Stories from Sunday, January 25, 1998

To the editor: A recent article in a Missouri newspaper stated that the Missouri Legislature passed 232 new laws in the last year, and 173 of these took effect Aug. 28, 1997. We would be better served if they had repealed that number instead. Laws are restrictions. They range all the way from harassment of citizens to outright destruction of our freedoms, and they usually cost the taxpayers money...

25 years ago, 1973 Committee has been appointed to develop systematic plan for improvement of 400-mile county road system; chairman of group is Associate Judge Edwin W. Sander and committee members are county highway engineer, Otto M. Fluegge; highway department employees, August Hauenschild and Edward Ruesler, and members of Cape Girardeau County Highway Commission, Louis Kasten, David Hale, Hubert Bollinger and Howard Boyd...

I HAVE a confession to make. In a recently published letter to the editor, Joy Gilbert bemoaned the fact that some students in school were allowed to play games while others took final exams. Well, I can go one better or perhaps worse than that. When I was in high school, I played a game at the same time I took final exams. The game I played might best be described as "guess the right answer."...

The governor gave his State of the State address to the General Assembly. Unfortunately, it is business as usual as the governor asked taxpayers for the biggest state government budget ever. The price tag is a whopping $15.7 billion, nearly one billion dollars higher than the budget just last year. At a time when the state is bringing in more revenues than allowed by law and the discretionary part of the budget is barreling upward, we're being asked to spend it as fast as it comes in...

The gravestone of Adolph Tacke is one of the better kept stones in the German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church of Arnsberg Cemetery. In 1937, Evelyn Sohn took this photo of the old grange and dance hall in Arnsberg. The hall no longer exists. Submitted photo...

The Hospice program of the Visiting Nurse Association has an outstanding group of people that make up the volunteer component of that program. As part of the annual recognition banquet an outstanding volunteer is chosen. This year the selection went to two people, Joseph and Evelyn Dollinger. ...

Steven Horst of Horst Pharmacy recently traveled to Houston to attend a 2 1/2 cay seminar on meeting patient needs through compounding. Professional Compounding Centers of America, Inc. hosted more than 500 pharmacists and technicians at the seminar, which features the latest innovations in pharmacy compounding -- the traditional method of preparing medications to meet each prescriber and patient's unique needs. ...

To the editor: One morning after my wife had dropped me off at work, I experienced a frustrating situation which became a valuable lesson in life. I was the first to arrive a work that day, and I was searching for the keys to the building, which were in my pocket. ...

"We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called _ to perform what we cannot." -- Abraham Lincoln (1856) Addressing the first Republican state convention at Bloomington, Ill., more than 141 years ago, Abraham Lincoln offered sound advice that has too often gone unheeded by both political parties and politicians ever since. The deceit of delivery is the property of both Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, revolutionaries and preservationists...

House Republicans in Jefferson City announced their legislative proposals week before last, and one idea caught plenty of attention: scrapping the appointed state school board in favor of electing these officials. Under the GOP proposal, board members would run for office on partisan ballots in elections in each of the state's nine congressional districts. Missouri voters would have to endorse the proposed change in the state Constitution...

A bill filed by one of the most liberal of all state lawmakers seeks to open up the state's health insurance plan to small businesses and farmers in the private sector. The Missouri Consolidated Health Plan is a quasi-government agency that serves thousands of state employees and local government workers. The legislation is House Bill 1412, proposed by Rep. Tim Harlan, D-Columbia...

Christ had been on a tour of the country side; teaching, preaching and healing. When he returned to Jerusalem He was confronted by all sorts of people with all sorts of questions. The priests and elders asked Him about His authority, the Pharisees and Herodians asked about paying tribute to Caesar, and the Sadducees asked about the resurrection...

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. -- Katie Elizabeth Thompson, formerly of Sharpsboro near Delta, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at Greenwood Manor Nursing Home in Jerseyville. She was 90. She was born Oct. 23, 1907, in Mattoon, Ill., daughter of William and Clara Oliver Lenand. She married Mason Thompson on May 27, 1924, at Jackson. He died Sept. 22, 1992...

Barney Anthony Renner, 83, of Jackson, Tenn., formerly of Perry County, died Thursday, Jan. 22, 1998, at his home. He was born April 1, 1914, in Perry County, son of Joseph and Julie Bohnert Renner. He married Josephine Wibbeneyer on Oct. 12, 1943, at Apple Creek. She died Aug. 20, 1994...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Naomi Karr Humphreys, 79, of East Prairie died Saturday, Jan. 24, 1998, at the East Prairie Nursing Center after an extended illness. She was born Dec. 27, 1918, in Mississippi County, daughter of Thomas Milas and Nettie Johnson Phillips. She married Leon "Bud" Humphreys on Dec. 19, 1949, at Osceola, Ark. He died April 10, 1997...

PUXICO -- Roy "Chub" Hopkins, 84, died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at the Puxico Nursing Center. He was born Nov. 10, 1913, near Puxico, son of Frank and Nina Miers Hopkins. He married Vela Smith on Nov. 30, 1934. He lived in the Puxico and Asherville communities all his life...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Robert Lee Bullinger, 61, of Springfield died Saturday, Jan. 24, 1998, at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. He was born Sept. 5, 1936, in Oran, son of Otto and Nora Steimel Bullinger. He worked for the U.S. Geological Survey. He is survived by his wife, Nancy of Springfield; two sons, Jerry Bullinger of Springfield and James Bullinger of Galveston, Texas; a brother, Norman Bullinger of Chaffee; and four grandchildren...

JACKSON -- Melvin Leon Walker of Jackson died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was 81. He was born Nov. 22, 1916, in Oak Ridge, son of Ira Odus and Bernice Riehn Walker. On March 26, 1946, he married Hattie B. Blanken of Oak Ridge...

MARQUAND -- Albert J. Frymire, 75, of Marquand died Thursday, Jan. 22, 1998, at his home. He was born Dec. 25, 1922, at Grassy, son of Noah and Diana Williams Frymire. He married Opal I. Robbins on Feb. 25, 1945. He was a retired timber worker and an Army veteran of World War II...

CHARLESTON -- Evora E. Lane, 86, of Charleston died Thursday, Jan. 22, 1998, at River Oaks Hospital in Flowood, Miss. She was born May 30, 1911, in Bertrand, daughter of Oscar Irl and Millie Maude Main Oliver and had lived in Mississippi County most of her life...

PERRYVILLE -- Robert B. Weber, 47, of Perryville died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Sept. 5, 1950, at St Louis, son of Joseph L. Weber and Leola L. Mecker Weber Meyer. He was self-employed. He was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church and served in the medical corps in Vietnam...

PATTON -- Dewey Lester Green, 83, of Patton died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at his home. He was born Jan. 13, 1915, at Patton, son of Levi and Minnie May Bollinger Green. He married Mildred Johnson on Dec. 4, 1937. She died April 26, 1980. He married Beatrice Jo Cook on April 30, 1983. She died July 17, 1996...

GLEN ALLEN -- Junie May Householder, 87, of Glen Allen, died Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 6, 1910, at Shelbyville, Ark., daughter of William and Sarah Elizabeth Donhew-Hennessee. On Feb. 10, 1928, she married Audra Garner, who preceded her in death. She later married Brasher Householder, who also preceded her in death...

JACKSON -- William A. Morrison, 75, of Marble Hill, died Saturday, Jan. 24, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

When the Cape Girardeau City Council and the Jackson Board of Aldermen sit down for a joint meeting Monday night, they'll be making history. And in the process, they'll also be acting on five issues of mutual concern: shared access to Cable Channel 5; two major local road projects; annexation; a potential interconnection of the cities' water systems for emergency purposes; and the east/west highway project...

JACKSON -- French developer Pascal Dunod's plan to build houses and a French bakery and restaurant on land purchased from Pioneer Orchard is moving ahead according to schedule, says Dunod's agent here. Eighty lots have been surveyed and platted in preparation for an expected friendly annexation by the city in the spring, Sharon Hopkins says. Hopkins expects construction to begin sometime in the summer...

The tax burden in Missouri increased by 12 percent from 1996 to 1997, the second largest increase in the nation, a study by the Washington-based Tax Foundation shows. Missouri ranked only behind Delaware's 16 percent increase. Still, Missouri taxpayers fare better than their counterparts in 24 other states, a study by the nonprofit organization shows...

When his first anniversary on the job came Jan. 13, the head of the Cape Girardeau Police Department did not mark the occasion with any self-congratulatory celebration. Instead, Chief Rick Hetzel spent the day at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., as a part of a two-week development seminar for law enforcement executives...

Saturday marked the 25th anniversary of the agreement that ended American involvement in the Vietnam War, but several area veterans said the date was not a memorable one for them. Four local Vietnam veterans said the symbolic signing of a peace agreement by embassy leaders in 1973 which led to a cease-fire was important but essentially a non-event. Dates marking more visual events, including the final withdrawal of troops in 1975, were much more memorable, they said...

Welcome to National Handwriting Day. Actually, the celebrated day was Friday, but it took me until now to decipher it. Of course, without graphologists, there would be no need to recognize handwriting at all. Besides having a job that no one can spell, graphologists labor at interpreting penmanship...

Southeast Missouri State University basketball coach Gary Garner believes that eventually the law of averages will work in his team's favor and the Indians will start to win some of these overtime games. But after yet another overtime loss Saturday night, even Garner must be wondering...

When attempting to handicap today's Super Bowl between Green Bay and Denver, you first have to try and determine one thing. Does the point spread -- which has held fairly steady at Green Bay by 12 -- reflect the fact the Packers simply look like that much better of a team or the fact the NFC has so dominated the past 13 Super Bowls?...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- The host Dragons displayed their outstanding wrestling talents again this season, claiming the SEMO Conference Meet on Saturday. Ste.Genevieve scored 254 points as a team to claim the conference. Jackson took second with 210.5 points and Cape Central eighth with 64.5...

SCOTT CITY -- If the horde of cars outside wasn't enough, a peek into Scott City High's gymnasium told the story of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament championship game. "Standing-room only, huh?" noted one observer. Replied another: "Not much standing-room, either."...

Life without graduated star Larry Hughes, now playing for St. Louis University, hasn't always been easy for defending Class 4A champion CBC. Saturday at Cape Central's Tiger Fieldhouse, the Cadets squeaked past Central 60-56 without their star of the past (Hughes) or this season's leading scorer Marc Stricker...

ST. LOUIS -- The Jackson Lady Indians displayed the killer instinct Saturday afternoon against Nerinx Hall. The Lady Indians also didn't waste any time to show it in a 69-45 victory. Jackson outscored the host 26-6 in the first quarter and was never threatened thereafter. Jackson, ranked No. 3 in Missouri Class 4A, improved to 14-1 with the victory...

The way the game started, it appeared as if Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team had the proverbial two chances of beating Eastern Illinois. Slim and none. Southeast failed to score for the first 9:27 of Saturday night's contest at the Show Me Center, during which time EIU built a 10-0 lead...

Take a look at any calendar and it's obvious that the New Year began almost one full month ago. However, if you hunt or fish in Missouri, your new year will begin on March 1, 1998. That is the date that the 1998 Wildlife Code of Missouri goes into effect...

Kim Cunningham applied green dry brushing on a ceramic rabbit she casted. Janet Luttrell cleaned greenware ceramic pieces to get them ready for glazing. Their hands are a little shakier than they used to be, which only means students taking the ceramics class at Red Star Baptist Church have to work a little slower to make their award-winning projects...

When I first entered Dr. Laura Nahm's zoology class during my second term at Flat River, I did so with much trepidation. I had heard she was a no nonsense teacher who expected her students to reach, reach, reach to the apex of their mental capacity. I was prepared to do that. I needed an E in this five hour course...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library will celebrate Mardi Gras on Feb. 18. A special celebration for students in grades one through six will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Participants will learn the meaning of Mardi Gras, and make their own festive mask...