Stories from Saturday, December 16, 2000

Members at Centenary United Methodist Church wanted to bring Bible stories to life for their children, so they added some visual effects in nursery classrooms. Instead of just reading about Noah and the ark, children in the toddler room can enter an ark and see pictures of animal pairs painted on the walls around them...

Dear Lee: This letter's in response to the person who had a vision of a loved one's funeral. I had a dream that I was at my mom's funeral in a huge dark church. My family members and their spouses were in the dream, looking harshly at one another. There was a lot of terrible bitterness and unforgiveness -- and no love there! One family member accused another of my mom's death -- not that he actually killed her, but that his bitter attitude about her had brought her sorrow unto sickness and death.. ...

It took only a few moments to load the sacks and boxes of gifts onto a tractor-trailer truck Tuesday morning, but the gifts will create lasting memories for some children and families in East St. Louis, Ill. Members at Lynwood Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau adopted 118 families and children at an activities center in the metropolitan area and shipped them Christmas gifts and goodies earlier this week...

Divorced and with most of his family in England, John Loader is reminded each holiday season how alone he is. His feelings of isolation have deepened since last year, when he suffered a stroke that forced him into a Pasadena, Calif., retirement home. His only nearby relative is a son he sees occasionally...

Donations to the Salvation Army's Tree of Lights fund-raising campaign are down by $8,000 compared to last year, and this week's foul weather may be the culprit. Maj. Robert Gauthier of the Salvation Army said he is alarmed by the shortage of donations and is considering extending the kettle campaign to the week after Christmas...

For more than 300 Southeast Missouri State University students, finding plenty to eat around the holidays isn't a problem. So, led by Steven Walker and Marie Reichardt, they donated more than 2,300 unused meals to the Cape Girardeau Senior Center, the Salvation Army and the Safe House for Women. Students had paid for the meals but never used the credits during the fall semester, which ended Friday...

A weather radio station expected to go on the air in Cape Girardeau in the next few months will provide listeners with weather reports and emergency alerts from the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. Some details remain to be worked out before the station begins operation and eliminates a dead spot in the weather service's Southeast Missouri coverage...

JACKSON, Mo. -- An attorney charged with assault, drug possession and other crimes did not show up for a special hearing on Friday, and a judge has issued warrants for his arrest. Cape Girardeau attorney William Z. Shohet, 32, was absent from a hearing to consider revoking his probation on criminal charges, court officials reported. Associate Judge Byron Luber of Pemiscot County, who was presiding at the hearing, issued warrants for Shohet's arrest...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Players Island Casino is moving -- upstream a few hundred feet. Players riverboat casino will close at midnight Tuesday, to move operations upstream about 300 feet as construction of a new landing facility continues at its Metropolis site along the Ohio River...

After 30 years of investigating nearly every murder in the Cape Girardeau area, Lt. John Brown is leaving the Cape Girardeau Police Department. "I just thought it was time to let someone else have the reins," he said. Brown, who had been in charge of detectives for the police since 1983 and was the first head of the Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County Major Case Squad, will go to work as an officer for the Department of Public Safety at Southeast Missouri State University...

A Cape Girardeau man who allegedly swindled a 90-year-old philanthropist out of more than $500,000 will probably serve less than his three-year sentence, a Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman said. Bradley McIntyre had his first appearance before the state's board of probation and parole Thursday after pleading guilty to stealing by deceit last July...

The board of directors of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation has elected five new members to serve three-year terms on the board. They are Bill Davidson of Chesterfield, Mo., Richard Davidson of West Plains, Mo., Earl Holland of Naples, Fla., Dennis Marchi of Cape Girardeau and Paul Vance of Fredericktown, Mo...

When all the sweat settled, there were few surprises after the first night of the 26th annual Tiger Classic Friday. As expected, Ste. Genevieve, Jackson and Murphysboro are at the top and have pretty much distanced themselves from the rest of the 12-team field. The tournament was supposed to include 16 teams, but four St. Louis squads didn't make the trip due to the inclimate weather...

Southwest Missouri State men's basketball coach Barry Hinson doesn't believe his squad is entering tonight's game against Southeast Missouri State University in the best frame of mind. But the same can probably be said for the 5-3 Indians, who will play host to the 3-2 Bears from Springfield in a 7:06 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- It may be the Christmas season, but the foul-plagued Scott City Rams gave the Advance Hornets far too many gifts. Advance (5-1) used a 10-point advantage at the charity stripe to down the Rams 55-48 at Scott City on Friday night. The loss dropped Scott City to 4-2...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Because of poor road conditions, most of Friday night's scheduled high school basketball games were postponed. But Notre Dame was able to make the trip down I-55 to Sikestonand it was definitely worth the effort for the Cape Girardeau squad as it won the battle of Bulldogs 52-49 in overtime...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sister Mary Barbara Unterreiner, 85, of St. Louis died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000, at Christian Hospital Northeast in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 16, 1915, in Seventy-Six, Mo., near Perryville, daughter of Theodore and Barbara Schott Unterreiner...

Son to Dennis Ray Lesch and Cindy M. Blue of Delta, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:44 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2000. Name, Devin Ray. Weight, 5 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Ms. Blue is the daughter of Tim and Nora Johnston of Delta, and Paul and Geraldine Blue of Oran, Mo. Lesch is the son of Hughes and Glenda Lesch of Delta. He is employed at SEMO Box Co. in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- George Williams, 49, of Sikeston died Friday, Dec. 15, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born June 28, 1951, in Matthews, Mo., son of Lester P. and Lorene Kearby Williams. He and Karen Webb were married May 25, 1973. Williams worked as a tilt lift operator at Rowe Furniture in Morehouse, Mo...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Cora Roberts Parkinson, 75, of Dexter, died Friday, Dec. 15, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 29, 1925, in Malden, Mo., daughter of Richard and Madge Babb Childers. She and Jack Roberts were married March 3, 1941. He died Aug. 7, 1987. In 1989, she married LeRoy Parkinson...

David Christopher Kight, 23, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Sept. 2, 1977, in Cape Girardeau, son of Paula D. Sedgwick. He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Kevin D. ...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Jack Lane, 49, of Piedmont died Friday, Dec. 15, 2000, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by McCombs Funeral Home of Jackson, Mo.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Della M. Callier, 91, of Perryville died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 16, 1908, in Bollinger County, Mo., daughter of Jessie A. and Anna Barks Seabaugh. She married James R. Callier, and he died Aug. 31, 1982...

Floyd Hershel Cravens, 85, died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Cravens was born on Oct. 12, 1915 in Hartville, Mo., son of William and Roxie Ward Cravens. He lived in Parma, Mo., since 1937. He and Ethel Painter were married Sept. 14, 1937, in Hartville, Mo...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Gertis Head, 85, of Scott City died Friday, Dec. 15, 2000, at his home. He was born June 17, 1915, in Alabama. He and Cordie Padgett were married in 1936. She died in 1967. He and Idalene Brant were married in 1975. She died in 1999...

ANNA, Ill. -- Dora Hindman Lence Allen, 86, of Anna died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born June 9, 1914, in Anna, daughter of William Singleton and Dora Carmantha Hindman Lence. She and Dean C. Allen were married Aug. 17, 1958, at First Baptist Church in Anna...

BENTON, Mo. -- Connie Sue Harper Washburn, 57, of Benton died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born July 10, 1943, in Flint, Mich., daughter of Clifton and Dorothy Thorne Hawkins. She and Hershel E. Washburn were married Oct. 11, 1996, at Blodgett, Mo...

Tammy D. Phillips, 38, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000, at her home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel.

Gael Noble Florea, 62, of Columbia, Mo., died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2000, at his home. He was born Dec. 10, 1938, in Maryville, Mo., son of Noble W. and Marie Fine Florea. Florea was an engineer at McDonnell Douglas and retired in 1990. He served 29 years in Aero Space and Aircraft and was a member of the Thurman Weldon Band...

MINER, Mo. -- Virgil Wayne Bell, 87, of Miner and formerly of Charleston, Mo., died Friday, Dec. 15, 2000, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Dec. 25, 1912, in Allen, Texas, son of Herbert Lee and Vadna Johnson Bell. He and Anna F. Mansker were married Dec. 31, 1956. She died April 13, 1999...

THIS GOES out to all those Washington Redskins fans in the NFL. Don't you guys know that money can't buy happiness? Looks like you'll be home for the holidays. THERE HAVE been so many briefs in this presidential election, I think someone needs to start selling underwear...

Lest what I'm about to say be misunderstood, let me begin by saying that I very much appreciate the substance and tone of Al Gore's concession speech. Even though it took him 36 days, and he finally had no other choice, I am still happy that he chose to be gracious...

What an inspiration Robin White must be for her family, friends and acquaintances. The Jackson woman is 34 years old and raising 17- and 13-year-old daughters. She also has multiple sclerosis, a debilitating, unpredictable disease with a different symptom every day. On good days, she used a cane. On bad days, a wheelchair. And on the worst days, she's completely immobile...

Situated in a scenic wooded area on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, Wildwood is a Cape Girardeau landmark. The oldest part of the house was built in the late 1800s -- part of a farm outside the city then. The house was purchased by the university in 1922. At that time, Wildwood was just a small, abandoned building formerly used for wine-making, but it was remodeled and became a fine home...

To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who made our eighth annual Shop With a Hero program a success. We were able to purchase presents for 92 children. Fifty-eight law-enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical services personnel from the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 33 service area participated. Thank you to the employees of the following agencies:...