Stories from Sunday, September 13, 1998

To the editor: I am writing in regard to your Sept. 6 editorial concerning the irregularities that occurred in the Mississippi County primary. In that editorial, you named the Wyatt precinct as the place where two ballots were handed out to voters. It was not the Wyatt precinct where this happened. It was Wilson City, a separate precinct from Wyatt...

To the editor: I am at a loss to understand the flap over whatever was in Mark McGwire's pill bottle. Even if it could be shown that he was ingesting steroids, I cannot perceive the relevance of the fact to his pursuit, accidental or purposeful, of the record for the number of home runs achieved in a single season...

SEDGEWICKVILLE -- Crowds were smaller this year at the annual Sedgewickville Labor Day Picnic sponsored by the Sedgewickville Fire Protection District. Those who did attend, though, were treated to good food, good fun, and lots of politics. "This picnic is the kick-off for the campaign season," said Bill Hopkins, candidate for the Associate Circuit Court Judge's position in Bollinger County. "For a candidate, this is the best place to meet people. I really like Sedgewickville...

Wanna win a Beanie Baby? How about getting an eight-page souvenir paper about Mark McGwire? And wouldn't you like to help children through area literacy programs? You can this Tuesday morning as local groups in Jackson, Gordonville and Oak Ridge will be hawking YELL editions of the Southeast Missourian. ...

St. John's Lutheran Church of Pocahontas will be celebrating their 130th anniversary on Sept. 13 in conjunction with their annual Mission Festival. The schedule for the day includes Sunday School at 8:45 a.m., and Worship Services at 10 a.m. with guest speaker Kudud Natru from Papua, New Guinea. The Sweet Adelines will provide special music for the celebration and a potluck meal will follow at the parish hall. The public is invited to attend...

Cape Girardeau Farm Bureau County President Marvin Ludwig recently attended the Missouri Farm Bureau County Presidents' and Leadership Conferences Aug. 6-8 in Jefferson City. Guest speaker Joel Blackwell, a media relations and lobbying consultant from North Carolina, set the tone for the Leadership Conference with a discussion on grass roots political involvement. ...

25 years ago: 1973 Five-year effort by Missouri Association of Counties to do away with red tape that counties have been forced to go through to receive County Aid Road Trust funds from state has been successful, Cape Girardeau County Court learned Thursday; Paul F. ...

Garrett W. Knowlan has completed basic cadet training and received the rank of cadet fourth class at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Co. The cadet is one of 1,163 men and women who completed the rigorous, five-week orientation program and was accepted into the cadet wing. By having completed basic cadet training, trainees are prepared to enter their first academic year as "doolies" at the academy and graduate as the class of 2002...

At an inter-city Rotary meeting last Thursday, Rotarians from the Cape Girardeau County, Cape Girardeau Downtown, Cape Girardeau West, Jackson, Perryville, Ste. Genevieve and Marble Hill Rotary Clubs heard reports from the Group Study Exchange Team (GSE) on their recent trip to Minas Gerais, Brazil...

About 200 people from Cape Girardeau County are expected to participate in the American Heart Walk Oct. 3. The walk starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Jackson Park. "American Heart Walk is a fund-raising event that benefits the American Heart Association's research support and educational and community service programs," said Nancy Southwick, chairman of the board of the American Heart Associations Cape Girardeau division...

Two-way traffic is scheduled to resume Monday on the Chester, Ill., bridge over the Mississippi River. The bridge, which connects Perry County, Mo., and Randolph County, Ill., has been reduced to one-lane traffic for renovation work. Crews with Global Construction Inc. of Holiday, Fla., have completed the $4.7 million renovation project. The project included sandblasting and repainting of the steel structure, applying a special sealer to the driving surface and some structural steel repairs...

This weekend is a special time in the life of the extended family of Notre Dame High School. Having raised or secured firm, multiyear pledges of more than $6 million, a truly remarkable commitment for this community, the new school took shape over the last year. This is the largest building project in the history of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church...

A survey published earlier this month revealed that while 59 percent of teen-agers can name the Three Stooges, only 41 percent can name the three branches of government. Further, while 74 percent can name the city where cartoon character Bart Simpson lives (Springfield), only 12 percent knew that Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, Ill. ...

Missourians are in the midst of a biennial, off-year election campaign which thus far has yielded far more heat than light, and only optimists can be persuaded that the substance will materially improve before November 3. No one should really be surprised that candidates seeking important offices would prefer to address issues they feel most comfortable in confronting, and no one can fairly criticize this year's crop of candidates who, after all, are simply following tradition...

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown ... says there is no question what lies ahead for President Bill Clinton, a fellow Democrat. "It's not a question of `if,' it's only a question of `when'" Clinton is forced to leave office, Brown said. -- From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Sept. 11...

In the fall of 1986, 11-year-old Keith Algreen suffocated in a gravity flow wagon of shelled corn on his family's Iowa farm. After her son's unforeseen death, Marilyn Adams, Keith's mother, and her family began a campaign to promote awareness by distributing danger decals for gravity flow wagons through local FFA chapters. In the process, she discovered that an alarmingly high number of children are injured and killed on farms each year...

IN THE midst of terrorist attacks around the world, crisis in Russia, crisis in Asia, economic problems in Latin America, economic problems in Canada, Vice President Al Gore's latest agenda is to stop urban brawls because it creates traffic problems. Please, Bill Clinton, don't resign...

PHILIPPI~ANS 3:8, 10a "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord....that I may k~now Him and the power of His resurrection...."...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will hold an informational meeting on the proposed hospital merger Sept. 21 at the Drury Lodge. Chamber members are invited to attend two sessions, one at 7:30 a.m. and the second at 4:30 p.m. Both will be held in the Lincoln Room...

Marine Cpl. David J. Mansfield, 1 995 graduate of Jackson High School, recently participated in a training exercise in Singapore while on a six-month deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable, embarked aboard the ships of the USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)...

City and county officials visited Cape Girardeau's Arena Park Saturday to ensure the safety of rides and fairness of attractions at the 143th annual SEMO District Fair. Saturday was the last workday prior to the fair's opening today. The fair opens with the 10th annual horse show, the largest in eastern Missouri. Astro Amusements will return with midway and carnival rides, and livestock exhibits and free circus performances will be held throughout the week...

Electing Cape Girardeau City Council members by ward was supposed to improve minority representation in city government and make for more competitive council races. Four years after the first ward election, critics say the system isn't working as promised, while supporters say it is too soon to call it a failure...

Many adults get their daily dose of current events by reading a newspaper while drinking their morning cup of coffee. By contrast, area students are reading newspapers and debating issues in classrooms. Hundreds of students in Southeast Missouri participate in the Newspaper in Education program sponsored locally by the Southeast Missourian. Each day, newspapers are delivered to area schools to be used by students in every conceivable subject area...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- The dinosaur footprints on the floor of the Wham Bam Doodle Hands-On Museum of Natural Science and Resources aren't real, of course, but a scale model of the dinosaur that could have made the prints is part of the museum's "Welcome to Bedrock" exhibit...

ULLIN, Ill. -- The Tri-County Criminal Justice Center could be open within a month. The new private prison, located near the intersection of Interstate 57 and the Ullin Exit, is nearly ready, and is awaiting connection to a new water system before opening...

What a week. First, Mark McGwire sends Missouri and the entire nation into the stratosphere by hitting his 62nd home run to break Roger Maris' record. Then, our oldest daughter, Becca, embraces the latest new-old fashion fad, bell-bottom jeans. Finally, Kenneth Starr issues a report to Congress that would make most decent people blush. It's enough to send us all looking for Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood...

A photograph by Brandy Harp of Villa Ridge, Ill., of a little girl leaning against a mirror earned the "People's Choice" award in this year's KINSA contest. Harp's photo was selected from the 1,100 entries in the Southeast Missourian's annual KINSA photo contest. People viewing photos at the West Park Mall earlier this month had an opportunity to vote for their favorites. Harp's photograph received the most votes...

Mark McGwire has become the greatest show on earth. He's Michael Jordan, Elvis and the Beatles all rolled into one. He hits a home run -- and the nation explodes. He strikes out -- and fans in whatever stadium the Cardinals happen to be playing give him a standing ovation...

Coming off a 66-0 mauling at the hands of powerhouse Kansas State, Indiana State couldn't wait to play a football team in its own class. The wait was evidently well worth it as the Sycamores survived six turnovers and defeated fellow Division I-AA member Southeast Missouri State University 21-14 Saturday night in front of 5,523 fans at Houck Stadium...

Sport: Volleyball Position: Outside hitter This season: Bell City won the Woodland Tournament (Sept. 1-4) with victories over Advance, Meadow Heights and Woodland. Brockmeyer had her best game in the 5-15, 15-5, 15-12 victory over Woodland, and Brockmeyer was named to the Woodland All-Tourney team. In the tourney, Brockmeyer had 29 kills in 75 attemps, 37 digs and 25 service points...

Put it in the book with the 8-foot-11-inch man and the world's oldest monkey: 46 years and 11 months of age at its death in 1976. The third quarter of Jackson's 38-26 loss at Sumner Friday night qualifies as one of the freakiest quarters of high school football on record...

BENTON -- St. Mary's of Paducah, Ky., won both the boys and girls races in the Kelly Cross Country Invitational Saturday afternoon. St. Mary's girls, who placed second in the Kentucky state meet last season, won with 29 points. Perryville (37) was second, Poplar Bluff (75) third, Kelly (94) fourth and Van Buren (112) fifth...

Missouri has 89 types of natural communities within its natural divisions. A month ago, you may have read my column about Missouri's natural divisions, geographic regions defined by geology, and plant and animal populations. Natural divisions (e.i., Crowley's Ridge, St. ...

That smacking sound -- the sound of skin hitting hardwood -- was the sound of points disappearing for Farmington in the championship match of the 11th Annual SEMO High School Volleyball Classic Saturday evening. Bernie's hustling, diving defense subtracted points, and middle hitters Emily Moore and Pearline Gill added them, equating a 15-6, 15-6 victory for Bernie over Farmington in the title game of the 30-team tourney at the SEMO Rec Center...

The 9th annual Southeast Missouri Booster Club River Eagle Golf Tournament will be held Oct. 16 at Bent Creek Country Club in Jackson. A six-person scramble format over 18 holes will be used. The entry fee is $60 per person or $360 per team, which includes a cart, lunch at 11:30 a.m. and refreshments throughout the tournament. Tee off time is 1 p.m...

The YMCA of Southeast Missouri will hold a women's slow-pitch softball tournament Oct. 17-18 at the Sikeston Sports Complex. Entry fee is $75, with teams hitting their own green dot softballs. The deadline to enter is Oct. 12. All proceeds will benefit the YMCA...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- After opening the season with a victory, Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team has now lost four straight matches. Morehead State defeated Southeast 15-6, 12-15, 17-15, 17-15 Saturday before 175 fans at Wetherby Gym. Southeast fell to 0-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play and 1-4 overall. Morehead is 1-0 and 2-5...

Jack Greene carded his second hole-in-one in the past three months with an ace Friday at Kimbeland Country Club. Greene used a wedge on No. 6, a 150-yard par 3, to accomplish the feat. Witnesses to the shot were Dennis Roth, George Landre and Glenn Kroenung...

The American Diabetes Association will hold a four-person scramble at Bent Creek Golf Course on Sept. 18. The tournament will begin with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. Cost is $85, which includes greens fee, cart, lunch and prizes. All proceeds will be donated to the American Diabetes Association...

The Cape Jaycees will hold its annual NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass, and Kick, competition Sept. 20 at Cape Central High School's football practice field. The competition, which begins at 2 p.m., is free and open to boys and girls ages 8 to 15. The top four finishers in each of the four age groups (8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15) form the boys ang girls divisions will advance to sectional competition...

The 18th annual City of Roses Half Marathon will be held Sept 27 at Arena Park. The event will also include races of 5,000 meters, 1 mile and a PeeWee 1/4 mile. The races will be divided into numerous age divisions for both men and women. The half-marathon (13.1 miles) begins at 7 a.m.; the 5K race starts at 7:15; and the 1-mile race and Pwee run start at 7:30...

BERTRAND -- Martha Groves, 71, of Bertrand died Friday, Sept. 11, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Dec. 4, 1926, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of the Everett and Rose Hall McClain. She had lived in Mississippi County most of her life...

Russell E. Coombs, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Sept. 9, 1998, at the Missouri Veteran's Home. He had been a resident since February. He was born Nov. 26, 1915 in Rhode Island, son of Herbert and Gertrude Coombs. He worked as a field regulator in the gas/utility industry prior to his retirement...

SIKESTON -- Grace Lorraine Willis of Sikeston died Friday, Sept. 11, 1998, at her home. She was 85. She was born in Opella, Ark., Sept. 23, 1912, daughter of Luther and Ida Elsberry Taylor. On Feb. 10, 1935, she married James Willis in Houston, Ark. He preceded her in death Aug. 6, 1993...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Violet Norris, 56, of Cairo died Saturday, Sept. 12, 1998, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. She was born Jan. 26, 1942, in Rector, Ark., the daughter of Henry and Addie Bettis Norris. She was a member of the Cairo United Pentecostal Church...

LUBBOCK, TEXAS -- William Arthur Mills of Lubbock, Texas, died Thursday, Sept. 10, 1998, at St. Mary's of the Plains Hospital. He was 86 years old. He was born June 1, 1912, in Commerce, the son of Arthur and Lillie Mae Haman Mills. He married Dollie Mae Pickett in Commerce in 1935. She preceded him in death April 26, 1996...

ST. LOUIS -- Jerome A. Zahner, 67, of St. Louis, formerly of Perryville, died Saturday, Sept. 12, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. He was born Sept. 3, 1931 in Silver Lake, the son of Henry and Viola Maddock Zahner. He married Annette Meyer Aug. 25, 1956...

PERRYVILLE -- Walter H. Luehrs of Farrar died Friday, Sept. 11, 1998, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was 89. He was born Nov. 1, 1908, in Farrar, the son of Herman and Anna Stueve Luehrs. He married Hilda Detjen Sept. 29, 1935. She survives. He was a farmer and worked with livestock and timber. He was a church elder, secretary and treasurer at Salem Lutheran Church in Farrar and a member of the A.S.C.S. Committee...

The tents and fences and carnival rides for the SEMO District Fair went up last week, but much of the work of the fair started long before. The fair opens today and continues through Saturday at Cape Girardeau's Arena Park. For fairgoers who will stream through the gates, one of the most popular stops is the agriculture exhibits, especially the livestock...

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story. My journal entries for 1981, 1982, 1983 were full of notations about Church Circle, Quest Club, Writers Guild meetings, giving a program here, there, everywhere, Lauren and Stephen's visits with me, my visits with Lillian and Lucille, and all the little blessings and wonders of just seeing and noticing things that seem like spoken sentences from God. ...