Stories from Tuesday, December 2, 1997

Reading is a very important skill to third-grade teacher Mary Ann Ostendorf. The St. Mary Cathedral School teacher said reading is her favorite hobby. She also believes it's the most important skill she can teach her students. This year Ostendorf, a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, has incorporated computer usage into her reading curriculum as part of the Reading Renaissance program. ...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night committed to spending city transportation tax funds to complete the first phase of an East Main Street extension project that eventually would connect the street with Interstate 55. Mayor Paul Sander said the city hopes its commitment of money convinces the Missouri Department of Transportation to approve a proposed interchange at I-55. ...

Loretta Wilson knows firsthand how a drunk driver can change a family's life. On November 5, 1988, her daughter Cathy was killed four miles from Oak Ridge as she tried to avoid a drunk driver who had already run another car off the road. Cathy Wilson had been a cosmetology student in Cape Girardeau. She had a job waiting for her when she graduated in three weeks. She was 21 years old...

Cybertip: For information about local movies, check out www.wehrenberg.com or www.karasotes.com. Both have local listings and times. It's that time of year. No, not holiday shopping. It's the block-buster movie time of year. Not that Peggy would know anything about it, unless the movie is rated G or on video. Ah, that's the price of parents with small children...

Natalie Sharp of Jackson practiced rescue breathing. Jennifer Cox, left, of Scott City demonstrated the Heimlich maneuver on a "choking victim," Amanda Robinson, a student at Notre Dame High School. English poet William Ernest Henley, who endured years of crippling physical pain caused by tuberculosis of the bone, couched his experiences with health care a century ago in the poem "In Hospital."...

Proponents of a halfway house program for parolees asked the Cape Girardeau City Council to table action on a requested rezoning and special use permit Monday night. The council also voted to deny a special use permit that would have allowed an insurance agency to operate in a residential area on the city's north side...

GORDONVILLE -- "Long-term use of the facility is to keep Gordonville school open. We want it here." These words spoken by Les Lindy Jr. mirrored the sentiments of many of the more than 70 parents and community members who attended an open hearing at Gordonville Attendance Center Monday night. The group sent a message to the Jackson Board of Education that they are willing to keep their children at the school and did not want to see their building shut down...

If you add up all the times I've moved in the past two years, I could own a Ryder truck instead of renting one every time. Amid all the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, I moved into a new house. Actually, I wasn't the only family member to move this weekend. My brother took a new job and moved also, but his move was a little simpler than mine...

Nations, even as star athletes and corporate CEOs, are sensitive to how their performance is ranked-. They are touchy about where they stand relative to competitors. Today's America comes out pretty well in international rivalries, especially in economic contests. We have the world's highest Gross Domestic Product, we're big in international trade volume and even boast of the citizenship of the world's richest man...

More than $1 billion of 1995's welfare payments went to children of illegal immigrant families because some of their children are U.S. citizens. Although a child born within the United States to an illegal immigrant automatically becomes a citizen, "when such a child receives assistance, the aid also helps support the child's family, raising concerns about the use of public assistance by those illegally in the United States," said congressional auditors in a report last month by the General Accounting Office. ...

A federally appointed board has filed charges against former Teamsters Union president Ron Carey, alleging he participated in an illegal scheme that used $885,000 in union funds to boost his re-election. The board, which consists of two former federal judges and a labor lawyer, also didn't think much of Carey's Clintonesque defense. The board declared that Carey's claim that he didn't recall approving a series of improper payments a "fabrication."...

To the editor: The Cape Girardeau Central High School Marching Tigers just finished their most successful season ever. They placed first in their division in four of the five competition they attended. They also received the sweepstakes trophy at the Rebel Invitational in Park Hills. This trophy is awarded to the outstanding band of the entire competition. Twenty-four bands were present for that event...

To the editor: Quite a number of years ago, the ushering in of the Christmas season was first felt with the ringing of the bells by a member of the Salvation Army, each person attired in a black bonnet and black dress, with an iron kettle by her side. ...

MALDEN -- When Raye Stone, 49, left her home in Malden Saturday morning to visit cousins in St. Louis, she loaded her three young daughters in the car and waved goodbye to sisters. "See you tomorrow evening," she told them. On Sunday night, as Stone's sister, Lynnette Jenkins, started driving from Malden back to her home in Cape Girardeau, she was stopped at a roadblock by police who told her that there had been a bad accident. She needed to take a detour, they said...

Getting stuck behind a city street sweeper while it slowly perambulates down Broadway on a busy weekday morning can be annoying. But while it may irk motorists trying to get downtown, city officials say they aren't sure there is a better time to put the sweepers on the street...

So far, Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team has stacked up well against a challenging early part of its schedule. This week, the Indians will get an early indication of how they stack up in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast, riding a three-game winning streak after a season-opening loss, is gearing up for two OVC home games, Thursday night against Tennessee State and Saturday night against Austin Peay...

The Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs opened their home schedule Monday night with a dominating 64-37 victory over New Madrid. The Lady Bulldogs played physical the entire night as they improved to 4-0. "Our press didn't give (New Madrid) a chance to set up their half-court offense," said Notre Dame coach Jerry Grim. "We played very physical and with the teams we play later on that will be important."...

The best record Cape Girardeau Central High's boys swimming and diving team has posted is 8-4. Although the Tigers will continue to compete against the best teams the state has to offer, coach Dayna Powell said the record mark could be met or surpassed this year...

Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan has concluded his fall signings for the 1999 season by getting commitments from four players. Hogan believes his biggest signee is Clemente Bonilla Jr., a senior infielder at El Toro High School in California...

BENTON -- Funeral Mass for Sister Norma Hilda Ressel of Techny, Ill., was held Monday at Convent of the Holy Spirit in Techny. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery in Techny. Ressel, 89, died Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1997, at the convent. She was born at Benton, and attended St. Augustine School in Kelso...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Delbert Wright Freeman of East Prairie was held Monday at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Mike Cartwright and Larry Davis officiated. Friends may call at McKoon Funeral Home in Newnan, Ga., from 7-9 p.m. today...

Norman Edward Bock, 87, 530 Louis, died Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. He was born May 29, 1910, in Cape Girardeau, son of William G. and Anna Bertling Bock. He and Sevella Wagoner were married Aug. 13, 1949, at Jackson. Bock was employed at International Shoe Co. 50 years. He was a member of Hanover Lutheran Church, was active in Youth Baseball League, and was chainman for Southeast Missouri State University football team 15 years. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps...

MOREHOUSE -- Billie Jean Hayden, 71, of Morehouse died Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 25, 1926, in Arkansas, daughter of William Arthur and Oma Fussell Robison. She and Alvie Hayden were married Aug. 7, 1954. He died Nov. 1, 1970...

ANNA, Ill. -- Private funeral service for James Randall File of Anna will be held Wednesday at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. There is no visitation. File, 33, died Friday, Nov. 28, 1997, in Cobden. He was born July 18, 1964, in Lansing, Mich., son of Burrell and Judy Kilman File...

BURFORDVILLE -- Darrell D. Allen, 63, of National City, Mich., died Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997, in a hospital there. He was born Feb. 17, 1934, at Burfordville, son of Ray and Rhoda Johnson Allen. Allen was reared in the Jackson area, and had lived in Michigan more than 30 years...

Helen Blissette, 89, 430 Sheridan, died Monday, Dec. 1, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 22, 1908, at Lodge, daughter of Virgil L. and Gertrude Alexander Parsons. She and Foy Blissette were married Sept. 27, 1934, in Waterloo, Ill...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Joint funeral service for Scott Alan Gibbs, Laurie A. Gibbs, and Madilyn Alexandria Homan of Marion will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Cobden. The Rev. Dan Bowers will officiate, with burial in Cobden Cemetery...

ZALMA -- Earl L. Dunn, 71, of Zalma died Saturday, Nov. 29, 1997, at John J. Pershing VA Hospital in Poplar Bluff. He was born Aug. 12, 1926, at Gipsy, son of Leonard A. and Thelma Leo Cullins Dunn. Dunn retired as owner of an oil drilling company in California. He was a member of Zalma Masonic Lodge 545 AF&AM...

SCOTT CITY -- Everett Eugene Biggs, 65, of Scott City died Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 15, 1932, in Burkley, Ky., son of William Marion and Mary Isabelle Brock Biggs. He and Diane Marie Short were married Aug. 15, 1966, in Scott City...

Daughter to Keith D. and Allison C. Shrum of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:02 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, 1997. Name, Brittany Danielle. Weight, 6 pounds 7 ounces. Mrs. Shrum is the former Allison Statler, daughter of Glenn and Karen Statler of Sedgewickville. She is employed at Wal-Mart in Jackson. Shrum is the son of Loy and Pete Shrum of Millersville. He is a quality supervisor at TG(USA) in Perryville...

COBDEN, Ill. -- A weekend traffic accident in Southern Illinois has claimed its third victim. A 2-year-old girl died Sunday afternoon from injuries suffered Saturday in a head-on crash south of Marion. Madilyn Alexandria Homan, 2, died at 6 p.m. Sunday in St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

Funeral service for Valma J. Dye of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel, with the Rev. Jerry Culbertson officiating. Entombment will be in Memorial Park Mausoleum. Dye, 61, died Saturday, Nov. 29, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center...