Stories from Thursday, April 29, 1999

To the editor: Everyone is shocked and disturbed by the killings at the high school in Colorado. Gun-control freaks, including the president, will heighten their drumbeat as though criminals obeyed the law. Politicians will take away more rights. What else dare they do? Media will milk it beyond all limits of reason...

A Mayfest Carnival will be held from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday on the terraces at Academic Hall. The theme is "Party Like It's 1999." Clowns, jugglers, food, entertainment, attempts to break wacky world records, face painting, and a duck pond for children are among activities being presented...

Construction of a new bridge across Hopper Road will begin soon. The city will hold a ground-breaking ceremony Friday at 2 p.m. in front of Clippard Elementary School. The bridge project includes construction of a 120-foot span and widening of curbs and sidewalks. The cost is $696,000. It should be finished by fall...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's mobile office will visit Marble Hill and Jackson on May 6. The mobile office will be open from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Marble Hill Library and from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce office. Jon Riley, mobile office director, will meet with constituents who have questions or concerns...

JACKSON -- In 20 months, Cape Girardeau County officials hope to gather again for a grand opening of the new Cape Girardeau County Justice Center. A ground-breaking ceremony was held Wednesday at the site of an $8 million jail expansion. "There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears, lots of gnashing of teeth and colorful discussion to get us to this point," said Sheriff John Jordan. "But we're sure glad to be here."...

The Cape Girardeau Area Family Resource Center has hired an executive director to help develop services for people living in southeast Cape Girardeau. After an extensive search, the board selected Sharland Reed of Washington, D.C., for the position. She is to begin her duties next month...

Dr. Jonathan Thomas will speak on a "Medical Mission to Jamaica" on "Ask Your Doctor" May 6. The show is sponsored jointly by St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital in conjunction with the Cape Girardeau County Medical Society and channel 5...

Left, guitarist Dennis Cahill will perform Friday at Shryock Auditorium as part of the third annual Southern Illinois Festival of Irish Music & Dance. Right, Laurence Nugent is a flute and whistle player from Lack, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. He also will perform Friday night at Shryock Auditorium...

There are more changes coming for Missouri's gamblers, if the Legislature approves a bill that has already passed the House and is awaiting final action in the Senate. One of those changes would give riverboats the go-ahead to start training our children to become regular gamblers...

To the editor: The third-grade teachers at Orchard Drive Elementary School would like to thank Southeast Missouri Hospital for recently sponsoring "The Learning Generation" at the Show Me Center. The day was well-organized for our students. We realize it took many hours of planning to produce an educational experience of this magnitude. ...

To the editor: We would like to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to some fine people who have been so helpful in preparing the diamond at Arena Park for use by the Central High School junior varsity baseball team. You have gone the extra mile, doing a magnificent job for us. ...

To the editor: The tragedy that unfolded in Colorado is just another horrible example of the moral condition of this country. We have a president who is an adulterer and lies under oath. And his ratings go up. Our criminals appear to have more rights than their victims. ...

For the fourth time since 1996, a Cape Girardeau doctor has been honored with the Missouri State Medical Association's Citizenship and Community Service Award. This year's recipient is Dr. Jean A. Chapman, who was instrumental in the formation of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center...

Powerful music inspired by two great American leaders will be performed Tuesday as Southeast Missouri State University continues its 125th anniversary celebration. The works are Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" and Randall Thompson's "The Testament of Freedom," based on the writings of Thomas Jefferson. ...

In 1966, strong local opposition led the General Services Administration to ditch its two preferred downtown sites for a new federal building in Cape Girardeau. At a public hearing Wednesday night, the consensus was just as strong in favor of the GSA's current proposal to put the courthouse in Happy Hollow...

The Missouri House of Representatives Wednesday budgeted $4.6 million to help fund the River Campus project. But the House isn't ready to release the purse strings yet. Under the capital improvements bill passed by the House, the state wouldn't spend a dime on Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus while a lawsuit is pending over the local share of funding...

FREDERICKTOWN -- Flash floods come with warning. "They can strike quickly and be devastating," said Butch DuCote, public-affairs officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. More than 50 families were evacuated and 400 affected by a flash flood in Fredericktown and Madison County April 3. ...

Hearing about the devastation left in Jarrell, Texas, after an "unbelievable" tornado ripped through the area in 1997 should serve as a lesson for Cape Girardeau and surrounding communities. About 50 people -- from firefighters and police officers to public-works employees and volunteers -- attended a presentation Wednesday night at Glenn Auditorium on the Southeast Missouri State University campus to hear John Sneed, emergency management coordinator for Williamson County, Texas, and Judge Judy Hobbs, a county commissioner, talk about how the county responded to its worst disaster in history.. ...

April 29, 1999 Dear Leslie, The vacuum cleaner and strains of "Evita" whined in the background when DC answered my phone call home at 8 on a Saturday morning. "I'm very busy," she said. That's because I was at a hotel 500 miles away, a circumstance she viewed as an opportunity to clean the house without the husbandly presence she insists is the biggest obstacle to our house appearing in Southern Living. Absence makes the vacuum cleaner run...

Injuries are a big part of sports. Southeast Missouri State University's women's track and field team has had its share -- but the Otahkians hope to overcome them during this weekend's Ohio Valley Conference Outdoor Championships. The two-day meet will be held Friday and Saturday on the campus of Eastern Kentucky in Richmond...

Bryan Alfultis, one of the most experienced members of an extremely inexperienced Southeast Missouri State University men's track and field team, has competed in seven Ohio Valley Conference Championships during his impressive collegiate career. This weekend, the senior from St. Louis hopes to finish his strong OVC run with a bang...

Southeast Missouri State University's basketball program landed a junior-college point guard it truly coveted Wednesday when Michael Stokes signed a letter of intent with the Indians. The 6-foot Stokes averaged 17.6 points, six assists and three rebounds per game last season while leading Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas., to a berth in the NJCAA national tournament...

Not even in his pursuit of 70 had Mark McGwire put together a streak of this magnitude. Consider what Kelly center fielder Brad Kolwyck's accomplished in a matter of 3-plus games: 10-for-12, five home runs and 14 runs batted in. His five home runs came in consecutive at-bats...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont University shortstop Brian Bogaard's grand slam with two out in the 10th inning lifted the Bruins to a 12-8 victory Wednesday over Southeast Missouri State at Greer Stadium. Dan Berry's RBI single gave Southeast an 8-7 lead in the top of the 10th. But in Belmont's half of the inning, Jerry Wolsey, Southeast's sixth pitcher, came on and was greeted by a Wes Haley's game-tying home run...

The Kohlfeld Scorpions Rugby Club totally dominated the Paducah (Ky.) Flood last Saturday during an 85-5 blowout that featured a season-high point total by the Scorpions. Among the numerous scores by the Scorpions was Tim Croker's first-ever try. Said coach Tim Joplin, "We generally beat Paducah, but not usually by this margin. ...

CHAFFEE -- Chaffee's Tommy Stidham provided four hits and two runs batted in and also got the win as the Red Devils handed Scott City a 14-4 loss in six innings Wednesday. Stidham allowed three earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight in going the distance...

Courtney Haman School: Cape Central Sport: track Coach: Lawrence Brookins Week Report: Haman, a senior, took two firsts in Saturday's 33rd annual Cape Central relays and was part of two field-event relay teams which tied or set a meet record. She jumped a meet-best 5-foot-4 as the high jump team tied a record of 15-4. ...

Bradley Kolwyck School: Kelly Sport: Baseball Coach: Mike Scott Week Report: It's hard to imagine any baseball player on any level having a better week than Kolwyck did last week. The junior center fielder hit five home runs -- in consecutive at-bats -- knocked in 14 runs and had provided game-winning hits in going 10 for his last 12 in three-plus games. ...

PERRYVILLE -- A Marble Hill woman and a St. Charles man sustained moderate injuries Wednesday afternoon when their vehicles collided on Highway 51 about 4 miles south of Interstate 55. Joyce A. Womack, 53, of Marble hill, 53, and Kevin P. Trostel, 38, of St. Charles were taken to Perry County Hospital after the 2:15 accident...

Son to Jason William and Diana Rae Liley of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:11 a.m. Monday, April 19, 1999. Name, Devin Ray. Weight, 7 pounds 12 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Liley is the former Diana Mayfield, daughter of Carl and Linda Mayfield of Marble Hill. Liley is the son of Lindall and Jo Liley of Marble Hill. He is employed at LeGrand Brothers Transmissions...

Juanita Clara Capshaw, 81, of Chaffee, died Tuesday, April 27 at 9:18 p.m. at the family home in Chaffee. She was born in Bleda, Mo. on September 17, 1917, the daughter of the late John and Bertha (Amrhein) Scheeter. On April 18, 1942 she married Robert H. ...

SIKESTON -- Earnestine Harrington, 61, of Sikeston died Tuesday, April 27, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born June 16, 1937, in Sikeston, the daughter of Fred Lee and Willie Mae Thomas Harrington. She is survived by two daughters, Annette Gibson of Sikeston and Dorraine Harrington of St. Louis; a son, John Harrington of Sikeston; a sister, Lillie Gwin of Charlotte, N.C.; a brother, John Harrington of East St. Louis, Ill; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren...

David Michael Everett, 9-month-old son of Ricky and Danielle Everett of Scott Air Force Base and formerly of Ullin, Ill., died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the Crain Funeral Home in Ullin...

JACKSON -- David Paul Sides, 49, of Jackson died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at his home. He was born Sept. 13, 1949, in Cape Girardeau, son of Norman H. and Minnie E. Dalton Sides. He married Angela Schoen. Sides was a 1969 graduate of Jackson High School, attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, received degrees in law enforcement and teaching from Southeast Missouri State University, and was a 1983 graduate of the FBI Academy in Vermont...

Lovenia West, 62, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are pending under the direction of Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

PERRYVILLE -- Helen M. Taylor, 77, of Perryville died Tuesday, April 27, 1999, at her home. She was born April 16, 1921, in Perry County, daughter of John and Margaret A. Mabuce Christisen. She and Hubert Taylor were married Sept. 24, 1940, at Sereno...

BELL CITY -- Funeral for Zittie Rogers of Bell City will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance. The Rev. Wayne Page will officiate. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery at Bell City. Rogers, 93, died Tuesday, April 27, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...