St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page D008

Metro D8 1 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2008 ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH STLTODAY.COM Robert N. Currie, one of the creators of Fredbird the mascot of the St. Louis Cardinals, died Friday (Feb. 1, 2008) of a heart attack at Oliver Anderson Hospital in Maryland, Ill.

He was 68 and was a resident of Troy, Ill. Mr. Currie was born in LaCrosse, Wis. He studied art at the Arts Center College in Los Angeles. After earning his degree in advertising, he began a 30-year career at Masius Benton Bowels advertising rm in St.

Louis. In the late 1970s, the Cardinals were not bringing in the crowds. So it was up to Mr. Currie to create a little more spontaneity and animation in Busch Stadium. Fredbird debuted on opening night in 1979.

Unsure of the reaction, the Cardinals front ce decided that there would be little fanfare for the newest member of the Cardinal family. With no formal announcement, Fredbird strolled out of the wagon gate onto his new perch at Busch Stadium. A St. Louis icon was born. loved the designing of said his wife, Judy Currie.

husband really enjoyed working with Marty Hendin and the two became good friends over the project. The two would go over sketches. The costume had to be altered. At first feet were too big, and he had a hard time standing up. Then fans started to pluck Fredbird so they had to come up with different material.

the new stadium was built, Bob painted a portrait of Fredbird for one of the ces in the Mr. Currie just work with foam and feathers. In 1980s, he used wood and bricks to design a unique home that was built into the wooded landscape outside Troy. After retiring from advertising in 2003, Mr. Currie concentrated on painting.

His subjects included Greek folklore and religious art. His art has been displayed at local businesses and has sold for up to $6,000. In 2003, Mr. Currie and his wife opened the Design Center, a graphics company, in Troy. Mr.

Currie served in the Vietnam War with the Air Force. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Kassly Mortuary, 9900 St. Clair Avenue in Fairview Heights. The funeral service will immediately follow at the funeral home.

The body will be cremated. In addition to his wife of 23 years, among the survivors are two sons, Eric Currie of Kirkwood and Max Key of St. Louis; four daughters, Mandy Cook of Highland, Jennifer Rood of Troy, Michele Boucher of Freeburg and Shannon Sherbut of Collinsville; a brother, Bill Currie of Evanston, a sister, Mari Zeinser of Creve Coeur; and 20 grandchildren. In lieu of owers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Research Hospital, or to the Madison County Humane Society.

Robert N. Currie Longtime advertising man here helped create Fredbird mascot Currie Leo G. Kidd, a longtime civic leader, died Sunday (Feb. 3, 2008) at his home in Hillsboro. He was 89 and a lifelong resident of Jefferson County.

Mr. Kidd served as a Hillsboro alderman for nearly three decades. He won his last term in 1989. His most recent public ce was city treasurer, a post he served in until last year. was the city administrator for 52 years and Leo was one of the better aldermen that the city has said Charles Vreeland.

a big talker, but when he had something to say you listened. He spoke his word and was well respected for it. known him as a farmer, postmaster and civic leader. He was a good honest In 1951, Mr. Kidd was appointed postmaster of Hillsboro.

He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1979. In addition, he was a former president of many organizations, including the Hillsboro Civic Club, the Hillsboro Rotary Club and the Tri-County Postmasters Association. Mr. Kidd also was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hillsboro, where he served on various committees. In World War II, Mr.

Kidd was part of the 737 Tank Battalion under Gen. George Patton. Among his medals was a Purple Heart. After the war, Mr. Kidd returned to work on his farm.

In addition, he worked part-time at an agricultural of- ce in Hillsboro. It was there that he met his future bride, Annette Hopson. The couple married in 1947. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at the Robert D.

Brown Funeral Home, 103 Fourth Street in Hillsboro. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Hillsboro, 10545 Highway 21. Entombment will be at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. In addition to his wife, among the survivors are a daughter, Janet Grannemann of Hillsboro; and a granddaughter, Lisa Hunning of Wentzville.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Hillsboro Building Fund or J.M.H. Hospice. Leo G. Kidd Civic leader served as alderman in Hillsboro for almost 3 decades Kidd STRUMMING IN THE PARK Denis Custovic (left), 18, and Ryan Biskup, 17, of St. Louis, have an impromptu jam session with another guitarist Monday afternoon at Laumeier Sculpture Park in Sunset Hills.

Temperatures reached into the mid-70s Monday. forecast calls for falling temperatures and storms. Dawn Majors Post-Dispatch By Jake Wagman ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH ST. LOUIS St.

Louis legislators may have found an unlikely ally in their quest to regain control of the police department rural colleagues worried about government control of farm animals. State Rep. Talibdin El-Amin, D-St. Louis, and others held a press conference Monday discussing their effort to abolish the state-appointed board that has run the St. Louis Police Department since the Civil War era.

El-Amin introduced a bill Monday to give the Board of Aldermen control of the department. The question of political leverage came up: How can city lawmakers, all in the minority party, convince Jefferson City to shorten the reach of its power? El-Amin had a quick, but unexpected answer: The National Animal cation System, a voluntary federal program that catalogs farm animals. The aim is that, in case of a disease outbreak such as mad cow, the government would be able to swiftly trace the source. Some farmers have criticized the program as intrusive. Two Missouri legislators with farming backgrounds Mike Dethrow in the House and Chuck Purgason in the Senate have already led bills that would restrict the tracking program in Missouri.

El-Amin suggested on Monday that the city caucus could forge a voting bloc with their counterparts from rural Missouri, producing a partnership that would advance both agendas. If nothing else, El-Amin said, the two issues are ideologically linked: Each deals with local control. 314-622-3580 Voting bloc could break state grip on St. Louis police, legislator says Special grand jury to hear evidence in trooper crash By Nicholas J.C. Pistor ST.

LOUIS POST-DISPATCH BELLEVILLE A special grand jury will decide if an Illinois state trooper should face criminal charges for losing control of his police cruiser, resulting in the ery deaths of two teenage sisters. The special grand jury will be impaneled in the next few weeks to hear evidence in the high-speed crash, which happened the day after Thanksgiving. The two sisters, Jessica and Kelli Uhl, were heading home from a holiday photo shoot. Robert Haida, the St. Clair County attorney, said the first time since been attorney that a special grand jury has been impaneled.

Such juries are often reserved for high-profile, complicated cases. A regular grand jury would not have enough time to hear the voluminous evidence. Last month, a inquest ruled the two death a reckless homicide. The case submitted to Haida includes video and audio interviews of approximately 65 people most of whom were at the accident scene. State police investigators said that Trooper Matt Mitchell, who was en route to another accident, was traveling 126 mph when he lost control of his police cruiser, crossed over the Interstate 64 median and collided head-on with a car driven by Jessica Uhl.

Before the inquest, the State Police led for a reckless homicide charge and sought an arrest warrant for the trooper. A State Police investigator later said at the inquest that Mitchell had to keep his car under proper because of his high speed. Critics questioned whether the State Police could investigate itself. The special grand jury will convene and perform its own Haida said. never the wrong time to do the right Tom Keefe the attorney representing the Uhl family, said: applaud this The Illinois State Police, meanwhile, have referred all questions about the case to Haida.

Mitchell, 29, of Huey, a small Clinton County community, was injured in the crash and required several surgeries. He had been involved in two previous crashes in his six-year State Police career. One of them resulted in a $1.7 million judgment against the state. Jessica Uhl, 18, was a graduate of Collinsville High School and a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Kelli Uhl, 13, was an eighth-grader at Collinsville Middle School.

Mitchell was headed to another accident when the crash occurred, but that accident scene was already under control, according to an accident investigator. Mitchell had his lights and siren on at the time of the crash, most witnesses have said. 618-624-2577 ST. LOUIS Two men are shot on McRee Avenue Two people were shot Monday in the 3800 block of McRee Avenue, St. Louis police said, and one of the victims suffered life- threatening injuries.

The male victims were shot about 5:45 p.m. One was shot in the head and was in grave condition late Monday, and the other was shot in the leg and was expected to survive, police said. They released no other details. ST. LOUIS Firm will pay $80,000 on Missouri No-Call law Xentel a telemarketer in Fort Lauderdale, will pay $80,000 to Missouri to settle allegations by Attorney General Jay Nixon that the company violated the No-Call law.

Nixon sued Xentel in 2003, accusing it of using high-pressure tactics to solicit charitable donations from Missourians who had signed up for the No-Call list. A judge ordered the company in 2004 to pay $75,000 to the state. Nixon said Xentel continued to call consumers in violation of its 2004 agreement with the state. On Monday, the company signed a consent decree in St. Louis Circuit Court agreeing to pay $80,000, implement new procedures and comply with state and federal laws.

EAST ST. LOUIS Cahokia man gets 5 years for trading child porn A Cahokia man was sentenced Monday to more than ve years in prison for trading child pornography, the U.S. ce said. Alvin Nenninger, 59, of Violet Drive, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of possession of child pornography in November and admitted using the name to send and receive child pornography to a Swiss person being targeted by authorities there. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, Nenninger will be on supervised release for ve years.

FAIRMONT CITY Authorities identify slain woman at First Western Authorities have ed the woman found dead early Sunday on a oor balcony of the First Western Inn at 1941 Old Collinsville Road in Fairmont City as Kari Nina Polk, 29. She died of blunt trauma to the head, said St. Clair County Coroner Rick Stone. last known address was believed to be in Swansea, authorities said. Her death is being investigated by the Major Case Squad of Greater St.

Louis. ST. CHARLES Assault, threat alleged in domestic case Kenton J. Dake, 57, of St. Charles, was charged Monday in St.

Charles County Circuit Court with second-degree domestic assault, a felony. Police say Dake on Friday choked and threw a knife at a woman and threatened her with a shotgun. He was being held Monday on $50,000 cash-only bail. WARREN COUNTY Olney man is accused of molesting 6-year-old girl An Olney, man is accused of molesting a 6-year-old girl. Christopher M.

Ryan, 34, was charged Friday in Warren County with rst-degree child molestation and four counts of statutory sodomy. Authorities say that between April 2000 and April 2001, Ryan molested the girl. A judge set bail at $500,000 cash-only. ST. CHARLES 2 accused of trying to break in to hotel Two men were charged Monday with rst-degree burglary for trying to break into a St.

Charles hotel, authorities said. St. Charles police Lt. Donovan Kenton said Clarence W. Hughes, 36, and Charles E.

Henton, 38, both of St. Louis, tried to use an expired key card about 4 a.m. Saturday to break into the Intowne Place Suites in the 1800 block of Zumbehl Road. A clerk called police, who arrested the men and found ski masks, gloves and a stolen handgun in their vehicle. Each of the men was being held Monday in lieu of $40,000 cash-only bail.

ST. CHARLES COUNTY Man gets probation in shoddy-paving case One of two men charged with bilking elderly residents with shoddy asphalt paving work was placed on probation Monday. Larry L. Montague, 24, of Perry, pleaded guilty in November of felony nan- cial exploitation of an elderly person. Circuit Judge Nancy Schneider placed Montague on probation Monday and ordered him to pay restitution.

If he completes the ve-year probation successfully, he will not have the conviction on his record. Police said Montague was working with Danny Wayne Rickey, 53, of Hannibal, Mo. Rickey has two counts of nancial exploitation pending against him. The maximum penalty for the crime is 15 years in prison. Police said the men performed asphalt work that was shoddy and overpriced.

One 81-year-old woman was charged $14,000 last February to redo her driveway. LAW ORDER story hangs over discussion of Net dangers By Jessica Bock ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH MO. The group of parents stared intently at the projection screen, determined to learn how to protect their children when it comes to the Internet and websites like MySpace.com. They know the name well.

To the moms and dads gathered at West Middle School, the social- networking site is more than just the latest craze for their kids. It became a Internet taunting tool involved in the suicide of 13-year-old Megan Meier, who lived just blocks away from the school before she hanged herself about 16 months ago. The story of death and the messages she had received from a fake MySpace account linked to a neighboring family has attracted national media attention to the neighborhood near the school. It also prompted several of the parents who attended the seminar Monday night to get more involved in their activity online. A lack of knowledge about websites like MySpace and Face- book.com brought out Cindi and Alan Chambliss even know what Face- book said Cindi Chambliss, mother of two girls, as she sat down at the meeting.

try to pretend like I know, but we really want to know what the kids are getting For Rita and Jim Pratt, a check of the e-mails their 13-year-old daughter was sending and receiving led to a family discussion. had to sit her down and tell her you say things in an e-mail you say to Rita Pratt said. St. Charles officials have said no one will be charged in death. But the case has prompted many St.

Louis-area cities to make Internet harassment illegal. A bill being considered by Missouri Senate committee also targets cyberbully- ing. At the seminar, Detective Larry McClain of the Police Department talked about the dangers of children putting personal information online and communicating with someone they know. name was never mentioned. Her story was already real enough.

636-255-7208.