Stories from Saturday, May 14, 2005

By unfortunate necessity, there is still room for plaques on the police officer memorial at Cape Girardeau County Park North. The newest space belongs to Dewayne Graham Jr. Dozens of police officers and Southeast Missouri residents paid their annual tribute Friday to lawmen who have died in the line of duty...

The Naval Reserve Center in Cape Girardeau, which has deployed local men and women to U.S. wars and conflicts for more than 50 years, is among the military installations and offices that would close under a Pentagon plan announced Friday. But local and federal officials pledged to challenge some of the realignments, closings and consolidations that would cost Missouri nearly 4,000 military and civilian jobs...

Since 1987, Southeast Missouri State University's mass communication program -- which encompasses public relations, advertising, journalism, radio and video studies -- has been trying to get accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications...

Karen Buchheit remembers being teased as a little girl. "I was chunky and I stuttered and I was one of the tallest girls in first grade," she said. "Any kind of difference makes you a target." Her own experiences, stories she's heard from other parents and recent school shootings inspired the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department detective to implement an anti-bullying program in local schools...

Some in Burfordville, Mo., will forever remember May 7, 2005, as the day the majestic Budweiser Clydesdales came to town to film a beer commercial on their historic covered bridge. Resident Linda Banger will, too. She'll also recall the horse manure she just missed getting for her plants...

John L. Oliver Jr., 62, a prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer who earned statewide respect for his legal knowledge, died at his home Thursday evening. Oliver's talent and knowledge spilled from the courtroom and into participation at the state and community levels. He was a member of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for six years and recently was named chair of the Cape Area Benevolent Society, which was formerly the Cape Girardeau Industrial Development Association...

QAIM, Iraq -- Iraqi fighters toting machine guns and grenade launchers swaggered through the rubble-strewn streets of this town on the Syrian border Friday, setting up checkpoints and preparing to do battle despite a major U.S. offensive aimed at rooting out followers of Iraq's most-wanted militant...

ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan -- Soldiers loyal to Uzbekistan's authoritarian leader, a U.S. ally, opened fire on thousands of demonstrators Friday to put down an uprising that began when armed men freed 2,000 inmates from prison, including suspects on trial for alleged Islamic extremism...

A day after dropping a 14-1 decision at home to Sikeston, Jackson returned the favor on conference foe Notre Dame with a 14-0 five-inning rout Friday at Notre Dame Regional High School in the regular-season finale for both teams. Jackson (17-3) opened the game with eight runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back, as the SEMO Conference regular-season champions finished with an undefeated conference record...

So much for Annika Sorenstam's slump. One week after failing to make LPGA Tour history with her sixth straight win, Sorenstam is running away from a strong field at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship in Stockbridge, Ga. The world's No. 1 player shot a dazzling 8-under 64 during Friday's second round at Eagles Landing Country Club, giving her a six-stroke lead midway through the tournament...

LONDON -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer tightened his control over Manchester United on Friday, increasing his stake in the world's richest soccer team to nearly 75 percent. Glazer's company, Red Football, said it increased its share in the club to 74.81 percent by the close of trading Friday in London, just short of the 75 percent needed for complete control...

Reggie Miller is still pushing opponents around. With a sellout home crowd chanting his name, the 39-year-old delivered another clutch playoff moment Friday night. He drew two fouls, made four free throws and hit a key jumper in the final 81 seconds to rally the Indiana Pacers past Detroit 79-74 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals...

LAS VEGAS -- Felix Trinidad doesn't see much difference between the fighter he was before he retired and the fighter he is today. Trinidad's rabid fans didn't either when they watched their hero knock out Ricardo Mayorga last October in his first fight back after nearly 2 1/2 years out of the ring...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon on Friday proposed shutting about 180 military installations from Maine to Hawaii including 33 major bases, triggering the first round of base closures in a decade and an intense struggle by communities to save their facilities...

VATICAN CITY -- The new pope placed John Paul II on an unprecedented fast track for sainthood Friday and named San Francisco's archbishop to be the church's guardian of doctrine -- the highest Vatican office ever held by an American. Pope Benedict XVI's decision to waive the five-year waiting period for beatification procedures for John Paul came just six weeks after the pope's death...

TOKYO -- With the heads of General Motors and Toyota meeting this weekend in Japan, their concerns couldn't be more different: GM is losing money and market share, while its Japanese rival is worried about doing too well and sparking a protectionist backlash in the United States...

CHICAGO -- United Airlines and unions representing its mechanics and baggage handlers edged closer to long-term contract agreements Friday as a bankruptcy court trial on the carrier's bid to terminate existing pacts moved closer to conclusion. The airline and unions are working against a rough deadline of sometime next week, before Judge Eugene Wedoff issues a ruling that could trigger a threatened strike by United's workers if it authorizes the breaking of tentative contracts...

HANOI, Vietnam -- Nearly 10,000 workers who make toys for McDonald's Happy Meals returned to work Friday after staging a two-day strike at a factory in central Vietnam to protest alleged unfair and abusive labor practices, officials said. The strike, which ended after a settlement was reached Thursday, involved about 9,300 laborers, mostly young women, said Phan Viet Thong, chairman of the Danang City Federation of Labor. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The last day of the legislative session typically is a frenzied effort to beat the clock and finish work on major bills. Having disposed of most priority issues days -- if not weeks -- ago, however, the Missouri Legislature spent the waning hours of its 2005 term on Friday passing minor bills and non-binding resolutions and even managed to wrap up a few minutes ahead of its constitutional adjournment deadline...

IRVING, Texas -- Tiger Woods studied the line from both directions, consulted his caddie, then settled in over a 15-foot par putt that was packed with the quiet tension normally found in a playoff at a major championship. It was only a Friday afternoon at the Byron Nelson Championship, a rare time for Woods to feel so much heat. The putt wasn't for a trophy, but to keep alive the longest cut streak in PGA Tour history...

NEW YORK -- Tom Glavine snapped a personal slump with his one of his best performances of the season and Cliff Floyd hit two huge home runs as the New York Mets defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Friday night. The 39-year-old left-hander, who came into the game with opponents hitting .333 against him, limited St. ...

Southeast won two elimination games on Friday. Southeast Missourian JACKSONVILLE, Ala. -- Thanks to a pair of elimination-game victories Friday, Southeast Missouri State's softball team is still alive and kicking in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

Rebecca Martin was an all-state selection in the shot put last year, while Brad Crader earned all-state honors in the discus. Andy Glass has thrown better than 54 feet in the shot put this season, a mark that would have put him in the top three at the state meet last year...

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is reimposing quotas on three categories of clothing imports from China, responding to complaints from domestic producers that a surge of Chinese imports was threatening thousands of U.S. jobs. The administration action will impose limits on the amount of cotton trousers, cotton knit shirts and underwear that China can ship to this country. American retailers say that will drive up prices for U.S. consumers...

Nashville musician to perform at The Mission; Man, his mother charged in decades-old murder

Mary Ann Pensel didn't know much about knitting when she decided to start a small group ministry for women at her church. Kay Coffey wasn't exactly sure what to anticipate when she organized a women's craft club for her congregation. But both have joined a nationwide trend among churches -- using crafts as ministry and outreach tools. ...

The Chaffee baseball team scored nine runs in the fifth inning Friday to cap a 19-0 rout of host Delta. Chaffee (6-13) had four home runs -- one each by Augi Orr, Kory Chapman, Brad Daugherty and freshman Adam Horton in his first varsity at-bat. Chris Hanback was the winning pitcher and improved to 4-0. He allowed two hits, no walks and had eight strikeouts in four innings...

Southeast Missouri State has posted several big victories in an otherwise struggling season -- yet failed to capitalize on the potential momentum. The Redhawks (18-28, 9-12) hope that changes this weekend, as they begin a late push to make the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament with a three-game series at Tennessee Tech (12-36, 5-15)...

Baseball...

To the editor: Comments lately regarding Medicaid cuts cause my blood to boil. Everyone is an expert! Well, let me tell you about my job. I drive a shuttle transporting disabled people to their jobs and vital services. One woman in her early 60s has worked hard all of her life, has MS, and still works as a valued resource in our community thanks to a motorized wheelchair and some very expensive medication. ...

To the editor: The state of Missouri currently taxes non-resident professional athletes and entertainers. This money was intended for the Missouri Cultural Arts Trust Fund, public libraries, humanities and public television and radio. In recent years this money has been diverted to general revenue and not to the intended funds that the original legislation specified...

To the editor: After reading Bob Miller's op-ed posing as a news story in the May 10 edition, I felt compelled to try to understand Mr. Miller's "investigative" reporting. Although I would never consider myself a student of journalism, I find the article much too speculative to digest. The conflicting objectives of the article make any reader's head spin...

Collegial relations; Spruce up school; Gentle men; Word to the wise; Cemetery complaint; Undermining foundations; Democrats, speak up; The real crisis; Honest Bill; In the real world; Trail of Tears; Take responsibility; Numbingly mindless; Anarchist driver; Tin cups; Trash cans needed; Right-wing band; Teacher appreciation

John L. Oliver Jr., 62, a prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer, died suddenly Thursday, May 12, 2005, at his home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are in process at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Leon Harold Moore, 63, of Morehouse died Friday, May 13, 2005, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Sept. 3, 1941, in Bessville, Mo., son of Carl James and Ida Pearl Trentham Moore. He married Jo Moore, who died in June 1999...

25 years ago: May 14, 1980 It took a lot of bargaining, but after more than a month of negotiations, the Community Teachers Association and the Jackson R-2 Board of Education have reached an agreement on the teacher salary schedule for the 1980-1981 school year...

Mount Auburn church plans '40 Days' projects Mount Auburn Christian Church members are planning three service projects in conjunction with a "40 Days of Community" Bible study. The study is affiliated with Saddleback Christian Church in California and ties into the "40 Days of Purpose" campaign written by Rick Warren, pastor at Saddleback. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State Rep. Scott Lipke pulled off a rare feat on Friday by securing final legislative passage of an omnibus crime bill. As more and more proposed criminal statutes are rolled into the same bill, the degree of difficulty in steering such legislation through the legislature steadily increases. ...

Have you ever wondered "Where is my niche in life?" Nearly everyone has questioned where they fit in. It seems some people possess outstanding gifts that are obvious, and others attempt for years to find their talents. During a recent conversation with a friend, Jenny, I gained a new perspective about what I offer the world...

The Cape Girardeau post office is scheduled to be back in business at its old location on Frederick Street in September, the result of a decision by the U.S. Postal Service to buy the building and undertake renovations. The post office moved out of the leased building more than a year ago, claiming there were problems with the roof. It moved to a cramped location on Christine Street, which is to be closed...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI * Melissa D. Caldwell, 34, 407 S. Hanover St., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, speeding, no insurance and no vehicle license...

A new regional development approach and an expansion of the state's ability to attract businesses will bring positive changes to Missouri's economy, Department of Economic Development director Greg Steinhoff said Friday. Steinhoff spoke about changes in his department as well as new laws that will soon affect the state's businesses to those participating in Leadership Missouri...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: * At 3:20 p.m., medical emergency at Lexington Avenue and West Cape Rock Drive. * At 4:10 p.m., downed power line at 200 E. Cape Rock Drive. * At 4:54 p.m., citizen assist at 1800 Brink Ave...

When Southeast Missouri art professor Amy Kephart hits the road to head to her new home in Casper, Wyo., today, it will be with a heavy heart. "This is the longest I've ever lived in any one place," said Kephart, who has been teaching ceramics at the university since 1997. "I grew up in the service, so even as a kid I moved a lot. I really invested a lot of time and energy and talents into the community and college, and it's harder to walk away than I thought it was going to be."...

The city of Cape Girardeau didn't follow its own tree board policy in the removal of two trees along Henderson Avenue as part of the Broadway widening project, city officials said Friday. Typically, the city engineering department typically notifies the tree board prior to removing trees on city right of way to review the situation and determine if the trees should be saved...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The mysterious finger that a woman claimed to have found in a bowl of Wendy's chili came from an associate of her husband who lost the finger in an industrial accident, police said Friday. "The jig is up. The puzzle pieces are beginning to fall into place, and the truth is being exposed," police chief Rob Davis said...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A new generation of experimental cancer drugs is poised to upstage current hotshots by attacking the multiple methods tumors use to grow and spread, instead of just one. These drugs are like a repairman who brings an entire toolbox to a job instead of just a wrench or hammer. They go beyond current favored medicines like Herceptin, Avastin and Iressa, which have impressed scientists for their ability to precisely target cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone...

KABUL, Afghanistan-- Protesters threw rocks and police shot back Friday as violent anti-U.S. protests spread to more Afghan cities, leaving at least eight people dead and threatening a security crisis for the government. In neighboring Pakistan, street protests fizzled despite tough rhetoric from hard-line preachers over allegations that U.S. ...

Today Bishop Robert Schnase will deliver the message at all three worship celebrations at La Croix United Methodist Church. Services are 5:30 p.m. today and 9:15 and 11 a.m. Sunday. Schnase also will consecrate La Croix's new 950-seat worship center, which opened in December...

The Southeast Missouri State women have signed one of the leading scorers in the history of Missouri high school girls basketball. Southeast coach B.J. Smith announced Friday that Sonya Daugherty, a 5-foot-8 senior guard at Hancock High School in St. Louis County, will play for the Redhawks next season...

NEW YORK -- The collapse of a highway retaining wall in Manhattan and a fire at a railroad bridge in New Jersey created Friday-the-13th headaches for thousands of commuters. No one was injured in the two mishaps, which happened within hours on Thursday afternoon and evening. ...