Man fails to show up for jury duty, found to be intoxicated (10/07/08)
At a jury trial Friday before Associate Circuit Judge Scott E. Thomsen, one man was found guilty of driving while intoxicated, and another, after he failed to show up for jury duty, was found to be intoxicated. Curtis D. Lemons, 50, of 33 N. Ellis St., Apt. A, had received a summons to appear as a prospective juror to hear the case against Billy L. Blackman, 62, who was being tried on his first DWI offense...

Dow finishes below 10,000 for first time since '04 (10/07/08)
NEW YORK -- Wall Street joined in a worldwide cascade of despair Monday over the financial crisis, driving the Dow Jones industrials to their biggest loss ever during a trading day. Even a big afternoon rally failed to keep the Dow from its first close below 10,000 since 2004...

Early childhood programs could have benefits later (10/07/08)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Transitioning children into kindergarten and into making their own choices are among the goals of early childhood education programs, which also promote greater parental involvement, increased social skills, ability to focus and creativity...

Cape county road and bridge board hunts for more money (10/07/08)
For nearly two hours Monday night, members of the Cape Girardeau County road and bridge advisory board combed through a recap of the 2008 road projects with one goal in mind: paving more roads in 2009. The county spent more than $1.9 million to improve about 14 miles of road this year. Another seven miles were ready for grading, but the work would cost $560,000. Only $116,080 remains available in the county paving account funded by Proposition 1...

Biden planning to return to Missouri this week (10/07/08)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden is coming back to Missouri, a week after debating his GOP rival in St. Louis. A campaign spokeswoman said only that Biden will stump in the state on Thursday and Friday. The trip comes as polls show Democrat Barack Obama pulling even with Republican John McCain in Missouri...

Government begins work on rescue as stocks plummet (10/07/08)
WASHINGTON -- On Day One, the $700 billion plan didn't help. Just the opposite. The government's huge rescue package, aimed at rebuilding economic confidence in the U.S. and around the world, appeared to sound a global alarm instead on Monday, the first trading day after Congress approved the measure last Friday with fanfare and President Bush signed it...

Mustache Institute seeks best 'stache in the nation (10/07/08)
ST. LOUIS -- The American Mustache Institute is looking for the country's best 'stache. The St. Louis-based tongue-in-cheek group on Monday opened voting for its "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year" award, naming 16 finalists. Among them: Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr, New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi and former baseball MVP Keith Hernandez...

One dies in tractor rollover in Jackson (10/07/08)
Emergency personnel responded to a report of a rescue needed at 6:30 p.m. Monday on Greensferry Road in Jackson. On arrival, they learned there had been a tractor rollover. An adult male was later pronounced dead by Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton...

Suspect in bank robbery at large (10/07/08)
The suspect in a bank heist at noon Monday at the Bank of Missouri is still at large, police say. Cape Girardeau police received a call at 12:08 p.m. to respond to 372 N. Kingshighway because of a report of a robbery at the bank. Surveillance video captured a photo of a man sliding a note across the desk of a bank teller, and witnesses told police the suspect showed a handgun when he committed the robbery, according to Cpl. Jason Selzer, spokesman for the police department...

FBI file sheds light on Knievel's dark side (10/07/08)
MIAMI -- Evel Knievel never denied his scrapes with the law -- the late motorcycle daredevil often reveled in them. But even he objected to a 1970s FBI investigation of whether he was involved in a string of beatings. According to documents obtained by The Associated Press, the federal government came close to charging Knievel, who in turn threatened to sue the FBI for alleging he was connected to a crime syndicate. Neither followed through...

More parking, not new campus entrance, priority at Southeast (10/07/08)
An executive dispelled rumors Monday that Southeast Missouri State University plans to use current property or purchase property with the immediate intent of building a new campus entrance. Parking is more of a priority, said Wayne Smith, executive director of Southeast's foundation. With a swelling student body and a dorm under construction, parking is at a premium, he said...

Character attacks emerge in presidential campaign (10/07/08)
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The two men who supposedly exemplified a different kind of politics are engaged in an increasingly bitter campaign as character attacks are emerging to compete with issues like the troubled economy. With the election four weeks away, chances dimmed that Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama could reclaim the often lofty images they cultivated early in their presidential bids as their campaigns focused new attention Monday on decades-old events involving a former radical from Chicago and a convicted thrift store owner from Arizona.. ...

Lawmakers: Main Street spurred yes vote (10/07/08)
Troubles on Main Street, not losses on Wall Street, spurred U.S. Sen. Kit Bond and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson to vote in favor of the $700 billion rescue package, the two Republican lawmakers said Monday. After taking part in the dedication ceremony for the new U.S. courthouse, Emerson and Bond, in separate interviews, said they were pushed to approve the bank rescue plan by insight from economists and reports from constituents that credit was drying up...

Mo. gov. seeks federal disaster aid for Ike flooding (10/07/08)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Matt Blunts wants federal disaster aid for last month's flooding from Hurricane Ike. The governor's office estimated Monday that flooding caused $11.8 million in damage to public infrastructure in parts of Missouri...

Name of tractor rollover victim released (10/07/08)
Cape Girardeau County coroner John Clifton has released the name of a Jackson man who died in a tractor rollover accident Monday evening. Richard Laird was operating a tractor on Monday when he backed into a deep ravine, causing the tractor to overturn and pinning him under the tractor. ...

Bus driver in fatal Calif. crash arrested (10/07/08)
WILLIAMS, Calif. -- A bus driver with a string of motor vehicle offenses and a history of substance abuse was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence Monday after his casino-bound charter bus ran into a ditch, killing eight people. Investigators also said the bus had an invalid license plate, and they were looking into whether the driver had proper permits to operate the vehicle. ...

Debate stakes higher for McCain (10/07/08)
WASHINGTON -- Running short on time, John McCain has the most riding on the second presidential debate, though Barack Obama will be out of his scripted comfort zone in the town hall-style confrontation. It could be ugly if Monday's tussling is any indication...

Man injured in car crash (10/07/08)
A Cape Girardeau man was injured Sunday morning as the vehicle he was driving ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a creek embankment off Interstate 55, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The 2001 Toyota driven by Robert A. Cunningham, 20, was totaled...

Earthquake kills at least 72 in Kyrgyzstan (10/07/08)
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- A powerful earthquake struck the mountains of Central Asia, destroying a village in Kyrgyzstan and killing at least 72 people, emergency officials said Monday. The 6.6-magnitude quake near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan hit the remote village of Nura hard, bringing down dozens of buildings and injuring more than 100 people in addition to the confirmed deaths, Emergency Situations Minister Kamchybek Tashiyev said...