Stories from Sunday, August 2, 2009

KENNETT, Mo. -- Friends of a local boy have set up an account to assist with medical expenses after two open-heart surgeries before he was 5 months old and a third open-heart surgery scheduled for Sept. 2. Thomas Liles, son of Angel and William Liles of Kennett, is a 4-year-old hypoplastic left heart syndrome patient who lives in Kennett with his grandmother, Joyce Mathis, and two sisters, Breanna Hausmann and Makayla Liles...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- As children and their parents piled onto Bill Cannon's miniature train Saturday, Cannon stood by, smiling and waving them off for a mile-long ride through the woods. Cannon and his family have a history and love riding the rails and working on trains. Now, Cannon, a retired engineer, and his son, Wade, a conductor for Amtrak, have decided to share their enthusiasm with Southeast Missouri families on a farm outside Chaffee...

A familiar tune came through the speakers of Charlotte Reed's puppet theater Saturday afternoon, a part of the activities of the Civil Air Patrol Drug Awareness Day. The tune was Aretha Franklin's "Think," but the lyrics that the puppets "sang" reflected the spirit of the day's activity...

Dealers are reporting increased sales but also confusion about the rules nearly a week after the "cash for clunkers" program went into effect. "We're seeing an increase in activity and transactions, which is good for us," said Nick Underwood, general manager of Lutesville Motor Co. in Marble Hill, Mo. "Our floor traffic and phone calls have more than doubled since Monday. Everyone is wanting to know about the program...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A hearing will be held Wednesday to determine whether a Poplar Bluff teenager should be tried as an adult for allegedly squirting gasoline on another teen and then lighting him on fire...

Who says that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence??? Looks like he knows it is!!

This was the storm rolling over Fruitland towards Jackson yesterday. A good rain followed it!!

Watching the storm rolling in thru the country!! Thanks Tammy & Jim for sharing your part of the world!!

CAIRO, Ill. -- Every weekend about 15 volunteers spend their time helping people overcome their boredom by jumping out of airplanes. SEMO Skydiving has existed in some form or fashion for 25 years, according to its members. Don Dorris and Ralph Bailey used to borrow a plane in the early 1980s to skydive. ...

Area artists are being asked to think green and help design a logo for the Southeast Missouri Climate Protection Initiative. The organization has partnered with The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri to coordinate the logo design competition. A decal featuring the winning logo design will be used to recognize companies participating in SEMO CPI's Local Businesses Go Green program. Currently more than 25 area businesses are recognized for their recycling efforts through this program...

CHARLESTON -- The way things were progressing Saturday, Chris Roth knew he had to be at the top of his game. Roth was, not that Jackson Senior Babe Ruth baseball coach Paul Sander expected any different. Roth pitched a four-hit shutout as Jackson beat Colorado 3-0 in the opening round of the Senior Babe Ruth Midwest Plains Regional at Hillhouse Park...

Sara Elizabeth Moore and Brandon Douglas Glenn were married Oct. 18, 2008, at Bethel Assembly of God Church. The Rev. Phillip Roop performed the ceremony. Trio Girardeaux provided music. Marlene Glenn, mother of the groom, sang, accompanied on the piano by Dr. Richard Moore, father of the bride...

Rebecca Ann Randolph and Ryan Daniel Bazzell were married April 18, 2009, at Centenary United Methodist Church. Denny Lumos performed the ceremony. Organist was Beverly Reece. Reader was Jennifer Bogel of St. Charles, Mo. Parents of the couple are Bob and Barb Randolph of Cape Girardeau, and Rob and Diane Bazzell of St. Charles...

Sally Lea Bradley and Scott Tracy Lorenz were united in marriage June 26, 2009, at La Croix United Methodist Church. The Rev. Ronald Watts performed the ceremony. Pianist was Beverly Reece, trumpeter was Jerry Ford, both of Cape Girardeau, and vocalist was Vicki Weaver of Memphis, Tenn.,...

Abigail Yvonne Leming and Jeffrey Thomas Kohlberg were united in marriage May 16, 2009, at the World's Fair Pavilion at Forest Park in St. Louis. The Rev. Ron Watts performed the ceremony. Music was by Mike Renick of Cape Girardeau. Reader was Dee Dee Wilson of Cape Girardeau...

Randall and Susan Davis of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Margaret "Meg" Davis, to Matthew Adam Proffer. He is the son of Bernard and Alice Proffer of Jackson. Davis is a 1996 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in mass communications from Southeast Missouri State University in 2000. She is a marketing specialist with Mississippi River Radio...

Bill and Jeannie Fadler of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Nicole Dawn Fadler, to Nicholas Evans Fenton. He is the son of Lester and Janice Fenton of Imperial, Mo. Fadler is a 2003 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Missouri in 2007. She is a registered nurse in the Pediatric ICU at St. Louis Children's Hospital...

Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Aufdenberg of Jackson celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a picnic supper May 30, 2009, at their home. Aufdenberg and the former Judy Kutscher were married June 21, 1969, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Brockmire of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a dinner and reception June 7, 2009, at Shadow Rest Lodge. Hosts were their children and friends. Brockmire and Pam Hawkins were married June 7, 1969, at Free Will Baptist Church in Olive Branch, Ill., by the Rev. Fred Drake...

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Brockmire of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a party June 13, 2009, at their home. Hosts were their children. Brockmire and Emma Jean Heider were married June 15, 1969, at Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson...

Early interest is building in some key local elected positions where longtime incumbents won't be running again. Voters will decide next year who their replacements will be, and several individuals already have expressed an interest. It's not too early to be thinking about becoming a candidate. ...

Parking woes; America's debt; Gospel singing; Sign placement; Read it first; College audit; Public smoking; Children and smoke; Mayo salaries; Hospital care; Overweight and happy; Life goes on; Highway logic; Noisy street; One of us; More hardships; Police response; Stirring the pot

For all that is good and wonderful in your creation, we give thanks, O God. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- An Oklahoma-based tribe has bought the last remaining American Indian mound in St. Louis for about $230,000. Osage Nation Principal Chief Jim Gray described the purchase Friday as "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." The tribe traces its ancestry to the ancient mound-building people who erected massive earthworks such as Cahokia Mounds in Collinsville, Ill...

Navy Seaman Brandon J. Frayser, a 2002 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training and was promoted to his current rank at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Frayser completed a variety of training that included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. ...

Nestled atop a hill on Center St. in Bloomfield sits Jimmy's Hill 513. Jimmy Teets, a resident of Bloomfield since 1940, named his hill in memory of the way soldiers in Korea knew where they were: by hill numbers. That tribute doesn't end in his yard though. Over the years, he has filled his house with memorabilia from his tour of duty in the Korean War...

SIKESTON -- Members of the Community Betterment Association know there's talent in the Bootheel area. And they're ready to display it by sponsoring the first "The Bootheel's Got Talent," show, planned for Aug. 15. The event, inspired by the NBC show "America's Got Talent," is set for 7 p.m. at the Albritton-Mayer Center...

The annual talent show at Jackson Homecomers reveals homegrown talent each year, but 2009 was a banner year for entertainment. Six acts were invited to perform at the Mid-South Fair Youth Talent Contest in Southaven, Miss., in September. "That's an unusual number," said the talent show director Linda Penzel. Every act that performed in the 13 to 21 senior division Friday night was invited to the fair...

Missouri hunter education courses announced The Missouri Department of Conservation will conduct two hunter education courses at the Cape Girardeau Nature Center before the fall firearms season. Students younger than 16 are required to bring proof of age. ...

Neal E. Boyd comes to Barnes & Noble Neal E. Boyd, Sikeston, Mo., native and winner of last year's "America's Got Talent," will sign copies of his new CD "My American Dream" from 1 to 4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers. SEMO Iris Society holds annual auction and sale...

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- As members of an elite group of Navajo Marines approach their 90s, they know there's little time left to tell the story about how they used their native language to confound the Japanese during World War II. Their vision for a venue to tell those stories, including the years in which they kept their role a secret, is closer to reality. Chevron Mining Inc. recently donated 208 acres of land to the association for a museum and veterans center...

WAUSAU, Wis. -- A central Wisconsin man accused of killing his 11-year-old daughter by praying instead of seeking medical care was found guilty Saturday of second-degree reckless homicide. Dale Neumann, 47, was convicted in the March 23, 2008, death of his daughter, Madeline, from undiagnosed diabetes. ...

NEW YORK -- The central terminal at New York's LaGuardia Airport was evacuated Saturday morning after a man entered the building with a fake bomb in a bag, police said. The scare was over in a few hours, but it disrupted travel plans for thousands of people as flights were postponed and vehicle traffic to the airport was briefly halted. Delays also rippled across the country as airlines adjusted their schedules...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran began its first trial of the postelection crisis Saturday, a mass court case against more than 100 activists and protesters accused of plotting a "velvet revolution" to topple clerical rule. Some of the most prominent politicians of the pro-reform movement, including a former vice president, were among the defendants brought before the court in gray prison uniforms. A number of them delivered confessions, according to the Iranian media...

BAGHDAD -- A bomb hidden inside a toilet struck a Sunni mosque south of Baghdad on Saturday, injuring two people, according to Iraqi police, the latest in a wave of attacks against Islamic sites of worship. A series of bombings targeted Shiite mosques a day earlier during Friday prayers in Baghdad, killing at least 29 people...

TBILISI, Georgia -- Authorities in the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia said Saturday that two mortar shells had fired into the territory from Georgia proper, and Russia quickly warned that it might retaliate. Georgia denied the claim and accused Russia and South Ossetia of provocation before the first anniversary of Georgia's short but fierce war with Russia last summer...

WASHINGTON -- Future economic prosperity depends on building a new, stronger foundation and recapturing the "spirit of innovation," President Barack Obama says. "Innovation has been essential to our prosperity in the past, and it will be essential to our prosperity in the future," Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address...

Home decorators who once would have dropped thousands of dollars on designer furniture are now, in a down economy, looking at inexpensive, self-assembly pieces from big-box stores as a jumping-off point for more custom designs. Many people feel like they are "losing touch with how to build things," said Eric Wilhelm, founder and CEO of the website Instructables.com....

Jerry Finley Jerry Raymond Finley, 71, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Scott City, died Thursday, July 30, 2009. He was born Jan. 20, 1938, in Scott City, to Oliver Thomas and Myrtle "Fern" Stephens Finley. He and Julie Ann Ivester were married Oct. 20, 1984, in Commerce, Mo...

Mack Spitzmiller ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mack Spitzmiller, 65, of Advance was born Jan. 6, 1944, at Perkins, Mo., son of William and Kitty Welch Spitzmiller, and passed away July 31, 2009, at his home. Mack had been a truck driver most of his life. He had owned and operated his own truck. He retired from Advance Transport. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Advance and the Advance Masonic Lodge, 32nd Degree Mason. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy...

Doris Welker Mrs. Doris Ladine Tucker Welker, 84, of Williamstown, Mo., died Friday, July 31, 2009, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill. She was born April 5, 1925, in Graham Hospital in Keokuk, Iowa, to Joseph Samuel (J.S.) and Daisy Elene Burford Tucker. She married Richard R. Welker on Jan. 30, 1946, in Wayland, Mo. He preceded her in death June 21, 1994...

25 years ago: Aug. 2, 1984 Area farmers tour the Biokyowa plant on Nash Road in the morning during the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce business-farm tour. Interviewing of hourly worker applicants for employment at the new Venture store in West Park mall will continue through tomorrow, says store manager Stanley Schmidt; the interviews are being conducted at the Arena Building; thus far, about 1,200 people have made application for employment...

Larry Patrick MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Larry William Patrick, 71, of Marble Hill died Friday, July 31, 2009, at his home. He was born Dec. 9, 1937, in Cape Girardeau to Leonard H. and Margaret Calhoun Patrick. He and Margaret Ann Brockmire Patrick were married Saturday, Jan. 7, 1961, at Cape Girardeau. She died Nov. 5, 1995...

Belma Hohler Belma Hohler, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Connie Laurentius was supposed to leave for a vacation with her husband July 25, but she pushed it back to participate in the scrapbooking event at Saint Francis Medical Center that day. Laurentius, who has been scrapbooking since 2005, always makes sure not to miss a meeting...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- It's not a bird. It's not a plane. For Fayetteville's Tony Hardin, though, it's his preferred way of flying. The powered parachute appears to most to be some sort of bicycle contraption. It weighs about 415 pounds with oil and fuel and can carry another 500 pounds of passenger weight. The parachute -- which sails 17 feet above the riders when in flight -- is 39.5 feet wide and 15 feet deep...

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee figures his young team will get all it can handle from the Redhawks' 2009-10 schedule that recently was finalized. The 11-game nonconference slate is highlighted by visits from Wisconsin-Green Bay, Southern Mississippi and Texas-Arlington...

Baseball Basketball Golf Soccer Swimming Tennis Triathlon Submit items by mail, fax or e-mail to be included in the calendar....

Swimmer Scott captures two firsts Susan Beth Scott of Cape Girardeau won the 50- and 400-meter freestyle events Friday at the Can Am Para Swimming Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. She touched the wall in 29.17 seconds to win the 50 and finished in 4:38.05 to win the 400. She beat Canada's Anne Polinario, the gold medalist at the Beijing Paralympics, in the 50. Her 400 time moved her into second in the world rankings...

Southeast Missouri is defined by its special people and special places. Many people know David Niswonger is a special person. He is recognized in the medical field as one of Missouri's first public health sanitarians and for his success as the administrator of Southeast Missouri Hospital. ...