bourbon of Cadet, Mo. Haman is majoring in dietetics at Southeast Missouri State University...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Robert and Suzie Lukefahr of Jackson announce the engagement of their son, Josh Lukefahr, to Charity Roland. She is the daughter of Mozella Roland and Willis Roberts of Kennett, Mo. Roland is a 1997 graduate of Kennett High School, and received a bachelor of science degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001. She is a youth/family specialist with the Court Support Project in Newport, Ky...

Don and Norma Walz of Jefferson City, Mo., and Bill and Joy Ward of Advance, Mo., announce the engagement of their children, Donna Doris Walz of Columbia, Mo., and Todd Allen Ward of Cape Girardeau. Walz received a bachelor of arts degree from William Woods University, and a master's degree in business administration from Lincoln University. She is co-owner and director of business development at Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine...

Matthew and Lisa Hinds of Elkton, Ky., and Bob and Sheila Benjamin of Malden, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kara Jo Benjamin, to Clarence O. Lyons III. He is the son of Clarence and Sherry Lyons II of New Madrid, Mo. Benjamin received bachelor of science degrees in political science, mass communication, speech, and criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. William Hughes Davault of Jackson celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary recently at the home of their son and daughter-in-law, Webster Joe and Gail Davault of Cartersville, Ga. The Davaults were married Nov. 20, 1941, in Cape Girardeau...

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Davidson of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th anniversary with a dinner Dec. 7 at Port Cape Girardeau. Hosts were their son, Randy Davidson; granddaughter, Heather Davidson; daughter, Kay Davidson; and Guy Tapley of Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Freed of Scott City recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A reception was held Dec. 12, 2001, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Hosts were their children and spouses: Rick and Kim Freed and Danny Freed of Cape Girardeau, Janie and Lynn Niswonger of Ocala, Fla., Konnie and Dwight Keller of Scott City, and Linda and Joe Clifton of Orange Park, Fla...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer Nall of McClure will observe their 40th anniversary with a reception Dec. 29 at Mt. Auburn Christian Church in Cape Girardeau. The event will be held from 1-4 p.m., hosted by daughters Tracey Tripp of Cape Girardeau and Tricia Brennan of Houston, Texas...

Associated Press WriterISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Pakistan barred Indian airliners from using its airspace and ordered half of India's embassy staff sent home, matching sanctions announced by India on Thursday amid escalating tensions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan announced the steps on state television, saying Pakistan was "disappointed" by India's moves and underlining that Islamabad wants to resolve the crisis through talks...

Santa may have trouble navigating through our home this Christmas. That's because our house seems like a perpetual work zone these days. Like all home projects, it started innocently enough. Joni and I decided to redo our bedrooms so Becca and Bailey could have their own rooms...

ALTO PASS, Ill. -- Walter Gibbs Sr., 73, of Alto Pass is still missing. He was last seen about 5 p.m. Dec. 11 while driving to Thebes to visit friends. He was driving a white, 1998 Dodge Ram four-wheel drive pickup truck. The truck has a large winch on the back, a broken left taillight and Illinois license plate 7075-CT...

10 years ago: Dec. 23, 1991 Jackson - Less than third of county's 1991 personal property and real estate taxes have been collected, and County Collector Harold Kuehle is braced for usual last-minute rush; county residents have until midnight, Dec. 31, to pay their tax bills, but Kuehle says tax-paying pace already has picked up...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There's not much love lost these days between the Carolina Panthers and the St. Louis Rams. The Rams, who at 11-2 are tied with Pittsburgh for the best record in the NFL, can understand why the 1-12 Panthers don't like them and don't want to face them today...

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- For holiday shoppers with dwindling funds, it must have seemed like a Christmas miracle -- an automated teller machine spewing free cash by the fistful. The malfunctioning ATM at a Green Bay mall gave extra money to any takers, said police Lt. Bill Galvin...

Marine Corps Pvt. Jeffrey Daniels, son of Laura Teardo of Palm City, Fla., and Clark Daniels of Cape Girardeau, recently completed basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, Calif. Daniels is a 2001 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- A Libyan court postponed its verdict Saturday in the case of six Bulgarians and a Palestinian, all doctors and nurses, accused of injecting 393 children with HIV-contaminated blood. It was the second time in four months the judges had postponed their verdict. They were originally due to hand down a ruling in September...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Residents of a subdivision north of Sikeston known locally as Mini-Farms have been ordered not to drink water that comes from wells. Residents in the subdivision who are on the city water system may drink the water unless their septic systems are full or overflowing...

This week brought to an end Round One in a lawsuit filed against Gov. Bob Holden seeking to overturn his executive order instituting collective bargaining. Cole County Circuit Judge Tom Brown granted the motion filed by Attorney General Jay Nixon to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed by Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau, a Republican, plus a Democratic House member and a host of statewide organizations and aggrieved state employees. ...

The every-10-year U.S. census brings with it the required redrawing of the map of Missouri's legislative districts, both for the House and the Senate. This process was completed week before last with new maps for each house handed down by the appellate judges selected and charged with this responsibility. With the 27th senatorial district (Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger, Madison, Scott and Mississippi counties) unchanged from 10 years ago, the big news for this area came in the new House map...

"Mommy lost her job after Sept. 11, 2001," 6-year-old Paris wrote to Santa Claus. "Daddy works two jobs now. Please help." In another is a second tall order: "My daddy just died and I am so sad," Lorie wrote. "Could you please help us this year and make us happy again? I don't want any presents."...

After two decisive defeats, Perryville's Lady Pirates were able to finally salvage a victory Saturday afternoon on the final day of the HealthSouth Holiday Classic at the Show Me Center. Seventh-seeded Perryville, trailing 34-20 at halftime, stormed back to nip Jackson's junior varsity 48-47 in the seventh-place game of the eight-team tournament...

It came down to a thrilling finish between archrivals as Cape Central squeaked past Jackson 56-54 in the HealthSouth Holiday Classic Saturday. Vicky Wilson, Cape Central's junior post player, calmly sank two free throws with one second left to clinch third place for the Lady Tigers...

Sure, the trophy was nice. And winning the area's most competitive tournament was cause for celebration. But, oooh, did Notre Dame ever enjoy beating Poplar Bluff. The Lady Bulldogs staked their claim as Southeast Missouri's best girls basketball team, knocking off perennial power Poplar Bluff 48-45 in the championship game of the HealthSouth Holiday Classic Saturday night...

BOULDER, Colo. -- Campus police have asked some Colorado football players to provide DNA samples as investigators look into a student's claim she was gang raped at a party for recruits. Officers talked to coach Gary Barnett on Thursday and explained players could voluntarily give DNA samples or face the possibility of receiving a court order to do so, Lt. Tim McGraw said Saturday...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's outmanned Indians put up quite a battle Saturday afternoon. But they simply had no answer for Southern Illinois powerhouse Rolan Roberts. Roberts, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound terror on the inside, burned Southeast for 28 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots as the Salukis held off the determined Indians 92-80 in front of 7,520 fans at the SIU Arena...

ST. LOUIS -- Frank Williams scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half as No. 9 Illinois beat No. 8 Missouri 72-61 on Saturday night. Williams, who scored on a variety of shots off drives and added three steals, helped Illinois (10-2) beat Missouri (9-2) for the second straight season in the neutral-court series. Last year, he scored six of his 18 points in overtime...

Ruffling feathers SPEAK OUT is a safe haven for the have-nots who justifiably fear horrific retaliation if they publicly challenge the ruling class with their insightful comments. The pure truth can be published only posthumously or, as with Speak Out, anonymously. Callers are eternally grateful to the mostly pro-establishment ownership and management of the Southeast Missourian for providing us a forum for some serious feather ruffling...

Larry and Martha Dillon of Jackson, Mo., and Thomas J. Baker of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Rachelle Baker, to Keith Allen Whitworth. He is the son of Dennis and Marilyn Whitworth of Washington, Mo. Baker is a graduate of Central High School and Metro Business College. She is employed in classified sales at the Southeast Missourian Newspaper...

The name of Walter Gibbs Sr.'s wife is Linda Gibbs. Her name was incorrectly reported in Saturday's newspaper. His niece's name is Lois. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

Writing instructors and those experienced article writers in the trade magazines, "The Writer" and "Writers' Digest" say, "Avoid repetitious words and phrases." It's a good rule. How tired we got and still do at the repetitious spoken expressions, "you know," "basically," "awesome" and the like...