Stories from Wednesday, June 17, 1998

Ever since I began writing this column, I've been itching to report on poison ivy (ital)(Toxicodendrong radicans (unital) or (ital) Rhus radicans (unital) or (ital) Rhus toxicodendrong (unital) depending upon which text you use). My first introduction to the plant was at Camp Lewallen in 1956. ...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library will receive a $2,402 grant from the Missouri State Library for the purchase of a computer and printer for its youth services department, library director Betty Martin said. Half of the grant should arrive next month, Martin said, and the computer will be purchased shortly thereafter...

The Area Wide United Way will hold workshops June 22, July 13 and July 27 to help nonprofit organizations gain funding. The first workshop, an introduction on proposal writing, will be held June 22 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. A panel of local funding groups will share what they look for in proposals...

A tractor-trailer struck and killed a man in the driving lane of southbound Interstate 55 south of Matthews sometime after midnight Tuesday, the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department reported. The name of the pedestrian was being withheld pending notification of his family...

Periwinkle lines the path of Shady Grove Cemetery, and tombstones tell of former slaves and children of slaves in Cape Girardeau County at the turn of the century. A new book titled "Dark Woods and Periwinkle: A Glance Back at Shady Grove" written by local historians Sharon Sanders and Diana Bryant chronicles a part of local black history...

FRUITLAND -- Cape Girardeau County Waste Water District No. 1 has chosen an engineering firm to conduct a preliminary survey for the district's proposed unified sewage system. The sewer district's board chose Simmons Engineering Co. of Republic during a recent meeting at Fruitland Fire Station No. 1...

One man was seriously injured and two suffered moderate injuries in accidents investigated by the Missouri Highway Patrol. Gregory Lamar, 53, of Republic was seriously injured in an accident at 8 a.m. Monday on Highway Z five miles west of Gordonville. He was taken by Air Evac to St. Francis Medical Center...

The Cape Girardeau Civic Center will hold its second silent auction and wine-tasting benefit at the Holiday Inn Convention Center Saturday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The benefit is to raise money for children's activities at the Civic Center. Admission will be $15 per person and $25 per couple...

As many as 25 new retail businesses will open in Cape Girardeau County this weekend, and a few more will do the same in the Scott City area. Fireworks wholesalers and retailers are preparing for the big fireworks season, which officially gets under way in Cape Girardeau and Jackson Saturday. Scott City retailers can join the crowd June 25...

Few politicians have lived long enough to find many of their positions proven to be right ... especially when they held the minority position when first advanced. BARRY GOLDWATER ... who recently died ... was one such statesman. Thirty-eight years ago I was one of a small group in Missouri who was attracted to the principles of Goldwater as discussed in his book "The Conscience of a Conservative." We proudly manned the Goldwater-for-President booth at the SEMO FAIR four years later...

One of the biggest worries facing the arrival on the calendar of the year 2000 is a problem known among computer users as Y2K. It refers to the inability of many computers, particularly huge systems used by the government, to determine with accuracy any dates effective Jan. ...

There are some 2,700 miles of shoreline along the Ohio River and its main tributaries between Illinois and Pennsylvania. Cleaning up all the litter along such a vast area would seem like an impossible task. But dozens of cleanup teams will be out Saturday doing what they can to remove the trash. Last year, more than 22,000 volunteers picked up 11,000 tons of river garbage...

To the editor: I think that all persons in Southeast Missouri should thank Bill Harrison for the kind and generous donation that made the purchase of the St. Vincent's Seminary possible. It is fitting and proper that the building and grounds will be used as a memorial for Mr. Harrison's wife, Hazel H. Harrison, and her mother, Cecilia Huhn. It is little enough for such a kind man to ask in return for such a generous gift...

The shooting death of a Cape Girardeau woman Monday has prompted officials to encourage women who feel threatened in any way to seek protection. Kendra Bannister, 26, was killed Monday, allegedly by her former boyfriend who was unwilling to end their relationship even though she had told him of her desire to break up...

SIKESTON -- Bids will be sought in October for construction of a Sikeston Area Higher Education Center, which will operate through a partnership between Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College. The Sikeston Area Higher Education Center advisory council held its first meeting Monday to review plans for the Sikeston center. ...

Delois Jackson and her three children will have a new home thanks to efforts of the Cape Girardeau Area Habitat for Humanity and Maxwell House Coffee. The home is one of 10 nationwide the coffee company is funding through the Oprah Angel Network. Construction of the house begins Saturday. A groundbreaking ceremony was held last weekend at the site...

Water and trash-collection fee increases will go into effect July 1 for Cape Girardeau residents. The City Council Monday night gave final approval to increases of 2 percent in water fees and 2.1 percent in trash-collection fees but included a stipulation: A projected surplus in the city's solid-waste fund must be used to pay off part of the principal of an outstanding loan made years ago from the general fund to the solid-waste program...

Two new endowed scholarships have been completed through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, thanks to the generosity of Carolyn P. Ford and the Donald K. Ford Estate. Their $20,000 gift to the foundation has paved the way for the Donald K. Ford Memorial Percussion Endowed Scholarship and the Walter H. "Doc" Ford Memorial Endowed Scholarship...

How come only undeserving people get to drive beautiful cars? I've experienced a little slice of heaven. It came in the form of a Lincoln Town Car. The experience was work related. A city councilwoman I was interviewing wanted to take me on a tour of some of her city's improvements. She mulled over the choice of vehicles for about a half-second: Either take my Toyota Tercel or her Lincoln. We took the Lincoln...

The St. Louis Cardinals will conduct a baseball tryout camp July 20 at Sikeston's VFW Stadium. The camp, for players ages 17 through 20, will begin at 10 a.m. and last until approximately 3 p.m. American Legion players must have a written permission slip from their manager or coach to participate...

ST. LOUIS -- Cape Legion banged out 13 hits, but it wasn't enough to overtake Ballwin Tuesday night as Ford & Sons fell 9-7. Cape Legion (10-8) scored four runs in the second for a 4-0 lead, but Ballwin countered with seven unanswered runs. Ballwin tied the game 4-4 with two runs in both the second and third innings and moved ahead for good with a single run in the fourth. Ballwin added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings for a 7-4 lead...

The 1998 Jackson Coca-Cola Classic Tennis Tournament will be held July 18-19 and July 25-26 at Jackson City Courts. Singles play in eight different classifications will be held July 18-19. Classifications include youth, men and women. Doubles play will be held July 25-26 with men, women and mixed divisions. There will also be a boys 16-and-under and girls 16-and-under divisions in doubles...

The sixth annual Four-Person Scramble will be held June 20 at Cape Jaycees Municipal Golf Course. The tournament will begin with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Cost is $120 per team. For more information, contact Sabrina Tate at 334-2031 or 335-5421.

MESQUITE, Texas -- Deborah J. "Debi" Bramlett, 42, of Mesquite, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Monday, June 15, 1998, in Dallas, Texas. She was born Nov. 13, 1955, in Cairo, the daughter of John and Esther Trexler Cozort. She was a nurse and had served in the U.S. Army. She was a member of the Family Cathedral of Praise in Mesquite...

DEXTER -- Funeral for Paul Crump of Dexter will be held at 11 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter. The Rev. Wayne Dismuke and Fred Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in Dexter Cemetery. Crump, 87, died Monday, June 15, 1998, at Dexter Memorial Hospital...

SEDGEWICKVILLE -- Funeral for Helen E. Hahs, formerly of Sedgewickville, will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. The Rev. William Brooks will officiate, with burial in Sedgewickville Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

HIRAM -- David J. Wilfong, 45, of Hiram died Monday, June 15, 1998, at his home. He was born Sept. 10, 1952, at Hiram, son of Fred and Bernice Fox Wilfong. He and Debbie S. Leach were married Nov. 3, 1997. Wilfong was a timber worker. Survivors include his wife; a son, Gary Wilfong of Marble Hill; a daughter, Bernice Wilfong of Marble Hill; his father; three brothers, Fred "Buck" Wilfong Jr. ...

Kendra S. Bannister, 26, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 15, 1998, at her home. She was born July 2, 1971, in Sparta, Ill., daughter of Carl O. and Donna Hampton Bannister. Bannister was a customer service representative at Spartech Compounding. She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sparta...

JACKSON -- Chloe Ann Johns, 58, of Jackson died Tuesday, June 16, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

POCAHONTAS -- Helen L. Schattauer, 74, of Pocahontas died Tuesday, June 16, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 18, 1924, in Pocahontas, daughter of Rudolph and Edna Adams Bruhl. She and Gilbert P. Schattauer were married Feb. 8, 1947...

Son to Eric Dennis McKinley and Carrie Ann Hunter of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:07 p.m. Sunday, May 10, 1998. Name, Shane Eric. Weight, 8 pounds 9 ounces. First child. Ms. Hunter is the daughter of Wayne and Joyce Hunter of Cape Girardeau and Priscilla Hunter of Jackson. She is employed at Ryan's Steak House. McKinley is the son of Dennis and Linda McKinley of Scott City. He is employed by McKinley's Delivery...

Nia, a Christian music artist originally from Wales, will perform in concert tonight at 7 at Cape Bible Chapel. It is her second concert in the area. She performed in November 1997 also. Her most recent albums, "Rain Will Come" and "Calvary's Lamb," combine contemporary praise choruses that appeal to all ages...

JACKSON -- On hot summer days, residents use almost every drop of water the City of Jackson can pump and treat. The city is trying to keep up with its burgeoning water needs. Its fifth well is a month or so from coming on line, and plans to drill a sixth well already are being laid...

The Southeast Missourian asked people to recall a memorable summer experience. Ruby Humes: "When I was a kid, my daddy went squirrel hunting. When he shot the squirrel, the shotgun exploded in his face. He got so mad that he broke the gun against a tree."...

7:30 p.m. Monday, June 15 City Hall Action items Power and Light Committee -- Approved a contractual agreement with the Jackson Chamber of Commerce for services provided. -- Approved a Deferred Compensation Plan for city employees and authorizing the mayor to sign necessary agreements to implement plan...