Stories from Tuesday, January 5, 1999

As the family and consumer sciences teacher at Oak Ridge High School, Judy Womack has learned to look at the details. Her students should learn the same lesson. Family and consumer sciences was formerly known as home economics. Womack also teaches seventh- and eighth-grade science...

Everybody does a year in review, and we didn't want to be left out. So here goes. Over the past year, we've brought you more than 250 Internet sites. Some good. Some not so good. We try to be timely about where we go, so a number of the sites have already come and gone from the Internet world...

Seventeen area students were included on the fall honor roll at Southwest Missouri State University. Students named to the list earned at least a 3.5 grade-point average and completed at least 12 credit-hours during the semester. Area students named to the list were:...

JACKSON -- One year ago, resolutions on highway projects and annexation were passed at the historic first joint meeting of the Jackson Board of Aldermen and Cape Girardeau City Council. Progress reports on these and other issues will be presented when the cities' second joint meeting is held at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Jackson City Hall...

The Cape Girardeau City Council paved the way for major road improvements Monday night, approving plans for a number of Transportation Trust Fund projects. The projects include long-anticipated improvements to Broadway and Bloomfield Road. The council gave initial approval to seven ordinances that will set the stage for the council to let bids on construction work later this year...

Schoolchildren are getting an extension to their holiday vacation thanks to the wintry weather that grips the area. Dozens of area schools, including Cape Girardeau and Jackson public schools, canceled classes Monday and again today. Predictions for a slight warming trend today could mean that the vacation soon will be over...

Effective Jan. 10, stamps go up a penny to 33 cents for the millions of letters, birthday cards and other first-class mail Americans send every day. Making the changes so close to the new year has caused confusion for some postal customers, said Mike Keefe, Cape Girardeau postmaster...

The recent blast of winter weather that pushed into the region over the weekend is not only dangerous for people but can also be treacherous for animals exposed to the ice and frigid temperatures, say experts in animal care. With temperatures dipping into the single digits in Southeast Missouri and wind chill factors below zero, animals, especially those left outside, can suffer frostbite, dehydration and even death because of their exposure to the cold...

Christmas trees can give something back to the environment. The holiday season has come and gone, and many residents are involved in disposing of the more than 33 million Christmas trees that were purchased in the U.S. The city dump is out. Legislation passed more than five years ago prohibits Christmas trees and yard wastes from being put in landfills...

To the editor: Here is a letter for U.S. senators: I am a citizen of the United States and reside in Missouri. I obey the laws of my country and abide by the laws. This makes people in the United States equal under the laws with govern us with no exceptions...

History is little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind. -- Edward Gibbon As a president reaches his final months in office, he contemplates his future, focusing on one dream and one dream only: "How will history treat me?"...

State auditor-elect Claire McCaskill will be sworn in next week at a ceremony in Jefferson City. Even before that formality, however, she is letting it be known that she intends to use publicity and persuasion to build clout in an office that is legally toothless in enforcing its recommendations...

Fewer Americans said they suffered violent crimes last year than at any time in nearly 25 years, although rates of rape and sexual assaults didn't decline in 1997. The information comes from the U.S. Department of Justice. A household survey reported nearly 35 million crimes against people in 1997 from rape to purse snatchings. ...

To the editor: Lock the doors. Close the blinds. Head for shelter. We are about to be bombarded with polls galore. The bombardment could possibly be more devastating than our recent attack on Iraq. The one bright spot: At least it should not cost the taxpayers $375 million to $400 million for the hit-and-run facade. But a warning: It will last more than four days...

PERRYVILLE -- The Perryville Board of Education will move a step closer to naming a new superintendent when it reviews applications and resumes this week. Board members will meet in closed session Wednesday to review 16 completed applications and select semifinalists. In all, 27 inquiries were made regarding the position...

Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen has said all along that there isn't a whole lot of difference between any of the Ohio Valley Conference teams this season. That's why Arnzen was expecting a tough game from last-place Morehead State Monday night -- and that's exactly what his squad got...

Relief was the operative word for Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team Monday night. The Indians needed a late surge -- and a brilliant performance from senior center Bud Eley -- to avert a major disaster. With getting the first triple-double of his Southeast career and with senior forward Demetrius Watson contributing a big performance, the Indians rallied past Morehead State 71-69 in front of 3,946 fans at the Show Me Center...

DELTA -- Chaffee and St. Vincent both won first-round games in the Delta Tournament Monday, but Twin Rivers and Oran advanced when their opponents did not play because of a canceled day of school due to inclement weather. Second-seeded Chaffee posted a 51-28 victory over No. 8 Dexter and No. 4 St. Vincent downed No. 5 Delta 41-27...

Catalyst, spark plug, instant offense. Lindsey Hobeck was all that Monday night. Hobeck, a 5-foot-7 sophomore guard, hopped off the bench early in the second quarter of Jackson High's game against Poplar Bluff, swiftly pumped in 10 points during a 2 1/2-minute stretch and helped send the Lady Indians on to a 66-44 drubbing of the Lady Mules...

Southeast Missouri's Bud Eley has been named the OVC Player of the Week after posting double-doubles in both of the Indians' games. In a 70-49 loss to SIU-Carbondale, Eley scored 13 points, grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds along with five assist, three blocks and four steals. In a 75-64 loss to nationally ranked Oklahoma State, Eley had 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral Mass for Gertrude Raeth of Cairo will be held at noon Thursday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church. The Rev. Jerome Fortenberry will officiate, with burial in Calvary Cemetery at Villa Ridge. Friends may call at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday...

PUXICO -- Funeral for Morris McLean of Puxico will be held at 10 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. The Rev. Marshall Link will officiate, with burial in Puxico Cemetery. McLean, 72, died Saturday, Jan. 2, 1999, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Elizabeth Pryor of Metropolis, Ill., will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Larry Arnold will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from noon until service time...

FAIRDEALING -- Funeral for former state legislator Carleton Barfield Fulbright Sr. of Jefferson City will be held at 2 p.m. today at Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home in Jefferson City. The Rev. Jim Walker will officiate, with burial in Riverview Cemetery...

Funeral for Maurine Bode Northcutt of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Rev. David Hintz will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel from 4-6 p.m. today...

DELTA -- Paul James Blue, 74, of Delta died Sunday, Jan. 3, 1999, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 9, 1924, at Randles, son of Floyd D. and Bullah Beatrice Spain Blue. He and Verna M. Snider were married July 8, 1953. Blue had been a construction worker. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

PERRYVILLE -- George Clements, 79, of Perryville died Monday, Jan. 4, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 3, 1919, at Schumer Springs, son of Louis and Elizabeth Wirth Clements. He and Virginia Tarrillion were married Oct. 21, 1950...

ANNA, Ill. -- Velma Hargrave, 88, of Anna died Monday, Jan. 4, 1999, at Union County Hospital. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Annabel Fox, 81, of Anna died Sunday, Jan. 3, 1999, at Union County Hospital. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JACKSON -- Jill E. Myer of Jackson died Monday, Jan. 4, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was 59. She was born July 10, 1939, in Allenville, daughter of J.R. and Isabelle Slinkard Evans. She married Richard "Dick" Myer Sept. 6, 1958. He survives...

ANNA, Ill. -- Beulah L. Frick died Sunday, Jan. 3, 1999, at her daughter's home in Anna. She was 88. She was born Jan. 18, 1910, in Union County, daughter of William and Nora Miller Smiddy. She married Raymond "Ray" Frick Jan. 25, 1930. He preceded her in death...

Daughter to William and Tracy Seabaugh of Fruitland, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998. Name, Brittany Yvonne. Weight, 5 pounds 2 ounces. First child. Mrs. Seabaugh is the former Tracy Toombs. Daughter to Brian David O'Kelly and Andrea Leanne Arnold of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:33 p.m. ...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Funeral for John J. Powers of West Palm Beach, Fla., will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Barkett Funeral Home in Mounds. Larry Powers and Jim Pierceall will officiate, with burial in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens at Villa Ridge. Friends may call at the funeral home Wednesday from 10 a.m. until service time...