WEATHER KEEPS ANGELOU AWAY

When Jim Biundo planned Thursday's Southeast Missouri State University presidential inaugural event, he thought he had considered everything.

He didn't plan on a spring snowstorm in St. Louis.

But the storm, which dropped up to 3 inches of snow in St. Louis, kept keynote speaker Maya Angelou in North Carolina.

"Obviously we are extremely disappointed," said Biundo, assistant to the president for university relations. "She made every effort, and we made every effort to get her here."

Biundo, who chaired the inauguration committee, learned of the situation about 9 a.m. Thursday. Angelou was en route to the Charlotte, N.C., airport when she discovered that her TWA flight was delayed indefinitely because of weather in St. Louis.

Visibility because of snow caused trouble for flights into and out of St. Louis Thursday morning. By afternoon most airlines had resumed normal schedules.

Biundo said the university worked until 12:45 p.m. to find an alternate flight and route. Different flight options were considered, including charter flights and flights to Memphis. Consideration was given to flying out of another airport in North Carolina -- Greensboro -- instead of the Charlotte airport. Angelou lives in the Charlotte area.

When Biundo learned that Angelou likely wouldn't make it to Cape Girardeau, he contacted area schools and radio stations so that those attending wouldn't be surprised that Angelou wasn't the speaker.

The university won't pay Angelou. She was to get $25,000 plus expenses, or about $27,000.

The university had private donations to pay for her and other inauguration event expenses. Biundo will contact the eight corporate donors and 18 individual donors to ask their opinions about what should be done with the money that had been set aside for Angelou.

Biundo said he expects the money will remain in the University Foundation coffers to fund other projects.