Stories from Saturday, October 16, 2004

Despite all the vows of "never again" after the Florida fiasco of 2000, the scary scenarios for Election Day 2004 seem only to have increased: A tie vote in the Electoral College. A terrorist strike on Election Day. A disputed outcome in a critical state...

Political campaigning at the part of Capaha Park known as Freedom Corner Thursday evening turned ugly and resulted in an arrest and possible charges. Dru Reeves of Cape Girardeau alleges he was threatened with a knife while he was with a group of fellow Republicans at the corner showing his support for the Bush/Cheney ticket. ...

Whether you are at a loss to find a place to take friends and family when they visit Cape Girardeau or you want to learn more about the history of the city you live in, "Rediscover Your Cape" on Oct. 23 and 24 offers a rare opportunity. This Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau-sponsored event allows people to visit five local historical attractions -- the Red House Interpretive Center, Old Lorimier Cemetery, Old St. ...

Mention Internet crimes against children and most people think of adults luring children away from their homes, such as Archillis Boglosa of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., who lured a 13-year-old Cape Girardeau boy away from his home through an America Online chat room in January. Boglosa goes to trial next month in Cape Girardeau...

Arthur is on an adventure. More than four months ago, the small plush doll representing the aardvark in a PBS children's cartoon left his life as a cat toy in a Minnesota household and took to the road to see America. On his trip he's seen the wide-open skies of Montana, the mountains of Colorado, the farms of Indiana and fields of Kansas. On Friday he was tagging along on a mission to remove debris from Cape LaCroix Creek in Cape Girardeau...

The city of Cape Girardeau will collect household hazardous waste today from 9 a.m. to noon at the Arena Park 4-H shelter. Cape Girardeau city residents can drop off hazardous waste ranging from paint to pesticides, public works director Tim Gramling said. The city has hired Inter-Rail Systems Inc. to handle and safely dispose of or recycle the collected material. Last year, 282 people dropped off 32,950 pounds of materials at the annual hazardous waste collection day, Gramling said...

Missouri looks to improve to 3-0 in Big 12 action. By Jim Vertuno ~ The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas -- If history can be used as a guide, this week is when the Texas Longhorns get really good. Texas has shown a remarkable ability to bounce back from tough losses to rival Oklahoma the past four years, going 23-1 in the regular season after the midseason matchup. As part of that streak, Texas is undefeated the week after losing to Oklahoma...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Alexis Maria Darin, 9 months, of Durham, N.C., died Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004, at Duke Hospital in Durham. She was born Jan 15, 2004, daughter of John E. and Kelley Chardavoyne Darin. Survivors include her parents; paternal grandparents, John C. ...

Elton A. Meyr, age 84, formerly of New Wells, Mo., passed away Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, where he been a resident since 2001. He was born Oct. 25, 1919, at New Wells, the son of August and Louise Haertling Meyr. He and Norma H. Grebing were married Oct. 11, 1942, in Frohna, Mo. She passed away Dec. 6, 2002...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Jerry D. McKee, 60, of Olive Branch, died suddenly Thursday morning, Oct. 14, 2004, upon arrival at Mercy Medical Center in Durango, Colo., while on a hunting and camping trip. He was born in Cairo, Ill., on Sept. 23, 1944, son of Clarence Junior McKee and Virtus Story McKee Cox...

To the editor: The unearned should not go to the undeserving. John Kerry may be a skilled talker; however, he is damaged goods when it comes to being qualified for president. His 19 years in the Senate are not only unproductive, they are notorious for his many votes against defense and intelligence, two areas where strengths are crucial to our nation. ...

To the editor: Memories are such a vital part of life. Hold to them. That is what I intend to do. The bridge across the river provides many special and cherished memories. Endless are thoughts also of the Marquette Hotel that will not be lost. I am among those who hold to favorite memories of the Marquette Hotel. Warm thoughts entered my mind each time I passed. The dining area with the delicious food has yet to be surpassed. The dignity of those who served it is yet to be equaled...

Colleges n Fort Hays State will leave the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to join the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association beginning in the 2006-07 season, the MIAA announced Friday. The Hays school will fill the void created when Missouri-Rolla departs for the Great Lakes Valley Conference following the current academic year. For the 2005-2006 year, the MIAA -- an NCAA Division II conference -- will have a nine-school lineup...

The Southeast Missouri State University Athletic Hall of Fame will induct its third class today with a 2 p.m. ceremony at the Show Me Center. The inductees will also be recognized prior to tonight's football game with Eastern Kentucky at Houck Stadium. Eleven individuals and one team will make up the 2004 class...

Shoppers spring back to life in September WASHINGTON -- Shoppers rediscovered their urge to splurge in September, catapulting retail sales up by the largest percentage gain in six months. Retail sales jumped 1.5 percent in September, the best showing since March and a turnaround from the 0.2 percent drop in August, the Commerce Department said Friday. ...

After Southeast Missouri State University's soccer team had trouble finding the net for most of Friday night's game, Molli Beard made sure she didn't miss. Beard, a sophomore, scored on a penalty kick with 12:40 remaining in the second half to lift the Otahkians past Tennessee-Martin 1-0 in front of about 125 fans at Houck Stadium. It was Beard's third goal of the season...

Most students go home from school to a house or apartment that has electricity and heat and air conditioning, a phone and food in the kitchen. Students living in poverty can't take that for granted. It's harder to solve your homework problems when survival is the problem that never goes away...

HOUSTON -- Craig Biggio gave a tearful remembrance and Houston teammates Jeff Bagwell and Brad Ausmus also were in attendance Friday at a memorial service for Ken Caminiti. Astros owner Drayton McLane, general manager Gerry Hunsicker and manager Phil Garner were at the service at Second Baptist Church, as were San Diego owner John Moores and GM Kevin Towers...

The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A plane that plunged to a fatal crash after both of its jet engines failed had aborted a scheduled takeoff earlier in the day because of an apparent problem with a mechanical system that distributes engine heat throughout the plane...

LOS ANGELES -- After creating "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "American Graffiti," Darth Vader might insist it was George Lucas' destiny to get the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award. Lucas, 60, was picked on Friday to be the recipient of the organization's 33rd annual prize, following such recent recipients as Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks...

Terrorism didn't start with 9-11! Remember the attacks on our embassies in Africa, the USS Cole bombing, the first Trade Center bombing? The 9-11 Commission report states we have been asleep, and there is plenty of blame to go around. We gave bin Laden time to establish worldwide cells, including safe havens in Sudan and then Afghanistan. Our laws stopped the FBI and CIA from sharing information...

Starting next week, the James Parker steamboat mural will once again be a part of the downtown Cape Girardeau landscape when it is repainted onto the side of Mollie's Cafe and Bar. Parker's mural, which depicts a steamboat on the Mississippi River and a portion of the Port Cape building, is Cape Girardeau's first outdoor mural, painted onto the side of a building at 116 N. Main St. in 1986...

Earl E. Pipkin, 95, of Jackson died Friday, Oct. 15, 2004, at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home. He was born Aug. 25, 1909, in Oklahoma, son of John and Francis Triplett Pipkin. Survivors include a nephew, Richard Vechorik of Starkville, Miss., and a niece, Jeanette Bodine of Farmington, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo.-- Martin Clifton, 79, of Perryville, Mo. died Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004, at his home. He was born March 30, 1925, at Menfro, Mo., son of Norman and Grace Foster Clifton. He and Lonieta C. Ruessler were married Sept. 28, 1946. She died Feb. 5, 1998 and he and Viola Cashion were married Sept. 2, 2000...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Funeral for Donald E. Crite, 70, of Olmsted will be at 1 p.m. today at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Ill. The Rev. John Windings will officiate. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge. Friends may call from 10 a.m. today until the funeral at the funeral home...

The preseason OVC favorite has been on a roll since the return of quarterback Matt Guice. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Another loss wouldn't automatically eliminate Southeast Missouri State University from contention for the Ohio Valley Conference championship, as the Indians proved last year...

CHICAGO -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's supporters in Illinois are deep in grassroots mode: identifying Kerry voters, writing letters to newspaper editors, setting up phone banks. The roots they're planting, though, aren't in Illinois...

From staff and wire reports Thinking of trying to wheedle a flu shot from your doctor even though you're not at high risk for flu complications? Forget about it in Michigan. Or Washington, D.C. Or Massachusetts. As the vaccine shortage hits home and long lines queue around the supermarket, a handful of states and the nation's capital are threatening doctors and nurses with fines or even jail if they give flu shots to healthy, low-risk people...

The Notre Dame softball team is on the verge of some uncharted territory heading into today's Class 3 quarterfinal game against Lutheran South. The Bulldogs (21-6) are making their third trip to the quarterfinals in the past four years, but they have never made it further. Notre Dame and Lutheran South (21-8) will meet at 1 p.m. at the Kirkwood Athletic Association...

Leopold and Oak Ridge posted victories Friday to advance to today's championship in the Mississippi Valley Conference volleyball tournament. The title game is set for 2:30 p.m. at Oak Ridge. Meadow Heights and Zalma will play in the thrd-place game...

Jackson ran over Poplar Bluff to the SEMO Conference North title on a rainy Friday night in Poplar Bluff with a 35-21 win. The Indians (6-1, 3-0 SEMO) had the ball for more than 31 minutes and rushed for 306 yards. Senior Austin Bock led the charge with 197 on 38 carries and four touchdowns...

Scott City football coach Terry Flannigan's three goals in his first year back as head coach were to finish with a winning record, win the conference and win the district. While the Rams' 27-3 home loss to Hayti on Friday may have cost them the outright SEMO Conference Southern Division title -- Scott City is guaranteed a share of the conference and could still win it outright with a Hayti loss to Chaffee -- Flannigan will settle for two out of three...

ST. LOUIS -- Stephanie Yarber had her first bout of morning sickness Friday, but she's not complaining. The nausea only confirmed what she had dreamed would happen some day. The Alabama woman, who came to St. Louis in April to have the first known ovary transplant in this country, is pregnant. Five weeks and four days to be precise...

To the editor: Jason Crowell stated in his District 158 legislative report 2004: "School Funding Increased Without Tax Increase." He then went on to say, "House Successfully Lobbies Governor to Release Withholds. In April the governor released the remaining $116 million from his education withholds." My question is, why did the Cape Girardeau school board raise our school taxes without our vote? Are we the only city in the state having our taxes raised, and if so, why? Real estate taxes are already nearly as high here as they are in St. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals reliever Steve Kline went to Indianapolis to see a hand specialist Friday instead of joining his teammates in Houston for Game 3 of the NLCS. Manager Tony La Russa said the team was awaiting the results of the exam. "It's one of those things," La Russa said after the team's workout. "You fear the worst, hope for the best."...

ST. LOUIS -- Dominant hitting has been the St. Louis Cardinals' calling card this postseason. They're averaging six runs and two homers over six games, five of which they've won. What's gone largely unnoticed as they've built a 2-0 lead over the Houston Astros in the NLCS is their defense. They're the only team left in the postseason yet to commit an error...

Kathryn Opal Starr, 96, of Paragould, Ark., died Friday, Oct. 15, 2004, in Scott City at the residence of her daughter and son-in-law Linda and William Wilthong. Arrangements are incomplete at Mitchell Funeral Home in Paragould. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of local arrangements...

25 years ago: Oct. 16, 1979 Spurred by an unprecedented 1.15 percent increase in interest paid on money market certificates, savings and loans institutions here and throughout much of the Midwest announce they have imposed severe, but necessary, restrictions on new home loans...

In Monday's edition, an Associated Press story should have reported that around 3 percent of Missouri's problem gamblers seek help. The story incorrectly reported that more than 13 percent seek help.

Sure to make mistakes DEBATES ARE now fair play. Presidential debates are not fair to the man that's in office. Sure, it's easy to criticize someone else's mistakes and say "I would have done it this way or that." Let's see how many mistakes, if elected, that Mr. Kerry will make...

Fall rally at Salem Lutheran in Altenburg The Altenburg Zone of the Lutheran Woman's Missionary League will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Salem Lutheran Church. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. Speaker will be Stacey Welcenbach from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's World Mission...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Samantha N. King, 21, 8211 Highway 74, Dutchtown, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following item on Thursday: At 10:02 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Independence Street. Firefighters responded to the following items on Friday: At 5:22 a.m., an alarm sounding at 1315 Ashland Hills Drive...

HOUSTON -- Roger Clemens watched Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and the rest of the St. Louis sluggers dig into the batter's box and take big whacks at Busch Stadium. Chances are, Cardinals hitters will be a bit more jumpy when they step to the plate at Minute Maid Park...

Going to bed without supper isn't a punishment for some children. It's a fact of life -- even in Southeast Missouri. A report from the USDA Food Assistance and Nutrition Research report says that 34.9 million people -- including 13 million children -- live in households that experience hunger or risk of hunger...