Stories from Monday, May 7, 2001

State Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was one of seven members of the Missouri Legislature to receive "Voice of Missouri Business" awards recently. The awards, presented by the Associated Industries of Missouri are given to legislators who support pro-business legislation and the position of Missouri employers...

Steven Fritzler of Cape Girardeau, a district representative for Aid Association for Lutherans, has been honored at the group's national sales and education conference. Fritzler qualified for the conference, held in San Antonio, Texas, in recognition of outstanding sales performance in 2000. He was also honored for his support of AAL local volunteer groups...

Mike Van de Ven, a former Cape Girardeau resident, has been promoted to vice president of financial planning and analysis for Southwest Airlines. Van de Ven, who is senior director of financial planning, will assume the new responsibility for coordinating the airline's annual operating and capital spending plans, capacity forecasting, revenue and traffic analysis, investment analysis, employee training and providing analytical support and other financial services to various departments...

Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., headquartered at Springfield, Mo., recently honored 21 employees from its New Madrid power plant during the Excel awards ceremony held at Thomas Hill Energy Center, Clifton Hill, Mo. Excel, in its eighth year, is an employee recognized program...

Charles Kruse, president of the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation, and a Stoddard County farmer, was this year's Outstanding Alumnus of Arkansas State University College of Agriculture. Kruse received the word during the recent College of Agriculture honors banquet...

The Missouri State Fair has received a national award for its marketing campaign for the 2000 State Fair. The merit award was presented by the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) in the category of company-funded, consumer-directed activities to build awareness of issues for farmers, companies or organizations. It was selected from among 415 entries. Awards were presented at the Agri-Marketing Conference and Trade Show in Denver last month...

"Welcome to Cape" and "A Smile That Lasts a Lifetime," videos produced by S & W Productions of Paducah, Ky., recently received awards in national video production competition. "A Smile That Last a Lifetime" received an Aegis Award in the promotional/sales category. The video features comments from Dr. Shanon Kirchoff, his staff and patients of The Brace Place of Cape Girardeau...

The St. Louis Better Business Bureau (BBB), which serves Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois, has earned recognition from its national organization for handling of consumer complaints, training, business reporting and related policies. The Council of Better Business Bureaus auditors each of the nation's 129 BBBs every three years. The St. Louis BBB was approved by the council as meeting all standards and policies...

Scholastic Inc., based in Jefferson City, Mo., and Premier Turbines of Neosho, Mo., received 2001 Missouri Business of the Year awards recently during an awards ceremony at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. Scholastic Inc., which employs more than 3,000 employees at locations in Jefferson City, Neosho and Moberly, Mo., received the Associated Industries of Missouri (AIM) award for large companies. ...

Harrah's Entertainment Inc., operator of Harrah's and Bally's Casinos, has agreed to buy Harvey's Casinos Resorts for $675 million in cash and liabilities. The proposed purchase has been approved by boards of Harrah's and the seller. Las Vegas-based Harrah's will acquire Harveys casinos in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Central City, Colo.; and Lake Tahoe, Nev...

Heritage American Homes, a division of Patriot Homes Inc., recently produced its 1000th home at the Sikeston plant. The company started production of home in October 1997. The 1,000th home went to a Colorado company, Nationwide/Affordable Homes.

Three members of Southeast Missouri Hospital's respiratory therapy department have been elected to offices of the District Five chapter of the Missouri Society for Respiratory Care. Cindy Seyer has been elected vice president of the group; Dustin Sutton has been named secretary, and Shawn Gwin is a new District Five representative...

Sue Jones, office manager of New McKendree United Methodist Church of Jackson, Mo., and Kim Martin, administrative assistant, attended the 19th annual conference of the Professional Association of United Methodist Church Secretaries, held recently at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Montgomery, Ala...

The factors affecting housing affordability combined for the best showing in two years during the first quarter of 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). NAR's composite Housing Affordability Index soared to 142.9, up from 133.4 during the fourth quarter of 2000 and 12 points higher than the same period a year ago. The first-quarter index is the highest reading since the first quarter of 1999, when it registered 143.3...

Westfield America officials has reached an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to lease the retail component of the World Trade Center for 99 years. Westfield's net leasehold covers approximately 427,448 square feet of retail space ("The Mall"). The Mall has 75 specialty stores, restaurants and service retailers, and will be branded "Westfield Shoppingtown World Trade Center."...

June Long of Patton, Mo., has joined the Private Industry Council of Southeast Missouri as coordinator of workshop training. She will work out of the One Top Career Center at 760 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Long, who previously worked as human resource manager for Cap America at Fredericktown, Mo., had served three years on the PIC board, and the past year on the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri...

Until Sunday afternoon's rain showers, Southeast Missouri was a good rain away from having a good crop forecast this year. But despite the showers, the area still needs a good soaking, farmers and agriculture specialists say. The National Weather Service at Paducah, Ky., reported that 0.76 inches of rain fell in Cape Girardeau County between noon and 3 Sunday, but areas farther south didn't report anything but a trace...

A $250,000 fire truck coming to Cape Girardeau County this summer is unlike any other in the region. The foam-spraying truck designed to handle chemical fires will be the first of its kind at an industrial facility in Southeast Missouri. It is being brought here by packaging manufacturer Nordenia USA to safeguard its expansion after 10 years in the area...

With topics ranging from flooding creeks in residential neighborhoods to rezoning requests and funding for a taxi coupon program, the Cape Girardeau City Council will hold seven public hearings during its meeting tonight. The council meets at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 401 Independence...

Just when I was missing the planet Venus from my evening skies, I looked out my window early one morning and there she was, dancing brilliantly above the tree tops. Venus was at maximum brightness on May 5. Bright planets never go away, they just pop up someplace else...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Jackson Future Farmers of America members won several awards at the 73rd annual state FFA convention in Columbia, Mo., April 19-20. The Jackson FFA Chapter placed fourth in the Parliamentary Procedure Contest. Team members were Cory Aufdenberg, Scott Crader, John Nothdurft, Aaron Puchbauer and Nikki Wells...

12th grade Meredith Barkett, Tiffany Brey, Ryan Brown, Stefanie Campos, Phillip Davidson, Jennifer Diebold, Lance Dohogne, Jill Eichhorn, Grant Frey, Kurt Glastetter, Michael Ha, Blake Heuring, Gail Heuschober, Karen Ivers, Susan Judd, Lucas Klein, Carrie Laurentius, Susan Layton, Stephanie Lovett, Herman Lui, Gregory Lumsden, Katie Mehner, Jessica Morrow, Kindra Nenninger, Jeffrey Overbey, Nicole Passini, Jonathon Ressel, Tony Riley, Lora Robinson, Emily Sharp, Jennifer Stout...

A momentum-building series sweep, a gratifying pitching performance and a storybook finish. All were factors in an 11-0 Senior Day romp by Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team over Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech at Capaha Field Sunday afternoon...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. --Woodland High baseball player Luke Johnson pitched a five-inning no-hitter during Saturday's 17-0 romp past Meadow Heights in the Woodland Tournament. Johnson struck out nine and walked two. He also had four hits in a 16-4 win over Delta for third place...

Lynn Hutson, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, May 6, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was co-founder of Hutson Furniture Co. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. today at Fords and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. Funeral time is pending. Full information will be provided tomorrow...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Thelma Baldwin, 86, of Millstadt, Ill., formerly of Tamms, died Sunday, May 6, 2001, at her home. She was born Oct. 30, 1914, in Alexander County, in Illinois, the daughter of Ephriam and Mary Isabelle Rhymer Groves. She and Walter Baldwin were married Feb. 27, 1954. He died Aug. 12, 1989...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Dica E. Bernard, 93, formerly of Burfordville, Mo., died Friday, May 4, 2001, at the Riverside Regional Medical Center in Hampton, Va. She was born June 24, 1907, at Acorn Ridge, Mo., daughter of Nathional and Sara Davis Summers. She and Lawrence Bernard were married Jan. 11, 1941. He died Nov. 11, 1989...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- William G. Emde, 95, of Lixville, Mo., died Sunday, May 6, 2001, at PerryOaks Manor in Perryville. He was born Sept. 19, 1905, at Lixville, son of George and Mathilda Yamnitz Emde. He was a retired livestock and agriculture farmer. Emde was a former member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, Mo...

WHITEWATER, Mo. -- Leo W. Gross, 101, of Whitewater, died Sunday, May 6, 2001, at the Jackson Manor in Jackson, Mo. He was born Dec. 16, 1899, at Whitewater, son of George and Caroline Rose Gross. He and Ruth Stroder were married Sept. 17, 1928. She died Jan. 1, 1992...

To the editor: When we were young and wanted to do something that our friend was allowed to do, how many times did our parents step in and save us by saying, "If your friend told you to jump off of a bridge, would you do it?" This was our parents' attempt to bring us back to reality, think things through and save us from harm...

Some methamphetamine makers will go to any extent to carry out their illicit trade, including breaking into the homes of others to set up temporary labs and manufacture the highly toxic chemical cocktail. The practice is being carried out with more regularity in Missouri, a state hard hit long ago by meth trafficking because of its rural nature, the ready availability of chemicals needed to make the drug, and its centralized location...

A brother and sister who had been separated for more than 40 years recently were reunited through the magic of the Internet, some hard work and good luck. Susan Nolan of Dexter, Mo., and Charlie Clark of Olympia, Wash., found each other through the efforts of Susan's husband, Denny, who set out in cyberspace to find his wife's brother...

KENNETT, Mo. -- For the most part, America's Founding Fathers dealt in specifics when detailing transgressions by the British monarchy upon the colonists, although in defense of the throne at least a few of the alleged royal sins were actually blessings for the New World residents, who lived in a virtual tax-free society separated form collectors by a tumultuous ocean...

MAYBE THERE'S a reason, but I sure don't know what it is. Prescriptions are usually written for 30 days at a time, even for drugs that are taken regularly. In my case, I have been taking the same three drugs for over 10 years. I usually see my doctor twice a year. ...

To the editor: The assault last November on inmate Mark Christeson by inmates Larry Schell and Mark Bridges at the Potosi Correctional Center was addressed according to policy. Conduct violations were issued against both Schell and Bridges for assault. ...