Stories from Thursday, February 16, 1995

A while back, the Kennett School District was experiencing a high rate of truancy. About 10 percent of its student population skipped school each day. So the district called upon a seldom-used statewide educational neglect law. Since the start of school, two parents have been sentenced and several others have met with the prosecutor...

My last three columns have attempted to inform readers of major developments under way that threaten a sweeping and unprecedented transformation in teaching methods and curricula for Missouri's public schools. All these changes are proceeding within the confines of an appointed commission whose deliberations have -- with the exception of a handful of newspaper articles -- gone unnoticed by the news media and the public...

Smoke machines, confetti cannons and strobe lights will get a workout when Strutter, a KISS tribute band, takes the stage Tuesday at Big Al's Night Club. Named for a popular KISS song, Strutter plays more than 200 shows a year. "They are well known for being the closest thing you can get to KISS without actually being at a KISS concert," said Tim Scheper, the concert promoter...

High school seniors starting at Southeast Missouri State University next fall will have their college class schedules before they graduate this spring. Saturday, Southeast will hold a one-day student orientation program for beginning freshmen that includes registering for classes...

JEFFERSON CITY -- A Southeast Missouri state representative said the state has been lucky in letting its conservation agents go alone to investigate nighttime poaching and spotlighting complaints. Poplar Bluff Republican Bill Foster has no problem with agents working alone during the day, but believes sending them out alone at night to investigate complaints is unwise...

ORAN -- After a review of Oran's bookkeeping records and the last annual audit, city officials are still unsure as to the exact amount of money that may be missing. Tom Urhahn, president of the board of aldermen, said he and three other members of the audit review committee were satisfied that less than $2,000 was still unaccounted for...

J. Hugh Logan has netted plenty of money for others. Since moving to Cape Girardeau in February 1934, he has devoted much of his time and talent to raising money for the United Way and other charitable organizations. A former mayor here, he helped found the local United Way, then known as the United Fund, in 1955...

Cape Girardeau's Board of Education voted to rebid a package of two-way radios and pagers after an unsuccessful bidder questioned the process. Tim Singleton with Star Communications told the board he thought the process was handled incorrectly and asked that it be rebid...

Feb. 16, 1995 As she searches through the stations/for an unfamiliar song. -- "Run, Baby, Run" Dear Ken, It's a rainy morning, and Sheryl Crow is on the CD player, doing her disappearing act. I called her mother a few months ago, when "All I Wanna Do" was all over the place, and Time and even the University of Missouri alumni magazine had done stories about this phenomenon from the little town in Southeast Missouri, and mom said it's been too much phenomenon for me. ...

OK, I give up. Does the little white poodle that's telling me the weather wear booties and carry an umbrella when it's raining and smile broadly when it's sunny? I am very confused. REPLY: The new Weather Pet at the top of the front page will brighten the day of every animal lover, even if it is cloudy outside. Thanks to the dozens of cheerful pet owners who already have sent in photos to be used. It is obvious there are a lot of Weather Pets out there...

The Longhorn World Championship Rodeo returns to the Show Me Center this weekend for three days of riding, roping and racing. The rodeo begins at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. A record purse of almost $33,000 will be distributed...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Mae H. Flamm, 90, of Cobden, died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1995, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born Jan. 21, 1905, in Alto Pass, daughter of James A. and Anna Mary Blessing Hodges. She and Fred C. Flamm were married Aug. 23, 1926, at Cobden. He died March 29, 1990...

Cape Girardeau County Larry Sean Frizzell, 21, and Stephanie Odilia Gomez, 18; Donald Martin Hendershott, 22, and Denise Nicole McHughs, 18; Frankie Gene Hicks, 33, and Diane Yvonne Macedo, 31. Kevin Glenn Smith, 29, and Sandra Shaw Sisson, 34; Toby James Rogers, 26, and Lisa Marie Millburg, 24; Brian Duane Lape, 23, and Leigh Ann Wiseman, 24...

MALDEN -- Funeral service for Marilyn Sue Kilgo of Malden will be held at 10 a.m. today at Bradshaw Funeral Chapel in Malden, with the Rev. N.A. Haynes officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park at Malden. Kilgo, 55, died Monday, Feb. 13, 1995, at Dexter Memorial Hospital...

PERKS, Ill. -- Ruby Perkins, 95, of Perks, died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1995, at City Care Center in Anna. She was born Jan. 27, 1900, in Bertrand, daughter of James Walter and Hattie Hutchinson Bolen. She and Willace Perkins were married Sept. 6, 1919. He died Jan. 18, 1978...

ANNA, Ill. -- Hubert R. Hearn, 86, of Anna, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1995, at Union County Hospital. He was born Sept. 11, 1908, in Thompsonville, son of Charles N. and Alice Williams Hearn. He and Lillian Pulley were married in October 1933. She died April 5, 1985...

Cape Girardeau County Midwest Energy Inc. to L.L. Investment; Alice Elaine Jackson to Alice Elaine and James Myron Jackson; Stanley M. and Glenda M. Buchheit Irwin to Stanley M. and Glenda M. Irwin. Mark and Susan Howard to Joseph M. Bumpus et al.; Julia A. Greaser to the Julia A. Greaser Trust; the Julia A. Greaser Trust to James Vincent and Michelle Linn Wingo...

Accepted donation of $4,791.74 towards the girls' soccer program. Accepted a television and two VCRs donated by TCI Cablevision. Approved participation in Educare program, a grant project to prepare pre-schoolers to enter school. Voted to rebid communication proposal...

CHAFFEE -- Graveside service for Clifford "Lefty" Lacy of Chaffee will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Union Park Cemetery, with the Rev. Bill Dickey officiating. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Chaffee from 8-10 a.m. Friday. Lacy, 83, died Saturday, Feb. 11, 1995, at Chaffee Nursing Center...

CHAFFEE -- Beryl I. Miller, 84, of Chaffee, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1995, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born June 6, 1910, in Essex, daughter of Cromwell and Cora White Wilson. She first married Harry Boner, who preceded her in death. She later married Donald C. Miller Oct. 11, 1947...

Lula Fuson Stapel, 90, 3120 Independence, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1995, at Chateau Girardeau Health Care Center. She was born Dec. 12, 1904, in Woodward, Okla., daughter of William and Margaret Huffman Moody. She first married Albert Fuson Oct. 16, 1926, in North Kansas City. He died in 1953. She later married John C. Stapel July 28, 1962, in St. Louis. He died in 1983...

SIKESTON -- John Paul Cook, 46, of Sikeston, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 1995, at his home. He was born Dec. 21, 1948, in Sikeston, son of Earl Ray and Delores Phillips Cook. Cook was a forklift operator at Fleming Co., and formerly worked at Malone and Hyde...

"An Evening of Jazz with Richard Moore and Friends," a benefit for Southeast Hospice, will be presented Friday, Feb. 24, at Academic Auditorium. Moore, a Cape Girardeau physician and pianist, will lead a band that includes John Quinn on sax, Jerry Ford on trumpet, Don Ford on drums, Steve Williams on drums, and Jim Wall on string and electric bass...

A Contra and Square Dance will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 25 in the University Center Ballroom. The dance will be sponsored by the Historic Preservation Association of Southeast Missouri State University. Dance experience, special attire or partners is not required...

When the spotlight shines on Amy Jo Diebold in the University Theatre's upcoming production of "The Threepenny Opera," ghosts of the musical theater's past and future will be in the shadows. Diebold will play Polly Peachum, a role made famous on Broadway in the 1950s by Jo Sullivan, who grew up in these parts. Coincidentally, Diebold last year won the scholarship Sullivan established at Southeast in the name of her late husband, Broadway composer and lyricist, Frank Loesser...

A week before his directorial debut with the Broadway Community Theatre, the roof fell in on George Kralemann. Not quite literally, but the Concord Theatre did develop a ceiling problem that threatens its future as a performance venue and forced postponement of BCT's production of "Life With Father."...