Stories from Sunday, August 4, 2002

ROSCOE, Ill. -- If you never have traveled on Elm Street in Dallas, where President Kennedy was assassinated, the next thing to being there may be an off-the-beaten-path auto museum in Roscoe. There, a 12-by-25-foot panoramic view of Elm Street's grassy knoll transports visitors to Nov. 22, 1963...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- As if high school -- with its harder classes and its social cliques, not to mention raging hormones -- wasn't bad enough, teens face challenges like high divorce rates, rampant availability of drugs and school shootings. But it could be worse...

NEW YORK -- It was the first day of school for the girl in the plaid dress. She posed for a photo with her hands on her hips and a confident smile. There were no tears that day, no clinging, no fretting. "Nothing," says her mother, who still marvels at her daughter's self-assuredness as she headed to class 13 years ago. "I dropped her off and she didn't even look back."...

BOUNTIFUL, Utah -- The billboards along Interstate 15 are a glaring reminder that polygamy isn't dead yet. After decades of effort by the Mormon church and state leaders to cast polygamy as a thing of the distant past, the billboards advertise a new book that calls polygamy "A Promise For Tomorrow."...

NEW YORK -- Fierce storms that rattled the Northeast killed three people by lightning strikes and left thousands without power. A 25-year-old was killed by lightning Friday while watching the storm from a downtown rooftop, police said. In Pennsylvania, a 16-year-old was killed by lightning at a camp. In Maryland on Saturday, a man was struck by lightning at his home and killed...

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Two of the murdered women drove BMWs, but the third victim didn't. Two loved antiques, but the third had no interest. Two lived on the same street at one point, but the third lived on the outskirts of the city. There are no obvious threads to bind the three women together, but police say DNA evidence shows their murders over less than a year were committed by the same man. The killer remains loose and police remain tight-lipped...

AGNESS, Ore. - Just when they think the forest fire is quieting, and talk resumes about pulling salmon and steelhead trout from the Rogue River, the smoke roils over the ridgeline once again. Women confide their fears and men bristle with anger and defiance...

WASHINGTON - Uruguay will receive a $1.5 billion in emergency loans in a few days from the International Monetary Fund and other international lenders, and the U.S. Treasury will advance the money immediately so the South American nation's banks can reopen Monday, U.S. and Uruguayan officials said Saturday...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The ballot for the high-profile Democratic gubernatorial primary has confusing instructions that could cause the same problems that marked the 2000 presidential election, Democrats said Saturday. The ballot instructs voters to "Vote for One Pair," meaning a combined entry of governor and lieutenant governor, though none of the candidates has chosen a running mate...

WASHINGTON - They were crucial to the defeat of the Taliban government, calling in precision airstrikes while huddled in the hills with Afghan allies. And these shadowy warriors are playing an increasingly larger role in the overall war on terror, training foreign troops from the gorges of Georgia to the steamy jungles of the Philippines...

WASHINGTON - President Bush's faith-based and community initiative has stalled in Congress, making full implementation unlikely until next year or after. But two federal agencies, using existing law, have announced plans to distribute nearly $50 million to encourage religious organizations to assist the government in helping the needy...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A woman fatally shot the former head of Alaska's state police, wounded his wife and then turned the gun on herself Saturday, authorities said. The armed woman ambushed retired Alaska Commissioner of Public Safety Glenn Godfrey and his wife, Patricia, as they arrived at their home in suburban Eagle River about 12:30 a.m., police said...

LOS ANGELES -- In addition to raising the hair on the back of your neck, some recent movies about ghosts, monsters and other things that go bump in the night are raising questions about the meaning of family and religion, life and death. M. Night Shyamalan, the writer-director of "The Sixth Sense," has been at the trend's forefront, saying frightening films are ideal vehicles for examining serious themes...

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Catholic mail carriers went on strike Saturday in Londonderry, Northern Ireland's second-largest city, over fears they could be targeted in revenge for the latest killing of a local Protestant. In a related development, police released without charge five suspected Irish Republican Army dissidents who had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in Thursday's killing of David Caldwell, a Protestant who had been helping to renovate a British army facility in Londonderry.. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of people marched on a provincial center Saturday to protest what they said was a U.S. helicopter attack that killed one Afghan and the U.S. military's detention of five others from the same village, local officials reported...

DEKALB, Ill. -- Some people like to put pink flamingos in front of their homes. For others, the ubiquitous garden gnome or maybe a brightly painted mailbox is the way to go. But for artistic and aesthetic value, few have DeKalb sculptor Brent George beaten...

The Southern Illinoisan CARBONDALE, Ill. -- One spring day in 1967, when Abderrahman Ibrahim was 9 years old and living in the Palestinian town of Tuikarm, bombs fell on his family's house. It was the start of the Six Day War, during which Israel first occupied the Gaza Strip and Golan Heights, the Left Bank, and East Jerusalem...

Gardeners are divided about how they feel about "standards, which means a naturally bushy plant trained to have a clear, upright stem capped by a mop of leaves -- a miniature tree. A plant may set off on the road to standard status by a few routes. ...

What's the difference between taking a picture and making a picture? Taking one involves just pointing your camera at a subject and clicking the shutter (although some digital cameras don't have a shutter). Making a picture, on the other hand, means looking at a subject or scene carefully; then thinking about which elements you want in or out of the picture to tell the story you want to tell; then looking for a creative composition; then thinking about the lighting; and, finally, clicking the shutter.. ...

MEXICO CITY -- The leader of a Mexican peasant group that thwarted government plans to build an airport on their land pledged to create an autonomous government in the area's main town. Ignacio Del Valle wants to turn Atenco into a self-governed town, similar to ones created by the Zapatista rebels in the state of Chiapas following a 1994 uprising...

ATHENS, Greece -- A cache of weapons, including automatic rifles, was stolen from a military armory after thieves tunneled through a wall, officials said Saturday. Suspicion immediately fell on the embattled terrorist group November 17, but authorities also left open the possibility it was a heist by ordinary criminals...

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's president said Saturday the island "is not someone else's province" but rather an independent country separate from China -- bold comments that risk enraging Taiwan's giant communist rival. President Chen Shui-bian also repeated his support for a vote on whether Taiwan should seek a permanent split with China, suggesting the island amend its laws to allow such a referendum...

BERLIN -- For a nation that swore off nationalism after World War II, Germany is having an unusual election campaign. Taboos that once muted any serious discussion of the topic are being cracked -- not by some far-right fringe, but by the two main candidates...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- Under heavy security that included police with machine guns, three Islamic militants were arraigned Saturday on charges in last month's car-bombing of the U.S. Consulate that killed 12 people. The three and a member of the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary police also were arraigned on charges of plotting to kill President Pervez Musharraf during a visit to this sprawling city of 12 million people plagued by criminal and sectarian violence...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Key Iranian and Saudi officials Saturday said they could not support a U.S. military strike against Iraq and would, instead, encourage Saddam Hussein to comply with U.N. resolutions. "All the countries of the world, especially neighbors of Iraq, should make plans to encourage Iraq to observe the resolutions of the U.N. ...

LONDON -- At least 36 people have been infected in an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that killed an elderly man, and dozens more may also have the disease, officials said Saturday. Health authorities in the northwestern county of Cumbria said that along with the 36 confirmed cases, 23 people were showing typical symptoms. They also predicted that 100 more cases could materialize in the next 10 days...

Ozzy Osbourne returns to OZZfest tour early LOS ANGELES -- Ozzy Osbourne is returning to his rock tour OZZfest sooner than expected after promising to take time off to support his wife, Sharon, during her chemotherapy treatments. Osbourne left the tour after Sunday's show in Atlanta and planned to return Aug. 22 in Denver. However, he was so disturbed by his wife's first treatment that she urged him to return sooner, according to a message on his official Internet site...

ESSEX, Vt. -- It's nearly as fast as the most advanced computer, but uses a fraction of the energy. It simultaneously zaps information to thousands of points and is equipped to correct itself. It's not made of silicon, and it came long before the computer chip...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A former newspaper reporter from Perry County hopes to unseat state Rep. Tom Burcham in Tuesday's Republican primary. Cecilia Fallert resigned as features editor of the Perry County Republic-Monitor earlier this year to declare her candidacy for state representative in the 106th District. She is running on a platform of improving health care and educational reform and opposing abortion...

BOSTON -- Worse than cholesterol? Hard to believe, perhaps, but the top health concern of millions of Americans is about to be trumped by what doctors say is an even bigger trigger of heart attacks. The condition is low-grade inflammation, which may originate in a variety of unlikely places throughout the body, including even excess fat. New federal recommendations are being written that will urge doctors to test millions of middle-aged Americans for it...

ATLANTA -- When it comes to power, Chipper Jones is having an off year. Try telling that to the St. Louis Cardinals. Jones hit a pair of two-run homers Saturday to back the strong pitching of Jason Marquis, carrying the Atlanta Braves to a 6-1 victory over the Cardinals in a matchup of NL division leaders...

Southeast Missouri State University football coaches got to take a look at the Indians' rookies on the practice field for the first time Saturday -- and they generally liked what they saw. After welcoming about 40 newcomers to camp on Friday, those first-year Indians -- which includes freshmen, junior-college transfers and four-year transfers -- hit the Houck Stadium turf late Saturday afternoon for their first workout...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The way Tony Stewart likes to handle pressure is to get in his race car and drive -- fast. He did just that Saturday, ignoring the oppressive heat, overcoming a slick track and shaking off a myriad of outside distractions to win the pole for Sunday's Brickyard 400...

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- Craig Barlow birdied the last three holes to inch ahead of Steve Lowery and claim the third-round lead Saturday in The International. Sergio Garcia made the most noise in the third round, carding an eagle and eight birdies to storm the leaderboard and move into fifth place...

CANTON, Ohio -- Jim Kelly never tossed a touchdown pass as meaningful or had a moment on the field as sweet. Just as if he once again were running Buffalo's no-huddle offense, Kelly spread things around Saturday during a moving induction speech into the Pro Football Hall of Fame...

PITTSBURGH -- Barry Bonds hit his 597th career homer and just missed another while driving in four runs, leading the San Francisco Giants past the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-6 Saturday. Bonds moved within three homers of becoming the fourth major leaguer with 600 homers, connecting off Kip Wells (10-9) to put the Giants up 5-0 in the second...

WICHITA, Kan. -- The Craftsman Union Capahas entered the National Baseball Congress World Series not playing all that well. But they're sure playing well now. The unseeded Capahas raised their NBC World Series record to 2-0 Saturday by beating the fourth-seeded Elkhart (Kan.) Dusters 8-6...

A marathon day of baseball paid major dividends for Dunklin County. Pressed into the loser's bracket of the American Legion Zone 4 Tournament after losing to Oakville 8-6 late Friday night, Dunklin County rebounded with a pair of thrilling extra-inning victories Saturday at Capaha Field...

NEW YORK guy shopping for a pair of basic jeans this fall might think he's stumbled into the women's department. Retailers and clothing manufacturers including Levi Strauss & Co. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc. are focusing on a trendier look for young men, including low-rise jeans that hug the hips -- similar to the pants that a year ago became a must-have style for teen girls and young women...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Aromas from church picnic delicacies -- funnel cakes, homemade ice cream, barbecue, chicken and dumplings, porkburgers -- are floating through the air again, adding to the history of the St. Vincent de Paul Seminary Picnic. This year's event marks the 102nd gathering for the picnic. The event spans three days, starting Friday and ending Sunday evening...

BENTON, Mo. -- Paul Boyd filed for the job when his boss, Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Cristy Baker-Neel, decided not to run for re-election this year. So did Frank Marshall, a Sikeston, Mo., lawyer Baker-Neel defeated in the 1994 primary. Boyd hopes voters compare the candidates' experience working with law enforcement. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A former presiding commissioner who wants his job back and a farmer concerned about a lack of employment opportunities in the county will compete in Tuesday's Republican primary for presiding commissioner of Bollinger County. Both hope to win the right to oppose Democratic incumbent Kenny Trentham in the November general election...

Neuroscientists have discovered what romantics have always known: The touch of a lover's hand is special. Scientists announced last week that humans have a special set of nerves for feeling pleasure at a mother's caress or a lover's embrace...

DAVIS, Calif. -- Former University of California eye researcher Bin Han, his wife and their two sons, ages 9 and 14, were home watching "Jurassic Park III" on May 17 when police showed up with a search warrant. "Bingo," one officer said as he peered into Han's freezer...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Two new studies add fresh fuel to a decades-old debate about whether a parchment map of the Vikings' travels to the New World, purportedly drawn by a 15th century scribe, is authentic or a clever 20th century forgery. Using carbon dating, scholars from the Smithsonian Institution, the University of Arizona and Brookhaven National Laboratory concluded the map predates Christopher Columbus' voyage by about 50 years, adding to evidence that Vikings reached the New World before he did.. ...

The Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- The nine Pennsylvania coal miners who were trapped underground for 77 hours have sold the TV and book rights to their story to The Walt Disney Co. for $150,000 each, their lawyer said Saturday. The deal includes a movie for Disney's ABC network and a book to be published by the Burbank company's Hyperion Publishing division, Pittsburgh attorney Thomas Crawford said in an interview...

In America, everything is for sale -- even Jeff Swanson's head. The Iowa guy is offering to let an advertiser tattoo his head for $100,000. Swanson insists he's not a nut. "I would just like to make sure my kids have the chance for a good education when the time comes and I would like to buy a race horse or two I've had my eye on," he tells the Internet world...

CHICAGO -- Authorities charged seven people Saturday with first-degree murder for the deaths of two men who were stomped and beaten with bricks and stones by a mob after a traffic accident. Each also was charged with felony murder and other counts in the deaths of Jack Moore, 62, and Anthony Stuckey, 49, the Cook County State's Attorney's office said...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Suppose Missouri held an election and no one came to the polls Or imagine that eligible voters who failed to cast a ballot in the last election would have to re-register. Or consider the possibility of assessing a poll tax on citizens who didn't show up at the last primary or general election...

Not so good I THINK the trade that the St. Louis Cardinals recently made was not good. Polanco was too good of an overall player at different positions. And to give up Timlin and Bud Smith also was just too much for what we will be losing. Is Joe back?...

Heartland Nationals win three games in tourney SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Heartland Nationals, an area girls fast-pitch softball team, won three games Saturday to clinch at least third place in the 14-under national tournament. Heartland will play Jefferson Parish (La.) at 9 a.m. today in the loser's bracket final. The winner advances to the 11 a.m. championship round against unbeaten Homewood (Ill.), where it would need to win twice...

Briefly Basketball Longtime Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn has probably called his last game, his neurologist said Saturday after performing surgery for brain hemorrhaging. "If he has a full recovery in terms of his motor functions he will very likely have speech difficulty, so I will foresee that he will have a difficulty to be announcing," the neurologist, Dr. Asher Taban said...

MACOMB, Ill. -- The day the St. Louis Rams drafted Eric Crouch, his Heisman Trophy was useless. The former Nebraska quarterback, perhaps the future X factor in the Rams' offense, now is playing catch-up at a new position. Crouch is a wide receiver with zero experience, trying his best to hold his own and avoid embarrassment among four-time Pro Bowler Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Congressional candidate Chuck Kalogianis says he wants affordable prescription drugs and social security to be the main focus of his campaign. But his past as a stripper in Massachusetts may get in the way. Kalogianis, 39, acknowledges his two-year stint with "Men in Motion" more than a decade ago when he was a law student in Boston...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- More people are choosing to drive to their vacation destinations this year, and state tourism officials have been urging Missourians to stay close to home. Missouri has initiated the Rediscover Your Missouri Campaign, which touts the state's historical and cultural sites to Missourians. The events of Sept. 11 played a role in the state's decision to cater more to those Missourians wary of traveling far...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North and South Korea agreed Sunday to restart high-level talks next week, getting their stalled reconciliation process back on track, according to a South Korean new report. The agreement, reached at three-day meeting at a North Korean mountain resort, called for the two sides to hold Cabinet-level talks in Seoul on Aug. 12-14, said YTN, an all-news cable network...

David and Phyllis McLain of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristy Ann McLain, to Jerime Alan Atchley. He is the son of Al and Freda Atchley of Cape Girardeau. McLain is a 1996 graduate of Central High School. She is employed in the logistics department at Rubbermaid...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Sara Elizabeth Nenninger and James Douglas Ritter were married April 6, 2002, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Glennon, Mo. The Rev. Frederick Lutz performed the ceremony. Organist was Mary Jansen of Leopold and soloist was Jill Landewee of Kennett, Mo...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Erin Elizabeth Mirly and Adam Jason Click were married May 25, 2002, at Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Jeffrey Sippy performed the double ring ceremony. Organist and pianist was Christina Shinn and horn player was Thomas Broussard, both of Jackson, oboist was Johanna Erdman of St. ...

Brenda Diebold and Stephen Robert Gotter were united in marriage Jan. 5, 2002, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Charles Prost performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Susan Essner of Cape Girardeau and Amy Diebold of Seattle, Wash., sister of the bride...

GORDONVILLE, Mo. -- Zion United Methodist Church was the setting Jan. 5, 2002, for the wedding of Sara Lyn Michie and Raymond John Higson. The Rev. Ann Mowery performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Duane Michie of Hayti, Mo. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Higson of Hervy Bay, Australia...

Courtney Blake Haman and Jeffrey Howard Bourbon exchanged vows June 22, 2002, at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Rev. Douglas C. Breite performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Dottie Meyr, and soloists were Steve and Linda Meadows, all of Cape Girardeau...

Deborah Lou Mast and Mark Bradley were married June 1, 2002, at Bald Knob Cross in Alto Pass, Ill. The Rev. Derek Staples performed the double ring ceremony. Music was provided by Matt Taylor of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the bride are Chester Mast of Florida and Ada Cruce of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Curtis Bradley of Fairview Heights, Ill., and Dorothy Taylor of Cape Girardeau...

Julie Christine Hoffman and Christopher Patrick Casey exchanged vows July 13, 2002, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Pat Keeley performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Valerie Schaefer and vocalist was Alan Bruns, both of Cape Girardeau...

10 years ago: Aug. 4, 1992 City council voted Monday to study spending excess tourism funds on proposal to turn St. Vincent's College property into museum and Civil War interpretive center; council unanimously approved measure despite objections of some members that it was "slap in the face" to city's Convention and Visitors Advisory Board...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Kenneth "Joey" Phillips Jr., 25, of Puxico died Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, in a drowning at Wappapello Lake. He was born Dec. 19, 1976, in Oran, Mo., son of Kenneth Joe Phillips Sr. and Kimberly June Douglass Phillips. He married Kim Smalley on May 18, 2002...

Christian Gabriel Michael Schott, infant son of Michael and Kimberly Wells Schott of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, July 31, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Wednesday, July 31, 2002, at Cape Girardeau. Survivors include his parents; a sister, Caroline Elizabeth Claire Schott; a brother, Coleman Wells Schott; maternal grandparents, Calvin and Carol Wells; and paternal grandparents, Robert and Helen Schott...

Lee and LaDonna Ruebel of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Regina Renee Ruebel, to Jacob Channing Pattengill. He is the son of Lee and Tina Pattengill Jr. of Scott City, Mo. Ruebel is a 1995 graduate of Central High School. She received a master of arts degree in communication disorders from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001. She is a speech pathologist with Therapy Relief Inc. in St. Louis...

KELSO, Mo. -- Jerome and Beverly Essner of Kelso announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Beth Essner, to Ryan Alan Mattes. He is the son of Wayne and Kathy Mattes of Cape Girardeau. Essner is a 2000 graduate of Notre Dame High School. She expects to receive a degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University in December 2003...

Donald and Melba Bernhardt of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Jean Hughey of Marble Hill, Mo., to Jeffrey Lynn Mouser. He is the son of George and Maggie Mouser of Marquand, Mo. Hughey is employed at Slinkard's in Marble Hill...

Southeast Missouri State University's football team continues to get little respect around the Ohio Valley Conference, which third-year coach Tim Billings understands completely. The way Billings sees it, the Indians don't deserve a whole lot of respect right now. And it's basically up to them to change things...

So the Holden Lug on state workers' paychecks is becoming a reality after all. Thirteen months after Gov. Bob Holden's infamous executive order instituting collective bargaining for state employees, a key feature of forced unionization is coming into focus...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan - The lull in the hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban leaders in Afghanistan has Afghans and Americans alike demanding that the U.S. military make clear what it is doing here and how much longer it plans to keep doing it. Four months after the last major military engagement of the Afghan war, the U.S.-led military coalition has more than 10,000 troops on the ground. ...

BEIJING - Chen Zhaoliang aspires to become a living contradiction. A practicing capitalist, Chen applied last August to become a card-carrying member of the Communist Party. He submitted his application almost immediately after China's leaders announced that the party would open its doors to entrepreneurs, ending its long-standing vilification of people like Chen as "class enemies." In a land where the private sector now accounts for more than a third of economic output, the party knew it had to do something to stay relevant.. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. When Woodland schools superintendent Bill Biggerstaff arrived for work on the morning of May 13, he found the inside of the building soaking wet and coated with an inch of mud. "We walked in and saw mud and water, things turned over. Outside the building there was debris everywhere. Water was still standing on the lawn. It looked like a disaster area," Biggerstaff said...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Smith of Tamms celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception and dinner June 15, 2002, at the Community Center. Smith and Dorothy Newell were married June 14, 1952, in Waurika, Oklahoma. Their children and spouses are Glenda and Mike Hamilton of Henderson, Ky., and Kenny and Gail Smith of Tamms...

Jim and Bessie Crites of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner June 9, 2002, at Calvary Temple. Hosts were their daughters, Sandra Weiss of St. Louis and Jan Huber of Oak Ridge, Mo. The couple was married June 14, 1952...

Mr. and Mrs. Roger Rebert of Carthage, Texas, formerly of Cape Girardeau, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary July 25, 2002. Rebert and Anna Lou Craig were married in 1942 in Greenup, Ky. He is a retired sales manager with Aerovent Co. in Lansing, Mich...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hahn of Jackson celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with a reception July 14, 2002, at New McKendree United Methodist Church. The event was hosted by their daughter and son-in-law, Saundra and Clarence "Dub" Suedekum of Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Larry and Karen Kohlfeld of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Andrea Kohlfeld, to Scott Ponder of Perryville. He is the son of Jerry and Shirley Burroughs of Altenburg, Mo. Kohlfeld is a 1997 graduate of St. Vincent's High School, received administrative assistant certification from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001, and expects to graduate from the university in December 2003. ...

Richard Steven Freeman I and Deborah Ann Freeman of Delta, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Christian Lachelle Freeman, to Jonathan Richard Carlisle, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Gloria and Walter Jackson of Gipsy, Mo. Freeman is employed at Famous-Barr...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Sarah Elizabeth Anne Volkerding, age 33, passed away Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, at her home in Jackson. She was born Jan. 2, 1969, in St. Louis, daughter of Kenneth E. and Rebecca Campbell Volkerding. Sarah was a member of Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. She was em-ployed several years as a sales clerk at the Dollar General Store in Jackson...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Mitchell W. George, 47, of Carmel, Maine, and formerly of Cobden, died Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. He was born May 23, 1955, in Cobden, son of Leslie and Mary Ann Dangbar George. He and Donna Day were married Sept. 6, 1988, in Augusta, Ga...

The pros and cons of Proposition B, the road tax measure on Tuesday's ballot in Missouri, will be debated today on KRCU's "Going Public" radio show. Scott Meyer, Missouri Department of Transportation district engineer, and Glen Keenan from the "No on B" committee will discuss the tax measure...

BRANSON, Mo. -- Silver Dollar City Corp. plans to build a $40 million theme park in Branson that will highlight life-changing events of 20th-century America. It will be called "Celebration City," says Mel Bilbo, chief executive of Silver Dollar City. It's targeted to open next spring in the southwest Missouri resort town...

LAS VEGAS -- Personal watercraft will be banned on Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Glen Canyon and six other national parks after Sept. 15 because the National Park Service won't meet a deadline to complete environmental impact reports for the popular recreational activity...

Public to get first look at restored house PORTLAND, Maine -- After 2 1/2 years of restorations, visitors are getting their first look at the newly overhauled Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the boyhood home of 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow...

Vermont isn't just for autumn leaf colors or skiing. It's an inviting place for a vacation at any time of year, with plenty to see and do, and lots of places to relax. It's also a very Web- savvy state, and you'll have no problem finding information on the Internet to help plan your visit...

BRICKYARD 400 Event: The 9th Brickyard 400. Distance: 400 miles; 160 laps around the 2 1/2-mile, asphalt-on-brick Indianapolis Motor Speedway track. Cars: 3,500 pounds; use carburetion instead of fuel-injection found on stock models of passenger cars; tubular frames, with safety modifications...

SEOUL, South Korea -- This year's soccer World Cup jacked up interest in South Korea, which evolved in just a few decades from a war-torn, impoverished land into a global economic power with a rich historical heritage. Even before South Korea co-hosted the one-month premier soccer event May 31-June 30, the Asian country was a destination for millions of Japanese, Chinese and other foreign travelers a year. The World Cup brought hundreds of thousands more, many of them from the West...

ST. LOUIS -- Two Justice Department officials will monitor Tuesday's primary elections in St. Louis, where problems at the polls in November 2000 led to chaos. The federal monitors also have ordered that St. Louis' election board sign a consent decree soon to resolve problems from the 2000 presidential election or face a lawsuit against the city by Friday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Jackson County judge has ordered the Kansas City Police Department to turn over $4.2 million in money and property to the state treasury. The funds have accumulated from stolen or abandoned money and property collected by police. The property includes items taken during robberies or burglaries...

MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- Authorities began digging Saturday at an abandoned slaughterhouse near this Southwest Missouri town in a search for three Springfield women missing since 1992. After receiving a tip, Webster County Sheriff's deputies began searching the area last weekend with cadaver dogs. The dogs pinpointed two spots at the slaughterhouse...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A man was sentenced to 27 years in prison for molesting eight boys over several years. Ronnie D. Pitts, 41, of Kansas City, had pleaded guilty in June to 14 counts of statutory sodomy and one count of child molestation. As part of a plea agreement, five counts of statutory sodomy, three counts of sexual misconduct and one count of assault were dropped...

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. -- Finding enough children's books to satisfy Joy Smith's voracious reading appetite has kept her mother and librarians busy. The 7-year-old Blue Springs girl has plowed through more than 1,600 books since the beginning of June through a public library summer reading program...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Aug. 4 ArrestsRobert David Weissinger, 25, of 603 Mechaw was arrested Friday on a city warrant for failure to appear. Troy Lee Jones, 26, of 522 S. Sprigg was arrested Friday for prohibited acts. MiscellaneousAn attempted suicide was reported...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, Aug. 4 Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:At 6:45 p.m., an illegal burn at 611 Mechaw. At 7:43 p.m., a medical assist at 540 S. Middle St. Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:At 2:03 a.m., an alarm sounding at 3246 William St...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Bruce Leon Brown, 75, of Wolf Lake died Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, at Union County Hospital. He was born July 30, 1926, at Union County, Ill., son of William Otis and Verda Jane Burnett Brown. Brown was a retired operating engineer, a member of the Local 318, a veteran and a member of the Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455 in Anna, Ill...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Thomas H. Stalcup, 79, of Sikeston died Saturday, Aug. 3, 2002, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Feb. 11, 1923, in Jonesboro, Ark., son of Henry J. and Eliza Ellen Griffin Stalcup. He and Laverne Ballentine were married Nov. 15, 1955. She died July 30, 1986...

ANNA, Ill. -- Carl L. Garner, 78, of Anna died Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, at Union County Hospital. He was born Dec. 11, 1923, at Piggott, Ark., son of William and Lona Nicholson Garner. He and Helen Caraker were married Aug. 24, 1946, at Piggott. Garner was a U.S. ...