Stories from Friday, January 11, 1991

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has coined the term "Gorbasm" to capture the overwrought enthusiasm of some in the West for the Soviet leader. Here's a perfect example: Covering the resignation of Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, a CNN reporter described Shevardnadze's anguished warning about a coming new dictatorship. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference was well represented when the first Division II Top 20 poll was released earlier this week. Three teams in the MIAA were ranked in the poll, including Central Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State's Saturday night foe...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Central Missouri State's women's basketball team might not be as dominating as in years past, but that doesn't mean the Jennies are easy touches. Far from it. Central is still more than formidable and Southeast Missouri State University coach Ed Arnzen knows his depleted Otahkians will have their hands full Saturday when they host the Jennies...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The extremely successful Southeast Missouri State University gymnastics team begins what it hopes will be another brilliant season tonight when the Otahkians compete in the Ball State (Ind.) Invitational. Southeast coach Bill Hopkins is blessed with talent up and down the lineup as he enters his 12th season with the Otahkians. In fact, one of Hopkins' primary problems is deciding on a lineup...

OTAHKIAN STATISTICS As of JAN. 8 3-pointers: Cate 15-56 (.268), Mitchell 2-7 (.270), Otahkians 17-63 (.270), Opponents 51-167 (.305). Assists: Mitchell 62, Holland 31, Wesley 25, Rogliardi 22, Wiley 8, Fitzpatrick 6, Pugh 3, Jackson 3, Cavaness 2, File 2, Miller 1, Otahkians 176, Opponents 120. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Southeast Missouri State and Central Missouri traveled in opposite directions in their Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference openers Wednesday. The Indians, 9-3, 0-1, fell behind Missouri-St. Louis early, made a serious second-half run and then folded with seven minutes remaining en route to an 85-67 setback. Southeast committed an eye-popping 31 turnovers against UMSL...

A fair tax. Congress has debated a fairer system of taxation for years, with mixed success. But tax concerns are not limited to the national or state levels. The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce is surveying local businesses about the current merchant-license system. Survey results may be used to promote what the chamber officials feel are long overdue changes...

Seven time zones away from Geneva, as James Baker was seeing the flame flicker on Persian Gulf peace, I was standing in what I mistakenly took to be the complaint department of a local establishment. The complaints were what fooled me; I was being served and the employees were complaining...

INDIAN STATISTICS As Of JAN. 8 3-pointers: Lake 14-43 (.326), Lewis 9-40 (.225), Coleman 8-27 (.296), Joens 6-21 (.286), Shelton 5-10 (.500), Rolling 3-5 (.600), James Barnes 2-4 (.500), Everette 1-3 (.333), Dohogne 0-1 (.000), Indians 50-166 (.301), Opponents 73-211 (.346). ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The cost of mailing a letter is going up. "We don't know whether the increase will be 4 cents or a nickel," said Don Knoth, superintendent of postal operations here. "The Postal Service has requested a 5-cent hike, from 25 to 30 cents," he said. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The chief engineer of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department declared Thursday that the next gas tax increase proposal submitted to voters should be large enough to make a big dent in the massive highway needs facing the state...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Two city boards the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Appeals this week agreed that the city should consider adoption of a minimum-property-maintenance code. The Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday tabled consideration of the code until after a public hearing on the matter, scheduled for Feb. 11...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Get out your sunglasses. The National Weather Service says the sun will be out this weekend, ending nearly four weeks of dreary, wet weather in the Cape Girardeau area. There's more good news. Forecasters say temperatures here, which have been mostly well below long-term daily averages since Christmas, will be climbing back to more seasonable levels next week. That should melt any remaining snow and ice on the ground...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A map to the maze of financial aid will be presented at a workshop for parents and students at Cape Central High School Jan. 15. The program begins at 7 p.m. in CHS choral room 101. "Kids often think they do not have the money so they can't attend any post-high school programs," said Orville Krauss, counselor...

A1C KENNETH E. WALTON U.S. AIR FORCE A1C Walton is the son of Ted and Edna Walton of Chaffee. He graduated from Chaffee High School, where he was a member of the football team. He is married to the former Linda Horman, the daughter of Ben and Bernice Horman of Chaffee...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The State Board of Nursing Wednesday approved plans to proceed with the opening of a School of Nursing at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The school will open in June and offer a one-year program for licensed practical nurses wanting to become registered nurses...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral mass for Peter Valle Michaud of Perryville will be said Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Perryville. Burial will follow in the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Perryville. Mr. Michaud died Wednesday at the Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was 78...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department will open bids Jan. 18 on 116 road projects throughout the state which are expected to cost about $32 million. Most of the road projects involve resurfacing of sections of state highways, including several Southeast Missouri projects...

Daughter to Xavier Bland and Richard Davis of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:18 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4, 1991. Name, Kedar Elizabeth. Weight, 5 pounds 13 ounces. Second daughter. Miss Bland is the daughter of Caldonia Bland of Oran and Willie White of Memphis. Davis is the son of Mamie Davis of Sikeston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Funeral service for Mrs. Harriett Pusateri, 1733 Luce, will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Art Basler will officiate, with burial in Bonne Terre City Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. Sunday...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cape Central High's girls basketball team picked the perfect time to play what Coach Mark Ruark felt was the Lady Tigers' best game of the season. It came Thursday night against rival Jackson. The Lady Tigers stifled the Lady Indians defensively and went on to post a 54-39 triumph in their own gym...

ORAN -- Saturday night's championship game of the Scott-Mississippi Conference girls basketball tournament will feature the top two seeds. That was assured in Thursday night's semifinals when top-seeded Scott County Central blistered host Oran, the No. 4 seed, 86-44; and second-seeded Kelly slipped past No. 3 Scott City 43-38...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Notre Dame High's girls basketball team notched its eighth win of the season and fifth in a row with a 64-47 triumph over visiting Portageville Thursday night. Angie Judd led three Lady Bulldogs in double figures with 19 points, including a trio of 3-pointers as Notre Dame improved to 8-5 on the season...

PERRYVILLE - Cape Central's Matt Wittmer pumped in 18 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as the Tigers rallied from a nine-point deficit to defeat Jackson 71-67 in the Perryville Tournament here Thursday night. The victory put the Tigers in the championship game of the tourney, where they will face undefeated Festus, a nine-point winner over Sikeston Thursday, in Saturday's 8 p.m. title tilt...

DEXTER -- Cape Central High wrestling coach Larry Clemens has been pleasantly surprised by the performance of his Tigers so far this season. "I really am surprised at the job this young squad has been doing," said Clemens following a 57-11 rout of host Dexter Thursday night that moved the Tigers' dual record to 4-2. "We're wrestling pretty well right now. They've really impressed me."...

DELTA -- A huge first half helped carry Scott City past visiting Delta 82-68 in boys basketball action Thursday night. The Rams came out on fire in the opening quarter as they raced to a 27-10 lead. It was 53-31 at halftime and Delta never got closer than nine points in the second half...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Spring Sports & Recreation Show will be held at SIU Arena here Feb. 1-3. Boats, RVs, hunting and fishing equipment, and information on fishing, resorts and more will be available at the three-day show. This marks the seventh year for the annual event...

WAPPAPELLO -- The "Annual Fish Shelter Day," will be held here Jan. 26. "This event was originally scheduled Jan. 12," said Michael McClendon, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The date had to be postponed due to the high lake levels." Volunteers will meet at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 26 at Chaonia and Holliday Landings...

WARE, Ill. -- With the change in temperatures recently, and many new geese in the area, hunting has improved over the past two weeks. "Hunters have averaged harvesting more than 600 geese a day during the past two weeks in the four-county Alexander, Union, Jackson and Williamson Quota Zone," said a Illinois Department of Conservation spokesman. "During the first 30 days, they averaged only 285 a day."...

BENTON, Ill. - The Corps of Engineers, in a long-awaited report, says higher user fees - but not privatization - are needed at Rend Lake. The report was released recently without fanfare and is circulating through Southern Illinois conservation and environmental circles...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Missouri Department of Conservation and Cape Girardeau VFW Post will sponsor a Hunter Education course here Saturday. The day-long class, which will be held at the VFW Post on North Kingshighway, will start at 8 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., with a lunch break from noon to 1 p.m...

KENNETT - With three more blowout victories behind them, Scott County Central was again the unanimous choice for the top spot in this week's SEMO Prep Basketball poll, released Thursday. The Braves (14-0) routed East Carter County Saturday (90-57), Scott City Monday (94-50) and Kelly Tuesday (93-50) and grabbed each of the 12 first-place votes...