Stories from Monday, June 24, 1991

Summer months are good for long, lazy drives. With sunglasses on and air conditioners blowing, we head out to find sunny and green countrysides. One Cape Girardeau group, however, hits the open road but leaves the car at home. The Velo Girardeau bicycle club and its 55 members enjoy the freedom of riding three times a week...

Choosing the right bike for your needs can be difficult. There are so many different types available. Eric Gooden, owner of Cape Bicycle on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, said that the most popular selling bicycles right now are mountain bikes. "The mountain bikes," said Gooden, "are geared low enough that you could almost peddle up a tree...

During summer, water is a big part of life. We boat on it, swim in it and take fish from it. Too many times, though, water is not just a provider of recreation, but a killer as well. "I think drownings at Corps of Engineers projects has got to be the biggest safety problem we have," said Michael McClendon of Wappapello Lake...

Local fishermen don't have to travel far this summer to catch a stringer of all types of fish. According to Dennis Norman, a fisher's biologist for the Southeast Protection Region of the Missouri Department of Conservation, fishing in the area has been good so far this year...

Cape Girardeau city parks are always busy with activity. One day, you might see a multitude of different youth and adult sports, the next, a horde of picnickers, or a mass of bodies catching some sun. Dan Muser, director of Parks and Recreation, said that city parks like Arena, Capaha, Cherokee and Dennis Scivally have been busy places...

Wappapello Lake in Wappapello, Clearwater Lake in Piedmont and Horseshoe Lake in Miller City, Ill. have all reported increased attendance over last year. Doug Nichols, a park ranger at Wappapello, said that park attendance is up 11 percent from last year...

Policies concerning senior pictures for yearbooks are mixed at area schools. Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Delta and Jackson have strict policies about which photography studios can take yearbook photos. Scott City, Sikeston, Notre Dame and Oak Ridge have more flexible policies...

SCOTT CITY -- Construction of water and sewer lines to the Nash Road industrial site in Scott City is set to begin today, two years after the area was annexed by the city. "This has been a long-awaited day," said Mayor Shirley Young. "It's been a long time in coming."...

Local health care professionals disagree over the merits of mandatory testing for AIDS. But both doctors and dentists said that in their professions they run the risk of coming in contact with AIDS-infected persons and, as a result, must take necessary precautions...

Charlie Ernst's blood type your common, every-day A positive isn't anything special. His blood itself is another matter. Over the years Ernst, who turns 69 years of age July 10, has donated pints upon pints of blood to the American Red Cross. In turn, those pints have grown into gallons upon gallons...

BELL CITY -- A train derailment Sunday near Bell City prompted authorities to evacuate the town after chemicals began spilling from one of the damaged rail cars. No injuries were reported. The derailment of 28 cars of a 125-car Union Pacific freight train occurred at 5:40 p.m., one mile north of the town. Authorities began evacuating the town's 500 residents about an hour later, said a spokesperson with the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department...

JACKSON -- An 11-year-old boy was shot in the back during a shooting accident Sunday near Jackson. Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Norman Copeland called the shooting accidental. The injured youth, identified as Matthew Smith of Jackson Route 2 was airlifted to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. A hospital spokesperson said Smith was in serious condition late Sunday night...

The Southeast Missourian asked people what they thought about an ordinance which, if passed by the Cape Girardeau City Council, would prohibit smoking in grocery stores in the city. John Hoffman: "I hate to tell people what to do, but non-smokers are the majority. People have to go to the grocery store, so I think smokers should just smoke outside. It's better that the city council pass the ordinance so that the store owners don't have to be the bad guys."...

The fireworks season is upon us and, unfortunately, so is the concurrent fireworks-related injury season. The rapid-fire popping of firecrackers and colorful glare of rockets in a night sky are traditional parts of America's celebration of independence. The proper use of fireworks makes the summer holiday special; their careless use can leave a permanent injury. While we hope area residents enjoy this bit of Americana, we urge caution in the use of fireworks...

Few Cape Girardeans have made a greater impact in a shorter time than Maurice "Moe" Sandfort. He moved to the city in 1983 and immediately weaved his way into the fabric of this community. He has been a civic leader in the true sense of that phrase and his recently announced departure for another community is a loss for Cape Girardeau...

ANNA, Ill. -- The second national reunion of Caraker/Carriker/Karraker families will be held June 29 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Anna. The reunion will start at 9 a.m. A special slide show spanning 200 years of family history will be shown at 1:15 p.m., followed by various speakers...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Felter, Benton Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:25 a.m. Sunday, June 16, 1991. Name, Trent Joseph. Weight, 8 pounds. Second son. Mrs. Felter is the former Shari Chasteen, daughter of Earl and Katie Chasteen of Chaffee. She is employed at First Midwest Bank of Chaffee. Felter is employed at Procter & Gamble, and is the son of Drusilla Felter of Benton and the late Zeno Felter of Benton...

BERTRAND -- Lilly F. Tidwell, 57, of Bertrand, died Saturday, June 22, 1991, at her home after an extended illness. She was born April 1, 1934, in Haileyville, Ala., daughter of Elmer Lawrence and Eveline Barton Tyra, Sr. She was employed for 17 years at the Ramada Inn in Minor and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bertrand...

SIKESTON -- Jewell Violet Davis, 83, of Sikeston, died Saturday, June 22, 1991, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Oct. 7, 1907, in Harrisburg, Ark., daughter of James Henry and Katie Florence Presley Davis. She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Sikeston...

Joe Low Jr., professor of speech and theatre at Southeast Missouri State University, is blending vacation with professional development this summer. Low is serving as a visiting professor in speech communication at Northern Arizona University (NAU) at Flagstaff where he is teaching public speaking and administrative communication in two five-week intensive summer sessions...

SIKESTON -- Motorists who normally use State Route Z, between Arab and Wappapello may want to consider using an alternate route this week to protect their cars and other vehicles. The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department said work will begin today, resurfacing the blacktop highway between Arab and Wappapello, in Wayne County...