Stories from Wednesday, March 4, 1998

CORRECTION: In a letter in Tuesday's Southeast Missourian from the mayor of East Cape Girardeau, the name of the mayor was incorrect. The mayor is Joe R. Aden. We regret the error.

St. Mary Cathedral Grade School has a feather in its cap. The school has received statewide recognition for its accelerated reader program. It was the first school in the state to be named a Reading Renaissance Model School. That is quite an honor considering that both parochial and public schools are eligible...

Missouri is always on the lookout for a booming industry, but one of the state's fastest growing enterprises is a bane, not a blessing. It is called methamphetamine or crank, and Missouri is becoming the meth mecca of the United States. Missouri had the dubious honor in 1997 of leading the nation in the discovery of meth labs. More than 500 labs were discovered, some small enough to fit in the trunk of a car...

"A NIGHT ON BROADWAY" is the theme of the Cape Girardeau County American Cancer Society fund raiser and dinner-dance Saturday evening at the Show Me Center. Tickets are $65 each and may be obtained by calling the society office at 334-9197. Space is limited...

To the editor: There has been considerable attention paid to MedAmerica HealthNet, Blue Cross-Blue Shield and their HealthNet Blue product. This product was developed as a joint effort of area hospitals, physicians and Blue Cross-Blue Shield. The motive behind this was to continue providing quality medical services while controlling costs...

For centuries Italians have been making a chocolate meringue cookie whimsically dubbed "Brutti Ma Buoni." The phrase means "ugly but good" and the cookie is so named because it is, if not downright unattractive, on the homely side, chunky and irregularly shaped. But it is a delicious combination of chocolate and hazelnuts that, despite its looks, is quite sophisticated in taste...

A Cape Girardeau woman suffered moderate injuries in a single-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon. Kimberly D. Cunningham, 38, was treated and released at Southeast Missouri Hospital after the accident, which occurred at County Road 314 and Country Lane, west of Cape Girardeau...

NEW MADRID -- A two-year, $65 million expansion and improvement program to increase aluminum production is under way at the Noranda Aluminum Inc. plant in St. Jude Industrial Park. The project will modernize the carbon anode production facilities at the plant and will increase Noranda's aluminum production capacity by about 15 percent, or more than 70 million pounds a year...

A new animal-control ordinance would make it tougher for Fido and Fluffy to roam the streets. The updated ordinance, approved on first reading Monday night by the Cape Girardeau City Council, adds a number of clauses aimed at curbing animal nuisances and increasing safety for people and pets...

One veteran lawmaker is leaving the Missouri Legislature, and a second hopes to take his place State Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, said Tuesday he won't seek re-election to the seat he has held in Missouri's 161st District since 1960. Betty Hearnes of Charleston, a former state representative from the old 160th District, filed the same day as a Democrat for Copeland's post...

President Clinton should tell the American people the truth about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, former White House adviser George Stephanopoulos said Tuesday. "If he made a mistake, he should own up to it," Clinton's former political strategist said...

Who'd have thought such a little bit of a fabric could have such a huge impact on our lives? It's an American tradition for parents to give a little warning to their young sons and daughters: "Honey, be sure to wear clean underwear in case you're in a car accident."...

MARBLE HILL -- A Leopold teen-ager received moderate injuries Monday afternoon after her vehicle struck a tree on Highway 51 near Marble Hill. Jennifer Keller, 17, was taken to St. Francis Medical Center after the 2:45 p.m. accident, which occurred south of Marble Hill...

Pearl Harrell of Troy, worthy grant matron of the Grand Chapter of the Missouri Order of Eastern Star, will make an official inspection of the chapters of the 49th District today. The meeting will be held in the Masonic Temple Hall in Jackson at 6:30 p.m...

The International Toy Collectors Association's Roadshows at Cape Girardeau and Paducah, Ky., are designed for association representatives to purchase toys for members. "It can, however, be an informative and fun time for toy collectors," said Jeff Parson. "They have an opportunity to ask questions about antique and collector toys."...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department announced efforts at preventing loss of life and minimizing property damage during fires through the implementation of a new program of prefire planning. Beginning March 16, crews from the four Cape Girardeau fire companies will begin visiting buildings designated as "target hazards" for the purpose of laying out a plan of attack in the event of a fire in the building...

BLOOMFIELD -- Over the course of this season, the Notre Dame boys basketball team had some frustratingly close losses. Tuesday night's defeat to fifth-seed Woodland in the final opening-round contest of the Class 2A, District 2 Tournament was just plain frustrating...

Jackson High boys basketball coach Steve Burk isn't asking his team to do anything more than it can when the Indians face state and nationally-ranked Lafayette tonight at 8:15 in the Farmington Civic Center in a Class 4A Sectional. "We don't have to play better then we can play, but we'll have to play better than we have," said Burk. "We'll need a very good game."...

The Class 4A sectional game has been little more than a bump in the Jackson High girls basketball team's postseason drive the last three seasons. The Lady Indians won the three contests by an average of 27 points. The trend likely will continue when Jackson meets Washington (22-6) tonight at 6:30 at the Farmington Civic Center...

BLOOMFIELD -- Notre Dame High's girls had a better night than the boys Tuesday, reaching the 20-win plateau and advancing to the Class 2A, District 2 basketball tournament final with a 55-36 victory over fourth-seed Greenville. The top-seeded Lady Bulldogs improved to 20-7 overall and will go for their second consecutive district title Friday at 6:30 p.m. Greenville, which got a game-high 23 points from Amber Beckett, ended its season with a 17-10 mark...

Signups for the 1998 Girls Softball/Tee Ball season will be held March 21 and March 28 at Jackson City Hall. Registration hours for both days will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration fee is $30 per player. Checks should be made payable to Jackson Girls Softball League...

The Jackson Youth Baseball League will hold a final sign-up March 7 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the community room at Jackson City Hall. Registration is for youths ages 6 to 18. For more information, call 243-8895.

The Cape Youth Baseball League will hold registration on three upcoming dates at the Venture Courtyard at West Park Mall. Signing dates and times: March 7, noon-5 p.m.; March 12, 6-9 p.m.; March 14, noon-5 p.m. Registration is for youths ages 7-18. Cost is $45 for 12 and younger and $55 for 13 and older...

The Jackson Women's Slow-Pitch League will hold a meeting March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson. For more information, call Michelle Slath at 243-0269.

Graveside service for Essie Shaul of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Memorial Park Gazebo. The Rev. Brendan Dempsey will officiate. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel from 10-10:45 a.m. Friday. Shaul, 85, died Monday, March 2, 1998, at Chateau Girardeau...

Funeral for Georgia Witting of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. Burial will be in Memorial Park. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today. Witting, 92, died Sunday, March 1, 1998, at the Lutheran Home...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Funeral for Odessa Wright of Villa Ridge will be held at 7 p.m. today at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge. The Revs. Al Ingram and C.C. Miller will officiate. Graveside service will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at National Cemetery in Mound City...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Dollie L. Moore, 91, of East Prairie died Monday, March 2, 1998, at East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born Aug. 1, 1906, at Caruthersville, daughter of Jack and Elizabeth Cathey Chanley. She and William A. Moore Sr. were married June 30, 1934. He died June 24, 1951...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Graveside service for Robert L. Ferguson of Jonesboro will be held at 11 a.m. today at Big Creek Cemetery near Dongola. The Rev. James Hardway will officiate. Hileman and Parr Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Ferguson, 61, died Monday, March 2, 1998, at Union County Hospital in Anna...

Golda Marie Rapp, 82, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 1998, at Lakeland Regional Memorial Hospital in Lakeland, Fla. She was born July 17, 1915, near Sedgewickville, daughter of James and Ida May Linebarger. She married Harry W. Rapp Jr., who died July 7, 1993...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Fred L. Burton Sr., 60, of McClure died Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms.

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Charles Inman, 70, of Grand Chain died Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at his home. Arrangements are pending at the Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak, Ill.

JACKSON -- George Calvin Sitze, 68, of Omaha, Neb., died Saturday, Feb. 28, 1998, at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. He was born May 9, 1929, near Marquand, son of Leon and Ester Monie Sitze. He and Opaline Tripp were married Nov. 25, 1948, in St. Louis...

MARBLE HILL -- Gale O. White, 73, of Mehlville died Monday, March 2, 1998. He was born June 29, 1924, in Oklahoma. He married Christine Wright. White moved to Marble Hill from Oklahoma in the late 1950s. He taught English at Woodland Junior High School five years, and was also pastor at the Assembly of God Church in Advance...

JACKSON -- Wilson H. "Willie" Lewis, 85, of Jackson died Monday, March 2, 1998, at his home. He was born July 26, 1912, at Jackson, son of Edward R. and Mora Frances Ford Lewis. He first married Daisy Godwin Nov. 25, 1934. He later married Laura Schmuke Oct. 20, 1945. She died April 2, 1997...

Memorial service for Kristi Ann Healy of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. Dr. Clayton Smith will officiate. There is no visitation. Healy, 21, died Monday, March 2, 1998, at Barnes-Jewish Medical Center in St. Louis...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Richard Dean Baugher, 63, of Waterloo died Monday, March 2, 1998, at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis County, Mo. He was born April 28, 1934, at McClure, son of Lawrence and Elsie Mae Woodard Baugher. He and Patricia Salsbery were married Sept. 1, 1957, in Burns, Ore...

Gerald B. Rowan, 81, of Springfield died Tuesday, March 3, 1998, in a Springfield hospital Formerly of Cape Girardeau, he was an attorney many years. Rowan was a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, and a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia Law School...

The Rev. Francis L. Seyer, 70, of Waterloo, Ill., died Monday, March 2, 1998, at his home. A native of Cape Girardeau, he was pastor of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Waterloo. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

CHARLESTON -- Lena B. Winters, 98, of Charleston died Friday, Feb. 27, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 1, 1899, in the state of Mississippi, daughter of Pompy and Dora Hatch. Winters was a member of St. Mark Baptist Church and its missionary society, and served on the Mother Board...

BELL CITY -- Lucille Gardner, 85, of Bell City died Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. She was born May 6, 1912, in Bell City, daughter of Harper and Lillie Clark Gilles. She and Louis A. Gardner were married April 19, 1929, in Bowling Green, Ohio...

DUCK CREEK -- Bob R. Bailey, 57, of Duck Creek died Tuesday, March 3, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 13, 1941, at Sturdivant, son of Clarence and Ivy Schrout Bailey. Bailey was owner and operator of a sawmill. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy...

The Southeast Missourian asked children at Jackson Primary Annex, "If March comes in like a lion, how does it go out?" Paloma Scarpaci: "Like an elephant. They are fast." Cherish Niswonger: "Like a hippopotamus, because they are wet a lot." Brandon Lane: "Like a snake. They don't care if it's hot or cold."...

The Missouri Municipal League held its annual Legislative Conference in Jefferson City last week. Several Jackson aldermen, City Administrator Steve Wilson, Public Works Director Jim Roach, and myself attended this conference. The primary objective of the legislative conference is to develop closer relationships between City officials and the members of the Missouri House and Senate. ...

JACKSON -- Jackson service clubs, churches, schools and other groups are invited to publicize their upcoming events on Public Access Channel 5. Jackson public service announcements will begin appearing as soon as they are received, according to the Cape Girardeau Public Awareness Office. Jackson's access to the station is the result of an agreement recently worked out between the city and the City of Cape Girardeau, which operates the channel...

SIKESTON - Ever wonder what it's like to be a police officer or firefighter? What it's like to climb to the top of the fire truck ladder, to be held hostage in the middle of a shootout or how to qualify for duty? The third annual Sikeston Department of Public Safety Citizens Police/Fire Academy is scheduled for nine weeks beginning March 26, the academy promises a first hand look and feel of what public safety means in Sikeston...

JACKSON -- About one-third of the planned 300-plus curb cuts to be made on East Jackson Boulevard and along Highway 61 north of the intersection with Highways 34 and 25 have been completed. The Missouri Department of Transportation is making the cuts, which are mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act and are designed to provide access to people in wheelchairs...