Stories from Friday, April 30, 1993

Helen B. McMahan, 55, 1232 Larry, died Thursday, April 29, 1993, at her home. She was born July 19, 1937, in Perry County, Ind., daughter of Charles and Verna Bolin Mattingly. She and Donald McMahan were married Jan. 21, 1982, in Cape Girardeau. McMahan had been a registered nurse/clinical supervisor at St. Francis Medical Center since 1982, and was a trauma nurse specialist. She was a member of American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and was treasurer of VFW Auxiliary in McClure, Ill...

A decade ago, "A Nation At Risk" rattled the halls of learning. America's schools earned poor marks, especially when compared to other developed nations. The report sought to energize public education, calling for tougher courses, longer hours and more homework...

SCOTT CITY -- About 25 civic-minded Scott City High School students, led by a former beauty queen, are trying to raise money for new "welcome" signs to their city. Nicole Wadlington, a senior at Scott City High School, has organized a student force to set up "roadblocks" in Scott City Saturday to collect money to erect new signs welcoming people to the city...

Repairs to damaged sections of South Sprigg Street near the Lone Star cement plant, likely will begin next week, a Cape Girardeau city official said Thursday. Traffic in the area will be slowed while the repair work is in progress, and, as the work continues, at least one lane of the street will be closed...

Parents of children ages 5 to 8 are invited to a series of programs in May sponsored by the Practical Parenting Partnerships Program of the Cape Girardeau public schools. All programs will be held at Jefferson School, 520 Minnesota, from 7-8 p.m. Understanding and dealing with stress in the family will be the focus of a program Tuesday in the Jefferson music room. Judy Stricker from St. Francis Medical Center's nursing education department will lead the discussion...

Coming up: May 1 Taum Sauk Mountain State Park dedication, 12:30 p.m. May 2 River Country Outdoors Bass Tournament, Lake of Egypt, Marion, Ill., 7 a.m. start from Egyptian Hills Marina. May 2 Velo Girardeau Bicycle Club, 41-mile ride into North Scott County. Riders meet at Scott City High School at 1:30...

The Cape Girardeau Central High School and Junior High orchestras will present a concert in the Central High Auditorium on May 18, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The concert is open and free to the public. The high school orchestra will perform "St. Paul's Suite" by Gustav Hovst for string orchestra and "Concerto Italiano" by Antonio Vivaldi...

The Cancercare Program at St. Francis Medical Center has been granted a three-year continuation of its accreditation as a "Comprehensive Cancer Program" by the American College of Surgeons' Commission on Cancer. St. Francis President John E. Fidler was notified of the accreditation renewal earlier this month by Dr. David Winchester, the commission's medical director...

The eighth annual Regional Missouri Student Mathematics Contest was held recently at Southeast Missouri State University. Thirty-five schools and 265 students participated in the competition. The contest was open to students in grades 4-6 in the areas of computation/estimation, concepts and problem solving...

Poligratification. Don't look up the word in your Webster's because it isn't there. I just made it up, and just to make sure someone hadn't beaten me to it, I checked my handy Franklin Spellmaster Computer, and it told me, "Sorry, can't help." Cut for some time now I've been trying to think of a word that would describe an age-old malady that has afflicted politics and the art of governance for generations, and finding none I was reduced to making up one of my own...

Local physicians will be playing roles they are unaccustomed to in the Broadway Community Theatre production of "The Odd Couple," which will be presented tonight and Saturday. Physicians have been cast in some of the key roles as a result of the Cape County Medical Society's sponsorship of the production...

Florence Jobe, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, April 28, 1993, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 19, 1909, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Herbst. She married Hardee A. Jobe in St. Louis. She is survived by her husband...

Charles A. Hoeller, 61, 1976 Briarwood, died Wednesday, April 28, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 29, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, son of Arthur and Alma Suedekum Hoeller. He and Sharon Lance were married Oct. 14, 1956, in Scott City...

BLOOMFIELD -- Edna Gillespie, 99, of Bloomfield, died Thursday, April 29, 1993, at Bloomfield Nursing Center. She was born March 6, 1894, at Leora, daughter of D.L. and Laura Clodfelter. She and S.E. "Gus" Gillespie were married Oct. 8, 1910, at Puxico. He died Oct. 20, 1968...

BLOOMFIELD -- Walter Elbert Shackleford, 82, of Bloomfield, died Wednesday, April 28, 1993, at Ridgeview Nursing Care Center in Malden. He was born Feb. 17, 1911, at Bernie, son of George A. and Anna Liza Gideon Shackleford. He and Augusta A. Bowers were married Sept. 6, 1986, at Bloomfield...

William Robert Coffey, 49, of DeKalb, Texas, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, April 29, 1993, at his home. He was born Sept. 11, 1943, in Pine Bluff, Ark. He was a graduate of Central High School, and had been a salesman at a furniture store here. He currently owned and operated Willi's Pizza Factory franchises in DeKalb, Atlanta and Jefferson, Texas...

ORAN -- Robert Taholski, 45, of Oran, died Thursday, April 29, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born June 22, 1947, in Eustis, Fla., son of Robert J. and Mary Wade Taholski. Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Mary and Travis Russell of Oran; 10 brothers, Raymond Taholski of Oran, Wilbur Taholski of Baraboo, Wis., Ralph Darnell of Douglasville, Ga., Charles Dobbs of Bell City, Dwight Dobbs of Oran, Terry Dobbs of Pacific, Ron Dobbs of Chaffee, Jerald Dobbs of Jackson, James Dobbs of Sikeston, John Dobbs of Nekoosa, Wis.; four sisters, Betty Grass of LaCrosse, Wis., Rosemary Dobbs of Oran, Betty Darnell of Benton, Chareolte Muccley of Baraboo, and a stepsister, Shirley Saucedo of Chaffee.. ...

JACKSON -- Ruby Jones, 79, Jackson Route 2, died Thursday, April 29, 1993, at Jackson Manor. She was born July 30, 1913, at Leemon, daughter of Charles and Ellen Trickey Sides. On May 6, 1933, she married Ralpherd Jones. Jones was a member of Burfordville Baptist Church, where she taught in the children's Sunday School program several years...

The Faculty Senate at Southeast Missouri State University needs to address the issue of tenure, the group's newly elected chairman said Thursday. The senate completed its work Wednesday with the election of new officers. The new chairman, economics professor Terry Sutton, said he expects the senate to consider the tenure issue in the next academic year...

JACKSON - D. Mitch Robinson, a Kentucky economic development veteran, has been named the executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association. Robinson's appointment was announced Thursday by Cape Girardeau Mayor Gene Rhodes, chairman of the seven-member association board...

Produce brokers in St. Louis say winter and spring growing conditions this year have been the nation's worst in more than 100 years. Produce wholesalers said Thursday that the combination of winter flooding in Arizona and Southern California and the March blizzard across much of the nation has caused wild price fluctuations at produce markets across the country...

It may not be quite at the D'Oyly Carte level, but Southeast Missouri State University Department of Music's presentation of "H.M.S. Pinafore" is jolly good fun in the best Gilbert & Sullivan tradition. This durable comic opera a favorite almost from its first performance in London in 1878 will open in Academic Hall Auditorium Saturday at 8 p.m., and will be presented again at 3 p.m. Sunday...

Nominations have been announced for awards to be presented in connection with the 1992-1993 University Theatre season. The awards will be presented Saturday night at the annual University Players-Black Mask banquet to be held at Drury Lodge. The nominees are:...

Cape Girardeau this weekend will host the U.S. Volleyball Association Gateway Sub-Regional Girls Tournament. The tournament, which will be played Saturday and Sunday at virtually every available gymnasium in Cape Girardeau, will include 103 teams from Tennessee, Arkansas, central and Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois...

JACKSON -- A memorial to honor veterans of all wars will be dedicated Saturday in Jackson's Brookside Park. The ceremony is part of the annual May Day Loyalty Day program sponsored by the Jackson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10495. "We urge all veterans and their families and relatives of living and deceased veterans, and the general public, to come out and attend the dedication program," said Charles Shultz, a member of the VFW post...

ANNA, Ill. -- The Union County Historical Society is sponsoring its annual Spring Flea Market on May 8 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Anna Fairgrounds. There will be more than 75 booths of antiques and collectibles. Proceeds from the flea market are used for Historical Society projects that include renovation of a building for the Cobden Museum, acquisition of historical materials and sponsorship of exhibits...

There will be preliminary pageants for Miss Missouri Teen USA and Miss Missouri USA held May 29 at the Westport Park Hotel in Maryland Heights, Mo. The Southeast Missouri Pageant will be held June 26 at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The age divisions are 15-18 years old for Miss Missouri Teen USA and 19-26 years old for Miss Missouri USA...