Stories from Monday, October 2, 2000

Cape Mini Storage has opened near the intersection of Golden Eagle Court and Kingshighway. The new storage facility includes 148 total storage units, with 24 climate control units. The facility is owned by Boyce W. Church of Cape Girardeau.

Michael Ponder, attorney at Thomasson, Gilbert, Cook & Maguire, L.C., in Cape Girardeau, has received the Lon O. Hocker Award from the Missouri Bar. The Hocker awards are presented to three outstanding young attorneys each year -- one from the Kansas City area, one from St. Louis, and one from the rest of the state...

Dr. Shaina L. Schiwitz, of Benton, Mo., has received a degree of Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Schiwitz, daughter of Arthur and Brenda Schiwitz, is a graduate of Kelly High School. She received a bachelor's degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 1994...

A number of employees at Dana Corp.'s Cape Girardeau facility have received promotions. Michael Coleman, who joined Dana in 1997 as a cell technician, has been promoted to maintenance technician. Jerry Beckett was promoted to cutter grind technician on D Shift. He joined Dana in 1998 as a cell technician...

Judge Stanley Grimm of Cape Girardeau, a senior judge of the Eastern and Southern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals, has received a Spurgeon Smithson Award. The Spurgeon awards are presented annually by the Missouri Bar Foundation to Missouri judges, teachers of law and lawyers deemed "to have rendered outstanding service toward the increase and diffusion of justice among men."...

Vonnie Hays-Adams is the new executive director for the DAEOC Community Action Agency at Portageville. Adams, a native of western Kentucky, has more than 10 years of experience in working with the non-profit service agency. She had worked with the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce at Murray, Ky., where she served in a number of capacities...

Lonnie Lusk, accountant with Schott & Van de Ven, Certified Public Accountants, recently attended the FASB/APLB Update and Review, two-day class, in St. Louis. The seminar was sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs. Lusk, who has been in public accounting since 1991, is the accounting software specialist with the firm and is an authorized professional adviser for QuickBooks professional advisers program...

Gates Rubber Co. will reduce production at its Charleston, Mo. operation. The reduction will eliminate about half of the 360 jobs at the plant. Production of a large-diameter hose, used primarily as automotive radiator hose, will be phased out over the next 18 months at the Charleston operation, said plant manager John V. Noonan...

"Cape Shoes" are making their appearance in stores throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. The Cape Shoe label, produced by Cape Shoe Co. in Cape Girardeau, are "100 percent made in the United States," said Eli Fisherman, president of the nation's newest shoe manufacturer, which produces shoes in the former Florsheim Shoe Co. plant at Highway 74 and South West End Boulevard...

Airline delays increased again in August, after tapering off a bit earlier this summer, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday. The agency reported 47,893 delayed flights for the month, up from 44,430 in July but below the record 50,114 recorded in June...

Economic growth sped ahead in the spring at an even faster pace than previously thought while inflation moderated, a performance that led analysts to marvel. Gross domestic product -- the nation's total output of goods and services and the broadest measure of economic health -- grew at a 5.6 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday...

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. When you put money in the stock market, you can choose one of two courses of behavior. You can become either an investor or a speculator. And there's a big difference between the two...

For that matter, she knows her teacher, Chris Starr, won't even be in the room. That's because he is miles away, teaching the class via interactive television from Charleston High School. In a classroom, painted a bright, light blue for television purposes, Beggs and five other Kelly High School students sit at desks outfitted with microphones and watch their teacher on a big-screen television monitor. ...

First Horizon Money Center, a division of First Tennessee Bank, 252 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, will hold its grand opening Oct. 10. The consumer finance center will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. during grand opening days, Tuesday through Thursday of that week...

The Cape Girardeau branch of Home Medical Supply held its grand opening last week at 706 S. Kingshighway. The company, established by Steve Caldwell in 1987, provides a wide variety of in-home medical equipment and supplies, as well as many custom devices, including orthotics and fitted electric wheelchairs. The company also provides oxygen and portable oxygen systems...

With Windows ME shipping I have received a lot of e-mail concerning ME versus 2000. Let me state that these operating systems are for two different environments. If you are putting up a server or a client that needs to be rock solid, then Windows 2000 is your choice...

Carly Fiorina, president and chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co., has been named to the additional post as chairman, becoming the first woman to hold all three top posts at a major computer company. Fiorina's new post, announced Friday, marks a nod of approval for the work she's done since July 1999 when took the helm of the Palo Alto-based company, the world's third-largest computer maker...

Brick Street Gallery Art Antiques and Creative Designs has opened in downtown Cape Girardeau. The business, located in the Paddle Wheel Plaza building, at 5 N. Main St., is owned and operated by Keith and Rosetta Colley. The Brick Street Gallery, which features antiques and collectibles, opened two years ago at Sikeston and moved to Cape Girardeau recently. The store is open five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m...

Pamida, Inc., a discount retail chain, will built a new store at New Madrid, Mo. Construction is under way on the 24,000 square foot store, at 655 West South Highway 61. Parmida is a subsidiary of ShopKo Stores, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, headquartered in Green Bay, Wis.. ShopKo operates 333 retail stores in 22 states, including Westfield Shopping Center in Cape Girardeau...

Treasurable Moments has opened in downtown Cape Girardeau. The business, owned by Derrick Charles, provides a complete line of services for special occasions. The company, located at 127 N. Main St., specializes in weddings. "We make all arrangements," said Charles...

Mark Lester knows which signals allow left turns first, regardless of whether any vehicle is waiting in that lane, and he can travel William or Independence streets without having to stop at all the red lights. But that ability comes more from driving through the intersections regularly than from any knowledge he gained as head of the city's engineering department...

The cost of heating a home or business this winter is likely to make consumers hot under the collar and cool their bank balances considerably. Specifically, customers in Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard counties could be seeing bills $15 to $50 a month higher than a year ago, translating into 20 to 40 percent increases. ...

GRAPIC -- BODYSLAMMING THE BUSINESS Strangers recognize Tom Nelson wherever he goes, but they never call him by the right name. "It's the Undertaker! The Undertaker's driving the car," said 9-year old Marissa Williamson last October during a ride in one of the limousines Nelson owns. Nelson, who was chauffeuring Williamson and the wedding party she was with to a reception hall, wasn't surprised by her reaction...

The Missouri Legislature would have more freedom in setting their own salaries and those of judges and statewide elected officials under a constitutional amendment that is on the Nov. 7 ballot. Constitutional Amendment No. 3, put on the ballot by lawmakers, would revise a process that has been in place since 1994 when voters approved a constitutional amendment establishing a statewide pay commission...

Ongoing projects: The Broadway and Caruthers intersection will be closed Friday. Detours will be posted...

Holding signs that read "Lord, forgive us and our nation," "Jesus forgives and heals" and "Abortion hurts women" about 40 people gathered for an hour of silent prayer Sunday afternoon. The group had gathered to form a "life chain" against the backdrop of white crosses staked into the ground at the Cemetery of the Innocent at the intersection of Cape West Parkway and Richmond Drive near Interstate 55...

Tom Neumeyer asserted his pledge to run a clean campaign, without negative comments and in doing so brought up the past record of a consulting firm hired by his opponent as an example. Neumeyer is running as a Democrat and faces Republican Jason Crowell in the Nov. 7 general election for the vacant seat in the 158th District of the Missouri House of Representatives...

Radio astronomy is perhaps the second biggest subfield in astronomy. No, it's not about listening to the radio while you watch the stars (that's called a cheap date where I come from). All objects radiate electromagnetic radiation unless they are at absolute zero, which is theoretically impossible unless you are talking about your spouse's feet! The type of radiation we emit depends on our temperature...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- St. Vincent High School's softball team won its own round-robin tournament Saturday as the Lady Indians beat out three other squads. St. Vincent and St. Pius both went 2-1 in round-robin play, then the Lady Indians prevailed 9-4 in the championship game...

In a junior-high football game from late last week, Cape Girardeau Central's eighth grade defeated Poplar Bluff 33-21 as Brandon Twiggs scored three touchdowns and Mikell Abraham and Gabe Edwards had one each. Also, Central's ninth grade lost to Poplar Bluff 28-7, with Mark Dunaway scoring the lone touchdown...

ANNA, Ill. -- Southern Illinois man was killed in a one-vehicle accident early Sunday morning near the line between Union and Johnson counties. William D. Messemore, 50, of Marion, Ill., was thrown from his vehicle after having failed to negotiate a turn in Highway 146, near Anna, Ill. His body was taken to Whitmore Funeral Home in Vienna, Ill...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Verna Mildred Magee, 79, of Sikeston, Mo., died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born March 4, 1921, at Holland, Ark., daughter of William and Laura Jane Hurst Potter. She and Edward Magee were married Dec. 20, 1956, at Benton, Mo. He survives...

Belma Whitticre, age 96, of Cape Girardeau died Sept. 30, 2000, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 8, 1904, in Dutchtown, Mo., the daughter of Albert and Amanda Miller Sander. She and Lester Whitticre were married Jan. 10, 1925, in Cape Girardeau at Trinty Lutheran parsonage. He died in October 1991...

Hinsdale, Ill. -- Mercedes B. Lueders, 81, of Hinsdale died Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000, at Manor Care Health Service in Hinsdale. She was born Dec. 16, 1918, at Downers Grove, Ill., daughter of W. roy and Katherine Irene Kearney Behrel. She married Ralph J. Lueders Sr...

Ruth Estes Sturm, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

PARMA, Mo. -- Jackie Paul Parker, 49, of Parma, Mo., died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2000. He was born April 11, 1951, at Malden, Mo., son of A.B. and Georgia Mae Elrod Parker. He and Carolyn Edmonds were married Aug. 9, 1997, at Bernie, Mo. He had been a resident of Parma all his life and was affiliated with the Baptist church...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Carl R. Barrett Sr., 80, died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at Eldercare of Marble Hill. He was born Jan. 28, 1920, at Gilman, Ill., son of Albert Marion and Argie Mae Huskey Barrett. He and Cecelia Josephine Stockman were married July 14, 1950, at Jackson, Mo...

Mildred "Millie" Turner, 65, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at her home. She was born March 5, 1935, at Summitville, Ind., daughter of Ralph H. and Vera Maxine Crull Thurston. She was formerly married to Arthur H. Turner of Greensburg, Ind...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Catherine G. Sexton, 55, of Scott City, Mo., died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at her home. She was born Feb. 13, 1945, in Converse, Texas, the daughter of Cercencio and Ysedra Garcia Guzman. She had worked for the past 23 years at Thorngate Ltd. as a steam press operator...

Joanne Weber, 47, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2000, at her home in Clayton, Georgia. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

To the editor: This is in defense of our farmers. No, we don't get a government check. My husband has a full-time job in addition to his farm. Some days my 6-year-old may get to see his father for 15 minutes. My husband has had an eye injury, broken rib and 20-plus stitches in his head in less than six months due to the farm...

To the editor: The small community of Millersville suffered a grievous and irreplaceable loss the other day. It seems in the grand scheme of things, with all the movers and shakers about, we tend to overlook those people who are closer to us and have a more direct impact on our lives. Such a person was Lynn Hopkins. He always had a friend word and was always willing to help...

A proposal on the Nov. 7 general-election ballot that would enable Cape Girardeau County to adopt countywide planning and zoning deserves every voter's attention. You owe it to yourself to know what will happen if the proposal passes. The answers are available, but you have to seek them out. And the simplest way to do that is to obtain copies of the proposed planning and zoning regulations...

A new state law that requires persons convicted of misdemeanor sexual offenses to register with authorities -- just as those convicted of felonious sexual offenses have had to do since 1979 -- will prove beneficial by forewarning of possible trouble...

THOUGH I am an admirer of Morley Swingle and am repulsed at any indication of false accusation, I'd like to caution Morley about coming to the defense of left-wing liberal Democrats too quickly. These people are masters of planting stories that they can turn on their accusers. ...

To the editor: I have been hearing the Missouri teacher of the year talk about all Gov. Mel Carnahan has done for Missouri education. I have a real problem with this. I hear on the local news that Kansas City and St. Louis Schools have lost their accreditation. This sure sounds like Governor Carnahan has failed our kids...