Stories from Friday, September 16, 1994

Funeral service for William Anthony Strack, 211 Mason, will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Mary's Cathedral. The Rev. Glenn Eftink will officiate. Burial will be in Lightner Cemetery at Scott City, with graveside rites by VFW Post 3838. Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel is in charge of arrangements...

Paul Shanklin isn't a household name, but his voice is. The 32-year-old owner of a ServiceMaster franchise in Memphis has a knack for imitating Bill Clinton. His parodies of Clinton and Ross Perot have been a regular feature of Rush Limbaugh's radio show the past year...

Charles Woodford's notion that Missouri's mule ought to be named the state's official animal has generated nationwide attention and support. Cape Girardeau's American Legion Post 63, with a nudge from member Woodford, kicked off a campaign in the spring to get the mule some recognition...

About 90 babies competed at the SEMO District Fair Tuesday and Wednesday during the annual fair baby contest. First, second and third place winners were named in each of five age groups for both girls and boys. Winners: Girls 0-3 months 1. Jordan Lynn Kuntze, daughter of Rodney and Donna Kuntze...

SCOTT CITY -- The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority's efforts are moving forward to buy a six-mile railroad branch line from Union Pacific and a surplus diesel locomotive from the federal government. The Interstate Commerce Commission has approved the purchase of the branch line, and Port Executive Director Dan Overbey said this week that all details should be completed by Jan. 1...

The recent story in the Southeast Missourian about congressional pensions raised some eyebrows. It showed congressmen and senators from Missouri are eligible for annual pensions from $24,727 (for Sen. Christopher Bond) to $80,430 (for Rep. Harold Volkmer). And it showed total pension payouts, based on life expectancy charts, could range from $535,499 (for Sen. Bond) to $3,007,441 (for Rep. Bill Emerson of Cape Girardeau)...

To the editor: I just want to say the article Sunday on the games people used to play was the most interesting article that has appeared. Perhaps it is because of my age. I am 88, and I am sure many my age will agree with me. Every one of the games mentioned are the exact ones my twin sister and I played. As I read the article it seems like only yesterday when we sat on the walk and played jacks, spun a top, hopscotched and played marbles...

To the editor. Enclosed find the remains of the "comic book" I found inserted in yesterday's YELL edition of your newspaper. As you can see, it was nothing but trash even before my wife began to shred it into the kitchen waste basket. I send it to you primarily for an opportunity to write my thanks for the way you responded to this unfortunate incident...

To the editor. On behalf of the Ford and Sons American Legion Baseball Team, I want to thank you, Southeast Missourian, for the outstanding coverage of our 1994 baseball season. The articles prepared by Marty Mishow were great, particularly during the state playoffs and also the Central Plains Regional held in South Dakota...

To the editor. Attention Missouri Taxpayer. We read that there will be a fiscal "estimate" printed with the Hancock II Amendment on the November ballot. We would also like to see a fiscal estimate on the Riverboat Gambling Amendment of the cost to taxpayers for crime, prostitution and addictions of all kinds as a result of this amendment if it passes...

To the editor. Please enter me in your contest. We enjoyed the YELL paper. We bought three papers to help kids and encourage them to read. Thanks to all who helped in selling them or whatever part you had in it. I had a grandmother who could not read or write, all she could do was print her first name...

ADVANCE -- John Robins, 60, of Advance, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 1994, at John J. Pershing VA Hospital in Poplar Bluff. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Bert Lloyd Ivester, 67, of Onaway, Mich., died Tuesday, Sept. 13, 1994, at his home. He was born Dec. 12, 1926, at Dexter, son of Zelmar and Julia Temples Ivester. He and Jerry Watson were married July 28, 1944, in Piggott, Ark. Ivester worked on road construction in Michigan. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II...

LUcille G. Smith, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 1994, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Oct. 5, 1910, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Joseph Frank and Minnie Lou Oliver. She first married Lester Waldon. She and Chester B. Smith were maried Aug. 1, 1937, at Wyatt...

MATTHEWS -- Dorothy J. Gentry, 85, of Matthews, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 1994, at Sells Rest Home. She was born Nov. 11, 1908, in Matthews, daughter of James F. and Dora Harper Waters. She and Bert E. Gentry were married Sept. 30, 1925, at Morley. Formerly of Sikeston, she was a volunteer many years at Missouri Delta Medical Center there. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Sikeston and its Phoebe Sunday School Class...

Son to Rodney and Shelly Steffens of Altenburg, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:18 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, 1994. Name, Evan James. Weight, 8 pounds 13 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Steffens is the former Shelly Weber, daughter of Richard and Kathryn Weber of Frohna. Steffens is employed at East Perry Lumber Co., and is the son of Omar and Mabel Steffens of Frohna...

JACKSON -- Paul W. McCray, 82, of Jackson, died Thursday, Sept. 15, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 24, 1912, at Bell City, son of Mayo M. and Clara Caldonia Sitz McCray. He and Paula Graden were married June 30, 1934...

A small number of comic books for mature audiences was inadvertently distributed as part of the YELL campaign. YELL coordinators first learned of the problem after 10,000 newspapers were sold by volunteers Tuesday morning. Southeast Missourian Publisher Wally Lage said, "Even though I am convinced a very few mature-audience comics were distributed, I feel even one is too many. I am very sorry this happened. I take full responsibility."...

Six people at the SEMO District Fair Thursday night indicated the division surrounding America's preparations to invade Haiti. President Bill Clinton Thursday night said Haiti's time was up and that the United States was preparing to invade. Diana Siebert, fifth-grade teacher at Guardian Angel in Oran, said she hated to see a fight...

When the audience and logs in the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show get rolling at a healthy clip, Lee LeCaptain is in his element. LeCaptain, the show's owner, captivated a crowd at the SEMO District Fair this week by letting his homespun humor fly as freely as wood chips and sawdust...

Cape Girardeau Wastewater Treatment Plant employees won't have to worry about the hazards of riding to work in a boat, thanks to a $392,000 Economic Development Administration grant for a street elevation project. The project is designed to elevate LaCruz, Third, Cooper and South Sprigg streets to maintain suitable access for employees, material delivery, sludge removal and emergency vehicles under severe flood conditions...

Growing up near the Black River and Current River in the Ozarks was special, no two ways about it. Rivers are exciting places for young boys, and the wooded hills around those two rivers were made for exploring and hunting. After living away from the area so long, you lost touch with some of the hot issues. One of those is what to do with wild horses in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways...

ALLENVILLE -- The Allenville Women's Auxiliary will hold a barbecue and craft fair Sept. 24 beginning at 3 p.m. The event will be held at The Oasis in Allenville. In addition to the meal and craft fair, the Cape County Swingers square dance club will be dancing from 4 to 6:30 p.m...