Stories from Tuesday, June 15, 1999

To the editor: On behalf of Southeast Missouri Modelers Association, I would like to extend a gracious thank you to the staff of the Southeast Missourian for the help and support offered to us for our model aircraft show at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport on May 22. ...

To the editor: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch should be applauded for printing in full the letter from state Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, denouncing the Post for a couple of remarks the newspaper made which were unflattering to the ambitious Mr. Kinder. His lengthy overreaction provides us with a chilling insight into not only the egomania of the state senator, but also the mindset of many Republican officeholders and why moderates like myself want no part of today's Republican Party...

In a decision that will affect the state budget, the Missouri Supreme Court has ruled that money from a voter-approved conservation sales tax can't be used to calculate refunds for taxpayers. In a 6-0 ruling, the Supreme Court agreed with the Conservation Federation of Missouri that because voters approved the sales tax in 1976, conservation revenue should be excluded from being refunded under the state's Hancock Amendment...

With a June 22 deadline looming for signing the budget bills, Gov. Mel Carnahan confronts the usual tough questions that come with the constitutional mandate to live within our means. When Carnahan proposed his fiscal year 2000 budget to the General Assembly in January, he called for a relatively modest 3 percent increase in state spending. This proposal amounted to $15.93 billion in the fiscal year beginning July 1, an increase of $465.3 million over the current year's appropriations...

Wouldn't that be fraud? I'D LIKE to comment on the tactics the university is using now on the old seminary building. If you would apply for welfare and get it when you don't deserve it, that would be fraud. They're talking about putting the seminary in somebody else's name, and after they get the federal and state money for the historical benefit, then putting it back in the university's name. I think the new university president might be looking at a case of fraud...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Simply put, quilts are made from pieces of fabric that have been sewn together either by hand or machine. But really good quilts, like the multitude of designs displayed at the Museum of the American Quilter's Society in Paducah, are made from a combination of factors...

Yahoo Internet Life recently published its 50 most useful sites. A lot of these sites we use often, and we'd have to agree that they are incredibly useful. Today, we're going to visit some of the others to see if we agree. Joni: First let's go to what's billed as the world's largest education information and services providers, Petersons...

The color guard marched slowly to the front bearing the American flag, and as the crowd of veterans watched, those that could salute stood up and looked on with tears welling up in their eyes. Others had to sit in wheelchairs and watch, and even though some only had stubs where their hands should be, they did their best to salute...

Old Town Cape Inc. is moving into a new phase. Old Town Cape, the name selected for a local Main Street program that covers a wide area of downtown Cape Girardeau, has applied for membership in the National Main Street Network and the Missouri Main Street program. The group has applied for not-for-profit designation...

The Cape Girardeau City Council and Board of Education received updates on related projects associated with construction of the new vocational school during a joint meeting Monday. Members of both groups attended the meeting at City Hall. Its purpose was to discuss how best to integrate the school district's construction of the vocational school and renovation projects with the city's road, water and sewer development projects...

James Gosche gathered his traps and headed into the woods of Southeast Missouri this summer. He is on the trail of one of the nation's peskiest insects, the gypsy moth. This year employees of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Department of Conservation, the University of Missouri and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will set more than 10,000 orange traps on trees throughout Missouri to count gypsy moths...

Charles Herbst and Ike Hammonds are on a mission -- and after last week some wonder if it is succeeding. Police officers Herbst and Hammonds staff the city's only police substation. Located in the 600 block of Good Hope Street, its presence in the community is fairly new, having opened officially in March. But its effectiveness is being questioned by some area residents after a crowd disturbance Friday morning that caused injuries to six police officers and resulted in eight arrests for assault...

Coffee drinkers everywhere should be happy with the latest FAA ruling. Coffee cups were cleared for takeoff last week. The Federal Aviation Administration decided that airline passengers can keep the cups of coffee they bring aboard flights. Previously, coffee drinkers had to discard their cups altogether or put them away since all carry-on luggage had to be stored for takeoff. The cups were considered carry-on items...

The days of traditional meter readers making the neighborhood rounds are numbered. AmerenUE plans to replace all its electric meters in Southeast Missouri with new automated ones. The switchover began three years ago in St. Louis, where the millionth automated meter was recently installed. Around 46,000 meters will be installed in territory AmerenUE serves in the Cape Girardeau region...

The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team played the part of a gracious host Monday night. But gracious might not even describe just how generous Cape was. The home team was definitely in a giving mood during its game with Murphysboro, Ill., at Capaha Field...

PARIS, Tenn. -- Wood & Huston Cape Junior Legion dropped a 5-0 decision to the host team in the championship game of the Paris Flames Tournament Sunday. Wood & Huston (10-3) finished pool play with a 4-0 record, defeating Mayfield (Ky.) 14-4 in a pool showdown earlier in the day...

Add Shawn Pemberton to the list of area products who are playing professional baseball. Pemberton, a 1994 Cape Girardeau Central High School graduate, signed a contract Monday with the Richmond (Ind.) Roosters, a Class A-level independent team that competes in the Frontier League...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will be sponsoring its 11th Annual Youth Triathlon and Kids Half-Miler at Central Municipal Pool at 9 a.m. July 31 for boys and girls ages 9-18. The half-mile run will follow the triathlon. There will be three different age divisions for the triathlon: 9-12, 13-15 and 16-18. For the kids half-mile run, there will be 4-6 and 7-9 age divisions for boys and girls...

The Major League Instructional Baseball-Softball Clinic will be held July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Cape Girardeau Central High School. Clinic instructors scheduled to appear are former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Scott Terry; former Cardinals vice president and general manager Bing Devine; and veteran scouts Dave Jennings, Joe Thurman and Eric Schifferdecker...

MARBLE HILL -- Benjamin Harold "Bennie" Norris, 51, of Marble Hill died Monday, June 14, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 17, 1948, in Polo to Lester and Naomi Groves Norris. He married Martha Chandler on Oct. 30, 1971. She survives...

Jack D. Widner of Cape Girardeau passed away on Saturday, June 12, 1999, at his home. He was born on February 24, 1930 in Manila, Ark., the son of Jesse Allen and Liddie Jane Brooks Widner. He married Lenora Winans on October, 17,1954 in Fresno, Ca. He grew up in Bell City and Sikeston. As a young man he farmed, then he went to work for National Motor Company. From there, he went to work for Dow Chemicals and retired from Ford Motor Company as an assembler...

CHARLESTON -- Funeral for Herman Rolwing of Rochester, N.Y., will be held today in Rochester. Msgr. Richard Rolwing will officiate. Rolwing, 76, died Friday, June 11, 1999. He was born Nov. 9, 1922, in Charleston, son of Paul and Elizabeth Wessels Rolwing. He and Helen Connolly were married Nov. 22, 1947. She died Aug. 7, 1988...

ESSEX -- Funeral for James Henry Mansfield of Essex will be held at 10 a.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Mike Johnson and Burl Britt will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery near East Prairie. Mansfield, 83, died Saturday, June 12, 1999, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter...

Cecil E. Trickey, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, June 13, 1999, at Cape Girardeau Residential Care Center. He was born Dec. 19, 1920, at Charleston, son of Carl and Collie Abernathy Trickey. He and Frances Queen were married Oct. 5, 1945. She died Dec. 15, 1992...

ORAN -- Henry J. "H.J." Eftink, 86, of Oran died Sunday, June 13, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 10, 1912, at Leopold, son of John and Elizabeth Elfrink Eftink. He and Delpha LaFont were married Oct. 5, 1937. Eftink was a retired farmer. He was a member of Guardian Angel Catholic Church and its St. Joseph Sodality...

SIKESTON -- Dorris May Lett, 78, of Sikeston died Sunday, June 13, 1999, at her home. She was born Sept. 9, 1920, in Columbus, Ky., daughter of William D. and Mamie Oleta Coaker Moore. She and John Lett were married June 12, 1952, in Charleston. He died June 15, 1992...

Son to Ryan A. and Stephanie A. Goddard of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:05 p.m. Monday, June 7, 1999. Name, Bo Wayne. Weight, 8 pounds 1 ounce. First child. Mrs. Goddard is the former Stephanie McLaughlin, daughter of Mike and Madelin McLaughlin of Cape Girardeau. ...

Nigel E. Andres, 88, died Monday, June 14, 1999, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.