Stories from Thursday, November 12, 1998

To the editor: I cannot begin to thank you enough for your part in the publication of our first issue of The Paw this school year. The students involved were obviously proud of their work and deservedly so. Your efforts in showcasing our students' journalistic talents, as well as the talents of those they write about, are much appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to encourage our youths...

To the editor: Donald Kaul's column on treatment of slaves was not completely true, according to the history of my family. My grandfather, James Francis Brooks, operated a farm near Jackson just before the Civil War on which he used black slaves to do most of the mechanical work, because as a civil engineer he had many other jobs to accomplish...

To the editor: Our neighbors to the south lost two outstanding public servants in the recent election. Betty Hearnes and Joe Heckemeyer have done exemplary work. Betty has a lifetime of accomplishment and was a one-woman army working with Governor Carnahan to bring a prison to Charleston. ...

To the editor: A Speak Out contributor recently called attention to Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson's trip to Boenos Aires. The title of the comment was "A trip to Brazil." When did Brazil invade and conquer Argentina? Those Brazilians are nuts! STEVE MOSLEY...

At a time when presidential morality and character are so much in the news, along comes scientific proof that Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, fathered a child with one of his slaves, Sally Heming. Not only have historians known this bit of information practically since it happened, the matter was fodder for political accusations as the nation's second president sought and eventually won election...

I'M A parent of a Notre Dame soccer player, and I want to recap a story of true championship spirit. The Central High School football team sent a note to the Notre Dame soccer team the other day that was presented at a pep rally wishing the soccer team well after winning their district championship. ...

James Adams and Megwyn Sanders performed a scene from the play "Plaza Suite" by Neil Simon. God is a like a watchmaker, the Deists used to say, who builds a watch, sets it in motion and steps back to let the watch run on its own, allowing the creation to administer itself through natural law...

North County Park's new arboretum will be planted with 144 trees over the winter thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation. "This is great news for the parks," said Joe Sherinski, chairman of the Cape Girardeau County Park Board. "This grant means we'll probably get it entirely planted this fall, winter and spring. Some trees have already been ordered."...

Missouri's revamped highway plan will put urban projects in the driver's seat at the expense of rural areas, a Missouri Farm Bureau official said Wednesday. Estil Fretwell, director of public affairs for the Farm Bureau, said the $4.2 billion five-year plan is "tragic news" for rural Missouri...

Noah Webster defines a hero as "one who is admired and looked up to for valor, achievement and noble qualities, or one who performs a particularly courageous act, especially an act that reaches or protects someone." "We are in a room full of heroes here today," said Bill Springer, a faculty participant in the Cape Central High School Renaissance's Tribute to Veterans program held Wednesday at the school's auditorium...

Nov. 12, 1998 The house began to twitch, and then to pitch -- "The Wizard of Oz" Dear Leslie, DC and I saw the new digitized version of "The Wizard of Oz" at our local state-of-the-art movie house. Some things, like childhood memories, shouldn't be updated...

Southeast Showcase celebrates a decade of food, fun and service to the community tonight. More than 40 area restaurants and vendors will dish up food and beverages for guests to sample. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center. Tickets are available at the door...

FRUITLAND -- Sunday's Beanie Baby show at the Bavarian Hall has been expanded to include other collectibles and home-made crafts. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the hall, located near the Fruitland exit at Interstate 55. This marks the fifth and final Beanie Baby show of the year organized by Fred Eggley of Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY -- A football player can absorb some jarring jolts on the field. But those blows must seem trivial after suffering something as crushing as the loss of a father. Before defeating Malden High 21-0 Wednesday night in a Class 2A sectional game, Scott City's football players filed into the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City to pay respects to Jerry Hillemann, at age 48 the victim of a massive heart attack Monday morning while he slept...

PERRYVILLE -- Perryville High's first trip to the state football playoffs since 1990 did not go exactly as the Pirates had hoped. Powerful North County, slicing through the Pirates both through the air and on the ground, rolled to a 35-14 Class 4A sectional victory in front of an overflow crowd at PHS Stadium...

ST. LOUIS -- Behind four interceptions by defensive back Dusty Cattoor, the St. Vincent Indians won their first playoff football game in school history Wednesday with a 10-0 Class 1A Sectional victory over Cardinal Ritter. Cattoor led a St. Vincent defense which squeezed seven turnovers out of Cardinal Ritter...

SCOTT CITY -- Jon Beck wants to have a worry-free senior season of high school basketball as he tries to lead Scott City's Rams to a place they've never been before -- the state tournament. That's why Beck decided to take advantage of the early signing period that began Wednesday. In a ceremony at the school, Beck signed a letter of intent with Arkansas State, the defending Sun Belt Conference champion...

After the Ohio Valley Conference's football teams have spent virtually the entire season pounding on one another, the league race has come down to this: A one-game showdown Saturday between Murray State and visiting Tennessee State to decide the championship...

Matt Underwood School: Scott City Sport: Football Coach: Terry Flannigan This season: Underwood, a junior tailback, was Southeast Missouri's leading rusher entering Wednesday night's sectional game against Malden. He has gained 1,628 yards in 187 carries and scored 24 touchdowns as Scott City won its district to improve to 9-1. ...

SHREVEPORT, La. -- Southeast Missouri's men's golf team placed fourth at the Hal Sutton Intercollegiate earlier this week. Leading the way for the Indians was Jake Saladin, who shot a three-round total of 221 which tied for 14th place. The tournament concluded the Indians' fall season...

Southeast Missouri's women's basketball team signed three players Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. Signing letters of intent were forward Lori Chase and guards Jennifer Gries and Kristy Roherty. Chase, 5-foot-11, is a two-time all-state selection from Rosary High School in St. Louis. She averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds as a junior last year...

Julie Wunderlich School: Jackson Sport: Cross country Coach: Jim Stoverink This season: Wunderlich, a junior, picked up steam as the year progressed. A two-time SEMO Conference champion, Wunderlich finished fourth this year to again pull in all-conference honors. She placed second at district (20:22) and 12th (21:04) in sectional to advance to state...

SIKESTON -- Ruth L. Nelson, 88, formerly of Wyatt and Sikeston, died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998, at Beauvias Manor on the Park in St. Louis. She was born Nov. 23, 1909, at Wyatt, daughter of James William and Della Melissa McElmurry Hawkins. On Nov. 23, 1927, she married Estel Sidney Nelson. He died Aug. 26, 1984...

Funeral for John Henry Lewis of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. David Dissen will officiate. Entombment will be in Memorial Park Mausoleum, with VFW graveside rites. Friends may call at the chapel from 11 a.m. to service time...

ANNA, Ill. -- Elsie Franklin, 96, of Anna died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998, at Union County Hospital. She was born April 11, 1902, in Ullin, daughter of Calvin and Emma Boren Hale. She married Everett Dillow, who died in 1923. She later married Homer Franklin Nov. 30, 1957. He died March 20, 1990...

JACKSON -- Memorial service for Marion L. Porter of Jackson will be held at 2 p.m. today at St. Paul Lutheran Church. The Rev. Robert Henrichs will officiate. Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville is in charge of arrangements. Porter, 70, died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Lester Eugene "Frenchie" LaForest, 77, of Tamms died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born Aug. 18, 1921, at Fayville, son of Eugene and Susie Lawrence LaForest. He and Dorothy "Dot" Montgomery were married April 18, 1967, in East St. Louis...

Hilda Frieda Koch, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Dec. 17, 1904, near New Wells, daughter of Theodore and Ottilie Petzoldt Scholl. She and Edwin Koch were married Nov. 23, 1924. He died April 28, 1958...

JACKSON -- Rebecca "Betty" McDowell Harper, 75, of Jackson died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998, at her home. She was born Jan. 20, 1923, in Herrin, Ill., daughter of Harvey C. and Ruth Morgan Jones. She first married Eugene E. McDowell June 26, 1949, in Augusta, Ga. He died Sept. 9, 1970. She and Bob Harper were married Oct. 28, 1989, at Jackson...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Graveside service for Florence Amellia Sutliff of Jonesboro will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Christian Chapel Cemetery in Dongola. Steve Karraker will officiate. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel in Cape Girardeau, Mo., is in charge of arrangements...

Evelyn Hinkle Garling, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998, at the Lutheran Home. She was born May 28, 1921, at Lavow, daughter of William A. and Mabel Skaggs Cora. She first married William Hinkle Aug. 1, 1946, in Cape Girardeau. He died Sept. 4, 1980. She later married Eugene Garling in 1984...

Son to Gregory and Marie Seesing of Waco, Texas, Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, 12:14 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998. Name, Blake Francis. Weight, 8 pounds 10 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Seesing is the former Marie Francis, daughter of Richard and Joyce Francis of Cape Girardeau. She is office manager at Parrish Moody and Fikes. Seesing is the son of Chris Welland and Paul Seesing of Cape Girardeau. He is purchasing manager at DuPuy Oxygen...

SIKESTON -- A Puxico woman was killed Wednesday afternoon in a collision on Highway 60 at Highway 114. Margaret Denbow, 61, was taken by Lifebeat helicopter to Southeast Missouri Hospital after the 3:35 p.m. accident six miles west of Sikeston. She was pronounced dead at the hospital...

Mrs. Marie Lucille Hobbs, age 76, of Cape Girardeau passed away at the Lutheran Home on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998. She was born March 10, 1922 in Vanduser, Mo., the daughter of Charles Cleveland and Ella Mae (Lampkins) Cronenbold. She married John Childers in 1938 and he died in 1969...