MOST ROUTINE ACTIVITIES PAUSE FOR JULY FOUTH

The National Weather Service says typical early summer weather is expected over the July Fourth holiday in the Cape Girardeau area, as residents celebrate the 218th birthday of the United States.

Forecasters said hot, humid weather with a chance of scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected Saturday through Monday. Highs each day will be in the low-to-mid 90s. Lows will be in the 70s.

Most routine activities will come to a halt on Monday in observance of the Fourth.

State license fee offices in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Chaffee will be closed Saturday and Monday.

All federal, state, county, and municipal offices will be closed Monday, as will all banks and financial institutions.

There will be no driver's license or commercial driver's license examinations given Monday at the Jackson National Guard Armory. The next testing will be held Thursday and Friday at the Naval Reserve Center in Cape Girardeau. Testing at the Jackson Armory will resume on July 11.

There will be no solid-waste pickups on Monday in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City, and Chaffee.

In Cape Girardeau, the Monday solid-waste routes will be run on Tuesday, Tuesday's routes will be run on Wednesday, and there will be no Wednesday special pickups.

In Jackson, the Monday solid-waste routes will be consolidated with the Tuesday routes.

In Scott City, the Monday trash route will run on Tuesday and the Tuesday route on Wednesday.

In Chaffee, resident living on the north side of town will have their trash picked up Wednesday and Thursday.

There will be no home delivery or box mail delivered in Cape Girardeau on Monday; however, special delivery and priority mail will be delivered.

There will be no Monday evening collection of mail from drop boxes in the city. Postmaster Mike Keefe said mail placed in drop boxes on Monday will be picked up early Tuesday.

In addition to the Jackson Jaycees July Fourth Celebration and Oran July Fourth Picnic on Monday, the community of Allenville will hold its July Fourth Family Picnic and Fireworks Display on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. in the Allenville City Park. There will be games, food, live entertainment featuring country and gospel music, and country and western line dancers. Take lawn chairs and blankets.

The fireworks display will begin at about 9 p.m.

The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad steam-powered tourist train will leave Jackson at 6 p.m. Saturday for the dinner-excursion to the Allenville picnic. The train will arrive in Allenville around 8 p.m. Fried chicken and all the trimmings will be served to passengers on board the train.

Reservations for the dinner train are required, and should be made before noon Saturday. Call the railroad depot in Jackson, 243-1688 to make reservations.

The holiday period begins at 6 p.m., today and ends at midnight Monday. Missouri Highway Patrol and Illinois State Police will have extra officers on patrol throughout the weekend as part of Operation CARE (Combined Accident Reduction Effort). The officers will be looking for violations such as speeding, careless driving and drunk drivers.