Stories from Wednesday, September 28, 2011

ATLANTA (AP) -- With the season on the line, the Atlanta Braves couldn't get the final three outs. Now, they'll have the whole winter to ponder an unprecedented collapse. Braves closer Craig Kimbrel surrendered the tying run in the ninth, and Hunter Pence came through with a two-out, run-scoring single in the 13th to give the Philadelphia Phillies a 4-3 victory that ended Atlanta's season Wednesday night without a trip to the playoffs that looked like a certainty just a few weeks ago...

Carl G. Sontheimer died recently at the age of 83. Though he invented a device used in a NASA moon mission, not much press attention was given to his passing and you may not have ever heard of him. But if you have even a modest interest in cooking, you doubtless have heard of his most famous invention, because it revolutionized food preparation. Carl Sontheimer invented the Cuisinart...

The Cape Girardeau contractor accused of not paying two employees for their work during the Jackson High School addition project waived his right to a formal arraignment Tuesday. Contractor Larry McElroy of Blackhawk Electric Co. will appear in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court again Nov. 22. McElroy allegedly did not pay two employees for work completed on the project from December 2009 to February 2011, a Missouri Department of Labor news release said earlier this month...

The Cape Girardeau man who pleaded guilty to beating a man so severely police said the victim's blood was splattered on the walls of crime scene received a 20-year prison sentence Monday. Brandon Moss, 33, pleaded guilty last month to an assault that occurred March 20 in a home on Bloomfield Street. Moss' attorney Ted Liszewski declined to comment on the sentencing...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three Rivers College was awarded a $1.1 million federal grant Monday for the creation of a program that will help about 300 unemployed area residents open the door to a new career in health care. The funding is part of $500 million in grants announced by the U.S. ...

The 1500-block of Themis Street will close starting Monday, Oct. 3, for up to two weeks. Crews will be replacing an old sewer main in the area. The closure causes an unfortunate inconvenience for neighboring residents and Franklin School students, parents and staff. Student pick up and drop off will be routed in front of Franklin School, on Louisiana Street...

Clay Waller will change his plea to federal charges of making an Internet threat next week, according to court documents made public Tuesday. Earlier this month, Waller pleaded not guilty to threatening his sister-in-law on an online message board. Waller filed a motion Tuesday to change his plea Oct. 3, when his federal trial is supposed to begin...

The postal service is going broke, but it's not for the reasons people think, according to postal workers who lined Independence Street in front of the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau Tuesday afternoon. The United States Postal Service's financial problems are the result of it being the only federal government agency required to prefund its retiree health care benefits, said Audrey Humes, president of the Missouri Rural Letter Carriers' Association who works out of the Jackson post office...

Rearguard Falls is the last obstacle to the salmon migration up the Fraser River. Of over 2,000,000 eggs laid during the spawn, fewer than 1000 salmon will make the 800 mile migration from the Pacific back to their spawning grounds in eastern British Columbia. (yesterday I stated that Helmckhen Falls was in Nova Scotia. Helmcken Falls is in British Columbia, not Nova Scotia....mia culpa)...

Misty is 8 weeks old. She is available for adoption at The Humane Society of SEMO 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

MINER, Mo. -- A 22-year-old Sikeston, Mo., man is charged with attempted burglary after telling a maintenance worker at the Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores he wanted the keys to the stores in the mall because he intended to enter the stores after hours. ...

Jake the 11 week old Long Coat Chuhuahua on the move looking for wiggly toes to bite.

This is Jake a 11 week old Long Coat Chihuahua. He loves attacking his duck and toes.

Call it the smoke-detector method: A consulting firm hired by Cape Girardeau officials is using smoke to detect deficiencies in more than 426,000 feet of city sewer lines to help better plan for major upgrades to the system. Crews with Wheaton, Ill.-based RJN Group have been working for more than a month on smoke testing sewer lines throughout the city, said Dan Hanner, RJN's field supervisor...

The Notre Dame volleyball team defeated Advance 25-15, 25-16.

A Cape Girardeau man accused of assault and armed criminal action had his request for bond reduction put on hold Tuesday. Seth Summers, 31, has been held at the Cape Girardeau County Justice Center on a $200,000 cash bond since an Aug. 28 shooting that left a man with a gunshot wound to the head. ...

French onion soup is a classic well suited for fall. The dark, rich broth and cheese-encrusted top are perfect for fending off a chilly evening. For our version, we added a few more members of the onion family (leeks and shallots), a handful of herbs, as well as the earthiness of mushrooms. If you'd like to keep it vegetarian, you can swap out the beef and chicken broths for vegetable broth...

NEW YORK -- Stocks rose broadly Tuesday on hopes that Europe was moving closer to resolving its debt crisis. The Dow Jones industrial average closed up 146, giving up about half of its gains from earlier in the day. Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel said her country would do whatever it could to help Greece regain investors' confidence. ...

Since the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau opened its doors in 1990, it has been home to 1,344 veterans. This 150-bed facility provides superior long-term skilled nursing care for our aging and disabled American heroes in a homelike atmosphere. It also provides significant economic impact with a payroll of over $5 million...

While the rain Sunday might may have changed a few outdoor plans, by and large the weather lately has been incredible. The heat and humidity we've come to expect from a summer in Southeast Missouri has given way to more fall-like temperatures. With the changing of seasons, now is the time to enjoy some outdoor activities...

PRESIDENT Obama and Warren Buffett, if you think you're not paying enough in taxes, then please, write a check. Don't change the whole tax code just because you want to pay more. We don't need to. Get your pen out. I heard you say it recently, you've got your pen ready. Write a check, pay more taxes...

The ongoing Republican presidential debates are doing little other than to provide campaign fodder for the Democrats. Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- once a front-runner -- has stumbled himself to the middle of the pack while Herman Cain has proved himself a force with which to be reckoned...

O Lord Jesus, may our faith in you be evident to the world by our love for others. Amen.

October is National Long-Term Care Residents' Rights Month, a time to acknowledge the contributions and sacrifices many long-term care residents have made to better our community and to call attention to the rights of residents in long-term care facilities. ...

On our return trip from Colorado, we stopped at Gothenburg, Neb., to visit an original Pony Express station. I had been there many years ago, and I thought our children might enjoy it as I did at their age. Of all of the interesting artifacts in the station, I found a cookbook tucked away on a shelf. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A new $68 million federal courthouse was dedicated Tuesday in Missouri's capital city in honor of former U.S. senator Kit Bond, who helped secure the money for the project. The new courthouse overlooks the Missouri River from a bluff that once held the foundation of the Missouri State Penitentiary, which had been the oldest continuously operated prison west of the Mississippi River. ...

WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold an open-house public meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss a long-term solution for Route T at Lake Wappapello. The briefing will be held at the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center at 10992 Route T in Wappapello...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Betty Lingle, 86, of Dongola died Monday, Sept. 26, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Dongola. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with Gerald Cowan officiating. Burial will be in Christian Chapel Cemetery...

Raymond and Helen Sheets of Cape Girardeau are honored at First Baptist Church as Sunday School Sweethearts and for their years of service to the church. The congregation of Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel holds its annual outdoor worship celebration at County Park South; special music is provided by guitarists Roger and Gail Karlish and pianist Irma Pott...

Leonard Dunning Jr., 84, of Delta died Monday, Sept. 26, 2011, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. He was born Dec. 9, 1926, in Dupo, Ill., to Leonard A. and Lucille Williams Dunning Sr. He and Betty Jo Gilder were married May 22, 1948, at Delta. She died May 29, 2009...

Gladys Myrtle Hahs Deye, 95, of Emporia, Kan., went to her heavenly home Monday, Sept. 26, 2011. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday, followed by a service at 10:30 a.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church, 1101 Neosho Street, Emporia. Burial will be in Zion Lutheran Cemetery in Olpe, Kan...

A memorial service for retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Noel John Fischer, 89, of Auburn, Ala., was Sept. 23, 2011, at First Presbyterian Church of Auburn. The Rev. Frank Covington officiated. Noel was born in Elmwood, Neb., to Luella and John Fischer...

Pierre LeRoy Avance, infant son of Morgan Tate and Curtis Avance Jr. of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. He is survived by his parents; a sister, Kimora Avance of Cape Girardeau; a brother, Demarius Tate of Cape Girardeau; maternal grandparents, Carol Whitehead of Cape Girardeau and Herb Tate of Jackson; and paternal grandparents, Darlene Avance and Curtis Avance Sr. of Haywood City, Mo...

BENTON, Mo. -- Hannah Elizabeth Hensley, infant daughter of Alan Michael and Jennifer Suzanne McDonough Hensley, died Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center in Killeen, Texas. She was born Sept. 24, 2011, in Killeen. She is survived by her parents; paternal grandparents, Toney Hensley and Debbie Johynson of Benton; maternal grandparents, Trisha McDonough and Jim Jr. ...

William Rufus Ruark, 82, of East New Market, Md., passed away Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, at Dorchester General Hospital. He was born Sept. 22, 1928, in Bishops Head, Md., son of Ashland A. Ruark and Rosa Jane "Janie" Parks Ruark Bloodsworth. Rufus enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 1948. He served in the Korean conflict as a paratrooper in an Airborne Regimental Combat Unit...

Marjorie M. Meystedt, 96, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at The Lutheran Home. She was born Aug. 9, 1915, in Clarkton, Mo., to William Carroll and Birdie Belle Skaggs Henson. She and Fred A. Meystedt were married Aug. 23, 1932, in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. He died Nov. 26, 1970...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Lillian Hester Elliott, 89, of Advance passed away Sept. 26, 2011, at Advance Nursing Home. She was born Sept. 12, 1922, in Sank, Mo., daughter of John Monroe and Vallie Albertine Shell Null. She married Eldon Liley, then married Bert Elliott. Both preceded her in death...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Katherine L. Williams, 75, of East Cape Girardeau, formerly of Pulaski County, Ill., died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at her home, surrounded by her family, which she truly loved. She was born July 4, 1936, in Mounds, Ill., to John R. and Iva Mae Seals Williams...

Son to Chris Lee Estep and Amanda Nicole Hurst of Oran, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 7:34 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, 2011. Name, Jaxon Thomas. Weight, 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Hurst is the daughter of Ronnie Hurst and Rhonda Hurst of Oran. She is a teacher at TLC Preschool. Estep is the son of Ramona Estep of Greenville, Mo. He is a firefighter and is also self-employed...

Route PP in Scott County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews assess and repair damages to the bridge caused by a dump truck hitting it Tuesday morning. The bridge is located between County Road 207 and the east outer road bridge over Interstate 55. ...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department reported the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

BEIRUT -- Once-peaceful Syrian protesters are increasingly taking up arms to fight a six-month military crackdown, frustrated that President Bashar Assad remains in control while more than 2,700 demonstrators are dead, analysts and witnesses say...

WASHINGTON -- That dead NASA satellite fell into what might be the ideal spot -- part of the southern Pacific Ocean about as far from large land masses as you can get, U.S. space officials said Tuesday. New U.S. Air Force calculations put the 6-ton satellite's death plunge early Saturday thousands of miles from northwestern North America, where there were reports of sightings. Instead, it plunged into areas where remote islands dot a vast ocean...

All the scores from Tuesday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

A look at news from around the world of Southeast Missouri State athletics

ST. LOUIS -- The advertising theme for the St. Louis Blues this season is "Don't Stop Believing." The plea is appropriate. The front office and the loyal fan base still are awaiting results from a roster built around the high draft picks from a few years ago...

HOUSTON -- The St. Louis Cardinals are tied with Atlanta for the NL wild-card lead, getting a tiebreaking two-run triple from Ryan Theriot in the seventh inning of a 13-6 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. The sliding Braves lost 7-1 to Philadelphia, sending the race for the NL's final playoff spot to the final day of the regular season. If the teams are tied after today's game, St. Louis will host a one-game playoff Thursday night...

The Dexter volleyball team defeated host Leopold 25-23, 21-25, 25-23 on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines -- Manila residents waded through waist-deep floodwaters and dodged flying debris Tuesday as a powerful typhoon struck the Philippines, killing at least 16 people and sending waves as tall as palm trees crashing over seawalls...

The eastbound U.S. 60 bridges near Dudley, Mo., are now open to traffic. Work to replace the U.S. 60 bridge over Lateral Ditch No. 2 in Stoddard County is underway. During construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction as necessary. Additionally, a 16-foot width restriction will be in place. Completion of the bridge over Lateral Ditch No. 2 is anticipated in late November. The projects are part of the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Preliminary figures on a new Florida law requiring drug tests for welfare applicants show that they are less likely than other people to use drugs, not more. One famous Floridian suggests that it's the people who came up with the law who should be submitting specimens...

Perryville senior Casey Hotop pitched the Pirates softball team to a pair of shutout victories last week. Hotop started the week with an 8-0 victory over crosstown rival St. Vincent. She struck out four and walked three over seven innings. The right-hander followed that with a 4-0 win over Kelly. She struck out six and walked one...

Route NN between County Road 840 and County Road 838 in Perry County will be closed while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a culvert pipe under the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will be performed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-275-6636...