Stories from Monday, August 23, 2004

NAJAF, Iraq -- Explosions and gunfire shook Najaf's Old City on Sunday in a fierce battle between U.S. forces and Shiite militants, as negotiations dragged on for the handover of the shrine that the fighters have used for their stronghold. Late Sunday, U.S. warplanes and helicopters attacked positions in the Old City for the second night with bombs and gunfire, witnesses said. Militant leaders said the Imam Ali Shrine compound's outer walls were damaged in the attacks...

Drury won on penalty kicks 5-4 after regulation play ended in a 2-2 tie. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team ended its two-game exhibition schedule without a victory, but coach Heather Nelson felt much better about Sunday afternoon's performance than she had Friday night...

The Cape Girardeau team captured the final contest 50-45 to win Slamfest. By Marty Mishow ~ Southeast Missourian To Luther Bonds, a player for the Heartland Insurance basketball team, it was only fitting that his squad climbed out of the loser's bracket and beat defending champion Charleston twice Sunday to win the 13th annual Slamfest at Indian Park...

Springfield News-Leader Missouri's compulsory school attendance law says the parents or legal guardians of children between 7 and 16 years old "shall cause the child to attend regularly" a public, private or home school. Failure to do so can result in criminal charges...

Washington Missourian Claire McCaskill, as the Democratic candidate for governor, now is the ranking member of her party in Missouri. One of her first actions was to name Roger Wilson of Columbia as chairman of the state party. That was an excellent move. ...

If you have a question, e-mail factorfiction@semissourian.com or call Speak Out (334-5111) and identify your call as a question for "Fact or fiction?" Q. Is it true that the Cape Girardeau City Council has in the past couple of years approved home-based businesses in residential areas? I was told the city stopped giving these permits three years ago or longer, but I know people who got them since then. ...

Lawyer Ed Radetic and CPA Jeff Unterreiner are staking another claim to the Cape Girardeau frozen-treat throne. The two have recently announced that they are erecting a new Dairy Queen at 3026 Sprigg St. The restaurant will be the duo's second Dairy Queen -- they also own the store on William Street, near Kingshighway. ...

LOS ANGELES -- God vs. Satan cast out space creatures at the box office. Demon thriller "Exorcist: The Beginning" debuted as the No. 1 weekend movie with $18.2 million, displacing "Alien vs. Predator," which tumbled to No. 4 with $12.5 million, studio estimates showed Sunday...

OSLO, Norway -- Armed, masked thieves burst into a lightly guarded Oslo museum Sunday and snatched the Edvard Munch masterpiece "The Scream" and a second Munch painting from the walls as stunned visitors watched in shock. It was the second time in a decade that a version of the iconic "Scream," which depicts an anguished, opened-mouthed figure grabbing the sides of its head, had been stolen from an Oslo museum...

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- One man allegedly worked as an al-Qaida accountant. Another, a poet, is accused of crafting terrorist propaganda. A third drove and protected Osama bin Laden. A fourth, a baby-faced Australian, fought with Afghanistan's ousted Taliban. None is accused of killing Americans...

By R.B. Fallstrom ~ The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Fouling off pitch after pitch until he got a fastball to his liking, Edgar Renteria set the tone for another victory for the St. Louis Cardinals. Renteria capped a 13-pitch at-bat in the first inning with a three-run homer off Ryan Vogelsong and matched his career high with five RBIs, leading the way in an 11-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday...

AKRON, Ohio -- Stewart Cink closed with an even-par 70 to beat Tiger Woods and Rory Sabbatini by four strokes Sunday at the NEC Invitational, becoming the first wire-to-wire winner on the PGA Tour this year. Cink made a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 to finish at 11-under 269 . He earned $1.2 million, the largest payoff of his career...

By Rob Gloster The Associated Press ATHENS, Greece -- Justin Gatlin was overshadowed all weekend by a flamboyant training partner and an illustrious teammate. So he sped past both of them, outrunning the fastest Olympic field ever to snatch the 100-meter gold medal...

LOS ANGELES -- A new video game will show that it's easier to be a bad shark than a good shark. Majesco Games is working on a playable version of the movie "Jaws," with the gamer controlling a predatory Great White as it cruises the ocean waters...

Cape Girardeau patrolman Jeff Bonham knew his patrol car was an attention-getter and an icebreaker. Now he knows it's a winner. Earlier this month, Bonham, a DARE officer in the city's public and parochial schools, entered his new DARE car in a competition among other Missouri DARE cars at Springfield, Mo. ...

It's the ultimate want ad, bolstered by a big budget and civic-minded purpose. Cape Girardeau tourism officials hope a series of newspaper ads will encourage area residents to offer suggestions on how best to spend more than $1 million in surplus motel and restaurant tax money...

Southeast Missouri State University students said goodbye to summer and hello to free food and merchandise at the annual welcome-back picnic in Capaha Park Sunday. "This is probably the best welcome-back picnic we've ever had," said Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins. The weather was comfortable and the humidity low, he said, and the students and businesses turned out in droves...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- If Butler County Clerk John Dunivan had his druthers, he would open polling places in high-traffic areas such as stores weeks before Election Day in hopes of boosting voter participation by making it more convenient. "If you are out at Wal-Mart buying tires for your car, maybe if you see a voting booth you'll stop and cast a ballot," Dunivan said...

BENTON, Mo. -- Nearly a year after Scott County commissioners started seriously discussing the possibility of a countywide water district, the public is invited to a meeting Tuesday where they will have a chance to ask questions and see the results of a feasibility study of such a project...

It's the Internet Revolution meets the Industrial Revolution: a new program that lets people design 3-D objects like car parts and door knobs in metal or plastic then order them online. Programs for computer-aided design, or CAD, have been around for decades, but eMachineShop.com appears to be the first service that checks whether a design can be made and tells the customer how much it will cost. ...

The lights are almost always on at My Daddy's Cheesecake these days. The first employee flips the switch at 4:30 a.m., arriving to start the baking for the day. Those fluorescent bulbs buzz and rattle through a day of production and packaging, beyond the retail store's closing at 6 p.m. The last worker out cuts the circuit at midnight. Four and a half hours later, the cycle starts anew...

BOSTON -- A new generation of robotic vacuums is ready to do battle with dirt, dust and dog hair with more cleaning power and cunning than their ancestors could muster. Faced with the usual obstacles -- furniture, stairs, low-hanging bed skirts and stray socks -- they intelligently and acrobatically extricate themselves from most tight spots and largely avoid getting stuck or sucking in what they shouldn't...

ST. LOUIS -- An advocacy group has called for the state's head of mental retardation services to resign over reports of systematic abuse at a resident care center for the mentally ill in suburban St. Louis. Mentally Retarded Citizens of Missouri demanded the resignation of Anne Deaton on Friday, in the wake of the alleged Aug. 3 beating death of a retarded man at the Bellefontaine Habilitation Center...

The Associated Press CLAYTON, Mo. -- Police departments use computers to catch criminals and log their arrests. Now, authorities say, prostitutes in Missouri are using the Internet to share information about undercover police officers. Even the commander of the St. Louis County vice squad, Rick Battelle, found his own cell phone number was listed...

By Mike Harris ~ The Associated Press BROOKLYN, Mich. -- Greg Biffle was proud of himself for an unlikely reason after winning the NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway. "The guys did a great job and I didn't make any mistakes, which is pretty unusual for me to race an entire day and not make any mistakes," Biffle said after pulling away from teammate Mark Martin for an easy victory Sunday in the GFS Marketplace 400...

Housing workshop to be held at Biehle eatery The Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission will hold an affordable housing development workshop at the Country Kettle on Wednesday. The eatery is near the Biehle exit off Interstate 55 south of Perryville, Mo...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Sunday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Tony Lamark Harris Jr., 19, of 401 S. Hanover St., was arrested Saturday on a Cape Girardeau County warrant for violation of order of protection...

Hahs Agency names new full-time recruiter Janice Cook was recently appointed the full-time recruiter for the Hahs Agency for Northwestern Mutual Financial Services in Cape Girardeau. Coldwell broker becomes negotiation specialist...

For years, Don Roth has been dispensing free advice along with his customers' purchases at Roth Hardware in Scott City. Just about everyone in town knows Don Roth can answer your questions and will gladly help anyone who needs it. Roth Hardware has been a family-owned business since 1946 in the old Illmo section of town, and its customers consider Don Roth a mainstay at the store. ...

The Tigers open their season Tuesday against farmington. By Jeremy Joffray ~ Southeast Missourian The area high school tennis scene will have a familiar face when the season begins today. Annette Slattery is back on the bench for the Central Tigers. After a four-year absence from coaching, Slattery returns to coach Central's girls...

Musical tastes IN RESPONSE to the caller who apparently despises modern music: I must be nobody. I listen to classical music. I also listen to metal and other styles. I like rock, and some of us like to vent by listening to someone hollering out their frustration from people like you who insult our music. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Hobert Carl Leadbetter, 73, of Silex, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 20, 2004, at his home. He was born July 26, 1931, at Scopus, Mo., son of Elsworth and Sadie Barks Leadbetter. He and Lois Simmers were married May 17, 1955, at Sardis, Miss...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Ole Monroe Chronister, 71, of Glenallen died Sunday, Aug. 22, 2004, at Cla Ru DeVille at Fredericktown, Mo. He was born May 25, 1933, at Glenallen, son of John and Lulu Beuhler Chronister. He and Christine Chase were married Jan. 22, 1967, at Glenallen...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Donald Lee "Donnie" Pullen, 53, of Charleston died Saturday, Aug. 21, 2004, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Feb. 1, 1951, at Charleston, son of E.H. "Sonny" and Wanda Hurley Pullen. He and Bonnie LaPlant were married June 12, 1970...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: At 7:05 p.m., a structure fire at 216 William St. At 9:32 p.m., a medical assist at the 1700 block of Cape Meadows Circle. At 9:35 p.m., an alarm sounding at 4901 Nash Road. At 10:17 p.m., an alarm sounding at 1000 Towers Circle...

United Way of Southeast Missouri announced its 2004 campaign cabinet recently. They are, pictured from left, Larry Dunger, Jeff Brune, Jon Rust, Barry Randolph, Dan Muser, Kathy Bertrand, Jay Wolz, Mike Smythe, Doug Watson. Southeast Missourian The United Way of Southeast Missouri recently announced Mike Smythe, vice president and general manager of KFVS-12 and UPN The Beat, as the 2004 campaign chairman. ...

Past national president Glenneta Vogelsang of Cape Girardeau, a member of Clippard, Wilson, Taylor Auxiliary 3838, participated in the 91st National Convention of the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW of the United States held recently in Ohio. Vogelsang will serve as a member of the 2004-2005 National Advisory Committee...

ATHENS, Greece -- Russian shot put gold medalist Irina Korzhanenko was under investigation for a positive drug test, international and Russian Olympic officials confirmed Sunday. Korzhanenko, the first woman to win a gold medal at the site of Ancient Olympia, tested positive for the steroid stanozolol after Wednesday's competition, Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets said. Korzhanenko's backup sample also came back positive, the Russian committee said...

By Doug Tucker ~ The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Four days past his 44th birthday, Morten Andersen will face a critical moment in his drive to prolong a Hall of Fame career. Andersen will do most of the place kicking during Kansas City's exhibition game against St. Louis. He's worked hard to get in shape for a 23rd consecutive season...

WASHINGTON -- High oil prices, which have been a factor in virtually all U.S. recessions over the past three decades, are surging again this year. And the higher crude oil prices climb, the more risk energy costs pose to what, until recently, many expected to be a banner year for the U.S. economy...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Intelligence Committee Republicans proposed removing the nation's largest intelligence gathering operations from the CIA and the Pentagon and putting them directly under a new national intelligence director. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., the committee chairman, unveiled on Sunday the most sweeping intelligence reorganization proposal offered by anyone since the Sept. ...

St. John's holds sausage supper A family-style pork sausage supper will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 11 at St. John's United Church, two and a half miles west of Fruitland on Route FF. For more information, call 243-8208. -- From staff reports...

Seaman finishes training at Great Lakes, Ill., base Navy Seaman Recruit Wesley A. Campbell, brother of Sara E. Campbell of Cape Girardeau, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Ill. Campbell is a 1999 graduate of Jackson High School...

Mob sets train on fire to protest attack DHAKA, Bangladesh -- An angry mob set fire to a passenger train and protesters clashed with police across Bangladesh on Sunday, leaving dozens of people injured, as violence spread a day after a grenade attack on an opposition rally killed 19 people and wounded hundreds. The Subarna Express train was attacked as it was entering a station in the town of Bhairab, 50 miles east of its destination of Dhaka, the capital, said a railway spokesman...

Cape County Genealogy Society to meet The Cape Girardeau County Genealogical Society meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson. This informal meeting will be a time of research with no business meeting or formal program planned. ...

Southeast Missourian "Heroes for the American Red Cross," a grassroots campaign to support Red Cross services, recently celebrated reaching a total of $13,616.21 in funds raised for vital services needed in the community. A celebration sponsored by "Hero" Phil Brinson was held at Buckner Brewing Co. to honor this year's heroes. All money raised supports Southeast Missouri residents...

10 years ago: Aug. 23, 1994 Southeast Missouri State University had 205 fewer students enrolled on first day of classes yesterday than on first day of classes a year ago; it continues downward trend that dates back several years; combined undergraduate and graduate head count Monday was 7,673...