Stories from Saturday, September 20, 1997

For people who look to diet pills for a cure to their obesity, the pill pool just got thinner. With the recent call by the FDA for the voluntary withdrawal of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, the drug battle against obesity has suffered a setback. The Food and Drug Administration asked for the voluntary withdrawal based on a July 8, 1997, report from the Mayo Clinic which reported 24 patients developed heart valve disease after taking fen-phen. ...

The Southeast Missourian captured 14 awards in National Newspapers Association competition, including the top prize of general excellence among daily newspapers that entered. The awards were presented Friday at Fort Worth, Texas, during the 112th annual NNA convention and trade show...

It is an indescribable feeling: You are driving a tractor when the back wheel suddenly starts sinking in a hole. Your heart wells up in your throat as the tractor starts to roll. Luckily, you safely leap from the seat. But you may not be as fortunate the next time...

My friend Carol and I were sitting in the drive-through of a local restaurant recently when we saw what looked like a pre-fame Madonna walking into the dining area. Carol and I looked from the ground up at the teen-aged girl's black combat boots, white opaque pantyhose, miniskirt full of zippers and white tanktop. Then we looked at her chalky white face with ruby red lipstick and bright blue eyeshadow...

Gary Farmer had hoped to receive a lung transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. But when the 47-year-old Cape Girardeau man went to the hospital for tests this week, he was told he couldn't get on the transplant waiting list until he was bedridden...

SCOTT CITY -- A former Scott City police chief signed a formal complaint against the Scott City Board of Education Wednesday for violating the Missouri Sunshine Law. The Missouri Sunshine Law mandates openness of government and requires that "meetings, records, votes, actions and deliberations of public governmental bodies be open to the public unless otherwise specified by law." The law allows for closed government meetings in specific circumstances; however, the governing body must return to open session to adjourn the meeting.. ...

Bethany Baptist Church, 430 Koch, and Fellowship Baptist Church, 2912 Bloomfield, are planning activities today that include free food, fellowship and entertainment. The event begins at 4 p.m. and will be held on the parking lot at Bethany Church. Guest musicians are the Rivers of Joy and the Pullen Family...

To the editor: This is an open letter to state Rep. Bill Foster: Thanks for your response to my letter concerning the Bollinger-Cape County Lake Project. In your Sept. 9 letter, you stated you did not feel the lake was a political issue. I did not say it was a political issue, so now that we agree, let's look at the facts. At stake here is a revenue source for both Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties...

speak15.ad1 Humor, plain talk in column THANKS, JOE Sullivan, for your weekly column. I enjoy it so much as do my friends. You have a gift putting words together, humor and just plain telling it as it is. Every subject from Kelo Valley to your cat, now adopted, makes reading a joy. Please keep it up and we wish it was more often...

Welcome to Mission Possible. Like the popular TV show of the 1960s but with a positive twist, the Area Wide United Way hopes to beat all odds and complete a successful mission, its annual fund-raising campaign. What makes this year's drive all the more challenging is the record goal of $550,000...

Judy Williams-Johnson will be teaching a new kind of swing these days. The former longtime Central High School music teacher recently earned her Ladies Professional Golf Association card, one of the first women in the region to do so. It's an impressive accomplishment, considering she shot a 78 from the 5,800-yard men's tees at the Hermitage golf course in Nashville to earn her card...

To the editor: I agree with Nancy Mattingly and Jeannette Fadler's Sept. 13 letter that prostate cancer is an important medical concern. However, your readers need to know that there is opposition to screening and early detection of prostate cancer within the medical community. ...

To simply say that Southeast Missouri State University's football team has struggled against Murray State in recent years wouldn't even come close to doing the situation justice. The Indians have lost four straight games to the Racers -- and the past two seasons Southeast hasn't even scored against MSU, losing by a combined 50-0...

When the Jackson Indians take the football field this afternoon in Hannibal to face the state-ranked Pirates, it'll be like looking in the mirror. "It's a lot like Jackson playing Jackson," said Indians coach Carl Gross. "The two programs are extremely similar."...

Cape Central 41, Blytheville 6 Scott City 24, Fredericktown 9 Fulton Co. 47, Chaffee 6 Herculaneum 20, Perryville 6 St. Vincent 39, Park Hills Central 14 Charleston 28, Caruthersville 0 Mayfield 42, Sikeston 21 Osceola 20, Poplar Bluff 13 Dexter 39, East Prairie 20...

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- The first few seconds of Friday night's football game did not go well for Cape Girardeau Central High's Tigers as they lost a fumble on the opening kickoff. But after that the evening belonged totally to Central. Facing their first real test of the 1997 season, the Tigers passed with flying colors as they picked up a rare victory in Blytheville, routing the Chickasaws 41-6...

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee football team found out in Friday's 47-6 loss to the Fulton County (Ky.) Pilots when things are going bad even a good play can have a negative consequence. On the Red Devils only score -- an 82-yard kickoff return by freshman Benji Boinett to start the second half -- the Red Devils lost leading rusher Tommy Stidham for the rest of the game with an injury to his right eye...

Ferne Jamieson shot her first hole-in-one Thursday morning at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. Jamison's aced Hole 2, a 130 yard par 3, with a three wood. Cathy Connell and Mary Alice Regenhardt witnessed the shot.

FREDERICKTOWN -- Scott City High's football team improved to 2-1 and continued Fredericktown's woes Friday night as the Rams defeated the host Black Cats 24-9. "It wasn't real pretty but it's nice to win," said Scott City coach Terry Flannigan after his team dropped Fredericktown to 0-3...

Southeast Missouri State University senior volleyball standout Tuba Meto currently leads the nation in the number of triple-doubles, according to a release by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Meto has three triple-doubles so far this season, reaching double figure4s in kills, assists and digs during matches against Southern Illinois, Arkansas State and George Washington...

Seven student-athletes at Southeast Missouri State University have been awarded 1996-97 Ohio Valley Conference Medals of Honor given annually to those who achieve the highest grade-point average in a conference sponsored sport. Southeast winners are Reggie Crisp, men's basketball; Christine Englehardt and Erin Frazier, softball; Heather Fisher and Rebecca Shull, women's track; and Mandy Edgington and Cathy Prichard, volleyball. All had a 4.0 grade-point average for the 1996-97 school year...

Leopold, Zalma, Fredericktown, Bernie, Farmington, Clearwater, Park Hills Central and Borgia all put together perfect 4-0 records in pool play Friday as the 30-team SEMO Classic high school volleyball tournament got under way. Three sites at Southeast Missouri State University -- Houck Field House, the Student Recreation Center and Park Gym -- were all busy with activity as all the squads faced two different opponents in two games apiece. The tournament features six pools of five teams each...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Carl Bryant Burns of East Prairie will be held at 11 a.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. The Rev. David Dowdy will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park. Burns, 87, died Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1997, at his home...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Claude E. Sullinger of Chaffee will be held at 1 p.m. today at Church of God. The Rev. Dale McKenzie will officiate, with burial in Fairview Cemetery near Arbor. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee from 8:30-10:45 a.m., and then at the church from 11 a.m. until service time...

DEXTER -- George Rawson, 68, of Festus died Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997, at his home. He was born Dec. 31, 1928, in St. Louis, son of George Wilcox and Estelle Veronica Rooksen Rawson. He and Shirley McDaniel were married Feb. 18, 1963, in St. Louis. Rawson retired as a purchasing agent with White-Rogers near St. Louis...

BLOOMFIELD -- Funeral service for William Jay Curd of Bloomfield will be held at 2 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. M.C. Moore will officiate, with burial in Bloomfield Cemetery. Curd, 66, died Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter...

Funeral service for Shirlene E. Bowman, 3115 Timmar Lane, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Park Mausoleum. Jack Cathcart and Brad Robinson will officiate. Friends may call from 1:30 p.m. until service time at the mausoleum. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements...

UNIONTOWN -- Leola Franke, 82, of Uniontown died Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 15, 1915, in Perry County, daughter of Charles and Martha Lueders Kassel. She and Albert Franke were married Oct. 12, 1934. He died July 10, 1962...

CHARLESTON -- Jearl Cates, 72, of Charleston died Friday, Sept. 19, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 10, 1925, in Middlebrook, Tenn., son of John Henry and Liza Mae Belcher Cates. He and Shirley Kuykendall were married July 10, 1946, at Charleston...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Ruby E. Jones, 88, of Clarinda, Iowa, formerly of Union County, died Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997, at Community Care in Clarinda. Crain Funeral Home in Dongola is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Timothy Scott and Amy Celeste Hopper, 1305 Bertling, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:54 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 1997. Name, Quentin Avery. Weight, 8 pounds 1 ounce. Mrs. Hopper is the former Amy Dykes, daughter of Roger Dykes and Joan Dykes of Jackson. She is a cashier at Gastroenterology Associates of Southeast Missouri. Hopper is the son of James Hopper of Sikeston. He is a custodian at Cape Girardeau Public Schools...

Betty Jane Kahl, 69, 2001 N. Kingshighway, died Friday, Sept. 19, 1997, at Fountainbleau Lodge. She was born Sept. 11, 1928, in St. Louis, daughter of Charles and Hilda Onger Naert. On Jan. 10, 1948, she married Harry Kahl in St. Louis. He preceded her in death June 25, 1982...