Stories from Thursday, April 6, 2000

To the editor: In response to Paula K. White's letter to the editor (April 4), I commend her for her diligence and vigilance with respect to a petition that would force CBS television to remove "Touched by an Angel" because of its religious content...

"Amity Hills Farm" is one of the books written by Nona Chapman. Nona Chapman writes books but has no aspirations of becoming a well-known author. Her books are intended only for members of her family, especially for grandchildren bound to love them more the older they get...

WE WOULD like to express our thanks to the students at Oran Elementary School, the kindergarten students of Ms. Muenchen's class, for sharing their time on the body walk. We would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation for the help of Debbie Estes and the staff at Oran Elementary School in allowing us to be able to participate in this event. ...

Congratulations to JUDGE JOHN GRIMM for his well-deserved selection as the 1999 Cape JAYCEES Distinguished Service Award winner. This is one of Cape's most prestigious awards, and John's previously printed accomplishments certainly support his selection...

State and federal politicians are pressured daily by special-interest groups and contributors. Local politicians -- city council members, school board members and county commissioners -- have long been removed from the onslaught of lobbyists and others seeking favors in return for favors. But in recent years, these local officeholders have become targets for new pressure groups: namely, the state organizations to which they belong and which hold powerful lobbying clout...

When the University of Missouri system embarked on an early-retirement program, president Manuel Pacheco said those taking the offer would not be rehired. What he meant to say, apparently, is they wouldn't be rehired at their old jobs and their old salaries...

Fifty-seven percent of the census forms mailed to Missourians have been filled out and returned, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday. The response rate in some Southeast Missouri counties is well above the state average and the 55 percent national average...

A notice about the possibility of contracting salmonella from handling baby chicks and ducks sold as Easter gifts should serve as a reminder of the importance of hand-washing all year long, health and pet experts say. The Missouri Department of Health issued a reminder Wednesday that an outbreak of salmonella in the state last year, including four cases in Southeast Missouri, were linked to the handling of baby chicks and ducks. ...

Include Me Too, the child-care center formed by staff and parents after the closing of the Easter Seals Child Development Center, is again looking for a home. The program of inclusive child care has until April 15 to move out of a former convent that St. ...

April 6, 2000 Dear Ken, I must have fallen in love with golf that day my grade school friend Danny Davidson and I were hitting balls with his father's clubs in his backyard. I didn't know how to hold the club or anything about weight shift and timing and swing plane. ...

For 30 years, Teen Challenge International of Mid-America has helped men learn basic job skills and has taught them how to overcome drug and alcohol addictions. On Saturday, the students and staff of the Cape Girardeau County campus will meet their supporters and friends during an annual banquet. The banquet, which includes testimonies from graduates, a choral presentation and a video, will be held at 6 p.m. at the Show Me Center...

Southeast Missouri State University's Sundancers team will make its third straight appearance at the NCA Division I National Dance Championships at Daytona Beach, Fla., today and Friday. The 1998 and 1999 Sundancer teams both finished seventh in the final national rankings. This year's competition will be televised on the CBS and USA networks on April 15 and May 7...

It's not easy being the mayor. That's the feeling of Central High School senior Beth Bishop following two hours in Mayor Al Spradling III's shoes Wednesday morning. Bishop was one of 71 students from five area schools involved in the 15th annual Optimist Youth in Government Day Wednesday. The day is sponsored by the four Cape Girardeau and two Jackson Optimist Clubs...

The eighth annual Southeast Missouri State University Student Research conference will be held April 25-26 in the University Center. The purpose of this conference is to promote and recognize the undergraduate and graduate students who devote their time to research. The conference is open to students of all areas of study...

Paddle wheeler riverboat traffic along the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Cape Girardeau will be down during the first year of the new millennium. The "Queens" will make only four stops here in 2000, three of them by the Mississippi Queen...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team was hammered 8-0 and 8-1 in a home doubleheader against Southern Illinois Wednesday. Southeast (11-15) managed just seven hits in the two games, while the Salukis (28-12) got 10 hits in the first game and 11 in the second...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan figures the Indians broke out of their brief offensive funk at just the right time. The Indians, held to just one run during last Saturday's doubleheader loss at Belmont, tuned up for a huge weekend series by knocking off host Southern Illinois 8-6 on an extremely windy Wednesday afternoon at Abe Martin Field...

Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Gary Garner is apparently one of the leading candidates to become the next coach at Colorado State. The Southeast Missourian has learned -- and Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman has confirmed -- that Garner was in Fort Collins, Colo., Tuesday and Wednesday to interview for the vacant CSU post...

JACKSON -- Battling back from a 9-6 deficit in the bottom of the seventh, the Jackson High baseball team scored four runs with two outs to overcome Fredericktown 10-9 Wednesday. Fredericktown held an 8-3 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning. Jackson (5-3) struck for three runs in its half of the inning and missed more scoring opportunities when the Indians were retired with the bases loaded...

Instead of ending in the second week of May, the SEMO baseball conference title will be decided in the second week of April. Athletic directors of schools in the eight-team SEMO Conference met Tuesday and decided that when conference teams play each other twice, the first games between conference teams will count as written in the bylaws, not the second games as most of the coaches understood...

BENTON -- Memorial service for Max Mayfield of Fort Myers, Fla., will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Unity Baptist Church in Benton. The Rev. Dale Huff will officiate. Mayfield, 62, died Saturday, March 25, 2000, at his home. He was formerly of Benton and Cape Girardeau...

Funeral for Beulah "Boots" Loucks of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Mike Parry will officiate. Entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today...

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Edward Wayne Jerdon, 71, of Springfield, Ill., and formerly of Grand Chain, died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Massac memorial Hospital in Metropolis. He was born Oct. 29, 1928, in Grand Chain. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Springfield...

JACKSON -- Walter John Hennecke, 86, of Jackson died Wednesday, April 5, 2000, at his home. He was born Oct. 15, 1913, in Gordonville, son of William H. and Annie M. Amelunke Hennecke. He and Hazel Elizabeth Eakins were married Dec. 16, 1931. Hennecke worked at the former Florsheim Shoe Co. in Cape Girardeau 27 years, retiring in 1976. He also farmed in the Gordonville and Oak Ridge areas...

A Cape Girardeau man and a Perryville child were killed in separate traffic accidents in Southeast Missouri. Phillip Rainey, 43, of Cape Girardeau was killed when his vehicle ran off a Cape Girardeau County road and struck a tree about 6 a.m. Wednesday. The accident happened two miles north of Cape Girardeau on County Road 635, the Missouri Highway Patrol reported...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Willie Marks, 72, of East Prairie died Tuesday, April 4, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 12, 1928, in Appleton, Tenn., son of Clarence and Cleoria Flatt Marks. He and Dorothy M. Burney were married Nov. 7, 1944. He later married Helen Whitlock Feb. 5, 1971...

KARNAK, Ill. -- James A. Dunn, 28, of Round Lake and formerly of Karnak, died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Mexico, Mo., from injuries received in a train accident. He was born Jan. 21, 1972, in Libertyville. He worked as a laborer for Mid-West Plastics. He was a Baptist...

Phillip Leon Rainey, 43, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 5, 2000, in an automobile accident on County Road 635. He was born Dec. 14, 1956, at Bloomfield, son of Hubert D. and Ruth Allene Strobel Rainey. He and Jo Ann Lindsay were married Feb. 14, 1975, at Neely's Landing...

SIKESTON -- Beverly Kay Vinson, 59, of Oviedo, Fla., died Tuesday, April 4, 2000, at the home of a daughter in Blanchester, Ohio. She was born Oct. 4, 1940, in Sikeston, daughter of William Everett and Millie Skalsky Helms. She and Bill Vinson were married Oct. 4, 1959, in Sikeston...

CHAFFEE -- Novella Belle Mantel, 91, of Chaffee died Wednesday, April 5, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 12, 1909, in Puxico, daughter of Ila and Laura Waller McClure. She and Carl W. Mantel were married Oct. 18, 1930. He died Jan. 2, 1968...

DUDLEY -- Funeral for William J. Lau of Green Cove Springs, Fla., will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. T.L. Jarrell and the Rev. Bud Meadows will officiate. Burial will be in Dudley Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. Friday...

Son to Kenny and Robin Strop of Cape Girardeau, St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, 4:20 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2000. Name, Cody Ryan. Weight, 4 pounds 8 ounces. First child. Mrs. Strop is the former Robin Johns, daughter of Bill and Nancy Johns of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Southwestern Bell. Strop is the son of Bill and Beth Strop of Pierson, Fla., and Bill and Mary Barnett of Millersville. He is employed at Wiethop Truck Sales...

ADVANCE -- Eva E. Deschu, 84, of Advance died Tuesday, April 4, 2000, in St. Louis. She was born July 31, 1915, in St. Louis. Survivors include a daughter, Martha Filla; a son, Thomas Zych of Advance; a sister, Rose Bilobram of St. Louis; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren...