News for Sunday, January 15, 2012

Manning throws 3 TDs, Giants stun Packers 37-20

20 GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — For Eli Manning and the New York Giants, Lambeau Field has become a familiar launching pad. After beating the Green Bay Packers at home for the second time in four years, they only hope this trip ends the same way — at the Super Bowl.

Despite key losses, St. Louis feels it can compete this season

Albert Pujols is long gone, and the St. Louis Cardinals seem just fine about defending their World Series title without him. Their fans, too.

Helias wins California Tournament on Saturday night

The Helias Crusaders had just taken their biggest lead of the championship game of the California Tournament and had fouled out half of Southern Boone’s twin towers.

FX rolling the dice on Charlie Sheen

The chief of the FX network says he still hasn't seen a script for Charlie Sheen's new comedy "Anger Management," which is scheduled to debut in June.

Martin Luther King’s image evolving

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the National Mall in Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. is a towering, heroic figure carved in stone. On the Broadway stage, he’s a living, breathing man who chain smokes, sips liquor and occasionally curses.

Captain under fire; divers find more dead

GIGLIO, Italy (AP) — Maritime authorities, passengers and mounting evidence pointed Sunday toward the captain of a cruise liner that ran aground and capsized off the Tuscan coast, amid accusations that he abandoned ship before everyone was safely evacuated and was showing off when he steered the vessel far too close to shore.

Missouri lawmakers may target judiciary this session

An agitated state Sen. Kevin Engler pulled a reporter into his Capitol office, laid out a large color-coded map of the new House districts in eastern Missouri, and directed a staff member to grab a laptop computer and zoom in on street-by-street photos of the area.

Police: 2 people wounded in shooting at Mo. mall

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A young man and woman were wounded Saturday in a shooting that locked down a suburban Kansas City mall and sent panicked shoppers running for cover.

Rivals say split SC conservative vote aids Romney

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A splintered conservative vote in South Carolina could pave the way for Mitt Romney to win this week’s pivotal primary, some rivals said Sunday, acknowledging an outcome that prominent state lawmakers suggested could end the nomination fight.

Tanker carrying fuel arrives at iced-in Nome

NOME, Alaska (AP) — Crews worked to build a path Sunday over a half-mile of Bering Sea ice for the final leg of a Russian tanker’s mission to deliver fuel to a town isolated amid one of the most severe Alaska winters in decades.

Perry: Marines in video are ‘kids,’ not criminals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry on Sunday accused the Obama administration of “over-the-top rhetoric” and “disdain for the military” in its condemnation of a video that purportedly shows four Marines urinating on corpses in Afghanistan.

UN chief: Syria’s Assad must stop violence

BEIRUT (AP) — The U.N. chief demanded Sunday that Syria’s president stop killing his own people and said the “old order” of one-man rule and family dynasties is over in the Middle East on a day when activists said 27 people died.

Iran warns Gulf Arabs on oil

CAIRO (AP) — Iran warned Gulf Arab oil producers against boosting production to offset any potential drop in Tehran’s crude exports in the event of an embargo affecting its oil sales, the latest salvo in the dispute between the West and the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.

Pakistan Taliban leader reported dead in US strike

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Intercepted militant radio communications indicate the leader of the Pakistani Taliban may have been killed in a recent U.S. drone strike, Pakistani intelligence officials said Sunday. A Taliban official denied that.

Russian space probe crashes into Pacific

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian space probe designed to boost the nation’s pride on a bold mission to a moon of Mars came down in flames Sunday, showering fragments into the south Pacific west of Chile’s coast.

Jolie and Almodovar discuss future collaboration

Don't be stunned to see a future collaboration between superstar American actress — and now director — Angelina Jolie and revered Spanish director Pedro Almodovar.

Paul returns to SC, picks up key endorsement

Ron Paul has returned to South Carolina to pick up an endorsement from a state lawmaker popular with tea party activists.

Ravens beat Texans 20-13, move into AFC title game

If style points and offensive fireworks meant anything, the Baltimore Ravens wouldn't stand a chance of making it to the AFC championship.

'Contraband' swipes No. 1 spot at box office

"Contraband" managed to steal the top slot away from competitors at the weekend box office.

Casino plans sprout in US as states seek revenue

A Malaysian company’s plan to build a $4 billion convention center and big-time casino on the outskirts of New York City could be the biggest shot fired yet in a tourism arms race that has seen a growing number of Eastern states embrace gambling as a way to lure visitors and drum up revenue.

Apple juice made in America? Think again.

America’s desire for overseas food grows

Did it blow you away that low levels of a fungicide that isn’t approved in the U.S. were discovered in some orange juice sold here? Yawn. Or was it the news that Brazil, where the fungicide-laced juice originated, produces a good portion of the orange pulpy stuff we drink? Gasp!

Analysis: Mo. lawmakers may target judiciary

Some Missouri lawmakers are making a renewed push to change the way appellate judges are selected.

Man accused of 9/11 airport scare unfit for trial

A Pennsylvania man accused of trying to take a fake bomb through a security checkpoint at Kansas City International Airport on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks has been deemed mentally incapable of standing trial.

Your Opinion: Problems with Transformation

Dear Editor: Mr. Stallman and Mr. Riley recently wrote regarding the chamber “transformer” tax (an analogy to the mega-buck sci-fi fantasy films). Each writer states basic truths. No elected official can or will put their reputation on the line. They want only more of our taxes.

Your Opinion: Overused phrase applies to Transformation

Dear Editor: There are many phrases grossly overused in today’s culture. “Once in a lifetime” has to be near the top of that list. Whether in advertising or politics it’s frequently an exaggeration to suggest that if missed this “opportunity” will never be available again.

Your Opinion: Another tax plan being conjured

Dear Editor: As I mentioned in an earlier letter, the Chamber of Commerce sales tax isn’t the last sales tax increase facing tax payers in Jefferson City. Right on cue, a downtown group has plans for another half-cent sales tax increase for a downtown “festival district” on all sales made in the downtown area.

Your Opinion: Action team co-chair cites Topeka experience

Dear Editor: I am writing in support of the sales tax and want to provide some perspectives as a former action team co-chair and visitor to another community who went through a similar process.

Your Opinion: Double billing?

Dear Editor: Having recently received my new sewer bill for the period Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, I read that the next billing will reflect a rate increase.

Our Opinion: Indistinct line divides PSAs, campaign ads

News Tribune editorial

Life, a co-worker recently observed, is a gray area. The characterization was made during a discussion of the indistinct dividing line separating public service advertising from campaign commercials.

Determining what’s next for Alyssa

Background, mental health, circumstances will most likely be taken into account by judge

Alyssa Bustamante, who turns 18 on Jan. 28, faces a certain future in prison, because her plea last week to second-degree murder — for the Oct. 21, 2009, killing of Elizabeth Olten, 9 — requires Cole County Presiding Circuit Judge Patricia Joyce to order at least a 10-year sentence.

Board would oversee Tranformation sales tax

Five voting members would advise City Council

With less than one month before the issue goes to voters, some have indicated concerns about how a potential economic development sales tax would be regulated and used.

Message in a bottle, author found 24 years later

On Aug. 8, 1988, Andy Cornwell and his sister scrawled messages on pieces of steno paper, sealed bottles and let them float away, all in hopes of getting a response. Fast forward 24 years and an estimated 485 miles downstream.

Workforce development a priority in Lake area

Public input, additional research highlights economic development needs

After completing four public meetings, the Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments was able to obtain valuable top priorities from residents on future economic development in region.

Friends: Fla. bomb plot suspect was radical, loner

The Kosovo-born American citizen accused of plotting bomb attacks around Tampa was a loner who had grown increasingly radical in his Muslim faith and publicly railed against Jews and Christians in videos he posted on the Internet, according to relatives and friends.

Pro-life group: ‘The tide is turning’

Hundreds to gather for events surrounding anniversary of abortion ruling

The pro-life movement has seen progress toward its goal in the past 12 months.

Society hopes to add housing to list of aid for pregnant women

Sometimes mothers meet life struggles while they are pregnant.

Santorum backed by social conservative leaders

A week before the pivotal South Carolina primary, Rick Santorum’s quest to emerge as the chief alternative to Mitt Romney received a boost Saturday from a group of evangelical leaders and social conservatives who voted to back his candidacy in a last-ditch effort to stop the GOP front-runner’s march to the nomination.

New imam represents new kind of Islamic leader

The first native of the St. Louis area to lead the largest mosque in the region represents the rise of a distinctly American brand of Islam.

Church burglar receives probation

Cole County Judge Dan Green recently placed a 17-year-old Cole County man on three years supervised probation in connection with a burglary of Cornerstone Baptist Church, 4930 Old Lohman Road, in March 2011.

MLK Day closings

Monday’s observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday means most national, state, county and local government offices will be closed, except for emergency services and law enforcement.

Mardi Gras Pub Crawl celebrates 11 years at the Lake

The 11th Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl is not only expected to be the largest ever held at the Lake — it’s also may be the largest in the world.

Exchange Bank clock has survived 96 years and one truck crash

Literally, a landmark — the freestanding clock at the corner of High and Madison streets in downtown Jefferson City — has been a rendezvous location for businessmen and a point of reference for visitors for 80 years.

Standard & Poor’s defends mass European downgrade

Amid a wave of criticism, Standard & Poor’s defended its decision to downgrade nine European countries and insisted Saturday that the region’s leaders aren’t doing enough to solve their debt crises.

Arm yourself with an arsenal of activities for your next snow day

Flurry of family fun

When the announcement is made that school will not be in session, many parents scramble to deal with the change in routine. The excitement of a day off can quickly turn to the restlessness of cabin fever if there isn’t a contingency plan in place.

Book Review: Louvin’s ’Satan Is Real’ is dazzling tale

“Satan Is Real: The Ballad of The Louvin Brothers” (It Books), by Charlie Louvin with Benjamin Whitmer

“Satan Is Real: The Ballad of The Louvin Brothers” is a delight. Charlie Louvin’s memoir of his time with his brother, Ira, and the tragic end to one of the most influential duos in the history of American music is like a Louvin Brothers song: simple and plain-spoken, yet powerful and resonant.

White House concerned over online piracy bills

The Obama administration raised concerns Saturday about efforts in Congress that it said would undermine “the dynamic, innovative global Internet,” urging lawmakers to approve measures this year that balance the need to fight piracy and counterfeiting against an open Internet.

TV One network focuses on missing blacks

After 16 years playing a police lieutenant on “Law & Order,” actress S. Epatha Merkerson is turning to some real-life crime stories.

GOP needles on Europe, but US needs Europe rebound

Iowa and New Hampshire have had their say. Next up are South Carolina and Florida, with Germany and France lurking in the background.

Brownback eyes gambling funds for Kansas debt

With two new state-owned casinos opening for business, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback wants to use almost $70 million from the state's share of gambling revenues to retire outstanding debt.

Caretaker charged in Missouri patient’s death

A southeast Missouri caretaker has been arrested in the death of a patient who had maggot-infested bedsores.

85-year-old man dies in Kansas City-area fire

An 85-year-old man has died after a fire broke out in his home in the Kansas City suburb of Raytown.

Cape Girardeau federal building auction closes

The winning bid in the auction for the former federal building in Cape Girardeau is for less than half the asking price.

Gingrich defends Bain criticisms in SC GOP forum

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Saturday that Republicans will err if they don’t scrutinize Mitt Romney’s role in a private equity firm called Bain Capital.

Police in Calif. say homeless killer is in custody

Investigators are “extremely confident” a man in custody is responsible for all four recent killings of homeless men in Orange County, Anaheim Police Chief John Welter said Saturday, easing a month of worry and fear among the homeless and their advocates.

Miss Wisconsin wins Miss America pageant in Vegas

A 23-year-old beauty queen from Wisconsin won the Miss America pageant Saturday in Las Vegas after singing opera and strutting in a white bikini and black beaded evening gown.

Bulgarians protest against shale gas plans

Thousands of Bulgarians have urged the government to drop plans for shale gas exploration, fearing it could have a hazardous impact on the environment and on people’s health.

Linsenbardt wins title for Helias

It was a measure of revenge. On Friday night, Dylan Linsenbardt of Helias lost by a second-period fall to John Erneste of Park Hill in pool action in the Capital City Invitational.

Jays finish second to Park Hill at Capital City Invite

It was an individual tournament, but the finals at the Capital City Invitational had all the earmarks of a Jefferson City-Park Hill dual.

Winn-Dixie CEO Lynch to step down

The chief executive officer of Winn-Dixie is stepping down as the Florida-based supermarket chain merges with Bi-Lo LLC.

Blair Oaks wrestlers earn titles

The Blair Oaks wrestling team continued its strong season as five wrestlers took home individual titles at the Warsaw Tournament on Saturday.

China strongly opposes US sanctions on oil company

China has expressed strong dissatisfaction over U.S. sanctions on a state-run oil company for allegedly providing large amounts of gasoline to Iran.

Blue Tigers hold on for 68-64 victory

The Blue Tigers built a big lead, lost it and then came up clutch down the stretch to steal a 68-64 victory from Truman State on Saturday at Jason Gym.

Truman State pounds the glass in rout of LU women

The Bulldogs gathered 20 offensive rebounds and converted them into 20 second-chance points on their way to a 70-48 victory over Lincoln on Saturday at Jason Gym.

Boys Basketball: California Tournament

Here are boys basketball results from the California Tournament.

Boys Basketball: South Callaway Tournament

Here are boys basketball results from the South Callaway Tournament.

Boys Basketball: Fatima Blue and Gold Tournament

Here are boys basketball results from the Fatima Blue and Gold Tournament.

Girls Basketball: Union Tournament

Here are girls basketball results from the Union Tournament.

Girls Basketball: California Tournament

Here are girls basketball results from the California Tournament.

Girls Basketball: Fatima Blue and Gold Tournament

Here are girls basketball results from the Fatima Blue and Gold Tournament.

Girls Basketball: South Callaway Tournament

Here are girls basketball results from the South Callaway Tournament.

DiCaprio, Streep celebrate at pre-Globes tea party

The Los Angeles branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts held its 18th annual Awards Season Tea Party Saturday, where a slew of Golden Globe nominees sipped Earl Grey and nibbled on finger sandwiches and scones with jam and cream.

Scores missing after cruise ship runs aground

The terrifying, chaotic escape from the luxury liner was straight out of a scene from “Titanic” for many of the 4,000-plus passengers and crew on the cruise ship, which ran aground off the Italian coast late Friday and flipped on its side with a 160-foot (50-meter) gash in its hull.

Nations hunt for info on Italy cruise accident

Language barriers, overwhelmed local authorities, squads of foreign diplomats with lists of awkward questions — the international mix of passengers and crew aboard the stricken Costa Concordia cruise liner added to the complications Saturday for Italian officials handling the emergency.