Stories from Wednesday, June 16, 2004

WASHINGTON -- President Bush insisted Tuesday he must have assurances Saddam Hussein will stay in jail and not return to power before releasing him to Iraq's interim government, refusing to commit to the June 30 timetable envisioned by Iraq's new prime minister...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- A Maryland man convicted of traveling to Pakistan and seeking to fight with the Taliban against the United States just days after Sept. 11 was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. Masoud Khan was one of three people sentenced Tuesday on charges they trained for holy war against the United States by playing paintball games in the Virginia woods as part of a "jihad" network. ...

I'm constantly fascinated by how private some people are. This could be because, for almost 17 years, I've earned my living dishing about other people's lives and my own. Like this guy at work -- he regards me suspiciously when I ask about his weekend plans. He gives me kind of a "what's it to you" look, then coughs up enough general information to make me move on to someone else. Geez, it's just a question you ask when you're stuck by the copy machine or something...

This recipe is from "Everyday Food," the summer-oriented June issue from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. Greek-style shrimp pasta Coarse salt and ground pepper 1 pound gemelli or short pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp...

NEW YORK -- Maybe the mantra of the famed New York Friars Club should be "If you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?" With customary comic savagery, the club's members, famous for their celebrity roasts, gathered Monday to celebrate its 100th birthday and take pot shots at each other...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Insurgents stepped up their campaign against Iraq's infrastructure Tuesday, blasting two oil pipelines and cutting the country's oil exports. Gunmen also attacked a convoy of civilian contractors, killing some of them. Authorities curbed oil exports through the Persian Gulf by half -- from an average of 1.85 million barrels per day to more than 800,000 barrels -- after saboteurs blasted the two pipelines on the Faw peninsula of southern Iraq...

Official: Gas prices are 'turning a corner' WASHINGTON -- Gasoline prices, which dipped under $2 a gallon for the first time in weeks, "may be turning a corner" and should continue declining this summer, though motorists shouldn't expect dramatic decreases at the pump, the Energy Department said Tuesday. ...

A small earthquake shook parts of Southeast Missouri early Tuesday as most people slept, rattling dishes and some homes but causing no damage or injuries, authorities said. The magnitude-3.7 temblor at about 3:30 a.m. was centered about 15 miles northwest of New Madrid, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center...

CAMDEN, N.J. -- St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Ray Lankford claims in a lawsuit that his agent and others hired to manage his business affairs cheated him out of more than $1 million. Lankford filed the suit in U.S. District Court here on June 4 to try to recover the money...

TOPEKA, Kan. -- The day Allen Fieldhouse opened in 1955, Max and Jackie Kennedy took front-row seats and cheered their Jayhawks. The young couple kept renewing their season tickets for those same prime seats year after year. Almost half a century flowed by. They built a deep love and an abiding loyalty for the school that would eventually grant degrees to both their sons and daughters-in-law...

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Lance Armstrong juggled controversy and ceremony Tuesday, promising to take action against "absolutely untrue" doping accusations and announcing a new sponsor. Just 2 1/2 weeks before he begins his attempt to win an unprecedented sixth consecutive Tour de France, Armstrong strongly denied claims by a former assistant in a new book. The assistant says Armstrong once asked her to dispose of used syringes and to give him makeup to conceal needle marks on his arms...

The results of Andre Agassi's last four matches (Opponent ranking at time of match in parentheses): March 30, Key Biscayne, Agustin Calleri (21), 6-2, 7-6 (2). May 17, St. Poelten, Nenad Zimonjic (339), 6-2, 7-6 (6). May 24, French Open, Jerome Haehnel (271), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3...

The low-carb craze has taken the country by storm, and even restaurants are catering to low-carb dieters. I had a good laugh when I motored down Broadway and saw all of the fast-food establishments posting low-carb signs, then passed by a postal and shipping business. The sign there read, "Low-carb shipping." I couldn't help but chuckle that it seems everyone is into the low-carb dieting...

After several conversations during the last few weeks, I have come to realize that there is a prevalent misconception among many gardeners concerning hummingbirds. The idea is that if you hang a hummingbird feeder, they will come. Unfortunately this idea could not be further from the truth...

Saturday nights have gone dark at Auto Tire and Parts NAPA RacePark in Benton, Mo. Cars stopped running on the oval dirt track sometime back in May. Doug Friese, one of the track's investors, said racing may return sometime -- perhaps by the end of the year -- but the RacePark's relationship with Dirt Track Promotions ended in just a matter of months...

The Associated Press CHICAGO -- A 6-year-old boy who was found under water after he managed to rescue a young friend from a swimming pool has died, according to authorities. Donald Houser-Richerme died Monday at a hospital in Oak Lawn, where he had been in critical condition since June 7. The boy saved 5-year-old Karah Moran from drowning in a half-empty pool at an apartment complex in Chicago Ridge. He was under water anywhere from five to 20 minutes...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This city doesn't have the tallest skyscrapers or any high-profile monuments. Yet Columbus is where authorities say terrorists plotted to bomb a shopping mall. Experts say the attraction could be Columbus' central location in a state easily accessible to much of the nation and a diverse population that allows outsiders to blend in. Even its modest size and its ordinariness could be part of the allure...

Saxony Lutheran High School's permanent home is on the brink of realization. A 40-acre site off Interstate 55 near Fruitland shows signs of brick, concrete and steel burgeoning into a 42,000-square-foot building. On Tuesday, workers placed a 10-foot-tall stainless-steel cross on the chapel's roof, one of the first physical indicators of the building's future inhabitants...

More than a century after Capt. John F. Schuchert began the organization that became the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band, another Schuchert will again conduct the band -- if only for one song during tonight's concert. The guest conductor is Ernest Schuchert, great-grandson of the band's founder and first conductor, and great-nephew of the band's second conductor, Dr. Clarence E. Schuchert...

Fair or not, skateboarders have a rebellious stigma about them. Maybe it's the long hair or baggy clothes or that they're constantly skating in places they're not supposed to be. But in Jackson, one thing is certain: Rebellious or not, these guys aren't the wait-and-see-what-happens type...

One Halloween night in New Mexico a man in a gorilla suit entered a convenience store and asked for a pack of cigarettes. He put his driver's license on the counter for identification, and the clerk sold him the cigarettes -- without checking to see if the ID matched the customer under the gorilla head. The clerk was reprimanded for making a sale that could have been illegal...

CAIRO, Egypt -- An Islamic Web site showed videotape Tuesday of a blindfolded American hostage in Saudi Arabia, and said abductors threatened to kill him unless Saudi authorities free al-Qaida prisoners within three days. Paul Johnson, 49, of Stafford Township, N.J., was abducted Saturday by a group calling itself al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The organization is believed to be headed by al-Qaida's chief in the kingdom, Abdullah-aziz al-Moqrin, who was identified as speaking on the tape...

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Motown is Titletown. The descendants of the Bad Boys made sure of it with a stunning upset that was really no contest at all. Without a superstar among them and without being given much of a chance, the Detroit Pistons humiliated the Los Angeles Lakers 100-87 Tuesday night in Game 5 of the NBA finals for their first title in 14 years...

ST. LOUIS -- Pinch-hitter Marlon Anderson sparked a five-run seventh inning with a two-run go-ahead single, helping the St. Louis Cardinals end the Oakland Athletics' eight-game winning streak with an 8-4 victory Tuesday night. Albert Pujols was 1-for-4 with two RBIs for the Cardinals in his first appearance at first base in eight games. Pujols has been hampered by a strained left hamstring, an injury that reduced him to DH duties during a weekend series at Texas...

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Tiger Woods came to the U.S. Open fully ready to deal with the swirling winds, waist-high grass and quirky bounces at Shinnecock Hills. He wasn't quite as eager to address another matter that got almost as much attention Tuesday -- the growing concern about the state of his game...

Whether it's his ailing hip or his ailing game, Andre Agassi decided he wasn't ready for Wimbledon. Who knows whether he'll bid an on-court farewell to the All England Club? Agassi pulled out of the year's third Grand Slam tournament Tuesday, joining the two top-ranked women on the sideline...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 82 million people -- one third of the U.S. population younger than 65 -- lacked health insurance at some point over the past two years and most of those were uninsured for more than nine months, says a study by the private group Families USA...

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve chairman Alan Green-span said Tuesday the central bank is standing ready to deal with potential threats to the economy including the "fortunately low but still deeply disturbing possibility" of a new terrorist attack...

A non-competitive Dad's Day 3-K event is planned for Saturday, meeting at the Jackson City Pool. The event's description was incorrect in Monday's edition. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Ella Mae Busche, 96, of Virginia Beach, Va., died Tuesday, June 15, 2004, at the home of her daughter. She was born Aug. 16, 1907, at Kelso, Mo., daughter of Frank and Lena Glasser Brennecke. She married Lynn "Pete" Busch. The Busches owned and operated a grocery store many years at Zalma, Mo. She retired as a clerk for the Wallis Family Store in Marble Hill. She was formerly of Marble Hill...

James A. DeBerry, 43, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 14, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born April 22, 1961, at Caruthersville, Mo., son of James Bates and Geraldine DeBerry. Survivors include a son, Demetrius DeBerry; two daughters, Mylia and Lakita DeBerry, all of Decatur; his mother; three brothers, Tommy, Tyrone and John DeBerry; and a sister, Jennifer DeBerry, all of Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Jerry Franklin Hoxworth, 63, of Marble Hill died Saturday, June 12, 2004, at Life Care Center. He was born Aug. 30, 1940, at Canton, Mo., son of Paul E. and Mary Lou Grampp Hoxworth. He worked at General Motors in St. Louis. He was a member of Bollinger County and Cape Girardeau County search and rescue...

Jewell L. Helmer, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, June 12, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born March 6, 1920, in Jackson, daughter of Elvin and Hattie Scheper Headrick. She married John Helmer, who preceded her in death. Helmer worked with her husband at the former Holiday Inn restaurant, retiring after 20 years...

Shannon W. Moore, 24, of Imperial, Mo., died Sunday, June 13, 2004, in an automobile accident near Imperial. He was born March 6, 1980, in St. Louis, son of Randy D. and Marilyn I. Otto Moore. Moore was a cell phone salesman with SBC. Survivors include his parents of Imperial; a brother, Kevin Moore of Imperial; paternal grandparents, Ervin and Juanita Moore of Oak Ridge; and maternal grandfather, John Otto of Festus, Mo...

BENTON, Mo. -- David E. Pobst, 49, of Benton died Monday, June 14, 2004, at his home. He was born Oct. 6, 1954, in Sikeston, Mo., son of Eugene H. and Judy Ann Heath Pobst. He and Diane Lumley were married March 31, 1994, in Wickliffe, Ky. Pobst worked for Diebold Orchards and received his Master Gardener certificate. He farmed and was a van driver for Heartland Care Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau...

Michael Edward Brashear, 41, of O'Fallon, Mo., died Monday, June 14, 2004, at his home. He was born March 4, 1963, in San Diego, Calif., son of Dick and Barbara Louise Diebold Brashear. Brashear was manager of field operations at Century Telephone of Wentzville, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Linda McDonough, 61, of Chaffee died Tuesday, June 15, 2004, at her home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

PAC of Southeast Missouri Autism Project The Parent Advisory Committee of the Southeast Missouri Autism Project met May 26 at the Sikeston Regional Center. There was a discussion on hiring to fill open positions. There was also a discussion on the need for a summer conference, and a tentative date for the first of August was discussed. ...

10 years ago: June 16, 1994 Five area hospitals and number of doctors have formed region's first physician hospital organization; MedAmerica HealthNet Inc. links staffs and services of St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital, both in Cape Girar-deau; Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston;...

Eleanor Martin brightens her neighborhood with a few scattered seeds and plants that attract winged visitors. The plants and flowers in her cottage garden off Spring Street in Cape Girardeau are so secluded you can't see them driving by. But tucked in between the rows of mobile homes toward the back of the park is an abundance of blooms: daisies and clematis, lilies and bee balm...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Glen Ramsey, 87, of New Madrid, Mo., died Monday, June 14, 2004, at St. Louis University Hospital. He was born March 8, 1917, in Advance, Mo., son of Jasper and Irene Lape Ramsey. He and Della Street were married Nov. 5, 1939, at Risco, Mo...

Jerry B. Sample, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 15, 2004, at his home. He was born Sept. 27, 1935, in Cape Girardeau, son of Rufus and Lucille Stotler Sample. He married Molly Kester, who died in 1982. He later married Lillian Huskey Busch Oct. 29, 1988, in Cape Girardeau...

In loving memory, we celebrate the life of Ronald James Soehlig, 61, of Pekin, Ill., who passed away May 25, 2004. A memorial service was held June 4, 2004, at South Pekin General Baptist Church in Pekin. Ronnie was born Aug. 4, 1942, in Albuquerque, N.M., son of Floyd J. and Rosemary Schlegel Soehlig of Jacksonville, Fla...

Candidates might have to use smaller campaign signs in Cape Girardeau if city officials adopt rules now under review. New businesses would be barred from using temporary signs as permanent signs under a proposed ordinance that covers a variety of commercial and noncommercial signs...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Monday: At 4:31 p.m., gas odor at 1812 Montgomery St. At 3:21 p.m., emergency medical service at 329 N. Fountain St. At 7:13 p.m., alarm sounding at 1000 N. Sprigg St. At 8:13 p.m., emergency medical service at 312 W. Lorimier St...

Terry McKenna, an instructor for the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing, Inc., displays an age checker, designed to calculate a customer's age on its built-in calculator. McKenna gave a seminar Tuesday morning for retailers on ways to avoid selling tobacco products to minors, as well as the penalties for such sales.Cape Girardeau...

Carnahan endorses Cook for lieutenant governor JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former Sen. Jean Carnahan has endorsed Bekki Cook, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, as she ramps up her campaign in advance of the Aug. 3 primaries. Cook is running against state Senate Minority Leader Ken Jacob of Columbia. Cook, of Cape Girardeau, was appointed secretary of state by then-Gov. Mel Carnahan in 1994 and later won election to a full term...

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Bradley Lively had additional surgery Monday night but is reported to be conscious and improving after being struck by a car Monday morning. Lively, 37, a zone supervisor for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Scott counties, was struck by a 2004 Oldsmobile Alero driven by Talisa Jackson, 23, of St. Louis. The accident occurred on northbound Interstate 55 a mile north of Cape Girardeau while Lively was conducting a traffic stop...

Online college courses are changing the concept of how people earn a degree. University students, regardless of whether they're first-semester freshmen or nontraditional students, seem to enjoy the freedom that online courses offer. Southeast Missouri State University is seeing an increase in its online enrollment, which proves how important an aspect of higher education these classes are...

Baseball Frustrated by a season-long struggle to score runs, the New York Mets fired batting coach Denny Walling on Tuesday and replaced him on an interim basis with bench coach Don Baylor. The Mets went into Tuesday night's game against Cleveland batting .246, next to last in the major leagues, trailed only by Montreal. ...

To the editor: As a Southeast Missouri State University alumnus, I read the Southeast Missourian online and have been following the mascot change proposals. Has anyone spoken to Marquette or St. John's universities for their input? Both had Indian names in the past and have changed to the Eagles and Red Storm respectively. I think these institutions could give SEMO some insight and move this process along. I will always be a SEMO alum no matter what. The nickname won't change that...

To the editor: Regarding "Rose, ribbon ceremony honors organ donors": Ruth Boxdorfer was very lucky to get a liver transplant. More than half of the people who need an organ transplant in the United States die before they get one. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans donate only about half of the organs that could save lives and relieve suffering. They bury or cremate the rest...

To the editor: I believe that amending the U.S. Constitution is an extreme act. I have read that the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment would deny the right to marry to gay and lesbian couples and also obliterate the family rights that many same-sex couples -- and unmarried heterosexual couples -- and their families now have. Revising the Constitution to incorporate discrimination against anyone in America is wrong and should be rejected...

Pragmatic Reagan DAVID LIMBAUGH was at least half right. Aside from campaigning in an unconservative, optimistic and cheerful style, Ronald Reagan espoused the conservative mantra of less government. However, he governed as a consummate pragmatist. For example, the size of the federal government grew exponentially. ...

By the time rain hit Williamson County, Ill., on Tuesday night, the Plaza Tire Capahas had made official their eighth straight win to open the season. The Capahas (8-0) posted a 6-1 eight-inning victory against Williamson County. Rain came as the ninth inning started, ending the game...