Stories from Wednesday, May 6, 1998

Floral roses such as these may be easily available now, but an investment in beauty is a rose busy go grow your own. Roses and Mother's Day seem to go hand in hand. As a youngster, I remember everyone would wear rose boutonnieres or corsages to church on Mother's Day. Today a favorite gift for Mom is a rose bush...

Lonnie Hasty of Cape Girardeau has been appointed to the Missouri Family Trust Board of Trustees. State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, sponsored Hasty's nomination in the Senate. Hasty is vice president of accounting and controller with Health Facilities Management Corp. in Cape Girardeau...

Sides Construction Co. received approval from the Cape Girardeau Board of Education to begin extensive additions and renovations to Jefferson Elementary School during a special board meeting Thursday. Jefferson Elementary School is the latest to be scheduled for remodeling as part of the school district's master plan. In the past two weeks contracts have been awarded for similar changes at Central Junior High and Franklin Elementary schools...

Auburn Park Place is expected to be ready for occupancy by July. "We're shooting for a mid-June opening," said Larry Westrich of Drury Southwest, which is building the commercial-retail and office complex building near Route K and Mount Auburn Road. "We hope to have everything ready for tenants by then."...

Vision 2000 continues to make progress toward its nine goals for community development. The community service organization, founded in 1987, released its annual report Monday night at the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting. Playing on the "Titanic" craze, Kathy Swan, chairwoman of Vision 2000's Community Relations Council, said, "The citizens of Cape Girardeau can rest assured that the S.S. Cape Girardeau is in good hands."...

HOW IS it our local cable TV provider receives the OK to transmit X-rated shows to customers on the Spice Channel? Was this approved by our City Council members? WOULD YOU like to know what's wrong with America today? It's the microwave. That's right, our lives are divided up into microwave minutes. ...

Wendy and I spent an enjoyable Friday evening in St. Louis at an event where the former prime minister of England, Lady MARGARET THATCHER, was the featured speaker. David Barklage of Cape Girardeau was involved in the arrangements, and we ended up sitting at the dinner table with Lady Thatcher prior to her address to the 400-plus in attendance...

Cape Girardeau's flood buyout program is winding to a close. In all, the state and federal government will have paid out nearly $2.5 million to purchase property that was damaged in the 1993 and 1995 flooding of the Mississippi River. The price tag is steep. But it will save considerable taxpayer dollars in the long run...

The Illinois Legislature has found a relatively light workload this session. No doubt that's due to the fact this is an election year. Few legislators -- at the state or federal level -- want to rock the boat when a race is pending. Taxpayers will notice that the most controversial issues are handled on off-election years...

To the editor: Saying thank you seems much too small a gesture to make to the large number of teachers retiring this year from the Cape Girardeau School District. Many of these people, who were pictured in the Missourian, had a positive impact on the education of our three children. ...

To the editor: So now Peter Kinder, in his April 26 column, is defending the tobacco industry against a mindless assault. I'd say it's a safe bet that Kinder has few peers when to comes to the subject of mindless assaults. Indeed, it seems to be one of his specialties. I'm sure it took a great deal of courage to stand up for a multibillion-dollar industry that employs thousands of legal and media consultants and spends millions on political contributions...

To the editor: We would like to publicly thank Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson for her support of House Resolution 1375, the Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 1997, by signing on as a cosponsor of this important piece of Medicare legislation. Research has shown that medical nutrition therapy is an effective way to save health-care dollars and improve patient outcomes. ...

Missouri Department of Conservation agents Stan Michaelson, left, and Darin Pettit looked at one of the largemouth bass they raised during a recent electrofishing survey at Lake Girardeau. CRUMP -- A common belief among many anglers is that Lake Girardeau is fished out. The bass aren't there like they used to be, they say...

Missouri voters may get to decide whether law-abiding citizens can apply to carry concealed weapons. A Senate committee by a 5-0 vote on Monday approved a House-passed plan that would put the issue before voters in April 1999. State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, favors the plan and believes it has more than a 50-50 chance of passing the Senate before the end of the legislative session next week...

TCI customers will see a rate increase starting June 1. The cost for basic service will increase from $11.79 per month to $11.94, while expanded basic will increase from $14.20 to $14.80. "It's 75 cents or about 2.89 percent," said Roger Harms, general manager of the TCI franchise for Cape Girardeau and Jackson. "It's not that great for the quality of service that's being offered."...

It's like he's playing mind games with a child, except I'm 28 years old. The Other Half is starting to play a little game with me. It's called "This Is What You Really Wanted." All you need to begin playing is two people. One of them wants to do one thing, the other wants to do something else...

Farmers and gardeners will put their wares on display this week when the Cape Girardeau Farmers Markets opens its weekly open-air market. Thursday afternoon, shoppers can snatch up some fresh produce in the Plaza Galleria parking lot along 2001 Independence St., said Marilyn Peters, market manager...

Southeast Missouri junior Ryan Spille has been selected OVC Pitcher of the Year in voting by the league's head baseball coaches and sports information directors. Spille was dominant on the mound this season in his first year at Southeast after transferring from Rend Lake (Ill.) Community College. Spille compiled a 9-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 87.1 innings of work...

BENTON -- The mailing deadline to register for the Kelly school district's basketball camps is May 12. The camps will be held May 26-30 for grades 3-8. A ninth-grade camp is also being offered on June 8-12. Cost is $30 for the camp. All participants will get a basketball...

Tryouts will be held for Chaffee's Junior American Legion baseball team Sunday at Harmon Field starting at 1 p.m. For more information, call Jeff Graviett at 887-3591

Tryouts for Jackson's Senior Babe Ruth baseball team for players ages 16 through 18 will be held Sunday from 1-6 p.m. at the Jackson Legion Field. In case of rain, tryouts will be held May 16 from 2-6 p.m. For more information, call 243-8895.

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will hold its Summer Registration Day for recreation and aquatic classes May 13 at A.C. Brase Arena. Registration will be held from 1-7 p.m. Registration will also be accepted before and after this day...

The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors will hold its 1st Annual Golf Tournament May 18 at Bent Creek Golf Course. The tournament, which begins at 1 p.m., will have a four-person mixed scramble format. A dinner will be provided after play concludes...

Notre Dame's Bulldog Soccer Camp will be held June 1-5 for youths in kindergarten through fifth grade. Cost is $30, which includes a T-shirt. To enroll in the camp, call Brad Wittenborn at Notre Dame 335-6772 or at home 334-3840.

SIKESTON -- Cape Girardeau Central High's baseball team got a second chance against Sikeston, but the result was the same. Sikeston scored two runs in the fifth inning as Central walked four straight batters and escaped with a 2-1 victory Tuesday. Sikeston beat the Tigers earlier this season at Central...

ELSA, Ill. -- The Kohlfeld Scorpions Rugby Club finished league play Saturday with a 28-10 victory over Principia College. Marty Hendershott scored a pair of trys for the Scorpions. John Creutz and Marc Harris also scored trys and Sean Hagan provided a pair of penalty kicks and one conversion kick...

ANNISTON -- Graveside service for Brenda K. Haegle of St. Louis, formerly of Anniston, will be held at noon today at Anniston Cemetery. Aubrey Wilson will officiate. Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie is in charge of arrangements. Haegle, 31, died Friday, May 1, 1998, in St. Louis...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Freeman T. Finley, 68, of Metropolis, formerly of Charleston, Mo., died Tuesday, May 5, at his home. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Metropolis, and a 32nd-degree Mason at Masonic Lodge 407 AF & AM. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Air Force. He had been a farmer in Brookport, Ill., and Charleston...

CROWDER -- John W. Utley, 84, of Crowder died Monday, May 4, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Aug. 5, 1913, at Malden, son of Arnie and Dora Adkins Utley. He and Lillian A. Norman were married Aug. 8, 1933, in Piggott, Ark. She died March 25, 1992...

PERRYVILLE -- Henry W. Romann Sr., 96, of Perryville died Monday, May 4, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Feb. 3, 1902, in Perry County, son of Otto and Minnie Heinbokel Romann. He and Stephanie Devenyns were married Nov. 22, 1927...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral for Jess Powers, Chaffee Route 1, will be held at 1 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The Rev. Joe Payne will officiate, with burial in Belk Hill Cemetery at Rockview. Powers, 59, died Monday, May 4, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE -- Ruby A. Schumer, 74, of Perryville died Monday, May 4, 1998, in Perryville. She was born Jan. 30, 1924, at Folk, daughter of Henry H. and Katherine Stegman Scheppers. She and Cletus J. Schumer were married Sept. 28, 1946. Schumer was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Highland...

Carolyn Stein, 59, of Asheboro, N.C., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, May 4, 1998, at North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem. She was born May 17, 1938, in Guilford County, N.C., daughter of the Rev. John and Victoria Cagle. She married the Rev. Neil L. Stein, who was pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church from 1985-97...

SCOTT CITY -- Fred A. "Fritz" Heckathorn, 42, of Scott City, formerly of Sedgewickville, died Monday, May 4, 1998, at his home. He was born June 6, 1955, in Freeport, Ill., son of the Rev. Fred and Anna Young Heckathorn. Heckathorn was a 1973 graduate of Meadow Heights High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University...

Several proposals have been offered for consideration by MoDOT for a possible new highway linking Cape and Jackson. This plan -- which presently has nine alternatives being studied -- is designed to relieve increasing traffic congestion between the two growing cities...

The Southeast Missourian asked fourth-graders at West Lane Elementary School why their mothers are special. Mother's Day is Sunday. Shannon Cobb: "My mother comforts me and helps me be the best that I can be. She cooks, cleans and loves me very much. She is there when I'm sad and when mad. She is very special."...

The House Motor Vehicle Committee passed an aviation bill Tuesday that could provide added funding for the state's general aviation airports. Under the bill, the state would fund most if not all of the expense of operating the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport control tower. The city currently spends about $125,000 a year to operate the tower...