Stories from Saturday, May 11, 2002

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Enough progress has been made in the joint venture between Physicians Advanced Health Care Group of Poplar Bluff and St. Francis Medical Center of Cape Girardeau that ground has been broken for a new medical unit here. In January the two entities announced their joint venture. Since then, according to Steven C. Bjelich, president and CEO of St. Francis, the two groups have been taking care of the legal aspects of their merger...

There's hardly a volunteer job that Doug Austin won't agree to do, particularly when it means helping out another person. "God and life have been good to me," he said. Austin lived in Cape Girardeau during the 1980s, but was transferred to Oklahoma with his job. When he retired in 2000, he knew that Cape Girardeau was where he wanted to live...

For the first time in nearly three years, Lynwood Baptist Church doesn't have to use a satellite location to hold its adult Sunday school classes. Completion of a new education annex for the Cape Girardeau church means that parents and their infant children will be able to meet in the same building instead of down the road from one another. For the past few years, the church has been using classroom space in the Metro Business College for some of its young adult Bible study groups...

The Rev. Dr. Clayton and Lori Smith have a home much larger than they'd likely have purchased for their family, but the house at 700 Bellevue came as part of the package when Clayton took the post as senior pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church...

Weigh Down Workshop to begin First Baptist Church will hold an orientation May 19 for a new 12-week study using the Weigh Down Workshop. The orientation will follow morning worship services at the church. The weight-loss program is based on a Bible study. Classes begin June 2 and will meet from 4:45 to 6 p.m. at the church. Cost is $103 for materials...

They form an exclusive sorority with 43 members: mothers of the U.S. presidents. Some were impoverished and some rich, some unlettered and some college graduates. But most shared one trait: mild to fervent commitment to the Christian religion, often buttressed by daily Bible reading and weekly worship...

Today Church picnic and fishing tournament sponsored by Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church. The event begins at noon with lunch at Cape County Park shelter 22. The fishing tournament begins at 2 p.m. Trophies will be awarded for largest, smallest and most fish caught. The event will be canceled in case of rain...

A fitting tribute and farewell to L.J. Schultz School was conducted this week. Last Sunday, former students, teachers and administrators gathered there to remember fondly and then say good-bye to a building that, after May, won't see students for the first time in 88 years...

The face of education is changing so quickly in this country that those who completed high school decades ago no doubt find it breathtaking. Where there were slide rules, now there are high-speed computers. Where there were encyclopedias, there's the Internet...

ACADEMIC CHAMPIONS In addition to winning the district and state 4A academic competition, Central High School Scholar Bowl team members Luke Van Cleve, Colin McLain and Eric Lynch received All-District recognition from the Missouri State High School Activities Association...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, May 11 DWILawrence Douglas Fee, 49, Jackson, Mo., was arrested Thursday for driving while intoxicated. ArrestsBobby Joe Masterson, 35, 610 Independence, was arrested Thursday for burglary and stealing. Marshall Brison, 42, 907 S. Ellis, was arrested Thursday for stealing...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, May 11 Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:At 6:37 p.m., an emergency medical service at 921 Hackberry. At 9:51 p.m., a still alarm at 2839 Whitener. Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:At 12:55 a.m., an emergency medical service at Southeast Missouri State University, Dorm J...

Authorities have issued a warrant for a Cape Girardeau man police say has been bilking residents with a construction scam. Keith Woodrow Fuller, 44, is wanted for unlawful merchandising practices in the Springfield, Mo., area as well as in Cape Girardeau County...

From wire reports Pastors and priests do get a break on their taxes for housing provisions, and the exemption will continue for now. The tax exemption has been challenged and awaits a ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco...

WASHINGTON -- Long before the terrorism of Sept. 11, an Arizona flight school warned federal aviation officials that Hani Hanjour lacked the flying skills and command of English required for the commercial pilot's license he already held, officials say...

WASHINGTON -- The House approved the largest military spending boost in decades, keeping alive an $11 billion artillery system President Bush wants to scrap. The Senate will give the administration another chance to make its case for replacing the Crusader with more futuristic weapons...

CINCINNATI -- Edgar Renteria hit a two-run homer on closer Danny Graves' first pitch in the eighth inning, powering the St. Louis Cardinals to a 4-2 victory Friday over the Cincinnati Reds. Albert Pujols had three hits and Eli Marrero snapped an 0-for-30 slump with a single, but the Cardinals needed a homer from their light-hitting shortstop to end the Reds' three-game winning streak...

LIVESTOCK AUCTIONS Fruitland Livestock FRUITLAND, Mo. -- Tuesday's Fruitland Livestock Auction results: Receipts: 300. Last week 432. Compared to last week steers and heifers sold steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter cows and bulls sold steady; demand moderate and supply light. ...

The Jackson Indians, enjoying one of their best golf seasons, will be among three area teams in the Missouri Golf Championships on Monday and Tuesday. Jackson recently won its second district tournament after going 12-2 in dual meets this season. Despite a strong season, the district title was the first tournament win all year for the Indians. They twice finished runner-up in large tournaments, finishing a stroke out of the lead on both occasions...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Black River broke through a levee Friday morning near Butler County Road 202, prompting evacuations as floodwaters threatened houses and livestock. A 97-year-old woman who lives next to the river opted to stay in her home as the waters rose...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The excessive rainfalls and multiple storms that have plagued Southeast Missouri during the past two weeks have resulted in substantial flooding along the Current River in Carter and Ripley counties. "The river has left its banks," said Adam Whittom, Ripley County sheriff's deputy. "A few businesses within an eighth of a mile from the river have water in them. The water is close to the police department."...

BENTON, Mo. -- An Arkansas couple are in the Scott County Jail after being arrested on a charge of having a methamphetamine lab in their motel room, said police. Another couple are also in jail, charged with drug trafficking. Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell said Ella Champion, 42, and Jacob H. Williams, 29, of Hot Springs, Ark., face a host of drug-related charges, including attempting to manufacture a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute...

10 years ago: May 11, 1992 It's no surprise that Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron was hit with spectators at Cape Aviation Days; but several of 25,000 to 30,000 people who attended show yesterday said they also were impressed with Stealth Fighter fly-by, hot-air balloon races and aerial acrobatics of Peterson-Krier Airshow...

WYATT, Mo. -- Josephine Goodall, 79, of Wyatt died Friday, May 10, 2002, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Born Feb. 24, 1923, at Dardanelle, Ark., she was the daughter of Joseph and Annie Senkela Sevic. She lived most of her life in Mississippi County and was employed with the Brown Shoe Co. in Charleston, Mo., and the Wyatt Junction Restaurant until her retirement...

James F. Schaefer Sr., 78, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 8, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Feb. 16, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of Edward A. and Lucille C. Thomure Schaefer. He and Evelyn L. McGuire were married Aug. 2, 1947, in Cape Girardeau. She died Aug. 4, 2000...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Alma L. Hall, 73, of Advance died Friday, May 10, 2002, at her home. She was born June 19, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Luther Otto and Celeste Clark Tackett. She married Carmela Vaglica in 1944, Billy Moore in 1961, and J.B. Hall in 1982...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Rose N. Rice, 76, of Sikeston died Thursday, May 9, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Aug. 9, 1925, in Clarksville, Ark., daughter of Jesse Monroe and Daisy Mooney Pratt. She first married Joe V. Rose. She later married David G. Rice Sept. 5, 1987, in New Buffalo, Mich...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ada Mae Jackson, 91, of Chaffee died Friday, May 10, 2002, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Jan. 31, 1911, at Greenville, Mo., daughter of William and Sarah Asher. She and Lester Jackson were married Aug. 7, 1926. He died Dec. 19, 1997...

Earl L. Volkerding, 87, of Grand Rapids, Mich., passed away Saturday, May 4, 2002, at Spectrum Health Nursing Home. He was born Feb. 21, 1915, in Gordonville, Mo., son of Robert and Helen Gruenberg Volkerding. He married Dorothy Little in 1944 in Washington, D.C...

Protecting loved ones SOME PEOPLE think only criminals should carry concealed weapons, leaving the law-abiding citizens who have to protect themselves and their families at the mercy of the criminals. Statistics show crime has gone down in states where legal concealed weapons have leveled the crime field. It's definitely a deterrent to crime. Leaving your loved ones unprotected should be a crime...

To the editor: In response to the May 9 letter from Jeanne Sharp Wells that criticized the current U.S. opposition to the International Criminal Court, I'd like to point out some serious flaws in the ICC. First, while it is true that the stated purpose of the International Criminal Court is to "prosecute war crimes, genocide and wars against humanity," the process used by the ICC to achieve this justice would be far different from the judicial process we enjoy as U.S. ...

Mark Hogan has had some other impressive teams in seven prior seasons as Southeast Missouri State University's baseball coach. But none of his previous squads has had a prime opportunity to clinch the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship -- much less been in first place -- entering the next-to-last series of the year...

Eight Southeast Missouri State University seniors will play their final home games this weekend when the baseball Indians face Eastern Illinois in a key Ohio Valley Conference series. "We've got a great group of seniors and they've meant a lot to the success of our program," Southeast coach Mark Hogan said. "It's always an emotional time when your seniors play their final home games and hopefully we can send them out the right way."...

The deaths of three athletes this year have reinforced the statistics. Pole vaulting is the most dangerous event in high school and college sports. The National Federation of High Schools has launched new efforts to raise the bar on safety, and that could lead to an increase in the size of the landing pad next year and the addition of a padded collar around the vault box, itself responsible for injuries. ...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Perryville's girls' soccer team tuned up for districts by routing Hillsboro 9-0 Friday and winning its fifth consecutive Jefferson County Conference title. The Pirates, who finished the regular season with a 16-2-1 record and a 5-0 league mark, received three goals from both Ashly Hadler and Brittney Weibrecht. Ashley Blyzes, Chris Schremp and Autumn Garris each scored one goal...

AREA SOUTHEAST TRACK ATHLETES COMPETE AT INDIANA MEET After finishing second in both the men's and women's divisions at last weekend's Ohio Valley Conference Championships, Southeast Missouri State University will have several entries in today's Billy Hayes Invitational at Indiana University...

BOSTON -- A game in which neither team could score was decided on a shot that didn't count. In the lowest-scoring playoff game in NBA history, Paul Pierce had 19 points to lead the Boston Celtics past the Detroit Pistons 66-64 Friday night for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal...

TORONTO -- First, Daniel Alfredsson took out Darcy Tucker. Seconds later, Alfredsson took out the Toronto Maple Leafs. Alfredsson scored with 2:01 left, lifting the Ottawa Senators to a 4-2 victory Friday night. The victory gave the Senators a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series...

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- In a blast heard and seen for miles, coalition forces blew up four caves Friday packed with tens of thousands of rockets, shells and grenades that once belonged to the Taliban -- and were apparently still being used. "There's no way they'll be able to go in there and use those caves now," said Sgt. Iain Murison from Britain's 59 Commando as a huge, tan dust cloud spread across the desolate hills and valleys of southeastern Afghanistan...

Suspected mailbox bomber appears in court CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Luke Helder appeared in an Iowa court Friday night to face the first of several charges that could send him to prison for life for allegedly blowing up mailboxes across the Midwest with pipe bombs...

Train derails north of London, killing seven POTTERS BAR, England -- A high-speed train derailed Friday on its way through a station north of London and one car crashed onto the platform, scattering waiting passengers. Seven people were killed in the accident and nine seriously injured, officials said...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Expressing shame over spying for Moscow, former FBI agent Robert Hanssen was ordered Friday to spend the rest of his life in prison in a final courtroom appearance that closed a chapter in one of America's most-damaging espionage cases...

MISALI ISLAND, Zanzibar -- A conservation project based on Islamic principles is aiming to preserve the beauty of Misali Island, an uninhabited spot off mainland Africa surrounded by a magnificent coral reef. "There are verses in the Quran that teach us why we should not destroy the environment," said Ali Mohammed Haji, a local fisherman. "To conserve is investment. There are a lot of benefits ... what we conserve will be used by generations to come."...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Religious leaders from Muslim nations disagreed at a meeting this week over whether suicide bombings should be condemned. The debate among religious affairs ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference echoed a March meeting of Muslim foreign ministers. They also were unable to agree on a definition of terrorism...

Woman said fit for trial in Gere stalking case NEW YORK -- A woman who allegedly has called Richard Gere as many as 1,000 times during the past year was found fit for trial and held on $5,000 bail after being charged with stalking the actor. After undergoing a psychiatric examination, Ursula Reichert-Habbishaw, 51, of Kassell, Germany, was arraigned on charges of harassment, aggravated harassment and stalking...

BOSTON -- Acting at the request of the Boston Archdiocese, a judge Friday blocked for up to 30 days the release of further transcripts of Cardinal Bernard Law's questioning in the church sex scandal. The cardinal is being questioned under oath by attorneys in a lawsuit brought by 86 alleged victims of child-molesting priest John Geoghan. The plaintiffs accuse Law and the archdiocese of failing to protect youngsters...

ATLANTA -- They delight in watching the kinks in the jet stream. They follow wind-chill readings the way baseball fans keep track of batting averages. They know what "dew point" means. The Weather Channel has made weather junkies out of some TV viewers...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- President Bush urged Congress on Friday to stiffen work requirements for welfare recipients -- a proposal greeted skeptically by state officials who wondered whether they would be saddled with the plan's price tag. Even as they warmed up a small crowd of welfare activists for Bush, leaders of Ohio's welfare program and Republican Sen. George Voinovich said they were concerned that the White House plan would increase the cost of child care and other state-run social programs...

DUTCHTOWN, Mo. -- When John Green stands on his backyard deck, he can see the water now. He's heard the stories of the Flood of '93, when water climbed to the base of that very deck and swallowed the land where his garden is now planted and his shed now sits. ...

When the Central High School Scholar Bowl team pulled into town after claiming the Missouri 4A Academic Competition championship in Columbia, Mo., the school was dark and the parking lot was empty. Coach Pete Frazier said maybe it was because their van wasn't full of all-star football players or because it just happened to be prom night...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When people at Friday's beginning of the 2002 Mardi Gras Mayfest were asked what Mayfest is all about, one response -- a shrug -- was common. Maybe it's about farming. More than half the 80 entries in the Mardi Gras Mayfest Parade Friday evening were antique tractors...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri State University will almost certainly raise tuition for the fall semester and employee layoffs will at least be on the table for discussion in the wake of another $4 million cut in state funding. Board of Regents President Don Dickerson said every university expenditure will have to be reviewed and every source of new revenue contemplated...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State workers in danger of being furloughed dropped by House Minority Floor Leader Catherine Hanaway's Capitol office on Friday to give her a "wake-up call." With windup alarm clocks blaring, about three dozen employees chanted "Wrong way Hanaway."...

MIAMI -- DNA tests have ruled out the possibility that a body found in Missouri is that of 5-year-old Rilya Wilson, whose disappearance went unnoticed by Florida child welfare workers for more than a year. Miami police also said Friday that the two women who were caring for Rilya had failed lie detector tests, though they would not disclose the questions...

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- The Church of the Nativity reeked of urine, dirty dishes were piled on an altar and filthy blankets strewn across the ancient stone floor, yet the basilica marking Jesus' traditional birthplace emerged largely unscathed Friday from a 39-day standoff between Israel and Palestinian gunmen...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Gaza Strip residents hoarded food and thronged bakeries Friday, while Palestinian gunmen patrolled streets and blocked camp entrances with mounds of rubble ahead of an anticipated Israeli military strike. Even as Israeli tanks massed on the borders of Gaza, Israeli TV's Channel 2 reported that Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer had decided to postpone the operation because of leaks about the army's plans to strike Gaza in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed 15 Israelis this week.. ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Vicente Padilla came within four outs of a no-hitter against his former team and finished with a two-hitter, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-0 Friday night. The 24-year-old right-hander from Nicaragua retired 14 consecutive batters before pinch-hitter Chris Donnels doubled with two outs in the eighth. ...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays' losing streak stretched to 15, the longest in the major leagues since 1988, as Melvin Mora drove in two runs Friday night to lead the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-5 victory. The Devil Rays became the 30th team since 1900 to lose 15 in a row. Their skid is the longest since the Orioles began the 1988 season by losing an AL-record 21 consecutive games. The major league record of 23 was set by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies...

DETROIT -- Many seem to believe the Detroit-St. Louis series will be over today. The Blues enter Game 5 at Joe Louis Arena down 3-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals and will be without captain Chris Pronger, who suffered a season-ending knee injury Thursday in Game 4...

IRVING, Texas -- Shigeki Maruyama demonstrated the growing Asian presence on PGA Tour leaderboards, making four straight birdies Friday on his way to a 7-under 63 and a two-stroke lead in the Byron Nelson Classic. Maruyama, who won the Greater Milwaukee Open last year to become the first Japanese player to win a tour event on the mainland, birdied on two of his last three holes on the TPC at Las Colinas. He had a 10-under 130 total...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City man who admitted sending a fake anthrax threat to one of his former neighbors through the mail was sentenced Friday to probation and home detention. Robert R. Nye, 38, pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to one felony count of threatening communication through the mail. Nye apparently was not aware that the former neighbor, Emma Shearman, had died...

CHICAGO -- The new director of security at O'Hare International Airport foresees a safer, more efficient airfield with shorter lines at checkpoints, more sophisticated equipment and better trained screeners. Ike Richardson, a retired rear admiral in the Navy who steps into the new position of federal security director at O'Hare, outlined changes at the world's busiest airport Friday that he said should make the experience for passengers both safer and smoother...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri soon could join numerous states allowing desperate parents to legally abandon their newborn babies at hospitals or with other authorities. The House gave final approval Friday to the abandoned baby bill, sending it to Gov. Bob Holden on a 121-0 vote. The Senate had passed the bill earlier...

BLOOMSDALE, Mo. -- A New Orleans woman was killed Friday morning when the car she was in went off of Interstate 55 and hit a rock bluff, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The patrol identified the victim as Olivia Wallace, 64. The driver suffered minor injures, while three other passengers had moderate injuries...

TROY, Mo. -- The search for a northeast Missouri teen-ager missing for four days after jumping into a rain-swollen river ended Friday with the discovery of his body on a sandbar. Searchers found the body of 19-year-old Tim Licktieg of Hawk Point along the Cuivre River about 10 miles west of this Lincoln County community...

The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A woman whose husband pleaded guilty to charges of illegally possessing a pipe bomb has admitted threatening a witness. Vernetta Fard, 32, of Kansas City pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of interstate telephone threats. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped one count of retaliating against a witness, the U.S. Attorney's Office said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Beginning in 2006, the state would be required to pay overtime if employees chose cash over compensatory time off, according a bill approved Friday by the House. The bill was prompted by concerns from state workers who haven't received millions of dollars in overtime pay or compensatory time because of a tight budget, said sponsoring by Rep. Bill Gratz, D-Jefferson City...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill requiring pawnshops to return some stolen goods to their rightful owners is on its way to the governor. The legislation by Rep. Frank Barnitz, D-Lake Spring, would allow a person to get stolen items back from a pawnbroker if he has filed a police report about the theft or has the item's serial number. The crime victim would have to promise to file charges against the crook, if ever caught...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Police have determined that a 3-year-old boy's death in a house fire was a homicide. Police confirmed Thursday that arson was the cause of Saturday's blaze, which killed Mar-Shawn Harper and injured three of his relatives. Mar-Shawn was staying with his uncle, Anthony Carter Sr., and Carter's two sons, Anthony Carter Jr. and Montel Carter, when a fire erupted on the porch. Three other adults living at the house escaped without injury...

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States reached agreement Friday with other nations on contentious issues including abortion and the death penalty, clearing the way to adopt plans aimed at improving conditions for the world's children. More than 180 countries at the U.N. General Assembly special session on children were expected to adopt the document titled "A World Fit For Children" late Friday or early Saturday...

HAVANA -- In an unprecedented challenge to Fidel Castro's 43-year-old rule, activists delivered more than 11,020 signatures to the National Assembly on Friday, demanding a referendum for broad changes in Cuba's socialist system less than two days before a visit by former President Carter...

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Tens of thousands of mourners threw flowers, wept and chanted the name of Pim Fortuyn on Friday as the body of the slain politician was driven in a hearse to his funeral. The peal of church bells in Rotterdam was drowned out as crowds roared when Fortuyn's remains were carried out of the 16th-century Laurentius and Elisabeth Cathedral after a Roman Catholic Mass broadcast on television...

ST. MARYS, Ga. -- Business tripled for Meg Lawrence a year ago when she moved her buffet-style restaurant with its sidewalk carry-out window to a shopping center not far from the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base. Sailors started coming to Meg's Diner several times a week for the $7 buffet, eating barbecued ribs in their starched white uniforms...