Stories from Tuesday, June 29, 1999

The vast majority of Cape Girardeau Central High School graduates complete their course of study in regular classrooms. However, some students need alternative routes to make skill mastery and high school diplomas achievable goals. According to a special study released by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, those special routes have helped to improve the number of high school graduates in the school district...

What's the most visited commercial Web site in Southeast Missouri? We are. Over the past year, the Southeast Missourian newspaper's official Web site has continued to evolve. This, of course, is the nature of the Internet. Perhaps one of the biggest changes has been the introduction of news stories...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education approved a scaled-back design and bid for construction of the Cape Girardeau Vocational Career Center Monday night. Bids submitted for the project two weeks ago were some 25 percent over the district's estimates. Administrators then began meeting with low bidder Kiefner Brothers Construction Co. to determine ways to reduce the cost of the project...

After a lengthy discussion, Cape Girardeau school board members approved a compromise phase-in plan for some students affected by recently adopted school boundary changes. Board of Education members voted to allow fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders and their siblings the option of remaining at the school they attended during the 1998-99 school year. Parents of affected children will be asked to make a decision regarding the grandfathering process before July 30...

Southeast Missouri State University's faculty and staff would receive 2 percent pay raises on average under the proposed fiscal 2000 budget. Clerical, technical and service employees would receive 4 percent pay hikes on average, school officials said...

Aging Houck Stadium would get synthetic turf and a new press box as part of a proposed $5.28 million renovation plan. Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents will review a conceptual design for the project when it meets Wednesday. Dr. Ken Dobbins, the university's executive vice president and soon-to-be president, said the project depends largely on raising private funds. State money also would be sought...

Last year it was Willie; this year it's Waylon who will headline the SEMO District Fair. Country music stars Waylon Jennings, Billy Ray Cyrus and Terri Clark will perform during the fair, which will be held Sept. 12 to 18 at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau...

Heard any good news recently? It seems newspapers and television broadcasts are filled with bad news lately: everything from serial killers on the loose to shootings and planned murders. Last week, everyone I met seemed to be fed up with bad news, and it didn't matter if the story was local or national. I talked to one woman at a local Chinese restaurant who wanted to know why good news wasn't reported anymore...

"I'm a social worker. I'm a psychologist. I'm parents for some of those children. What society expects from teachers is much more than I first encountered. We're raising some of these kids." -- Brenda Woemmel, teacher Veteran teachers have seen their roles change dramatically in the past 20 or more years. Increasing expectations from federal and state agencies and society at-large make a teacher's job tough, educators say...

Most of the power outages across parts of Southeast Missouri Sunday afternoon and night were restored within two hours. "Some homes were without power as long as six hours," said AmerenUE district manager Doug Groesbeck. "But 5,200 people had power within two hours," he said...

JACKSON -- Citing a lack of time to devote to his office, Fred Leimer resigned Monday night after serving five years on the Jackson Board of Aldermen. Leimer, who has a construction business and was married within the past year, said he was resigning with mixed emotions. But he noted that regular board meetings represent only about one-fourth of the time required to be an alderman...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Gambling riverboats in Illinois have "dropped anchor" for good. The nine operating riverboat casinos, from the Elgin Riverboat Resort Casino on the Fox River in the north to Players Casino at Metropolis on the Ohio River, opened their turnstiles to dockside gambling Saturday...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education increased salaries for substitute teachers and teachers who sponsor extra-curricular or athletic activities during a meeting Monday night. Board members unanimously approved a $5 increase in the daily rate of pay for substitute teachers. Out-going Superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent said people eligible to work as substitutes were attracted to other area school districts that paid more than the $45 per day offered in Cape Girardeau schools...

To the editor: There was an article June 21 by Mark Bliss. I agree with the article, but it could have gone much farther. Thanks, Mark, for it did a bit of good. I and three others of my family were out there June 22, and so were the Conservation Department people. They were painting tables, spraying around the toilet area -- heaven only knows how they could stand the smell, replaced the concrete block on the handicapped ramp and began mowing...

Gov. Mel Carnahan signed the $16.2 billion budget for fiscal 2000 last week, with spending on education accounting for nearly a third of the total package. For one comparison, state government today spends more on elementary and secondary education, not including local school district spending -- $3.8 billion -- than the figure for the entire operating budget for all state government as recently as 1980...

To the editor: The people of Jackson and the surrounding area owe Gwen Winningham a special thank you. I am sure the majority of people who use the Jackson City Park where the swimming pool, lake and band shell are located are not aware it was once owned by Ms. Winningham. It was through her love of the outdoors and foresightedness that we now have this park instead of a corner with homes, apartments or commercial properties...

The U.S. Supreme Court rendered three salutary rulings last week. In the rights-obsessed language so common in today's culture, here is how the Associated Press reported the story: "The Supreme Court excluded more than 100 million Americans with physical impairments from the protection of a key anti-discrimination law Tuesday, ruling the law generally doesn't cover people with poor eyesight or other correctable conditions."...

To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who helped make the recent St. Francis Heartland Junior Championship golf tournament a success. The tournament was June 7-10 with 122 junior golfers representing four states. Mike Litzelfelner, the Litzelfelner family and the entire staff at Bent Creed Golf Course hosted a top-quality tournament. They are a fantastic group to work with...

The four area products who recently began their professional baseball careers have met with mostly inauspicious starts so far -- with one exception. Ryan Spille, the Southeast Missouri State University product taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 19th round of the amateur draft earlier this month, needed just one outing to get bumped up to a higher league...

Hilbert Francis Groseclose was born in Randles, Mo. on October 29, 1912, to Levi Otis Groseclose and Cora Mae Seabaugh Groseclose. He graduated from Delta High School in 1929. Mr. Groseclose married Alpha Margret Eaker of Lutesville, Mo. July 27, 1938. Alpha, his wife of forty-two years, preceded him in death as did their first son, Hilbert Francis Groseclose, Jr...

BLOOMFIELD -- Funeral for Eveline Sanders of Bloomfield will be held at 11 a.m. today at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home. The Rev. Lonnie Clubb will officiate, with burial in North Antioch Cemetery. Sanders, 61, died Saturday, June 26, 1999, at her home...

BELL CITY -- Shirley Harris, 62, of Bell City died Wednesday, June 23, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 25, 1936, in Obion County, Tenn., daughter of John and Lottie Keith Mobbs. She married James Harris, who preceded her in death...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Lucille Gladys Nimmo of Anna will be held at 10 a.m. today at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home. The Rev. Ralph Lee will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery. Nimmo, 83, died Saturday, June 26, 1999, at her home. She was born April 8, 1916, at Malden, daughter of Ebby and Jewell Boyd Steward. She married Lloyd Shelton, who preceded her in death...

BENTON -- Funeral Mass for Gilbert Leroy "Gil" Robert of Benton will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Denis Catholic Church. The Rev. Normand Varone will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton after 4 p.m. today. Parish prayers will be at 7, and Knights of Columbia prayers at 7:30...

Funeral for Carl W.F. Vasterling of St. Louis will be held at 11 a.m. today at Kutis Funeral Home in St. Louis. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery in the St. Louis area. Vasterling, 91, died Saturday, June 26, 1999, at Truman Center in St. Louis...

Funeral for Luke Harlan Heidbreder of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Mark Anderson will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park. Friends may call at the chapel from 4 to 8 p.m. today...

JACKSON -- Lambert A. "Al" Lohmann Jr., 59, of St. Louis died Sunday, June 27, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 2, 1940, in St. Louis, son of Lambert A. and Emma Miller Lohmann Sr. He married the former Kathleen M. Graf...

JACKSON -- Lee Hansen, 92, of Jackson died Monday, June 28, 1999, at his home. He was born June 12, 1907, at Marble Hill, son of Frank and Zada Pierce Hansen. He and Geneva Winchester were married March 3, 1930. Hansen was a retired farmer, merchant and heavy equipment operator. He was a member of First General Baptist Church...

ST. MARYS -- Earl James Geile, 88, of St. Marys died Monday, June 28, 1999, at Riverview Manor in Ste. Genevieve. He was born Oct. 7, 1910, at Silver Lake, son of Theodore and Alice French Geile. He and Hester Mae Coffelt were married July 11, 1935. She died April 6, 1987...

JACKSON -- Bradley J. Reddick, 23, of Jackson drowned Sunday, June 27, 1999, in a lake near Fruitland. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Puxico is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Brian L. and Amy B. Thompson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:24 p.m. Thursday, June 17, 1999. Name, Blake Landry. Weight, 9 pounds 8 ounces. Mrs. Thompson is the former Amy Cook, daughter of Denny Cook of Carrollton, Ill., and Connie Warner of Wood River, Ill. She is a pharmacist at Healing Arts Pharmacy at St. Francis Medical Center. Thompson is the son of Glen and Linda Thompson of Jackson. He is a pharmacist at Southeast Hospital...

Beulah G. Reynolds, age 83 passed away at her home (formerly Rt. 2, Jackson) on Sunday, June 27, 1999. She was born June 1, 1916 at Patton, Mo. the daughter of the late Rev. Robert L. and Mary Jane Hanners Cook. She married James "Jim" W. Reynolds April 25, 1943 and he survives...