Stories from Saturday, January 30, 1999

Tears welled up in Sister Deborah Troilette's eyes as she listened to the pope during Mass. Troilette had seen the pontiff before but was moved by the power of the largest indoor Mass. Mary Barron comforted her 18-year-old son, Mark, after he received communion Wednesday at Mass held inside the Trans World Dome in St. Louis. Mark suffers from cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair...

The nation's booming economy has paid huge dividends for the federal government in income tax revenue. The government has seen its net income tax revenue climb by 76 percent in seven years, from $576 billion in fiscal 1992 to over $1 trillion in fiscal 1998, which ended Sept. 30...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The U.S. Coast Guard reopened a section of the Ohio River north of Cairo to one-way traffic late Friday morning following a barge crash into a pier of the Illinois-Kentucky highway bridge. The motor vessel Megan Beesecker, owned by Northstar Navigation Inc., of Paducah, Ky., struck the pier about 5:10 a.m. Friday...

Canal Industries Inc. has no problem with Gov. Mel Carnahan's executive order concerning the wood-chip industry. "Typically, we don't make our records public," said Fran Gilbert, senior vice president of Canal Industries, which has operations in 15 states. "But if this is what it takes, we'll abide by the governor's decision."...

Tower Rock was painted by Carl Bodmer in 1835 and appeared in Norbury L. Wayman's 1971 book "Life on the River." Before Europeans began settling the Mississippi River Valley, buffalo may have ranged through the region between St. Louis and Cairo, Ill., and certainly there were bears and elk and plenty of mosquitoes. The mosquitoes are still here, but much else has changed in this land the river runs through...

The Middle Mississippi River Ecosystem Management Work Group formed in the wake of a 1993 report titled "Facing the Threat: An Ecosystem Management Strategy for the Upper Mississippi River." The report by the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee outlined environmental problems along the river and challenged government to devise a plan to combat them...

Researching the Cape Girardeau city code no longer requires a trip to City Hall and ample time spent plowing through a 3 1/2-inch thick tome. Now the Code of Ordinances is just a few mouse clicks away on the city's Web site. This is another step toward a virtual City Hall," said City Manager Michael Miller. "Citizens are able to get information and communicate with the city 24 hours a day from the convenience of their own home."...

To the editor: I have been reading a lot of articles promoting Vice President Al Gore's speaking engagements on global warming. It seems that Mr. Gore is convinced that we are in deep peril and that he has a mission to enlighten us and to make sure the process is in place for government control and regulation...

Funding for Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus wasn't included last week in Gov. Mel Carnahan's proposed budget. The news was disappointing, but it certainly doesn't spell gloom and doom for the project. Sometimes an undertaking this big takes more time to come to fruition than originally hoped...

To the editor: There are many dates in American history that are etched in stone: July 4, 1776. Dec. 7, 1941. June 6, 1944. Jan. 22, 1973. You may not remember Jan. 22, 1973, but it also is a date that will live in infamy. It was on that date that the U.S. Supreme Court, in the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision, said that every woman has a constitutional right to abort her unborn baby throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Since the, we have experienced 26 years of tears...

The Youth Choir of Calvary United Pentecostal Church in Jackson will perform on the Lou Hobbs show on KFVS-TV at 11 a.m. today. Consisting of singers ages 14 to 23, the choir sings in churches throughout the region. Their music consists mostly of contemporary and southern gospel selections...

A burly, sweet-voiced man in a black hat sang unblinking songs Friday night about a life that has been messy at times, has crossed the law and estranged a child. But in the end he was a preacher who'd learned the hard lessons of an outlaw, singing, "Follow the light, because the light is love."...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team doesn't have to be reminded just how much Morehead State has improved since last season. The Indians were very nearly upset by the Eagles when the teams met on Jan. 4 at the Show Me Center. Southeast had to rally late to squeeze out a 71-69 victory...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- When Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team began a stretch of three tough road games, coach Ed Arnzen figured winning two of them was a must. That means the Otahkians face something of a must-win situation today when they face Morehead State in a 4:45 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference game at Johnson Arena...

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team, coming off a record-setting performance last week, will play host to Illinois State tonight in its only meet this season in the Show Me Center. The Wellness in Motion meet will begin at 7, following a "wellness fair" at 6 and a short demonstration featuring young area gymnasts at 6:45. A Super Bowl party for Southeast students is planned for after the meet...

Cape Central coach Brett Reutzel may have rocked the boat, but the ship sailed as smooth as it has all season. The Tigers' starting lineup underwent a makeover Friday night and Reutzel reached deep into his bench as Cape Central bombarded Poplar Bluff 69-44 in a SEMO Conference game...

PARMA -- Funeral for Bearne Lee Hampton of Parma will be held at 1 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter. The Rev. Kenneth Biggs will officiate. Burial will be in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Hampton, 48, died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, at Ridgeview Nursing Center in Malden...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Memorial service for Carol Ann Neeley of Olmsted will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge. The Rev. Robert "Bob" Dickerson will officiate, with burial in IOOF Cemetery in Golconda. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until service time...

MALDEN -- Fannie Mae Brown, 56, of Malden died Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 18, 1942, in New Madrid, daughter of Henry P. Wade and Jettie Patterson. She and Cleveland Brown were married May 6, 1972, in New Madrid...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Adele Groves, 68, of East Prairie died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, at her home. She was born Nov. 19, 1930, in East Prairie, daughter of Curtis C. and Mae Vaughn Pritchett. She and Marshall Groves were married Aug. 27, 1950, in East Prairie...

CAMPBELL -- Funeral for Noble Mirl Davis of Campbell will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Rainey Funeral Chapel in Bernie. Dale Hartle will officiate. Burial will be in Smith-Stevenson Cemetery near Dexter. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10:30 a.m. until service time...

BELL CITY -- Bobby Gene Senciboy, 67, of Delta, Ala., died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, at his home. He was born Aug. 30, 1931, in Bell City, son of George and Zalma Etherton Senciboy. Senciboy had worked at McDonnell Aircraft Corp., and had been a self-employed truck driver. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War...

SIKESTON -- Junior P. Cureton, 62, of Sikeston died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Oct. 21, 1936, at Bessville, son of Charlie and Iona Skaggs Cureton. He and Grace Graham were married Oct. 25, 1957, at Wardell...

ZALMA -- Lois R. Thornburgh, 81, of Zalma died Friday, Jan. 29, 1999, at Advance Nursing Center in Advance. She was born June 30, 1917, at Zalma, daughter of Henderson and Rebecca Sipes Williams. She and Robert Thornburgh were married June 17, 1946, at Zalma. He died in September 1956...

JACKSON -- Rose E. Nanna, 85, of Jackson died Friday, Jan. 29, 1999, at Jackson Manor. She is formerly of Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Ruth Joan Billings, 67, of St. Louis died Thursday, Jan. 28, 1999, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Oct. 14, 1931, in Cairo, daughter of William and Lenora Miller Hensley. She married Donald R. Billings. Survivors include her husband; three daughters, Sharon Billings of Chandler, Ariz., Joni Barczewski and Amy Frederich of St. ...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. William Ellison Means of Cape Girardeau, Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, 8:25 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 21, 1999. Name, Catherine Marie. Weight, 7 pounds 6 ounces. Fifth child, fourth daughter. Mrs. Means is the former Susan Fee, daughter of Gretchen Fee and Robert Fee of Cape Girardeau. Means is the son of Loretta Means of Collinsville, Ill...

IDALIA -- Funeral for Melvin Duley of Idalia will be held at 11 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter. The Rev. R.C. Martin will officiate. Burial will be in Essex Cemetery at Essex. Duley, 76, died Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1999, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff...