Stories from Sunday, October 3, 1993

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. Verda Lou Elam Williams, 89, of East Prairie, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 1992, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born May 30, 1904, in Jerusalem, Ark., daughter of James Richard and Mary Ellen Turner Elam. She married William Edward Williams, April 21, 1929. He died May 14, 1989...

Look, I can't save every under-capitalized entrepreneur in America. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, responding recently to Democratic Congressman Norm Sisisky of Virginia, who asked her about the crushing burden of higher costs on small business to pay for the Clinton health plan, and how small business was supposed to survive those new burdens...

An essay and poster contest for 11th- and 12th-grade students in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky is being sponsored by West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau and Ford Credit, the automotive financing subsidiary of Ford Motor Company...

JACKSON -- More than 100 applications were received for the new position of Jackson public works director. The application deadline was Sept. 30. "I picked up the last of the applications in the mail Thursday," said Mayor Paul Sander. "In all, we received between 100-125 applications. They have come in from coast to coast - from California to New York. We have also received some very good local applications...

Last month was the second wettest September on record in Cape Girardeau in more than seven decades. It was also the sixth coolest September on record in more than four decades, according to Al Robertson, climatologist and professor of geo-sciences at Southeast Missouri State University...

Linda Springs, certified image consultant, will be guest speaker during the October meeting of the City of Roses Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Association (ABWA) meeting, to be held Thursday at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Drury Lodge...

SUNDAY, OCT. 3 At 4:33 Friday, firefighters responded to 124 S. Lorimier for a residential lockout. At 10:19 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to 2201 Broadway for a report of a fire alarm sounding. The call was canceled en route. At 10:25 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to 1301 N. Kingshighway for medical assistance...

Since the presentation and failure of Cape Girardeau's school improvements issue in April, a number of things have changed: the issue itself is smaller by half, and the state has a new school funding formula. One thing hasn't changed: The public school buildings in Cape Girardeau continue to age. The time has come to do something about the condition of these taxpayer-owned physical facilities. We believe a "yes" vote Tuesday is an appropriate step...

ALTENBURG -- Milton E. Schmelig, 83, of Altenburg, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 1993, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. He was born March 6, 1910, at St. Louis, son of Henry and Alvina Deuser Schmelig. He married Altheda A. Littge, May 9, 1936...

SCOTT CITY -- Roy Dale Simmons, 53, of Commerce, died Friday, Oct. 1, 1993, at Delta Villa in Delta, Mo. He was born July 7, 1940 at Commerce, son of Lyman Boyd and Nellie Grey Swope Simmons. He served in the U.S. Navy. Survivors include a son, Gene Simmons of Rockford, Ill.; two brothers, Boyd Simmons of Scott City, Tom Simmons of St. Louis; a sister, Nevada Ann Moore of Las Vegas, Nev.; and two grandchildren...

Edith I. Brunke, 83, of 2825 Bloomfield Road, died Saturday, Oct. 2, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 28, 1910, in Campbell, to Elta and Leona Pankey Price. She married Clyde Reiger in 1927. On April 18, 1947, she married Fred C.L. Brunke in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death on Feb. 8, 1993...

MARBLE HILL - Henry J. Eidenback, 69, of Marble Hill, died Friday, Oct. 1, at the family home. He was born June 11, 1924, in Bay Shore, New York, to Henry J. and Catherine Ritter Eidenback. He first married Helen Newton. She preceded him in death in 1970. ...

CHARLESTON - Eva M. Harvell, 80, of Charleston, died on Thursday, Sept. 30 at her residence. She was born Jan. 11, 1913, at Bankston, Ala., to Thomas M. and Mary E. McCullough Jones. On Oct. 18, 1942, she married John W. Harvell, who preceded her in death...

EAST PRAIRIE - Brother Paul P. Presson, 91, of East Prairie, died on Friday, Oct. 1, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Sept. 30, 1902, in East Prairie, to Matthew L. and Lena Elliot Presson. On June 26, 1926, he married Pearl Pritchett, who preceded him in death on Sept. 20, 1990...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Joseph Aldredge of Jackson, St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Ill., 9:39 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24, 1993. Name, Savannah Morgan. Weight, 7 pounds 14 ounces. First child. Mrs. Aldredge is the former Mary Schnurbusch Martin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Schnurbusch of Cape Girardeau. She is membership representative with U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Aldredge is a truck driver with Dana Corp., and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Aldredge of Fruitland...

A decision by Gov. Mel Carnahan to move the Department of Revenue's patronage fee offices from the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Chambers of Commerce, has left Walt Wildman drawing fire he says he doesn't deserve. On Sept. 1, Carnahan announced that the fee offices had been awarded to the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation, and that Wildman's wife, Norma, would manage the offices for the foundation...

Amid the hustle and bustle of normal airport activities Saturday afternoon, about 150 people turned out for the dedication of the newly remodeled Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport terminal building. "I think it's wonderful," said Judy Keele, a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau. "This is a tremendous improvement it looks so nice!"...

As many as 46 school districts throughout Southeast Missouri will ask voters Tuesday to keep local tax dollars at home. The school districts are asking taxpayers to waive the rollback of property taxes granted under Missouri's Proposition C. The election is part of a rather complicated scenario triggered by passage of Senate Bill 380, Missouri's new funding and education reform act...

If voters approve construction of a middle school for Cape Girardeau Tuesday, it will culminate five years of study on how best to educate children in grades 6-8. The 51-cent levy increase school district officials are asking for will fund construction of a new middle school building on property the school district own north of Bertling at Sprigg. It will also fund construction an addition at Jefferson Elementary School...

VAN BUREN - Less than two weeks after it adopted an ordinance to reserve a 9,500 foot corridor for the future extension of East Main Street to a proposed interchange with Interstate 55, the city of Jackson took its plan to the state. City officials presented plans for the extension and interchange to the Missouri Highway Commission, during its monthly meeting in Van Buren Friday...

Despite fire prevention education and programming such as "Rescue 911" on television, one of the leading causes of house fires is children playing with matches. According to the United States Fire Administration, children under the age of five are at serious risk of being killed in a fire almost twice as much as the rest of the population combined...

INA, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Prison Committee (SIPC) offered two years free water and sewage, and most communities promised free land, hoping to attract a $60 million super-maximum prison last week. Thirty-one communities made pitches at three public hearings last week, with 11 Southern Illinois areas making presentations to the Illinois Department of Corrections during a meeting at Rend Lake Community College Thursday...

In my preoccupation with seeds and their potential, the awe in which I hold them, the good fundamental, earthy feel of them in my hand, I have brought forth a new conversation piece. "What's that?" a visitor asked, picking up my prettiest little dish I have filled with an assortment of seeds...

Cape Girardeau police officer Ken Rinehart readily admits he's out looking for someone breaking the law. He's a motorcycle cop whose primary responsibility is traffic control. That means he writes a lot of tickets. And as a result, people often aren't too happy to see him...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Representatives from the United States Department of Agriculture's Farmers Home Administration (FmHA), Soil Conservation Service (SCS) and Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) will be on hand to answer questions concerning flood programs during a special meeting Oct. 13...

ArtsCape '93, Cape Girardeau's Bicentennial Art Festival and Exhibit, will be held Oct. 15-17. The event will include musical performances, artistic demonstrations and an open art exhibit. ArtsCape will be held at the University Center at Southeast Missouri State University...

JACKSON -- Members of the SEMO Equestrians 4-H Club of Jackson took home ribbons at the Missouri Hey Day and More Benefit Horse Show at Hillsboro last month. The show was sponsored by the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association. The 4-H club members competed in a wide range of classes from showmanship to barrel racing...

A coping skills clinic sponsored by Beginning Experience of Southeast Missouri will begin Thursday at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 235 Broadway. The six-week series, which will meet each Thursday at the church, is designed to help people regain skills they had before changes such as separation, divorce or being widowed took place...

JACKSON -- Warranty deeds issued at the office of Janet Robert, Cape Girardeau County recorder of deeds: Robert L. and Laraine R. Adams to Ronald W. and Patricia Clifton; Ralph Wilson and Ursula Wilma Davis to the Ralph Wilson and Ursula Wilma Davis Trusts; the Yvonne Laverne Hirsch Trust to Linda Hess...