Stories from Sunday, December 31, 2000

The calendar has turned over to that point, every 10 years, when the decennial census is performed, from which lots of consequences flow. The U.S. Bureau of the Census announced official numbers last week. America's population soared past 281 million. We're told that the following fast-growing Sunbelt states will each get two new seats in the U.S. House: Arizona, Texas, Florida and Georgia...

Check presentations totaling $248,050.09 were made to the Area Wide United Way last week by the local Procter & Gamble manufacturing plant. Technicians Sam Smith and Donna Seabaugh presented United Way Executive Director Nancy Jernigan with a check representing their employee campaign in the amount of $162,400.09. ...

FBLA cleans up: The Jackson Chapter received first place in the Public Relations Award at the National Leadership Conference in July. Receiving the plaque were Catie Myers, Amanda Bollinger, Abby Grossheider, Alicia Alderson, Josh Pfefferkorn, Melinda Burnett, Emily Unverferth, Shelly Stover and Justin Thompson...

A Southeast Missouri man has come up with the answer to a problem familiar to anyone who has used signs for advertising. Most signs are only visible during daylight hours. This means the sign's message is not seen by potential buyers or renters who pass by the property at night. Now there is a way to give 24-hour visibility to any sign with a new product that uses solar-power to provide illumination...

What's' new? The new year is fast approaching. We'll soon inaugurate a new president and Congress, governor, and other officials. In each of our lives, we experience new things -- a new child or in-law, a new car or new home, a new job, a new relationship, new things for Christmas, etc. At St. John's, we are readying for our Walk through the New Testament, and other ongoing activities to help us in our life with Christ...

Touring Fisher Cave in Meramac State Park, one can see claw marks in various places, marks made by bears who became lost in the cave and were searching for a way out by pawing the walls, groping for a passageway to the cave opening by which their freedom could be regained...

The new millennium is upon us. The real millennium. Or so we're told by the purists and even a few common scolds who chastised last year's millennium celebrations as being premature. All right, we'll concede they have a point. It is true, strictly speaking, that the new millennium doesn't start until the year 2001, which arrives tonight at midnight. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- After the U.S. Supreme Court decided who would be next president and voters placed an almost even number of Republicans and Democrats in Congress and the Missouri General Assembly, it doesn't take any special insight to conclude that nobody got a mandate and that voters were too split to send any clear signal...

I AGREE that Al Gore would have been president if it wasn't for Ralph Nader in the race. Ross Perot put Bill Clinton in office in the first four years. If George W. Bush is an adulterer, a womanizer and lies under oath, I think he will be criticized by the public and his own party, which only a few Democrats were willing to do with their president...

To the editor: I had to visit relatives in Cape Girardeau on Christmas Eve. I came across the bridge from Illinois at East Cape Girardeau. That street would be a lot smoother if it were gravel. I guess no one over there cares about it or would rather spend the money on a new bridge that may never open...

Max Stovall is a man who appreciates the magic of mighty buildings rising from the dust of vacant lots. The 2nd District commissioner spent most of his life running his construction business, erecting showplaces throughout Cape Girardeau County. But four years ago, he turned his attention to the bricks and mortar of county government. Stovall oversaw the county's buildings and grounds, a major operation involving seven buildings in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson, Mo., including two courthouses...

The American public collectively ignores the phone at dinnertime. They know who is calling, and calling, and calling. Increasingly, states are passing anti-telemarketing laws targeted at reducing the number of those evening calls. Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's new statewide No Call list is intended to act like legal force field between the state's residents and telemarketers, levying fines of several thousand dollars against violators who phone people on the list...

Everyone will carry cherished, personal memories of the year 2000 into decades to come, but some events of the last 12 months touched Southeast Missouri residents as a whole. The staff of the Southeast Missourian worked to bring the most vital of these moments to you over the past year in an accurate, thorough, and memorable manner...

Becca's on the move these days thanks to in-line roller skates. It's a Christmas present that has our 8-year-old rolling along. She wears them constantly. It's hard to get her to take them off, even for bed. Becca has turned our home into a skating rink...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County Public Administrator John Ferguson lost his re-election bid in the August Republican primary, but that won't keep him from handling the fiscal affairs of his clients in 2001. Ferguson will continue to handle more than 100 guardian and conservator cases and collect fees on them until the anniversary date of each case rolls around. Clients even can ask the judge to allow Ferguson to continue to handle their fiscal affairs...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Firefighters were kept busy around Jackson on Saturday, with two house fires involving firefighters from five fire districts responding. Only the concrete front steps were still standing after a morning flue fire destroyed a one-and-a-half story house on County Road 450...

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Advance, without a true scoring star, without much height, without fear, showed several thousand fans what team basketball is about Saturday night as the fifth-seeded Hornets stunned a school three class sizes bigger in defeating the second-seeded Jackson Indians 61-58 to claim the University High Christmas Tournament...

The 56th annual University High School Christmas Tournament that concluded Saturday night at the Show Me Center received some pre-tourney criticism from various corners for featuring one of its weakest fields in years. While it was true that some of the traditional tournament powers might be a bit down this season and the overall talent level is not nearly what it might have been in some other years, it also appeared that quite a few of the traditional have-nots were a little stronger than ever, which a lot of people figured would lend itself to one of the most balanced tournaments in a long time.. ...

PARK HILLS, Mo. --The Perryville High boys basketball team wound up fourth in the 16-team Park Hills Christmas Tournament after Saturday's 63-51 loss to De Soto. Chad Ozark led the Pirates (4-6) offensively with 15 points. Tyler Abernathy added 11. De Soto, the No. 3 seed, grabbed a 19-14 lead after one quarter and was ahead 34-24 at halftime...

After watching Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team crush visiting Mississippi Valley State 78-44 Saturday afternoon, the first question to Otahkian coach Ed Arnzen was simple. Just how did the Otahkians ever lose to the Devilettes in the earlier meeting between the teams, when MVSU prevailed 69-63 in overtime on Dec. 4 in Itta Bena, Miss.?...

After suffering a disheartening one-point loss to Charleston in Thursday's quarterfinals, a lot of people might have thought it would be hard for Oran to bounce back in the University High Christmas Tournament. But Oran coach Mitch Wood figured the Eagles would rally -- and they did just that, winning their final two games and capturing fifth place with a 70-63 victory over Bell City Saturday at the Show Me Center...

With the University High Christmas Tournament's 16-team field being so balanced, there was a lot of pre-tournament talk about dark horses. But nobody was talking about 14th-seeded Chaffee. The Red Devils (4-2) proved they're worth talking about Saturday as they completed a surprising run through the consolation bracket, defeating No. 13 Kelly (4-6) in an 84-83 overtime thriller to take ninth place...

The No. 3 seed Notre Dame Bulldogs cruised to an easy 59-47 win over the No. 1 seed Charleston Bluejays to capture the third-place trophy on Saturday. Charleston's season-long woes continued as they dropped their second straight to fall to 3-7. The Bulldogs (7-3) used a nine-point run about midway through the first quarter to pull away and were never seriously threatened by the cold-shooting Bluejays...

The Mississippi River offers many fishing opportunities for commercial and sport fishermen. Setting regulations on the biggest river in the country presents unique problems. The Mississippi River is the boundary line between many states. Setting common fisheries regulations between states has been a continuing problem. ...

Margaret Whitener, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000, at the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Services of Cape Girardeau. She was born on Nov. 22, 1923, in Missouri, daughter of Fitz Whitener and Lillian Chloe Treece. She graduated from high school at Blytheville, Ark., and served in the U.S. Navy...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Hilma M. Statler, 81, of Perryville died Friday, Dec. 29, 2000, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born May 23, 1919, in Perry County, daughter of Frederick and Lina Schubert Rauh. She and Kelsie R. Statler were married July 10, 1945, at Friedenburg, Mo. He died Aug. 14, 1988...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Helen F. Watson, 87, of Cairo died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. She was born Feb. 23, 1913, at Cairo, daughter of Simon Peter and Lillian O'Shea Simon. She married Edward A. Watson, who died Nov. 4, 1983...

PULASKI, Ill. -- Alberta McClellan, 80, of Pulaski died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin, Ill.

Lucille M. LeGrand, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 29, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born April 7, 1920, at Dutchtown, Mo., daughter of Martin and Nellie Miller Fredrick. She was a member of St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau and the Miraculous Medal Association of Perryville, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Elaine L. Buerck, 83, of Perryville died Friday, Dec. 29, 2000, at the Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Jan. 10, 1917, at Perry County, daughter of Emil and Emma Sutterer Huber. She and Kenrick Buerck were married Sept. 23, 1941, at Perryville. He died Sept. 4, 1979...

DAISY, Mo. -- Judith "Judy" Ann Lukefahr, 59, of Daisy, formerly of Jackson, Mo., died Friday, Dec. 29, 2000, in Jackson. Friends may call Monday, Jan. 1, between 4-8 p.m. at the McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral service will be Tuesday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, followed by internment in Russell Heights Cemetery. The Revs. James Brice and Virgil Bunch will officiate...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Rodney VanGennip, 37, of Jackson died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, at the Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Festus, Mo. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gertrude Hicks, 65, of Sikeston died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, at her home. She was born on May 19, 1935, at Aberdeen, Miss., daughter of Joe and Marie Allen Dodds. She was a restaurant worker at the 76 Truck Stop in Matthews, Mo., and a member of Morley Baptist Church. She lived most of her life in Sikeston...

Elizabeth Gilder McMurry, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 29, 2000, at Maple Crest Manor. She was born May 21, 1926, at Portageville, Mo., daughter of Herbert and Bertha Overbeck Gilder. She and William Dean McMurry were married Nov. 27, 1952, at St. Charles, Mo. He died Sept. 25, 1978...

Junior Lee Hickam, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Dec. 30, 2000, at his home. He was born Sept. 19, 1928, at Hahn, Mo., son of James I. and Isabel Eaker Hickam. He was a car salesman for 40 years. He attended Cape Girardeau Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War...

The river that made Cape Girardeau the trading center of Southeast Missouri eventually became more and more of a threat as 20th century attempts to channel the Mississippi made it more prone to flood. For much of the century, parts of Cape Girardeau lived under the threat of washing away, as much from small tributaries as from the Mississippi River...

Jodi Michelle Stahly and David Scott Hefner were married Oct. 28, 2000, at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Paul Kabo, Jr., performed the double ring ceremony. Danielle Hefner of Perks, Ill., sister of the groom, was vocalist. Pianist was Connie Hefner, stepmother of the groom...

My stack of incoming 2001 calendars grows higher and higher. It used to be the seed catalogs that began coming in at this time of the year or a few weeks later. Since I haven't ordered many seeds or bulbs for years, I'm gradually being dropped from their mailing list. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Lisa R. Shirley and Michael D. Boone were married Sept. 2, 2000, at the home of the bride's parents in Jackson. Larry Harris performed the double ring ceremony. Vocalists were Rick Shirley, of Marion, Ark., uncle of the bride; and Lynn and Lacey Schweer of Cape Girardeau. They were accompanied on guitar by Todd Shirley of Springfield, Ohio, brother of the bride...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Brandi Anne Thiele and Jeremy Joseph Gremaud were married Oct. 21, 2000, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville. Father J. Friedel performed the double ring ceremony. Organist and vocalist was Greg Schweizer of St. Louis, Mo...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Angela Marie Horn and Michael Wayne Riehn were married Sept. 23, 2000, at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. The Revs. John Rice and Don Blaylock performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Linda Thompson, aunt of the groom. Soloists were Mike Horn, cousin of the bride, and Thom Thomilson. Reading of the scripture was done by Summer Slayden and Kelly Platt...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Barbara Lynette Roth and Virgil Duane Theiss were married Aug. 19, 2000, at Concordia Lutheran Church in Frohna. The Rev. Wayne Palmer performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Darlene Bachmann of Frohna. Soloist was Beth Glaus of Cape Girardeau, Mo...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Jennifer Marie Lowes and Brent Daniel Seiler were married June 17, 2000, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold. Father Bill Huggins performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Mary C. Jansen of Leopold. Vocalists were Amy Beussink, Kristi Schlosser, Crystal Backfisch, Lainey Engelen, and Melissa Thele. ...