Stories from Monday, February 26, 1996

Bill Beggs examined the buds on one of his peach trees last week at Pioneer Orchard in Cape Girardeau. The 1996 fruit crop may be anything but peachy. A particularly cantankerous winter has dealt a severe blow to orchard owners in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri. The end result may be fewer crops and higher prices at the supermarket checkout...

More than 350 Missouri companies located or expanded in Missouri in 1995, creating about 20,000 news jobs and investments of more than $1.5 billion. The CitiCorp Credit Services expansion in Platte County was the top job creator and Ford Motor Co.'s expansion of its Claycomo plant represented the largest capital investment, says a survey by the Missouri Department of Economic Development in Jefferson City...

PATTON -- The scars of a recent scandal had almost healed when Meadow Heights High School Principal Rick Chastain was fired Feb. 15. His contract expires in June. Now this Bollinger County community is trying to recover from another deep wound. In a tie vote, the school board decided not to renew Chastain's contract, and board president Roy Allen doesn't foresee any change in that decision...

Just a few years ago, Missouri ranked dead last among the states in the number of training hours states required to be a certified law enforcement officer. With as little as 120 hours of training, almost anyone could put on a badge and a gun and hit the streets...

Guidelines for Ryan White funding to help people with HIV and AIDS are so strict that most of the money slated for Southeast Missouri will not be spent, opponents of those guidelines charge. But the chairman of the consortium which oversees spending of the funds argues that the guidelines were established to help protect the limited amount of emergency funding allotted for the region...

ROCKVIEW -- There are no zoning laws, no town ordinances and no elected officials in this community. But its not a town without history. And residents hope to make history by incorporating sometime soon. Rockview, located about 2 miles from Chaffee along Route M, began as a railroad settlement. Its name likely came from the view atop its rocky hills, where the railroad once operated a quarry...

My friend Linda calls my car a piggy bank on wheels. Every time she gets in, she makes a great display of picking change up off the seat or the dashboard or the floor mats and putting it into the ashtray. "When the rent's due, do you just clean out your car?" she asked once...

IF YOU'RE looking to Magic Johnson or Tommy Morrison as a role model or a hero, honey, you're looking in the wrong place. We need Godly parents to look to as our role models and heroes, and we can look to their example, no one else. I WISH that those who buy commercials on television who are so educated and so talented would try to sell their products by more magically means than sex. ...

In the House Republicans' effort to deliver the Contract With America last year, the inability to get a balanced-budget amendment typically is cited their greatest failure. Rarely mentioned, though, is another pledge in the contract that went largely unfulfilled: significant regulatory reform...

To the editor: As the mother of a second grader, I cannot let Peter Kinder once again attack public education. In his Feb. 16 column, Mr. Kinder's latest criticism bemoans creative spelling. I base my comments on personal observation. My 8-year-old daughter loves to write stories every day. ...

To the editor: In Feb. 7 Citizens for Private Property Rights of Sullivan, Mo., hosted a workshop attended by top management personnel from the Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Cattlemen's Association, local geologists and numerous private-property representatives. ...

To the editor: Your cartoon on the Feb. 16 editorial page was on the money: Family values demolished by TV. How can the television industry be so hypocritical as to sell advertisements which they say influence people to buy things, but deny that their trash of sex and violence and drivel has no influence on young people?...

To the editor: I have followed the recent happenings in the Meadow Heights School District as an objective observer. I have had enough and find I must speak out on this matter, especially considering that we will soon elect new members to our school board in April...

A recent Roper poll suggests nearly eight of every 10 Americans believe immigration rates should be cut dramatically, and one-fifth want a halt to all immigration, legal or not. In 1994, the United States granted legal residency, asylum or refugee status to 804,416 foreigners. ...

To the editor: I would like to comment about the recent judging and picking of the community's heroes to carry the Olympic torch on May 27 through Cape Girardeau. I think the whole process was very unorganized and has really confused many people I have spoke with around the area...

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- William Leo Tupper, 77, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Feb. 17, 1996, at his home in Clearwater, Fla. Tupper grew up in Cape Girardeau, where his father was the manager of the Marquette Hotel. He graduated from Central High School and attended Southeast Missouri State Teachers College...

DEXTER -- Loyd M. Edwards, 75, of Dexter died Saturday, Feb. 24, 1996, at Vintage Village Nursing Center in Dexter. He was born July 1, 1920, at Dexter to Ernest and Mabel Jarrell Edwards. He married Opal Cornelison on June 4, 1943. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was retired from Kenner Gravel Company, where he worked for 30 years...

Margaret Elizabeth Harris, 93, died Sunday, Feb. 25, 1996, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 31, 1902, at Shelby County, Ill., daughter of Luther A. and Emma Montgomery Duckett. She and William L. Harris were married Dec. 24, 1922, at Poplar Bluff. He died May 21, 1961...

George Franklin Wills Jr., 76, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 1996, at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. He was born June 15, 1919, at Grand Tower, Ill., son of George Franklin and Nellie Schraw Wills. He and Bessie Mae Crites were married June 22, 1946, at Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE -- Thomas Joseph Welker, 63, of Perryville died Sunday, Feb. 25, 1996, at his home. He was born April 28, 1932, at Apple Creek to Joseph A. and Anna Buchheit Welker. He married JoHanna H. Welker on Oct. 30, 1954. He was a retired clerk for the U.S. Postal Service. He served in the U.S. Marines Air Corps during World War II...

Walter H. Schlichting, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 25, 1996, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel.

CHAFFEE -- Edith E. Spencer, 88, died Saturday, Feb. 24, 1996, at the Geitner Home in St. Louis. She was born in Uniontown, Ark., on Sept. 3, 1907, to the late Henry and Lula Clawson Speir. She married Dr. Lyman Paul Spencer on Feb. 5, 1938, at Jonesboro, Ark. He preceded her in death on July 16, 1969...

On Saturday morning the National Weather Service reported the Mississippi River gauge at 13.6 at Cape Girardeau. But the actual depth of the river at midstream, well out from the floodwall, was probably 30 feet from the surface to the river bed. Why the discrepancy?...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "How do you feel about the placement of a state juvenile facility at Klaus Park in Jackson?" Nathan Mathis, Cape Girardeau "It would probably be OK with me. It would be good revenue for Cape County. I think it would probably be good for Cape County."...

The first step in the 1996 Missouri election process begins Tuesday with the opening of the candidate filing period. Candidates for statewide offices, congressional seats and state legislative seats will have until March 27 to file with the Secretary of State's Office in Jefferson City...

A new collection agency has opened in Cape Girardeau. "We provide a service for small businesses," said Kevin Baker, owner of the new company. Baker said the company specializes in personally contacting people who owe money, re-establishing a workable payment schedule and helping people resolve their problems...

Johnson Office Equipment, a Cannon dealership in Murphysboro, Ill. since the early 1960s, has been purchased by Bill Heckert of Cape Girardeau. Heckert, an account representative for Cannon Products for the past 10 years, formerly owned Heckert's Office Supply in Scott City and served as an area school superintendent...

Domino's Pizza has moved to its new building at 1028 N. Sprigg. Dan Lynn, president of Lynn Enterprises Inc., the area franchisee for Domino's, said the new site gives Domino's great visibility and access to the Southeast Missouri University campus...

3 R's Plus Supplies, an educational materials store, has moved to Suite 140 in Town Plaza Shopping Center. The business, which provides supplies for teachers, students and parents, opened more than six years ago. "We have more room in our new location," said Judy Borgfield, owner of the store. "It's amazing how many supplies are available."...

Golf USA has opened in Heritage Square, 2117 William. The new retail store, owned by Ed Lynch of Jackson, features a variety of golf equipment, from woods, irons and putters to golf bags and carts. The new store, a franchise operation headquartered in Oklahoma City, is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday...

Payless ShoeSource recently opened at 3437 William, moving from 350 N. Kingshighway. The store offers shoes and accessories for men, women and children. Payless ShoeSource, headquartered in Topeka, Kan., has more than 4,500 stores in 49 states, with two in Cape Girardeau. A second Payless store here is in the West Park Mall...

Ronnie Simmons has been named "Sales Person of the Year" for Auffenberg Automotive Network, which includes Auffenberg dealerships in Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, Farmington, Eldon and Washington. Simmons, sales consultant at Auffenberg Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge, Jeep and Eagle in Cape Girardeau, sold more than 175 cars and trucks last year and scored 98 of 100 in customer satisfaction. He was also recognized for a third straight year as Chrysler's "Customer One Certified Sales Consultant."...

The merger of the Gates Rubber Co. and the London-based Tomkins PLC is not expected to greatly affect either the company's national or local operations. Sale arrangements have been completed in the $1.1 billion deal, and final closure of the merger is expected next spring...

Wieser Mazda, 2611 Auto Park Drive in Cape Girardeau, has received the "President's Award of Honor" from Mazda Motor of America (MMA). The award, for customer satisfaction, is presented to the top 25 customer-satisfaction dealerships in each of four volume categories. Mazda has more than 900 dealerships nationwide...

Construction is under way on a new Drury Suites hotel at Interstate 24 and U.S. 60 in Paducah, Ky. The hotel is owned and developed by Drury Southwest Inc., Cape Girardeau, and will be operated by the Drury Inns Inc., headquartered at St. Louis. The new 144-room hotel will provide 20 to 30 new jobs when it opens in May...

The Jana Jateff Unit of Mary Kay Cosmetics recently conducted a training seminar on communications skills, establishing goals and using one's potential. Donna Stallings of Sikeston, a speech pathologist, was guest speaker at the seminar, held at Shoney's in Cape Girardeau...

The Cape Girardeau Target store has donated more than 100 teddy bears to Lifebeat Air Medical Service at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Target Stores throughout the nation will donate more than 94,000 teddy bears to paramedics as part of Target's Helping Hugs program, designed to make emergency situations a little more bearable for young children...

MFA AgriServices of Chaffee has received a "Stratus Award," from American Cyanamid Co. The award honors Cyanamid AgriCenters for outstanding achievements and services. MFA AgriService was one of 120 centers honored from more than 5,000 centers across the nation...

The nation's economy will grow moderately this year, inflation will be restrained and the unemployment rate will remain less than 6 percent for the third straight year, top economists predict. A survey of 47 economists by Blue Chip Economic Indicators, released last week, was the latest assurance that the nation is not falling into recession despite signs of a slowing economy...

General Motors Corp. will equip its Cadillacs with a new satellite-linked car security system that will automatically summon help if the car's air bags are deployed in an accident. The OnStar system will be available on most 1997 Cadillacs for about $1,000 plus a monthly service charge, GM said Friday. A hands-free cellular phone will link motorists with a team of GM operators...