Stories from Wednesday, July 12, 2000

If you have azaleas in your landscape, read this article and then go out and inspect them. They may be infested with the insect at the top on Cape Girardeau's Most Unwanted list, the lace bug. During the last four weeks I have probably looked at 30 or more samples of azaleas and have taken a comparable number of phone calls about lace bug. Because of the number of calls and samples brought in, I thought it important to write about them in this column...

A man's body retrieved from the Mississippi River Tuesday evening could be that of a missing Commerce, Mo., man, authorities believe. A positive identification had not been made Tuesday night, the body is believed to be that of Ricky Wright of Commerce. An identification is expected by noon today...

FRUITLAND, Mo. -- In a meeting that was mildly confrontational but mostly congenial, 16 people tried to clarify how to make conditions better for the physically and mentally disabled in Cape Girardeau County. Eight members of the county's Senate Bill 40 board, which appropriates over $500,000 in tax money annually, conducted a group dialogue Tuesday with an audience of eight made up of the handicapped, their parents and others at VIP Industries' sheltered workshop...

Cape Girardeau County's prosecuting attorney believes a new state law that creates a crime of domestic assault was well-intentioned but makes little sense and won't help curb the crime. The prosecutor, Morley Swingle, said the law "won't help the prosecution one bit." Swingle said, "It overlooks the real difficulty, which is maintaining the cooperation of the victim to see that the abuser gets punished."...

It isn't every day that a photographer can capture just the right moment in perfect lighting, but that happened to Kirk Barks of Cape Girardeau. His photograph of his granddaughter, Kayle, sitting on a backyard swing was one of four semifinalists selected during the first week of Foto Fest 2000, a contest sponsored by the Southeast Missourian and Westfield Shoppingtown West Park. Other sponsors are Schnucks, Mac's Smokehouse, Southeast Missouri Hospital and the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

The Oak Ridge Boys, Toby Keith and Don Williams will provide the entertainment at the 2000 SEMO District Fair. "It's something for everyone," Pete Poe, president of the fair board, said of the lineup. The fair will be held Sept. 10 through 16 at Arena Park. Tickets for the grandstand entertainment will go on sale at the fair office at 8 a.m. July 19...

Managing driveway entrances and exits on major roads not only lessens the number of accidents, it can help traffic move more efficiently and help the environment, said a traffic planner with the Missouri Department of Transportation. About 15 people, most of them members of the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission or city staff, met with MoDOT Tuesday evening at City Hall for a presentation about managing access points on major roads...

The John L. Boardman Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established at Southeast Missouri State University. Members of the Downtown Merchants Association, other businesses and friends headed a campaign to endow the scholarship in memory of the late John Boardman, an architect who made many contributions to his profession and to the community...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Charleston School District is among 16 districts in the Mississippi Delta region scheduled for visits by U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley next month. Charleston is the only Missouri stop in Riley's America Goes Back to School tour along the Mississippi River. Various stops are scheduled in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee Kentucky and Illinois to promote a federal emphasis on promoting educational opportunities in rural schools...

Wednesday, July 12, 2000, 6:30 p.m. Superintendent's Office Agenda items:...

Thursday, July 13, 2000 5:30 p.m. Agenda items:...

The summer college basketball recruiting season began Saturday, meaning coaches from all over the country hit the road in search of future stars. But Southeast Missouri State University coach Gary Garner hasn't had to go far to take a look at a lot of players...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy American Legion baseball team rode the strong right arms of Justin Simpher and Matt Stroup to a pair of victories Tuesday night that all but assured the squad of earning the top seed for next week's District 14 Tournament...

The following is a listing of players with area ties who are competing in professional baseball. Included in the list are each players' local connection, his last year as an amateur and his major league affiliation. Statistics are through Sunday. Steve Bieser, OF (Ste. Genevieve High School, Southeast Missouri State 1989) St. Louis Cardinals:...

The Cape Senior Babe Ruth White Sox picked up their second and third wins of the season Tuesday night with a doubleheader sweep over Sikeston. The White Sox won the first game 15-10. Gabe Keys was the winning pitcher, while Arthur Pilsner had four hits and Kyle Swallow added a triple...

The Cape Girardeau Riverdogs disposed of Saline Co. (Ill.) 20-4 in seven innings Tuesday night in a game shortened by the run rule. Brandon Talbot and Greg Craft both went 4-for-5 for the Riverdogs (3-8) with a double and a home run. Craft had four RBIs while Talbot had three. Shane Gibson also had a double, a home run and two RBIs in a 3-for-4 performance. Steve Fowler added three hits and two RBIs while Chris Bradshaw had two hits. The Riverdogs had 18 hits overall...

Son to Keith Joel Swallow and Amy L. Warner of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:43 p.m. Monday, July 3, 2000. Name, Landon Garrett. Weight, 4 pounds 15 ounces. First child. Ms. Warner is the former Amy McAtee, daughter of Sally McAtee and Gary McAtee of Perryville, Mo. She is employed at Midwest Energy Inc. and VFW Post 3838. Swallow is the son of Wesley Swallow and Phyllis Swallow of Kalispell, Mont. He is serving in the U.S. Navy...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Larry Nowak, 92, of Jackson died Tuesday, July 11, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Funeral for Carl F. Berrong of Advance will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Morgan Funeral Home. Burial will be in Berrong Cemetery at Gipsy, Mo. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today. Berrong, 90, died Monday, July 10, 2000, at Advance Nursing Center...

DES ARC, Mo. -- Kenneth Burkhart, 62, of Dexter died Tuesday, July 11, 2000, at the Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington. He was born July 1, 1938, the son of George Joseph and Maudie Mayberry Burkhart. He married Gwendolyn Haynes. She survives of Des Arc...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Herman J. Amschler, 59, of Perryville died Monday, July 10, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 7, 1941, in Perryville, son of Edwin and Rosa Winschel Amschler. He and VeldaLee M. Ruch were married Aug. 13, 1967, at Silver Lake, Mo...

ORAN, Mo. -- James Robert Glastetter, 65, of Oran died Monday, July 10, 2000, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Nov. 22, 1934, at Oran, son of Frank Joseph and Clara Catherine Amrhein Glastetter. Glastetter had worked at VIP Industries in Sikeston. He was a member of Guardian Angel Catholic Church...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Thelbert Steward, 88, of Marble Hill died Monday, July 10, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 1, 1912, near Puxico, Mo., son of Albert and Iva Harty Steward. He and Pauline Stevenson were married Nov. 2, 1930. She died May 16, 1991...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Loy Helderman, 78, of Jackson Manor died Tuesday, July 11, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 26, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, son of Era Tilton and Elizabeth Doggett Helderman. Helderman was employed at Helderman Farms 57 years...

Cape Girardeau School District superintendent DAN STESKA visited with our editorial board two weeks ago and shared some of the following information ... most of which was new to me. I think you'll be interested. Cape Girardeau school facts you should know:...

Medicaid is the largest single budget item in Missouri, yet it seems there is precious little oversight of the multibillion-dollar health care and disability program. At a cost of $3.4 billion in state and federal funds for the fiscal year that began July 1, Medicaid serves nearly 15 percent of Missourians. The cost of the program jumped $500 million from the recently ended budget year -- a 17.2 percent increase -- and rose 56 percent over the past six years...

A recent situation at the Missouri attorney general's Cape Girardeau office raised many questions, but the public ended up with no answers. In the last week of June, it was noticed that the front doors to the office at 2860 N. Mount Auburn Rd. -- an office even many local lawyers didn't know existed -- were locked during office hours and a private security guard was posted...

To the editor: I was just reading about gay rights and how gays are complaining that they are being discriminated against. There is no discrimination. Read the laws. What they are doing is illegal. In Missouri it is against the law for two people of the same sex to have sex with each other. ...

As I mentioned last week, my family reunion is over for this year and it was a smashing success. I never dreamed so many of you would ask about it, though. I have had several notes and calls wanting to know what we served and how many. I will give you a quick run-down of a few of the reunion factoids. ...