Stories from Thursday, October 28, 1999

I WANT to thank Senators Bond and Ashcroft for standing up to our lying president. Thank you for standing up and saying no to the nuclear test ban treaty that the Chinese, the Soviet Union, the Russians, the Indians and the Pakistanis have not agreed to abide by. ...

Most of us didn't even know there was something called the Missouri Film Office. Its purpose is to promote our state as a good place to make movies and to work with production companies to provide local fill-in actors, props and locales. Movie making isn't new to Missouri. Walt Disney started in Kansas City. Many movies have used Missouri locations. And Missouri has provided its share of top box-office stars, including Springfield's Brad Pitt...

In 1968, there were very few privately funded humanitarian aid groups working worldwide to tend to the needs of those who were starving or in need of medical attention. Even the International Committee of the Red Cross was careful to go only where it was invited. And, in some dire situations, feuding government factions meant no Red Cross aid...

To the editor: Thank you for your Oct. 15 editorial regarding the excellent open-heart surgery programs at both hospitals in Cape Girardeau. With all of the newspaper and television advertising campaigns recently, often patients and their families can become misled about where to have their care provided. ...

Leon Grotto remembers his mother's ghost stories, especially this time of year."But one thing she always reminded me was there is no record of a ghost ever hurting anyone," said Grotto, who lives in Perryville. "The ones you have to be afraid of are living people."As Grotto and his wife, Debbie, and 8-year-old daughter, Kristen, stood in line with hundreds of others at the A.C. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Vincentians religious order has some land for sale in Perry County, and it is contemplating selling it to the tigers. No, not Detroit's baseball franchise, but the endangered species. The idea of creating a national tiger sanctuary on more than 400 acres of western Perry County has only been taken seriously for about a month, said the Rev. ...

Some people will do anything on a dare. Early Wednesday morning, Trinity Lutheran School principal William Unzicker gamely ascended a ladder while his student body watched and sang a special chorus of "Up on the Rooftop." Unzicker was fulfilling a promise he made to students last month to spend a day on the school's roof if they reached a schoolwide fund-raising goal. ...

Farm Service Agency emergency loans are available in all counties in Missouri because of the drought. The announcement was made by Brad Epperson, Missouri FSA executive director. Applications are now being accepted at FSA offices throughout the state...

Missouri Transportation Department officials don't know who to blame for the deep cuts found on 66 young trees planted along a state highway in Cape Girardeau. State highway workers on Monday found cuts had been made near the base of the tree trunks on the south side of Highway 74 (Shawnee Parkway), east of Silver Springs Road. ...

Oct. 28, 1999 Dear Julie, When you're a teen-ager and your parents plan a vacation, you dream they'll let you stay home so you can go wild. Ding Dongs for breakfast and all that. And if you stay home there's less chance of them embarrassing you, although long-distance humiliation is always possible...

SCOTT CITY -- If just one person stops to consider the sanctity of life and works to preserve it, then Voice for Life members have done their duty, said the group's president."People need to look at the issues before it gets out of control," said Rosana San Paola, president of Voice for Life. ...

A woman was assaulted at her residence Wednesday morning by a man with a baseball bat, Cape Girardeau police said. The incident took place about 7:10 a.m. at an apartment in the 600 block of Frederick Street, said Sgt. Carl Kinnison. The woman's husband had just left for work a few minutes earlier when a man entered through the front door, which had been left unlocked, Kinnison said...

Arthritis is America's leading cause of disability, affecting nearly 43 million people, or one in six people. But the more people know about arthritis, the more that can do to combat its debilitating effects, says Mary Ellen Ankeney with the Missouri Department of Health's Bureau of Chronic Disease Control, which operates the state's seven Regional Arthritis Centers...

SCOTT CITY -- A woman was charged and a man is being sought by police in connection with a methamphetamine lab that was discovered this week. The lab was found at 211 Ruth St. in a duplex apartment, said Scott City Police Chief Danny Club. It has been under investigation for about a week before an arrest was made Monday, he said...

It's showdown time in Ohio Valley Conference football. The top four squads in the eight-team league square off Saturday in two games that should go a long way toward determining the eventual champion. Tennessee Tech is 4-0 and all alone in first place, one-half game ahead of Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky, who are both 3-0. Another half-game back is Murray State at 3-1...

Southeast Missouri State University quarterback Rashad West has been named the national Division I-AA newcomer of the week by Teamlink. Com. West, earlier this week named the Ohio Valley Conference newcomer of the week, had a brilliant performance last Saturday as the Indians beat Southwest Missouri 28-23 for their first win this year...

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team has picked up countless big wins over the past decade, as evidenced by the Otahkians' domination of the Ohio Valley Conference during that span. But Southeast coach Cindy Gannon believes the Otahkians have notched no larger victories than Wednesday night's upset of nationally-ranked Arkansas...

Lane ThomassonSchool: Cape CentralSports: Cross countryCoach: Mark HahnWeek Report: Thomasson blew away the competition in the Class 4A, District 1 meet last Saturday, finishing the race 33 seconds faster than the second-place runner. Thomasson, a senior, in finishing the race with a personal-best 19:41, helped the Lady Tigers to their first district championship in school history...

Shawn Statler School: Perryville Sport: Football Coach: Jerry Tucker Week Report: Statler ran for 240 yards on 29 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns -- of nine, 10, and 11 yards -- as Perryville downed Windsor 48-34 in the first round of Class 4A, District 2. He also threw a 27-yard touchdown strike to quarterback Tyler Abernathy on a half-back option pass. Statler also had a kickoff and a punt-return for touchdowns called back on clipping penalties...

Notre Dame High's boys soccer team claimed the SEMO Conference title Wednesday when the Bulldogs knocked off city rival Cape Girardeau Central 2-0."We're proud of that," Notre Dame coach Brad Wittenborn said. "All the other teams in the conference are 4A schools."Notre Dame (19-4-1) is a Class 2A school.Chris Dirnberger scored Notre Dame's first goal 16 minutes into the second half on an assist from Adam Obermiller.Four minutes before the end of the game, Nick Kapfer put the game away with a goal off of an assist by Bryan Glosemeyer.Michael Gosche recorded his 14th shutout of the season in goal.Notre Dame's win avenged a loss to Central earlier this year."It was not a good game for us that first game, but we played very well today," Wittenborn said. ...

WOOD RIVER, Ill. -- Cleo Melvin Jenkins, 87, died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999, at Sunbridge University Care Center in Edwardsville. He was born Oct. 6, 1912, in Litchfield, son of Oliver Oscar and Mertie May Adcock Jenkins. He and Marjorie Stotler were married Nov. 3, 1942, at Old Monroe, Mo. She died Aug. 15, 1994...

PERRYVILLE -- Leslie V. Cissell, 75, of Perryville died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999, at Perryoaks Healthcare Center. He was born Nov. 14, 1923, in Perry County, the son of George J. and Rose Huber Cissell. He was a World War II Army veteran and was a farmer. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and the VFW.He is survived by a sister, Bernice Danz of Perryville...

VIENNA, Ill. -- Seith Mathis, 86, of Vienna died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999, at his home.Arrangements are incomplete at the Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak.

JACKSON -- Mary Weisbrod, 73, of Jackson died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Gertie Lucille Rhodes of East Prairie will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Burl Britt will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 6 p.m. today...

SULLIVAN -- John Craft, 81, of Sullivan died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999. Survivors include his wife, Lucille; two sons, J.R. Craft of Rolla, Jerry Craft of Bourbon; four stepsons, William and Ronnie Bridgeman of Sullivan, Charles Bridgeman of Washington, Mo., Donald Bridgeman of Steelville; two stepdaughters, Faith Bridgeman of Union, Marky Schoenfeld of Owensville; two sisters, Lil Wessling of Cape Girardeau, Roxie Kenter of St. Louis; seven grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren...

PERRYVILLE -- Bertha M. Buerck, 91, of Perryville died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Sept. 18, 1908, at Biehle, daughter of Joe and Anna Meyer Baer. She and Rudolph J. Buerck were married Oct. 23, 1930. Buerck was a daycare provider more than 30 years. She was a member of Christ the Savior Catholic Church at Brewer and its Ladies Sodality...

PERRYVILLE -- Joseph Favier, 58, of Perryville died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999, at his home. He was born Feb. 12, 1941, at St. Mary's, son of Glen J. and Rita Bach Favier. He and Darlene Orth were married June 4, 1960. Favier owned and operated Orth's Sand and Gravel Co. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, River Hills Eagles Lodge 4034, and was a booster member of AmVets Post 94 and American Legion Post 133...

JACKSON -- Mr. Hubert C. Bollinger, 86, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 27, 1999, at his home. He was born Sept. 6, 1913, north of Sedgewickville, the son of the late Amon and Mary (Moore) Bollinger. He married the former Ruby Lukefahr on Nov. 24, 1936, at the Patton Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years...

Graveside service for Martha Ann Hite of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Beechwood Cemetery in Mounds, Ill. The Rev. Glynn Robison will officiate. Friends may call Friday at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel from noon to 1 p.m. Hite, 67, died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999, at her home...

JACKSON: Mr. Floyd "Pete" V Puchbauer, age 74, of Jackson, passed away at his home east of Oak Ridge, Tuesday, October 26, 1999. He was born December 8, 1924, the son of the late Henry and Frieda (Ludwig) Puchbauer. He married the former LaVerne Lichtenegger on May 15, 1949 at the St. John's Lutheran Church at Pocahontas. She survives...

SIKESTON -- Ollie M. Middleton, 82, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 10, 1917, in Nebo, Tenn., daughter of John W. and Lonie Threadgill Greenway. She and Walter Middleton were married in October 1934. He died July 26, 1969...

GIDEON -- Graveside service for James Murray Wallace of Gideon will be held today at Chalk Bluff Cemetery near Dexter. The Rev. Johnathan Angel will officiate. Those attending should meet at Landess Funeral Home in Malden at 2 p.m. Wallace, 72, died Monday, Oct. 25, 1999, at Baptist Memorial Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn...

MARYVILLE, Ill. -- John M. Hobbs, 90, of Maryville, Ill., died Tuesday, Oct. 26, 1999, at Maryville Manor. He was born April 22, 1909, at Jackson, son of William W. and Barbara Poe Hobbs. He and Roselyn Johnson were married. She died in 1976. Hobbs formerly lived in Collinsville. ...