Stories from Friday, March 15, 1991

"How about the Otahkians!" That phrase has never gotten much of a workout. It has lately. The Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball team, which has competed for years in the shadow of the higher-profile men's squad, is getting some due recognition. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The second annual Parks and Recreation Department Easter Egg Hunt will be held March 23 at Capaha Park. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and is for children ages 10 or younger. Participants will be divided into age groups and "hunt" eggs in various parts of Capaha Park. Awards will be presented following the hunt...

JACKSON - Cape Girardeau County officials have observed an apparent downturn in the economy based on the first three sales-tax checks received in 1991. The checks, which covered sales in the county from early November to mid-February, were about $41,000 less than those for the first three months of 1990...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- More than 300 cases of Tag-A-Longs, Thin Mints and other varieties of Girl Scout cookies will leave Cape Girardeau today, the first step on their way to U.S. troops still stationed in Saudi Arabia. The cookies have been donated by the public and from Girl Scouts through the Otahki Girl Scout Council, which covers 11 Missouri counties and is based in Cape Girardeau...

The business of growth is a curious one. Environmentalists fret that the world is becoming overpopulated. Municipal officials complain that their cities have been sold short by the Census Bureau. Small is beautiful to those who want to preserve the planet. Small is calamity to those who sell population as progress...

Gov. John Ashcroft has recently been the target of bitter attacks following an announcement in Jefferson City that current state spending would again be reduced before June 30. This cut in state spending marks the third reduction since FY 1991 got under way last July 1. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A Cape Girardeau woman was killed and two others seriously injured in a two-car accident early Thursday morning in the 200 block of North Kingshighway. Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Carpenter identified the victim as Brenda Bess, 38, of 133 S. Ellis...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Both Cape Girardeau Police and a local traffic safety program are throwing their support behind a proposal to ban radar detectors in Missouri. The coordinator of the Cape Girardeau County Community Traffic Safety program, Sharee Galnore, said the program feels speed is a problem on the state's highways. Thus, she said, the program believes it is important to let people know they must comply with speed limits...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Legislation calling for a state-run health insurance plan received mixed reaction from members of the Southeast Missouri Labor Management Cooperation Committee and others at a public meeting here Thursday night. About 25 people attended the meeting to hear State Rep. Gail Chatfield, D-St. Louis, discuss his bill. Many of those in attendance also voiced comments about the measure during the two-hour meeting held at Drury Lodge...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Superintendent candidate Dr. Shelton Smith believes educators at all levels should be held responsible for the outcomes of education. Smith, also known as "Butch," met with parents and community members Thursday, capping a day of meetings throughout the city. About 40 people attended the evening session...

GRAND TOWER, Ill. -- The U.S. Forest Service chief received cheers and jeers on his visit to Southern Illinois Thursday. F. Dale Robertson was in Southern Illinois for the dedication of a cooperative waterfowl wetland habitat enhancement project at Oakwood Bottoms Greentree Reservoir located near here...

SGT. WILLIAM C. BIRKMAN U.S. ARMY Sgt. Birkman is the son of Betty Birkman and Charles Birkman of Cape Girardeau. He graduated from Advance High School in 1982 and enlisted in the Army in 1983. Before being sent to Saudi Arabia, he was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Funeral service for Mr. Jesse L. Reeves of rural Mounds, Ill. will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cairo, Ill. Church of Christ. The Rev. John Shelton will officiate, and burial will be in the Green Lawn Memorial Garden in Villa Ridge, Ill...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cape Central High School teachers, students and parents have raised $550 to provide markers for the graves of two students who died in a house fire March 8. Linda Terry, 18, and Lisa Probst, 16, died in the fire at their home at 731 N. Spanish. A relative, Ruby Simmons, 18, of Flat River, was also killed in the fire...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cape Central High School's Derek Chong won first place honors Thursday in the large school division of the 9th Annual Southeast Missouri State University Chemistry Bowl. Ste. Genevieve Valle's Ben Weiler won first place in the small schools division, which Valle dominated with eight of the top 12 Chemistry Bowl finishers...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral mass for John M. Halter of Chaffee will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. The Rev. John Cantore will officiate, with burial in Union Park Cemetery. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home here after 3 p.m. today. The rosary will be at 7...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Calvin H. Cutler of Chaffee will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church. The Revs. Charlie Shrum and Gerald Collier will officiate, with burial in Forest Hills Memorial Gardens near Morley. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home after 3 p.m. today...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bueter of Gordonville Route 3, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:01 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, 1991. Name, Jessica Lynn. Weight, 6 pounds 8 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Bueter is the former Gina Cook, daughter of Lucy Cook of Sedgewickville and the late Henry Cook. She is employed at Florsheim Shoe Co. in Cape. Bueter is employed at Procter & Gamble, and is the son of Nora Bueter of Leopold and the late Joseph Bueter...

ADVANCE -- Funeral service for Mrs. Ilene Mayberry of Advance Route 1 will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Morgan Funeral Chapel. The Revs. Randy Thomas and Mike Scott will officiate, with burial in Walker Cemetery at Bloomfield. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today...

BELL CITY -- Funeral service for Henry P. (Bud) Bollinger of Independence will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Assembly of God Church here. The Rev. Lynn Ash will officiate, with burial in Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Bell City. Friends may call at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance from 5-8 p.m. today...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Funeral service for Miss Brenda Kay Bess, 133 S. Ellis, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. S.S. Borum will officiate. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today. Miss Bess, 38 years old, died Thursday, March 14, 1991, in a traffic accident at Themis and North Kingshighway...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Atlas Hatley Jr. of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Shady Acres Church of Christ. Pat Hogan and the Rev. Gordon Adank will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Friends may call at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel after 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Mr. and Mrs. Lawson Higgins of East Prairie has been changed to 1 p.m. Saturday at Shelby Funeral Chapel here. The Rev. Martha True will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. today...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Of nearly 800 reported cases of accidental poisonings in Cape Girardeau County in 1990, 46 percent were caused by accidental ingestion of prescription or non-prescription drugs by children, said the director of a poison control center...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Great food, entertainment and a charitable cause will all be part of the second annual Zonta Club "Dinner by Invitation" fund-raising event Sunday. It will be held at Broussard's Cajun Cuisine, 120 N. Main. Tickets can be purchased in advance for one of two seatings: 4 p.m.-7 p.m., or 7:30 p.m.-10 p.m...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Visual Artists Guild, being formed by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts, will meet March 19 at 1:30 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at Gallery 100, 100 Broadway. Artists and interested persons are welcome to attend. "There hasn't been a Visual Artists Guild in this area for several years, since the Creative Artists Guild disbanded," said Beverly Strohmeyer, executive director of the arts council...

JACKSON -- Meier Hunting Club will be host to a NBHA Club Derby March 23-24. The trials, sponsored by the Cape County Quail Unlimited, and Bird Dog Association, Inc., will feature eight classes Open Puppy, Open Shooting Dog, Open Derby, Amateur Puppy, Amateur Shooting Dog, Amateur Derby, Restricted Breed and Hunting Do...

WAPPAPELLO -- Free camping will be available at certain sites in two campgrounds in the Wappapello Lake area March 29-31. Free camping sites, on a first-come, first-serve basis, will sites 26-111 at Greenville and sites 40-109 at Redman Creek. Fees, ranging from $5 to $8, will be charged for the remaining sites in each campground...

GRAND TOWER, Ill. -- John Walker wants to make a return trip to Southern Illinois. "I'm a native Texan," said Walker, national president of Ducks Unlimited. "This is my first trip to Southern Illinois but I want to come back here during the fall waterfowl season."...

PEORIA, Ill. -- The tournament site for the World series of Team Bass Fishing has been selected. The event will beheld on the Illinois River and its tributaries near Peoria, Ill. A total of 43 teams from across the nation will gather at the site the week of June 4-8...

PUXICO -- The 1991 fishing season at Mingo National wildlife Refuges opened today. "Unless otherwise posted, the entire refuge opens for fishing today," said Gerald L. Clawson, refuge manager. "Although visitors area required to obtain an entrance fee permit, there is not charge to visit the Visitor Center, located on Highway 51 a mile and a half north of Puxico."...

MARION, Ill. -- The latest models of guns, knives and other hunting items will be display at a gun show to be held at the Knights of Columbus building here April 6-7. The annual show is sponsored by Southern Illinois Outdoors and Midwest Antiques & Collectibles News magazines...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- As St. Patrick's Day approaches, several area businesses are asking their customers to donate to the leprechaun's pot of gold in a benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. "Businesses began March 1 the `Shamrocks Against Muscular Dystrophy' promotion," said Ken Lucy, of MDA...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Alpha Tau chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa recently presented school supplies to the Salvation Army for its after-school study program. They also were presented to Cape and Jackson schools. Other projects included giving decorated Valentine gift bags to residents of the two group homes for boys and to the Respite Care Home...

JACKSON - Seven Cub Scouts from Pack 12 of Jackson were awarded Cub Scouting's highest honor recently during its annual Blue and Gold Banquet. During the awards presentation, a special bridging ceremony was held to honor the following Webelo scouts: Chris Calahan, Jon Starzinger, Ben Weaver, Joseph Myers, Sean Winstead, John Gerdes, and John Wiess...