Stories from Friday, October 17, 1997

To the editorA recent letter to the editor "HMO cost cutting is a wake-up call" by Mr. Nicholson deserves some comment. The title is well chosen, but the logic I believe, is incorrect. I do not approve of HMOs because the very objective of HMO's is profit which is not limited to improving efficiency of delivery of health care, but also to inappropriate cost cutting such as withholding treatment and lowering quality of caretakers. ...

The Southeast Symphonic Wind Ensemble will present "Soprano, Synthesizers and Sousa!" a fall concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in Academic Auditorium on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. The group's opening concert will feature Dr. Elizabeth James-Gallagher as soprano soloist on a new work by American composer Stephen Melillo. The piece, which depicts a familiar Bible story, is programmatic in nature and titled "David."...

The city of Cape Girardeau recently purchased a new street sweeper. The Elgin model street sweeper replaces a Mobil model that the city purchased in 1987. The new model cost $108,700. Public Works officials said the old sweeper, which was out of service 50 percent of the time,had exceeded its service life of five to seven years, and maintenance costs had become uneconomical...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- A Tennessee man suffered serious injuries Wednesday afternoon when his pickup hit a tractor-trailer on the Mississippi River Bridge. Allen Scholes, 25, of Waverly, Tenn., was transported to Pemiscot Memorial Hospital. Scholes' Ford pickup truck was eastbound on Route 155 four miles east of Caruthersville when it ran into the rear of a Mack tractor-trailer truck driven by Edward Johnson, 58, of Richland Center, Wisc...

DUTCHTOWN -- A Sikeston man died and four teen-agers were injured in a two-vehicle accident Wednesday night. Killed was Ulys Lane, 70, of Sikeston. The accident occurred at the intersection of Highways 25 and 74, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

The need for a proposed halfway house in Cape Girardeau to provide residential treatment programs for Missouri inmates who are about to be released must be weighed against the community's concern about public safety. The Cape Girardeau City Council is right to proceed cautiously in this matter. In the end, the best outcome would be having such a facility in a setting that is good for the treatment program but does no harm to the city's sense of security and well-being...

This afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, city and state dignitaries are scheduled to gather at the intersection of Silver Springs Road and the new Shawnee Parkway to mark a significant milestone in highway construction in Cape Girardeau. They will dedicate the new parkway, which now extends from I-55 to Sprigg Street. Eventually, the parkway will connect to the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge over the Mississippi River...

To the editor: I have in the past written several opinion pieces for the Southeast Missourian on the subject of economic growth in our area, and I have had the conviction to use my name in a public forum in expressing these views. A recent anonymous caller to Speak Out made the allegation that I had questionable motives of financial gain concerning my letter to the editor regarding I-66. To this mystery caller I respond openly...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Most of the 52 Mounted Rangers who volunteered for service during the Black Hawk War of 1832 were members of the Old Shiloh Baptist Church in Southern Illinois. Two members of Shiloh Church served in the armed forces and participated in the Gulf War in the early 1990s. That covers a span of more than 150 years...

The Acme Blues Band won group and individual honors Thursday night during presentation of the first Music Awards by the Cape Musicians Guild. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Vi Keys, a longtime Cape Girardeau keyboardist and music store owner whose grandson Billy also won an award...

Technical training isn't for dunces; rather, it should be an increasingly important part of higher education, says Don Dickerson, president of Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents. The university wants to boost technology training in the region by setting up a polytechnic institute...

Joe Keipp took his first flight in an open cockpit airplane Thursday, an experience he said he will never forget. Keipp flew in a 55-year-old Fairchild PT-19A with Bob Moore, an owner of the plane, from its home base in St. Louis to Cape Girardeau to help promote Aviation Day at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

There comes a point in your life when you decide not to move all those boxes one more time. It's a big step to take. Our family's history flashed before our eyes this past weekend. Not because of any near-death experience, mind you. What happened was this: We looked inside all those boxes we've accumulated over the past 30-plus years...

PERRYVILLE -- A Perryville woman suffered minor injuries when her vehicle spun out of control and overturned on Route K early Thursday morning. Belinda Barnes, 33, was flown to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau after the accident, which occurred 4.4 miles west of Route B on Route K, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

Although temperatures have finally fallen to more autumn-like levels, it might seem like the beginning of July when the Cape Central Tigers host the Roosevelt Rough Riders at Houck Field. Between the two offenses, there should be a lot of fireworks...

The Dexter Bearcat defense has dealt with some of the area's toughest running backs over the past few weeks. Last week, Charleston's Larico Coleman lit up the Bearcats for 210 yards and five touchdowns. The week before, Sikeston's Mark Blissett returned from a knee injury, gaining 236 yards and five TDs...

Southeast Missouri State University's two leading scorers from last year both say they hesitate to go too overboard in predicting good things about the 1997-98 basketball season. But by the same token, William "Bud" Eley and Calvert White also find it hard to mask their excitement and enthusiasm entering Saturday's start of official practice...

Tonight's games Roosevelt at Cape Central Jackson at Dexter Sikeston at New Madrid Co. Central Poplar Bluff at Belleville (Ill.) Althoff Scott City at Hayti Kennett at East Prairie Malden at Caruthersville Festus at Perryville Grandview at St. Vincent...

Anyway you look at tonight's football matchup in New Madrid between the Sikeston Bulldogs and Central Eagles, it looks like a barn-burner. New Madrid, state-ranked earlier in the season, enters with a 4-2 mark. Sikeston, 35-0 winners last year, come in at 3-2. Both teams have high-powered offenses and have faced rugged schedules. Between the two teams, all four of their loses were to state-ranked teams...

BENTON -- Jackson High's girls cross country team and Cape Girardeau Central's boys team each won SEMO Conference titles today at Kelly High School. Boosted by sophomore Julie Wunderlich's excellent first-place time of 19:19.9 over the 3.1-mile course, Jackson totaled 25 points, beating Central (43), Kelly (65) and Poplar Bluff (111)...

COMMERCE -- Francis G. "Mouse" Brotherton, 74, of Muncie, Ind., formerly of Commerce, died Tuesday, Oct. 14, 1997, at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie. He was born Jan. 7, 1923, in Commerce and had lived in Muncie for 33 years. He was a retired tow motor operator for Borg-Warner Automotive, a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of the American Legion Brown-Twitty Post No. 595 in New Madrid...

JACKSON -- Funeral service for Karen Jean Hobbs, 45, of Jackson, will be at 1 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. Chaplain Art Kelley, the Revs. Lindsay Sample and Harold Easton will officiate. Hobbs died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center...

Muriel "Dolly" Leigh, 85, died Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Watkins and Sons Funeral Home of Parma.

COBDEN, Ill. -- W. Everett Biggs, 87, of Cobden, died Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Oct. 8, 1910, at Cobden, son of Benjamin F. and Eva Mae Morris Biggs. He married Berdie G. Williams Sept. 16, 1945, at Cobden...

BENTON -- Funeral service for Paul C. Pattengill, 82, of Benton, will be at 2 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Benton, with Rev. Dave Richbourg officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery in Morley. Pattengill died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE -- Velmer M. Mehner, 75, of Perryville, died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. He was born April 30, 1992, in Menfro, Mo., son of Martin and Charlotte Hoehn Mehner. He married B. Maxine Taylor. She preceded him in death. He later married Lorene Streiler Evans on June 3, 1966. She preceded him in death Dec. 1, 1988...

JACKSON -- Mildred K. McFerron, 88, of Fulton, formerly of Jackson, died Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997, at Fulton Manor in Fulton. She was born Oct. 21, 1908, in Burfordville, the daughter of Peter and Louise Overbeck Holmes. She married Roy Cunningham. He preceded her in death in 1952. She later married Elbert McFerron. He preceded her in death in 1967...

Johnny Leroy Chiles, 56, died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 14, 1941, in Chaffee, son of Curtis and Aline Treece Chiles. He married Lawanda Thorne on June 28, 1996, in Cape Girardeau. He was a cab driver for Nip Kelley Transportation for more than 30 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was of the Baptist faith...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral service was held Wednesday for William A. "June" Duvall, 70, of Granite City, Ill., formerly of Perryville, at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church in Granite City. He died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997. He was born Dec. 14, 1926, in St. Mary's and was a resident of Granite City for 41 years...

Son to Andrew Wade Farrow and Shelley Danielle Cossiboom of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Thursday, Oct. 9, 1997, 10:18 a.m. Name, Bradley Allen. Weight, 7 pounds, 6 ounces. First child. Miss Cossiboom is the daughter of David Cossiboom of Scott City and Sheila Phillips of Cape Girardeau. Farrow is the son of Dave and Sandra Farrow of Delta and is a supervisor for SEMO Molding...

SUNSET HILLS -- Harlan (Jack) Overbeck, 89, of Sunset Hills, formerly of Cape Girardeau County, died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 1997, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Jan. 11, 1908, in Cape County. He was the son of F.W. and Annie Roberts Overbeck...