Stories from Friday, October 5, 2001

A vacation, in my opinion, should be interesting enough to make you forget about any worries at home and uncomfortable enough to make you start dreaming about your own bed. On those two scores, my wife and I have just had a perfect vacation. A scant 34 years ago, we took a three-week trip to England, Wales and Ireland. ...

Israel-Austria soccer match postponedZURICH, Switzerland -- The World Cup qualifier between Israel and Austria was postponed Thursday by soccer's governing body, citing the crash of a charter flight from Tel Aviv. FIFA president Joseph Blatter said the "tragic event" forced the federation's emergency committee to put off Sunday's scheduled match in Tel Aviv...

The Associated Press ATLANTA -- Chipper Jones drove in a pair of runs in a three-run first inning and Brian Jordan added a two-run homer in the seventh as the Atlanta Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-2 Thursday night to clinch a tie for the NL East title...

HOUSTON -- Barry Bonds hit home run No. 70 Thursday night and tied Mark McGwire's record -- a feat even Big Mac thought might last a lifetime when he did it a mere three years ago. Bonds, son of an All-Star and godson of a home run king, has three games left to make history all his own...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Rookie Rostislav Klesla forced overtime by jamming in a rebound with 2:44 left as the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues tied 3-3 Thursday night in the season-opener for both teams. Klesla, a 19-year-old defenseman, was parked at the left post as St. Louis goalie Brent Johnson deflected Deron Quint's drive from the point. The puck bounced off Johnson's pads and Klesla forced it past Johnson...

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Defending champion David Toms shot a 7-under-par 64 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Michelob Championship. Toms, the PGA winner, needed only 22 putts on the River Course. Shigeki Maruyama, Neal Lancaster, Jimmy Green, J.J. Henry and Michael Muehr shot 65s to share second place after a day when conditions were near-perfect...

WASHINGTON -- Convicted FBI spy Robert Hanssen gave away the identity of a Russian army general who was one of the United States' best sources in the Soviet military, lawyers familiar with the Hanssen case said Thursday. Hanssen disclosed his 1979 betrayal of Dimitri Polyakov during discussions in recent months with prosecutors, according to the attorneys, who spoke on condition of anonymity...

WASHINGTON -- Tens of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks should get longer unemployment benefits and $3 billion in health care, training and other aid, President Bush said Thursday. The White House and Congress debated how to revive the wobbly economy...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government plans to freeze the assets of several people and groups suspected of financing terrorist activities. President Bush has blocked the assets of 27 people and organizations. The list will be expanded within a week, a Treasury official said Thursday. Dozens of additional names are under consideration...

WASHINGTON -- The House is considering a historic shift in farm spending that would switch some crop subsidies into conservation payments that reward farmers for leaving acreage idle or improving environmental practices. Groups representing grain and cotton growers oppose the proposal, which would primarily benefit dairy-producing regions and states in the East and West that traditionally have received relatively little farm assistance...

WASHINGTON -- The number of teen-agers who start smoking has fallen by one-third in two years, the government reported Thursday. More than 3,000 teens began smoking each day in 1997, a record high that has been widely cited in the effort to stem tobacco use by young people...

WASHINGTON -- Amid concerns about energy security, lawmakers sent a signal to the administration Thursday that they would like to see more oil pumped into the government's Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The administration reacted with little enthusiasm to the idea. There is some concern that if the government began buying large amounts of oil it would drive up prices, putting further pressure on the economy...

WASHINGTON -- Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. agreed Thursday to recall 3.5 million more Wilderness AT tires mounted on sport utility vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered the tire maker to replace the tires after a 1 1/2-year investigation...

WASHINGTON -- Most Americans hard hit by the economy's downturn have one less thing to worry about: energy prices. With plenty of supplies and weak demand, the government predicted Thursday the cost of gasoline, heating fuel and electricity all should be much lower this winter than last...

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The white supremacist Aryan Nations want to establish a branch in Pennsylvania where supporters can gather after the loss of the white supremacist group's Idaho compound. The new location in Ulysses, Pa., will allow members to "gather and worship without interference of the media and so-called authorities," August B. Kreis III, the group's director of information, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press...

The Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University is holding a "Great Books 2001" program from 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays in the Hirsch Room of the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The schedule: Oct. 18: Glenn Tompkins, "The House on Riddle Hill."...

Jackson Friday, Oct. 5 Firefighters responded to this call Wednesday: A medical assist on South Hope. Firefighters responded to this call Thursday: A false alarm on Lee Avenue.

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Erma Crow Guy, 92, of Mounds died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, at her home. She was born April 17, 1909, at Mounds, the daughter of Charles and Lizzie Clanton Daniels. She married Leonard James Crow in 1927. He died in 1956. She married William Earl Guy in 1957. He died in 1971...

SAN DIEGO -- Rickey Henderson promised he'd slide into home plate to officially mark his reign as baseball's career runs leader. When the moment arrived Thursday, the game's biggest showman kept his word. Henderson, San Diego's leadoff batter, passed Ty Cobb by hitting a home run for No. 2,246 and celebrated -- feet first -- as the Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-3...

MILWAUKEE -- Mark McGwire is feeling fine, and not just because he's found his hitting stroke. "This team has been remarkable, and the biggest key is pitching," McGwire said. McGwire helped too, driving in five runs Thursday to help Matt Morris win his 22nd game and give the St. Louis Cardinals a 10-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- Many of those detained after the terrorist attacks had violated immigration rules, and lawmakers on Thursday introduced legislation to tighten how visas are issued and tracked. Backed by senators from both parties, the measure would better coordinate background checks for foreign visa applicants and set up a sophisticated tracking system for after they arrive...

Brolin, Driver put mutual stop to wedding plans LOS ANGELES -- Actor Josh Brolin and actress Minnie Driver have canceled their wedding plans. Brolin, 33, and Driver, 30, announced their engagement in April but did not set a wedding date. The split was "mutual and amicable," Driver's publicist, Ame Van Iden, said Wednesday, without disclosing details of the breakup...

The U.S. bishops' group that sets religious policy for Roman Catholics in this country and serves as the church's national voice on social and political issues is poised to elect its first black president, Bishop Wilton D. Gregory of the Belleville diocese in southern Illinois...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- A 63-year-old Florida man lay near death Thursday with an extremely rare and lethal form of anthrax that could be a weapon in the hands of terrorists. U.S. officials said there was no evidence of terrorism but promised "a very intense investigation."...

NEW YORK -- The World Trade Center disaster will cost New York's economy as much as $105 billion over the next two years, city officials said Thursday as they warned of budget woes even with a big federal bailout. While the city may limp through this year without major problems, Comptroller Alan Hevesi said billions of dollars in lost revenue will begin causing financial headaches as early as July...

BOSTON -- From tips on fleeing a chemical attack to "Terrorism Awareness" pamphlets handed out at a state fair, officials around the country are offering advice on how to prepare for terrorist attacks. Emergency managers have been compiling the safety tips in response to a barrage of calls from worried residents...

MANCHESTER, Tenn. -- The Greyhound driver whose throat was slashed by a passenger said Thursday that getting the other riders to safety after the bus crashed was his top priority. The driver crawled from the wreckage for help after Wednesday's attack, but six of the 39 passengers, including the assailant, died...

BOULDER, Colo. -- Mark O'Connor is taking his violin on a voyage beyond the musical map, to places he has yet to discover. The fiddler, violin virtuoso and composer knows one thing about the course he's on: It's uniquely American. O'Connor weaves the colorful threads of his musical influences -- jazz, folk and classical -- into a new style all his own, one that defies an easy label. His CDs are all over the place at music stores...

The musician usually gets the attention when a new recording is released. But on "Fantasies & Delusions," pianist Richard Joo plays second fiddle to composer Billy Joel. "Fantasies & Delusions" marks the classical debut of Joel, best known for a rock 'n' roll career that's produced such hits as "Piano Man" and "New York State of Mind." Joel's early training was as a classical pianist, a background he left as a young man, but one he says he hasn't forgotten -- and drew from for this collection.. ...

TOULOUSE, France -- France's environment minister said Thursday that a chemical plant blast last month that killed 29 people may have been a terrorist attack. Yves Cochet's comments came after revelations that a man found dead at the site in Toulouse was known to police for possible Islamic fundamentalist sympathies and was involved in altercations before the blast with workers displaying the American flag in sympathy with victims of the Sept. 11 terror attacks...

LONDON -- Osama bin Laden spoke of a "major attack on America" in the days before the strikes on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and warned associates to return to Afghanistan by Sept. 10, according to a dossier released by the British government on Thursday...

NEW YORK -- One brother owns several condos with stunning views of the Boston Harbor. Another is Brazil's representative to Saudi Arabia. A third was a jet setter and business magnate with a penchant for blue jeans. Their name -- bin Laden -- once was as esteemed as the Rockefeller's in some circles. ...

BERLIN -- Prosecutors demanded life in prison Thursday for four of the five suspects in a 1986 Berlin discotheque bombing that the United States blamed on Libya. The April 5, 1986 bombing at a West Berlin hangout for U.S. military personnel killed two American servicemen and a young Turkish woman, wounded 229 people and led to retaliatory U.S. airstrikes on two Libyan cities...

ADLER, Russia -- A Russian airliner carrying at least 76 people from Israel exploded and plunged into the Black Sea on Thursday, raising fears of a terrorist attack. But U.S. officials said a missile fired during Ukrainian military exercises apparently downed the plane...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A second Southwest Missouri man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges for producing at least $760,000 in phony money in one of the state's largest counterfeiting plans. Edward Clyde Allen Sr., 58, of Springfield admitted to one count of producing counterfeit obligations of the United States, one count of possession with intent to publish and sell counterfeiting Federal Reserve Notes and one count of conspiracy to commit counterfeiting offenses...

Label hed: Belt-tightening time By Paul Sloca ~ The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Senate panel voted unanimously Thursday to voluntarily cut the chamber's current budget by 10 percent as part of statewide budget withholdings...

The Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Jim Ryan picked up former Gov. Jim Edgar's endorsement Thursday, helping his effort to avoid being painted as an ultraconservative in the Republican gubernatorial primary. During his two terms in office, Edgar developed a reputation as a moderate Republican and sharp manager of the state's money. He supports abortion rights, while Ryan opposes abortion...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Federal officials are praising the response to a simulated radiation leak at the Callaway Nuclear Plant. "We would give the state, utility, counties and everyone involved very high marks," Eric Jenkins of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday. "We're quite comfortable they know what they're doing."...

Cape Girardeau Friday, Oct. 5 Firefighters responded to these calls Wednesday:At 6:09 p.m., a medical assist at 408 Bellevue. At 7:28 p.m., a medical assist at a vehicle accident at Pacific and William. At 9:28 p.m., an extrication on County Road CC...

Cape Girardeau Friday, Oct. 5 ArrestsDanny Keith Eagle, 42, Portageville, Mo., was arrested Wednesday for inducement to use solvent. Kyle Gregory Benn, 18, 2241 Hill Brook, was arrested Wednesday for receiving stolen property. Aaron Scott Laughlin, 18, 17 S. Ellis, was arrested Wednesday for stealing...

For years, there have been complaints regarding the red tape involved in getting building permits for new construction or remodeling in Cape Girardeau. The concerns expressed by some developers, contractors and business owners became a familiar litany with a common theme: City Hall is a barrier, not a helper...

Salter Daughter to Gerard F. and Requi M. Salter of Cape Girardeau, St. Francis Medical Center, 12:39 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2001. Name, Emily Elizabeth. Weight, 9 pounds 10 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Salter is the former Requi Hines, daughter of Mary King and Jeff King and Leonard Hines of Cape Girardeau. Salter is the son of Francis and Janet Salter of Haverhill, Mass. He is employed at the Center for Health and Rehab at St. Francis Medical Center...

10 years ago: Oct. 5, 1991 Jackson - City of Jackson was in darkness early yesterday after lightning apparently struck electrical substation, and Union Electric was forced to shut down 34.5 kilovolt line providing power to city; unrelated and isolated power outage occurred in Cape Girardeau the same morning...

Physical plant chiefs to meet at Southeast Southeast Missouri State University will play host to the 2001 annual conference of the Central States Association of Physical Plant Administrators or CAPPA, Tuesday through Oct. 13. Physical plant administrators at colleges in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and the Canadian province of Manitoba will be in Cape Girardeau for the conference...

KENNETT, Mo. -- More than 58 people gathered in the Fellowship Hall of the Slicer Street Church of Christ recently to take part in gang awareness training. Community members from Kennett, Holcomb, Malden, Caruthersville, Charleston, East Prairie and Stoddard County were in attendance...

Daily American Republic POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- It's the day more than 1,000 children get to have fun doing art activities -- and they're all in the same back yard. The eighth annual Arts Festival and Art on the Run will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Margaret Harwell Art Museum at 421 N. Main...

With her arms outstretched, Sally Blankenship walked in measured steps along the path of the Chartes labyrinth, a canvas design laid on the floor at First Christian Church in Cape Girardeau. Blankenship was one of eight volunteers from the church who will help guide visitors to the labyrinth. The labyrinth is meant to be a spiritual journey for people seeking a closer connection to God...

Cape Girardeau's new federal courthouse is moving forward again, this time with the promise of a design-build process that should speed up construction. Design-build involves an architect and contractor working together through the entire project so both understand the requirements and can address problems as they arise. Other federal courthouses have been built using the method...

Fruitland LivestockFRUITLAND, Mo. -- Fruitland Livestock Auction Tuesday. Receipts, 531; last week, 664; last year, 410; compared to last week feeder steers and heifers sold 2.00-4.00 lower. Slaughter cows and bulls sold 2.00 lower; Demand and supply light. Cows made up approximately 31 percent of the run, feeders 69 percent. Steers made up approximately 51 percent of the offering, 5 percent Holsteins and 44 percent heifers. Offerings over 600 lbs totaled around 17 percent...

Opportunities for growth in the undeveloped area around the new Central High School on Silver Springs Road are great, which is why the Cape Girardeau City Council and school board plan to meet in a joint session Monday night. Councilmen and board members will meet at the new Career and Technology Center to discuss a number of issues concerning the completion of the new high school, including transportation and safety, and a road design plan for Silver Springs Road...

A man faces murder charges in connection with the beating death of a Uniontown, Mo., resident near Perryville, Mo., while Illinois authorities are investigating an apparent homicide in Olive Branch. The body of Kevin J. Hotop, 30, was discovered Thursday morning by Perry County sheriff's deputies along South Highway 51 in an area called Friendly Valley west of Perryville after a witness called to report an assault...

Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush urged Congress Friday to pass an additional $60 billion in tax relief for individuals and businesses to help revive an economy staggered by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Bush said this amount of tax relief would be equal to the new spending Congress has approved to deal with the crisis...

Associated Press WriterLAKE OZARK, Mo. (AP) -- A quick start to the financing and construction of a new basketball arena at the University of Missouri at Columbia could provide a badly needed boost to a slumping economy, Gov. Bob Holden said Friday...

Associated Press WriterISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair declared Friday that last month's terrorist attacks in the United States were a crime against humanity and that any military response would be proportionate, targeted and "not directed against the Afghan people."...

Associated Press WriterATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia's highest court struck down the state's use of the electric chair Friday, saying the "specter of excruciating pain" violates the state constitution's protection against cruel and unusual punishment...

AP Diplomatic WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- The network headed by Osama bin Laden and several Palestinian groups were cited by the State Department Friday as terrorist organizations. Under a 1996 law, U.S. citizens are prohibited from providing such organizations with assistance. Banks and other American financial institutions must freeze their assets...

Associated Press WriterISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in Pakistan on Friday as part of Western efforts to solidify Islamic backing for strikes on terrorists in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan's government has already pledged commitment to the U.S. anti-terrorism coalition, and Blair's planned in-and-out visit reflected the newfound international stature of the Islamic nation, which has faced extensive Western sanctions in recent years...

AP Military WriterTASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) -- The U.S. Army dispatched about a thousand infantry soldiers to this former Soviet state Friday as the Uzbek leader announced he had granted permission for U.S. forces to use an air base in his country, senior American officials said...

James Overbaugh, 44, of Tomah, Wis., died Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001, at Tomah Memorial Hospital. He was born March 22, 1957, at West Palm Beach, Fla. He married Rhonda Runner in Palm Beach Gardens on Oct. 18, 1980. She survives. He served in the U.S. Army Special Forces as a medic. After his discharge he worked as a crop duster. After his marriage he rejoined the Army and flew Blackhawk helicopters. After his second discharge he flew the EMS Life Beat helicopters in Cape Girardeau...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Essence M. Lane, 3, formerly of Mounds, died unexpectedly Friday, Sept. 28, 2001, at Edwards Hospital in Naperville, Ill. Survivors include her mother, Portia Lane; her father, Warren Bowers; a brother, Warren Bowers Jr.; maternal grandparents, Genie and Queney Williams; paternal grandfather, Emmett Lane Sr.; maternal great-grandparents, Edward and Peoria Tucker; paternal great-grandmothers, Phylissa Powe and Arnetta Williams...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Rose C. Prost, 74, of Perryville died of cancer Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Nov. 10, 1926, in Perryville, daughter of Thomas J. and Mary Evelyn Tucker Elder. She and Linus C. Prost were married Feb. 18, 1950...

For the second time in the 14 years the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce has honored local industries, BioKyowa Inc. was named the recipient of the Commitment to Excellence Award at the annual industrial appreciation dinner this week. BioKyowa first located in Cape Girardeau almost 20 years ago when it began producing feed supplements for swine and poultry at its plant on Nash Road with some 60 employees. ...

Some of Seth Harrell's hits sound like car accidents minus the glass. On a few occasions, it seems like when he makes impact, the energy and breath exits the ball carrier and reverberates through the stadium. And when a spectator hears the thud and feels the impact, all he can do is tighten every muscle in his body and say, "Ooooooooooh!"...

Cape Central and Jackson are two teams headed in opposite directions. Jackson is riding high after its running back, Mario Whitney, set a state record last week when he ran for 463 yards. The Indians are undefeated and as confident and focused as ever...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Scott Wittenborn, Notre Dame's career goal-scoring leader, netted two more to account for all the offense in a 2-0 win over Jackson on Thursday. After a scoreless first half, Notre Dame (13-2-2) broke through 14 minutes after the intermission...

PARK HILLS (5-0) AT SCOTT CITY (2-3) Last week: Scott City 23, Chaffee 21; Park Hills 27, Cuba 13 (Park Hills had 199 yards rushing but no player had more than 49 yards). Last year: Park Hills 28, Scott City 19...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau Central won in a rout while Jackson won in a thriller as the two arch-rival high school softball teams advanced to Saturday's 11 a.m. championship game of the Class 4A, District 1 Tournament. In Thursday's semifinals at Jackson City Park, top-seeded Central rolled past No. 4 Farmington 13-0 in a five-inning, run-rule affair while No. 3 Jackson slipped past No. 2 Poplar Bluff 3-2 in nine innings...

The pre-conference season for Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team could not have gone much better. Otahkian coach Heather Nelson just hopes that she can say the same thing about her squad's Ohio Valley Conference campaign when all is said and done...

To the editor: How many times have we heard conservative politicians gripe about environmental regulations, claiming they are an unnecessary burden to business owners? A local businessman and Republican strategist has demonstrated why environmental laws continue to be necessary...

To the editor: I am very proud of the vast majority of Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association members who stood tall and faced the events of Sept. 11 with calm heads, dignity and patriotism. Our members were faced with public panic, consumer demand for fuel that increased by 200 percent to 400 percent in less than 12 hours, a general lack of reliable information regarding future petroleum supply and intense scrutiny by the attorney general's office...

To the editor: In November 1999 my wife and I were returning from a trip to the West Coast. At Los Angeles International Airport we were seated in the boarding area. A young lady sat down by us for a few minutes and then asked if we would watch her carry-on bag while she made a phone call...

God bless rescuers GOD BLESS all the firemen and policemen of New York City and all the volunteer firemen, policemen and other rescue workers who have rushed to New York from every state in this country to help dig out the victims of this disaster. God bless you all...

Landon Reece McCullough was stillborn Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Survivors include his mother, Heather McCullough; and maternal grandparents, the Rev. Joe and Debbie McCullough of Cape Girardeau. Funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home. The Rev. Mark Graham will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Harry Leroy Gibson Jr., 62, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001, at his home. He was born July 15, 1939, in St. Louis, son of Harry Leroy and Dorothy Irene Nelson Gibson Sr. Gibson was a member of Bethel AME Church. He served in the U.S. Army...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Joseph H. Ellis Jr., 94, of Charleston died Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born April 20, 1907, in Newbern, Tenn., son of Joseph H. and Willie Mae Green Ellis Sr. He and Inez Tate were married Nov. 29, 1947...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Jerry Merryman, 38, of Olive Branch died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001, in Olive Branch. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the Crain Funeral Home in Tamms.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Kevin J. Hotop, 30, of Perryville died Thursday, Oct. 4, 2001. Friends may call at Miller Family Funeral Home from 5-9 p.m. today. The wake will be at 6. Funeral Mass will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Kevin Faust will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Melba F. Mowery, 77, of Memphis, Tenn., died Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2001, at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven, Miss. She was born Jan. 31, 1924, in Fulton, Ky., daughter of Tony and Myrtle Corbett. She and Laddie Mowery were married Sept. 16, 1941. He died May 28, 1996...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- No apparent constitutional or legal impediments prevent Secretary of State Matt Blunt from staying in office while serving overseas in the Navy, although his status as the first statewide elected official to be called to active military duty raises unusual issues...