Stories from Tuesday, June 30, 2009

MARBLE HILL, Mo. - A Marble Hill man was seriously injured in a Sunday evening motor vehicle accident. Jackie L. Kaiser, 45, was traveling northbound on Route B when the 1994 Plymouth he was driving ran off the right side of the roadway around 6:55 p.m., the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Kaiser then over corrected, struck an embankment and overturned...

KENNETT, Mo. -- The cause surrounding the death of a 49-year-old Kennett man who was found at Jones' Park on Friday remains a mystery. Ricky Lee Miller, a resident of the Kennett Boarding Home, was found lifeless, lying on the ground near the Jones' Park maintenance area on Friday, after being discovered by students from South Elementary School...

FAIRDEALING, Mo. -- Ripley County authorities are following leads as they search for a man believed to have robbed a Fairdealing business Monday afternoon at gunpoint. Between 12:45 and 1 p.m., a man entered The Giftbox on Highway 160, just west of Fairdealing and Route M and displayed a small firearm, a pistol, according to Ripley County Sheriff Ron Barnett...

The city of Jackson is hosting a community workshop to review draft proposals for several aspects of the city's comprehensive plan at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jackson City Hall. The workshop is part of an effort to involve the community in updating the long-range vision for the city. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Citing a decrease in customer volume, officials at TG Missouri announced Monday the reduction of nearly 30 hourly and salaried employees from support groups and management. Spokesperson Rhonda Ruark said the latest reductions did not affect production employees, as some of those recently laid off employees have been recalled because of an increase in customer volume. However, that increase was not enough to prevent the layoffs announced Monday...

For cool shade and thirst-quenching water, we give thanks to you, O God.

A man faces charges for allegedly threatening to blow up the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Federal Courthouse in retaliation for a police officer notifying immigration authorities about him, according to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle...

The Heartland Nationals earned 2nd place in the 2009 Missouri Babe Ruth State Tournament held in Monett, Missouri June 25-28, 2009. It was a double elimination tournament. The Nationals 2 losses came in the final day of competition to the 2009 state champs, the Washington Wildfires. However, the Nationals did deliver the first lost of the year to the Washington Wildfires during this tournament!!...

On Monday, the Missouri Attorney General's Office and the Missouri Department of Agriculture unveiled the second part of a statewide initiative to crack down on unlicensed dog breeders.

When the field of more than 140 of the top junior golfers descends on Dalhousie Golf Club this week, each player will try to add his or her name to the illustrious list of Rolex Tournament of Champions winners.

Not sure what kind of flower this is, but it is soooo pretty!!!

After twenty nine years of owning and loving Pit Bulls, I find that I have become a little complacent when I hear stories about their plight. In all these years I have seen the best and the worst of human beings. When I hear the horror stories now, I tend to file them in the mental "Seen That" file. That is why when I was contacted about Jed and Amos it did not hold a great deal of surprise for me. That is, until I saw the pictures...

Representatives from state and federal agencies came to Cape Girardeau on Monday to share tips on grant writing and economic development. About 400 participants from not-for-profit organizations, small businesses and religious organizations attended a workshop at Southeast Missouri State University sponsored by U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCaskill has been holding the workshops across the state to educate organizations on grant writing...

If the American Junior Golf Association was trying to mimic the Bethpage Black Course, home of the 2009 U.S. Open Championship, it did an awfully good job. Andrew Greenfield, tournament director for the AJGA's Rolex Tournament of Champions, expects the top junior golfers in the world to face a difficult task when they set out to tangle with Dalhousie Golf Club beginning with Wednesday's opening round...

ATLANTA -- Part of a six-floor parking deck near downtown Atlanta collapsed Monday, crushing at least 35 cars, with fire officials saying it was miraculous there were no reports of injuries hours after the mass of concrete fell during a busy lunchtime...

SAN'A, Yemen -- A Yemenia Air plane going from the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen to the island nation of Comoros has crashed in the Indian Ocean, a Yemen airport official said Tuesday. The official said the plane was going from the Yemen capital San'a to Moroni, on the main island of Grand Comore...

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi forces assumed formal control of Baghdad and other cities today after American troops handed over security in urban areas in a step toward ending the U.S. combat role in the country. A countdown clock broadcast on Iraqi TV ticked to zero as the midnight deadline passed for U.S. combat troops to finish their pullback to bases outside cities...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider an appeal case from Missouri; allowing, for now, the picketing of funerals. A federal appeals court in St. Louis had ruled that Missouri cannot enforce a law banning protests near funerals until a lawsuit challenging the law is resolved. The U.S. Supreme Court denied Missouri's appeal without comment...

SIKESTON, Mo. ­­-- Despite bearing two inches of ice atop their branches in January, the trees in Mike Leible's peach orchard have bounced back and the peach harvest will begin any day now. Leible, co-owner of Dogwood Peach Orchard, said recently he is fielding questions from local residents about whether he would have peaches this summer after last winter's ice storm...

NEW YORK -- A federal judge rejected Bernard Madoff's plea for leniency Monday, sentencing the 71-year-old swindler to spend the rest of his life in prison for an "extraordinarily evil" fraud that took a toll on thousands of victims. U.S. District Judge Denny Chin cited the unprecedented nature of the multibillion-dollar fraud as he sentenced Madoff to the maximum of 150 years in prison, a term comparable only to those given in the past to terrorists, traitors and the most violent criminals. ...

WASHINGTON -- Risky bank policies that contributed to the financial crisis were as common in neighborhood branches as they were on Wall Street, according to a labor-backed coalition that will propose new reforms today. Bank of America Corp. and other large banks encouraged customer service representatives and tellers to burden consumers with debt and enroll them in high-fee programs, alleges a group which includes the National Association of Consumer Advocates and the U.S. ...

25 years ago: June 30, 1984 Missouri Attorney General John Ashcroft, while in Cape Girardeau, announces he has been publicly endorsed in his bid for the governor's post by 25 Missouri Republican legislators, including Cape Girardeau Rep. Mary Kasten...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Sunday:...

Cape Girardeau: DWI; Arrests; Summonses; Assault; Thefts; Burglaries; Property damage; Jackson: Arrest; Theft; Property damage; Miscellaneous

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport appears to be at a turning point, one that some city officials and airport users envision as the potential for becoming the aviation hub for the region. Some important factors:n Repairs: Several repair needs will be met by $1.6 million in federal stimulus funding, but other needs will have to be addressed when the airport's master plan is updated...

Southeast Missouri public health officials are busy tracking summer illnesses, but they haven't forgotten about the new flu -- officially called H1N1 and nicknamed swine flu. Though summer is generally a time when flu cases abate, the close quarters of summer camps have spurred outbreaks...

Airport concerns; Home care; Special cases; TV programs

A stretch of Route C in Perry County will be reduced to one lane starting today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews repair pavement, according to a MoDOT news release. The section of road is located from the Cape Girardeau County line to Route U. Weather permitting, work will start at noon today and continue through 5 p.m. Thursday...

ST. LOUIS -- Even when Khalil Greene homered in his first three games after going on the 15-day disabled list with social anxiety disorder, St. Louis manager Tony La Russa held off celebrating. "When he had success in Kansas City, that wasn't really the test," La Russa said. "The test is when you struggle and how you handle it."...

ST. LOUIS -- Tim Lincecum looked ready for a return trip to Busch Stadium in two weeks for the All-Star game. The St. Louis Cardinals could not touch him. Lincecum threw a two-hitter for his third complete game of the season, all in his last four starts, in the San Francisco Giants' 10-0 rout Monday night. Travis Ishikawa's three-run homer for a 4-0 lead in the fourth was way more than the right-hander needed...

WIMBLEDON, England -- They played into the night on Centre Court, later than anyone ever had in Wimbledon's long history, and they played indoors, the first match contested entirely under the new roof. And at 10:39 p.m. Monday, when No. 3-seeded Andy Murray of Britain finally finished off a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over No. 19 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club, the partisan fans celebrated their guy's victory with quite a roar...

John Frederick Dumont, 72, was granted his angel wings Wednesday, June 24, 2009, after an unexpected diagnosis and sudden fight with lung cancer. John was a man who was passionate about his family. He loved to have family gathered to create memories by playing, eating and telling stories. He was known for his "can do" spirit...

Alene Ruth Bollinger, 93, of Jackson died Sunday, June 28, 2009, at Jackson Manor. Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. to service time Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jimmie Corbin officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

Charles L. Allers, 71, of Oak Ridge passed away Friday, June 26, 2009, at his home with his family by his side. He was born Oct. 31, 1937, in Cape Girardeau, son of Henry John and Amanda M. Frank Allers. He and Pauline Schirmer were married May 8, 1965, in Wittenberg, Mo...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Henry George "Junior" Arnzen Jr., 84, of Leopold passed away Saturday, June 27, 2009, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 25, 1925, at Laflin, Mo., son of Henry G. and Mary Drika Scharenborg Arnzen. He married Rose Mary Landewe on Aug. 8, 1953, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold...

Slaten shoots 72 for victory Brett Slaten, who committed to play golf at Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Ill., shot a 72 to win the boys 16 to 19 18-hole tour division at the PGA Gateway Junior Series event held at Cape Girardeau Country Club on Monday...

The Southeast Missourian is working on a story feature Spanish language or bilingual church service in the Cape Girardeau area. Do you attend such a church service, or know where one takes place? If so, contact Aleck Stephens at astephens@semissourian.com or 388-3654...

Despite the economic slump, fireworks season is in full swing for vendors in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

The Cape Girardeau School District will be taking steps to present a balanced budget next year without using reserve funds, school officials said Monday. The school board Monday approved its $42.9 million operating budget for next year, which includes a 2.29 percent raise for teachers. The district also moved $1.3 million from reserved funds to balance the budget...