Stories from Friday, July 26, 1991

As America's celebration of its victory in the Persian Gulf War wound down, a photograph from Vietnam has rekindled concern for the 2,273 servicemen who are listed as missing-in-action from this nation's military presence in Indochina in the 1960s and early 1970s...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- A reunion for all graduates and faculty of Shawnee High School from 1950-59 will be held Aug. 2 at Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The event will be held from 3 p.m. to midnight. For more information and/or reservations, contact J.T. Hill at 334-7777, or Jo Ann Toler at 661-1183...

CHAFFEE -- Members of the Chaffee School Board recently outlined objectives for the district's next academic year. The district hopes to formulate and implement a five-year response plan to the recent state school evaluation, consider replacement of the arts building and examine the need for a possible levy increase in light of state funding restrictions...

POPLAR BLUFF -- An organization raising money to promote academic excellence at Poplar Bluff High School is among the first of its kind in the state to be granted tax-exempt status. Because the Academic Assistance Group is one of the first established to raise money to promote academics, the tax-free status was granted for only four years, said Clinton Summers Jr., a Poplar Bluff accountant involved with the group...

Friends of mine have fanned out to cities on both coasts, New York and Los Angeles. Yes, that should provide a clue about the rigors of my friendship. In fact, their moves were prompted by career decisions (that's their excuse, at least). When I talk to these guys now, however, the conversation revolves not around careers but survival...

All that noise coming out of Jefferson City these days is the sound of state computers trying to devise ways to make $200 million in budget cuts without laying off any bureaucrats. --- Missourians don't get much information from all those lobbyists' expense reports, but at least they learn the going price for their state legislators...

A new federal highway bill passed Thursday by the House Public Works and Transportation Committee includes funding for the continued widening of Highway 60 from Sikeston to Willow Springs, and designates the proposed Interstate 66 as a "high priority corridor."...

Cape Girardeau again is without regularly scheduled Greyhound bus service to St. Louis and Memphis. Bus service in and out of Cape was suspended indefinitely after the 3:50-p.m. St. Louis-to-Memphis bus left Cape Girardeau shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday...

Cape Girardeau officials said Thursday they were pleased with a Missouri Supreme Court decision that affirmed the legality of assessing street and sewer construction costs to affected property owners. The city of Perryville Tuesday won on appeal a three-year court battle that challenged the city's practice of requiring property owners to pay for a portion of city street improvements...

JACKSON - Responding to a request of the Cape Girardeau City Council, Jackson Board of Aldermen, and a special study committee, the Cape Girardeau County Commission voted Thursday to place a proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot that would provide funding for a countywide 911 emergency telephone system...

The third residential fire in less than a week in Cape Girardeau heavily damaged a one and one-half story wood-frame house at 1001 William early Thursday. No one was at home at the time and there were no injuries. Cape Girardeau fire officials said the entire first floor of the house was gutted. There was extensive smoke and heat damage to the second floor, they said...

More than 200 Missouri high school students will participate in this year's Missouri Freedom Forum, to be held Sunday through Tuesday at Southeast Missouri State University. Linda Minner of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, which is co-sponsoring the event, said students will learn the basics of the American economic and governmental systems, the economic systems of other governments and the philosophy of private enterprise...

Good turnout at recent blood drives has brought the local blood supply out of critically low levels, said a spokesman for the Cape Girardeau County chapter of the American Red Cross. "During the last week or two, collections have increased and we've gotten out of the critical stage," said David Palmer. "But we still need people to come out for the rest of the summer. All it takes is one bad week and we'll be back in the same shape we were in a week ago."...

BENTON -- Fire gutted an unoccupied house in Benton Thursday night, causing no injuries, said a spokesman for the Scott County Sheriff's Department. The owner of the home, located at the corner of Missouri and Chester streets, was not available Thursday night, the spokesman said. The fire was reported by a neighbor at 8:44 p.m. and burned for about an hour, he said, before it was extinguished by firefighters with the NBC Fire District...

MARION, Ill. -- Sears and PharMor Discount will get an early start at the multimillion dollar Illinois Centre, which is scheduled for an Oct. 2 official opening. Sears, which is moving to the new 830,000-square-foot mall off Interstate 57 and Route 13 will open its doors Saturday. Five days later, on Aug. 1, PharMor will open...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Dorothy L. Prim, 78, of Mounds, died Wednesday, July 24, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 16, 1913, in Cairo, daughter of George and Beulah Wilson. She married Johnie Harold Prim. Prim was a member of First Baptist Church here...

CHARLESTON -- Beulah Hornback, 83, of Kalamazoo, Mich., died Thursday, July 25, 1991, at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She was born March 7, 1908, at Diehlstadt, daughter of Thomas E. and Ruby Martindale Martin. She married the Rev. William S. Hornback Dec. 24, 1925. He died Feb. 8, 1973...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Ray J. Egner, 69, of Tamms, died Thursday, July 25, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 29, 1921, near Ullin, son of Tony and Daisy Corzine Egner. He married the former Opal Henson. Egner owned Egner IGA at Tamms 27 years, and served as an agent for Blue Cross & Blue Shield Insurance Co. in Cape Girardeau He was currently commissioner of Alexander County...

ANNA, Ill. -- Dorothy M. Todd, 57, of Anna, died Wednesday, July 24, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 6, 1933, in Bardwell, Ky., daughter of Birl and Dovie Hawes Courtney. She married James Thomas Todd. Survivors include her husband; three sons, Arthur Dismore of Okinawa, Japan, James Todd of Jonesboro, John Todd of Cobden; a daughter, Jane Todd of Anna; a brother, Albert Courtney of Indianapolis, Ind., and four grandchildren...

GOHNAdopted son to Mr. and Mrs. Terry L. Gohn of Jackson. Born Sunday, June 9, 1991. Name, Eli William. Weight, 7 pounds 13 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Gohn is the former Jaci McDowell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed McDowell of Jackson, and is a secretary at Jackson R-II Schools. Gohn is an agent with Millers Mutual Insurance Co. He is the son of Marie Gohn and the late Lloyd Gohn...

Bob Sfreddo, Missouri Highway and Transportation Department District 10 Engineer since 1987, was honored during a reception held at the Drury Lodge at Cape Girardeau Tuesday night. More than 50 people attended the reception, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Surface Transportation Committee and the Southeast Missouri Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA), which is supporting a new east-west interstate highway (I-66)...

The Missouri Department of Conservation announced this week that two hunter education classes have been scheduled in Cape Girardeau County. The Cape Girardeau VFW Post 3838 and Ladies Auxiliary will host a day-long class, Aug. 3, to be held at 1049 N. Kingshighway, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m....

PIEDMONT -- A tour of Clearwater Lake's intake structure, a nature hike, and slide show will be presented during open house activities at Clearwater Lake here Aug. 10. "We want to give visitors a chance to see the flood control gates and how they operate," said Clearwater Lake resident engineer Joe Corbin. "Tours will be given on the intake structure every 20 minutes."...

Fishing ranges from fair to good at various area lakes and water impoundments this week. Duck Creek near Puxico is clear, with all species fair. Vegetation is heavy. Clearwater lake is clear and normal, with crappie good at night using minnows. Catfish is fair, and bass poor...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Slowed economic growth during the past fiscal year cut into revenues of the Conservation Department, causing the agency to "squeeze the fiscal 1992 budget hard," according to Ed Glaser, the agency's deputy director. The Conservation Commission has approved a budget with planned expenditures of $96,771,761 for the fiscal year that began July 1 and runs through June 30, 1992. This is about the same as the $95,499,161 in expenditures projected for the previous fiscal year...

CRUMP, Mo. Lake Girardeau is clear and the bluegill are hitting. That's the report from Chris O'Gara, who operates the concessions at Lake Girardeau. "Crickets and worms are providing plenty of activity for panfish," said O'Gara. Bass are hitting good in the early morning, using plastic worms and topwater lures, and catfish are hitting in mid-day, on minnows and stinkbaits...