Community digest 2/7

Nursing director receives teaching award

Donna Shirrell, nursing program director at Southeast Missouri Hospital's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, has received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden honored 66 outstanding faculty from postsecondary schools, colleges and universities in Missouri during the 2001 Governor's Conference on Higher Education held recently in Kansas City.

Award recipients were selected by their respective institutions for effective teaching and advising, service to the school community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.

Audubon Society plans meeting

"Nature's Insect Repellent: The Purple Martin" will be the topic of the Four Seasons Audubon Society meeting Feb. 19 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

Dr. Bill Eddleman will discuss purple martins, how to attract them, and how they benefit our outside living area at the 7 p.m. meeting.

Additional information is available by calling Eddleman, 335-1507.

Safety driving course offered to public

A 55 Alive Safety Driving Course will be held Feb. 19 at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Classes will held Tuesday from 1 to 5 p.m. in Room 101 at the hospital and Feb. 26 from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Generations Center. To pass the course and possibly get a discount on auto insurance, parties must attend both sessions.

Cost of the course is $10. To enroll, call Bob Harper, 243-2396.

Jackson woman attends 4-H Congress

Jessica Morrow of Jackson, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University, recently attended the National 4-H Congress held in Atlanta.

Twenty 4-H members from Missouri, including Morrow and Stephanie Schindler of Perry County, were selected by an application and interview process from more than 1,000 candidates from the Show Me State.

The event, built around the theme "Celebrate the Possibilities," included workshops on leadership development, youth empowerment and cultural diversity and forums on agricultural production, environmental stewardship and food safety.

Morrow and other delegates toured Centennial Olympic Park, the World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center, the Carter Presidential Library and the Martin Luther King Center for Peace Studies.

Oyster soup, chili supper scheduled

The annual Oyster Soup, Clam Chowder and Chili Supper will be held Sunday at the Brazeau Community Hall in Brazeau, Mo.

Serving begins at 3:30 p.m.

Donations will be taken.

Program offers tips for the disabled

Dennis Cline of United Mobility Systems in Sikeston, Mo., will be guest speaker on the "Independently Speaking" public affairs show airing at 5:30 a.m. Sunday on WDKA, Channel 49, and on Cable Access Channel 5 on Feb. 12 and 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Cline will discuss mobility equipment for the physically challenged. "Independently Speaking" focuses on services for the handicapped and seeks to educate the public.

Woman with local ties produces show

"And Then One Night," a one-hour PBS "Dead Man Walking" documentary that delves into the death penalty in the United States, was produced and directed by Linda Higginbotham Schaller, daughter of Howard and Pauline Higginbotham of Potosi, Mo. Schaller is the niece of Hazel Weltch of Cape Girardeau.

To familiarize herself with the subject, Schaller visited Angola Prison in Louisiana. She conducted interviews with representatives from both sides of the capital punishment issue, including family members who have been directly affected by the death penalty.

Schaller has directed and produced arts and entertainment programs for public television for more than 20 years. She has received nine Northern California Emmys and awards from Paris Grand Prix Dance Documentaries, San Francisco Film Festival and National Education Video Golden Apple.

Pulaski man is 'Farmer of the Year'

Bob McIntosh of Pulaski, Ill., received the Farmer of the Year Award during the recent meeting of the Pulaski-Alexander Soil and Water Conservation District at Shawnee Community College near Ullin, Ill. Roy and Elmer Eichhorst of Ullin received a special achievement award for more than 50 years of farming.

Annual PAST meeting slated for Union

Promotion and Appreciation of Structural Treasures of Union County will sponsor its annual meeting Sunday at the Sunshine Inn, 400 S. Main Street in Anna, Ill., starting at 1 p.m.

An auction of 1954 Anna Centennial items will be held following the annual meeting, with proceeds designated for PAST projects to restore St. Anne Church on Main Street in Anna.

Vertis Lam donated a number of items to benefit the church restoration. Those items include Anna Centennial plates and five videotapes of the film highlighting the centennial activities. Alex Belcher will be guest auctioneer.

--From staff reports