-
Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham dies at 82
(Professional Sports ~ 12/18/03)
CLEVELAND -- Otto Graham was the perfect quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. The Hall of Famer, who led the Browns to 10 championship games in the 10 seasons he played for them, died Wednesday of an aneurysm to the heart. He was 82. Graham died in Sarasota, Fla., team spokesman Todd Stewart said. Graham was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital earlier in the day with a tear in his aorta, said his son, Duey Graham...
-
Nation briefs 12/18/03
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
American women waiting longer to have first child ATLANTA -- The average age at which American women are having their first child has climbed to an all-time high of 25.1, the government said Wednesday. The rise reflects a drop in teen births and an increase in the number of women who are putting off motherhood until their 30s and 40s. ...
-
Carol Wells
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Carol D. Wells, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 5, 1944, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Robert and Jessie Jewel Sander Wells. Miss Wells was employed 37 years at Southwestern Bell, retiring as an engineer. She was a member of Telephone Pioneers 37 years. She was a member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church and taught Sunday School 36 years...
-
Dr. Rex Bowers
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Dr. Rex Bowers, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 17, 1926, at Webb City, Mo., son of Orvon and Zelda Porter Bowers. He and Melba Nichols were married in 1951 at Granby, Mo. Dr. Bowers was a professor of psychology at Southeast Missouri State University from 1963 to 1987...
-
Charles Hutson
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Charles Lynn Hutson, 65, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at his home in Cape Girardeau. He was born in Eldorado, Kan., July 23, 1938, son of Glenn and Helen Farrar Hutson. He and Judi Clore were married Jan. 10, 1958. Hutson owned and operated Hutson's Furniture Store in downtown Cape, taking over the presidency of Hutson Enterprises from his father, Glenn, and his uncle, Lynn Hutson...
-
Marcia Kinder
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
PAINTON, Mo. -- Marcia Kinder, 90, of Painton died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 5, 1913, in Ullin, Ill., daughter of Gabriel and Georgia Goodman Rendleman. She and Thurman "Duke" Kinder were married June 24, 1933, at Perkins, Mo. He died Nov. 1, 1952...
-
John Niccum
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- John E. Niccum, 80, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, in Perryville. He was born May 3, 1923, in Manchester, Mo., son of William F. and Martha H. Wandrie Niccum. He and Norma Weith were married Dec. 23, 1953. Niccum was retired from Mississippi Lime. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and American Legion Post 133...
-
Evelyn Howard
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Evelyn Lois Howard, 74, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Feb. 19, 1929, in Paragould, Ark., daughter of John Wesley and Effie Bell Hinkle Jordan. She was previously married to Orville P. Payne and Robert L. McDowell. She and Tollie L. Howard were married March 9, 1974, in Ann Arbor , Mich...
-
Virginia Dumey
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Virginia Dumey, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at Monticello House in Jackson. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
-
Homer Markhart
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Homer Markhart, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at his home. McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.
-
Betty Rickard
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Betty Lou Rickard, 72, of Park Hills, Mo., died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Mo. She was born July 1, 1931, at Boss, Mo., daughter of Arsdel R. and Eva I. Camden Hanson. She married Rolla G. Rickard, who preceded her in death...
-
Terry Burton
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
PATTON, Mo. -- Terry Allen Burton, 49, of Patton died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 7, 1954, in Danville, Ill., son of Hollas and Barbara Rudy Burton. Survivors include three daughters, Kerry Estes and Malinda Burton of Mount Vernon, Ill., Jamie Rodgers of O'Fallon, Mo.; his father and stepmother, Hollas and Susan Burton of Patton; his mother, Barbara Tarango of Kansas City, Mo.; three brothers, John Burton of Old Monroe, Mo., Danny Burton of Patton, Jay Bond of Cape Girardeau; two sisters, Sherry Tindell of Phoenix, Ariz., Hollie Novy of Decatur, Ill.; and four grandchildren.. ...
-
Donnie Hillman
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Donnie Lee Hillman, 59, of Scott City died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at her home. She was born June 20, 1944, at Illmo, daughter of Frank L. and Ella LaDon "Sally" Summers Bles. She and Steve Hillman were married March 4, 1995, in Scott City. Donnie was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City, and VFW Post 3838 Ladies Auxiliary in Cape Girardeau...
-
Violet Tweedy
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
ANNA, Ill. -- Violet Louise Tweedy, 87, of Anna died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 27, 1915, in Charleston, Mo., daughter of Clarence Preston and Dollie Mae Graham Black. She married Russell Tweedy, who died June 30, 1982...
-
Iraq briefs 12/18/03
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
Rumsfeld considers getting Saddam to talk WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld sounded intrigued when asked how to get Saddam Hussein talking to his interrogators. "Does he have any interest in his family? ... I don't know," Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday, ruminating about the possible pressures that could be applied to the former dictator. Fear of dying might, the defense secretary suggested. President Bush said Tuesday he believes Saddam deserves "the ultimate penalty."...
-
Soldiers head to war after Christmas
(Editorial ~ 12/18/03)
For the National Guard soldiers of the 1140th Engineer Battalion, this holiday season is likely offering up an unusual range of feelings: Christmas cheer that peppered with worry, seasonal joy subdued by melancholy and a wish for peace tempered with a sense of duty...
-
Union's call derails trade between Sox and Rangers
(Professional Sports ~ 12/18/03)
NEW YORK -- The baseball players' union got in the middle of the proposed Alex Rodriguez trade Wednesday, forcing the Red Sox and Rangers to seek another way to complete the blockbuster deal they had already agreed on. Boston and Texas said they settled on all the players involved in the trade. The Red Sox and A-Rod agreed to restructure the shortstop's contract, Rangers owner Tom Hicks said...
-
Notre Dame swim team finishes 2nd
(High School Sports ~ 12/18/03)
Notre Dame was second overall, but it earned three individual wins in a three-team swimming and diving meet Wednesday at St. Peters, Mo. John Fisher won the 200 IM (2:14.68) and the 100 butterfly (59.73), and John Stoverink won diving (194.7) for the Bulldogs...
-
Amano a first-team I-AA pick
(College Sports ~ 12/18/03)
Although Eugene Amano was voted just second-team all-Ohio Valley Conference this year, Southeast Missouri State University offensive line coach Mike Chavez considered him not only one of the league's top offensive linemen, but also among the best in NCAA Division I-AA football...
-
Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
JERUSALEM -- Israel's military is phasing out the legendary Uzi submachine gun, calling it antiquated and replacing it with more sophisticated, electronics-outfitted weaponry, an army spokesman said Wednesday. But the Uzi, a national icon and the country's most famous contribution to the arms industry, will still be produced and exported, to the presumable delight of drug dealers, gang members, Secret Service agents and Hollywood action stars alike...
-
Santa Claus is not in Iraq
(Column ~ 12/18/03)
Sgt. Lucas Green from the Crump community in Cape Girardeau County and Spc. Brad Isaac from Bell City in Scott County are deployed with the Missouri Army National Guard's 203rd Engineer Combat Battalion near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. They met while stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., before they were deployed last May and are scheduled to return home next May. Together, they wrote the following reflection on spending Christmas in a faraway, war-torn country....
-
U.S. founded on solid religious bedrock
(Column ~ 12/18/03)
By Levi Ham I do not personally know any judges, senators or representatives. I am of the opinion that, while well-educated in political science, they either did poorly in early American history or chose to follow the practice of political correctness that would let one atheist shut down some practices for a whole school system...
-
Rocky start for Wright brothers anniversary celebration
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. -- One-hundred years after the Wright brothers' first flight, an attempt to re-create the moment failed Wednesday when a replica craft couldn't get off the ground and sputtered into the mud. A cheer rose from the crowd of 35,000 when the muslin-winged flyer roared to life and began moving down a wooden launch track. But that cheer suddenly turned to a groan when the rickety craft stopped dead in a muddy puddle at the end of the track...
-
Sports briefs 12/18/03
(Other Sports ~ 12/18/03)
Baseball Gary Sheffield finalized his $39 million, three-year contract with the Yankees. His deal, which includes $13.5 million in deferred money and a $13 million team option for 2007, took weeks to complete after the outfielder and owner George Steinbrenner agreed to the basics. In the end, Sheffield dropped his demand to eliminate the deferred money. He'll be the Yankees' new right fielder...
-
Out of the past 12/18/03
(Out of the Past ~ 12/18/03)
10 years ago: Dec. 18, 1993 A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson would provide for complete economic deregulation of the trucking industry at the state level, which proponents say could save consumers $5 billion to $12 billion annually. Talk show host and Cape Girardeau native Rush Limbaugh appeared on last night's "Late Show with David Letterman" in New York City...
-
French President Jacques Chirac will ask for head scarf ban
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
PARIS -- French President Jacques Chirac asked parliament on Wednesday for a law banning Islamic head scarves and other religious insignia in public schools, a move that aims at shoring up the nation's secular tradition, despite cries that it will stigmatize France's 5 million Muslims...
-
Constitutional council marred by anger
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A woman delegate to Afghanistan's landmark constitutional council issued a stinging rebuke of powerful armed faction leaders at the gathering Wednesday, calling them "criminals" and sparking arguments and an attempt to throw her out...
-
Questions surround Saddam's war crimes trial
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
WASHINGTON -- Saddam Hussein can't be tried for war crimes until the Iraqis -- with heavy influence from American officials -- decide a range of tough issues including whether execution should be an option and whether Iran should play a role in the trial...
-
World briefs 12/18/03
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
U.S. farm leaders call for end to Cuba embargo HAVANA -- American farm leaders called for an end to the U.S. trade embargo on Wednesday during talks with communist Cuba that have resulted in at nearly $110 million in new U.S. food sales to the island. ...
-
Anna Looney
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Anna Lorene Looney, 73, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 8, 1930, in Martin, Ky., daughter of Ed W. and Susan Barnes Johnson. She and W.J. "Junior" Looney were married Dec. 11, 1953, at Marston, Mo. He died Dec. 28, 1989...
-
Martha Tanner
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Martha Jane Tanner, 79, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Dec. 26, 1923, in Bowling Green, Mo., daughter of Thomas and Effie Moss Stoner. She and James A. Tanner were married June 20, 1942...
-
Eleanor Niswonger
(Obituary ~ 12/18/03)
Eleanor Kate Niswonger, 94, of Jackson died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2003, at Jackson Manor. She was born Jan. 4, 1909, at Doniphan, Mo., daughter of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Frances Loftis Lorey. She and Jesse P. Niswonger Sr. were married Nov. 23, 1926. He died Jan. 3, 2001...
-
Payoffs cited as former governor indicted
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
CHICAGO -- Former Gov. George Ryan, who gained a worldwide reputation as a critic of the death penalty, was indicted Wednesday on charges of taking payoffs in a corruption scandal that shadowed his entire four years in office and cut short his political career...
-
Hearing on concealed weapons law scheduled
(State News ~ 12/18/03)
ST. LOUIS - A little more than a month before the Missouri Supreme Court takes up the concealed weapons law, the St. Louis judge who ruled the measure violates the state constitution will reconsider whether it violates a provision barring unfunded mandates. Both sides of the issue learned Monday that Ohmer will re-hear the matter in a hearing at 9:30 a.m. today...
-
Hanaway announces secretary of state bid
(State News ~ 12/18/03)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Republican House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, 40, announced her candidacy for secretary of state Tuesday. Hanaway is the only Republican seeking to succeed Secretary of State Matt Blunt, who is expected to run for governor. Robin Carnahan, the daughter of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan and former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, is the only Democratic candidate for secretary of state...
-
Rams confident in WR options
(Professional Sports ~ 12/18/03)
ST. LOUIS -- If Isaac Bruce's sprained ankle keeps him out on Sunday, the Rams are confident their passing attack won't be grounded. Two players culled from the fringes of professional football, Dane Looker and Mike Furrey, both have emerged this season...
-
Roberts leaves Southeast for St. Louis school
(College Sports ~ 12/18/03)
Southeast Missouri State University junior point guard Kevin Roberts has decided to try and find more playing time with another program. Roberts, who led the Ohio Valley Conference in assists last year but has played sparingly this season for the 5-3 Indians, left the Southeast squad earlier this week. He will transfer to Division III Fontbonne in his hometown of St. Louis, where he will be eligible to play immediately...
-
Cape, Drury settle lawsuits
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
An agreement that ends more than five years of lawsuits over the River Campus became a reality Wednesday night. The Cape Girardeau City Council and motel and restaurant owner Jim Drury announced the agreement following a closed-door special meeting at city hall. The pact culminated nearly two years of discussions between Mayor Jay Knudtson and Drury...
-
Shorter workouts help those with little free time
(Community ~ 12/18/03)
WASHINGTON -- Who has an hour to spend in a gym? New weight training programs offer results in 30 minutes or less for people who don't have time to dawdle. The shorter workouts won't build pro football muscles, but they will let an ordinary person build strength and stay strong. And if more people fit exercise into their lives on a reduced regimen, experts say the result is a net benefit for society...
-
Death raises transfusion risk for mad cow disease
(International News ~ 12/18/03)
LONDON -- The British government reported on Wednesday a patient died of the human form of mad cow disease after a blood transfusion from an infected donor -- the first time such a connection has been reported. Health Secretary John Reid told Parliament it was not possible to determine whether the transfusion recipient contracted the fatal brain-wasting illness through the blood transfer or whether the two people were independently infected. ...
-
Fast-paced bike ride
(Community ~ 12/18/03)
The scenery doesn't change, but the intensity of the ride does in the Power Pacing fitness class at Main Street Fitness Center in Jackson. Power Pacing, also called "Spinning" at other fitness centers, is a group fitness class that's conducted entirely on a stationary bicycle. The goal is to work the leg muscles and get a cardiovascular workout at the same time...
-
Community digest 12/18/03
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
Cape Noon Lions Club makes donations Cape Noon Lions Club president Kevin Govero recently presented the following funding to district governor Larry Tetley: $2,000 Mid South Lions Eye Research; $2,000 Missouri Lions Eye Research; $1,000 Lions International Foundation; $750 Leader Dogs for the Blind; $500 Missouri Lions Hearing; and $500 Lions World Service...
-
Red Cross seeks volunteers to help military families
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
The phone calls can interrupt dinner, a visit with friends or a sound sleep. "This is the American Red Cross answering service, we have a military call for you." The next call is made by you to a sobbing voice trying to contact a loved one -- possibly thousands of miles away in a foreign desert or jungle -- and your task is to get the message out...
-
Scout builds grotto for Eagle project
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
submitted photo A Grotto of St. Mary was recently dedicated at St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau. Built in memory of Albertine Fisher, a longtime teacher at the grade school, the project was the result of an Eagle Scout project created by James Williams of Boy Scout Troop 16.Southeast Missourian...
-
Santa's helpers preparing for Toybox deliveries today
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
Santa might leave his reindeer behind but he'll be toting plenty of presents when he visits 500 families in Cape Girardeau tonight. Volunteers with the Cape Girardeau Jaycees will dress as Jolly Old St. Nick when they drop off gifts for needy children in the city...
-
SEMO's faculty discusses issue of background checks
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
A professor at Pennsylvania State University was discovered earlier this year to be a convicted murderer after teaching four years at the institution. A psychology professor at the University of Montana was arrested in June 2003 on 143 charges of child sex abuse...
-
Work on $15 million medical building starts
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
Southeast Missouri Hospital officials did more than break ground for a new $15 million medical office building Wednesday morning -- they honored an old friend. At the ceremonial event, hospital administrators announced they were naming the lobby after furniture store owner Charlie Hutson, who died Tuesday but will always be remembered as a tireless advocate who helped guide the hospital through three decades of growth...
-
Correction 12/18/03
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
A story in Wednesday's edition should have identified Albert Demortiers as the first Cape Girardeau police officer killed in the line of duty. He was killed Oct. 27, 1917. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error. The Southeast Missourian strives for accuracy, and we will correct all significant errors that are brought to the attention of our editors. If you believe we have made such an error, contact the appropriate editor in the directory below...
-
People talk 12/18/03
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
Mol makes debut on Broadway in 'Chicago' NEW YORK -- Gretchen Mol will play Broadway's new merry murderess, Roxie Hart, next year in "Chicago." The 30-year-old actress, whose films include "The Shape of Things," "Forever Mine" and "Donnie Brasco," will join the cast of the long-running revival on Jan. 5, it was announced Tuesday. "Chicago," which has a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb, will be Mol's Broadway debut...
-
Births 12/18/03
(Births ~ 12/18/03)
Ross Son to Darren and Beverly Ross of St. Joseph, Mich., Lakeland Hospital, 4:18 Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2003. Name, Zachary James. Weight, 9 pounds 9 ounces. Third son. Mrs. Ross is the former Beverly Ludwig, daughter of Joe and Loustell Ludwig of Jackson. Ross is the son of Jim and Joyce Ross of Jackson. He is employed at American Electric Power D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant in Bridgeman, Mich...
-
Activities charge would be unfair to some students
(Letter to the Editor ~ 12/18/03)
To the editor: I would like to hit on the concept of our children having to pay to participate in extracurricular activities. This would be very unfair to low-income students. If our children can't afford to pay for their lunches, how can they afford to pay for sports? This is going to impact our low-income students achievement, because sports is what keeps a lot of our students interested in academics. ...
-
Health calendar 12/18
(Community ~ 12/18/03)
Today Newborn massage class from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Generations Resource Center at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The class is for parents and caregivers of newborns up to six weeks old. To register, call 651-5825. Diabetes Support Group meets from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the St. Francis...
-
Holden, insurers disagree on workers' comp rates
(State News ~ 12/18/03)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Gov. Bob Holden on Tuesday called on insurance companies to reduce their rates for workers' compensation policies in the state by as much as 11 percent in 2004. But the industry said that won't happen. The National Council on Compensation Insurers is advising businesses that costs underlying workers' compensation rate should drop 1.4 percent, according to Holden's administration...
-
Boston Archdiocese sells, mortgages church property to pay scan
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
BOSTON -- The sex scandal in the Boston Archdiocese has shaken the church almost literally to its foundations. To help pay the $85 million settlement reached with more than 500 victims of child-molesting priests, the archdiocese has mortgaged its very seat of power -- the Cathedral of the Holy Cross -- and is putting up for sale the archbishop's residence, an Italian Renaissance-style mansion that was a symbol of the church's grandeur and authority. ...
-
'Lord of the Rings' rounds up hordes
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
As a full house began watching "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Lenny Martin, Blaine Russell and Russell's 8-year-old son, Jacob, already were lined up in the lobby for the 7 p.m. show. "We don't have lives," Martin explained...
-
Zimmer radio sells regional stations
(Business ~ 12/18/03)
Zimmer Radio Group, a family-owned media company with radio stations in three states, has announced it will sell 17 of its 32 stations to Mississippi River Radio. The 17 stations being sold are in Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston/Malden in Missouri and Carbondale/Marion in Illinois...
-
Four counties eligible for agricultural disaster loans
(State News ~ 12/18/03)
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Four southeast Missouri counties have been designated agricultural disaster areas, the result of damaging spring rains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture determination announced this week makes qualified producers in Dunklin, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Stoddard counties eligible for low-interest emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency...
-
Hospitals call for price cuts for uninsured
(National News ~ 12/18/03)
WASHINGTON -- The hospital industry said Wednesday it will consider cutting the price of care for the uninsured in the face of growing complaints that hospitals charge such patients too much. But the American Hospital Association, which represents nearly 5,000 hospitals, pinned much of the blame for the high prices on inflexible federal regulations...
-
Speak Out 12/18/03
(Speak Out ~ 12/18/03)
Nightmare at Mizzou I AM very upset by the flagrant racism demonstrated by the University of Missouri president's wife. She instructed a former basketball player that he shouldn't date white women. This reflects on her and on her husband. I'm getting tired of this whole situation being paid for with our tax dollars. How many other students at Mizzou has he invited to his home for weekends? He says there was nothing unusual in his situation with Ricky Clemons. It's a nightmare...
-
Group celebrates fifth year of holiday giving
(Local News ~ 12/18/03)
Cape Girardeau Safe House children will benefit this year from the caring thoughts that are the backbone of Kids4Kids, a group still going strong after five years of supplying gifts to needy children at Christmas. Jessica Vaeth and her brother Zachary started the group in 1999 after learning about the Safe House for women and children. ...
-
In baseball, you're never really home for long
(Sports Column ~ 12/18/03)
After taking big salary hits by signing All-Star closer Billy Wagner and starter Eric Milton, the Philadelphia Phillies weren't expected to be throwing around money at the just-ended winter meetings. Even so, it must have been sobering to those agents who made the trip last weekend to New Orleans, maybe the best restaurant town in America, to learn that Phillies general manager Ed Wade was eating at Wendy's...
Stories from Thursday, December 18, 2003
Browse other days