Stories from Sunday, August 24, 2008

Dale and Linda Sherrard of Kingsville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kendra Anne Sherrard, to Chad Edward Berkbuegler, both of Pleasant Hill, Mo. He is the son of Larry and Debby Berkbuegler of Cape Girardeau. Sherrard is a 2000 graduate of Lone Jack High School, and a 2007 graduate of Excelsior College in New York. She is a registered nurse with Good Shepherd Hospice in Kansas City, Mo...

Rebecca Lynn Robert and John Ernest Davis II were united in marriage May 31, 2008, at Hanley Road Church in Clayton, Mo. Jonathan McIntosh performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Patrick and Donna Robert of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Bill and Helen Burt of Farmington, Mo., and John and De Davis of Mariposa, Calif...

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lynn Voges of Jackson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner May 11, 2008, at Jackson Senior Center. Hosts were their children, Carla (Tim) Clippard and Ricky Voges, all of Jackson, and grandchildren Luke and Laurie Clippard...

Krystina Renee Koerber and Jerry Dwayne Jackson Jr. were united in marriage June 7, 2008, at Francine's Gardens in Cape Girardeau. Gary Hoffstetter performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Mark and Susan Koerber of Cape Girardeau, and Jerry and Debbie Jackson Sr. of Scott City...

Shannon Lee Stover and Kevin Michael Tucker were married March 8, 2008, at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. The Rev. Jim Matthews performed the ceremony. Vocalists were Terry Strack, uncle of the bride, and Karen Benefield, both of Jackson...

Mr. and Mrs. Amos Reid Jr. of Jackson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner April 11, 2008, at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. Hosts were their son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Lori Reid of Jackson, and grandsons T.J. and Alex Reid...

The ground in the Cape BBQ Fest competition area in Arena Park was covered in straw Saturday because of muddy conditions. A new team, Blowin' Smoke, was grateful to the neighboring team for sharing the ground cover. The team was otherwise prepared thanks to Erik Hellgren, the set-up man who brought rain ponchos and boots while his wife, Angela, went out and bought golf umbrellas -- the key to blocking the rain...

Mildred Loos Mildred Louise Loos, 84, of Jackson died Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 4, 1923, in Bloomfield, Mo., daughter of Lloyd and Ella Chastian Street. She and Lloyd M. Loos were married Oct. 6, 1947, in Osceola, Ark. He died Oct. 15, 2000...

Stephen Arnzen Stephen Joseph Arnzen, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, at home. He was born Nov. 18, 1943, in Leopold, Mo., son of William Joseph and Julia J. Van De Ven Arnzen. He and Carole J. Littleton Arnzen were married Sept. 30, 1967, in Cape Girardeau...

Sylvia Hampson PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sylvia M. Hampson, 65, of Perryville died Friday, Aug. 22, 2008, at her home. She was born Sept. 20, 1942, in Pulaski County, Ark., daughter of Irvin and Willie Snider. Survivors include two daughters, Karen Freeman of Perryville, Kelly Strack of Maumelle, Ark.; two sisters, Margie Snider of Virginia, Carolyn Schlesier of Little Rock, Ark.; a brother, Cecil Bennett of Little Rock; and three granddaughters...

Sarah Mittrucker, a member of Girl Scout Troop 13 of Girl Scouts of Otahki Council, recently attended a girl guide camp in Ayrshire County, Scotland, with Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma through the Girl Scouts Destination program. Sarah first traveled to Tulsa, Okla., for an orientation with five other Girl Scouts from around the country and six Girl Scouts from the Tulsa Council. ...

SIKESTON, Mo -- An area resident is teaching piano in a way that's a bit different from the norm. Carolyn Klein's piano studio, at the The Christian Academy in Sikeston, consists of four digital pianos in which students are able to plug in headphones and listen to themselves play. After practicing individually for a few minutes at the beginning of class, the students unplug their headphones and spend most of their class time playing as a group and working out kinks together...

Jeremy Soucy was sporting silver-beaded high-heeled shoes shortly after 6:45 Saturday evening, but he didn't mind. Soucy was one of three men who had just completed a 50-meter race in the shoes in an effort to raise money for the Alzheimer's Research Foundation...

KELSO, Mo. -- Heidi Marie Froemsdorf and Fernando Higuera were married Oct. 13, 2007, at St. Augustine Catholic Church. The Revs. Oliver Clavin and Federico Higuera-Vidal, uncle of the groom, performed the ceremony. Organist was Beverly Reece of Cape Girardeau, and soloist was Anne Moore of Dexter, Mo...

Kenny and Linda Burger of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Andrea Burger of Kelso, Mo., to Jeff Hopper of Scott City. He is the son of Larry Hopper and Nancy and Bill Crossen, all of Benton, Mo. Burger is a sales representative with RS Medical...

Joe and Abby Popp of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Jaclyn Marie Popp, to William Leroy Tatum Jr., both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Leroy and Karen Tatum Sr. of McClure, Ill. Popp is a 2004 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University. She is a banker at US Bank...

Ron and Ruth Niswonger of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelli Niswonger, to Michael Wilson. He is the son of Steve and Marci Wilson of Hartsburg, Mo. Niswonger is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a business teacher at Jackson High School...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Rebecca Sue Killian and David Rodney Fox were married April 12, 2008, at Glennon Hall in Glennon, Mo. The Rev. Elijah Allen performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Virginia Killian of Marble Hill, and the late Frank Killian. The groom is the son of the late Henry and Beulah Fox...

The Mound City National Cemetery is a final resting place to more than 9,000 veterans, their spouses and dependent children from the Civil War, Mexican-American War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars...

Joos takes command of Air Intelligence Squadron Lt. Col. Kimberlee P. Joos recently took command of the Air Mobility Command's Air Intelligence Squadron at Scott Air Force Base. She is the daughter of Jimmy R. Jones of Cape Girardeau; wife of Lt. Col. Robert Ricci, deputy chief of the Current Operations Division in the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center, Scott Air Force Base, Ill...

SEMO Labor picnic at Cape County Park North The SEMO Labor picnic will feature barbecue, food and drinks along with a washer tournament, goofy golf, children's fishing tournament, jumping tent and union vs. union tug-of-war tournament. Stewart Acuff, special assistant to President John Sweeney, AFL-CIO will speak on "Employee Free Choice Act." The picnic is from 1 to 5 p.m. at Cape County Park North, pavilions 4 and 5...

With all of the work that goes into planning a wedding, who really has time to work out? You. Not only will it help you physically prepare for the wedding, it will help mentally, too. Area fitness trainers offer some tips to effectively toning up and chilling out for your special day...

Stewart Acuff, special assistant to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, visited Cape Girardeau over the weekend to promote legislation he believes would ease requirements for union organization. Acuff's weekend visit to Cape Girardeau included a Saturday morning presentation at the Union Members' Education Forum, hosted by the Central Trades and Labor Council of Cape Girardeau, a local affiliate of the AFL-CIO. ...

In the not-so-distant past, a candidate for president won or lost a political party's nomination for president at its national convention. Today, national conventions are highly orchestrated affairs that ratify the choice made by voters and party activists in primaries and caucuses held early in the year. The days are filled with receptions and policy briefings, the nights with speeches extolling the virtues of the party and its candidate...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: n At 7:29 p.m., emergency medical service in the 100 block of South Henderson Avenue. n At 8:39 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of William Street. n At 9:06 p.m., a citizen assist in the 500 block of South Ellis Street...

Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller use this space to offer their views on everyday issues. This column first appeared Aug. 28, 2005, in the Southeast Missourian. HE SAID: I once dropped a small piece of grilled steak on the ground outside. I picked it up and ate it. But only after wiping off the grass...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Fort Hays State University has fired its debate coach for losing his temper at a tournament, engaging in a videotaped shouting match that included pulling down his shorts to expose his underwear. University president Edward H. Hammond also announced Friday that the school was immediately suspending its debate program until problems are addressed at the national level. He said it was important to take a stand against the declining standards of college debate...

NEW ORLEANS -- Signs are emerging that history is repeating itself in the Big Easy, still healing from Katrina: People have forgotten a lesson from four decades ago and believe once again that the federal government is constructing a levee system they can prosper behind...

American Legion 63 The business meeting of the Louis K. Juden American Legion Post 63 was held on Aug. 6 with Dennis Woeltje, commander, presiding. Keith Seabaugh, past Zone IV commander and Altenthal-Joerns Post 158 member, was in attendance. He presented the post with a historical document belonging to former Post 63 charter member, Raymond Beckman...

POTI, Georgia -- Thousands of Georgians took to the streets in protest Saturday and demanded Russian troops leave the outskirts of this strategic Black Sea port, while a top Russian general said his country's forces would keep patrolling the area. The comments by deputy head of the general staff Col.-Gen. ...

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. -- The owners of Yoda -- a cat with four ears -- could use a couple extra hands to answer their telephones. Ted and Valerie Rock said they've been inundated with television offers and media inquiries since their son posted a photo of their smoke-colored cat on a website. That turned the four-eared feline from a suburban animal oddity into an instant Internet celebrity...

Conveniently located near city amenities, this home is on four acres and has features to create a comfortable lifestyle. The grounds include a circular driveway, 25-by-40-foot detached shed, quality landscaping and an in-ground pool with automatic cover and large concrete patio...

Jean Hermsdorfer Jean Ann (Sanders) Hermsdorfer, 49, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 31, 1958, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Louis Edward and Frances Mary (Stehr) Sanders. She and Paul D. Hermsdorfer were married Sept. 12, 1987, in Cape Girardeau...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma officials say a typo resulted in a state employee receiving a bonus of $850,000 -- but it was only temporary. Jo Harris was supposed to receive an $850 longevity bonus for working at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission for seven years. But a misplaced decimal point turned that into a six-figure windfall...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's ruling coalition teetered on the brink of collapse Saturday as the two main partners argued over a successor to ousted President Pervez Musharraf. Former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif, who heads the junior partner in the coalition, demanded the dominant Pakistan People's Party slash the president's powers before he would support its candidate...

Baseball n Bell City fall league: Registration for the Bell City fall league will take place today from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Bell City school cafeteria. There will be two age divisions -- 8- and 9-year olds and 10- and 11-year olds. The season begins Sept. 20 and ends Oct. 11. Cost: $40, which includes hat, shirt, baseballs and insurance. Info: Scott Nichols, 275-1753 or 722-5759...

Dear Dr. Dobson: My teenage son is becoming increasingly difficult to get along with. Isn't there some way to avoid this blackout period and the other stresses associated with the adolescent voyage? Dear Reader: Not with some teenagers, perhaps not with the majority. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Barack Obama introduced Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware on Saturday as "a leader ready to step in and be president," and the newly named running mate quickly converted his debut on the Democratic ticket into an attack on Republican John McCain...

Raise the drinking age The logiC behind the college presidents seems to be, lower the buying age so that the oldest students won't buy the younger one alcohol. I went to college in Kansas, where an 18 year old could purchase 3.2 percent beer, age 21 for all other liquor. ...

MOAB, Utah -- A small plane crashed and burned shortly after takeoff, killing everyone on board, including the pilot and nine people who had spent the day working at a skin cancer clinic in remote community. The twin-engine Beech King Air A-100 crashed shortly after takeoff Friday evening from Canyonlands Field airport, 18 miles northwest of Moab. It hit the ground in nearby hills, flattened and exploded on impact, authorities said...

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's government is grateful to U.S.-allied Sunni fighters but won't allow them to keep their weapons indefinitely, the prime minister said Saturday, hinting at a more intense crackdown on the Sunni groups. In recent weeks, the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has gone after Sunni fighters despite their alliances with the Americans. ...

WASHINGTON -- Snagging a prime time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention is impressive enough for most politicians. But when Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill takes the podium in Denver on Monday night, she'll be in even rarer company. Her remarks will come right before headline speaker Michelle Obama...

SAN ANTONIO -- Ninth grade, often the first year of high school, is a critical time when many students sink or swim while coping with new academic responsibilities and learning the social hierarchy. Some educators are turning to ninth-grade-only schools to separate 14- and 15-year-olds from older students and make the transition easier...

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- This presidential race was no contest: John McCain sped to the finish while Barack Obama was reluctant to leave the starting point. But there's no guarantee giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches will predict the real result in November...

NEW YORK -- It was during the dog days of August when the British launched a massive attack to smash the rebellion spreading through the colonies. Landing from ships on the Brooklyn shore, 15,000 redcoats and Hessian mercenaries outflanked and then routed Gen. George Washington's amateur army in what would be the biggest battle of the American Revolution...

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta -- The largest dump truck in the world is parked under a massive mechanical shovel waiting to transport 400 tons of oily sand at an open-pit mine in the northern reaches of Alberta. Each Caterpillar 797B heavy hauler -- three stories high and with tires twice as tall as the average man -- carries the equivalent of 200 barrels of heavy oil worth $23,000 per haul at today's prices...

Rick and Jan McIntyre of Friedheim announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica McIntyre, to Zachary Buchheit. He is the son of Brad and Cathey Buchheit of Oak Ridge. McIntyre is a 2008 graduate of Oak Ridge High School, and is attending Mineral Area College. She is employed by Byron L. Lang Inc...

SMARTSVILLE, Calif. -- Smartsville just reclaimed something taken from it nearly a century ago: its second "s." The unincorporated town about 60 miles north of Sacramento has been described variously as Smartville and Smartsville since the U.S. Postal Service declared the second "s" to be grammatically incorrect in 1909...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A new addition could replace aging classrooms at Eugene Field Elementary School before the next school year. This could be the next phase of a proposed long range plan administrators called "aggressive" during discussion at Thursday night's monthly board meeting...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- In her year on the vice squad, Lt. Mariam al-Bursh has been on narcotics busts, interrogated male drug dealers and fought off a female assailant with her fists. The 27-year-old is one of 53 women serving in the 11,000-strong Hamas police force, established after the Islamic militants seized Gaza by force more than a year ago...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n David R. Eskew, 19, of Scott City was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, speeding and possession of a controlled substance...

Car enthusiasts who lusted for nearly 20 years after Nissan's Skyline GT-R sports car are going ga-ga over the new-generation GT-R that's arriving on U.S. soil. "Incredible," read the headline in Car and Driver magazine. Road and Track said the GT-R bested well-known competitors Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 Turbo in the magazine's comparison test...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Scores of Afghan civilians who had gathered in a small village for the memorial ceremony of a militia commander were killed when U.S. and Afghan soldiers launched an attack in the middle of the night, officials and villagers said Saturday...

If you can remember back to your junior high days, you may remember how tough it was. Your body is changing, you're starting to care more about what others think of you, bullying gets more noticeable, school work becomes much harder and you're trying to find ways to fit in and stand out at the same time...

In working closely with administration to tighten the budget for the new fiscal year, trustees at Three Rivers Community College agreed to a faculty and staff pay raise and a districtwide scholarship program during the board meeting Thursday. College faculty and staff will all receive a pay raise effective immediately. ...

Bean, Morris tie for top honors Mary Ellen Bean and Kathy Morris tied for first place in the Cape Girardeau Country Club's Women's Golf Association's handicap tournament. Judi Brey and Irene Thomas tied for third place. Suedekum records hole in one...

25 years ago: Aug. 24, 1983 A 3,600-square-foot warehouse on Gordonville Road will be donated to the Southeast Missouri Council of the Boy Scouts by Neurologic Associates of Cape Girardeau, which plans to build a medical office structure nearby. Classes begin for Cape Girardeau public school pupils in the morning; a total of 3,979 children are enrolled as of this morning; that compares to 4,083 on the first day of school last year...

APALACHICOLA, Fla. -- Fay just won't quit. The tropical storm system that set a record with four landfalls in Florida chugged westward across the Gulf Coast on Saturday and cities from Pensacola to New Orleans prepared for inches of rain. Proving that a slow-moving tropical storm can be as deadly and damaging as a hurricane, the storm killed at least 11 people in Florida and one in Georgia, emergency officials said...

Westies of Cape Rock

FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Standing over Air Conditioning Vents!

Pet Name: Clover (The Devil Dog) Owners: Gene and Vanessa Williamson of Jackson Favorite Activity: Eating and watching any activity in the Kitchen.

Southeast Missouri State University is planning an "America's Got Talent" watch party for Tuesday, when NBC's popular competition show returns to television following the Olympics. Southeast alumnus Neal E. Boyd is one of the finalists on the show, competing for $1 million and a shot at his own Las Vegas show. ...