Stories from Monday, May 20, 2002

10 years ago: May 20, 1992 Thunderstorms and rain showers in area last weekend brought welcome relief for farmers in path of storms; but widely scattered precipitation left many areas parched, and some crops already are beginning to reflect impact of dry spring weather...

NEW YORK -- A parent's death can be devastating, taking a heavy emotional toll even on adult children. Then, to add to the grief, there's the difficult task of disposing of the estate -- not just houses, securities and bank accounts, but a lifetime of possessions...

Did consumers splurge or were they conservative in April? Answering that question isn't that simple, considering a rosy government report on retail sales released last week and a much more subdued report from the nation's largest retailers that came out the previous week...

World Wide Abuse Nearly 55 percent of workers are exchanging potentially offensive messages at least once a month. Online industry analysts predict that Internet misuse will cost companies an estimated $1 billion in lost productivity in 2002...

Cape Girardeau Monday, May 20 On Saturday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 7:33 p.m., a medical assist at 826 Jurie St. At 10:09 p.m., a medical assist at Broadway and Perry. On Sunday, firefighters responded to the following calls:At 7:15 a.m., a medical assist at 703 E. Rodney...

Cape Girardeau Monday, May 20 Missing PersonA 49-year-old white male, 6-feet tall and 128 pounds was reported missing Saturday from 430 N. Frederick. ArrestsEric Dean Riley, 20, of Granite City, Ill., was arrested Saturday on a Madison County, Ill., warrant for probation violation and stealing...

7 p.m. Monday Public Hearings A public hearing regarding the necessity to improve that part of Silver Springs Road from Missouri Route 74 South to Mt. Auburn Road, for a distance of approximately 3,950 feet. A public hearing regarding the necessity to improve that part of Silver Springs Road from Mt. Auburn Road to South Kingshighway, for a distance of approximately 3,800 feet...

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday he is almost certain that terrorists will attack the United States again. "It's not a matter of if, but when," he said. Cheney also acknowledged past failures in responding to signs of terrorism, but said he does not know if the Sept. 11 attacks could have been prevented "even if we had all those pieces together."...

WASHINGTON -- More than 11,000 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states are combining forces before the Memorial Day weekend to go after people who break traffic laws. The police will conduct child passenger safety, seat belt and drunk driving checkpoints and other special enforcement activities. The campaign was beginning today and lasting through Memorial Day on May 27, the traditional start of the summer travel season...

WASHINGTON -- A suicide bombing Sunday in Israel led Bush administration officials to renew demands that Yasser Arafat rein in Palestinian militants, though they acknowledged Arafat cannot control all of them. "I think there clearly is a class of bombings that he can't" rein in, Vice President Dick Cheney said...

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials reviewing airline security are considering setting up toll-free telephone numbers that passengers in the air could use during emergencies. Also being examined is a system that would allow frequent fliers to have background checks before they travel, making it easier for them to pass through airport security checkpoints...

MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs snapped a nine-game losing streak Sunday, getting a sacrifice fly from Corey Patterson in the 11th inning to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4. Bobby Hill drew a leadoff walk off Valerio De Los Santos (0-1), making his first appearance since April 3, 2001, and took second on a wild pitch. He was sacrificed to third and scored easily on Patterson's fly to left...

NEW YORK -- Roger Clemens struck out 13 and earned his 287th career win, pitching the New York Yankees past the Minnesota Twins 3-0 Sunday. Clemens (7-2) moved past Hall of Famer Robin Roberts and matched Bert Blyleven for 22nd place on baseball's all-time victory list. Blyleven, a broadcaster for the Twins, was in the ballpark...

ST. LOUIS -- After winning 16 games in 2000, Garrett Stephenson waited 20 months for the next victory. Stephenson allowed a run in five innings on Sunday and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds 10-1. "It feels like a really long time," Stephenson said. "You've got to get your first win before you get your second...

NEW YORK -- The principal couldn't silence the auditorium full of chattering, squirming school children. Neither could the teachers, with their glares and pointed fingers. Only the sight of the glimmering Stanley Cup could make the kids pipe down and face completely forward...

The Internet is no longer a luxury for many businesses. It is emerging as a vital tool as companies increasingly rely on up-to-date, relevant information and instantaneous communication with colleagues and customers. It's a powerful instrument, but one more and more employees are abusing...

Carolyn Ruth Kempf, owner of Elite Travel Age: 40 Key responsibilities: Gosh, were do I start? An owner of any small-to-medium size travel business wears many hats: sales person, travel consultant, customer service, human resources manager, sales and marketing director, technological support, office manager, interior decorator ... you get the picture...

Marilyn Corse has been named the new Perry County representative on the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri. She will replace Gary Wengert, who has resigned from the board. Corse is the human resources manager for Solar Communications of Perryville, Mo., and has been with that firm for 13 years. Corse was recommended by the Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce and was appointed by the Perry County Commission on May 6...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Dorothy Inez Layne, 77, of Charleston died Saturday, May 18, 2002, at her home. She was born Feb. 15, 1925, at Blodgett, Mo., daughter of Oscar Olin and Willie Smith Gilliland. She and Thomas Lee Layne were married Dec. 24, 1941. He preceded her in death Jan. 28, 1983...

Dennis M. Byrne, 55, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, May 18, 2002, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wallace "Wally" W. Schnurbusch, 80, of Perryville died Sunday, May 19, 2002, at his home. He was born Nov. 1, 1921, at Applecreek, Mo., son of Joseph L. and Hermina Wingerter Schnurbusch. He and Rose L. Gibbar were married Sept. 6, 1944...

ANNA, Ill. -- Harry H. "Boozie" Wood Jr., 81, of Anna died at 6:55 p.m. Saturday, May 18, 2002, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Aug. 2, 1920, at Anna, the son of Harry H. and Bessie Barringer Wood Sr. He and Dorothy L. Womick were married Oct. 19, 1943, at Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death Aug. 31, 1966. He later married Dorothy E. Ray on Nov. 21, 1970, in Gulfport, Miss...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Frances C. Poppen, 54, of Dongola died Sunday, May 19, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

ANNA, Ill. -- Frank O. Eubanks, 64, of Anna died at 10:45 a.m., Saturday, May 18, 2002, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born June 27, 1937, at Franklin County, Ill., son of Hosea and Ina Myers Eubanks. He and Delores Davis were married Dec. 23, 1958. She preceded him in death June 12, 2000...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Everett A. Hitt, 86, of Advance died Wednesday, May 15, 2002, in a truck accident on his farm. He was born June 29, 1915, at Arbor, the son of Jessie Hitt. He and Ilene Cox were married June 17, 1936, at Jackson, Mo. Hitt was a retired farmer and of the Methodist belief. He served on the MFA Board of Directors and was a board member of the Swan Pond School District. He also had a two-year term with the CCC Camp as a typist...

Helen Sharp Boone, 91, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of New Madrid, Mo., died Friday, May 17, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 26, 1910, at Marston, Mo., daughter of Floyd Edward and Mabel Barnes Sharp. She and George Dawson Boone were married April 30, 1936, at New Madrid. He preceded her in death March 19, 1963...

WELCH, Okla. -- Mandy Miller, 79, of Welch died at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, May 19, 2002, at the Integris Regional Health Care Center in Miami, Okla. She was born Aug. 31, 1922, near Welch, daughter of Manley and Ida Elizabeth Vanover Rogers. She and Wayne Miller were married Feb. 21, 1960, in Welch. He preceded her in death June 19, 1999...

Bike path concerns REGARDING THE proposed Jackson bike-pedestrian trail: This path will cross private driveways every 50 to 75 feet all along the way. Property owners will have to back all the way out onto the highway to leave their homes, because MoDOT is taking all the frontage for the trail, leaving property owners no room for a turnaround. ...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State, needing a win to earn a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, came through 16-10 Sunday to spoil Southeast Missouri State University's regular-season finale. As a result, the squads will have a rematch at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the first round of the six-team OVC Tournament in Paducah, Ky. Southeast will be the No. 1 seed while Morehead will be seeded sixth...

Officials of mostly rural Scott County have a vision. In this vision, people are moving to the county to live and work. Industries with plenty of jobs are choosing the county for locating plants. Retirees are relocating to the county to take advantage of the easy lifestyle pace and low taxes. Tourists are stopping in the county to soak up its history and natural beauty...

Police standoffs with armed gunmen are, thank goodness, a rare occurrence in Cape Girardeau. This fact certainly magnified the 7 1/2-hour ordeal last week in which a man inside a mobile home threatened the safety of police officers and nearby residents before surrendering...

Westfield America recently announced that it has completed the acquisition of nine regional shopping centers from the Richard E. Jacobs Group. With this transaction, the Westfield America portfolio now includes 48 shopping centers with more than 48 million square feet of retail space...

BALTIMORE -- Twice before, horses trained by Bob Baffert just missed winning the Triple Crown. This time, he thinks War Emblem has what it takes to get the job done. "This guy keeps throwing it into gears and goes like the tank's never empty," Baffert said of his third Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner. "There's nobody faster than him. He just goes."...

AREA Kuper places 16th at state swimming meet Notre Dame High School senior Lindsay Kuper finished 16th in the 100-yard freestyle (57.69) and 200 freestyle (2:04.06) Saturday at the State Swimming and Diving Championships in St. Peters, Mo...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Arie Luyendyk led a surprising speed show Sunday that filled a record-setting field for the Indianapolis 500 before rain cut short the last day of qualifying. Despite occasional showers that eventually ended the session 65 minutes early, the track conditions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were the best since practice resumed Wednesday...

FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- Firefighters contained a brush fire that forced about 250 people to evacuate their homes, officials said. The fire was contained late Saturday and another nearby brush fire was 70 percent contained, said Division of Forestry spokesman Mike Sawyer. The fires, which totaled about 1,000 acres, began at noon Saturday...

LOS ANGELES -- This has always been the anti-city, a sprawling circus with no center ring, known not so much for its downtown towers as for the rings around it -- including the San Fernando Valley, the vast suburbanesque tract that gave America the valley girl...

SUAN PHUNG, Thailand -- Oscar winner Angelina Jolie flew by helicopter into Western Thailand Sunday to witness living conditions at a refugee camp and make donations for thousands of refugees from neighboring Myanmar. Jolie, who has been in northern Thailand filming a romantic adventure about relief workers, traveled to the camp in her role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A transportation tax ballot proposal moved through the General Assembly at full speed Friday and crossed the finish line about 45 minutes before the 6 p.m. mandatory deadline for adjournment. The bill, which calls for a $511 million a year in new taxes for transportation, was a bipartisan compromise from earlier versions passed by each chamber of the legislature...

Though much of the world eats a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet because of tradition or necessity, vegetarians in Southeast Missouri are far outnumbered by people who will slather barbecue sauce on anything that moves. People in affluent nations tend to eat more meat despite the risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, hypertension and the fact that obesity is lower for vegetarians...

Dr. Robert Briner doesn't have a Hollywood script or the star power of television's "CSI" crime drama to tackle DNA testing. Two freezers in his Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab are crammed full of crime-scene evidence that can't be tested until the lab hires a new serologist to conduct DNA tests...

DUTCHTOWN, Mo. -- In the early morning hours Sunday, after nearly two weeks on the rise, the Mississippi River finally began to recede. By mid-afternoon, sandbags that once stood as barriers against flood waters started to dry, streets that were once covered with water began to re-emerge and the boundaries of the newly formed lake at Dutchtown started to shrink...

Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider a constitutional challenge to some registries of known sex offenders, the second case the court will hear involving lists meant to keep tabs on potentially dangerous sex criminals...

Associated Press Writer BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) -- A car bombing killed a senior military commander of a radical Palestinian group on Monday. The group -- which is led by the victim's father, Ahmed Jibril -- blamed Israel and vowed retaliation...

Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush on Monday refused to support lifting the Cuban trade embargo unless Fidel Castro releases political prisoners, conducts independently monitored elections and accepts a list of tough new U.S. conditions for a "new government that is fully democratic."...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A convicted murderer has been captured in Ohio nearly 32 years after she escaped from prison, authorities said Monday. Margo Freshwater, 53, was arrested Sunday afternoon in Columbus by special agents of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation with help from the Columbus Police Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, authorities said...

Associated Press Writer ALEXANDRIA, VA. (AP) -- Walk-in suicide bombers like those who have attacked public places in Israel will hit the United States eventually, FBI Director Robert Mueller said Monday. "I think we will see that in the future, I think it's inevitable," Mueller said in response to a question during a speech to the National Association of District Attorneys meeting in suburban Alexandria, Va...

BOSTON (AP) -- Stephen Jay Gould, a famed evolutionary biologist and prolific author who influenced his field for decades, died Monday. He was 60. Gould died of cancer at his home in New York City, according to his assistant, Stephanie Schur. Gould, a Harvard University professor, joined the faculty in 1967 as a professor of geology. He advanced to associate professor in 1971 and to professor in 1973...

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Disappointed by a report on the economy and uneasy following warnings of more terror attacks, investors cashed in profits Monday and sent stocks sharply lower. Stocks were already expected to retreat somewhat after last week's big rally, during which the tech sector had its biggest weekly percentage gain in 13 months. ...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- At first glance, it appeared to be a case with the down-home feel of a moonshine bust: two brothers are accused of helping run a racket that smuggled cheap cigarettes for resale across state lines. But the government now alleges the case has international intrigue, and that profits from the scheme were funneled to Hezbollah guerrillas...

NEW YORK -- Vecepia "Vee" Towery has joined the small but growing "Survivor" millionaires' club. Towery, a 36-year-old office manager from Portland, Ore., beat Neleh Dennis, a 21-year-old psychology student from Layton, Utah., after the parchment ballots were tallied live at the conclusion of CBS' "Survivor 4" Sunday night...

NETANYA, Israel -- Shortly after a warning of a suicide attack, a Palestinian bomber disguised in an Israeli army uniform slipped into a produce market Sunday and blew himself up, killing two Israelis, wounding at least 50 and ending a brief period of relative calm inside Israel...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They ran at every opportunity, scored with ease and never trailed. And with Jason Kidd doing everything he has done all season, the New Jersey Nets showed exactly why they're the No. 1 team in the East. Picking apart Boston's vaunted defense without much trouble, the Nets beat Boston 104-97 Sunday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Making big shots late after looking vulnerable, Nick Price shot a 3-under 67 Sunday to run away with the Colonial for his first PGA Tour victory in four years. The 45-year-old Price finished at 13-under 267 for a five-stroke margin over David Toms and Kenny Perry...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The specter of voter-approved term limits loomed like a cloud over the Capitol before this year's legislative session began and was still there when lawmakers said farewell. Lawmakers spending their final days and hours in Jefferson City were tearful, humorous and at times cantankerous. For those returning, there is concern about what the future may hold...

ST. LOUIS -- Gov. Bob Holden was naming her in frustration after a lost battle. State workers upset about going two days without pay carried signs saying, "Furlough Hanaway." Missouri's editorial pages have taken an increased interest. Catherine Hanaway's not exactly taking it all in stride...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- DNA evidence in a 16-year-old rape case has led to charges against a prison inmate. Prosecutors said DNA evidence from the March 23, 1986, rape matched that of Melvin L. Conley, 44. He is serving 30 years on a 1987 sodomy conviction from Jackson County...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The largest World War I memorial in the country will be open to the public this weekend for the first time since it closed in 1994. Rededication ceremonies Saturday will mark the climax of a $46 million effort to bring new life to the once crumbling Liberty Memorial. Money still is being raised for a second phase to create a World War I museum below the memorial...

WAYNESVILLE, Mo. -- The punishment for misbehaving at Heartland Christian Academy was cleaning out manure pits. Authorities called it felony child abuse. The first of Heartland's staffers charged in the case -- grandson of the millionaire founder of the place for troubled young people -- is to go on trial today...

ST. LOUIS -- Midwestern flooding in recent days could have been a lot worse, and not just because it could have rained more. After the Flood of '93, many changes were made at great expense along the big rivers to avoid a repeat of that disaster. Across nine states in the Midwest, local, state and federal governments bought property from more than 9,000 homeowners. Local governments turned much of the land into parks and greenways -- places that can be flooded with less risk...

TBILISI, Georgia -- A first contingent of 50 U.S. Army trainers landed in this former Soviet republic on Sunday to begin a two-year job of upgrading a tiny, poorly financed Georgian military. The Pentagon says the training of 2,000 elite Georgian troops is part of a global counterterrorism effort that already has thousands of U.S. ...

BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- A U.S. special forces soldier was killed while on patrol in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday when his unit came under heavy fire, a U.S. military spokesman said. There were no other reports of coalition casualties in the firefight, which started when suspected al-Qaida or Taliban forces engaged U.S. forces with at least small arms fire at approximately 5 p.m. local time, said Capt. Steven O'Connor, a U.S. military spokesman at Bagram air base...

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia -- With its orderly planning, understated grandeur and rich contribution to European culture, President Vladimir Putin's hometown is not a typical Russian city. But then, Putin, with his reserved manner and Western tastes, is no typical Russian politician...

PERHENTIAN ISLANDS, Malaysia -- Covered in an Islamic headscarf, long sleeves and slacks, Nawal Abdul Rahman flies a kite on the beach a few yards from Western women tanning their bare breasts. Nawal, 20, and her sister Ily, 22, find it surreal to see women topless or wearing only bikinis in Terengganu, a conservative Malaysian state with an Islamic government that is trying to tighten up decorum without losing tourists...

NEW DELHI, India -- Fierce gunfire across the India-Pakistan border and attacks by militants killed at least 15 people in disputed Kashmir over the weekend, as India considered on Sunday whether to take further military action against its rival. The most intense cross-border firing this year came after India on Saturday ordered the expulsion of Pakistan's ambassador to protest an earlier attack by suspected Islamic militants. ...

DILI, East Timor -- With the world watching, the small island territory of East Timor proudly took its place among the community of nations on Monday, triumphing at last over its long history of brutal oppression by foreign occupiers. Lest the country forget those bloody struggles, grizzly scenes of torture filled wide screens as the country declared independence just after midnight Sunday in a joyous, but at times tearful, ceremony in the seaside capital of Dili...

Sherry Yaeger is a Renaissance woman. For nearly 15 years, the Cape Girardeau businesswoman has been an artist, selling paintings all over the world, especially her personalized portraits of people's homes based on photos they send her. In October, she and her husband, Mike, took their talents and opened Renaissance, a shop at 33 N. Main, that she describes as featuring romantic home decor and charming, unique gifts...