Stories from Monday, April 22, 1996

NAFTA, which was lobbied through a reluctant Congress in November 1993, went into effect Jan. 1, 1994. Two years later, there is still a continuing debate over whether it has resulted in job gains or job losses. In other words, it's still too early to tell whether the North American Free Trade Agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada is a home run, an error or perhaps a strikeout...

CHARLESTON -- A guest book inside the Mississippi County Historical Society's mansion told the story. People from California, Texas, Iowa -- even one from Nairobi, Kenya -- paid their dollars and signed their names before touring the home, built in 1889. It was only one attraction for Charleston's 28th Annual Dogwood-Azalea Festival...

Ken Bullard has been touring every road of New Madrid and Scott counties in recent weeks, but he isn't pleasure cruising. Bullard is mapping the road system in the two counties before the creation of an enhanced 911 communications center that will dispatch emergency crews for citizens in both counties, except Scott City, which already has a 911 system in place...

The Board of Regents hopes to pick a new president for Southeast Missouri State University when it meets April 30. The hiring decision will be made behind closed doors and could hinge on which of three finalists the regents believe can boost enrollment and the university's outreach efforts in the region...

PERRYVILLE -- Volunteers with the Southeast Missouri Red Cross are in Perryville today, helping victims of Friday's tornado rebuild their lives. Red Cross workers will be at the Perry County Hospital from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily to provide hot meals, clothing, medicine, household items, lodging and other essentials to those who need them...

A group of music educators recently compiled a list of 42 songs that should be preserved as part of America's cultural heritage. It's a pretty diverse list: Folk songs, Christian hymns and spirituals, Hebrew songs of celebration, patriotic songs, show tunes and a lot of what I think of as driving songs...

To the editor: April 21-27 is National Organ/Tissue Donor Awareness Week. During this week, we honor those families who have given the most precious gift in the world, the gift of life, to others through organ and tissue donation. At this time, we also recognize the importance of organ/tissue donation and the serious shortage of organs and tissues available for transplant...

If those of us who inhabit the mid-portion of the northern half of the American hemisphere would begin to pay as much attention to government as we do to partisan politics, and if we began worrying more about our responsibilities as citizens and less about our rights, we might have a country in which seldom is heard...you know how the old song goes...

When compared to some other parts of Missouri -- the Branson region readily comes to mind -- the Cape Girardeau area falls short of being known as a tourist mecca. But Cape Girardeau and Jackson are drawing upwards of 400,000 visitors a year for a variety of reasons that include a growing number of conventions, concerts, shows and trade fairs...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Edna Mae Mansfield Wilson, 70, of Berthoud, Colo., formerly of East Prairie, died Friday, April 19, 1996, at her residence. She was born July 20, 1925, in East Prairie, the daughter of Charley and Ruby Bowles Mansfield. On April 17, 1943, in New Madrid, she married Russell Elmo Wilson. He died March 16, 1992...

The current minimum wage in Missouri is $4.25 per hour. A bill was introduced to raise the minimum wage to $6.25. The Southeast Missourian asked, "What do you think the Missouri minimum wage should be?" Carol Rohlfs, Jackson "I think it should be raised. I think that ($6.25) is a little too high. I think about halfway between (current wage) and there, $5.50...

Daughter to Randell Tabb and Jennifer Ann Garner, 1608 Perryville Road, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:50 a.m. Saturday, April 13, 1996. Name, Alyssa Lane. Weight, 7 pounds 3 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Garner is the former Jennifer Neidert, daughter of Bob and Veda Neidert of St. James. She is employed at Children's Bazaar. Garner is the son of Ronnie and Patsy Garner of Cape Girardeau. He is employed at SM&P Utility Resources...

SIKESTON -- Grady N. Darter, 86, of the Miner Nursing Center, formerly of Sikeston, died Sunday, April 21, 1996, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Sept. 8, 1909, in Atkins, Ark., to William Floyd and Nancy Ellen Burris Darter. He married Mary Paralee Bratton. She died Oct. 5, 1980...

He was born May 23, 1928, in Jackson, the son of Claude and Emma Gobble Dees. He married Dorothy Ann Halter on June 17, 1950, in Chaffee. She survives. He was retired from the highway construction business and had worked for P.R.I. Asphalt in Cape Girardeau. He was an avid fisherman and served in the U.S. Marine Corps...

PARSONS, Kan. -- Mearl B. Steen, 92, of Parsons died Sunday, April 21, 1996, at Parsons Presbyterian Manor. He was born June 27, 1903, near Ottawa, to Frank and Lula Stover Steen. He was married to Cora Bonar in 1971 in Minneapolis. Steen graduated from the William Institute of Mortuary Science in Kansas City in 1928 and later from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he received a degree in life insurance marketing. He was an insurance agent until his retirement...

SCOTT CITY -- Barbara Louise Brashear, 54, of Scott City died Sunday, April 21, 1996, at her home. She was born Jan. 21, 1992, in Oran, the daughter of John and Ruth Thomas Diebold. She married Dick Brashear on Jan. 20, 1960, in Chester, Ill. He survives...

Nu Way Concrete Forms Southeast has opened at 4788 Old Cape Road East, east of the Highway 61/Interstate 55 intersection. The company, an outlet for building materials -- construction equipment, power tools, concrete forms -- carries an inventory of 20,000 different items for contractors, bricklayers, carpenters, painters, plumbers, electricians and others...

Marine Equipment Towing Corp. (METCO) will move into new quarters this year. METCO, which owns, leases and operates a towboat operation, has purchased property in Six-Thirty Industrial Park, along Southern Expressway, and will construct a 10,000-square-foot building...

The Family Dollar Store opening here this week will be the 50th operation in Missouri for the discount store chain headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. Nationally, the local store will be number 2,517. Family Dollar executives and local officials will be on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the store at 109 S. Kingshighway at 9 a.m. Wednesday...

Total assets March 31 were $9.5 billion. Total deposits were $8.1 billion. Commerce Bancshares is a registered bank holding company operating at 200 sites in Illinois, Kansas and Missouri, including Cape Girardeau...

The Fastenal Co., a national distributor of threaded metal products and related construction supplies, reported an increase in net sales during the first quarter. The company, which has a branch at 2228 Bloomfield Road in Cape Girardeau, had sales of $63,061,000, up from $51.6 million during the same period in 1995. Earnings per share were 20 cents for the first quarter, compared to 26 cents a year ago. Net earnings were $7.4 million compared to $6.1 million in 1995...

Beckham Farm Bureau Insurance Agency has been recognized as the top agency in brokerage net annualized first-year commissions by the Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Cos., headquartered at Jefferson City. Donald Beckham, district sales manager for Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison and Perry counties, accepted the award during the company's All Star Sales Conference, held recently at Osage Beach...

Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. has reported first-quarter net income at $44,577,000 or 70 cents a share before the impact of merger expenses. Net income for the quarter was $4,565,000 or 7 cents a share, including merger expenses. Non-recurring merger expenses resulted in a one-time charge of $40,012,000 or 63 cents a share and related to four acquisitions closed during the first quarter...

The Greater Paducah Economic Development Council (GPEDC) is seeking 900 acres of land for a grain-processing company to employ 150 people, with long-range plans to employ up to 800. GPEDC officials recently visited the Grain Processing Corp. of Muscatine, Iowa, which is looking to expand operations...

David Snyder has been named administrator at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center, 120-bed facility at 2852 Independence. Snyder has spent six years with Beverly Health and Rehab, headquartered at Fort Smith, Ark. He previously worked at the company's long-term care center at Huymansville, Mo...

Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. has reported first-quarter earnings have increased 13 percent to $140 million or 88 cents a common share before the impact of merger expenses. First-quarter results from 1995 were $123 million or 83 cents a common share. Including merger expenses. Net income for the first quarter was $111 million or 69 cents a share...