The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX) articles from February 2001

The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX) archives from February 2001

Subsidiary of Houston-Based Energy Firm, Cisco Plan Fiber-Optic Network.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Vikas Bajaj Feb. 21--El Paso Global Networks, a subsidiary of El Paso Energy Corp. in Houston, will announce Wednesday that it's spending $2 billion on a 34-city optical fiber network. Cisco Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif.,...

U.S. Trade Embargo Forces Cuba to Seek Alternate Markets.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Alfredo Corchado Feb. 21--WASHINGTON, D.C.--The U.S. trade embargo has had a minimal impact on the American economy, but has forced the Cuban government to use creative ways to seek imports from unlikely sources for desperately...

States Worry about Revenue Loss if Death Tax is Revoked.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Todd J. Gillman Feb. 20--When he was running for president, George W. Bush spoke often of repealing the "death tax," warning that it imperils family farms and small businesses and inflicts on mourners the double pain of dealing...

The Dallas Morning News E-Commerce Column.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Alan Goldstein Feb. 21--BUSINESS PARTNERS FIND INSIGHT ABOVE CLOUDS: They trained in a 40-story office tower, making their way up the stairwells five times in a row, lugging backpacks filled with 75 pounds of copier paper. But...

Housing Boom Leads to Increasing Furniture Sales in Dallas Area.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Charlene Oldham Feb. 21--Patrick Farrell knows the Dallas furniture market better than most. He's not only the merchandise director for home furnishings at Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports Inc. He's the new owner of a...

The Dallas Morning News Robert Miller Column.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Robert Miller Feb. 20--Stephen Kahn was unable to celebrate his 100th birthday Sunday with Dallas Symphony Orchestra stalwarts because of a "touch of pneumonia." But the retired Dallas oilman was still the man of the hour for his...

Nation's Rural Areas Seek Competitive Edge through Fast Internet Service.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Jim Landers Feb. 21--WASHINGTON--First it was the railroads. Then it was the interstate highway system. One farming hamlet would be on the corridor to commerce, while others ate their dust. Today it's the fast lane to the...

Ontario-Based Nortel Networks Defends Executives' Stock Sales.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Vikas Bajaj Feb. 21--Nortel Networks Corp. issued a defense of stock sales by two key executives before the company revised its earnings forecast last week, saying Tuesday that the officials "acted with total integrity." The...

Online Grocer Webvan Exits Dallas Area.
February 21, 2001... Byline: John Kirkpatrick Feb. 21--Internet grocer Webvan abruptly retreated from the Dallas area on Tuesday, leaving behind thousands of customers and about 220 employees. The California company said that it couldn't afford to make...

Historic Buildings in Downtown Dallas to Be Restored for Retail Use.
February 21, 2001... Byline: Steve Brown Feb. 21--A mostly vacant stretch of downtown Dallas between Main and Elm streets will be getting new life with construction of a retail and restaurant complex. Developers have received city approval to restore two...

American pilots denied in appeal.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Katherine Yung The union representing pilots at American Airlines Inc. said it lacks the funds to pay a $45.5 million judgment after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal of the penalty. The judgment...

Wetteland not getting closer; back woes persist; Rangers don't see return.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Gerry Fraley PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. _ A growing body of evidence has convinced the Rangers that John Wetteland will not be their safety net at closer this season. Wetteland, a free agent, remains at his New Mexico home dealing...

Baseball's fate rests with Donald Fehr.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tim Cowlishaw DALLAS _ I don't even have to see the face, the trademark smirk. All it takes is one headline to signal the start of his tour of training camps, and it is as if a Stephen King antagonist has been turned loose in the...

Travel to Europe at a discount.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Parsons A terrific sale on flights to Europe just hit the market, making a summer trip more affordable. US Airways is introducing nonstop service to Amsterdam and Brussels during April and May. To fill those planes, the...

No secrets are hidden in new book of tips.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Larry Bleiberg If you're tired of traveler's checks, here's an alternative strategy to protect your money while traveling: Hide it. With a simple tool kit, you can turn nearly anything into a personal safe _ or so suggests a...

`Species' actress Henstridge isn't shedding in `Second Skin'.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Jerry Bokamper Model-turned-"Species" centerfold Natasha Henstridge has just about reached that point in her career at which she no longer has to take her clothes off. This disconcerting development began with the decaffeinated...

Bush speech to highlight projected budget surplus.
February 26, 2001... Byline: David Jackson and Robert Dodge WASHINGTON _ President Bush will emphasize the size of the budget surplus in his prime-time speech Tuesday, arguing that his $1.9 trillion budget plan will reduce federal debt, slow government growth...

Girls nationwide train year-round to win cheerleading contests.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Lesley Tellez y Tellez DALLAS _ Arlington, Texas, cheerleader coach Brad Vaughan wasn't performing at the National Cheerleader's Association All-Star Championships, but he was still feeling the pressure. His team, the...

Electronic adventures: video and computer game reviews.
February 26, 2001... PAPER MARIO Maker: Nintendo Rating: 4 stars System: Nintendo 64 Suggested price: $50 Number of players: 1 This game's title seems strange at first, but the moniker refers to the visual style used. All characters are...

Mything in action: To debunk urban legends click here.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Maurstad DALLAS_We all know the stories. They usually start with some serpentine set-up - the brother of a friend who used to date a girl that knew a guy.... On and on. Whatever the beginning, they always end the same, with...

Texas Instruments freezes hiring, offers buyouts to 2,600.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Leah Beth Ward and Steve Quinn Texas Instruments Inc.'s announcement Monday that it has frozen hiring and offered early retirement to 2,600 employees reflects both the larger economic slowdown and bottlenecks in the supply chain...

The slickest producers can't stifle Dave Matthews.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Thor Christensen The Dave Matthews Band is rock's poster child for split personality syndrome. In concert, the group tests your patience with long, noodle-happy jams and bland musicianship. But the moment it walks into a...

Economists disagree on whether recession is near.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Angela Shah A pair of economic reports Monday added new fuel to the ongoing discussion on whether the economy risks bleeding into recession. First, the National Association for Business Economists downgraded its forecast for...

Car crash claims Texas sophomore; defensive lineman Pittman's car found in embankment.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Chip Brown AUSTIN, Texas _ Cole Pittman, a 21-year-old sophomore defensive tackle who was making the drive from Shreveport, La., to Austin to prepare for the beginning of spring football practice, was killed in a one-car crash...

First lady's first agenda: recruiting more teachers.
February 26, 2001... Byline: G. Robert Hillman HYATTSVILLE, Md. _ Laura Bush staked out her agenda as first lady Monday, promising an ambitious effort to recruit new teachers with personal visits to schools and colleges and military bases where retiring...

Analysts call NASA's replacement of Houston chief beginning of `housecleaning'.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Bruce Nichols HOUSTON _ The announcement that George Abbey will be replaced as Johnson Space Center director signals that cost overruns on the International Space Station are a problem for NASA under the Bush administration,...

Couple lighting the way.
February 26, 2001... Byline: James Ragland Each week, they are there. The names and pictures of people announcing their weddings or engagements to a newspaper audience. Their faces typically are young, their futures full of hope and promise, their fates...

In latest book, Amy Tan keeps focus on family.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Esther Wu Author Amy Tan is often credited with being an Asian-American role model; she also has been described as the writer who has given Chinese-Americans a voice _ two roles in which she is not entirely comfortable. "When...

Travel notebook.
February 26, 2001... SLEEP CONCIERGE If you don't sleep as well at The Benjamin as you do at home, you'll get a free one-night stay. The midtown Manhattan boutique hotel makes the guarantee because it has added a Sleep Concierge. Guests can choose from 11...

Once taboo, dating a younger man slowly gains acceptance.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Teresa Gubbins Whether you disapprove or whether you just don't care, you've seen this relationship scenario plenty of times: younger woman, older man. Sometimes, much older man. But do you see it the other way around? ...

A look at recent self-help books.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Maza ``The Myth of Sanity,'' by Martha Stout (Viking, $25.95). We only think we're sane, says this Harvard psychologist. Most people work out a "compromise with reality and its traumas (that) is simply not sanity at all."...

'The Surrendered Wife' calls for a return to a husband's autonomy.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Teresa Gubbins "...When he takes the wrong freeway exit, you don't correct him by telling him where to turn.... If he keeps going in the wrong direction you will go past the state line and still not correct what he's doing. In...

Music of the moment, captured in `O Brother,' harks to simpler times.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Mario Tarradell Forget teen pop. Never mind neo-soul. The buzz beat of the moment is Southern roots music, from the acoustic beauty of bluegrass to the spine-chilling power of old-timey blues and church spirituals. All of those...

Research helps illuminate how brain fills gaps in perception.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Diana Steele When a ventriloquist chats with a dummy, it really looks like two people are talking to each other. Even though you know it's a deception, you have to concentrate on watching the ventriloquist's lips quiver to make...

Pipe device aims to prevent deadly disasters in African lake.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Alexandra Witze Scientists are trying to save thousands of lives with 666 feet of polyethylene pipe. This month, researchers returned from the western African nation of Cameroon, where they plunged the pipe into Nyos, a...

Science and health briefs.
February 26, 2001... Black bears can bear a lack of weight-bearing better than the average human, new research suggests. A study in the latest issue of the journal Natures hows that hibernating black bears lose little muscle mass. That's in contrast to people,...

Genetic book speaks volumes about humankind.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tom Siegfried SAN FRANCISCO _ Translating messages from an alien civilization, Carl Sagan once said, would be like breaking the Egyptian hieroglyphic code. In chapter 12 of ``Cosmos,'' the book accompanying the TV series,...

Television Q&A.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Norma Cavazos Q. Whatever happened to that great show from the 1980s called "Degrassi Junior High," later "Degrassi High"? _ B.B., Dallas A. "Degrassi" was a Canadian production that became popular in the United States during...

PBS special teaches couples steps to `Magnificent Lovemaking'.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Teresa Gubbins Sex hits PBS in March _ but of course it will be in true public-television style, with the goal of education and enlightenment. That doesn't mean it won't be fun. "Magnificent Lovemaking: Seven Dimensions of...

Surrounding Cities Seek More Input on Dallas/Fort Worth Airport's Activities.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Terri Langford Feb. 24--Three bills filed in Austin this week ask the Legislature to force Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to turn over unused land to surrounding cities, and to give cities that have land within the...

Telecom Firm Alcatel Wants Another Company to Run Richardson, Texas, Factory.
February 26, 2001... Feb. 24--Alcatel SA said Friday that it plans to outsource a Richardson components factory that employs 500 people as part of its strategy to spend fewer resources on manufacturing. Company officials said that they've started talking with...

Bank One Tower, Restaurant Face Closure in Fort Worth, Texas.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Laurie Fox Feb. 23--FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Bank One tower and the panoramic Reata restaurant will face closure at noon Friday without a ruling from a state district judge keeping it open. Fire Department officials, who...

Electronic Data Systems Says It Finds No Fraud in Texas Medicaid Work.
February 26, 2001... Feb. 24--Electronic Data Systems Corp. -- accused of overcharging the state of Texas on a Medicaid contract -- built its $19 billion-a-year global computer services empire largely through government work. For years, the business of...

Congressional Battle Expected over New Energy Security Bill.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Jim Landers Feb. 26--WASHINGTON--A political battle between energy producers and environmentalists gets under way Monday when Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduces his national energy security bill. Mr. Murkowski, chairman...

Jury-Awarded Damage Verdicts Are Key Issue in Houston Tool Maker's Court Case.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Mark Curriden Feb. 26--PORTLAND, Ore.--For five years, two of the nation's largest hand-tool makers battled in near-obscurity in federal court in Portland over claims that one of them improperly used the competitor's product as its...

Dallas-Area Employers Plan to Add Staff during Second Quarter, Survey Finds.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Charlene Oldham Feb. 26--Despite a lengthening list of layoffs, more Dallas-area employers expected to add staff in the second quarter than during the same time last year, and none planned to slash payrolls, according to a survey...

The Dallas Morning News Ideas at Work Column.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Cheryl Hall Feb. 25--CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS HOPES MOVE EXTENDS COMPANY'S REACH: From his 48th-floor office in downtown Dallas, Tom Leppert, chairman of The Turner Corp., can monitor the massive arena project taking shape below. ...

Belo Foundation Donates to Southern Methodist University Journalism Program.
February 26, 2001... Feb. 24--The Belo Foundation's $5 million gift will bring a groundbreaking multimedia journalism program to Southern Methodist University, officials said. The gift, which was formally announced Friday on the SMU campus, will fund a digital...

Dallas Struggles with High Rate of Vacancy among Downtown Offices.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Steve Brown Feb. 23--When Peter Benanti recently relocated his company's downtown Dallas office to South Central Expressway, he got an unexpected fringe benefit. "People who drive by call us and say, 'Your office looks so good...

Shares of Dallas-Based Pillowtex Purchased by Florida Rival.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Charlene Oldham Feb. 24--Jeff Hollander, president and owner of Hollander Home Fashions Corp., said Friday that he has acquired a 19.2 percent stake in Dallas-based Pillowtex Corp. and may buy some of its assets or seek a seat on...

Atlanta-Based Public Relations Firm Closes Dallas Office.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Katie Fairbank Feb. 24--Alexander Ogilvy closed the doors of its Dallas office this week and laid off 15 people, a restructuring move by the company as it braces for impact from the technology slowdown. The Atlanta-based public...

Retirement Community Planned for Denton County, Texas, Hits Financing Snag.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Annette Fuller Feb. 24--DENTON, Texas--Plans for a $1.7 billion retirement community near Sanger in northern Denton County are on hold because of financing difficulties. Selvin Green, project manager, said work on the Gardens...

The Dallas Morning News Sports Business Column.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Richard Alm Feb. 24--WOMEN ATHLETES TO WIN IN AD GAMES: At the start of each year, Dean Bonham peers into his crystal ball for a glimpse of what will shape the sports business in upcoming months. Here's a prediction for 2001:...

Texas Tech Services Provider Says Accusations of Medicaid Fraud Are `Baseless'.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Nancy San Martin Feb. 23--National Heritage Insurance Co., a subsidiary of technology services provider Electronic Data Systems Corp., is being investigated on allegations that it overcharged the state "tens of millions of...

Chip Maker Texas Instruments Moves to Cut Costs ahead of Lower Revenues.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Alan Goldstein Feb. 26--Texas Instruments Inc. slashed its first-quarter revenue outlook today for the second time in just over a month, and said it has idled factories, shortened workweeks, frozen hiring, cut its travel budget,...

The Dallas Morning News Texas Column.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Angela Shah Feb. 26--ADVOCATES EMPHASIZING KEY ROLE OF ARTS IN ECONOMY: Mention Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Dell Computer Corp. or the International Bridges in Laredo and their economic role is clear: Each is an...

Texas Governor Invites Mexican Leaders to Planned Trade Summit in Dallas.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Wayne Slater Feb. 23--AUSTIN, Texas -- Gov. Rick Perry said Thursday that he has invited the governors of all 31 Mexican states to Dallas next month for a summit on trade and transportation. "We would like to expand the...

Dallas-Area Transit Agency Seeks Options to Get More Cities on Board.
February 26, 2001... Byline: Tony Hartzel Feb. 26--Once faced with keeping member cities from fleeing, Dallas Area Rapid Transit now faces the equally difficult task of figuring out how to accept new members. More than a dozen cities surrounding Dallas have...

American Airlines Pilots Union Loses Appeal to Highest Court.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Katherine Yung Feb. 27--The union representing pilots at American Airlines Inc. said it lacks the funds to pay a $45.5 million judgment after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal of the penalty. The...

The Dallas Morning News Business Profile Column.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Melinda Rice Feb. 25--NAME: Glenn Staley AGE: 40 POSITION: Pharmacist/founding partner COMPANY: Acorn Pharmacy Inc., Dallas YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 2 EDUCATION: Bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from...

Reports Fuel Debate over State of the U.S. Economy.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Angela Shah Feb. 27--A pair of economic reports Monday added new fuel to the ongoing discussion whether the economy risks bleeding into recession. First, the National Association for Business Economists downgraded its forecast...

Texas-Based Electronic Data Systems Paints Rosy Picture for Analysts.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Leah Beth Ward Feb. 27--Electronic Data Systems Corp. held its first full conference with Wall Street analysts Monday since chairman and chief executive Dick Brown took the job as a turnaround artist in 1999. The company used...

Texas Gathering Considers Ideas to Stabilize Natural-Gas Prices.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Terry Maxon Feb. 27--AUSTIN, Texas--The best way to bring down high natural gas prices is to produce more natural gas, not to regulate utility companies more aggressively, industry officials told the Texas Railroad Commission on...

Celina, Texas, Tries to Preserve Business Climate as Growth Nears.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Steve Quinn Feb. 24--CELINA, Texas--As he sweeps the sidewalk outside the Rex Real Estate office, Mike Gorelangton looks like a member of the morning cleaning crew. He's really the building's owner and Rex Real Estate's...

Consultant Offers Tips to Prepare for a Possible Layoff.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Michael Precker Feb. 27--Your workplace may be nothing like that jungle island or the Australian outback, where duplicity and chicanery reign as Survivor contestants try to avoid that fateful layoff at the end of every show. ...

CEO of Dallas Media Firm Touts Industry's Online Future at Conference.
February 27, 2001... Feb. 24--Even as many online ventures retrench, newspapers and other traditional media companies should not cut the muscles of their Web operations, Robert W. Decherd, Belo's top officer, said at a conference on Friday. "This is not a time...

Strong Mexican Economy Will Help Texas, Economists Predict.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Angela Shah Feb. 26--Mexico has always been Texas' neighbor. Now, it's the state's best friend. Productive industrial companies, a booming trade sector and a peaceful transfer of presidential power have combined to give Mexico...

The Dallas Morning News Robert Miller Column.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Robert Miller Feb. 25--FANS OF SCULPTOR HELPED MOLD SHOW: The forward-looking Dallas Foundation is offering Dallas Museum of Art visitors a look back at a famous 20th century sculptor. Every visitor to Dallas City Hall is...

The Dallas Morning News Robert Miller Column.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Robert Miller Feb. 26--HOBLITZELLE FOUNDATION CHIPS IN FOR NEW PERFORMING ARTS CENTER: The Hoblitzelle Foundation has made a $300,000 grant to the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts Foundation to help it plan and raise funds for...

NASA's Replacement of Houston Director Seen as Signal about Cost Overruns.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Bruce Nichols Feb. 27--HOUSTON--The announcement that George Abbey will be replaced as Johnson Space Center director signals that cost overruns on the International Space Station are a problem for NASA under the Bush...

The Dallas Morning News Personal Finance Column.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Pamela Yip Feb. 25--You're getting a tax refund. A little extra cash falling like manna from heaven? Not really. It's your money. You earned it. It was just on loan to Uncle Sam, interest-free. But now you want it. And you...

Bush's Freeze on New Regulations Sends Strong Signal to Businesses.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Jim Landers Feb. 27--WASHINGTON--From keyboards to clothes washers, from air conditioners to diesel fuel, the battle lines are drawn. In one of his first acts on Inauguration Day, President Bush froze new rules and regulations...

Port Charlotte, Fla., Braces for Loss of Texas Rangers' Spring Training Camp.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Richard Alm Feb. 27--PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.--After 15 years, this Gulf Coast community of 150,000 is preparing for life without spring training and the Texas Rangers. And no one will miss them more than John Grother. A...

The Dallas Morning News Gadgets & Gizmos Column.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Alan Goldstein Feb. 25--Peek inside a typical big-city patrol car, and you'll find a mounted mobile computer monitor and keyboard that allow police officers to effectively work out of their cars. Revolve Design of Oakland,...

Texans' Acumen for Business Success May Lie in Genetic Code, Experts Say.
February 27, 2001... Feb. 25--Perhaps Texas harbors its own special genetic code. That would explain the state's ability to spawn new businesses, fuel economic growth and sidestep the brunt of the latest economic downturn -- all while shifting gears from an...

Texas Instruments Links Cutbacks to Drop in Sales.
February 27, 2001... Byline: Leah Beth Ward and Steve Quinn Feb. 27--Texas Instruments Inc.'s announcement Monday that it has frozen hiring and offered early retirement to 2,600 employees reflects both the larger economic slowdown and bottlenecks in the supply...

The Dallas Morning News Business Book Review Column.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Steve Powers Feb. 25--THE CUSTOMER REVOLUTION (Crown Business, $27.50) by Patricia B. Seybold Patricia Seybold boldly declares that the so-called New Economy is really the Customer Economy. In short, she believes that...

Fort Worth, Texas, CEO of Boot Firm Dies at 84.
February 28, 2001... Feb. 27--Fort Worth businessman John Justin Jr., a Western heritage icon whose cowboy boots are worn worldwide, died Monday at his home. Funeral services are pending for the 84-year-old, who was the former president and CEO of Justin...

The Dallas Morning News Campus Career Column.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Victor Godinez Feb. 25--NAME: Lori Stevens SCHOOL: University of North Texas, Denton HOMETOWN: Houston AGE: 28 MAJOR: Marketing LEVEL: Working on master of business administration; to graduate in May 2002 ...

Woman Buys Bridal Apparel for Shop in McKinney, Texas.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Victor Godinez Feb. 26--Trips to Paris and London aside, being a retail apparel buyer isn't all glamour, says Sherry Dorman. When Ms. Dorman, owner of The Bridal Portfolio in McKinney, travels to New York and Europe to attend...

The Dallas Morning News E-Commerce Column.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Alan Goldstein Feb. 28--NAPSTER CHANGING MUSIC INDUSTRY: Napster Inc. may be fighting for its life as it heads to federal court for another hearing on Friday, but whatever happens, the song-swapping service has changed the music...

Austin, Texas, Financial Staffers Take Advantage of Growth in Career.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Crayton Harrison Feb. 26--AUSTIN, Texas--Bambi Flynn was laid off, and then she got a raise. After Austin Internet software company Vignette Corp. told her it was eliminating her position as an accounts payable manager, Ms....

The Dallas Morning News Financial Career Column.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Melinda Rice Feb. 25--NAME: Kitty Stark AGE: 60 POSITION: Bookkeeper COMPANY: Davey Refrigerator, Dallas YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: Five months EDUCATION: Life! I've spent 35 years as a bookkeeper. I got...

The Dallas Morning News Health Career Column.
February 28, 2001... Byline: Victor Godinez Feb. 25--Dr. Leber Beall hyperextended his knee while duck hunting last September, and when the joint continued to swell, he ordered a magnetic resonance image to find out whether he had torn a ligament or just...