Stories from Saturday, August 30, 2003

NEW YORK -- When he was a kid, living nearby and taking tennis lessons in Harlem, James Blake would go the U.S. Open as a fan. He'd get in with tickets for the cheap seats, then look for a chance to sneak down to courtside for a closer look. These days, Blake is front and center. He's featured in magazine fashion spreads, gets props from the Olsen twins at MTV's Video Music Awards -- oh, yeah, and he's bolstering his status as part of a crop of rising American stars...

JERUSALEM -- Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli settler and exchanged fire with troops in the West Bank on Friday, while Israel's prime minister suggested that Washington link U.S. aid to Palestinians to a crackdown on armed groups. Israeli soldiers kept up their hunt for militants, smashing through the walls of houses in Nablus and uprooting orchards in the Gaza Strip apparently used to launch rockets at the Israeli city of Ashkelon...

LONDON -- Alastair Campbell, the combative, acid-tongued aide who shaped Prime Minister Tony Blair's image and became a key figure in the crisis over the government's Iraq policy, announced his resignation Friday. The Downing Street communications chief, who has been at the center of a furious dispute over whether Blair's office manipulated intelligence about Iraqi weapons in the run-up to war, said he was stepping down within the next few weeks for personal reasons...

PARIS -- France's first comprehensive tally of the searing heat wave stirred fresh outrage Friday when the government revealed that an alarming 11,435 people had died -- far beyond its initial estimates. The death toll -- some 4,000 more than died in traffic accidents in France all last year -- fueled accusations that the center-right government reacted too slowly. Many victims were elderly, dying alone at home or in overwhelmed hospitals and nursing homes...

TORONTO -- Major drug companies have embarked on a campaign to strangle supplies to Canadian Internet pharmacies, driving up the prices of drugs and frustrating American consumers looking for cheaper medicine north of the border. In the last eight months, the outlook for Daren Jorgenson's CanadaMeds.com business has gone from upbeat to uncertain...

SPARTA, Ill. -- Calling hunting and shooting "a way of life" for Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich broke ground Friday on a $20 million shooting complex, a project that was once left for dead. The 1,200-acre complex with trap and skeet stations, sporting clays, pistol range and three-dimensional archery, plus the biggest campground in the state, will be paid for with state and private funds, Blagojevich said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden has asked for the federal government to assess drought damage throughout the state because of persistently high temperatures and a lack of rain. Earlier this week, Holden asked the federal government to declare 39 drought-stricken counties in western Missouri as disaster areas, which would allow farmers access to federal aid such as low-interest loans...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon is expanding his pursuit of the fax advertising industry, filing suit Friday against one Florida company that promotes vacation packages through unsolicited mass faxes and another that uses the same method to sell stock research...

Cape police chief garners association's top award Cape Girardeau police chief Steve Strong was named Friday as the recipient of the Missouri Police Chiefs' Association's 2003 Donald "Red" Loehr Outstanding Chief of the Year. The award is presented to a chief who has demonstrated dedication and commitment to enhancing the law enforcement profession and service to ensuring the safety of the citizens of his community...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Aug. 30 Firefighters responded Thursday to the following items: At 5 p.m., emergency medical service at 1142 N. Kingshighway. At 5:07 p.m., emergency medical service at 325 S. Lorimier. At 5:16 p.m., smoke scare at 816 Themis...

A Southeast Missouri State University study confirmed what area business owners already knew: Without the university, some of them would be toast. There's a lot of buying power when you put an extra 9,500 people in one place. Those people have to eat, pay rent, drive a car and clothe themselves, but they also end up getting tattooed, drinking a few beers and listening to CDs...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, Aug. 30 The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Justin L. Brandy, 18, of 1445 Woodlawn, Cape Girardeau, was arrested Thursday on a Cape Girardeau County warrant for probation violation...

Cape Girardeau School Board members were wise to step away from an increase in the district's tax levy that wouldn't have required a vote of the people. Taxpayers are particularly sensitive about taxes in general, much less an increase without a vote. That's why many of them called board members to complain after the Southeast Missourian reported the possibility of an increase to generate revenue in a tight budget year...

When Tom Bray of Jackson left his post as a full-time Southern Baptist pastor, he never expected to leave the ministry. Pastors, priests and other clergy never seem to retire. But Bray knew he'd never give up preaching. "I retired from the hard stuff," he said. After 40 years as a pastor, he doesn't handle any of the administrative duties that many pastors do...

BEIJING -- Six nations trying to defuse a standoff over North Korea's nuclear program achieved their modest goal Friday -- an agreement to keep talking -- but predicted obstacles ahead as the communist regime laid out its terms for a deal with the United States...

Soybean processing plant explosion injures eight SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa -- A gas explosion rocked a soybean processing plant in western Iowa on Friday, injuring eight people and sparking a fire, authorities said. Fire crews extinguished the blaze after four hours at the Ag Processing Inc. plant, about 20 miles south of Sioux City, said Woodbury County emergency management coordinator Gary Brown...

Two years ago Saxony Lutheran High School had just 19 students and was without a sports program. Fast-forward to this school year and the 4-year-old school is staging a crusade on all fronts. A future home of the Crusaders is under construction, student enrollment has increased to 57 and the school will compete in three sports...

Otahkians defeat Ohio in soccer season opener CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team won its season opener 2-1 against Ohio University in the opening round of the Illini Cup. "This was an important win for us because Ohio usually advances to the NCAA tournament," Southeast coach Heather Nelson said...

Anyone old enough to remember their bitter NBA battles knew the moment Larry Bird was hired to run the Pacers that Isiah Thomas would be fired as coach. Back then they weren't the worst of enemies, but there was no future in pretending they'd ever be friends. The gap between them was huge to begin with and time has only widened it...

The area's biggest racetrack has its biggest racing weekend of the year planned for Sunday and Monday. The DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds will host the United States Auto Club's Silver Crown Series today, followed Monday by the full-bodied stock cars of the Automobile Racing Club of America and the United Midwestern Promoters modifieds. Each event is on the track's mile-long dirt oval...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A Minnesota teenager known online as "teekid" was arrested and placed on electronic monitoring Friday for allegedly unleashing a version of the "Blaster" computer worm that infected thousands of computers. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Richard Nelson told Jeffrey Lee Parson not to access the Internet or any other network connection as a condition of his release. He did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance...

NAJAF, Iraq -- A car bomb ripped through a crowd of worshippers leaving Iraq's holiest Shiite shrine after Friday prayers, killing at least 85 people -- including a top cleric -- in the deadliest attack since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The bomb, which also wounded more than 140, detonated outside the Imam Ali mosque as Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim emerged after delivering a sermon calling for Iraqi unity. The attack was viewed by many as an assassination...

Gas prices are high here, but they could be worse -- a fact that will become increasingly clear to Cape Girardeau-area motorists who top off their tanks elsewhere while traveling during the Labor Day weekend. In St. Louis, a gallon of regular unleaded self-serve gas costs $1.61. In Kansas City, it's $1.67. In Springfield, Mo., it's $1.59...

BENTON, Mo. -- Benton Neighbor Days is small compared to the SEMO District Fair. No big-name entertainers perform, the midway is uncrowded and the 4-H exhibitions don't take hours to see. People here like it that way. "I like it that I can come and not have to worry about the kids," said Geri Riley, 44, who has been coming to Benton Neighbor Days for years...

ST. LOUIS -- Brad Smith won't surprise Illinois -- or anybody else for that matter -- this season. Last year's season opener was the coming-out party for the Missouri quarterback, then an unknown redshirt freshman who led a 33-20 victory with 138 yards rushing and 152 passing. Smith went on to become only the second player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season...

Some people think they can predict what will happen in elections. But consider the following: In 1992, everyone thought incumbent President Bush was unbeatable in view of the U.S. victory in Kuwait and his 70 percent-plus poll ratings of approval. So the more familiar and experienced candidates such as U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt of St. Louis took a pass on running for president...

FLANDREAU, S.D. -- Rep. Bill Janklow, the hard-charging former governor who has been a dominating force in South Dakota politics for 30 years, was charged with second-degree manslaughter Friday for allegedly barreling through a stop sign at more than 70 mph and colliding with a motorcyclist...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A man was indicted Friday on state charges in the carjacking and slaying of two college students following his acquittal last year in federal court. The indictment alleges that Kenneth Day conspired with four co-defendants to rob, carjack and murder the students in 2000...

ALGONA, Iowa -- Dr. Stephen Richards' smile vanishes after his patients have left and the conversation turns to the realities of running a small, farm-town hospital. Last fiscal year, the 40-bed Kossuth Regional Health Center had a $3 million budget and finished $680,000 in the red -- the biggest deficit in Richards' quarter-century on its staff...

"The Sermon on the Amount." An old church joke says that should be the title of the annual sermon that many a Protestant parson delivers when members are considering what they'll pledge to contribute to church. Many consider the "tithe" (10 percent of income) the proper amount and quote the Bible: "The tithe ... ...

To the editor: You cannot legalize sin and overlook God's moral law without undermining the culture and eventually denying God. The truth is out. Just like the cigarette companies had to admit they knew their tobacco products were to blame for sickness and death, the true agenda of the liberal elite and all those helping to take God out of our government and culture is plain to see. And so-called theologians and many denominations have decided to change God's Word to meet their own desires...

AYACUCHO, Peru -- Twenty years ago, police promised Maximilia Peralta that they would return her two teenage sons after a night of questioning. But like so many others, they never came home. "I've been searching for my sons since," the 65-year-old highland Indian said Friday as she stood in this Andean city's main plaza, awaiting a ceremony by Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. In her small, weathered hands she held photos of her missing sons...

QALAT, Afghanistan -- After a week of clashes, Afghanistan's battle against Taliban insurgents intensified Friday with government soldiers meeting fierce resistance as they entered remote southern mountains believed to be a rebel stronghold. Dozens of Taliban were killed in fighting as Afghan troops pushed into a deep gorge and along a mountain stream after a night of heavy U.S. bombing in the mountains of Dai Chupan district, an Afghan official said...

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Striking Yale university workers forced arriving freshmen and their parents to cross noisy picket lines Friday and blocked major intersections near the school, prompting police to arrest 83 people. John Wilhelm, head of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International union, joined campus service and clerical workers in the third day of a strike seeking better pay and pensions and was among those arrested...

LONDON -- Jack Osbourne will give a "Brit's eye view" of Los Angeles in a new television series, Britain's Channel 4 announced. The 17-year-old son of heavy-metal star Ozzy Osbourne will host "Union Jack," which is scheduled to air in November. The program will follow Osbourne to parties, premieres and celebrity haunts and feature his opinions on the latest movies and music...

JACKSON, Wyo. -- Alan Greenspan on Friday mounted a strong defense of his handling of monetary policy against criticism that the Federal Reserve Board has unnecessarily confused financial markets recently with its mixed signals on interest rates. As he enters his 17th year as chairman of the Fed, Greenspan used an appearance before a prestigious monetary conference to defend his legacy against the recent attacks and an old, but persistent complaint that his biggest error was waiting too long to prick the stock market bubble of the late 1990s.. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations will drastically reduce its remaining international staff in Iraq because of security concerns following the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad and continuing violence, U.N. officials said Friday. There are currently about 400 international staff members in the country, including about 110 in Baghdad. ...

The public will get a chance to celebrate the scheduled opening of the new Mississippi River bridge at a variety of festivities this fall including a beauty pageant and a photography contest. Civic leaders and Missouri Department of Transportation officials plan to hold a dedication kickoff Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. to announce a series of events to celebrate the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. The event will be held on the new street approach to the bridge in Cape Girardeau...

As Cape Girardeau's mayor stood ready to activate new stoplights, delivering a speech that ended with how great the change would be at Mount Auburn Road and Independence Street, a couple of lesser-known people watched from afar with opinions of their own...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The number of cases of West Nile virus is on the rise in Missouri, with at least four cases verified in the past week, state health officials said Friday. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said a total of five cases have been reported in the state since July...

ATHENS, Ohio -- Southeast Missouri State University failed to win its opener, but the Indians received a stout defensive performance that offered hope for the sometimes maligned unit. Indian defenders emphasized during preseason practice that the pressure is on to come through and match the squad's high-powered offense if Southeast is to win its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference title...

A year ago, Central High School walked away from the football jamboree wondering what happened. The Tigers looked flat and had no answers. Coach Lawrence Brookins showed this year's Tigers the film from last year Wednesday to show what not to do. After hitting the field with Jackson, Perryville and Wentzville Holt at the jamboree Friday night in Jackson, Brookins came away with a better outlook...

CINCINNATI -- One more bad inning set up one more disappointment for the Cardinals. Tim Hummel had a pinch two-run single in the sixth inning Friday, and the Cincinnati Reds rallied for five runs and an 8-5 victory that cost the Cardinals a chance to seize first place...

It's been 20 years since the Knight of Columbus National Softball Tournament was played in Cape Girardeau. It took a little luck for it to happen this year. The event that begins today and ends Sunday was scheduled for Atlantic City, N.J., which bid on the event two years ago. But when Atlantic City's Knights of Columbus council encountered scheduling problems, Harold Green of Cape Girardeau stepped in...

TORONTO -- Huge electricity surges running on transmission lines between New York and Michigan and through Ontario collapsed the province's power system just three minutes after signs of trouble appeared on Aug. 14, Canadian officials said Friday. The Canadian officials, providing the first detailed account of the massive blackout that darkened a swath of Canada and eight states, offered no explanation for what caused the surges, but said the problems originated on the U.S. side of the border...

LONDON -- A British coroner is preparing an inquest into the death of Dodi Fayed, six years after he was killed along with Princess Diana when their car crashed in a Paris tunnel, authorities said Friday. Michael Burgess, the coroner for Surrey County south of London where Fayed lived, had yet to set a date for the inquest, said a spokesman for Surrey County Council...

Too many children MY SON attends kindergarten in Jackson. The district sent us a letter that classes would not have more than 25 students. My son's class has more children than that, including children who have special needs. The teacher does not have an aide. How can one teacher possibly meet all the needs of these small children? I cannot believe that the administration does not support the teachers and children more than that...

Floella Jane Hamil Bagwell, 87, of Scott City died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 11, 1915, at Puxico, Mo., daughter of William Arthur and Elizabeth Harmon Hamil. Floella was a very unselfish caring person who had no children but loved her cats and grieved over the loss of each one. She was a very talented poet, writing and sharing many poems about her family, friends and her hometown...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Genoa Ann McLard, 61, of Chaffee died Friday, Aug. 29, 2003, at St. Louis University Hospital. She was born March 26, 1942, daughter of Ulyss and Violet Van Bibber Williams. She and Mike McLard were married Sept. 18, 1971. She was a member of Chaffee General Baptist Church and the Ethel Cook Women's Missionary Society of Chaffee...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Roy Edward Waldman, 69, of Sikeston died Friday, Aug. 29, 2003, at his home. He was born Jan. 9, 1934, in Sikeston, son of Ellis P. and Martha Thomas Waldman. He and Louise Chappell were married Dec. 12, 1965, in Sikeston. Waldman was a lead man 25 years with Sikeston Water Department and a member of Smith Avenue Church of God...

Elmer L. "Junior" Heuring, 53, of Scott City died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, at his home. He was born Sept. 6, 1949, in Cape Girardeau, son of Elmer George and Alene Catherine Scherer Heuring. He and Patty Louise Vernon were married July 12, 1993, in Perryville, Mo...

WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- Adah L. Rowell, 70, of Wappapello died Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003, from injuries received in an automobile accident near Wappapello. She was born Sept. 13, 1932, at Morehouse, Mo., daughter of Walter and Mercedes Merick. She and Charles Herbert Rowell Sr. were married Dec. 31, 1953, at Chaffee, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Theodore Joseph "Ted" Gregory, 50, of San Diego, Calif., died Sunday, Aug. 24, 2003, at his home. He was born Oct. 24, 1952, in Flora, Ill., son of Clifford Albin and Carolyn Laverne Davis Gregory. Gregory received a degree in engineering from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. He was employed by Raytheon, SSI Division, in San Diego...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Elsie Dillow, 100, of Jonesboro died Friday, Aug. 29, 2003, at Glenview Terrace Nursing Center in Glenview, Ill. Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro is in charge of arrangements.

Lois Dean Graf, 80, of Granite City, Ill., died Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 6, 1923, in Johnson County, daughter of Owen and Amanda Elkins Billingsley. She married Frank J. Graf, who preceded her in death...

BERTRAND, Mo. -- Richard Eugene "Rick" Williams, 57, of Bertrand died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Feb. 28, 1946, in Acorn Ridge, Mo., son of James E. and Mary Jane Stephens Williams. He and Karen McCullough were married April 27, 2003, in Cape Girardeau...

10 years ago: Aug. 30, 1993 New process that evaluates Cape Girardeau city employees based on their performance goes into effect this week; Dan Ward, human resources director, says new evaluation procedure is intended to improve worker performance, delivery of city services and communication between supervisors and workers...

Rhodes Daughter to Willard Lee and Sara Rebecca Rhodes Jr. of Scott City, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:40 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14, 2003. Name, Cheyenne Faith. Weight, 8 pounds. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Rhodes is the former Sara Coomer, daughter of Robert Coomer and Barb Coomer of Scott City. Rhodes is the son of Carol Rhodes of Reno, Nev., and Willard Rhodes Sr. of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. He is self-employed...

Apple Creek church to hold homecoming St. Joseph parish in Apple Creek will hold its annual homecoming and dinner today. A meal will be served from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. Noon Worship to meet in Cape Tuesday The First Tuesday Noon Worship group will meet Tuesday at Freedom Rock to pray for students and schools. The informal gathering meets from noon to 1 p.m. for prayer in the community...

ST. LOUIS -- The Rams' objective for the preseason finale was simple: get out of the game without adding to the lengthy injury list. Having accomplished that in a lackluster 22-6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the annual Governor's Cup game Thursday night, the team can set its sights on regaining its position of dominance in the NFL...