Stories from Thursday, February 19, 1998

Biddy Wells was a serious dance student before the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art accepted her. She also plays the piano and trumpet, has a three-octave singing range is certified in stage fighting and fencing. "As an actress in England you have to be able to do a lot of things," she says...

Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau advisory commission wants to set aside back-tax revenues into a special projects fund. The advisory commission voted Wednesday to ask the City Council to allow it to set aside the approximately $36,000 in back restaurant taxes collected from businesses that had not been collecting the 1 percent tax...

Gibson Center officials won't be going down without a fight on a controversial proposal to operate a halfway house for Missouri parolees. Dick Decker, the center's executive director, wants a public hearing on the special use permit and rezoning the center has requested in order to operate the halfway house...

Jazz and Dixieland music, colorful costumes, masks and beads will set the atmosphere for a Mardi Gras celebration, but the food will make it special. "That means a king cake," said Dionne Hoffmeister, chairman of the auction committee for the Downtown Merchants Association Auction, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at River City Yacht Club above Port Cape Girardeau restaurant. Tickets cost $10...

The Army Corps of Engineers and Missouri Department of Natural Resources confirmed Tuesday that a wetland area exists on the site of a planned Cape Girardeau vocational-technical school and high-school campus. A two-person regulatory team from the Corps and Department of Natural Resources designated about three and one-quarter acres of the 72-acre property as a wetlands area. ...

Feb. 19, 1998 Dear Julie, An incensed DC just returned from her Rotary Club meeting. The speaker was a woman whose family has a lumber mill in the Bootheel. She joked about environmentalists and tree-huggers and declared that clear-cutting is OK as long as the trees are replanted...

To the editor: The following poem by Karen Sullivan-Ables is from The Cornerstone, the newsletter of St. Catherine's Church in Orange Park, Fla.: The Acquittal of God's Infinite Mercy In a far away place and a different time I killed my first child, a most heinous crime...

ONE SUNNY afternoon my nephew came to visit. To my 10-year-old son's surprise, Joey had brought a minibike for my son, Jacob, to test drive. When Jacob was finished with his half-hour of verbal instruction from Joey and myself, Jacob was indeed excited. ...

It is one thing to talk about tearing down an old hospital and an old hotel. It is another thing to determine if that is the best course of action and, if it is, to figure out who will bear the expense. Two high-profile targets are currently in the scopes of various groups and individuals calling for the razing of the old St. ...

Two bills in the Missouri Legislature have good intentions but go a little too far in trying to regulate the actions of the state's citizenry. The world has changed considerably since the days of two-lane highways where motorists would pull off to the side to let a funeral procession pass. ...

To the editor: I am writing with regard to a Feb. 8 article, "Man wanted as bombing witness held anti-government views, acquaintances say." The headline and content of this piece are both very disturbing. In the past couple of years, the term "anti-government" has been wholeheartedly embraced by the media as a means to describe fanatics, extremists and terrorists, thereby attaching a very negative connotation to the phrase...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson favors placing any surplus funds from a balanced budget toward the government's $700 billion loan from the Social Security Administration. Emerson said Tuesday: "Congress still has to put together its budget. We have from now until November to put all the pieces together, but we will have a balanced budget."...

BENTON -- Scott County property owners take note: The deadline for reporting personal property is quickly approaching. Scott County Assessor Teresa Houchin said Wednesday that all property owners including businesses must report all personal property owned or held on Jan. 1 to the assessor's office. The deadline for reporting the property is March 1...

"Not very well." Those are the words Gregory Freeman uses to describe minority representation in the news media. Freeman, who writes a social and political column for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch three days a week, was a Common Hour lecturer Wednesday at Southeast Missouri State University's University Center...

Considering the rugged competition they've faced the past two weeks, the seven local high school wrestlers that qualified for the upcoming Class 4A state championships might find it hard to believe the competition can get much tougher. Jackson qualified six wrestlers and Cape Central one for the state tournament which starts tonight and ends Saturday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia...

Dusty Stephens School: Marquand Class: Junior Sport: Basketball Position: Power forward Coach: Rob Harlow Week report: Dominating would be a good way to describe the 6-foot-3 Stephens' two games last week. In an 85-58 victory over Chaffee on Monday, Stephens scored 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. ...

BENTON -- Kelly softball standout Pamela Essner signed a letter of intent Wednesday afternoon to continue her academic and athletic career at Florissant Valley Community College in St. Louis. Essner, a two-time all-state selection, helped lead the Lady Hawks to the Class 2A softball championship this past fall. She was also an all-conference selection the past two seasons...

Chris Janet admits he might just get a little bit emotional Friday night when he coaches a Notre Dame High boys basketball game in the school's current gymnasium for the final time. "I've got a lot of memories in that place," he said. "I'm sure it will be an emotional night."...

Daughter to Dan Manchette and Nancy Davis of Aurora, Colo., Aurora Regional Hospital, 1:41 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6, 1998. Name, Kera LeAnn Davis. Weight, 5 pounds 9 ounces. Ms. Davis is the daughter of Gladys Davis of Jackson and the late Virgil Davis. Manchette is the son of Arleen Manchette of Aurora and Harold Manchette of Morrison, Colo...

SCOTT CITY -- Omer Everett Creech Sr., 96, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 22, 1901, at Troy, son of Charles and Rebecca Cox Creech. He and Virginia Laura Sloam were married March 9, 1926, at Canton...

Charlotte M. Roth, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998, at her home. She was born May 26, 1913, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Dr. L.F. and Alma Pott Popp. She and Martin L. Roth were married July 30, 1942. Roth received a degree in music from Southeast Missouri State University. The Roths moved from Cape Girardeau to Dayton, Ohio, where they lived 18 years. They returned here in 1973. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church...

SCOTT CITY -- Alma Ann Sandvos, 79, Scott City Route 2, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 9, 1919, at Illmo, daughter of Lawrence L. and Amelia Etter Mirgaux. She and Hugo Ernest "Shine" Sandvos were married Nov. 14, 1936, at Illmo...

Gearldean "Jerry" Mouser, 79, of Belleville, Ill., died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville. She was born Aug. 13, 1918, in Bolliner County, daughter of John Petit and Lula Jane Jaco Mouser. Survivors include a son, Raymond Jaco of Farmington; a daughter, Viola Bush of Robertsville; a brother, Charles Mouser of Belgrade; a sister, Ruby Bradley of Fairview Heights, Ill.; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren...

JACKSON -- Doris E. Matthews, 86, of Jackson died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 17, 1911, at Oak Ridge, daughter of Harry and Lula Kiepe Sutton. She and Pat Matthews were married Dec. 5, 1934. He died in January 1987...

ANNA, Ill. -- Kenneth Warren, 59, of Anna died Saturday, Feb. 14, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 8, 1938, in West Frankfort, son of Ervin H. and Marion Thomas Warren. Survivors include his mother of Placerville, Calif., formerly of West Frankfort; and a sister, Lorna Perpall of Placerville...

JACKSON -- Bessie Viola Revelle, 91, of Jackson died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at her home. She was born Feb. 2, 1907, at Patton, daughter of Jasper and Matilda Tinnin Smith. She and Lawrence Revelle were married Jan. 12, 1938. He died Jan. 8, 1978. Revelle is a member of Old Bethel Freewill Baptist Church in Patton, attended Cornwall Assembly of God Church and was a member of Cornwall Ladies Quilting Circle...

CHARLESTON -- Ila Fair, 78, of Charleston died Sunday, Feb. 15, 1998, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Jan. 21, 1920, in Dyersburg, Tenn., daughter of Manson and Ella Sanders Taylor. Survivors include a son, Alben Wash of New Orleans, La.; a brother, Raymond Taylor of Austin, Texas; a sister, Ruth Foster of Chicago; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren...

SIKESTON -- Milas Howard, 76, of Sikeston died Sunday, Feb. 15, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born June 25, 1921, in Clarksdale, Miss., son of Will and Luella Smith Howard. He married Mabel Valentine. Howard was a member of New Morning Star Baptist Church in Haywood City, and had been an associate minister...

SIKESTON -- Pansy Ables Limbaugh, 90, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998, at Miner Nursing Center. McMikle Funeral Home at Charleston is in charge of arrangements.

CAHOKIA, Ill. -- James R. "Tiny" Dickerson, 52, of Cahokia, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998, at his home. He was the son of Cloyd and Mildred Markland Dickerson. Survivors include his wife, Leslie Juenger; a son, James Dickerson of Chaffee; three daughters, Laura Dickerson of Scott City, Katherine and Melissa Dickerson of Cahokia; a brother, Harold Dickerson of Cahokia; and four grandchildren...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Mildred "Tody" White Dotson, 84, of Tolono died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998, at Champaign County Nursing Home in Urbana. She was born July 21, 1913, in Sesser, daughter of William L. and Dora Ursula Short Clampet. She married George White Nov. 3, 1936, who preceded her in death. She later married Fred Thomas Dotson April 16, 1983, at Champaign. He died Aug. 13, 1988...

DEXTER -- Susan Marie Lamure, 37, of Crystal City died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at her home. Funeral service is tentatively set for today. Burial will be in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Dexter is in charge of arrangements...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral service for Catherine Corene Thompson of Scott City will be held at 2 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City. The Rev. Jack Owens will officiate, with burial in Lightner Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel after 10 a.m...