Stories from Thursday, May 9, 2002

St. Louis-area NASCAR racer Ken Schrader will headline a pair of events at Southeast Missouri dirt tracks this weekend. With the Winston Cup Series off for the weekend, Schrader will compete in his own dirt late model Friday in a stop by the touring Mid America Racing Series at Malden (Mo.) Speedway, then go to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., for a regularly scheduled weekly program Saturday...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sophomore point guard Wesley Stokes is leaving Missouri, coach Quin Snyder said Wednesday. Stokes will transfer from the university at the end of the current semester, Snyder said without specifying where Stokes intends to play. The North County Times in Escondido, Calif., reported Tuesday that Stokes would consider transferring to San Diego State, a school that originally recruited him out of Long Beach (Calif.) Poly High School in 2000...

WASHINGTON -- Ignoring protests from Nevada, the House on Wednesday overwhelmingly embraced President Bush's decision to bury tens of thousands of tons of nuclear waste in volcanic rock 90 miles from Las Vegas. The lawmakers by a three-to-one margin approved a resolution to override a veto by Nevada of Bush's plans to develop Yucca Mountain as the central repository for 77,000 tons of used reactor fuel and other highly radioactive waste accumulating in 39 states...

WASHINGTON -- Now gaining momentum in Congress, a plan to vastly expand small businesses' ability to pool together to buy cheaper health insurance has prompted a skirmish in Missouri's U.S. Senate race. At issue is legislation to place the pooled plans under federal law, which by necessity would pre-empt state laws where such plans are currently available...

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson doesn't have to worry about trade rumors. Larry Brown plans to keep the star guard in Philadelphia. One day after Iverson expressed displeasure with Brown for indicating that he could be on the trading block, the 76ers coach said Wednesday that last year's NBA MVP isn't going anywhere...

Soap Box Derby drivers will have an opportunity to put their racers to the test Saturday. For some, it will mark the first time they have been behind the wheel on the actual racetrack. All drivers are being invited to participate in time trials at the race site on North Sprigg Street at Blanchard School, said Denise Stewart, chairman of the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club and St. Francis Medical Center Soap Box Derby...

May 9, 2002 Dear Leslie, As many tornado warnings as I've heeded while living in Southeast Missouri, I'd never seen a tornado's power until April 28. Four miles of a small valley near the small town of Marble Hill, Mo., looked like a giant had carelessly sauntered through just as unconsciously as one of us walks through our lawns, smashing grass and twigs and ant hills as if they were meaningless. It was a reminder that nothing is meaningless...

How Southeast Missouri's 14 House members voted on SB 970, which asked voters to raise the state sales tax by three-fourths of a cent and the fuel tax by 3 cents per gallon. A "yes" was to put the measure on the statewide ballot: Lanie Black, R-Charleston, Yes...

10 years ago: May 9, 1992 Crowds estimated between 30,000 and 35,000 attend Aviation Days at Municipal Airport, majority coming for Blue Angels performance in mid-afternoon; festivities continue Sunday with hot-air balloon races, aerobatics by Peterson-Krier Airshow, parachute jumps and another performance by Blue Angels...

Central Junior High 5th Term A Honor Roll 9th Grade - NATASHA ATWOOD, CHELSEA BARNHART, JEFFREY BEARD, KARA BECKETT, KATHERINE BELCHER, CHRISTA BOLLINGER, KARI BRAGG, KARL BRATCHER, SCOTT BRUECKER, CHRISTINA CATO, ELIZABETH DAY, STEPHANIE HARRINGTON, CATHERINE HAYWARD, ANGELA HEISE, AMBER HENDERSON, ERIN HERBST, EMILY HUTTEGER, RYAN JOHNSTON, KARINA KLONOSKI, MARIAN LAFOE, ERIN MACK, MARGOT MCALLISTER, MILLIE NOEL, JENNIFER PANCOAST, NICHOLAS REDFEARN, MEGAN RICHARDS, RAM ROHATGI, JENNA RUSSELL, ERICA SCHABBING, JENNIFER SCHENKELBERG, BRANDON SEABAUGH, LINDSEY SMITH, RACHEL STORY, OLIVIA SWINGLE, MATTHEW TAYLOR, LAUREN THOMPSON, YURI UEDA, MARK WELKER, KATIE WOLZ, MARGARET YATES.. ...

James Daughter to Michael Dean and Jennifer Renee James of Jackson, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:37 p.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2002. Name, Kayleigh Ann. Weight, 7 pounds 11 ounces. Third daughter. Mrs. James is the former Jennifer Rollins, daughter of Joel Rollins and Cathy Rollins of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at CitiCapital Commercial Corp. James is the son of Doug James and Joan James of Jackson. He is employed at Fruitland Dressed Meat...

Costella E. Patterson, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at her home. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Eulalah Miller, 89, of Anna died Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at her home. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kimberly Rae Moore, 45, of Sikeston died Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 27, 1956, in Augsburg, Germany, daughter of J.D. and Freda Holden Moore. Moore was a sales clerk at Riggs Wholesale. She was a 1975 graduate of Sikeston High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University...

James Schaefer, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

C. Kenneth "Kenny" Williams, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 6, 2002, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Sept. 15, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, son of William Jasper and Clara Luise Mirly Williams. He and Nancy Starke were married Oct. 15, 1983...

Albert Smith, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Oct. 11, 1915, in Stoddard County, Mo., son of Harrison and Maud Hill Bryant. He first married Buna Wright March 7, 1936, in Cape Girardeau. She died in 1984. He later married Ellen York, who preceded him in death. He then married Kelly Bunting Sept. 21, 2000...

Dolores Maxine Scott, 76, of St. Louis died Monday, May 6, 2002. She was born Oct. 23, 1925, at Leora, Mo., daughter of Clay and Dora Wilborn Wilfong. Formerly of Cape Girardeau, she had been an office clerk at a nursing home. Survivors include a granddaughter, Deborah Lake of St. Louis; and three great-grandchildren...

WASHINGTON -- Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. will pay $2.2 million to 36 employees the railroad sought to genetically test in secret, settling the first federal challenge involving such testing and privacy. The Fort Worth, Texas-based railroad was accused in February 2001 of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by testing or attempting to genetically test workers without their knowledge after they had submitted work-related injury claims...

BOSTON -- A retired FBI agent went on trial Wednesday on charges he let two high-ranking mob informants literally get away with murder. John Connolly, 61, is charged with racketeering, obstruction of justice and conspiracy for allegedly protecting James J. "Whitey" Bulger and Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi from prosecution, and for providing the reputed gangsters with confidential law enforcement information...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- He overwhelms hitters with his fastball, fools them with his curve and keeps most of them off the bases. He can swing a bat, too. Mark Prior has been called a Kerry Wood with better control. The Chicago Cubs made Prior the No. 2 choice overall in last year's draft and the 21-year-old right-hander quickly has shown why...

Sailor from area ends six-month deployment Petty Officer 3rd Class Benjamin D. Kohm has returned from a six-month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while serving aboard the amphibious assault ship, USS Bataan. Kohm is the son of Glenda Kohm and Jeffrey Kohm, both of Perryville. Kohm joined the Navy in March 1999...

A flash flood was blamed Wednesday in the death of a high school senior in southwest Missouri. Meanwhile, the search continued for a northeast Missouri teen-ager who apparently jumped into a rain-swollen river on a dare. Heavy rains over recent days have caused rivers and creeks to rise, causing some flash flooding. ...

CHICAGO -- Once Matt Morris escaped the first inning, he was too tough for the Chicago Cubs. "Later in the game I usually get better if I can make it that far," Morris said after pitching the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 victory with eight strong innings Wednesday...

The Alvarado was located at Broadway and North Kingshighway.Bobbie and Velma Roloff enjoyed their first meal there after their wedding in 1954. "It was a nice place to go and the food was great," said Velma Roloff. Phyllis Heise was there for her sister's wedding reception. It was, back then, quite the place for festivities...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota is home to statues celebrating mythic characters such as Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Now the state has another -- this one immortalizing Mary Tyler Moore's famous hat toss. A bronze statue capturing Moore flinging her tam was went on display Wednesday at the downtown intersection where she originally twirled in the opening montage from her 1970s television hit, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."...

BOSTON -- Cardinal Bernard Law answered lawyers' questions in a rare deposition of a high-ranking church leader Wednesday and insisted he relied on the advice of doctors and subordinates when he approved the transfer of a priest accused of molesting children...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill changing the names of Southwest Missouri State University and three state colleges faced tough opposition Wednesday from Senate supporters of the University of Missouri system. Senators debated about 90 minutes but did not vote on the bill, which already had passed the House. It was unclear if the bill would receive further debate with a little more than a week left in the legislative session...

RENO, Nev. -- The FBI zeroed in on 21-year-old Luke Helder as the suspect in the string of pipe-bomb attacks after his father called police about a disturbing letter in which his son warned, "Mailboxes are exploding," authorities said Wednesday. Helder was captured Tuesday in Nevada after holding a shotgun to his head during a car chase and telling a friend by telephone "I might have to blow myself away," authorities said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill allowing the state to use emergency savings to help cover a budget shortfall was sent to the House floor Wednesday on a partisan vote of the House Budget Committee. The 15-11 vote -- with all of the panel's Democrats and just one Republican in favor -- suggested a rocky future for the bill in the House, where approval by a two-thirds majority is needed for passage...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Positioning itself for a compromise with the Senate, the House passed a broad transportation plan Wednesday that would ask voters to enact about $640 million in new sales and fuel taxes. At the heart of the bill is a three-quarter-cent increase in the state's 4.225 percent sales tax and a 3-cent increase in Missouri's 17-cent gasoline and diesel tax...

LOS ANGELES -- An environmental group sued chocolate manufacturers Wednesday, contending chocolate contains potentially hazardous levels of lead and cadmium and should carry warning labels. The suit, by the nonprofit American Environmental Safety Institute, alleges chocolate products expose consumers -- especially children -- to potentially dangerous levels of the metals. ...

HELP FOR TORNADO VICTIMS By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian The Federal Emergency Management Agency reversed itself on Wednesday, announcing that federal assistance would be expanded to include homeowners, renters and businesses in 19 Southeast Missouri counties affected by severe storms and tornadoes last month...

ST. LOUIS -- In some ways, loved ones described Rob Morrison like any other man. He had a weakness for golf. He could sometimes be a know-it-all. He might talk too much after a few beers with the boys. But all of those who remembered Morrison at his funeral Wednesday also emphasized something else. It was something that helped explain the elaborate ceremony, the hundreds who attended, and the lack of dry eyes at Holy Cross Lutheran Church: Rob Morrison was a hero...

CINCINNATI -- Ken Griffey Jr. had another ache Wednesday -- a sore calf that turned purple after he got plunked in batting practice. He also had peace of mind about how his angry comments this week have been received by hometown fans. The Cincinnati Reds outfielder criticized fans and the media in a diatribe Monday about how he's been treated since his homecoming in 2000. He cited a television station's poll and negative comments his family has heard at games...

WASHINGTON -- Missouri Sens. Kit Bond and Jean Carnahan voted in favor of the farm policy overhaul that won Senate passage Wednesday. Senators approved the bill on a 64-35 vote, sending it to President Bush, who is expected to sign the measure into law...

ST. LOUIS -- The biggest offseason pickup for the St. Louis Blues is a role player in the playoffs. Center Doug Weight, who missed 20 games with an injured pelvis, still is playing hurt. He has an $8 million contract, but spent all of Tuesday night's Game 3 of the team's second-round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings playing on the fourth line...

Celeste Menees, 100, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Jan. 10, 1902, near Puxico, Mo., daughter of Alfred and Addie Rucker Sutter. She and Ogle O. Menees were married Sept. 9, 1938. He died May 5, 1983...

Vera M. Rollins, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 6, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born June 9, 1937, in Waverly, Ark., daughter of the Rev. J.L. and Grace Mocassin Nabors. She and Vernon Rollins were married May 12, 1979, in Cape Girardeau...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State lawmakers are reconsidering their use of a water-loan fund to help balance the budget after the Environmental Protection Agency said the move could cost the state $74 million in federal money. At issue is a state fund that provides loans to cities, counties, water districts or other government units for public drinking water projects or water pollution control projects...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate gave final approval Wednesday to a farm bill that will shower billions of dollars in new subsidies on political battleground states and scrap the 1996 law that was intended to make growers less dependent on the government. President Bush has promised to sign the bill, which is expected to swell agriculture spending by nearly 80 percent over the cost of existing programs. ...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- If this is a slump, Jeff Gordon will take it. So would most of the other drivers on NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit. Since winning the Protection One 400 last Sept. 30 at Kansas Speedway, the defending Cup champion hasn't won in 19 races. That's the longest drought of a career, now in its 10th year, that has seen Gordon win four Cup titles and more than $47 million...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The stands are never crowded. Paint has peeled away in strips from the underside of the grandstand roof. Tall signs ring the track from right to left along the backstretch, but ads for a car dealer and bank in Turn 4 have faded. Thousands of fans once cheered Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts and Dale Earnhardt on this short track next to the Tennessee State Fair...

The Associatedd Press PECOS, N.M. -- Firefighters struggled in rugged terrain Wednesday to corral a fire that burned at least 585 acres in the Santa Fe National Forest and briefly threatened Santa Fe's watershed. The fire, which forced about 300 people to evacuate, was 40 percent contained Wednesday morning, but winds were picking up, said Charlie Jankiewicz, fire information officer...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch prosecutors charged an environmental activist with murder and illegal weapons possession Wednesday in the killing of populist leader Pim Fortuyn. The suspect was identified by colleagues as 32-year-old Volkert van der Graaf, an activist with the group Environmental Offensive. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted...

WASHINGTON -- You can't get washboard abs just by strapping an electronic exercise belt around your waist and pushing a button, the government says. But since several companies have used just such claims to sell an estimated $100 million worth of the belts to millions of American consumers, the Federal Trade Commission is taking the companies to court...

JERUSALEM -- A beleaguered Yasser Arafat vowed in a televised speech Wednesday to unleash his security services to prevent terrorist attacks, hours after the Islamic militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 15 Israelis...

UNITED NATIONS -- Two teen-age girls helped Secretary-General Kofi Annan open the first U.N. children's summit Wednesday by harshly criticizing grown-ups for creating a world where too many young people face poverty, war and disease. Audrey Cheynut, a 17-year-old from Monaco, and Gabriela Azurudy Arrieta, a 13-year-old from Bolivia, read to the General Assembly from a statement adopted by nearly 400 youngsters from around the world at a forum earlier this week...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's public schools would get at least a $110 million increase next year under an agreement reached Wednesday night by House and Senate budget negotiators. Elementary and secondary education could get an additional $44 million, but only if the Senate passes pending legislation to raise taxes or eliminate some existing tax breaks...

AP Diplomatic WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Thursday a key test of Palestinian leaders' intentions will be whether 16 Hamas members arrested in response to a suicide bombing will remain in custody. "I'm pleased that Chairman (Yasser) Arafat spoke in Arabic against terrorism. That's good. That's a positive development," Bush told reporters at the White House...

Associated Press WriterBETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- Efforts to end the five-week standoff at the Church of the Nativity broke down yet again Thursday -- just hours after a partial solution seemed in place -- because of disagreement over sending a European monitor into the shrine, negotiators said...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Dan Devine, who led Notre Dame to the 1977 national championship and also coached at Missouri and in the NFL, died Thursday. He was 77. Devine died in the Phoenix area, the University of Missouri said. Devine, a member of the college football Hall of Fame, went 172-57-9 (.742) over 22 seasons at Arizona State, Missouri and Notre Dame...

AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street's efforts to extend its rally fizzled Thursday after mixed retail reports persuaded investors to play it safe and cash in their gains. Stocks fell sharply, although the major indexes preserved more than half of Wednesday's significant gains. A retreat following a big advance is not unusual, but analysts said the declines showed that buyers still lack faith that the business recovery will be strong enough to support higher stock prices...

Associated Press WriterJERUSALEM (AP) -- Tanks were poised outside Gaza and Israel called up military reservists Thursday ahead of an expected retaliatory attack for Palestinian suicide bombings, even as a deal was reached to end the standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity...

Associated Press WriterBETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) -- A deal has been reached to end the 38-day standoff at the Church of the Nativity that would divide among several countries the 13 suspected militants Israel wants deported, an Israeli official said Thursday...

THUNDERSTORM NOT SEVERE By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian The wind and rain never reached severe-weather levels, but Wednesday's early-morning thunderstorm was powerful enough to knock out power to thousands of Cape Girardeau homes and prompt more than 75 calls for help to remove trees and limbs from streets and yards...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Allard Baird's search for a new manager for the Kansas City Royals is nearing an end, and an announcement could come as early as next week. Fans can expect someone with experience managing in the minor leagues, such as Houston coach Tony Pena, whom Baird interviewed Wednesday while the Astros were in Philadelphia...

Associated Press NEW YORK -- A free-lance photographer who put on a firefighter's protective gear during the attack on the World Trade Center agreed to surrender rights to film he shot of the devastation. Steven Ferry, 41, also pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a forged instrument -- a fake driver's license that he had when he was arrested Sept. ...

Not an accomplishment A RECENT editorial praised the former mayor for all the city's accomplishments during the past eight years. It didn't mention that the city is operating in the red for the third consecutive year. Now the council members are looking for some kind of tax or fee increase to cover the budget shortage. Is this progress? Need we say more?...

To the editor: In the midst of the most extensive manhunt in history, the Bush administration has pulled out of the International Criminal Court. The ICC, which will prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, could be a potent weapon in the war on terrorism. Even without the United States' participation, it's a major step toward ensuring that humanity's most egregious criminals will be brought to justice...

AREA ORAN SHUTS OUT HAYTI; EAGLES ROLL TOWARD DISTRICT ORAN, Mo. -- Oran (12-4) maintained its momentum heading into the baseball district playoffs behind Ryne Wood's six-hit shutout in a 6-0 win over Hayti...

Students to give ideas to market Scott County BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County commissioners will meet at Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall today to hear ideas on how best to market Scott County. Jim Schwaninger, Scott County economic developer, passed out university visitors' parking passes at this week's county commission meeting and discussed what commissioners can expect during the presentations...

Here's the list of approved activities and their point values: LEVEL 1 Playing 9-18 holes of golf (walking) 5 points LEVEL 2* Walking for 15 minutes nonstop 5 points Biking for 15 minutes 5 points Hiking for 15 minutes 5 points Tennis for 15 minutes 5 points...

Our New Year's resolutions to eat better have long been broken. The exercise equipment we meant to use has been gathering dust. Our gym membership lapsed before we even got up the nerve to head for a workout. Whatever your excuses for not exercising, it's time to toss them aside...

Today Heart smart screenings from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Generations Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Call 651-5825 for details. Red Cross blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Notre Dame Regional High School. Donors should bring some form of identification...

The four Jackson School District educators recently honored by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce exemplify the best of their profession. It's interesting to note that Carol Horst, Ken Markin, Jean Schweain and Dennis Parham all like what they do and get a great deal of satisfaction from the life's work they have chosen...

Cape Girardeau Thursday, May 9 Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:At 7:44 p.m., an emergency medical service at 445 S. Spring. At 10:12 p.m., an emergency medical service at 40 S. Sprigg. Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:At 2:28 a.m., a line down at 600 Amethyst...

A bill is making its way through the Missouri legislature -- under threat of veto by Gov. Bob Holden -- that would allow residents of the state to get licenses to carry concealed weapons. This is a highly volatile issue, and there appears to be little common ground for supporters of the legislation and its opponents...

Cape Girardeau Thursday, May 9 ArrestsSummer Shatrine Robinson, 19, Hayti, Mo., was arrested Tuesday for probation violation. Sandra Laureen Baldwin, 45, Puxico, Mo., was arrested Tuesday for stealing. Patrick Eugene Minner, 45, Appleton, Mo., was arrested Tuesday for failure to appear...

Cape Girardeau Thursday, May 9 Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:At 7:44 p.m., an emergency medical service at 445 S. Spring. At 10:12 p.m., an emergency medical service at 40 S. Sprigg. Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:At 2:28 a.m., a line down at 600 Amethyst...

Statewide, fatal crashes on Missouri highways dropped about 1 percent from last year, but in Southeast Missouri, the number of fatal crashes has risen slightly. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol statistics, there have been 328 statewide fatalities so far this year...

Haircut proceeds will go to victims of tornado MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Floyd Penny of Floyd the Barber barbershop in Marble Hill, will donate proceeds from haircuts given between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday to victims of the April 28 tornado that hit Marble Hill...

LEWIS AND CLARK Want to go? Who: Dark Rain Thom and James Alexander Thom What: "Sign-Talker: Between Two Worlds" When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Where: Program Lounge, University Center By Sam Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues are alive and kicking in the NHL playoffs thanks to their No. 1 line, which is a lot more unheralded than the Detroit Red Wings' All-Star lineup but every bit as productive. The threesome of Keith Tkachuk, Pavol Demitra and Scott Mellanby combined for five goals and four assists in the surprising 6-1 Game 3 blowout that cut the Red Wings' series lead to 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Thursday night...

OTTAWA -- Here's a switch: The Toronto Maple Leafs actually had good things to say about NHL officials. After spending most of the playoffs complaining about calls that went against them, the Maple Leafs got a critical one in their favor, allowing them to hang on for a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Particularly in regions dominated by a single political party, state senators often count on the state representatives who fall within their geographically larger legislative districts to help push their legislation in the House...