Stories from Tuesday, June 23, 1998

GORDONVILLE -- Sandy Bishop is getting used to her new quarters. Bishop, postmaster at the Gordonville post office, recently moved into the new post office at 5840 Missouri Highway 25. "We've been here a week now," said Bishop, who has more than 16 years experience with the U.S. Postal Service, two of them at Gordonville. "The new post office is a wonderful addition to our community."...

If you type religion in a search engine, you will come up with hundreds of thousands of choices. People with computers and Internet access could start up their own church. The Internet also provides access to a lot of bizarre religions. You may remember those cult members who died in California were recruited over the Internet...

Austin Purcell watched as Kristin Miller, a member of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, drew an outline of his body during a session of "Pee Wee Gym" at the Osage Community Centre. The children then colored the drawings. Clarissa Walker colored a design during the Salvation Army Summer Day Camp '98...

Community and corporate sponsors are needed to underwrite development and design costs of the first official Cape Girardeau city and children's flags. The idea for a city flag originated in 1992 when a group of students suggested the city needed a flag. A contest sponsored by the Class of 2000 and Vision 2000 was held in January for local artists to submit their designs for an official city flag as well as a children's flag...

Twenty-three students from Southeast Missouri attended Boys State last week. In all, 980 young men from across the state attended the weeklong event. Missouri Boys State teaches boys about government through participation in a mythical state designed to function exactly like the state of Missouri. Each local participant was sponsored by an area civic club...

More than 40 pilots will converge on the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Thursday for the 1998 Air Race Classic. The all-women's air race begins today in Santa Fe, N.M., and ends Friday in Batavia, Ohio, for a total of 2,385 statute miles. After leaving from Santa Fe, pilots will stop at Midland, Texas, Woodward, Okla., Ogallala, Neb., St. Joseph, Mo., Cape Girardeau, Rome, Ga., and end the race at Batavia, Ohio...

The sneezing is lessening, watery eyes are returning to normal and skin blotches are beginning to clear up. The spring allergy season is starting to wind down, and it can't be any too soon for allergy sufferers. Angela Tripp, 24, of Cape Girardeau said the allergy season was especially bad for her. Every year during the spring and fall, allergic reactions to pollen and the sun cause the insides of her arms and backs of her legs to break out in red, itchy welts...

JACKSON -- Receiving the R.A. Fulenwider community service award Monday night was bittersweet for Mayor Paul Sander. His father, Leonard, was unable to see his son honored because he is in critical condition at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The elder Sander suffered a heart attack a week ago...

JACKSON -- Local officials weren't exactly thrilled by the alternatives proposed by the state for a Highway 34 bypass, so they've come up with a highway improvement package of their own. Representatives from Cape Girardeau County and the cities of Jackson and Cape Girardeau will outline the plan, which includes improving existing highways and some new road construction, in a meeting with the Missouri Department of Transportation at 2 p.m. today at the Jackson City Hall...

I'm trying to maintain my health by eating properly and exercising, but it's a difficult task when every new magazine article or news story contains contradictory information. I don't think there would be enough hours in the day for me to read about the latest health studies, if I weren't already in the news business and did so as part of my job...

To the editor: Regarding a proposed constitutional amendment to protect the U.S. flag, I happen to think that Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers meant the First Amendment to be as it is. Even though they, as many of us do, felt that burning the flag was not acceptable, we would not want to punish anyone for expressing his views. I believe the statement is, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will die for your right to say it."...

After licensing 10 riverboat casinos to operate in ponds rather than on the Missouri or Mississippi rivers, the Missouri Gaming Commission has had to reverse itself. But the action may be little more than bureaucratic red tape, because the boats in moats are still operating games of chance -- slot machines -- and are likely to continue until November when casino owners hope Missourians will make yet another change in the state's gambling laws...

If all the plans for Southeast Missouri State University come to pass in the next few years, the institution will not only have several new buildings, it also will offer several new programs for what is expected to be a growing enrollment. These plans will no doubt benefit from the shepherding of administrators like Dr. ...

CHAFFEE -- Firefighters battled a blaze for better than five hours Sunday night after a mobile home caught fire. The mobile home and a nearby old house were destroyed. Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrel said the property along Route A about two and one-half miles from Chaffee belonged to Larry Goetz. According to witnesses, the homes were apparently empty at the time of the fire, and no one was injured during the incident...

The McDowell Capahas have had a frustrating baseball season so far -- and not because they're struggling on the field. McDowell's 13-3 romp past visiting Murphysboro, Ill., Monday night -- the game was stopped after 6 1/2 innings by the 10-run mercy rule -- improved the Capahas' record to 10-4 as the team looks like it's headed for yet another highly successful season...

It took until about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, but a champion was finally crowned in the Cape Girardeau SEMO Bank Junior American Legion Tournament. After rain wiped out Saturday's action, the six teams in the round-robin baseball tourney had to perform extra duty Sunday...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for J.L. Wells of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home, with the Rev. Larry Arnold officiating. Burial will be in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Wells, 69, died Sunday, June 21, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Donald J. Smith, 49, of Sikeston died Saturday, June 20, 1998, at his home, following an extended illness. He was born June 14, 1949, in Indianapolis, Ind., son of J.T. and Helen Evans Smith. Smith was employed at Noranda Aluminum. He was a member of First General Baptist Church in East Prairie, and was formerly of East Prairie...

MALDEN -- Funeral for Mable Thompson of Malden will be held at 1 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. Vernon Reese will officiate, with burial in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Thompson, 65, died Friday, June 19, 1998, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter...

Graveside service for Lorene C. Pierce of Springfield, formerly of Cape Girardeau, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Memorial Park. The Rev. Bill Ellis will officiate. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel from 7-8 p.m. today. Pierce, 96, died Saturday, June 20, 1998, at Greenhaven Health Care in Springfield...

ZALMA -- Kathleen Fish Cato, 84, of Zalma died Monday, June 22, 1998, at her home. She was born March 3, 1914, at Zalma, daughter of Earl and Susan Stephens Fish Sr. She and Earnest Fish were married March 25, 1934, at Arab. He died Jan. 15, 1973. She later married William Otis Cato May 7, 1980. He died Nov. 10, 1984...

WYATT -- Valie Marie "Ella Mae" Williams, 67, of Wyatt died Monday, June 22, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born April 11, 1931, in Benton County, Tenn., daughter of Raymond and Annie Monday Tubbs. She and Ora Fay Williams were married May 3, 1949. He died May 10, 1973...

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Joint graveside service for Ruth Bartleson, 94, and Mary Ruth Jarka, 72, both of Elgin, will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Masonic Cemetery in Grand Chain. The Rev. William Gordon will officiate. There is no visitation. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements...

CHARLESTON -- Nadine Elizabeth Laws, 87, of St. Louis died Monday, June 22, 1998, at Oak Forest North Nursing Home in St. Louis. She was born Sept. 27, 1910, in Mississippi County, daughter of Thomas J. and Ola Mae Ward. She married Edward Laws, who preceded her in death...

Terri Billings, 36, of Huntington, W.Va., died Sunday, June 21, 1998, at St. Mary's Hospital in Huntington. She was born March 15, 1962, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Billy D. and Kay Felts Eifert. She married Tim Billings. Billings was a 1980 graduate of Central High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University...

Daughter to Christopher W. and Roberta L. Feeney of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:44 a.m. Monday, June 15, 1998. Name, Samantha Kristine. Weight, 7 pounds 14 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Feeney is the former Roberta Welker, daughter of Brenda Proffer of Burfordville, and the late Karen L. Welker. She is employed at the law firm of Bradshaw, Steele, Cochrane and Berens. Feeney is the son of Gordon and Martha Feeney of Jackson. He is employed at Biokyowa Inc...

Funeral for Johnny G. May of Rockford, Ill., will be held at 11 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. Cy Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery. May, 62, died Friday, June 19, 1998, at his home. He was born Aug. 10, 1935, in Cape Girardeau, son of J.C. and Cleo Dabbs May. He married Monett A. Roberts Nov. 4, 1954, in Cape Girardeau...

Members of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's Eighth Congressional Business and Economic Development Advisory Team will tour three regional port authorities June 29 during the team's first economic development tour. The advisory team was established last year to encourage cooperation between industry, local, state and federal governments...

Jim Biundo, president of the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club, and Dan Cotner, club member, were among some 18,000 Rotarians and guests from 116 countries to attend the Rotary International's 89th annual convention. The convention was held in Indianapolis, Ind. Participants focused on literacy, poverty and hunger, international humanitarian projects, exchange programs and planning for Rotary's future...