Stories from Tuesday, February 8, 1994

JEFFERSON CITY - Thirteen days after the Missouri Supreme Court dealt riverboat gambling in Missouri a severe blow, the state legislature finalized a constitutional amendment that will address the court's concerns. The amendment was passed on the deadline for Secretary of State Judi Moriarty to get documents out to 116 election authorities around Missouri for the April 5 election...

Cape Girardeau city's population grew to 35,047 in 1992, up 1.8 percent from 1990, U.S. Census figures show. "This is good news," said City Manager J. Ronald Fischer. John Mehner, Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce president, said the population growth is "a great step in the right direction for us."...

Monday morning was a kind of homecoming for John Ashcroft and a group of nearly 100 Cape Girardeau County Republicans. Ashcroft, who has enjoyed strong support from Cape County during his political career that included two terms as attorney general and two terms as governor, came back Monday to announce he wants to return to public life as a U.S. senator...

A "realistic" project that will benefit downtown was pitted Monday against a "riverboat gaming resort" that will enrich a blighted area as the Cape Girardeau City Council heard from two firms vying for the city's riverboat gambling market. Representatives from Boyd Gaming Corp. and Lady Luck Gaming Corp. had their first opportunity to pitch their proposals to the city council at Monday's study session, held before a council chambers packed with about 125 people...

SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City council approved a measure Monday which will allow the voters to decide whether or not they want riverboat gaming in the city. "Time is of the essence for this one," said Scott City Mayor Larry Forhan regarding the ordinance before the council to add riverboat gaming to the April 5 ballot. Monday was the deadline for placing any initiative on the ballot for the next election...

JEFFERSON CITY -- While the General Assembly appears intent on enacting campaign finance reforms this session, the state senator from Cape Girardeau has reservations about such legislation. Sen. Peter Kinder said this movement could adversely affect the political process and possibly be unconstitutional...

The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday granted a special-use permit for a "go-cart amusement facility" at the intersection of Lexington and Kingshighway, despite objections from residents of a nearby subdivision. The permit was requested by Vernon and Carole Rhodes, who own the 2.6-acre commercial tract that's been proposed for the go-cart track...

The Good News Committee at Kmart, 11 S. Kingshighway, will hold a "bake walk" Saturday. "Kmart employees provide the baked goods," said Lois Culver of the committee. "The bake walk will be held every hour, starting at 11 a.m. until all the goods are gone...

JACKSON -- Parents and children can learn self-protection practices at a "Saf-T-Kids" workshop tonight. The program will be held at the National Guard Armory in Jackson from 6:30-8 p.m. The course costs $2 per child. The workshop is designed for children ages 5 to 15 and will feature role playing and lectures. Topics include "Recognizing a Stranger," "Your Safety Bubble," "Saying No!," "Common lures," and "Self Protection Techniques."...

ST. CLAIR -- Funeral service for Peter Mickley "Pappy" Bush of St. Clair was held Feb. 3 at Russell Colonial Funeral Home in St. Clair. The Rev. Tom Smith officiated, with burial in Midlawn Memorial Gardens at Union. Bush, 66, died Monday, Jan. 31, 1994, in St. Louis...

Funeral service for Leon Albert Shell, 1716 Cecelia, will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. John Owen will officiate, with entombment in Memorial Park Mausoleum. Military rites will be conducted by the American Legion...

Private funeral service for Sara Sewell, 3120 Independence, was held Monday. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel was in charge of arrangements. Sewell died Monday, Feb. 7, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital, She was born at Doniphan, daughter of Stephen H. and Emma Rouse Lawrence. She and Louis B. Sewell were married Aug. 25, 1946, at Doniphan...

Funeral service for Della Fern Wills, 430 Sheridan, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. Jeffrey Sippy will officiate, with burial in McLains Chapel Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 8 a.m. to service time...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral mass for Debbie Ann Hendrix of Perryville will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Vincent's Catholic Church. The Rev. Kevin Fausz will officiate, with burial in St. Boniface Cemetery. Friends may call at Miller Family Funeral Home from 6:30-9:50 a.m...

Funeral service for Jacquelyn Elizabeth Bryan, Willow Springs Route 1, will be held at 10 a.m. today at Pomona Christian Church in Pomona. The Rev. Rick Wheeler will officiate, with burial in Howell Memorial Park in Pomona. Bryan, 74, died Friday, Feb. 4, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

MARBLE HILL -- Clyde Eugene Mock, 83, of Marble Hill, died Sunday, Feb. 6, 1994, at Bond Nursing Care Center. He was born June 26, 1910, in Warm Springs, Ark., son of Tom and Grace Carnes Mock. He and Catherine Evelyn Lynxwiler were married Feb. 1, 1941...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Verna Lee Mattingly, 76, of Benton, Ky., died Sunday, Feb. 6, 1994, at her home. She was born Oct. 22, 1917, in Winslow, Ind., daughter of Lank and Louise Bolin. She married Charles Mattingly. Survivors include a sister, Mildred Lechner of Chandler, Ind.; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral service for Lenita Ann Holtsclaw of Perryville was held Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Francis Agnew officiated, with burial in Home Cemetery. Holtsclaw, 79, died Thursday, Feb. 3, 1994, in Perry County Memorial Hospital...

DEXTER -- Funeral service for Lois Marie Edwards of Dexter will be held at 2 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter. The Revs. Chester Smith and Gerald King will officiate, with burial in Hill Cemetery near here. Edwards, 58, died Sunday, Feb. 6, 1994, at Dexter Memorial Hospital...

PUXICO -- Martin Eugene Miller, 17, Puxico Route 1, died Saturday, Feb. 5, 1994, in a car accident in Butler County. He was born March 2, 1976, in Montpelier, Ind., son of Cletus and Rosetta Miller. Miller was a student, and also worked in the family farming operation. He had resided in Milford and Walcottsville, Ind., before moving to Puxico...

The hard work, educational efforts and stepped up law enforcement paid off. We were making progress in the war against drugs. While America had not turned the tide, the individual victories were sweet indeed. But then complacency set in. Slowly, but surely, favorable references to drugs and smoking returned to television and movies. A new study indicates that smoking and drug use among teenagers is on the rise -- after a decade of decline...

Dear Editor, Ken Newton's column, "A crackling fire, and still nothing to say," carried a disgruntled tone and concluded with a challenge -- "Rhyme that." Wanting to nurse your chilled spirit, I offer the following: Ole Man Winter, please keep Master Blizzard away,...

JACKSON -- Jackson Mayor Paul Sander cast the deciding vote Monday, breaking a 4-4 tie by the board of aldermen to enact new residency requirements for all city employees. The board also listened to the attorney representing a group of landowners opposed to the sale of the landfill to a private solid waste contractor...

JACKSON -- When Ken Peters teaches industrial arts at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson, students apply their math, science, art and language skills to a project. Peters said lessons in industrial arts often show students the purpose of their other lessons. In addition, the course offers the youngsters a chance to try new things...

For 3- to 5-year-olds in low-income families, the Head Start program is providing exactly what the name says -- a head start. Leola Twiggs, site manager and lead teacher for Cape Girardeau Head Start, says that start is not just to prepare children for school, but for life itself, and to let parents know how important they are in the learning process...

The Cape Girardeau Central Junior High and High School orchestras will present their winter concert Feb. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Central High Auditorium. The Junior High Orchestra will perform "Petite Overture" by Eliott Del Borgo, "Norwegian Wood" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and "Funny Fiddlin'" by Carol Nunez...

Eight Cape Girardeau students were named to the honor roll at Northeast Missouri State University at Kirksville. To be eligible, a student must earn at least 12 semester hours of credit with a minimum grade point average of 3.5. Named to the list were: Travis Mitchell Austin, majoring in mathematics; Brandon Christian Hahs, majoring in pre-business, business administration; Matthew Edward Hoffman, major undeclared; Julie Suzanne Logan, majoring in psychology; Amy Christina Ringwald, majoring in communication disorders; Carol Rene Robinson, majoring in biology, pre-medical; Keith Ames Russell II, major undeclared; and Jennifer Lynn Worth, major undeclared.. ...

St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson and Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau have each been awarded a $300 grant by the Aid Association for Lutherans. The money will be used to provide training for teachers. Concordia Trinity School at Frohna recently received $1,050 from Lutheran Brotherhood's member gift matching program...

SCOTT CITY -- Nick Spantgos, an eighth-grader at St. Joseph School in Scott City, won the school Geography Bee and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. The school-level bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the sixth annual National Geographic Bee...

Alyssa Camille Browning of Cape Girardeau has been named to the honor roll at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. To be considered for the honor roll, a student must be enrolled in at least 13 credit hours of academic work and achieve a grade point average of 3.85 or better...

Tim Gifford of Cape Girardeau has been named to the Dean's List at the University of Colorado. Gifford is a 1993 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School and is a freshman at Colorado University, majoring in international affairs. He is also a charter member of the university's Phi Alpha Delta, honorary pre-law fraternity...

CHAFFEE -- Adam Cox, a senior at Notre Dame High School, was named the Breakfast Exchange Club Youth of the Month for December. Cox is involved in SADD, Liturgy Council, National Honor Society, Scholar Bowl, Concert Choir and the annual musical. He was chosen to attend Missouri Scholars Academy and in 1993 attended Harvard University's summer school. Cox is also a Bright Flight recipient...

JACKSON -- Daren Ford of Jackson and John Coffee of Morley have been named to the Hannibal-LaGrange College president's list for the fall 1993 semester. To qualify for the president's list, a student must maintain a grade point average between 3.5 and 4.0, while carrying a minimum class load of 12 hours...

Carrie Ann Patterson and Leah Kennard have been named Students of the Month for January by the Cape Girardeau Elk's Lodge #639. Patterson, 18, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pat Patterson. She is a senior at Cape Girardeau Central High School, where she serves as vice president of the National Honor Society and Red Dagger. She is treasurer of the Chamber Choir and a member of Thespians, the CHS tennis team, Spanish Club, CASA, Who's Who Among American High School Students...

During the course of this past week I had the opportunity to have a telephone conversation with a fellow superintendent from a neighboring school district. As is the normal case, our conversation was predominately about real issues which immediately confront us as superintendents, and confront our boards...