Stories from Sunday, July 26, 2009

The Jackson Senior Babe Ruth baseball team is having a sensational season. Things would be going even better if it weren't for Charleston. The Fighting Squirrels again proved to be a thorn in Jackson's side, posting a 12-8 victory in Saturday's winners bracket final of the Senior Babe Ruth state tournament...

Retirements and term limits will open up at least four Cape Girardeau County political jobs in 2010, prompting potential candidates to raise money and sound out possible supporters. So far, all the noticeable activity for partisan jobs is in the Republican Party, which dominates Cape Girardeau County politics...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The results of the state audit were delivered Monday after a review lasting more than a year of business practices at Three Rivers Community College.

Jasmine Myer, 4, left, and Trinady Reid, 8, both of Jackson, wave as they enjoy the elephant ride on the final day of Homecomers Saturday evening in Jackson.

A softball tournament designed as a fundraiser for a traveling girls team was canceled because of overnight vandalism at Arena Park, organizers said Saturday.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- In seven years, the River Hills Antique Tractor Club Adventure Ride has become an attraction for enthusiasts from near and far. This year's ride, which took place Saturday, drew 115 participants, some coming from as far away as Indiana, Arkansas and Louisiana...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Residents, former residents and visitors descended on the grounds of St. John's Roman Catholic Church for the annual parish picnic.

Scott County investigators say they still hope DNA tests will provide a forensic link to the 1992 murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, and the recent discovery of a new witness in the case, one who says he tried to tell his story shortly after the murder occurred, may help further narrow the field of suspects...

The two winners of this year's local Soap Box Derby, cousins Allyson McHughs, 11, of Jackson and Zachary McHughs, 9, of Thebes, Ill., are returning home today with their families after spending last week in Akron, Ohio, at the All-American Soap Box Derby...

Jordan Brock age 2 at the Jackson Homecomers.

Cissy,(a 2 yr old Pug and Bessie( a 3 mth old Yorkie). B.J. Hargrave

My son Payton had a great day at the parks & rec day. His favorite part was the big ping pong drop when he won this air hockey table. It was so big it had to be delivered to our house on a big truck. We would like to say thank you to the Cape parks & rec and Charter cable for a great day & the really cool air hockey table! :)...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Natalie Tai Bachmann and Kyle Lynn Lorenz were united in marriage June 2, 2009, in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Dr. T.E. Grainger performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Brian and Laurie Bachmann of Perryville, and Terry and Carol Lorenz of Farrar, Mo...

Katie Jenkins and David Andrew Roach were married June 21, 2008, at Christ the Savior Catholic Church in Brewer, Mo. The Rev. Milton Ryan performed the ceremony. Pianist was Cheryl Oberhaus and vocalist was Alan Bruns, both of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the bride are Matt and Susan Jenkins of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Teri and Joe Yant and David Roach, all of Morehouse, Mo...

Christine McVicker and Nicholas Ryan exchanged wedding vows May 23, 2009, at Sausalito Presbyterian Church in Sausalito, Calif. The Rev. Renee Rico performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Rudy and Jan McVicker of San Diego, Calif. The groom is the son of Stacey Storey and the late Greg Ryan of Cape Girardeau...

OLD APPLETON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Kevin J. Kursonis of Collierville, Tenn., announce the engagement of their daughter, Georgia Kelly Kursonis, to Edward R. Balsmann III. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Balsmann Jr. of Old Appleton. Kursonis is a 1990 graduate of Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Miss. She received a bachelor's degree in paralegal studies from the University of Memphis. She is an investigative paralegal with the law firm of Baker and Whitt, PLLC, in Memphis...

ORAN, Mo. -- Richard and Janet Randolph of Oran announce the engagement of their daughter, Lesley Ann Randolph, to Justin Lewis Rone. He is the son of Lewis and Martha Rone of Portageville, Mo. Randolph is a 1999 graduate of Oran High School. She received a bachelor's degree in socio-political communications from Missouri State University in 2003, and a master's degree in communication studies from the University of Kansas in 2005. ...

Ralph and Mary Walther of Gordonville announce the engagement of their daughter, Leann Walther, to Shannon Stinson. He is the son of Michael and Sue Stinson of Jackson. Walther is a 2003 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University in 2007. She is a benefits technician in the university's Human Resources Department...

Angela Martin and Jesse Dunavan of Cape Girardeau announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Jim Martin and Fran Martin of Greenville, Mo. Dunavan is the son of Sheryl Dunavan of Cape Girardeau, and the late Daniel Dunavan. Martin is a 1996 graduate of Woodland High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in early childhood and elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at a local daycare...

Allen and Joyce Clark of Gordonville announce the engagement of their daughter, Katherine Ann Clark, to Travis Kane Dambach. He is the son of Mark and Lisa Dambach of Jackson. Clark is a 2002 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 2006. She is an engineer at Procter and Gamble...

Louise St. John of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter, Kimberli Jo Fisher, to Shawn Paul Taylor. He is the son of Paul and Sally Taylor of Cape Girardeau. Fisher attended Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center for respiratory therapy, and Southeast Missouri State University. She is a registered respiratory therapist at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Festus, Mo...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Harold and Doris Gerecke of Altenburg celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a renewal of vow July 5, 2009, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna, Mo. The Rev. Rod Benkendorf performed the ceremony. Organist was Lynn Mueller...

Jimmy D. and Madelle M. Bowen of Louisville, Ky., formerly of Cape Girardeau, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a visit last weekend to Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn. Hosts were their children. The couple was married July 17, 1959, in Libby, Mont...

The city of Jackson has long taken pride in its livability. Now Money magazine has put its stamp of approval on the town's quality of life. Jackson was ranked No. 59 on a list of 100 Best Places to Lives for 2009, a ranking of 2,466 small towns with populations between 8,500 and 50,000. Neighboring Cape Girardeau as listed by the magazine as "a contender" in the rankings...

Air Force Airman Justin M. Squires graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Squires completed an eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. ...

William Lindman of Jackson was recently accepted into the Peace Corps service and will begin training in Uganda. Lindman, 22, is the son of Kevin and Marlene Lindman. He will be working as a community health and economic development volunteer. Lindman, a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., to receive a criminal justice degree. Lindman starts his Peace Corps service Aug. 4...

Kathie Brennan of Cape Girardeau has been presented with a 2008 US Forest Service Volunteer Award from among volunteers in a 20-state northeastern region. Brennan is a member of Missouri's volunteer organization Ozark Trail Association and last year led volunteer teams that constructed more than four miles of new trails and maintained more than 100 miles of existing trails on the Ozark Trail, a hiking, biking and equestrian trail corridor from St. ...

Air Force Airman Jarrid L. McIntyre of Bell City, Mo., graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The airman completed an eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. McIntyre is a 2006 graduate of Oran High School in Oran, Mo...

Atop last Sunday's "Health care reform" Perspectives page: "Here is a sampling of articles and commentary from a variety of sources regarding the health-care reform effort." Yet none of the articles list the positives of single-payer health care. If we had a single-payer health-care system, we would still be able to choose our doctors and procedures. ...

Scare tactic; Union legislation; Depp's disdain; Let consumers decide; Fireworks freedom; Selling stamps; Refusing money

We worship you, O God of love and mercy, and sing your praises to the world. Amen.

If it were possible, I would still be watching Walter Cronkite every evening. Like so many Americans, and certainly like so many viewers of KFVS12 in Southeast Missouri, the evening news on CBS was as much a part of our lives as "I Love Lucy." When the first TV set came into our house in the Ozarks over yonder, there was no such thing as recording devices that allowed you to record a TV program and then watch it at your leisure while zapping through commercials. ...

President Obama and some in Congress are trying rush and force through their idea of the best solution for proposed health care programs without the necessary time for others in government and the general public to better understand these program, their cost and their effectiveness...

Question: If you count the tail as a leg, how many legs would a dog have? Answer: Four. No matter what you call it, the tail is still a tail. The tendency of many people in modern times is to rename things. This is a method of denying the truth of what something actually is...

Bollinger Co. church holds cancer fundraiser There will be a special Relay for Life fundraiser with a special program featuring ventriloquism, puppets, gospel illusions and music followed by ice cream at 6 p.m. at First Assembly of God in Marble Hill, Mo. All proceeds go to Relay for Life. For more information, e-mail dkmontg@sbcglobal.net or call 573-238-0454...

Taylor Bauknecht from Girl Scout Troop 143, of Jackson, completed the hopscotch pattern for the United Way Born Learning Trail at the new Tot Land in the Jackson City Park. Taylor,13. completed the project for children ages 6 and under to be able to interact at the park. ...

The Rev. Bill Vandergraph, pastor of Full Gospel Pentecostal Church in Alto Pass, Ill., and founder of Friends of the Cross, was pronounced Illinoisan of the Day on July 11 at the Corndog Kickoff in Springfield. The Illinoisan of the Day program was created to recognize individuals who make a difference in the lives of others and their community. ...

Kelso native Jonathon Ressel met his Italian wife Sabrina at a party in Germany in 2004 while the two were studying abroad. Jonathon wasn't a big talker, Sabrina said, and she felt challenged in getting him to open up. He thought she was a nice person, but he had no idea it would go this far. The two were married in 2007...

Joann Lester said she never meets a stranger. She certainly knows no strangers among the residents of Saxony Village. When an unfamiliar face pops up in the dining room, Lester said, she's the first to make a proper introduction. Lester has worked as a dining room hostess at Saxony Village for four years. The 72-year-old hostess from Benton, Mo., has a special place in the retirement community...

Give carmaker Nissan credit for offering shoppers a deal. Just as the U.S. economy was taking a dive late last year, the company introduced a new version of its Versa sedan that's priced so low, it competes with used cars. The new-for-2009 Versa 1.6 Sedan isn't some tiny car, either. It's classified as a mid-size because of its generous 94.3 cubic feet of passenger space and nearly 14 cubic feet of trunk room. Its interior is the largest of any entry-level car...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: Jackson Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:...

Cape Girardeau: DWI; Arrests; Assault; Theft; Burglary; Miscellaneous; Jackson: Arrests; Theft; Property damage; Miscellaneous

KELSO, Mo. -- LaVerne Elizabeth Rogers, 83, of Kelso died Friday, July 24, 2009, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 8, 1925, at Fornfelt, Mo., the daughter of William and Victoria Kern Corvick. She and Bill Rogers were married May 29, 1948, at Kelso...

Linda Kester, 60, of Jackson died Saturday, July 25, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 5, 1948, in Cape Girardeau to Leroy and Euvela Kraust Niswonger. She and James Kester were married Thursday, April 27, 1967, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Sept. 30, 1999...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Elmer E. Gray, 87, of Granite City, Ill., and formerly of Cairo, died Friday, July 24, 2009, at Granite City Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Granite City. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until service time Monday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo...

Francis; Morgan; Cain; Jenkins; Greenley; Harper; Dallas; Sturgeon; Hendrix

Maxine A. Vogely, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 24, 2009, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. There will be no visitation or funeral. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

25 years ago: July 26, 1984 Calling it "a grand idea gone sour," Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents president Sidney Pollack announces the board's decision to abandon plans for a shared multipurpose facility with the city of Cape Girardeau; the regents will move ahead with plans for a scaled-down facility...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri conservation officials are asking for help to battle an invading wildflower. The Department of Conversation said the plant, spotted knapweed, has taken over thousands of acres of pastures and wildlife habitat. Spotted knapweed is a non-native plant that produces a chemical toxic to other plants and spills up to 1,000 seeds per plant...

CALAIS, France -- A French pilot on Saturday re-created the first flight across the English Channel in a monoplane like the one that Louis Bleriot flew in 1909, complete with a wooden propeller, bicycle wheels and an engine about as powerful as a lawnmower...

RABAT, Morocco -- From the western edge of the Muslim world, the king of Morocco has dared to tackle one of the most inflammatory issues in the Middle East conflict -- the Holocaust. At a time when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's dismissal of the Holocaust has made the biggest headlines, King Mohammed VI has called the Nazi destruction of the Jews "one of the most tragic chapters of modern history" and has endorsed a Paris-based program aimed at spreading the word among fellow Muslims.. ...

LONDON -- Protesters across the world Saturday called on Iran to end its clampdown on opposition activists, demanding the release of hundreds rounded up during demonstrations against the country's disputed election. Groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are backing a global day of action, with protests planned in more than 80 cities...

BALTIMORE -- NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is offering a glimpse of atmospheric debris from an object that plunged into Jupiter in a rare collision with the planet. Scientists used the telescope Thursday to capture what they call the "sharpest visible-light picture" so far of the expanding gash. An amateur stargazer in Australia noticed the spot last Sunday...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gov. Sarah Palin gained fame -- and some infamy -- since she embarked on a vice presidential bid less than a year ago. Her departure from Alaska's top office is gaining her something else: questions over her motives and next big move...

SAN DIEGO -- Robert Downey Jr. said he wish he could don a Mexican wrestling mask and stroll the Comic-Con floor to check out all the collectible toys and geeky-cool stuff. Peter Jackson joked about ducking out of a discussion with director James Cameron -- which drew thousands of fans to the San Diego Convention Center's largest meeting hall -- to walk the floor with fewer crowds...

WASHINGTON -- A strong force, perhaps as powerful in Congress as President Obama, is keeping the drive for health care going even as lawmakers seem hopelessly at odds. Lobbyists. The drug industry, the American Medical Association, hospital groups and the insurance lobby are all saying Congress must make major changes this year. ...

Greg Norman shot a bogey-free 6-under 64 on Saturday in Sunningdale, England, to grab the lead by a stroke heading into the last round of the Senior British Open. Norman was at 10-under 200, a stroke ahead of overnight leader Fred Funk (72) and Loren Roberts (67)...

Arneson aces hole at Cape Girardeau C.C. Craig Arneson carded his first hole in one at Cape Girardeau Country Club. Arneson used a 9 iron to ace No. 8, which was playing 130 yards. Witnesses were Clint Karnes, Marvin Adams and Tim Porch. Morris earns medalist at WGA's golf outing...

MONT VENTOUX, France -- Alberto Contador all but sealed his second Tour de France title Saturday, keeping the yellow jersey after a punishing mountain ride in the next-to-last stage. And almost certain to join him on the podium is Lance Armstrong...

INDIANAPOLIS -- So excited for last year's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Mark Martin predicted victory six weeks before the event. His ability to forecast the future ultimately fell flat, as Martin finished 11th in a race that was ruined by a Goodyear debacle and dictated by the cautions NASCAR had to call every 10-to-12 laps to prevent dangerous tire failures...

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Rickey Henderson knew what was expected every time he batted. So, too, did Jim Rice. "Some way, I was going to scratch to get on base to steal that base," Henderson said. "I steal that base, my day was good. My pride and joy was coming across the plate."...

PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins was hidden behind a throng of reporters and cameras when Shane Victorino entered the clubhouse. "Can you stand up and talk? I can't see you," said Victorino, only an inch taller than the 5-foot-8 Rollins. For a little guy, Rollins can drive the ball a long way...

The Plaza Tire Capahas ended their home schedule with a pair of revenge wins. Plaza Tire swept Saturday's doubleheader from the St. Louis Golden Spikes 8-3 and 3-2. The Golden Spikes won the first two meetings between the teams in St. Louis. Plaza Tire improved to 19-10 with one regular-season game left...

The Festus American Legion baseball team won its second straight Zone 4 tournament title Saturday. Festus beat Eureka 8-4 at the Perryville City Park to complete a 3-0 run through the tournament. Festus (31-3) also defeated Eureka 4-1 in its opening game of the five-team, double-elimination event. The other victory came over Cape Girardeau 12-1. Cape wound up third in the tournament...