Stories from Monday, February 18, 2002

Joe Neville of Paducah, Ky., was on a quest, and he was joined by hundreds of people searching through everything from windshields to hubcaps at Arena Park on Sunday. The crowds at the annual swap meet sponsored by the Capaha Antique Car Club came to buy, sell and trade parts on antique, classic and restored cars and trucks...

BOONVILLE, Mo. -- The FBI has been searching for the mother of an 8-year-old girl who was found dead near Boonville, the agency said Saturday. The FBI has been trying to find Janice Marie Owen, 43, since Tuesday, FBI special agent Jeff Lanza said. He said Owen's daughter, Alyssa Owen, was found dead Tuesday along a gravel road about eight miles north of Boonville...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Lawmakers are looking at proposals to let adults who were adopted as children see their original birth certificates. Currently, the records can be unsealed only upon a court's order -- a time-consuming, costly and, for some, nearly impossible step, open records advocates say...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The U.S. Customs Service isn't just a job, it's a ticket out of jail. At least it was for Chloe and Flash, two mutts who were pulled out of Springfield animal shelters to train for jobs sniffing out drugs or bombs. The lucky job applicants were selected by David Bynum, one of four Customs Service officers visiting shelters and pounds around the country in search of dogs to train for jobs at airports or along the U.S-Mexican border...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Experts responsible for much of America's open spaces are meeting in Kansas City through Tuesday to discuss ways to improve the nation's grasslands. About 1,200 members from across the nation are attending the Society for Range Management conference, where topics vary from controlling prickly pear cactus with fire to grazing with buffalo...

RATON, N.M. -- An Amtrak train enroute to Los Angeles from Chicago was forced to make an extended stop here Sunday after a water heater on one of its passenger cars exploded and injured five people. The heater ruptured around 11:30 a.m. as the westbound Southwest Chief was just outside of Raton in far northeastern New Mexico...

LOS ANGELES -- After 220 tries, Len Mattiace finally can call himself a winner on the PGA Tour. Handling the back-nine pressure with steady play, Mattiace closed with a 3-under 68 and took advantage of a late collapse by crowd favorite Scott McCarron to win the Nissan Open, becoming the third first-time winner on tour this year...

ALPINE SKIING Women's Super G GOLD--Daniela Ceccarelli, Italy SILVER--Janica Kostelic, Croatia BRONZE--Karen Putzer, Italy BOBSLEIGH Two-Man GOLD--Germany 1 (Christoph Langen; Markus Zimmermann) SILVER--Switzerland 1 (Christian Reich; Steve Anderhub)...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Working his way back from last October's arthroscopic surgery, Darryl Kile threw 30 pitches Sunday after spring-training warmups and got favorable reviews from St. Louis Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan. "He threw well. He's throwing better each time," Duncan said of the 33-year-old right-hander rebounding from the surgery that cleared some loose debris from his throwing shoulder. "He's making strong progress."...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Texas freshman T.J. Ford dazzled another opponent. Ford had 18 points, 12 assists and a career-best five steals as the Longhorns took control early and hung on in the final minute for a 72-70 victory over Missouri on Sunday. He also hit a pair of clinching free throws with 5.1 seconds left...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When Sterling Marlin tried a little repair job on his car, he handed Ward Burton the victory in Sunday's Daytona 500. Following a late red flag, Burton won a three-lap dash to the finish line for his fourth career win in 251 starts...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- No last-minute collapse. Not even a home loss. Maryland finally beat Duke at Cole Field House and the venerable building claimed one more No. 1 victim. The third-ranked Terrapins, who had lost four years in a row on their own floor to the Blue Devils, beat them 87-73 Sunday, the seventh time a top-ranked team lost in the building that is closing after this season...

SALT LAKE CITY -- For the U.S. Olympic team, 78 years have passed without a Nordic combined medal, 46 without one in the bobsled. For U.S. speedskater Chris Witty, it was a mere four years between medals -- and this time, against all odds, she won gold...

WASHINGTON -- An attorney at Enron Corp.'s outside law firm advised the company's in-house legal counsel on how to handle employees who questioned Enron's accounting practices, a lawmaker leading one a congressional investigation of the company said Sunday...

WASHINGTON -- Senators made competing claims Sunday about their ability to derail or push through legislation aimed at reducing the role of money in politics. Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell, the Senate's leading opponent of a bill to overhaul campaign financing, asserted he has enough votes to block or soften the measure that passed the House last week...

WASHINGTON -- The United States rapidly is expanding military ties in Asia, where President Bush is visiting three countries this week, as it fights terrorism and tries to promote regional stability. In the most visible example, about 600 U.S. troops over the weekend began advising Filipino troops fighting Muslim extremists on a southern island...

The secret to success at Monopoly is to avoid glitzy properties like Boardwalk and Park Place and keep plenty of cash on hand, say Monopoly pros. Everybody has a Monopoly strategy. Some go for utility companies. Others snap up the railroads. A few fearless players go for it all, buying everything play money can buy...

DIEHLSTADT, Mo. -- A Southeast Missouri woman was fatally injured in a one-vehicle accident early Sunday in Scott County. Sarah L. Adams, 35, of Charleston, Mo., died from injuries received in the accident, which happened at 1:05 a.m. two miles south of Diehlstadt...

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- The words "Let's roll," America's favorite battle cry since Sept. 11, figure prominently on the newest Air Force nose art to be displayed on hundreds of U.S. military aircraft. On Friday, an Air Force Reserve unit based at Whiteman proudly unveiled the art on an A-10 Thunderbolt II scheduled to depart Tuesday to participate in the ongoing Operation Northern Watch, helping patrol a no-fly zone over northern Iraq...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former Missouri Rep. Vernon Thompson, who recently completed a prison term for stealing federal money, has been rehired as a legislative aide. Thompson, 58, became a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Bland on Dec. 3, less than four months after he was released from the federal prison camp at Leavenworth. His salary is $2,500 a month...

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- One of the rarest types of meteorites, which may date back 4.5 billion years, was kept in a Missouri garage for about two years before a student brought it into a geology teacher at Northwest Missouri State. The student, who wants to remain anonymous, brought the rusty rock into Richard Felton's general geology class out of curiosity...

HOUSTON -- At best, they were bamboozled by executives who offered empty assurances and fuzzy math in place of lucid balance sheets. At worst, they rubber-stamped shady deals and then stood by idly as secretive partnerships helped bleed Enron Corp. to death...

Jurors to hear case of drowned children HOUSTON -- The fate of Andrea Yates hinges on whether the jurors who start hearing evidence today will believe she knew the difference between right and wrong when she drowned her five young children in their bathtub, then called 911 and told police what she had done...

U.S citizen arrested after pistol found in luggage TIMISOARA, Romania -- A U.S. citizen was arrested in Romania Sunday on suspicion of illegal weapons possession and smuggling after authorities found a pistol in his luggage, officials said. Sorin Dragoi, 32, of Troy, Mich., was detained Saturday after a 5.6 mm Baretta was discovered in his checked bags during by an X-ray check at the airport in the western Romanian city of Timisoara, police said...

Thieves steal pop singer's car, paintings LONDON -- Thieves broke into pop singer George Michael's mansion and drove off with his $114,000 Aston Martin sports car and $140,000 in paintings, jewelry and clothing, according to a tabloid report Sunday...

Estela Riccio has lived in the United States for more than three decades, but it was after Sept. 11 that she finally decided to become a citizen. "That day I realized this is my country," said Riccio, an Argentine woman who lives in Houston and submitted her citizenship application two weeks ago. "It's like they did something to me that day. I realized I am an American."...

NEW YORK -- Caleb Carr is one author who reads his reviews. Get him mad and he'll even answer them. Get him really mad and he'll write one himself. Best known for his historical novel, "The Alienist," Carr recently published "The Lessons of Terror," a short analysis written in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Carr is a contributing editor to Military History Quarterly...

LOS ANGELES -- It had never happened before, three black performers nominated in the lead-acting categories for the Academy Awards. Surely, it was a sign that Hollywood's top honors finally were catching up with the nation's cultural diversity. That was for 1972, though. It took 29 years for it to happen again -- with Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball," Will Smith in "Ali" and Denzel Washington in "Training Day" getting nominations for 2001...

TABIAWAN ARMY BASE, Philippines -- U.S. Army attack helicopters whipped up dust clouds and blew the tops off coconut trees as 30 U.S. Special Forces troops arrived on an island in the southern Philippines to train soldiers battling Muslim extremists...

TOKYO -- President Bush, concerned about Japan's recession-wracked economy, opened a three-nation Asian tour Sunday urging embattled Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to follow through on long-promised economic reforms. Seeking a delicate balance, the U.S. president was publicly embracing Koizumi and his agenda while privately prodding the prime minister to take the painful steps toward reversing a decade-long economic slump, aides said. Bush hopes his support will tame Koizumi's critics...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- The old Afghan farmer introduced himself by the name he was not -- "Hajji," a Muslim honored for having made the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. He then cried. Angry Afghans milled around him Sunday -- seething over trips for the annual Mecca pilgrimage promised, paid for and canceled from the Kandahar airport. The Afghan government blamed bomb-damaged runways at the airport; disappointed would-be pilgrims blamed the Afghan government, and the United States...

NEW DELHI, India -- Military cooperation between the United States and India has reached new levels and is crucial to stop terrorism, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday. Officials of the two countries' armies and navies met earlier this month...

KATMANDU, Nepal -- Communist rebels killed at least 129 police, soldiers and civilians in attacks in northwestern Nepal on Sunday, undermining prospects for peace in this poor Himalayan kingdom still recovering from the shock of a massacre at the royal palace last year...

SINJE, Liberia -- After losing everything to Sierra Leone's feared rebels, Emmanuel Kwashie was finally starting to rebuild his life in neighboring Liberia. But as gunfire started again, he didn't hesitate. Gathering his wife and two small sons, he took to the road -- this time back to Sierra Leone, where one of West Africa's most savage conflicts was officially declared over last month...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli police foiled an attack on an army base Sunday as the country's leaders considered their response to a new level of Palestinian attacks: a suicide bombing in a Jewish settlement, the destruction of an Israeli tank and a rocket fired at Israel...

JERUSALEM -- It began with a modest act of defiance: In newspaper ads, 52 Israeli reserve soldiers declared last month they would no longer serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Their number has since more than quadrupled, and has sparked a passionate debate in Israel about the limits of legitimate protest...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The testimonials were gushing, the standing ovation lingering, the handshakes enthusiastic as U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt was honored as Missouri Republican of the Year. Blunt just grinned during the weekend when asked to consider what a difference a decade can make in politics...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Maida Coleman grew up in rural southeast Missouri, served as a legislative assistant in Jefferson City, then worked in St. Louis as a journalist and settled there. Now, after one year in the Missouri House, the 47-year-old Democrat finds herself the newest member of the Senate, where she hopes to use her diverse background to help bridge the gap between urban and rural interests...

NARFE Employees of Year to be selected The National Association of Retired Federal Employees will select an area NARFE Employee of the Year and a Retired Employee of the Year. James E. McDonald, president of NARFE Chapter 626 in Cape Girardeau, said winners will be recognized at a ceremony Aug. 4...

The fifth annual Martin Luther King Read-A-Thon will be held today through March 8. Southeast Missouri State University students and volunteers will present multi-cultural readings and activities to children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade...

Lack of billboards I RECENTLY had the opportunity to drive on U.S. 67 west of here. It was a nice drive. There is nothing between Poplar Bluff and Fredericktown but trees and hills. The part I enjoyed most was the apparent lack of billboards as compared to other highways in Missouri. It was quite relaxing...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Gladys McCulley, 74, of Dexter was born Dec. 4, 1927, at Frakes, Ky., the daughter of the late George and Maggie Hatfield Partin, and passed away Feb. 16, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Gladys was a homemaker and was of the Full Gospel faith...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Geneva R. Leslie, 60, of Marble Hill died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at her daughter's home. She was born July 12, 1941, at Whitewater, Mo., daughter of Robert and Hazel Grindstaff Sawyer. She and the Rev. Rupert "Jack" Leslie were married June 10, 1959. He survives...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Paul Robert "Robbie" Deck, 54, of Leopold died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 13, 1947, at Glen Allen, Mo., son of Paul F. and Laura Christine Huskey Deck. He and Cecilia Jansen were married Aug. 7, 1971, at Leopold...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Hodge Noel, 74, of Grand Chain, Ill., died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at his home. He had worked at the Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam 53 at Olmsted. Survivors include his wife, Barbara Marshall Noel; three daughters, Beverly Clark of Karnak, Brenda Cheek of Paducah, Ky., and Barbara Ramage of Karnak; a son, Phillip Noel of Karnak; three sisters, Mary Cross, Ann Wagner and Virginia Brooks, all of Cadiz, Ky.; and nine grandchildren...

Charles I. Uhr, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Mo. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Betty Lou Donley, 60, of Chaffee died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 29, 1941, at Marquand, Mo., daughter of George and Beulah Yount Leadbetter. She and Buford Donley were married March 31, 1960. He died Dec. 20, 1991...

CAIRO, Ill. -- David L. Reisinger, 53, of Villa Ridge, Ill., and formerly of Carterville, Ill., and Cairo, died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at the home of a sister. He was born July 30, 1948, at Cairo, son of Isom and Salome Schmaeng Reisinger. He worked as a corrections officer at the Federal Bureau of Prisons at Marion...

James Oliver Driscoll, 58, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 10, 1943, at New Madrid, Mo., son of James Thurman Driscoll and Mamie Zelma Price Driscoll. He was employed at Cape General Sign Co. and was a member of the painters' and allied trades international union...

Jack A. Kinder, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at his home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which will be announced later.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gladys M. Ernst, 93, of Perryville died Sunday, Feb. 17, 2002, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Nov. 9, 1908, at Perry County, daughter of Ernst and Genevieve Tucker Moore. She and Gilbert A. Ernst were married June 9, 1922. He died Sept. 8, 1968...

Richard C. Todt, 55, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Feb. 15, 2002, in Los Angeles, Calif. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel.

KENNETT, Mo. -- There is a tendency to regard February as merely the second month of a new year, a time to endure the final wrath of wintry snow and freezing temperatures, yet this period provides a far more important moment in America's history that has been slowly diminished by the passage of years...

10 years ago: Feb. 18, 1992 Three state senators from Southeast Missouri say they'll vote for House-passed version of increase in Missouri fuel tax when it comes before Senate today; senators - John Dennis, D-Benton, Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, and Danny Staples, D-Emmindence - say they are committed to voting for measure...

$$$Start smoyers Forget Enron for a minute. There's not always something wrong with shredding documents, especially when the goal is to thwart theft, corporate espionage and what has become known as Dumpster diving. That's the goal of a new Cape Girardeau-based business called Shred Plus. As its name suggests, it's a document-shredding company that will come to your business and destroy sensitive documents that have outlived their usefulness...

For nearly 40 years, Ed Arnzen has steered basketball teams to wins. On Monday, Arnzen will have his final chance as Southeast's women's basketball coach. For more on this story, see Monday's Southeast Missourian.

AP Sports WriterSALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Presidents Day turned into the first off day of the Winter Olympics for U.S. athletes. Americans were on course Monday to end their streak of winning a medal every day of these games. The United States was shut out in the first three finals of Day 10 and was virtually out of the running in the only one left...

AREA Southeast baseball again routed at Oklahoma NORMAN,Okla. -- Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team was hammered by Oklahoma for the second straight day as the Sooners romped 18-5 Sunday. The Indians (0-3) dropped all three games of their season-opening series to the Sooners (5-1), including 10-1 on Saturday and 5-4 in 10 innings on Friday...

Talk about the ultimate one-year coaching gig. Jobs don't get much more enticing than the position New Madrid County Central boys' basketball coach Joby Holland has found himself in this season. Holland is the bridge between last year's coach, Lennies McFerren, whose teams at Central and Charleston won nine state championships, and next year's coach, David Fields, who serves as Holland's assistant this year...

It hasn't really hit him yet. But before the day's over, Ed Arnzen will experience the feeling of walking onto the Show Me Center floor as a coach for the final time. Arnzen is winding down a 36-year coaching career, 19 of them as head coach of the Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team. Two games remain, including his final home game at 7 p.m. today against Eastern Illinois...

Berkbigler assigned to Olympic security duty Pfc. Mark D. Berkbigler recently completed basic and advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He is a 2001 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, where he was active with the student council, National Honor Society and the cross country team. He is a member of Company A, 1140th Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard and is serving with security forces for the Winter Olympics in Utah...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson Rotary clubs are seeking for sponsors for Camp Enterprise, a major vocational service project which features a seminar and workshop on business issues for high school juniors and seniors. The annual weekend workshop, held in a camp environment, focuses on the free-enterprise system. This year's Camp Enterprise will be held at Little Grassy United Methodist Camp in Giant City State Park south of Carbondale, Ill...

United We Read is a community-wide reading project through February. Residents are encouraged to read John Grisham's "A Painted House." Today's discussion: Location: CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY TIME: 2-3 p.m...

The winning table at Notre Dame Regional High School's Trivia Night walked away with $200, or $25 for each brainiac. The annual event raises money for equipment for the arts. An estimated 330 people attended on Saturday and answered questions until late into the evening...

Winners in a raffle drawing for a handmade quilt and afghan were announced at the conclusion of the swap meet Sunday. The event and drawing were sponsored by the Capaha Antique Car Club. Kathleen Jackson donated the quilt. Renee Dobson was the winner in the drawing...

Cape Girardeau Monday, Feb. 18 Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: At 5:30 p.m., citizen's assist at 611 S. West End Blvd. At 8:23 p.m., emergency medical services at 353 S. Kingshighway. Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:At 4:54 a.m., alarm sounding at 321 Dearmont Circle...

Cape Girardeau Monday, Feb. 18 ArrestBenjamin Morgan, 25, of St. Charles, Mo., was arrested Sunday on two warrant complaints for failure to appear. Jeffrey Elliott, 23, of 44 N. Pindwood was arrested Sunday on a warrant complaint for contempt. Kenneth Chad Jamieson, 25, of 313 N. Fountain was arrested Saturday on a warrant complaint for contempt...

Jana Jateff was looking for a way to earn extra money. Judi Wibbenmeyer wanted something to do that wouldn't interfere with her job as a school bus driver, and Tina Lancaster was looking for flexibility so she could spend time with her family. What these Southeast Missouri women found were careers in direct selling where they could enjoy flexible schedules, work as many or as few hours as they wished and reap financial benefits...

Two Jackson, Mo., women recently were recognized with sales awards with Home & Garden Party. Kathy Steffens and Janet Weber are independent designers with the direct sales company and recently attended "A Night of Stars" gala and workshop in Carlinville, Ill...

Age: 31 Key responsibilities: Serve as a liaison to the media and coordinate public relations activities for the City of Cape Girardeau. How long have you lived in Cape Girardeau? 7 years Original hometown: Sikeston, Mo. Education: 1989 graduate of Sikeston High School, BA in Mass Communications from Southeast Missouri State University...

Intern earns top honors at Northwestern Southeast Missouri State University student Josh Hanlon was recently honored among the nation's top interns of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. Hanlon, the son of Bill and Becky Hanlon of Chaffee, Mo., is a senior marketing major at Southeast and plans to graduate in December...

NEW YORK -- When it comes to picking winning mutual funds, investors' best bets might actually be found among the losers. In other words, if you buy the funds nobody wants, in three years you might be happy with your returns. That's the theory behind Morningstar's annual "Unloved Funds" study...

Car sales down, but other sales up Consumers trimmed their spending on cars as free-financing offers waned, contributing to a modest drop in sales at the nation's retailers in January. Outside of autos, sales rose by the largest amount in nearly two years, a promising sign as the country tries to come out of a recession...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Walgreen Co. has agreed to use registers that will prompt cashiers to check IDs for cigarette sales. The company has also agreed to pay $320,000 to 40 states to cover the cost of an investigation that found the drugstore giant failed to card minors 11 out of 12 times...

A bill in the Missouri Senate that would raise the state's tax on fuel -- subject to voter approval in August -- is a good reason to question whether state lawmakers and highway officials are any better at math today than they were in 1992. In 1992, the Missouri Department of Transportation developed an ambitious 15-year plan for highways across the state. ...

Even though it isn't on the front burner right now in the Missouri Legislature, a proposal to have the candidates for Missouri's governor and lieutenant governor run as a team is likely to get serious consideration before the current session ends...

Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Public Hearings A public hearing regarding a petition for annexation from Prestwick Holdings, LLC, Elmwood Farms Limited Family Partnership, LP, and Patrick F. Evans for a 958.55 acre tract located adjacent to the southern city limits along the west side of Bloomfield Road (County Road 205) South of Benton Hill Road (County Road 206).Consent ordinances...

and DAN PERRY Associated Press WritersJERUSALEM (AP) -- Exuding confidence that he will return to power, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel must remove Yasser Arafat and destroy the Palestinian Authority -- perhaps via military assault -- before peace talks can resume...