Stories from Wednesday, March 21, 2001

When Independence, Mo., police officer Terry Foster responded to a domestic disturbance call this week, he walked into what many officers believe is the most dangerous situation they face. That belief proved painfully true, when Jeffrey Keith shot and killed Foster, who was three weeks away from retirement. Keith then set his bedroom on fire and died in the flames...

It ruined St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. It's keeping foreign tourists out of the Irish countryside. It's decimating British herds of cattle and sheep. But news about the spread of foot-and-mouth disease overseas isn't bothering meat-eating Southeast Missouri residents at all...

Folk legend Bob Dylan will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 25 at the Show Me Center. Dylan established himself as the most important singer-songwriter of his generation in the 1960s, writing such anthems as "Like a Rolling Stone," "Blowin' in the Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Just Like a Woman."...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A 29-year-old Delta, Mo., man was acquitted Tuesday of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, although a jury found him guilty of possession of methamphetamine. Travis Keesee was found guilty of unlawful use of a weapon and of carrying a plastic bag containing a small amount of methamphetamine powder, said Ian Sutherland, assistant prosecutor for Cape Girardeau County...

The Girl Scouts of Otahki Council, along with corporate sponsor St. Francis Medical Center, will present the 2001 Women's Impact Award to five recipients at a breakfast Saturday. The event will be at Robert A. Dempster Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. ...

This year marks the first time the local United Way's annual meeting -- usually a lunch -- will be a dinner, scheduled for 7 p.m. March 29 at The Drury Lodge. That's not the only change in the routine planned by Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the community-assistance organization that serves Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A public meeting on the new plan to expand Highway 34/72 to four lanes in Jackson will be held from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Jackson Middle School cafeteria. Officials from the Missouri Department of Transportation will be on hand to gather public opinion about the plan. It would widen 3 1/2 miles of the highway from near the Highway 25 intersection to the point where Highway 34 turns west at Starlight...

Cape Girardeau school board hopefuls were not exempt from questions about the controversy surrounding a recent personnel decision or the district's financial problems during a forum held Tuesday at the junior high school. Incumbents Mark Carver and Dr. ...

Tragedy struck a Jackson, Mo., family earlier this month as four relatives died when their single-engine plane crashed into a Wyoming mountain peak. Joe Litzelfelner, 50, nephew of Jack and Jim Lizelfelner of Jackson, died along with his wife, daughter and a niece March 12...

8th grade -- Derek Felter, Tyler Menz, Sarah Scherer, Patrick Shelton, Katie Spalding, Trey Westrich. 7th grade -- Alicia Bertolina, Cara Klipfel, Mindy Robert, Lisa Seiler. 6th grade -- Nathan Burford, Christopher Dambach, Jessica Eftink, Emily Glastetter, Brenna Green, Brittany Ponder, Miranda Schlosser, Chris Shelton, Ashley Vetter, Kaitlin Vetter, Joe Westrich...

5th Grade -- Alyssa Alsup, Travis Beggs, Ricky Buchheit, Cora Burnett, Peggy Byassee, Kayla Cissell, Christopher Cooper, Courtney Copeland, Lela Deason, Richard Gramlisch, Robert Gramlisch, Terry Gunter, Joseph Harp, Toby Heeb, Zachary Hicks, Shane Hooper, Logan Hopper, Stacy Jones, Kyle Long, Stephanie Long, Kathryn Mainord, Adam McGee, Paige Rampley, Elizabeth Ray, Kathleen Ray, April Rockett, Cody Romas, Sarah Ruff, Chelsey Scheffer, Chelsea Smith, Summer Sprouse, Travis Tubbs, Chelsea Uhrhan, Seth Walter, Shirley Weed, Karrah Wood.. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Pieces of Chicago's history and two sites in Southern Illinois are ranked among the state's 10 most endangered historic sites by a preservation group. In its eighth annual list, the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois said Tuesday that a number of decades-old buildings with ornate designs are in danger of being torn down or irreversibly neglected in Chicago...

On a team that is already loaded with pitching, Mark Frazier is giving Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan some cause to assess his rotation for Ohio Valley Conference play. Frazier, not regarded as one of the Indians' top mound prospects when the season began, turned in another stellar performance Tuesday afternoon in helping Southeast salvage a doubleheader split with non-league foe Lipscomb...

Notre Dame's home game against Sikeston was like something straight from a Charles Dickens book. The best of times -- Andrew DePeder blasted a three-run opposite-field home run to tie the game at four. Notre Dame, pelting balls to the opposite field with regularity, twice rallied from behind...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Carbondale scored with four minutes remaining in the game as the Cape Girardeau Central High girls soccer team had to settle for a 1-1 tie in its season opener Tuesday. Amber Voerg had staked Cape Central to a 1-0 lead at the 34-minute mark off a corner kick from Julie Underwood...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Kristen King and Erin Stremsterfer exchanged pitching gems Tuesday as Southeast Missouri State University and Southern Illinois split a softball doubleheader. SIU's Stremsterfer hurled a five-hitter in the opener as the Salukis prevailed 5-0. She struck out eight and walked one...

POCAHONTAS, Mo. -- Ernst H. Wallman, 68, of Pocahontas died Tuesday, March 20, 2001, at Jackson Manor in Jackson, Mo. Friends may call at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson from 4-8 p.m. Thursday. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Ralph R. Clements, 67, of Jackson died Monday, March 19, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 2, 1933, at Hilderbrand, Mo., son of William and Lena Ruch Clements. He and Reta P. Rhyne were married June 4, 1988...

HAYWOOD CITY, Mo. -- Essie Mae Grayson, 85, of Haywood City died Saturday, March 17, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Dec. 15, 1915, in Canton, Miss., daughter of John and Elvira Harris. She and Isiah "Man" Grayson were married Dec. 15, 1934, in Bloomfield, Mo. He died March 3, 1999...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Funeral for Erma D. Chrisman of Dexter will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home. The Rev. Fred Leist will officiate. Burial will be in Dexter Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Iris Burch of St. Louis, Mo., formerly of Anna, will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Scott Harner will officiate. Burial will be in American Legion Cemetery at Dongola, Ill. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Amelia Nancy Burns, 92, of East Prairie died Monday, March 19, 2001, at East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born March 2, 1909, near East Prairie, daughter of Frank and Etta Colston Loomis. She and Herman Edward Burns were married April 5, 1930, in New Madrid, Mo. He died July 31, 1974...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Flora Belle Allen, 87, of Mounds died Thursday, March 15, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 12, 1914, in Ullin, Ill., daughter of John and Flora Shifley Adkins. She married Fred Allen, who died in 1994...

Clarence Theodore Vandeven, formerly of Glennon, Mo., died Tuesday, March 20, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 21, 1912, at Glennon, Mo., son of William and Anna Hinkebein Vandeven. He and Barbara Landewee were married Feb. ...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Amy A. Mosley, 93, of Jonesboro died Monday, March 19, 2001, at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. She was born July 31, 1907, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of Samuel H. and Julia E. Renfro Tripp. She married Theodore Mosley, who preceded her in death...

ARAB, Mo. -- Margaret Walker, 87, of Arab died Monday, March 19, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau She was born Jan. 31, 1914, at Hiram, Mo. She and Bill Walker were married Nov. 4, 1932, at McGee, Mo. He died Nov. 5, 1991. Survivors include five sons, Leroy and Bud Walker of McGee, Ted Walker of Advance, Mo., Bob Walker of Alabama, Richard Walker of Arab; two daughters, Billie Morris of St. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- James T. Ament, 79, of Marble Hill died Monday, March 19, 2001, at his home. He was born March 1, 1922, at Harrisonville, Mo., son of Delbert and Grace Harris Ament. He and Bonnie A. Huskey were married July 12, 1975. Ament was a member of Glen Allen First Baptist Church, and VFW Post 7222 at Summersville, Mo...

Clifton "Grayhead" Davis Jr., 75, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 17, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Jan. 28, 1926, in Plumerville, Ark., son of Clifton and Winnie Davis. He first married Vermell Leisure, who preceded him in death. He later married Betty Payne...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Lloyd L. Dillman, 85, of Olive Branch died Friday, March 16, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 1, 1916, in Miller City, Ill., son of Lloyd and Lulu Bowers Dillman. Dillman was a pipefitter, and member of Plumbers Local 68 in Houston, Texas...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dwight R. Palmer, 82, of Dexter died Monday, March 19, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born Nov. 17, 1918, near Bloomfield, Mo., son of Caleb and Ida Henson Palmer. He and Virginia B. Cook were married Feb. 22, 1947, at Dexter...

To the editor: I read the recent article about state Sen. Al Spradling having been honored by the Missouri Senate for his service there. I was fortunate enough to have been Senator Spradling's state representative for part of the time he was the president pro tem of the Senate...

To the editor: I'd like to say something on behalf of the Marquette Hotel. The city council just likes to tear everything down. This hotel is a landmark for Cape Girardeau and Missouri. You'd like to revive downtown? If the hotel is gone, you can say goodbye to Cape. You won't have any more attraction for any visitors. What would you show them? Empty stores?...

Old Town Cape's consultant has looked at the city's downtown and has seen what it could be. Already, Cape Girardeau's riverside business district is an interesting place, home to successful restaurants, bars and shops. On a sunny day, its streets bustle with activity, and visitors sit on the concrete-covered banks of the Mississippi to relax and watch the mesmerizing passage of towboats and barges...

Southeast Missouri State University this month received a 10-year re-accreditation from the Commission on Institutes of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities. Whew, what a mouthful. But the long title is an important one...

Everyone understands we need substantial tax cuts as part of the policy mix to boost the ailing economy. Unfortunately, congressional Democrats are too busy playing politics. Congressman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., delivered the Democratic response to President Bush's radio address this past weekend. Menendez presented a distorted history lesson:...

I WANT to complain about the answering machine at the Motor Vehicle and Driver Licensing Fee Office. You try to call with a simple question, and you get this five-minute recording that doesn't really tell you anything you want to know. The recording gives you a telephone number to call in Jefferson City. ...

To the editor: Last November we asked the Southeast Missouri community to come together in a financial relief effort for Merrily Rinehart and her family. While Merrily underwent surgery to remove a tumor in her brain and six weeks of radiation and chemotherapy, we set out with love in our hearts and the guidance of the Lord to help this special woman...

Son to William Miller and Krista Brown of Columbia, Mo., University Hospital in Columbia, 9:43 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2001. Name, Nathan Lee. Weight, 7 pounds 5 ounces. Ms. Brown is the former Krista Renner, daughter of Gilbert and Judith LeClere of Scott City, Mo. She is employed at Boone Retirement. Miller is the son of Alberta Miller of Sikeston, Mo., and the late George Miller of Chicago. He is employed at OTSCON...

Last week I shared with you about our long bout with the flu and a plastic bead in the nose of our 4-year-old. One week later the flu is being passed from person to person in my family. I decided to have two of my sisters and my parents over for dinner, and days later we were all infected and sick. As for the plastic bead in the nose, our great ear, nose and throat doctor did not find it, so it's anyone's guess as to the whereabouts of the infamous plastic bead...