Stories from Sunday, February 10, 2002

NEW ORLEANS -- Like Paris, London and Rome, New Orleans is one of the world's great walking cities. You can see a lot for free, or a mere picayune, the name of the Spanish coin worth 6 1/4 cents that the local daily, the Times-Picayune, proudly boasts on its masthead...

SINGAPORE -- For Valentine's Day, Singapore's Night Safari is hoping local couples will go wild. Night Safari, a wildlife park that features nighttime rides through eight geographical zones with more than 1,000 nocturnal beasts, will offer a "love tram" for the Valentine holiday...

'Tis the season for saying "I love you." Valentine's Day or not, you might also say "I love yew" -- the plant. You might love the way yew is so easy to grow. Just stick yew in any soil that is well-drained and yew'll quickly develop and bear fruits. And what a pretty sight are the scarlet fruits of yews -- each with a dark, brown seed peeking out its end...

LONDON -- Caught between the old social order and the sudden freedoms of a more democratic age, Princess Margaret led a life shadowed by the great disappointment of her thwarted romance with a divorced commoner. Margaret, who died Saturday at 71, added cosmopolitan glamour -- and controversial romance -- to the royal family's reserved image. But she won respect as an attentive patron of charities and happiness as the mother of two loving, well-adjusted children and grandmother of three...

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- Marines equipped with machine guns, grenade launchers, pepper spray and batons rushed to greet a transport plane delivering 34 more detainees from Afghanistan on Saturday. Gearing up for their mission, some of the young members of the Marines' Quick Reaction Force jammed to the hit Queen song "We Will Rock You" as a ferry carried them across the bay toward the airfield at this remote U.S. Navy base...

MOSCOW -- Russia's independent media face huge hurdles in maintaining their freedom, Russian and U.S. participants said at a two-day conference examining the tense relationship between the country's press and government. "We must fight for what we've been fighting for the last 15 years," said Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the Union of Right Forces, a liberal Russian political party that helped organize the conference, which concluded Saturday...

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Police have broken up a drug-smuggling, kidnapping and bank robbery ring that was the Central American arm of powerful drug cartels based in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, authorities said Saturday. Thirty anti-narcotics officers and agents raided one of the gang's safe-houses in the city of Lempira, near the border with El Salvador, before dawn Saturday. One anti-narcotics officer was killed and another was wounded in the ensuing gun battle...

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines -- More than its military benefits, a counterterrorism training exercise involving U.S. and Philippine troops serves as a warning that terrorists will find no haven in Southeast Asia, a top Philippine general said Saturday. The maneuvers, called Balikatan or "shoulder to shoulder," will involve 660 Americans, including 160 Special Forces, who may observe Filipino troops in combat zones battling against the Muslim extremist group Abu Sayyaf on the southern island of Basilan.. ...

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan -- Each stab of the shovel brings up more disturbing finds: skulls, bones covered by bits of clothing, clumps of hair. When United Nations investigators resume inquiries -- perhaps as early as next month -- this pit in a corner of a vast stone quarry may reveal an important part of a wider story of alleged atrocities by the Taliban and by the U.S.-backed alliance that toppled them...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Elated by the reported surrender of the former Taliban foreign minister, Afghan officials said Saturday they believe other Taliban figures may give themselves up. Still, they warned that holdouts of the one-time ruling militia and the al-Qaida terrorist network continue to threaten Afghanistan's security...

YORK, Pa. -- York County Prison officials have set down a new policy for inmates: Condiments will cost you. Starting Monday, prisoners will have to purchase items like ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper and sugar if they want to spice up their meals. Warden Thomas Hogan said the policy is being implemented to save money, and because prisoners often trash the condiments...

NEW YORK -- Valentine's Day isn't just for lovers; it's for those you love. Children are usually high on that list. "Valentine's Day has romantic roots but it has become a day for everyone," observes Miriam Arond, editor in chief of Child magazine. "Parents love an excuse to show their kids how much they love them."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Branches still hanging from some trees after the recent ice storm have prompted state officials to close some Kansas City-area hiking trails and caution people to be careful on others. The Missouri Department of Conservation last week closed the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area near Lee's Summit and all trails and picnic shelters at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs...

GETTING AROUND: City buses depart every 10 minutes during peak hours -- 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. -- and every 23 minutes at other times. The fare is $1.50. Fare to the Central Business District is about $21, or $8 per person for three passengers in a taxi...

ST. LOUIS -- Roman Cechmanek stopped 30 shots for his third shutout of the season and Chris Therien scored a shorthanded goal as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the St. Louis Blues 5-0 Saturday night. It was the second shutout in four starts for Cechmanek, who also blanked Toronto Jan. 19. He has a 4-0 career record against the Blues...

SALT LAKE CITY -- The U.S. Olympic team wanted a fast start in the Winter Olympics -- and with a pair of silver medals, they got one. Speedskater Derek Parra just wishes it was four seconds faster. Parra set a world record in the 5,000-meter speedskating, then stood helplessly as the Netherlands' Jochem Uytdehaage smashed his mark by about 3 1/2 seconds to take the gold medal and leave the American with a silver on the first full day of Olympic competition...

HONOLULU -- This might not make up for a snowy overtime loss to New England in the playoffs. Still, Rich Gannon came away with more than just a win in the Pro Bowl. He became the first two-time MVP after leading the AFC to a 38-30 victory over the NFC on Saturday...

PHILADELPHIA -- Everyone seems to be doing a double take whenever they look at the Eastern Conference standings, and things should be no different today when they glance at the East squad for the All-Star game. Michael Jordan will be wearing blue and white instead of red and black, Jason Kidd will have the word "Nets" across his chest, and Dikembe Mutombo and Shareef Abdur-Rahim will be donning different uniforms than they did a year ago...

"I've never felt safer in my life." -- U.S. speedskater Amy Peterson, competing in her fifth Olympics, on the security in Salt Lake City. "I don't think anybody's going to pay me more money, to be honest with you. So, why the hell would I want to leave, other than these guys are driving me crazy?" -- Milwaukee Bucks coach George Karl...

ST. LOUIS -- A suburban St. Louis man has been charged with four felony animal-abuse counts in the alleged starvation deaths of four horses he owned. Michael Chiarottino, 42, of Kirkwood, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the charges filed Friday...

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. -- It took more than two months but one grandma in Illinois finally has a special Christmas present, thanks to some detective work by a Blue Springs police officer. The story of the wayward package began Nov. 30, when officer Tommy Thompson found it lying on a road near Interstate 70 in Blue Springs. The tag on the present said "To Grandma, from Brenda."...

VIBURNUM, Mo. -- With its often breathtaking terrain and popular rivers, this region might be Missouri's best kept secret from the rest of the world. Here, behind a thick curtain of evergreens, Doe Run Co. hopes to begin drilling for lead beneath the floor of the Mark Twain National Forest...

Eye scan security tested at London's Heathrow LONDON -- Immigration officials on Friday began testing a pioneering security system that scans a passenger's eye as an alternative to checking passports at London's Heathrow Airport. The five-month-long trial will allow up to 2,000 frequent visitors to pass through immigration simply by staring into a video camera that takes a close-up image of the iris. The system was developed by EyeTicket Corp. of McLean, Va...

LOS ANGELES -- It's getting harder to lie on your resume in Hollywood. The Internet Movie Database, a Web site started by a film fan so he wouldn't rent the same movie twice, has become a powerful show business tool with details on virtually every living being ever credited on a film or TV show...

When he was young, Bryan Cranston tagged along with his actor-father, Joe. "I couldn't quite put my finger on it but I felt special when I was at a studio or on a set," he said. "I still feel special sitting here at Fox. There's history here and it's magical. You create something out of something that was once just a thought. ... Something that will move people, hopefully -- entertain them, make them sad, make them angry even..."...

The Federal Aviation Administration and state officials have received dozens of complaints from female travelers who say male airport security screeners groped them under the guise of random body searches. The FAA received complaints from 18 women who said they were traveling alone when they were singled out for pat-down searches, then groped or fondled by male agents, spokesman Jerry Snyder said...

Radio talk show host Dori Monson knows the Internet surveys he reads on air are bogus. But he doesn't care. Monson says his main goal is to generate debate. "The statistical validity of the numbers is not as important as the debate it will inspire," says Monson, who hosts a daily show on KIRO-AM in Seattle...

SALT LAKE CITY -- If you're going to the Winter Olympics, bring a warm coat -- preferably with deep pockets. Prices in downtown Salt Lake City are soaring like an Olympian off the 90-meter ski jump. A pint of beer almost doubled to $6.25 at the Port 'O Call restaurant. A downtown parking garage is boosting its day rate to $30, from $5. And dinner specials at the Metropolitan are $95 a person -- triple what its most expensive entree used to cost...

MILWAUKEE -- A year ago, the Milwaukee County government made its employee pension plan more generous instead of giving bigger pay raises. But reporters did the math recently and found out that some of the politicians involved stand to get million-dollar payouts when they retire...

NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- It's a matter of doorways a few inches wider and bathroom walls a little sturdier, nothing most people are likely to notice. But to Norene Jenkins, the Naperville City Council's approval this week of building code changes that will make new homes more accessible to the disabled means much more. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republicans haven't been shy is expressing their dislike for Gov. Bob Holden's education funding plan, which would raise most of its revenue by encouraging gamblers to spend more in riverboat casinos and on the Missouri lottery...

Cape Girardeau County commissioners say it would be cheaper to close the local juvenile detention center and house area juvenile offenders in Stoddard County's new regional facility, citing declining occupancy and potential savings. The new Stoddard center, scheduled to open Feb. ...

PUBLIC HEARING By Sam Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian JACKSON, Mo. -- The city of Jackson is considering an approach to zoning rarely found in other communities in the state...

SUPER 8 SHOOTING By Sam Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian One year after being shot in the stomach during a drug bust at a Cape Girardeau motel, Cpl. Keith May is heading to Colorado for a vacation with his wife, Tammy, and children, Ryan and Kate. He may do some skiing...

TACOMA, Wash. -- Vandals have done nearly $10,000 worth of damage to books, videotapes and compact discs by pouring syrup into library drop boxes, officials said. Police and Tacoma public library officials say five branches have been hit 21 times since October, and similar vandalism has been reported at three Pierce County library branches and a number of branches in nearby Seattle...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Kevin Kelly has his work cut out for him. Not only does he want to discover, describe and catalog every living species on earth. He'd also like to make it cool to work in the hitherto sleepy field, known as taxonomy. The co-founder of Wired magazine wants to give each species its own Web page and tap the power of networked computing to speed the classification process...

PHILADELPHIA -- Police want to know if a suspect is lying, but the polygraph test comes back inconclusive. What's an exasperated interrogator to do? Increasingly, law enforcement agencies are using a technology that measures "voice stress" -- small frequency modulations in the human voice that supposedly occur whenever someone is lying...

Soul songstresses Alicia Keys, Aaliyah and India.Arie, who have dominated the music awards season, each had three nominations for the 16th annual Soul Train Music Awards. India.Arie is up for seven Grammy nominations for her debut album "Acoustic Soul," while Keys is up for six Grammys for the album "Songs in A Minor" and Aaliyah, who died in a plane crash last August at age 22, has one nomination. The Grammy Awards will be given out Feb. 27...

You've come a long way on television news, baby. Or have you? While admittedly amusing, all the attention paid recently to Greta Van Susteren's eyes and Paula Zahn's sex appeal is a depressing reminder of how often journalism comes second to appearance on television news...

Blowing snow cut visibility nearly to zero and shut down hundreds of miles of major highways Saturday as a storm gathered strength on the northern Plains. Up to 2 feet of snow had fallen by midday in the Black Hills of eastern Wyoming, and winter storm warnings and blizzard warnings were posted for parts of Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, the National Weather Service said...

SAN ANTONIO -- A Texas man has become the first American infected with the AIDS virus from donated blood since the nation's blood banks implemented rigorous new HIV-screening technology three years ago. David Autrey, a 51-year-old ranch hand from Chilton, was infected with human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, from blood donated at San Antonio's South Texas Blood and Tissue Center...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- As her 13-year-old son struggled with attention deficit disorder, Jeanette Troche was frustrated that his Philadelphia public school couldn't provide the needed help. Troche couldn't afford tuition at the neighborhood Catholic school. But a remedy arrived with a new state program offering tax credits to Pennsylvania businesses that donate money for scholarships to private and parochial schools...

PHILADELPHIA -- Police want to know if a suspect is lying, but the polygraph test comes back inconclusive. What's an exasperated interrogator to do? Increasingly, law enforcement agencies are using a technology that measures "voice stress" -- small frequency modulations in the human voice that supposedly occur whenever someone is lying...

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Irish McCalla, an actress best known for her title role in the 1950s television series "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle," has died. She was 73. McCalla died Feb. 1 of complications from a brain tumor and stroke, her eldest son, Kim McIntyre, said Saturday. She had been moved to a Tucson care home about 18 months earlier after being diagnosed with her fourth brain tumor, McIntyre said...

LOS ANGELES -- Like the flame to the moth, the glare of artificial light can wreak havoc on plants and animals in sometimes lethal ways, scientists are beginning to suspect. The effect on humans is already well documented, with studies showing how artificial light can disrupt the natural biological patterns that guide sleep, body temperature and other functions...

KENT, Wash. -- Every kid knows what it means to be squished like a bug. These days, scientists are using water under high pressure -- about 37,000 pounds per square inch -- to squish bugs we can't even see, the ones that cause food to spoil or cause illness...

The Rev. Jerry Falwell and three other nationally known evangelists will speak at the five-night Hope for America Crusade at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau April 8-12. The crusade, a multi-denominational event sponsored by area churches and the Horizon Foundation, a group of Christian businessmen, will be one of the biggest religious events the city has ever held, say area pastors...

WASHINGTON -- North Korea has called off a visit by a group of former U.S. ambassadors, apparently because of President Bush's harsh words about the country, members of the unofficial delegation said Saturday. The trip had been arranged at North Korea's invitation as a way to expand informal dialogue between two countries locked in a hostile relationship. But North Korean officials told the ex-diplomats on Friday not to come...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Erin M. King and Pvt. Darrell E. Faire Jr. were united in marriage Dec. 15, 2001, at First Pentecostal Church in Cape Girardeau. His father, the Rev. Darrell E. Faire Sr., performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist was Justin Teague of Ellettsville, Ind. Soloist was Sheila Faire, mother of the groom...

Personhood question TO PROTECT the unborn, they must have the status of "person." The U.S. Constitution protects a person, not a human. Yes, this sounds stupid, but this is how our court system works. Human life begins at conception. The question is, when does personhood begin?...

The Winter Olympics is upon us. Don't expect me to cheer. I'm not wild about winter in the first place, much less an international festival of sports that encourages us to appreciate the finer points of snow, ice and winter parkas. I've never understood the thrill of skiing downhill on a carpet of slick snow. The idea of watching such a spectacle is even more mind boggling. Only Green Bay Packer fans could get this excited about risking frostbite...

$$$Start Character: the pattern of behavior or personality found in an individual or group; moral constitution; self-discipline; fortitude. -- Webster's College Dictionary KENNETT, Mo. -- Amid all the hype preceding America's Super Bowl, a sports columnist for a Missouri metropolitan newspaper wrote that in defeating their opponents in the playoff game leading up to the season finale at New Orleans, members of the St. ...

Standard Democrat SIKESTON, Mo. -- Support has poured in for an area family dealing with the aftermath of a car accident. Twelve-year-old Brittany Gates and her aunt, Evelyn Orman, were killed in a Jan. 1 collision. Two other passengers in the vehicle, Brittany's father, James Walter Gates, and her 11-year-old sister, Ashley, sustained serious injuries...

10 years ago: Feb. 10, 1992 City will need to act soon if it plans to replace Cape Girardeau Central Municipal Swimming Pool bubble, members of Parks and Recreation Advisory Board say; replacement bubble over pool likely will cost about $120,000; city administrative staff has tentatively budgeted $65,000 toward purchase in its proposed five-year capital improvements plan, but park board members say that balance will have to be funded soon...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Gary and Beverly Bond of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Jo Bond, to Todd Weber. He is the son of Bill and Fay Weber of Fruitland, Mo. Bond is a graduate of Delta High School. She is assistant manager at Long John Silver's Seafood Shoppe...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Richard L. Rogers, 63, of Jonesboro died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002, at his home. He was born Feb. 20, 1938, in Union County, Ill., son of Ervin and Mary Steward Rogers. He and Barbara "Bobbie" Inman were married Sept. 1, 1957. She died May 10, 1997. He and Irma Wenger Kelley were married Nov. 7, 1998, in Jonesboro...

Robert Patrick Hopen, 46, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 8, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 17, 1955, in Cape Girar-deau, son of James and Betty Johnson Hopen. Hopen worked most of his life in the construction field as a skilled finish carpenter...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Stephanie Sue Feeney and Richard Elwood Murray were married May 19, 2001, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. The Rev. Ron Hoye performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Cathrine Martin, trumpeter was Matt Martin, and soloist was Alan Bruns...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Kelli Rae Rogers Wheeler and Nathan Douglas Allen were married July 7, 2001, at Harmony Church in Marble Hill, Mo. Bill Ross performed the double ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Sharon M. Rogers of Jackson and George T. Rogers of Mart, Texas. The groom is the son of Mark D. and Barbara K. Allen of Leopold, Mo...

Ron and Ginny Wene of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Karen Kay Wene, to Jason Alexander Cladis. He is the son of James Cladis Sr. of St. Louis and Kenneth and Debra Statler of Marquand, Mo. Wene is a 1997 graduate of Woodland High School, and a 2001 graduate of Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is a registered nurse at Southeast Hospital...

In some ways the Roman gladiators had it easy. Yes, winning or losing was often a matter of life or death. But then again, there weren't many losing streaks or the possibility of a down season.No one to face up to after a bad match. No dealing with the media after a loss. No news at night and no morning paper...

It's been a depressing week for Rams fans, many of whom are still bumming over the way the team's season ended. I can't tell you how many people I've run into who said they were literally sick after the Patriots pulled off a stunning 20-17 upset in last Sunday's Super Bowl...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Duncan of Chaffee celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Dec. 28, 2001, at Mollies Cafe and Bar in Cape Girardeau. The Fine Arts Department at First Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau honored the couple with a surprise reception Dec. 7...

Jim and Barbara Cox of Ellington, Mo., and Steve and Mary Robertson of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their children, Jamie Annette Cox and Christopher Tarver Robertson. Cox is a graduate of Ellington High School, and received a master's degree in English from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. She manages corporate and foundation relations at Missouri Botanical Gardens and teaches English literature at Webster University, both in St. Louis...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- George "Bud" and Judy Wimpelberg of Evansville, Ind., announce the engagement of their daughter, Miranda Ann Wimpelberg, to Kevin Dale Baugher. He is the son of Roger and Deborah Baugher of McClure. Wimpelberg is majoring in political science at the University of Southern Indiana. She is employed at Convenient Care West in Evansville...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Bill J. Hunt of Perryville announces the engagement of his daughter, Justine M. Hunt, to Daniel E. Shackles. He is the son of Danny and Elizabeth Shackles of Sikeston, Mo., and Bob and Maria Cogar of Ossian, Ind. Hunt is also the daughter of the late Lydia K. Hunt...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Karen F. Lukefahr of Altenburg and David Lukefahr of Perryville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth A. Lukefahr, to Jamie R. Koeberl. He is the son of Ralph and Charlotte Koeberl of Frohna, Mo. Lukefahr is a 1996 graduate of Perryville High School, and received a degree in finance from Southeast Missouri State University in 1999. She is employed at Kiefner Brothers Inc. in Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON, Mo. -- David and Janet Wendel of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Lori Jo Wendel, to Allan James Owens. He is the son of Gerald and Shirley Owens of Advance, Mo. Wendel is a 1995 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is a registered nurse at Doctors Park Surgery in Cape Girardeau...

Rodney and Rosanna Seiler announce the engagement of their mother, Robin Seiler, to Christopher Oberle. Seiler is the daughter of Dixie Wilson of Sikeston, Mo., and the late Jim Wilson. Oberle is the son of Rip and Doris Oberle of Cape Girardeau. Seiler is a senior at Southeast Missouri State University, majoring in historic preservation...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- J.T. Hill, 64, of McClure died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002, at his home. Hill operated J.T. Hill Insurance Agency in Cape Girar-deau. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jon Rehbein officiating. Burial will be in the Hill Family Cemetery in McClure...

ORAN, Mo. -- Noel Curtis Orr, 82, died Friday, Feb. 8, 2002, at Marymont Nursing Home in Eureka, Mo. Born June 3, 1919, in Corona, Tenn., he was the son of John and Myrtle Osbon Orr. A retired accountant, Orr was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II...

We live in an area that is prone to flash flooding whenever there is a heavy rain, particularly if the rain falls for a long period of time and the ground is already saturated with moisture. How many times have we seen and heard the admonition to treat floodwater as a menace that can kill?...

Although the number of non-traditional students -- adults who are seeking college degrees or certification in order to advance their careers -- is growing at campuses across the nation, the number of traditional students who, in many cases, enjoy financial support from their parents is still strong...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Feb. 10 DWIKimberly Ann Lee, 30, of Jackson, Mo., was arrested Saturday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsRodney Nelson of Jackson was arrested Friday for possession of a controlled substance. Terry Whitfield, 27, of 45 S. West End was arrested Friday for failure to appear...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Feb. 10 On Friday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 2:44 p.m., motor vehicle accident/emergency medical service at Lexington and Belleridge Pike. At 2:54 p.m., house fire at 911 S. Benton. At 3:19 p.m., motor vehicle accident/emergency medical service at West Drive and William Street...

The audience in Cape Central High School's auditorium Saturday were treated to an evening of jazz, much of it from the Big Band era, and reminded listeners why the period gave birth to phrases like "hip" and "cool." The U.S. Air Force Band Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble played to a full house Saturday with a repertoire that also included some bebop and even pop...

The Cape Girardeau County University Outreach and Extension Council has elected eight people -- four incumbents and one previous member of the council -- for two-year terms. Thirteen candidates had filed. Those reelected were: Shirley Birk of Jackson. She is engaged in farming operations and is interested in 4-H programs for youth and programs for senior citizens...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- The key suspect in the disappearance here of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl may have fled to Pakistan's most populous province, police said Saturday, insisting they still hope to free Pearl soon. Kamal Shah, chief of police in Sindh province, said Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh may have left Karachi and "was reported to be in the Punjab" -- a sprawling province that runs along Pakistan's border with India. He said investigators were trying to track Saeed...

Southeast Missouri State University's "Trio" grant-funded programs for disadvantaged students in the Bootheel will be the topic of KRCU's "Going Public" radio show today. Guests will be Debra Mitchell-Braxton and Russell Crawford of the "Trio" programs...

SINGAPORE -- Censors on Friday banned the movie "Zoolander," an American comedy about a self-absorbed male model who's brainwashed into assassinating the prime minister of Malaysia. The action comedy, which comedian Ben Stiller stars in, directed and co-wrote, was banned for "controversial elements," Singapore's Board of Film Censors said in a news release...

Sparse accomadations were created to at the new Stoddard County Regional Juvenile Detention Center located in Bloomfield. By Marcy Gordon ~ The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The man who sat atop Enron's "house of cards" is to be grilled this week by lawmakers who say they have strong evidence of illegal activity surrounding the company's collapse. Whether they manage to crack Kenneth Lay's silence remains to be seen...

Peter Chan is planning his Chinese New Year celebrations a little early this year, but that doesn't mean his party will be any less festive. Customers who visit the Great Wall restaurant will be treated to a gift to start the new year: a brightly colored origami bird, 1,000 of which will hang from strings throughout the restaurant...

JACKSON, Mo. If your idea of the good life is simple and easy-going, you might want to take time in your afternoon to view this home at 2539 Ridge Road. This home's charm is in its easy maintenance and neighborly manner. With vinyl siding on the outside, and fresh-looking paint and carpeting on the inside, it's ready to become the new home for a family looking for some room to grow. Warm wood parquet flooring greets guests from the moment of their arrival in the entrance to the home...

ORAN, Mo. -- Sydnea Elizabeth Rhodes, 5-month-old daughter of Tony Allen Rhodes and Bobbie Denise Schwepker of Oran, died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. She was born Aug. 27, 2001, in Cape Girardeau...

How does it feel, Orlando? How does it feel, Florida? How does it feel to know you live in the absolute worst professional sports state in the union? How does it feel to know that the only thing worse than your schools are your teams? It's no wonder our state bird is the mockingbird. There's one perched outside my window right now, mockingly chirping: "Our teams are awful; our fan support is even worse."...

Can someone out there tell me why the SEMO basketball program has dropped out of sight? We were told that after they went to the NCAA big dance we would see the quality of recruits get better. Duh. In most programs, reloading would drop to a .500 win-loss record. ...

Oak Ridge coach justified I'M CALLING in reference to the comments in Sunday's paper in the FansSpeak about the Oak Ridge basketball coach. I don't agree with that caller's comments and I found no one in Oak Ridge who agrees either. We don't think we need to get another coach. ...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Too bad Southeast Missouri State University can't play Eastern Kentucky more often. The Indians' only two Ohio Valley Conference victories of the season have come against the Colonels, including Saturday night' 81-74 road win that kept Southeast in the hunt for the eighth and final spot in the OVC Tournament...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- An 18-point improvement still couldn't prevent a fifth consecutive defeat. The Southeast Missouri State University Otahkians, who lost to EKU by 27 points on Jan. 10 at the Show Me Center, took the powerful Lady Colonels to the wire Saturday before falling by 18, 82-73, at McBrayer Arena...

The Southeast Missouri State University women's gymnastics team raised the bar in its dual meet with the University of Iowa. In one of their best performances in the program's history, the Otahkians lost to 18th-ranked Iowa, 193.95 to 193.325, Saturday at Houck Field House...

Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's track teams easily outdistanced Samford and Murray State in an indoor meet Saturday at the Student Recreation Center. Southeast's men scored 71 points to 39 for Samford and 36 for Murray State, while the women, winners of 11 of their 15 events, scored 89 to Samford's 37 and Murray State's 32...

The classification of private schools could be coming to vote before Missouri high schools this spring. Kent Summers, associate executive director of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, said his office has recently received a petition request for an amendment that addresses the classification process for private schools. The petition seeks to have private schools' actual enrollments to be increased 50 percent on paper for school-size classification...

WASHINGTON -- One fugitive was arrested at his wedding rehearsal dinner. Another was betrayed by his missing pinkie finger. A restaurant's sparkling clean windows led to another bust. These are among the prized captures of the U.S. Marshals Service, an agency that pursues its own "major case" and "Top 15" fugitives but doesn't get the attention afforded the FBI...

A couple of days ago I heard a rooster crow in broad daylight. My heart leaped up as if I'd seen a rainbow in the sky. What's the big deal, you ask? Hearing roosters crowing was a great part of my youth. The roosters were the first live things we heard of a morning. ...