Stories from Friday, March 26, 1999

To the editor: Nostradamus was a guy who lived hundreds of years ago. He could predict the future. Many things happening now were foretold by him. When I tell people I am the Nostradamus of my day, their reaction is always the same. Hysterical laughter. When the prediction made in this letter comes true, my gift will gain the respect it deserves...

It is hard to imagine that just a little more than 50 years ago most people knew nothing of antibiotic medications and now almost everyone, including children, know that antibiotics are medicines used to treat bacterial infections. These medications range from treatments for strep throat, pneumonia, acne to meningitis and tuberculosis. Antibiotics are medications that have been designed to kill or harm bacteria, but they do not treat viruses...

It's been more than 100 years since Mary Baker Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, but her preachings are still popular today. As a woman living in the 1800s, Eddy faced many hardships and trials, which strengthened her religious convictions. She was separated from her children, abandoned by her husband and faced chronic illness...

International business and its impact on the local economy will be discussed during a rededication of the Southeast Missouri State University World Trade Center Satellite Office next month. The trade center, established at the Small Business Development Center at the university, has been busy since it opened in 1995 as a satellite of the St. Louis World Trade Center...

Practicing medicine is an evolving art said, Dr. Randy Stahly, a Cape Girardeau neurologist. While science and technology are at the core of what physicians do, experience with patients brings out the art of medicine. To honor the art, and the doctors who practice, a national Doctor's Day is observed each year on March 30...

THANK YOU for publishing suggestions on how to improve Riverfest. I have one myself. I think Riverfest would be improved if they could figure a way to temporarily take down the river wall and allow the streets to flood. Patrons of Riverfest could ride around in boats and pretend they were in Venice, Italy. This would give Riverfest a sophisticated European flavor, make it more appealing to the upper classes and less attractive to the teeming, often destructive masses...

This may not be the time, in the minds of many Americans, to criticize President Clinton. After all, American pilots are engaged in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and Kosovo. We must stand behind our fighting forces who are in harm's way. Yes, men and women ordered by their military superiors to go into battles of questionable purpose deserve our support. ...

When polar explorers were trying to reach the North Pole in the early part of this century, the question might have been asked then, as now: What's the point. Whoever got there first was only going to find more snow. Or when mountain climbers were trying to scale Mount Everest, what was the point? There was nothing but inhospitable real estate up there...

To the editor: This letter is in response to your March 15 editorial, "NRA jumps into collective bargaining."I have been a police officer for 22 years. I am not adamantly opposed to allowing honest Missourians to legally carry concealed handguns for self-defense. ...

To the editor: When I was a little girl, I read the story of Rip Van Winkle. As an adult, I think I know what this story is about. The American people have been lulled to sleep by the ale of government involvement in our lives. We have neglected our right and responsibility to take care of ourselves. ...

Motorists are facing an economic pinch at the pump as fuel prices continue to climb near the dollar mark for regular unleaded gasoline. The increase follows an agreement among the world's top oil producers to curtail production and end a global oil glut...

Jennifer Willis snapped on the latex glove and bravely reached out to touch the pig lungs as they rhythmically inflated and deflated with help from a ventilator. "Yuck," she squealed. As her classmates from Cape Christian School took their turns to touch the lungs, Willis explained that the lungs were really pretty gross but The Learning Generation event was pretty fun...

Vote. That was the message delivered to concealed-weapons supporters at a town-hall meeting in Cape Girardeau Thursday night. Tim Heuiser of Poplar Bluff, area coordinator for Missourians Against Crime, told a crowd of about 50 people at the Osage Community Centre that turnout holds the key to victory in the April 6 election...

I suppose it's nice to know there are galaxies beyond the Milky Way, but I haven't figured out why I need to know that. Don't panic, but I still think there are a lot of Big Questions out there we don't have a clue about, even if we think we do. For the umpteenth time, Time magazine tried again this week to explain both the Big Bang theory and Einstein's theory of relativity...

The only thing that had more bite than the frigid wind from the north Thursday was Notre Dame's lineup. The Bulldogs (2-0) spanked 12 hits and scored at least one run in every inning in disposing of Poplar Bluff (0-1) 9-3 in the first game ever played on Notre Dame's new baseball field...

Harrisburg's Bulldogs are expected to be one of the top high school baseball teams in southern Illinois this year. Cape Girardeau Central's Tigers are a young, rebuilding squad that is experiencing early-season growing pains. So it was perhaps no surprise that the Bulldogs rolled past the host Tigers 9-1 Thursday afternoon...

It was a tale of two teams for the Kohlfeld Scorpion Rugby Club last weekend. First, the Scorpions rolled past an inexperienced Scott Air Force team 31-0. Then the Scorpions suffered an 86-0 destruction at the hands of Wisconsin, the defending Division II national champion...

Todd Porter, head basketball coach at Scott County Central, will not be back to coach the Braves next season after being pressured to resign. Porter led Scott County to a 19-8 record this past season and an 67-42 record over the last 4 years. Scott County has won 12 state championships over the years and Porter failed to return the Braves to their glory. In fact, Porter never won a district title at Scott County...

Cape Girardeau Central High boys tennis coach Bud Craven knew his team would be facing a major challenge Thursday when Kentucky powerhouse Lone Oak came to town. Craven was right on the money because the Tigers suffered a 9-0 loss, although Central did win the junior varsity match 8-3...

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team will try to claim the Midwest Independent Championship when the meet is held Saturday at Redbird Arena in Normal, Ill. The MIC meet, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start, will feature Southeast, host Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago and Winona State...

High school basketball players with some serious hoop dreams will gather in Murphysboro, Ill., next Friday to show off their skills for the watchful eyes of numerous college coaches and recruiters. For the fourth year in a row, Murphysboro High School will be the site of a college workout day that is open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Players from both Missouri and Illinois will participate...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Oscar Edwards, 89, of Brighton died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at Robings Manor in Brighton. He was born June 20, 1909, in Mound City, son of Otto and Coral Loeschner Edwards. He and Mary Alice Full were married in March 1928. She died in 1990...

WAPPAPELLO -- Marie Walker, 92, died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 16, 1906, in Barnesboro, Pa., daughter of Michael and Anna Dudak. She married Billy Walker on Dec. 3, 1929, in Gary, Ind. He died Sept. 8, 1978...

KELSO -- Lorene Hagan Robert, 86, of Kelso died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 13, 1912, in Scott County, daughter of Benjamin John and Dorothy Theresa Heuring Enderle. She and Louis Robert were married March 14, 1985, at Kelso...

ADVANCE -- John Henry Long, 93, of Advance died Wednesday, March 24, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 20, 1905, in Greenbrier, son of Jacob and Eliza Thomason Long. He and Ethel McDowell were married Jan. 17, 1935, at Brownwood...

BENTON -- Graveside service for Larry Lindell Hale Sr. of Benton will be held at 2 p.m. today at Unity Baptist Cemetery. The Rev. Dale Huff will officiate. There is no visitation. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Benton is in charge of arrangements. Hale, 51, died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

SCOTT CITY -- Anita Helen Hilpert, 89, of Scott City died Wednesday, March 24, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 9, 1909, at Fornfelt, daughter of Emil and Meta Westerhold Eifert. She and John William Hilpert Sr. were married Aug. 4, 1935, at Illmo. He died July 19, 1988...

FRUITLAND -- Harry L. McDowell, 83, of Fruitland died Wednesday, March 24, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 2, 1915, at Fruitland, son of Eli and Effie Noland McDowell. He and June Anderson were married Jan. 30, 1936. McDowell was a farmer and livestock dealer in the area many years. ...

LICK CREEK, Ill. -- Funeral for Jesse Masters of Lick Creek will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria. The Rev. James Lashley will officiate. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery at Peoria. Friends may call at the chapel Saturday from 11 a.m. until service time...

PERRYVILLE -- Ruby V. Favier, 87, of Perryville died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at Perry Oaks Healthcare Center. She was born Jan. 19, 1912, at Allenville, daughter of Arthur and Clola Idell Ramsey Smith. She and Orval J. Favier were married July 25, 1931. He died March 7, 1993...

Daughter to Ben A. and Kelly Renee Burnett of Chaffee, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:39 a.m. Friday, March 19, 1999. Name, Alexis Lea. Weight, 5 pounds. Mrs. Burnett is the former Kelly Glueck, daughter of Larry and Paula Glueck of Chaffee. She is employed at Do It Best Corp. Burnett is the son of Jerry and Dixie Burnett of Oak Ridge. He is employed at Procter & Gamble...

CHAFFEE -- Anna Marie Guyott, 88, of Chaffee died Thursday, March 25, 1999, at Chaffee Nursing Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.