Stories from Thursday, April 19, 2001

Basil Thompson swears last year's movie "Billie Elliot" isn't based on his life story. But Thompson grew up in northern England, the grandson of a coal miner. He took a dance class only because his grade-school teacher convinced him it would improve his agility as a soccer player...

The city of Cape Girardeau plans to widen William Street from Sprigg to Main streets this year to improve traffic flow in and out of the downtown area, city officials said Wednesday. The city intends to widen the street, one of Cape Girardeau's oldest roads and main arteries, from 32 feet to 40 feet. The project steers clear of the south side of William and St. Mary's Cathedral, an east-side landmark. The Catholic church is on the southeast corner of the William and Sprigg intersection...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Joshua Wolf was aware of his actions and that they were wrong when he allegedly murdered his grandmother in May and days later set fire to their home to destroy evidence, a psychiatrist testified Wednesday. Dr. Jerome Peters, a senior psychiatrist with the Missouri Department of Mental Health who was called by the prosecution, concluded from an evaluation of Wolf last summer that Wolf didn't demonstrate symptoms of a psychotic mental illness at the time of the crime or afterward.. ...

April 19, 2001 Dear Julie, The blessings of Easter have always been mixed for me. When I was a kid it was one of the holidays when attending church and Sunday school was not optional. I didn't like Sunday school. Old ladies in old lady shoes told matter-of-fact stories about miracles. Jesus and the apostles lived in a rocky land but everybody wore sandals. None of it made sense. Maybe I just didn't like anybody's shoes...

Temperatures in the wee hours of Wednesday broke the 29-degree record for Cape Girardeau, dipping to 27 and endangering tender plants. But most gardeners heeded freeze advisories and covered up the crops and flowers, averting disaster. David Diebold, co-owner of Diebold Orchards in Benton, Mo., moved indoors most of the small flowers and vegetable plants his business sells. He checked his apple and peach orchards, which are on high ground, early Wednesday morning...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A former Dunklin County pastor sentenced to 25 years in prison for forcible sodomy appeared before state Appeals Court judges Wednesday seeking an acquittal. James Niederstadt had admitted to sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl several times in 1992 during his trial last year, but attorney Daniel Moore said the incidents were not forcible sodomy because they took place while the victim was asleep...

If Wednesday afternoon's baseball game between host Southeast Missouri State University and Southern Illinois had been a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it well before the scheduled ending. That's how big a mismatch things were. But, probably much to the chagrin of the visitors from Carbondale, Ill., the contest had to go the nine-inning distance. And the Indians added another black mark to an already struggling SIU season with a 19-1 rout...

ST. LOUIS -- Mark McGwire's misfortune has turned into a nice break for Southeast Missouri State University product Kerry Robinson. McGwire, the St. Louis Cardinals first baseman who has been limited to six games this season as he is still recovering from offseason surgery to correct tendinitis, was placed on the disabled list Wednesday night's game against Arizona at Busch Stadium...

The top high school basketball players in Southeast Missouri will take the floor Friday night at Bess Activity Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., for the Three Rivers College All-Star Festival. The event will be similar to the Area's Best games organized by former Richland High School coach Micoe Cotton the last two years, but a few changes have been made...

Southeast Missouri State University's track teams, continuing to gear up for next month's Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships, will compete this weekend in the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville, Tenn. The Vanderbilt meet Friday and Saturday will feature OVC schools Austin Peay, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, Murray State and Tennessee-Martin, along with Middle Tennessee, Belmont and the host squad...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Scott City High baseball team capitalized on a fine pitching performance from an unexpected source to gain a 10-7 comeback win over host Perryville Wednesday afternoon. Jason Umfleet, a freshman in his first varsity action, came on in relief of starter Steven Posey to shut down Perryville...

Twin daughters to Jeffrey Wayne and Paula Dawn Simms of Scott City, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, Thursday, April 12, 2001. Charli Lynann was born at 12:42 a.m. and weighed 5 pounds 6 ounces. Danielle Jo was born at 12:43 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds 3 ounces. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Central High baseball team got some revenge on Sikeston Wednesday, defeating the Bulldogs 4-2 at VFW Stadium. Cape Central (7-7) endured a 15-2 nightmare at the hands of the Bulldogs earlier this month, but the Tigers' Jason Chavez kept Sikeston's red-hot bats in check this time...

Notre Dame's Andrew DePeder blasted a three-run homer to deep center field to key a five-run second inning in a 9-7 win over Fredericktown at Notre Dame Field Wednesday afternoon. DePeder, the top run producer for the Bulldogs, finished with four RBIs...

ANNA, Ill. -- Robert L. Archey, 53, of Anna died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at his home. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

After suffering a surprising first-game loss, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team bounced back Wednesday to salvage a doubleheader split with visiting Saint Louis University. The Billikens entered the action at the Southeast Softball Complex having lost 20 straight games to the Otahkians, but they posted a 2-1, eight-inning victory. Southeast then romped 11-3, the nightcap being stopped after the top of the fifth inning by the mercy rule...

Mars Odyssey is on its way to Mars in NASA's continued quest to determine whether life exists on the Red Planet. The mission follows two failed ones. In 1999, the Mars Climate Orbiter ended up in pieces around Mars or smashed on the planet. Ten weeks later, the Mars Polar Lander crash-landed on Mars...

Citing a tight state budget, Gov. Bob Holden made it clear early on in the budget process that most of Missouri's 62,000 workers shouldn't expect a pay raise next fiscal year. Any hope for raises appeared to have faded last week when the chairman of the Senate Appropriations committee, John Russell, announced they simply aren't possible...

ON THE Opinion page, it says that Cape Girardeau's recycling continues to grow. It does continue to grow. People have been putting their recyclables in business trash containers and have been doing so for a number of years. We've watched them dump on the weekends, and that's illegal, but nobody's done anything about it. ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- So what is wrong with today's society? Why do we have so many kids carrying weapons to schools? Why do these kids find that killing fellow classmates is the answer to their problems? Where is the discipline that could have prevented such actions?...

ANNA, Ill. -- James Edward Browning, 70, of Anna died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. He was born Jan. 18, 1931, at Alto Pass, Ill., son of Anthony Graydon and Flora Ruth Gore Browning. He and Janet Dee Aldridge were married Nov. 4, 1950, at Piggott, Ark...

Don Wesley Samuel, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at his home. Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Cape County Memorial Park. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

COBDEN, Ill. -- Audean Driskell, 80, of Cobden died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at the Rehab and Care Center of Jackson County in Murphysboro, Ill. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Cobden is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Louvie Harris, 81, of Sikeston died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Feb. 9, 1920, in Ridgely, Tenn., daughter of Will and Allie Howell Harris. She and Joseph Lee Harris were married Nov. 14, 1936. He died Oct. 15, 1981...

A joint graveside service for Franklin and Irene Johanna Wachtler Gumm of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Murdale Garden of Memory Cemetery in Murphysboro, Ill. The Rev. Janice West will officiate. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Nina Margaret Hartle, 71, of Bernie died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at Vintage Villa Nursing Center in Dexter, Mo. She was born July 18, 1929, at Dexter, daughter of Larence Eugene and Edith Opal Fields Mason. She and Troy Lee Hartle Sr. were married Oct. 2, 1948, in Piggott, Ark...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Vena Bernice Maxam, 88, of Bernie died Monday, April 16, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter, Mo. She was born June 4, 1912, near Malden, Mo., daughter of Thomas David and Minnie Parks Davis. She and Carl Edwin Maxam were married May 16, 1950, at Kennett, Mo. He died Dec. 4, 1995...

JACKSON, Mo. -- John Robert Choate, 73, of Jackson died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 8, 1927, in Tunnel Hill, Ill., son of Gus and Ada Spencer Choate. He and Patricia J. James were married June 23, 1956, in Elgin, Ill...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Esther Magdaline Taylor, 89, of Sikeston died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at Hunter Acres Caring Center. She was born April 7, 1912, in Koshkonong, Mo., daughter of Andrew J. and Rosa E. Love Huffman. She and Johnnie Taylor were married July 12, 1934, at Charleston, Mo. He died June 26, 1989...

Dottie L. Schmich, 86, died Monday, April 16, 2001, at Christian Northeast Hospital in North St. Louis County. She was born April 8, 1915, in Allendale, Mo., the daughter of Frank Withers and Sleany Louis. She married Ray L. Funkhouser. He preceded her in death...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Couch potatoes rejoice: A new study suggests moderately paced, sustained activities promote weight loss more effectively than brief, high-intensity health club workouts based on the "no pain, no gain" mantra. Walking, bicycling, even climbing stairs during TV commercials can contribute to weight loss if performed consistently, the researchers said. The activities can be as simple as parking at the far end of the mall and walking the long route to the store...