Stories from Wednesday, November 17, 1999

In my last column I told you about three of my favorite shade trees, willow oak, northern red oak and sugar maple. I also indicated that I would tell you about some more of my favorites in this column. So here goes.About 20 to 40 years ago, everyone was planting sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua. You find several of these trees planted in homes that were built within that time frame...

If you've ever flown out of Lambert Airport in St. Louis, you have probably been caught in a traffic snarl. Problems both with I-70 congestion and backups at the parking lots have delayed many motorists. Luckily, these traffic tie-ups on the ground have the attention of Lambert Airport officials. In an attempt to ease traffic flows, they have opened a new exit from the main terminal hourly parking garage. About 5,000 people use the garage each day...

The country is in the midst of one of the most gigantic settlements in the history of the justice system. Tobacco companies will pay out billions of dollars because of the health dangers of cigarette smoking. Yet the number of young people who smoke continues to rise...

Adults set poor example at school I WAS at a football game and saw some of our adults -- and I use that term very loosely -- standing by a sign that says "No tobacco usage of any kind on school property" smoking and laughing and throwing their cigarettes on the ground. No wonder some of our children go around shooting other people. No respect for any kind of law...

Josh Wright had to give up a lot of choice finds for a Charizard, but he was lucky enough to find Alakazam in a booster pack. He might be talked into handing over his Nidoking if the trade was right, but he'd practically give away his Weedle. Josh, 13, was talking the language of Pokemon card traders at the Broadway Burger King Tuesday night, where kids were wheeling and dealing for these postcard size cards, an activity that is sweeping through Southeast Missouri and the nation...

There was a fire in the sky Tuesday night, but whether it was a spectacular meteor shower or a plane with engine trouble was never determined. Police officers and dispatchers from Scott City to Alexander County, Ill., received reports of a plane on fire descending toward the ground about 6:30 p.m. They spent the next two hours checking the sky and ground on a crisp, clear night trying to find out if a plane had gone down...

A story in Tuesday's Southeast Missourian about a lawsuit against a low-cost gasoline retailer in Jackson has left many people surprised, including some of the plaintiffs who say they thought their effort to end what they considered unfair competition had succeeded...

Mitchell Withers hopes to get a jump on New Madrid Fault earthquakes thanks to computer technology and radio and microwave signals that can provide a few seconds notice of an impending quake in the region.Withers, seismic networks director for the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis, helped install new computer software at Southeast Missouri State University Tuesday as part of the Integrated Seismic Instrumentation System or ISIS.The system has 84 quake-monitoring stations scattered throughout parts of Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas, stretching from Memphis to St. ...

Ray Duffey, owner of Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation (BART), a transportation service between the Southeast Missouri/Southern Illinois area and St. Louis Lambert Airport, has received the Sam Walton Business Leader Award. Duffey is the second annual recipient of the award in Cape Girardeau and one of more than 1,000 business leaders in the nation to be honored by Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark. ...

Cape Girardeau Central High School students got a lesson in voting from an expert Tuesday. Secretary of State Bekki Cook visited the high school to share with some 60 students the importance of voter registration and participation in elections. Cook was in Cape Girardeau to attend a program at Southeast Missouri State University Tuesday evening. ...

KinderCare, a child care center located at 113 South Silver Springs Road for almost two decades, will close next month."This decision did not come easy," said Lori Ruppert, St. Louis area manager of KinderCare Learning Centers. KinderCare Learning Centers Inc. ...

It's probably music to Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner's ears when Michael Stokes says he could care less about individual statistics or accolades. Stokes, Southeast's first-year point guard, is being entrusted with running the Indians' offense this season."I just like to get everybody involved in the offense and find the open man," said Stokes. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball players are confident -- yet not overconfident -- as they prepare for this weekend's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament in Cape Girardeau. The Otahkians definitely have the right to feel good about their chances because they dominated the league during the regular season, going 17-1 to win their seventh regular-season championship since joining the OVC in 1991...

It is good to return to game preparation after our 45-38 shootout victory over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 6 and a week on the road recruiting. The Eastern Illinois win was very satisfying as it avenged last year's emotional loss and also proved that we could win a scoring battle...

Southeast Missouri's women's basketball team has announced the signing of Minneapolis North High School senior Tisa Thomas.Thomas, a 6-foot-1 center, averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds her junior season to gain honorable mention all-state honors in Minnesota."If Tisa continues to develop, she can become a good Division I post player," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen. "She has good size and plays on one of the best programs in the nation."...

Viola Rosie Davis, 71, of Whitewater died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999 at the Advance Nursing Home. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Funeral for Robert Fuerth Ross of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Revs. Hugh V. Stewart and Charles Lance will officiate. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery, with graveside rites by Missouri National Guard.Ross, 68, died Sunday, Nov. 14, 1999, in Cape Girardeau.He was a 33-year veteran of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

JACKSON -- Ralph J. Wiggins, 85, of Jackson died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape GirarPerryville, and formerly attended New Bethel Baptist Church near Pocahontas. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.Survivors include his wife; a stepson, Dennis Kempf of Jackson; a half sister; and two grandsons...

SIKESTON -- Mary Jean Crader, 74, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 20, 1925, at Morley, daughter of Forrest and Georgia May Watson. She and Dwight Crader were married Aug. 28, 1949, at Morley...

PERRYVILLE -- Arthur A. Winkler, 80, of Perryville died Sunday, Nov. 14, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 6, 1919, at Uniontown, son of Hugo F. and Anna M. Meyer Winkler. He and Leona G. Rellergert were married Aug. 22, 1970, at Apple Creek...

John Gray Seay Sr., 79, of Cape Girthe Federal Aviation Administration. He was a flight service station specialist for 36 years. He had been a Powder Puff Derby Weather briefer and was a past commander of VFW Post 3838. He was also a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. ...

JACKSON: Shailyn Raine Dickerson, age 4 months and 10 days, passed away Monday, November 15, 1999, at the Cardinal Glennon Childrens' Hospital in St. Louis. She was admitted to the hospital on September 10, 1999, for Pulmonary Hypertension and was awaiting a lung transplant...

Ron G. Clark, 51 of Cape GirarChurch in Scott City. He was a member of the VFW Post in Charleston, Southeast Missouri State University Veterans Corps, and was a past commander of the 15th District VFW.He served with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. He was awarded the Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Army Service Ribbon, and Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon. ...

JACKSON -- Mr. W.C. "Bill" Lingo, age 78, of Jackson, passed away Monday, Nov. 15, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born on Feb. 20, 1921, in Memphis, Tenn., the son of the late Lee and Lucille Davidson Lingo. On December 18, 1948, he married Jo Nelle Burress in Memphis. She survives of Jackson...

ANNA, Ill. -- Frances Lutz, 83, of Anna, died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999, at Jonesboro Health Care. She was born April 8, 1916, at Ullin, Ill., daughter of Frank and Maggie Margaret Warnock Hickman. She and Rohan Lutz were married April 3, 1954. He died May 8, 1990...

The competition was hot -- literally -- in the Chili Cookoff, co-sponsored by the Southeast Missourian newspaper, Schaper's IGA and Sav-A-Lot locations in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The field of 59 chili recipe submissions were whittled to an even dozen. The finalists were asked to cook up a batch of their special chili and present it for taste-testing Saturday morning...

The Chili Cookoff is over and I enjoyed the taste testing very much. It is a challenge to taste so many different types of chili and judge each one. Then comes the task of choosing winners, which is extremely difficult. Each one was so very different not only in taste, texture, and eye appeal, but different types of chili. It is hard to judge a white chili against a five-alarm hot chili. But, we got the job done and I'm sure will enjoy any of the recipes you will try...