Stories from Friday, May 8, 2009

CHAFFEE -- Saxony Lutheran senior Bryant Steffens never overpowered the Chaffee hitters Thursday. He kept the Red Devils off balance, scattering four singles over seven innings to post the 6-0 shutout. "Everything was working for the most part, keeping them off balance with four pitches," Steffens said. "They were off balance all day and I made them put it in play and made our defense work."...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Storms that swept across southern Missouri are blamed for three deaths. The storm system on Friday caused heavy rain and strong, dangerous winds. Butler County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Thurman said two people were killed near Poplar Bluff when the wind knocked over a tree onto their car on Route 53...

Winds in excess of 70 mph and heavy rainfall this morning are to blame for severe damage in Fredericktown, Patton and Meadow Heights School and two deaths in Poplar Bluff, Sgt. Dale Moreland of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Why would someone want a machine gun? For one thing, they can be fun when used responsibly. The safe recreational use of fully automatic firearms and other class 3 weaponry is the focus of the annual Jungle Walk scheduled to begin at noon Saturday on Scott Matthews' farmland just south of Sikeston, on the south side of Highway 60 one mile east of the Highway 60--South Main Street interchange by Wal-Mart...

BENTON, Mo. -- Free and cheap labor may help Scott County make ends meet. During their regular meeting Tuesday, Scott County commissioners discussed participating in MERS Goodwill summer work and the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston, Mo.'s work release programs. For the Southeast Correctional Center's work release program, the county would have to have a supervisor attend a five-hour training session and pay each prisoner used $7.38 per day.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Zalma, Mo., man was charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter in connection with a weekend crash in which his passenger was killed. Nickolas J. Jackson, 22, was charged with the Class B felony of first-degree involuntary manslaughter by Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn...

As Cape Girardeau takes a lead role in opposing the New Life Evangelistic Center's request to use the old federal building on Broadway as a homeless shelter, it is planning a multipronged response to demonstrate it is the wrong idea at the wrong time in the wrong building, Mayor Jay Knudtson said Thursday...

An $800 million bond issue aimed mostly at public university construction projects could stall after meeting opposition from Missouri senators, including Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau. The plan, which passed with bipartisan support in the Missouri House of Representatives, would still need voter approval. House Majority Leader Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, who co-sponsored the plan, said lawmakers blocked the measure before a final vote Tuesday in the Senate...

Jillian was 4 months old at Easter, and what better way to celebrate Easter than in the beautiful Texas sunshine and Bluebonnets.

Sexual assault and burglary charges were upheld in court Thursday against a Cape Girardeau man for an incident that occurred in early April.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Maj. Ben Stillwell, right, of the Salvation Army presents Kevin Greaser with a plaque for his service upon retiring as chairman of the Salvation Army Advisory Board during the annual donor appreciation dinner Thursday night. ...

My youngest son Danny (11 yrs. old) teaching my grandson River (20 months) how to solve the Rubik's Cube

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. -- Wesleyan University students were told to stay in their dorms and the city's only synagogue closed Thursday as police warned that the man wanted in the shooting death of a woman at a bookstore may be bent on killing other students and Jews...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Paradise is not lost, but it's in flames -- again. The seasonal wildfires that menace this coastal city roared to life earlier than usual but with familiar ferocity, burning mansions to their foundations and forcing more than 13,000 to flee. Dozens of homes were destroyed, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Hubble Space Telescope is about to get one last house call. And never before have the risks been higher. On Monday, astronauts will rocket away to the telescope to take new scientific instruments, replacement parts for broken cameras and fresh batteries that should keep Hubble running for five to 10 years...

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Stormy Daniels strode onstage at a downtown Baton Rouge restaurant in a tight black blouse with a plunging neckline and a knee-length skirt in the popular purple of Louisiana State University. She introduced herself with a warning...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- The suburban mother who ordered her bickering daughters out of her car and drove off without them said Thursday that she made a mistake. A charge against her is likely to be dismissed. Madlyn Primoff, 45, a partner in a Manhattan law firm, had touched off a national debate, with many people calling her irresponsible but admitting they've been tempted to do the same...

CORIMATA DA CIMA, Brazil -- The dirt road that runs in front of her house is a river. Her fields of rice and manioc lie ruined underwater. And with water seeping into her mud-brick, thatched-roof home, Maria do Remedio Santos knows it's time to join her neighbors...

BAGHDAD -- The American security firm once known as Blackwater ended its operations in the diplomatic hub of Baghdad on Thursday, bringing to a close a chapter in U.S.-Iraqi relations that began with a deadly shooting by its contractors. Iraqis welcomed the company's departure from the capital. ...

LONDON -- Britain bowed to a court ruling and promised Thursday to remove the DNA records of hundreds of thousands of innocent people from its national database of genetic information, but many will have to wait up to 12 years for their details to be deleted...

May is National NF Awareness Month. I have been writing this letter to the editor for eight years. I hope many of you will recognize it and wonder why I keep telling you this. Since my letters have been published I have received phone calls from strangers and field questions from people who know people and who know my family. This is the purpose of my letters...

Wishful thinking; No downtown shelter; Now we know; More school days; The end is near; Rental inspections

LOCKPORT, Ill. -- Drew Peterson, the former police sergeant who found tabloid fame after his fourth wife's disappearance more than a year and a half ago, was indicted Thursday in the drowning death of a former wife found dead in an empty bathtub in 2004...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- As many as 3,000 people appointed to state jobs or commission posts by two disgraced former Illinois governors would be removed under a plan to "fumigate" government presented Thursday by House Speaker Michael Madigan. That's the word Gov. Pat Quinn used in January when he promised change from his impeached and ousted predecessor. But Madigan said Thursday he's impatient...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests

Help us, O God, to focus on the beauty of your creation. Amen.

SCHOLARSHIPS Courtney Beussink of Gordonville received the Spartech Corp. Bill Hiatt Scholarship, Kiwanis Scholarship Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship and Dean's Scholarship to attend St. Louis University. The following students received scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2009-2010 school year:...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Thursday:...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Norma Maxine Trost, 86, of Springfield, Mo., passed away Tuesday, May 5, 2009, after a brief illness. She was born April 14, 1923, at Morley, the second of eight children to John and Ruth Moore Pippin. She and Julius Trost were married in 1941. They celebrated 66 years of marriage before his death in July 2008...

Christine Fox, 82, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, May 7, 2009, at Arbors Nursing Facility. She was born April 25, 1927, at Lamar, Ark., daughter of Thomas Frank and Augusta Christine Doerr Sparks. Fox graduated from Lilbourn High School in 1945. She attended business school in St. Louis and worked there as a bank teller at Plaza Bank and secretary for several years...

Joseph Elmer "Joe" Stovall, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, May 7, 2009, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born March 1, 1935, in Dutchtown, son of Joseph Oscar and Beulah May Greenlee Stovall. He and Eileen Baucum were married June 8, 1957, in Fort Worth, Texas...

GREENBRIER, Mo. -- E.W. "Bill" Abernathy, 88, of Greenbrier died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 5, 1921, at Greenbrier, son of Marvin and Opal Cameron Abernathy. Bill retired as an inspection surveyor with Missouri State Highway Department. He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Germany and northern Europe...

BENTON, Mo. -- Mary Ellen Nebel Urhahn, 60, of Benton passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at her home after battling pancreatic cancer. She was born Aug. 28, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Gladys Keller Nebel and the late Calvin Nebel. She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chaffee. She was married to Larry Urhahn at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chaffee in 1997...

Anna Belle Baker, 81 of Jackson died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 28, 1928 near Advance, Mo., the daughter of Charles Cambron "Charlie" and Gertie Ann Morris McClain. She and James C. Baker were married Sept. 5, 1947, at the General Baptist Church Parsonage in Arbor, Mo...

Laura D. Norton-Dye, 41, of Cape Girardeau lost her courageous 15-year fight with carcinoid cancer at her home Wednesday, May 6, 2009. Laura was born May 30, 1967, in Murray, Ky., daughter of Wayne A. Norton and Betsy Gateley Dinkins, and moved with her family to Cape Girardeau at age 1. She married Curtis Ray "Curt" Dye of Cape Girardeau on April 6, 1996...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Betty L. Johnson, 69, of Mound City died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at her home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Barkett Funeral Home in Mound City. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens at Villa Ridge, Ill...

FRIEDHEIM, Mo. -- Randy L. Keller, 51, of Friedheim died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at his home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Saturday at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be private...

Leslie Thomas Hilliker, 87, formerly of Scott City died Monday, May 4, 2009, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. Graveside service with full military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements...

The spread of the H1N1 flu, the "swine flu," is thought to spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Health officials encourage you to wash your hands often with soap and warm water. Here's an experiment that will prove you don't wash all the germs completely off your hands...

FRIDAY "Fanboys" PG-13, 90 mins @ Town Plaza Cinema <B>[StartDouble]Star Trek" PG-13, 126 mins @ Cape West 14 Cine @graphic_body_bullet:n "Cinderella" @ Central Junior High School auditorium, 7 p.m. n "Make Me a Match" dinner theater presented by River City Players @ River City Yacht Club, Port Cape, 7 p.m....

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Survivalists, doctors, even the parents of Joshua Childers marvel at how the 3-year-old, barely clothed, survived for 52 hours alone in the untamed woods of Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest. Joshua managed to unbolt a deadlock on the back door of his family's mobile home just before noon Monday. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Considering the St. Louis Cardinals entered the season without a full-time closer, the ninth inning has been in very secure hands. Ryan Franklin had a 1-2-3 finish for the second straight game in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He's 9-for-9 after taking over when rookie Jason Motte struggled at the start of the year, and hasn't allowed a run in 13 1/3 innings...

ST. LOUIS -- Rick Ankiel went on the 15-day disabled list Thursday, three days after the St. Louis Cardinals center fielder crashed headfirst into the wall making a running catch. The move was made retroactive to Tuesday. Ankiel, batting .247 with two home runs and 11 RBIs, has a bruised right shoulder and overall soreness related to the collision. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa expects him to be ready to return once he comes off the DL...

MARBLE HILL -- Woodland pitcher Kyle Reynolds stuck his glove down near his ankles to catch a screaming line drive then fired to third base to double off the lead runner. "That's those catlike reflexes there, Garfield," Woodland coach Jason Crane joked as he watched his pitcher from the front of the dugout...

EUREKA -- Central senior Tim Simmons had little trust in his putter during most of the spring. That began to change Tuesday, when Simmons carded a two-under-par 33 in a match against Jackson with the help of his putting. That was just what was needed before Thursday's Class 4 District 1 tournament at Aberdeen Golf Club...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team captured its Ohio Valley Conference tournament opener in dramatic fashion to extend the program's second-longest winning streak. Sophomore Carmen Fowler's two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday gave Southeast a 1-0 victory over Morehead State in Jacksonville, Ala...

NEW YORK -- Manny Ramirez joined a growing lineup of All-Stars linked to drugs Thursday, with the dreadlocked slugger banished for 50 games by a sport that cannot shake free from scandal. The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder was suspended by Major League Baseball, adding a further stamp to what will forever be known as the Steroids Era...

Ben Crane should have known what was coming when he rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the first hole of the day. He kept right on pouring them in until he had a 7-under 65 and a one-shot lead in The Players Championship. Crane made four birdie putts longer than 20 feet, kept his ball on land throughout another wild opening round Thursday on the TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and wound up atop a leaderboard devoid of the biggest stars...

WASHINGTON -- New applications for jobless benefits plunged to the lowest level in 14 weeks, a possible sign that the massive wave of layoffs has peaked. Still, the number of unemployed workers getting benefits climbed to a new record. Retail results also improved as discounter Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ...

25 years ago: May 8, 1984 Construction could begin within a month on a $70,000 addition to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce building now that the organization's board of directors has approved design plans; the next step will be the development of working drawings and the taking of bids, a process which could take about a week...

A while back, I reviewed for you my never-ending battle with wild animals, including my gentle wife's newfound dislike for Bambi's parents, who eat whatever she plants in the urns in front of our house. And before that I told you about Miss Kitty's new habit of rolling in the dirt...

The city officially established a department in 1909, but records indicate there were volunteer firefighters dating back to 1866 The Cape Girardeau Fire Department has reached its 100-year milestone. In 1909 the city formally authorized a fire department and equipped it with all the latest in firefighting gear, including a team of horses to pull the fire wagon...

Scott City's baseball team squeaked out a pair of wins Thursday. The Rams edged Scott County Central 3-2 in the opener, then nipped Jackson 5-4 in the second game. Jaris Hye went 2-for-3 with a double for the Rams against the Braves. Jamie Scholz earned the win, while Josh Henson pitched three innings and struck out five batters to earn the save...

Cape Girardeau city leaders hope Saturday's exhibition game between the Southern Illinois Miners and Florence Freedom is another step toward bringing minor-league baseball to Cape Girardeau. The two teams from the independent Frontier League will square off at 7 p.m. at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau. It will be the first time the city has hosted the Miners...

Kindergarten students from South Elementery School in Jackson visited the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Friday. The main attraction was "Critter Rock" performed by Jan and George Syrigos. Songs included "Reptile Rap" and "Hairy not Scary" among others...

From the Campaign for Liberty website: "Your calls were successful. HB 361 was placed on the calendar. It is now up to Senator Engler, the floor leader, to see that it has time on the floor before the session ends next week. Please call him to respectfully ask him to see that it does. His number is: (573) 751-3455...

I am writing this story because i am tired of scott city city hall i am always worrying about getting a ticket for trash and today i called them up ask for a extra trash can and they said i had to pay a 50 dollar deposit then when i get done with it i can have the deposit back.Now How rediculous is it if im going to use it for 7 or 8 years?...

The Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department Aquafina/MLB Pitch, Hit & Run has been cancelled for Saturday, May 9th due to the weather. The event has been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13th at 6:00p.m. at Arena Park Field #6. Registration will begin at 5:30p.m. ...

Alexandria Birk came back to her hotel room in Memphis, Tenn., after a long day at the Mid-South Fair last year and snapped a photo of herself in the bathroom mirror. "I was like, 'Well my hair looks kind of cool so I'm going to take a picture,'" she said...

This is a picture of Brooklynne enjoying the sunny weather!

Pitbull Ready for action but still a good boy. (high res.)

His favorite thing is to chew on stuff and chase your feet. John took this picture of him resting one morning as we where getting ready to head for school and work.

This is a picture of Jacob during his first year of Pre-School! He is so excited to be going to kindergarten next year! He is growing up fast!

This is a picture of our son Isaiah enjoying a day at the park. He loves being outside!

This is a picture of our daughter Aaliyah enjoying a day at the park. What fun she had on that slide!