Stories from Saturday, April 9, 1994

If you don't personally know Cape Girardeau police officer Danny Niswonger, allow us to introduce him to you: He's truly one of Cape Girardeau's finest; a more polite, caring and professional officer you'll not meet. Now, Danny lies in St. Louis University Hospital suffering from what doctors describe as major injuries that he received a week ago today when his police motorcycle collided with a van at North Sprigg and Emerald streets. ...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce recently presented its first Educators of the Year awards to five worthy educators in the city. It's a nice gesture, one that should bring some praises to a profession that sometimes is taken for granted. The recipients were Carol Reimann, in the category of elementary education; Tammy Sue Brotherton, secondary education; Joseph "Bud" Thompson, vocational education; Marjorie Engleman, special education; and Sister Mary Ann Fischer, administration...

Southeast Missouri Hospital's 12th and largest-ever expansion project will be unveiled to the public during an open house Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The massive expansion is impressive from the outside, and equally so on the inside. The hospital will spend $19 million on its new 105,000-square-foot, four-level Clinical Services Building, largely made possible by the generosity of those who donated money during a successful capital campaign drive...

In a time when Americans must tolerate the mud-slinging and rhetoric that often go on in political campaigns, Cape Girardeau's two candidates for mayor exhibited a refreshing approach to politicking. The mayoral campaign, which ended Tuesday with Al Spradling III being chosen over Melvin Gateley, was clean and strictly issues-oriented...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Winners in the Great American Circus coloring contest sponsored by the Southeast Missourian have been selected. Winners in age group 5 through 7 are Tiffany M. Humphrey, 6, of 2313 Perry, and Mark J. Davis, 6, of Marble Hill Route 1...

Legislation that would require the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to conduct a cost-to-benefit analysis on regulations it imposes could be voted out of the Missouri Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and Environment Committee in the next few days...

With its pastel decor, wide corridors and glass-walled, sunlit, spacious waiting room, it doesn't look like a hospital emergency room. In fact, Southeast Missouri Hospital's new emergency services area looks more like a professional office than a trauma center...

There are a lot of uses for old tires -- bumpers for boat docks, backyard swings, flower beds, supplemental industrial fuel, and school playground decorations. They also can be retread or capped for additional use on vehicles. Still, getting rid of hundreds of millions of discarded tires each year can be a local, state and national nightmare...

Tuesday's election was an historic vote. Of course the headline grabber was the statewide ballot measure allowing games of chance on Missouri riverboat casinos. In one of the closest votes in the state's history, the gambling issue failed. Regardless of your position on gambling -- I'll risk the wrath of many friends and admit I voted against the measure -- voters, gambling companies and state and local officials now face an interesting and, from the perspective of a member of the media, exciting quandary. ...

Douglas D. Groesbeck of the Lake of the Ozarks area will become new manager at Union Electric Co., 400 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, this summer. Groesbeck will succeed Virgil Chirnside, who has announced his retirement as manager of UE's Southeast Missouri District, effective June 1...

Total hours of volunteer service to Cape Girardeau Veterans Home residents was 22,615 during 1993, up 3,744 hours -- 16.5 percent -- over 1992, said home administrator Dr. Sam McVay at Volunteer Appreciation Night Friday. Two volunteers were recognized who had passed the 1,000-hour milestone during 1993. Six have achieved this recognition since the home opened in June 1990...

SIKESTON -- Minta B. Hubbard, 80, of Sikeston, died Friday, April 8, 1994, at her home. She was born Feb. 23, 1914, at Chaffee, daughter of Grover C. and Laura Schwatman Blocker. She and Van Allen Hubbard were married June 14, 1932. He died May 7, 1987...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Wade Lynn Allen, 55, of East Prairie, died Thursday, April 7, 1994, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, following a brief illness. He was born July 20, 1938, in Gates, Tenn., son of Waldo Ansley and Mary Lou Lea Allen. He and Karen June Carlyle were married Feb. 25, 1989...

Memorial service for Anna Lee Rhoades, 795 North Hills, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mark Lutheran Church. Rhoades, 64, died Friday, April 1, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center.

Virginia M. DeBoe, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 6, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 25, 1924, the daughter of Lawrence and Myrtle Martin DeBoe. A son, Larry DeBoe of Farmington, survives. She was a lifetime resident of Cape Girardeau and a member of Red Star Baptist Church. She also is survived by a sister, Mary Iorio of Jamaica Plain, Mass...

MARBLE HILL -- Cletis B. "Clete" Bidewell, 87, of Webster Groves, died Thursday, March 31, 1994, at St. John's Medical Center in St. Louis. He was born July 19, 1906, in southern Bollinger County, son of George W. and Jane Crites Bidewell. He and Hattie Herrell were married in 1938...

SCOTT CITY -- Elmer Theon Ledure, 65, of Scott City, died Friday, April 8, 1994, at his home. He was born Aug. 3, 1928, son of Ben and Olivia Scherer Ledure. He and Shirley E. Blattel were married Feb. 14, 1950, at Kelso. Ledure had farmed and worked at Davis Electric in Cape Girardeau. He was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso and its Men's Club, Knights of Columbus Council 6420 at Scott City, and 4th Degree member of St. Joseph Council 2283 of Scott City...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Lela Long of St. Louis will be held at 2 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Chapel here. The Rev. Don Estes will officiate, with burial in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery. Long, 89, died Wednesday, April 6, 1994, in St. Louis...

Cape Girardeau Orthotic and Prosthetic, 44 Doctors Park, has contracted with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri to be a freestanding orthotic and prosthetic providers in Southeast Missouri. Also signing with the insurance company was Rolla Prosthetics & Orthotics. The two providers are among the first in Blue Cross Blue Shields orthotic and prosthetic network...

The SEMO chapter of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses will host a seminar on ethics and health care reform April 19 at the Ramada Inn in Sikeston. The seminar is planned from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Keynote speakers are Cristy Cruzan White, executive director of the Nancy Cruzan Foundation, Roberta McCabe Fruth, AACN national office, Kevin O'Rouke, director for Healthcare Ethics at St. Louis University, and Ann Saladino, vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield...

Don Amelon found out he had a degenerative spinal disease in the spring of 1973. "At first I would stumble when I stepped off a curb or walked up steps," he said. "Then it got worse. Much worse." By 1979, wheelchair-bound, Amelon retired from his post as a professor of industrial arts at Southeast Missouri State University...