YEAR IN REVIEW: 1990 WAS BRIMMING WITH LOCAL ACTIVITY

(The following "Year in Review" articles were compiled by Sharon Sanders, Southeast Missourian librarian. The remainder of the months will be run in the coming days.)

FEBRUARY

1. City would spend nearly $24.5 million on capital improvement projects over next five fiscal years under plan proposed by city staff.

Voters may be asked to approve 20-cent park levy in June to help fund construction of recreational swimming pool and softball complex.

Familiar Missouri chauffeur operators' license will soon be thing of past; it is being replaced by Commercial Driver's License.

2. Perryville Tension ran high last night between those who are trying to justify closing of St. Vincent High School here and those who oppose closing; more than 600 people attended meeting to discuss planned closing.

City will proceed with recycling project this spring, but it will be run on limited basis because of inability of city and university to obtain state grant.

4. Marble Hill Bollinger County Sheriff Januar Peters says he will question County Commission further about January pay of his two full-time deputies, one of whom contends his pay was short of amount he was promised in raise for this year.

Two new investor-owners are on board at Cape News Guardian, twice-weekly newspaper published here since October 1988, and frequency of publication will be reduced to once each week.

One of key issues in Tuesday's city council primary election won't be found on ballot, but among candidates themselves; issue is whether city should change from at-large to ward system of electing council members.

5. As many as 75 to 100 workers from Perry County could be among those who will lose their jobs at Fenton's Chrysler Plant No. I; several people from Perry County who work at Tri-Con Industries in Cape could be effected by closing.

Mayor Gene Rhodes says city and Southeast Missouri District Fair Board should start looking for larger site for district fair.

6. Historic preservation measure won initial approval of City Council Monday night as some 40 supporters of measure looked on at City Hall; standing-room-only crowd of about 60 people attended meeting.

Municipal Judge Edward Calvin wants to run for Cape County associate circuit judge, but city ordinance prohibits city employees from running for political office.

Community Counseling Center is proceeding with campaign to raise $1.5 million for new building at Bloomfield and Silver Springs Road.

7. Presidential search committee at Southeast Missouri State names four finalists: William M. Fulkerson Jr., J. Wade Gilley, Robert M. McChesney, and Kala M. Stroup.

Incumbents David Limbaugh and Jim Rust rolled through Tuesday's City Council primary, leading field of candidates; other candidates who made it through primary are Doug Richards, Mary Wulfers, Mike Edwards and Julia Kridelbaugh.

Students who walk to and from Hawthorn Elementary School will follow safer path when new footbridge over Cape LaCroix Creek is finished; footings are being poured adjacent to Hopper Road bridge.

Southeast Missouri State has been authorized to proceed with negotiations toward agreement with Missouri Division of Youth Services to construct youth group home on campus that would be leased to division.

8. Few objections to preliminary design for new cross-city highway and Mississippi River bridge were voiced at public hearing on plan yesterday.

Municipal Judged Edward Calvin says city ordinance prohibiting him and other city employees from running for political office should be scrapped.

Nell Holcomb Board of Education's decision not to renew Superintendent Wallace Barrows' contract and possibility of high school grinds together like flint, sparking heated discussion; most of heat comes from dialogue between Barrows and board treasurer Karen Fornkahl.

9. Two of finalists for president at Southeast Missouri State Dr. J. Wade Gilley and Dr. Kala M. Stroup also are among finalists for presidency at Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville.

City staff has proposed that municipal airport property be designated as special zone and that new buildings be limited to two stories or 30 feet in height.

11. Missourian begins publishing its annual Progress Edition.

Cape Board of Education will hear from teachers about proposal to make district smoke-free this week; survey of staff members was completed last month.

Group of legislators will be meeting with staff of Attorney General Missouri Division of Insurance Wednesday to discuss complaints by school districts that their health insurance company has not paid claims; in all 39 school districts are involved, many of them from Southeast Missouri.

12. Vision 2000 supporters are pushing for establishment of city committee to monitor utility rates here.

Jackson Committee studying possibility of constructing 7,700-acre recreational lake in Cape and Bollinger counties will meet again this week to review proposed legislation that would enable counties to establish lake authority and to place before voters one-cent sales tax to fund project.

13. Chaffee Chaffee Columbia Sportswear, clothing manufacturing plant, has added second shift to keep up with product demand.

Visitors to Mississippi River waterfront have been treated to first-hand view of dredging operations of Army Corps of Engineers this week; dredge Potter has been working on Illinois side of river's navigation channel.

Municipal judges at Cape and Jackson have violated state statute in hearing change of judge cases between two cities, but presiding Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. has corrected problem with appointment of associate circuit judge to hear such cases.

14. Plan to ban smoking at all Cape public schools by fall 1991 has been approved by Cape Board of Education.

Thomas M. Meyer, local real estate broker, says City Council must take initiative if St. Vincent's Seminary property is to be purchased and developed for public use.

15. County bridge at Millersville was destroyed following heavy rains that moved into area; span, passageway over drainage ditch, will cost $35,000 to replace.

One of four final candidates for president of university, Dr. J. Wade Gilley, is scheduled to arrive here tonight for two-day stay that is jammed with meetings.

16. Environmental Protection Agency has added Missouri Electric Works site in Cape to its national list for possible cleanup under federal "Superfund" program.

Rep. Bill Emerson is this year's recipient of Friend of Agriculture Award, given by Cape Chamber of Commerce; Scwartz & Sons, farming operation in Scott County, earned Agri-Business Award.

18. Southeast Missouri State and area public schools combined have spent more than $1 million over past eight years to meet federal regulations requiring removal or containment of asbestos.

First of four university presidential finalists, Dr. J. Wade Gilley, tours campus and meets with Board of Regents.

Principals of city's high school and junior high say they foresee problems in enforcing Cape Board of Education-imposed smoking and chewing tobacco ban at their schools.

19. Gale, Ill. Picket lines go up at site of closed, Illada Energy Reclamation Co. Inc. plant, in protest of contractor's alleged refusal to hire union labor.

Saying that municipal election should be centered around hard issues, not personalities, mayoral candidate Al Spradling III calls for his opponent, Mayor Gene Rhodes, to debate him.

Marston Five-month long dispute over terms of new work contract at Noranda Aluminum Inc., was resolved Sunday when workers ratified proposal that was submitted to them after federal mediation.

20. Gale, Ill. Pickets at Ilada Energy Co., hazardous-waste cleanup site were removed late Monday after officials of company hired to clean up site agreed to meet with representatives of laborers and operating engineers unions.

Second university presidential finalist to visit campus, Dr. Kala M. Stroup, told faculty members Monday that she is familiar with school's service region and state because of her former affiliations with Murray State University and University of Kansas.

Jackson Aldermen here have give preliminary approval to $9.6 million city budget.

Benton Scott County officials will meet with jail consultants in March to start planning for construction of new sheriff's office and jail.

21. City Council Tuesday refused to amend city code to allow Municipal Judge Edward Calvin to run for Cape County associate circuit judge.

Plans by city staff to implement airplane parking fee at Municipal Airport have been shot down by City Council; council has also approved new lease of airport property for farming.

In past three weeks, Mississippi River has risen almost 10 feet at Cape Girardeau, but rise will likely be short lived; National Weather Service says river has crested and, despite predicted rainfall, will continue to fall.

22. Jackson Plans are being made to expand public defender's office in Jackson to include two additional counties, Scott and Mississippi, by closing satellite office in Benton next month.

City of Cape is one of 87 municipalities in state whose waste water discharge facilities did not meet state standards between Jan. 1, 1988 and Sept. 30, 1989.

23. Gale, Ill. Spokesman for Waste Management Inc., company hired to remove more than million gallons of contaminated waste oil and water from Ilada Energy site, says firm will use its own experienced workers; local union officials had asked to hire unemployed Southern Illinois residents to work at site.

Third of four candidates for presidency of university, Dr. William M. Fulkerson Jr., says enrollment will grow if school focuses attention on attracting students it can best serve and delivers what students expect.

Attorney representing H and R Electronic Alarm Systems, Inc. says city should take bids for alarm monitoring services at police station rather than continue to allow competing firm to provide service without bids.

25. "Gum tree" that was destroyed by vandals last October has been replaced on university campus by redbud "gum tree" donated by Re-Emergents organization.

Four of five city councilmen have defended city's action in not taking bids for monitoring services at police station and allowing Accent Security Alarms Inc. of Jackson to provide alarm service without entering into contract; only Hugh White prefers that city take bids on services whenever possible.

Marvin D. Goad of Scott City is charged with murder only hours after body of Randy L. Stephens of Scott City is discovered in ditch following robbery at AutoZone auto parts store here.

26. Missouri death row inmate Jerome Mallett, convicted in 1986 of killing Highway Patrol Trooper James Froemsdorf of Perryville, loses U.S. Supreme Court appeal; court lets stand rulings that Mallett received fair trial and properly was sentenced to death.

John L. Oliver Jr., Cape attorney, is involved in Missouri Bar Association proceeding that could result in three-year suspension from practicing law for St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney George R. Westfall; Oliver is prosecutor for Missouri Bar Advisory Committee, which filed disbarment proceedings with Missouri Supreme Court against Westfall for comments he made about appeals court judge.

27. State board that regulates Missouri doctors has charged Dr. Bolivar M. Escobedo of St. Louis with misconduct and negligence; Escobedo operates abortion clinics in Cape and Manchester.

Dr. Robert M. McChesney, candidate for president of university, says school should do better job of touting itself.