Briefly 4/4/02

Final votes tallied in municipal elections

Elections in Cape Girardeau County were dotted with plenty of uncontested races, including those for the Nell Holcomb School Board, Jackson Board of Aldermen and the Whitewater, Dutchtown and Pocahontas boards of trustees.

In the city of Delta, none of the ward races was contested, but Beverly Keesee garnered 59 votes to Denise Gartman's six in the race for city collector.

And in the village of Allenville, there was no race for a one-year, unexpired term on the board of trustees, but Phillip Kohler and Don Cook emerged victorious in the race for a two-year term, receiving 21 and 15 votes, respectively. Charles Stringfellow was edged out when he received 13 votes.

Voters decide races for mayor, school board

ORAN, Mo. -- On Tuesday, Oran voters elected several school and community leaders.

Tom Urhahn will be Oran's next mayor, beating out Herman Joe Ressel by a tally of 209 votes to 122 votes. Marcia Roslen, who ran unopposed for city collector, received 289 votes, and Ronald L. Diebold, who ran without opposition for alderman in Oran's Ward 1, got 32. The Ward 2 seat went to Bob Ressel, who received 68 votes to opponent A.J. Madigan's 56. In Ward 3, Jean Neal narrowly won over Brenda Cook 48 to 42.

Ward 4 had no candidate appearing on the ballot.

In the Oran School District, candidates selected for three-year terms on the school board were Mark Eftink with 285 votes, Jerry Lange with 273 and Larry Hatfield with 247. Also running were Gil Roslen with 181 votes, Ronnie Diebold with 169 and Sherry Seyer with 140.

Sales tax holiday considered by lawmakers

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missourians could do some tax-free back-to-school shopping under a bill that won initial Senate approval despite being saddled by an opponent with a $54 million amendment.

During debate Wednesday, Sen. John Schneider amended the bill in such a way that the so-called sales tax holidays would take place only if all 60,000 state workers received pay raises of at least $900.

The Senate approved the bill by voice vote on Wednesday. Another vote is required before it can move to the House.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, had initially proposed the legislation without the pay raise provision.

The bill would create two three-day periods this August and again in August 2003 during which no state or local sales tax would be charged on individual items of clothing less than $100, school supplies of no more than $50 per purchase and personal computers under $2,000.

The state would reimburse cities and counties for the loss of local sales tax revenues, and local governments could opt out of the tax holiday in 2003. The bill sets up a committee to study the effects of the tax holiday.

Initial approval given to nursing home bill

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Legislation setting new standards for nursing home care and new penalties for abuse of residents has received initial Senate approval.

The culmination of years of studies, the legislation was approved Wednesday by voice vote but still needs another vote before moving to the House.

"This gives the industry the rules and guidelines they need without being too punitive," said sponsoring Sen. Betty Sims, R-Ladue.

The Senate spent about an hour on the 71-page bill, with little debate on the dozen-plus amendments that were added. The amendments included requirements for immunizations at nursing homes and for tipsters to provide their names when reporting alleged elderly abuse.

The legislation requires that abuse in nursing homes be reported to the Department of Health and Senior Services and makes failure to do so a misdemeanor.

People who knowingly abuse or neglect residents would be guilty of a felony subject to a maximum prison sentence of five years.-- From wire, Southeast Missouri and staff reports