Stories from Friday, December 22, 1995

During this holiday season, most of the attention goes to the preparation for and the anticipation of Christmas, one of the holiest days of the Christian year. But there are some other important religious observances that are occurring at the same time this year...

The message seems to be getting through to criminals across the nation: Crime doesn't pay. Look at some recent developments: -- Major cities are reporting significant decreases in major crimes, including homicides. Overall, statistics for major categories of crime are showing their sharpest drops since the FBI began keeping statistics in the 1960s...

Glenn Poshard wants one more term in the U.S. House of Representatives. "If I am elected to a fifth term, it will be my final term in Congress," said Poshard, D-Marion, Ill., during a recent Marion rally. Poshard was not available for comment Thursday, but Dave Strickland of the congressman's press office in Washington said it was no secret that Poshard may be looking for his final term...

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department will receive money for two new officers under the COPS Universal program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. Sheriff John Jordan said he found out about the grant on and expects to hire the officers in early 1996...

More than 96 percent of Union Electric's shareholders voting on the question during a meeting at St. Louis last week approved the merger. The vote represented 71.1 percent of UE's total outstanding common and preferred shares. At a CIPSCO meeting in Springfield, 96.5 percent of CIPSCO's shareholders voting on the question approved the agreement, representing 76.4 percent of total outstanding common shares...

Instead of arriving in a sleigh with eight reindeer, Santa's helpers delivered gifts in trucks and four-wheel drive vehicles. And for residents in Scott and Bollinger counties, the gifts were a welcome surprise. Canned vegetables, boxes of cereal and stuffing mix, cookies and candies lined the floor of the Catholic school gymnasium where members of the Scott City Volunteer Fire Department gathered Thursday morning to sort food and make baskets...

State and city officials outlined Cape Girardeau's flood buyout program during a meeting Thursday night with affected residents. More than 100 residents of the flood-prone Smelterville, Red Star and Highway 177 areas attended the meeting at Red Star Baptist Church to find out if and how they fit into the project...

Nurses at the Cape Girardeau County Health Department got to play "Santa's helpers" Tuesday as they delivered gifts and holiday cheer to senior citizens. Christmas for the Elderly brightens the holidays for many senior citizens who may be without family, friends or funds to celebrate Christmas otherwise. Many often have to choose between buying medicine and buying food, so the holiday cheer is especially welcome...

Two-year-old Antonio Robertson wasn't struck speechless as Santa Claus passed out the presents Thursday night. "We been good," Antonio said, as his brother, Antione Robertson Jr., 4, nodded in agreement. The two boys received sticker books, Batman toys and a bagful of other toys for Christmas through the annual Toy Box campaign sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian...

When you have just told the waiter you would like some of the homemade pistachio ice cream is no time to remember that you forget to write this column. But, by golly, here it is. This week started out soppy. And it didn't get much better overall. Not soppy just because of wet weather that turned into cold weather, but the soggy kind of soppy that comes from runny noses and other symptoms of the flu or the bug or what's going around or whatever you want to call it...

I WANT to thank the school teacher and her husband and insurance agent for helping me with my car. I do not remember their names. WE JUST wanted to say thanks to the visitors bureau for the beautiful Holiday Tour of Lights. They performed their task very well. Everything was efficiently organized. They took us around to some of the most beautiful areas of Cape Girardeau. We really appreciate it, and thanks, especially to all the people who made the tour so pretty by decorating their homes...

SCOTT CITY -- Claude Rubel, 67, of Scott City, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE -- Rita Wischmeyer of Perryville died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Miller Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Carrie Agnes Cross, 92, of Anna, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at City Care Center in Anna. She was born March 4, 1903, in Anna, daughter of Walter W. and Ella Nichols Wiley. She and Ira Cross were married June 9, 1923, at Creal Springs. He died Jan. 14, 1939...

SIKESTON -- Carrie Elizabeth Miller, 82, of Sikeston died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 24, 1913, in Malden to Robert E. and Ida E. Laster Williams. She married Adolph Miller Sr. on Dec. 23, 1933, at Malden...

SIKESTON -- Benny Rodgers, 48, died Monday, Dec. 18, 1995, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. He was born Aug. 5, 1947, in Inverness, Miss., son of Sylvester O'Neal and Adlena Williams Rodgers. He had lived in Missouri for many years. Survivors include two sons, Benny Rodgers Jr. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Irene L. Werle, 93, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at Riverview Nursing Home in Ste. Genevieve. She was born Sept. 20, 1902, in Perry County, daughter of Andrew Jackson and Mary Mattingly Mead. She married John Werle, who died in 1946...

BELL CITY -- Hattie Rakow, 83, of Fraser, Mich., died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at Fraser Villa Nursing Home in Fraser. She was born Feb. 1, 1912, at Bell City, daughter of Amzie and Marget Jane Stewart Ford. She married Ernest L. Rakow, who preceded her in death...

Helen I. Poole, 79, of Granite City, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at Hillview Health Care Center in Vienna. She was born Sept. 18, 1916, in Cairo, daughter of Elzie and Cora Little Johnson. She and Carlene Poole were married Sept. 6, 1939. He preceded her in death...

Funeral mass for Johnny Lee Stone, 1726 Stoddard Court, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent's Catholic Church. The Revs. Milton Ryan and Al Hoernig will officiate, with burial in St. Mary's Cemetery. Military rites will be conducted by Headquarters and Headquarters Company 1140th Engineer Battalion of Missouri National Guard...

JACKSON -- Grace Sawyer, 85, formerly of Jackson, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 21, 1910, at Birch Tree, daughter of Henry and Francis Vaughn Vaugh. She and John William McLemore were married in 1927. He died in 1956. She and Ervin Sawyer were married Aug. 24, 1959. He died March 4, 1982...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Gladys McTaggart, 91, of Dongola, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at City Care of Cobden. She was born April 12, 1904, in Dongola, daughter of James and Sarah Matilda Rinehart Keller. She and Clarence E. McTaggart were married Nov. 16, 1940. He died Sept. 12, 1985...

MARBLE HILL -- Mattie Mae Wilson, 75, of Marble Hill, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at her home. She was born Aug. 14, 1920, at Lutesville, daughter of Jesse and Permealie Long Russell. She first married Charles Snider, who preceded her in death. She later married Harley Wilson, who also preceded her in death...

ADVANCE -- Glenda M. Richards, 80, Advance Route 2, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at her home. She was born May 13, 1915, at Sank, daughter of Rosewell and Lou Eaker Pickett. She and Hosie Richards were married Oct. 2, 1937, at Sank. Richards was a member of Balch Church...

There may be a little -- make that a lot -- of something extra in someone's Christmas stocking this year. An individual who purchased a Powerball lottery ticket last weekend at the Bi-State Southern Service Station-Convenience Store at 920 N. Kingshighway matched five numbers, good for a stocking stuffer of $100,000...

PARMA -- T.J. "Thomas" Carter, 68, of Parma, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 1995, at his home. He was born May 10, 1927. Carter was a retired farm laborer, and had lived in Parma most of his life. Survivors include two sons, David and Anthony Carter of Poplar Bluff, L.C. Carter of Malden; two daughters, Catherine Johns of Parma, Patricia Ivy of Malden; a brother, David Carter of Houston, Texas; a sister, Catherine Carter, and 11 grandchildren...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Emma Jones, 87, of East Prairie died Thursday, Dec. 21, 1995, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born Jan. 26, 1908, at Savannah, Tenn., daughter of George and Myrtle Miller Wolford. She and Leonard Clyde Jones were married Oct. 25, 1925. He preceded her in death Jan. 28, 1993...

Under a private brokerage's proposal, first-time homebuyers in Cape Girardeau may get a break if they fall into the right category. James Lahay, first vice-president with Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc., traveled from St. Louis last week to visit the Cape Girardeau County Commission. He told them about his company's plan to sell tax-exempt bonds to provide a pool of money...