Stories from Tuesday, July 3, 2001

Editor's note: This is an excerpt of a chapter from Jean Bell Mosley's book "Wide Meadows" that was first published in 1960. "Naturally," Mama replied, picking up another book and thumbing through it. "Myrtle!" Aunt Grace demanded. "Do you know how much they cost?"...

Jean Elizabeth Stoverink of Cape Girardeau and Laura Elizabeth Ponder and Daniel J. Schumer of Perryville, Mo., have been named to the spring semester honors list at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. Students Receiving semester honors rank in the top 10 percent of their class within their respective colleges and were enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of graded work...

Evidence of the beginnings of the red oak beetle infestation that is devastating red oaks in Arkansas has been seen in many sections of the Mark Twain National Forest, say Missouri forestry officials. No red oak borers have been reported in Cape Girardeau County, but signs of them have been seen in Bollinger, Wayne and Reynolds counties, said Joe Garvey, a forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation in Cape Girardeau. "We see a few of them every year," he said...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Joshua A. Wolf wept softly Monday after a judge sentenced the teen-ager to life in prison without possibility of parole for killing the grandmother who raised him. Following a four-day trial in April, a Boone County jury convicted Wolf of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and second-degree arson in connection with the May 6, 2000, death of Carol Jean Lindley, 56...

The bottleneck of traffic at Siemers and Lambert drives might be enough to evoke feelings of road rage in some drivers, but it hasn't upset Dustin Gerstenschlager much. Gerstenschlager, a Target employee, travels Siemers Drive every day to work. The four-way stop and amount of traffic isn't nearly as bad as what he encounters on Mount Auburn Road and Independence, he said. He seldom hears co-workers complain unless they get a speeding ticket on their way to work...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Planning and zoning opponents will drop their lawsuit against the Cape Girardeau County Commission because it would be too costly to continue the fight, their attorney said Monday. "That is what they should have done a long time ago," 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock said after he learned the suit would be dismissed. "That was just a frivolous suit."...

Area residents will have many choices on how and where to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, ranging from traditional fireworks displays in the evening to all-day celebrations. The Cape Girardeau Municipal Band concert, typically held at Capaha Park on Wednesdays, has moved downtown to the corner of Main and Themis to celebrate the Fourth. ...

Monday, July 2, at 7 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Public hearings n Held a public hearing to consider vacating the city's interest in a 4-foot utility pole easement located under 1721 Crestwood Drive in Oak Hills Subdivision. n Held a public hearing regarding the request of Paul E. Statler Trust and the Rebel Group, LLC, to rezone the southwest corner of the intersection of Silver Springs Road and Shawnee Parkway from R-1, single-family residential, to C-2, general commercial...

QULIN, Mo. -- A Southeast Missouri man was injured Monday when a tire came loose from a vehicle and struck him while he was working by the roadside. Johnny Hays, 58, of Dudley, Mo., received serious injuries in the accident, which happened at 1:20 p.m. on Highway 53 about a half-mile south of Qulin...

Miscommunication and a misunderstanding of city ordinances meant that four members of the Planning and Zoning Commission had to be reappointed Monday night. The Cape Girardeau City Council agreed to reappoint Ray Buhs, Robert Cox, R.J. McKinney and Tom Mogelnicki to the completion of their terms on the commission, an advisory board to the city...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A months-long disagreement between the City of Jackson and county resident Pam Owens over the city's plans to run a water line through her property has been settled. The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Monday accepted dedication of a water line easement from Owens. Owens agreed to the easement on the advice of her attorney, John Lichtenegger, though she says she still opposes having the water line run across her property at 2944 Highway 25 in the southern part of the city...

Southeast Missouri State University will test its outdoor warning sirens at noon Wednesday. Those people on or near the campus can expect to hear the sirens, school officials said. The sirens will sound after a verbal message indicating that it is a test...

The Cape Girardeau Rotary Club installed its new officers Monday night during the Al Powderly Memorial Installation Banquet at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. First row from left, Clayton Smith, president-elect; Steve Popp, assistant district governor; Jerry McClanahan, district governor-elect; Bill Schuck, district governor; Joe McKeon, president; Joe Sullivan, past president. ...

7:30 p.m. Monday, July 2 City Hall Public Hearing n Held hearing to consider the request for voluntary annexation of property owned by the Cape Special Road District. Action Items Power and Light Committee n Approved a resolution determining the intent of the City of Jackson to reimburse itself for certain capital expenditures...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The arraignment of Jackson junior high school math teacher Thomas Mark Sprandel on charges that he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old student was postponed Monday after his defense attorney obtained a change of judge. The arraignment tentatively was rescheduled for next Monday before Cape Gir-ardeau County Circuit Judge John Grimm...

A red fox scampered across a busy downtown Cape Girardeau street on Monday surprising motorists and passersby, and demonstrating this is one wild animal that won't be outfoxed even in the city. Red foxes are increasingly at home in Cape Girardeau. "It's amazing how they adapt to us," said Missouri Department of Conservation agent Gary Newcomb...

Kevin A. Govero, a financial consultant, has been named chairman of the St. Francis Medical Center Foundation. Govero, who owns B.P. Financial Services in Cape Girardeau, succeeds Danny Essner, who has served as chairman of the foundation the past two years...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Wild horses couldn't keep Tiffiney Smith away from this weekend's Bureau of Land Management adoption day in Jackson. It was wild horses that attracted her three years ago when the bureau had its first adoption day at Flickerwood Arena. She trotted off with two mares, Willow and Miss Chip, and has adopted six other wild horses and a burro since...

On the surface, splitting a doubleheader with American Legion District 14 powerhouse Dunklin County would appear to be a nice accomplishment for Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons. But the way Monday night's twin bill at Capaha Field evolved, Cape was no doubt quite disappointed to only win one of the two games...

The following is a listing of players from area high schools or Southeast Missouri State University who are competing in professional baseball. Included in the list are each players' local connection, his last year as an amateur and his major league affiliation (if applicable). Statistics are through Sunday...

BENTON, Mo. -- Joey Montgomery of Fredericktown, Mo., won for the first time Saturday in the sprint class at Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, denying Alex Shanks his first win in the process. Montgomery passed leader Shanks three times early, but each was negated by caution flags. Montgomery made the final move around Shanks on the 15th lap...

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. -- The Ohio Valley Conference has suspended Eastern Illinois head baseball coach Jim Schmitz for the first three games of the 2002 season. The suspension is the result of Schmitz's behavior after his team was eliminated from the 2001 OVC Baseball Championships in Paducah, Ky., on May 18. Schmitz confronted and verbally abused a conference official on the field at the conclusion of the contest...

Matt Specht of Cape Girardeau fired a hole-in-one recently at Cape Girardeau Country Club. Specht used a 5-iron to ace No. 2, a par 3 playing 185 yards. Matt's father, Fred Specht, witnessed the shot.

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Mary Marie Stubblefield of Cahokia, Ill., will be held at 2 p.m. today at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston, Mo. The Rev. Gerald Penn will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from noon until time of service...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Ruth Jones Hanle, 91, of Karnak died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Ky. She was born Sept. 26, 1909, at Hillermen, Ill., the daughter of Ollie and Alice Chun Jones. She married Ed Hanle, He died in 1984...

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Donald R. Mitchell, 75, of Carterville died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Ill. He was born April 4, 1926, son of Carroll R. and Margaret McDonald Mitchell and adopted son of Thomas and Mary McDonald. Mitchell attended Murphysboro, Ill., High School, Mercer University in Macon, Ga., the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois in 1947, and received a juris doctorate degree from the University of Illinois School of Law in 1950.. ...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Funeral for L. Lucille Fann of Puxico will be held at 10 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. The Rev. John Adams will officiate. Burial will be in Puxico Cemetery. Fann, 84, died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at Pine Lawn Residential Care Center...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Herbert Gene Illers, 67, died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 7, 1933, at Cooter, Mo., son of Herbert and Dorothy Dean Creed Illers. Illers spent most of his life on the family farm near Jackson. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church. He attended a school for the handicapped in St. Louis several years...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Raymond "Red" Moore of Perryville died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at St. Mary's Health Care Center in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 31, 1918. He married Mildred Turlin on Nov. 19, 1949. She died June 9, 2000. Moore was an Army veteran of World War II. He was a member of the VFW of Perryville and American Legion Post 133...

John David Gibbs, 41, of Gillette, Wyo., died Sunday, July 1, 2001, in Gillette. He was born Sept. 13, 1959, in Cape Girardeau, son of Albert Leroy and Dorothy Louise Burger Gibbs. Gibbs was an engineer with Burlington-Northern Railroad. He was a member of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Paul H. Hoeckele Sr., 91, of Perryville died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born May 18, 1910, in Jackson, Mo., son of Charles and Sarah Masterson Hoeckele. He and Rosella "Sally" Heisserer were married in 1932. She died Oct. 9, 1936...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Levi Daniel Foster, 9, of Sparta, Ill., died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at St. Louis Children's Hospital from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was born March 12, 1992, in West Plains, Mo., son of Thomas and Lana Beardsley Foster Jr...

BENTON, Mo. -- Retired Lt. Col. Charles E. LeGrand, 78, of O'Fallon, Ill., died Monday, July 2, 2001, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Ill. He was born Jan. 6, 1923, at Benton, son of William and Mary Diebold LeGrand. He married the former Mildred Urhahn...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- Daniel M. Stout, 68, of Kirkwood died Monday, July 2, 2001, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in Town & Country, Mo. He was born Dec. 29, 1932, in Cape Girardeau, son of Willard and Edna Roark Stout. He married Marjorie E. Bain, who survives...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Ernest Eaker of Marble Hill died Monday, July 2, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill.

Leo F. Schwab, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 2, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Jan. 15, 1912, at Thebes, Ill., son of Fred and Maude Williams Schwab. He and Leona Birk were married Feb. 16, 1973, in Cape Girardeau. She died April 30, 1998...

Democrats did it IN RESPONSE to "Just send it back": This caller should get his facts straight. The only reason we are getting a tax rebate from the federal government is because the Democrats in Congress insisted upon it as a compromise for giving Bush what he wanted on his tax cut. Bush did not want to send us all checks. The Democrats did...

Richard Henry Lee, delegate to the Continental Congress from Virginia, made a motion on June 7, 1776, "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free and independent states." His motion amounted to an act of treason against the British government, and it took nearly a month for the other delegates to pass it. Two days later, the delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence. The date was July 4...

In the end, it was -- as it is with so many lawsuits -- a technical glitch that caused a three-judge panel of the Missouri Court of Appeals to set aside Cape Girardeau's 1998 election on sales taxes for Southeast Missouri State University's proposed River Campus...

To the editor: A brief cost-benefit analysis of the proposed local power generation plant raises questions. Apparently the benefit locally would be a couple of hundred short-term construction jobs and a couple of dozen long-term plant operation jobs. But how many of these would be local personnel as opposed to imports is unclear. Since the power generated is slated for export to Oklahoma, there s no local power benefit...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Jeff Lee Nanney, 39, of Glenallen, died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 1, 1961, in Lutesville, Mo., son of Willie Lee and Elise May Joiner Nanney. He married Oletha Gromer in Grassy, Mo. She died in 1997...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Dovie Lacy of Anna will be held at 2 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Larry Shacklee will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of service. Lacy, 93, died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at St. James Hospital in Pontiac, Ill...

Elmer Wright, 94, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, July 2, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 4, 1907, at Neelys Landing, Mo., son of Thomas and Martha Brooks Wright. He and Anna L. Nitsch were married Feb. 7, 1925. She passed away March 17, 1994...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Letha Edwards, 90, of Eldorado Springs, Mo., died Saturday, June 30, 2001, at her home. She was born Jan. 14, 1911, at Lodi, Mo., daughter of Joseph Allen and Della E. Medlin Bennett. She and Uel "Pete" Edwards were married May 17, 1943, at Parma, Mo. He died March 22, 1986...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Joseph Clark "Jake" Newcomer, 78, of Bloomfield died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter, Mo. He was born March 16, 1923, near Charleston, Mo., son of Joseph Franklin and Elizabeth Jennings Newcomer. He and Carmaleen Walker were married June 5, 1942. He later married Georgia Brown Smith June 24, 1971...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Kathleen Kiger, 80, of Dexter died Sunday, July 1, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born July 10, 1920, in Leachville, Ark., daughter of Frank and Clara Belle Slayton Reeves. She and Pete Kiger were married Oct. 7, 1940, at Wardell, Mo. He died July 22, 1998...