Stories from Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Major Custom Cable president Scott Wachter understands the role his company plays in broadband technology. As a manufacturer of data and communication cables for Fortune 500 companies such as AT&T, as well as government agencies including NASA and the Department of Defense, the Fruitland-based business ships between 5,000 and 7,000 cables each day. Many of those fiber optic cables are used to provide high-speed Internet and data network access for businesses...

Play concerns HERE we go again with another adult play at Southeast Missouri State University. Hasn't the university learned anything from the last controversy? If no one went to see "Angels in America" maybe the University would stop this downward trend in our society of immoral behavior and loss of Christian values in entertainment...

A St. James, Mo., man is facing charges of statutory sodomy in Cape Girardeau County for allegedly molesting a child younger than 10. Raymond M. Ressel, 29, of St. James, known as "Mike," was arrested Friday by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department...

Jackson Parents as Teachers to hold fair Jackson Parents as Teachers will hold a free community fair for children 3 to 5 years old from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at South Elementary School in Jackson. The fair will take place both inside and outside and will highlight community workers. For more information, call Sarah at 243-9540...

Rosella Bader GLENNONVILLE, Mo. -- Rosella Marie Bader, 82, of Glennonville died Sunday, March 29, 2009, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was born April 19, 1926, at Glennonville, daughter of Simon and Mary Ubelhor Eberhard. She and John Herman Bader were married Jan. 18, 1950, at Glennonville. He died March 10, 1988...

Mailbox and parcel business closes Mailboxes and Parcel Depot at 2148 Broadway in Cape Giradueau has closed after 14 years in business. The owner was Cheryl Walter. Macy's layoffs affect Cape Girardeau store The Macy's store inside Cape Girardeau's West Park Mall is among the locations nationwide that will be affected by the company's decision to cut 7,000 jobs, or 4 percent of its work force. ...

William Modglin William Henry Modglin, 72, of Scott City died Sunday, March 29, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 13, 1936, son of William Albert and Dora Bomank Modglin. He and Sheila Chiles were married July 22, 1956, in Cape Girardeau...

Lexie Burke Lexie Watkins Burke, 94, died Monday, March 30, 2009, at Saxony Lutheran Village. She was born Dec. 20, 1914, in Greenbrier, Mo., daughter of the late Lorenzo Dow and Flora Serilda Brendel Helms. She was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church and was a bookkeeper 37 years at Vanduser Cotton Gin, retiring in 1987...

Charles Williams CAIRO, Ill. -- Charles H. Williams, 69, of Okeechobee, Fla., formerly of Cairo, died Saturday, March 28, 2009. He was born April 28, 1939, in Cairo, son of Charles Dennis and Lenna L. Hartman Williams. He married Janet Davidson. Williams was a member of Oakview Baptist Church in Okeechobee. He was a real estate agent and opened Williams Pawn in Okeechobee in 1978. He was a lieutenant with Okeechobee Sheriff's Department Search and Rescue...

Bank of America on Kingshighway to close The Bank of America at 800 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau will close June 30. Spokeswoman Tara Burke said the move is part of a corporate consolidation process. "Like most retail businesses, Bank of America is looking for ways to maximize our investment, whether it's building new stores, relocating or closing a location," Burke said. ...

Ross Son to Bryan and Lesley Ross of Lewisville, Texas, Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, 3:08 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2009. Name, Ethan Bryan. Weight, 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Mrs. Ross is the former Lesley Goehring, daughter of Dave and Joan Goehring of Cape Girardeau. Ross is the son of Diane Ross of Lubbock, Texas, and Bill Ross of Amarillo, Texas...

A three-sentence letter from the Missouri Attorney General office says there will be no criminal charges filed against Jay Purcell for secretly taping a closed Cape Girardeau County meeting last year. "This office declines to file any criminal charges in the matter," assistant attorney general Susan D. Boresi wrote in the letter, dated Friday, to Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp...

Bankruptcies filed through February for the Southeastern Division of the Eastern District of Missouri's U.S. Bankruptcy Court are listed below with their corresponding case number. The Southeast Division includes the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne. Court is held in Cape Girardeau...

The postseason honors are starting to roll in for the Scott County Central boys basketball team. After the Braves cruised to the Class 1 state title, two players and the coach were named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association's Class 1 all-state team...

Business licenses issued in Cape Girardeau during the month of February include the following: Acupuncture and Herb Clinic, 618 Bellevue All In One Cleaning, 190 D St. 87 Bobby's Family Restaurant, 1015 N. Kingshighway Fortner Fountains, 2130 W. Cape Rock Drive...

Delmar Pohlman Delmar F. Pohlman, 84, of Oak Ridge died Sunday, March 29, 2009, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 24, 1924, in Oak Ridge, son of Fred "F.W." and Cora Ruppel Pohlman. He and Lillian E. Aurich were married Jan. 6, 1946, in Farrar, Mo...

Jean Nanna ADVANCE, Mo. -- Jean Ann Nanna, 73, of Advance passed away Sunday, March 29, 2009, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. She was born Aug. 8, 1935, at Leemon, Mo., daughter of Robert Lee and Irene Rehkopf Dunn. She and Earl Ladon Nanna were married Jan. 8, 1954, at Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Sept. 26, 2006...

Allen is top adviser at lia sophia Glenda Allen, a lia sophia sales adviser from Cape Girardeau, received the Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers award for sales accomplishments. Allen earned the award in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and recruiting potential new advisers. Lia sophia is an in-home jewelry sales company...

Southeast Missouri is rich in religious history, and earlier this month the Missouri Baptist Convention kicked off its 175th anniversary celebration with special services at the restored Old Bethel Baptist Church near Jackson. Other celebrations are being held around the state this year, including services Aug. 29 at Providence Baptist Church in New Bloomfield, Mo., marking the convention's founding in 1834. New Bloomfield is on U.S. 54 between Fulton and Jefferson City, Mo...

Oh well. For Jackson golfer Tanner Werner, this is not an apathetic resignation but recurring resolution. As in, I came up short of the green. Oh well, my short game is excellent. Or, I just bogeyed to start my round. Oh well, there are 17 holes to go...

The defending Class 2 state champions picked up their first win in convincing fashion Monday. Scott City romped past New Madrid 23-1 in baseball action. Shae Simmons earned the win by throwing four perfect innings. He faced 12 batters, striking out nine. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate...

Depot Museum to host gardeners event SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Depot Museum will host a master gardener's event with a presentation from the Lincoln University Extension from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the museum at 116 W. Malone Ave. For times or to register for the workshop, call Joy Whitten at 573-471-7139 or the Lincoln University extension at 573-471-3059...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday: n At 6 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of South Henderson Avenue. n At 6:56 p.m., box alarm at 513 Washington St. n At 8:31 p.m., illegal burn at 5623 County Road 205...

Bless those who touch our lives and brighten our days, O God. Amen.

Commuter lot opens in Southeast Missouri DEXTER, Mo. — To offer both an environmentally and wallet-friendly alternative for residents facing long drives to school, work and other activities, the Butler County Community Resource Council's Parents Working Committee has partnered with the Missouri Department of Transportation to establish several commuter parking lots in the area. ...

People from around the St. Louis area will hold a Tax Day Tea Party at 6:30 p.m. April 15. The St. Louis event will be in Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. We are gathering as part of a nationwide effort to protest against the members of Congress and a White House who continue to steal money from our children's future to pay for a bloated government that is out of control, irresponsible and corrupt...

SEMO Foundation buys Broadway properties The Southeast Missouri University Foundation has entered into an agreement by which properties at 834 Broadway and 900 Broadway in Cape Girardeau will be transferred to the Foundation for use by Southeast Missouri State University...

Willie Hammonds Willie Charles Hammonds, 52, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 27, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Juy 23, 1956, at Catron, Mo., son of Lillian Wynne Hammonds. Hammonds was a 1975 graduate of Central High School and participated in track and field. He attended Meramec Community College...

Fundraiser planned for manor in Cairo CAIRO, Ill. — The Magnolia Manor will host a spring luncheon from 11:30 to 1 p.m. April 7 at 2700 Washington Ave. in Cairo. Proceeds will benefit the upkeep of the manor. Reservations, requested by Friday, can be made by calling 618-734-0201...

Wesley Johnson KARNAK, Ill. -- Wesley F. Johnson, 85, of Karnak died Sunday, March 29, 2009, at Metropolis Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Metropolis, Ill. He was born June 23, 1923, in Joppa, Ill., son of John B. and Maude Sears Johnson. Johnson retired as a machinist with Zoller Piston Co. in Fort Wayne, Ind. He attended First Baptist Church in Karnak...

Mary Moreland MOUNDS, Ill. -- Mary Lou Moreland, 80, of Mounds died Saturday, March 28, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 7, 1928, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of James Lloyd and Josephine Marie Shelton. She married Wallis H. Moreland...

25 years ago: March 31, 1984 A small gathering of Cape Girardeau County Republicans meets in Jackson and selects its delegates and alternates to the state and district caucuses; the 21 persons selected to attend the district caucus May 5 will nominate three people and three alternates to the National Convention and one presidential elector...

It's outrageous that someone who does not ride a motorcycle would write about how dangerous it is to ride without a helmet. Mandatory helmet law states account for 61 percent of total motorcycle registrations. They account for 64 percent of the accidents and 65 percent of the fatalities. It's a fact that helmets create problems. A good site for statistics is Frankie's no-baloney Fact Sheet, www.easyrider.com/~frankie/fact_sheet.htm....

FARGO, N.D. -- One family offered their home to anyone left homeless by flooding, even sharing their security entry code. When another couple lost their house, total strangers showed up at their hotel with chicken dinners, brownies and quilts. In the neighborly spirit, some people have given out their phone numbers on radio talk shows, offering shelter to any listeners in need. ...

Diane Zervas HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Diane G. Zervas, 61, of Hillsboro died Friday, March 27, 2009, at her home. She was born Sept. 15, 1947, in St. Louis, daughter of Henry J. and Jacqueline Miller Weber. She married William Zervas. Zervas was a retired licensed practical nurse...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Clarence L. Fisher, 36, 414 N. Henderson Ave., was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, assault on a law enforcement officer and driving while revoked...

For the second straight week, Southeast Missouri State has had a nonconference baseball game postponed. Due to a strong chance of rain today, the Redhawks' scheduled 3 p.m. home contest with Evansville has been moved to April 21. The Redhawks are scheduled to have one nonleague game this week, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Arkansas State. That contest had been pushed back from March 24 due to rain...

Adoptions offered at Poplar Bluff shelter POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Volunteers from the Animal Welfare Alliance will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Poplar Bluff Animal Shelter to process adoptions of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens at the shelter on Butler Street behind Blackwell-Baldwin Ford on Business U.S. ...

Students at Alma Schrader Elementary get one chance each year to run through the halls of their school. On Monday, that day came. With 10 Southeast Missouri State University football players lined up, the third- and fourth-graders ran though the halls slapping hands and clapping. The run capped off an hour-long pep rally to build excitement for the Missouri Assessment Program testing, which starts for most areas schools today...

After a three-day closure, the Royal N'Orleans restaurant will reopen for business today, owner Derek Miller said. The restaurant had been closed since Thursday, when Miller said he learned the building that houses the restaurant at 300 Broadway had a sign advertising it is for sale. He said he informed most of his employees of the news that day. The sign has since been removed, though the building is still for sale...

Like many renovations, a kitchen update blossomed into an overall facelift. In the case of the Missouri Army National Guard armory at 2626 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau, the work being done includes new paving for parking spaces, doubling the size of the kitchen and updating the building's 32 offices...

Federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway this afternoon announced a federal complaint against the police chief of Steele, Mo., including two counts of possession of narcotics and two counts of intent to distribute. Hanaway announced the filing of a federal complaint at the new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- An Ellsinore woman underwent surgery this morning at a Poplar Bluff hospital after she was shot in the stomach during a domestic incident at her home involving her husband and son. Authorities learned of the incident when Regina Moss' son, Michael Deshazo, called the Carter County Sheriff's Department saying "his mom had been shot," according to a department spokesman...

Southeast Missourian SIKESTON, Mo. -- An 18-year-old Sikeston man was arrested and charged with child abuse in connection with serious injury to an 8-month-old child, according to Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Kevin C. Dixon, 18, faces one count each of child abuse and first-degree assault and is currently held in the Scott County Jail on a $100,000 cash only bond...

Federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway and law enforcement will announce a federal complaint against a public official this afternoon in a news conference at the new federal courthouse.The news conference takes place at 3 p.m. A Southeast Missourian reporter will be at the news conference, and we'll update seMissourian.com with more information after the news conference...

JUPITER, Fla. -- The St. Louis Cardinals reassigned Chris Perez to the minor leagues following their 2-1 victory over the Florida Marlins on Monday, clearing the way for Jason Motte to get the bulk of the work as their closer. Perez, a first-round pick in 2006, experienced arm trouble earlier this spring. He entered Monday's game having made eight one-inning appearances and allowed only two earned runs...

Blaze was born early Sunday morning, so he is 2 days old today. He is going to be a great horse, at least that's my opinion.

The blue sky peeking through clouds on Tuesday afternoon relieved Greg Meffert. Last time the National Weather Service meteorologist scheduled a spotter training class in Cape Girardeau, he had to cancel."We had the high wind that blew the semis off the interstate," he said. "Right in front of me."...

Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough spent a lot of time together on the court last weekend and were back together Monday as the top vote-getters on The Associated Press' All-America team. Griffin, the sophomore forward from Oklahoma who led the nation in rebounding, was the only unanimous selection for the team. Hansbrough, the consensus player of the year last season as a junior, repeated as a first-teamer the day after his Tar Heels beat the Sooners 72-60 to advance to the Final Four...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Following a brief search, a 43-year-old Kennett man was arrested after fleeing the Dunklin County Courthouse, where he was being held awaiting the arrival of the Dunklin County Sheriff's Department. According to Morris Lambert, an investigator for the Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney, at approximately 8:30 a.m., on Monday, Louis Davenport was in the Dunklin County Clerk's office for an unknown reason...

The police chief of the small Bootheel town of Steele, near the Arkansas border in Pemiscot County, was arrested this morning by federal authorities, allegedly for drug activity.At 3 p.m. federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway will announce what the charges are and how they came about. ...

Today Treating Osteoporotic Compression Fractures Treating fractured vertebrae with a balloon kyphoplasty procedure will be explained and compared to older treatments for osteoporosis-related fractures. Call 800-800-5123 for more information...

Hospital recognizes employees for service KENNETT, Mo. — Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Mo., recently recognized employees for years of service to the hospital. Employees received a service pin to commemorate their employment milestone...

Billy Thatcher remembers running up the basement stairs as a child only to stop, breathless, halfway up. Carrie Copeland remembers being hospitalized about 20 times before she was 16. Both have asthma, and both have overcome the disease. Copeland, a nurse who specializes in respiratory therapy at Saint Francis Medical Center, and Thatcher, a respiratory therapist and education coordinator for Southeast Missouri Hospital, said people who manage their asthma can lead active lives...

WASHINGTON -- President Obama asserted government control over the auto industry Monday, rejecting turnaround plans by General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, demanding fresh concessions for long-term federal aid and raising the possibility of bankruptcy for either ailing auto giant...

LAS VEGAS -- The cheesy 3-D gimmick of old Hollywood has become solid gold today. The DreamWorks Animation comedy "Monsters vs. Aliens," the latest flick in a growing crop of movies using new digital 3-D technology, pulled in well over half of its $59.3 million opening weekend grosses from 3-D screens...

Increasing fear of layoffs has sparked fierce job competition in nearly every occupational field. Seeking job security and higher salaries, more adults are returning to school for their graduate degree. "People are continuing to try to increase their value to their employers. ...

Two incumbents and two newcomers made a case for their candidacy Monday evening at a forum for Scott City school board candidates. About 30 community members attended the meeting, which lasted 20 minutes in the school cafeteria. Gary Haynes, who grew up in Colorado, said he will bring a different perspective to the school board...

CHICAGO -- Babies born just a few weeks early face higher odds of developmental delays and behavior problems, a study of nearly 160,000 children found. The research adds to emerging evidence about potential threats facing otherwise healthy "late preterm" infants, who until recently were not even called premature...