Stories from Wednesday, October 29, 2003

WASHINGTON -- Facing a surge in violence, President Bush said Tuesday the United States will change tactics and stiffen defenses in Iraq and will not be intimidated by a wave of suicide bombers intent on discouraging cooperation with the American occupation...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday resentenced three death row inmates to life in prison because judges, not juries, had decided they deserved to be executed for their murders. The decisions affecting inmates Antonio Richardson, Andre Morrow and Keith Smith follow a ruling last year by the U.S. Supreme Court in an Arizona case that the Constitution's right to a trial by a jury also applies to death sentences...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis-area mother and son pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute a chemical relative of the "date rape" drug GHB via the Internet, U.S. Attorney Ray Gruender said. Cassandra Harvey, 54, and her son, Joshua Harvey, 24, were among 175 suspects charged across North America and Europe under the government's Operation Webslinger, Gruender said. The Harveys each face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine...

MIAMI -- Jack McKeon got a new car for reaching the World Series. He got a new contract for winning it. McKeon agreed to a one-year extension and will return to manage the Florida Marlins next season, owner Jeffrey Loria announced Tuesday during the team's World Series celebration...

In a court of public opinion, Nathaniel Heatwole would not only be acquitted of any charges resulting from his breach of airport security, but he would also have a monument erected in his honor. Heatwole is the 20-year-old college student who put banned items, including box cutters, on airplanes and then sent an e-mail to the Transportation Security Administration telling them what he had done...

Bell City and Advance met for the third time this season in the Class 1, District 2 tournament volleyball championship Tuesday night at Bell City. And for the third time, the match went to three games. Unlike their previous two meetings, though, the host Cubs came away victorious with a 25-19, 11-25, 25-21 win. Bell City (21-9) move on to the sectional/quarterfinal playoff round Saturday at Advance...

To the editor: Thanks to Laura Johnston for the articles on First Baptist Church in Jackson and the new Crossroads Church. It's important for the community to know that this is no ordinary church split. In contrast, it's the beginning of a new work with different methodology to minister to different people. The articles helped make that clear. Thanks again for the news coverage...

To the editor: We want to give our sincere thanks to the two families who stopped to aid our daughter after a traffic accident Oct. 12 on Route Y. One family was driving a white minivan, and the other family was driving a red minivan. We were unable to find out their names...

To the editor: I want to take this opportunity to thank the Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Jackson school districts, Trinity Lutheran School, the Southeast Missourian, the YELL Foundation and the Southeast Missouri librarians for their part in bringing Roland Smith to our area as a featured speaker...

To the editor: The post 9-11 period provided an unprecedented moment of international goodwill toward the United States. The Bush administration squandered this opportunity to galvanize international cooperation, choosing instead to pursue the agenda of the Project for the New American Century. Most of Bush's top people belong to that group...

Daniel Lee Ing, 24, of Butler, Ind., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, in an automobile accident in Butler. His mother, Nancy Raneri, also died in the accident. He was born July 20, 1979, in Cape Girar-deau, son of David Ing and Nancy Sides Raneri...

TAMMS, Ill. -- James D. Webb, 54, of Tamms died Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003, at Mercy Hospital Clermont in Batavia, Ohio. He was born March 20, 1949, in Cairo, Ill., son of Clinton Eugene and Marjorie Bufford Webb. He and Beverly Pierce were married Aug. 17, 1968...

Nancy D. Raneri, 43, of Butler, Ind., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, in an automobile accident in Butler. A son, Daniel Ing, was also killed in the accident. She was born Feb. 9, 1960, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Earl Sides and Carol Harris Antrup...

Alberta Heise Claussner, 96, passed away at 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at Superior Care Nursing and Rehab in Paducah, Ky. She had resided at 221 Sycamore Drive since moving to Paducah in 1935. She was born March 2, 1907, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Albert G. and Katie Kimmich Heise. She was educated in the Cape Girardeau schools, graduating from Central High School...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The state's recent reorganization of its child welfare and protection services is legal, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. The Missouri Court of Appeals found the newly created Family Support Division has the authority to collect child support, overturning the ruling of a Jackson County judge...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A car bomb exploded Tuesday west of Baghdad, killing at least four people a day after three dozen people died in a wave of suicide bombings in the Iraqi capital. U.S. officials said one of Baghdad's three deputy mayors was killed in a hit-and-run shooting...

WASHINGTON -- Children who live in homes where the television is on most of the time may have more trouble learning to read than other children, a study says. Tuesday's report, based on a survey of parents, also found that children 6 months to 6 years spend about two hours a day watching television, playing video games or using computers. That's roughly the same amount of time they spend playing outdoors and three times as long as they spend reading or being read to...

MIAMI -- The loudest cheers from the tens of thousands of Marlins fans lined up to celebrate their World Series champions came when team owner Jeffrey Loria made a simple promise: The team won't be broken up. With that declaration Tuesday, six years of malcontent and mistrust between South Florida baseball fans and the Marlins vanished...

Notre Dame's volleyball team defeated host Dexter in two games Tuesday night to win its second consecutive Class 3, District 1 tournament title. Sommer McCauley led the way with eight kills and nine assists as Notre Dame (29-3-1) won 25-11, 25-15. "We're really proud of ourselves right now," Notre Dame coach Tara Stroup said...

By Marcus R. Bond The Southeast Missouri Coalition for Peace and Justice came together in October 2002 to oppose the war against Iraq that the Bush administration was fomenting. We knew the stated reasons for war were unsound. There are no links between Iraq and al-Qaida or the 9-11 attacks, as was recently confirmed by the long-delayed report from a joint congressional investigation and as finally acknowledged by President Bush, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, National Security Advisor Rice, and Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz.. ...

smcclanahan We have a lot of fun in the fall after a long, hot summer, and Halloween just seems the fun way to bring fall foods to a new adventure. These are a few fall recipes I enjoy making -- and even a few especially for Halloween. I hope they help make your Halloween a fun-filled evening...

SAN DIEGO -- Tens of thousands of people fled mountain communities in San Diego and San Bernardino counties Tuesday and caused a traffic jam on a narrow mountain highway as frantic residents raced to avoid California's deadliest wildfires in more than a decade...

ELKADER, Iowa -- One presidential hopeful relies on the Internet to attract crowds and get followers to practices for the Iowa caucuses. The other prefers the traditional approach, letting rank-and-file labor spread the word from one union hall to the next...

Fed holds main short-term interest rate at 1 percent WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve held a main short-term interest rate at a 45-year low Tuesday, an effort to keep the economic resurgence moving forward. Fed chairman Alan Greenspan and his Federal Open Market Committee colleagues -- the group that sets interest rate policy in the United States -- kept the federal funds rate at 1 percent. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Two Americans working for the CIA have been killed in an ambush while tracking terrorists in Afghanistan, the agency said Tuesday. The ambush Saturday happened on the same day and in the same region as a six-hour firefight in which U.S.-led coalition aircraft and Afghan militia killed 18 rebel fighters, the U.S. military reported from its headquarters in Afghanistan Tuesday...

ARKALYK, Kazakhstan -- A Soyuz space capsule carrying an American, a Russian and a Spaniard to Earth from the International Space Station landed smoothly and on target in Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The 3 1/2-hour trip to Earth was only the second time that a U.S. astronaut has come home in a Russian craft and landed on foreign soil. Since the disintegration of the shuttle Columbia in February put NASA manned flights on hold, the Russian Soyuz capsules have been the linchpin of the station program...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Yasser Arafat asked Ahmed Qureia on Tuesday to stay on as prime minister and form a new government, officials said, but their bitter dispute over control of the Palestinian security forces remained unresolved. Conflicting accounts of Tuesday's meeting of the PLO leadership cast further uncertainty over the situation. While two officials who attended the meeting said Qureia had accepted Arafat's offer, the prime minister said he had not received a formal invitation...

UNITED NATIONS -- Donors were generous last week in pledging billions to rebuild Iraq -- disproportionately generous compared with their donations to fight poverty and AIDS in the world's poorest countries, development and AIDS officials say. The $33 billion for Iraq over the next four years, including $20 billion from the United States, is more than 10 times the U.N. ...

LONDON -- Prince William will meet his mother's former butler, Paul Burrell, to discuss the royal family's anger over revelations Burrell's new book makes about Princess Diana and her in-laws, William's office said Tuesday. It's likely to be an emotionally charged get-together...

L. Erlene Iezzi, wife of Richard P. Iezzi of Delmont, Pa., departed this world Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003, at Westmoreland Regional Hospital in Greensburg, Pa., at the age of 72. Lecy Erlene Howell, daughter of Perry Alfonzo and Edith Dockins Howell, was born Nov. 6, 1930, in Cape Girardeau. Following graduation from Central High School, she was employed as an X-ray technician...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Clara Caroline Enderle, 88, of Chaffee died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 12, 1915, at Chaffee, daughter of Killian and Ida Heisserer Glueck. She and Herbert P. Enderle were married Feb. 19,1946. He died Aug. 15, 1974...

A judge revoked the bond of a Cape Girardeau man charged with domestic assault and armed criminal action after he allegedly violated a protective order and made contact with a witness. Bobby E. Reed, 39, was ordered back to the county jail Tuesday by Circuit Court Judge John Heisserer on a $5,000 cash-only bond...

Throw your metal in the kettle, but don't expect it to make much of a dent unless you have a truckload of change. The world's largest Salvation Army kettle -- a 2,800-pound version of the standard 2-pound red kettle -- officially will be unveiled in St. Louis next month for the Tree of Lights holiday fund drive...

There's not enough time to count all the signs along East Jackson Boulevard, at least not while going the posted speed limit of 40 mph. It's the busiest stretch of road in Jackson, and the commercial property is valuable simply because of the volume of traffic that passes by each day...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Wild West historian is convinced the face-to-face shootout that gave way to the legend of Wild Bill Hickok was something the gunman never wanted to happen. Joseph G. Rosa traveled from London in October and spent four days poring through boxes of century-old documents at the Greene County Archives in Springfield...

A former Southeast Missouri law enforcement officer pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to charges of distributing cocaine. Timothy Collins, 37, appeared before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber in Cape Girardeau. He had previously been a New Madrid County deputy, chief of police in Howardsville, Mo., and an investigator for the New Madrid County prosecuting attorney's office...

Associated Press WriterPOTOSI, Mo. (AP) -- A man who killed a former girlfriend and her stepfather in northeast Missouri six years ago was put to death early Wednesday, expressing sorrow for what he did and saying he hoped to find forgiveness...

Seven-time Bond visits Vietnamese school VINH HA, Vietnam -- Roger Moore, the suave star of seven James Bond movies, visited a rural elementary school in central Vietnam in a different role -- as UNICEF's goodwill ambassador. Moore was at the Ha Trung school Monday to see water, sanitation and safety projects funded by the U.N. children's agency...

THE ATTACKS on the Limbaugh family both surprise and sadden me. I'm just an average person. At a time when I needed both legal advice and compassion, I received both from a member of the Limbaugh family. For a family like the Limbaughs -- who have done so many acts of kindness over the years, have sought no public recognition for those acts and have shown great loyalty to friends and acquaintances -- to be so unmercifully attacked because of Rush Limbaugh's problem is just plain sad...

Lamplighters FCE The Lamplighters FCE met at the home of Joann Hahs on Oct. 16 for an international supper. Each member brought a dish made from recipes from Tasmania. The meeting was then called to order by the president, Linda Sebaugh. All members voted to gather food for Thanksgiving for an adopted family...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Public school districts escaped a potential hit to their budgets Tuesday as the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the constitution allows districts to set property tax rates at certain levels without voter approval. In 1998, Missouri voters amended the state constitution to allow local school boards to unilaterally set tax rates as high as $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation. The measure, known as Amendment 2, was ratified with 58.8 percent support...

Incentives for high state test scores, the elimination of summer school and standardized property assessments were among ideas a group of Missouri legislators discussed Tuesday with the aim of revamping the state's education funding system. The Joint Interim Committee on Education, a 14-member group made up of state lawmakers, met with superintendents from around 30 Southeast Missouri school districts Tuesday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau...

ST. LOUIS -- In one game, Brent Johnson went from awful to unbeatable. Bouncing back from a shaky start, Johnson made 26 saves for his first shutout since last December, and Scott Mellanby scored in his season debut as the St. Louis Blues beat the Nashville Predators 1-0 Tuesday night...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- There was really no mystery at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference preseason men's basketball poll. Austin Peay, with all five starters returning, is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as league champion, determined through voting by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors at Tuesday's OVC media day...

Gardening has surely changed over the years. As a young boy, I remember Grandpa going to work in his garden. Tillers were available, but he wouldn't have thought about using one. When he wanted to turn his garden, he used the spade. It was a slow, methodical process. But the slow motion of putting his foot on the spade, transferring his weight to it and watching it sink into the earth must have done something for his soul...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach B.J. Smith had an idea his team might be the Ohio Valley Conference preseason favorite -- and he doesn't mind one bit. The Otahkians, who had their best-ever NCAA Division I showing in their first season under Smith last year, nosed out three-time defending champion Austin Peay in voting by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors at Tuesday's OVC media day...

Pauline Frederick, 65, of Scott City died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at her home. She was born May 24, 1938, in West Lebanon, Ind., daughter of Robert Myron and Nellie Margaret Kennedy Gore. She and Donald Chester Frederick Sr. were married Aug. 31, 1957, in New Ulm, Germany. He died Sept. 16, 1983...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Lois Krauss, 87, of Sikeston died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born March 12, 1916, in East Prairie, Mo., daughter of the Rev. A.E. and Maude Owen Ray. She and Charles W. Krauss were married Jan. 11, 1933, in East Prairie. He died Oct. 5, 1998...

Allecia Dawn Hindman, 22, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Oct. 27, 2003, at her home. She was born May 15, 1981, in New Roads, La., daughter of Kelly Hindman and Jacki McClure. Hindman was raised in Puxico, Mo., and was a 1999 graduate of Puxico High School. She was employed at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

10 years ago: Oct. 29, 1993 Southeast Missouri Council of Arts honors Bill and Jan Chamberlain of Cape Girardeau with Otto F. Dingeldein Award for their contributions to the arts in Cape Girardeau. Marble Hill - Cash shortage of at least $10,398 occurred in fee account of 32nd Judicial Circuit's Division 5 and $824 is still missing, according to report by St. ...

Perkins Daughter to Tom and Michelle Perkins of Cary, N.C., Western Wake Medical Center in Cary, 11:23 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, 2003. Name, Isabella Grace. Weight, 7 pounds 1 ounce. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Perkins is the former Michelle Enke, daughter of Ken and Janet Enke of Cape Girardeau. She is public relations manager at Cramblitt and Co. Perkins is the son of Neil and Joan Perkins of Williamson, Mich. He is a sales engineer at TTI...

Baseball Whitey Herzog, who hasn't managed since leaving the St. Louis Cardinals in July 1990, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he had some interest in managing in Boston. The Red Sox on Monday fired Grady Little...

Southeast gymnasts earn academic honors Five members of the 2002-2003 Southeast Missouri State University gymnastics team have been selected to the Academic All-American Scholastic Gymnastics Team. Amy Cole, Talia Cover, Kelly Baldridge, Tiffany Hatfield and Amanda Grimes were honored...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, Oct. 29 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Penny M. Powell, 33, of 2830 Whitener, No. 3, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and failure to stop at a flashing red signal...

Cape Girardeau Wednesday, Oct. 29 Firefighters responded Monday to the following items: At 2:39 p.m., medical assist at 2812 Luce. At 4:56 p.m., medical assist at 1438 Water. At 5:57 p.m., medical assist at 1113 Landgraf. At 5:58 p.m., still alarm at 1908 Huntington...

Sikeston man sentenced for crack cocaine charge A Sikeston, Mo., man was sentenced Monday in federal court in Cape Girardeau for possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute. Dennis Lee Andrews, 30, was sentenced to 60 months on one count. He appeared before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber...

THEBES, Ill. -- A benefit supper with an auction and country music has been organized to raise donations for the family of burn victim Roger Tucker, 53, of Thebes, Ill. Tucker suffered third- and second-degree burns over 60 percent of his body Oct. 9 when a welding torch ignited gasoline fumes. He is currently in critical condition at St. John's Mercy Hospital Burn Unit in St. Louis, Mo...

Gov. Bob Holden on Tuesday declined clemency requests unwanted by an inmate sentenced to death in the 1997 killings of his ex-girlfriend and her stepfather, clearing a hurdle for the prisoner who was seeking to be executed as planned hours later. The clemency bids filed with Holden were without the blessings of John Clayton Smith, who said he was forgoing his remaining appeals in hopes of dying by injection as scheduled at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday at the Potosi Correctional Center...

ST. LOUIS -- A teenager was charged with second-degree murder Tuesday, accused of a drag-racing accident on a city street that killed two young women in a car that was not involved in the race. The accident happened Monday afternoon as Quintell O'Neal, 19, of St. Louis, driving a stolen Chrysler Cirrus, raced along Natural Bridge Road near Fairground Park with a Ford F-150 pickup truck, police said. The Chrysler, reportedly going about 90 mph in a 35-mph zone, slammed into a Dodge Neon...

A friend sent me one of those funny little items from Harper's Magazine. Any married couple could relate to it. In short, a woman complains to her marriage counselor that her husband won't rinse out his milk glass, leaving it for her to face every morning. The counselor assures her that her husband is never, ever going to change his milk-drinking and glass-rinsing habits...