Stories from Tuesday, April 11, 2006

A Monday morning fire at a Cape Girardeau residence resulted in no injuries to the mother and 2-month-old baby living there. At 9:21 a.m., the Cape Girardeau Fire Department received a call of a house fire at 1408 N. Main St. A fire was blazing in the corner of one of the building's two apartments, home to Kimberly Teeters and her baby...

A fugitive on the lam for seven months in the armed robbery of a Cape Girardeau KFC was arrested in Charleston, Mo., Friday. Jimmy Walker, 30, of Village on the Green, was charged in an arrest warrant Sept. 6 with first-degree armed robbery and armed criminal action. He remained wanted by authorities until Charleston police arrested him Friday afternoon...

Public disinterest in library boundaries has led Cape Girardeau officials to only one conclusion: Library boundaries will stay the same. The Cape Girardeau public library had weighed a plan to change its boundaries, holding a public meeting and seeking input. But neither library director Betty Martin nor Mayor Jay Knudtson, who was also present at the meeting, saw sufficient reason to pursue a course different than the current one...

Pemiscot County had no reserves in its county coffers when a tornado struck April 3 and destroyed half of Caruthersville, Mo. State law didn't require Pemiscot, a third-class county according to Missouri's classification system, to set aside part of its budget into an emergency reserve, Associate Commissioner David Wilkerson said...

A Sikeston man was arrested Monday when police found him hiding in the closet of a home he broke into. Kelan F. Watkins, 19, threw a concrete yard decoration through a glass storm door to enter a home on County Highway 403 in unincorporated Scott County near Benton around 3:40 a.m., according to a Scott County Sheriff's Department news release...

FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- At Moore Elementary School, fourth-grader Michael Turri looks forward to 30 minutes of jump-rope at the start of the day. "It really gets my brain going," said the 10-year-old. "You need to do this stuff to get through life." That's one of the approaches this suburban Nashville school takes to thwart a growing childhood obesity problem. Students at Moore are required to take PE every day...

To the editor: Once again Sam Blackwell captured my exact sentiments in his most eloquent way. (See "Letters from Home," April 6). My memories of participating in musical performances in the then Central High School Auditorium are so vivid. Although we didn't do Broadway musicals in those days, I currently find my life devoted to preparing others to do just that...

NEW YORK -- They gathered on the quiet streets of Garden City, Kan., and in the chaos of downtown Manhattan. They rallied outside congressional offices and against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty. They invoked names such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez...

HOUSTON -- Former Enron Corp. Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling told jurors in his fraud and conspiracy trial Monday that he abruptly resigned from the energy trading company a few months before it collapsed because he was worn out and troubled by its falling share price -- not because he knew disaster loomed...

To the editor: I am from Cape Girardeau and living in St. Louis. I read the Southeast Missourian online almost every day. My husband and I are also the proud parents of two girls adopted from China, and anything related to China or Chinese adoption is near and dear to us. ...

Baseball...

Best puppy ever; Emphasis on sports; Too much government; Lessons ignored; Musical reminder; Revolution coming; Garbage job; Health choices; They're all the same; Are they listening?; Simple stop sign; Tobacco issues; Bigger concerns; Business as usual; Promote from within

Richard "Dick" Lee Meehan, 53, of Jackson died Monday, April 10, 2006, at his home. Meehan was born May 11, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Jean Douglas "Bus" and Betty Louise Barnhart Meehan. He married Deanna Sides June 9, 1990, and was a lead person in the welding division of NLC-Lenco for 32 years. He also worked for the Jackson School District part-time for 10 years...

THEBES, Ill. -- Roy Clifford Simmons, 79, of Thebes died Monday April 10, 2006, at the Chateau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 4, 1926, in Gale, Ill., son of William Roy and Ida Mae Corzine Simmons. He and Mildred Lois Prater were married Aug. 5, 1950, in Cairo, Ill. Mildred preceded him in death on April 7, 1974...

WASHINGTON -- College graduates are flocking to America's big cities, chasing jobs and culture and driving up home prices. Though many of the largest cities have lost population in the past three decades, nearly all have added college graduates, an analysis by The Associated Press found...

To the editor: We had a shelter reserved at a local park to have a birthday party for my nephew's son. When we arrived, the shelter was tagged for us. The shelter was vacant, but there was no parking available. It seems there was an egg hunt, and it had a great turnout. ...

To the editor: You should have more columns like the one by June Seabaugh. Easter is knowing where we are going. That was wonderful and touching. Thank you. MARTHA WILLIAMS, Tamms, Ill.

Scott City's Ryan Modglin pitched a five-inning no-hitter and blasted two home runs, as the Rams trampled Chaffee 12-0 in a high school baseball game Monday at Chaffee. Modglin struck out 13 batters and walked four. Alex Orr suffered the pitching loss for Chaffee (4-6)...

One of the negative sides of the Internet is the booming market in pornography. Not only are there thousands of Web sites that offer the vilest content imaginable, there are millions of online surfers willing to use their credit cards for instant access -- a supply-demand situation that only fuels the growth of this dark industry...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As state and federal teams assess damage from last week's severe storms, losses from earlier storms and tornadoes are becoming clear. The first round of severe weather in 2006 killed 10 and damaged thousands of buildings in Missouri. Insured losses from the storms, which dropped dozens of tornadoes in mid-March, add up to more than $394 million...

25 years ago: April 11, 1981 John Phillips, a Cardwell, Mo., high school junior, who last year competed in the International Science and Engineering Fair, wins the right for a return trip along with South Pemiscot High senior Tammy Nowlin; they were the principle winners in the 25th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair held on the Southeast Missouri State University campus...

Charles Hughie Smith, 79, of Jackson passed away Sunday, April 9, 2006, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 28, 1926, in Wayne County, Mo., son of Charley and Clemma Smith. He was inducted into the U.S. Navy Jan. 29, 1945, in St. Louis. He was honorably discharged April 19, 1946, a seaman, second class...

ANNA, Ill. -- James Ray Petty, 57, of Anna, died Saturday, April 8, 2006, at the Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Nov. 17, 1948, in Alto Pass, Ill., son of James Millard and Emily Jean Glasford Petty. He was self-employed as a carpenter. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War...

Arthur J. "Buck" Sexton, 84, of Scott City died Sunday, April 9, 2006, at his home. He was born April 2, 1922, in Kansas City, Mo., the son of Arthur J. and Anna Jane Harman Sexton. He and Naomi M. Wallace Sexton were married in 1944 in Independence, Mo. She died March 15, 1990...

Lorene Lucky, 65, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, April 7, 2006, at her home. She was born March 29, 1941, in New Albany, Miss., daughter of Lee Ray and Vastie Liddell Ray. She and Robert Lee Lucky were married Oct. 31, 1961. He died in 1980. She worked as a housekeeper at Seabaugh Clinic and was a member of New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church...

Here's a reason to think twice before getting your tongue pierced: A 20-year-old outside of Chicago developed a large growth near the barbell stud, which she referred to as her "second tongue." The bump appeared just after she had her tongue pierced, and four months later it was the size of a marble. Her dentist, Ellis Neiburger, encouraged the woman to take the stud out, but at first she refused...

Local students land Southeast scholarships...

A Cape Girardeau man accused of soliciting sex from a 15-year-old girl online, who was actually a police officer in an undercover operation, pleaded innocent Monday to attempted statutory rape. Robert C. Wells, 45, of 2515 Horseshoe Ridge, entered his plea before Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lewis. The judge also granted a motion by the defense for a change of venue, and the case was moved to New Madrid County...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Thousands of Hispanics gathered Monday in front of the federal courthouse and joined other protesters from across the country calling for Congress to reject a bill that would crack down on illegal immigrants. Many in the crowd wore white shirts, waved American and Mexican flags and chanted "Si se puede," or "Yes we can." They carried signs that read "We are America" and "The Answer is Legalization."...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday the United States remains under threat of terrorist attack and warned against complacency about enemies who he said were weakened but still lethal. Cheney, speaking at a fundraiser for Republican Sen. Jim Talent, defended progress in Iraq and the war on terror and painted Democrats as soft on national security...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

THEBES, Ill. -- Gale I. Follis, 67, of Thebes died Monday, April 10, 2006, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro, Ill.

Alice Harris, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday April 9, 2006, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Ford & Sons Funeral Home.

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Remona Sue Bess, 71, of Bell City, died Monday, April 10, 2006, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norbert "Bert" F. Renaud, 77, of Trinity, Texas, died Saturday, April 8, 2006, in Porter, Texas. He was born June 6, 1928, at Perryville, son of the late Lawrence F. and Cecilia E. French Renaud. He married Sammie Baker...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Timothy Crowe, 49, of Bloomfield died Sunday, April 9, 2006, at Poplar Bluff Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Dec. 22, 1956, at Bloomfield, son of Eileen M. Crowe and Noel Crowe. He was a 1975 graduate of Bloomfield High School...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- American soldiers have again hit the streets of dangerous neighborhoods in western Baghdad that had been handed over to Iraqi forces, trying to keep a lid on sectarian attacks that have raged since the February bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra...

RU-486 ruled out in one of two recent deaths WASHINGTON -- Health officials said Monday they have ruled out the abortion pill RU-486 in one of two recent deaths of women who had taken the drug. The second remains under investigation. The one death was unrelated to either abortion or use of the pill, the Food and Drug Administration said. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The new Busch Stadium was both a hitter's and pitcher's park in its opening game -- at least for Mark Mulder. The Cardinals' left-hander worked into the ninth inning and hit his first career home run to help St. Louis beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 Monday in the first major league game at the $365 million ballpark...

DURHAM, N.C. -- DNA testing failed to connect any members of the Duke University lacrosse team to the alleged rape of a stripper, attorneys for the athletes said Monday. Citing DNA test results delivered by the state crime lab to police and prosecutors a few hours earlier, the attorneys said the test results prove their clients did not sexually assault and beat a stripper hired to perform at a March 13 team party...

Two of Southeast Missouri State's most exciting wins of the season came in the past two weeks, at home against nonconference opponents Southern Illinois and Missouri. The Redhawks have road re-matches with both those teams this week, visiting SIU at 3 p.m. today and Missouri at 6 p.m. Wednesday...

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri has been more active than usual in the Bootheel over the past few weeks. The organization rescued 157 neglected dogs in Dunklin County on March 14 and returned last week to assist the rescue effort headed by the Caruthersville Animal Shelter in the wake of the tornado...

Jackson senior Aaron Redecker showed steady improvement over his high school basketball career, but he drew interest from NCAA Division I schools thanks in large part to his 6-foot-11 stature. Redecker will continue to hone his skills in Southeast Missouri next year, choosing Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Redecker will officially sign on Monday at Jackson High School...

Rod Barnes doesn't like the way his first college head coaching experience ended at Mississippi earlier this year. He hopes to get another shot at Southeast Missouri State. Barnes was the last of three finalists for Southeast's vacant men's basketball coaching position brought to campus for a series of interviews on Monday, following former Missouri assistant Jay Spoonhour on Friday and Tennessee assistant and former Murray State head coach Scott Edgar on Thursday...

Southeast Missouri State athletic director Don Kaverman believes a contract extension for women's basketball coach B.J. Smith will be announced in the next several days. Kaverman said Smith was handed the paperwork for the extension Monday afternoon. Now it's up to Smith to sign it...

In July, the federal student loan rate will rise to the highest level it has been since 2001. That is bad news for the millions of students who are struggling under a mountain of debt. For some, the debt is so large that it factors largely into the kind of work students choose to do after school, increasing the shortage of qualified candidates in professions such as teaching...

For the first time in more than 10 years, a set of four murals commissioned by the Southeast Missourian in the 1940s will be on public display. The public viewing starts Friday at the River Heritage Museum for the murals of Ary Marbain. Marbain, a St. Louis-based artist, painted four murals for the Southeast Missourian in 1944 in celebration of the newspaper's 40th anniversary. At the time, newspaper owners Fred and George Naeter saw the murals as a point of local pride and promotion...

No one leads cheers like a parent. Standing on the sideline of a recreational soccer game, parents shout out words of encouragement to their children playing out on the field. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it. As a dad, I spent this spring cheering at Bailey's youth soccer games...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- With the enrollment deadline barely a month away, President Bush planned to tout the new Medicare prescription drug benefit Tuesday during a trip to Missouri's capital city. Bush was to visit with residents at the Lutheran-run Heisinger Bluffs seniors home before discussing Medicare with roughly 500 people at a Jefferson City performing arts center...

WASHINGTON -- Allies for once, a stream of officials from the banking industry, unions and consumer groups urged federal regulators on Monday to reject a bid by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to expand its empire into the banking business. A company official, meanwhile, assured the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. that Wal-Mart had no plans to compete with community banks, including bank branches located within its megastores...

Even in pajamas, fifth- and sixth-graders at the Cape Girardeau Middle School appeared relaxed about taking Missouri Assessment Program tests in math and communication arts. "It is just like another test," said 12-year-old Ami Godbey, a sixth grader at the school who participated in pajama day in advance of nearly a week of standardized tests mandated by the state...