Stories from Tuesday, May 25, 2004

A country homestead comes with charms. Open spaces for horseback riding or ATV adventures. Quiet nights, minus the whirring of automobile engines. Uninterrupted hills and valleys. Wildlife. Streams. Gardens. But the dust, the chipped pickup paint and the damaged tires associated with gravel roads leave many county residents begging, even paying, for some asphalt...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Bounced from office and not listed on any ballots, Alabama's "Ten Commandments judge" could nonetheless be a major player in the state's primary June 1. Supporters of former Chief Justice Roy Moore have lined up to run for one congressional seat and all three state Supreme Court seats up for election...

CARLISLE, Pa. -- President Bush, trying to dispel rising doubts about the war, declared Monday night the United States would stay in Iraq until it was free and democratic and suggested more U.S. soldiers might have to be sent to stop enemy forces bent on destroying the new government...

NEW YORK -- Avril Lavigne knows her image: a moody, teen rock star with an acidic tongue, steely stare and tough-girl attitude. "I have been labeled like I'm this angry girl -- I'm like, this rebel, I'm like, punk, and I am SO not any of them. It's so funny, and I'm actually really shy," the petite, Canadian-born Lavigne says in typical teenspeak...

FLORENCE, Italy -- Michelangelo's "David" is brighter but hardly spotless after the completion Monday of a controversial cleaning timed for the 500th birthday of one of the marvels of world art. Some pale yellow streaks on the left shin and violet-tinged mold stains on the lower back resisted a "minimalist" restoration of the Renaissance genius' depiction in marble of naked male beauty...

SAN ANTONIO -- After four days of being on strike, Monica Lailson is ready to get back to her job at SBC Communications Inc. But she's also ready to again pull on her comfortable shoes and hoist her picket sign if SBC and the Communications Workers of America don't settle on a new contract soon...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military introduced more photographs Monday to bolster its contention that American aircraft attacked a safehouse for foreign fighters near the Syrian border at Mogr el-Deeb -- not a wedding party, as claimed by Iraqi survivors and police and suggested by footage from the scene...

ROISSY, France -- New cracking sounds forced the evacuation Monday of the futuristic terminal at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport a day after a roof collapse killed four travelers. The scare came as officials said they were considering scrapping the entire Air France Terminal 2E after a 98-foot section of the steel, concrete and glass roof caved in Sunday. The terminal is closed indefinitely...

FBI: Violent crime falls in 2003, murders rise WASHINGTON -- Violent crime declined in 2003 despite a third consecutive yearly increase in homicides, according to preliminary FBI statistics released Monday. The violent crimes -- rape, robbery, aggravated assault and homicides including murder and manslaughter -- dropped 3.2 percent compared with 2002, fueled mostly by sharp declines in rape and assault. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The United States on Monday unveiled its long-awaited post-occupation plans for a sovereign interim government in Iraq and got a generally positive response. But it faced questions about how much say Iraqis will have over U.S.-led forces that will keep the peace...

The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled for the first time Monday that a death row inmate can pursue a last-ditch claim that lethal injection is unconstitutionally cruel. In a rare unanimous decision on a capital punishment case, justices sided with a convicted Alabama killer who claims his veins are so damaged from drug abuse that executioners might have to cut deeply into his flesh to administer the deadly drugs...

WASHINGTON -- Having a strange hair life? Blame your parents. That's right, misbehaving hair may be inherited, according to a study released Monday. Researchers studying mice determined that the aptly named gene Frizzled 6 controls hair patterns. Subjects without the gene had strange patterns, including whorls of hair on their hind feet, back of the head and chest. Some also had tufts and ridges in the hair on their head...

WASHINGTON -- Erin McNabb tried drug after drug to control her epilepsy. Finally, one kept her seizure-free -- but doctors prescribed a dose so high that she suffered memory loss, depression and other serious side effects. The number of drugs approved to treat epilepsy has doubled in the past decade, offering patients like McNabb long-needed alternatives. But specialists say too few doctors know the best ways to use the new therapies...

CHICAGO -- A study suggests some women might benefit from taking bone-boosting drugs earlier than many doctors recommend, because they can break bones well before they develop full-fledged osteoporosis. The study involved 149,524 white postmenopausal women, age 65 on average, who had bone density scans. Of the 2,259 who broke bones during the following year, 82 percent had initial bone-density scores indicating thinning bones but not osteoporosis...

By Michael K. Powell What's in a name? There was a time when the right name signaled status and good breeding. In today's high-tech society, a better question might be "What's in a phone number?" Nobody knows the answer to that question better than America's business people -- from the smallest mom-and-pop organization to the largest corporations. ...

Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner finalized the Indians' recruiting class Monday as junior college forward/center Ketshner Guerrier signed a national letter of intent. As a sophomore at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla., last season, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Guerrier averaged nine points and six rebounds per game while shooting 57 percent from the field. ...

Anyone who remembers Willie Mays stumbling around the outfield in the 1973 World Series knows how cruel advancing age can be to a great athlete. Anyone who saw Randy Johnson pitch a perfect game last week at the age of 40 knows that age these days can sometimes be just another number...

Becca has wheels. No, she doesn't have a car. At age 12, our oldest daughter is still too young for such a vehicle. But she does have a new electric, two-wheel scooter. Now, she can visit one of her best friends who lives only blocks away without having to walk. Of course, she could ride a bicycle. But that involves pedal power. Becca prefers to let a battery do the work...

New values for the Cape Girardeau school district will raise accountability and provide new moral standards for the 2003-2004 year, say school board members. The board met for the second time this month to discuss next year's mission, vision and values Monday night, although a final vote will not take place until June...

Internships and summer work can provide a way for students to land jobs after they graduate from college. But, continuing a trend, many students this year have found internships and other summer employment hard to find, especially in their fields. "Summer employment is limited, particularly with jobs available that are congruent with their majors," said Jerry Westbrook, director of Career Services at Southeast Missouri State University. ...

Once threatened with closure, the Cottonwood Children's Residential Treatment Center in Cape Girardeau will start the new fiscal year on July 1 with a larger budget than the current year's and a sigh of relief from staff who only months ago faced the prospect of losing their jobs this summer...

The time has arrived for a dangerous coil of Snake Hill Road to get straightened out. In early March 2003, the Cape Special Road District began chopping down trees to make way for a safer, straighter path to replace a sharp turn of Cape Rock Drive at the foot of its winding way up Snake Hill. District officials announced Monday that beginning today, that portion of Cape Rock Drive will be closed for two to three weeks to allow road crews to finish the job...

The Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society will meet at 7:30 p.m. today at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson. Dr. Frank Nickell will speak about the evolution of communications in Cape Girardeau County. For information, call Dorothy Rowley at 243-5882...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Their aggressive styles are so similar, their coaches so alike, their players so interchangeable, the Tampa Bay Lightning probably could swap jerseys with the Calgary Flames midway through the Stanley Cup final without the casual fan realizing it...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department caught a suspect at 4:15 a.m. Monday in the Cape Girardeau Country Club after an alarm alerted the department of a break-in. According to police reports, the responding officer saw someone in the club and caught the suspect with cash and jewelry taken from the country club. The police department was unable to release any information on the suspect, as they waited for a warrant...

PARIS -- With sagging shoulders and head bowed, Andre Agassi left the French Open through a courtside doorway Monday, uncertain if he'll return next year. Blame his unceremonious departure on Jerome Haehnel, a qualifier from France ranked 271st, who pulled off an upset to rival the biggest in Grand Slam history. Playing his first tour-level match at age 23, Haehnel beat Agassi 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3...

Early frustration with his role on Southern Illinois University's baseball team ultimately turned into elation for Central High School graduate Jason Chavez. Chavez has become arguably the Salukis' most dependable starter heading into this week's Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Springfield, Mo. Fourth-seeded SIU (24-30-1, 15-16-1 MVC) opens play Wednesday night against third-seeded Southwest Missouri State...

Jackson's defense returned only one starter from last season's quarterfinal team, but that hasn't stopped it from putting together one of the stingiest seasons in state history. Through 26 games, Jackson has allowed only nine goals, for a .346 goals against average. ...

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge ruled Monday the Justice Department can seek $280 billion from the tobacco industry as part of the government's lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers, clearing the way for the biggest civil racketeering case in history...

WASHINGTON -- Associated Press president and CEO Tom Curley paid tribute Monday to World War II photographers who risked their lives to provide vivid images of turmoil and triumph. "It's extraordinary to see what photographers went through," Curley said at Washington's Union Station, where the exhibit "Memories of World War II: Photographs from the Archives of The Associated Press" opened to the public. ...

7 p.m. today at 614 E. Adams St. On the agenda: Approval of summer school Approval of bus routes for summer school Approval of foreign exchange students Approval of new course offerings Reports

To the editor: A mask was donned by President Bush on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, one whose implications are far more dire and disturbing. Bush was there to tell the world that combat operations in Iraq had ceased. He did not go so far as to declare victory. ...

To the editor: I want to commend the Jackson School District. At the Jackson High School graduation, the district showed a lot of class. Along with the announcing scholarships awarded to students, school officials honored the young men and women who had committed to joining the armed forces. ...

To the editor: Over the past few weeks I have heard many people complaining about the mess in Iraq. The rumblings have been stirred up by U.S. politicians wanting power and by the liberal media seeking a larger audience to influence. I have come up with several reasons we are at war: American hostages in Iran in 1979. ...

Good entertainment FOUR WORDS is all it takes to sum up this year's SEMO District Fair entertainment selections: "Jeremiah was a bullfrog." Good job, fair committee members. Good fair fare I'M REALLY excited about the fair. Sammy Kershaw's pretty cool, and Three Dog Night is way cooler. Thank you to SEMO District Fair for bringing Three Dog Night. I know I probably won't be at the fair for the livestock, considering I'm not a country girl...

Virginia Lee Rose, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 24, 2004, at her home. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Allene Bertha Grossheider Meyr, 80, of Gordonville passed away Monday, May 24, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 15, 1924, in Gordonville, daughter of Martin and Bertha Koch Grossheider. She and Marvin H. Meyr were married April 12, 1953...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norma E. Clements, 93, of Washington, Mo., died Monday, May 24, 2004, at Grandview North Health Center in Washington. She was born May 7, 1911, at Friedheim, Mo., daughter of William and Clara Zoellner Grossheider. She and Edgar J. Clements were married Feb. 23, 1941. He died Oct. 16, 1999...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Allen A. Zahner, 81, of Sikeston died Thursday, May 20, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Oct. 14, 1922, in Perryville, son of Ganarous and Meda LaBouble Zahner. Zahner was formerly of Perryville, Mo., and a farm laborer...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wanoma E. Weber, 73, of Perryville died Monday, May 24, 2004, at her home. She was born Feb. 6, 1931, at Perryville, daughter of Edgar and Agnes Bergmann Hoehn. She and John H. "Jack" Weber Jr. were married June 22, 1957. Weber was a retired registered nurse. She was a graduate of Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing and member of Alumni Association in St. Louis...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Manuel Drumm, 74, of Sikeston died Saturday, May 22, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Nov. 11, 1929, in Cape Girardeau, son of Victor H. and Lois Goodin Drumm. He and Patricia Hayes were married Sept. 5, 1953. Drumm received a bachelor of science degree in business and a doctorate of law from the University of Missouri in 1953. He served on the Board of Editors and Law Review, and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1953...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Ray Allen Kettles Sr., 57, of Sikeston died Monday, May 24, 2004, at his home. He was born June 27, 1946, in Cape Girardeau, son of Leo and Virginia Horn Kettles. Kettles was a self-employed mechanic, and a long-time racer at Sikeston Drag Strip...

Kilburn Daughter to Tom Ray and Michelle Ann Kilburn of Jackson, St. Francis Medical Center, 12:14 p.m. Saturday, April 24, 2004. Name, Nora Rose. Weight, 5 pounds 2.5 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Kilburn is the former Michelle Wiseman, daughter of Cathy Brock of Advance, Mo. She is employed in administration. Kilburn is the son of Pat and Mike Baker of Advance and Tom and Esther Morris of Jackson. He is employed in telecommunications...

To the editor: I am a bit curious as to how the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners is on the front page of every newspaper and getting top headlines. It should not have happened, but they are prisoners of war. The Iraqis say prisoners were tortured and abused. They beat four U.S. citizens to death, tore them apart, set them on fire and dragged them down the street. They beheaded another American. Yet we are the ones who are so terrible...

To the editor: On Saturday's Opinion page, Gary Rust quotes from a letter that he says is "a little slanted, but ... something to think about." Among other claims, the letter states, "In the two years since terrorists attacked us, President Bush has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran and North Korea without firing a shot ... ."...

To the editor: The evening of April 12, while most of us slept safe and sound in our Cape Girardeau homes, the emergency rooms of both hospitals were in a near riot situation, requiring every available Cape Girardeau police officer and state trooper...

Canadian prime minister calls June 28 elections OTTAWA -- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, who took office when his predecessor retired, called general elections for June 28 in a bid to win his own mandate. But he could face a tough test with support for his Liberal Party hit by a patronage scandal. ...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Sunday: At 7:30 p.m., emergency medical service at 1005 Jefferson. At 9:53 p.m., emergency medical service at 20 S. Sprigg. Firefighters responded to the following items on Monday: At 10:57 a.m., emergency medical service at 325 N. Sprigg...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Joshua D. Whril Jr., 21, of 539 S. Pacific, was arrested Saturday on a warrant. Jared D. Chandler, 20, of 2206 Ridge Road Jackson, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of a traffic violation and possession of alcohol by a minor...

FLEMINGTON, N.J. -- Even with CD players and iPods, America's teens still listen to the radio. And they tune in even more when the DJs are their own age. Their unwavering devotion has meant that high school radio has managed to survive -- even thrive at the margins at the low end of the FM dial...

Notre Dame student receives scholarship Brandon Holzum, a student at Notre Dame Regional High School, is the recipient of the Kathy Schott Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is presented to a sophomore who is involved in school activities, had good attendance and discipline record and completes a one-page essay on lifetime goals. Holzum is the son of Jeff and Mary Holzum of Cape Girardeau...

Scott Nicewarner and Jake Williams plan on taking advantage of time off for summer vacation by riding their bikes every day. A chance for fun and excitement, perhaps, but also a risk. Neither child wears a helmet while riding their bikes. "They don't look good," Scott said. "Plus, I don't crash, so I don't need one."...

It's been a year since I wrote my first column, "A Few Hard Lessons I've Learned." It was first printed in May 2003 in the Central High Tiger, then in late December of the same year in this newspaper. Since it's been a year, I would like to list a few more things that I've learned...

Remember those days when cell phones were thought to be owned only by the rich and famous? Well, unfortunately the day has come when they're available to everyone -- and I mean everyone. If I saw a beggar on the street holding a sign that said "Will work for food," I could probably dig through his pockets and find a Nokia...

Thousands of American soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are trying to take advantage of an important benefit of military service: medical care at VA hospitals. The processing of paperwork, however, is proving to be a tremendous hurdle...

Owens records her first hole in one Eileen Owens of Cape Gir-ardeau carded her first hole in one Saturday at Dalhousie Golf Club. Owens used a 5-iron to ace No. 5, a par 3 playing 140 yards. Witnesses were Terri Parmly, Deanna Estes and Jennifer Coad...

Baseball A bone scan Monday found no evidence of a stress fracture or any other structural damage in Kerry Wood's right arm, but he probably will miss another two-and-a-half to three weeks. The Chicago Cubs' right-hander was put on the disabled list last Thursday, retroactive to May 12, and hoped to be able to pitch Friday in Pittsburgh. But he was forced to cut a live batting practice session short Sunday afternoon after feeling more discomfort in his right triceps...

To the editor: My sincere thanks to all the women who made National Cancer Survivors Day such a big success. It was very well presented. I was surprised that more survivors didn't show up. Also, thanks to all the young Hawaiian dancers who gave their time to do several dances. This entertainment was presented by City Studio dancers...

10 years ago: May 25, 1994 Charles Fowler is rudely awakened as storm cell wielding high winds and heavy rains rips through mobile home park he lives in north of Jackson in afternoon; Fowler and several other residents of Weiss Mobile Home Park and Mulbearry Acres are shaken by storm, and tornadoes are spotted in several places in northern part of county...