Stories from Friday, May 15, 2009

LEOPOLD -- Senior Clayton Stoverink got the chance to bat after a St. Vincent error prolonged the first inning. Stoverink smashed a fastball over the fence in left field for his first home run this season and in his final home game of his high school career...

A Cape Girardeau man was injured when his motorcycle left the road on County Road 621 near Cape Girardeau just before noon today. Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Grant Williams identified the motorcycle driver as 57-year-old Neal Day ...

The state dropped a charge of false imprisonment against Patrick M. Harris, of Cape Girardeau, that had been the result of an Amber Alert issued in February. On Feb. 6, Harris was believed to have abducted his wife and child from a Cape Girardeau gas station, leading to the alert...

A little-noticed provision tucked into the $410 billion federal budget bill passed in March could become a major obstacle to the Rev. Larry Rice's plan to obtain the Cape Girardeau federal building for use as a homeless shelter. Inserted by U.S. Sen. ...

A Cape Girardeau man was charged Wednesday with domestic assault and assault with physical injury after allegedly beating another man's head repeatedly against a coffee table and the leg of a wooden chair. According to a probable-cause statement by officer Shaun Smelser, Joshua J. Kelley, 23, assaulted another man at a Cape Girardeau residence when he went to the home of his estranged wife...

We couldn't have shaped this on purpose had we tried.

As Cape Girardeau city officials look for ways to save money, one promising place for savings is to scale back the Lewis and Clark Parkway, the road that will connect Center Junction with LaSalle Avenue near the new Interstate 55 interchange. Originally planned as a four-lane road that would be built in three phases, officials are redesigning the first stretch to be a two-lane road except for the part immediately adjacent to LaSalle Avenue...

The Noon Optimist group provided lunch to area police officers and families of officers killed in the line of duty at Cape County Park today. The BBQ followed the Annual Police Memorial Ceremony at the Conservation Campus in honor of National Police Week...

Students were honored Tuesday, May 12th at Jackson Junior High School by the faculty. These students were chosen because they have gone above and beyond what was expected. Congratulations to all the 2009 Red Carpet Award Winners.

Pepper is a Scottish Terrier She belongs to Mildred Miget of Cape Girardeau Pepper 's favorite thing to do is play with socks.

Thumper is living in the backyard, and loves to snack on clover.

A blue bird is taking food to its young, this blue bird has a spider in its beak.

Chrysler wants to eliminate roughly a quarter of its 3,200 U.S. dealerships by early next month, saying in a bankruptcy court filing Thursday that the network is antiquated and has too many stores competing with each other. Among the 789 U.S. dealerships on Chrysler's list are Auffenberg Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Cape Girardeau, Lucas-Smith Automotive in Potosi, Mo., and Guetterman Motors of Cairo, Ill...

There are a lot of yellow finches in my yard this year. Here is a picture of some of them. I live on 72 near Patton.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A pair of spacewalking astronauts overpowered a stubborn bolt and installed a new piano-sized camera in the Hubble Space Telescope on Thursday, the first step to making the observatory better than ever. "Let there be light," spacewalker John Grunsfeld said as ground controllers checked the power hookups...

ATLANTA -- The housing market may be sputtering, but Habitat for Humanity International is getting a $100 million gift from an Atlanta developer who said his work has offered him a look at the struggle of poor people to find decent housing. The not-for-profit group announced Thursday it received the largest individual contribution in its history, an offering that will help Habitat build 60,000 homes around the globe...

Ginger, long used as a folk remedy for soothing tummyaches, helped tame one of the most dreaded side effects of cancer treatment -- nausea from chemotherapy, the first large study to test the herb for this has found. People who started taking ginger capsules several days before a chemo infusion had fewer and less severe bouts of nausea afterward than others who were given dummy capsules, the federally funded study found...

LINCOLN CITY, Ind. -- Nearly 3,000 people gathered at a southern Indiana park for the release of a new penny that pays homage to Abraham Lincoln's years as a Hoosier. The penny's release Thursday at Lincoln State Park created traffic jams and a quarter-mile-long line filled with coin collectors and Lincoln enthusiasts carrying umbrellas to ward off the rain...

NEW YORK -- New York City has closed three schools to deal with another swine flu outbreak. An official familiar with the situation said the decision affects three public schools in Queens. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the shutdown has not been announced...

Pfizer's list of drugs that it will provide free to people who've already been taking them for three months who lose jobs and health insurance:Accupril Accuretic Aldactazide Aldactone Antivert Arthrotec Azulfidine EN-Tabs Azulfidine Caduet Calan SR Calan...

BAGHDAD -- Iraq has lost more than half the Christians who once called it home, mostly since the war began, and few who fled have plans to return, The Associated Press has learned. Pope Benedict XVI called attention to their plight during a Mideast visit this week, urging the international community to ensure the survival of "the ancient Christian community of that noble land."...

YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar's Nobel Prize-winning pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced new charges Thursday less than two weeks before her house arrest was due to end after an American man swam across a lake and entered her home, her lawyer said...

MADRID -- Air pollution has long been a fact of life in Spanish cities, but scientists now say it is not just smog that chokes people as they walk to work or stroll through the park. A new study has found the air in Madrid and Barcelona is also laced with at least five drugs -- most prominently cocaine...

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- A northeast Missouri mother accused of using her 1-year-old son to shield a man from a Taser has had other dust-ups with the law, as recently as Sunday, police said. Maliea Martin, 20, of Hannibal was arrested on suspicion of felony endangering the welfare of a child and interfering with an arrest for allegedly putting her child in the line of fire of a Taser on Tuesday night...

WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA on Thursday of misleading her and other lawmakers about its use of waterboarding during the Bush administration, escalating a controversy grown to include both political parties, the spy agency and the White House...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests; Summonses; Assault; Thefts; Property damage; Jackson: Arrest; Property damage; Miscellaneous; Theft

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

Cape River Heritage Museum, Glenn House, Old St. Vincent's Church and Red House Interpretive Center will be open 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Sundays Cape Girardeau's abounds in history, enough so that visitors often come here in hopes of getting an up-close look at some of the places and monuments that make this community's past so rich and vibrant...

I would like to thank the many property owners and residents of Cape Girardeau County for their volunteer assistance in clearing a travel way through the county roads after the windstorm last Friday afternoon. Your many hours of work with chain saws, tractors and trucks allowed the work to progress much faster. We will be several weeks clearing the rights of way of debris, but with your help everyone has a way in and out along the roads...

Here is my letter to President Obama: Enclosed is an April 18 Southeast Missourian article that is an example of how inept our government's (taxpayers') employees are. Surely there are ways to check or have overseers who have some common sense and realize that money from the government doesn't grow on trees but is taken from taxpayers...

The response from the greenhouse gas junta to my recent letter was amusing and predictable. Opinions not aligned with their beliefs are characterized as lies and distorted facts. With regard to the Mars debate, total solar irradiance occurs in 11-year and 200-year cycles. The 50-year snapshot cited by Matthew Miller is meaningless...

Ready to spend; Homeless support; No to shelter; Keeping tabs; Vaccine allergy; Going soft?; Gimme Shelter

Elmer Franklin Gipson, 98, of Fredericktown, Mo., passed away Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at Stockhoff Nursing Center. He was born July 13, 1910, in Buckhorn, Mo., son of the late David Franklin and Martha Murray Gipson. He was united in marriage to Irma Irene Huffman, who preceded him in death June 9, 1995...

Earl August Kamp, 86, of Jackson died Thursday, May 14, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born May 4, 1923, at Burfordville, son of Albert ad Nora Bodenstein Kamp Sr. He and Jessie Evans were married June 24, 1945, at St. Paul Lutheran Church...

Underwood; Grimes; Church; Holmes; Cobb; Jaco; Leggett; McMullin; Rodgers; Mungle; Bollinger

25 years ago: May 15, 1984 Almost 75 percent of those responding to a Missourian reader poll favor locating the Cape Girardeau multipurpose building on the west side of the city near Interstate 55; of that majority, 40.6 percent support a 30-acre site just south of Howard Johnson Motor Lodge on the west side of I-55, while 29.7 percent favor a tract on the northeast corner of U.S. 61 and I-55...

Give us confidence, O God, to make good decisions instead of expedient ones. Amen.

"Give me keys to another building at no cost, and I'll drop my claim on the federal building." That's the message Larry Rice delivered through the Southeast Missourian on Wednesday to city hall. That's what called a "shakedown" in some corners of the world. ...

OK. Which of the following is NOT true:A. The Rev. Larry Rice of St. Louis announced this week that his New Life Evangelistic Center will donate $400,000 to United Way of Southeast Missouri to fund housing and other programs for the homeless. "I think local organizations that have been dealing with the needs of the homeless in your community are best equipped to meet those needs. ...

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -- For the second time in less than one week, a rural Missouri community is reeling in the aftermath of a series of deadly tornadoes. Violent storms that tore through four Midwestern states late Wednesday killed three people in northern Missouri. Hundreds of homes were damaged, and on Thursday thousands remained without power...

TRENTON, N.J. -- Pfizer Inc. says it will provide 70 of its most widely prescribed prescription drugs -- including Lipitor and Viagra -- for free to people who have lost their jobs and health insurance. The world's biggest drugmaker said Thursday it will give away the medicines for up to a year to Americans who have lost jobs since Jan. 1 and have been on the Pfizer drug for three months or more...

WASHINGTON -- Banks and investment firms trimmed their borrowing over the past week from the Federal Reserve's emergency lending program, a sign some credit problems are easing. The Fed said Thursday that commercial banks averaged $39.9 billion in daily borrowing over the week that ended Wednesday. That was down from $40.9 billion in the week that ended May 6...

WASHINGTON -- News Thursday of increased jobless claims and higher wholesale prices suggested the economy is moving in fits and starts even as the recession eases. Analysts said the pace of unemployment claims should ease after auto industry layoffs are completed. Inflation, meanwhile, remains under control, and any threat of a dangerous bout of falling prices seems remote...

BOSTON -- Scott Walker scored his first NHL playoff goal 18:46 into overtime to send the Carolina Hurricanes into the Eastern Conference finals with a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Byron Bitz gave Boston a 1-0 lead at 7:42 of the first period, and Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour tied it six minutes later. Sergei Samsonov put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1 at 7:45 of the second period, but Milan Lucic tied it for the Bruins at 6:19 of the third...

Paul Goydos made eight birdies before his final drive sailed into a fairway bunker, blemishing what was almost an unmatched start in the Texas Open. "I mean, you can't have everything good happen for every moment of your life," Goydos said. Goydos, who publicly opened up this month about the death of his ex-wife in January and raising his two teenage daughters, shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday at La Cantera Golf Club in San Antonio for a share of the first-round lead with Justin Leonard. ...

Mark Hogan has had some strong senior classes during his 15 seasons as Southeast Missouri State's baseball coach. He'll put this year's group up against any as far as productivity on the field and quality off it. "This is a marvelous group of guys, in the classroom and on the field," Hogan said. "They come to work every day and they've just been a joy to coach...

The stakes will be high for both Southeast Missouri State and Morehead State as they wrap up the regular season with a three-game series at Capaha Field. There will be a 1 p.m. doubleheader today and a 1 p.m. contest Saturday. Southeast (26-20, 12-8) is third in the nine-team Ohio Valley Conference. MSU (16-30, 9-10) is in sixth place...

BALTIMORE -- Bob Baffert oozed confidence in Pioneerof the Nile leading to the Kentucky Derby. The colt was in front coming down the stretch, and for a few moments the Hall of Fame trainer thought he had his fourth Derby victory. "It just took the air out of us," Baffert recalled Thursday...

PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Karstens of the Pirates didn't need to watch Colby Rasmus' homer to know it traveled a long way. A loud noise told him so, and it wasn't a sound any major league pitcher wants to hear. Rasmus' two-run homer in the second inning gave St. Louis' slumping offense a lift and the Cardinals avoided being swept by last-place Pittsburgh, getting a strong effort from their bullpen in a 5-1 victory Thursday night...

The Southeast Missourian will stream live video of today's Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at 10 a.m. on its website, semissourian.com. The annual event takes place at the Missouri Conservation Campus auditorium at Cape County Park North. Forty-five police officers from Southeast Missouri, an area delineated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop E and Perry County, who were slain in the line of duty will be honored...

For students looking for an opportunity, Rich Payne, director of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, suggested they visit the state's summer job website, www.summerjobs.mo.gov. "We know they're starting to look for work earlier," said Melanie Duncan, a counselor at Jackson High School. "They used to want jobs for gas money, but now, in many cases, it's to help out the family." She added, "Now, it's more need than want."...

FRIDAY "Angels and Demons" PG-13 @ Cape West 14 Cine @graphic_body_bullet:n Western Swing Music Society fifth annual showcase and dance @ Eagles Club, 321 N. Spring St., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. SATURDAY SUNDAY NEXT WEEK "Terminator Salvation" PS3, PC, Xbox360...

Tornadoes are considered nature's most violent storms, and you can make one at home by using a few items from around the house. Materials Instructions Step 1: Fill one of the plastic soda bottles half of the way with water and then add a few drops of dish detergent...

Brett Thomas kept Oak Ridge in the game with his arm, then ended things with his bat. Thomas hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday to help Oak Ridge slip past visiting Delta 3-1 in high school baseball action. Thomas earned the win on the mound, throwing the final three innings for the Blue Jays (10-6). He had two hits, as did teammate Dakota Zoellner...

Gov. Jay Nixon Thursday signed Kaitlyn's Law, a bill named after Jackson High School student Kaitlyn Thompson. Under House Bill 236, students with disabilities can participate in senior activities, provided they are making progress toward their individualized education plan and have finished four years of high school...

Due to technical problems, the live video stream of today's fallen officers memorial was not able to be shown on seMissourian.com. The ceremony began at 10 a.m. at the Missouri Conservation Campus auditorium at Cape County Park North. Look for coverage of the event later today...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A 53-year-old Sikeston man was fatally injured in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday, according to a Sikeston Department of Public Safety news release.

Crews continued to restore power Thursday to affected areas in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, as more severe weather could be on the way. The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., continued to forecast a possibility of storms, bringing high winds and heavy rain, today into the weekend...

East County Fire Protection District Assistant Chief Kelly Allen emailed this photo of a Friday motorcycle accident on County Road 621.

Rusty Robinson of Mound City, Ill., submitted this photo of high water on the Ohio River approaching a street in Cairo.