Stories from Friday, July 2, 1993

CHAFFEE -- Ruddle Gloth, 82, of Jackson, formerly of Whitewater, Mo., died Thursday, June 1, 1993, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. The Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee is in charge of funeral arrangements, which are incomplete at this time...

If nothing else can be said, this topic has legs. Gilda Radner took the stage on "Saturday Night Live" in the role of Miss Emily Litella, a social activist in her own fashion whose comprehension of modern issues never seemed to catch up with her good intentions...

Dave Butz, a former National Football League star with the Washington Redskins, will be a guest at the Buck McNeely Outdoorsman Expo and Sporting Clays Tournament to be held in this area Aug. 28-29. "The Expo portion of the two-day event will be held at the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus," said McNeely, "the clay tournament will be conducted about 20 miles away, at the trails of Tears Sportsmen's Club in Southern Illinois."...

NEW MADRID -- The Riverfront Festival will be held Saturday along the Mississippi River in New Madrid. Entertainment will include a children's group called the Live Wires, the Dixie Adult Theater, the Dixie Players Gospel Group, the Belles & Beaus, and the Dixie Players...

What a difference five years make. In the summer of 1988, the region was in the grips of a devastating drought which plunged the Mississippi River to record lows. Five years ago this month - on July 13 - the river dropped to 4.7 feet at Cape Girardeau. The waters receded even further in September and October when readings bottomed out at 4.4 feet...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Metz of Chesterfield, St. Luke's Hospital there, 12:20 a.m. Thursday, June 24, 1993. Name, Tyler Curtis. Weight, 8 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Mrs. Metz is the former Theresa Irvin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Irvin of Scott City. Metz is employed at Mallinckrodt, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Metz of Dittmer...

Amey Marie Burton, 61, of Cape Girardeau died at St. Francis Medical Center Wednesday, June 30, 1993. She was born Nov. 4, 1931 in Porum, Okla., daughter of Dennis and Mary Breedlove Hughes. She married Louie Burton in October 1948 at Benton. He preceded her in death June 5, 1976...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Clarence E. Dodge Jr., Sikeston Route 2, will be held at 3:30 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Dave Bowden will officiate, with burial in Dogwood Cemetery near East Prairie. Dodge, 19, died Wednesday, June 30, 1993, at his home. He was formerly of East Prairie...

ADVANCE -- Malta Romaine Stepp, 78, of Advance, died Thursday, July 1, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 12, 1914, at Greenbrier, son of Harrison and Arleva Smith Stepp. He and Lillian Maxine Cox were married Dec. 26, 1945, at St. Louis. She died July 18, 1989...

ADVANCE -- Amy Louise Robins, 87, of Advance, died Thursday, July 1, 1993, at the Advance Nursing Care Center. She was born Aug. 29, 1905, at Vinland, Ill., daughter of John N. and Annis Godwin Hensley. She was married to Luther Robins, Oct. 27, 1928, at Marble Hill. He died Jan. 6, 1980...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Ruby Irene Stokes of East Prairie will be held at 1 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel. The Rev. A.G. Hampton will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Stokes, 84, died Wednesday, June 30, 1993, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

Funeral service for Ethel P. Martin of Spotsylvania, Va., will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. E.C. Brasington will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Meryl H. Moorman of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Charles Buck will officiate, with burial in Old Morley Cemetery at Morley. Moorman, 80, died Wednesday, June 30, 1993, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

VANDUSER -- Funeral service for Mary M. Alberson Cooper of Vanduser will be held at 11 a.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. Lloyd Boley will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park Cemetery at Sikeston. Cooper, 84, died Wednesday, June 30, 1993, at her home...

From her second-story apartment, Sharon Wickerham has a view of the Mississippi River here. She and her daughters Tami, 13, and Bridget, 11 moved in in August 1991, and have occupied the same apartment ever since. "I love it because I can see the river," Wickerham said...

Under Missouri's new education law, Leopold and Altenburg school districts have two years to meet minimum guidelines or close their doors. But superintendents for both districts say the schools easily will meet the deadline for improvements. Robert Turner, superintendent at Leopold schools, said: "We are not looking at merging or closing our doors. We know we are doing a good job here and we will do everything we can to keep the doors open."...

Heavy rains that continue to occur in the Upper Mississippi River watershed north of St. Louis have forced the National Weather Service to revise its flood crest on the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau for a third time this week. The higher flood crest at Cape Girardeau is not expected to deter the arrival of the Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen steamboats at Cape Girardeau Saturday...

Americans will celebrate the 217th birthday of the United States on Sunday, so the holiday officially will be observed Monday by federal, state, county and municipal governments and financial institutions. The Cape Girardeau license fee office will be closed Saturday and Monday. The Chaffee license fee office will be closed Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. The Jackson license fee office will be open Saturday and closed Monday...

BURFORDVILLE - Among items included in a capital improvements budget signed by Gov. Mel Carnahan this week is funding for a complete restoration of the covered bridge next to Bollinger Mill in Burfordville. One of only four covered bridges remaining in Missouri, the Burfordville bridge has been closed to vehicle traffic since the mid-1980s. Last year the bridge was even closed to foot traffic after inspectors checked it in preparation for the restoration effort and found it unsafe...

All ages are invited to participate in the acting and theater workshops to be taught July 19-30 at the Franklin Elementary School gymnasium. Each two-week class is designed for specific age groups: 6-9; 10-17; and 18 and over. Openings are available in each class. No experience is necessary...

STE. GENEVIEVE Bastille Days and the Ste. Genevieve County Fair will draw crowds to Ste. Genevieve July 8-11. The Bastille Days celebration will feature French music, movies, dance and food, a garden dinner theater at the Guilbourd-Valle House, and other special events, including a public "storming" of Ste. Genevieve's old jail...

Most art galleries and museums aren't child-friendly. The paintings are hung much too high for kids to see them well, and those whispering adults are serious about the "Do Not Touch" signs. "My own children used to be bored at the museums," says Pat Reagan-Woodard, director of the Southeast Missouri State University Museum and Gallery...

The fireworks will begin exploding at 9:15 p.m. Sunday at the A.C. Brase Arena Building grandstand, but the musical pyrotechnics by the Missouri Symphony Society Pops will start earlier. The 43-person symphonic group, led by conductor Hugo Vianello, will provide a free concert at 7 p.m. in the Arena Building, playing a program that ranges from "The Magic Flute" to "West Side Story."...

Art Experience '93 will remain on display at Gallery 100 through July 9. The national juried art exhibit originally was to close June 30 but has been held over. The next exhibit at the gallery will be work by New York City artist Ed Puls, a former resident of Jackson...

Members of the St. Vincent de Paul Youth Group are counting on "The Mouse that Roared" to help them see Pope John Paul II. Proceeds from the group's annual summer play production will help pay the youths' travel expenses to Denver, where the pope is to visit in August. Half a million young people are expected to make the pilgrimage to Denver to see the pope this summer...

JACKSON -- Contestants are still being sought for the Little Mr. and Miss Firecracker Contest to be held during the Independence Day celebration Sunday. The contest drew 20 entries in its first year last year, but only six had signed up by midweek this year...

Thirty-five hot-air balloons are expected to compete for $10,000 in prize money during Balloon Fest '93, to be held July 23-25. Four competitive flights will be held over the three days. Performance points will be awarded to each balloon pilot in each event...