Stories from Thursday, August 15, 2002

NEW YORK -- Baseball's labor talks hit a snag when the sides delved deeper into the key economic issues, leaving the union's executive board on track to set a strike date Friday. Rob Manfred, the owners' top labor lawyer, has repeatedly expressed optimism, but even he admitted little headway was made at the bargaining table Wednesday...

'Stone Cold' arrested on charges of assault SAN ANTONIO -- The pro wrestling star known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin surrendered to authorities after a judge issued an arrest warrant for him on a domestic violence complaint. Steve Williams was charged with assault with bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor, police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino said. He was free after posting $5,000 bond...

Inside a tightly sealed laboratory in Rhodes Hall at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Christina Frazier runs another test for mosquito-borne viruses. This test is similar to a home pregnancy test. If the sample changes color, it means the West Nile virus is present in area mosquitoes...

JACKSON, Ga. -- The state Supreme Court delayed an execution 45 minutes before the inmate was scheduled to die Wednesday to consider his claim he was denied clemency. The court said it wanted more time to consider condemned killer Wallace Fugate's claim that the state Pardons and Paroles Board had a conflict of interest when it denied his appeal for mercy...

GOLDEN, Colo. -- A fast-moving fire broke out early Wednesday in the foothills west of Denver, forcing some residents to flee their homes in an upscale area. A firefighting plane on its way to the blaze was damaged when it veered off a runway while taking off...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- With sharpshooters positioned nearby and a surveillance helicopter hovering overhead, Pakistan's president lashed out Wednesday at Islamic militants responsible for recent terror attacks and warned of a long struggle to rid the nation of extremist violence...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Platoon by platoon, battalion by battalion, U.S. and other foreign trainers are piecing together the building blocks of an Afghan national army. But the buildup some once thought would take a year is dragging out. "I wouldn't put a time frame on it," said the U.S. colonel in charge. The Kabul leadership all have "different ideas" on how to proceed, an Afghan general said. "It will take perhaps three, four, five years," a key French officer concluded...

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has amassed a personal fortune of about $1.3 billion, Israel's military intelligence chief told parliament. The claim was dismissed Wednesday by Palestinian Authority officials as an Israeli attempt to discredit Arafat...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The European Union on Wednesday defended its decision to ask aspiring EU members not to sign agreements with Washington that would protect U.S. troops from prosecution by a new international war crimes court. The United States had said it was "inappropriate."...

MOSCOW -- Russia's president put two plans on the table Wednesday for linking with neighboring Belarus, one of them outright unification within two years -- a startling turnaround from what Vladimir Putin said on the issue just two months ago. The authoritarian leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, who had been pushing closer ties, denounced the plan as an attack on his nation's sovereignty...

LONDON -- An Algerian pilot held in Britain for five months on suspicion of training some of the hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks said Wednesday he was considering legal action against British and U.S. authorities. Lotfi Raissi said he would go to court if he did not receive public apologies from the FBI, Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service, whom he accused of racial and religious discrimination...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope John Paul II, Poland's favorite son, returns to his homeland Friday, making a nostalgic four-day visit in what he calls the "twilight years" of his papacy. The ailing 82-year-old pope surprised skeptics with his relative vigor during an 11-day tour of Canada, Guatemala and Mexico, although he weakened as the trip went on. John Paul has been resting at his vacation palace outside Rome since returning from the trip Aug. 2, preparing for his ninth visit to Poland...

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Marwan Barghouti, the first Palestinian leader to be brought to trial in Israel in two years of violence, held his handcuffs over his head Wednesday and shouted the "uprising will be victorious" at a hearing in which he was charged with murder for allegedly orchestrating more than three-dozen terror attacks...

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Firefighters and volunteers fought back river waters swamping the National Theater and other landmarks Wednesday as unprecedented flooding that has killed at least 98 people across Europe threatened this medieval city's historic Old Town...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A former Independence police officer was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison Wednesday, for conspiring to rob two women he thought were drug-money couriers. The women were actually undercover FBI agents taking part in a sting operation against the former officer, Brian C. McGarr...

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Chlorine gas poured from a freight car at a chemical plant near St. Louis after a hose ruptured Wednesday, causing a toxic cloud that forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents and left 28 people hospitalized. The leak happened at around 9:30 a.m. ...

NEW YORK -- The insurance company for the city firefighters' union has decided not to renew its policy. Spokesmen for the Uniformed Firefighters Association said the Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. no longer wanted to insure the union because of the risk of terrorist attacks...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- On a lazy summer day, Iowa became the epicenter of American politics, testament to the critical role it may play in November in determining the shape of the new House and Senate, and its position as the state that will begin the presidential nominating process in 2004...

PHILADELPHIA -- To stage the first X Games in 1995, ESPN sweated out a 4-3 vote from the city council of idyllic Newport, R.I. Now the network is reviewing bids from about a half-dozen cities that want to play host to the event. That's what growing popularity and an evolving sports scene will do...

PITTSBURGH -- St. Louis manager Tony La Russa doesn't understate the value of pitcher Andy Benes to the Cardinals. "We wouldn't be in first place without him," La Russa said after Benes led the Cardinals to a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night for their fifth consecutive victory...

About a dozen residents from a neighborhood near the Southeast Missouri State University campus approached the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday night, asking for protection from future developers who could turn neighboring houses into college apartments...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A Sedgewickville, Mo., woman was seriously injured early Wednesday when the vehicle she was driving overturned near Jackson. Victoria Mayne, 50, was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital after the 6:34 a.m. accident on Highway 72, four miles west of Jackson...

22-HOUR REPRIEVE ENDS BY CHERYL WITTENAUER ~ The Associated Press POTOSI, Mo. -- A Missouri inmate sentenced to death in the 1992 contract killing of a suburban St. Louis woman was executed Wednesday night, ending his 22-hour reprieve granted when a supposed alibi witness surfaced...

FINANCIAL CHECKUPS From wire reports Executives of most large U.S. companies vouched for their businesses' financial results Wednesday, meeting a much-anticipated deadline set by federal regulators...

Two freshmen members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department are now patrolling the city, complete with the noses and teeth necessary for them to protect and serve. Bolo and Toben, the city's new police dogs, demonstrated their skills at a special exhibition Wednesday for one of their biggest supporters, 11-year-old Ashten Howard of Jackson, Mo...

Aug. 15, 2002 Dear Julie, Even though I'd never seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" before, it was not surprising or displeasing last weekend at The Muny in St. Louis when the pompadoured Pharaoh appeared in a white Elvis jumpsuit and pleaded, "So don't be cruel, Joseph."...

GLENALLEN, Mo. Throwing horseshoes traditionally has been a back-yard sport played between friends and family. That's the atmosphere they try to maintain at every SEMO Horseshoe Association tournament. In its 20th year, the SEMO Horseshoe Association has become a weekly ritual for members like Sheila LeGrand of Dexter. She's played in SEMO tournaments for eight years and said she's gotten to know all the familiar faces that come each week...

Discount retailer Ames plans to close all stores ROCKY HILL, Conn. -- A year after seeking bankruptcy protection, Ames Department Stores announced Wednesday it would close all 327 stores in the chain and wind down business. Ames, which bought Hills Stores Co. of Massachusetts in 1998, was the nation's fourth-largest discount retail chain behind Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target. Its stores, mostly in the East and Midwest, employ about 22,000 people...

NEW YORK -- AOL Time Warner Inc. acknowledged Wednesday that it may have improperly recognized revenues from three transactions at its America Online unit, whose accounting practices are being scrutinized by federal regulators. AOL Time Warner said in a statement that the transactions in question totaled approximately $49 million occurring over a period of a year and a half. ...

MissingLos Angeles girl found at clinic Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES -- Almost two days after her disappearance triggered a citywide search, 4-year-old Jessica Cortez walked into a Los Angeles clinic and was quickly reunited with her parents. The head of the clinic where she appeared described her as barefoot, disheveled and confused, but said she did not bear any visible signs of injury...

ABILENE, Texas -- The month-old infant who was snatched from her family's minivan in a Wal-Mart parking lot was found safe Wednesday over 100 miles away. Authorities said they arrested a female suspect. "It's an answer to a lot of prayers that she was found and she's safe," police Sgt. Kim Vickers said of Nancy Crystal Chavez...

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A man convicted of killing a Dallas police officer in 1988 was executed Wednesday despite protests that executing him violated international law. Speaking English and Spanish, Javier Suarez Medina apologized for the crime, asked forgiveness from the relatives of the slain police officer and thanked the people of Mexico for their support in his case...

NEW YORK -- Facing criticism that its initial plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site were mundane, the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. launched a worldwide competition for new proposals Wednesday. "This effort to reach out to the finest architects and planners around the globe significantly expands the search for the best design talent," said John C. Whitehead, the development corporation's chairman...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon is pushing for communities across the state to set up a system for alerting the public when a child is abducted. Broadcast media and law enforcement already coordinate an alert system in several jurisdictions, including Boone County, St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A father and son from Arkansas were killed when their pickup truck went off a Southeast Missouri highway and hit several trees, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The crash happened at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday on U.S. 60, about 10 miles west of Poplar Bluff...

Emil F.T. Strack, 93, of Lebanon, Ill., died Monday, Aug. 12, 2002, at St. Joseph Hospital in Breese, Ill. He was born Aug. 28, 1908, in Cape Girardeau, son of Anton and Annie K. Lowes Strack. He and Emma M. Knoebel were married Aug. 9, 1953, in Belleville, Ill...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Thomas G. "Tom" Bailey Jr., 58, of Cobden died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 29, 1944, in Alton, Ill., son of Thomas G. and Lena Marie Jackson Bailey Sr. He and Rose McCrary were married June 28, 1980, in Cobden...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Dorothy Marie Jackson, 86, of Charleston died Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Nov. 28, 1915, at Wyatt, Mo., daughter of Albert and Bertha Mason Fields. She and Elbert "Ike" Jackson were married Jan. 28, 1939. He died Feb. 8, 1984...

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- Bertrand Holloway Jr., 60, of Oak Ridge died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at his home. He was born Feb. 24, 1942, in San Francisco, Calif., son of Bertrand and Lola Earnshaw Holloway Sr. Holloway was parts manager at Stevens Pontiac in Los Gatos, Calif., 12 years, and most recently was an over-the-road truck driver 10 years. He was a member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

KELSO, Mo. -- Funeral Mass for Martha C. Robert of Kelso will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Msgr. Richard Rolwing will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City, Mo., from 4 to 8 p.m. today. Parish prayers will be at 6, with the rosary to be recited at 6:15 by Knights of Columbus Council 1111 of Cape Girardeau...

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. -- Kelsey Dawn Wiggins, newborn infant, died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at Morgan Hospital & Medical Center in Martinsville. She was born four hours earlier at the hospital, the daughter of Matthew Harold Wiggins and Kasaundra Watkins...

Althea Marie Fleming, 49, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born March 27, 1953, in St. Louis, daughter of James Donald and Delores Gruenewald Mathis. She married Ralph Fleming. Fleming was a member of First Assembly of God Church...

Lessmann Daughter to Ensign Brett Haas and Jessica Erin Lessmann of Germantown, Md., National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2002. Name, Jill Patricia. Weight, 9 pounds 14 ounces. Third daughter. Mrs. Lessmann is the former Jessica Pohle, daughter of Nancy Chrisbaum of Lakewood, Colo., and John Pohle of Virginia Beach, Va. ...

Owen gets doctorate in political science Stephen S. Owen of Radford, Va., formerly of Cape Girardeau, has completed a doctor of philosophy degree in political science. He is the son of B. Ray and Sally Owen of Cape Girardeau. The degree was conferred at graduation ceremonies held in late May at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Owen also holds a master of arts in political science from the University of Missouri-St. Louis...

10 years ago: Aug. 15, 1992 About 45 volunteers hit streets of southeast Cape Girardeau to pick up litter; cleanup activity is part of Community Investment in Cape Girardeau beautification project, spearheaded by City Councilmen Melvin Gateley and Doug Richards...

A day after Michael Waltrip signed autographs for hundreds of fans at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, another event with big NASCAR names was added to the area motorsports schedule. The series' Wallace brothers -- Rusty, Kenny and Michael -- will sign autographs Friday, Sept. 27 as part of a $5,000-to-win event for outlaw sprints at ATPR, two miles east of Benton, Mo. The event is part of a two-day program being promoted by SEMO Motor Speedway promoter Jerry Wolsey...

HONG KONG -- When workers dredged waters around Hong Kong to reclaim land for a Disneyland theme park, they scooped up dozens of unexploded bombs and artillery shells along with mud. World War II ended with Japan's announcement of surrender 57 years ago Wednesday. But despite the passing of time, Asia remains littered with millions of pieces of lost and discarded ordnance...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- New traffic lights activated two weeks ago at the interchange at Interstate 55 and Highway 51 already are being lauded as a change for the better. "It was chaos before," said Perryville resident Bill Schumer. "You couldn't get off the highway when traffic was bad. You'd sit there forever. I think these lights are a big help -- a lot more convenient."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The potential for abuse of the voter initiative process outweighs its benefits and should be reformed in the 24 states, including Missouri, that allow citizens to bypass the legislature and put measures directly on the statewide ballot, a recently released report concludes...

Thursday, Sept. 5 San Francisco at New York Giants, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Sunday, Sept. 8 St. Louis at Denver, 3:15 p.m. (FOX) Dallas at Houston, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) Monday, Sept. 9 Pittsburgh at New England, 8 p.m. (ABC) Sunday, Sept. 15 Denver at San Francisco, 3:15 p.m. (CBS)...

Sharing trash bags JACKSON SENIORS: How would you like to form a new club? No forms to fill out. No dues to pay. And you might receive your neighbor's nomination for a Kindness of the Week award. Let's call it the Refuse Savings Neighbor Program. It is really a share-the-trash program. You have one bag. Your neighbors have four. Invite them to give you one bag. They save a buck. You get your Kindness of the Week award. Simple and neighborly...

Baseball Milton Bradley underwent an appendectomy and was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Indians on Wednesday. Astros shortstop Julio Lugo will be sidelined for the rest of the season following surgery to repair a broken left forearm...

WEBB CITY, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri school district compromised by banning three books and limiting access to three others in a series that uses an adolescent girl named Alice to explore the issues of growth, development and sexuality. The Webb City school board voted Tuesday to remove "Achingly Alice," "Alice in Lace" and "The Grooming of Alice" from the elementary school library...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A man who managed the finances of an agency that operates federally funded preschool programs was sentenced to more than four years in prison Wednesday for taking bribes. Andrew P. Nyakatura, 46, of Kansas City, also was ordered to pay $885,417 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He pleaded guilty in February to one count of federal program bribery and one count of money laundering...

CHASKA, Minn. -- The 84th PGA Championship lost some of its luster about a month ago, when Tiger Woods shot an 81 on a wet and windy Saturday at the British Open. That round ended Woods' chance for a Grand Slam this calendar year and took with it much of the worldwide buzz for the final major championship of 2002...

Local events Late model, modified, hobby stock, pure stock and cruiser divisions, Malden Speedway, 7 p.m. Friday. Late model, pro stock and pure stock classes, Fredericktown Raceway, 7 p.m. Friday. Motorcycle and ATV divisions, SEMO Motor Speedway, Sikeston, 8 p.m. Friday...

Editor's note: This corrects errors in a schedule provided by First Student Transporation in Wednesday's Southeast Missourian. Bus 1 secondary Right on Kingshighway at 6:45 a.m. Right on William. Left on Sprigg. Right on Olive. Left on Big Bend. Right on Roberts. Left on Main. Stop on Northwoods at 6:55...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jinkies! No matter how it's said, kids of all ages will be jumping for joy when Scooby, Shaggy and Velma make a guest appearance at the Black River Coliseum Sept. 14 as part of the Scooby Doo Movie Madness show. The Black River Coliseum is offering the event free to the public...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Avenowat. Sakar palak. Zarrcockin. The words are more than a mouthful. But once you have a slice of an avenowat, sakar palak or zarrocockin melon, you will want a mouth full again and again. That's fine with Steve Welker, coordinator for the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Bootheel Resource Conservation and Development Inc. Welker wants consumers to develop a taste for these and other exotic melons because that will mean a new industry for Bootheel farmers...

Cape Girardeau Thursday, Aug. 15 Firefighters responded to the following items Tuesday: At 4 p.m., electrical problem at 2 N. Fountain, Apt. 1. At 4:32 p.m., alarm sounding at 4614 Nash Road. At 4:33 p.m., alarm sounding at 211 St. Francis Drive. At 5:11 p.m., medical assist at 900 Normal...

Jackson Thursday, Aug. 15 Firefighters responded to the following call Wednesday: A citizen assist on West Adams.

Cape Girardeau Thursday, Aug. 15The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Chad T. Bard, 19, of 1218 Good Hope, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of indecent exposure. Thefts A red 1992 Honda four-wheeler was reported stolen Tuesday at 603 Timon Way...

What's next for Missouri's transportation needs after the overwhelming defeat of Proposition B? Again, the age-old question recurs: What is to be done about major road projects that won't be done because of a lack of funding? One answer that commends itself to members of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is toll roads. ...

Thursday, Aug. 15 Hormone Replacement Therapy and heart impacts will be topic of seminar from noon to 1 p.m. in Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Call 651-5825 to register. Diabetes Support Group from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in conference room B at St. Francis Education Center. Call 331-5107 for information...

August 15 The Fit to Print team earned 724 points. St. Andrew's Fit for Eternity earned 802 points while the public library's team earned 343 points. Fit to Print point totals: Andrea Buchanan: 42 Sam Blackwell: 126 Spencer Cramer: 90 Heidi Hall: 69...

Football coaches expect to have players miss parts of preseason practice with various injuries. The sport is a physical one, so it goes with the territory. But the last thing coach Tim Billings anticipated was having more than one-third of his Southeast Missouri State University team miss several days because of illness...

Local team loses in 12-under World Series LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Heartland Nationals, a local girls fast-pitch softball team, lost to Liberty Recreation 1-0 Wednesday as the double-elimination portion of the 12-under Babe Ruth World Series got under way...

Missouri's treatment of our veterans is once again in the news. While the federal government is trying to slow recruitment of veterans into the department's already overwhelmed health-care system, Missouri is taking the opposite approach. Gov. Bob Holden has announced that a new, toll-free state hotline has been created to improve veterans' access to all benefits, including health care...