Stories from Monday, March 28, 1994

Talk to Southeast Missouri State University students living in Greek housing and they'll tell you it's no home sweet home. They say the six residence halls of the housing complex on the north side of the campus are falling apart from deterioration and neglect...

The mechanization of farming is having its toll on the number of farms in Cape Girardeau County and Southeast Missouri. Farms here are following a state and national trend -- they're getting smaller in number and larger in acreage. "Mechanization is allowing farmers to handle more land with the same labor," said Terry Birk of the Cape Girardeau County Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service office at Jackson. ...

Justin Campbell first learned about World War II and the Holocaust listening to stories about his grandfather, a medic involved in the liberation of prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp. Last week the Cape Girardeau Central High School junior brought to school a three-page typed letter from his grandfather, Leo Robertson, describing the grisly scene soldiers discovered and photographs his grandfather had sent home in May 1945...

To those in the know, the proposed one-fourth-cent sales tax extension that would ease pressure on Cape Girardeau's sewers smells sweeter now than it would in the future. "It's either now or later, but it's going to have to be taken care of some time," said Cape Girardeau City Councilman Al Spradling III when asked about the proposed sales tax extension and revenue bonds issue, both of which will appear on the April 5 ballot...

Three Democrats and one Libertarian filed to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson by Friday afternoon, but several other Democrats are reportedly giving the race serious consideration. Included among the potential challengers are Russ Carnahan, a Rolla attorney and the son of Gov. Mel Carnahan, and State Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn of Sikeston...

The Southeast Missourian asked people what they thought about Cape Girardeau police implementing a community policing program and how effective it would be. John Adams: "I think anything to help law enforcement would be a good idea. I think that's great, it's a good idea. Everyone should get involved with something like that."...

To the Editor: Yes, God has seen fit to give Missourians a second chance to renounce gambling (not "gaming") as a way of life. PLEASE don't let this opportunity pass to vote NO on the gambling Constitutional Amendment...and to tell the Vegas gamblers they can keep their machines out of Missouri. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Missouri cannot afford the dependent/indigent citizens that gambling would create...

Within a span of three weeks, two local events recently served to give area high-schoolers an insight into how government at the federal, county and city levels works. We're referring to the Youth in Government Day held on Feb. 25 and the mock U.S. Constitutional Convention held March 15...

Dear Editor: The narrow passage of riverboat gambling November 2 was a tough loss for a lot of people. The ensuing Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling meeting produced a statement that cited community unity as a major concern, but the bottom line was the lack of finances to compete with the Boyd Group in a third election. (County records revealed they spent $374,939.48 on the first two, and there seemed to be plenty more where that came from!)...

Hazel H. Riley, 77, of Perryville, formerly a resident of Big Bend Road in Cape Girardeau, died at Southeast Missouri Hospital Sunday, March 27, 1994. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

ORAN -- Frances M. Asmus, 89, of Oran, died at 1:03 p.m. Sunday, March 27, 1994, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee. She was born at Kelso May 13, 1904, daughter of Joseph and Josephine (Eck) Wiedefeld. She married Adam Asmus Nov. 8, 1928. He died Aug. 14, 1969...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Walter VanMeter, 69, of Cairo, died Saturday at 3 p.m., March 26, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born in Karnak, Ill., on March 16, 1925, the son of the late Walter and Beulah Rammage VanMeter. He was a mate for the Valley Line Barge Co., until his retirement...

Cletus C. Foster, 80, of Sedgewickville died Sunday in Fredericktown. He was born Aug. 9, 1913 in Menfro, Mo. He was the son of Charley C. and Florence Griffaw Foster, both of whom preceded him in death. A retired farmer, Cletus Foster was married to Jane E. ...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Mrs. Inez Honey, 84, of Olive Branch died Saturday at the Cape LaCroix Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of the Unity Baptist Church and the Pulaski-Alexander Farm Bureau. She was married to Curtis Honey on Nov. 15, 1938. He preceded her in death on Sept. 16, 1976...

SIKESTON -- Mary V. Parret, 75, 851 Tanner Street, died Saturday, March 26, at the Sikeston Health Care Center. She was born July 25, 1918 in Benton, Mo., to the late Richard M. and Ella Laura Cannon Williams. She was a member of the Tanner Street Church of God in Sikeston. She was also a waitress at the El Capri Restaurant in Sikeston. She was married to Austin H. Parret on June 14, 1968 in Sikeston. He preceded her in death April 21, 1993...

The Internal Revenue Service lists eight "must" requirements for the use of Form 1040EZ. One of the requirements is that a married couple filing jointly have no dependents. Another is that taxable income is less than $50,000. Persons not meeting all requirements must use Form 1040 or Form 1040A...

You're in a casino. It could be in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, or one of the many riverboats which ply the waters of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. You've been stuffing dollar tokens into a slot machine when suddenly lights at the top of the machine start flashing...

Coming Up: April 6 -- Business Conference, Show Me Center, Cape Girardeau. "Managing the Transition Into the 21st Century," 335-3312. April 7-8 -- Quinstate Economic Development Conference, Executive Inn, Paducah, Ky., with representatives from five states -- Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee. Contact Rick Sparks, Jackson, 243-3581...

Julia Cowsert of Cape Girardeau, who has more than 15 years experience in the health field, has been named manager for the Cape Girardeau office of Complete Health Care, 1707 Mt. Auburn Road. Complete Health Care, headquartered in St. Louis, provides in-home health care to residents of 22 Eastern Missouri counties from six locations...