Stories from Monday, April 12, 1999

"Acquiring the Tools to Build Our Tourism Future" is the theme of the second annual tourism conference to be held Friday at Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. Dr. Dale Nitzschke, university president, and university faculty members will speak at the conference...

Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. has been named to the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest corporations. Mercantile, which was listed as "Newcomer" to Fortune Magazine's top 500, is number 496 on the list to appear in the April 26 issue of Fortune Magazine. Mercantile ranks 24 among U.S. commercial banks in total assets...

The Southeast Missouri State University World Trade Center satellite office will be rededicated at 5 p.m. today at Dempster Hall. Following the rededication ceremony, a panel will discuss international business and its impact on the local economy. Panel members include Robert Frueh, director of the St. ...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's one-day membership blitz is set for May 11. The local chamber enters 1999 with the top membership of all Missouri cities of 50,000 or less population, and is third in total membership, behind Kansas City and Springfield, at about 1,200 members...

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce membership has reached 300. Latest members, during the month of March, include Mrs. Leonard, Sander, Route 25 Hall, Marion Eye Center, T-Mack Painting and Clean the Uniform Co. The Jackson Chamber's Business After Hours session will be held Tuesday at Mercantile Bank. Other April meetings include the chamber board meeting Wednesday, a general membership meeting at Woodard's Restaurant April 21 and the Educator of the Year banquet April 22...

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions at Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Perryville this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available April 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

Bud McMillan of Cape Girardeau has joined Wieser Honda, 385 Siemers Drive, in Cape Girardeau as a new sales representative. McMillan worked in auto sales from 1987 to 1992. Teresa Acey, formerly of Cape Girardeau, has been named marketing associate with SSM Corporate Health Services, the occupational medicine division of SSM Health Care at St. Louis...

ShopKo Stores Inc. is preparing for grand opening at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will open it newest Supercenter at Jackson this month. A telecommunications service company, which has requested anonymity, is considering a Cape Girardeau location...

This "Financial Focus" column is prepared by Edward Jones Investments, headquartered in St. Louis. Jones includes branches throughout the nation, including Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The clock is ticking. Are you ready for tax day, April 15, 1999? Here are a few ideas to help you prepare:...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., was the nation's biggest toy retailer in 1998, dethroning Toys R Us Inc. for the first time in more than a decade, analysts said. Wal-Mart's sales accounted for 17.4 percent of the market in 1998, while Toys R Us held a 16.8 percent share last year, according to data released by The NPD Group, a Port Washington, N.Y.-based market research firm...

We remember a previous era in Northern Mississippi. We remember that a youngster by the name of Elvis, born in Tupelo, made it big on the rock 'n' roll scene. In the meanwhile, on the other side of the state, cotton, soybeans, rice and other grain crops were providing some big bucks for some, and a meager livings for others...

Missouri state government is flying high these days on a taxpayer-funded fleet of 28 airplanes and helicopters. State Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, and other members of the House Budget Committee would like to put the brakes on some of the high-flying spending...

Ira King got a taste of the world Sunday. "The food is good," King said after sampling international dishes during the International Carnival. Ira, his sister, Katy and parents, Bill and Julie King of Jackson traveled around the world Sunday at the carnival on the Southeast Missouri State University campus...

Southeast Missouri Hospital has established a School of Medical Technology in partnership with Southeast Missouri State University. The new program begins in July and will be housed at the hospital. Medical director for the program is Dr. Mark Hosler, a pathologist...

The National Weather Service at Paducah might not be issuing any warnings for the region today, but they offer some good advice. "Tornadoes can -- and do -- happen in this area at any time and with little or no notice," said meteorologist Beverly Poole of the weather service at Paducah...

Downtown living is making an impressive comeback in Cape Girardeau. Long ago, many of Cape Girardeau's residents lived downtown. That's about all there was. As recently as the mid-20th century, some old-timers scoffed at the idea that people would keep moving into such remote new neighborhoods as Sunset, Clark and Woodlawn Streets...

Republicans are so adept at self-destruction that they are about to convert one of Bill Clinton's worst policy debacles into a political net loss for themselves. Clinton's NATO operation has not only already failed to accomplish its main purpose -- to end the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo -- it has specifically exacerbated the problem by intensifying and accelerating the cleansing...

A particularly revealing story out of Washington recently told of how the federal government not only counts the huge Social Security fund surplus, but billions of dollars in surpluses in more than 100 other trust funds to declare that the federal budget will be in the black in 2000...

Americans in their 60s face a dilemma these days: whether to retire early and receive reduced Social Security benefits or keep on working until 70 and get maximum benefits. The problem with early retirement is that most Americans can't make ends meet on Social Security benefits alone. There are 870,000 Americans between 65 and 69 who are working, mostly because of that reason...

To the editor: I was at a meeting at the Cape Girardeau Public Library April 5 where a group of government bureacrats were presenting a program about the Mississippi River. I talked to Dr. Ken Lubinski of the U.S. Geological Survey about the program and about individual property rights. He told me that individuals could or would not be able to do what is necessary in this project without government control and financing...

Since he normally starts the first game of Ohio Valley Conference doubleheaders, Ryan Spille isn't usually called upon to pitch more than seven innings. But Southeast Missouri State University's ace hurler was more than up to the challenge Sunday afternoon as he worked all nine innings as the Indians slipped past Belmont 5-3 in front of more than 600 fans at Capaha Field...

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University's softball team suffered its first Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season Sunday when the Otahkians split a doubleheader with host Tennessee Tech. The Otahkians dropped the opener 3-0 but came back to win the nightcap 6-2. Those results came on the heels of Saturday's sweep at Tennessee State, 11-3 and 9-0...

The cause of a fire Saturday at the Cape Girardeau Sears store, 2102 William, is under investigation, the Cape Girardeau Fire Department reports. The fire was reported at 12:20 a.m. The sprinkler system and alarm at the retail store were activated. The fire damaged nine crated appliances in the store's warehouse...

Mildred Marie Berry, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, April 10, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born June 7, 1913, at Covington, Tenn., daughter of Ulric and Nina Turnage Moore. She and Enloe Buchanan were married in 1932. He is deceased. She married Edward J. Berry Dec. 23, 1951, at Blytheville, Ark. He died Oct. 18, 1986...

WYATT -- Juanita Howell Brown, 73, of Wyatt died Friday, April 9, 1999, at her home. She was born Jan. 15, 1926, at Oak Ridge, daughter of Joshua and Anna Jane Thomas Howell. She was a member of St. Henry's Catholic Church and the Legion of Mary. Brown had been employed with the Brown Shoe Co. in Charleston...