Stories from Friday, June 18, 2004

Sgt. Brad Lively has not put on a Southeast Missouri State University football uniform in 15 years, but today's team still considers him a member of their family. Two players and the coach of Southeast's football team visited St. Francis Medical Center on Thursday to show their support for the trooper who has been in the hospital's intensive care unit since being struck by a car Monday morning...

Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader College students care less about politics than they did four years ago. That's according to a survey conducted for the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute, a public policy think tank at California State University, Monterrey Bay. .....

In just a few days, Marge and I will mark our first decade as Cape Girardeau residents. This seems like a good time to say how much we appreciate our adopted city and all the fine folks who represent it so well. My wife and I are both from rural towns. ...

NEW YORK -- The number of new people signing up for jobless benefits dropped last week and a closely watched gauge of future economic activity rose more than expected in May, suggesting the U.S. economy can continue a sturdy expansion through the summer...

LOS ANGELES -- When you're the world's biggest actor, nobody tells you "no." The same is true when you're the world's most powerful director. But Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg can say it to each other, and that's one reason the two Academy Award winners have started to elbow their way into each other's films...

BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Seeking to project a spirit of unity, European Union leaders struggled to overcome differences at a key summit Thursday aimed at adopting a historic constitution for a united post-Cold War Europe. With key differences unresolved and the wounds of electoral defeat still fresh, the meeting has become a test of whether the 25 EU leaders can see eye-to-eye over divisive issues like power-sharing and which official should fill the EU's top job...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A letter signed "The Believer" urges militants to spare American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr., saying killing him would violate Islamic law. "I will curse you in all my prayers" if he is harmed, it warned. The letter was posted late Wednesday on Web sites where al-Qaida supporters and other militants leave messages, and aired on a Saudi-owned television network, al-Arabiya...

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The unprecedented spate of suicide bombs tearing into Iraqi crowds this month suggests a change in tactics by the man the U.S. military believes is behind many of the attacks, Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Al-Zarqawi and other terrorists appear to be launching simpler, more frequent car bombings meant to upend the handover of sovereignty to an Iraqi regime by the U.S.-led coalition, a U.S. official said...

WASHINGTON -- John Kerry sought to curb rampant speculation Thursday about his vice presidential search, taking issue with leaks from campaign aides "who don't know what they're talking about." "I'm the only person who knows when I will" announce a running mate "or what even direction I might take. And I intend to keep it that way," the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said as fresh clues about his intentions emerged...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri nursing homes are set to receive an influx of money under legislation Gov. Bob Holden plans to sign into law today. And nursing home officials say that could translate into better amenities for patients and improved pay for employees...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missourians deployed in combat zones overseas won't have to pull a crank or punch a paper hole this election season. They will have a new way to cast their votes: the fax machine. Secretary of State Matt Blunt issued an order Thursday that requires local election authorities to accept absentee ballots faxed in from service men and women who are deployed in combat, hostile fire or imminent danger areas, as designated by the Department of Defense...

FRED LYNCH * flynch@semissourian.com Zachary Meyer, 10, of Cape Girardeau sank a putt on the 11th hole Thursday at the Gateway Section PGA Southeast Missouri junior series tournament at Bent Creek Golf Course . By Toby Carrig ~ Southeast Missourian...

The two surprise teams in the College World Series that begins today in Omaha, Neb., both have a distinct local connection. Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn was a starting pitcher on Southeast Missouri State University's 1976 squad that finished third in the NCAA Division II World Series and also featured current Indians' head coach Mark Hogan...

ST. LOUIS -- A century since becoming the first American city to host the modern-era Olympic games, St. Louis welcomed back the flame Thursday with revelry worthy of a long lost friend's return. "The eyes of the world are on St. Louis today," Mayor Francis Slay told hundreds who gathered in the shadow of the towering Gateway Arch on the flame's second leg of a four-city U.S. tour...

STEVE ROBERTSON * srobertson@semissourian.com This 2004 Suzuki Verona was photographed in front of Southeast Hospital, and would make an excellent commuter, with its six-cylinder engine and automatic transmission. Engineered to compete against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, the Suzuki offers more features for less money.srobertson...

Eight college students from Krasnoyarsk, a city in Siberia, are working this summer at McDonald's through the Spirit Cultural Exchange program based in Chicago. The students are (front row from left): Dmitry Komovich, Yera Kozulina, Olga Zaruba, Olga Panasenko (back row from left); Yulia Grigorieva, Vadim Osipov, Denis Dukov and Evgeny Danzhurov. By Linda Redeffer ~ Southeast Missourian...

Blindsided by terrorists and beset by poor communications, officials were so slow to react on Sept 11, 2001, that the last of four hijacked planes had crashed by the time Vice President Dick Cheney ordered hostile aircraft shot down, a bipartisan commission reported Thursday...

It appears that Rodney Miller is not the type to procrastinate. The county clerk is recommending that the county purchase new voting equipment for the November election. The new voting technology is a requirement of the Help America Vote Act and will be mandated by 2006 in place of the current punch ballot system...

Longtime Pladium bartender Jerry Beaver has become an institution within an institution. "Beaver" was a friend that came free with the drink. "I never met a person that wasn't a friend," Beaver said. The only thing more numerous than the acquaintances he made over his 30 years at the job is the amount of things he learned while talking to them, he said. But he's very strict on maintaining the sacred bartender-customer privilege...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A 32-year-old woman and a 3-year-old child were found dead in their home at 802 South Grand St., on Thursday, the victims of an apparent homicide. A 4-year-old child at the residence was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. ...

State Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth, made a stop in Cape Girardeau Thursday as part of his campaign for Missouri state treasurer. One of seven candidates in the upcoming Republican primary, Luetkemeyer came to Southeast Missouri to let the voters know what separates his team from the rest of the pack...

ATLANTA -- Smoking among U.S. high school students has fallen to about one in five -- the lowest level in at least a generation -- in a drop-off the government attributes to anti-smoking campaigns and higher cigarette taxes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday that nearly 22 percent of high school students said they were smokers in 2003. That is down from more than 36 percent in 1997, and the lowest level since the CDC began keeping track in 1975...

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Jay Haas was like any other father at the U.S. Open, walking among the gallery at Shinnecock Hills as he watched his 22-year-old son take on the toughest test in golf. And like any father, he showed the kid how to get it done. Haas showed 'em all...

ST. LOUIS -- Pinch-hitter Reggie Sanders capped a three-run, ninth-inning rally with a game-winning single that gave the Cardinals a 5-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics and a sweep of a three-game series between division leaders Thursday night. The Cardinals have won 13 of 17 and cooled off the Athletics, who entered the series with a season-best, eight-game winning streak in which they averaged 10 runs. Oakland totaled 10 runs in the series...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams defensive end Leonard Little has been indicted on charges of persistent drunken driving, nearly two months after police in a St. Louis suburb stopped and arrested him on a freeway. The St. Louis County indictment accusing Little, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a 1998 wreck that killed a St. Louis woman, mirrors charges in a criminal complaint filed against him April 26...

WASHINGTON -- One in four credit reports has errors serious enough to disqualify consumers from buying a home, opening a bank account or getting a job, a consumer group says. Credit profiles are maintained on some 90 percent of American adults, and many include such serious errors as incorrectly listing people as delinquent, the Public Interest Research Group said in a report Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- A former Army ranger hired by the CIA to conduct interrogations was charged Thursday with assaulting an Afghan detainee who died after two days of beatings, the first time civilian charges have been brought in the investigation of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan...

James Irvin Bowman, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 17, 2004, at the Lutheran Home. He was born July 21, 1929, in Harrisburg, Pa., son of Wellington Roy and Blanche Miriam Churchman Bowman. Bowman was a 1947 graduate of Middletown High School in Middletown, Pa. He received a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering from Lehigh University in 1951...

The Rev. Franklin H. Bippus, 57, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at Life Care Center. He was born March 24, 1947, in Cape Girardeau, son of Lester H. and Freida Weber-James Bippus. He and Stella Bretthauer were married Dec. 3, 1965, in San Francisco, Calif...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Thomas Edd Massey, 87, of Sikeston died Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at Miner Nursing Center. He was born Nov. 9, 1916, in Ayers, Miss., son of Phillip Turner and Solna Bell Garner Massey. He and Bertie Mae Carter were married Sept. 12, 1936, in Cardwell, Mo. She died June 30, 1995...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Mildred McCabe, 93, of Tamms died Thursday, June 17, 2004, at Cedar Ridge Health Care Center in Lebanon, Ill. She was born March 25, 1911, in Elco, Ill., daughter of Scott and Mary White Mitchell. She married William McCabe, who died in 1971...

Lindsey Son to Jason L. and Lena E. Lindsey of Cape Girardeau, St. Francis Medical Center, 2:21 p.m. Monday, June 14, 2004. Name, Ethan Storm. Weight, 8 pounds 7 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Lindsey is the former Lena McIntyre, daughter of Rickey and Renita McIntyre of Ledbetter, Ky. Lindsey is the son of Dorothy Wells and Ronnie and Faye Lindsey of Bowling Green, Ky. He is a meteorologist at KFVS 12...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Earl Leon Obermann Jr., 52, of Chaffee died Wednesday, June 16, 2004, in the emergency room at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born July 19, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, son of Earl Leon and Virginia Marie Estes Sr. He and Linda Marie Foehr were married Oct. 28, 1981...

10 years ago: June 18, 1994 Former Corps of Engineers dredge, Ste. Genevieve, is resting on bottom of Mississippi River for second time in less than three years; this time it is on bottom of river at Cape Girardeau shipyard while legal battle continues to determine fate of former steam-powered paddlewheel vessel...

'Around the World in 80 Days' Starring Steve Coogan, Jackie Chan, Jim Broadbent and Robert Fyfe. Crackpot London inventor Phileas Fogg makes a bet that he can traverse the globe in 80 days. He sets off on his journey through foreign lands, encountering many different cultures. Rated PG for action violence, some crude humor and mild language, running time 120 minutes. (Cape West Cine)...

One-half star (out of four) I believe that you might like "The Chronicles of Riddick" if you are a comic book fan or a video game player, however, I am neither of those. I believe Vin Diesel may be a better actor than this movie allows him to be. For the most part, he plays Riddick with a sullen mix of menace and indifference...

Musicians Bruce Zimmerman, Gary Nunnally and Brad Graham are gathered together in a section of Ken Keller's IBS recording studio in Cape Girardeau, concentrating on the track of "Tobacco Road" that was recorded minutes earlier. While drummer Nunnally allows his body to rock back and forth and a smile to occasionally escape from his lips, the expressions on the faces of bassist Graham and vocalist and guitarist Zimmerman do not reveal much...

Lanora Mae Blankenship, 81, of Oak Ridge died Thursday, June 17, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 26, 1922, at Essex, Mo., daughter of James D. and Clara Belle Trotter Hooks. She and O.D. Blankenship were married in 1942 in Piggott, Ark. He died in March 1957...

Roberta L. McDowell, 89, of Jackson died Thursday, June 17, 2004, at Monticello House. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

Access on the alley THE CITY should pave the alley that runs behind the Glenn House. With too many steps at the front, all tourist buses are coming through the alley. I saw six by 10 o'clock Saturday morning. If we want the tourists to come, we should upgrade the route they are driven through...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- A Neelyville teenager is in juvenile custody after he allegedly told officers he shot his mother when she threatened to take his guns away, said Butler County Sheriff Bill Heaton. Ginny Harris Grandberry, 37, was allegedly killed by her 16-year-old son. An autopsy is to be performed on Grandberry, who lived at 428 Main St. in Neelyville, according to Butler County Deputy Coroner Bruce Goin...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Since Bekki Cook stepped down as secretary of state in 2001, Missouri government has undergone significant change with the Republican takeover of the Missouri Legislature. In Cook's view, the change has been for the worse and helped prompt her to return to the political arena by seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor...

Woman, 3-year-old killed in Charleston beating CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A 32-year-old woman and a 3-year-old child were found dead in their home at 802 South Grand St. on Thursday, the victims of an apparent homicide. A 4-year-old child at the residence was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. ...

Men offer linoleum, steal jewelry in Dexter DEXTER, Mo. -- Two thieves in Stoddard County are as smooth as linoleum. According to a Dexter Police Department report, two white males targeted an elderly woman claiming they were linoleum salesmen. While one man distracted the woman, the other robbed her of jewelry and other valuables. Dexter police ask that anyone who has been a victim of this scam or has information concerning the two subjects call the police department at (573) 624-5512...

Firefighters responded to the following items on Wednesday: At 10:48 p.m., a fire alarm at 1000 N. Sprigg St. At 11:22 p.m., an emergency medical service at 1019 N. Sprigg St. At 11:37 p.m., a car fire at 2842 Whitener St.Firefighters responded to the following items on Thursday:...

The roots of an alarming increase in autism will never be discovered if powerful medical organizations continue to rule out potential causes without adequate research. Last month, the Institute of Medicine issued a report that concluded there is no link between the mercury used as a preservative in some childhood inoculations and autism. That report was made in spite of pleas by some medical researchers that other studies were about to conclude that such a possibility exists...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs Marcus Erin Wilburn, 23, 115 Themis St., was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of DWI. Maryellen Jennifer Klein, 24, 12240 Lake Road, Dongola, Ill., was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of DWI...

Advance High School graduate Garrett Broshuis and Southeast Missouri State University's Brad Smith both recently received All-American honors from CollegeBaseballInsider.com. Broshuis, a junior right-handed starting pitcher at the University of Missouri, was placed on the second team...

Baseball The New York Mets acquired right fielder Richard Hidalgo from the Houston Astros on Thursday for right-handed pitchers David Weathers and Jeremy Griffiths. Hidalgo has put up big numbers in the past, but he was in the midst of a disappointing season with the Astros. ...

To the editor: I went to Westfield Shoppingtown West Park Mall with my granddaughter to do some shopping. While we were there, we stopped at McDonald's for a drink and sandwich. I couldn't help but notice a big group of children aged from approximately 12 to 17 eating in the center of the mall. I was really impressed with the way they were acting and behaving. I then noticed they were from Bell City, Mo. They were so polite...

More Summerfest events: contests, pageants, music Scott City's Summerfest takes place today and Saturday. It kicks off at 5 p.m. today with a parade with walkers and floats. Pet owners can walk their dogs in the parade if they bring a leash. After the parade there will be a pet contest with categories for the best-dressed, best trick, and pet and owner look-alike. ...