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Autopsy of Enron exec shows drugs
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
HOUSTON -- A former Enron Corp. executive had taken a pain reliever, an anti-depressant and a sleeping aid before he shot himself to death after the company's collapse, an autopsy report released Thursday said. The report said former Enron vice chairman J. Clifford Baxter shot himself in the right temple...
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Colombians walk, bike, skate during car-free day
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Millions of residents of the capital hiked, biked, skated or used buses and taxis Thursday during a "day without cars" that left the normally congested avenues of Bogota eerily devoid of traffic jams. The weather, which has been sunny and crisp in recent days, did not cooperate. Roiling gray clouds hovered over Bogota, perched 8,500 feet above sea level in an Andean plain, spitting out occasional rain showers...
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Search for 50 missing women leads to pig farm
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia -- Investigators probing the disappearances of 50 women searched a Vancouver-area pig farm Thursday amid speculation of a break in the case. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable Catherine Galliford said only that the site 22 miles east of Vancouver was of interest in the investigation in to the disappearances, which date back as far as 1984. The missing women's families were being contacted about the search, she said...
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Officials cite dramatic drop in lead exposure after cleanup
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JOPLIN, Mo. -- After a decade-long lead cleanup that included replacing soil in more than 2,400 residential yards, health officials say children in the southwest corner of Missouri are healthier for it. A survey of lead levels in the blood of Jasper County children shows dramatic improvement. About 2 percent of children tested recently had blood levels above the federal standard, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said Thursday...
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Judge orders West Plains woman to stay away from pets
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
WEST PLAINS, Mo. (AP) -- A southwest Missouri woman has been ordered to stay away from animals after pleading guilty to misdemeanor abuse charges. Martaun L. Middleton, 50, of rural West Plains admitted to 15 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse during an appearance Wednesday in Howell County Circuit Court. Under the plea agreement, three felony counts were reduced to misdemeanors and sentencing was deferred...
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Missouri House gives nod to honor original patriots
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House passed legislation Thursday designating April 19 as "Patriots Day" to mark the start of the American Revolution. Sponsoring Rep. Bill Boucher, D-Kansas City, said he wants school children to spend the day honoring the people who fought for the country's independence...
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Two-thirds of child support overpayment recovered
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon is considering whether to sue a state contractor because of a $1.2 million overpayment of child support checks late last year. The state child support office has recovered about two-thirds of the money errantly paid to custodial parents over the Thanksgiving holiday...
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Senator wants lawmakers to approve Missouri state soil
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Sen. David Klindt considers himself a down-to-earth type of guy. So much so that he is asking fellow lawmakers to designate "Menfro soil" as the official state soil of Missouri. Klindt, R-Bethany, sponsored legislation on Menfro soil a couple of years ago as a House member, but the bill never came to a vote. On Thursday, his proposal went before a Senate committee...
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Boonville hostage rescued after eight-hour standoff
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
BOONVILLE, Mo. -- An eight-hour hostage drama ended Thursday morning when police raided a house to rescue a woman and arrest her former boyfriend. Boonville Police Chief Jim Gholson said the hostage apparently suffered fractures of her jaw and each hand as well as abrasions and bruises. However, Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Greg Mason said the woman's injuries appeared minor...
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Lawmakers trade funding plans
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Democrats and Republicans disagreed Thursday about how best to apply the state's share of gambling revenues to education. Lawmakers from both parties offered plans they said would fund public schools most effectively. But each party said the other's plan would actually put less money into schools...
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Football player's carjacking ends with suspect's arrest
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JENNINGS, Mo. -- A starting offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens did the right thing when he chose not to confront armed robbers carjacking his SUV, police said Thursday. Bennie Anderson, 24, was in the St. Louis area visiting relatives Tuesday afternoon when the crime occurred. A shot was fired, but Anderson was not injured...
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What, where, when to watch Salt Lake City Olympics
(Professional Sports ~ 02/08/02)
Where and when to find what you want to watch on TV during the Salt Lake City Olympics, which open Friday and close Feb. 24 (all times EST; schedule subject to change): -- The hours, generally: NBC (4-5 p.m., 8-11:30 p.m., 12:05-1:35 a.m.); MSNBC (1-6 p.m.); CNBC (6 p.m. to midnight). NBC's prime-time show will be shown with a 3-hour delay on the West Coast...
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Blues make most of few shots, win 3-1
(Professional Sports ~ 02/08/02)
ST. LOUIS -- Keith Tkachuk scored two goals as the St. Louis Blues made the most of a season-low 14 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. The Blues got 27 saves from backup goalie Fred Brathwaite and won for the second time in six games. Although they didn't reach double figures in shots until about four minutes remained in the second period, they compensated with three goals in the first eight shots against Tommy Salo...
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Nigerian leader says bloodshed endangers reform
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo warned on Thursday that persistent bloodshed threatens the survival of democracy -- less than three years after the end of military rule in Africa's most populous nation. Obsanjo's comments about his country were made to legislators, and to visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair. ...
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Passenger who tried to enter jetliner cockpit halted with ax
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- A passenger tried to force his way into the cockpit of a United Airlines plane carrying 157 people Thursday on a flight from Miami but was subdued after the co-pilot hit him over the head with a small ax. Pablo Moreira, a banker from Uruguay, was restrained by the flight crew and later arrested by police after the flight landed as scheduled in Buenos Aires at 10:30 a.m. local time, said Judy Orihuela, an FBI spokeswoman in Miami...
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U.N. denounced
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian activists on Thursday criticized a U.N. report that called for helping victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident by shifting away from giving them direct subsidies and putting money into economic development. The study by four U.N. ...
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Reagan enjoys subdued 91st birthday celebration
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Reagan, the longest-living U.S. president, celebrated his 91st birthday at home with his family and was honored with a proclamation by the governor declaring it "Ronald Reagan Day" across California. Reagan spent his birthday with his wife, Nancy, and daughter Patti Davis, at his Bel-Air home. He had his favorite cake -- chocolate...
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Mobster's daughter gets divorce settled in court
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
NEW YORK -- Victoria Gotti, daughter of imprisoned mobster John Gotti, was granted a divorce from her scrap-dealer husband Carmine Agnello, who's serving a nine-year sentence on a racketeering and tax evasion conviction. Nassau County Judge Ira Raab granted the divorce Wednesday, Gotti attorney Stephen Gassman said Thursday...
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Senator to unite urban, rural interests
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In the Missouri General Assembly, bitter fights often erupt over differences of perspective or misunderstandings between urban and rural interests. Senator-elect Maida Coleman views herself as uniquely qualified to bridge that gap. A Sikeston native, Coleman will represent an inner-city St. Louis district in the Legislature...
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Central senate makes progress but still needs hosts
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
Members of Central High School's student senate are still struggling to find homes for hundreds of middle and high school students who will be in town March 14-16 for the Missouri Association of Student Councils' annual convention. Since December the senate has raised over $10,000 and found 700 families to open their doors for two to four students each...
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Life and clutter inside the Evening Light Mission
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
As a kid, Charlie Kent used to walk past the building at 234 Mill St. almost every day on his way to Washington Elementary School. Back then it housed a church where his late uncle, Leon Kent, preached. The building now is Charlie Kent's home and a warehouse for his antique store. The cavernous main room houses a collection of thousands of trinkets and unconventional collectibles the antique store owner has been accumulating since the 1970s...
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Collective bargaining suit gets rejected once more
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After a judge on Thursday refused to reinstate his lawsuit challenging a gubernatorial order on collective bargaining for state workers, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder vowed to appeal. Following a brief hearing in his chambers, Cole County Circuit Judge Thomas J. Brown III rejected a motion to reconsider his December ruling dismissing Kinder's case against Democratic Gov. Bob Holden...
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Report - Deep discounting helped boost January sales
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
NEW YORK -- Deep discounting lured consumers into the nation's stores last month, offering struggling retailers a brief respite from a sluggish sales trend. But while analysts said they see the sales gains announced Thursday as encouraging, they don't believe consumers are ready to splurge...
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Police say TV cameraman appeared to be gunman
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
HARTFORD, Conn.-- A seven-hour lockdown of the state Capitol complex was triggered when a film crew's camera was mistaken for a gun, Capitol police said Thursday. The crew was shooting footage for a cable TV show produced by the Connecticut Federation of Educational and Professional Employees. They had permission to be in the parking garage where one of the cameramen was spotted Wednesday afternoon, Gov. John G. Rowland said...
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Jennifer Lopez's voice needs pulsing beat to prop it up
(Entertainment ~ 02/08/02)
'J to Tha L-O! The Remixes' (Epic, $18.98) -- Jennifer Lopez Some people can carry a tune. But when it's Jennifer Lopez, the tune has to carry her. The entertainer soars or crashes depending on the track that's supporting her thin voice; that was made painfully clear on her sophomore album, "J. Lo," one of the worst discs of 2001...
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Langford was 'Sweetheart of the Fighting Fronts'
(Entertainment ~ 02/08/02)
JENSEN BEACH, Fla. -- Frances Langford's career was skyrocketing with every sweet note she sang. Then, World War II broke out and Langford, a recording artist, radio and movie star, joined Bob Hope on his overseas USO tours. "You forget about show business," says Langford, now 87. "We were there just to do our job, to help make them laugh and be happy if they could."...
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Avalanche kills four, traps 500 in Afghanistan
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
SALANG, Afghanistan-- Bent under heavy winds and laboring to breathe in the frigid, thin air, international teams on Thursday rescued about 500 people trapped by an avalanche of snow. Four people died. The avalanche roared down the Hindu Kush mountains Wednesday and blocked the Salang Tunnel, the world's highest at some 11,000 feet above sea level. The tunnel is on the principal route between Kabul and Afghanistan's north and is a key conduit for aid shipments...
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Brits aims to make immigrants speak English
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
LONDON -- Having spread English around the globe, Britain now wants to insist the language be spoken here by immigrants seeking citizenship. Home Secretary David Blunkett proposed an immigration overhaul Thursday that he said would tighten the rules without making the country a fortress against new arrivals...
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Games kick off with sentiment, patriotism, hope
(Professional Sports ~ 02/08/02)
SALT LAKE CITY -- They're back, amid snow-covered peaks and streets ringing with chants for the home team. They're back, in a country desperate for another "miracle," ready to wave the red, white and blue. They're back, this time in the land of American Indians and Mormons, rodeos and the Rockies...
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The skinny on Joey Cheek? He could help U.S. team contend
(Professional Sports ~ 02/08/02)
KEARNS, Utah -- The way Joey Cheek eats, it's a wonder he has any time for skating. The U.S. Olympian begins his day with a couple bowls of oats, several eggs and some fruit. At lunch, he moves on to a big helping of pasta, salad, soup, pizza and maybe a sandwich or two. For dinner, he'll look for the biggest steak on the menu and gobble up plenty of rice along with it...
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Tournament home game chances dim after Othakians' loss
(College Sports ~ 02/08/02)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The slide continues. Southeast Missouri State University's women suffered their fourth consecutive loss Thursday, a 79-72 setback to Morehead State that makes the Otahkians' chances even slimmer of earning a home game for the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament...
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Sykes finds his aim, guns down SE
(College Sports ~ 02/08/02)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Marquis Sykes is known more for passing than shooting. But Thursday night, it was the latter that helped keep Morehead State afloat in the first half while Eagles' star Ricky Minard struggled. And once Minard got going in the second half, the Eagles had more than enough to blow past visiting Southeast Missouri State University 91-75...
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Out of the past 2/8/02
(Out of the Past ~ 02/08/02)
10 years ago: Feb. 8, 1992 Cape Girardeau lawyer John L. Oliver Jr. is one of three people included on list of nominees for vacancy on Missouri Supreme Court; Oliver, fourth-generation lawyer, would become third Cape Girardeau County resident to serve on court if appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft...
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Kennett Jaycees' aim is covering every little foot
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
Daily Dunklin Democrat KENNETT, Mo. -- Each year, the Kennett Jaycees undertake a big feat: covering little feet. As far back as the 1960s, the Kennett Jaycees have bought shoes for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. The chairman of the shoe project this year is Jeff Crittendon...
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Kennett lab popular after school
(State News ~ 02/08/02)
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for one hour after school, students at Kennett Middle School can explore the world of computers. Students are allowed to use the Internet for school work, or they can play games on the Internet or on a CD-ROM. At times, several students can be found huddled around a game of virtual Monopoly. And students can use tutorials focused on scholastic areas such as math and language...
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Over my dead body 2/8
(Entertainment ~ 02/08/02)
These are the 10 songs Andrew Kenneth Thompson, 11 1/2, of Jackson, Mo., could not live without: 1. "Riding With Private Malone" -- David Ball I like war stuff. 2. "How Do You Like Me Now?" -- Toby Keith I like country music, and it sounds good...
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My legal career path, it seems, has taken an abrupt turn
(Column ~ 02/08/02)
Let's just say I'm always the last one to know any of the good stuff. As soon as last week's column was printed, I learned some vital information that might interest you. If you didn't read last week's column -- is that possible? -- it was all about how I'm going to take John Grisham to court for using my childhood in his book, "A Painted House," without consulting me or asking my permission...
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Winter games open in Utah with massive security effort
(Professional Sports ~ 02/08/02)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Now it's for real -- and it doesn't get any bigger than this. The Olympics open today with a ceremony that will produce tears and cheers for millions around the world. Behind it will be an even bigger production in rehearsal for months, a massive stone-faced security effort unprecedented in the history of sport...
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Nostalgia & Redemption - Neil Simon's 'Proposals' opens tonight
(Entertainment ~ 02/08/02)
Neil Simon's 1997 play "Proposals" is populated by variously estranged men and women who once meant something different to each other and have unanswered questions about how that happened. Anyone who goes to this memory play expecting an evening of laughter from Simon will be disappointed because he leavens the sweet with the bitterness of regret...
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Cheney's pacemaker passes routine hospital check
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Doctors found in a routine check of Vice President Dick Cheney's pacemaker Friday that the device has not yet been needed to correct any irregular heartbeat, a spokeswoman said. "After his routine checkup, the vice president was told by his doctor that all the news was very good. ...
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Two Palestinians killed in car explosion inside Israel
(International News ~ 02/08/02)
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Two Palestinians were killed Friday night when their car blew up just inside Israel, close to the border with the West Bank, police said. The police believe the two planned to cause a powerful explosion inside one of the nearby Israeli cities, police spokesman Yoram Zamir. It appears the bomb went off prematurely, he said...
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Ex-Enron chief Lay expected to testify next week
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- Although some of his former Enron colleagues took the Fifth Amendment, ex-chairman Kenneth Lay is expected to testify at a congressional hearing next week, Sen. Byron Dorgan said Friday. Lay has been subpoenaed to appear Tuesday before the Senate Commerce Committee to testify about Enron's bankruptcy, which cost investors billions and depleted the retirement accounts of thousands of workers...
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Central diver has title in sight
(High School Sports ~ 02/08/02)
Cecil Quinn has always had this thing about flipping. He used to do it on solid ground. And then, like a simple cake recipe, he added water. Voila! Quinn will perform in the diving competition at the Missouri State Swim Championships today and Saturday at the St. Peters Rec-Plex in St. Peters, Mo...
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Jackson spoils Central girls' farewell in 3 OTs
(High School Sports ~ 02/08/02)
A few lights may have to be replaced before they're turned out for good tonight. Playing their final home game Thursday at Cape Girardeau Central's Tiger Field House, the Lady Tigers played a three-overtime marathon against rival Jackson, falling 48-44...
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Oran defense handles EP, leads the way to 63-18 win
(High School Sports ~ 02/08/02)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- The Oran girls basketball team held East Prairie to single digits in every quarter Thursday on its way to a 63-18 win. Teresa Hodges and Courtney Fowler each had 10 points. Ashley Dirnberger and Tori St. Cin had 11. Jami Pobst played well also, leading the team with 15...
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Stocks higher Friday as investors bargain hunt
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
AP Business WriterNEW YORK (AP) -- Investors finally found a reason to go back to Wall Street Friday -- irresistible prices following five straight days of selling. Stocks posted solid gains, lifting the Dow Jones industrials up more than 100 points...
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Senate OKs subsidy cut for big farms
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to cut subsidies to big grain and cotton farms by capping government payments at $275,000 per operation. The 66-31 vote followed public disclosures about large payments, sometimes exceeding $1 million in one year, that farms have received in recent years. It was a bitter defeat for senators from the South, where cotton and rice interests especially depend on federal subsidies...
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Government overwhelmed with e-mails on Microsoft
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
WASHINGTON -- Uncle Sam is getting a lesson in junk e-mail, compliments of the Microsoft antitrust case. For the first time, the government opened its required public comment period in a case to allow citizens to use e-mail rather than letters to sound off...
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Bush rebuffs Israeli request to cut off Arafat
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
WASHINGTON -- President Bush insisted Thursday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat "must do everything in his power to fight terror." But Bush rebuffed a request by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the United States sever ties with Arafat...
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Former Enron boss Skilling says he can't recall key events
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
WASHINGTON -- Former Enron executive Jeff Skilling testified Thursday under tough questioning by lawmakers that he was unable to recall key events surrounding the off-the-books partnership arrangements that sent the energy trading company into bankruptcy...
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Government, airlines work on frequent-flier ID card
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
QUELLING FRUSTRATION By Sandra Sobieraj ~ The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- Questioned by a frustrated air traveler, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said Thursday that government and airline officials are at work on a frequent-flier ID card that -- for a fee -- would speed regular travelers through airport security...
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Bush - Rights of al-Qaida, Taliban not equal
(National News ~ 02/08/02)
GENEVA CONVENTION By Ron Fournier ~ The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- President Bush has determined that the Geneva Convention applies to Taliban soldiers in Afghanistan, but not al-Qaida terrorists, the White House said Thursday as aides insisted the decision would have no impact on the treatment of Afghan detainees...
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Farmers consider sunflowers as alternative Missouri crop
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
Area agricultural officials will discuss today expanding the list of Missouri's alternative crops to include sunflowers in order to take advantage of in-state birdseed markets. "The informational meeting will cover opportunities for sunflowers and other birdseed crops," said Gerald Bryan, an agronomist with the Cape Girardeau County Extension Service, located at Jackson, Mo...
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Emerson announces nominations to academies
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
Six area residents are among 11 students from the 8th Congressional District who have been nominated for entrance into the nation's service academies. U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said the nominees will be considered for possible admission to the academies in July...
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Folk music at the Evening Light Mission
(Local News ~ 02/08/02)
Saturday night, the Evening Light Mission will host a house concert featuring touring folksinger Robert Hoyt singing sounds about daily life about social issues. His song "If a Tree Falls" was included in an Earth Beat Records compilation of environmental tunes with such singers as Hank Williams Jr. Buffy St. Marie, Bruce Cockburn and Jello Biafra...
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More health care during pregnancy is good
(Editorial ~ 02/08/02)
Sometimes good ideas have a way of attracting unusual reactions and even harsh criticism. Take last week's decision by the Bush administration to classify a fetus as an unborn child for purposes of providing more health care. Under the federally funded Children's Health Insurance Program, which is administered by state governments, pregnant women were unable to get coverage for themselves and their unborn babies. ...
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Rhoda goes to Washington - Whirlwind visit
(Editorial ~ 02/08/02)
Even though they had been notified it could happen, Glenn and Rhoda Reeves were surprised when they received a telephone call in late January inviting Rhoda to sit with first lady Laura Bush during President Bush's State of the Union address. The fact that the phone call came just a matter of hours before the event created quite a stir for the Reeveses, but they didn't let airline tickets, a two-hour drive to the St. ...
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Speak Out A 02/08/02
(Speak Out ~ 02/08/02)
Keep to the right TO THE person who called in about the reason for speeding: I don't agree with the excuses, but a person driving in the left lane slowly is driving illegally. There is a state law in Missouri that says you drive in the right lane unless you're passing. It's up to the police to enforce this law...
Stories from Friday, February 8, 2002
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