Stories from Tuesday, January 4, 2000

WHEATON, Ill. -- Homer D. Miller, 92, of Wheaton died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 1999, at Wynscape Nursing Center. He was born April 24, 1907, in Monticello, Ark., son of Joseph P. and Lillie M. Sansom Miller. He and Marie K. White were married June 14, 1930, in Jonesboro. She died Dec. 28, 1994...

NEW HAMBURG -- Crystal Koch became a classroom teacher three years ago, but she actually started her career many years earlier. Koch, a first-grade teacher at Kelso C-7 School, played school with her stuffed animals as a child. She said she also spent a lot of time "being the mother at family functions with her younger sister and numerous cousins."...

Today is a rather remarkable day for the Missouri Supreme Court. Beginning today, arguments before the state's highest court will be broadcast live over the Internet, via the Missourinet. This news and sports service provides information to 65 radio stations across the state, but it reaches many more people through its Internet offerings...

Cape Girardeau school board members, school administrators, teachers and district patrons will travel to Troy, Ill., Saturday to tour a recently-built high school. A group of about 45 people will make the trip by school bus to tour Triad High School about 30 miles east of St. Louis. The bus will leave at 6:30 a.m. from the Board of Education office at 61 N. Clark Anyone interested in making the trip should contact the board office...

A winter storm packing heavy rain, hail and strong winds raced through the Cape Girardeau area Monday, damaging buildings and causing power outages The storm downed power lines, leaving some 5,600 residential and commercial customers of AmerenUE without electricity in Cape Girardeau, Chaffee and Delta. Lightning disrupted some long-distance telephone service in the area...

1910 saw the reappearance of Halley's comet after 75 years, sparking mass hysteria because of superstition and fear that the tail contained a deadly poison called cyanogen, which could wipe out Earth's population. The Titanic sank in 1912, less than three hours after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic...

BENTON -- The victim of a 1992 sexual assault in Dunklin County changed her age Monday, calling into question the impact of charges against a minister who told law enforcement officials he had abused her. The victim had told the Dunklin County prosecutor's office a week before Christmas that she was born in 1975, not 1973, as she previously had said. She said during the minister's trial Monday that she wanted to give her correct age in an effort to finally tell the truth...

A winter storm packing heavy rain, hail and strong winds raced through the Cape Girardeau area Monday, damaging buildings and causing power outages The storm downed power lines, leaving some 5,600 residential and commercial customers of AmerenUE without electricity in Cape Girardeau, Chaffee and Delta. Lightning disrupted some long-distance telephone service in the area...

1910 saw the reappearance of Halley's comet after 75 years, sparking mass hysteria because of superstition and fear that the tail contained a deadly poison called cyanogen, which could wipe out Earth's population. The Titanic sank in 1912, less than three hours after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic...

FRUITLAND -- A 70-year-old Jackson woman sustained moderate injuries Monday when the vehicle she was riding in was struck from the rear on Highway 177 near Fruitland. Elizabeth Blackwell was taken to St. Francis Hospital after the 3:40 p.m. accident 1 mile east of Fruitland...

Sure it's a new millennium and a new century, but I think there is reason enough to celebrate simply because it's a new year. Forget that the Y2K bug ever existed. (PLEASE!) I made it through 1999 with relatively few scrapes, bruises and apparent damage. The year wasn't always good, nor was it completely horrible and terrible. I managed to make it through another 12 months and lived to tell about the experience...

JACKSON -- It is now legal for Jackson residents to sell their car from their front lawn. The Jackson Board of Aldermen voted unanimously Monday night to amend the city's zoning and nuisance ordinances to allow residents to sell their own vehicles on unpaved surfaces on their property...

JACKSON -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday hired Sides Construction Co. to build an archives center at a cost of $489,333. Sides was the low bidder on the project. Bids also were received from Zoellner Construction of Perryville, Penzel Construction and Kiefner Brothers...

When you have a letter or package to mail, there are literally thousands of ways to get it to the United States Post Office. One of those ways is NOT placing a letter into a personal mail box in city residential areas which have door delivery. "Carriers will pick up mail only when making deliveries to a door mail box," said Matthew Peters, manager of customer service at the Cape Girardeau Post Office. "Many of our carriers will stop by as a good-will gesture, but it is not a requirement."...

A mobile home park that could help ease the "critical need" for affordable housing in Cape Girardeau got its first nod of approval from the city council Monday. A rezoning request for 24-acres west of the Cape West Business Park and north of Bloomfield Road was unanimously approved by the Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night...

A "mixed bag of misery" has afflicted area residents with a number of illnesses in recent weeks, but the worst appears to be over. Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape County Public Health Center, said cases of bronchitis, flu and flu-like illnesses and upper-respiratory infections are up significantly in Cape Girardeau County. ...

A Cape Girardeau pesticide manufacturer was found liable in a 1996 hazardous waste leak that nearly spilled into the Mississippi River, the state Attorney General's office said. Cape Chemical Co. must pay a $38,000 fine, along with $9,041 to reimburse the state Department of Natural Resources for cleanup costs, Judge Scott Thomsen of Cape Girardeau Circuit Court said...

Prior to development of the drainage system in the southeastern Missouri lowlands -- the Bootheel -- much of the area was frequently flooded. The region supported some 2.5 million acres of bottomland hardwood and swamp forest habitat. As a result of the success of the drainage program, there now remain but 50,000 acres, some 2 percent of what was present. ...

I'D LIKE to comment on people trying to get Bill Clinton his legacy. Forget about it. Fifty years from now people won't even remember the economy in the 1990s, but they will remember Monica Lewinsky. I'M CALLING to comment about President Clinton's character and the news media. ...

A state lawmaker from Kansas City has an interesting proposal: Eliminate 57 of the 163 seats in the Missouri House of Representatives. State Rep. Matt Bartle, R-Kansas City, has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to that effect. In the bargain, Bartle's proposal would add one member to the 34-member Senate...

To the editor: A Dec. 30 Southeast Missourian editorial endorsed the plans to put fake grass on Houck Stadium's football field. The rationale was that what is called FieldTurf is much better than the original Astroturf. According to the editorial, "this fake grass is more like real grass." That indisputable justification for FieldTurf served as the inspiration for this brief poetic offering...

The Cape Girardeau School District won major plaudits with the announcement late last month that its Adult Basic Education program had achieved national distinction. The U.S. Department of Education announced that Cape's ABE program would receive its Secretary's Award for superior programming. Only 10 such programs out of all those in America won the award...

A clash of cold air from the north and warm, humid air from the south generated Monday's damaging storms, the National Weather Service said. "We had a strong boundary between opposing air masses," said Rick Shanklin, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. That resulted in extreme temperature differences...

Sure, losing to Southern Illinois for the seventh straight time Sunday was disappointing. But, when Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner looks at the big picture of what has taken place for his team so far, he can't help but be pleased...

He hasn't made it to the NBA -- not yet at least -- but, overall, basketball has been quite good to former Scott County Central High standout Marcus Timmons. Timmons, also a former star at Southern Illinois who is in his fifth season of playing professionally overseas, was in the area over the holidays and he took some time out to chat with a reporter during Sunday's SIU vs. Southeast game at the SIU Arena...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Despite playing without its leading scorer, Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team began the 2000 portion of its season in fine fashion Monday night, although it wasn't easy. The Otahkians improved their record to 3-7 with an 80-78 overtime road victory over non-conference foe Arkansas-Little Rock, which is also now 3-7...

PERRYVILLE -- Notre Dame High's girls basketball team continued its strong season Monday night, but the Lady Bulldogs certainly didn't have an easy time of things. The Lady Bulldogs benefited from some poor Perryville free-throw shooting as they rallied in the second half to post a 62-57 road victory...

BENTON -- Almaretta B. Huber, 90, of Benton died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 22, 1909, in Benton, daughter of Benedict J. and Louise Saloma Bertrand Huber. Huber was a clerical worker at Scott County Court House 56 years, retiring in 1979. She was a member of St. Denis Catholic Church, and Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 3838...

Odale Anderson, 75, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Aug. 9, 1924, in Coahoma County, Miss., son of Tom and Odessa Anderson. Anderson had been a self-employed mechanic. Survivors include a nephew, Roger Ewing; two nieces, Mary Crafton and Doris Ewing, all of Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Charles D. Wood Sr. of Sikeston will be held at 1 p.m. today at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. Msgr. William Stanton will officiate. Burial will be in Dry Bayou Cemetery at Hayti. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements...

CHARLESTON -- Doris Vowels Forbey, 83, of Charleston died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at her home. She was born Aug. 23, 1918, in Poinsett Lepanto, Ark., daughter of Raymond and Bertie Blevens Taylor. She married Richard "Dick" Forbey Dec. 18, 1977. Forbey lived in Scott and Mississippi counties most of her life. She was co-owner and operator of Vowels Hardware, retiring in 1973. She was a member of Charleston United Methodist Church and VFW Auxiliary...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Leslie M. "Leck" Armstrong of East Prairie will be held at 1 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie. George White and Frank Cayson will officiate. Burial will be in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. Armstrong, 64, died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

Thelma G. Sides, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at the home of her brother in Fruitland. She was born March 7, 1918, in Daisy, the daughter of Toney and Virgie Cobble Suhr. She married Claude Sides Aug. 30, 1945, in Tunica, Miss. He died in November 1968...

GORDONVILLE -- Mike Bishop, 49, of Gordonville died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, in the Emergency Room at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 11, 1950, in St. Louis, son of Clarence and Phyllis Bishop. He and Bonnie L. Barks were married July 3, 1993...

ROLLA -- Samuel E. Snider, 54, of Rolla died at his home Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000. He was born in Cape Girardeau on Aug. 29, 1945, the son of C.E. and Ossie Montgomery Snider. He married Sheila Morgan on May 24, 1974. She survives. He was veteran of the U.S. Army, served on the Doolittle Fire Board and was a member of the Doolittle American Legion and the First Church of God in Rolla...

SIKESTON -- Sammy T. Brown, 60, of rural Sikeston died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. He was born April 5, 1939, in Philadelphia, Miss., son of Henry and Dasie Campbell Brown. He and Barbara Ruth Brookshire were married Feb. 24, 1960...

Vernadean Barnes, 64, died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at the Hilltop Nursing Center at Harrison, Ark. Barnes was born at Bell City on Dec. 11, 1935, daughter of the late Arnold and Bessie Whittley Case. She had lived at Idalia before movingt to Harrison 25 years ago. She was a member of the New Testament Church in Bergman, Ark...

Maxine Powell Medley, 74 years of age, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri passed away Sunday, Jan. 2nd, 2000 at the Lutheran Home. She was born on Feb. 19th, 1925 in Butler County, Alabama. Daughter of the late Arthur Henry and Annie Sue Joyner Powell. On November the 23rd, she married Harold F. ...

ANNA, Ill. -- Ira W. Wiseman, 83, of Anna died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at Union County Hospital. Hileman and Parr Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

LILBOURN -- Oscar T. Hughes, 88, of Lilbourn died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born July 20, 1911, in Aberdeen, Miss., son of John and Maggie Cunningham Hughes. He first married Mary A. Moore Boston. He later married Dorothy Mae Green, who died in 1978...

PERRYVILLE -- William C. Pohlman, 73, of Perryville died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at his home. He was born Dec. 11, 1926, at Hilderbrand, son of Henry and Amelia Dambach Pohlman. He and Verna Bangert were married Jan. 25, 1948. Pohlman was a former backhoe operator with Giesler Concrete. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and American Legion Post 133...

ADVANCE -- Helen "Shirley" Probst, 61, of Advance died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at Advance Nursing Center. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

DEXTER -- Oren Loree Burklow, 77, of Dexter died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born April 26, 1922, at Zalma, son of James O. and Elsie Watson Burklow. He and Louise Elmore were married Aug. 28, 1944, in Jonesboro, Ark. Burklow retired from General Motors in 1979 and moved to Florida. He moved to Dexter in 1991. He attended Trinity United Methodist Church in Bloomfield...

PEKIN, Ill. -- Ralph E. Petitt Sr., 72, of Pekin died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria. He was born Aug. 20, 1927, in Morehouse, Mo., the son of Herman Charles and Essie Letha Myers Petitt. He was a veteran. He was an electrician and a retired member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 51 in Springfield, where he worked for 27 years...

FROHNA -- Edgar O. Mueller, 83, of Frohna died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at his home. He was born April 24, 1916, at Altenburg, son of Anton Z. and Marie Asche Mueller. He and Lucille R. Moeller were married Sept. 3, 1939. She died Dec. 11, 1994. Mueller had been the owner and operator of the Butcher Shop in Altenburg until 1962. He then owned and operated Dunkerton Locker in Dunkerton, Iowa, until retiring...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Fred E. Bauer, 76, of Jonesboro died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at Jonesboro Health Care Center. Hileman and Parr Funeral Home in Jonesboro is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE -- Mary Alice Shortt, 95, of Mandan, N.D., died Thursday, Dec. 30, 1999, at Mandan. She was born Dec. 19, 1904, at New Haven, Conn., daughter of Dr. Herbert and Mary Welles Tolman. She and Stuart Shortt were married June 7, 1930. He died April 5, 1995...

Son to Terry D. and Lisa F. Ervin of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:53 a.m. Monday, Dec. 20, 1999. Name, Dakota Bruce. Weight, 8 pounds 5 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Ervin is the former Lisa Dawes, daughter of Richard and Sue Spencer of Perryville and Gordon and Janet Dawes of Winona, Ohio. She is a bookkeeper at HSCA. Ervin is the son of Bob and Bonnie Ervin of Jackson. He is assistant plant manager at Magnaart Industries Inc...

DEXTER -- Funeral for Mabel Green Tippen of Dexter will be held at 2:30 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. Gary Petty will officiate. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery near Acorn Ridge. Tippen, 83, died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, in Phillipstown, Ill., daughter of Charles and Mary Lawson Darr. She and Harvey Green were married Aug. 25, 1934. He preceded her in death. She and Samuel Tippen were married Nov. 15, 1963. He died June 23, 1985...

BERNIE -- Funeral for Marvin C. "Buddy" Gilmore will be held at 1 p.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter. The Rev. Garry Zook will officiate. Burial will be in Bernie Cemetery. Gilmore, 76, died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2000, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff...

DEXTER -- John Richard Jarrell, 65, of Dexter died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000, at Vencor Hospital-Bay Area in Pasadena, Texas. He was born April 6, 1934, at Bernie, son of Claud Otis and Velva McCamish Jarrell. He and Betty Jo Johnson were married July 9, 1977, in Fort Worth, Texas. She died Nov. 12, 1999...