Stories from Saturday, December 9, 2000

It was the openness and spirit of giving that drew Scott Thomas, his wife, Kelly, and their three children to Second Missionary Baptist Church nearly 10 years ago. That same spirit has kept the church going for more than 130 years. But while the spirit may be strong, the old building is cramped and decaying. The congregation is trying to raise $300,000 for a new building...

Paul Job is already in a select group of workers: Only 12.3 percent of people 65 and older still work. But he also works 60 hours a week without complaint, and his job is taking other people to work. So little wonder the staff at the Workforce Investment Board in Cape Girardeau, which is dedicated to finding training and jobs for the unemployed, celebrated Job's accomplishments with a surprise 80th birthday party on Friday...

Strings of yellow fiberglass and patches of charred shingles are all that remain of a Cape Girardeau County mobile home that caught fire Friday afternoon. Investigators were trying to determine what started the fire at Dale Stickle's home in the Route W Trailer Court. No injuries were reported, and no one was home at the time of the blaze...

All too often, the biggest obsessions begin with just a little outside prodding. A man is overwhelmed by love with the simplest of smiles from his favorite girl, kids have to have everything purple to match the color of a televised dinosaur, and grown men surf the aisles of home improvement stores for the perfect string of lights that will enable them to outdo the winter wonderland dominating their neighbor's front yard...

When Victor Heise returned home Wednesday, he started to make a telephone call, but the line was dead. Further checks revealed that the phone had been disconnected. The telephone company had put in the disconnect order Monday afternoon, following a telephone call from a person who identified himself as Vic Heise...

Decorating the Christmas tree in the Cape Girardeau police station's lobby isn't lighthearted. Officers, family members of drunk driving victims and others will gather Sunday to place snowflake ornaments on the tree. The ornaments show the names of those who have been killed or injured in an accident...

A 24-year-old Cape Girardeau man was arrested for stealing a purse at a restaurant, police said. At approximately 9:24 p.m. on Thursday, police responded to a fight in progress at B.G.'s Old Tyme Deli and Saloon at 205 S. Plaza Way. Officers saw a man running from the restaurant and took him into custody...

John Hudak, executive director of the Community Counseling Center in Cape Girardeau, will be the guest Sunday on KRCU's "Going Public" show. Topics will include mental health and common problems associated with the holiday season. The show airs at 3 p.m. on 90.9 FM, the region's Public Radio affiliate station...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents Friday voted to build a new alumni center. But the regents said they want to review construction plans as they do with other capital improvement projects. Bids will be taken for the $1.2 million project, which could get under construction next spring...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents Friday hired a new vice president for business and finance, Dr. Ivy Locke. She most recently worked as vice president for fiscal affairs at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Locke, who will make an annual salary of $94,000, has already begun her duties at Southeast...

Book bugs with a tendency toward late book returns and a full pantry can use food items to pay late fees at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The ninth annual Food for Fines program is under way at the library. Reference assistant Rhonda Cole said members will be credited 50 cents for every nonperishable food donation taken to the library through Dec. 31...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Jackson Indians' pressure defense eventually wore down the stubborn Kelly Hawks. Jackson, outscoring the Hawks 29-9 in the third quarter, broke open a close game to hand winless Kelly an 85-61 loss on Friday night. The Indians improved to 3-1, while the Hawks fell to 0-4...

Tennessee Tech men's basketball coach Jeff Lebo laughed when asked who was responsible for the Eagles' ridiculously tough early season schedule. "I made that schedule out. How about that," said Lebo, chuckling again. "But we think it will help us down the road. We're a young group, with just one senior, and they're finding out what Division I basketball is all about."...

ORAN, Mo. -- Scott City High's boys basketball team trailed for all but 14 seconds of Friday night's game against host Oran. But that was still enough to lift the Rams to an exciting 63-61 victory. Scott City is now 3-1 while Oran fell to 2-2. "We got outplayed for three quarters tonight, there's no doubt about it," said Scott City coach Derek McCord. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Paul Strickland of Jackson sank his first hole-in-one Friday at Kimbeland Country Club. Strickland used a 9-iron to ace No. 4, a par 3 playing 125 yards. Witnessing the shot were Steve Wells, Jim Wills and Daryl Sanders.

Former Southeast Missouri State University baseball star Jeremy Johnson has been selected the College Player of the Year by the Greater St. Louis Major League Baseball Scouts Association. Johnson, the 2000 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, was drafted in the 26th round by the Toronto Blue Jays this year. The outfielder hit .376 for the Blue Jays' Class A Medicine Hat team and was named the Pioneer League Player of the Year...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Billy Joe Thompson Sr., 75, of Jackson died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at his home. He was born July 12, 1925, at Leemon, Mo., son of Sylvester Udee and Anna Mabel McDonald Thompson. He and Alice Faye Mason were married June 4, 1944. She died May 16, 1999...

Son to Bradley Steven and Karrie DeAnn Lancaster of Risco, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 5:14 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2000. Name, Zachary Bradley. Weight, 7 pounds 6 ounces. First child. Mrs. Lancaster is the former Karrie Evans, daughter of Lawrence Owens and Sharon Owens of Risco. Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster are employed at Banner Medical Equipment Inc. He is the son of Steve Lancaster and Debbie Lancaster of Risco...

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Bertha Rushing Dycus, 87, of Metropolis, Ill., formerly of Grand Chain, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Ky. She was born Aug. 18, 1912, in Massac County, Ill., daughter of Albert and Martha Staton Rushing. She first married Robert Mann. She later married Johnnie Dycus. Both preceded her in death...

CAIRO, Ill. -- C.E. "Gene" Farris, 76, of Cairo and formerly of Olive Branch, Ill., died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000, at his home. Friends may call from 4-9 p.m. Sunday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill. Masonic services will be conducted at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home by Caledonia Lodge #47 AF & AM...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Andrew Michael Swain was stillborn Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include his parents, Tony Michael Swain and Patricia Annette Campbell of Chaffee; paternal grandparents, Jane Swain and Mike Swain of Chaffee; and maternal grandmother, Pam Campbell of Rockview, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Lea Edwards, 96, of Sikeston died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 27, 1904, near Sikeston, daughter of William and Hulda Bean Watkins. She and John Owen Edwards were married Oct. 16, 1923. He preceded her in death...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Amos W. Hargrave, 87, formerly of Charleston, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in Bath, N.Y. He was born June 30, 1913, at Huntersville, Mo., son of Elia and Maud Dever Hargrave. He and Leta Colleen Converse were married Sept. 2, 1935. She died Dec. 27, 1999...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Rita Virginia Williams, 86, of Cobden died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000, at Jonesboro Health Care. She was born May 21, 1914, in Anna, Ill., daughter of John W. and Emma Josephine Treece Baggott. She and Raymond E. Williams were married April 21, 1937, in Union County, Ill. He died Dec. 4, 1996...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Funeral for James Robert Gadbury Sr. of Herculaneum, Mo., will be held at 1 p.m. today at Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The Rev. Robert Burnes will officiate. Burial will be in Matthews Cemetery at Matthews, Mo. Friends may call at the chapel from 11 a.m. until service time...

DELTA, Mo. -- Danny King, 62, of Delta died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Earnest Clinton "Ernie" Manning Jr., 55, of East Prairie and formerly of Morehead, Ky., died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at the John Cochran V.A. Medical Center in St. Louis. He was born May 28, 1945, in Seaman, Ohio, son of Virgie Lee Lambert Manning and Earnest Clinton Manning Sr. He and Jane Mouser were married April 9, 1965...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Lucille Hileman, 82, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at Jonesboro Healthcare Center. She was born Aug. 9, 1918, in Paragould, Ark., daughter of Charles E. and Arista Dooley Treece. She and Laurel Houston Anderson were married Jan. 9, 1936. He died in November 1941. She later married Ray Hileman in July 1961. He died in June 1972...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Erma D. Christian, 100, of Bloomfield died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born April 4, 1900, at Bloomfield, daughter of John Wesley and Rosetta Chasteen Harris. She and Warner Christian were married Oct. 3, 1917. He died Dec. 15, 1980...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Ruth Keith of Aurora, Colo., will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Scott Harner will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday...

AS A Catholic Christian, I was deeply saddened to hear that there were people handing out anti-Catholic material during the Parade of Lights. This type of behavior is certainly not pleasing to our Lord, although I am certain it is making Satan very happy. ...

If there is one lesson that screams out at us from this election from hell, it is the importance of judicial restraint -- the connection between judicial restraint and ordered liberty. That's a fitting lesson, given the two candidates' radically different views regarding the role of our courts...

There's nothing like the threat of falling into a huge crack in the earth to get Southeast Missouri residents interested in disaster preparedness. Ten years after Iben Browning's forecast of a 50-50 chance of a major shift in the New Madrid Fault, we shake our heads and chuckle. ...

There are so many excuses to drop out of college. Money. Family. Time. Nobody had a better reason than Leslie Menz. But she will march with her classmates today in Southeast Missouri State University's commencement. Menz, 24, suffered three strokes from a blood clot in her brain in September 1999. She was in a coma for four days. Her family prepared for her death...