Stories from Sunday, March 30, 2003

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Pronger was excited to be back on the ice -- until he had to try to stop Brett Hull. Hull's 33rd career hat trick lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 6-2 win over the Blues on Saturday, spoiling Pronger's return to the lineup. Pronger scored in his first game back for St. Louis. The 2000 NHL MVP and Norris Trophy winner missed the first 77 games of the season while recovering from knee and wrist surgery...

Lawsuit reform: Legislation seeks to restrict civil lawsuits by capping damages for pain and suffering and limiting so-called venue shopping by which lawsuits are filed in plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions instead of where an injury or incident occurred. Status: Both chambers approved versions of the bill with the House proposal being the more restrictive. Neither chamber has taken up the other's measure...

Former lieutenant governor Harriett Woods, who lost U.S. Senate races to Jack Danforth and Kit Bond, will lead an "Alternatives to War" march this Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. Woods' freedom of expression, guaranteed by the sacrifice of our brave soldiers, sailors and airmen, finds its echo among members of her party in today's Missouri Senate, where she used to serve...

Dog in the trash THERE IS a dog leash policy in Jackson. I get very frustrated when I put out my trash on trash day and go out and see my neighbor's dog digging in it so I have to rebag it. It would be a courtesy to their neighbors if the dog's owners would try to keep their dog in on trash day. I'd like to get along with my neighbors, and I don't like to have to call the dogcatcher. But I do get very aggravated...

Marguerite Young, 88, of Mounds, Ill., died Saturday, March 29, 2003, at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. She was born Dec. 12, 1914, in Mounds, the daughter of the late Harry Jefferson and Mary Susan Edwards Windland. She was married to Harold Young, who preceded her in death in 1971...

Elbert Lee Drum, 66, of Friedheim, Mo., died Saturday, March 29, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 8, 1936 in Friedheim, Mo., son of Avery and Alice Hanners Drum. He and Florence M. Dambach were married Dec. 19, 1959...

Evelyn F. Hall, 45, of Oak Ridge died Friday, March 28, 2003, at Heartland Care Rehab Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel in Cape Girardeau.

Gladys Mitchell, 80, of St. Peters, Mo., formerly of Olive Branch, Ill., died Friday, March 28, 2003, at the Charlevoix Nursing Home in St. Charles. She was born Dec. 28, 1922 at Olive Branch, daughter to the late Amel and Ruby Pettit. Survivors include two daughters, Shirley Duke of St. ...

Janet Maria Thies, 60, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, March 20, 2003, at St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 30, 1943 at Charleston, daughter of Austin and Sylvia Seib. She and William "Bill" Thies Jr., were married May 30, 1963...

Woody Maupin, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 28, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 26, 1921 at Shelbina, Mo., son of Arthur and Mame Clay Maupin. He and Mary Johnson were married January 22, 1960 in Cape Girardeau...

Virginia Nell Bailey, 77, of Advance, Mo., died Friday, March 28, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 14, 1925 in Kentucky, daughter of Richard and Alma Barbee McCoy. Her husband, Charles R. Bailey, preceded her in death on Oct. 7, 1997...

Clara Mae Toler, 61, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 28, 2003, at her home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 8, 1941, at New Madrid, Mo., daughter of Jack and Estell Stewart Pigg. Toler was employed at Rosie's Diner in New Madrid for 10 years. She spent 12 years as a nurse assistant at Southeast Missouri Hospital and retired in 2002. She was a member of the Baptist faith...

Henry Rendleman IV, 87, of Anna, Ill., died Friday, March 28, 2003, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Ill. He was born July 16, 1915 in Alto Pass, Ill, son of Henry and Zora Mae Rendleman. He and Helen N. Kerley were married on Dec. 21, 1939 in Jackson...

10 years ago: March 30, 1993 Although members of new Cape Girardeau Charter Review committee feared they were treading on precarious ground, they agreed to proceed warily with plan to analyze city's constitution; 13-member committee, appointed earlier this month by city council, held its first meeting last night; members were uncertain as to their charge...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Hope Christina Abercrombie and Jed Stuart Mix exchanged vows Jan. 11, 2003, at Alexander Free Will Baptist Church in Olive Branch, Ill. Earnest Brown performed the ceremony. Music was by Lola Miller of Olive Branch, and vocalists were Steve and Crystal Sharp of West City, Ill...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Robyn Bles and Joshua Shelly were married Feb. 17, 2003, at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nev. The bride is the daughter of Rick and Patty Tanksley of Chaffee and Lee McDaniel of Caruthersville, Mo. The groom is the son of Dewayne and Kim Shelly of Hayti, Mo...

LOS ANGELES -- Christina Applegate has matured from a TV sitcom floozie -- playing airhead Kelly Bundy on Fox's "Married ... With Children" for 11 seasons -- to trusty chick-flick sidekick. "I think I've done a pretty good job of getting away from her. I'm proud of that," the 31-year-old actress said. "She was such an asset to my life, and I appreciate her."...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- It was 29 years ago but Col. Terry Melton remembers it like it was yesterday. He had to tell a woman her National Guard husband was dead -- his first assignment as a next-of-kin notifier. "You never forget it," Melton said. Without a major military base in the state, notification of families falls to the West Virginia National Guard when a soldier, sailor or airman is killed or missing. ...

jkoch By Dr. John Koch Question: The other day someone told me that clumping kitty litter could be dangerous if ingested by a cat. Is this true? Answer: Eating to much of anything could cause a problem. However, if eating small amounts of clumping cat litter is a potential for danger, I am not aware of it. ...

Bring on the soccer YOU SHOULD post soccer scores because people like me want to know, and they hardly ever show soccer on TV. Reconsider the reward DID YOU ever see a coach or teacher reward a student for bad behavior? I can't believe what a local coach did at a volleyball game. ...

ST. LOUIS -- On the way to the NL Central championship last season, the Cardinals used an astounding 26 pitchers. So it was only natural that the team was determined to be well-stocked with arms in spring training. Four deserving pitchers competed for the last two rotation spots and five left-handers could have easily made the bullpen...

Three weeks after being hit by a car and suffering serious injuries, Adam Sherry was back in the Southeast Missouri State University dugout. While the senior pitcher wasn't in uniform Saturday -- he will miss the entire season -- he did join his teammates for the first time since that near-fatal accident March 8 in Hattiesburg, Miss...

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team had not been above .500 since the opening game of the season when the Indians beat Alabama. But more than five weeks later, the Indians finally have a winning record again, thanks to Saturday's doubleheader sweep of surprisingly stubborn Missouri Valley College...

The AssociatedPress ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kirk Hinrich went from his worst day to his best, taking Kansas back to the Final Four. Hinrich scored 28 points and blocked a 3-point attempt by Jason Gardner in the final seconds Saturday as the second-seeded Jayhawks beat top-seeded Arizona 78-75 to win the West Regional...

Southeast's gymnasts posted a 195.35 team score at the Midwest Independent Conference Championships in Baton Rouge, La., the third highest in school history. Overshadowing Southeast's strong fourth-place team score was a pair of school records posted by junior Ashley Godwin. Godwin set the beam record with a 9.975 and all-around record with a 39.550. Godwin also finished first on the floor exercise (9.9)...

Looking to right its season, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team opened its Ohio Valley Conference schedule with a doubleheader sweep of visiting Tennessee State Saturday. The Othakians improved to 6-14 and 2-0 in the OVC. The Tigers fell to 5-20 and 2-5...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Marquette did what no team had done in three months, and what many people thought was impossible. Dwyane Wade and the Golden Eagles upset Kentucky 83-69 Saturday, ending the top-seeded Wildcats' 26-game winning streak and earning a trip to the Final Four in New Orleans...

The Jackson girls walked away with a trophy Saturday that embodies their attitude entering the soccer season. Behind a goal by sophomore Molly Hartmann and shutout goaltending by senior Whitney Werner, Jackson turned back Perryville 1-0 in the championship game of the Noon Optimist Spring Classic at Notre Dame Regional High School...

The friendly atmosphere at Fire Station No. 1 on Sprigg Street captured Adam Childers' trust. Surrounded by nurses, a few firefighters and his dad, Adam, 3, was all ready to get his finger pricked for his lead test. He even held that finger out to LaRue McAllister, public health nurse with the Cape Girardeau County Health Department...

Talley Haines is most likely going to start his sixth professional baseball season in the minor leagues, but the Central High School graduate appears to be inching closer and closer to a spot in "The Show." Haines, a right-handed pitcher in the Tampa Bay organization, appeared in a major-league game for the first time Tuesday when the Devil Rays played a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays...

It was 1979 when Tim Joplin first saw a rugby match. Twenty-four years later he's competing in the playoffs with the Kohlfeld Scorpions of Cape Girardeau. "I was out in Chicago for college and just happened to go and see a game," he said. "I started playing the week after, and I've just never stopped. I've been in love since the first time I played."...

This week's trip is to Grant's Farm in St. Louis. Grant's Farm is owned by the Anheuser-Busch Inc., and it is a public service of that company. When you get to the farm, you will board a motor tram and be driven through the park. Grant's Farm is a 281-acre wildlife preserve and historical site located just south of St. Louis. The farm is home to hundreds of exotic animals from around the world. The farm takes its name from our 18th president, Ulysses S. Grant...

By David Horowitz As a former anti-war activist who helped to organize the first campus demonstration against the war in Vietnam at UC Berkeley in 1962, I appeal to all those young people who are participating in anti-war demonstrations on college campuses now to reconsider...

We've joined the ranks of soccer moms and dads, those hearty souls who haul their children to Shawnee Park every week for the sport of it. Our first grader, Bailey, started playing on a soccer team three weeks ago. I was amazed at the crowd of parents, kids, dogs and cars that frequent the Cape Girardeau park on Saturdays...

The house at 2563 Wild Horse Trail in Randol Farm Estates has been planned with beauty, comfort and convenience in mind. This two-story solid brick home is classic in its external features, and thus offers the feeling of timeless stability. It features five bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, a three-car garage and 5,000 square feet of finished living space...

Central's baseball team brought out its bats in a big way Saturday, banging out 17 hits in a 14-0 five-inning win at home. John Thies picked up his second win by pitching three innings and striking out six. Pitchers combined for 10 strike outs and allowed three hits for Central (3-0). Offensively the Tigers had five different hitters with at least two hits...

LOS ANGELES -- Twenty years later, it's time to swoon anew over the forbidden passion of Father Ralph and Meggie Cleary. "The Thorn Birds," part of the miniseries wave that once engulfed television, is running on the Hallmark Channel just as it did when it debuted on ABC in 1983: 10 hours over four consecutive nights, beginning 7 p.m. Sunday...

Historically, American voters have been reluctant to hand over the legislative and executive branches of government to a single party's control, although it has happened from time to time. Some political analysts and historians reason that voters are shrewd enough to weigh such considerations when they go to the polls on Election Day, and certainly some of them are. ...

Since the bombing and ground battles commenced in Iraq, most Americans' attention has been diverted by around-the-clock reporting from the war. But security at home is still high on the agenda of various governmental agencies that have prepared for the worst...

Margaret Dement and Thomas Lambert of Sikeston, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Alison L. Lambert of Cape Girardeau, to Lloyd W. Diamond. He is the son of Larry and Karen Diamond of Sikeston. Lambert is a 1990 graduate of Sikeston High School. She is a senior pharmacy technician at Walgreen Drug Store...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Spaulding of Villa Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Joda Lea Spaulding, to Brandon D. Dillow. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary K. Dillow of Olive Branch, Ill. Spaulding is a 1999 graduate of Meridian High School, and is attending Southeast Missouri State University...

SCOPUS, Mo. -- Jeff and Debbie Lincoln of Scopus announce the engagement of their daughter, Valorie Ann Lincoln, to Kevin Dewayne Sitze. He is the son of Billy Keith and June Sitze of Marble Hill, Mo. Lincoln is a graduate of Woodland R-4 High School. She is employed at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Jackson...

BENTON, Mo. -- Danny and Brenda Dumey of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Malinda Kay Dumey, to Jarrett Eugene Milam. He is the son of Brad and Rita Milam of Benton. Dumey is a 1997 graduate of Notre Dame High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in occupational therapy from Maryville University in St. Louis in 2001. She is a registered occupational therapist at St. Francis Medical Center...

SHOOK, Mo. -- Brenda Douglas of Shook announces the engagement of her daughter, Lakota Jeanne Douglas, to Russell Len Myers. He is the son of Lenzie Myers and Janice Cloninger of Zalma, Mo. Douglas is a 1989 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from Southeast Missouri State University in 1996. She is an AmeriCorps volunteer...

BENTON, Mo. -- David and Carla Robert of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Natalie Suzanne Robert, to George Anthony Eftink of Oran, Mo. He is the son of Jerry and Rita Eftink of Perkins, Mo. Robert is a 1999 graduate of Kelly High School. She expects to receive a bachelor's degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in December. She is employed at St. Francis Medical Center...

Les and Myra Robinson of Dexter, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Dana Michelle Robinson, to William Joseph Cobb, both of Poplar Bluff, Mo. He is the son of Harold Cobb Sr. and Doris Jansen of Scott City. Robinson is a 1998 graduate of Dexter High School, and received an associate's degree in computer aided drafting from ITT Technical College in 2000. She is employed at Smith and Co. in Poplar Bluff...

Robert Houston Sr. and Debra Houston of Tamms, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Janice J. Houston, to Thomas D. Jennings III. He is the son of Thomas Jennings Sr. and Pearlie Jennings of Cape Girardeau. Houston expects to graduate from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in May. She is coordinator of Project Hope...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Robert W. Welch and Beverly Welch of Tamms announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Renee Welch, to Johnathan Joel Johnson. He is the son of Glenn and Pamela Grimes of Karnak, Ill. Welch is a 2000 graduate of Egyptian High School in Tamms, and is attending Southeast Missouri State University...

Daniel and Laurie Crader of Fairdealing, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Louise Crader, to David Scott Mattingly. He is the son of David and Marie Mattingly of Malden, Mo. Crader is a 1999 graduate of Doniphan High School, and is attending Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Drury Southwest...

John and Taffy McMullin of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Lynn McMullin, to Abraham Thompson Funk. He is the son of Russell and Sue Funk of Columbus, Ga. McMullin is a graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor's degree in audiology/speech-language pathology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Brent and Jeanne Shanks of Sikeston announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Michelle Shanks, to Richard Joseph Fitzgerald. He is the son of Richard and Mary Fitzgerald of Maryland Heights, Mo. Shanks is a 1997 graduate of Kelly High School in Benton, Mo. She received a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2001. She is a purchasing assistant for Sun Chemical in Northlake, Ill...

HONG KONG -- Fear gripped Hong Kong as the number of people suffering from a deadly flu-like disease increased sharply Saturday. Thousands of people donned surgical masks but many more refused to venture out and activity in the usually bustling city ground to a halt...

Briefly Baseball Mike Hampton joined Paul Byrd on the disabled list Saturday, another blow to the Braves' starting rotation heading into the start of the season. Hampton strained his right calf during a workout on a treadmill Friday night and Byrd has a sore elbow...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- At the symbolic midpoint of their first legislative session in control of the Missouri Legislature in a half-century, Republicans are touting the progress they've made on an agenda that was ignored under Democratic leadership...

Southeast Missouri State University's golf team, off to a blazing start in its spring season, will take a break from normal tournament play to host the second annual Morton B. Harris Four-Ball Tournament Monday and Tuesday. Play will begin at 8 a.m. both days at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. There will be two rounds Monday and the final round Tuesday...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, March 30 Firefighters responded to the following items Friday: At 8:15 p.m., a citizen assist at 1022 N. Frederick. At 9:04 p.m., an emergency medical service at 40 S. Sprigg. Firefighters responded to the following items Saturday: At 2:20 a.m., a carbon monoxide detector at 2115 Derbyshire...

Cape Girardeau Sunday, March 30 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Joseph D. Bennett, 20, of 2704 Jewel Drive, Cape Girardeau, was arrested on a Dexter warrant for no insurance and improper registration...

BOSTON -- Isabella Stewart Gardner opened her museum on New Year's night 1903, marking the occasion with a performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and plying her guests with the unusual combination of champagne and doughnuts. A century later, the museum is marking its birthday with a series of celebrations that include artist Joseph Kosuth's neon creations, special exhibits, concerts and lectures...

Thanks for the coverage of state final-four games To the editor I would like to thank the Southeast Missourian for the coverage last weekend of the Delta Bobcats' participation in the Class 1 girls final four in Columbia. Although I feel the coverage during the regular season was sometimes sporadic, the coverage last weekend was excellent. Thank you for your coverage of local, small-school sports. This is what a local paper is all about...

NEW YORK-- Pets are part of the family. They are domesticated animals living in the human world; we keep them for pleasure, not utility. Since people and pets all live together in such close quarters -- according to the 2001 census 36.1 percent of U.S. families have dogs and 31.6 percent have cats -- wouldn't it make sense for people to learn each other's languages...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- Five suspected Islamic militants accused of orchestrating a devastating car bomb that killed 12 people outside the U.S. Consulate here told a judge Saturday police extracted their confessions by torture. Denying responsibility for the bombing, the defendants told the judge they were being used as "scapegoats" to ingratiate Pakistan with the U.S. government. If convicted, they could be sentenced to death...

BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro -- There are "credible suspicions" the wife of former President Slobodan Milosevic was involved in the murder of her husband's predecessor, and she must return from Russia immediately for questioning, Serbia authorities said Saturday...

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- On a day when Annika Sorenstam struggled and a French player led the Kraft Nabisco, a long- hitting 13-year-old gave fans a glimpse into the future of women's golf. Michelle Wie isn't even old enough to play on a high school team, but she was good enough to shoot the best round Saturday, a 6-under 66 that put her in the final group Sunday with Sorenstam and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc...

U.S. warplanes attacked Baghdad's defenders with bombs and strafing fire Saturday in a thunderous prelude to a ground assault. Iraqis inflicted a new danger on the allies -- a deadly suicide attack -- and threatened to kill Americans on U.S. soil. Anger, mourning and resolve emanated from both sides in a conflict taking a growing toll each day in the lives of combatants and civilians alike...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Saturday pointed to the weapons inspections that preceded the war in Iraq as a reason not to compromise in its own standoff with the United States. Iraq invited its "miserable fate" by opening its weapons facilities to U.N. inspectors, the North's main state-run newspaper said. North Korea, it added, will not make the same mistake...

On April 8, Cape Girardeau voters will cast ballots on four tax-and-fee issues that officials say are needed to provide revenue for city government operating needs and to pay for new construction. The comments below, received from readers and others, attempt to clarify the ballot issues in a question-and-answer format. The answers come from city officials, the Missouri Department of Revenue, area chambers of commerce and the Cape Girardeau County assessor's office...

he dogs rule at Sue Loughlin's house -- even the yard signs say so. Her two beagles, Precious, 14, and Trixie, 5, have the run of the house, yard and everything else. And a sign in her garden aptly reads "Spoiled Dogs Live Here." "They rule the house and just let me live with them," Loughlin said...

NEW YORK -- Throughout the year, armchair cooks happily travel the world by way of books. Here are a few new flavors to try: "The Food of Asia," by Kong Foong Ling, is a varied collection of more than 300 recipes, attributed to top chefs, drawn from all the major Asian countries...

Many gardeners can't bear to discard bulbs after they have been forced to blossom in winter. That is the usual recommendation for what to do with these plants because they cannot be forced to bloom again. Spring-flowering bulbs are so easy to bring into flower their first time because their flower buds are formed the season before the flowers open. ...

First, the good news. At a time when many investments are in the tank, home improvements can add to your home's resale value or simply make it more livable. Now the not-so-good news: improvements, especially work done poorly or in questionable taste even over-improvements -- can lead to a decline in home value, particularly in the eyes of would-be home buyers...

In our pre-teen years my sister and I enjoyed a card game known as "Authors." There were pictures of our early America writers -- Hawthorne, Longfellow, Alcott, etc. Underneath the pictures were the titles of some of their well-known works. One of these titles was "Little Annies Rambles." I read it but don't remember the story. ...