Quake shakes area

ST. LOUIS -- A minor earthquake sent trembles over parts of southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky on Thursday night.

A preliminary measurement indicated the quake was 3.5 on the Richter scale, according to Bruce Presgrave, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.

Presgrave said the quake was considered minor, and was unlikely to produce any damage. None had been reported by early Friday morning.

''We really haven't had many phone calls at all. Just a couple inquiries from the weather service,'' Presgrave said. ''Apparently it wasn't felt very strongly.''

The quake occurred at 10:25 p.m. Thursday. The epicenter was in Mississippi County.

Mississippi County Deputy Sheriff Thomas Lowe said he hadn't felt anything at the sheriff's office in Charleston, but he said authorities had received calls from the town of Wyatt, about six miles to the east, about some shaking.