Stories from Thursday, October 19, 1995

There seems to be talk of making English the official (legal) language of our country, but is it really necessary? Any person wanting to live successfully in the United States will know that it is an essential and fundamental part of our life, as its universal use by all legal, financial, commercial and medical concerns seemingly make it official...

A workshop for medical and dental office workers on patient satisfaction will be held, starting at 8:15 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Agenda topics include the importance of good guest relations, creating positive first impressions, understanding patients' emotional behavior, managing patient dissatisfaction, phone scripts and marketing the practice from within...

Pavement work on the Mississippi River bridge highway project will force the closing of a section of South Sprigg Street for much of today. South Sprigg Street will be closed from south of Morgan Oak to Maple Street from midmorning to midafternoon for concrete paving of northbound and southbound lanes of Sprigg Street at the relocated Highway 74 intersection...

The Southeast Missouri State University Orchestra will begin its season with a performance at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Old St. Vicnent's Church. Featured will be two faculty members -- Dr. Gary Miller on harpsichord and violinist Adrian Walker, both of whom will perform concertos by Bach. Conducting will be Dr. Sara Edgerton, the orchestra's director...

VIENNA, Ill. -- Shawnee Community College President Jack D. Hill has announced he will run for the Republican nomination for state representative in the 118th District. Hill and incumbent state Rep. David D. Phelps, D-Eldorado, are the only candidates so far...

Country singer Lorrie Morgan, known for the hits "Watch me," "Something in Red" and "What Part of No Don't You Understand," will perform Friday, Nov. 17 at the Show Me Center. Tickets for the concert, which will include an appearance by Daryle Singletary, will go on sale at 9 a.m. Saturday...

In November, St. Louis will host some of the best new art house films from around the world during the fourth annual St. Louis Film Festival. At least 50 films will be shown at the Creve Coeur, Esquire and Tivoli Theaters Nov. 3-12, said Barbara Jones, director of the St. Louis Film Festival...

Hollywood is coming to Cape Girardeau, and the "star search" is on for contestants to take part in a special Celebrity Look-Alike Contest. Sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation and Wehrenberg Theatres, contest preliminaries will be held on Sunday, Nov. 5, at West Park Mall. The top 10 finalists will be in the spotlight when Southeast Showcase "Goes Hollywood" Nov. 16 at the Show Me Center...

As a public radio station, KRCU thrives on the help of volunteers. "We can always use more people," said Greg Petrowich, acting general manager at the station. "We're not too proud to admit there are those out there who know more than us." People in the community with knowledge about a certain topic or genre of music help add local flavor to the station's program lineup...

Missouri's commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Robert Bartman, went on KMOX radio Monday afternoon to assure Missourians, yet once again, that what we are doing under Senate Bill 380 (the Outstanding Schools Act) isn't outcome-based education. ...

One of the first things a good driver-education program will teach is that driving isn't a right but a privilege. Many drivers, though, take the privilege for granted. They break traffic laws, are ticketed and fined. But they too often have little fear of losing their driving privileges. Many drivers also take it for granted that they can mix alcohol and driving without repercussions...

St. Francis Medical Center's application to buy a new magnetic resonance imaging system was denied by the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee on Wednesday. The hospital had requested a Certificate of Need to buy the MRI and was set to dismantle and hoist its leased MRI through the roof on Wednesday when the news came...

Oct. 19, 1995 Dear Julie, Traveling 2,000 miles to California and somehow missing you both mystifies and devastates me. I attribute these miscommunications to my own inability to find an isle of peace within the ocean of home-owning, puppy-chasing chaos our lives have become. The disorganization that rules our home -- you'd swear we just moved in -- only mirrors my mental dishevelment...

WHAT A memorable CHS homecoming. The parade was a lot of fun, and the students who were involved showed great Tiger spirit. The football team was fantastic. The band was spectacular, and the cheerleaders did a super job. The megaphones were great, and their choice of cheers showed they were really involved the game, wanting to motivate the team and involve the crowd. Congratulations to everyone in participated in this special event. Keep up the good work, CHS...

The Missouri Arts Council will meet in Cape Girardeau today and Friday, the first time in recent memory the state agency has convened here. The meetings are being hosted by Southeast Missouri State University and the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri...

Economist and syndicated columnist Walter Williams will be in Cape Girardeau today for a lecture and reception sponsored by the Southeast Missourian. Williams will discuss economic issues in the Academic Auditorium of Southeast Missouri State University at 4 p.m...

Stetson hats are made in St. Joseph. The world's first all-steel bridge was built in Glasgow, and Missouri has more counties than any other state, 114. But the best thing about Missouri, according to Central High School senior Kylie Eggimann, is that actor Brad Pitt was born and raised in Springfield...

It's not too early to think about mailing Christmas packages even though it's not even November. And the U.S. Postal Service says November isn't too early to send holiday packages with international addresses. "From now on, it's never too early to mail packages overseas," Cape Girardeau postmaster Michael F. Keefe said. "We like to give foreign countries a lot of lead time to get Christmas packages to people in time for them to enjoy Christmas."...

It may be fun to speculate about whether Ross Perot or Colin Powell will run for president as third-party candidates, but it doesn't really matter. Third-party candidates have a poor track record, local party leaders say. That view is echoed by Dr. Mike Weatherson, a speech professor who is in his 16th year at Southeast Missouri State University...

University and business officials will hold an accounting conference Friday at Southeast Missouri State University to prepare students for the workplace. The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) Corporate/Academic Conference will run form 9 a.m. to noon in the University Center Program Lounge. It is one of several such conferences to be held across the country...

SCOTT CITY -- Cathy Raines checked the weather in Montana then went to Oklahoma without ever leaving her seat. She and other members of the Scott City Board of Education got a chance to surf the Internet Wednesday during a computer technology demonstration...

Sen. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau said his $4,500 in travel expenses are the seventh highest in the state because he must travel a six-county district. "John Dennis -- my predecessor -- told me that if there were 12 Germans making sausage somewhere, then I needed to be there," said the Cape Girardeau Republican. "So I go to as many parish and church suppers as I can."...

Marcia Wallace was in her 20s when she had her first breast cancer scare. The lump turned out to be benign -- a fibrous tumor. When a doctor told her the tissue would be taken to the lab and tested and a mastectomy scheduled immediately if it were cancerous, she stood up to him...

BLOOMFIELD -- Judy Carole Smith, 50, of Bloomfield, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1995, at her home. She was born May 17, 1945, in Muskogee, Okla., daughter of Warren and Patricia Wilson Hummell. She and Richard Smith were married Feb. 25, 1992. She and her husband were truck drivers with Edwards Transportation. She had lived here since 1992...

DIXON, Ill. -- Thomas Rightor Thompson, 69, of Dixon, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, at his home. He was born Aug. 23, 1926, in Carbondale, son of Eric Talbot and Eddye Ruth Turner Thompson. He and Joanne Goforth were married Sept. 30, 1943. Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Katy Stoltz of Anna, Ann James of Dixon; three sons, Eric Thompson of Rockford, Ill., Joe Thompson of Rochelle, Ill., Tom Thompson of Tucson, Ariz.; 14 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter...

PUXICO -- Lee Brantley, 97, of Puxico, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, at Puxico Nursing Center. He was born April 23, 1898, at McGee, son of Levi Louis and Virginia Stratman Brantley. He and Dorthy Campbell were married Jan. 15, 1933, in Walnut Ridge, Ark...

BLOOMFIELD -- Marsha Henson, 41, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She was born July 8, 1954, near Bloomfield, daughter of Calvin and Dorothy Shrum Link. She and Danny Henson were married March 7, 1986. Survivors include her husband; a daughter, Sherry Wells of Bloomfield; her mother of Bloomfield; three brothers, James Link of Troy, Joe Link of Dexter, Johnny Link of Silex; six sisters, Virginia Bradley of Charleston, Virgie Geeding, Marilyn Schulte and Patsy Creech of Troy, Beverly and Lesa Link of Bloomfield, and a grandson.. ...

Shelby Eldridge Kirk, 75, 131 S. West End Boulevard, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 23, 1920, at Gibson, son of Joseph E. and Mima Hays Kirk. He and Alene Boyer were married Oct. 3, 1943, in St. Louis. She died Dec. 24, 1984...

Velma May Kelley, 83, 1001 S. Kingshighway, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 21, 1912, in Marion, Ky., daughter of George Washington and Anna Long Watson. She married Curtis A. Kelley. Kelley operated Kelley Store in South Cape 25 years, and was a receptionist eight years at Craftsman Local 1. She was a member of New Life Fellowship Church...

SCOTT CITY -- Bryan Glenn Jolly, 76, of Scott City, died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, in Chaffee. He was born Jan. 3, 1919, at Oran, son of William C. and Louisa Mae Estes Jolly. He and Jacqulain Marie Stephens were married July 10, 1940, at Charleston. She died April 30, 1977...

CHAFFEE -- Opal V. Lauck, 83, of Springfield, Ill., died Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1995, at Villa Healthcare East in Sherman, Ill. She was born June 16, 1912, in Fornfelt, daughter of William and Dorothy Pryor Walls. She and Anthony J. Lauck were married Dec. 23, 1944...