Stories from Saturday, March 29, 2003

ST. LOUIS -- Blues defenseman Chris Pronger will be back on the ice today for the first time since he was hurt in a playoff game last season. For now, the "C" will be missing. Pronger has been practicing for several weeks as he recovers from severe knee and wrist injuries. He announced his return Friday following the team's morning workout...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Professor Olen Brown knew her as the daughter of an Iraqi diplomat, a "bright, diplomatic, very intelligent" student whose doctoral dissertation in molecular biology he supervised two decades ago. So the retired University of Missouri-Columbia professor was "extremely distressed" Friday by news reports naming his former student, Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, as one of Saddam Hussein's top biological weapons scientists...

Chase ends in arrest of Jackson woman A woman who allegedly struck a Cape Girardeau law enforcement officer with her car at the beginning of a Wednesday morning car chase has landed in jail. Police said patrolman Kevin Nager stopped Lisa Bareiter, 35, of Jackson for traffic violations in the 1100 block of North Frederick Street. When he ran a check, he learned that Bareiter had three Cape Girardeau County warrants for her arrest -- one for stealing and two for probation violation...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, March 29 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Antonio J. Primer, 30, of 1408 Dunklin, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Friday on suspicion of domestic assault...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, March 29 Firefighters responded to the following item Wednesday: At 8:47 p.m., a trash bin fire at 716 N. Sprigg. Firefighters responded to the following items Thursday: At 12:42 a.m., an emergency medical service at 123 N. Main...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department Saturday, March 29 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Thomas S. Eftink, 32, of Marble Hill, Mo., was arrested March 22 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

P Even a cold winter won't stop mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus from animals to humans, but there are practical steps you can take to protect yourself. With this week's warmer temperatures came the first buzzes of insects in the air. But instead of an innocuous harbinger of spring, those sounds are warnings: Prepare for the return of mosquitoes and the West Nile virus they may carry. The experts have said it's not a matter of if, but when...

Illmo Baptist Church in Scott City is sponsoring a women's conference April 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme is "Dwelling in the secret place: an intimate worship experience for women." The speaker is Laura Trapp of MorningJoy Ministries. Praise and worship music will be led by Audrey Franklin and Celebration Generation...

It doesn't help religious faith much, but the "Bible code" phenomenon has at least boosted the book business. New York journalist Michael Drosnin made best-seller lists with "The Bible Code" (1997) and again with his recent "Bible Code II: The Countdown" (Viking)...

To the editor: Do away with Snake Hill? Every time I return to Cape Girardeau, I make a point to go to Cape Rock Park and Snake Hill. Why not tear down the courthouse building or topple the rock at Cape Rock Park while you're at it? They are all important landmarks in Cape Girardeau, which has very few. Why, after 75 years, has someone decided Snake Hill is too dangerous?...

To the editor: It's interesting that the anti-war protesters have become so vocal regarding violence when they were so silent in the past. Where were they when Saddam Hussein was murdering the Kurds in Northern Iraq? Where were they when Saddam invaded Kuwait? Where have they been while Saddam has been exterminating the Shiites? And where are they now, when Saddam is utilizing Iraqi citizens as human shields and parading our American POWs on Iraqi television?...

Phillip Graham, 22, of Wilhelmina, Mo., died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 6, 1980, in Blytheville, Ark. Survivors include his parents, Peggy and Steve Fieser; a brother, William Graham; two sisters, Crystal Graham and Clara Fieser, all of Wilhelmina...

Laura Frances Stone, 70, of Pine Bluff, Ark., died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at her home. She was born Aug. 3, 1932, at Fornfelt, Mo., daughter of Clarence Melvin and Clara Marie Wilder Cook. She and John H. "Jack" Stone Jr. were married Sept. 17, 1950, in Jefferson County...

KELSO, Mo. -- Loretta Gertrude Dannenmueller, 87, of Kelso died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 5, 1915, in St. Louis, daughter of Rose Halter. She and Charles Joseph Dannenmueller were married April 26, 1975, at Kelso. He died Jan. 13, 1995...

ATHENS, Greece -- A hijacker saying he was armed with explosives commandeered a domestic Turkish flight late Friday and forced it to land in Greece. He surrendered hours later and more than 200 people aboard were freed unharmed, officials said. Police arrested 20-year-old Ozgur Gencarslan, a Turkish citizen who was reportedly overwhelmed by family problems...

LOS ANGELES -- Thousands of immigrants from more than 100 countries pledged allegiance to the United States on Friday. The new citizens included 23 servicemen and women who received enthusiastic applause from the crowd, which displayed its patriotism by waving small flags and praised America's war to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein...

ST. LOUIS -- Kyle Turley is ready to line up at right tackle for the Rams and look over to see Orlando Pace on the left side. Turley, acquired for a second-round 2004 draft pick in a March 21 trade with New Orleans, said Friday he's hopeful the Rams and Pace can bridge the gap in their contract talks. Though Pace's contract has expired and negotiations continue, the Rams have deemed him their franchise player...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart's car was impounded Friday because it didn't meet specifications, a punishment never before handed out by NASCAR. Stewart, known as the bad boy of the sport, was forced to use his backup car at the opening practice for Sunday's Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway...

Wet, chilly weather couldn't deter the opening round of the Noon Optimist Spring Classic as host Notre Dame, Central, Jackson and Perryville all won first-round games on Friday. The four schools will square off in today's noon semifinals: Jackson, a 6-0 winner over Poplar Bluff, will face Notre Dame, which defeated Marion (Ill.) 6-0; Central, which came from behind to defeat St. Vincent 2-1, will take on Perryville, a 4-0 winner over Farmington...

As Southeast Missouri State University's track and field program prepares to open the outdoor season today at the Memphis Invitational, coach Joey Haines is excited about a change in how athletes go about trying to qualify for the national meet. For the first time ever this year, NCAA Division I will have track and field regionals. ...

The AssociatedPress ALBANY, N.Y. -- Ebi Ere was Oklahoma's forgotten man. Not anymore. Playing with a broken bone in his left wrist, Ere scored 25 points as the top-seeded Sooners ended Butler's surprising run with a 65-54 win Friday night in the semifinals of the East Regional...

There's a reason the sports books in Las Vegas won't touch figure skating. It's still too crooked. The world championships wrap up tonight in Washington, but it can't end soon enough for International Skating Union boss Ottavio Cinquanta. In the past 13 months, his organization has been rocked by a judging scandal and the whiff of Russian mob involvement. Then came Tuesday, when a dozen or so coaches, judges and former Olympic champions got up and very loudly called for regime change...

So far, the NCAA women's basketball tournament has produced buzzer beaters and broken bones, upsets and upstarts. And, of course, the usual victories by Connecticut and Tennessee. Now it really gets interesting -- 16 teams playing in the regional semifinals, each just two victories from a berth in the Final Four in Atlanta...

Small businesses in Southeast and south-central Missouri could benefit from a new low-interest loan program, Gov. Bob Holden said Friday. The governor announced the creation of the Grow Missouri Fund, a loan program, at a news conference at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau...

Investigators can collect DNA samples from a Jackson man suspected in the 1982 murders of two Cape Girardeau women, a judge has decided. On Friday, Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp denied a court motion filed by Roger L. McIntyre, 38, who was trying to nullify a subpoena that ordered him to submit DNA samples. ...

When suing somebody for fraud, it's important to get the name right. That was just one of the tips an assistant with the Missouri attorney general's office shared at a luncheon Friday at Dexter Bar-B-Que with the Cape Girardeau County Bar Association...

Those tricked into breaking out their spring wardrobes were sent shivering indoors Friday afternoon as the temperature dropped from 69 degrees to 52 degrees in three hours. The mercury promised to fall even lower, with forecasts of freezing conditions in Southeast Missouri over the weekend...

What does an ex-collegiate basketball player do to pass the time? Play basketball, naturally. For several ex-Southeast Missouri State University basketball players, Cape Girardeau's Parks and Recreation Department league is a chance to run the court, stroke a 3-pointer or just get the blood pumping...

NEW YORK -- Jesus warned that "you cannot serve God and mammon," referring to worship of wealth. John Marks Templeton has tried heed those words by making money, but then harnessing that vast fortune to explore the nature of spirituality. An investor and philanthropist who endows an annual prize billed as the world's richest, Templeton is fascinated by the intersection between religion and science. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Mildred Bernice Johnson, 83, of Sikeston died Friday, March 28, 2003, at Clearview Nursing Center. She was born July 4, 1919, in Hornbeak, Tenn., daughter of Samuel Calvin and Lottie Kimbell Weaks. She and Arnold D. "Jim" Johnson were married Aug. 2, 1939, in New Madrid, Mo. He died May 28, 1994...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Bessie Marie Miller, 98, of Sikeston, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Jan. 7, 1905, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Davenport. She and Leo Miller were married June 30, 1928, at Jackson. He died Aug. 23, 1981...

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro -- Police found the remains of a former Serbian president and blamed the killing Friday on the same elite police unit suspected in the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. The body of Ivan Stambolic, who had been missing for nearly three years, was discovered Thursday in a lime-covered pit on a northern Serbian mountain, Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic said. He had been shot twice...

Today "Success that Ma'tters" seminar at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. The men's seminar runs from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. For information, call 243-8487. Beginning Experience weekend retreat at the De Paul Center at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Cape Girardeau. The retreat concludes Sunday...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Stunned aid workers in Afghanistan weighed their options Friday, a day after gunmen shot to death a Red Cross water engineer and warned Afghans against helping foreign workers. Ricardo Munguia, 39, a citizen of both Switzerland and El Salvador, was the first foreign aid worker killed since a U.S.-led military campaign ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The 190-pound melon that stunned crowds at Benton Neighbor Days has gone Hollywood. Bob "Melon Man" Dwyer, a Sikeston watermelon farmer whose ultimate goal is to break the 262-pound world record, and his produce will be featured on "Garden Giants" at 8 p.m. Sunday on Home and Garden Television...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Dale and Pat Kimsey started back in the 1970s by storing a few extra cans of food under the bed, just in case. It's not that the Kimseys felt there was an imminent threat of war or disaster. The couple, both Mormons, were simply following their religious teachings...

NEAR KARBALA, Iraq -- Every day, they're told they'll be moving soon, but every day has brought more of the same -- waiting. As other units fought near Nasiriyah and in Najaf, the men of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment washed their hair and enjoyed the desert sun...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Thousands of shoppers were out on the streets of Saddam City on Friday; traffic on the streets was bumper to bumper. Life seemed normal in this down at the heels neighborhood of Baghdad, home to 1.5 million Shiite Muslims. For now, at least, there's no sign of a Shiite revolt against Saddam Hussein...

American-led forces dropped 1,000-pound bombs on Iraqi Republican Guard units ringing Baghdad on Friday and battled for control of the strategic city of Nasiriyah. President Bush warned of "further sacrifice" ahead in the face of unexpectedly fierce fighting...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to resume a massive U.N. humanitarian program for Iraq once the U.S.-led war subsides. It gave Secretary-General Kofi Annan authority to speed billions of dollars of food and medicine to the Iraqi people...

Militias fighting in Iraqi towns, guerrillas attacking U.S. military convoys, the Republican Guard moving south to greet approaching coalition forces. Saddam Hussein's war strategy may look chaotic from the outside, but military experts believe it's a carefully crafted plan meant to drag out the fighting and prolong a humanitarian crisis that would prompt the international community to push for a political solution...

The Area Wide United Way announced its final fund-raising total for 2002 and recognized its supporters with community spirit awards presented at its annual meeting Friday at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Larry Dunger, last year's campaign chairman for the United Way, reported $928,045 was raised for 2002, surpassing the goal of $895,000...

WASHINGTON -- Three people have died of heart attacks after receiving the smallpox vaccine, and expert advisers are recommending that the federal program be slowed down, throwing a struggling campaign into even deeper trouble. Health experts are investigating a possible link between the vaccine and heart problems that have occurred in 17 people, including the three fatalities. ...

There are still lots of homes built before 1950 that have lead-based paint on surfaces accessible to children who might get lead poisoning. Here's an opportunity for a free test. When it comes to lead poisoning, here's a scary thought: A fourth of all homes in Cape Girardeau were built before 1950. Those are the prime years when paint with up to 50 percent of lead additives was in widespread use...

TOKYO -- Peru's disgraced former president Alberto Fujimori shrugged off Interpol's notice for his arrest on murder and kidnapping charges and pledged to supporters back home Friday that he will return some day. Fujimori made his comments, the first since Interpol put him on its most-wanted list two days ago, in an interview with The Associated Press at its Tokyo bureau...

ROME -- Italy's antitrust watchdog fined cigarette giant Philip Morris International $53 million on Friday for pricing practices over an eight-year period that it said violated Italy's competition rules. The tobacco company said it would appeal. The agency also imposed a fine of $21 million on Italy's state-owned tobacco company, Ente Tabacchi Italiani...

PAINTON, Mo. -- Elizabeth Wondel, 88, of Painton died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 29, 1914, at Delta, daughter of Charles and Rosie Welker Surface. She and Emory Wondel were married Nov. 2, 1932, at Benton, Mo. He died April 16, 1987...

Ava Naomi McDowell, 94, formerly of Jackson, died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 4, 1909, in Jackson, daughter of Lewis J. and Connie Hansel Stewart. She and Fred O. McDowell were married April 6, 1929. He died July 8, 1987...

Clara M. Toler, 61, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 28, 2003, at her home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Cletus Mitchell Nance, 69, of Jackson died Thursday, March 27, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 11, 1933, at Delta, son of Adam and Daisy Nance. He and Jacqueline Yvonne Little were married May 21, 1961, in Cape Girardeau...

10 years ago: March 29, 1993 Rare mayoral race between three-term Jackson alderman and 11-term incumbent mayor will highlight this year's municipal election; for 74-year-old Carlton Meyer, this is first time he's had opposition for re-election since 1981...

Briefly Baseball Rick Ankiel was optioned to Double-A Tennessee on Friday by the Cardinals, delaying his return to the major leagues. Ankiel, being converted from a starter to a reliever, was inconsistent this spring in his bid to earn a spot in the Cardinals' bullpen. Ankiel made nine appearances of an inning or less, allowing eight runs and nine hits while walking nine and striking out nine. He did not allow a hit or a walk in just two of those innings...

Smith Son to Bobby Eugene Smith Jr. and Whitney Marie Fuller of Thebes, Ill., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:18 a.m. Sunday, March 23, 2003. Name, Justin Thomas. Weight, 7 pounds 6 1/2 ounces. Third child, second son. Ms. Fuller is the daughter of Valerie Newbolds of Jackson. Smith is the son of Bobby and Sharon Smith of Thebes. He is employed at Bi-State...

A safer Snake Hill WIDENING SNAKE Hill is a good thing. I know I travel it frequently. It is narrow and dangerous in the winter. I think anything they can do to make this road safer would be an added bonus to the city. Speeding is a crime A FEW days ago, I happened to be listening to some businessmen and women discussing things in Cape Girardeau. ...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. authorities have gathered evidence and testimony suggesting accused Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui was being groomed for a second wave of attacks as part of a broad plot that included the suicide hijackers, according to officials and documents...

NEW YORK -- Police shut down an East River bridge for more than two hours Friday after three men climbed a suspension cable to the top. Turns out they weren't terrorists, authorities said, just three "stupid" young men who had been bar-hopping. The antics on the Williamsburg Bridge snarled morning rush hour traffic as police searched to see whether the trio left anything behind before they rappelled down. Nothing was found...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The rock band whose pyrotechnics sparked a deadly night club fire last month plans to perform together for the first time since the blaze to benefit a memorial fund in honor of guitarist Ty Longley, who was among the 99 victims. Great White will choose one song to play during a charity concert with other performers in West Hollywood, Calif., on April 29, the group's manager, Paul Woolnough, said Friday...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan on Friday urged the United States and Britain to arrange peace talks with India to resolve the Kashmir dispute -- the cause of two wars and perpetual tension on nuclear-armed South Asia. "We will welcome any proposal on their part to help ensure peace in the region," Information Minister Sheikh Ahmed told The Associated Press in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital...

NEW YORK -- The woman at the center of the Central Park jogger case is breaking her 14-year silence and revealing her identity, and she says the reopening of the case in the past year made her live the horror as never before. Trisha Meili, 42, is coming out of anonymity at the same time her book, entitled "I Am the Central Park Jogger: A Story of Hope and Possibility" is being released, the Daily News reported Friday after obtaining an audio version of the book...

HONG KONG -- Despite major quarantines and school closings meant to contain a deadly flu-like disease, more cases cropped up Friday as health officials in Hong Kong and Singapore warned of the worst health crisis in years. "We are facing an unprecedented situation," said Singapore Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang. "Singaporeans must understand that this is for the long haul -- this is not going to turn around anytime soon."...