Stories from Saturday, August 27, 2005

Washington jumped on St. Louis early in helping its wild-card cause. WASHINGTON -- Esteban Loaiza carried a shutout into the seventh inning, Brad Wilkerson hit a leadoff homer and the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 on Friday night...

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Many of Rusty Wallace's finest moments came on the high banks of Bristol Motor Speedway. His first victory came on the tough Tennessee track, the same place he later notched his 50th career win. Set to retire at the end of the season, Wallace is looking to make one more memory...

Several players questioned the handling of Aaron O'Neal. COLUMBIA, Mo. -- From the frantic moments after 19-year-old Aaron O'Neal's death in July to the preseason practices leading to their first game next week, Missouri football players have publicly stood united in support of the program...

Rescue instruction was part of $130,000 Homeland Security grant. Friday in 95-degree heat, Cape Girardeau firefighters practiced rappelling from the Southeast Missouri Hospital parking garage, carefully lowering patients on backboards to a crew below...

The Redhawks are counting on 6-foot-3 Schlader when they open the season today Brenna Schlader considers herself to be a loyal Southeast Missouri State student, but she does have one admission to make. Whenever Southeast plays Austin Peay in men's basketball, she's not cheering for the Redhawks...

WASHINGTON -- The government on Friday put off its long-awaited final decision on whether to sell emergency contraception without a prescription, saying the pill was safe to sell over-the-counter to adults but grappling with how to keep it out of the hands of young teenagers...

About 200 people attended Army Sgt. Robert "Bob" Davis' funeral. When life got hard in the battle-scarred Middle East, Sgt. Robert Davis would tell his Army buddies, "Suck it up and be tough." On Friday morning in the packed sanctuary of the First General Baptist Church, 200 friends, family members and soldiers found Davis' advice impossible to follow...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- With Iraq's constitutional talks at a decisive stage, the majority Shiites awaited a response Friday from Sunni Arabs to what they said was a final compromise offer to break the impasse over the draft charter. U.S. aircraft struck a suspected al-Qaida safe house near the Syrian border...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis teenager was sentenced to life in prison Friday for fatally shooting another teen -- while riding his bike. Jeremy Hightower, 18, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder. He was sentenced Friday. The shooting happened in daylight on June 23, 2004. Police said Hightower was riding his bike and came upon 17-year-old Kennis Body-Dillard, who was walking along the street...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Dwight Gooden will be jailed without bail until an October hearing, a judge ruled Friday, three days after the former star pitcher fled police during a DUI traffic stop. Gooden, dressed in an orange jail outfit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, looked gaunt in court as he was flanked by his mother and lawyer. He didn't speak during the brief hearing except to acknowledge the judge's questions with a "yes, sir" or "no, sir."...

ARDMORE, Pa. -- Austin Eaton III won three of his last four holes and beat U.S. Walker Cup team member Anthony Kim 4 and 2 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club. In other quarterfinals, Italy's Edoardo Molinari advanced with a 6 and 4 win over South Africa's Dawie Van Der Walt; J.C. Deacon defeated Mark Leon 2 and 1 in an all-Canadian match; and Dillon Dougherty beat Kent State senior Ryan Yip 4 and 2 to round out today's semifinalists...

Justin Rose kept his driver in the bag for most of his round Friday, and it turned out to be a wise choice. The 25-year-old Englishman shot a 7-under 63 to take a four-stroke lead after two rounds of the Buick Championship in Cromwell, Conn. Bogey-free through 36 holes, Rose played himself into contention for his first PGA Tour win, moving to 12-under 128, his lowest two-round total of the year...

WASHINGTON -- Missouri suffered another blow to its military sites Friday after the federal base-closing commission approved Pentagon plans to close the Air National Guard's 131st Fighter Wing at Lambert Field in St. Louis. Within minutes of the unanimous vote, Gov. Matt Blunt vowed to file a lawsuit over the move, as governors in three other states have done...

LONDON -- At London Zoo, you can talk to the animals -- and now some of them talk back. Caged and barely clothed within a rocky enclosure, eight British men and women monkeyed around Friday for an amused, bemused crowd behind a sign reading "Warning: Humans in their Natural Environment."...

BRIENZ, Switzerland -- This small, tidy town at the foot of the picturesque Bernese Alps -- normally packed with tourists and hikers this time of year -- was covered instead by mud and debris Friday after days of devastating flooding. Soldiers guarded against looting, large sections were cordoned off, and residents counted the cost of this week's floods, which killed a mother and her daughter and destroyed homes...

JACKSON, Wyo. -- Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan on Friday cautioned Americans against thinking the value of their homes and other investments will only go higher, saying "history has not dealt kindly" with that kind of optimism. Greenspan also said that bloated trade and budget deficits threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy...

FORT PAYNE, Ala. -- A man surrendered to police Thursday in the death of a gas station owner who tried to stop a $52 gasoline theft by grabbing onto a moving vehicle, but was run over and killed. Police said Alvin D. Benefield, 42, surrendered Thursday and was held on charges including theft and manslaughter in the death of Husain "Tony" Caddi, 54. Caddi was killed Aug. 19 in the drive-off at his Texaco station in Fort Payne in rural northeast Alabama...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team had nothing to show for its season opener on Friday. Southeast and Gardner-Webb were scoreless through 70 minutes of their first-round game in the Lady Govs Invitational when play was stopped because of inclement weather...

"Seeing-eye driver" is police lingo for a vehicle weaving around on the road. Those drivers aren't necessarily drunk, but many are. Beginning last week and continuing through Labor Day, a federal grant is enabling police agencies in the region to mount extra patrols to enforce laws against driving while intoxicated. ...

Homecoming of Trinity United Methodist and Cemetery Association, 12 p.m. basket lunch followed by a short program and fellowship service. ; Annual homecoming set for Sunday at Trinity UMC; Meals follow worship at Lutheran Chapel of Hope; The Rev. Duplantis will minister at Christ Church

Nearly five decades ago, some Catholics in Southeast Missouri attended Mass from the back of flatbed trucks with collapsible pulpits and traveling priests. Reflecting on such humble beginnings is part of a year-long celebration of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau's 50th anniversary that kicks off Sunday with special Mass services at St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau...

"No man comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 According to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus told his followers on numerous occasions that he was God's son, the only way to heaven, and that he would die and come back to life. Many people saw him die on a cross just outside Jerusalem's walls. Three days later the tomb where he'd been buried was no longer occupied. Probably a lot of Jerusalem's citizens went to see the empty grave...

First Baptist Church constructtion gives new life to the congregation. hrough the piles of insulation, the dirt clumps on the concrete floors and the jarring pounding noises from overhead, it's difficult to tell at first glance that the building at the intersection of Cape Rock Drive and Lexington Avenue is a place of worship...

Chaffee continued its strong start to the softball season by beating visiting Central 5-3 Friday afternoon. The Red Devils improved to 3-1, as they have posted three straight victories since losing Monday's opener to Jackson in extra innings. Central fell to 1-2...

To the editor: Evidently, Gerald Stevens has not read the FairTax book, which currently sits atop the New York Times bestseller list. Neal Boortz and John Linder have proposed a 23 percent national sales tax to replace the federal income tax. The benefits of the FairTax plan are numerous, while misconceptions abound. The advantages of the FairTax:...

To the editor: In response to "Firearms safety program makes its way to Missouri": I would like to say that we have had for a number of years a firearms safety program in place in Missouri. It is the Missouri hunter education program. It not only teaches safe handling of firearms, but also safe hunting practices for young and old alike...

Baseball...

Tournament set for Sept. 2 at Kimbeland; Temm wins tourney at Cape Country Club; Riley, Angle tie in Jaycees ladies play; Southeast gymnasts honored for academics

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls: Thursday: * At 5:23 p.m., emergency medical service in the 700 block of Hickory Street. * At 10:04 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Sycamore Circle. Friday: * At 10:21 a.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of South Sprigg Street...

Cape Girardeau...

Junior high will hold back-to-school night Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School will hold a back-to-school night at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. A short meeting will be held in the auditorium before parents will be invited to follow an abbreviated schedule of their students' school day. School officials said parents can meet the teachers, visit classrooms and tour the building...

The Missouri Senate will work without stopping for as long as it takes to pass abortion restrictions in the upcoming special session, the chamber's top Republican said Friday. Senate President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, said he discussed strategy to divide the work for the session with House Speaker Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill. The Senate will be the first to take up the abortion restrictions sought by Gov. Matt Blunt, Gibbons said...

Two Cape Girardeau residents were cited Thursday for seeking money from motorists. Glenda B. Jones, 48, and Randy L. Heise, 45, both of 127 S. Lorimier St., were arrested near Siemers and Shirley drives after a complaint, police Sgt. Barry Hovis said. The officer who responded to the complaint had warned the two on Wednesday to stop panhandling, Hovis said...

Autopsy results on a Perry County boy who died in a St. Louis hospital won't be ready for several weeks, a medical investigator said Friday. Ethan Patrick Williams, 4, of rural Perry County, died early Thurdsay morning at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, said Rose Psara, chief investigator with the city of St. Louis medical examiner's office...

25 years ago: Aug. 27, 1980 There aren't many university dormitories that have a swimming pool and rooms equipped with 19-inch color televisions, wall-to-wall carpet and private telephones; but those are the accommodations Southeast Missouri State University has provided this semester for 62 male freshmen at the Best Western Motel...

To the editor: A generation ago Bob Dylan asked, "How many deaths will it take 'til they know that too many people have died?" Dylan's question, resonating through America, helped support our troops by bringing them home from harm's way and ending the Vietnam War. Today, the Gold Star Families for Peace, families of soldiers killed in Iraq, are asking a similar question: Do George Bush, Dick Cheney and our elected representatives in Washington know how many deaths it will take?...

Remember the lake?; Literary boon; Familiar ranting; Irrational law; Movie reputation; Should be ashamed; That really hurts; Library for students

Edwin F. Birk, 94, passed away Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 16, 1911, at Tilsit, son of Otto J. and Freda Lange Birk. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit. He and Alma Fluegge were married Feb. 4, 1934, at Immanuel Lutheran Church. They had been married 64 years when she passed away April 22, 1998...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ethan Patrick Williams, 4, of Perryville died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005, at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Sept. 20, 2000, at Perry County Memorial Hospital, son of Danny Wayne and Emily Ann Henson Williams...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Eleanor Faye Riggs, 65, of Cairo died Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at her home. She was born May 9, 1940, in Ullin, Ill., daughter of Roy and Alice Brown Ledbetter. She married John Riggs. Riggs was a member of Cairo Assembly of God Church and was a Sunday school teacher many years...

Alicia Lee Godbey, 62, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005, at her home. She was born Dec. 7, 1942, at Malden, Mo., daughter of James Aldon and Anna Lee Williams Hamlett. She and Melvin Larry Godbey were married March 27, 1970, at Portageville, Mo. He died June 13, 2002...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Mattie E. Hahn, 93, of Granite City, Ill., died Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at Maryville Manor in Maryville, Ill. She was born Jan. 8, 1912, in the Hurricane Fork community of Bollinger County, Mo., daughter of Peter L. and Amanda E. Welker Rhodes. She and Jesse L. Hahn were married June 24, 1933. He died Aug. 12, 1976...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Curtis D. Coffey, 72, of Dexter died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005, at his home. He was born March 15, 1933, near Essex, Mo., son of Otto and Edna Zile Coffey. He and Joann Lankford were married Jan. 5, 1952, in Piggott, Ark. Coffey lived in Dexter most of his life, and was formerly employed with AmerenUE...

Delphine C. Buhs, 90, of St. Louis died Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at St. Alexius Hospital. She was formerly of Cape Girardeau. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sadie Brandel Miederhoff, 97, of Perryville died Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Jan. 9, 1908, in Warren County, Mo., daughter of John and Mary Engemann Bruckerhoff. She and William Brandel were married July 17, 1927. He died in November 1962. She and Antone Miederhoff were married July 10, 1965. He died Sept. 20, 1973...

JERUSALEM -- An Israeli government official said Friday the population in its West Bank settlements has grown by more than 12,000 in the past year, reinforcing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's goal of strengthening large settlement blocs while withdrawing from the Gaza Strip. The figures drew new criticism from Palestinian officials, who accused Israel of undermining prospects for peace...

I never experienced the laid-back festival atmosphere of the BBQ Fest until Friday night, nor did I understand the kind of guilty-pleasure trip I was in for as a showmanship judge -- the taste of barbecue, the tiki torches, the mixed drinks, the smiling faces and the unstoppable bribery...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Charges have been dropped against the "Raging Grannies," five women accused of trespassing after they tried to enlist at a military recruitment center to protest the war in Iraq, a city prosecutor said. ...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Word that Sgt. Dan Kennings had been killed in Iraq crushed spirits in the Daily Egyptian newsroom. The buzz-cut soldier befriended by students at the university newspaper was dead, and the sergeant's little girl, a precocious child they'd grown to love, was now an orphan...

Jackson and Central get mixed results in a jamboree that included Poplar Bluff and Parkway North. Southeast Missourian Jackson and Central both brought significantly overhauled rosters into Friday's jamboree at Jackson, so it was not surprising to the coaches when their teams experienced a mix of ups and downs in the tuneup to next week's season openers...

MIAMI, Fla. -- Utility crews scrambled to restore power to more than 1 million customers Friday as Hurricane Katrina, blamed for six deaths and miles of flooded streets in South Florida, threatened the state with an encore visit. Katrina was churning in the Gulf of Mexico and on a path to make landfall anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana as early as Monday, possibly as a Category 4 storm...

Fellow soldiers talked about Davis' work ethic and honest nature. Under a blue sky and amidst a sea of headstones, fallen soldier Sgt. Robert G. Davis was saluted with honors and tears as he was laid to rest Friday morning in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

The dispute between Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., can be partly blamed on mission drift by both institutions. In the 1990s, the state required all 26 higher education campuses to be identified as highly selective, selective, moderately selective or open admissions. ...