Stories from Sunday, March 16, 2003

To the editor: With all due respect to U.S. Sen. Jim Talent, our allies are not convinced of "the overwhelming case for removing Saddam." That is the point. And, while I am sure that Talent is privy to more specific, classified information than we common citizens, his letter's argument is based upon speculation of what might happen, not what is happening...

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. -- As he sailed to some secret destination on the other side of the world, Marine Pfc. William Whitelatch wrote to girlfriend Latrisha Durbin, distressed by news coverage of anti-war protests. "He was worried that people hate them," Durbin said. "They knew that people weren't real supportive."...

DARIEN, Ga. -- The 225-pound bucket emerges from the belly of Greg Boone's shrimp boat and tips onto the dock -- SPLAT-SPLAT-SPLAT -- raining a ripe-smelling pile of pulpy blobs that resemble rubber mushrooms. This catch isn't for Boone's local customers. They wouldn't eat this stuff anyhow. Boone has never dared taste it himself...

MOUNT CARROLL, Ill. -- The filtering effect of dusty light, a storm broiling over a northwestern Illinois field or light glittering through an old barn. That's the workshop of Michael Johnson, who has been photographing rural America for more than 30 years...

OAKVILLE, Mo. -- Car crashes resulting in eight teenage deaths in south St. Louis County in the past year and a half led police to hold an in-school meeting last week to talk about ways to reduce fatalities. At Oakville Senior High School, students, police, crash survivors and school administrators discussed ways to keep teenage drivers safe, while protecting others on the road from teens driving recklessly, sometimes jumping hills or drag racing...

As you put together seed orders, you'll be coming across nightshades -- what a tasty, lovely, and eerie group they are. Besides tomato, pepper, potato, petunia, and tobacco, this botanical family includes a slew of other fine, but less well-known, garden plants...

For years, business professionals have been using digital projectors to give presentations from their laptop computers. Professional photographers and videographers, too, use digital projectors to give slide and video presentations at workshops and conventions...

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- Salvadorans were once so passionate about their leaders that they braved gunfire to vote, but after years of economic despair and disappointment, turnout was expected to reach new lows in elections this weekend. Recent polls indicate that voter turnout will be about 40 percent for the congressional and municipal elections today...

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian legislators said Saturday the U.S. administration's promise to adhere to last year's "road map" for Palestinian statehood was a positive sign, signaling that President Bush would push for the plan's implementation without any changes...

MEXICO CITY -- The arrest of reputed drug cartel leader Osiel Cardenas, nearly a year after the death of a notorious drug lord and the arrest of his brother, could mark the end of an era for the narcotics kingpins who have dominated the nation for two decades...

By Cindy A. Roberts ~ The Associated Press The World Health Organization warned Saturday that a contagious and deadly pneumonia-like illness of unknown cause is fast becoming a worldwide health threat. In a rare "emergency travel advisory," the health agency said it has received more than 150 reports of what it called "Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome" in the past week alone, mostly in southeast Asia. ...

KNOB NOSTER, Mo. -- The United States' fleet of B-2 Stealth bombers should be more than doubled, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Friday. The B-2s are battle-proven in evading radar, dropping precision-guided munitions and covering long distances nonstop, said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A female firefighter and a former colleague claim facilities for women have not been upgraded as promised, and they are seeking to stop Kansas City from spending money from a sales tax approved by voters to improve fire stations...

NEW YORK -- Police on Friday arrested an enlisted serviceman wanted in connection with a fatal 2001 shooting during a robbery at the Army's Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. Kelvin Washington was one of four people indicted last year in the December 2001 death of civilian Brian Adams at a noncommissioned officer's club...

To the editor: I am amazed at the patience shown by President Bush in dealing with the third-rate nation of France. He has far surpassed any measure of patience possessed by me. The French are as unlovely a group of people as has ever existed. They live on whatever glories France possessed in former days but display complete amnesia when asked to recall what the United States or any other country has done for them. The fact is, the United States has saved their bacon a number of times...

When city officials and Missouri Department of Transportation representatives held a study session recently to discuss Cape Girardeau's top traffic concerns, several areas were pinpointed. But none is more crucial than the stretch of William Street just east of Interstate 55...

With five bedrooms and three bathrooms, the home at 3525 Mallard in Clarkton Place Subdivision has plenty of room for a growing family, and it has the amenities to make those harried family days enjoyable. This brick-and-vinyl-siding home features many of the standards one would expect in a nice home, like a two-car garage, but it also has many unexpected touches...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, March 16 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Davin O. Bean, 22, 543 S. Crea, Decatur, Ill., was arrested Saturday on charges of driving while intoxicated at Pacific and College Hill...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, March 16 Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: At 6:06 p.m., a medical assist at 1833 Dumas. At 7:13 p.m., a medical assist at 1744 Northwoods. At 7:54 p.m., a medical assist at 300 Kiwanis. At 8:38 p.m., an illegal burn at 118 N. Pacific...

Saxy Jazz will perform Thursday at Sidetracks in Jackson. The duo will perform from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in a no-smoking show and from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's proposal to overhaul Social Security is unlikely to come to a vote in the current two-year Congress, according to Republicans who cite competing priorities as well as political concerns. Instead, legislation to let workers invest a portion of their payroll taxes will probably hinge on next year's election. That would give Bush a chance to try and rally public opinion behind the idea as he bids for a second term...

WASHINGTON -- The Agriculture Department has been lax in guarding the food supply from potentially unsafe imported meat, an internal audit says. From 1999 to 2001, the agency allowed in 823,632 pounds of meat from foreign plants that might have been prohibited from trading, said the report by USDA's inspector general released this week...

CATALOOCHEE, N.C. -- With the return of elk to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, local business owners and town officials have carved a new niche: elk marketing. Elk were hunted out of existence in the Smokies in the 1800s, but were reintroduced to the half-million-acre park on the North Carolina-Tennessee border in 2001. Their return is attracting tourists to the Maggie and Cataloochee valleys in droves -- and causing a growing demand for elk information, pictures and memorabilia...

It's a good time to visit Eastern Europe to sample the scenery and culture of Hungary, home of sweet wines, food spiced with paprika, scenic countryside and centuries of history. Start your visit in the city of Budapest -- www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/ -- and look up "Picture Gallery" for a brief introduction to the city's scenery. ...

The Associated Press CARACAS, Venezuela -- With the granting of diplomatic asylum to a fugitive labor leader, opponents of President Hugo Chavez have lost a key leader and one of the architects of a 64-day strike that devastated the economy and polarized a nation...

NEW YORK -- It's the smallest of signs, but Bill Kurtis hopes his recent trip from Chicago to Gary, Ind., is an indication that things may get better at the A&E Network. Kurtis was asked by Abbe Raven, A&E's new general manager, to use a particularly photogenic courthouse in Gary as a backdrop for some "American Justice" scenes. Previously, most filming was done in a classroom courtroom at Northwestern University...

The nation's college seniors are finding their toughest job is landing a job. The sluggish economy has left many such students, who are two months from graduating, discouraged with the job hunt. Brandi Brooks, 21, will graduate in May from Southeast Missouri State University with a degree in advertising. ...

About 900 youths, or 7.5 percent of the total city population, are involved in Jackson's soccer programs. All of the 70-plus teams share just five Jackson fields. Simple division of those figures equals a mess when coaches, league organizers and parents try to manage practice and game schedules, especially during the spring season, when school is in session and dusk hits at about 6 p.m. Some teams use pastures and orange cones to create makeshift fields...

Briefly Baseball Another AL MVP could be on his way out of Oakland. Athletics owner Steve Schott told star shortstop Miguel Tejada on Saturday that the team won't offer him a multiyear contract after this season. Schott said there would be no negotiations, which Tejada was hoping to get underway during spring training...

Dan Langford's ties to Wiffle ball gos back to his days as a kid growing up in St. Louis. Back home, he and friends from his baseball team would divide up teams in their spare time and play a sport similar to baseball, but still so different. But now as a 21-year-old student at Southeast Missouri State University, Langford has developed a new version of the sport...

Southeast loses a pair in S.C. tournament ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Southeast Missouri State University's softball team lost a pair of games Friday in the first day of the 24-team Winthrop Ringer Invitational at Winthrop University. Saturday's scheduled games against Akron and Pittsburgh were rained out, as were the day's other tournament games. The schedule will be doubled today, giving Southeast its first game at 9 a.m...

Get it ready I WAS reading in the Central High student paper about the sports starting this spring. The baseball season is starting, and they hope to be playing on the new fields. I don't see why it wouldn't happen. They have a big crew to get the field ready. I can't see why they can't get this done. If they can't, I think they owe it to the families and people of the city an explanation. They owe it to the seniors to get that field ready...

DALLAS -- Missouri had plenty of motivation. Sure, the Tigers wanted to get into the Big 12 championship game and leave no doubt about their chance of making the NCAA tournament. More importantly, they wanted to avenge a couple of close losses to Kansas...

With all the scandals that have rocked college basketball in recent days, it's nice to be able to focus on something pleasant in the sport. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be unveiled today -- enough said. It's one of the most exciting days of the entire season, and it has nothing to do with making shots or winning games. It's all about squeezing into the 65-team field...

JUPITER, Fla. -- A month into spring training, the Cardinals still officially have two vacant rotation slots. "Guys aren't eliminating themselves. Not yet," pitching coach Dave Duncan said. The first three positions are spoken for, with 17-game winner Matt Morris, Woody Williams and Brett Tomko safe and sound. The most compelling storyline of the spring for the team, however, has been the four-man battle at the bottom end...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Cory Stillman scored with four minutes left and Chris Osgood stopped 35 shots in his St. Louis debut as the Blues beat the Nashville Predators 1-0 Saturday night. The teams appeared to be headed to overtime for the fourth straight time in the series, but the Blues -- who lead the NHL when it comes to outscoring opponents in the third period -- finally got to Nashville goalie Tomas Vokoun...

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson had surgery on a knee Saturday morning, after being injured Friday night while participating in a charity basketball game at the A.C. Brase Arena Building. "He snapped a tendon and dislocated his kneecap," city spokeswoman Tracey Glenn said Saturday. "He's supposed to be in the hospital until Monday."...

FRED LYNCH * flynch@semissourian.com Brandi Brooks of Sikeston, Mo., checked for job openings on an Internet Web site from a computer at Career Services in the University Center, where she works part time as a student at Southeast Missouri State University.By Chris Pagano ~ Southeast Missourian...

Felony charges have been brought against four Grand Tower, Ill., residents, alleging they were manufacturing methamphetamine in a Cape Girardeau hotel and two of them of leading police on a high-speed chase and resisting arrest. Geoffrey A. Phelps, 23, was charged with possessing methamphetamine, two counts for having ingredients used to make meth, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest...

LOS ANGELES -- For TV viewers, the Academy Awards ceremony has become a fashion show comparable to the best of Paris -- sometimes bizarre, always eye-catching. It was different in Oscar's youth, though. Virtually all stars were under contract to major studios, which dictated what the nominees would wear...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- In an effort to increase the number of moose where villagers rely on game for food, the Alaska Board of Game voted to kill wolves and move brown and black bears from a 520-square mile area in Interior Alaska. A national animal-rights group has pledged a tourist boycott if the state OKs the predator control program...

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- At a time when other states are pinching every penny they can find, Wyoming lawmakers just boosted state spending by 5 percent a year. And they did it with no program cuts and only one tax hike, a 48-cent boost on a pack of cigarettes...

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A company that pays terminally ill people for their life insurance policies and three of its executives have been convicted of helping clients get insured by concealing their illnesses. Prosecutors said Kelco Inc. executives encouraged or knew about the fraud, including cases in which terminally ill people substituted healthy blood for their own to obtain policies...

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A second man with ties to the University of Idaho has been arrested in a widening investigation of a suspected terrorist-related group in the Moscow, Idaho, and Pullman, Wash., area, an FBI source confirms. Two other men who also have ties to the area and the Michigan-based Islamic Assembly of North America have been implicated in the investigation but not arrested...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Elizabeth Smart "did what she had to do" to survive her kidnapping ordeal, according to a family spokesman Saturday, who stopped short of confirming reports that her alleged abductor took her as his second wife. "As far as the polygamous allegations and this wedding are concerned, Elizabeth did what she had to do in this situation and had she not done that, the outcome would be completely different," spokes-man Chris Thomas said. "We can't second-guess her actions."...

SEATTLE -- An airline passenger who had two "No War with Iraq" signs in his suitcase says the federal security agent who opened his luggage inserted a note criticizing his "anti-American attitude." "I found it chilling and a little Orwellian to have received this message," said Seth Goldberg, 41, of Cranbury, N.J...

Dear Dr. Gott: I have a complicated problem. I am a woman, 54, in good health except for neuropathy in my legs. This has been present for at least 15 years, but my doctor assured me it was early menopause. I experience pain, tingling and numbness in my legs; now I am also somewhat weaker than before. ...

-- From wire reports

Our trip this week is the most unusual town in Missouri: Hermann. Highway 94 provides a scenic journey through the Missouri River valley and through the heart of wine country. Cross the river at Hermann and sample some of the Show-Me state's award-winning wines...

jkoch By Dr. John Koch Question: Mom lives alone since Dad passed away almost a year ago. A couple of weeks ago something happened that made my sister and I take notice. Mom took care of her neighbor's little dog for a few days while they were away. ...

To the editor: Your March 13 editorial on Amtrak was classic Republican dogma regarding national rail service. Amtrak's critics for years have been decrying the public money spent to maintain any semblance of a national network of passenger rail service...

Orphan. Student. Radio news anchor. Sunday school teacher. School board candidate. It appears that 18-year-old Sean Copeland has taken the struggles thrown into his life and turned them into meaningful opportunities. His uplifting story was told on the front page of the Southeast Missourian several days ago, and the reaction has been nothing but positive...

ABOARD THE USS CARL VINSON -- North Korea warned that the massing of U.S forces in the region increases the danger of nuclear war as a U.S. aircraft carrier anchored off South Korea on Saturday. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun told his military to prepare for the possibility that North Korea might attempt minor provocations during U.S.-South Korean military exercises that will involve the USS Carl Vinson, South Korean news agency Yonhap said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- If House Republicans and their critics agree on one thing, it's that the majority party's method of writing the state budget is unique. The chamber's GOP leaders say they were forced to take an innovative approach after the traditional method was thwarted by a lack of cooperation from Democratic executive branch department officials...

It's true that children should be on their best behavior when they're dining in a restaurant, but good table manners should be part of the daily routine no matter where the food is being served, says Cindy Post Senning, an etiquette expert. "I talk about mealtime at home a lot. It's unfair to your children not to give them a sense of what mealtime is about," says Senning, a director at The Emily Post Institute and a columnist on children's etiquette...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A 17-game winning streak ran into a 6-foot-3 roadblock Saturday at the Hearnes Center. The roadblock -- named Brittany Mannings -- denied Notre Dame's girls basketball team access to the Class 4 state trophy. Mannings towered, swatted, rebounded and scored, leading top-ranked Duchesne to a 56-52 victory over fifth-ranked Notre Dame in the Class 4 championship game...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Delta's girls basketball team sealed a spot in Thursday's Class 1 state semifinals at Columbia's Hearnes Center after defeating Couch on Saturday. Delta, 26-2 and ranked No. 2 in the state, defeated No. 8 Couch 53-40 at the West Plains Civic Center after losing in the quarterfinals the past two seasons, both times to Couch...

JUPITER, Fla. -- The results -- three runs allowed in four innings -- weren't as important to Brett Tomko as the feeling he had on the mound in the Cardinals' 10-6 victory over the Montreal Expos on Saturday. Tomko allowed a run in each of the first three innings. Two starts ago he allowed one hit in four innings, also against the Expos, but had better mechanics this time...

In today's fast-paced world, there's little time for history. No problem. The U.S. Mint has reduced our rich history to coinage, stamping the past into 50 state quarters. Actually, only 21 of the states have been recognized so far. The Mint has been churning out five new state quarters every year since 1999. By the time it all ends in 2008, our youngest daughter, Bailey, will be 13 and Becca will be 16. History, as you can tell, has a way of aging a person...

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Odyssey spacecraft has confirmed suspicions that the radiation on Mars is so intense that it could endanger astronauts sent to explore the Red Planet, scientists said last week. The high radiation levels measured by the unmanned probe also suggest that any extraterrestrial life that might call Mars home would have little chance of surviving unless it were shielded beneath the planet's dusty, cold surface, said Cary Zeitlin of the National Space Biomedical Research Institute in Houston.. ...

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. -- The faltering economy, rising gasoline prices and a looming war appear to have done little to stem the annual spring break migration by thousands of college students intent on partying. Young people already crowd the beaches in South Florida, playing volleyball, getting tan and picking up T-shirts and other freebies from promotional stands. At sunset, the nightclubs are packed...

LOS ANGELES -- A stubborn Alaskan winter storm unleashed heavy rain and winds Saturday throughout California, knocking out power, setting rainfall records and piling up traffic accidents statewide. A Boy Scout troop was rescued by helicopter from a sandbar in the middle of a creek in the Los Padres National Forest...

UNITED NATIONS -- What has Hans Blix uncovered during more than four months of weapons inspections in Iraq? Not an awful lot, according to his latest report, which nonetheless runs 173 dense pages. Former U.N. inspectors say it is not surprising. The new experts who arrived in November are far less experienced in the ways of chemical warfare than their predecessors, and they have far less time...

LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- With his wedding five minutes away, Army Pvt. Sam Minton has a lot on his mind. The bride hasn't shown up yet. She's eight weeks pregnant. And he's shipping out in four hours. "Don't worry, she'll be here," says Jake Van Winkle, Minton's best friend, as the two sit anxiously in the Chapel of the Lakes on a rainy Saturday afternoon...

WASHINGTON -- Some thought war is inevitable, others clung to hope they could slow or stop it. Either way, people in Washington and around the world joined Saturday in an outpouring of dissent no less persistent than the buildup of forces ready to strike Iraq...

QUEBEC CITY, Quebec -- It should be no surprise that Canada's largest province also hosts the largest winter festival in the world. Montreal celebrates the Fete des Neiges and Montreal High Lights. Far north in Saguenay, it's the Carnaval-Souvenir. Valcourt (Eastern Townships) holds the Grand Prix Ski-Doo, drawing snowmobilers from all over North America...

NEW YORK -- Bringing the whole family to a restaurant and breaking bread together should be a fun, pleasant experience for parents and children. And staff. And all the other diners. Without proper preparation and cooperation, though, accomplishing this goal is nearly impossible...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In a spectacle not seen in the Missouri Capitol in years, Senate Democrats spent 30 hours filibustering legislation aimed at reining in high-dollar civil lawsuits. The debate stretched over three consecutive days with the filibuster finally collapsing Friday evening and the Senate giving the measure preliminary approval on a party-line vote...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's meeting today with Prime Ministers Tony Blair of Britain and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain is shaping up as more a symbol of determination than an 11th-hour quest for a diplomatic miracle. Needing a minimum of nine votes in the U.N. Security Council this week for their resolution to back force to disarm Iraq they have the sure support only of Bulgaria...

WASHINGTON -- Americans support President Bush on national security issues, pollsters say, but the nation's political balance could easily shift if a war with Iraq goes badly for the United States. Those sharply mixed feelings suggest that war and its effects on international relations, terrorism and the economy pose considerable political risks for the president, said a bipartisan team of political pollsters who conducted a survey for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A U.S. invasion of Iraq would destroy the United Nations, former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite says. While in town Friday to support his cousin, Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, in her bid for re-election, Cronkite said a U.S. invasion would plunge this country into financial chaos. He agreed that Saddam Hussein is dangerous, but said American diplomacy has been poor...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq invited chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei to Baghdad to discuss outstanding disarmament issues as President Bush prepared to meet with his top allies about a possible war. The invitation came a day before Bush meets prime ministers Tony Blair of Britain and Jose Maria Aznar of Spain in an emergency summit in the Azores to work out their next step after their bid to give Iraq an ultimatum was blocked at the U.N. Security Council...

ABOARD THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT -- The U.S. Navy battle groups now in position to strike at Iraq bristle with fighting power: long-range missiles, jets and a menacing array of cannons, Gatling guns and attack helicopters. The five battle groups -- aircraft carriers and accompanying warships -- deployed in the Persian Gulf and eastern Mediterranean are a key part of the military buildup against Baghdad...

ANKARA, Turkey -- Ankara's new government signaled Saturday it would wait at least another week before deciding on the deployment of U.S. forces, but Washington appeared to back away from plans to use Turkey for a northern front against Iraq. A senior U.S. official said Washington's offer to give Turkey $15 billion in economic aid if it allowed the U.S. deployment was now "off the table."...

NEW YORK -- The U.N. Security Council has lived through decades of sterile Cold War shouting matches ended by vetoes, a Korean War approved only with the Soviets out of the room, and French and British defiance of the council with their 1956 invasion of Egypt...

NEW YORK -- The U.S. publisher of the new "Harry Potter" novel is selling some copies straight to readers. Bookstores complain that means less business for them. Over the past couple of weeks, Scholastic Children's Books has been taking orders for "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" at school fairs around the country...

U.S. Embassy urges China to reopen newspaper BEIJING -- Protesting what it called backsliding on media freedom in China, the U.S. Embassy on Saturday urged authorities to reopen a pioneering newspaper shut down after publishing an article discussing political reform...

Mr. and Mrs. Van Robinson of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Holly Renee Robinson, to Douglas Brian Glenn. He is the son of Larry and Pansy Glenn of Kewanee, Mo. Robinson is a 1995 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School, attended Southeast Missouri State University, and is pursuing a degree in nursing...

Gary and Nancy Hebert of O'Fallon, Mo., and Fred and Sharon Burgard of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their children, Tami Hebert and Joshua Burgard, both of Cape Girardeau. Hebert received a degree in physical education in 2001 from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Southeast as assistant softball coach...

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Angela Michelle Blumenberg and Adam Anthony Williams, both of Atlanta, were married Aug. 31, 2002, in a sunset ceremony at Silver Shells Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. The Rev. Steve Vaggalis officiated. Geoff Smith of Cape Girardeau was vocalist and was accompanied by violinist Carol Hayes of Destin...

Cathlin Amelia Miller and Kevin Patrick Hayes were united in marriage July 6, 2002, at Cape First Assembly. The Rev. Gary Brothers performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Ron Inkenbrandt of Cape Girardeau and Paul Miller of Jackson. Parents of the couple are Kent and Gloria Miller and Larry and Angie Hayes, all of Jackson...

Tracy Trimble and Kerry Bode were married Nov. 1, 2002, in Dallas, Texas. The bride is the daughter of Gary and Veralyn Trimble of Winnsboro, Texas. The groom is the son of Louis and Rosemary Davis of Oak Ridge. Mrs. Bode is a graduate of Winnsboro High School, and attended the University of Texas in Arlington. She is an appraiser with Vista Appraisal Services in Dallas...

Sarah Jane Benton and Jason Charles Trickey, both of Cape Girardeau, exchanged vows on June 1, 2002, at Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau. Hal Greene officiated. Shane Steck of Cape Girardeau was pianist, and Clay Hurst and Cindy Farrow of Jackson were soloists...

Cape Girardeau Mayor Jay Knudtson had surgery on a knee Saturday morning, after being injured Friday night while participating in a charity basketball game at the A.C. Brase Arena Building. "He snapped a tendon and dislocated his kneecap," city spokeswoman Tracey Glenn said Saturday. "He's supposed to be in the hospital until Monday."...

10 years ago: March 16, 1993 Circuit Judge William L. Syler forever banned Caruthersville public defender from his courtroom Monday after attorney failed to provide "competent" counsel for client to which he was assigned; Syler issued ban against Tim Leonard, who had been assigned several cases that Cape Girardeau County public defender's office couldn't handle because of conflicts of interest...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Gary and Sharon Halm of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristen Elizabeth Halm, to Phillip Caleb Blevins, son of Jim and Kathy Blevins of Chaffee. Halm is a graduate of Ursuline Academy in St. Louis, attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and expects to graduate from National Beauty Arts Academy this spring. She is employed at the Magic House in St. Louis...

Verneta Emeline Martin, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 14, 2003, at The Lutheran Home. She was born April 19, 1917, at Commerce, Mo., daughter of William J. and Amelia A. Scherer Urhahn. She and Gregory F. Martin were married Sept. 7, 1940, at Benton, Mo. He died June 19, 1998...

Maintaining standards I BELIEVE the residents of Missouri are more worthy and more responsible than our neighbors in Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and Oklahoma -- and we will be as long as we continue to defeat concealed-weapon laws. Doing their jobs...

Springfield, Mo. -- Angela Marie Chaney and Eric Robert Sachse, both of Springfield, announce their engagement. Chaney is the daughter of Tony and Bic Eckenstein of Lenexa, Kan., and Joseph L. Chaney of Aurora, Colo. Sachse is the son of Robert and Andrea Sachse of Cape Girardeau...

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Charles and Linda Johns of Springfield, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Anita Johns, to Chris Bucher, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Frank and Margie Bucher of Kelso, Mo. Johns is a 1994 graduate of Washington, Mo., High School and received a degree in marketing from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1998. She is a consultant for Accenture LLP...

LAHORE, Pakistan -- Building on information from a captured lieutenant of Osama bin Laden, Pakistani authorities captured another suspected key al-Qaida figure Saturday -- a man U.S. government sources say oversees communication among the terror network's operatives...

ST. LOUIS -- The University of Missouri-Columbia and St. Louis University are defending their minorities-only programs despite pressure from two conservative watchdog groups to shutter them. In letters Friday to the American Civil Rights Institute and the Center for Equal Opportunity, the universities said their enrichment, recruitment or scholarship programs for minority students do not infringe on the constitutional rights of white students...

AMAZONIA, Mo. -- For some people, the American Dream is a house in the suburbs with a two-car garage. For others, it's a little simpler. Verlin Jones of rural Amazonia is one who prefers the simple life, choosing to live in the woods in a log cabin that he built with his own hands...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- Drug dealers had become downright blatant in their marijuana operations here recently, according to charges filed in federal court. Some of the dealers reportedly pulled up to an East St. Louis mobile home in a flatbed truck last week and dumped 3,000 pounds of marijuana into the yard...

Old Bavarian Sausage, 2370 N. High St. in Jackson, is owned by Brigitte Bollerslev. Information about the business was incorrect in the Feb. 23 Progress Edition. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

Mr. and Mrs. Emil Brase of Jackson were honored on Feb. 22, with a dinner at Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau in recognition of their 60th wedding anniversary and Emil's birthday. Their son, John Brase of St. Louis, Mo., sponsored the event. Relatives and friends from Palmyra, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Gordonville, and Jackson were present for the dinner...

Paul and Patricia Brown of Cape Girardeau and Bill and Vicky Surman of Cypress, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Meredith Lee Surman Eudy, to Thomas Wayne Hammontree. He is the son of Butch and Doris Hammontree of Cape Girardeau. Eudy is a 1995 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. She expects to receive a certificate of completion in medical transcription from CAI Transcription and is office manager for Ron Lungwitz Financial Services...

ORAN, Mo. -- Terry Conley and Clayton Sauceda, both of Oran, announce their engagement. Conley is a 1988 graduate of Van Buren High School, a 1990 graduate of Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and received a degree in advertising in 2000 from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. She is employed as a Resource Coordinator/ Wildland Firefighter with the National Park Service...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Angel Marie Seiler of Whitewater and David Christopher Engelen of Leopold, Mo., announce their engagement. Seiler is the daughter of Rick Seiler of Arlee, Mont., and John and Dee McCutcheon of Patton, Mo. Engelen is the son of Robert and Annabel Engelen of Leopold...

ORAN, Mo. -- Jim and Vickie Eftink of Oran announce the engagement of their daughter, Crystal Gail Chapman, to Torey Scot Gosche. He is the son of Gene and Patti Garrison of Jackson and Robert and Carol "Tutti" Gosche of Benton, Mo. She is also the daughter of the late Bill Chapman...