Stories from Saturday, December 27, 2008

25 years ago: Dec. 27, 1983 Charles Vehlow, executive director of Saint Francis Mental Health Center, has announced the appointment of Charles Callis as associate director of the center. Despite the stormy, frigid arrival of winter weather at the peak of last-minute Christmas shopping here last week, Cape Girardeau merchants agree the season was the best in recent years; some stores in West Park Mall experienced their best day of the year yesterday, and overall, sales at the mall this year were up about 20 percent over last year.. ...

MOUSSAYAH, Guinea -- Tens of thousands of loyalists on Friday mourned the dictator who ruled Guinea for nearly a quarter-century, lining the roads to the lavish palace grounds where he was interred and crowding around his grave. Lansana Conte, who took power in 1984, was the only leader who many Guineans had ever known. Though he was widely seen as corrupt and authoritarian, many saw stability under him as preferable to the bloody civil wars elsewhere in West Africa...

CAMPBELL, Mo. -- A 42-year-old Campbell man was recently arrested on three felony charges of sex crimes involving children under the age of 17. Following an investigation by the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department, along with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Mark Lawrence McKnight, 42, of Campbell, was arrested on the charges of statutory rape in the first degree, statutory rape in the second degree and forcible sodomy...

NEW YORK -- Gift cards, the convenient catchall of holiday giving, lost their luster this year. Price-conscious shoppers became savvy bargain-hunters, realizing they could give bigger and better gifts by taking advantage of unprecedented discounts rather than by spending a set amount on gift cards, which had been steadily gaining popularity over the past few years. Practically everything took a backseat to price...

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan began moving thousands of troops from the Afghan border toward India, officials and witnesses said Friday, raising tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors and possibly undermining the U.S.-backed campaign against al-Qaida and the Taliban...

Curtis Lorain Palmer, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008, at his home. He was born March 22, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, son of Burt Charles and Christine Cook Palmer. Palmer served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict. He worked for Santa Fe Railroad more than 20 years...

Though the month isn't over, this December saw fewer Cape Girardeau burglaries than in previous years, according to Cape Girardeau police. Though numbers aren't exact because some reports may not be complete yet, 11 burglaries were reported in Cape Girardeau as of Wednesday, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the police department. So far this year, 293 burglaries have been reported...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: n At 1:36 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1400 block of William Street. n At 3:07 a.m., emergency medical service in the unit block of South West End Boulevard. n At 7:40 a.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of Boutin Drive...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest n A juvenile boy was cited in court for curfew violation and operating motor vehicle without a license. Thefts n An Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, games and a television were reported stolen at 121 East Rodney Drive...

ST. LOUIS -- One year after nearly 1,200 former TWA flight attendants had their recall rights preserved, none has been called back to work, and time is running out. Last December, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., brokered an agreement between American Airlines and its flight attendants' union to preserve recall rights for nearly 1,200 former TWA flight attendants...

What biblical character do you most resemble? You can't pick Jesus, OK? If you're finding it hard to think of a Bible figure that comes closest to yourself, then who is it within the 66 books of the Scriptures that you would most like to emulate? Again, let's take Jesus out of the possibilities -- since, if you are a Christian reading this column, it is assumed you wish to be more like him...

Whenever Huck Finn wanted to cool off on a hot summer day, his creator, Mark Twain, would write the boy into a swimming session in the Mississippi River. The EPA wants real people today to be able to swim in the river as well. In a recent letter to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Benjamin Grumbles, the EPA's assistant administrator for the Clean Water Program, told the department to take another look at its recreation-use designation for the Mississippi River from the Meramec River to the Ohio River. ...

Myrtle Virginia Carroll, 84, of Kennett, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008, at NHC Healthcare in Kennett. She was born Feb. 4, 1924, in Wichita, Kan., daughter of Claude W. and Ada Brewer Caldwell. She and William F. Carroll were married June 30, 1995, in Clay County, Ark. He died Jan. 31, 2008...

Soldiers serving in far-off lands say there is little that brightens a day more than hearing from folks at home. With cell phones and the Internet, keeping in contact has become technologically easier. But it's the special remembrances that mean so much...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As it prepares to turn 100, the Boy Scouts of America is honing its survival skills for what might be its biggest test yet: drawing Hispanics into its declining -- and mostly white -- ranks. "We either are going to figure out how to make Scouting the most exciting, dynamic organization for Hispanic kids, or we're going to be out of business," said Rick Cronk, former national president of the Boy Scouts, and chairman of the World Scout Committee...

Typical weather NOW WE'RE getting back to typical Midwest weather. It's freezing one day and warm and raining the next day. That's what it ought to be in the Midwest. Forget about worrying about global cooling and global warming. It takes a couple of hundred years to find out if global cooling is happening. ...

For those fans who attend the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament with the intent of badgering the referees, they have another target for the first two days this year. The Christmas Tournament has gone to three-man officiating crews throughout the four-day event instead of waiting until the semifinal and final rounds...

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in could be a boon for Said Rangbar, among hundreds of people hoping to cash in on Inauguration Day. The Washington street hot dog stand vendor plans to stock up his cart with food and drinks for the throngs of people expected to pack the nation's capital for Obama's swearing-in...

This year I have resolved not to be a resolutionary. A revolutionary is one who is seen as innovative, forward-thinking, ushering in an era of change. A resolutionary is someone who acts like a revolutionary but only for the first few weeks and months of the year...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A burst dike at a coal-fired power plant in eastern Tennessee spilled millions more cubic yards of ash than originally estimated, officials said Friday, and residents fear the muck coating their neighborhood is endangering the area's drinking water...

Advance's offensive strategy against Bell City was simple. It was to get the ball to senior David VanGennip and have him shoot it. "Coach just told me to shoot the ball," VanGennip said. "They put a man on Jake [Bond] and shut him down and [coach] said, 'You're the scorer. Just shoot about every time you get if you want.'"...

Nancy Jernigan realizes times are financially difficult in Southeast Missouri. Layoffs have been a regular occurrence in the area, and charities are seeing a decrease in giving or are having trouble keeping up with increasing demand for services. But Jernigan believes it is more crucial than ever to lend a helping hand to those in need of encouragement and financial assistance...

Job Son to Joshua David Job of Scott City and Ashley Nichole Ritter of Chaffee, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:04 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008. Name, Matthew Layne. Weight, 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Ms. Ritter is the daughter of DeAnn Kirk and Tim Kirk of Chaffee. Job is the son of Lynn Job and Mike Job of Scott City. He is a security guard at Procter & Gamble...

After a long uphill battle, Meadow Heights finally got over the hump. But it lasted only a short time before Kelly regained control of the first-round Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament game. Eighth-seeded Kelly's 80-61 victory over the No. 9 Panthers on Friday night sends the Hawks into today's quarterfinal against No. 1 Scott County Central...

John David Phelps, 60, of Huntersville, N.C., died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008, at his residence. He was born Jan. 22, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, son of Henry and Gerda Phelps. In 1970 he married LaDonna Meinz of Scott City. His second marriage was to Sue Eckler of Huntersville in 2005...

CHICAGO -- Mother Nature on Friday continued to mix it up in Illinois by following snowstorms and blasts of Arctic air earlier in the week with freezing rain, then fog and rapidly rising temperatures that threatened flash flooding. Roadways lacquered with ice during early morning commutes thawed quickly, but mountains of melting snow began to create hazardous pools of water on those same roads later in the day...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Despite some funding struggles, the National World War I Museum continues to record higher than expected attendance, attract dignitaries and politicians and garner positive reviews. Now officials from the museum at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City are working to improve its business plan as they approach several national events in coming years...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The holidays may be winding down, but for Oscar fans, the season of celebration has just begun. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences mailed 5,810 official Oscar nominations ballots to voting members Friday, and perhaps no one was more excited -- or more daunted -- to cast votes than its 105 newest members...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Elman William Gibbs of Morley died Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, at the age of 87. Elman was born July 6, 1921, in Zalma, Mo., son of John William "Bill" and Lillie Venita Cullins Gibbs...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Norman G. Oehlert, 74, of Altenburg died Friday, Dec. 26, 2008, at Hunter Acres in Sikeston, Mo. He was born May 20, 1934, in Altenburg, son of George C. and Lena Hemmann Oehlert. Oehlert retired from East Perry Lumber Co. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg...

Robert Walls who? Walls, a Central senior, had not scored more than two points in any contest this season. But he broke through with 12 points off the bench against Oak Ridge in the first round of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament on Friday evening...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The victim of a violent robbery in Sikeston died Thursday, meaning the charges against the four suspects in the crime could be upgraded to murder. Linnie Andrews, 45, died Thursday morning at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Investigators are now treating the death as a homicide, according to Sikeston police...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A local resident was air lifted to the Memphis Med in Memphis, Tenn., where she was listed in critical condition, following a fire at her home on Luther Street. The Kennett Fire Department responded to the house trailer fire last weekend to find the resident, Carolyn Joiner, lying in a puddle with burns over 70 percent of her body...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis lawmaker has urged the governor-elect Jay Nixon to consider replacing the adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard after accusations that the commander has discriminated against women and blacks. Two federal complaints have been filed that accuse Maj. ...

The Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team said enough is enough in the third period. After the Crusaders entered halftime clinging to a one-point lead, they came alive in the third period to pull away in the third quarter and post the 47-35 victory Friday in the first day of the Saxony Lutheran tournament...

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Southeast Asia's tsunami-ravaged coral reefs have bounced back with surprising speed, according to a study released Friday, four years after the deadly waves hit. The findings came as communities across the Indian Ocean remembered the disaster that struck Dec. 26, 2004 with prayers, songs and tears. About 230,000 people were killed in a dozen countries when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake triggered the tsunami...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marie Zahner, 92, of Perryville died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008, at Independence Care Nursing Center in Perryville. She was born Oct. 19, 1916, in Perry County, daughter of Ruben and Effie Kennon Edmond. She and Leroy Zahner were married May 7, 1938, in Perryville...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A hearing for a Bloomfield man charged in connection with a standoff the day after Thanksgiving has been postponed for another week. Danny Pullum, 50, of Bloomfield has been charged with four counts of armed criminal action, two counts of assault of a law enforcement officer, making a terrorist threat, unlawful use of a weapon and resisting arrest...

In this week's SE Live, the Doug Rees and Nick Hines show at Stooges was listed with an incorrect date. The show will actually be Jan. 8.

SEATTLE -- Online retailer Amazon.com Inc. called this holiday season its "best ever," saying Friday that it saw a 17 percent increase in orders on its busiest day -- a rare piece of good news in a season that has been far from merry for most retailers, including online businesses...

ST. LOUIS -- Floaters and hikers of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers in the Ozarks of Southeast Missouri may be lucky enough to see a small, sky-blue bird called the cerulean warbler. It has the dubious distinction of being the fastest-disappearing member of the warbler family...

NEW YORK -- The story line on "Valkyrie" has focused on the "Tom Cruise-as-Nazi" angle, but it's also a notable regrouping of the two minds behind one of the most beloved movies of the last 15 years. On "Valkyrie," the writer and director of "The Usual Suspects" reunite for their most substantial project together since their 1995 film. ...

TRENTON, N.J. -- Gainesville's first community hospital has been on life support since the Shands Healthcare system in northern Florida bought it a dozen years ago. Now, because of the recession, the plug is being pulled on 80-year-old, money-losing Shands AGH. ...

A combination of rust, lofty expectations and strong play from the opposition conspired to slow down Leopold. But the Wildcats came through down the stretch to win their first-round game in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. Sixth-seeded Leopold rallied past No. 11 Oran 56-53 on Friday night at the Show Me Center...

Virginia Marie Brown, 61, of Wichita, Kan., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008, at Lakewood Senior Living in Wichita. She was born July 18, 1947, in Springfield, Ill., daughter of Kenneth and Dorothy Fuller Brown. Brown worked as a caregiver and was a member of the House of Prayer...

John Prance, emergency management director for Stoddard County, said a woman was rescued after being trapped in her car by fallen power lines on Highway 25. Prace said straight-line winds damaged power lines and the hot wires went across the road, trapping two cars. One driver was able to escape...

The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Scott County has been extended to 6:15 p.m. The following Southeastern Missouri counties: Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry, Stoddard, Butler, and New Madrid were among those being affected by a line of severe thunderstorms sweeping through the area. In Illinois, the extreme northwestern portion of Union County is included in the warning...

The second Celebration of Rescue for Pit Bulls was held last weekend at Petco in Cape Girardeau. The event was hosted by the final dog rescued in the Old Appleton seizure, Bugsy. Bugsy hosted this event alone because he was the only Pit Bull with a handler that had a temperature of less than 100 degrees. He handled his responsibilities like the true champion that he is...