Stories from Saturday, April 26, 2003

Pujols sets tone in 9-2 victory over Florida with first-inning home run. By Steven Wine ~ The Associated Press MIAMI -- Seeking a spark for the St. Louis Cardinals' slumping offense, Tony La Russa turned to slugger Albert Pujols...

Most Missourians who have been driving for more than a couple years and whose paths take them into the state's rural areas know a thing or two about speed traps. And many of those motorists learned the hard way. Basically, a speed trap is a town that sets an unusually low speed limit in the middle of nowhere, which means many motorists buzzing along at highway speeds don't notice the sudden drop to 35 mph, although it's clearly posted...

It's a complaint that becomes common when the weather gets warmer and some Cape Girardeans take to the streets for impromptu parties: Why don't the police do something about all the noise? The short answer is that the police are indeed responding to that problem as well as the issue of people who choose to walk in the middle of the street and block traffic instead of staying on the sidewalks that have been provided...

Across the region, people have flown American flags, tied yellow ribbons around trees and lampposts in an effort to show their support of troops serving in Iraq and the Middle East. But neither of those things makes as big a difference in life as prayer can, area Christians say...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team won't conclude its home schedule today, but the Otahkians will honor their four seniors as Tennessee-Martin visits the Southeast Softball Complex for a 1 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader....

To the editor: By invading and conquering Iraq, we have opened a Pandora's box of messages to the rest of the world: Might makes right (we will administer vigilante justice). The end justifies the means (Saddam is gone -- that is what's important, so war and casualties are justified)...

To the editor: The mayor says he wants to understand why the recent tax issues were voted down. Only 16 percent of the registered voters in Cape Girardeau voted. This means 84 percent really didn't care if the tax issues passed. The reason the tax issues went down in flames is because of poor planning and poor organization. ...

To the editor: I was very disturbed to see the negative stereotype you compounded with your recent editorial in support of the anti-marijuana laws that were nearly repealed in Columbia, Mo. The government propaganda has been deeply ingrained in our society, which is sad because so much of it is based on myths and bad science. ...

Better drivers SPEED IS not the biggest problem in the world. The biggest problem is poor drivers who can't handle their vehicles at any speed. Motorists on the German autobahn drive much faster and have much lower fatality rates as a percentage compared to the United States. ...

Lucretia Elizabeth Thomas died April 23, 2003, at her home in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Herbert and Vivian Wilson Gaden, who preceded her in death. She and Cornelius Thomas were married Feb. 6, 1946, in Blytheville, Ark...

Ralph J. Beck, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, April 25, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Sept. 27, 1922, in Newberry, S.C., son of John and Mamie Donald Beck. He and Betty Ann Rhea were married Feb. 2, 1952, in Fall City, Neb. She died Dec. 9, 1988...

Gertrude F. Evans, 90, of Jackson passed away Friday, April 25, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 18, 1913, in Baden, Germany, daughter of Joseph and Frances Martin Dunz. She and Joseph Harold "Slim" Evans were married June 9, 1938. He passed away March 13, 1985...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Wilma A. Dailey, 69, of Marble Hill died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 15, 1934, in Bollinger County, daughter of Johnny and Myrtle Fulbright Cook. She and James L. "Vern" Dailey were married Dec. 25, 1954...

WASHINGTON -- Students are taking more advanced math and science classes, and graduation requirements have been increased, in the 20 years since a commission found the United States to be "A Nation at Risk" because of educational mediocrity. Other results are mixed...

NEW YORK -- Matt Millen insists he has five or six players in mind when Detroit makes the second pick in today's NFL draft. The Lions' president acknowledges, however, that he might not be telling the whole truth when he suggests wide receiver Charles Rogers, who has breathtaking talent and local roots, will not be his pick...

AKRON, Ohio -- For LeBron James, it was simply the right time. James declared himself eligible for the NBA draft Friday, a move that clears the way for the nation's top high school player to become the likely No. 1 pick. "When you see there's no way you can get any hotter ... You've got to take on an opportunity when it's in front of you and that's what made me make this decision," he said...

Southeast tries to keep its title hopes alive in three-game series at Austin Peay. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan doesn't hesitate to call this weekend's three-game Ohio Valley Conference series at Austin Peay his team's most important of the season to date...

Rather than face a scheduled jury, a 51-year-old previously convicted sex offender from Cape Girardeau pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of first-degree child molestation. William H. Evans, of 25 S. Sprigg, was charged after he subjected a girl under the age of 12 to sexual contact on two occasions in August, according to authorities. He was sentenced Friday morning in Jackson by Circuit Court Judge David C. Mann to two consecutive 10-year terms in prison...

Monday brought a belated Easter gift to a Jackson family who learned via an image on the Internet that their soldier son was alive and well in Baghdad. U.S. Army Spc. Matt Britt, 23, was shown in an Associated Press photograph posted Monday by photographer Dusan Vranic. Britt is the son of Jim and Carolyn Britt...

ST. LOUIS -- It's not every convention where men strip to the waist or women flip up their skirts to illustrate a point. But at a gathering of the National Tattoo Association in St. Louis, a show of skin is just a way to reveal designs by some of the most revered tattoo artists in the world...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Flight attendants gave American Airlines a reprieve from bankruptcy for the second time in two weeks Friday, putting their faith in new management as they agreed to $340 million in annual cost cuts. In his first full day on the job, however, the airline's new chief executive, Gerard Arpey, warned that the world's largest carrier is not out of trouble and that relations with employees remained tense...

U.S. soldier killed in battle with Taliban BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- American troops clashed with suspected Taliban gunmen near the Pakistan border Friday, leaving one U.S. soldier dead and several wounded, the military said. An Afghan soldier accompanying the patrol of about 35 U.S. special forces in Paktika province also was hurt, Col. Roger King told The Associated Press...

Army secretary resigns his post; no reason given WASHINGTON -- Army Secretary Thomas White, who has been at odds with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld over means of modernizing the Army, resigned Friday. A brief Pentagon statement announcing the resignation gave no reason for White's decision. In the statement, Rumsfeld thanked White for his service and said that his departure date had not yet been determined...

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Roads linking the two sides of war-divided Cyprus were jammed for miles on Friday with thousands of people anxious to visit the other side for the first time in nearly 30 years. Thousands of travelers, some shouting for joy, have crossed the checkpoint dividing the capital, Nicosia, since a travel ban was lifted this week. ...

NASIRIYAH, Iraq -- Hundreds of white-clad worshippers sat cross-legged on a boulevard in this war-shattered city Friday and listened to a cleric's exhortation: Iraqis must unite to create an Islamic state. The same message resounded across Iraq on the main day of Muslim prayers, as clerics spoke about the need to come together after the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Some urged the United States to leave Iraq...

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan -- A Soyuz rocket with U.S. astronaut Edward Lu and Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko aboard blasted off for the international space station earlier today on a mission intended to keep space exploration going despite the Columbia tragedy...

NEW YORK -- The WNBA settled its labor troubles and got back to basketball. Friday's down-to-the-wire agreement meant the league could start its seventh season May 22 and proceed with its draft, with Cleveland selecting LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State as the overall No. 1...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Paul Embro Johnson, 67, of Farmington, Mo., died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at his home. He was born Feb. 5, 1936, in East Prairie, son of Rosalee Johnson. He married Jessie Marie Armstrong, who died April 18, 2003. Johnson was a retired handyman. He moved to Farmington 10 years ago from East Prairie...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- William L. "Bill" Hurst, 70, of Mounds died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 29, 1932. He married the former Mary Hubbard. Hurst was a janitor and maintenance worker at Smiles Senior Citizen Center the past seven years, and was dogcatcher for the city of Mounds. He was a former grave digger at Spencer Heights and Beechwood cemeteries...

PARIS -- Their bosses in Baghdad are dead, captured or on the run, and police with machine guns guard their offices. But many Iraqi diplomats around the world are still on the job, renewing passports, registering births -- and waiting for new marching orders...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials announced the capture of an Iraqi operative with possible al-Qaida links Friday, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said other high-level prisoners were starting to provide useful information. Farouk Hijazi, Iraq's ambassador to Tunisia and a former high-ranking intelligence official, joins Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and others under interrogation. ...

www.groupphotos.com Most of the 40 Choral Union members who performed at Carnegie Hall Sunday gathered for a group photo in Times Square. By Sam Blackwell ~ Southeast Missourian For most musicians, especially the classical version, performing at New York City's Carnegie Hall is one of the ultimate goals. ...

THEBES, Ill. -- Few people in town know much about the clinic, but they can sure tell when the volunteer medical team arrives because it draws a crowd to the rural Southern Illinois community. "There's a traffic jam in Thebes," resident Linda Fisher said...

Jackson High School officials unveiled plans Friday for a new program that they feel will help prepare special-needs students for employment after high school. Special services teacher Pamela Deneke outlined the idea of the Supervised Work Experience Program in front of a few dozen businesspeople at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce quarterly breakfast...

FRANKFORT, Ill. -- If you were to ask 50 or so people what these nuns practice besides religion and get $1 for every wrong answer, you could probably buy an oil change, a tank of gas and a pizza. Or you could afford an hourlong massage. Decades ago, nuns were primarily involved in nursing and education. Today, though, some sisters of the cloth are doubling as massage therapists. They are treating not only churchgoers and retreat participants, but the general public as well...

BRANDON, Miss. -- Armed with chain saws and shovels, residents began cleaning up Friday from a massive storm that injured more than 20 people and destroyed or damaged 120 homes. The storm moved across the state Thursday night, snapping trees at mid-trunk and leaving utility lines dangling across streets. At one point 7,500 people were without power, but that was down to about 700 by Friday...

While drenching spring thunderstorms closed down nine Cape Girardeau streets and knocked out power at Jackson's fire and police complex Friday afternoon, area residents were not dissuaded by the weather from their jobs or errands. A brief respite of sunshine broke through rain clouds shortly before noon, giving some hope that the storms had passed. But another downpour began around 2 p.m. Some areas of Cape Girardeau County reported hail and lightning strikes...

As the sun rose April 26, 1863, 5,000 Confederate soldiers under Brig. Gen. John Sappington Marmaduke took positions on a battle line on the western edge of Cape Girardeau, poised to attack. Six of the eight companies of rebels under Col. William L. Jeffers were Cape Girardeau County boys, preparing to attack and liberate their own hometown...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State senators rejected a proposal Friday to raise taxes on tobacco products, corporations and wealthier Missourians as a way to avoid cuts in the state's next budget. All three tax proposals were backed by Democratic Gov. Bob Holden and rolled into a bill sponsored by Senate Democratic Leader Ken Jacob of Columbia...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration said Friday it will confer with allies about possibly seeking U.N. sanctions against North Korea after a round of nuclear talks marked by brinkmanship on the part of the communist country. In the past, North Korea has said that international sanctions would constitute a "declaration of war."...

BEIJING -- A third Beijing hospital was sealed off Friday because of the SARS virus and more than 4,000 people were quarantined at home, part the capital city's sweeping measures that some angry residents say have come too late. A waitress at a hotel complained that "the government hardly told us anything about SARS" a week ago...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Tariq Aziz appears to have hidden in plain sight during the U.S. invasion, holing up in a Baghdad home until four American armored vehicles rolled up and he surrendered, neighbors and relatives said Friday. The former deputy prime minister finds himself in a position he swore he'd never face: captured by the United States and facing a possible war crimes trial for his career as Saddam Hussein's sidekick...

Don Brown had last played professional football in 1995, in a league in Sweden. After a few years passed, the former Southeast Missouri State University assistant coach who still lives in the area figured his days of getting paid to perform were long over...

John R. Baldwin, 69, of Jackson died Friday, April 25, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Sandra Lynn Chaney, 39, of Scott City died Friday, April 25, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 12, 1964, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of James William and Shirley Ann Green Schoen. Chaney was a cook at Wendy's Restaurant...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Martha P. Chrestman, 92, of Mounds died Thursday, April 24, 2003, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo, Ill. She was born June 11, 1910, in Mississippi County, Mo., daughter of George and Emma Workman Parker. She married Ernest Chrestman, who died in 1998...

Correction A story in Friday's edition contained incorrect dates for the New Madrid earthquakes. The earthquakes occurred in 1811 and 1812. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

10 years ago: April 26, 1993 Jamie Filer comes to school board meeting to ask why one of her favorite teachers -- Michael Josue -- isn't being rehired for next school year; by time she and about 20 classmates and parents leave, meeting is in uproar and one of board members has threatened to move for adjournment; liveliness ensues when board President John Campbell and member Lyle Davis attempt to cut off discussion of issue...

Today Redemption Game Day at Gospeland Bookstore at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. The event, held on the fourth Saturday of each month, begins at 11 a.m. Redemption is a Christian collectible card game based on the Bible, that appeals to boys ages 8 to 14. Call 334-4177 for information...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, April 26 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Douglas D. Foulk, 23, of 21 N. Hanover, Apt. B, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Friday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia...

Cape Girardeau County Saturday, April 26 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Charles W. Simms, 62, of Cape Girardeau, was arrested April 19 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, April 26 Firefighters responded Thursday to the following items: At 4:18 p.m., motor vehicle accident at the 900 block of William. At 7:03 p.m., emergency medical service at 40 S. Sprigg. At 9:45 p.m., emergency medical service at 40 S. Sprigg...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A 58-year-old man who walked away from Hunter Acres Nursing Home on April 14 is back in custody and under arrest. According to Sikeston Department of Public Safety director Drew Juden, Glenn Miller was in the nursing home under a court order and violated the order when he left without permission of the court. A warrant for escape from commitment was then issued...

If the Kansas City Royals keep this up, they'll turn baseball on its ear. Despite losing 100 games last year and slashing payroll to something approaching pauper status in this age of free agency, Tony Pena's team headed into the weekend with the best team ERA and the highest winning percentage in the major leagues...

MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Police raided the offices of two Nicaraguan businesses accused of selling government files to a U.S. data-gathering company, and discovered one of them had a database containing federal voting records, authorities said Friday. Also Friday, the U.S. ...

In the successful 3200-meter relay at Central, the baton is not just passed from girl to girl. It's passed year to year, from one successful quartet to the next. The current group of Linnea Woldtvedt, Holly Shaffer, Jennifer Pancoast and Alex Wieser took the baton from last year's all-state squad, which took the handoff from a team that qualified for state the year before...