Stories from Saturday, September 4, 2004

By Oliver North Of course, the president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: "Bring it on." -- Sen. John Kerry...

10 years ago: Sept. 4, 1994 ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Outdoor mission festival is held by Trinity Lutheran Church on fairgrounds here; speaker for event is the Rev. Don Matzat, Christian radio host of station KFUO in St. Louis; service includes special music by joint choir, selections by singing group The Witness and congregational singing...

We're in good hands I JUST watched the conclusion of the Olympics. I was fortunate enough this year to be able to watch most of it every day and night. It was so good to see the bright faces of the world's athletes. I was especially proud of the fair play, the reverence that was shown by the audience as well as the athletes whenever the national anthems were played. ...

Calendar Sunday The Teen Challenge Celebration Choir will perform at Centenary United Methodist Church at the 8, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. services. Randy Ruiz will speak at Bethel Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau at the 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. services...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Thursday: At 6:28 p.m., a cleanup at William Street and West Drive. At 8:27 p.m., an emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Vista Lane. Firefighters responded to the following items on Friday: At 2:05 a.m., an emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Lear Drive...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Anthony G. Southall, 24, 7107 Highway 34, Marble Hill, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of assault of a law enforcement officer...

When Vickie Stewart began saving souls on the streets of Brazil, skin color was among her greatest assets. Combining a mocha complexion with fluent Portuguese, she passed herself off as a local long enough to draw people in. "I would come up and say: 'Would you like to come to Bible study?'" said Stewart, a black Baltimorean who returns to Brazil on Wednesday for a three-year tour as a Southern Baptist missionary. "They automatically thought I was Brazilian. It was really easy to connect."...

Got Olympic fever? Looking for a way to put that energy to use? Find a bunch of coworkers and enter the 2004 Corporate Games, an Olympic-style event sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. The 20-event competition will take place Sept. ...

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says it will schedule every available officer statewide to patrol Missouri roadways during the Labor Day holiday. The counting period began at 6 p.m. Friday and will end at 11:59 p.m. Monday. The patrol and other local law enforcement will participate in CARE, the combined accident reduction effort...

WASHINGTON -- America's payrolls picked up in August, with the economy adding 144,000 jobs, slightly less than economists were forecasting and highlighting the slow and uneven recovery in the labor market that jobseekers have braved. The unemployment rate dipped to 5.4 percent last month from 5.5 percent in July, the Labor Department reported Friday. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Nola Mae Greer, 69, of Cairo died Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2004, at her home. Heavenly Gates Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Emma J. "Emmy" DeWitt, 94, of Sikeston died Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, at her home. She was born Oct. 9, 1909, at Bement, Mo., daughter of Joseph H. and Lydia E. Ward Tate. She and James Howard DeWitt were married Aug. 15, 1926, at Bertrand, Mo. He died Oct. 12, 1992...

When musician Bob Camp organized the first City of Roses Music Festival in 1997, rhythm and blues legend Rufus "Walkin' the Dog" Thomas headlined and corporate sponsors helped pay the bills. The festival ran three days and included an awards banquet. The St. Louis party band Dr. Zhivegas and the Memphis Southern rock band Tora Tora were featured on the main stage, while regional bands entertained in downtown Cape Girardeau clubs. Cold October temperatures dampened attendance...

Hayes hits ace at Dalhousie Twelve-year-old Eric Hayes recorded his first career hole in one earlier this week at Dalhousie Golf Club. Hayes was playing with his father, Rocky, when he aced the eighth hole at 100 yards with a wedge. Eric Hayes shot a 39 for nine holes...

To the editor: I went to Mountain Park Baptist Board Academy near Patterson, Mo., (which recently closed) for more than two years. I didn't like it that they took away my drugs, boys, beer and music, so for the first year and a half I fought every little rule I could. ...

To the editor: In response to a recent Speak Out comment concerning the possibilities of a YMCA or YWCA coming to Cape Girardeau: I feel that there should be some form of tax breaks for either one to locate within the city. In the long run either Y would be a great asset to the city and county. ...

George Hammett Popp, 47, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, at his home. He was born Oct. 2, 1956, in Cape Girardeau, son of John W. and Irene E. Henderson Popp. George was a graduate of Central High School and started in the family business in 1972. He was with Georgell Investments until 2002 and then started Union Construction Co. Due to failing health, he was confined to a wheelchair the past three years. He was a member of Cape First Church...

PULASKI, Ill. -- Harry Tolar Jr., 79, of Pulaski died at 4 a.m. Friday, Sept. 3, 2004, at his home. Mr. Tolar was born Nov. 21, 1924, in Cairo, Ill., the son of Mary (Walsh) and Harry Tolar Sr. Mr. Tolar was a World War II veteran serving with the U.S. Army's 1st Division in the European Theater for which he received the Purple Heart...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Gary Dewayne Cook, 53, of Marble Hill died Thursday, Sept. 2, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born May 11, 1951, near Marble Hill, son of Wilma D. Cook. Cook was a former sawmill worker. Survivors include a son, Jerry Cook of Cape Girardeau; his father, Pete Welker of Marble Hill; three brothers, Rickey Welker of Marble Hill, Donald Welker of Dexter, Mo., Leon Welker of Paducah, Ky.; three sisters, Kathy Sullivan of Greenville, Mo., Catherine Bollinger of Patton, Mo., Eyvon Cook of Marble Hill; and a grandson.. ...

Michael D. "Brownie" Brown, 59, of Jackson died unexpectedly Sunday, Aug. 29, 2004, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Brown was the son of Clarence and Beatrice Gaudet Brown. He was employed at Farrow Fabricating. He was formerly employed with Wiser Warehouse and Gator Products, both in Springfield, Mo...

Marcus Louis "Pickle" Seyer, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Sept. 3, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

FONTANA, Calif. -- Jeremy Mayfield and Kasey Kahne need a good race weekend at California Speedway. The Evernham Motorsports teammates, who are just outside the top 10 in the NASCAR Nextel Cup season points, got off to a good start Friday, qualifying second and fifth in the 43-car field for the Pop Secret 500...

NORTON, Mass. -- Tiger Woods shot a 6-under 65 to tie for the lead with Ryan Palmer in the opening round of the Deutsche Bank Championship on Friday. Woods, who's won only once this year to jeopardize his No. 1 ranking, has a first-round lead for the first time since he won the 2003 Western Open...

Last night at 5:30 p.m., a small group of people were scattered around the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, taking in the new exhibits that will hang in the arts council during September. Wine was being poured into small plastic glasses. Tables full of crackers, cookies, vegetables, cheese and assorted dips and spreads were in one of the art council's three galleries. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- President Bush will speak at Ray Clinton Park in downtown Poplar Bluff Monday, though the exact time is still unknown. Officials with the Bush-Cheney campaign said Friday that the event will open to the public at 1 p.m. and close at 4 p.m. Bush will speak sometime after that...

BESLAN, Russia -- The three-day hostage siege at a school in southern Russia ended in chaos and bloodshed Friday, after witnesses said Chechen militants set off bombs and Russian commandos stormed the building. Hostages fled in terror, many of them children who were half-naked and covered in blood. Officials estimated the death toll at more than 200...

STUART, Fla. -- Hurricane Frances lost some steam and hesitated off the Florida coast Friday, prolonging the anxiety among the millions evacuated and raising fears of a slow, ruinous drenching over the Labor Day weekend. Downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane, the storm was expected to come ashore with up to 20 inches of rain as early as this afternoon, nearly a day later than earlier predictions...

NEW YORK -- "America's Next Top Model" is heading back to the runway. The UPN reality show has announced the cast for its third season of supermodel boot camp. The new season debuts Sept. 22. Under the mentoring of Tyra Banks, 14 aspiring models will compete in tests of catwalks, fitness and publicity skills. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Morris had never been this dominant. Morris pitched a two-hitter and struck out a season-high 11 to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to their seventh straight victory, 3-0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night in a matchup of division leaders...

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Martz knows well how preseason games sharpen player focus and help them purge mistakes before the games that matter. And with a blush of embarrassment Friday, the St. Louis Rams coach conceded how exhibition games can even expose goofs of his own...

The Southeast Missouri State football team didn't only have its feelings hurt by Thursday's 42-3 season-opening thrashing at second-ranked Southern Illinois. The Indians also were hurt literally as their injury report during the contest was significant...

Jackson's defense came to play Friday night at home, as the Indians opened their football season with a dominating performance in a 33-8 victory over Gosnell (Ark.). The Indians held Gosnell to one first down, which came in the waning minutes of the game. Overall, the Pirates finished with 78 yards of offense, all on the ground. Nearly all of those yards came on a 71-yard touchdown run from Byron Thompson...

Thursday night while trying to subdue an unruly suspect, Cape Girardeau police officer Aaron Brown was hit in the face with the suspect's elbow. Brown was hurt but did not require medical attention. Last October, while trying to arrest a suspect who broke parole on an original charge of assaulting a police officer, Cape Girardeau police officer Daniel Seger suffered a dislocated shoulder, which required two surgeries. He spent about six months off duty...

The American Farm Bureau Federation has made a radio request. It's not asking for more sexy tractor songs by Kenny Chesney. Just more agriculture news. The Missouri Farm Bureau has backed the federation's petition of the FCC for the broadcast of more agriculture news...

NEW YORK -- Hardly at her best, barely beating one of the tour's pesky teens, Serena Williams suddenly found herself face-down at the U.S. Open, facing a break point. Recomposed, Williams smacked a service winner at 111 mph, an ace just as fast, and forced an error. Just like that, she held serve en route to beating 30th-seeded Tatiana Golovin 7-5, 6-4 Friday night to reach the Open's fourth round...

NEW YORK -- CBS is auctioning off everything but the kitchen sink to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation -- and promote the network's new fall season. The network will put up for bid on eBay from Sept. 8-26 a slew of CBS memorabilia and celebrity experiences, such as David Caruso's "CSI: Miami" sunglasses or dinner with Rupert Boneham of "Survivor: All-Stars" fame...

"It's more blessed to give than to receive" is a Scripture passage (Acts 20:35) I couldn't agree with as a youth. I wondered how it could possibly be better to give something away (unless one didn't want it) than to receive help or a desired object. Children can be expected to have that attitude because they're totally dependent on others for their existence, but what about adults? They know they should be charitable but often wonder "What's in it for me?"...

Editor's Note: Donna Lichtenegger of Jackson was a delegate at this week's Republican National Convention. This is her fifth and final report on the convention. President Bush had us all rocking and rolling at the Republican National Convention Thursday night...

Illinois showed why it is the nation's 14th-ranked women's college soccer team, but Southeast Missouri State University showed why it also has such high hopes for the 2004 season. The Illini scored two first-half goals and made them stand up during a 2-0 victory in front of nearly 300 fans at Houck Stadium Friday night. The result left both coaches fairly satisfied...

Central and Carbondale, Ill., will meet for the soccer championship of the Notre Dame Sportsfest after posting semifinal victories Friday. The title contest will be at 7 p.m. today. Central knocked off Jackson 3-0, as Sam Bornstein scored two goals and Trenton Beckham added another...

NEW YORK -- Bill Clinton was hospitalized with chest pains and shortness of breath Friday and will undergo heart bypass surgery in an operation that could sideline the former president at the height of the campaign for the White House. An angiogram showed that Clinton, who turned 58 two weeks ago, had significant blockage in his heart arteries but did not suffer a heart attack, a doctor who performed the test told The Associated Press...

Members of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce heard a simple message at this month's First Friday Coffee: Missouri has to catch up on work force education or be left behind. Jim Dickerson of the Missouri Training and Employment Council gave the Friday gathering an overview of Missouri's report on the state of the work force...

The development of Jackson's long-anticipated soccer park is still a long way from finished, but park association organizers and city officials are trying to score a major goal by Tuesday night. Jackson city administrator Jim Roach said if everything plays out according to plan, the city could take ownership of the 25 acres of land -- currently owned by the Jackson Industrial Development Corp. ...

Matt Untereinner rushed for 222 yards and scored three touchdowns as Perryville opened its season with a 27-13 home victory against Imperial, Mo., Windsor. Untereinner, who gained 897 yards last year, did his damage on 28 carries. He scored on runs of 5 and 49 yards and also returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown...