HEAT MAINTAINS GRIP ON AREA

Swimming pools at Capaha Park and Central High School are averaging 350 to 400 patrons a day as the latest heat wave sent the mercury climbing well into the 90s again Monday.

"As long as the weather stays like this, we should see that number hold until the beginning of school or until other activities like the start of football practice replace a day at the pool," said Doug Gannon, who manages both pools run by the city of Cape Girardeau.

Gannon said swimmers generally spend longer hours at both pools when the heat remains in the 90s, and that is what they have been doing the past few days.

The high Monday in Cape Girardeau was 96 degrees with humidity near 50 percent. The heat index reached 100, below the level that warrants a heat advisory but putting Monday among the hottest days of the year.

Temperatures have reached the low to mid-90s the past five days in Cape Girardeau.

A spokesman for the National Weather Service said a heat index of 105 usually warrants a heat advisory, which calls for people to stay indoors and avoid strenuous activity.

Both St. Francis Medical Center and Southeast Missouri Hospital reported there no heat-related emergency cases in the past few days. The Cape Girardeau fire and police departments said they also were free of calls for heat-related difficulties.

Temperatures in the 90s might not seem severe for the Midwest in July, but in Chicago -- a city still reeling from a heat wave two weeks ago that took more than 500 lives -- they now amount to a heat emergency, especially for the elderly.

Two deaths related to the current heat wave were reported Monday by Liz Borre, spokeswoman for the Cook County, Ill., medical examiner's office. She said both bodies were found on Sunday. Medical examinations of the victims were completed Monday.

At a news conference, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley urged relatives and neighbors to keep tabs on senior citizens. "Making a couple of phone calls or knocking on a couple of doors can save a life," Daley said.

The National Weather Service is calling for scattered showers in Southeast Missouri in the next two to three days with temperatures in the low to mid 90s and lows in the 70s.

That comes as good news to Richard and Glen Harter. When beads of sweat roll off the brows of these partners, it's a sign business at their Pure Ice Co. is booming. Such was the case on Monday afternoon as the mercury climbed to a level that meant the need for ice was as great as ever.

As Richard Harter discussed the ebb and flow of his business, which is directly linked to the rise and fall of the mercury, workers hustled to fill one of the Pure Ice Co. trucks for another delivery run. During the peak season, from May until September, the company operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

"Today will be a good day, but overall it's been a slower year than usual," said Richard Harter, co-owner of the Pure Ice Co. with his brother Glen.

On a busy day the company will bag and sell 55 tons of ice to various convenience stores and grocery chains in and around Cape Girardeau. However, because of rainy weekends and a city-ordered boil-water edict a few weeks ago, the demand hasn't always equalled the daily supply.

During a heat wave, time and production are critical. "You never want to run out of ice when it's in demand," Harter said. "If a store runs out of one kind of beer, it can sell another. But when you're the only company providing the ice, you don't want to come up short."

Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press.