School to get marquee sign

The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission gave approval to a 6-foot by 10-foot marquee sign at the Alma Schrader School at the commission's monthly meeting Wednesday night.

The sign will be funded by donations made in the memory of Kaelyn McGill, who died Feb. 3 in an automobile accident in Jackson, Mo.

Her father, James McGill, said the sign was something that came to his mind shortly after Kaelyn's death. He told principal Frank Ellis what he wanted to do and Ellis sent home letters with all the students. When it comes to doing things in memory of his daughter, "I can't to do enough," he said.

About half of the donations for the sign came from Kaelyn's classmates at Alma Schrader and their families, McGill said. The other donations came from friends, family members and business partners from across the country.

The McGill Marketing Group will manufacture the sign and the school will take care of the landscaping.

The Alma Schrader School is the only school in the district without a marquee sign. It will be lighted at night and will be set 90 feet from the street. One resident near the school attended the meeting. He did not oppose it.

The Cape Girardeau City Council recently approved a series of telecommunication tower regulations as recommended by the commission.

The council suggested that the commission review its rules and procedures in regards to a second-tier notification system. Currently, only adjoining property owners are alerted when a tower is proposed. The commission elected to not change its rules and regulations. Members said they wanted to keep the notification system as simple as possible.