Stories from Tuesday, November 14, 1995

Marilyn Jansen's job involves taking the terror out of algebra and geometry. "Many of these students came into algebra with many fears and uncertainties about their ability to succeed," Jansen said. "Some of the horror stories they have heard have terrified them."...

MARBLE HILL -- Iva Cole Lutes, 97, died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, at her home. She was born June 13, 1898, at Lutesville, daughter of William Colby and Lucinda Caroline Schrock Cole. She and Charles Lutes were married July 16, 1924. He preceded her in death March 22, 1964...

When students at Central High School walk into Donna Ellis' classroom, they travel to another culture -- a Spanish-speaking culture. Ellis, who has been teaching in the Cape school district for 18 years, tries to make her classroom a "culturally rich environment."...

Sher Barr, left, and Christi Shaw used a computer in their introduction to business class at Scott City High School. Dustin Brackett, left, and Howie Stubenrauch made "marshmallow kids" to display their knowledge of heredity and genetics in biology class at Scott City High School...

WYATT, Mo. -- The Royal Casino Group of California has entered into a 25-year docking and franchise agreement with Wyatt officials to establish a riverboat casino and entertainment center on the Mississippi River near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers...

Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau wants new offices, but Mayor Al Spradling III doesn't think the City Council should rush ahead with plans to build a $250,000 building for the CVB. Mary Miller, director of the CVB, sent a letter to council members last week expressing a desire to move ahead with the project...

Three days of close scrutiny of Cape Girardeau public schools fits in with the Board of Education's planning process, said Bob Fox, board president. The three-day Missouri School Improvement Program on-site evaluation began Monday with an interview of the school board...

The stork's circling our home and my wife, Joni, is on a nesting kick. As the December delivery date approaches for a new addition to our household, Joni has embarked on a major cleanup of our home. Naturally, I couldn't let my pregnant wife do this all by herself. I tried to think of some excuses, but none of them were good enough to get me off the hook...

I CAN'T understand why the city council continues to do nothing about some people not recycling. I'm sick and tired of paying the same as those residents who do not recycle. The taxpayers of this city are having to pay thousands of dollars more in tipping fees because of it. ...

With highly trained guards and sophisticated means of gathering intelligence, protecting a world leader is still a dangerous and deadly business. The assassination of Israel's Yithak Rabin is the latest example of how vulnerable even the most protected individuals are when someone decides to cross the line into political mayhem...

To the editor: Just a few days ago, Yitsak Rabin, one of the more respected and outstanding public figures in the world, was brutally gunned down by an assassin's bullets. Here in the western world he was known as a statesman and a politician, but in Israel his persona was more that of a military leader...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Opal Claxton Calvin, 81, formerly of Olmsted and Pulaski, Ill., died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, at Pinetree Manor Nursing Home in Indianapolis. She was born Oct. 15, 1914, at Centralia, Ill., daughter of John Logan and Leona Nickelson Claxton. She and Cecil Calvin were married. He preceded her in death...

JACKSON -- Nelson Steiner, 73, of Jackson, died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul Lutheran Church...

JACKSON -- Otto L. Schwab, 79, of Jackson, died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 2, 1916, at Dutchtown, son of Albert and Bertha Lange Schwab. He and Elsie Minnie Sievers were married April 14, 1940, at Tilsit. She died Oct. 30, 1978. He later married Allene C. Ehlers Feb. 28, 1981...

BUNCOMBE, Ill. -- George C. "Tom" Newman, 74, of Buncombe, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born May 27, 1921, in Fornfelt, Mo., son of John and Susan Grace Newman. He and Marie Luvica Foster were married April 4, 1942, in Jackson, Mo...

ESSEX -- William Hill, 89, of Essex, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995, at his home. He was born April 26, 1906, in DeQueen, Ark., son of Robert and Beulah Hill. He and Harriet McKeller were married May 31, 1936, near Parma. Hill was a retired farmer. He was a member of New Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where he had been an usher and pastor's aide many years. He moved to Essex 28 years ago from the Parma area...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Lillian Edna "Lilly" Johnson, 49, of Mound City, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 21, 1945, in Cairo, daughter of Lemme Edward and Mary M. Baker Beegle. Survivors include three brothers, James and Raymond Beegle of Mounds, Tom Beegle of Aurora; two sisters, Barbara Cruse of Cobden, Doris Bone of Mounds, and a friend, Joe Ballard of Mound City...

PERRYVILLE -- Vincent "Harold" Laws, 83, of Perryville, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born June 29, 1912, in Perry County, son of Jesse Elias and Mary Teresa Cissell Laws. He and Marie H. Adams were married Aug. 16, 1939...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral service for Elsie L. Clifton of Perryville will be held at 11 a.m. today at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The Rev. Ed Hankinson will officiate, with burial in York Chapel Cemetery at Longtown. Friends may call at the funeral home after 6:30 a.m...

BLOOMFIELD -- Norma Anna Talley, 68, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 1995, at Lutheran Medical Center in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 6, 1927, at Bloomfield, daughter of Albert and Isa Corbin Talley. Talley lived in St. Louis most of her life, and was a secretary...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Graveside service for Norman C. Hall will be held at 1 p.m. today at East Prairie Memorial Park. Aubrey Wilson will officiate. McMikle Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Hall, 88, died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston...

Funeral service for Ruth Elizabeth Eugas Cosper of Tyler, Texas, will be held at 10 a.m. today at First Presbyterian Church in Tyler, with the Rev. Richard Ramsey officiating. Burial will be in Rose Hill cemetery. Jackson's Burks-Walker-Tippit Funeral Home in Tyler is in charge of arrangements...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Brenda Elise Anderson of Chaffee will be held at 1 p.m. today at House of Prayer. The Rev. Dale Hendrix will officiate, with burial in Cummins Cemetery at McClure, Ill. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements...

The building which formerly housed Central Hardware in Cape Girardeau has been put on the auction block. The Cape Girardeau building is the largest of six former Central Hardware Co. buildings being put up for auction in the Midwest. The 85,320-square-foot building located on a 7.14-acre site at 371 S. Broadview St. is the only one of the stores to be offered by a sealed bid auction...

The Healthy Community Committee will outline its asset mapping process tonight as part of its community health assessment. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope. The public is welcome. Four or five neighborhoods in Cape Girardeau have been identified as starting points for the mapping process, said Shirley Ramsey, executive coordinator of the Community Caring Council, which is spearheading the assessment...

A recent reassessment of agricultural land should raise most farmers' taxes only a few dollars, and some may see a decrease, Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds said. Unlike residential and commercial real estate, agricultural land isn't assessed at market price; it's graded by productivity value on a scale of 1 to 8...

SCOTT CITY -- Volunteer firefighters responded to a fire Monday afternoon at the home of Scott City police officer Stacy Gilmore. No one was injured in the blaze, which destroyed the back part of the house at 203 Dearborn St. The Scott City Fire Department was dispatched at 3:14 p.m. and had the blaze under control within 20 minutes, said Capt. Terry Gettings...

The Cape Girardeau street division will install left-turn arrows on the traffic lights at Independence and Sprigg beginning today. The work will start at 8 a.m. It is scheduled to be completed Thursday. While the work is being done, stop signs will be used at the intersection, city officials said...

JACKSON -- The national commander of the American Legion will visit Jackson American Legion Post 158 Thursday night. It is the fourth time the national commander has visited in 10 years. Milton Nitsch, volunteer service coordinator for the post, said strong connections to the national American Legion organization helped get Commander Daniel A. ...

Trae Meyr of Chaffee was recently selected as a semifinalist in the U.S. Senate Youth Program. As part of the competition, Meyr was interviewed in Jefferson City. He was one of eight students from across the state selected for the interview. If selected as one of Missouri's two delegates, he will visit Washington for a week in March. The trip will include visits to the Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, Pentagon and museums...

Two Jackson residents have returned from a two-week trip to Siberia. Greg and Jean Dickey went to southern Siberia in September as part of an International School Project conference. The Dickeys, retired university instructors, served as small group leaders for the teacher conference. They first attended the education convocations last year...

Judith Ries of St. Louis recently earned the Milton Perry Award. It is given by the James-Younger Gang, a non-profit corporation. Ries, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Knowles of Patton, won the award for her book on Ed O'Kelley. The book is titled, "Ed O'Kelley: The Man Who Murdered Jesse James Murderer."...

Matthew Strohmeyer of Cape Girardeau recently received a scholarship from Quincy University. He was awarded the Thomas C. Oakley Memorial Scholarship for the 1995-96 year. It is given to students who participate in extracurricular and in-school citizenship activities...

The Cape Girardeau chapter of Parents Without Partners will hold an orientation for prospective members at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Harris Room in the Community Counseling Center. Parents who are divorced, widowed, separated or never married are invited to attend...

The Cape Central Student Council is promoting its annual canned food drive through Friday. The cans will be donated to the Salvation Army for its Thanksgiving dinner. Several needy families also will receive Thanksgiving baskets with items purchased by the student council...

The Workshop on Wheels will hold a seminar on sign language at 7 tonight at The Gingerbread House, 608 Rosamund, in Jackson. The workshop seminar is entitled, "Sign Language to Enhance Communication Skills." Ida Domazlicky will conduct the seminar, which emphasizes the history of sign language as a way to enhance visual knowledge...

Maria Swan of Cape Girardeau was recently elected to the Missouri Students Association at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She serves as a senator to the student government organization. Swan is a freshman and is studying journalism at the university. She is a 1995 graduate of Cape Central High School and is the daughter of Reg and Kathy Swan of Cape Girardeau...

Jesse Joel Felzien of Raytown has earned the Eagle Scout award at a recent ceremony. Felzien, 16, is a member of Boy Scout Troop 469 and is the son of Craig and Lauren Felzien of Cape Girardeau. He attends Rockhurst High School Less than 5 percent of the Boy Scouts achieve the Eagle Scout rank. The award recognizes superior dedication, discipline and perseverance. Felzien earned 30 merit badges and built a butterfly garden at Cave Springs Park in Kansas City as his Eagle Scout project...

Area schools have the opportunity to honor outstanding students by nominating them for the Prudential Spirit of Community awards. The nationwide awards recognize young people who are setting examples of good community service. Area schools can participate in the program by applying by Nov. 30. Winners will receive a $1,000 award and a trip to Washington in May...

Sheila Millburg of Cape Girardeau was recently named to the list of Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges. She was selected by faculty members at Union University. Membership in the Who's Who is limited to students who have achieved academic honors...