Stories from Friday, April 13, 2007

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. (AP) -- The coach who led the Bowling Green boys basketball team to a berth in the state Class 3 semifinals was among those who resigned this week over fallout from events that occurred while the team was in Columbia for the state championships last month...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Matt Blunt has signed legislation ensuring that Missouri residents could not have their guns taken away during an emergency. The legislation spells out that no government or individual can decide in an emergency to take away guns and ammunition from those who lawfully possess them...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A judge sentenced a former trash company supervisor to life in prison without parole Friday for strangling six women in 1986 and 1987. The sentence was the only one possible after Lorenzo Gilyard, 56, was convicted last month of killing the women -- all but one a prostitute...

Proposed legislation that will make Missouri an appealing location for film makers passed the Senate Thursday and is headed to a joint House and Senate committee. The Missouri Film Production Tax Credit bill recommends increasing current tax credits of up to $1.5 million to $10.5 million for each qualified film project that comes to Missouri and to deduct up to 35-percent of the project's overall production cost...

Southeast Missouri State University officials are not discussing a reported hazing event at the Zeta Phi Beta chapter at the university. "The university won't be releasing information until the investigation is completed," said university representative Ann Hayes Friday...

CREVE COEUR, Mo. (AP) Gov. Matt Blunt joined two dozen eighth-graders Friday in launching a pilot program that enlists business executives to help motivate students and get them interested in math and science. Speaking at Monsanto Co.'s corporate office in suburban St. Louis, Blunt said the Show-Me Scholars program is one way to help students get the kind of education that will help them land high-paying technology jobs...

In recognition of the National Day of Climate Action tomorrow, the facilitators of the Southeast Missouri Climate Protection Initiative, Alan Journet and Kathy Conway, put on a tour Friday, beginning at the Nature Center and ending at their passive solar home on Oakshire Circle, to reveal ways people can reduce greenhouse gas emissions...

Area employers are invited to a seminar next week to learn about the Missouri Reentry Process helping ex-offenders adjust to returning to their communities. The Annual Missouri Reentry Seminar will be held at the Show Me Center, 1333 N. Sprigg St., from 9 a.m. to noon April 24.

A program designed to prevent and address child sexual abuse will be back in operation now that funding has been restored. The Green Bear program, offered through the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, was abruptly discontinued in January when the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services denied NASV's request for funding...

More than 20,000 acres of Mark Twain National Forest may be put up for sale despite objections from most of Missouri's congressional delegation. The sale is proposed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's 2008 budget to pay for shortfalls in funding rural school districts...

The Cape Girardeau County Road and Bridge Advisory Board doesn't want upcoming public meetings on its road plan to be purely gripe sessions for people dissatisfied with past county road building efforts, leaders of the board said Thursday. The board will kick off a series of four meetings at 11 a.m. ...

For fans of tabloid journalism, this has been a trifecta week:n After breathless waiting for the DNA test results, we learn that Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby. n Don Imus goes brain dead while his vocal cords are on autopilot. Don't you just hate when that happens?...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Reconciliation and reconstruction were the top themes for Cairo's mayoral candidates at a candidate forum just five days before an election that will replace at least four of the city's seven elected officials. Both Judson Childs, a retired prison warden, and Karl Klein, a retired utilities manager, said they will seek to bring harmony to the relationship between the city council and the mayor. ...

Waste of tax dollars; Goings-on at the jail; Walter Reed info; Placing blame; Overloaded system; Cape's drug problem; Support for Imus; University's pool; Calming message; Crime in Cape; Open enrollment

By Richard S. Lindzen Judging from the media in recent months, the debate over global warming is now over. There has been a net warming of the earth over the last century and a half, and our greenhouse gas emissions are contributing at some level. Both of these statements are almost certainly true. What of it?...

Just a couple of years ago, Missouri faced a budget squeeze for state government. Demands for spending far outweighed state revenue. The budget deficit in 2005 was expected to be $300 million. In an effort to balance the budget while continuing to provide health care through Missouri's Medicaid program, the state legislature -- like many other states that year -- made major changes that eliminated some aid recipients. ...

About 100 United Transportation Union members employed by Burlington Northern Railroad in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties join in a strike against the railroad in what is described as a dispute over working conditions. Cape Girardeau's proposed multipurpose civic arena would be home for everything from banquets and conventions to ice hockey and football, if a way is found to incorporate all the usages suggested at yesterday's meeting of the city's multipurpose advisory committee...

The Missouri House of Representatives has named Dr. Karen Hendrickson of Cape Girardeau as an "Outstanding Missourian." Hendrickson serves as vice president and chief nursing officer at Southeast Missouri Hospital. State Rep. Nathan Cooper, R-Cape Girardeau, nominated her for the award...

The Cape Girardeau Tree Board planted a red bud tree at the Osage Community Centre April 6 in observance of Arbor Day. The observance by Cape Girardeau is one of the criteria for its recognition as a Tree City USA. 2007 is the 10th year Cape Girardeau has been a Tree City USA. ...

The name of Dawn Bagley, co-vice president of the Central Middle School PTA. was misspelld in Thursday's edition of the Southeast Missourian. The Missourian regrets the error. Bagley also says her remarks were intended to describe complaints that other parents have made to PTA members. She says she remains supportive of the school...

Cape Girardeau Central High School will celebrate National Library Week with three events next week in the school library. Local chef and author Tom Harte will share insights on his book, "Stirring Words: Reflections and Recipes from a Harte Appetite," at 2:30 p.m. Monday...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Traffic on Interstate 55 will be stopped periodically next Tuesday and Wednesday for work on the new LaSalle Avenue/East Main Street interchange. The contractor expects to blast rock for excavation for the interchange next week, weather permitting...

Southeast Missouri State University doesn't benefit financially from student loan companies, the school's top financial officer said Thursday, reacting to a widening probe of the student loan industry. Kathy Mangels, vice president of business and finance at Southeast, said the school has a a code of ethics that "everyone understands."...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A 26-year-old Dexter, Mo., man was sentenced to six years in prison for his part in the death of his 5-month-old son in May 2005. Judge Mark Lee Richardson handed down the verdict to Earl Handy in a Butler County courtroom Tuesday. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Baptist Convention has fired its top executive after a four-month investigation into rumors about his character. The Rev. David Clippard was fired Tuesday in Jefferson City by a 44-7 vote of the convention's executive board. The Rev. David Tolliver, a fourth-generation Baptist pastor and an associate executive director of the convention, was voted interim director...

Southeast Missouri State University officials are investigating a report of a hazing at the University's Zeta Phi Beta Sorority chapter. No details were released by university officials Thursday other than a statement by Art Wallhausen, associate to the president, saying the national organization has suspended the university's chapter until an investigation is completed...

CHICAGO -- More snow fell across the northern states Thursday as a deadly storm that already had grounded hundreds of flights, postponed a baseball game and disappointed those longing for the warmth of spring moved eastward. A jet trying to land at Traverse City, Mich., skidded 50 feet off a runway in the heavy snow early Thursday. The plane remained upright, and the 46 passengers and three crew members were unhurt, Pinnacle Airlines spokesman Phil Reed said...

NEW YORK -- Like his friend Joseph Heller, Kurt Vonnegut was a hero to baby boomers -- though he was raised in an earlier time. Nearly 40 when the 1960s began, Vonnegut was less a peer of the young rebels who loved such novels as "Cat's Cradle" and "Slaughterhouse-Five," than a wise, eccentric and cranky uncle, scorning the world's madness but rarely failing to get some laughs or challenge some minds...

Leabert L. Fields, 65, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at his home. He was born March 31, 1942, in Howes Mill, Mo., son of the late Arthur and Aimee Fields. He and Ann Martin were married July 5, 1970. Leabert was a 1961 graduate of the former Elvins High School. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Harold E. "Gene" Douglas, 76, of Marble Hill died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at his home. He was born March 25, 1931, at Scopus, Mo., son of Charles Edon and Emma Epsoline Patton Douglas. Douglas retired as a custodian with Cape Girardeau School District. He was a member of Post Oak Methodist Church...

LILBOURN, Mo. -- Andrew Thomas, 81, of Lilbourn died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at his home. He was born Sept. 25, 1925, in Yarbro, Ark., son of Percy and Autro Bell Thomas Sr. He and Clemetine Terry were married Dec. 4, 1954. She died Dec. 15, 1999...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Harley Leslie Davis, 73, of Malden died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at Golden Living Center in Malden. He was born March 21, 1934, in St. Louis, son of Farley S. and Loraine Miller Davis. He and Thelma Marie Broom were married July 17, 1961, in St. Louis...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- John Albert "Jack" Pool, 93, of Florissant, Mo., formerly of East Prairie, died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at Delmar Gardens North Nursing Center. He was born April 12, 1913, in Mississippi County, Mo., son of William and Josie Gardner Pool. He and Mary Jane Banks were married Sept. 12, 1936, in East Prairie...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Mark Eric Hutchcraft, 46, of Sedgewickville died Thursday, April 12, 2007, at his home. He was born July 27, 1960, in Michigan City, Ind., son of Floyd and Ella Green Hutchcraft. He and Donna J. Smith were married March 31, 1995, in Cape Girardeau...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Bernard J. "Ben" Winters, Sr., 90, of Ste. Genevieve died Wednesday, April 11, 2007, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City, Mo. He was born Aug. 21, 1916, AT Willamina, Mo., son of William Winter and Anna Haunert Winter...

Curtis; Furlow

n At 5 p.m., extrication at Watkins Drive and North Sprigg Street. n At 9:01 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2000 block of Broadway. n At 12:11 a.m., medical assist at Perry Avenue and Broadway. n At 9:54 a.m., medical assist in the 2800 block of Themis Street...

Arrests; Miscellaneous

SELMER, Tenn. -- A preacher's wife accused of killing her husband with a shotgun blast had been depositing bad checks and feared he would find out, a prosecutor said as her murder trial opened Thursday. The defense told jurors she killed her husband accidentally while trying to protect their child from him...

LOS ANGELES -- Fires erupted in the hills above Los Angeles Thursday, damaging or destroying several homes, as dangerous north winds swept dry Southern California. Farther inland, a blinding sandstorm triggered a deadly highway pileup. Wind speeds of more than 50 mph propelled a 35-acre blaze in grass near expensive mountainside homes above the city of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers said...

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials still can't give the all clear when it comes to the nation's pet food supply, though they assured lawmakers they're aggressively checking stores and suppliers. The Food and Drug Administration advised pet owners Thursday that recalled pet food may still be on the shelves in some retail establishments. The agency asked retailers across the country to be vigilant in removing all products associated with the pet food recall, which began on March 16...

BAGHDAD -- A suicide bomber slipped through the tightest security net in Baghdad and blew himself up in the midst of lawmakers having lunch in the parliament dining hall Thursday. U.S. officials said eight people, including parliament members, were killed in the deadliest-ever attack in the American-guarded Green Zone...

Two years into his reign, Pope Benedict XVI is finally poised to make a major mark on American Catholicism with a string of key bishop appointments and important decisions about the future of U.S. seminaries and bishops' involvement in politics. Benedict's election on April 19, 2005, shook liberals and comforted conservatives who expected a doctrinal hard-liner. So far, they have found an easier hand -- and someone who has not made the United States much of a priority...

Behold, the power of political action! We have spoken, and the powers that be have listened. Unless you're a devoted reader of my blog, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Or maybe you think I'm going on another one of my lunatic rants inspired by those populist political movements of so long ago. Where did all those movements go, anyway?...

New at the theaters: 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon'; 'Disturbia'; 'Pathfinder'; 'Perfect Stranger'; 'Redline'; 'Slow Burn'; STILL PLAYING: '300'; 'Are We Done Yet?'; 'Blades of Glory'; 'Firehouse Dog'; 'Grindhouse'; 'The Hills Have Eyes 2'; 'The Last Mimzy'; 'Meet the Robinsons'; 'Premonition'; 'The Reaping'; 'Reign Over Me'; 'Shooter'; 'TMNT'; 'Wild Hogs'

DURHAM, N.C. -- When Marco Williams traveled to a small Arkansas town that banished black residents a century ago, the documentary filmmaker discovered that for some, history was still a selling point. In making his movie "Banished," Williams discovered that Harrison, Ark., remains a town that's almost exclusively white -- a place where the Confederate flag still flies outside the city's Chamber of Commerce. ...

Baseball n Central graduate Sean Bard is leading Mississippi Valley State in nearly every major statistical hitting category through 34 games. Bard, a junior college transfer from Mineral Area College, leads in hitting (.422), RBIs (39), home runs (6), runs scored (33), doubles (16), on-base percentage (.547) and slugging percentage (.733). Mississippi Valley State, a NCAA Division I program in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, is 14-20 overall but 9-4 in the conference...

BOSTON -- J.D. Drew came to the Boston Red Sox as a talented outfielder with a history of injuries and a laid-back demeanor. So far, so good. Drew is hitting .393 after starting the year with an eight-game hitting streak, making him the only Red Sox regular hitting over .280. He has a home run and five RBIs, and he delivered the lone Boston hit in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners and Felix Hernandez...

Masters champion Zach Johnson says he came to the Verizon Heritage at Hilton Head Island, S.C. to win. Johnson's tired play Thursday showed otherwise. After three days of celebrity meetings and TV guest appearances, the weary Johnson shot an up-and-down 70 at Harbour Town Golf Links. He was seven shots behind Jerry Kelly, the first-round leader at 8-under 63. Ernie Els was second at 65...

CHICAGO -- Chicago Cubs right-hander Mark Prior had discomfort in his right shoulder and had to leave his first start in extended spring training Thursday after two innings. Prior was limited to nine games last season by shoulder problems and pitched only 10 1/3 innings in spring training...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri senators sought to pump up the alternative fuels industry Thursday, endorsing a biodiesel fuel mandate and new tax breaks for motorists who fill up with ethanol or biodiesel fuels. The legislation, which received first-round Senate approval, generally is backed by Missouri's agricultural community, which is supplying increasing amounts of corn and soybeans to new ethanol and biodiesel production plants popping up around the state...

Two stars (out of four) All I have to say about the unrealistic movie "Grindhouse" is wait for the DVD! Quentin Tarantino's latest production (a double feature with one movie directed by Robert Rodriguez, one by Tarantino himself), starring Bruce Willis, Rose McGowan, Jon Voight and Kurt Russell gets two out of four stars from me...

Did you think there wasn't a new car left on the market with a front seat that can accommodate three people? The 2007 Buick Lucerne offers this roomy seat, and a lot more, including a smooth-running V-8 borrowed from luxury brand Cadillac and the quietest interior ever in a Buick...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri signed Justin Safford to a national letter of intent, making the 6-foot-8 forward the only member of the Tigers' 2007 recruiting class. Safford signed on Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period. A native of Bloomington, Ill., Safford averaged 17.8 points and 11.5 rebounds while leading Charis Prep in Goldsboro, N.C., to a 36-8 record. Before that, he was a three-year starter for Bloomington Central Catholic...

The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is now among the "superbugs" resistant to common antibiotics, leading U.S. health officials to recommend wider use of a different class of drugs to avert a public health crisis. The resistant form accounts for more than one in every four gonorrhea cases among heterosexual men in Philadelphia and nearly that many in San Francisco, according to a survey that led to Thursday's recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

The Jackson girls soccer team remains undefeated and unscored upon in five games heading into a weekend tournament in Springfield, Mo. Jackson will face Jefferson City today in the opening round of the Kickapoo Girls Shootout. Also in the gold bracket of the tournament are host Kickapoo, Francis Howell, Gibault, Raytown South, Springdale and Mehlville. The finals are Saturday...

Jackson pitchers walked the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh of an 8-8 game and brought the winning run home with an error in a 9-8 conference loss Thursday at Sikeston. The Indians had a runner thrown out at the plate in the top of the seventh. Sikeston came back to put its first runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but Jackson was able to get a double play to clear the bases with two outs. The final error was the Indians' fifth of the game...

Brittany Lang's desire to pursue her hobby severely limited her college choices. Only 14 schools offered what she wanted. Southern Methodist University provided the best of both worlds. She could compete in equestrian at the Division I level while pursuing her foreign languages and psychology double major, so she decided to make the journey to Dallas for college...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams' schedule, released Wednesday, includes games against four playoff teams and a Thursday night NFL Network game. The Rams open Sept. 9 at home against the Carolina Panthers, the first meeting between the teams since 2004...

Ask professional jazz trumpet player Mark Zauss what the best part of his job is, and he'll tell you it's not the gigs. "This is what makes playing fun for me," the Orlando, Fla., trumpet player said after working with a few high school trumpet players in a clinic Thursday afternoon in Academic Hall...

When Dennis Seyer began his career as a theater professor at Southeast Missouri State University one of his first tasks was to design a set for a take-off of the great 1930s musicals called "Dames at Sea," back in 1977. Thirty years, 132 designs and 22 directing stints later, he's back at work, designing the set for one of those famous 1930s musicals, "42nd Street." He's put in hours of sweat equity, making sure the glitzy, massive sets that are so important to the "song and dance extravaganza" look right and work when the opening curtain rises April 20. ...

Student-directed play starts today; KRCU to air 'Shakespeare in American Life'; Choir presents spring concert Thursday; Legal authors present forum and book signing; Benefit wine festival scheduled for April 20; Wappapello theater opens this weekend; Food vendors needed for seventh ArtsCape; Scenic Drive slated for April 21 and 22; Sundays at Three to return April 22; -- From staff reports; Muny season tickets on sale now

Area business leaders can tune in to a national seminar and learn leadership development without having to leave Cape Girardeau next month. St. Andrew Lutheran Church on North Cape Rock Drive will play host to a simulcast of a live seminar lead by best-selling author John Maxwell from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 11...

It's tough to work with President Bush at times, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson told second graders on Friday at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau. "Sometimes he doesn't like to listen," she told students in Lynn Karnes' second-grade class...

Click {http://semoball.com/blogs/carrig/entry/11403/ here} to see what events have been postponed today.

Southeast Missouri State University on Friday released a one-paragraph summary of information and a video clip of the play on which freshman receiver T.J. Walls was injured on April 7 during the team's scrimmage. Information about the incident was requested by the Southeast Missourian...