`HERO' BRINGS JUMPER CABLES

Lillian Biggs and her friend Lynn Bahn were driving home separately on a wet Thursday afternoon. They had just finished a nice lunch at a local restaurant.

Many of Cape Girardeau's streets were flooded with three or four inches of water after a heavy and constant downpour.

Biggs, who admits to being in her late 70s, found her car stalled in the water. She was starting to get a little nervous.

Enter Chris Conway.

The 18-year-old was driving home from a visit with his girlfriend when he came upon Biggs and her stalled car.

"He just stopped and asked if I needed some help," said Biggs. "He was real nice."

Bahn called him a hero.

Conway brought out his jumper cables that he had purchased just three weeks earlier, and jump started Biggs' car.

The whole episode took about 20 minutes in a light rain.

"I offered him some money, but he wouldn't take it. He told me he liked helping people. He sounded like he meant it," said Biggs.

Bahn feels Conway's actions say much about the good that today's youth can do.

"This is the kind of heroic actions we need to highlight," said Bahn.

Conway considers himself "a helpful-kind of guy."

He does janitorial work and some sign painting at Drury Southwest.

Conway said he's never been called a hero before.

"I'm just glad I could help," he said.