Stories from Wednesday, August 16, 2000

Southeast Missouri State University will keep better track of radioactive materials in science labs and on campus after spending the summer cleaning up a radiation leak in its science building, officials said. University officials announced the change in policy and said an amended license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission had been granted to the university for cleanup of americium-241. The announcement came during a news conference Tuesday afternoon on campus...

After-hours dumping is costing the Salvation Army valuable staff time and money, and is creating an eyesore, said Army Major Robert Gauthier. The Salvation Army operates a thrift store at 610 Independence. People are dumping donations of clothing, furniture and other items in front of the loading dock at the store rather than delivering the items during regular store hours...

BENTON, Mo. -- Two Scott City, Mo., men charged with murder demonstrated different demeanors during their first appearance in court on Tuesday. Gary W. Biggs, 36, walked confidently in to see Associate Circuit Judge David C. Mann. Biggs gave a short wave to friends and relatives seated in the front row of the Scott County courtroom...

BENTON, Mo. -- More than two years after the death of a gas station attendant, the trial of two Scott County men for killing and robbery began Tuesday. Orlandis Farr of Malden, Mo., and Michael Bell of Sikeston, Mo., are facing a jury trial for the shooting death of Charles Garrett, who worked at the former Kellett Oil Co. in Sikeston...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents inked two contracts for the River Campus project Tuesday. But school officials insisted after the meeting that the money won't be spent until all the funding is in place. The regents approved a $3.87 million architectural and engineering contract with Sverdrup/CRSS of St. Louis and a $1.33 million construction management contract with BSI Inc. of St. Louis...

Southeast Missouri State University has consolidated its student financial services in an effort to better serve students, school officials said Tuesday. The Board of Regents approved the reorganization, which merges the university's student receivables and collections department with financial aid services...

Project CHARLIE (Chemical Abuse Resolution Lies in Education) is in need of volunteers for the fall school semester. Eligible adults will be able to donate 30 minutes once a week to teaching children about how special they are. A training course will be held Sept. 5 at LaCroix United Methodist Church from 6-10 p.m. Volunteers are trained to teach from prepared lesson plans...

A Cape Girardeau man pleaded guilty to federal gun charges, the U.S. Attorney's office said. James Dale O'Connell, 46, pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of three firearms, said Larry Ferrell, assistant U.S. attorney. O'Connell told the court that when police had come to 2303 Jane St. in response to a disturbance call, they found him in the basement of the residence in possession of firearms that he had recently stolen from Bowling Green, Ky., Ferrell said...

The smooth, easy gait of a Tennessee Walking Horse makes them a popular breed for riders and an attraction that will benefit programs at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The hospital is sponsoring a regional horse show Saturday at Flickerwood Arena in Jackson, Mo. Tickets are $2 per person and proceeds benefit the Diabetes Youth Fund at the hospital...

Janice Meyr of Jackson, Mo., takes her camera nearly everywhere but especially on family outings. Meyr's photograph of her uncle, Helmer Stueve, sitting inside the doorway of an abandoned barn was selected this week as one of four semifinalists in the Foto Fest 2000 contest...

LOS ANGELES -- Cape Girardeau Democrat Shirley Patterson is well aware of the extra security at the Democratic National Convention. But the Bradley delegate said convention goers were unaware of the violent protest that took place outside the Staples Center on Monday. Hundreds of demonstrators threw rocks and fired steel balls from slingshots at police, who answered by firing rubber bullets and beanbags from shotguns, swinging batons from horseback and unleashing pepper spray...

Southeast Missouri State University volleyball coach Cindy Gannon appreciates the respect her peers have given the Otahkians by picking them to repeat as Ohio Valley Conference champions. But she also knows the respect will mean little once the season begins early next month...

Southeast Missouri State University football coach Tim Billings is not a big believer in a lot of all-out scrimmaging. His theory is to keep his players as fresh -- and injury free -- as possible for the `real' games of the regular season. But Billings knows a team has to scrimmage some, and the Indians had their first such event of two-a-days Tuesday when they used a large portion of their late afternoon practice to take part in a session that lasted a little more than an hour...

MILLVILLE, N.J. -- The Heartland Heat 16-under girls fast-pitch softball team suffered its first loss Tuesday in the Babe Ruth Softball World Series but still advanced out of pool play. The Heat, based in Benton, Mo., fell to a squad from Hawaii 3-0 as pitcher Erin Sing set a tournament record with 15 strikeouts. Bridgett Riley was the losing hurler as the Heat had just one hit...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Olie Dixon, 97, of Charleston died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, at Bertrand Retirement Home. He was born June 15, 1903, in Crosno, Mo., son of Will and Callie Lewis Dixon. He married Eather Scott, who preceded him in death. Dixon was retired from farming...

Thomas Joseph "Tom" Dohogne Sr., 53, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000, at his home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Virginia Biggs Wathen, 75, of St. Louis died Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000, at Integrated Health Services of St. Louis. She was born Nov. 28, 1924, in Mound City, daughter of Roy and Pearl Holman Rothman. She married Dalton Biggs, who died in 1953...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Rod Dixon, 80, of Cairo died Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000, at his home. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Violet M. Lacy, 80, of Anna died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 23, 1920, in Dexter, Mo., daughter of William C. and Lillie J. Shipman Belcher. She and Burl Lacy were married Feb. 24, 1940, in Jackson, Mo. He died June 15, 1996...

ORAN, Mo. -- Annie Rose Miederhoff, 85, of Oran died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2000, at her home. She was born Sept. 2, 1914, at New Hamburg, Mo., daughter of Leo and Alvina Klipfel Gosche. She and Bernard Miederhoff were married May 15, 1934. He died Nov. 15, 1987...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Ruth Henson, 74, of Tyler, Texas, died Saturday, Aug. 12, 2000, at Herman Hospital in Houston, Texas. She was born Feb. 16, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Nathanial C. and Mary Watkins. Henson moved from Sikeston to Houston and then to Tyler 22 years ago. She retired as a dental assistant. She was a member of University Christian Church...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Clifford Newman Sr., 74, of Tamms died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 2, 1926, at Canalou, Mo., son of Thomas Mode and Mary Louise Landers Newman. He and Ethel Carner Powless were married in 1989...

To the editor: My wife and I have two children in their 40s. Each one has a master's degree. We always support quality education by voting for anything that will maintain or improve the current educational system. According to the voting records, only 29 percent of the voters in the Jackson School District voted on the two school bond-related issues in the last election. ...

To the editor: With the announcement of Dick Cheney as the Republican vice presidential candidate, the Democrat machine of personal destruction went into high gear. Every Democrat is chanting the same mantra about cop-killer bullets and undetectable plastic guns that are only useful to terrorists. ...

The community improvement group Vision 2020 recently unveiled its strategic goals it would like to achieve in Cape Girardeau over the next 20 years. While the plan in its current form is overly broad, Vision 2020 members will have plenty of opportunity to use their creativity and dedication to the community to craft more specifics along the way...

With the continuing construction of new homes in the area, the intersection of Perryville Road and Lexington Avenue is a prime spot for commercial development. So far nothing has been done with vacant property at the intersection, and various development proposals have been thwarted. The area is currently zoned residential, and many folks who live nearby are opposed to any commercial use...

Most conservatives always knew that these predictions were counterintuitive at best and devoid of reality at worst. As successful as Clinton and his henchmen were in unconscionably demonizing Clinton's accusers, it never seemed very likely that such trumped-up charges would overshadow Clinton's wrongdoing. ...

I just had to call in after I read the Speak Out in which a lady said her daughter attended an educational convention in Dallas and discovered that George W. Bush had thrown out all the standardized tests that judged academic levels. This woman is mistaken and so is her daughter. ...

Last year our Ross was in kindergarten. All year the students in his class were introduced to The Letter People as a part of their learning experience about the alphabet. The Letter People are inflatable characters, and each one represents a different consonant or vowel. ...

Graham crackers, developed by Sylvester Graham in 1829, have become a staple in many American homes. Life is full of ironies, and the culinary world is no exception. Take graham crackers, for instance. Developed in 1829 by Sylvester Graham, the nation's first health nut, as a whole grain alternative to baked goods made with refined flour, they are now the most common base for cheesecake, a concoction which the fitness-minded Graham would have no doubt railed against...