Stories from Monday, July 6, 1998

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Perryville this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available July 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

Sign Master, 360 S. Kingshighway, is observing its 10th anniversary. The company was founded in 1988 at 1909 Broadway by Veronica and Ed McCormick, who also operate Room Mates at the same site. Room Mates, previously in the Town Plaza Shopping Center, and Sign Master moved to its South Kingshighway site in May 1995...

Vernon Robert is semi-retired at Baker Implement Co., but he shows up at work almost every day. Robert, who joined the former Schneider Equipment in 1948, a year after it was founded, will be a guest of honor during a special 50-year anniversary observance this week...

Yes IBM did give Microsoft the one-two punch in the operating system war. That is if you still run DOS, Windows 3.1 or Windows for Workgroup. IBM has released PC DOS 2000. It is the only Year 2000 compatible, DOS operating system available on the market. ...

A Cabbage Patch mobile delivery unit will be in Cape Girardeau Saturday. The "Mobile Patch Newborn" commemorates 20 years of Cabbage Patch dolls and includes a 20th anniversary logo on its cheek. Also available will be a birth certificate and adoption papers...

Matthew Edward Prince of Jackson has joined Varsity Barber Shop, 1125 Broadway, in Cape Girardeau. Prince is a recent graduate of the Missouri School of Barbering in St. Louis. Prince is a third-generation barber. His grandfather, Ed Prince, operated a barbershop for several years in Marston. ...

A Palm Pilot can be used to download information into an office computer. There's no doubt computers are here to stay. However, as society becomes more global and communications become more mobile, companies are being asked to develop ever-smaller, handier versions to perform quick, efficient and multiple functions for the ever-growing market of users...

This "Financial Focus" column is prepared by Edward Jones Investments, headquartered in St. Louis. Jones includes branches throughout the nation, including Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Annuities have become increasingly popular in the past several years, largely because more taxpayers are seeking options to increase their retirement savings and control when they pay taxes. ...

The Rev. Dan Ross, a youth minister, will discuss "Youth Opportunity in Cape Girardeau" at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Friday Coffee. The monthly event will be a `Second Friday' coffee this month, due to the Fourth of July holiday. The event will be held Friday at 7:30 a.m. at the Show Me Center...

Southeast Missouri State University expects to spend more than $100 million this fiscal year to operate the school. The Board of Regents is expected to approve the university's operating budget for fiscal 1999 when it meets Wednesday, one week after the start of the fiscal year...

The combination of industrial growth and increased housing construction in Cape Girardeau County should result in increased enrollment for several of the county's five school districts. More new housing developments are under construction as the county prepares for the expansion of several local industries, including Procter & Gamble and Biokyowa. As hiring begins and new families move into the area, local school districts are projecting slight to major enrollment increases in coming years...

Dale Humphries of Cape Girardeau photographed 7-year-old Rheagan Butler taking time out from her busy play schedule. After a day in the sun, Mary Cobb's two children and their playmate took time out for popsicles, and Cobb saw a photo opportunity. Her picture is one of four semifinalists selected in the first week of the KINSA competition. Also named semifinalists were Dale Humphries of Cape Girardeau, Larry Randol of Scott City and Peter Hilty of Cape Girardeau...

The 1998 Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival will feature everything from hot air balloons and World War II vintage airplanes to modern military aircraft. At 6 p.m. Friday, a balloon launch is scheduled to start, and the festival will have its official opening with a USO Hangar Dance and night show at 7 at the Lipps hangar at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

At some Silicon Valley companies, employees can take their pets to the office. The theory is that employees who don't have to worry how Fido and Fluffy are doing at home while they're away at the office are happy employees. Happy employees are productive employees...

7:30 p.m. Monday, July 6 Jackson City Hall Public hearing -- Hearing to consider the rezoning of property addressed as 480 W. Jackson Trail from R-1 (single family residential) to C-2 (general commercial) as submitted by Chris Weiss. Action items Power and Light Committee...

RADICAL RAY Umbdenstock recently told us that there were a few members of Congress worth keeping in Congress. This is an election year. I think that if Mr. Umbdenstock releases his list of those worth keeping, it will spell political doom for the members of Congress whose names appear on his list...

A wealth of Southeast Missouri water-related projects are included in the federal Energy and Water Appropriations Act, which, with the president's approval, will provide nearly $4 billion for an assortment of projects nationwide during fiscal year 1999...

Other than a sign alongside Interstate 55 that identifies the Southeast Missouri State University Demonstration Farm, few people are aware that the university owns and operates a farm north of Cape Girardeau and strives to make a profit doing it. The university wants more people to be aware of the farm, particularly the research that goes on there. ...

To the editor: I don't know just who to say thank you to, so I thought perhaps the Southeast Missourian might run this for me. My thank you is to whoever has come to the Red Star district and looked at and bought out houses still standing from the flooding. ...

To the editor: Does Perry County need a change of county officeholders? Certain people in Perry County are suggesting that officeholders are not responsive to the concerns of its citizens, but rarely has a concrete example been put forward. In fact, one politician has discreetly suggested implementation of a two-term limit for Perry County officeholders...

To the editor: Soon our lawmakers will be back in Washington getting ready to do battle over assisted suicide. Pro-life House Judiciary chairman Henry Hyde, R-Ill., and pro-life Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla., the assistant Senate majority leader, have introduced a bill that would deny physicians a federal license to prescribe drugs for assisted suicide...

Monday, July 6 7:30 p.m. Study session 5 p.m. Consent ordinances -- An ordinance accepting sewer and waterline easements from the James L. and Wanda L. Drury Real Estate Trust and the Roman Catholic Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese for construction of sanitary sewers to serve the new Notre Dame High School and surrounding areas...

Popular national ice cream makers are raising their prices at the time of year when most people crave something cold, sweet and creamy. The price of butterfat has increased in the last few weeks, which has caused the ice cream prices to rise. The recent increase in price for butterfat -- from $1.20 to $1.98 in the past nine weeks -- is normal for the industry...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "How did you spend your Fourth of July?" Rachel Spinks, Scott City "I went to my dad's friends and my neighbor caught a bush on fire. We swam and shot off fireworks." Peter Sieff, Millersville "I went to the Fair St. Louis. It's about a half a million people up there with a bunch of vendors and bands and fireworks."...

The Fourth of July fireworks display at Arena Park Saturday night hit a little too close to home for two Cape Girardeau families who were injured by a fireworks explosion. There were no serious injuries, but one woman was treated for burns on her arm and leg...

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Host Evansville rudely sent the McDowell Capahas packing from its 10-team tournament Sunday with a 17-7, five-inning victory. The Capahas concluded round-robin play with a 2-2 record and fell to 16-7 on the season. Evansville never trailed, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first. The Capahas trimmed the lead to 6-2 on a solo home run from Mike Miller in the top of the fourth inning, but Evansville responded with nine runs in the bottom of the frame for a 15-2 lead...

Dexter Senior Babe Ruth defeated New Madrid 8-6 Sunday at Capaha Field to capture the Firecracker Classic. Earlier in the day, Dexter defeated the host Cape Girardeau White Sox 18-8 in six innings to advance to the championship game. New Madrid advanced with a 2-1 victory over Jackson Junior Legion...

DEXTER -- A Stoddard County man was killed and three Oklahomans were injured after a head-on collision Sunday morning on Highway 60 west of Dudley. Terry Strong, 27, of Dexter was pronounced dead on the scene after his car struck another vehicle head-on at 1:20 Sunday morning...

Samuel Tilden Melvin, 77, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Bonne Terre, died Saturday, July 4, 1998, at the Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born in Camden, N.Y., Nov. 3, 1920, son of Sam and Rebbeca Hutson Melvin. He was a chemist at Witco Chemical Co. in Chicago. He received his master's degree in chemistry from Roosevelt University in Chicago...

MARBLE HILL -- Mildred Idell Mouser, 89, of St. Louis, formerly of Bollinger County, died Sunday, July 5, 1998, at Mark Twain Manor in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 17, 1908, at Zalma, daughter of Daniel Jefferson and Ida Mae Whitener Thomas. She and Hadley Mouser were married Dec. 10, 1927, at Zalma. He died Oct. 31, 1986...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Wilma Tennis Gore, 62, of Springfield, formerly of Olmstead, died Saturday, July 4, 1998, at the St. John's Hospice in Springfield. Arrangements are incomplete at the Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak.

ANNA, Ill. -- Bessie Cook, 90, of Anna died Friday, July 3, 1998, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born Jan. 8, 1908, at Harrisburg, daughter of Joseph Franklin and Clara Henrietta Teike Minner. She and Ray C. Cook were married on Jan. 17, 1943. He died Dec. 19, 1982...

PUXICO -- Hazel H. Clodfelter, 86, of Puxico died Friday, July 3, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 4, 1911, at Fisk, daughter of Chris and Ida Edmundson Campbell. She and Bland Clodfelter were married Aug. 2, 1933, at Poplar Bluff. He died Jan. 25, 1984...

Ruby A. Arsta, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 4, 1998, at Heartland Care Rehabilitation Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 23, 1909, at Cape Girardeau, daughter of Raymond and Beulah Crites Adams. She was married to Marvin Arsta, who preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE -- Mildred M. Hawthorne, 84, of Perryville died Sunday, July 5, 1998, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. She was born July 11, 1913, at East St. Louis, Ill., daughter of John L. and Lizzie Smith Allison. She and D.E. "Blackie" Hawthorne were married Dec. 16, 1932...