Region digest 06/19/02

St. Louis publication honors area legislators

Three veteran Southeast Missouri lawmakers are being honored by the St. Louis Business Journal for their efforts on behalf of the St. Louis area during the recent legislative session.

Republican Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder of Cape Girar-deau and state Sen. Danny Staples of Eminence and state Rep. Don Koller of Summersville, both Democrats, are among the 18 members of the Missouri General Assembly to receive the publication's Legislative Award.

The Business Journal established the award this year to recognize lawmakers who pushed for legislation that would benefit the St. Louis metropolitan region. They will receive the awards during a breakfast Friday in St. Louis.

Freshman state Sen. Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis, is also receiving the award. Coleman is a native of Sikeston.

Woman found dead outside nursing home

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dexter police and the Stoddard County Coroner reported that a Dexter resident was found dead outside a local nursing home Monday.

Dexter Police Sgt. Cate Gregory reported in a written statement that a woman was found outside the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center at 4 a.m. Monday. The center is at the corner of Grant and Catalpa streets in Dexter.

The woman has been identified as Linda Lou Fulkerson, 55.

Stoddard County Coroner Greg Mathis said Tuesday morning an autopsy showed that Fulkerson died "from injuries she received from a fall" while attempting to leave the center.

Neelyville teachers get $1,000 raise

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Neelyville teachers walked away from Monday night's school board meeting with smiles on their faces, shortly after the board approved a $1,000 base raise.

Kindergarten teacher Shannon Davis said the teacher's originally wanted a $2,000 raise. But after several meetings with R-4 Superintendent Larry Graves and other board members, teachers learned that $1,000 was the best the district could do.

Neelyville teachers automatically receive an additional $600 each year for experience, so the annual raise actually comes to $1,600.

Authorities find fetus flushed into sewer

ST. LOUIS -- Authorities in suburban St. Charles County are trying to find the source of a 20-week-old fetus that apparently was flushed down the toilet.

The fetus was found last week by workers at a wastewater treatment plant. St. Charles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Craig McGuire described the fetus as white, female and about 9 inches long.

The incident could be anything from an unauthorized or unintentional abortion to a homicide, McGuire said. For now, it's classified as abandonment of a corpse, he said.

-- From staff, wire reports