Stories from Friday, January 10, 1992

Dear Editor: I don't know if you will publish this in your column or in the "In My Opinion" column, but I feel this needs to be said. For a few months we have had an excellent opportunity to hear several good local and nationally known gospel singers at the Gospel Connection. I have heard time and again people say they wish they had something to do on Friday or Saturday night that wasn't expensive to attend. Here is their perfect opportunity and yet there is barely a handful of people there...

"Rape What You Should Know," is the topic of a special seminar to be held at the St. Francis Health Education Centre in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, Jan. 18. Speakers at the three-hour seminar, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau County Legal Secretaries Association in cooperation with St. ...

CHAFFEE - A race is in the works for the Ward 1 Chaffee City Council seat. Edward N. "Cotton" Sadler, of 126 Cook, filed for the council Thursday, Chaffee City Clerk Diane Eftink said. At stake is the seat of Councilman Jerry Wolsey. Wolsey filed Tuesday for re-election to a second term...

Incumbents up for election on the Nell Holcomb and Chaffee boards of education have filed for re-election. Nell Holcomb Superintendent David Fuemmeler said incumbents Dan Taylor and Karen Fornkahl had filed for re-election. A third candidate, Bob Woodard of 2748 Oakshire Circle, has also filed, he said...

Elvis Presley was born 57 years ago Wednesday in Tupelo, Miss. I am not one of those who think the king of rock 'n' roll was somewhere this week munching on snack food and celebrating his birthday. Elvis is cold as the other side of the pillow and planted in the backyard at Graceland. No number of sightings short of a guest appearance on "Arsenio" with a consent to be fingerprinted will convince me otherwise...

Cape Girardeau County voters overwhelmingly approved the Enhanced 911 system last November. Over the next year and a half, a county-wide committee is working to implement this voter mandate. But the details of implementation may bring a few headaches to county residents. Heading the list is the fact 7,000 rural addresses must be changed...

Dear Peter: It is not often these days that I see an article expressing an appreciation for mining. Your recent column made my day. Unfortunately, we probably have ourselves to blame as much as anyone for the public's lack of understanding of the many benefits mining provides society. We are not exactly the world's greatest communicators...

City officials are on track to meet the city's May 1 goal to completely convert operation of the city's water system from Union Electric to the city. "That could stretch into the first of June, but right now things are moving along well, and it looks like we should be able to hit that target," Assistant City Manager Al Stoverink said Thursday...

JEFFERSON CITY - During his three years in the Missouri House of Representatives, talk from colleagues about the need for additional state revenue has made David Schwab squirm. Schwab has been adamantly opposed to tax increase proposals, often asking how Missouri government can need more money when its budget has more than doubled since the early 1980s. The Jackson Republican has also made it clear that if a tax hike were proposed, it ought to be taken to voters for approval...

Convenient Care, the "minor emergency" treatment service at St. Francis Medical Center, has proven a success, says the director of emergency services. Linda Brown, trauma nurse and director of emergency services at St. Francis, "It's doing exactly what we hoped it would do."...

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee has a new police chief, beginning later this month. The new chief is Jerry Bledsoe, former Scott County Sheriff's Department chief deputy. He is now field operations manager for Wolsey Investigative Service Inc. in Chaffee. Bledsoe replaces ex-police Chief Ivan McLain, who resigned last month following nearly nine years in the position...

Missouri House Speaker Bob Griffin's proposal to place the abortion issue in the hands of the voters is getting mixed reviews from area legislators. In his opening speech to House members Wednesday, Griffin proposed letting voters choose between two constitutional amendments: one protecting abortion rights and another ending or severely restricting them...

JACKSON -- Two candidates have filed for the two seats on the Jackson Board of Education that expire in April. Marvin Adams and Mark Martin filed Tuesday for the two three-year terms on the board. The filing period opened Tuesday, and will close at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 4...

JACKSON - After considering other options, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Norman Copeland said Thursday that he has decided to seek another term. "I looked at some other job options that I had, but since I enjoy what I am doing, I have decided to continue," said Copeland. "I'm not much for doing nothing and certainly am not ready to retire."...

The Community Counseling Center will present a workshop, "Different Words, Different Worlds: Men and Women Communicating," Tuesday from 6:30-8 p.m. The presentation will be held in the Harris Room of the new Community Counseling Center, 402 S. Silver Springs Road. It is free...

Wayne "Wally" Garrott, 73, died Thursday, Jan. 9, 1992, at Cape La Croix Nursing Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 4, 1918, in Anna, Ill., son of Jesse and Ivah Keller Garrott. He married Arlene Hartline on March 28, 1942, in Cape Girardeau. She survives...

Jack Wallace Taylor, 63, of Annapolis, Md., died Monday, Jan. 6, 1992, at Annapolis Medical Center. He was born in Fullerton, Calif., and received a master's degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University in 1983. Taylor served in the U.S. Air Force 27 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1978...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Richard "Richie" Gibbs, 36, Jonesboro Route 1, died Monday, Jan. 6, 1992, at his home. He was born Sept. 17, 1955, at Anna, son of Luther and Gladys Arnold Gibbs. He and Betty Dangbar were married at Reynoldsville. Gibbs was a boiler operator at Uniman Co. in Elco. He was a member of Reynoldsville Baptist Church, and Laborers Local 1440 of Cairo...

MCGEE -- Ella Mae Van Matre, 62, of St. Louis, formerly of McGee, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1992, at Incarnate Word Hospital in St. Louis. She was born March 31, 1929, at Whitewater, daughter of John and Alice Kennison Huffman. She and Horace Van Matre were married Aug. 7, 1947, in Piggott, Ark...

MARBLE HILL -- Dolphie Lee Fisher, 76, of Overland, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1992, at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton. He was born Nov. 8, 1915, at Sank, son of Lee and Rozetta Hahn Fisher. He and Alda Elizabeth Myers were married Feb. 7, 1934. Fisher lived in this area until moving to Overland in 1957...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Steven Robinson of Burfordville, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:25 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, 1991. Name, Kyle Steven. Weight, 7 pounds 10 ounces. First child. Mrs. Robinson is the former Laura Brotherton, daughter of Sherry Jones and Mike Jones of Millersville. Robinson is employed at Siemer's Dairy Farm, and is the son of Judith Robinson and Jerry Robinson of Burfordville...

A coping skills clinic sponsored by Beginning Experience of Southeast Missouri is planned for people experiencing separation, divorce or death of a spouse. Two sessions are planned in January. Both sessions will be held at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church...

PERRYVILLE -- The Rev. Francis B. Koeper, 85, of Perryville, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 7, 1906, at Perryville, son of Herman and Mary Braun Koeper. Koeper was ordained a priest June 4, 1931. He was a member of the Vincentian Community, and taught at various seminaries in the West Province of the community, including Dallas, Texas, Los Angeles, Calif., Phoenix, Ariz., and had been a chaplain at the Newman Club in Los Angeles...

Declaring that it is time to "break the mold" and move beyond politics as usual to bring real change to state government, Missouri Secretary of State Roy Blunt declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor here Thursday. "Our plan will be one of fundamentally rethinking the way we approach the problems of this state," said Blunt at an airport news conference attended by about 25 local supporters...

The Cape Girardeau Road Runners will hold its annual dinner meeting Saturday at the Pizza Hut, 1703 Broadway. The spaghetti dinner will start at 6:30 p.m. Ed Leoni, chairperson of the department of health and leisure at Southeast Missouri State University, will be guest speaker. His topic will be "The Only Race Worth Running."...

Luke Balsamo of Cape Girardeau has been awarded a Naval Reserve Training Corps scholarship for study at the University of Rochester. Balsamo is a junior at the school. The Naval Reserve Training Corps educates and trains students to serve as officers in the Navy or Marine Corps...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Buffy Lee Sims of Ullin has been chosen District President for the Southern Illinois Section of Beta Club. Sims, 16, is a junior at Century high School at Ullin. She was elected to the post at a meeting held at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. About 200 Beta Club members and sponsors attended the meeting from downstate Illinois...

Warranty Deeds issued at the office of Janet Robert, Cape Girardeau County Recorder of Deeds: Keith R. and Diane S. Seabaugh to Ronald E. and Gail L. Seabaugh; Edward and Loretta Shnader to Jeffery A. and Christy K. Wachter; Rex M. Nations, et al, to Jerry L. and Doris L. Emerson...