Stories from Tuesday, September 10, 2002

By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian Before the headlines about terrorist attacks and a war in Afghanistan, teaching current events was difficult enough. Keeping up with the news is just part of the challenge area civics teachers face. Helping their students interpret and understand the day's news is the bigger assignment...

The U.S. military has deployed artillery to Afghanistan for the first time, giving ground forces the ability to counter mortar and rocket attacks by al-Qaida and Taliban fighters. A senior military official said the Army has deployed six 105mm howitzers at the main U.S. base in the southern city of Kandahar as part of an effort to bolster protection of the 8,000 American troops in the country...

PATNA, India -- An express train en route from Calcutta to New Delhi derailed and plunged into a river and at least 100 passengers were feared dead, police said Tuesday. Eleven cars careened into the river at 10:40 p.m. Monday, R.N. Singh, officials said...

CAIRO, Egypt -- The Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera said Osama bin Laden can be heard naming four of the Sept. 11 hijackers on a new videotape the station partially aired on Monday. There was no way to verify whether the voice heard on the video clip belonged to bin Laden or when the recording was made. The al-Qaida leader's whereabouts are unknown and he did not appear in the excerpts shown Monday...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Black flags fluttered from nearly every rooftop in the capital Monday, and portraits of a man with craggy features and fox-like eyes adorned butcher shops, bakeries, ambulance windshields and policemen's T-shirts. In the national stadium, a huge black curtain was pulled back to reveal a towering billboard depicting Ahmed Shah Massoud, the anti-Soviet and anti-Taliban resistance leader who was slain by suicide bombers a year ago Monday...

Nepal army fights rebels blamed for killing 57 KATMANDU, Nepal -- Royal Nepalese Army soldiers launched a counterattack Monday after Maoist guerrillas killed at least 57 soldiers and policemen in a mountainous area overnight, a government minister said...

DOVER, England -- The long days and nights stashed away in trucks, minivans and buses, or traveling on foot, begin to melt together as Khudabaksh Nazir, 17, recounts his three-month, 10,000-mile trek from northeastern Afghanistan to this English seaport...

FULTON, Mo. -- Four of the Callaway County ambulance district's five ambulances were destroyed by fire Monday, but officials say service should not be disrupted. The blaze happened early Monday at a garage at the ambulance district's base just west of Westminster College. Although a crew was sleeping in residential quarters when the fire started, no one was injured in the blaze...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois public health officials confirmed the state's 10th death due to the West Nile virus Monday. A 79-year-old Chicago woman died of West Nile encephalitis Aug. 30; her case was reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health over the weekend, said Dr. John Lumpkin, the state's public health director...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A controversial electronic security door at the Capitol won't be operating when lawmakers return this week for their annual veto session, state officials said Monday. The $16,000 South African-made door, which has come under fire from employees and lawmakers both for its cost and design, is being turned off Tuesday through Thursday...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri's governing board is looking beyond traditional academic backgrounds to consider a couple of seasoned politicians as it seeks a new president. Former Gov. Roger Wilson and Attorney General Jay Nixon, both Democrats, are among at least a dozen presidential possibilities before the Board of Curators, sources familiar with the search told The Associated Press on Monday...

MIAMI -- Janet Reno made a last-minute pitch to voters Monday as she tried to stop political novice Bill McBride from pulling off a major upset in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor of Florida. The winner of Tuesday's primary will face first-term Republican Gov. Jeb Bush in November...

NEW YORK -- Pete Sampras kept saying it. After losing a second straight U.S. Open final a year ago, after exiting Wimbledon in the second round, after losing to a 77th-ranked nobody last month, he'd clear his throat and pronounce: "I'm going to stop on my own terms."...

DALLAS -- Oklahoma and Colorado watched their starting quarterbacks go down over the weekend, but unlike lots of teams, their hopes of success didn't go down with them. The second-ranked Sooners lost Jason White to a season-ending knee injury in their 37-27 win over Alabama, and No. 17 Colorado rallied for a 34-14 victory over San Diego State after Craig Ochs suffered his third concussion in the past 14 months...

The Dallas Cowboys showed in their opener why preseason expectations can often disappear when the games are for real. Two words: Quincy Carter. While Houston didn't do much on offense in its 19-10 upset of Dallas on Sunday night, the Texans did enough in their debut as a franchise. A long pass interference call set up one touchdown and a long TD pass from David Carr to Corey Bradford was misplayed by safety Darren Woodson...

MILWAUKEE -- Woody Williams and four relievers combined on a five-hitter Monday night as the St. Louis Cardinals won their sixth consecutive game, 3-0 over the Milwaukee Brewers. Albert Pujols doubled home a run for the NL Central-leading Cardinals, and Williams (8-4) gave up three hits and a walk in five innings against a makeshift Brewers lineup...

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Martz was muted yet defiant a day after questionable decision-making contributed to the St. Louis Rams' opening loss at Denver. The coach of the team favored to make the Super Bowl for the third time in four years didn't appear worried the Rams, who averaged 31 points last year, have totaled 33 in their last two games, including their Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots last February...

PHILADELPHIA -- The Atlanta Braves clinched their 11th straight division title when the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 Monday night behind Mike Piazza's grand slam. Philadelphia's loss wrapped up the NL East for the Braves. The second-place Phillies are a staggering 21 games behind Atlanta...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Yasser Arafat condemned terror attacks and promised to hold general elections in January, but in a rambling speech to the Palestinian parliament Monday he fell short of outlining clear steps against terror or agreeing to share some power with a prime minister...

The Washington Post BEIJING -- Japan will likely cut its aid to China significantly again this year because Japanese are increasingly suspicious of China and Japan's government is concerned about China's military build-up, Japanese officials said Monday...

At age 30, the new president of Bank of America in Cape Girardeau is nearly 15 years younger than his predecessor and has half the experience. But Randy Russell doesn't see any of that as an issue. "They told me I was pretty young to take over the bank in Arnold, too," he said Monday from his new office at the bank's William Street branch. "But it was very successful. With this job, I hope they were looking at my track record. I'm just appreciative of the opportunity."...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A Jackson woman apparently suffered a fatal heart attack while driving north of the city Sunday morning. Evelyn Rollins, 67, was driving on Larch Lane, one mile north of Jackson, when at 8:45 a.m. she suffered the attack. Her vehicle ran off the road and struck a wire guard rail. She was pronounced dead at the scene...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission set the road and bridge tax levy at 23 cents per $100 assessed valuation on Monday, up a fraction from 22.84 cents a year ago because of a drop in assessed valuation. But county officials said it could be October before the tax rate is definitely known because the rate first has to be scrutinized by the state auditor's office, which determines the maximum tax each county can levy based on a formula that takes into account the assessed valuation.. ...

Even on his retirement day, Capt. Mearlin Allen still had a job to do. The 58-year-old firefighter rode the ladder truck one last time Monday morning for the Cape Girardeau Fire Department to offer assistance at a house fire on Hanover Street. Later in the afternoon, Allen's son, firefighter Kelly Allen, presented him with a gold-plated ax at his retirement party and joked that it might have been useful to bust down the door at his last fire...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican political groups and lawmakers helped state Rep. Tom Burcham maintain a hefty campaign account for the fall election after he spent heavily to stave off a challenge in the August GOP primary in the 106th District. Burcham, R-Farmington, collected $12,600 from party sources from July 26 through Aug. ...

A year away from the completion of the Emerson Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River, a downtown group has begun preliminary design work for a corridor that will connect the bridge with downtown. Old Town Cape, a group set up to represent local business interests, has hired Bowen Engineering and Surveying to begin the design work on the Fountain Street extension, which will be submitted to the city...

GENEVA -- Handing out chocolate and special-issue Swatches, the Swiss kicked off ceremonies Monday to end decades of splendid isolation and follow the rest of the world into the United Nations. But in a final gesture of independence, they made it clear they would not change their flag...

Crashing metal, spinning tires and popping exhaust pipes. The goal: to be the last car rolling to victory. The 147th SEMO District Fair's demolition derby packed crowds into the arena grandstand Monday night with enthusiastic spectators eager to see lots of mayhem and destruction...

By Marc Strauss I want to take this opportunity as a Cape Girardeau resident to respond to a number of points and issues brought up in Mark Bliss's Sept. 5 article, "Entertaining new revenue," concerning the Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri and River Campus School of the Visual and Performing Arts developments...

CHICAGO -- Illinois motorists will soon have the chance to buy license plates that honor the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. On Monday, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White unveiled the red, white and blue "America Remembers" license plate during a news conference in Chicago...

NEW YORK -- The names of the 23 New York Police Department officers who lost their lives at the World Trade Center were unveiled on a memorial wall during a ceremony Monday. To the sound of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace," the names were unveiled at Battery Park City on the huge granite wall as Gov. George Pataki, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and families and friends of the deceased officers looked on...

DETROIT -- The death of a city councilwoman after weight-reduction surgery has focused attention on a newly available technique in which a noose is tightened around the stomach. Councilwoman Brenda Scott, who weighed more than 300 pounds, died Sept. 2 from an infection caused by a stomach perforation, three days after surgery at Port Huron Hospital. The medical examiner ruled the death an accident...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Recognizing that many Americans won't be in the mood to get sales calls, many of the nation's telemarketers plan to take the day off Wednesday on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Sept. 11 is a day for people to be with their families, said Perry Young, director of a telemarketing center in Omaha run by Call Solutions Inc. of Waukesha, Wis...

THEODORE, Ala. -- A tank exploded and caught fire at a chemical plant early Monday, producing clouds of acrid smoke, and emergency officials urged nearby residents to stay indoors until the fire died out. No one was injured, officials said. Fire crews were sent to the INEOS Phenolchemie plant several miles south of Mobile after 1 a.m...

RICHLAND, Texas -- Truck driver Cleaster Broadway didn't have much time at home with his 19-month-old son, so he brought the toddler along on road trips when he could. Their shared ride Sunday ended in tragedy after Broadway lost control of his tractor-trailer about 60 miles south of Dallas and slammed into a pillar that supported a highway bridge...

PITTSBURGH -- The West Nile virus, first spotted in this country in a sick crow three years ago, has now attacked at least 111 species of birds, including the bald eagle and the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane. The spread of the virus has surprised and alarmed wildlife researchers because it has happened so quickly. Last year, West Nile had been detected only in about a dozen species of birds...

SEATTLE -- Defense attorney Theresa Olson, a fiery advocate who sometimes cries openly when she loses a case, was visiting a murder-defendant client behind bars when jail guards looking through a window reported seeing them having sex. Olson was thrown off the case by the judge...

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Tom Brady remains the same. It's just the supporting cast that's changed for the New England Patriots. Brady led New England to a 30-14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night, passing for 294 yards and touchdowns to Christian Fauria, Donald Hayes and Deion Branch, none of whom were with the Patriots last season during their surprising run to the Super Bowl...

Baseball Los Angeles Dodgers rookie left-hander Kazuhisa Ishii, hit in the forehead by a line drive Sunday, had a two-hour operation Monday to remove bone chips from his nasal passage. He will remain hospitalized for at least a few days, Dodgers trainer Stan Johnston said...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Harvey L. "Bud" Whitlatch, 69, of Scott City died Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002, at his home. He was born Nov. 10, 1932, in Trumann, Ark., son of Fred Otho and Bessie G. Whitlatch. Whitlatch lived in Scott City the past four years. He was a truck driver. Beginning in 1988 he was a van driver for Family Counseling Center in Scott City, where he was fondly known at Mr. Bud by staff and clients. He was a member of First General Baptist Church in Scott City...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Evelyn "Sue" Rollins, 67, of Jackson died Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002, near her home. She was born May 29, 1935, at Gray Ridge, Mo., daughter of Fielden and Eunice M. Pippins McBroom. She and Carlton B. Rollins were married Dec. 27, 1986, in Cahokia, Ill. He died Aug. 28, 2002...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Ella Needy Tullock, 64, of Mounds died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, at her home. She was born Ella Irene Bennett on Sept. 17, 1937, at Thebes, Ill., the daughter of Harry Bennett and Margaret Edmundson Bennett Jordan. She attended the Methodist Church in Tamms, Ill. She was a registered nurse and was employed by the Fellowship House in Anna, Ill., as a treatment supervisor...

Marion Gehrs, 90, died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 2, 1912, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. G.A. Sample. She married Milton Gehrs, who preceded her in death. Gehrs was a longtime member of PEO Sisterhood. Survivors include a son, John Gehrs of Virginia Beach, Va...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Peggy Sue Wells, 66, of Sikeston died Friday, Sept. 6, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. The former Miss Fletcher was born July 27, 1936, in Missouri. She and William Cecil Wells were married Dec. 18, 1965, at Bloomfield, Mo. He died Feb. 6, 1985...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Margaret F. Fritsche, 56, of Perryville died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 6, 1946, at Farrar, Mo., daughter of Elmer and Doris Verseman Fritsche. Fritsche worked at VIP Industries. She was a member of Salem Lutheran Church at Farrar...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Bertha E. Koeberl, 86, of Jackson died Monday, Sept. 9, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

MINER, Mo. -- Mary Jolene McIlroy, 88, of Miner Nursing Center died Sunday, Sept. 8, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Dec. 4, 1913, at Bertrand, Mo., daughter of Grady and Lena Winslow McAdoo. She and Calvert E. McIlroy were married Dec. 31, 1933. He died Feb. 11, 1989...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Funeral for Eula K. Randles of Wolf Lake was held Monday at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna, Ill. The Rev. John Prather officiated. Burial was in Jonesboro Cemetery. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna was in charge of arrangements...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral for Alma Walker of Cairo will be held at 11 a.m. today at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Cobden, Ill. The Rev. Sam Bowles will officiate. Burial will be in Cobden Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of service...

10 years ago: Sept. 10, 1992 Jackson - Jackson Board of Education has taken first step toward construction of middle school by accepting in principal recommendation of citizens facility advisory committee; committee in August recommended district consider middle school as only viable option to relieve serious student overcrowding at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and growing enrollment problem at nearby West Lane Elementary School...

UNITED NATIONS -- As the Bush administration tries to build its case for a possible attack on Iraq, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday that the Security Council must be allowed to have its say on the issue. Russia and China -- both permanent members of the council with close ties to Iraq -- oppose any military action. Russia said last week it would use its veto on the council against any use of force...

LONDON -- Iraq could produce a nuclear weapon "in a matter of months," but only if it manages to acquire fissile material from an outside source, according to a report issued Monday by an independent military and security research group. The report also said Iraq has an extensive biological weapons capability, a smaller chemical weapons stockpile and a small supply of missiles to deliver such weapons...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq challenged the United States on Monday to produce "one piece of evidence" that Baghdad is producing weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi officials also took reporters on two tours in an attempt to refute accusations President Saddam Hussein is rebuilding sites linked to past nuclear efforts and training terrorists...

On Sept. 3, the bridge over the Mississippi River turned 74 years old. It just needs to last one more year until its replacement is finished, but state transportation officials have learned it is deteriorating faster than they expected and now are working quickly to help it make it to its 75th -- and last -- birthday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican lawmakers and interest groups provided close to two-thirds of the money state Rep. Peter Myers raised during the most recent campaign finance disclosure period. Myers, R-Sikeston, is seeking a third term in the Missouri House of Representatives from the 160th District, which, due to redistricting, consists of western Scott County and a small portion of southern Cape Girardeau County. ...

CONCORDIA, Mo. -- Don't expect any radio or TV ads from Republican auditor candidate Al Hanson. Don't expect any yard signs or billboards. In fact, don't expect much of a visible campaign at all. Hanson said Monday that he is running for auditor in the same way he won the Republican primary -- with a low-key, low-budget approach that emphasizes personal contact through correspondence and small-group meetings...

Iraqi verses Attack Iraq And don't look back. We've cut Saddam Way too much slack. Trials, tribulations AS WITH all communities, the history of Cape Girardeau can be explained by an examination of its economic institutions and the ongoing struggle between the haves and the have-nots. ...

To the editor: As the Bush representative to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa, Colin Powell defended an administration that has been a constant roadblock to international progress. Candidate George Bush filled with fear humans concerned about their own and environmental health. ...

WASHINGTON -- More than 200,000 units of blood had to be thrown away in the weeks after Sept. 11, five times the amount that typically expires before it can be used, congressional auditors report. Their assessment of blood wasted is far higher than previous estimates and significantly greater than what blood bankers report...

WASHINGTON -- Americans, taking advantage of free-financing offers and other incentives, increased their borrowing in July by the largest percentage in eight months. The Federal Reserve reported Monday that consumer credit rose by a seasonally adjusted $10.8 billion in July from the previous month, a 7.6 percent annual rate...

From wire reports WASHINGTON -- The FBI is warning local police and the U.S. utility, banking and transportation industries of a steady stream of threats mentioning New York, Washington and the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. U.S. military bases and diplomatic missions worldwide are also being placed on high alert for the week, officials say. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta was closed Monday because of a specific threat against it...

Southeast Missouri State University faculty members and coaches squared off over plans to cut the school's athletics budget at a packed forum on Monday. Just how much will be cut from athletics hasn't been decided, although $80,000 has been mentioned by school officials who are looking at trimming costs campuswide because of decreased state funding...

TodayAirport Advisory Board, 5 p.m., Osage Community Centre WednesdayPlanning and Zoning Commission, 7 p.m., city council chambers ThursdayBoard of Appeals, 7 p.m., city council chambers MondayCity Council study session, 5 p.m., city council chambers...

Jackson Tuesday, Sept. 10 Arrests Brandon Westfall, 18, of 1136 N. Middle St., Cape Girardeau was arrested Aug. 30 on a Jackson warrant for failure to pay a fine. Gary L. Coryell, 41, of Bancombe, Ill., was arrested Sept. 1 on a warrant for failure to appear in court...

Cape Girardeau Tuesday, Sept. 10 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Timothy W. Conway, 34, of 1808 Delwin, was arrested Monday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to drive on right side of roadway...

TRIAUCOURT en'ARGONNE, FRANCE--The one week I've been here, situations have presented themselves quite the contrary of how I expected they would happen. But, that is what happens when one travels. My initial flight plan was to fly from St. Louis to Chicago, from Chicago to Dulles International, from Dulles to Charles d'Gaulle in Paris. Thunderstorms in the Great Lakes region cancelled my flight to O'Hare, so I switched airlines and flew directly to Dulles...

Cape Girardeau Tuesday, Sept. 10 Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: At 4:39 p.m., Hazard removal at motor vehicle accident, I-55 and U.S. 61. At 5:30 p.m., an emergency medical service at 123 N. Pacific. At 6:40 p.m., an extrication and emergency medical service at Pacific and Independence...

Pogue named national English award winner Moretta Pogue, a student at Notre Dame High School in Cape Girardeau, was recently named a United States National Award Winner in English. Pogue was nominated by Mrs. Welker, her English teacher and she will appear in the US Achievement Academy Official Yearbook...

SANTEE, Calif. -- As Mike Brooder pulls into the student parking lot outside West Hills High School, wireless cameras record his face and license plate--doing the same to every car that follows. The cameras then track the 17-year-old senior as he walks up a concrete path, studies his schedule, scratches his chin, waves to friends, and then wanders to class...

It has been remarked that if you live long enough, you'll see everything. A recent news report on longtime Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi falls into that category. In a two-hour speech on the anniversary of his 1969 seizure of power, Gadhafi declared his nation is no longer a rogue state...

It isn't every day that the dream of a lifetime is fulfilled. But such was the case recently for Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, as he published his historical novel -- long in the making -- based on many years of research into Cape's history...

WASHINGTON -- Robin Imhof watched, fascinated, as her doctor stuck a needle into the dime-sized lump in her breast and pumped freezing gas through it. On a nearby ultrasound monitor, a round image gradually turned lighter and lighter -- her noncancerous but extremely painful tumor being encased in a ball of ice...

The Notre Dame soccer team is sporting a bleach blond look these days. Some cheetah-like black spots on the heads of seniors Tyler Cuba and Adam Prasanphanich might be pretty fitting. The pair displayed their sprinter speed last spring in Notre Dame's inaugural track season, and the seniors are among a few Bulldog players to belong to the Cheetah Club, having attained at least 20 mph on a treadmill during Acceleration Program testing through St. Francis Medical Center...

Notre Dame battled from behind and for over two hours but emerged with a thrilling three-set volleyball victory over Farmington Monday night. After dropping the opener 13-15, Notre Dame (5-1) overcame large deficits in the second and third sets to win 16-14, 15-13...

Jackson's Leet says she'll attend SMU JACKSON, Mo. -- Jackson High School senior Jenna Leet has given a verbal commitment to play college basketball at Division I Southern Meth-odist University in Dallas. Leet, a versatile 6-foot guard/ forward, earned first-team all-state honors as a junior. She averaged 18 points per game last year...

"Smugglers Run: Warzones" makes crime pay. That's why it's a videogame, not the primer for career planning. As with previous titles, you're the driver of a selection of cross-country vehicles, hired to deliver -- or pick up, or steal -- contraband and get it to its destination safely. It's basically all you have to do -- drive. Sounds easy. Everybody drives...