Stories from Friday, January 14, 1994

The Clinton Administration certainly is on a gun control mission and unfortunately continues to pull new, ill-conceived proposals out of the hat. The latest one is Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen's plan to jack up by another 300 percent the current licensing fee for authorized gun dealers. Raising this dealership fee of $200 for three years to $600 over the same time frame is nothing but an onerous and blatant tax...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Lindell Lunsford Jr., Marble Hill Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:52 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 28, 1993. Name, Alexander Dale. Weight, 7 pounds 7 ounces. First child. Mrs. Lunsford is the former Tonya Davis, daughter of Larry Davis, Marble Hill Route 1, and Becky Davis of Marble Hill. She is a high school student. Lunsford is the son of Lindell Lunsford and Margie Lunsford of Fredericktown...

Girls Scouts from first grade through high school will be taking orders for cookies starting today. Orders will be taken through Jan. 20. Seven varieties are available: Thin Mint, Do-se-dos, Trefoils, Tag-alongs, Chalet Cremes, Somoas and new Juliette, which is like a pecan caramel turtle. Cookies cost $2.25 per box and will be delivered after Feb. 22...

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving to ban the manufacture, sale and use of lead fishing sinkers. Waterfowl, particularly trumpeter swans and common loons, sometimes swallow the sinkers. The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) filed suit against the EPA, claiming that the sinkers cause fatal lead poisoning in tens of thousands of waterfowl. The suit seeks an EPA rule that would require warning labels for lead sinker packaging...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- An eroding stream bank that once was a liability for Phillip and Lucille Gegg has become an asset for them and for other Missourians who downstream-side property. The Geggs' land south of Ste. Genevieve includes frontage on the River Aux Vases. ...

Goose hunting season in Southern Illinois started slowly in late November, but has lived up to its "boom" status as the season winds down. It officially ends Sunday, and Illinois Department of Conservation officials say hunters will reach the 30,600 quota for the 1993-94 season...

Mention gem to me and I think of a guy's name or a place you shoot hoops. With apologies to my friends in the jewelry business, I've never been much for baubles. During high school, I wore a St. Christopher's medal around my neck, a nod less to personal faith than to fashion of the times. When the chain broke one day, I never replaced it...

The goose-hunting season in the Southern Illinois four-county -- Alexander, Union, Williamson and Jackson -- Quota Zone will close Sunday. Hunters harvested 22,998 geese during the first 41 days of the season and are expected to reach the 30,600 quota by the end of the season Sunday...

Four Southeast Missouri shoe factories are among those that will close operations this year. Brown Shoe Co. announced Thursday that the company will sharply reduce manufacturing capacity, overhead and employment while concentrating in areas of proven performance and high growth...

DELTA -- Speeders through Delta these days may have a surprise in store: The tiny municipality has developed its own police department. Chief of the department, David Townsend, said stopping speeders has been his top priority. With one officer, Michael Counts, and one auxiliary officer, Jerry Wayne Hampton, they also work to keep the peace in the town of 500...

The long wait is over. The next section of Lexington Avenue -- connecting the arterial between Perryville Road and Cape Rock Drive -- is slated to open at 9 a.m. today. The general contractor, Kelley Equipment Co. of Cape Girardeau, has had to battle the elements and the clock to complete paving Lexington between Perryville Road and Concord Place. Now the work is completed, albeit a month behind schedule...

The day before figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was assaulted at the U.S. Championships in Detroit, a pair of local skaters earned third place medals at their skill level. Matt Buttrey, 17, of Scott City, and Sarah Booth, 12, of Marble Hill skated to the bronze medal at the novice level on Jan. 5...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bootheel Food Bank received a national award Thursday for its efforts against hunger. U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, presented food bank officials with the Victory Against Hunger Award. Emerson said the award, which comes with a $1,000 private grant, is one of only nine presented nationally by the Congressional Hunger Center -- an anti-hunger advocacy group based in Washington, D.C...

ZALMA -- James "Delmar" Lacy, 75, of Zalma, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at his home. He was born May 25, 1918, at Gipsy, son of Randolph and Eva Scott Lacy. He and Marie Myers were married Aug. 1, 1942, at Arab. Lacy was a retired farmer. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

Geraldine F. Thompson, 86, of 3120 Independence, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at the Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Homes of Cape Girardeau are in charge of funeral arrangements, which are incomplete at this time.

Samuel L. Collins, 84, 3501 Hopper Road, died Wednesday, Jan. 12, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 5, 1909, in Cape Girardeau, son of Samuel and Mary Elizabeth Wolters Collins. Collins was a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University, and did graduate work at the University of Missouri...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Goldia Denton Benson, 75, East Prairie Route 2, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 12, 1918, at Fisk, daughter of Guy D. and Mary A. Hutcheson Beck. She and J.B. Benson were married Nov. 20, 1936...

SIKESTON -- Roy W. Alsup, 73, of Sikeston, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born April 5, 1920, at Tipplersville, Miss., son of William Norman and Myrtle Connor Alsup. He and Marjorie Lee were married Aug. 29, 1940, in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Myra Aliene Hill, 80, of Sikeston, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at her home. She was born March 30, 1913, in Portageville, son of John and Elizabeth Harrolson Adcock. She and James Richard Hill were married Jan. 12, 1935. He died Aug. 3, 1977...

ADVANCE -- Carlin Meador, 80, of Advance, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 30, 1913, at Hiram, son of George Tony and Maude Hood Meador. He and Alma Duniphan were married Oct. 19, 1935, at Arab...

SIKESTON -- Pearl Arelene Leist, 36, of Sikeston, died Thursday, Jan. 13, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 30, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Pearl and Alma Riley Probst. She and Billy Leist were married Aug. 27, 1982, in Cape Girardeau...

Edwin L. Hargens, 100, of 926 Jefferson St., died Thursday at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.