Stories from Monday, September 30, 1996

Dan Mehan, vice president of governmental affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, will be guest speaker at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee, to be held at the Show Me Center, Friday at 7:30 a.m. Mehan's will discuss Proposition A, which will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot...

B&B Boats & Bikes, 110 Missouri St., Sikeston, has taken on the Honda Marine dealership. B&B will be offering sales and service of Honda's outboard engines. Honda Marine, headquartered at Duluth, Ga., has been building four-cycle outboards since 1973, ranging from two to 90 horsepower...

Orscheln Farm and Home LLC has opened operations at 1401 E. Malone in Sikeston. Orscheln recently purchased the former Homestead Farm and Home Store at that location. Bill Gibson, who has more than 19 years' retail experience, will be manager of the new Orscheln location...

Wednesday Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Industrial Dinner, 6 p.m. social hour; 7 p.m. dinner; Industry of the Year presentation. Bank merger discussion seminar, Drury Lodge, noon, by Edward D. Jones & Co. Federal Government Procurement Opportunities and Assistance seminar, Show Me Center, 1 to 4 p.m...

The rescue of Parks Sausage Co. moved a big step forward when a federal bankruptcy court judge approved the sale of the struggling company to a group led by former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris and Baltimore Colts football player Lydell Mitchell...

The Dorena-Hickman Ferry is running. Although the new ferry was officially christened Aug. 1, it wasn't until Sept. 27 that it started its daily operations between Dorena, Mo. and Hickman, Ky. The ferry leaves Kentucky each day at 6:15 a.m. and will make hourly runs, with the final run from Missouri at 5 p.m...

The Cape Girardeau Surgical Clinic Vascular Center's Non-Invasive Vascular Laboratory has received accreditation through the Inter-societal Commission for the Accreditation of Vascular Laboratories. The certification is in the area of extracranial cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial testing...

Procurement seminar A Federal Government Procurement Opportunities and Assistance seminar will be held at the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus Wednesday. The free seminar will offer information on actual contracting opportunities available with the U.S. Postal Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center and other federal agencies...

The Daily American Republic newspaper and Insta-Print have installed a full-service drive-up window at their facilities in Poplar Bluff. "We offer every service at the window that we do inside," said publisher Don Schrieber. The window is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday...

The Essex Group Inc. and Triangle Wire and Cable Inc. have announced the signing of an agreement for the acquisition by Essex of all U.S. and Canadian assets of Triangle. Triangle, headquartered in Lincoln, R.I., has manufacturing facilities at Sikeston, Mo.; Florence, Ala.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Pawtucket, R.I...

Missouri's grape crop will be short this year, due to a harsh winter and late, wet spring. But, the crop is yielding some of the highest quality fruit in years, said a Missouri Department of Agriculture official. The grape harvest is under way, and some varieties are yielding only half of their normal production, said Larry Knipp, coordinator of the state's grape and wine program...

The Cape Girardeau Nursing Center has expanded its rehab center at its 120-bed facility at 2852 Independence in Cape Girardeau. The nursing home, operated by Beverly Health and Rehab, headquartered at Fort Smith, Ark., recently added new equipment at the rehab center and moved it closer to the skilled nursing section of the nursing home...

Charlene Miller read to her son Michael, left, as Eva Morgan read to her son James in the Barnes & Noble Booksellers children's book section. Rebecca Plain of Benton, left, and Marlene Lyon of Sikeston, enjoyed a beverage and conversation at the Barnes & Noble Cafe after selecting books to buy...

Feeling richer? A U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau report lists Missouri among the nation's leaders in both income growth and reduction in the poverty rate. Robert Fulton, executive director of the East Missouri Action Agency, said he was unaware of such a dramatic improvement in the area...

The Poplar Bluff branch of Johnston Industrial Supply has announced a five-year systems contract with Arvin Automotive of Dexter. The contract includes supplying maintenance, repair and operation supplies to Arvin. Arvin Automotive is one of the top 10 industries in Southeast Missouri. The manufacturer of mufflers and tail pipes employs more than 750 workers...

Sue Brooks-Pence and Kelley Pujol recently joined the staff at the Cape Girardeau Nursing Center, 2852 Independence in Cape Girardeau. Brooks-Pence is new director of admissions at the 120-bed facility operated by Beverly Health and Rehab, headquartered at Fort Smith, Ark., and Pujol is recreation director...

Travelers spent more than $41 million in Cape Girardeau County last year. That's a 15 percent increase over a two-year period. Travel and tourism contributes heavily to the area's economy. Traveler spending, which is up from the 1993 total of $36.5 million, has resulted in 819 jobs in the county, with a payroll amounting to $11,430,062...

A second test for the AIDS virus that Americans can take at home went on sale nationwide last week. Home Access Health Corp. of Hoffman Estates, Ill., began taking orders via a toll-free telephone number for its Home Access Express test kits Wednesday, two days after approval by the Food and Drug Administration...

The St. Louis Cardinals won the Central Division title last week -- good news for Cape Girardeau clothing merchants. When the Cardinals do well, they do well. That's why Cardinals caps, T-shirts and sweatshirts are selling like hotcakes in most stores that carry them. And since it was the team's first playoff berth since 1987, people are spending even more money to identify with the local baseball team...

My friend Tina is sighing over a stack of tabloids these days. John-John went and got married. "To somebody else!" Tina wailed. The Globe, a venerable supermarket tabloid that has devoted many column inches to the Kennedy clan over the years, apparently tracked John F. Kennedy Jr. and his blushing bride down to Istanbul, where they're honeymooning after a top-secret wedding...

THIS IS in response to the remarks about having a RN or LPN in our schools. They are not starting IVs or administering IV drugs. It's a basic medical care, to be honest with the public. A paramedic or EMT could do the job. When a child has a serious injury or illness at a school, an ambulance is called anyway, and the care is turned over to a paramedic or EMT. So just think about it. An RN is not necessary. An LPN is just fine, and basic care is always taken, with a child on the scene...

"It has always been surprising how a few outrageous thoughts can soon become public policy." -- Missourian Reinhold Niebuhr Dedication ceremonies were held the other day in the Missouri Capitol to enshrine the bust of Reinhold Niebuhr in the Hall of Famous Missourians. ...

Although Loyd Ivey's assessment that the people of Bollinger County have "always been looked at as second-class citizens" at the "bottom of the food chain" over-dramatizes actual conditions, his intentions to do something for the county in which he was raised are dramatic...

With traffic on Cape Girardeau County roads increasing because of continued rural growth, the County Commission's decision to embark upon a program of improvements to selected rural roads comes at a good time. Although not a lot of money is being earmarked for the improvements, the county can at least get an early start on paving of some unimproved roads that already are or will be carrying heavier volumes of traffic as the rural growth continues...

To the editor: I feel compelled to respond to some inaccuracies contained in your Sept. 18 editorial regarding the regulation of riverboat gambling in Missouri. The editorial suggests that when Missourians approved riverboat gambling by a sizable majority in November 1992 that voters were promised cruising riverboats...

Southeast Missouri State University is accepting nominations until Oct. 15 for recipients of honorary doctoral and professional degrees to be presented at spring commencement exercises next May. The university began awarding honorary degrees for the first time at spring commencement last May. The late Rush Limbaugh Sr. posthumously received the university's first honorary doctoral degree...

St. Francis Medical Center will offer an asthma self-management class starting Oct. 17. The class is geared toward children, adults and the parents of asthmatic children how to effectively manage the disease. The class will meet from 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Oct. 17, and again on Oct. 24, Oct. 31 and Nov. 7...

The local chapter of the American Association of University Women wants to distribute free copies of a biography of Missouri women to all fourth-grade classrooms in Southeast Missouri. "Show Me Missouri Women" provides biographical material about nearly 200 significant Missouri women from pioneer through modern times. It includes more than 100 photographs...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor "Halloween Happenings" at the A.C. Brase Arena on Friday, Oct. 18. At 6 p.m., there will be a coloring contest for children ages 3-7 and a pumpkin carving or decorating contest for children ages 8-12. Participants must bring their own pumpkins, carving tools and supplies...

Winners from several categories were chosen Sunday at the River Heritage Quilt Show, conducted at Centenary United Methodist Church. Mary Belle Dohogne of Cape Girardeau took Best of Show honors while Dorothy Wibbenmeyer of Perryville won Viewers Choice...

JACKSON -- Imogene Ford Abernathie, 93, of Jackson died Saturday, Sept. 28, 1996, at Deal Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born June 2, 1903, in Whitewater, daughter of Dr. Walter and Ada Lucretia Henry Ford. A graduate of College High School in Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University, University of Missouri Columbia and University of Illinois, she taught home economics in McClure, Ill., New Berlin, Ill., and Williamsville, Ill., for 42 years...

MARBLE HILL -- Kenneth Ray Angel, 48, of Marble Hill died Saturday, Sept. 28, 1996, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau following a tree trimming accident. He was born Oct. 26, 1947, in Marble Hill, son of Marion and Loretta Barks Angel. He married Vernadine Stevens on Oct. 25, 1994...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "Do you think Reform Party candidate Ross Perot should be allowed to participate in the presidential debates? Joyce Holloway, Cape Girardeau "I think he's been too wishy-washy. He never has made up his mind on what he wants to do, and I don't think he can make up his mind right now."...