Stories from Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Forget international summits on environmental policy. An ugly war against climate change is probably being waged in your workplace. The scene is the same in many an office: Sally in Accounting shivers at her desk bundled in a wool sweater, while Tim in Human Resources sweats through the 10 a.m. meeting. The thermostat is set at 70 degrees, but both workers are getting hot under their white collars...

WASHINGTON — A chemical used to make baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic containers could be linked to a range of hormonal problems, a preliminary government report has found. The report was greeted by some environmental groups as confirmation of their concerns, while chemical makers latched on to the report's preliminary nature and its authors' warning against drawing overly worrisome conclusions...

Gerald Kellett SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gerald Kellett, 74, of Sikeston died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at his home. He was born July 8, 1933, in Sikeston, son of Ernest and Rita Mainord Kellett. He married Barbara Campbell, who died June 30, 2006. Kellett was a U.S. Army veteran. He was a member of Eagles Aerie 3319 and American Legion...

Dorothy Cotner Dorothy Ann Cotner, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, April 20, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. She was born May 10, 1919, at Kelso, Mo., daughter of Andrew and Clara Zent Scherer. She and Lester W. Cotner were married June 26, 1941. Cotner was a member of St. ...

Mary Weber Mary S. Weber, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, April 19, 2008, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 7, 1919, in Tamms, Ill., daughter of Wilbert H. and Anna Mae McClanahan Schaefer. She and Harold S. Weber were married May 11, 1946, in Tamms. He died Feb. 21, 2000...

Roger Horst Roger Warren Horst, 81, of Jackson died Sunday, April 20, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 9, 1926, in Madison, Kan., son of Dwight L. and Nellie Imthurn Horst. He and Fran L. Rust were married July 16, 1950, in Goodland, Kan...

JACKSON -- Kasey Crowden knew she and her Jackson team would have to give a complete team effort Monday to hand Notre Dame its first loss. Crowden and the other Indians players were reminded of this before the game. Their coach, Julie Wunderlich, told them she didn't want to see just one or two players step up, but instead was looking for everyone to shine...

Mark Himmelberg did a little of everything for the Notre Dame baseball team Monday. He struck out nine and ripped a home run to lead the Bulldogs to a 12-2 victory over New Madrid County Central. Blake Gaddis also homered in the win. New Madrid10001--252...

JACKSON -- An error, three walks and a hit batter helped the Jackson offense score three runs in the first inning Monday. Junior right-hander Caleb Hosey took care of the rest. Hosey tossed a shutout as the Indians downed Kelly 9-0 in a SEMO Conference baseball game...

Tyrell Cummings expected to have a strong rookie season for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team. What Cummings said he didn't expect was to be among the Ohio Valley Conference's top home run hitters. "I'm usually not a home run hitter," Cummings said. "This is the most I've ever hit."...

ALTO PASS, Ill. The Bald Knob Cross of Peace, a Southern Illinois landmark that can be seen over an area of 7,500 square miles when lit at night, has become the center of a battle between new and old board members, with repairs put on hold. Steve Babb of Cobden, Ill., Bald Knob Cross board president, said a restraining order was filed that thwarted any efforts to repair or maintain the cross, allowing only mowing around the area. ...

Today Refresher childbirth class: 6 to 8 p.m. in meeting room 102 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The class is a one-session review of labor, delivery, interventions and sibling rivalry issues. Registration is required. Call 651-5825 to register...

Maggie Fisher OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Maggie Fisher, 72, of Olive Branch died at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, April 19, 2008, at Jonesboro Rehab and Care Center in Jonesboro, Ill. She was born on April 12, 1936, in Euafalia, Okla., to Flossie Mae Flood Dabbs. She married Charles Fisher. He preceded her in death on July 9, 2007...

MILWAUKEE -- Cardinals right-hander Russ Springer was activated from the disabled list Monday before St. Louis' game with the Milwaukee Brewers. Springer was sidelined with nerve irritation in his elbow after he allowed hits to all three batters he faced on April 4. The 39-year-old reliever has made three appearances this season and has a 13.50 ERA...

Gov. Matt Blunt wants to give Missouri prosecutors the option of asking for the death penalty in cases where children 12 and younger are raped, he said Monday at a news conference in Cape Girardeau. In renewing his call for such legislation, Blunt referenced the case of Michael Devlin, a Kirkwood, Mo., man who pleaded guilty to the kidnapping and rape of two adolescent boys, and a Springfield, Mo., child rape case involving a 7-year-old female victim who was attacked and then left for dead in a burning building.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- So far, the St. Louis Cardinals have the better of the Rolen-for-Glaus third baseman swap by default. Of course, Scott Rolen is on the disabled list with a broken finger and hasn't played an inning. Troy Glaus is playing, but sporadically. Three weeks into the season the Cardinals are still waiting, patiently for the most part, for the big bat that will solidify the middle of the lineup...

NEW YORK --Children should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram before getting drugs like Ritalin to treat hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder, the American Heart Association recommended Monday. Stimulant drugs can increase blood pressure and heart rate. ...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Shaun M. Varro, 28, 3833 Fawn Drive, was arrested on an Alexander County warrant for failure to appear for driving while intoxicated...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Former Eastern Illinois University president Dan Marvin has died. He was 69. University spokeswoman Vicki Shaw-Woodard said Marvin, who lived in Mattoon, died Monday morning. Marvin's cause of death wasn't immediately available. But Shaw-Woodard said he had struggled with both cancer and diabetes...

Deimund Twin daughters to Michael Garette and Tiffany Deimund of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Thursday, April 3, 2008. Kathryn Harper was born at 2:14 p.m. and weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Margaret Morgan was born at 2:14 p.m. ...

BOSTON -- Robert Cheruiyot won his fourth Boston Marathon on Monday, and Dire Tune outkicked Alevtina Biktimirova by 2 seconds in the closest finish in the history of the women's race. Cheruiyot ran away from the pack to finish in a blistering 2 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds. He missed the course record he set two years ago by 32 seconds, but became the fourth four-time winner of the world's oldest annual marathon...

Walter McIntyre ANNA, Ill. -- Walter McIntyre, 87, of Anna died Monday, April 21, 2008, at his home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to service time Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at noon Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Christian Chapel Cemetery with full military honors by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455...

TIGARD, Ore. -- When her son Dylan was 6 years old, Kristen Wahlmeier noticed that he had to be bribed to read: A surfing trip here or a pair of new shoes there before he'd pick up a book. Worried as she watched him struggle, she feared her son might be headed for a special education classroom...

The Cape Girardeau School Board adopted a policy Monday to seek a new auditing firm every three to five years. Interim superintendent Pat Fanger called the move an "appropriate practice" intended to increase accountability. "I don't know how long we've used our current firm, but we have not switched in a long time," Fanger said...

25 years ago: April 22, 1983 Nuclear freeze was the target of debate at a panel discussion last night, which marked the end of "Ground Zero Week" on the Southeast Missouri State University campus; it was billed as a panel discussion on the arms race, but it quickly zeroed in on the pros and cons of a nuclear freeze...

Alice Wyllys SOUTH BOARDMAN, Mich. -- Alice McCulley Wyllys, 80, died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at her daughter's home in South Boardman. She was born Nov. 12, 1927, in Scott County, Mo., daughter of Alvery and Anna Hosea. She and W.J. McCulley were married Dec. 6, 1947, in Painton, Mo. He died Feb. 20, 1983. She then married Harry Wyllys on Nov. 13, 1994...

SIDNEY, Ohio -- Another round and amen! Beer was on tap and a mechanical bull inspired the sermon as a new church held its inaugural service in a western Ohio bar. The Country Rock Church drew about 100 people to Sunday night's meeting at the Pub Lounge in Sidney...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois University has raised tuition almost 12 percent for students entering school next fall. University trustees voted Monday to raise the cost of a year of tuition for an in-state student taking 15 hours of classes a semester to $6,540 a year. Out-of-state students starting this fall will pay $19,593...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Missouri Army National Guard will honor two former officers with the dedication of the armory in Perryville in their names. A dedication ceremony will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, in which the armory will be named after Maj. Austin G. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dr. Shelley Chawla is tired of watching his patients suffer. And Chawla, a neurologist in Topeka, fervently believes that some of the suffering he sees while treating chronically ill patients could be eased by embryonic stem-cell research, which has been delayed in the U.S. by political and religious opposition...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Walt Disney World seems to have worked its magic on a Massachusetts couple who accidentally threw away three platinum and diamond wedding rings. While tidying up their villa as they prepared to leave the park late last week, Paul Campanale dumped a cardboard bowl, not knowing the container inside it held his wife Karen's engagement, wedding and five-year-anniversary rings...

MILWAUKEE -- Derrick Turnbow finally is throwing strikes. Unfortunately for the Brewers, the Cardinals are well aware of that. Skip Schumaker doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth and St. Louis put Turnbow's first three pitches in play to overcome a fielding blunder in the eighth in a 4-3 win over Milwaukee on Monday night...

Elizabeth Fesler ST. LOUIS -- Elizabeth L. Fesler, 85, of St. Louis died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at Brook View Nursing Home in Maryland Heights, Mo. She was born July 24, 1922, in St. Louis to the Rev. Carney C. and Elizabeth G. Ranney Fesler Sr...

The incidence of animal neglect in Southeast Missouri seems to be increasing, either because of better vigilance on the part of the public or because more of these cases involve such large numbers of animals and make for widely disseminated news stories...

NEW YORK -- Rising gasoline prices tightened the squeeze on drivers Monday, jumping to an average $3.50 a gallon at filling stations across the country. Crude oil, meanwhile, set a record of its own, spiking after an attack on a Japanese oil tanker in the Middle East to close above $117 a barrel for the first time...

I spent part of last week in Washington, D.C., at a newspaper meeting and heard John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton at three separate events. McCain was much stronger in person and in his delivery than I had expected. He obviously was comfortable in a question-and-answer format, a reason why he held over 110 town hall meetings in one of the early states...

JERUSALEM -- Former president Jimmy Carter said Monday that Hamas -- the Islamic militant group that has called for the destruction of Israel -- is prepared to accept the right of the Jewish state to "live as a neighbor next door in peace." But Carter warned that there would not be peace if Israel and the U.S. continue to shut out Hamas and its main backer, Syria...

DENVER -- A Colorado legislator known for kicking a photographer was ordered to leave the podium of the state House of Representatives on Monday because he called Mexican workers "illiterate peasants." State Rep. Douglas Bruce, who has a history of provoking controversy, made the comment during debate on a bill that would allow the state to help immigrant workers get temporary federal visas. The measure is intended to ease a shortage of farm workers in the state...

To the editor: I am responding to those who claim the Bush tax cuts were for the rich. I would remind those that the top 40 percent of wage earners in this country pay about 97 percent of all income taxes. That means 60 percent of all wage earners pay almost no income taxes or get money back in the form of earned-income tax credits from the other 40 percent. This is income redistribution, or socialism, any way you cut it...

Jackson School Board to hold meeting today The Jackson School Board will hold a regular meeting at 7 p.m. today at the administrative offices at 614 E. Adams St. The action items are to consider appointment of two members to the city's TIF Commission, consider approval of bus bids for the 2008 to 2009 school year to replace several vehicles and to consider approval of the high school schedule for the 2008 to 2009 school year...

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait -- Iraq's top diplomat made an unusual personal appeal Monday to mostly Sunni Arab neighbors nervous about the influence and intentions of Shiite Iran. His message was blunt: Iraq is no Iranian puppet and Arab states should make good on old promises to help Iraq regain its footing...

ST. LOUIS -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday turned down the appeal of convicted Kansas City murderer Michael Taylor, whose challenges to Missouri's lethal injection procedures had halted his and other executions in the state. Taylor was one of 10 death-row inmates who lost their appeals Monday. The ruling came in the wake of the high court's decision last week upholding the constitutionality of lethal injection...

To the editor: I guess the proper way to say this would be, "Ahem. Cough. Cough." I really think Cape Girardeau needs to review its disaster preparedness soon. We can rest assured that FEMA will not be here to help us, so let's help ourselves. The priority is area infrastructural integrity, local emergency medical services, law enforcement, hospitals, fire department and city engineers. We should get together, assess our risks and get working on plans...

Federal prosecutor Catherine L. Hanaway released the following items. Pleaded guilty Name: Joseph B. Cannon Age: 28 Residence: Sikeston, Mo. Charges: Previously convicted felon in possession of firearm...

SELMA, Ala. -- Seeking support in rural Alabama, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday he knows it will be difficult to win over black voters who have supported Democrats for generations. "I am aware the African-American vote has been very small in favor of the Republican Party," McCain told reporters. "I am aware of the challenges, and I am aware of the fact that there will be many people who will not vote for me, but I'm going to be the president of all the people."...

To the editor: I am a veteran of World War II. I have been going to the VA clinic in Cape Girardeau for my medical needs. I have Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. I have Medicare Part B and also carry a supplemental insurance that pays the 20 percent Medicare doesn't pay. Both of these cost me $291 a month...

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Haitians fleeing their impoverished homeland met tragedy when their boat went down off the Bahamas, killing at least 20 people and leaving only three known survivors, including an alleged migrant smuggler, authorities said Monday...

Speedway highway I WAS driving on Highway 72 past Pioneer Orchard coming into Jackson. Cars were passing me, I'm doing 40 mph like the speed limit says. The other cars must be doing 55 or 60 mph. It looks like the Indianapolis Speedway. I can't believe the police won't patrol that stretch of highway and stop these motorists from speeding like that. Something needs to be done...

WEST SALEM, Ill. -- The number of aftershocks linked to last week's earthquake continues to grow. The U.S. Geological Survey says 22 aftershocks have been recorded since last week's 5.2-magnitude temblor with its epicenter near West Salem in Edwards County...

PACIFIC, Mo. -- The mayor of Pacific said Monday he wants to explore building a levee or federal buyout of flood-affected parts of his town. Mayor Herbert Adams will hold a town-hall meeting at 7 p.m. today to discuss the town's options. He said one resident has proposed creating a lake for overflow from the Meramec River...

In Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Shrum's anniversary announcement in Sunday's paper, the name of a granddaughter was not included in the information provided to the newspaper. Her name is Amanda Shrum.

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Using cotton swabs and cameras, lab technicians began taking DNA samples Monday from hundreds of children and mothers -- wearing long, pioneer-style dresses -- in hopes of sorting out the tangled family relationships within the West Texas polygamist sect...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A House committee will consider today whether to repeal Missouri's 4-month-old ethanol mandate. A 2006 law requires most Missouri gas to be blended with 10 percent ethanol whenever it is cheaper than regular gas. That requirement kicked in Jan. 1...

BLUE BELL, Pa. -- Hillary Rodham Clinton invoked Pearl Harbor, the Berlin Wall and Osama bin Laden as she reached for a victory in Pennsylvania's Democratic presidential primary to recharge her comeback effort. Barack Obama said she would probably win but he hoped to keep it close in today's voting...

By Thomas Beardslee I am responding to the person who so viciously attacked me in an anonymous online comment following the story in last week's Southeast Missourian that stated I had been appointed 911 director for Scott County. I took on that additional duty at no additional pay to help the county commission with a financial problem, to help improve working conditions for Scott County 911 employees and to smooth out a few rough edges so that our 911 could be a more professional and better prepared communications center for the safety, and for the well-being of Scott County residents and those traveling through Scott County.. ...

SIKESTON -- The following road projects are planned by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Drivers are asked to use caution while traveling in the area. For project details, call the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

NEW YORK -- Vocal problems have forced Jordin Sparks to temporarily withdraw from Alicia Keys' tour and cancel all performances for the rest of the month, a representative for the "American Idol" champ said Monday. "All of her April activities have been postponed or canceled so she can take care of her voice properly," 19/Jive Records spokeswoman Wendy Washington said...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: At 2:07 a.m., a vehicle fire at 623 Jefferson St. At 7:15 a.m., a gas odor at 1865 Broadway. At 7:55 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1200 block of Linden Street...

ST. LOUIS -- Some eastern Missouri residents are trying to get earthquake insurance after last week's 5.2 magnitude temblor rattled windows and shook houses throughout the area. But they are finding out there's a waiting period for coverage, even as aftershocks continue to shake the ground...

MADRID, Spain -- Pirates in the lawless Gulf of Aden fired on a Japanese oil tanker Monday, unleashing hundreds of gallons of fuel into the sea, a day after a Spanish tuna boat was hijacked using rocket-propelled grenades. The attacks highlight an alarming increase in piracy by well-armed bandits, prompting international demands for better protection of the world's shipping lanes...

WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court sought compromise Monday between a liberal group demanding the names of White House visitors and the Bush administration, which says releasing the names would erode the president's power. If released, the documents would show how often prominent religious conservatives visited the White House and Vice President Dick Cheney's residence, allowing a glimpse into how much influence they exerted on government policy...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Pakistan freed a pro-Taliban cleric and quickly signed an accord with his hard-line group Monday, the first major step by the new government to talk peace with Islamic militants and break with President Pervez Musharraf's policy of using force...

WASHINGTON -- The military is looking for a few good ... felons? Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions...

Gov. Matt Blunt said Monday he would likely approve a proposal to transfer responsibility of the state's fugitive apprehension unit to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The request, made by the department of corrections, comes in the wake of the unit losing one of its agents to a dismissal following charges of involuntary manslaughter...

ST. CLAIR, Mo. (AP) -- An eastern Missouri man is dead and his son is jailed after a shooting at the father's home. Police say 44-year-old Kevin Hunt was killed with a stolen shotgun Monday afternoon in the Franklin County town of St. Clair. A woman called 911 to report that her husband had been shot and gave a description of the suspect's vehicle as it sped away...

CHICAGO — It turns out the golden years really are golden. New research finds the happiest Americans are the oldest, and older adults are more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests. The two go hand-in-hand: Being social can help keep away the blues...

Rick Vines says it's not his problem if the city of Cape Girardeau has problems with annexed subdivisions. "Does anyone say if they want to be annexed the city has to take them?" said Vines, a Cape Girardeau County resident, after hearing city officials pitch peripheral planning -- which would apply city codes to some areas outside city limits -- at Monday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting...

GREENVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- The former county collector in Crawford County is found guilty on 22 counts of felony stealing. Daniel Gladden of Steelville was arrested in 2005 after it was discovered that thousands of dollars were missing from the county coffers...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A teacher at a St. Louis grade school faces charges for the alleged sexual assault of a student. Meanwhile, the principal is charged with a misdemeanor for failing to report the incident. Authorities say 61-year-old John Bender assaulted the 12-year-old student in September. Bender is a computer teacher at Gateway Elementary School. He is charged with first-degree statutory sodomy and first-degree child molestation...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Hundreds of union members fill the Capitol's south lawn urging lawmakers to punish employers who hire illegal immigrants. Guy Ott, with a St. Louis-based operating engineers union, says businesses should have to prove their workers are legally in the United States...

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- Candidates for the Democratic attorney general primary race will not be debating this week in Kirksville after all. A debate had been scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Truman State University. It was sponsored by the Truman State Young Democrats...

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. (AP) -- A substitute teacher in the southern Illinois community of West Frankfort is accused of bringing a gun to school. Franklin County prosecutors have charged 26-year-old Jeremiah Mandrell of West Frankfort with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Senators are considering a proposal to expand government-subsidized health insurance to thousands of lower-income Missourians. The legislation being debated Tuesday is a revision of the "Insure Missouri" plan outlined by Gov. Matt Blunt last year...

The Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Dexter, Mo., police have solved an Oran, Mo., burglary that was reported in January, according to a news release sent out by Sikeston police.The burglary was reported by Gary Kesler of Kesler Farms in January, when Kesler told police that his Oran farm office was broken into. ...