Stories from Tuesday, January 11, 2000

Veteran elementary school teacher Jeannie McCord is enjoying her newest teaching method. McCord, who teaches fourth grade at Jefferson Elementary School, is teaching in a departmentalized program for the first time this year. Departmentalization, which usually occurs in the older grades, allows elementary teachers freedom to choose a subject and teach all of the children on the grade level...

Let's face it. The Internet can be downright weird. How else can you explain a 26-year-old guy who has changed his name to DotComGuy (DCG for short) and is living off the Internet for an entire year. On the first day of the new year, he moved into an empty two-bedroom house in Dallas and must buy everything -- from furniture to food -- over the Internet. Cameras will broadcast his movements around the clock. EdTV and The Truman Show become reality...

Work on the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center being built to replace the Area Vocational-Technical School at 301 N. Clark is moving at a steady pace. "They've had very few days that they've not been able to work," said vo-tech school Director Harold Tilley. "It's moving along very nicely with few delays."...

A glitch in a new IBM operating system at Southeast Missouri State University knocked out the university's phone registration system early last week, and for part of Monday it forced students to rent books for the spring semester the old-fashioned way: by filling out a card...

Dr. Randas J. Vilela Batista The medical establishment called Dr. Randas J. Vilela Batista crazy when he proposed cutting off portions of a patient's enlarged heart to improve heart function. Seventeen years later, cardiac surgeons around the world are using the Batista heart-reduction procedure developed by the Brazilian doctor...

A plan to speed up improvements to the busy Interstate 55-U.S. 61 interchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson has stalled, leaving local officials wondering if the project will ever get rolling. Its future rests in large measure with Cape Girardeau developer Jim Drury, who months ago expressed interest in developing property at the intersection...

Who says you can't teach an old pet new tricks? I have proof that it's simply not true. In the past few months, my cats have taught each other a few tricks of their own. Now if I could just get them to learn the few tricks I think are important we might be able to live in peace and harmony. As it is now, they seem to have taken control of the place...

JACKSON -- A 21-year-old Jackson woman was injured Monday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident 3 miles west of Jackson. Tammy L. Clayton was taken to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau after the 3:40 p.m. accident on state Highway 72. The other driver was Sherman F. Starkey, 56, of Sedgewickville. He was not injured...

Southeast Missouri Hospital is still juggling beds and schedules to find enough room for patients in its medical-surgical and critical care-ICU units. With those units filled to almost 100 percent capacity, when one patient is discharged another is there to take the bed, said Sharon Stinson, a director of nursing at Southeast hospital. On Friday, the medical-surgical units were 96 percent full...

Agenda Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Hearings Discussion and voting on applications Subdivision plats Other...

SIKESTON -- Almost a year after law enforcement officers revoked a package liquor store's license, an unlicensed club promising free alcohol and nude dancers tried to open last weekend. Police, along with Liquor Control agents and deputies from the Scott County sheriff's office, found more than 100 people inside 225 Felker St. at 2 a.m. on Saturday with alcohol, crack cocaine and a .22-caliber revolver...

BENTON -- Four were arrested over the weekend by Scott County Sheriff's deputies in connection with manufacturing methamphetamine. Two men and two women were arrested at a Benton residence on Friday, said Sheriff Bill Ferrell. A tip had been received by someone who smelled a suspicious odor coming from the residence at 24025 Highway 61, where Vernon D. ...

A man grazed across the back of his head by a bullet was not seriously injured, Cape Girardeau police said. The man and three passengers were driving on South Middle Street Sunday night when the shooting occurred, police said. The driver made a U-turn in the middle of the street, driving in the direction of Good Hope Street, when gun shots were heard. ...

I'D JUST like to state that someone needs to check into the school's lunch menus. I agree with the lady who called in before. I think they need to do something to upgrade their meals for the children instead of giving them cold sandwiches like the ham and cheese and the turkey and cheese, because that's like every other day...

Any time government has some money left over, watch out. Look at the federal surplus. It has officials and candidates drooling. Whenever elected officials find ways to spend surpluses on new programs, they are imposing a tax increase. Tax rates are set to pay for planned expenses. When those taxes produce more revenue than is needed, the money belongs to taxpayers, not to free-spending politicians...

Another lame proposal before this year's General Assembly is one that would allow police to stop and ticket motorists for not wearing a seat belt. Currently, motorists can only be ticketed for seat-belt violations if they are stopped for other reasons...

To the editor: The recent signing of the ambiguous Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification which took place in Augsburg, Germany, on Oct. 31 between some representatives of the Lutheran World Federation (please note, 45 percent of the Lutheran church bodies in the world refused to sign this statement) has done nothing to resolve the long-standing division between Lutherans and Roman Catholics over the teaching of how God justifies (saves) us sinners. ...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- There is nothing better to silence a home crowd than a dominating, wire-to-wire performance by the visiting team. That was exactly the formula for Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians Monday night as they scored the game's first seven points and were in control throughout during a 61-48 win over Middle Tennessee State...

ADVANCE -- Averaging 22 points per basketball game is impressive. So is taking over a game in the fourth quarter. So is the ability to take the ball to the hoop, draw contact, get to the foul line and convert foul shots with old-school regularity. And throwing a baseball 91 miles per hour at age 18...

HERCULANEUM -- Perryville pressed the life out of Herculaneum from the start, holding its host to just two first-quarter points en route to a 60-32 Jefferson County Conference victory Monday night in girls basketball action. Perryville, which carried a commanding 18-2 lead into the second quarter, improved to 4-8 overall and 2-0 in conference play...

Son to Michael Bryan and Emily Nicole McArthur of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:25 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3, 2000. Name, Samuel Avery. Weight, 9 pounds 1/2 ounce. Second son. Mrs. McArthur is the former Emily McIntosh, daughter of Stephen McIntosh and Patricia McIntosh of Viburnum. She is employed at Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center. McArthur is the son of Carol McArthur and Hans DeBruyn of St. Louis, and Wade and Debbie McArthur of Dallas, Texas. He is employed at El Chico...

KARNAK, Ill. -- William Sauerbrunn, 81, of Karnak died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Magnolia Manor Care Center in Metropolis. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.

CHARLESTON -- Funeral for Robbie Lee Fisher of Charleston will be held at 11 a.m. today at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston. The Rev. Bill Summers will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery. Fisher, 69, died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

CHESTER, Ill. -- Graveside service for Anna D. Edler of Chester will be held at 2 p.m. today at St. John Lutheran Cemetery, with the Rev. Mark Willig officiating. Friends may call at Welge-Pechacek Funeral Home in Chester from 1-2 p.m. Edler, 101, died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Three Springs Lodge Nursing Home...

GOREVILLE, Ill. -- Juanita Fern Wheaton, 81, of Goreville died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2000, at her home. She was born Sept. 16, 1918, in Royalton, daughter of William Mahlon and Rosa Della Adkins Durham. Survivors include her husband, Luther "Fuzzy" Wheaton Sr.; four sons, Harold Wheaton of Lick Creek, Travis Wheaton, Luther "Skip" Wheaton Jr., Randy Wheaton, all of Goreville; three daughters, Sonja Underwood, Pam Wheaton and Kathy Burlison, all of Goreville; 15 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.. ...

DEXTER -- Loran Tanner, 66, of Dexter died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born Aug. 3, 1933, at Qulin, son of Loran H. and Elva Marie Atteberry Tanner. He and Jessie Gilbert were married Aug. 29, 1952, at Fraley. Tanner lived in the Essex and Dexter areas all his life. He was a retired farmer and had been a truck driver with Fowler Trucking and Millington Trucking...

Lola Sebby, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 7, 2000, at Heartland Care Rehab Center. She was born June 14, 1907, in Fanning, Kan., daughter of Leonard and Helen Gerwell Whitlow. She and Lloyd G. Sebby were married in 1949 in St. Joseph. He died June 26, 1974...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Merle W. Dallas Sr., 46, of Jonesboro died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 13, 1953, in Phoenix, Ariz., son of Lee and Clara Martin Dallas. He and Sherry Darlene Merriman were married Nov. 27, 1976, in Alto Pass...

ADVANCE -- Caddie Gross, 92, of Advance died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE -- Leola M. Blechle, 89, of Perryville died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Perry Oaks Healthcare Center. She was born Feb. 10, 1910, in Perry County, daughter of Charles H. and Mary Ada Warren Cox. She and Walter Blechle were married Feb. 22, 1936. He died Oct. 16, 1977...

EGYPT MILLS -- Allene M. Pierce, 93, of Egypt Mills died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2000, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was the daughter of Henry and Minnie Brockmire Hengst. She married Albert Pierce Dec. 20, 1930, at Jackson. He died Aug. 17, 1987...

JACKSON -- Marjorie A. Frost, 67, of Jackson died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 2, 1932, at Fruitland, daughter of Charles P. and Dorothy Webb Morton. Mrs. Frost worked at the former Missourian Litho and Printing in Cape Girardeau, and at the Dallas Morning News in Dallas, Texas...

BERNIE -- Preyear Alfred Turman, 79, of Bernie died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born Dec. 28, 1920, in Jonesboro, Ark., the son of Henry Clay and Ongie Chaptman Turman. He married Nellie Gulledge in Malden in October 1938. She died March 5, 1957. He later married Pauline Sills at Bloomfield on May 29, 1959. She survives...