Stories from Friday, March 13, 2009

There really is a Crane Pond Creek. It's in the Ozarks over yonder. If you follow Crane Pond Creek for a spell, you'll come to where Brushy Creek joins up. Stay with Crane Pond Creek a bit longer and you'll wind up at Big Creek, which meanders into the St. Francois River...

New Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt had plenty of success recruiting the region during his 13 seasons in charge of Arkansas State's program. Nutt said Thursday that going after local players with the ability to compete well in the Ohio Valley Conference will be a top priority...

DORAL, Fla. -- Tiger Woods had a bit of a battle in his return to stroke play at the CA Championship. Woods shot a 1-under 71 on Thursday in the opening round at Doral, his first round of stroke play since beating Rocco Mediate in the playoff at last summer's U.S. Open. With some players still on the course, Woods was six shots behind Jeev Milkha Singh, Prayed Marksaeng and Retief Goosen, all of whom shot 65s...

School spending I am so sick and tired of the Cape Girardeau School District begging for money no matter how bad our situation is. Administrators at the time the new high school was built screwed up. No one listened to teachers. They didn't listen to parents. ...

Sometimes it's a good thing to have a healthy conversation. In the last week or so, I've had discussions with a number of Centenary folk about our church's response to the March 8 shooting death of a pastor during a worship service in Maryville, Ill...

People who celebrate St. Patrick's Day by drinking and then get behind the wheel of a car may end up seeing the green drain out of their wallets. More than 160 Missouri law enforcement agencies have joined a national traffic crackdown, which starts today and goes through Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- DeMarre Carroll scored 19 points and No. 14 Missouri used a pair of second-half spurts to avoid an upset at the Big 12 tournament, beating Texas Tech 81-60 in the quarterfinals Thursday night. The Tigers (26-6) watched regular-season champion Kansas, second-seeded Oklahoma and No. 4 seed Kansas State all fall victim to upsets earlier in the day, but used runs of 13 and 10 consecutive points to put away the Red Raiders (14-19)...

WINNENDEN, Germany -- German police said Thursday they now doubt whether a chat room post attributed to a teenager who went on a shooting rampage is real. Police spokesman Klaus Hinderer said authorities are looking into whether the Internet postings were faked. Hinderer's statement contradicted his earlier announcement that authorities were "completely convinced of the veracity of the post."...

ST. LOUIS -- If the St. Louis Blues find their way into the playoffs, goalie Chris Mason says they should be plenty tested. "We've been doing this for two months trying to get back in it so it has that intensity," said Mason, who helped the Blues continue their playoff push Thursday by making 24 saves in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. "It is playoffs for us, otherwise we don't get in. It's good preparation for when we do get there."...

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. -- Bank officials are beginning to recover some of the $200,000 that computer hackers are suspected of transferring out of the Carl Junction school district's account. The Joplin Globe is reporting that the amount recovered totals at least $80,000...

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. -- The health care safety net is straining. Just look at Jeffrey Taylor's parking lot. Taylor oversees a community health center for the poor in this suburb a dozen miles east of downtown Atlanta. The center, a modest one-story brick building on a hillside, has never been busier. ...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Jason A. Ward, 18, 2857 Themis St., was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and failure to stop at red light. Arrests n Decarlos F. Clemons, 32, 431 S. West End Blvd., was arrested on a Mississippi County warrant for child neglect...

Friday n New movies "Last House on the Left," Rated R @ Town Plaza Cinema "Race to Witch Mountain," Rated PG @ Town Plaza Cinema "Miss March," Rated R @ Cape West 14 Cine n Missouri Gun and Knife Show @ Show Me Center, 4 to 8 p.m...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two of three companies that checked the brakes of a Kansas City firetruck involved in a deadly accident found nothing wrong. Kansas City Fire Department officials announced Thursday that the first test found that one of the four brakes failed on the truck that struck and killed a 7-year-old boy earlier this month...

TAMPA, Fla. -- With the nation's school districts strapped for cash, more are considering a schedule that delights students and makes working parents cringe: Class only four days a week. By extending school hours and eliminating a day of classes each week, education officials say they could save busloads of money on transportation and utilities...

While the Tour of Missouri isn't scheduled to start until Labor Day, it has already drawn the attention of some of the world's top stage racing teams. Event organizers announced Thursday that Team Astana will participate in the third annual cycling race across Missouri...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri was the first to start using federal stimulus money for road projects, but transportation officials now contend the work might need to stop because of state lawmakers' efforts to better track where stimulus funds are spent...

Edna May Heuschober Cotner, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 12, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 23, 1917, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of William and Celis Marie Brown Heuschober. She and Virgil James Cotner were married Jan. 11, 1936, in Cape Girardeau. He died Dec. 20, 1997...

25 years ago: March 13, 1984 The Broadway Theater, hailed as one of the country's finest theaters when it opened on Christmas eve in 1921, is closing its doors Thursday; its final offering will be "Yentl," starring Barbra Streisand. U.S. District Judge H. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Obama on Thursday rallied the people he is counting on to help turn around the economy and warned anew he will not tolerate wasteful spending of his $787 billion economic stimulus package. "If we see money being misspent, we're going to put a stop to it," Obama told a gathering of state officials...

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. -- A 16-year-old Minnesota boy has given away thousands of dollars to fellow students and a school aide. The bag full of money he found was apparently tossed by a drug dealer. When asked how he got the $100 bills, the student first said it was his allowance. He later said he found it in a ditch -- and led police to a spot by a highway where they also found marijuana and scales...

NEW YORK -- Careful to blame only himself, a "deeply sorry and ashamed" Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty Thursday to pulling off what could be the biggest, most spectacular swindle Wall Street has ever seen, and was sent off to jail in handcuffs to the applause of his furious victims...

The Missouri Department of Natural has extended a program to collect items containing mercury through today due to the ice storm that struck Southeast Missouri in late January. The collection program was originally scheduled to end Feb. 28. Small items containing mercury, such as thermometers, should be double-bagged in zip-top bags and placed in a sealed container...

John Shafer's sitting on a limb, and only he knows the strength of that limb. Shafer wanted to go it alone on hiring the next Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach, and he was granted his wish. Shafer chose a coach with a .503 career winning percentage at a Sun Belt Conference school...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter's comeback remains solidly on track after four more scoreless innings. Boston ace Josh Beckett matched him pitch for pitch. The Cardinals' oft-injured ace allowed a triple to Josh Reddick on his second pitch of the game, then allowed just one more hit in his third spring start, and St. Louis beat Boston 4-2 on Thursday...

BAGHDAD -- A court convicted an Iraqi journalist of assault Thursday for hurling his shoes at George W. Bush and sentenced him to three years in prison, prompting an outburst from his family and calls for his release from Iraqis who consider him an icon for a nation decimated by war...

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, Missouri taxpayers claimed $507.6 million in tax credits under programs as varied as job creation, historic preservation and property tax relief. That represents a 22 percent increase in just two years. That growth, which far outstrips state revenue growth as the economy falters, has thrown the state's entire system of tax credit under scrutiny. ...

The story that ran Wednesday about a Sikeston, Mo., man pleading guilty in federal court to possession of child pornography listed an incorrect number of video files on a laptop. The correct number is 90 video files. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate voted Thursday to allow people at least 21 years old to ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet as long as they're not traveling on an interstate highway. Some motorcycle enthusiasts contend that riding without a helmet is more fun and that the state shouldn't micromanage their lives...

Video of the lineman working on a high tower from a helicopter: . ...

About 130 high school students demonstrated their performance skills in the district speech, debate and drama tournament March 6 and Saturday. About 20 schools, including Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Scott City, competed last weekend at Southeast Missouri State University. Students participated in several group and individual events. State qualifiers will compete in Columbia, Mo., in April...

Have you been in an accident caused by a driver distracted by a cell phone? Have you had a collision or a near miss because you were paying attention to your phone and not the road? The Missouri Legislature is considering a bill to outlaw or restrict the use of cell phones and personal data devices while driving and the Southeast Missourian wants to hear your stories. Contact Brian Blackwell at bblackwell@semissourian.com or by calling (573) 388-3628...

This is a column of mixed comments by others for your enlightenment, amusement and distraction. The price of children: This is just too good not to pass on to all. It's something absolutely positive for a change. I have repeatedly seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way...

Robert Lee Willis, 63, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 11, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 20, 1945, in Logansport, Ind., son of Daniel Adair and Ruth Eva Foss Willis. He and Wanda Gaye Townsend were married Aug. 6, 1988...

Parks Daughter to Jonathan and Kimber Parks of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:20 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2009. Name, Brynna Lynn. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Mrs. Parks is the former Kimber Miller, daughter of Tim and Donna Miller of Jackson. She is a teacher with the Jackson School District. Parks is the son of John and Ruth Parks of Jackson. He is an electrician at Noranda...

Elmer Leo Lohmann, 84, of Scott City died Thursday, March 12, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 29, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of Edward and Emma Kohlfeld Lohmann. He and Vera Mae Held were married March 8, 1967, in Tunica, Miss...

WASHINGTON -- The crew of the international space station had a close call with space junk Thursday. The three astronauts briefly took refuge inside a Russian escape capsule before returning inside the space station. Officials were worried that the orbiting outpost might get hit with a small piece of passing space debris. Tiny pieces of debris could cause a fatal loss of air pressure in the station...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County officials are hoping federal legislators will pull them out from between FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said during the regular Scott County Commission meeting Tuesday that Federal Emergency Management Agency officials have asked him to sign a document that states a levee in the county is structurally sound...

Southeast Missouri State baseball coach Mark Hogan says forget the 4-9 record Northern Illinois will bring to town. Hogan expects a strong team to oppose the Redhawks in a four-game weekend series that begins with today's 2 p.m. contest at Capaha Field...

Dickey Nutt said he has seen what the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball program is capable of. When Nutt received an offer to try to get the Redhawks back on track, he didn't hesitate. "It's an honor. I feel like it's an awesome privilege," Nutt said after being introduced as Southeast's new coach during a Thursday afternoon news conference at the Show Me Center. "I take it with great pride."...

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Environmentalists are renewing concerns about a federal decision to cap an old landfill in the Missouri River flood plain that holds radioactive waste. The waste was generated during production of nuclear weapons in the 1940s and '50s...

ANNA, Ill. -- Lavada Ruth Henderson, 78, of Anna died Wednesday, March 11, 2009. She was born March 6, 1931, in Union County, daughter of Everett Brady and Martha Jane Smith Caraker. She and Jewel "Red" Henderson were married Sept. 27, 1947. He died Aug. 21, 1981...

Dickey Nutt? Really? More than a hundred applicants, hundreds of calls and e-mails, a new athletic director with 25 years of connections in the Southeastern Conference and the new hire for the men's basketball coaching position boasts a .500 record in 13 seasons at Arkansas State?...

Some motorists do the strangest things when they're behind the steering wheel. They smoke and occasionally drop hot ashes into their laps. They eat messy cheeseburgers and spill condiments on their clothing. They drink beverages from throwaway cups so large that their view out the windshield is blocked. ...

NEW YORK -- Jimmy Fallon enjoyed a healthy win in the ratings his first week on the air. NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" attracted an average 2.4 million viewers the week of March 2, against CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson," which averaged 1.9 million viewers, according to final Nielsen figures released Thursday...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: n At 12 a.m., an alarm in the 900 block of Normal Avenue. n At 12:31 a.m., emergency medical service in the 2800 block of Independence Street. n At 3:29 p.m., emergency medical service in the 2000 block of William Street...

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario -- The 30-year-old man had been shoved 180 feet down through a thundering curtain of water with a force greater than gravity and now bobbed in the frigid water below Niagara Falls. Only two people had ever been known to survive such a plunge unprotected by a barrel or other contraption, but when Niagara Parks Police Sgt. Chris Gallagher scrambled down a steep and mist-slickened escarpment to the water's edge, he could see the man 40 feet out, alive...

The first impressions of their new coach were positive for Southeast Missouri State basketball players. After listing to what Dickey Nutt had to say during Thursday's introductory news conference at the Show Me Center, several Redhawks gave their approval...

CHOCTAW, Okla. -- Pearl Martin, 85, of Choctaw died Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at her home. She was born March 31, 1923, in Ogden, Utah, daughter of Clarence Henry and Pearl Daisy Sparks Flinders. She and Dorsey L. Martin were married Jan. 15, 1944, in Evanston, Wyo...

Protect us from evil, O God, and from our fears of the unknown. Amen.

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., issued a flood warning for the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau this morning, though flooding on the river is expected to be minor.According to the warning the river is forecast to go above flood stage — 32 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge — by Saturday morning, going to nearly 34 feet by Monday morning.There should be little impact from the flooding. ...

LUDO (MTV, Tonight Show w/Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and with a song-trailer used on "House"), The Graduate (international sensation from the Lollapolooza & European Tours), and SMALL TOWN BOYZ of Jackson, MO will be ROCKING the Show Me Center from 8:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Tickets in advance $17.00...

A Scott County man was hit and killed by train while he was walking near Oran early Friday morning. Police aren't sure why he didn't hear or see the train coming, and they're withholding the victim's name for now.Click here to read what details have been released so far...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Several new charges were filed Thursday morning against a 66-year-old Bloomfield man previously charged with having a relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Charlie Glass was arrested two weeks ago following an investigation into the alleged relationship by the Bloomfield Police Department. He is currently housed in the Stoddard County Jail awaiting a $50,000 cash-only bond...