Stories from Monday, July 26, 1999

This "Financial Focus" column is prepared by Edward Jones Investments, headquartered in St. Louis. Jones includes branches throughout the nation, including Cape Girardeau and Jackson. For some time now, we've enjoyed low inflation, but it hasn't disappeared from the scene -- especially on college campuses. With annual price increases of 5 percent or more for the past several years, the cost of a college education has shot way up -- and it's still climbing...

Steve Price and Kathy Fausett of Majestic Pools set up a new above-ground 27-foot swimming pool. The pool holds 18,000 gallons of water. "The pool business has been greater in the last two years than any of the 12 years we've been in business," said Ed McCormick of Room Mates...

The Wright Brothers set a world record for staying in the air for more than an hour with a passenger aboard. Scott Joplin's Wall Street Rag was a popular tune. Americans were averaging about $18 a week in salary. Benny Goodman, Errol Flynn and Juliano -- Queen of Netherlands -- were born...

Larry Davis and Beverly Hill are new owners of Cross Creek Antique Mall, 422 Old Cape Road, in Jackson. The antique mall originally opened in September of 1997. The mall, which has more than 30 dealers, has expanded its opening hours, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday...

Riverbirch Antique Gallery has reopened in a new 30,000 square foot space at the former Riverbirch Mall. The Gallery, which includes more than 40 dealers, has been operating in another section of the mall since a fire damaged the mall more than a year ago...

You zig, you zag, you zig again, brake hard, make a hairpin curve on wet pavement, then head down a straight-a-way, to complete a half-mile course. "It's a tough course, especially for a slow driver," said Randy Raynor, of DuQuoin, Ill. "But, it was a great experience for a tire salesman."...

You've made the turn at the end of the field many times. But, this time, the back wheel of the tractor suddenly starts sliding, sinking. Your heart wells up in your throat as the tractor slowly starts to roll into the creek that borders the edge of the field. You leap from the seat. You're lucky ... this time...

The farm can be a dangerous place for children. Check the statistics: -- About 100 children die each year from agriculture injuries. -- Children younger than 16 are victims of up to 20 percent of all farm fatalities in both the United States and Canada...

LOWNDES -- The nearly 100 people who live in the unincorporated town of Lowndes are graced with a post office, a volunteer fire department and possibly the only cafe in the United States devoted to bluegrass music. Pictures of bluegrass bands line the walls, and bluegrass is the only music heard on the sound system. Jam sessions are held Tuesday nights, and the microphone can belong to anyone on Friday nights. Established bands play on Saturday nights...

NEW ELEMENT discovered: The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by physicists at Tokyo University. The element tentatively named Administratium has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of 0. However it does have one neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice-neutrons and 111 assistant vice-neutrons. ...

Higher-than-anticipated bids on repairing the deck of the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau has the Missouri Department of Transportation rethinking the project, much to the delight of a lot of people who were told they wouldn't be able to cross the bridge at night while the work was being done...

With 90 to 150 tons of trash a day coming into Cape Girardeau's solid-waste transfer station, getting the trash to a regional landfill near Dexter every day is a momentous and expensive task. For years the city has used the landfill to dump not only its own trash but that from the communities of Chaffee and Scott City, which also haul their trash to the transfer station in South Cape Girardeau. So do commercial haulers and anyone who is willing to pay the dumping the fee...

To the editor: You are surprised to receive a letter on this kind of stationery. The explanation: Since mid-March, sight in my left eye began to retire. The other eye has been sightless a longer time. Unable to read my own handwriting. I print the letters. The is no long jammering over this. I will be happy and grateful if, in future, darkness and light can be distinguished...

CHAFFEE -- Frances Ella Leible, 81, of Chaffee died Saturday, July 24, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 9, 1918, in Scott County, daughter of Celestine Hahn and Amelia Bollinger. She and Leonard Charles Leible were married March 1, 1938. He died Sept. 5, 1987...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A 30-year-old woman remained in serious condition Sunday after her van was struck by a train Saturday night, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported. Deborah Hanner of Corning, Ark. was driving about 15 miles south of Poplar Bluff on County Road 338 when the accident occurred about 8:15 p.m., according to Trooper Rhonda Shanika. As Hanner was driving across the railroad tracks, she was struck by a northbound Union Pacific engine driven by Danny Scott, 50, of Maumelle, Ark...

Reu E. Walls, 90, of Versailles died Sunday, July 25, 1999, at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Watkins and Sons Funeral Service in Dexter.

Norma Huhn, 99, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 25, 1999, at Fountainbleau Lodge. Visitation will be from noon to the 2 o'clock funeral Tuesday at Lorberg Funeral Chapel.

JACKSON -- Annadell Bruce, 76, of Jackson died Saturday, July 24, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 11, 1923, at Jackson, daughter of George William Kelly and Marie Beulah Davis. She and Jessie Charles Bruce were married Dec. 4, 1948, at Jackson. Her husband preceded her in death...

BELL CITY -- Jerald L. Adams, 57, of Bell City died Saturday, July 24, 1999, at his home. He was born March 2, 1942, at Limestone Valley, Ark., son of Leonard and Nina Bohannan Adams. He and Shelby DeJournett were married Dec. 5, 1964. Adams had spent most of his life in Bell City where he was a carpenter. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served in Vietnam...

FREDERICKTOWN -- Glen N. Statler, 73, of Fredericktown died Saturday, July 24, 1999, at the Madison Medical Center. He was born Oct. 16, 1925, at Higdon, son of Homer G. and Lily Wright Statler. He and Iona Jones were married Feb. 15, 1947, at Fredericktown. She died Aug. 30, 1991...

Norma Olga Muench, 87, of Farrar died Friday, July 23, 1999, at the Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Feb. 2, 1912, at Menfro, daughter of Rudolph and Martha Lohman Schuessler. She was married to John B. Muench on April 17, 1932. He died Jan. 22, 1993...

Tony Kooyumjian, president of Augusta Winery and Montelle Winery of Augusta, has been elected president of the new Missouri Wine Marketing and Research Council. Other officers elected were Andrew Hofherr, vice president of St. James Winery, vice president; and Diana Holland, Thornhill Vineyard and Winery of Hartsburg, secretary-treasurer...

Jasper Fisher, a Scott City native, has been installed as the Electrical Apparatus Service Association's (EASA) international president. Fisher, general manager of Industrial Motor Repair in Alton, Ill., has more than 23 years experience in the electrical apparatus industry and has served in every elected office of EASA's St. Louis Chapter. He served two three-year terms as EASA Region 12 director...

Cathy Robbins and Eric Robbins were grand prize winners of the Bunny Bread Los Angeles Getaway Contest. The Robbins' prize package includes round-trip airfare for four to Los Angeles, hotel accommodations for two nights, a VIP tour of Fox Studio, passes to see a taping of "That 70s Show" and a year's supply of Bunny Bread...

Kim Talley, owner of Special Effects Styling Salon, West Park Village, 2532 William, has become certified to do hair extensions. Talley recently attended a two-day hair extension class, sponsored by Great Lengths Hair Extension at St. Louis. Hair extension is the bonding of natural hair strips into existing hair for more length and thickness...

Cynthia Seabaugh New of Cape Girardeau has been named regional sales associate for Craftsmasters' KidSMART and development director for the Craftsmaasters' National Accounts. Craftsmasters' KidSMART, owned by Roger and Nancy Craft, is located in downtown Sikeston. It was founded in 1988 and is an educational supply store for teachers and parents...

Dennis Marchi, Schnucks store manager at Cape Girardeau, will be guest speaker at the Advertising & Marketing Professionals of Southeast Missouri meeting Thursday. Marchi will discuss brand purchasing decisions, in-store displays and consumer purchasing...

Kenneth E. Volkerding, a Lutheran Brotherhood district representative from Jackson, has qualified for membership in the Million Dollar Round Table. Volkerding is affiliated with Lutheran Brotherhood's Pals Financial Group in St. Charles. About 30 percent of Lutheran Brotherhood's 1,200-member field force qualified for the million-dollar award for 1998 through high-level client service and sales production...

J. Fred Waltz of Oliver, Oliver & Waltz law firm in Cape Girardeau has been appointed to the Missouri Bar's Fee Dispute Resolution Committee. Waltz was appointed by the Board of Governors of the Missouri Bar. During his four-year term, he will serve in a group of lawyers and other professionals that investigates complaints by clients who feel they have been charged unfairly by an attorney. The committee provides mediation and arbitration services at no cost to help resolve fee disputes...

The biggest maker of the pill is developing the world's first birth control patch for women, a device that will deliver contraceptives through the skin for a week. Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday the patches include the same ingredients as the pill and work just as well. J&J plans to seek government approval early next year. A review by the Food and Drug Administration could take a year or more...

Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. has reported second-quarter earnings at $120,528,000, up 12.5 percent from the second quarter of 1998. Diluted earnings per share were 75 cents a share, compared to 69 cents a year ago. Net income for the first six months was $238,565,000, or $1.49 per diluted share, compared to $222,006,000, or $144 per share a year ago...

The Missouri Department of Agriculture's grape and wine program has updated its "Taste Missouri Wine Country" publication, which lists names, addresses and business hours of the state's 37 wineries and juice producers. The brochure also includes a handy pocket guide to the state's most popular wines...

Union Planters Corp. reported record earnings for the second quarter. Net earnings for the quarter were $105.8 million, up from the $79.4 million during the same period in 1998. Fully diluted earnings per common share for the quarter were 73 cents, up from the 56 cents a share during the same quarter a year ago...

The U.S. Small Business Administration, in cooperation with the Small Business Development Center, will conduct a capital workshop at Perryville to discuss SBA loan and assistance programs for small businesses. The two-hour session will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 19 at the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission office, 1 West St. Joseph St...

Dana Corp. has announced record sales and profits for the second quarter. The Dana financial report shows second-quarter sales of $3.4 billion, up 5 percent from the second quarter of 1998. Net income increased 19 percent to $190 million, and earnings per share increased to $1.14, including non-recurring charges of $5 million (3 cents a share)...