Stories from Friday, January 15, 1999

Degenerative spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal which may compress the spinal cord or nerves within the canal. This condition may develop at any level of the spine but commonly affects the lumbar spine (low back). If you have this condition you may have dull aching pain in your back, buttocks and legs as you stand or walk. ...

With the increasing popularity of bottled water, some concerns are being raised about the effect this trend could have on oral health. Dr. Jeffrey Patton, a Cape Girardeau dentist, said as more people drink primarily bottled water they are ingesting less fluoride, a compound widely recognized for its teeth strengthening qualities...

Murray State University's Racers scored with less than a second to go to defeat the Southeast Missouri State University Indians 71-70 in basketball action at the Show Me Center Thursday night. The win gave Murray State sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference. Both teams had entered the game undefeated in conference play...

Area farmers who grow winter wheat or fruit crops don't yet know the extent of damage that may have been caused by the recent hard freezes but agriculture officials say livestock probably was hurt more. "Most of the wheat probably was not severely affected by the cold weather because it got cold and stayed cold," said Gerald Bryan, agronomist for the University of Missouri Extension Service in Jackson...

Stop pussyfooting around in those prayers for seasonable weather. It's time for straight-shooting intercessions. Amen! As far as I'm concerned, it's time for spring. Or two feet of snow. Right now I'd take either one. The recent ice storms remind me how weather patterns change. When I was growing up on that Kelo Valley farm in the Ozarks west of here, we rarely had a real snowstorm. The worst winter weather I recall was sleet...

To the editor: The current talk-show phenom, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, hosts a weekday talk show, has written a few books and puts out a newsletter and a newspaper column. Her shtick is to always to available to advise people who are in moral quandaries...

The announcement last week that Attorney General Jay Nixon opposed the planned merger of St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital came as a surprise to representatives of both Cape Girardeau hospitals. But reality quickly set in, and both organizations have taken steps to move on and continue to look for ways to provide the best possible health care to this area...

There were few stories sadder than the one that unfolded in suburban St. Louis where a man was convicted of injecting his son with HIV-tainted blood in hopes he would die of AIDS. In sentencing Brian Stewart to life in prison, Judge Ellsworth Cundiff expressed the rage that was no doubt shared by countless parents who were horrified by what Stewart did...

To the editor: Since Al Gore and his global wartming budies are continuously preaching to coproations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I thought everyone should know how well he is doing his part. On his global-warming lobbying trip in December 1997, he traveled from Washington to Florida, from Florida to Alaska, and from Alaska to Japan and then to Washington on Air Force Two, the luxurious presidential Boeing 707 airplane...

Small Business of the Year and the Rush H. Limbaugh awards will be presented during the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting-dinner dance next month at the Show Me Center. Entertainment, dinner, introduction of new officers and other special presentations -- including the Go-Getter Award -- are among activities scheduled for the Feb. 5 event. A social hour will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. with a buffet dinner at 7 and awards presentation and program at 8. Dancing will start at 9...

As Southeast Missouri State University's basketball teams begin the final week of the regular season, one thing is perfectly clear. The Indians and Otahkians both have no idea who they might be facing in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference postseason tournament...

Because of the strong play of several newcomers, some of the returning players on Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team might get overlooked at times. But it would have been almost impossible to overlook Rusty Sowers Thursday night. The senior guard scored a game-high 19 points as she helped lead the Otahkians past visiting Murray State 78-59...

Murray State continued its dominance of Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians Thursday night -- but it took a near-miraculous shot for the Racers to do it. Junior point guard Aubrey Reese, with his team trailing by a point and the clock winding down, went nearly the length of the court, spun past two Southeast defenders and threw up an off-balance shot from just inside the free-throw line directly in front of the basket...

Something went afoul for the Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs Thursday night. Notre Dame's top two scorers, Deana McCormick and Randi Senciboy, both fouled out, and Cape Central made 22 free throws as the visiting Lady Tigers downed the Lady Bulldogs 40-35...

DELTA -- Scott County Central and Kelly will meet in the Scott-Mississippi Conference girls tournament championship after winning their semifinal games Thursday night. Scott County, the No. 1 seed, outscored No. 5 Delta 29-13 in the second half to down the Lady Bobcats 51-32. Kelly advanced with a 52-38 victory over Scott City...

THEBES, Ill. -- The Rev. Cloy Myers, 91, of Thebes died Thursday, Jan. 14, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Crain Funeral Home in Tamms is in charge of arrangements.

NEW MADRID -- Jennie Lee Hatley, 62, of New Madrid died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Jan. 13, 1937, in Columbia, daughter of Frank S. and Jennie L. Weidinger Jurgensmeyer. She and Charles C. Hatley Sr. were married Aug. 17, 1957, in Columbia...

Funeral for Veneda M. Hente Allison of Cape Girardeau will be held at 8 p.m. today at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Charles Lance will officiate. Graveside service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at IOOF Cemetery in Monett. Friends may call at the chapel from 4:30-8 p.m. today...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Glen Eugene Branam of Hickman, Ky., will be held at 1 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home. Pastor Bill Bradley will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Branam, 63, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, at West View Rehabilitation Center in St. Louis...

MARBLE HILL -- Burford "Bill" Barnard, 85, of Florida, formerly of Patton, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, at Rehaib Center of Cape Coral in Cape Coral, Fla. He was born July 4, 1913, in Stuart, Va., son of Elijah and Elizabeth Likey Barnard. He and Lorene "Bobbie" Tallent were married Sept. 28, 1945. She died July 3, 1995...

JACKSON -- Funeral for Pollyanna Gailus of Jackson will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at McCombs Funeral Chapel in Jackson. The Rev. Grand Gillard will officiate. There is no visitation. Gailus, 83, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...