Stories from Saturday, May 18, 2002

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Heavy rain that came down early Friday morning over a saturated Wayne County is rapidly heading towards the St. Francis River and is causing more flooding. It is predicted to push Wappapello Lake near, and perhaps over, its emergency spillway...

It doesn't take Central track coach Lawrence Brookins long to pinpoint the source of sprinter Vicki Wilson's speed. He looks no further than the boys' track and field school records. On the list is Richard Wilson, Vicki's father, who has seen his record times in the 100 and 200 meters hold since 1971...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Kelly's Nathan Lewer finished second in the high jump Friday while Scott City's Loren Groves placed third in the shot put to highlight area performers during the first day of the Missouri Class 2A State Track & Field Championships...

COVINGTON, Ky. -- Every Sunday at precisely 10:45 a.m., the Rev. Frank Horton delivers his sermon at First United Methodist Church. Fifteen minutes later, he dashes in his robes four blocks across town to the pulpit at Ninth Street Methodist Church to deliver the same sermon...

Today The Youth Praise Band Festival will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Capaha Park Band Shell. The event will feature bands from area churches and is sponsored by Lynwood Baptist Church. Guests should bring lawn chairs. Impact 2002 youth rally from 6 to 10 p.m. ...

Barks Chapel sets Memorial Day service CRUMP, Mo. -- Barks Chapel will hold a Memorial Day service at 11 a.m. May 26 with the Rev. Jim Fulbright. Lunch will be served after the service. Nightly revival meetings to begin Father's Arms Fellowship in Scott City, Mo., will hold nightly revival meetings beginning at 7 p.m. Sunday and continuing through June 2...

When our triumphant athletic teams come home from state competition, it's often to parking lots full of cheering, adoring admirers. When the Central High School Scholar Bowl team rolled back into town this month after winning its first state competition, the school parking lot was eerily quiet...

How often we hear it from our doctors, the media and well-meaning friends: eat less, exercise more. Simple words, but not a simple solution. The Missouri Obesity Burden Report was released this week in Cape Girardeau, and all sorts of disturbing statistics tumbled out of it. ...

Cape Girardeau County Saturday, May 18 DWILisa A. Crites, 33, of Godfrey, Ill., was arrested May 10 for driving while intoxicated. Cecil W. Horton, 47, of Cape Girardeau, was arrested May 11 for driving while intoxicated. Eric J. Wright, 25, of Jackson, Mo., was arrested May 11 for driving while intoxicated...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, May 18 Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:At 9:06 p.m., an alarm sounding at 325 N. Sprigg. At 9:09 p.m., power lines down at 2100 William. Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: At 12:30 a.m., an alarm sounding at 2027 Broadway...

Cape Girardeau Saturday, May 18 ArrestsMark Ford Thurman, 31, 2811 Magnolia, was arrested Thursday for assault. Brenda Diane Hail, 35, 103 N. Clark, was arrested Thursday on a city warrant for failure to appear in court. Daniel Gene Sides, 23, 507 Cape Meadows Circle, was arrested Thursday on a city warrant for failure to appear in court...

Jealousy of Kennedy cousin cited in killing NORWALK, Conn. -- Kennedy cousin Michael Skakel felt his brother had stolen his girlfriend, a former classmate testified Friday, offering a possible motive for the 1975 slaying of Skakel's 15-year-old neighbor, Martha Moxley...

WASHINGTON Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark find their way to the Pacific Ocean, but she's having trouble finding her own way into the nation's cash registers. The image of the Shoshone Indian, Sacagawea, is featured on the struggling dollar coin that was launched with great fanfare and a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz just more than two years ago. It was supposed to be jingling in pockets and used in everyday transactions across the country by now...

WASHINGTON -- Two years before the Sept. 11 attacks, an analysis prepared for U.S. intelligence warned that Osama bin Laden's terrorists could hijack an airliner and fly it into government buildings like the Pentagon. "Suicide bomber(s) belonging to al-Qaida's Martyrdom Battalion could crash-land an aircraft packed with high explosives (C-4 and semtex) into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or the White House," the September 1999 report said...

The Indians will be the No. 1 seed for the OVC Tournament, which starts Wednesday and runs through Saturday in Paducah, Ky. Southeast will play the No. 6 seed at either 3 p.m. or 7 p.m. Wednesday. The opponent and time won't be determined until all of this weekend's games are completed...

Southeast Missouri State University will end the regular season this weekend, but at least some of coach Mark Hogan's attention has already moved to next week's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Indians (30-16, 14-4), the OVC regular-season champions, will play Morehead State in a three-game series in Morehead, Ky., with a noon doubleheader today and a single game at noon Sunday...

Historical group to take part in tourism meeting CLARKTON, Mo. -- The Clarkton Historical Society has been invited to take part in a conference Thursday on the campus of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Ark. Scott Harrison, society chairman, said he will be a guest panelist at the African-American Tourism Conference and talk about the efforts to restore the Birthright House in Clarkton as a cultural center. The Birthrights were former slaves who rose to prominence in Clarkton...

10 years ago: May 18, 1992 Contrary to popular opinion, government doesn't always expand; through number of personnel changes and reduced capital improvement plan, Cape Girardeau's proposed budget for 1992-93 fiscal year is 3 percent smaller than current budget; city council will study budget tonight, but won't take any action on document until next month...

ANNA, Ill. -- Donald E. Sronce, 51, of Anna died Thursday, May 16, 2002, at his home. He was born March 3, 1951, in Danville, Ill., son of Paul and Helen Young Sronce. Sronce had worked in the maintenance department at Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind. He was a member of Gospel Kingdom Church near Jonesboro, Ill...

Funeral for Alton Sutter of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, Mo. The Revs. Wesley Wright and Wiley McGhee will officiate. Burial will be in Puxico Cemetery, with full military rites conducted by the Veterans Honor Guard of Butler County...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Bob L. Summers, 48, of Marble Hill died Wednesday, May 15, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 28, 1953, in Chester, Ill., son of Robert Sylvester and Therese L. Colvis Summers. He and Helen Sue Rogers were married Nov. 30, 1974, in Bollinger County...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Leon R. Schwab, 68, passed away Thursday, May 16, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call today from 4 to 8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, followed by interment in Russell Heights Cemetery. The Rev. Robert Henrichs will officiate...

Oletha Kathleen "Kate" Slinkard, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, May 17, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born April 28, 1911, at Gravelton, Mo., daughter of James Milton and Emma Elizabeth Johnson Abernathy. She and John Andrew Slinkard were married April 19, 1933, at Fredericktown, Mo. He preceded her in death April 26, 1960...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Lela Powell Hunter Hart, 86, died Thursday, May 16, 2002, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 14, 1916, at Hough, Mo., daughter of Robert W. and Susie M. Woodward Hunter. She and Harry Thomas Hart were married Nov. 25, 1935. He died in 1963...

A front-page hero THERE ALWAYS seems to be a lot of bad news in Speak Out. I was so happy to see the front-page article on Robert Owens in the Sunday paper. It goes to show the 18-year-old deserved credit where credit is due. This young man should be awarded a gold medal. God bless, Robert. We all love you. You are a hero...

To the editor: The spring rain was pelting against the Hardee's window, and we were remembering rainy-day stories. No one recalls sunny-day stories. Bob Talley was one of five boys in school that year. His father had rented the McWilliams farm. And sometimes when they were away and sudden rains fell, the Talleys could not cross Hartle's Ford and return to their own house. Then they called upon the Penders, a couple who lived on the correct side of the crossing. The Penders were childless...

To the editor: I was raised in Southeast Missouri. More specifically, I'm a proud Chaffee Red Devil. However, Dallas is where I have resided for nearly 20 years. Home will always be Southeast Missouri. For Christmas, I give my grandmother, who turns 88 this year, a subscription to the Southeast Missourian. And I keep in touch with my roots by reading the Southeast Missourian online and thoroughly enjoy the opportunity...

To the editor: The Humane Society is to be commended. The recent open house evidenced the first-class organization that it is. The facility was very clean and odorless. The animals were also clean and in well-kept quarters. More so than these obvious externals were the attitudes of caring and service. In these times of fiscal austerity and responsibility, this organization should receive praise and congratulations from all of us. It is well-run and serves us all in an exceptional manner...

Al Bitterman has revved up his racing lawn mower's 20-horsepower engine to speeds of near 100 mph around Winston Cup tracks like Bristol, Atlanta and Lowe's Motor Speedway. Jamie Hall sat down with Al for 10 minutes Friday to discuss racing, "South Park" and the green, green grass of home.Q: What do you use to mow your lawn?...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon wants to abandon its policy of anthrax vaccinations for all troops and limit shots to those at the highest risk from the deadly virus, officials said Friday. A planned announcement of the new policy two weeks ago was delayed because of questions about how much vaccine American civilians might need in case of a bioterrorist attack...

The AssociatedPress ST. LOUIS -- Darryl Kile allowed two hits in seven innings as the St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to five, beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 Friday night. Fernando Vina's sacrifice fly off Scott Sullivan (3-1) snapped a seventh-inning tie for the Cardinals, who ended Cincinnati's four-game winning streak...

The AssociatedPress LOS ANGELES -- Commissioner Bud Selig claims 25 percent of major league teams could go out of business if the sport's economic system isn't changed. "I would say six to eight can't exist another year, another year and a half," Selig said during a meeting with editors and reporters of the Los Angeles Times. "We're talking about the immediate future. There's a lot of clubs that simply can't survive the status quo."...

ROME -- Roman Catholic bishops should avoid telling congregations their parish priests sexually abused someone if the bishops believe the priests will not abuse again, a Vatican official said. The Rev. Gianfranco Ghirlanda also said in an article to be published Saturday that church leaders have no legal or moral responsibilities if such abuse does occur...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian officials said Friday that Israel must pull back its troops and lift sweeping travel restrictions before they would hold an election that would require Yasser Arafat to face voters for the first time in six years. Israeli officials said the conditions meant Arafat, who is under growing pressure from abroad and at home to reform his corrupt government, is not serious about facing the voters...

LONDON -- Two fires broke out aboard a ferry carrying nearly 900 passengers in the North Sea off Scotland on Friday night, and several helicopters and ships were rushed there on a rescue mission. However, Princess of Scandinavia crew members extinguished fires in the engine room and the smokestack early Saturday morning without outside help, and no serious injuries were reported, said the Scandinavian owners of the vessel...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Jackson's municipal judge pleaded guilty Friday to driving while intoxicated, appearing in a Scott County courtroom only two days after being charged. J. Patrick O'Loughlin was cited May 4 after trying to avoid a sobriety checkpoint on U.S. 61 near Center Junction in Cape Girardeau. His blood alcohol content was 0.094. The legal limit in Missouri is 0.08...

The old Marquette Hotel building in downtown Cape Girardeau has made its second appearance on the 10 most endangered historic buildings list. The Marquette made its first appearance on the endangered list last year. This marks the third year of the endangered list compiled by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation. The 2002 list includes the Marquette and a deteriorating Kemper Military School at Boonville...

Flash flooding in the wee hours of Friday morning forced downtown Cape Girardeau bar patrons to abandon their drinks and rescue their cars. The streets became miniature whitewater rivers and manhole covers turned into temporary fountains, the pressure too much for the city's stormwater system to stand...

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- Twenty-two students at Oak Ridge High School discovered a way to save their school district thousands of dollars each year by cutting energy costs. With the help of technology teacher Wayne Bock, the students conducted a three-month energy audit of the district's four main buildings...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- During a year dominated by financial woes in which lawmakers were sideswiped by a new budget crisis every couple of weeks, it wouldn't have been surprising if few accomplishments came from the 2002 General Assembly. But when lawmakers headed home for the year after Friday's mandatory adjournment deadline, more priority legislation was on the governor's desk than in the waste bin...

Gumbel talks about divorce, 'Early Show' NEW YORK -- Exiting anchor Bryant Gumbel of CBS' "The Early Show" isn't sure how much his bitter divorce proceedings might have hurt him with the predominantly female morning audience. "I'm sure for some women it was a very big deal," Gumbel said in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters. ...

BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- Backed by U.S. air power, some 1,000 coalition troops spread out into mountainous eastern Afghanistan Friday to find and fight suspected al-Qaida or Taliban soldiers who had fired on an Australian patrol. Brig. Roger Lane, the top British commander in Afghanistan, said the targeted assembly of suspected al-Qaida or Taliban fighters in Paktia province was "a substantial enemy force," though he declined to give a number...

CAIRO, Egypt -- Osama bin Laden is alive and the future of the United States in Afghanistan is "fire, hell and total defeat," fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar was quoted as saying by a pan-Arab newspaper Friday. "We don't consider the battle has ended in Afghanistan ... The battle has begun and its fires are picking up. These fires will reach the White House, because it is the center of injustice and tyranny," Omar was quoted as saying by the London-based Asharq al-Awsat...

ST. LOUIS -- Darryl Kile is feels like he's a contributor. A 16-game winner last year, Kile won his second game of the season by allowing two hits in seven innings as the St. Louis Cardinals extended their winning streak to five, beating the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 Friday night...

Faced with crushing traffic congestion on southbound Interstate 55 at Cape Girardeau, state highway officials plan to change traffic flow on the Diversion Channel bridge and turn the shoulder of the road into a temporary driving lane. Missouri Department of Transportation officials announced the plan Friday afternoon even as vehicles backed up on southbound entrance ramps frustrating motorists caught in the gridlock...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Southwest Missouri State has received a $3 million gift to fund study chairs and scholarships -- the single largest one-time gift to the school. The donation from Tom and Wilma Strong of Springfield and their children will fund the Protestant Studies chair in the Religious Studies Department, a public affairs chair and graduate student scholarships in the College of Humanities and Public Affairs...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ethanol labels would be peeled off gasoline pumps under an agricultural bill sent to Gov. Bob Holden. Supporters of the bill say the yellow stickers that describe the 10 percent ethanol blend of some fuels are scaring motorists away and decreasing sales of the corn-based fuel additive...

DETROIT -- Age, teams and nationalities are about the only things that separate Steve Yzerman and Peter Forsberg. Yzerman is 37, plays for the Detroit Red Wings and is Canadian. Forsberg is 28, plays for the Colorado Avalanche and is Swedish. There are a lot more similarities between the centers, who will meet today in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Joe Louis Arena...

CLEVELAND -- Paul Byrd became the AL's second seven-game winner, pitching the Kansas City Royals past the Cleveland Indians 6-2 Friday night for Tony Pena's first victory as manager. Pena, who was named Royals manager Wednesday, won at the ballpark where he had one of his greatest moments as a player -- a game-winning homer in the 13th inning of Game 1 of the 1995 AL division series against Boston...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Jose Canseco claims 85 percent of major league baseball players are taking steroids. "There would be no baseball left if they drug-tested everyone today," he said Friday during an interview with Fox Sports Net. Canseco, who announced his retirement earlier in the week, refused to say if he took steroids...

Brewers rookie leads win over Cubs MILWAUKEE -- Glendon Rusch pitched seven strong innings, and rookie Alex Sanchez hit a bases-loaded triple as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 6-2 Friday night to win a matchup of the NL's worst teams. The Brewers (13-29) have won just four of 12, and all four have come against the Cubs (13-26), who have dropped a season-high eight consecutive games...

LOS ANGELES -- Having ended Houston's four-year reign as WNBA champions last season, Lisa Leslie and the Los Angeles Sparks' next goal is a few more titles of their own. Especially since some people think the Sparks' first championship was a fluke...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The same theme kept coming up all through practice for the Indianapolis 500: Don't do anything stupid. "I was probably a little too cautious, but I'd rather be safe than sorry on this," Donnie Beechler said Friday. With temperatures hovering in the low 50s and brisk winds sweeping across the 2 1/2-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, it was not a great day to build speed for Sunday's final round of qualifying for the race May 26...

BALTIMORE -- Six weeks ago, War Emblem's owner and trainer didn't think he was good enough to run in the Kentucky Derby. Bob Baffert disagreed. So he acquired War Emblem on April 11, won the Derby with him 23 days later, and now has the speedy black colt in position to win the Preakness Stakes today...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- While the Los Angeles Lakers were sweeping the Sacramento Kings out of last season's playoffs, Chris Webber limped on two sprained ankles. Webber silently promised to learn from the experience, and the chance to use those lessons will come when the Kings meet the Lakers on today in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals...

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- University of Missouri president Manuel Pacheco, responding to Gov. Bob Holden's decision to withhold state money from higher education, told curators Friday that they likely will be asked to raise tuition for the second time since March...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Public schools and libraries would have to take more steps to prevent young people from looking at objectionable Internet sites under a bill headed to Gov. Bob Holden's desk. The measure, which was part of a larger utility bill, was given final approval Friday on a 28-2 Senate vote. The bill had passed the House earlier and it would go into effect immediately if the governor signs it...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers passed legislation Friday intended to boost the battle against computer and sex crimes and cleared up a mistake by restoring a ban on bestiality. The bill, given final approval by an announced 117-4 House vote, allows the Missouri State Highway Patrol to establish an office devoted to fighting computer crimes...

PALATINE, Ill. -- Police were holding two suspects Friday in the unsolved 1993 killings of seven people at a suburban Chicago restaurant, renewing interest in a case marked by well-publicized leads that later fizzled out. One of the men made a videotaped confession, according to numerous media outlets who all cited unnamed sources...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A small town police chief who was the only survivor of a 1991 sniper rampage that killed four people has been convicted of sex offenses involving a 9-year-old girl. Russell Borts, 39, the police chief of Jamestown in mid-Missouri, was convicted Wednesday of statutory sodomy and attempted child molestation. The case was moved from Moniteau County to Boone County on a change of venue...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill that would have committed state money to stadium projects in St. Louis and Kansas City officially died Friday when it failed to come up for debate in the Missouri House. In response, Cardinals owners quickly said they are looking for a new home outside of downtown St. Louis...