Stories from Saturday, January 18, 2003

Some of his teammates nicknamed him "Too Tall." On Friday night, Scott Chestnutt could have nicknamed New Madrid County Central's defense "too easy." Chestnutt contributed 10 fourth-quarter points as Central held off NMCC 74-69 in a SEMO Conference game...

WELLFLEET, Mass. -- One hundred years ago today, a young Italian inventor named Guglielmo Marconi stood on a sandy bluff on Cape Cod and sent a 54-word greeting from President Theodore Roosevelt across the ocean to England's King Edward VII. A few hours later, the king responded, completing a dialogue that at the time seemed like pure magic...

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. -- Three years after a residence hall fire at Seton Hall University took the lives of three students, experts say New Jersey remains the only state to require both private and public colleges to install sprinkler systems in on- and off-campus housing...

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Federal agents searched the home of a university professor charged with lying when he claimed that 30 vials of plague bacteria were missing from his laboratory. The agents late Friday removed computers and computer disks belonging to Dr. Thomas C. Butler, his wife and two children, said the professor's attorney, Floyd Holder...

CASABLANCA, Morocco -- The lawyer for three Saudis accused of plotting to attack U.S. and British warships argued Friday they were wrongly detained and said there is no evidence to support the case against them. The three were arrested May 12 in an alleged plot to sail a dinghy loaded with explosives from Morocco into the Strait of Gibraltar to attack U.S. and British warships. Prosecutors said they were also in a cell of the al-Qaida terror group...

BUCHAREST, Romania -- The future of a Dracula theme park has become uncertain with disagreement among stockholders on where to locate the facility, officials said Friday. Mayor Dorin Danesean of Sighisoara, the medieval town originally picked as the site for the park dedicated to Romania's most infamous son, said the location now was undergoing a feasibility study headed by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers...

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's president-elect pressed the United States on Friday to enter direct negotiations with North Korea, and an envoy from Russia -- which has been urged to intervene with the North -- said Washington must take the lead in dealing with the crisis...

JERUSALEM -- Two Palestinian gunmen infiltrated the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba on Friday, killing an Israeli man as he opened the door of his home and wounding three other people. One gunman was shot and killed in the attack. Army troops were searching the settlement and nearby town of Hebron for the other gunman, who escaped, the army said. The Islamic militant Hamas group claimed responsibility for the attack in a leaflet distributed in Hebron...

ARAUCA, Colombia -- U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson, guarded by U.S. special forces in a machine-gun mounted Humvee, came to one of Colombia's bloodiest war zones Friday to meet with U.S. commanders training Colombian troops. The Humvee, carrying elite U.S. soldiers toted assault rifles and a grenade launcher trailed Patterson as she rode in a bulletproof SUV from the airport to a sprawling Colombian army base outside the eastern town of Arauca...

MOSCOW -- Russian prosecutors on Friday presented a criminal dossier on feared Soviet secret police chief Lavrenty Beria, including a list of hundreds of women he had allegedly stalked and raped. The Russian Military Prosecutor's office presented Beria's 47-volume criminal case, which ended with death sentence and a quick execution in 1953. The dossier will be opened to the public only after 25 years, Russian television stations reported...

ST. LOUIS -- Young car thieves speeding through metro-area streets in stolen Chryslers have been involved in five fatal collisions in as many months. Police said teenage thieves in the region have learned to steal Chryslers quickly by breaking the steering columns on the vehicles...

O'FALLON, Mo. -- Despite the flap over a father chaperoning a fourth-grade field trip while dressed as a woman, a St. Louis-area school district has decided it won't make parental conduct or other policy changes -- at least for now. The Francis Howell School District's board voted 5-2 to rely on its existing policies and practices to "deal with educational disruptions," apparently upholding the rights of parents to participate in school activities even if their attire is at issue...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A 75-year-old man was sentenced Friday to more than five years in prison for robbing a bank and using the money to buy a recreational vehicle. George L. Curtis, of Independence, then used the RV to take his girlfriend and three of her relatives on a trip to Mount Rushmore, authorities said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is notifying about 9,600 poor people that their monthly cash payments will be cut from the maximum of $80 to $9 beginning Feb. 1. State officials said that funding for the program was insufficient to continue the current payment rate. State law requires a grant reduction when appropriations fall short, officials said...

Republican U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof on Friday bowed out of a race for Missouri governor in 2004, clearing the way for the GOP to throw its full support behind Secretary of State Matt Blunt. The race is nearly two years away, but Republicans are itching to take on Democratic Gov. Bob Holden after his rocky first two years...

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- An American pilot who mistakenly bombed Canadian troops in Afghanistan last year, killing four of them, was under orders to hold fire when he dropped the bomb, a fellow airman testified Friday. However, Maj. John Milton also said "hold fire" orders do not apply when pilots believe they are under attack...

WASHINGTON -- The nation faces a long struggle to protect against terrorists, Tom Ridge told a Senate panel weighing his nomination to head the new Homeland Security Department. Lawmakers said the fight should not come at the expense of civil rights or the free flow of commerce...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy practically shuddered when the dreaded topic arose. The four-game losing streak. It's a month of misery punctuated by long practices and second guessing -- four straight weeks of failure, when a game becomes a job and self doubt starts to feel as familiar as strapping on shoulder pads...

ON THE NET International Mission Board: www.imb.org By Michael Buettner ~ The Associated Press RICHMOND, Va. -- A group of Southern Baptist missionaries working in Muslim countries has asked the U.S. leaders of their denomination to tone down their harsh criticism of Islam for safety reasons...

The days of students waiting in lengthy lunch lines for change to be counted out as their food grows cold are long gone from area schools, where new technology has allowed cafeterias to become virtually cashless. Schools in Jackson and Cape Girardeau have incorporated cash-free payment systems through pin numbers or cards with bar codes issued to every student...

A little over a year ago, an underage girl wandered into Breakaways Bar and Billiards in Cape Girardeau and quietly helped herself to some of her friend's pitcher of beer. On her way out of the busy bar, she was busted by a state liquor control agent, and Breakaways caught some heat...

Customers will be shooed out of Country Mart grocery store as 1 a.m. approaches Sunday morning. At Midwest Sterilization, the computers that operate fumigation chambers will be shut down and the employees will begin taking a long break. Employees also will power the computers down at the Rhodes 101 Stop in Jackson, lock the doors and begin waiting for the lights to come back on...

RAYTOWN, Mo. -- The firing of former Missouri basketball star Jevon Crudup from a high school coaching job followed the secret taping of him yelling and cursing at his players, sources told The Kansas City Star. Crudup, 30, was coaching the sophomore team at Raytown South High School, where he played before going to Missouri. He was first suspended, then fired from the job...

It's not too often a lack of offensive rebounding will bring a smile to a coach's face. But there sat Notre Dame coach Darrin Scott in his office Friday night with an impish grin after his team's smooth 75-57 victory at home over rival Scott City...

Chaffee's boys' basketball team, in search of its first win of the season, put up a strong effort Friday night. But Kelly was able to deny the Red Devils as the visiting Hawks posted a 63-54 victory. Kelly evened its record at 6-6 and Chaffee fell to 0-8...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- When No. 3 Connecticut faces Georgetown today, coach Geno Auriemma wants a win. He couldn't care less about setting any records. "I want it to be a regular game," Auriemma said Friday. "We just go on and that's the way I want it. Our lives aren't going to change much after the game."...

Southeast Missouri State University's Indians don't have much time to feel sorry for themselves following Thursday's overtime loss to Tennessee-Martin. That's because Murray State is next on the schedule. The Racers (9-5, 2-1 Ohio Valley Conference) and Indians (6-9, 1-3) square off tonight at the Show Me Center...

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach B.J. Smith admits he's greedy. While most coaches might be pleased to have gained a split on the road against two of the Ohio Valley Conference favorites, Smith at first wasn't all that happy after the Otahkians defeated Morehead State last Saturday and lost to Eastern Kentucky on Monday...

CHICAGO -- If the four NFL teams left in the playoffs have an intersection, that place is in the heart of this city's tough South Side and goes by the name Frank Lenti. For 19 seasons, Mount Carmel High's plain-speaking sage has been loading up on state titles and turning out young men who are respectful, but not shy about smacking opponents in the mouth, either...

Editor's note: Although the author of this article is unknown, it has generated considerable interest and has been widely shared through e-mails. Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day 10 men go out for dinner. The bill for all 10 comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this...

PHILADELPHIA -- The men wearing stripes are getting all the attention on NFL fields these days, thanks to a series of blunders and questioned calls at the most important time of the season. Forget Donovan McNabb and Warren Sapp, the stars who get paid millions to score touchdowns or stop them. The talk leading up to the Super Bowl is all about the little guys who throw little yellow flags...

WASHINGTON -- National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Friday race could be a factor in selecting colleges' students, embracing a cornerstone of affirmative action that President Bush has avoided. "It is appropriate to use race as one factor among others in achieving a diverse student body," the president's most prominent black adviser said in a written statement...

River Hills Drug Task Force arrests 10 VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Before dawn Friday, several area residents were awakened by members of the River Hills Drug Task Force banging on their doors. The officers had arrest warrants for 11 Van Buren, Grandin and Doniphan residents wanted on drug-related charges...

Urhahn Son to James Joseph and Shelly Jane Urhahn of Benton, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:43 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003. Name, Evan James. Weight, 5 pounds 4 1/2 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. Urhahn is the former Shelly Kindle, daughter of Jim Kindle and Jane Taylor of Sikeston, Mo. She is employed at Scott County Courthouse. Urhahn is the son of Jim Urhahn and Barbara Urhahn of Benton. He is employed at 1st Tire and Wheel Inc...

Seeking popularity I THINK former governor George Ryan of Illinois was desperate to make up for being such an unpopular governor. Controlling classes AS A parent, I know that it is best that teachers not spank students. I realize that teachers can find various ways to punish children that are creative and you don't have to worry about the school system being sued. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In a rare show of unity, a group representing all Missouri River basin states has asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to consider relocating the nests of endangered birds in order to meet desired water levels this summer...

NEW YORK -- In a week when the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres filed for bankruptcy, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman dismissed the notion that the league faces a crisis. "We have two franchises now in a situation that needs a more immediate solution than some other franchises," Bettman said Friday. "To call it a crisis, that's an overreaction...

Fast Fact: According to a 2002 survey by Barna Research Ltd., an independent Christian research group, nearly three out of five born-again Christians feel a sense of responsibility to tell others about their faith. By Laura Johnston ~ Southeast Missourian...

Southeast Missouri State University's proposed River Campus arts school could be home to hiking and biking trails later this year that would transform the tree-filled grounds of a former Catholic seminary into a park overlooking the Mississippi River...

He was voted the top minor-league pitcher in the Cardinals farm system in 2001. His name has been featured in prospect lists in the Sporting News and Baseball Weekly. Even with all of the accolades, Jimmy Journell could be the least known among current and former Cardinals on the Cardinals Caravan. Friday's stop at the Osage Community Centre gave more than 500 area fans the chance to know the Cardinals' top prospect a little better...

For many of the fans at the Cardinals Caravan on Friday, the main attraction wasn't journeyman pitcher Jason Simontacchi or up-and-comer Jimmy Journell. It was Southeast Missouri State University product Kerry Robinson. Robinson, who played for Southeast in the 1993 and '94 seasons, is entering into his fifth year in the majors and his third year with the Cardinals. Robinson played in 124 games last season, batting .260...

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals outfielder J.D. Drew agreed to a one-year, $3.7 million deal Friday, ensuring the team will not have to go to salary arbitration with any of its players this year. Drew was the last remaining unsigned arbitration-eligible player for the Cardinals. Right-hander Brett Tomko avoided arbitration Thursday and agreed to a one-year, $3.3 million contract...

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials prepared to ship smallpox vaccine to about a dozen states as a scientific advisory panel urged them to move cautiously. The panel said reactions to the first round of inoculations should be analyzed before giving shots to millions of health-care and emergency workers...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A laboratory mouse at Southern Illinois University that died this week of old age was a mouse for the ages, school officials said. The dwarf mouse, otherwise known as GHR-KO 11C, died Wednesday at 4 years, 11 months and three weeks, officials said. That's 180 to 200 years old in people years, said Andrzej Bartke, a physiologist who worked with the mouse...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden wants to ask voters to increase the cigarette tax by 55 cents per pack, which he says would raise $279 million in the next fiscal year. Last November, voters rejected Proposition A, a ballot measure that said the same 55-cent-a-pack increase would raise nearly $342 million in the next fiscal year...

KUWAIT CITY -- Twelve years after U.S.-led forces liberated this oil-rich Persian Gulf nation, many Kuwaitis find themselves torn between a desire to see Saddam Hussein go and fears of what could happen if war breaks out in their giant neighbor. Those mixed feelings have led to mixed signals: Kuwait's leaders have spoken out against launching war in Iraq without U.N. approval, even as they open their borders to thousands of U.S. troops who would spearhead any attack...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq and Russia signed three oil agreements Friday for exploration and development of oil fields in southern and western Iraq. The accords were signed at the Oil Ministry in Baghdad between Iraqi Oil Ministry undersecretary Hussein Suleiman al-Hadithi and Ivan Matlashov, Russia's first deputy energy minister...

10 years ago: Jan. 18, 1993 Report published by Cape Girardeau Police Department shows that total number of violent crimes and property crimes in 1992 greatly exceeded 1991 totals; standing out in crime statistics are two triple homicides that occurred during six-week span in August and September...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Winnia Faye Rush, 63, of Bernie died Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter, Mo. She was born Jan. 2, 1940, in Winston County, Ala., daughter of William Travis and Laveda Sewell Garrison. She and John Rush were married June 30, 1956, at Kennett, Mo...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Jan. 18 Firefighters responded Thursday to the following call: At 5:31 p.m., emergency medical service at 824 Themis.Firefighters responded Friday to the following calls: At 8:59 a.m., medical assist at 1707 Georgia. At 3:03 p.m., fire alarm sounding at 500 William...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department Saturday, Jan. 18 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Vicky C. Carter, 45, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Jan. 10 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Jan. 18 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Dennis G. Hicks, 43, of 222 Cedar Grove, St. Charles, Mo., was arrested Thursday on a Pennsylvania state warrant for theft of services...

Downtown Cape Girardeau has all the makings of a revival. There's the Marquette Hotel, a one-time eyesore that soon will be a state office and retail complex. The impact such an enterprise will have on the downtown neighborhood -- one where some businesses have come and gone with astounding speed over the past couple of decades -- is sure to be impressive...

Missouri's gloom-and-doom economic performance in recent months is almost overwhelming at times. But the picture is becoming clearer that we're not alone. Take the prison situation. Missouri barely scraped up enough money to open a badly needed state-of-the-art prison in Bonne Terre. A wing of the maximum security prison in Charleston has never been opened for the same budgetary reasons, although word came this week it could open in the summer...

To the editor: I want to congratulate Gov. Bob Holden on his plan for balancing our budget. He has developed a credible plan that solves the problem without doing too much harm to our most needy citizens. I have read in the papers where Kentucky has released prisoners to balance its budget, while Arkansas has had to close some of its public schools one day a week. ...

To the editor: In response to the article "Educators offer way to avoid recruiters": This comes down to should military recruiters have the same access to potential applicants as colleges. Having spent three years as a recruiter for the Navy in Western Kentucky, it was frustrating at times not to be able to contact potential applicants, but local colleges and trade schools could...

To the editor: When it comes to the economy, President Bush is demonstrating genuine leadership. The economic-growth package he recently proposed takes us in the right direction by accelerating the successful tax cuts of 2001, providing marriage-penalty relief and providing incentives for individuals and small businesses to save and invest...

To the editor: I would like to express my appreciation for the response that was made when my daughter's (Denise Williams) house burned Dec. 28. I want to thank the Southeast Missourian for its coverage and concern, and especially Janis Gosche, who came to interview and talk to my family. ...

To the editor: I agree wholeheartedly with your recent editorial about the gas-buying consortium sponsored by the Missouri School Boards Association. The consortium is a prime example of what membership in the association can achieve for districts throughout Missouri...

To the editor: We need to thank Gov. Bob Holden for his leadership during these difficult financial times. He has put forth a plan that will balance the budget without sacrificing our state's future. At the same time, his plan will stimulate Missouri's economy. ...

Clem Freese, 90, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Clem was born Nov. 26, 1912, in Cape Girardeau, son of Clemens L. and Josephine Roling Freese. He and Suenell Wissman were married April 11, 1936, in Cape Girardeau...

Thelma Thomson, 92, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, at Mineral Area Medical Center in Farmington, Mo. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Howard S. "Sam" Kitchen, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, at Life Care Center. He was born Jan. 21, 1927, in Cairo, Ill., son of William Paul and Fredrieka Pearl Kneibert Kitchen. Kitchen had been a construction worker. Survivors include four brothers, Gene Kitchen of Chicago, the Rev. Bill Kitchen of McClure, Ill., Doug and Larry Kitchen of Cape Girardeau; and a sister, Jo Anne Blattel of Cape Girardeau...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Brushing aside any hint of compromise, Saddam Hussein proclaimed Friday that Iraq is ready for war with the United States and warned that his enemies would face "suicide" at the gates of Baghdad. In an atmosphere of increasing urgency, the White House said the discovery of 12 empty chemical warheads in Iraq on Thursday was "troubling and serious." But spokesman Ari Fleischer stopped short of declaring the find a violation of U.N. resolutions...