Stories from Friday, April 30, 1999

To the editor: Kudos to your newspaper's coverage of little Elijah Wingo's quest to obtain the individual educational program he needs not only to survive in this world, but also to thrive. Because we process knowledge in different ways, it is our professional educators' job to find the key that opens the door, which lets in the light of understanding...

International No Diet Day (INDD) -- WOW! What a great idea! No diet must mean candy, chips, ice cream, pie, bologna, fries and anything else high in calories and fat will be "legal" foods for dieters for just one day, right?. Sorry, but that's not the purpose of the May 6 event. ...

It has been over 50 years since Dr. Leo Kanner, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University, wrote the first paper to define "autism" (from the Greek, autos; meaning self) to describe a group of children who were self-absorbed and who had severe social, communication, and behavioral problems...

Animals at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri will receive a blessing Sunday as part of the 84th annual Be Kind to Animals Week. "We're celebrating the companionship, friendship and love animals bring to our lives," said Cynthia Kothe of the local Humane Society, "and at the same time show how everyone can do a little something this week to be kind to animals from putting a bird feeder in your backyard to spending a little extra time with your pet."...

After the initial shock of the deaths at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., a predictable aftermath is beginning to sweep across the land. Meanwhile, a dropout returned Wednesday to his high school campus in Taber, Alberta, and shot two 17-year-olds, killing one of them. The Canadian story was barely mentioned by U.S. media...

To the editor: I read in the Missouri Baptist Convention paper, Word & Way, about a woman who was five months' pregnant being forced to leave a public bus in Washington state for talking about religion with another passenger. On April 2 she paid her fare to travel from work to her children's day-care center. A man who boarded the bus expressed his joy at being out of the rain by saying, "Praise the Lord." They began to discuss their Christian faith...

To the editor: Sometimes, folks become overly committed to an idea. When this happens, the more dogmatic and closed-minded they are, the less are they able to acknowledge any evidence or argument that might challenge their belief. They may also lose the ability to recognize the consequences of their opinions. This seems to be the case with our radical right-wing U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (April 28 letter to the editor) and climate change...

When Main Street Levee District personnel closed the Themis Street floodgate, it was the first sign that the Mississippi River was on the rise. The giant gate was closed more than a week ago when the river reached 35.5 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge...

State Rep. Mary Kasten says she will retire when her term ends next year. "I won't change my mind," she said Thursday. "My thought was we need to give somebody else a chance." Kasten, a 70-year-old Republican from Cape Girardeau, was first elected to the House in 1982. She represents the 158th District, which encompasses Cape Girardeau...

Twenty years from now students from the Class of 2000 at Cape Girardeau Central High School hope to find improved parks, more hiking and biking trails, better streets and a drive-in movie theater in Cape Girardeau. The students, who have never been to a drive-in, agreed that an outdoor movie theater would be an exciting addition to the city...

PADUCAH, KY. -- People will have an opportunity to see the new technology and day-to-day activities at work at the National Weather Service office in Paducah May 8. "We're hosting an open house," said David Blanchard of the office. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free and open to the public...

You think men fantasize about nekkid women? Look for the power-tool catalog hidden inside the girlie magazine. As a male of the species, I'll confess I have my share of bad habits. But not all of them. I don't spit much. I don't eat junk food in my recliner very often. Whole meals, yes. But not snacks...

ADVANCE -- Advance High junior Garrett Broshuis distinguished himself this past basketball season as one of the area's top players, averaging 22 points a game. Winter has given way to spring, and basketball to baseball, but Broshuis' prowess hasn't diminished. On Thursday, he demonstrated that he is as adept at tossing fastballs as he is jump shots...

A pair of Cape Girardeau high school baseball teams enter this weekend's Big 8 Tournament hoping to answer some questions. The Central Tigers have just moved above the .500 mark, but can they remain a winning team? Central (10-9) could end up with a record as high as 13-9 or as low as 10-12 by the tournament's end...

Tommy Wencewicz plugged the rightcenter field gap to score Wes Steele in the bottom of the eighth inning as Notre Dame High escaped visiting Oran 2-1 in an impromptu game Thursday. Brian Obermann picked up the win in relief after John O'Rourke pitched six strong innings. Obermann threw two innings, allowed two hits, no walks and struck out two. O'Rourke allowed three hits and a walk while fanning six...

Southeast baseball has signed to Illinois prep baseball players for the 2000 season in shortstop Zach Borowiak of Belleville Althoff and pitcher/catcher Jim Beever of Nashville High School. Borowiak, 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, is currently batting .540 with six home runs, 11 doubles and 35 RBIs. He struck out only three times in 120 at-bats as a junior...

Lovnia West, 62, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 29, 1936, in Augusta, Ark., daughter of Robert and Ethel Barnes. West was a member of True Christian Pentecostal Witness Church. Survivors include five sons, Robert, Leslie, Walter, Leo and J.C. ...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Funeral for David Michael Everett will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin. The Rev. Clark Short and Edward Tobias will officiate. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. today...

Son to Robert Lee Bunger and Kimberly Katherine Sahlfeld-Bunger of Whitewater, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:23 a.m. Tuesday, April 20, 1999. Name, Cody Lane. Weight, 7 pounds 11 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Sahlfeld-Bunger is the former Kimberly Sahlfeld, daughter of Bob and Jan Sahlfeld of Beloit, Kan. She is a self-employed speech language pathologist. Bunger is the son of Bill and Ilene Bunger of Beloit. He is an athletic trainer at Healthsouth in Cape Girardeau...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for James R. "Jim" Holder of East Prairie will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Larry Smith will officiate. Burial will be in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Holder, 90, died Thursday, April 29, 1999, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews...

DEXTER -- Marie Wilson, 85, of Calhoun, Ga., died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at her home. She was born Oct. 23, 1913, at Dexter, daughter of Robert Lee and Lottie Emma McFarlen Gillis. She and Thomas Lee Wilson were married Oct. 21, 1937, at Benton. He died March 21, 1959...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Billy Thomas Weems of East Prairie will be held at 3:30 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Mike Cartwright and Mike Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery. Weems, 48, died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at East Prairie Nursing Center...

CHESTER, Ill. -- Thelma Irene Wilfong, 73, of Chester died Monday, April 26, 1999, at St. Ann's Healthcare Center in Chester. She was born Feb. 23, 1926, in Pemiscot County, daughter of Thomas Oscar and Mattie Evalina Sanford Majors. Wilfong was formerly of Perryville, Mo. She had been a factory worker...

PERRYVILLE -- Anna Mary Buchheit, 97, of Perryville died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Nov. 9, 1901, at Longtown, daughter of Anton and Mary Barbara Meyer Buchheit. Buchheit had worked at International Shoe Co...

JACKSON -- Frances Orpha Kerr, 74, of Jackson died Thursday, April 29, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 27, 1924, in Johnson County, Ill., daughter of Orpheus E. and Pearl F. Evans Kerr. The Kerr family moved to Cape Girardeau in 1926. She was a graduate of Central High School...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Gordon O. VonNida, 78, of Mounds died Thursday, April 29, 1999, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. He was born June 26, 1920, at Villa Ridge, son of George Oliver and Blanche Atherton VonNida. He and Irma L. Wilson were married Aug. 23, 1941, at Charleston, Mo...

CAMPBELL -- B.W. Barkley, 68, of Campbell died Wednesday, April 28, 1999, at his home. He was born April 21, 1931, in Faulkner, Miss., son of Barry Wash and Jennie Mae Walker Barkley. He and Donna Sue Eubanks were married Nov. 6, 1954, in Caruthersville...

Gale Howard of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 29, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements.

DEXTER -- Funeral for Leonard Sagert of Dexter will be held at 11 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. Kenneth Biggs will officiate. Burial will be in Gravel Hill Cemetery near Bloomfield. Friends may call at the funeral home after 10 a.m...