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.)

JANUARY

2. Carolyn Kelley and David Goncher become first to candidates to file for seats on Cape Girardeau Board of Education.

Listed value of construction in Cape in 1989 was below decade's highest total for any one year, which was $25.7 million in 1988; last year total of $21.6 million was spent on construction in Cape.

Aside from accidents caused by icy roads, area law enforcement authorities report uneventful New Year's Eve.

3. Wayne Muri, head of state Highway and Transportation Department believes that unless Congress adopts federal highway program that allows states flexibility in using federal fuel-tax money for highways, Missouri may be unable to match available federal funds for highway projects.

Members of Teamsters Local 574 and Operating Engineers Local 513 are on strike against West Lake Quarry near Scott City.

Property for 5,890-foot-long stretch of Cape LaCroix Creek is being appraised as first step toward acquiring land needed for part of $30-million flood-control project.

Johnny C. James has filed for one-year term on Cape Board of Education.

4. Miami Fallen Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega arrives in United States to face drug trafficking charges, after surrendering to U.S. troops outside his Vatican Embassy sanctuary in Panama City.

Jackson With mailing of about 32,000 new voter identification cards, Cape County Clerk Rodney Miller and his staff have begun process of canvassing county's voter registration books.

5. Scott City West Lake Quarry plans to seek court injunction against striking employees to limit size of picket line and to prevent vandalism and reduce violence.

Wolohan Lumber Co., of Saginaw, Mich., has purchased Riverside Building Supply and Home Centers property at 120 N. Kingshighway, and will open lumber and hardware operation here this year.

Rumors, Inc., popular downtown night spot that has been target of protests, complaints, and controversies during past two years, has closed.

7. Scott City About 32 striking workers of West Lake Quarry travel to St. Louis to distribute leaflets to public in front of St. Louis Cathedral; St. Louis Archdiocese owns quarry.

Potosi Literacy, both conventional and computer, tops list of priorities of Cape Board of Education members; board met this weekend at YMCA of Ozarks in Potosi to begin long-range study for school district.

8. Fewer people were killed in vehicle accidents in Missouri in 1989 than were killed in 1988, but more died last year than during preceding year in Southeast Missouri.

Spring semester at Southeast Missouri Stage University begins, and school official says number of undergraduate students at start of day is 100 fewer than at start of opening day last spring.

9. Benton Scott County commissioners and Sheriff Bill Ferrell say separate sheriff's office and jail building are inadequate, and larger, combined facility is needed.

Scott City Port commissioners are debating whether to install rail spur or extend Nash Road into Southeast Missouri Regional Port.

10. Interim president of Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Robert Foster, expresses disappointment with Gov. John Ashcroft's recommended funding for school next fiscal year; Ashcroft is recommending $32.4 million in state funding for university.

Board of Education is seeking input from teachers and students about proposal to make district smoke-free.

11. University of Missouri researcher says quality of Cape's drinking water is about average with rest of U.S., but that Perryville's supply indicates above average bacterial count.

State highway that would run from new Mississippi River bridge to Interstate 55 would cut across number of city streets, but will not result in dead-end roads because state Highway and Transportation Department plans to construct short, connecting streets between various city streets cut off by new highway.

City has removed six, old, underground fuel-storage tanks on city-owned property rather than pay cost of installing leak-detection equipment as required by federal regulations.

12. Jackson Sen. John Dennis plans to introduce bill next week in Missouri Senate that will allow voters in Cape and Bollinger counties to approve 25-year, 1-cent sales tax and establish authority to oversee development and maintenance of proposed 7,700-acre recreational lake.

Revised, historic preservation measure appears to be on more solid footing, with city staff now urging City Council to adopt it.

14. Cape has started new decade with no homicides being committed within city over last two years trend unseen since at least 1977.

Bill that would allow cities and counties along Mississippi and Missouri rivers to decide whether to permit gambling on river excursion boats is being pushed by Rep. Herb Fallert of Ste. Genevieve.

15. Johnny James is keynote speaker at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial breakfast held at Southeast Missouri State; over 200 people attend.

Televising of high school basketball games here could serve as springboard to better and more live programming on cable television's community access channel.

City Council moves ahead with historic preservation measure, setting public hearing for Feb. 5.

16. City Council has cleared way for Roger Friedrich to conduct recycling center at 16 rear South Frederick, assuring concerned neighbors that adequate controls are in place to address any pollution problems.

Missouri Lottery sales increased 35 percent in 1989 over 1988, highest yearly sales since lottery began in 1986.

17. Dr. Richard Farmer, who served as superintendent in five different school districts over span of 28 years, is guest speaker at 24th annual winter meeting of Southeast Missouri Secondary School Principals Association here.

St. Francis Medical Center has begun process that could lead to it offering open heart surgery.

Optometrist Charles Ernst is presented 25-gallon pin for blood donation by Red Cross; it took Dr. Ernst 50 years to reach plateau.

18. Potosi Twice-convicted killer Gerald Smith is executed, becoming second Missouri prisoner put to death in quarter-century.

Nell Holcomb R-4 Board of Education has decided not to renew contract of Dr. Wallace Barrows, who has been superintendent of school district for 13 years.

Police raided "crack house" at 245 North Pacific Wednesday morning, arresting 12 persons.

19. Southeast Missouri State University Interim President Dr. Robert Foster kicks off Missourians for Higher Education campaign at Show Me Center, saying education system must have additional revenue.

Jerry Wiseman of Zalma last week won $10,000 in Missouri's instant lottery game.

Nearly half of Cape's lending institutions require earthquake insurance as condition of mortgage loans.

21. Paul Ebaugh, former president of Cape Construction Co., and later executive vice president of board of directors of First National Bank and Centerre Bank here, will be president of Cape's new bank AmeriFirst Bank, which should be in operation within 90 days.

John E. Campbell, accountant, has filed as candidate for Cape Board of Education.

22. Scott City Violence-plagued strike at West Lake Quarry near here enters its fourth week, with company seeking restraining order against striking workers.

One of nation's largest retailers, Wal-Mart, was so impressed by Cape Chamber of Commerce strategic plan for economic growth that it will donate $6,000 to chamber's cause.

Tracy Mehan, director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources, says loss of federal funds this year could mean end of Missouri's water pollution control program and endanger quality of state's drinking and recreational water system.

23. Agriculture and education are primary topics as five-man Soviet Union delegation begins farm-oriented tour of Missouri.

Scott City Scott County Circuit Judge Anthony Heckemeyer has issued temporary restraining order, limiting actions of striking workers at West Lake Quarry near here; company asked for court order in wake of continuing incidents of vandalism on part of striking workers.

For fourth consecutive year, Cape experienced no deaths from fires last year.

24. Mayoral candidates squared off Tuesday at Cape County Board of Realtors luncheon; one of major differences between two is Mayor Gene Rhodes' support of ward system of government and Councilman Al Spradling III's opposition.

Willie C. Jones, employee of Procter and Gamble, is candidate for Cape Board of Education.

25. Corning, Ark. Search for Gina Dawn Brooks of Fredericktown has shifted from her hometown to farm in Clay County, Ark.

Just-completed master plan for Cape Municipal Airport calls for spending almost $11.7 million on airport improvements and maintenance over next two decades.

Lance Tollison has been hired as first full-time County Juvenile Center administrator.

26. Considering information brought forth at League of Women Voters' forum, city council election is shaping up as referendum on whether voters want to change from at-large to ward system of electing council members.

Sikeston Numerous factors, including worsening hunger, have combined to create massive increase in amount of food going out of Bootheel Food Bank here; since it's formation in 1985, bank's annual distribution of food has grown from 10,000 pounds to 2.8 million pounds last year.

28. Federal regulators have taken over Colonial Federal Savings & Loan Association, second S&L in Cape to be secured.

Nell Holcomb R-4 Board of Education members have purchased 17 acres of land, which may be used as location of new district high school.

Millersville Opponents of recreational lake proposal in Cape and Bollinger counties plan to testify Tuesday before Senate committee in opposition to bill that would give counties power to establish lake authority and pass sales tax to pay for lake construction.

29. Surprise snow storm dumps narrow band of snow through parts of east-central Missouri and Southern Illinois; while Jackson sources report 3 inches of snow on ground in places, Cape receives less than one-half inch.

Southeast Missouri State Provost Dr. Leslie Cochran has suggested merit pay proposal for faculty members be adopted that includes some recommendations that were contained in merit pay plan adopted last year by Faculty Senate.

30. Ruling by Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee has cleared way for new open heart surgery program at St. Francis Medical Center.

Missouri customers of Southeast Missourian and other newspaper will see sales tax added to price of newspapers beginning Thursday; tax is result of Missouri Supreme Court decision in November that removed sales tax exemption for newspapers.

Eaker Air Force Base in Northeast Arkansas is among military installations Pentagon announced might be closed.

31. Jefferson City Opponents of plan to build recreational lake in Cape and Bollinger counties told Missouri Senate committee Tuesday they are concerned about wording in bill that would give lake authority control of 5,000 feet of land around lake.

City's collection and disposal of trash no longer is buried under red ink; with opening of transfer station and increase in trash fees last spring, city's solid waste program has emerged on sound footing financially.

John Pardeck and William Wickam Jr. have filed for seat on Cape Board of Education.