Stories from Saturday, May 8, 1999

Random acts of violence? A bullet fired through the window of a Main Street restaurant last Saturday night in Cape Girardeau left patrons and residents wondering. Police have no suspects and no motive. Luckily, no one was badly hurt in the mishap. A few patrons were hit by shards of glass. But the bullet did more than shatter glass. It shattered nerves...

School choice is becoming a battleground for dedicated parents across the United States. Dozens of states are moving forward with some form of vouchers or parental choice despite the doom-and-gloom naysayers who predict this will be the end to public education...

Elizabeth Dole, by calling for stricter gun control earlier this week, made great headway in her presidential campaign among people who would never vote for her -- or any other Republican -- in a million years. She earned the praise of Rosie O'Donnell, who said that Dole's statement "was a bold and courageous step, and I was so amazingly moved by that."...

I JUST read in Speak Out the comment about the Brady Bill. It gave me a good laugh. With my great imagination, I could see going to school being taught by a pistol-packing Annie Oakley and having a shootout at the OK Football Field. Don't blame the Brady Bill for the violence in our school. ...

Mary Ann DePeder knew she would done things right when her daughter and son-in-law participated in a child dedication service recently at Lynwood Baptist Church. As a parent, "you question whether you did it right," DePeder said. "But I knew then I'd done some things right."...

Mark Scully liked his campus home. Bill Stacy talked about the people he met. Kala Stroup was thrilled with the fountain whose construction she helped finance. They were among six former presidents at Southeast Missouri State University who were honored at a reception Friday afternoon at the Show Me Center. The others were Robert Leestamper, Robert Foster and Bill Atchley...

ORAN -- Discovery of a contaminant in Oran's well-water supply may mean the community will have to dig new wells, the mayor said. MTBE, an octane booster for gasoline, has found its way into the water supply, which comes from two deep wells within 100 feet of each other. The wells serve more than 500 homes and businesses in the north Scott County community...

Vision 2020 is continuing to seek input for creating a new strategic plan for the future in Cape Girardeau. Vision 2020, an outgrowth of Vision 2000, a community improvement group established in 1987, conducted a brainstorming session at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee Friday...

Most of the pictures from Kosovo capture the sad plight of the hundreds of thousands of Albanian refugees who made it out. But they are the lucky ones, says a man who was in Kosovo just before the war broke out. "We need to feel sorry for the people left, says Steve Guinta. "They are being murdered, they are being raped, they are being tortured. I can tell you that for a fact because I've seen it."...

A bill that includes $4.6 million for the River Campus project is on its way to the governor. The Missouri Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a capital improvements spending bill that includes money for Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus...

There's not another mother in this world quite like mine. Portia Zellars is intelligent and wise, spiritual and religious, a leader and a team player, a classy sophisticate and a funky chic. She's a Renaissance woman, able to do or accomplish anything if she's given enough notice...

Volunteers and supplies are needed today and throughout the week to help victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes. Beginning this morning, a trailer at the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart store will be accepting donations. "We need volunteers to help accept donations and load the truck," explained Bryan Singleton, co-manager of the store. "We also need donations...

The Salvation Army Thrift Shop opened in a new location Friday. Salvation Army officials, board members, volunteers and other workers joined Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce representatives for a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new location, 610 Independence...

Sonia Tikoo, a seventh-grader at L.J. Schultz Middle School in Cape Girardeau, won first place in individual competition at the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics contest held May 1 in Columbia. Tikoo was among 50 regional winners who had advanced to the state finals after finishing first, second or third in their region. She placed second in the individual rounds of the regional contest in Sikeston to advance to state...

SIKESTON - More than 21,600 students have recognized as the most talented seventh graders in the United States and among them are some Bootheel teens. In June, 17 students from Sikeston, East Prairie, Morley, Chaffee, Dexter and Essex will attend state recognition ceremonies in St. Louis, sponsored by the Duke University Talent Identification Program...

Students at Southeast Missouri State University earned honors at the 1998-99 Missouri College Media Association Newspaper and Yearbook Contest. David Smith won first and second places for entertainment reviews. Ryan Ridenhour won second place in sports photography...

Louis Armstrong sang about a wonderful world, Michael Jackson demonstrated his Moonwalk, and Marilyn Monroe gave a lush rendition of Happy Birthday at May Greene Elementary School Friday morning. The musical legends, portrayed by teachers in a fun mood, were only a few of the visitors who came to the school to help celebrate the birthday of the school's namesake...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- A two-mile stretch of the Ohio River, from mile marker 917.5 to 919.5, was closed Thursday after a leaking tank barge spilled hundreds of gallons of gasoline into the water. The river reopened to traffic Friday after a 24-hour closure for clean-up operations...

JACKSON -- Same song, fourth verse. Cape Central's boys and girls track teams knocked off each of their three conference opponents for at least the fourth time of the year Friday, officially claiming SEMO Conference championships at Jackson. For the boys, it was the Tigers' sixth consecutive SEMO Conference title. It was the girls' fifth straight...

Cape Girardeau Central High designated hitter Mark Fisher has come to relish crossing swords with Jackson. In late March, Fisher had three hits, including the game-tying single, in the Tigers' 9-7 triumph over the Indians. Fisher bettered that performance Friday by lashing four run-scoring singles in consecutive at-bats as Central routed the Indians 14-4 in six innings...

ORAN -- Oran High senior pitcher Dustin Dannenmueller was upset that he allowed Chaffee to score two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie Friday's key Scott-Mississippi County Conference matchup. So Dannenmueller took matters into his own hands. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, he drilled a Tom Stidham pitch over the left-field fence for a solo home run, giving the Eagles a dramatic 3-2 victory...

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team will trot three red-hot pitchers out to the mound this weekend when the Indians visit Murray State for a crucial Ohio Valley Conference series. Ryan Spille, Dan Huesgen and Chad Bogenpohl have given the Indians quite a triple threat in recent weeks. And, coupled with a sizzling offense, they've been a big reason why Southeast has vaulted to the top of the OVC standings...

ADVANCE -- The home run race between Kelly's Bradley Kolwyck and Notre Dame's Josh Eftink has been well documented. But one Advance slugger, 6-foot-1, 210-pound first baseman Chris Wallace, has quietly surpassed the dynamic duo in the regional home run derby...

Funeral for Foy Blissette of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Charles Seabaugh will officiate. Entombment will be in Memorial Park Mausoleum. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-7 p.m. today...

SCOTT CITY -- Opal Mae Bass, 86, of Scott City died Friday, May 7, 1999, at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, Ill. She was born Sept. 2, 1912, in Missouri, daughter of James Walter and Roxie Ann McGuire Smith. She married Buford Bass Sr. He died Jan. 26, 1979...

SIKESTON -- Merideth A. Bange, 85, formerly of Sikeston, died Thursday, May 6, 1999, at Miner Nursing Center in Miner. She was born Nov. 17, 1913, at Chaffee, daughter of August and Bess Montgomery Ralston. She and Vernon Hopkins Sr. were married in 1931. He died in 1941. She later married S.A. Fowler in 1945, who died Jan. 8, 1988. She and Albert G. Bange were married Nov. 17, 1988, at Essex...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Eulah Trainer, 95, of Knoxville, Tenn., died Thursday, May 6, 1999, at the University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville. She was born Aug. 21, 1903, in Union County, daughter of James and Elizabeth Dillow Combs. Trainer was reared in Ewing, then resided 35 years in Rogers and Conway, Ark., before moving to Knoxville...

PERRYVILLE -- Nelson H. Hoffman, 91, of Perryville died Friday, May 7, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 29, 1907, in Perry County, son of Amsirah and Luella Eddleman Hoffman. He and Lela Sutterer were married Nov. 15, 1933, in Perryville...

PATTON -- William F. "Bill" Barrett, 47, of Jerseyville, Ill., died Thursday, May 6, 1999, at St. Louis University Hospital. He was born Sept. 16, 1951, in Alton, Ill., son of Fred Francis and Mary Ann Nolan Barrett. He and Jeannell Hanners were married April 24, 1976, at Patton...

KENNETT -- James Elmo White Sr., 69, died Monday, May 3, 1999, at North Chicago Veterans Hospital Hospice Care. He was born Jan. 25, 1930, in Dunklin County, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.E. White. White was a graduate of Kennett High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State University. He lived most of his life in the Waukegan, Ill., area. He served in the U.S. Air Force...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral for Wynton "Pete" Isom of Marble Hill will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. David Isom, a son, and Charles Bollinger will officiate. Burial will be in El Nathan Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. Sunday...

Eula M. Hawn, 84, of St. Louis died Friday, May 7, 1999, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Jim and Kelli Lanza of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jewish Hospital there, 5:10 p.m. Wednesday, April 21, 1999. Name, Julia Katelin. Weight, 7 pounds 3 ounces. First child. Mrs. Lanza is the former Kelli Giles, daughter of Neil and Norma Giles of Batavia, Ill., and formerly of Cape Girardeau. Lanza is the son of Joseph Lanza of Dover, Ohio, and the late Julia Lanza. He is a medical sales representative...

Elene Stone, 74, of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away, Tuesday, May 6, 1999 at St. Mary's Health Center. She was born December 28, 1924 in Cape Girardeau the daughter of Finis and Rachel Toner Stone. She was a graduate of Jackson High School. She was employed by the Missouri Baptist Convention as Assistant Editor of the Word and Way Publications for many years. ...