Stories from Friday, September 14, 2007

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. (AP) -- Police in the northeast Missouri town Bowling Green are investigating the death of a 4-month-old baby, after the child's father accidentally left her in a car for six hours. The child's name has not been released. It happened yesterday. The father dropped off another child at preschool but forgot to take the infant to day care. The man then went to work...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A man is dead after a confrontation with police in St. Louis. It happened last night on the city's south side. Officers say the man was involved in a drug deal. The suspect is identified by relatives as 23-year-old Johnny Johnson. Names of the officers involved have not been released...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's student loan authority has transferred $230 million to the state to finance Governor Matt Blunt's college construction plan. The transfer is the first installment of a plan that ultimately will take $350 million from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority over several years. Most of the money will help finance new or improved buildings at Missouri's public colleges and universities...

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- Joplin police and sheriff's departments in three Missouri counties will share $1.2 million in federal grant money to combat a significant problem with methamphetamine. The U.S. Department of Justice funds were announced Thursday by Sen. Kit Bond and Rep. Roy Blunt...

U.S. Representative Ike Skelton, a Democrat representing Missouri's Fourth Congressional District and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, will be the Grand Marshal in this year's Cotton Carnival parade in Sikeston on Sept. 29. Skelton was tapped to be grand marshal by the Sikeston American Legion based on his position as chair of the Armed Services Committee. ...

In 1978, when we moved to Maryville, Mo., our older son was in the third grade. At Eugene Field Elementary School in his new hometown, our son quickly made friends with Chris, Curt and Dustin. The four boys became fast friends, a bond that has endured almost 30 years. A couple of weeks ago, all four were together for the first time since 1990...

The dedication for Cape Girardeau's Wall of Fame is at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20. The date was incorrect in Thursday's Southeast Missourian. The event will be held in front of the mural, in the Hutson's Fine Furniture parking lot, on Main between Independence and Merriwether streets...

A revised plan for rezoning land along the East Main Street extension will be on the agenda for a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Monday before the Jackson Board of Aldermen. In March, more than three dozen residents from east-side neighborhoods attended a hearing of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission, many in opposition to proposals that they said extended commercial zoning near the new Interstate 55 interchange too close to their homes. ...

Sahara Aldridge's family hopes they might have finally beaten the brain-stem tumor that has ravaged her body for more than a year -- and that the tumor isn't what doctors originally thought it was -- after seeking treatment from a West Coast neurosurgeon...

Country star Blake Shelton kicked off the first of three nights of concerts at the SEMO District Fair on Thursday with a performance that mixed his hits, classic covers and a large dose of comedy and stage banter. Shelton's sometimes rollicking, sometimes somber set seemed to both energize and captivate a crowd of about 2,000 people who showed up for the 2007 fair's opening grandstand concert...

It would seem, to the average Missourian, that a law that says felons cannot have firearms means ... anyone convicted of a felony cannot own or possess a gun. Right? No. As Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County's prosecuting attorney, has observed, the state statute regarding the possession of firearms by felons is so full of holes that it is virtually impossible to prosecute such charges. ...

To the editor:On Sept. 21, the annual Red House Fund-Raiser Party will take place at the 4-H Building in Arena Park here in Cape Girardeau. We invite everyone to join us for an evening of delicious food catered by Chartwell's, fantastic music played by Manitou and select unique items from the silent auction followed by a short live auction. Guests are invited to come in historic outfits or modern-day dress...

Speeding tickets; Long commitment; Defending freedoms; Turn right; Armband limits; Abrupt end; Middle of the road; Highway 72 speeders; Pool covering; No dogs at fair; Terrible image; Social reality

By Clint E. Lacy The Sept. 11 Southeast Missourian editorial, "9-11," contradicts itself by stating, "Terrorism results in the self-imposed loss of our liberties," and then goes on to state, "Despite the best efforts of terrorists, free nations all over the world remain strong -- and possibly a good deal safer."...

Performance dates were given for the musical "Evita" at Paducah, Ky.'s Caron Center in Thursday's edition of SE Live should have been Sept. 20 and 21. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

A condominium development that worried Hunter's Lane residents was endorsed by Cape Girardeau's planning and zoning commission Wednesday. But Wayfield LLC partners took a long road to earn board approval. The company's original plan, rejected by the city council in June, would have included 43 units. Developers scaled back to 36 units and met with most area residents before returning to the city...

More than six pounds of marijuana was seized in a drug bust Wednesday by Cape Girardeau police and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. The stash had a street value of about $10,000, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau police department...

Cape Girardeau County Court tentatively approved a resolution yesterday allowing for the issuance of $2.75 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance the purchase of a Cape Girardeau nursing home by a not-for-profit corporation; the court acted at the request of Victor Katt, who is seeking to purchase Cape LaCroix Manor nursing home...

ST. LOUIS -- As a chief advocate for corn farmers around the country, Rob Litterer will be working the halls of Congress this fall to push for increased ethanol production. But he's facing stiff opposition from what on the surface seems an unlikely source -- the farm lobby...

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- Government agencies outside the U.S. military need to be involved in rebuilding Iraq as the debate over troop withdrawals intensifies, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton said Thursday. During a speech to officers and faculty at the Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Skelton, D-Mo., said the United States has an interest in making sure Iraq is stable, but the military can't make it happen alone...

NEW YORK -- American consumers will be bearing the cost of safer toys, but not until after this year's Christmas season. Shoppers can expect price increases up to 10 percent next year to pay for increased vigilance by toy makers and stores after more than 3 million lead-tainted toys from China were recalled worldwide since June. That means a $6.99 Barbie doll could go up to about $7.70, or a $70 children's digital camera could retail next year for almost $80...

Thomas Q. Miles, 72, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 5, 1935, in Holcomb, Mo., son of the late Tom and Namoni Sisco Miles. He and Peggy S. Crader were married Feb. 1, 1981...

John A. Knupp, 68, of Macomb, Ill., died Thursday, Sept. 13, 2007, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Ill. He was born Sept. 21, 1938, in Jonesboro, Ill., son of Arlie and Gladys Dollman Knupp. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963. He was a member and past exalted ruler of Macomb Elks. Knupp managed several Leath Furniture Stores and was also manager at Ayerco Station in Macomb...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Connie Pauline Brewer, 63, of Perryville died Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, at her home. She was born Oct. 5, 1943, in Mountain View, Ark., daughter of Ed and Clara Hill Sutterfield. She and Joseph Brewer were married Oct. 21, 1961, at Fredericktown, Mo...

Hunter; Sanchez; DeProw; Haines; Mayberry; Murillo; Edwards; Stageberg; Davis; Robison

n At 4:49 p.m., a motor vehicle accident in the 2500 block of Highway 77. n At 5:24 p.m., a motor vehicle accident at North Sprigg Street and Lexington Avenue. n At 8:19 p.m., emergency medical service at Arena Park. n At 8:42 a.m., a citizen assist at 1800 block of Brink Street...

Arrests; Summonses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former Republican representative Jack Jackson is paying for a public opinion poll testing his prospects in a potential challenge to Republican Gov. Matt Blunt. Jackson, who narrowly lost a Republican primary for state auditor last year, has commissioned a poll that asks participants to choose between himself, Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The mother of a young girl known for years as "Precious Doe" pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the death of her 3-year-old daughter, whose decapitated remains were found in a city park and left unidentified for four years...

Tamela Jones is unhappy with Southeast Missouri Hospital's smoke-free policy. Hospital visitors are being directed to light up at nearby public sidewalks. "As a smoker, I understand the indoor smoking ban and that nonsmokers shouldn't have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get in somewhere," she said...

WASHINGTON -- Papa salmon plus mama salmon equals ... baby trout? Japanese researchers put a new spin on surrogate parenting as they engineered one fish species to produce another, in a quest to preserve endangered fish. Idaho scientists begin the next big step next month, trying to produce a type of salmon highly endangered in that state -- the sockeye -- this time using more plentiful trout as surrogate parents...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon has released a censored audiotape of suspected Sept. 11, 2001, mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- deleting a part officials said could be used to recruit future terrorists. The tape of Mohammed's 40-minute hearing before a U.S. ...

MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. -- In his darkest moments, Jack Whittaker has sometimes wondered if winning the nearly $315 million Powerball game was really worth it. The jackpot that was the stuff of dreams turned into a nightmare: His wife left him and his drug-addicted granddaughter -- his protege and heir -- died. He endured constant requests for money...

BUCKINGHAM, Va. -- Two Virginia brothers claimed an $87.5 million Mega Millions lottery prize Thursday and said the new wealth won't prompt any major changes in their lifestyles. Bernard and Tucker Adcock received a ceremonial check at Duck's Corner Food & Gas, where they bought one of the four winning tickets in the Aug. 31 drawing...

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, defending an unpopular war, ordered gradual reductions in U.S. forces in Iraq on Thursday night and said, "The more successful we are, the more American troops can return home." Still, Bush firmly rejected calls to end the war, saying the insurgents who threaten Iraq's future are a danger to U.S. national security. American troops must stay in the battle, Bush said, and more than 130,000 will remain after the newly ordered withdrawals are completed in July...

WASHINGTON -- A new White House report on Iraq will show improved progress on just one of 18 political and security goals -- efforts to allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to rejoin the political process, a senior administration official said...

MILAN, Italy -- Consumer groups urged Italians to refrain from buying pasta Thursday to protest rising prices for the beloved Italian staple, in a strike that was high on symbolic value but apparently low on real impact. Consumer groups organized protests in Rome, Milan and Palermo -- and even handed out free pasta, bread and milk to passers-by to help ease the pain for those who decided to support the strike and forego pasta purchases at supermarkets and restaurants...

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Humberto, the first hurricane to hit the United States in two years, sneaked up on south Texas and Louisiana overnight and crashed ashore Thursday with heavy rains and 85 mph winds, killing at least one person. The system rapidly became a Category 1 hurricane, then weakened to a tropical storm by midmorning and bore into central Louisiana. Roads were flooded and power was knocked out, but the greatest concern was heavy rain falling in areas already inundated by a wet summer...

TOKYO -- Japan's ruling party rushed to fill a power vacuum left by the resignation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was hospitalized Thursday for exhaustion but defended his snap decision to step down. Despite plunging popularity ratings and a series of scandals in his Cabinet, Abe's announcement Wednesday that he would quit after one year in office caught even his ruling Liberal Democratic Party off guard...

MOSCOW -- A man accused of killing dozens of people and keeping count of his victims on a chessboard paced back and forth inside a glass cage as a jury was selected Thursday at the start of his murder trial. Alexander Pichushkin, 33, has confessed to killing at least 62 people, with the goal of marking all 64 squares on the chessboard. He has been charged with 49 murders, most committed over the course of five years in a sprawling park on the edge of Moscow...

PADANG, Indonesia -- The ground shook so hard Yulinar had to grab a table to steady herself. Minutes later, she heard a warning crackling over the speakers of the neighborhood mosque -- a tsunami could crash into her fishing village on Indonesia's Sumatra island at any minute...

BAGHDAD -- The assassination Thursday of the leader of the Sunni Arab revolt against al-Qaida militants dealt a setback to one of the few success stories in U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq, but tribesmen in Anbar province vowed not to be deterred in fighting the terror movement...

CHICAGO -- The father and sister of Ronald Goldman say by seizing control of the O.J. Simpson book, "If I Did It," they are punishing the man they believe murdered their loved one. Fred Goldman and his daughter, Kim, appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Thursday to discuss their decision to publish the book, released the same day. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of killing his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald...

When Central juniors Shawn Hammock and John Ritter participated in linemen drills at practice this week, they stood side-by-side some teammates who are 10 inches taller and who outweigh them by 90 pounds. But size is no concern for Hammock, the Tigers' newly appointed nose guard, and Ritter, the team's new offensive right guard. Nor is it a problem for their coach Lawrence Brookins, who carefully watched them during practice Wednesday...

When Central quarterback Chase Johnson returned home last Friday after his team's 61-16 loss to New Madrid County Central, he did not try to sleep off the memories of his two fumbles and one interception. Instead, he relived the game. "I went home and stayed up until 3 o'clock in the morning watching the film over and over," Johnson said. "I wanted to see what I could have done to prevent [the mistakes]."...

CINCINNATI -- The season has brought one setback after another for the St. Louis Cardinals -- manager Tony La Russa's drunken-driving arrest, reliever Josh Hancock's death, a series of injuries to everyday players. The defending World Series champions may be running out of resilience...

Vianney (2-0) at Jackson (2-0) Last year's meeting: Jackson 24, Vianney 6. Notes: The Jackson defense looked strong again last Friday, surrendering 12 points to a Parkway North team with two talented runners in its backfield. Those 12 points are the only points Jackson has allowed in its first two weeks of the season. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Paul Kariya's first day on the ice with the St. Louis Blues left his teammates dreaming of glory. Making the playoffs is a logical goal for the franchise, shut out of the postseason the last two seasons. Goalie Manny Legace didn't stop there after watching Kariya work on the first line during a scrimmage Monday...

Zach Zaruba netted two goals to lead the Central boys soccer team past Poplar Bluff 3-0 on Thursday. Brooks Osburn tallied a goal, Jared Kinder added two assists and Dustin Welker added an assist in the victory. JV -- Central won 7-0. Jackson 3, Carbondale 0...

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team will carry a five-match losing streak into the start of Ohio Valley Conference play. But coach Renata Nowacki said she still feels good about the Redhawks (3-6) entering their 20-match OVC schedule that begins tonight on the road...

Highly respected blues guitarist Buddy Guy will appear at the Show Me Center in concert Nov. 11, according to an official announcement put out by the venue this morning. Guy, a Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame inductee, is widely known as one of the pioneers of the Chicago blues sound and an influence to such respected rock guitarists as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck...

LOS ANGELES -- Google Inc. is bankrolling a $30 million contest that could significantly boost the commercial space industry and spur the first nongovernmental flight to the moon. Call it Moon 2.0. The bulk of the prize will go to the first private company that can land a robotic rover on the moon and beam back a gigabyte of images and video to Earth, the Internet search leader said Thursday...

Notre Dame pitcher Lauren Reinagel had the most difficult day of her young high school softball career Thursday. However, a bad day for her is a good day for most others. Reinagel started her 10th game of the season without having allowed a single earned run in her first nine appearances, which were all complete games...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Greg Oden's rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers ended before it started when the 7-footer had knee surgery Thursday. The top pick in the June draft went in for an exploratory procedure on his right knee and ended up having microfracture surgery, which means he will sit out the season...

BRANSON, Mo. -- Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, Calif., rode to a dominating individual time trial stage 3 win Thursday during the Tour of Missouri, while teammate George Hincapie extended his overall race lead. Leipheimer, who rides for the Discovery Channel team and was the third-place finisher in this year's Tour de France, completed the 18-mile hilly time trial in 39 minutes, 37 seconds...

Lengthy lines to use computers at at public libraries have only gotten longer, thanks to an increased reliance by the public on online services like YouTube and Tutor.com. Although an Associated Press survey found most libraries nationwide had no plans to buy more computers, the Cape Girardeau Public Library has plans that director Betty Martin hopes will alleviate wait times to log on...

Miss SEMO Fair Ages 14 to 16 First: Heather Beggs, parent Cathy Beggs of Benton, Mo.; second: Taylor Miller, parent, Penny Miller of Malden, Mo.; third: Megan Hall, parent, Leslie Hall of Portageville, Mo. Ages 12 to 22 First: Chelsie Clubb, parent, Donna Clubb of Puxico, Mo.; second: Connie Dement, parents, Edward and Kaye Dement of Sikeston, Mo...