Stories from Friday, January 26, 2001

Heinrich Hauser was a prolific, well-known journalist and novelist in Germany when he emigrated in 1939, bringing his estranged Jewish wife, his mistress and his two half-Jewish children to America. He believed in an agrarian ideal but knew little of farming...

Coaching football and teaching art aren't really different, Central High School football coach and art teacher Lawrence Brookins says. "Coaching is teaching. And it isn't the stuff you see in the movies. Good coaches are great teachers." Many assumptions are made about football coaches, beginning with the one that they majored in physical education. Brookins has a bachelor of science degree in art education, a minor in psychology. That throws some students and parents...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Money to start a drug court in Cape Girardeau County is finally being used a year and a half after it became available. Drug court administrator Steve Narrow received the first check of his $35,000 state-appropriated salary last week to begin organizing the court from the basement of the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse...

My campaign for daylight-saving time isn't what you'd call a hot item. Some of you are pretty blunt about it. "Look, Joe," you say. "We've got really important things to worry about. Like aching feet and faulty serpentine belts in our cars and stuff like that."...

Peter Jenkins, author of "A Walk Across America," "Walk West," "Walk Across China" and other books, will speak twice in Cape Girardeau next week. Jenkins will tell stories from his adventures in a talk at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Academic Auditorium. He also will be the featured speaker Feb. 2 at a conference sponsored by the Community Caring Council. That speech will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the University Center Ballroom...

There's more to a public library than meets the eye, and two enthusiastic new librarians want to help Cape Girardeau patrons make that discovery. Adult librarian Paula Gresham-Bequette and children's librarian Sharon Anderson are the latest additions to the Cape Girardeau Public Library staff. Gresham-Bequette started work in November and Anderson started Jan. 8...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The public will have an opportunity to tour the new Cape Girardeau County jail at an open house on March 4. The open house will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. It will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $8 million jail and sheriff's office, which will be called the Cape Girardeau County Justice Center. Sheriffs and county commissioners from throughout the region will be invited to attend, Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said...

Does Southeast Missouri State University need more student housing? Should it revise its enrollment goal of 10,300 students? Those are questions expected to come up at the university's Board of Regents retreat today and Saturday at the Lodge of the Four Seasons at Lake of the Ozarks...

A Cape Girardeau man sustained serious injuries Tuesday night when his car overturned about 50 feet north of Cape Girardeau city limits, said the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Mark Bean, 33, was reportedly driving south on County Road 613 when he ran off the roadway, struck a ditch, and his car overturned. The vehicle came to rest on its top...

It looked like a bomb, explosives experts treated it like a bomb, but Cape Girardeau police still question whether the glass jar containing a yellow liquid brought to the police department on Wednesday was a bomb. "No one can say for sure what it was," Cpl. Rick Schmidt said...

Notre Dame High girls basketball coach Jerry Grim knew the Lady Bulldogs would have to do one thing particularly well if they stood any chance of beating Jackson Thursday night. "I knew we had to get them off the boards," said Grim. "The last time we played them (a 13-point Jackson win in December), I think Andrea (Koeper) outrebounded us by herself."...

MARION, Ill. -- Cape Central's wrestling team capped off its first winning season in 17 years Thursday in convincing fashion, 62-16 over Marion. Central ended its dual season at 5-4-1 with a couple more tournaments ahead. "I'm pumped for these kids," said Central coach Josh Crowell. "They're part of something hasn't been accomplished in a long time. It just shows the hard work they've been putting in."...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Central Lady Tigers survived what coach Mark Ruark called "what may have been the worst two quarters of girls basketball I've seen" in defeating host Charleston 48-31 Thursday night. The Lady Tigers, winners of three straight and now 10-6 on the season, outscored Charleston 21-13 in the first quarter, but the two teams combined for just 20 points over the next two quarters...

PONTIAC, Mich. -- Marty Mornhinweg officially became coach of the Detroit Lions on Thursday and immediately set his sights on the Super Bowl. "I'm excited about this opportunity," Mornhinweg said at a news conference. "The bar is high. The goal for this organization is to win Super Bowls."...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Maudie V. Parker, 92, of Dexter died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at her home. She was born Sept. 11, 1908, in Dupo, Ill., daughter of John and Winnie MacFatridge White. She and Burley Parker were married Dec. 24, 1936. He died Aug. 20, 1996...

Funeral for Robert Miskell Jr. of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. John "Jack" Ketcher will officiate. Private graveside service will be at Oakdale Cemetery in Commerce, Mo., with military rites by Missouri Military Funeral Honors...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Funeral for Martha Jean Humble of Canton, Mich., will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Donny Ford will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Theda Frances Stamp, 79, of Scott City died Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 10, 1921, at Illmo, Mo., daughter of Alfred A. and Nora Etter Lambert. She and Homer Millard Stamp Sr. were married June 29, 1940, in Cape Girardeau. He died Dec. 14, 1997...

Freda Aleta Clark, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 4, 1906, at Millersville, Mo., daughter of Fritz F. and Lottie J. Wilkinson Hersinger. She and Jewell B. Clark were married Feb. 16, 1935, at Benton, Mo. He died Oct. 18, 1991...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- George Stevens, 79, of Advance died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 24, 1921, in St. Louis, the son of John and Dora Stevens. He first married Nancy Bradshaw in 1945. She died Dec. 7, 1979. He then married Lura Dell Hudson on Feb. 14, 1980, at Advance. She survives...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Funeral for Eulene D. Marchbanks of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. Pat Hogan and Johnny Hester will officiate. Burial will be in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Marchbanks, 80, died Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

Glenda Davis Schott, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at the Lutheran Home. She was born March 18, 1922, at Morley, Mo., daughter of Walker and Bertie Graves May. She first married Bob Davis May 25, 1942. He died April 5, 1973. She later married Edgar Schott Nov. 4, 1978. He died Aug. 27, 2000...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Funeral for Charles H. Sanders of Perryville was held Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The Rev. Gerold McBride officiated. Burial was in Home Cemetery, with military rites by American Legion Post 133. Sanders, 83, died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001, at his home...

GORDONVILLE, Mo. -- Albert H. "Bud" Wessell, 89, of Gordonville passed away Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2001, at his home. Friends may call today from 4-8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson, Mo. Funeral service will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville, followed by interment in the church cemetery. The Rev. Wayne Schwiesow will officiate...

ANNA, Ill. -- Vern Schaffer, 81, of Anna died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at City Care Center in Cobden, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna.

BLODGETT, Mo. -- Gordon James Vinyard, 56, of Blodgett died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at his home. He was born July 3, 1944, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ben and Marie Ward Vinyard. He and Joyce Underwood were married Sept. 16, 1995, at Benton, Mo. Vinyard was a truck driver with Fleming Trucking Co...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Shirley Fay "Sis" Niswonger, 64, of Bernie died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at her residence. She was born May 20, 1936, at Parma, Mo., daughter of Loren and Ethel Robertson Stinson. She and Billy Gene Niswonger were married. He died June 6, 1975...

To the editor: Once again, the Parents Cooperative Child Development Center in Jackson would like to publicly thank a local business and some important individuals who helped to make our program so successful. Through the efforts of Greg Temperly, CDC was able to acquire cabinets from LeeRowan for organization of teaching materials and storage of housekeeping supplies. ...

To the editor: The Jackson Board of Education is once again trying to organize in preparation to win an approving vote of public confidence for actions concerning the school district. School officials have formed a 28-member steering committee, mostly citizens who previously favored all past resolutions for funding proposals. They have hired an out-of-state consultant to attend community meetings and lead staff-development meetings with school administrators. The consultant's fee is $5,000...

To the editor: Rosalie Bollinger stated in her recent letter that if we wereincorrect, she would like to be enlightened. I hope I will be able to do that. The Kelly School District's boundaries are the same now as they were in the 1950s. We have students with Benton, Sikeston and Charleston addresses, but these students reside in rural areas in the district...

To the editor: I want to express my opinion on what may ultimately fractionalize Jackson if we continue the trend of neighborhood schools scattered around town to handle grades K-5. I prefer centrally located schools attended by all children of a specific grade ...

To the editor: As I write this, John Ashcroft has not yet been confirmed as U.S. attorney general. As a devout Christian, Ashcroft vehemently opposes abortion. But when questions by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Ashcroft said he would enforce those laws that permit abortion...

Without the public's assistance, seven armed and dangerous fugitives who escaped Dec. 13 from a Texas prison would probably still be holed up somewhere. Thousands of tips were called in to police. In the end, it was one person who watched "America's Most Wanted" on television who connected the new arrivals in a Woodland Park, Colo., trailer park with the fugitives...

Anyone who wants to find out how state agencies in Jefferson City are spending your money will quickly discover how difficult it is to get this information. Except for broad numbers -- this many billions in the state budget, or this many millions appropriated for a specific agency -- you won't likely get what you're looking for...

IT DIDN'T take me near as long to do my housework, because I had religion behind me. I was right all along about Jesse Jackson. He's nothing but a judgmental hypocrite. I hope Jesse will quit getting donations from naive followers and get a real job, like the rest of us...

To the editor: I would like to thank all the individuals involved in opening the Marquette Hotel to the public last Saturday. It was great seeing the large number of visitors and their enthusiasm. Having seen the interior myself for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised by the overall condition of the building, as any deterioration seemed mostly cosmetic rather than structural...

Son to Bradley Todd and Paula Jo Meyr of Jackson, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:52 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001. Name, Zachery Peyton. Weight, 7 pounds 9 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Meyr is the former Paula Bollinger, daughter of Larry and Dorothy Bollinger of Jackson. She is a cosmetologist at Special Effects in Cape Girardeau. Meyr is the son of Ray and Julie Meyr of Jackson. He is lab director at Lone Star Alternate Fuels in Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Missouri Secretary of State's office will hold a local records preservation program workshop on Feb. 7 at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, 112 E. Washington in Jackson. The workshop will begin at 10 a.m. and last about 2 1/2 hours. It will have two sessions. The first will focus on participation requirements for the grant program and the application form; the second will cover information on microfilming projects...