Stories from Monday, March 13, 2000

Little Caesars Pizza, which opened in 1990 at The Crossroads, a retail and office complex at Independence and Kingshighway, is under new ownership. Brian Weiss is new operator of the pizza chain store here. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday...

The Rev. Raymond McAfee has been appointed funeral home chaplain at McCombs Funeral Home of Cape Girardeau. McAfee brings special gifts and skills to the work of the funeral home and facilitating the needs, beliefs, practice and aftercare for those in grief. He will fill the needs for those who do not have a pastor...

The Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission has received $22,410 from the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) to help offset costs associated with implementing the Regional Cooperative Marketing Program in Southeast Missouri...

Between 40 and 50 people attended one or more of the four downtown revitalization training sessions, conducted in downtown Cape Girardeau last week. Four three-hour workshops were held at the River City Yacht Club, upstairs at the Port Cape Girardeau restaurant, discussing the four areas of the Main Street program promotion, design, organization and economics...

Kinder Morgan Inc. has announced the sale of Orcom Solutions Inc. to Livewire Utilities LLC. "The sale of our interest in Orcom is consistent with our back to basics' strategy to focus on the operation of our core business," said Richard D. Kinder, chairman and chief executive officer of Kinder Morgan...

Spartech Corp. will focus on new market opportunities and further earning growth in 2000. Bradley B. Buechler, chairman, president and chief executive officer, told shareholders attending the company's annual meeting recently that Spartech will focus on: (1) several new market opportunities now available through its expanded product line resulting from recent acquisitions; (2) additional "product transformation" sales, fueled by new "alloy plastics" and, (3), further earnings growth from the company's new "pyramids of performance" initiatives.. ...

Farmers, ranchers and rural residents from across the United States will converge on Capitol Hill this month to let Congress know the nation's farm policy continues to push thousands of farm families to the edge of economic disaster. The Rally for Rural America is set March 20-21 in Washington...

Deere & Co., headquartered in Moline, Ill., plans to enter the equipment rental business in China by purchasing a majority interest of a company in Shanghai, officials said Thursday. Under the deal, John Deere Construction Equipment Co. would buy 60 percent of Shanghai GE Construction Equipment Engineering Co. Ltd. from GE Capital Corp. and another 20 percent from American Construction Equipment Co. The sale is conditioned on approval from the Chinese government...

With big gains from houses to highways, spending on construction projects nationwide leaped ahead by 2.7 percent in January, the sharpest increase in nearly two years. With weather better than normal early in the month, builders kept busy on a wide variety of projects that pushed total construction spending to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $751.8 billion, a record monthly high, the Commerce Department said Wednesday...

It's not your imagination. The number of commercials on prime-time TV is at an all-time high, and it's even starting to worry the people who make the ads. Each hour of prime-time network television contained an average of 16 minutes, 43 seconds of advertising last November, a jump of 59 seconds in just a year, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies...

Business goes on bubbling for soft drink manufacturer Harry L. Crisp II, and he continues to allow some overflow to pour into Cape Girardeau. Crisp's Pepsi bottling company, which has kept a link to the area through Southeast Missouri State University, has made well over $1 million in donations, said Wayne Davenport, executive director of the university's independent, non-profit foundation...

"A financial services company is looking expansion. People with good communications skills wanted, part and full-time positions, $7 to $10 an hour." "Customer service representatives wanted for state-of-the-art office. Applicants must possess excellent customer service skills. Flexible hours, benefits, $10 hour."...

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. We've enjoyed a booming economy for some time now, but few people are suggesting that we'll never again see a recession. ...

Chuck Earnest, president and general manager of Dolphin Cotton Co. at Kennett, and past president of the National Cotton Ginners Association, is the recipient of the 1990 Hoarse Hayden Cotton "Ginger of the Year" award. The Hoarse Hayden award is presented to the ginner providing outstanding leadership to the U.S. cotton industry, superior customer service, and civic contributions...

Kenneth E. Volkerding, a Lutheran Brotherhood district representative from Jackson, recently received membership in Lutheran Brotherhood's 1999 President's Club. President's Club is one of Lutheran Brotherhood's most prestigious sales honors. Representatives qualify for membership in the club based on the sale of insurance and investment products to Lutherans. Volkerding is affiliated with Lutheran Brotherhood's Pals Financial Group in St. Charles...

BellSouth Corp. and SBC Communications Inc., two powerful regional phone companies, are discussing combining their wireless phone operations in an effort to compete against rivals with nationwide networks, according to a person familiar with the negotiations...

Plans for Albertson's Grocery may already be in the Cape Girardeau Division of Inspection Services office at 401 Independence St. Preliminary plans were expected to arrive here over the weekend. Plans for the 57,560 square foot, one-level building to house Albertson's Grocery have already been placed out for bids by the Dodge Report, a McGraw Hill Companies Inc. publication for the construction industry...

K.C. Martin and his wife have returned from Memphis, Tenn., to assume operations of Cafe Cape, in The Crossroads, at Independence and Kingshighway. The Martins are the third owners of the restaurant, which opened in December 1990 as Mr. B's. The restaurant will focus on a new menu and new hours...

Dr. John V. Mackel will join St. Francis Medical Center's senior management team next month. Mackel will become first vice president of medical affairs May 22. Mackel earned his degree in medicine as a graduate of Queen's University School of Medicine in Belfast, Ireland. He also has a master's degree of health service administration from the University of Alberta and is board certified by both the American Board of Family Practice and the Canadian Certification in family medicine...

Tammie Goodson has joined Mid America Mortgage Services, 1404 Old Cape Road, Suite 101, in Jackson, as assistant vice president. Goodson has 15 years experience in the mortgage industry and has worked with conventional, FHA and VA financing. Mid America Mortgage Services offers residential, construction and commercial real estate loans...

Barb Garner hasn't had a normal day since last weekend, and likely won't now that the Southeast Missouri State University Indians are headed to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City for their first round of NCAA tournament play. She and her husband, Southeast Coach Gary Garner, have been on "pins and needles" for days, waiting to hear where the team would play in its first-ever NCAA tournament game...

The floors are settling, the main floor is leaking, the parking lot is flooding and "it's seldom anywhere near comfortable" inside Louis J. Schultz School. Principal Rob Huff said the building that houses seventh-grade classes for the Cape Girardeau School District is nearing the end of its usefulness as an educational facility. He said he hopes voters approve an $18 million bond issue to be considered April 4 to fund construction of a new school...

Ashley Brotherton is a lively 6-year-old who loves going to preschool with her friends, is in her second year of playing soccer and takes piano lessons. She enjoys sleepovers with her friends and is looking forward to kindergarten. Oh, and she also has Down's syndrome...

State Sen. Wayne Goode wants to put a halt to traffic stops based on race. The St. Louis-area Democrat has introduced a bill that would require police agencies in Missouri to keep statistics on each traffic stop, including the race, age and gender of the driver...

Across the nation, lawmakers are looking to gather statistics to come to grips with the issue of racial profiling. Lawmakers in Missouri, Illinois and 13 other states have introduced measures to require police agencies to keep statistics regarding traffic stops in an effort to expose any instances of racial profiling. A bill in Congress would require the nation's attorney general to conduct a study of traffic stops and report the findings to Congress within two years...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Democrat Jeffrey Farris of Olive Branch is unopposed on the primary ballot for his third term as state's attorney in Alexander County. Ditto, Incumbent Democrat Coroner David Barkett. But both men may face some competition during the general election this fall...

Ray C. Smith Jr. of Scott City turned 21 Saturday and his grandmother had a special birthday present in mind. "If I live till he turns 21, I'm going to take him to the boat," 80-year-old Lillian Smith had promised. Sunday, son, parents and grandparents headed to Metropolis. After being stopped to have his identification checked, Smith headed for the gaming floor where he ended up being a $75 winner...

Two area Boy Scouts earned the Eagle rank recently, which is the top honor bestowed on a scout. The scouts, Paul David Stuart and Sean Kinney, are both members of Boy Scout Troop 5 in Cape Girardeau. The troop is sponsored by VFW Post 3838. To earn a rank of Eagle Scout, the boys must complete a special project. Both Stuart and Kinney chose nature projects as their work...

Stefan Mehner, 9, and his six-year-old sister Casey stop to pray for their friend Fireman Brian every time they hear a siren. And so do nearly 100 other children at La Croix United Methodist Church who are part of the prayer patrol. It is the second year for the prayer patrol program at the church...

Southeast Missouri State University's 67-56 win last week over Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference basketball tournament final in Nashville provided the university with considerable national exposure that will follow the school through the team's participation in the NCAA's top-64-team tournament...

Friday marked the end of an era in Cape Girardeau. The Easter Seals facility closed with no plans for opening another facility to serve our area's children with special needs. When my daughter, Katie, was born in June 1994 with Down's syndrome, I called Easter Seals and was told, "Please bring her in. ...

Gary Garner sure does know how to work up a crowd. Southeast Missouri State's coach knows that fourth-seeded Louisiana State University 00 ranked 10th nationally by the Associated Press and 11th in the USA Today/ESPN Coach's poll -- is a force to be reckoned with...

Now that the seeds have been planted, it's time for the Indians to do some uprooting. Southeast Missouri State University was seeded 13th in the West bracket of the NCAA Tournament Sunday and will play No. 4 Louisiana State University at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday...

Like virtually every college basketball team, Southeast Missouri State University's Indians have had their share of rocky moments this season. But for the most part, the Indians -- who will this week be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time on the Division I level -- have been relatively consistent throughout a campaign that has seen them go 24-6 so far, including a co-championship of the Ohio Valley Conference's regular season and the title of the OVC Tournament...

SEMO 93, Western Carolina 69 (1-0) Mike Branson scored 18 points as the Indians got the season started on the right foot with an easy home victory over the Catamounts of the Southern Conference. SEMO 67, Rockhurst 58 (2-0) The Indians struggled against the overmatched Division II squad from Kansas City before finally prevailing at home...

The Southeast Missouri first used its bats, then its arms to sweep the University of Tennessee-Martin in a baseball doubleheader Sunday at Capaha Field. After banging out 13 hits, including five home runs, in a 13-4 victory in the opener, Southeast used the combined five-hit pitching of Lanson DeBrock and Augie Casson to blank the Skyhawks 6-0 in the nightcap. The games did not count in the OVC standings...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Florence E. Britt, 92, of Charlotte, N.C., formerly of Mounds, died Friday, March 10, 2000, at her daughter's home at Charlotte. She was born Dec. 16, 1907, in Union County, Ill., daughter of Louis and Azona Harvell Wilson. She was married to Earl A. Britt. He died in 1958...

Mr. Calvin U. Brennan Sr. of Cape Girardeau passed away at his home Saturday, March 11, 2000, at the age of 76. He was born Dec. 23, 1923, in Egypt Mills, Mo., the son of John and Lulu McClard Brennan. He and Lucille "Jeanne" LeMay were married Sept. 12, 1945, in Cape Girardeau...

ST. LOUIS -- Toby M. Bohnert, 39, of St. Louis died Sunday, March 12, 2000, at his home. He was born Aug. 22, 1960, son of Donald and Norma Winkler Bohnert. He and Mary J. Panain were married July 16, 1988. Bohnert was a supervisor at an Ace Hardware store. He was a member of the Catholic faith and was a member of the National Rifle Association...

JACKSON -- Minnie Emma Burgfeld, 92, of Jackson died Saturday, March 11, 2000, at The Lutheran Home at Cape GirarConcordia Guild and The American Legion Auxiliary. Survivors include a son, Lawson Burgfeld of Jackson; a daughter, Emogene Schnurbusch of Jackson; a sister, Olga Zeller of Jackson; six grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a step-great grandson; and a step-great-great-grandson...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Inis H. Starling, 81, of Cobden died Sunday, March 12, 2000, at Carbondale Memorial Hospital. She was born March 2, 1919, at Cobden, daughter of Richard and Martha Craig Hayden. Survivors include her husband, Milo Starling of Cobden; two sons, Ardell Starling of Gulf Port, Miss. ...

Erma H. Johnson, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday March 12, 2000, at the Cape Girardeau Residential Care Center. She was born Sept. 27, 1904, in Stoddard County, daughter of Logan A. and Melinda Ridge Hobbs. She and Elbert F. Johnson were married July 25, 1925, at Bloomfield. He died March 28, 1999...

SCOTT CITY -- Ruth Littlepage, 91, of Scott City died Saturday, March 11, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Aug. 1, 1908, at Gale, Ill., daughter of Albert Perry and Emma Lackey Cummins. She and Raymond Littlepage were married Nov. 24, 1924. He died April 11, 1967...

Douglas Harold Stevens, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 11, 2000, at his home. He was born Oct. 15, 1934, at Cascade, son of James Dorse and Rilla Marie Alexander Stevens. He and Irene Stiern were married Feb. 20, 1960, at St. Louis. Stevens was a member of the Kiwanis Club, Southeast Claims Association and the Jaycees. He retired in 1996 after 36 years with the GAB Business Service Inc...