Stories from Tuesday, August 30, 1994

Today marks the anniversary of my first week in Washington, D.C., achieved after a slight delay in leaving Cape Girardeau. Hit by a flu bug, I spent the last week at home retching into the john so intently that I'm sure at one point I vomited half my brains. While lacking any scientific or medical proof of this unique occurrence, I hadn't eaten anything solid for days prior. If it wasn't my brains, I shudder to think what else it could have been...

Students at Poplar Bluff Junior High School are banned from using lockers in an experiment aimed at reducing vandalism and violence at the school. Junior high principals at Jackson and Cape Girardeau are eyeing the Poplar Bluff test to see if it works...

The state's Certificate of Need staff recommends St. Francis Medical Center replace its cardiac catherization lab rather than add a second lab. The cardiac catherization lab is on the agenda for a Sept. 14 meeting of the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee. The nine-member panel will make a final decision...

Allergy sufferers in the Cape Girardeau area will soon be able to learn which pollens are afflicting them with a simple glance at the Southeast Missourian. Beginning Wednesday, the Missourian will begin publishing a list of pollens and their severity. ...

Americans love to race through television land, jumping from channel to channel with the touch of a remote control button. That's particularly the case with the American male, as my wife constantly points out. I am addicted to channel surfing. It is hard for me to watch television without clutching the remote control, my trigger finger at the ready like some modern-day gunslinger...

The first phase of construction on a long-awaited extension of Nash Road eastward into the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority, should be under way in October. Several of the bids opened by officials of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department last week were within cost estimates...

Bill Beydler, a territory manager with the National Federation of Independence Business, will keynote the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Friday coffee. The First Friday Coffee will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Drury Lodge. The NFIB, a small-business advocacy organization that monitors issues important to business, has more than 600,000 members nationally...

DUQUOIN, Ill. -- Harness racing, auto racing, agriculture displays and grandstand entertainment featuring Travis Tritt, Lorrie Morgan, Cheap Trick and Diamond Rio are among highlights of the DuQuoin State Fair here this week. The 11-day extravaganza started last week and will wind down Sept. 5...

The SEMO District Fair is looking for information and memorabilia about its 139-year history. The fair's official historian Katherine Cochran is compiling a history book on the fair. Cochran said she has collected items from as far back as 1855, but she and fair board member Pete Poe are sure lots of information is sitting in attics or scrapbooks...

When a crime occurs in your neighborhood, it shatters the illusion of safety. Such is the case with the murder of James W. "Bud" Brown of Jackson, who was shot to death late last week. His body was found Sunday in a wooded area just north of Scott City...

Today marks the anniversary of my first week in Washington, D.C., achieved after a slight delay in leaving Cape Girardeau. Hit by a flu bug, I spent the last week at home retching into the john so intently that I'm sure at one point I vomited half my brains. While lacking any scientific or medical proof of this unique occurrence, I hadn't eaten anything solid for days prior. If it wasn't my brains, I shudder to think what else it could have been...

To the editor: Missourians may soon be going to the polls in November to vote on the Hancock II amendment. According to an independent report prepared by James R. Moody, Missouri's former state budget director under Gov. John Ashcroft, this amendment, if passed, would trigger massive cuts in Missouri's education, correction and social services...

To the editor: I just don't get it. After all the discussion about the national debt in the last presidential campaign, how could anybody still be wanting the government to pass a health care bill with the massive amount of monies it will take to pay for it. ...

SIKESTON -- A two-car collision on Highway Y about 5 miles west of Sikeston at 6:45 a.m. Monday resulted in two men being taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center here. Brian Pruett, 36, of Bloomfield, received moderate injuries, and Howard Williams, 61, of Sikeston received serious injuries in the accident, the Missouri Highway Patrol said...

JACKSON -- James W. "Bud" Brown, 50, of Jackson, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994. He was born Dec. 22, 1943, at Oran, son of James Arnold and Ruby Mae Slinkard Brown. On June 10, 1967, he married the former Linda Beussink at Leopold. Brown had worked for Cotton Belt Railroad since 1967, and was promoted to conductor in 1974...

CHARLESTON -- Funeral service for Willie Mae Butler of Charleston will be held at 2 p.m. today at McMikle Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Bill Meeks will officiate, with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery. Butler, 90, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at Charleston Manor...

John Lowell Rastl Jr., 72, of Plaquemine, La., died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at his home. He was born Jan. 13, 1922, in Marble Hill, son of John Lowell and Mabel Grace Presnell Rastl. He and Sylvia DeWitt were married Nov. 7, 1942, at Fredericktown. She died Jan. 13, 1961. He later married Vivian Winn Rhymer May 3, 1969, in Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Weldon B. Shanks of Marble Hill will be held at 2 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The Rev. Elijah Allen will officiate. Burial will be in Baker Cemetery, with graveside rites by VFW Post 5900 of Marble Hill...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Emily Jean Petty, 66, Cobden Route 2, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born July 18, 1928, in Decatur, daughter of Ralph and Hallie Stutes Glasford. She and James Petty were married July 20, 1946, in Jonesboro...

GORDONVILLE -- Jack C. Siemers, 64, of Gordonville, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, from injuries received earlier in an accident on the family farm. He was born March 18, 1930, at Gordonville, son of Martin F. and Olga Haertling Siemers. He and Dorothy Boeschen were married Aug. 17, 1929, in Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY -- Galen Ceebern "Slim" Kerby, 90, of Scott City, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at his home. He was born Feb. 24, 1904, in Colgate, Okla., son of Foster and Lear Fultz Kerby. He and Catherine Strosnider were married March 25, 1929, in Wewoka, Okla...

ADVANCE -- Curtiss Anderson, 73, Advance Route 2, died Monday, Aug. 29, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 23, 1921, in St. James, son of Lark Bowman and Charlotte Reissaus Anderson. He and Helen Alexander were married March 23, 1940, in Sullivan. He later married Betty Revelle Estes Aug. 9, 1968, in West Plains...

Emma Jean Terry, 60, 116 Cherrywood, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at her home. She was born Dec. 19, 1933, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Emil William and Pearl Ida Wright Dewrock. She and Donald D. Terry were married July 23, 1955, in Cape Girardeau...

Gerald L. Neels Sr., 60, of Fenton, died Monday, Aug. 29, 1994, at his home, following a lengthy illness. He was born June 14, 1934, in St. Louis, son of Hilonius and Estella Neels. Survivors include his wife, Barbara; a son, Jerry Neels of Cape Girardeau; a stepson; two stepdaughters; five grandchildren, and four stepgrandchildren...

Betty Ann Borchers, 65, of Kennett, died Monday, Aug. 29, 1994. She was born Nov. 7, 1928, in Winchester, Ill., daughter of Jesse and Ollie Ball Saffer. She and George W. Borchers were married May 24, 1948. Borchers was a member of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Mary M. Abernathy, 76, of Wolf Lake, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994. She was born May 24, 1918, in Alto Pass, daughter of Arvie and Amma Burnett York. She and Leonard E. Abernathy were married May 24, 1934, at Jackson. He died Dec. 24, 1988...

SWINTON -- Mabel Mildred Statler, 88, of Wentzville, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 1994, at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur. She was born May 4, 1906, at Swinton, daughter of Ernest and Nora Schumate Swindell. She married Clippard Statler, who preceded her in death...

DEXTER -- Funeral service for Naomi L. Reaves of Dexter was held Monday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel here. Herman Morse officiated, with burial in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Reaves, 72, died Saturday, Aug. 27, 1994, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born May 17, 1922, at Morehouse, daughter of Thomas Henry and Edna Estelle Brack Gromer. She first married Frank Payne, who died in 1945. She and Lawrence "Boots" Reaves were married Oct. 5, 1946. He died Dec. 24, 1980...

Son to Kenneth and Heather Sisk, Sikeston Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:34 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, 1994. Name, Richard Dale. Weight, 9 pounds 2 ounces. Mrs. Sisk is the former Heather McMullin, daughter of Shannon Steger and Mary Steger of New Hamburg. Sisk is employed at Lewis Bakery, and is the son of Kenneth Sisk and Barbara Sisk of Sikeston...

Harvard University was interested in Jackie Pryor, but she elected to enroll at Southeast Missouri State University this fall. Nathan Springer wanted to attend a school that was "pretty good in biology." He settled on Southeast. Both Pryor and Springer are among 25 students from 12 states who are in the latest class of National Merit Scholars to enroll at Southeast. Counting returning students, there are an estimated 80 National Merit Scholars taking classes at Southeast this fall...

Southeast Missouri State University has entered into an agreement with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish a transitional middle school certification program on the Southeast campus. The program will provide course work to Missouri public school teachers in grades 5 to 9 to qualify them for middle school certification requirements...

Dixie Lee Cook, a teacher at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, has been chosen by state education officials to serve as an alternate teacher in a statewide teacher-to-teacher training program over the next two years. As part of the STARR (Select Teachers As Regional Resources) program, Cook will learn techniques for promoting active, hands-on learning by students in all subject areas...

Shirley Aufdenberg Peterson has completed required studies for a doctorate in practical arts and vocational technical education at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Peterson is a graduate of Central High School. Her undergraduate study was in nursing. She received a diploma from Lutheran Medical Center School of Nursing, a baccalaureate degree in nursing from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Missouri-Columbia...

Adam Cox of Chaffee has been accepted for the Freshman Honors Scholars program at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. High school students are selected for the program based on academic achievement, national test scores, personal interviews and recommendations by high school faculty. Scholars participate in honors seminars and qualify for scholarships...

Frances Hemphill of Charleston recently completed a summer intern program at the Cape Girardeau Vocational Rehabilitation office. She was one of four students selected for internships available in Missouri. The internship was for minorities representing African Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Spanish Americans and others...

Carol McDowell and Kendra Ruesler, both formerly of Jackson, recently completed a two-week European tour with the Pennsylvania Ambassadors of Music. The tour included stops in Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The Pennsylvania Ambassadors of Music included an orchestra, jazz band and swing choir. ...