Stories from Thursday, December 12, 1991

Missouri, Illinois and the nation are in the midst of a week aimed at educating people about the toll drunk and drugged drivers exact on America. Being impaired and behind the wheel of a car is dangerous enough at any time of year, but especially during winter months, when poor driving conditions compound the hazards. ...

JEFFERSON CITY - State Rep. Joe Driskill of Doniphan said Tuesday he hopes to decide before Christmas whether to challenge state Sen. Jerry Howard in the Democratic primary next year. "At this point I have made no decision, but I am obviously interested in looking at opportunities to run for other offices," said Driskill. "But I will have to wait a little longer...

The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday recommended the city council approve rezoning of a tract of property on Bloomfield Road for a residential care facility. The commission also approved recommendations in favor of plans for a church facility on Lexington and Route W, and luxury duplexes along Mt. Auburn Road...

SIKESTON - Applications for the 1992-93 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program are now being accepted by the Scott County office of the Missouri Division of Family Services. Helen Fisher, Scott County Family Services director, said her office began accepting applications last month for assistance from households whose winter heat source has already been shut off...

Dr. John R. Reisser will discuss aneurysms on tonight's Ask Your Doctor program. The show airs at 8 p.m. on cable channel 13. Ask Your Doctor features local doctors answering questions from local viewers each week. The program is sponsored by St. Francis Medical Center, Southeast Missouri Hospital, the Cape Girardeau County Medical Society and Channel 13...

PADUCAH Ky. The Paducah Symphony Orchestra's traditional Christmas concerts are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. Two other musical groups will add a festive atmosphere to the pre-concert activities this year. A brass ensemble from Massac County High School in Metropolis, will perform carols on the front steps as the audiences arrive. The concerts will begin with songs of good cheer by the Lone Oak Middle School Choir...

Holiday lights will blaze throughout the city tonight, the first night of Cape Girardeau's first outdoor decoration tour and competition. Laurel Adkisson, marketing coordinator for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, said 20 judges from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce were out Monday to view more than 200 decorated areas. Winners were selected from throughout the city...

It seems like only yesterday that Missourians approved a $600 million bond issue to repair and construct buildings at state institutions. Well, it was longer than that nine and a half years ago, to be exact. Back in 1982, with only 12~ percent of registered voters going to the polls, the bond issue provided $600 million for new construction and repair and an added burden on taxpayers of $1 billion in interest...

Harry Shaw, in his Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions, writes that "as" is one of the most useful and overworked words in the English language. Think of the many phrases that depend upon "as" in ordinary speech and writing: as if, as though, as in, as much as, as long as, as for, as to, as per, as follows, as regards, as a matter of fact, and on and on...

STE. GENEVIEVE Visitors to the Felix Valle House State Historical Site in Ste. Genevieve will be able to take part in a French Christmas celebration from the early 1800s on Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. The home, lit by candles and featuring a fire in the parlor fireplace, will be decorated with native greenery and decorations symbolic of early 19th century French customs...

Brightly wrapped Christmas presents under the tree add to the excitement and anticipation of the upcoming holiday. But some Christmas trees in Cape Girardeau have no presents beneath them and no promise of presents to come. In fact, many of the homes have no Christmas tree or decorations; families with little money cannot afford such a luxury...

SCOTT CITY - Terry Johnston doesn't mind when kids ask him "Where are your reindeer?" In fact, he doesn't mind when they ask him for Barbie dolls, bicycles or Nintendos. Johnston, 30, is known to many children only as Santa Claus. For more than six years, the Scott City man has run a business he calls Rent-A-Santa...

JACKSON - Ever since Cape Girardeau County enacted a half-cent sales tax for general revenue in March of 1980, receipts have increased consistently every year. Growth was never less than 4 percent, and during three of the years growth was better than 9 percent, including an increase of 11.81 percent in 1986...

The nation's economic slowdown has proved somewhat beneficial for courses at the Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School that teach job skills. As positions for unskilled laborers dry up, people are turning to the vocational school for training. Also, businesses are looking to the school to keep their employees trained...

Judy Moss says many people don't understand her job as Cape Girardeau's economic development director. "Economic development is so young that people just simply don't understand," she said Wednesday. "It really is not a high-pressure selling job so much as a facilitation effort."...

JACKSON - Traffic signals at the intersection of East Jackson Boulevard and Donna Drive will be in operation either Friday or Monday, a state official said. Technicians from the Highway and Transportation Department office at Sikeston installed the signal heads Tuesday. On Wednesday, traffic-actuated sensors were installed in the pavement on Donna Drive and at the Wal-Mart parking lot exit...

The Southeast Missouri State University chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a professional music fraternity, is seeking entertainment acts for its Cabaret Sinfonia, a dinner theater to be held Feb. 28 and 29 on the university campus. Persons or groups interested in participating may contact Monty Schrunk at 339-3268. Written inquiries may be sent to: Cabaret Committee, care of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Brandt Hall, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, 63701...

Fire late Tuesday caused extensive damage to an apartment at 121 E. Rodney Drive in Cape Girardeau. Firefighters were called at 10:58 p.m. after grease in a pan on the stove was ignited. The fire was confined to the kitchen and dining area, with heavy fire damage in the kitchen. Heavy smoke damage occurred to the main floor and upstairs area...

In the past 12 editions of the Southeast Missourian, the stories of elderly people have been told with hope that their determination to live life to the fullest, despite financial and physical hardships, would touch the hearts of readers. Many people have responded, bringing gifts so that their elderly neighbors might enjoy a Christmas surprise and the knowledge that someone remembers them this holiday...

The Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign has raised $30,000 towards the goal of $100,000. "Donations through the mail and at the kettles are starting to slow down," said Bob Neff, chairman of the Tree of Lights. "I just want to let people know where we are. I am confident that the goal will be reached."...

CHAFFEE -- Mayor Ron Moyers late last month ordered a city police officer to write a ticket charging Chaffee Police Chief Ivan McLain with having no license plate on a vehicle he was driving. After nearly nine years as police chief, McLain resigned last Thursday. He said Wednesday that the ticket had nothing to do with his resignation, no controversy existed, and he expects the ticket to be dropped because he had not broken the law...

JACKSON - Ivan E. McLain, who expressed an interest in running for sheriff of Cape Girardeau County after resigning as police chief in Chaffee this week, would not meet the one-year residency requirement outlined in state law for sheriff candidates...

JACKSON -- Herbert N. "Bert" Henckell, 21, of Jackson, died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1991. He was born Aug. 19, 1970, at Tamms, Ill. Henckell was employed at Horizon Manufacturing in Cape Girardeau. He was formerly of Cairo, Ill. Survivors include his wife, Rae, a daughter, Heather, and a son, Spencer, all of Jackson; his mother, Eva Allen of Wickliffe, Ky.; his father, Herbert Henckell Jr. ...

SHAWNEETOWN -- Funeral service for Erhardt "E.W." Schoen of Shawneetown will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. John's Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. The Rev. Albert F. Nyland will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. McCombs Funeral Home at Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

MCGEE -- Earl Wills, 90, of McGee, died Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1991, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. He was born April 17, 1901, at McGee, son of Chap and Hannah Crites Wills. He and Frances McLeary were married May 1, 1920, in Cape Girardeau. She died Jan. 20, 1985...

MORLEY -- Gertrude McFall, 94, of Morley died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1991, at the Vintage Villa in Dexter. She was born August 16, 1897, in Smithland, Ken. On Dec. 31, 1919, she married George McFall, who preceded her in death March 18, 1968. She and her husband farmed near Morley...

CHARLESTON -- Mae Dillie, 82, of Charleston died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1991, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born June 15, 1909 at Morehouse, the daughter of Barney and Etta Grissom Passley. She lived in Charleston most of her life and attended Elm Street Baptist Church...

Son to Brad Williams and Kelly Penrose, 2826 Whitener, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:55 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, 1991. Name, Gavin Cole. Weight, 8 pounds 2 ounces. First child. Miss Penrose is the daughter of Erma Wagoner of Oran and Steve Penrose of Vanduser. She is employed at Columbia Sportswear. Williams is employed with Carpenters Local 5, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Williams of Cape Girardeau...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Gertrude R. Boyd, 87, of Cairo, died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1991, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 3, 1904, in Cairo, daughter of George and Mary Ann Ich Eschmann. She married Harry A. Boyd, who died in 1972...

Members of a newly-established Southeast Missouri State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, an international fraternity for academic distinction, recently elected faculty as officers. Harold Hager, chairman of the mathematics department, will serve as president; Carl Train, chairman of the biology department, as president-elect; Nick Tibbs, chairman of the earth science department, as vice president; Katherine Parrish, associate professor in the English department, as secretary; Ray Ewing, chairman of the speech communication and theater department, as treasurer; and R. ...

FRIEDHEIM -- The annual Klaus family reunion was held recently at Trinity Lutheran Church here. Relatives attended from Jackson, Friedheim, Perryville, Cape Girardeau, Arnold, Oak Ridge, Sikeston, St. Louis, Affton, Defiance, St. Charles; Chester, Ill., and Obion, Tenn...

The Notre Dame High School choirs will present the annual Christmas concert Sunday at the historic old St. Vincent Church on Main Street at William. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. The choirs will perform a variety of choral literature for the Christmas season, including familiar carols. Choirs are under the direction of Dina Strickert...

A coping skills clinic sponsored by Beginning Experience of Southeast Missouri is scheduled for people who are separated, divorced or widowed. Each session of the six-week series is scheduled to begin Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church and will last about two hours. Each class will be held on a Thursday...

An early childhood book fair will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Parents as Teachers. Clementine Roeder, better known as "The Book Lady," will have an exhibit of children's books for sale at Jefferson Elementary School, 520 S. Minnesota...

I WOULD LIKE to thank the party who found my golden cross at Storey's Food Giant. God bless you. Thank you. I CAN'T BELIEVE anybody would seriously call into Speak Out and say they ought to have a moratorium on calls about abortion. That would be like a newspaper in the 1850s saying there would be no more calls about slavery because people were sick of hearing about it. ...