Stories from Monday, January 8, 1996

The books have closed on 1995, an overall healthy year on the Cape Girardeau business scene and one with a number of noteworthy business milestones. Construction in Cape Girardeau topped the $43 million mark, ranking the year as the second best in the city's history. Employment increased throughout Cape Girardeau County. In January of 1995, 32,611 workers were employed. That total grew to 33,300 by November, with a 2.5 percent unemployment rate, lowest ever here...

Mark Kasten showed off a chainsaw, one of the many items available at Rental Land, 1922 Independence Street. Why buy? That's the credo for more than 41 percent of U.S. consumers who report renting items for home, office or recreation. Leasing has suddenly become a $10-billion-a-year business, with more than 12,000 rental outlets across the nation. That's not counting thousands of beach-side rental operations, car-rental agencies, temporary-worker companies and retail stores that rent equipment...

After moving office locations 13 times during her 18-year tenure with the Area Wide United Way, Executive Director Dorothy Klein is making another type of move -- into retirement. She had hoped to quietly walk out the office door Dec. 29 and go home, but some people had other ideas. Klein will be honored at a special reception Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the St. Francis Medical Center Health and Education Center...

JACKSON -- The scene at Jackson City Hall was typical for an election year. It was Tuesday morning, the first day to file for a seat on the Jackson Board of Aldermen, and all the incumbents hurried in to sign up for another campaign and, if they're fortunate, another two-year term...

He was hired as president of Southeast Missouri State University with the view his stay would be short lived. But that hasn't stopped Dr. Bill Atchley from pushing for some long-term improvements at the Cape Girardeau school. Atchley succeeded in getting the university to adopt a common-hour plan put forth by Student Government last semester...

It is envisioned Dr. Bill Atchley will have about a 12-month run as Southeast Missouri State University's president. But he could stay longer, if asked. At age 63, Atchley has made it clear he isn't looking for a long-term job as the school's president...

I'm going to three showers next month. My friend Jennifer is having her first child, to be named either Caitlin or Brendan. Rebecca is getting married for the first time. She's 43, and all she tells her friends is, "I either had to get married or be killed by a terrorist." I guess terrorists are still scarcer than available men. Thank God. Lisa is also getting married. It's her second marriage, but since a fire destroyed all their stuff, I can't grumble about etiquette...

HOW CAN any organization or business or person pay off their debt just by balancing their budget? REGARDING the government shutdown: I am so sick of the Republicans blaming the president. It's both their faults. It really stinks that they voted to keep their salaries, to keep being paid when there are so many people out of work right now. ...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "How has the government shutdown affected you?" Leah Robinson, Cape Girardeau "Not at all. One girl had trouble getting her passport. She got her passport stolen when she was overseas and the embassy was closed."...

SCOTT CITY -- John "J.C." Enderle, 62, of Scott City died Sunday, Jan. 7, 1996, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Scott City.

ALEXANDER COUNTY, Ill. -- Four Wisconsin people were injured in a hit-and-run accident early Sunday morning. The accident occurred at 2:04 a.m. Sunday on southbound Interstate 57. A vehicle carrying four people from Milwaukee was struck from behind, causing it to spin around and hit a concrete guardrail, said the Illinois State Police...

Mary Hays Proffer, 93, of Jackson died Saturday, Jan. 6, 1996, at the St. Francis Medical Center. She was born June 25, 1902, at Dixon Springs, Ill., the daughter of George and Millie Phelps Crawford. She was married to James Hays Sept. 15, 1938. He died Jan. 2, 1967. She then married Ervin Proffer March 5, 1976, and he died Jan. 13, 1991...

Burnest Cox, 75, of Thebes, Ill., died Sunday, Jan. 7, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Jones Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill.

CHARLESTON -- Bettye Ball Moreton, 75, of Charleston died Saturday, Jan. 6, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 16, 1920, at Lillian, Texas, daughter of Eli R. and Sara Elizabeth Casstevens Ball. She and Lloyd K. Moreton were married Oct. 31, 1947. He died Feb. 26, 1980...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Lennie Marie "Pearl" Aden, 92, of Dongola died Sunday, Jan. 7, 1996, at the River Bluff Nursing Home in Cahokia, Ill. She was born Sept. 29, 1903, in Polk County, Mo., to William Thomas and Serena Ann Breeze Read. On March 18, 1926, she married Charles Elmer Aden, who died Dec. 28, 1992...

Many years ago, when I was a mere lad, I became well schooled in three parental admonitions: Eat everything on your plate, don't sass your parents, and obey all the rules. All my friends lived under the same, stern restrictions, and while we frequently conferred about the absence of generational equity, we also recognized that our parents' warnings, if followed, would keep us out of trouble...

Officials in the Sikeston area are floating the idea of a junior college in that city. It isn't a new idea -- it first was discussed in 1980 -- but it may be one whose time has come. Already, through cooperation with Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston schools offer associate degrees in general education and applied computer science. Through another program, high school students earn college credit in various courses...

While Sikeston officials map out plans for a junior college, Missouri's higher education officials also are trying to meet demands for additional technical training. Kala Stroup, who left her presidency at Southeast to become the state's top higher education official, says the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education is drafting a master plan with such needs in mind. ...

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m. Jackson Middle School Library The board plans to consider: Secondary course of study for 1996-97. Bid specifications for buses for 1996-97. Potential purchase of bus for handicapped students. Planning retreat. Proposal for outdoor activity area at Orchard Elementary...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will examine changes in water billing procedures tonight during its first meeting of the year. Concerns were raised last month over the city's policy on disconnecting service after service was cut to a southside church because of a delinquent $11.35 bill...

EAST PRAIRIE -- When city residents and park board members realized their parks were a little outdated, they decided to do something about it. They formed the East Prairie Recreation Corp. to help rebuild the city's parks. After a year of work, the corporation announced a ground-breaking ceremony for its 20-acre recreation complex...

SIKESTON -- The Missouri Department of Health will host a public availability session Tuesday, Jan. 9 to discuss residents' concerns about the Quality Plating hazardous waste site. The meeting will start at 4 p.m. at the West Room of the Sikeston Ramada Inn...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Business Expo '96 and Business Conference, co-sponsored by the Chamber's University Relations Committee and the Southeast Missouri State University's Harrison College of Business, will be held April 16 and 17 at the Show Me Center...

The 10th annual Ag Expo will be held at the Three Rivers Community College's Bess Activity Center in Poplar Bluff Jan. 19 and 20. The Butler County University Extension Council and the Three Rivers Ag Club will sponsor the event that features 75 booths relating to agriculture and natural resources in Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas...

Three Rivers Community College of Poplar Bluff will be host to the 17th Merchants Showcase March 29 and 30. The annual event, sponsored by the school's marketing management association, is designed to assist area merchants in promoting their goods and services. It also provides students enrolled in business management experiences in leadership and management skills...

Edward D. Jones & Co. has been rated first in a national survey of nine investment companies by Registered Representative magazine. Jones scored higher than other investment companies in the environment, support, product and management categories. Survey results are based on anonymous telephone interviews with 50 brokers from each company. ...

Norman J. Heuring of New Hamburg, a sales representative at Cape GMC-Pontiac Inc., has been named to the Pontiac Master Sales Guild for 1995. The award is made for outstanding performance in the areas of sales, product knowledge and customer satisfaction...

An Underground Damage Prevention seminar will be held at the Drury Inn here Jan. 16. The meeting, sponsored by the Missouri One Call System and participating area underground utilities, is designed to inform contractors of "digging" before calling, and the problems it can create to underground utilities...

Construction activity in Missouri was up 68 percent in November and 14 percent for the year. The F.W. Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill, an authority on the construction market, reported construction for November at $671,796,000, up from $399,235,000 in November 1994...

Leadership Cape '96, a community leadership program developed by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, will hold its first session Feb. 1. The program, designed to provide information about Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area and to stimulate and increase the level of commitment and participation in the community, will consist of seven sessions held every Thursday morning...

Shelter Insurance of Columbia, which operates in 13 states, is observing its 50th anniversary. The celebration officially began today with a kickoff breakfast held at Columbia. The company has also commissioned a corporate history book, authored by Columbia historian Alan Havig of Stephens College...