Stories from Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Little goblins and ghouls will be roaming our neighborhoods for sugar highs tonight. Under the Cape Girardeau School District's new wellness policy, class parties are supposed to avoid more than 30 popular candies, sodas and fruit-punch drinks. But Skittles and Jolly Ranchers are still legal in Cape Girardeau's neighborhoods, along with tons of other sugary treats...

By RUDI KELLER Southeast Missourian Stymied by federal rules in their quest to study whether the county can afford to take over the U.S. Courthouse on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, the Cape Girardeau County Commission on Monday decided to ask for the building...

By KYLE W. MORRISON Southeast Missourian As deer mating season begins, drivers throughout the state are urged to pay more attention on the roadways because the deer won't be. Nearly half the 3,506 deer-related accidents in Missouri during 2005 occurred in the three-month period between October and December, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Lt. John Hotz...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian In the race for state representative in the 158th District, Nathan Cooper says he is running on his record. His principal opponent, Democrat Matthew Hill, says it's a record he can improve on. Cooper, the one-term incumbent, said he's proud of his fiscal conservatism...

Top-seeded Notre Dame set up a rematch with Sikeston in the Class 2 District 1 boys soccer finals with a 5-1 win over De Soto on Monday at Sikeston. Sikeston, the third seed, defeated No. 2 Farmington 4-0 in the other semifinal. The finals will be 6 p.m. on Wednesday. This will be the third straight championship between Sikeston and Notre Dame, with Sikeston having won the past two...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Mayor Francis Slay makes no bones about it: Morgan Quitno Press is dead wrong to call St. Louis the most dangerous city in the United States. "It's bogus," Slay said of the group's annual ranking released Monday. "To suggest that St. Louis is more dangerous than Miami, New Orleans, Los Angeles and Chicago -- it just doesn't make any sense."...

Southeast Missourian The Missouri Department of Social Services and the Cape Girardeau County Health Department will sponsor a free eye screening clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the health department at 1121 Linden St. in Cape Girardeau...

Southeast must win two of its last three games to post a winning record. By MARTY MISHOW Southeast Missourian The Southeast Missouri State football team still has plenty of work to do in order to post just the program's third winning season since moving up to Division I-AA in 1991...

Funeral rites for James Ray Cook of Indianapolis, Ind., formerly of Commerce, Mo., will be conducted by Edwards Family Mortuary in Indianapolis. He was born Feb. 3, 1956, at Rolla, Mo., and passed away Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006. He was preceded in death by his father, Andy Cook in 1960, and stepfather, Dick Brazel in 2004...

Charles Smith Randol, 92, of Jackson died Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006, at Monticello House. He was born June 4, 1914, on the family farm at Jackson, son of Luther Jackson and Clara N. Schrock Randol. He and Viola Estell Biri were married Sept. 9, 1936. She died Feb. 8, 1999...

By TIM REYNOLDS The Associated Press MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade will have goosebumps tonight. He'll watch the retrospective video highlighting moments from the Miami Heat's postseason run to an NBA title, then get his glimmering new championship ring and see the commemorative banner finally sway from the arena's rafters...

The injured linebacker may play Sunday despite a broken hand. By R.B. FALLSTROM The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa could return this week wearing a pair of braces, one for a separated left shoulder and one for a broken left hand. The defense could use him, even stitched together, after a 38-24 loss at San Diego on Sunday...

By KELLY WIESE The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state study is under way to determine whether state schools for the severely handicapped provide the best use of state resources -- an idea that's worrying some families and advocates for the disabled...

The Associated Press COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Several rainy days hindered the harvest of fall crops last week but helped replenish topsoil moisture in much of Missouri. In its weekly crop-weather report Monday, the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service said 3.2 days were suitable for fieldwork last week...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Mable L. "Bo" Kinder Helt, 69, of Cairo died at 3:05 a.m. Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 6, 1937, at Chaffee, Mo., daughter of Ardello William and Lucille Maudie Riehn Bentley...

The Associated Press BATESVILLE, Ark. -- Police knew this Bill wasn't authentic. A man has been arrested for trying to use a $100 bill with no president's face and the name of former President Clinton. The man, who has not been identified, was arrested Friday after trying to use the bill to buy cigarettes at a Batesville gas station...

George W. Flowers, 81, of Millersville passed away Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 23, 1925, in Painton, Mo., son of the late Jake and Addie M. Goff Flowers. He and Wilma Statler were married Aug. 15, 1947 in St. Louis...

ANNA, Ill. -- Ronald A. Klepper, 63, of Anna died Friday, Oct. 27, 2006, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Ill. He was born Feb. 13, 1943, in Blue Island, Ill., son of Gervis and Violet Swafford Klepper. Klepper was a member of Mount Moriah Lutheran Church...

Dale...

Marie Butler, 85, of Jackson died Monday, Oct. 30, 2006, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Ola Grace Bartels, 98, of Whitewater died Sunday, Oct. 29, 2006, at her home. She was born March 1, 1908, at Crump, daughter of Lonzo and Belle Arnold Crump. She and Alvin D. Bartels were married Jan. 15, 1927, at Crump. He died Nov. 3, 1981. Bartels was a member of Whitewater United Methodist Church, charter member of Women's Society and taught Sunday school many years...

25 years ago: Oct. 31, 1981 Twenty high school bands and numerous floats built by student organizations are featured in the annual Southeast Missouri State University Homecoming parade; this year's parade marshal is Dr. Joseph Low, university speech professor...

Monday Routine business Action items Discussion items and appointments Items not on agenda:...

Cape Girardeau...

Cape businesses report burglary incidents Several Cape Girardeau business on South Kingshighway were burglarized this week. The five businesses, at 760 S. Kingshighway, reported break-ins between Sunday evening and early Monday morning, police Cpl. Jason Selzer said. ...

By MARK BLISS Southeast Missourian Rose Marie Kinder hasn't lived in Southeast Missouri for decades. But the 65-year-old author still lives here in her fiction, short stories whose characters are fashioned around those she knew while growing up in Bloomfield, Mo...

Red Cross announced major overhaul Monday NEW YORK -- The American Red Cross, stung by criticism of how it handled Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 attacks, announced plans Monday for a major overhaul that would include slashing its 50-member board and reducing the influence of presidentially appointed overseers. ...

By DAVID B. CARUSO The Associated Press NEW YORK -- After two years of secret taste tests, KFC said Monday it would stop frying chicken in artery-clogging trans fats, but New York City restaurants being urged to do the same say it's not so easy. KFC's announcement, which won praise from consumer advocates, came an hour ahead of a public hearing on a proposal that would make New York the first U.S. city to ban the unhealthy artificial fats...

By ALLISON HOFFMAN THe Associated Press CABAZON, Calif. -- Authorities investigating an arson wildfire that killed four firefighters questioned two people Monday as crews remained confident that the blaze would soon be fully contained. Sheriff's deputies took two men and three bags of material from a house in Cabazon, said neighbor Robert Dunham, 70, who lives three doors down from the residence a quarter-mile from where the fire started...

Saddam : Court violated law by appointing lawyers BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Saddam Hussein accused the chief judge in his genocide trial of violating the law Monday by appointing defense attorneys against his wishes after the ex-president's lawyer walked out of the proceedings. ...

By THOMAS WAGNER The Associated Press LONDON -- Raising the stakes in the global warming dispute with the United States and China, Britain issued a sweeping report Monday warning that the Earth faces a calamity on the scale of the world wars and the Great Depression unless urgent action is taken...

By STEVEN R. HURST The Associated Press BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The American death toll for October climbed past 100, a grim milestone as a White House envoy turned up unexpectedly in Baghdad on Monday following a rough patch in U.S.-Iraqi ties. At least 81 people were killed across Iraq, including 33 in a bombing targeting workers...

During her sophomore and junior years of high school, Brianna Egbuka worked a minimum-wage paying job at Dairy Queen. The Cape Central High School senior is in favor of Proposition B, which will increase the state's minimum wage to $6.50 an hour with automatic adjustments based on changes in the Consumer Price Index...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson high school seniors were asked questions regarding the Nov. 7 elections. Here's how they answered: Who is running for the Eighth Congressional District in Missouri? Correct answer: Jo Ann Emerson, Repbulican; Veronica J. Hambacker, Democrat; Branden McCollough, Liberterian...

By DEBORAH YAO The Associated Press PHILADELPHIA -- Techies, get ready to be scared out of your wits. Starting today, Comcast Corp., in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment and Lionsgate, will unveil a horror-movie network called FearNet. Fans will be able to watch movies through Comcast's video-on-demand service and on the Web at FearNet.com, where they can blog about, search and tag the spooky flicks. ...

By LARA GLAUBER Like many college students, I'm finding it's a struggle to pay both tuition and rent. I'm currently a senior at Southeast Missouri State University, and I work at a local call center. A few days ago, I turned 22 and lost my health care coverage. Previously I was covered under my parent's insurance...

By ADAM HANNA I've tried to stay out of politics -- I've tried hard. Ever since I was elected Student Government President at Southeast Missouri State University, I've tried to avoid offending anyone by talking about my politics. But just a week before the election, I've finally "had enough."...

With three sharp raps of an historic gavel, the 172nd annual meeting of the Missouri Baptist Convention began Monday evening in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. David Clippard, executive director of the organization, opened the event by linking Baptist history with the church's mission: to conquer evil. Islam, he said, is an evil encroaching on the United States. Apathy among Christians, he said, appears to be another...

On Thursday, Teen Challenge International of Mid-America will kick off what it hopes is the final push to raise $2.35 million to upgrade and expand the facilities at its campus north of Cape Girardeau. The funding will be used for a new academic building, a dormitory wing and an activity center. The planned improvements will permit Teen Challenge to increase the number of students it serves to 200 from 138...

National sovereignty...

By R.B. FALLSTROM The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Tony La Russa has no plans to go out in a blaze of glory. And although it's easy to say now, the St. Louis Cardinals manager said that win or lose, he's satisfied with how he handled the Kenny Rogers "pine tar" incident in Game 2 of the World Series...

The Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Teemu Selanne and Ryan Getzlaf scored in the shootout to lift Anaheim to a wild 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Blues after the Ducks squandered a two-goal lead late in regulation Monday night. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made one save in the tiebreaker and watched St. Louis' other attempt go wide, as the Ducks tied idle Buffalo with an NHL-high 21 points...

Republican incumbent touts commitment to voters of his district. By MATT SANDERS Southeast Missourian Boyce Wooley and Billy Pat Wright have been here before. The Dexter men faced off two years ago for the 159th district seat in the Missouri House of Representatives in a race without an incumbent...

Southeast opens conference tournament against Austin Peay. By MARTY MISHOW Southeast Missourian The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team will try to avenge a rare loss to Austin Peay tonight. If the Redhawks are successful, they'll have a berth in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

By TJ GREANEY Southeast Missourian U.S. Sens. Jim Talent and Kit Bond and a veritable who's who of Missouri politicians are traveling around the state to drum up support in the last days before the neck-and-neck Senate race. On Monday in Cape Girardeau, Talent instructed people in the enthusiastic crowd to do their part to get out the vote...

The Associated Press NEW YORK -- NBA players have complained all month that the league's new synthetic ball feels and performs differently from the old leather one. According to results of a study requested by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, they may be right...