Stories from Thursday, May 28, 2009

A federal judge turned down an accused man's request for a new attorney today, suggesting during the hearing that Russell T. McBride wanted to delay his day of reckoning on charges that he bilked mortgage companies out of hundreds of thousands of dollars...

A Jackson man is dead after he was ejected from his car in a Tuesday night crash at Shawneetown. Jeremiah J. Hecht, 25, was pronounced dead by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton at Saint Francis Medical Center following the accident, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash reports website...

A 24-year-old Cape Girardeau man pleaded guilty to federal crack cocaine charges ...

The Notre Dame FCCLA sponsored a 5K Walk/Run and raised $1,000 for breast cancer research in memory of Mrs. Jean Hermsdorfer, Administrative Secretary. Co -Presidents Alex Stone and Katie Hill presented the check to Kelly Heironimus with the American Cancer Society...

Bailey Rees strikes a heart melting pose in front of her Great-Great Grandpa Friese's Farmall H tractor re-stored by her Great "Paw-Paw" Paul Friese and her "Paw-Paw" Craig Friese.

Bailey is a 3 year old Bichon Frise. She is spayed and has been good with children. Bailey is available for adoption at The Humane Society of SEMO, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

NEOSHO, Mo. -- Eleven National Guardsmen are being reclassified with a new military occupational specialty this month at Camp Crowder by instructors from the 1st Battalion, Engineer Training Battalion, 140th Regiment Missouri Regional Training Institute of Fort Leonard Wood...

Cape Central swimmer Annie Wolpers will be attending Stephens College in Columbia this fall, thanks to an athletic scholarship that she accepted recently. Wolpers accumulated an impressive swimming record during her high school career, including being named MVP at the Show Me Conference last year, after cruising to two first-place finishes, despite suffering injuries and two shoulder surgeries. Wolpers has been swimming since she was 6 years old...

The farmers market held every Thursday afternoon on Independence Street in Cape Girardeau has seen one of the smallest customer turnouts in years because of the construction going on, while nearby businesses say the work has had little effect. Market president Marilyn Peters said she hopes business will pick up once the road construction in front of the lot at 2001 Independence St. is completed next week...

Mayor Jay Knudtson announced this afternoon that Scott Meyer, former district engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation and director of Facilities Management at Southeast Missouri State University since 2005, has been hired as city manager ...

Ted Clark loves music. He has slowly fattened the entertainment options at Stooges, his diner in Jackson, and has now planned a music festival for Saturday. Stooges will hold its first music festival, Stoogefest 2009, beginning at noon Saturday. Eight local acts will be featured during the all-day outdoor festival that covers punk, pop, country, alternative and indie rock, said Jeff Stevens, who co-owns Stooges with Clark, his father...

BERNIE, Mo. -- A "shake and bake" methamphetamine lab was discovered in Stoddard County this week, the second of that type to be found in 10 days in the county.

COOTER -- Oak Ridge's best chance to score some runs against Cooter pitcher Logan Edwards came in the fourth inning when its first two batters reached base by drawing walks. Edwards, however, struck out Ethan Sachs, Cody Myers and Logan Mangels in order to end the threat and keep the Blue Jays off the scoreboard...

LOS ANGELES -- The name alone, "Drag Me to Hell," tells you exactly what this is: an unabashed celebration of B-movie schlockery. But the dichotomies director Sam Raimi presents within that familiar genre are what make this such a kick. Raimi returns to the kind of cheeky horror that made him a cult favorite with the low-budget "Evil Dead" trilogy, but he applies all the high-tech tricks he's acquired with the blockbuster "Spider-Man" franchise...

In just eight years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri has made a big impact on Cape Girardeau. Some of those achievements received special recognition last week. The Cape Girardeau School District was presented the President's Award, the organization's top national award. ...

Pragmatist in power; Psychic powers; Call it torture; Gitmo justice; Dogs in pickups; Better location; Teaching fluff; Picking up litter; Bikes in streets; Fine dining

Our trust, O God, is in you as we make important decisions in our lives. Amen.

Arts council hosts national show The Girardot National Juried Exhibition has extended the deadline for artists to submit their work to noon Tuesday. All selected art will be exhibited at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri's Gallery 100 and Lorimier Gallery. To qualify, artists must be 18 years old or older and living within the United States. For more information, call the arts council at 334-9233...

The Mississippi Mud House, Cape Girardeau's newest coffee shop and entertainment venue, continues to bring something new to town. The Mud House has started a comedy series that features a different comedian every Wednesday night. For Timexx Nasty, event coordinator and co-owner of the Mud House, comedy is an almost guaranteed crowd-pleaser...

Cape Girardeau: Summonses

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Edith Irene Chaney, 87, of Chaffee passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 27, 1922, at Chaffee, to the late Lawrence and Louisa Glastetter Westrich. Edith married Gilbert "Gib" Chaney in March 1939. He preceded her in death Nov. 19, 1981...

Thelma Francis Points, 89, of Cape Girardeau went home to heaven to be with Jesus and her beloved husband Tuesday, May 26, 2009. She passed away at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. She was born Friday, April 2, 1920, in Lilbourn, Mo., daughter of Bill and Mary Shoate Burke. She and Gene Points were married April 27, 1968, in Cape Girardeau. He passed away Dec. 8, 1996...

Jeffrey Adams Gould, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, May 21, 2009, at his home. He was born Wednesday, Nov. 5, 1952, in St. Louis, son of Richard Draime and Elizabeth Adams Gould. Jeffrey was a member of Maple United Methodist Church and active in United Methodist Men...

Jeremiah James "J.J." Hecht, 25, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2009, as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. He was born April 4, 1984, in Cape Girardeau, son of James L. and La-Rhonda Young Hecht. J.J. attended Jackson High School. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in New Wells and was employed by Ashley Furniture in Jackson...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Norman Waid Moore, 80, of Bloomfield died Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 17, 1928, near Dexter, Mo., to Sayle Shelby and Oma Artha Triplett Moore. He and Frances Williams were married May 23, 1953, in Pocahontas, Ark...

Grimes; Daniel; Trankle; Foster; Overy; Bendel; Tyra

By Judy Ruebel Weber May 21, 1949, through the eyes and ears of a 6-year-old child. Place: The Airline Gas Station-Liquor Store and Respectable Restaurant. Also nearby the Airline Tourist Court, lined with cabins and office on U.S. 61 in Cape Girardeau....

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- If AIG was too big to fail, how about the world's eighth-largest economy? In a move with only one modern-day precedent, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Obama administration and members of Congress for federal loan guarantees to help the state out of a multibillion-dollar jam...

KEY WEST, Fla. -- A 13-year project to create a new artificial reef off the Florida Keys for sport divers and anglers culminated Wednesday with the scuttling of a 523-foot-long former U.S. Air Force missile tracking ship. It took just a minute and 54 seconds to sink the Gen. ...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans won't try to filibuster Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination, a GOP senator conceded Wednesday, all but admitting there's little chance of blocking her confirmation as the first Hispanic justice. But senators and advocacy groups are still girding for this summer's battle -- partly with an eye toward raising money and perhaps preparing for Barack Obama's next nominee...

DETROIT -- General Motors, the company that put tail fins on a Cadillac and was once the nation's largest employer, moved to the edge of bankruptcy Wednesday as debtholders refused a last-ditch deal. Crosstown rival Chrysler hoped to pull off a quick exit from Chapter 11 and prove there is hope yet for a leaner Detroit...

WASHINGTON -- The average family with health insurance shells out an extra $1,000 a year in premiums to pay for health care for the uninsured, a new report found. And the average individual with private coverage pays an extra $370 a year because of the cost-shifting, which happens when someone without medical insurance gets care and then doesn't pay...

LAHORE, Pakistan -- A group using guns, grenades and a van packed with explosives targeted police and Pakistan's intelligence agency Wednesday, killing 30 and wounding 250 in an assault seen as revenge for the month-old army campaign against the Taliban in the Swat Valley...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea threatened military strikes on U.S. and South Korean ships Wednesday and renounced a 1953 truce that halted the fighting in the Korean War, an escalation of tensions in the wake of Pyongyang's nuclear test. The threats, which follow Seoul's decision to join more than 90 nations in stopping and inspecting ships suspected of transporting banned weapons, raised the prospect of a naval clash off Korea's west coast...

JEFFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's courts are again involved in a battle over potential ballot measures restricting the use of eminent domain to take private property for redevelopment. After the measures failed to survive court fights in 2006 and 2008, people seeking greater limits on the condemnation of private property got an early start in trying to get their latest initiatives on the November 2010 ballot. And they again have run into a legal challenge...

ST. LOUIS -- Relatively few lawsuits were filed in Missouri and the nation during the chaos and upheaval of the Civil War, the state archivist said, but once it ended, parties aggrieved by marital infidelity, continued enslavement and other wrongs turned to the courts for relief...

25 years ago: May 28, 1984 Memorial Day. The Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War is praised by Paul R. Summers, command sergeant major for Headquarters 1140th Engineer Battalion of the Missouri Army National Guard in Cape Girardeau, at ceremonies at Cape County Farm Park...

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Roland Burris again finds himself denying any role in a pay-to-play scheme as newly revealed wiretaps show him begging for his Senate seat and offering to donate to former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich's campaign. Burris said he did nothing wrong, telling reporters Wednesday that his taped conversation with Blagojevich's brother, Robert, was the result of a misunderstanding. ...

"New Madrid: A Mississippi River Town in History and Legend" by Mary Sue Anton tells all the tales of New Madrid, from battles with American Indians to Civil War stories to the Louisiana Purchase. Anton's 328-page work uses letters, newspapers and official records to weave together stories of the river town. ...

Talleys, Redigers win couples tournament The team of Bob Talley, Shirley Talley, Harry Rediger and Fran Rediger won the Memorial Day couples scramble tournament at Cape Girardeau Country Club. The foursome of Mel Moore, Shirley Moore, David Morris and Kathy Morris finished second...

Southeast Missouri State track and field coach Eric Crumpecker stresses that simply qualifying for an NCAA regional is a major accomplishment. Five of Crumpecker's athletes will try to take the next step Friday and Saturday at the NCAA Mideast Regional in Louisville, Ky. It is one of four regionals held nationwide...

PARIS -- On a day of adieus at the French Open, Maria Sharapova managed to stick around. Trailing through most of the third set in her toughest test since shoulder surgery, Sharapova pulled out a 6-2, 1-6, 8-6 victory over 11th-seeded Nadia Petrova on Wednesday to reach the third round at Roland Garros in her return to Grand Slam tennis...

DETROIT -- Darren Helm scored 3:~ Detroit will face Pittsburgh in a Cup finals rematch. 58 into overtime to give the defending champion Detroit Red Wings a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, setting up a Stanley Cup finals rematch with Pittsburgh...

Summer notoriously IS a time for movies, and this year the local scene is as hot as Hollywood. There's a local film or project sitting in almost every stage of production. Victory Films just screened its small town saga "Fire Lily" and plan to tweak it then ship it to several film festivals. If you missed the screening, you've missed a good, homegrown film. It's a painfully realistic depiction of life after high school in a small town where everyone is struggling to breathe...

May 28, 2009 Dear Leslie, John the Giraffe has been stalking me for a year now. The idea really was just a single sentence: "John the Giraffe forgot how to laugh." Everyone has known times when we've forgotten how to laugh. The reasons why don't matter. What matters is rediscovering our happiness...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- If you were driving through Missouri over the Memorial Day weekend and thought you saw a lot of state troopers, you were right. As part of a special enforcement operation, the highway patrol placed troopers at 10-mile intervals from noon to midnight Friday and Monday on interstates 44, 70, 29 and 55, and on portions of U.S. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Efforts to legalize medical marijuana in Illinois took a step forward Wednesday when the Illinois Senate approved a plan to let sick people use pot for relief from diseases like cancer, AIDS and multiple sclerosis. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Former governor Rod Blagojevich's wife is off to the Costa Rican jungle for a TV reality show. Patti Blagojevich is appearing on NBC's "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here." She's competing because a federal judge barred her husband from going while he faces federal corruption charges. ...

MILWAUKEE -- Nick Stavinoha said all the right things when asked about Cardinals manager Tony La Russa's preference to use veterans over rookies. He did lose his composure a bit when asked if he was sure he didn't belong in the cleanup role. "I'm definitely not your typical cleanup hitter, that's for sure," he said with a smile...

Our son,Ethan, right before Central High School graduation. Was a long road getting there and I think he was as proud as we were. Where did the time go? We are so proud of him.

Ethan Norman and a Cape Central Tiger balloon at his post-graduation family and friends dinner on May 17,2009.

Like other cemeteries, stone angels, marble grave markers and wooden crosses dot the lawn at Cedar Hills Pet Cemetery. At some of the grave sites, loved ones have left behind elaborate floral arrangements; other sites are surrounded by brick cobblestones or wrought iron fences ...

Officers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Cape Girardeau Police Department participated in the local Special Olympics' Law Enforcement Torch Run on Wednesday ...