Stories from Thursday, October 22, 2009

A Dunklin County criminal case that has gathered widespread attention and prompted action by the NAACP is now in Stoddard County court. The incident that prompted charges against Heather Renae Ellis, now 24, of Kennett, Mo., began on Jan. 6, 2007 at the Kennett Wal-Mart...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Farmers in about two-thirds of Missouri's counties, including Scott and Stoddard counties, may be eligible for aid because of a federal disaster declaration for water and wind damage. Gov. Jay Nixon said Thursday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared a disaster as a result of rain, winds and flooding that occurred between Feb. 1 and July 31...

MINER, Mo. - A routine traffic stop in Miner led to the discovery of an alleged methamphetamine lab and five arrests by Sikeston and Miner police officers. At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Miner police officer Jason Hammontree and Lt. Stephen Chamberlain noticed a vehicle with no license plate light and initiated a traffic stop, according to Miner Police Chief Roger Moore. ...

A domestic disturbance sparked a car chase through downtown Cape Girardeau Thursday afternoon. A 19-year-old Cape Girardeau woman led the chase after police tried to arrest her, said Cpl. Adam Gleuck, spokesman for the police department...

Since Commercial Mail Services went out of business in mid-August, Cape Girardeau County has handled mailing its tax bills, personal property assessment forms and other mail.

The Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge will be reduced to a single lane of traffic next week while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make routine repairs. The work will begin at 8 a.m. Monday, weather permitting, and will continue until 4 p.m. Thursday...

On October 21st as a hunter was making his way to hunt, Donna Davis was found. She was on a gravel road not far from Clearwater Lake. I interveiwed the daughter who lives out of town and she stated through her tears, "I don't understand why she could not be found? God I wish I could have found her and saved her." She told me that there were many people that have helped and that their suport and love and concern has meant the world to her. ...

The owner of the now-closed Royal N'Orleans restaurant in Cape Girardeau faces felony charges for failing to pay sales tax and passing bad checks. Derek S. Miller, 24, of Jackson, waived a preliminary hearing in two criminal cases Wednesday during an appearance before Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp. ...

Steps from River Campus down to the river in Cape

Armed with stickers and suckers, four nurses waited as first-graders lined up for their vaccines in the nurses office at Delta Elementary School. "She's going to squirt just a little bit up your nose," said Linda Doerge, as the first student stepped up.

Trinity is a unique dog who really does not care if I dress her up, paint her toenails and put bracelets on her. I tell everyone she is my Diva. She partied in her outfit at the K-9 Halloween party last Saturday with all kinds of other canines in their costumes. Fun was had by all, thanks to the K-9 training center and all their staff!...

Deer mating season is underway, and that could mean an unexpected trip to the automobile repair shop if motorists aren't careful.

During School Bus Safety Week, Meyer Bus Lines held bus evacuation drills to prepare students for what they need to do in case of a bus accident or emergency.

The Notre Dame Bulldogs are heading back to the final four with new players, new roles and new jerseys. But one thing remains the same -- they bunt, slap and run like crazy. "Using speed and putting pressure on the other team is the key," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "They are high school girls, they are going to make mistakes. We want to keep pushing it."...

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

With cold season, seasonal flu and H1N1 flu to worry about, there's no need to panic over the increase in rabies cases across Missouri. But an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. Missouri's public health veterinarian, Dr. Howard Pue, said there have been 55 cases of rabies in the state through September, a number that usually equals the total for an entire year...

My first-ever letter to the editor was the result of an editorial cartoon that unfairly besmirched the industry in which I was employed. That began my love-hate relationship with editorial cartoons. They can be exaggerated and distorted as well as ironic and satirically humorous. One would like to think most opinion pieces are well studied and fairly presented. However, opinions reflect an agenda, and in our country opinions and agendas should be freely expressed...

Smoking right; Hard to get help; Hard to believe; Home defense; Inconvenient work

Funeral service for Gary Ralph Brown, 57, of Lincoln, Ala., was held Monday at Quattlebaum Funeral Chapel in Roanoke, Ala. Burial was in Randolph Memory Gardens. Mr. Brown died Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009, at his home. Survivors include his wife, Vicki Pike Brown of Lincoln; two daughters, Dixie Sumners and Misty Brown of Lincoln; two sons, Keith Davenport Brown and Bryan David Brown of Missouri; a sister, Brenda Davis of Missouri; a brother, Dewayne Brown of Cape Girardeau; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.. ...

Rex Allen Henson, 86, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 2, 1922, in Poplar Bluff, to Matthew W. and Ivah Sanders Henson. He and Myra Lee Tinsley were married June 2, 1946, at Poplar Bluff...

PATTON, Mo. -- Lindell Franklin "Bud" James, 73, of Marble Hill, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 5, 1936, at Mayfield, Mo., son of Dave and Oma Jones James. He and Mary Sterns were married Oct. 30, 1960...

Stephen D. Whaley, 62, of Jackson passed away Monday, Oct. 19, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 26, 1946, in Kingman, Ariz., to Donald and Maxine Meehan Whaley. He was a 1965 graduate of Mohave County Union High School...

25 years ago: Oct. 22, 1984 Vice President George Bush tells an enthusiastic crowd at Southeast Missouri State University in the morning that President Ronald Reagan was clearly the winner in yesterday's final presidential debate with Democratic hopeful Walter Mondale; about 600 people participate in an "Ask George Bush" session...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Charles Raymond Anderson, 72, of Cairo, formerly of Mounds, Ill., died Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, at Heartland Care Center in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Shiloh Baptist Church in Villa Ridge, Ill., with the Rev. Larry Miller officiating...

TAMMS, Ill. — Mary Fitzgerald of Saginaw, Mich., formerly of Alexander County, Ill., died Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, in Saginaw. Jones Funeral Home in Tamms is in charge of arrangements.

Beverlee J. Malone, 50, of Jackson died Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, at her home. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

By Dr. J. Russell Felker The passing of Dr. Bill Terry reminds us of his remarkable life. Bill was chief of staff at Southeast Missouri Hospital, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Medical Society, prolific surgeon and medical innovator in his 25 years of practice. He established Cape Girardeau Urology Associates, a medical practice that has endured for over 30 years and now includes seven urologists. The practice has thrived in large part due to his founding principles...

WASHINGTON -- The Midwest is starting to see a comeback in manufacturing and technology. Home sales are rising in parts of the Northeast. But states like Florida, Nevada and California, still suffering from the housing bust, remain depressed. The economy's tentative recovery is occurring in pockets around the country, with some states and cities starting to rebound while neighboring areas still struggle, two government reports showed Wednesday...

WASHINGTON -- Hitting a 14-month low against the euro, the sinking dollar renewed concerns Wednesday about higher oil prices and other inflationary threats. A lower dollar can help U.S. manufacturers by making their exports cheaper for foreigners to buy. It also benefits factories in China, which pegs its currency to the dollar. But a weakening dollar hurts European businesses because their goods become relatively more expensive...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri leaders say they don't place much stock in annual college rankings such as those touted by U.S. News & World Report, which recently dropped the flagship campus out of its Top 100. They also realize that rankings influence reputation. And reputation influences everything from research grants to faculty and student recruitment...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis suburb of Clayton is considering limits on people who keep flocks of hens in their backyards, and the city of St. Louis is poised to outlaw roosters -- a backlash against urbanites who raise chickens. Columbia, too, is mulling new regulations on backyard poultry...

The Southeast Missourian continues to introduce you to local National Merit semifinalists who scored big on the PSAT. Out of more than 1.5 million juniors who took the test in 2008, 16,000 were named semifinalists. They will now compete for finalist standing by taking the SAT and submitting an application and recommendations -- with the hope of winning a scholarship. ...

Friday "Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," Rated PG-13 @ Cape West 14 Cine "Good Hair," Rated PG-13 @ Cape West 14 Cine "Astro Boy," Rated G @ Cape West 14 Cine "Saw VI," Rated R @ Town Plaza Cinema "Paranormal Activity," Rated R @ Cape West 14 Cine...

Two more area school districts have closed because of illness. Both the East Carter and Greenville school districts will be closed until Monday, when administrators hope to return with normal attendance levels. School and health officials in Wayne and Carter counties say they have seen an increase in sickness this week, but the majority of cases have been mild...

SWIFTWATER, Pa. -- The federal government originally promised 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine by now. Only 13 million have come through. Production is running several weeks behind schedule, and health officials blame the pressure on pharmaceutical companies to crank it out along with the ordinary flu vaccine, and a slow and antiquated process that relies on millions of chicken eggs...

Cape Girardeau: Arrests; Thefts; Miscellaneous; Jackson: Burglary; Miscellaneous

Malone; Juarez; Mauk; Thiele

For medical breakthroughs and other miracles, we give thanks, O God. Amen.

An article in Tuesday's Southeast Missourian should have reported that the police department anniversary celebration is at 6 p.m. today at Bedell Performance hall. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

Oct. 22, 2009 Dear Leslie, The Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian estimated the number of guitar players in Nashville at 1,352. "And anyone that unpacks his guitar could play twice as better than I will," he sang. Sebastian low-balled the right number by a considerable amount but captured the insecurity of striving to survive in a place awash in talent. In these parts most everybody knows a musician who made it, is trying to make it or doesn't hope to make it in Nashville anymore...

All the local high school action from Wednesday that was reported to the Southeast Missourian.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell University and six other institutions will use a $12.2 million federal stimulus grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a Facebook-style professional networking system to link biomedical researchers across the country...

Halloween has morphed into a gore fest that has children as young as 6 unleashing their inner monsters in ultraviolent costumes -- blood-smeared chain saws and spiked killing gloves sold separately. Options include Leatherface from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," Jason ("Friday the 13th"), Freddy ("A Nightmare on Elm Street") and Michael Myers ("Halloween"). Costume sizes can run so small that many wearers might be too young to have seen the slasher movies under film industry guidelines...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration plans to order companies that received huge government bailouts last year to sharply cut the compensation of their highest paid executives, according to a person familiar with the decision. The seven companies that received the most assistance will have to cut the annual salaries of their 25 highest-paid executives by an average of about 90 percent from last year, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it has not been announced...

WASHINGTON -- Despite promises by President Barack Obama, more than 70 million Americans who have health insurance through their jobs could be open to higher costs or denials of some coverage under a leading overhaul plan making its way through Congress...

Did you know you can create some spooky sounds by using a hex nut and a balloon? Materials: Instructions: STEP 1: Push the hex nut through the small opening of the balloon. STEP 2: Blow up the balloon and tie off the opening...

PHILADELPHIA -- Powered by Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and all those other big bats, the Philadelphia Phillies are headed back to the World Series. Werth hit two home runs, Shane Victorino and Pedro Feliz also connected and the defending champions beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to win their second straight NL pennant...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Two years ago, Danario Alexander beat out future NFL first-round draft pick Jeremy Maclin for a starting wide receiver spot at Missouri. Then he broke his wrist. As a senior, and after four operations for various injuries, the often-injured Alexander finally has emerged as a go-to player who'd make Maclin proud...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, with doctors removing bone chips and trimming bone spurs. He is expected to make a full recovery in time for next season. Dr. James Andrews, who performed the operation in Birmingham, Ala., said Pujols would not require ligament reconstruction. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Woes at wide receiver prompted the St. Louis Rams to trade starting linebacker Will Witherspoon for an Eagles backup with no career receptions. That puts the heat on Donnie Avery, who'll try to shake off a bruised hip and get back on the field this week against the unbeaten Colts...

KABUL -- Afghan authorities plan to close thousands of polling stations and hire new poll workers to discourage the fraud that tarnished the August presidential election and forced a runoff set for Nov. 7, U.N. officials said Wednesday. President Hamid Karzai's rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah, announced Wednesday he was ready to contest the runoff, a day after the incumbent acknowledged under intense U.S. ...

BEIJING -- After she refused a corrupt cop's demand that she turn her teahouse into an illegal casino, three thugs beat Chen Yanling with electric batons, sending her to the hospital for nearly a month. Chen is now getting some vicarious revenge, joining the throngs outside a courthouse where modern-day China's biggest, most lurid mob trials are underway...

Honors, achievements Casey Hinkebein and Leni Fluegge, both of Jackson, were appointed presidential ambassadors at Southeast Missouri State University. Ambassadors are student representatives who assist the president with greeting visitors and dignitaries...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is calling for an overhaul of college programs that prepare teachers, saying they are cash cows that do a mediocre job of preparing teachers for the classroom. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called for "revolutionary change" in these programs, which prepare at least 80 percent of the nation's teachers...

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When Derek Jeter recalls the last time the New York Yankees got this close to the World Series, he gets chills down his spine that have nothing to do with the cold he's fighting. "If you have the opportunity to get something over with, you'd like to do it," the New York captain said. "It's not always going to happen."...

WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department today is expected to order seven companies that have not paid back last year's U.S. government bailouts to halve their top executives' average compensation. The cuts apply to the 25 highest-paid executives at banks and other companies that received the most assistance, with salaries being slashed by as much as 90 percent, according to a person familiar with the matter...

WASHINGTON -- The Treasury Department today is expected to order seven companies that have not paid back last year's U.S. government bailouts to halve their top executives' average compensation. The cuts apply to the 25 highest-paid executives at banks and other companies that received the most assistance, with salaries being slashed by as much as 90 percent, according to a person familiar with the matter...

NEW YORK -- A private forecast of economic activity rose for the sixth straight month in September, a sign the economy will keep growing next year. The Conference Board said today that its index of leading economic indicators rose 1 percent last month after a 0.4 percent gain in August. Wall Street economists expected an increase of 0.8 percent last month, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters...

WASHINGTON -- The Democrats' control of a hefty majority in the Senate -- plus the House -- would suggest that President Barack Obama is within reach of overhauling the nation's health care system this fall. But the numbers mask a more complicated reality: Obama and Democratic leaders have modest leverage over several pivotal Senate Democrats who are more concerned about their next election or feel they have little to lose by opposing their party's hierarchy...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says it is dropping plans to create statewide math exams for "integrated math" curriculums. Integrated math offers a sequence of courses that teaches some algebra, geometry and higher math in the first year, followed by more complex concepts the next three school years...

Dexter's school administration learned Tuesday that based upon preliminary information from the Annual Performance Report which measures 14 performance criteria by the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education, the district should be presented with the state's top award of Academic Distinction in Performance...

A Richland High School junior suffered serious injuries in a crash Wednesday afternoon, the Dexter Daily Statesman reported. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report site, Bradley G. Lane, 16, of Essex, was traveling westbound on Highway 114 about two miles west of Essex at about 3:30 p.m. when his 1992 Chevrolet ran off the right side of the road and struck a culvert...

The Southeast Missouri State University River Campus will host a celebration of 150 years of the Cape Girardeau Police Department starting at 5 p.m. The program includes a reception starting at 5 p.m., a talk about police department history by Dr. Frank Nickell at 6 p.m., recognition of fallen officers and past police chiefs at 7 p.m., and a talk about the Timothy Krajcir case by Lt. Paul Echols...

SIKESTON -- Red ribbons affixed to poles and other places around schools this week and next will pass along an important message to students -- to be drug free. "Everything we do during Red Ribbon Weeks instills values on how to make good choices in life," said Kristen Rapert, a counselor at Morehouse Elementary. "Although we're celebrating being drug free, it carries into the curriculum and character education."...

The Scott City Art Club, a 25-ember group of students from the Scott City High School, held a Pink Ribbon Run Monday to raise money for the American Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month. The students collected pledges per mile for three weeks and Monday, 16 -- including teacher and club sponsor Matt Miller -- ran a collective 118 miles for two and a half hours, while other club members assisted with food and water. ...