Stories from Friday, April 11, 1997

To the editor: In response to a letter from T. Addington regarding my previous letters about the Environmental Protection Agency, I am not sure I am addressing a male or female, but my senses tell me it's probably a female, so I will refer to her as such...

CHAFFEE -- Carr Textiles Inc. has decided to hang its hat in Chaffee. Carr Textiles Inc., a manufacturer of hat components and materials, signed a five-year lease with the city for the old Thorngate building on Main Street. The lease has five, five-year renewal options that could put the growing company in Thorngate for 30 years...

The KFVS12 Heartland Cares telethon held last week raised about $25,000 for the American Red Cross flood relief efforts. The telethon was broadcast April 4. During the three-hour event, $20,000 was pledged or donated on-air. Additional money and supplies were collected at various places during the telethon, bringing the total to $25,000...

It is one sign of a strong economy that both national and Missouri unemployment figures are low. Nationally, the jobless rate dipped to 5.2 percent in March, and the state's jobless rate was down to 4.8 percent as of February, the latest month for which figures are available...

For years, it has been a practice in Cape Girardeau to require developers to dig separate ditches for water lines and electrical wires. The basis for this requirement was based on safety. Workers who months or years from now might make repairs to those lines wouldn't have to contend with one or the other when digging down to reach trouble spots...

Dr. Dale F. Nitzschke, Southeast Missouri State's 16th president. The nation must renew its commitment to higher education, Southeast Missouri State University's president said Thursday. Dr. Dale Nitzschke voiced his views about higher education at his inauguration as Southeast's president...

Conservative William F. Buckley and liberal George McGovern sparred over their political ideologies before a packed house Thursday morning at Academic Hall Auditorium. A crowd of over 1,000 showed up for the political debate between two of the nation's most prominent elder statesmen of political philosophy...

Switching to digital compression shouldn't lead to a loss of programming for Cape Girardeau customers, said two TCI Cablevision executives. Tom Cantrell of TCI's regional office in Bloomington, Ind., and Roger Harms, general manager of TCI in Cape Girardeau, said they want to calm any fears raised after three representatives of Cape Girardeau city government visited a town in Connecticut to see a cable system that uses the kind of technology that TCI wants to bring to Cape Girardeau...

When Jim Biundo planned Thursday's Southeast Missouri State University presidential inaugural event, he thought he had considered everything. He didn't plan on a spring snowstorm in St. Louis. But the storm, which dropped up to 3 inches of snow in St. Louis, kept keynote speaker Maya Angelou in North Carolina...

Four Cape Girardeau educators agree that teaching reaches far beyond subject matter and classrooms. Dedication to students and education have earned the four the distinction of being named 1997 Chamber of Commerce Educators of the Year. Honorees are Dr. Barbara Capshaw Kohlfeld, administration; Catherine L. Kapfer, elementary education; Kathy Wright, secondary education; and Dr. Keith Russell, Southeast Missouri State University...

Asked to outline what I do for fun as the world spins its orbit, I have arrived at a suitable answer: Don't ask. While guests were arriving for what we all knew would be a lovely dinner at the home of friends here in Cape Girardeau, a nice woman I had just met asked: "What do you do for fun?"...

Dr. Dale F. Nitzschke was inaugurated Thursday as the 16th president of Southeast Missouri State University. The following is the text of his inauguration speech. Before I begin my remarks, I want to take a moment to recognize some of the many people who are such an important part of this or any university...

Provost Charles E. Kupchella, center, held the presidential medallion while Board of Regents President Donald Dickerson, right, prepared to present the medallion to the 16th president of Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Dale Nitzschke. Gov. Mel Carnahan delivered a greeting to President Dale Nitzschke during inauguration ceremonies Thursday at The Show Me Center...

As expected, Three Rivers Community College sharpshooter Cory Johnson signed a letter of intent Thursday to play basketball at Southeast Missouri State University. The Indians also signed another area junior college player in Mineral Area's Demetrius Watson. Both players will be juniors next season...

The Cape Central baseball team had six more games under its belt than Sikeston entering Thursday's game at Tiger Field, but that experience advantage didn't show much as Sikeston downed Central 11-6. The loss was Central's third in a row, dropping its record below .500 for the first time this year at 4-5. Sikeston, playing in just its third game of the year due to early-season rainouts, improved to 2-1...

ORAN -- Scott City used a 14-hit attack to defeat Oran 12-5 Thursday and remain unbeaten on the season. Joey Jacobs accounted for three of the hits while Keith Anderson, Kirt Burger, Howie Stubenrauch, John Wiphler and Ken Lowery all finished with two hits. Among Burger's hits was a sixth-inning solo home run...

BLOOMFIELD -- Funeral service for Velda Fay Metcalf of Bloomfield will be held at 2 p.m. today at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home. The Rev. Kevin Eskew will officiate, with burial in Gravel Hill Cemetery. Metcalf, 59, died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Leon L. "Bud" Humphreys, 75, of East Prairie died Thursday, April 10, 1997, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Jan. 8, 1922, in Blodgett, son of Lonnie L. and Agnes Bradley Humphreys. He and Naomi K. Phillips were married Dec. 10, 1949, in Osceola, Ark...

JACKSON -- Bertha Hermina Abernathy, 88, of Jackson died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Aug. 12, 1908, at Tilsit, daughter of Henry and Louisa Sprengel Voges. She married Linus Abernathy, who died May 21, 1980...

LEEMON -- Dewey Cotner, 71, of Salem died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. He was born June 12, 1925, at Leemon, son of Arthur and Daisy King Cotner. He first married Glenda Pulliam. He later married Karen Arisman. Cotner was a member of Pipefitters Local in St. Louis, Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, and American Legion. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

NEW WELLS -- Helen Richter, 76, of New Wells died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 5, 1920, at Commerce, daughter of Benjamin and Hattie Meyr Haertling. She and Herold G. Richter were married Oct. 13, 1940, at New Wells. He died Jan. 2, 1983...

PERRYVILLE -- Cheryl Jean Winchester, 45, of Perryville died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 3, 1951, in Camp Atterbury, Ind., daughter of Gene and Dorothy Glaub Esselman. She and Steven E. Winchester were married Oct. 18, 1975...

ANNA, Ill. -- Clifton D. Barnhart, 63, of Anna died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, on arrival at Union County Hospital. He was born Nov. 29, 1933, in Jonesboro, son of Cletus Henry and Selma Clyde Dillow Barnhart. He and Ruby Christina Henderson were married May 21, 1955, at Dongola. She died July 5, 1987...

SIKESTON -- Marie Williams, 87, died Thursday, April 10, 1997, at Miner Nursing Center. She was born May 12, 1909, in Kentucky, daughter of W.R. and Dora Binford. She married Fred L. Williams, who died May 28, 1978. Williams had been a seamstress at Graber's in Sikeston. She was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ...

Son to Tyree Brook Emerson and Brian Allan Pfefferkorn of Chaffee, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 5:54 p.m. Sunday, March 23, 1997. Name, Logan Allan. Weight, 6 pounds 8 ounces. First child. Ms. Emerson is the daughter of Jim and Rhonda Emerson of Chaffee. She is a student at Chaffee High School. Pfefferkorn is the son of Carla Shoemaker of Chaffee and the late Mark Pfefferkorn. He is a student at Chaffee High School...

Four people were injured in two separate motor vehicle accidents Thursday in Cape Girardeau County. The first happened at 2:40 p.m., three miles east of Fruitland on Highway 177. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Glen Ford, 79, of Pocahontas was injured when his vehicle was struck while he was attempting to make a left turn north onto County Road 553...

PERRYVILLE -- Perry County Memorial Hospital administrator Patrick Bira spent two hours trying to persuade 100 people gathered in the American Legion Hall Thursday night that it is in their best interest to allow the hospital's elected board of trustees to turn its operations over to a private not-for-profit corporation. At least some in the crowd left feeling skeptical...

MORLEY -- Rubye Janet Hawkins, 61, of Morley, died Wednesday, April 9, 1997, at her home. She was born Sept. 29, 1935, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of William Harold and Catherine Louise Cavaness Curnell. She and Milton T. Hawkins were married Nov. 28, 1954, in Tunica, Miss...