Stories from Monday, March 4, 1996

Dimple Bridges worked on the window displays at Garbers Mens Wear in preparation for prom season. Dimple has been the visual merchandiser at Garbers for 25 years. Window displays are most visible at night as potential customers pass by the stores. Renea Copland worked on one of the displays at C. P. McGintys Jewelers in downtown Cape Girardeau...

Cyberspace shopping isn't mainstream -- yet. A recent survey conducted by MasterCard International for the National Retail Federation indicated a growing interest in on-line shopping. Some 19 percent of consumers already have accessed the Internet, and another 12 percent say they will within the next year...

Two Cape Girardeau residents were found dead Sunday morning in a car that had turned upside down in Cape LaCroix Creek near Southern Expressway. Police Sgt. Carl Kinnison said the dead were identified as Tomeika Latrice Patterson, 20, and her uncle, John Henry Patterson, 32, both of 133 S. Benton...

Illinois schools and a number of state offices are closed today in observance of one of the nation's more obscure holidays: Count Casimir Pulaski Day in the Land of Lincoln. Outside the Chicago area, Illinoisans who know about Count Pulaski may be in the minority, although the count does have his own national holiday in October...

Event organizers say ticket sales are on track for former Vice President Dan Quayle's speech despite only 200 tickets being sold for the event so far. Nathan Cooper, an organizer of tonight's event, said sales figures are similar to last year's Oliver North appearance. Several hundred people heard the retired Marine colonel and Iran-Contra figure speak. He said many of the tickets for that event were sold the day of the speech...

HOORAY FOR Christine Warren. Her reply to Peter Kinder's criticism of the second-grade writers was right on target. A good journalist would probably have found that those misspelled words soon would appear on lists used in spelling exercises. We have too many people bashing our school systems to speak out before they research the problem. Let's all pitch in with someone on one classroom assistance or reduced class size so the teachers can provide sufficient individual attention...

Moving out of the studio and into a busy shopping mall seemed to work for Easter Seals Celebration '96 as the fund-raising effort met its targeted goal. The local Easter Seals Society raised $71,137 -- slightly higher than the goal of $70,000 -- during the 10-hour telethon which aired Sunday morning and afternoon on KBSI-23...

To the editor: Put a juvenile detention center at beautiful Klaus Park? Not in this 99 years you don't. As a homeowner with a clear view of the park from my front door, I protest, and with a vengeance. Of all the things in the world that could be put on this beautiful, serene place, this rates right up there with the very worst...

Don't tell the people of Caruthersville that legalized riverboat gambling is bad for Missouri. Two years ago, Pemiscot County was reeling from the announcement by Brown Shoe Co. that it was closing its plant in Caruthersville, eliminating 450 jobs and swelling the already daunting 15.6 percent unemployment rate...

On the subject of Missouri gambling interests, it should come as no surprise that in this state, as has happened across the country, gambling companies can flex some formidable muscle to get their way. After failing in its first attempts to legalize slot machines in riverboats, the gambling industry poured $11.5 million into a campaign to make slots legal. ...

To the editor: When we moved our children into the Meadow Heights School District 7 1/2 years ago, we were very pleased to find a positive environment where they could develop without getting lost in the massive numbers of the Farmington School District from which they transferred. They both had attended a private school, and our daughter had attended the public school as well. We were pleased with Meadow Heights...

ANNA, Ill. -- Margaret E. Frogge, 77, of Anna, Ill., died Saturday, March 2, 1996, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born April 16, 1918, at Anna to Everett and Media Caraker Hill. She married Woodrow D. Frogge Nov. 21, 1940, at Jackson. He died June 11, 1982...

Lawrence O. Kassel, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 3, 1996, at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. He was born March 16, 1924, at Cape Girardeau to Charles G. and Amanda D. Schlimme Kassel. On Jan. 1, 1954, he married Nadine L. Sims, who died Nov. 25, 1959. He Married Jerry Starzinger Godwin June 10, 1978...

MARION, Ill. -- Mina Gurley Crawford, 85, of Marion, formerly of Buncombe, Ill., died Friday, March 1, 1996, at her home. She was born June 30, 1910, in Union County, Ill., to Elijah and Etta Hood Gurley. In November 1929 she married Donald Crawford, who died May 26, 1987...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Willie May Hicks, 81, of Cairo, Ill., died Sunday, March 3, 1996, at the Cairo Fire Department of a heart attack. Arrangements were incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

OAK RIDGE -- Gracie V. Newell, 65, of Oak Ridge died Sunday, March 3, 1996, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 2, 1930, in Cape Girardeau County to George Washington and Mary Lape Bowers. She married Robert Lee Newell Oct. 17, 1946...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "What do you think about the proposed bill in Illinois that would hold parents legally responsible for their children's criminal acts?" Nadine Tillman, St. Louis "I always felt responsible for my children until they reached legal age. I think it would be great because I think that if we are responsible for our children then that would help."...

The Cape Girardeau Civil Air Patrol has received a Cessna 172 airplane from the Missouri Wing. The patrol has been trying to secure an aircraft for a long time, said Capt. Virgil Green. "Our wing has four to six planes," he said, "but they have been tided up in St. Louis and Kansas City in the past."...

Agenda, Monday, 7:30 p.m. Public Hearings Request for special use permit for a used car business at 3 S. Pacific. Request to designate Whitelaw House at 423 Themis and Huhn-Harrison House at 340 S. Lorimier as historic landmarks. Consent Ordinances (Final readings)...

JACKSON -- Truman's Collectibles has moved to 127 W. Main in Jackson. The store, which handles antiques, jewelry and other collectibles, is owned by Steve Logan, and was previously located at 129 S. High. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday...

A new collection agency, which specializes in house calls, has opened in Cape Girardeau. "We provide a service for small businesses," said Kevin Baker, owner of the new company. Baker of Cape Girardeau has more than 10 years experience in the collection field...

Johnson Office Equipment, a Canon Products dealership at Murphysboro, Ill., has a new owner and new name. Bill Heckert, an account representative for Canon Products for the past 10 years, bought the business from Ed and Scott Johnson, and renamed it Standard Office Products...

JACKSON -- The Discount Smoke Shop has moved to 820 W. Main in Jackson. The business was at 117 S. Hope. The store is open 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Monday Through Friday, and remains open until 6 p.m. Saturday. Edy White is manager of the store.

POPLAR BLUFF -- First Community Bank of Poplar Bluff has joined the new era of digital technology. First Community officers at Poplar Bluff's administration center can discuss and share information with colleagues, face-to-face, at the bank's operation center at Malden via "DigiLine," designed to provide videoconferencing...

JACKSON -- Save-A-Lot with more than 500 supermarkets in 17 states, including sites at Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville, Fredericktown, Dexter, has opened its newest store in Jackson, a 14,000-square-foot facility at 1905 E. Jackson Blvd. "This is actually a relocation of a store here," said Tim Maevers, supervisor of Heartland Warehouse Foods, which operates four Save-A-Lot stores. The Jackson store was previously at 1227 Old Cape Road...

JACKSON -- Through the Years Antique and Gift Shop is in a new location. The antiques, collectibles and gift shop recently opened at 121 S. High. The business was established by Kathy Green in August at 125 N. Main. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and remains open until 7 p.m. Thursday...

Niswonger Auto Body Inc. is expanding. The company, owned by Jamie and Susan Niswonger, currently operates out of a 30-x-60 shop at 171 Weston. It will expand into a second building soon. "We're adding a 32-x-32 facility," said Susan Niswonger. The business has also added two new employees, Kirby Evans and Chris Daniel, as paint and auto technicians...

Major Custom Cable is expanding. The company that makes cables for computers has announced plans for a new manufacturing facility near Routes 61 and 177 at Fruitland. Groundwork is under way for a 15,000-square-foot building, noted Phyllis Lorenz, an owner of the 6-year-old company...

Fred R. "Rocky" Wilferth, Charles L. Hutson, James A. Rust, R. J. McKinney and John Oliver Jr. were elected to the greater Cape Girardeau Development Corporation Board of Directors for three-year terms during the annual shareholders meeting last month...

ST. LOUIS (AP) - May Department Stores Co. saw fourth-quarter earnings dip 9 percent, largely because of a one-time $44 million after-tax charge related to the closing and relocation of about 450 Payless ShoeSource stores. For the quarter ending Feb. 3, the St. Louis-based retailer reported net earnings of $362 million, or $1.37 per share. That compared to earnings of $401 million, or $1.51 per share, a year ago...

WASHINGTON -- Builders ignored bad weather and a weak economy to boost new home construction in January, but the gain failed to erase a December loss that contributed to the first annual decline since the last recession. The Commerce Department said Friday that new construction of homes and apartments rose 4.4 percent last month after falling 5 percent in December...

TROY, Mich. -- Kmart Corp. is closing 15 stores in eight states by the end of May and eliminating 1,300 jobs. The company said Friday the closings are part of an ongoing effort to boost profits by shutting poorly performing stores. Of the latest stores to be closed, five are in California, three in Texas, two in Michigan and one each in Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Rhode Island...

Construction is under way on a new Drury Inn Hotel at Woodlands Town Center north of Houston. The new 153-room hotel is the fourth Drury Inn in the Houston area, and the 16th in Texas. Drury Inns operates more than 70 Drury Inns, Pear Tree Inns by Drury, Thrifty Inns, Hampton Inns and Holiday Inn Express hotels in 12 states from Colorado to Georgia and from Texas to Michigan...

Spartech Corp., a manufacturer of engineered thermoplastic materials and polymeric compounds, has agreed to buy Portage (Wis.) Industries Corp. "This merger is of strategic importance in further strengthening Spartech's national extruded sheet and rollstock group," said Bradley B. ...

Metro Business College, 1732 N. Kingshighway, will conduct a one-night "Internet: What Is It?" seminar March 12. The two-hour workshop will be held in Room 9 at the business college, starting at 5:30 p.m. Cost of the program is $10. Additional information is available by calling the business college, 334-9181...

Fruit tree pruning and a small fruit production workshop will be held Tuesday. Horticulturists from the Missouri Fruit Experiment Station in Mountain Grove will demonstrate the proper way to prune peach, apple, pear and cheery trees at the Tony Altom Orchard, starting at 1:30 p.m...

The Southeast Missouri Home Builders Association will discuss the 1996 Home & Garden Show during a special "Information Night" meeting Tuesday. Exhibitors and others will be on hand at the 7 p.m. meeting to discuss the extravaganza. The meeting will be held in the Show Me Center meeting room just behind the front ticket booth...

A one-day Industrial Energy Analysis course will be held in Cape Girardeau March 28, at a site to be announced later. Drs. Burns E. Helger and John W. Sheffield, both of the University of Missouri-Rolla, will teach the course. Cost is $90, and includes workbook, handouts, lunch and refreshment. Additional information is available by calling (314)-341-4200...