Stories from Friday, September 15, 2006

The public hearing on county property taxes drew one member of the public to the Cape Girardeau County Commission chambers Thursday. The visitor, Bill Hahs of the Daisy area, observed and said little except that he supports paying a county road and bridge tax this fall...

What do you do when you get home from work to unwind? My wife arranges fresh flowers. Or writes cheerful cards to folks who can use a bit of cheering up. I play the piano. I'm not very good. My eight years of 50-cent-a-week lessons from Mrs. Handford gave me a love of music, but a musical gift is a musical gift, and I don't have it...

A judge struck down Missouri's new voter identification law Thursday as an unconstitutional infringement on the right to vote. The ruling, from Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan, was handed down a day before a traveling van bringing the opportunity to obtain a free photo ID was scheduled to visit VIP Industries in Cape Girardeau...

Fuel prices dipped below $2 a gallon in Jackson for the first time in nine months, delighting motorists despite warnings from energy experts and gas-station owners that the market remains volatile and the low prices aren't likely to last. "Big warning: It's temporary," said Julianne Neiman, an energy expert with the Smith, More & Co. financial firm in St. Louis. "It's not going to last."...

Sunshine and storm water took center stage Thursday at a Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting. Sunshine, as in the Missouri Sunshine Law, was the focus of a half-hour discussion of how the commission can keep the public better informed of its agendas and actions...

Jackson's electric rate increases may force Jason Wray to move his business to Cape Girardeau. The city's board of aldermen is expected to approve three 12 percent rate increases over the next six months at a regular meeting Monday. The board will also approve continuing the 10 percent discount for residents who pay by the 10th of the month...

James R. Sides, 64, of Cape Girardeau died suddenly Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 6 p.m. Sunday at Centenary United Methodist Church...

Cpl. Jeremy R. Shank, 18, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2006, while serving his country in Iraq. Shank was born Feb. 29, 1988, in Cape Girardeau, to James A. and Deborah J. Vaughn Shank. He attended Jackson High School. He enlisted in the United States Army May 31, 2005, and graduated from Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Ga., as an infantryman. ...

Avoiding taxes; School isn't free; He made a choice; Taxing cigarettes; Taking our money; Agenda surprise; New strong law

There are plenty of things to do at the SEMO District Fair, including all kinds of thrilling rides. But one ride making its debut at this year's fair not only gives fairgoers a jolt, it also gives them a lifesaving lesson. The ride is called the Seat Belt Convincer. It made its first appearance at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia last month. Soon, all nine of the Missouri State Highway Patrol troops will have their own Seat Belt Convincer to use for demonstrations at schools and fairs...

To the editor: After Sept. 11, 2006, what change the world mostly is America's leadership response to it. With all of the history and scholarship at its disposal, leadership ignored the impact of the Islamic movement spawned in the sixth and seventh centuries, waning and waxing again as the Ottomon Empire until its defeat in World War I, when European and Western powers established national borders in Arab, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern dominions...

To the editor: The debate over when to terminate the county road-and-bridge property tax because of the passage of the new sales tax is becoming needlessly heated. If the county intends to collect the tax this year and terminate it next year, then the commissioners have lived up to the commitments made during the election process. ...

Matt Hester scored 3 minutes into the second overtime to lift the Central boys soccer team over district rival Poplar Bluff 2-1 on Thursday night. Hester, a senior, was assisted by sophomore Lucian Johnson, who also assisted on the first goal, which was scored by sophomore Zach Zaruba in the 50th minute...

A sectional loss to Ste. Genevieve ended Perryville's football season in 2004, and that loss was the first of 11 straight for the Pirates. Following a winless campaign in 2005, the Pirates have started this season 2-0 heading into tonight's MAFC White Division contest against the Dragons (1-1)...

To the editor: Conservatives must rise up, say enough is enough and take a stand. A leftist agenda is infiltrating society as we sit idly by. Sure, we complain, forward e-mails and cry eternal damnation over coffee, but what can we really do? I believe it's time for conservatives to proclaim our agenda...

25 years ago: Sept. 15, 1981 Cape Girardeau County officials are planning to implement a building permit program in the county possibly by next January; a building permit and inspection program is one of the requirements of the federal Flood Insurance Program, which the county joined more than two years ago...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Two years before she was elected governor of Texas, Ann Richards electrified the 1988 Democratic National Convention with a keynote speech in which she joked that the Republican presidential nominee, George H.W. Bush, had been "born with a silver foot in his mouth."...

The new-for-2007 Nissan Versa is a perfect example that consumers don't have to appreciably downsize their lives to buy a downsized car. Just 14 feet long, the five-door Versa hatchback has a wagon-like 50.4 cubic feet of cargo room with rear seats folded and more headroom and rear-seat legroom than traditional small sedans like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Nissan's own Sentra...

To the editor: I've seen changes of many kinds over the years of my life. I've seen a house that we paid $12,500 for originally sell for over $110,000, and that was rock bottom. I've seen parks that we use to go to when I was a child turn into a haven for perverts. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Just like his National League Cy Young season last year, Chris Carpenter has everything working for him. Well, almost everything. The St. Louis Cardinals' ace is among the front-runners to win it again, his portfolio lacking only an impressive victory total. He's tied for the NL lead with three shutouts, leads the league with a 2.84 ERA that matches his final total from last year, and is almost untouchable with a 1.47 ERA at the new Busch Stadium...

MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- Statistics show motorcyclist injuries and deaths are increasing, spurring makers to install more safety features -- making greater use of antilock brakes and adding air bags while stressing safe-rider education and use of helmets...

Parks plans fall folk concerts this weekend; Sundays at Three opens season Sept. 24; Photography exhibit travels around Cape; Third Day takes on new opening acts at SMC; 'Hairspray' coming to Paducah Oct. 31; Missouri Citizens for the Arts hold annual reception; Grampa Woo returns to Cape Girardeau riverfront; Red House fundraiser Sept. 24 at Arena Building; Schoenberger to appear at Kaskaskia festival; Margaret Harwell museum celebrates anniversary Saturday

Thursday Action items Discussion items Actions not on the agenda...

NEW YORK -- Segway Inc. is recalling all 23,500 of the self-balancing scooters it has shipped to date because of a software glitch that can make its wheels unexpectedly reverse direction, causing riders to fall off -- and in at least one incident, break some teeth...

WASHINGTON -- A rebellious Senate committee defied President Bush on Thursday and approved terror-detainee legislation he has vowed to block, deepening Republican conflict over terrorism and national security in the middle of the election season. Republican Sen. ...

Ford to offer buyouts to hourly workers DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. plans to expand buyout and early retirement offers to the company's entire U.S. hourly work force of 75,000 as part of a broader restructuring plan aimed at restoring the troubled No. ...

By A.F. Kertz It is troubling to see families such as the Hrabiks (Sept. 7 op-ed column) who have been swayed by proponents of Amendment 2 to believe the hope not merited by the hype of embryonic stem-cell research. Let's address key areas. Here is the official definition of somatic cell nuclear transfer from the authoritative Steadman's Medical Dictionary: SCNT is the placement of any body (somatic) cell nucleus into an egg (ovum) where the natural nucleus has been removed. ...

The case of a teenager accused of beating up a pizza delivery man was ordered to continue in circuit court Thursday. Jeremiah Reddin, 19, of 320 Good Hope St., waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday. Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp then scheduled the defendant to appear before Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis Sept. ...

A brief, slow police chase in Jackson early Thursday evening briefly snarled traffic. Officers pursued a westbound driver on Jackson Boulevard suspected of driving while intoxicated, police chief James Humphreys said at the scene. A Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper said the chase never went faster than 20 mph. ...

The following information was released by the office of federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway for defendants who appeared in federal court Monday before U.S. District Judge Charles A. Shaw: Name: Roy "Herbie" Brown Age: 36 Residence: Ripley County Charge: Attempt to manufacture methamphetamine and felon in possession of firearms ammunition...

Cape Eagles plan dinner theater fund-raiser The primary objective of the Cape Girardeau Eagles club's upcoming dinner theater is to raise funds for a good cause. On Sept. 22 the club will open the doors to its hall at 321 N. Spring St. for a murder mystery dinner theater called "Murder in Mayberry." The show, performed by St. ...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau...

Jackson (1-1) at Vianney (1-1) Central (0-2) at Blytheville, Ark. (2-0) Scott City (1-1) at East Prairie (0-2) Chaffee (1-1) at Crystal City (2-0) St. Vincent (0-2) at Valle (1-1) Ste. Genevieve (1-1) at Perryville (2-0) -- Jeremy Joffray...

Unbeatable for two months, Tiger Woods' winning streak came to a swift and sudden conclusion Thursday when Shaun Micheel knocked him out in the first round of the World Match Play Championship in Virginia Water, England. Woods had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole to keep alive his slim hopes, but he removed his cap and walked over to shake hands with Micheel as the ball was still rolling. The score was 4 and 3, matching Woods' worst loss in match play...

Two stars (out of four) George Reeves' -- who played Superman on TV from 1951-1957 -- life was cut short by a single bullet when he was 42 years old. "Hollywoodland" is about a detective, Louis Simo, who is convinced that it wasn't suicide, but a homicide. ...

A potential quarterfinal meeting between Notre Dame and Lutheran South is just one of several intriguing matchups in the annual Jackson Invitational softball tournament, which begins Saturday at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex. All games will be played at Shawnee with the finals set for 6:15 p.m. Saturday...

The Common Pleas Courthouse lawn is a long way from the clubs of New York and the infamous club CBGB, where Jordan Chassan cut his teeth as a young songwriter and musician. In between lies Nashville, where Chassan has now set up shop. And even though Chassan comes from a world far different than Cape Girardeau, he hopes his blend of acoustic country and folk will provide a successful cap off to the 2006 Tunes at Twilight season...

Mules get a bad rap as being stubborn. But those who exhibit the animals say that reputation is undeserved. "They are cautious," said Jerry Brown of Dexter, Mo. "A mule is smarter than a horse," the 68-year-old Brown said as he waited to show his four sorrel-colored mules Thursday afternoon at the SEMO District Fair...

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri is doing a poorer job overseeing private nursing homes than it was three years ago, according to an audit released Thursday by State Auditor Claire McCaskill. McCaskill, speaking at a news conference in St. Louis, said she was discouraged by the new audit, which found a decline in the state's regulation of nursing homes during 2005 despite two previous audits that recommended 32 ways to improve oversight...

Free concerts aren't new to the Jackson City Park. Over the years, the park has played host to alternative concerts called "Shellshocked" and the regular summer offerings by the Jackson Municipal Band. But this weekend Pat Schwent wants to try a new kind of concert -- a twilight romp through the sounds of the '50s, '60s and '70s, especially the Motown music that dominated the airwaves of the era...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Ensconced in their research labs on the banks of the Charles River near Boston, Harvard scientists Kevin Eggan and Chad Cowan would seem to have little stake in the outcome of an election half a continent away. Yet on Nov. 7 when Missouri voters consider a proposed state constitutional amendment protecting embryonic stem-cell research, the two Harvard researchers -- bankrolled by a combined $10.65 million from 82-year-old Kansas City billionaire James Stowers Jr. ...

Southeast Missouri State lost 2-0 to Memphis on Thursday night despite a career-high 12 saves by senior keeper Lindsey Pickering. Memphis (4-3) outshot visiting Southeast (2-3) 11-1 in the first half, but the teams went to intermission in a scoreless tie. Pickering made eight saves in the first half...

Cord Dombrowski remembers the first time he showed off the property off Bloomfield Road to three associates of Crenshaw design, whom he had called when he was trying to choose from three parcels of property on which to build a golf course. "The first time we walked out of the truck, it was just dirt, trees and grub, and wild chopped grass," Dombrowski recalled. "They knew at that point in time, that this was a great piece of property."...

Starting Saturday, concert patrons at the Show Me Center will be able to get the same tickets online as they can at the box office. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for the venue's Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood concert scheduled for Oct. ...

Dear Tom and Ray: My daughter and son-in-law drive a 1996 Acura Integra (two-door). It has had little need for repairs other than ordinary things and regular maintenance. The odometer reads 178,340. They have a 15-month-old child who is regularly stuffed into her car seat in the back of this car. I want to get them a new car. I am concerned that this vehicle is past its prime and is asking for an accident. My son-in-law thinks I'm being neurotic. What do you think?...