Stories from Monday, March 8, 1999

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. We've come a long way from the days when Henry Ford said you could order his Model T in any color you wanted -- as long as it was black...

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Perryville this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available March 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

Century 21 Ashland Realty Co. has received the Centurion Quality Service Award and the Centurion Office Award for 1998. Ashland has received the quality service award five times during the past six years. The awards are based on surveys conducted during the year. Winners of the awards must receive a quality Service Survey Index of at least 940...

A pair of commercial remodeling and expansion projects, and family housing jump-started the construction industry in Cape Girardeau during January. On the "short list" of permits issued in January were: -- Alterations, remodeling and equipping of the former Venture Store at West Park Mall for the ShopKo Stores Inc. debut, $680,000...

Two Cape Girardeau business -- United Distributing and Southwestern Bell -- have been honored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce as 50-year members. Accepting plaques from John Mehner, chamber president and chief executive officer, during the chamber's recent annual meeting were Fred R. Wilferth of United Distributing and Donna Burk of Southwestern Bell Telelphone...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce is updating its "Major Employers List." The list contains all companies -- manufacturing and non-manufacturing -- that employ more than 100 people.

The Missouri Association of Legal Secretaries will hold its annual meeting April 16 through 18, at the Chateau on the Lake in Branson. A number of topics will be discussed. Representatives are expected from the 11 chapter associations, which include the Cape Girardeau County chapter...

A number of agriculture irrigation workshops are scheduled this month. Three seminars are scheduled throughout the Southeast Missouri area: March 23: Kennett, Beyond the Squares Restaurant, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Hayti, Curtis Cafe, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 24: Charleston, Clara Drinkwater Newnam Library, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.; New Madrid, county extension office, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m...

Heuer Sons Implement Co. Inc., 533 Morgan Oak St., has added the new Massey Ferguson line of lawn and garden equipment -- including riding mowers and lawn tractors. Heurer Sons, a farm implement dealer, also provides a full line of Massey Ferguson farm equipment...

Kenneth W. Inman, Jeff Jackson, Cathy Trentham, Howard Alexander, Dana Leming and Cheryl Huffman, with Century 21 Ashland Realty Co., recently received Masters Club honors for closing on more than 30 units during the year. Inman and Jackson received Master Club awards and Trentham, Alexander, Leming and Huffman received Master's Club Emerald Level recognition for achieving master's honors three consecutive years...

Mr. Smith is going to Washington. That's Washington, D.C. When Ernest Smith lost his job of 20 years ago as a parts salesman -- the company closed operations -- he embarked on a new job search. It wasn't that easy. Smith was 86 years old at the time...

Westvaco Corp., a major manufacturer of paper, packaging and chemicals, has reported first-quarter sales and earnings. Westvaco, headquartered in New York, reported sales of $651.8 million in the quarter ending Jan. 31, down 7.3 percent from a year ago. Net earnings were $25.2 million, or 25 cents a share, down from $32.5 million and 32 cents a share for the same period in 1998...

Cape Girardeau or Columbus, Ind., aren't the first cities to look at ways to revitalize their downtown business districts. Ever since new highways and shopping strips began popping up and downtown began looking more desolate, city leaders have searched for a way to bring back the economic growth downtowns once enjoyed...

COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Main Street has become synonymous with America, and Columbus shows several examples of that similarity. A 17-member group interested in revitalizing downtown Cape Girardeau visited Columbus over the weekend to learn more about its Main Street program...

Art is alive and well in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. At least that is what visitors to the 21st annual High School Art Symposium at Southeast Missouri State University saw Sunday afternoon. Students, parents and art lovers made their way around the University Museum to see the 127 pieces on display. The selections were chosen from 1,022 entries in the high school art competition...

Cape Girardeau police are hoping to take a bigger bite out of crime with the official opening of the Good Hope neighborhood police station. With the simple snip of the ceremonial ribbon, Cpl. Charlie Herbst ushered in a new era -- and a new outlook -- for the neighborhood surrounding Good Hope Street...

JACKSON -- In this growing, but still friendly city, election campaigns usually are low-key and gentle. Nobody told Chris Bowen, a candidate for Ward 3 alderman who has been on the attack against City Hall and more indirectly his opponent in the April election, Alderman Valerie Tuschoff...

University of Missouri Outreach and Extension in Cape Girardeau County has embarked upon a major fund-raising campaign to build a $350,000 education and extension center. The drive to raise money for the 7,000-square foot building is an ambitious one. At a Feb. 26 kickoff of the campaign, extension officials announced that almost a third of the funds already had been pledged. Pledges at that time totaled $105,000, which included two and a half acres of land for the building...

One of the most ill-advised measures to come before the Missouri General Assembly in a long time is one that would extend driving privileges to 14-year-olds. Granted, the bill filed by state Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, would require that 14-year-olds be enrolled in driver's education programs and drive only under the instruction of a supervisor. But most 14-year-olds are not ready to drive...

To the editor: Proposition B, the right of law-abiding citizens of Missouri to carry concealed weapons, will come to a vote April 6. It is a very important issue for each of us to understand, because it is a life-and-death issue. In my opinion, this critical proposition hinges on voters' understanding the three crucial premises that underlie its need, regardless of the outcome of the election:...

To the editor: "Our long national nightmare is over." These words were originally spoken when Iran released our hostages in Tehran, Iran, after they had been kept as prisoners for 444 days. There was a great celebration when they came home. In a sense, we have just concluded another long national nightmare, which resulted in President Bill Clinton's impeachment and acquittal. ...

Repair and maintenance work on the Mississippi River bridge connecting Cape Girardeau and Southern Illinois will continue to impede traffic through the area until Thursday. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, bridge traffic will be limited by periods of one-lane travel through most of the week, including a temporary bridge closing on Wednesday...

Mitch Wood and Tim Harmon went to high school together at Holcomb, graduating a year apart. Tonight at 6:30, the basketball teams they coach will square off when Wood's Oran Eagles play Harmon's Cooter Wildcats in a Class 1A Regional game at the Sikeston High School Field House...

Even though they had their best-ever season on the Division I level, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians will not get a chance to extend the campaign. Southeast was passed over for the 32-team National Invitation Tournament field that was announced late Sunday night...

Northern Illinois proved the perfect antidote for what ailed Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team. Southeast hobbled into the weekend lugging a 2-8 record, but its three-game sweep of the Huskies -- capped by 10-0 and 7-2 victories Sunday at Capaha Field -- added up to "a really tremendous weekend" for Southeast coach Mark Hogan and the relieved Indians...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team picked up its first win of the season Sunday, downing visiting Harvard 5-1. The game was part of what was supposed to be the Southeast Classic Tournament. But after several games were wiped out Saturday by inclement weather, an official tourney never took place...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Linnie Gaskill, 87, of Ullin died Saturday, March 6, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital at Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 16, 1912, at Sikeston, Mo., daughter to Samuel and Sallie Sullinger. She and Doris Gaskill married Feb. 22, 1930. He died Jan. 7, 1992...

PERRYVILLE -- Robert M. Lawrence, 90, of Perryville died Saturday, March 6, 1999, at the Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. He was born Aug. 9, 1908, in Perry County to Charles Lawrence and Caroline Giesler Lawrence. He married Barbara Berkbigler April 29, 1929, in Brewer...

Harold R. Trantham, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 6, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 4, 1922, in St. Louis. He married Estella Weaver Aug. 11, 1950. He was a veteran of World War II as a member of the U.S. Army. He was also a truck driver and a member of the Teamsters union. He also attended First Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau...

BENTON -- Henry Leo Urhahn, 86, of Benton died Sunday, March 7, 1999, at Southeast Hospital at Cape Girardeau. Urhahn was born March 9, 1912, in New Hamburg, son of Lawrence Urhahn and Catherine Geisner. He married Dixie V. Kirby Sept. 17, 1935, in Benton...

ADVANCE -- Samuel "Pat" Hedge, 69, of Advance died Sunday, March 7, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center at Cape Girardeau. He was the son of Samuel and Mollie Jane Strange Hedge. He married Christine Ezell Sept. 13, 1952, in Pocahontas, Ark. He was a truck driver as well as a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Army...