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.)

MARCH

1. Southeast Missouri State University Faculty Senate is resolved to let university administration know that teachers are displeased with its proposal to give teachers salary hikes of 4 percent and benefit increases of 2 percent next fiscal year.

Presidents of three Ohio Valley Conference schools and commissioner of conference paid closed-door visit to university Wednesday.

2. All six City Council candidates and two mayoral candidates speak at Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee; Councilman Al Spradling III, mayoral candidate, reiterates his call for Mayor Gene Rhodes to debate him.

Shuttle flight of astronaut Linda Godwin, native of Oak Ridge, has been postponed until November.

Jackson Cape County Commission is withholding approval of additional office space for public defender until other counties served by office agree to pay their share of rent and utilities.

4. Dr. Kala M. Stroup is new president of Southeast Missouri State University; she is 13th president of institution and its first woman head.

Jefferson City Gov. John Ashcroft has vetoed legislation creating state minimum wage, saying it would cost state almost $100 million by forcing prison system to pay inmates $3.80 per hour.

5. Jefferson City Missouri Senate clears its Monday debate schedule and meets only briefly in honor of veteran Sen. Richard Webster, who died Sunday.

Mayor Gene Rhodes has cast critical eye on plans for recreational pool, suggesting it should not be built in Capaha Park.

Benton Long-range planning for Kelly schools is in hands of committee looking at ways school district can do its job better; 17-member advisory committee of school district residents was formed in January to take look at Kelly's future.

6. Cape Municipal Judge Edward Calvin has been granted unpaid leave of absence to allow him to run for associate circuit judge in November general election.

Scott City Workers at West Lake Quarry near here remain on strike, despite fact that two of three striking unions approved new contract offer; operating Engineers Local 513 and Laborers Local 1104 ratified new contract offers last weekend, but Teamsters Local 574 Monday turned it down.

City Council has decided to purchase commercial building owned by John Farquhar at Municipal Airport at cost of $40,000 and plans to lease out space for various business ventures.

7. Missouri's Board of Healing Arts has filed complaint against second doctor who has performed abortions in Cape; Dr. Scott Barrett Jr. of St. Louis has been charged with negligence and misconduct in performing abortions.

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board members are recommending passage of 25-cent park tax, to be used to finance construction of swimming pool complex at Capaha Park, softball complex and soccer fields at Shawnee Park and acquisition of park land.

Jefferson City Two state representatives, David Schwab and Frank Ellis, whose districts contain most of land that would be flooded by recreational lake in Cape and Bollinger counties, plan to offer amendments to Senate-passed bill.

8. Part of Cape's heritage dies early in morning when fire sweeps through city's Old Opera House, built in 1868 at corner of Broadway and Lorimier.

Although airplane parking fee was shot down by City Council last month, Airport Advisory Board members say they still favor implementation of fee.

Discovery of witness in assault of Robert D. McGee Jr. with brick three weeks ago has led to charges being field against two Cape teenagers.

9. Preliminary design of new east-west highway and Mississippi River bridge in Cape is approved by Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.

City Council says it wants to move ahead with construction of addition to City Hall, renovation of airport terminal and possible replacement of damaged bridge near Twin Trees Park; all of these, plus other projects, are included in nearly $24.5 million capital improvements plan.

Benton Scott County officials meet with jail consultants about six-phase planning process to begin construction of new county jail.

11. After examining burned remains of Old Opera House, Cape landmark since 1868, structural engineer says exterior brick walls of building can be saved if owner chooses to rebuild; Dennis Stockard, owner, earlier indicated he would like to rebuild structure.

Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center's first director, Ken Callis, is resigning that post in order to re-enter private psychological practice.

12. Area's weather, which seems to have skipped spring and gone directly into summer, has flowers blooming and trees budding out; recent high temperatures have been hovering around 75 degrees.

Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority reaches another milestone in long journey from concept to reality with announcement of Midwest Agri-Chemico as its first tenant.

Gunman gets away with undisclosed amount of money from Cutmart No. 7, 340 S. Sprigg; it is second robbery in city this year in which gun was used.

13. Jackson County commissioners advise two representatives of senior citizen organizations in Cape County that they would probably need to get signatures on petitions to insure tax levy for senior citizen programs would be put before voters; two representatives had asked commission to put issue on August primary ballot.

Not only eager fans will enjoy NCAA Division II south-Central men's basketball tournament this Friday and Saturday; city restaurateurs, innkeepers and merchants will enjoy economic bonus that could reach quarter-million dollars.

14. Jackson State Rep. David Schwab is considering offering several amendments to Senate-passed bill establishing lake authority for proposed 7,700-acre lake to be built in Cape and Bollinger counties; one of those amendments would limit zoning powers of authority to 500-foot radius of lake.

Interscholastic swimming programs for boys and girls at Cape Central High were approved yesterday by Board of Education.

Groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for Kingshighway and William Street improvement project, but for some area businesses it was not joyous occasion; several merchants say their businesses, situated northwest of intersection, have been hurt by erection of concrete barrier that prevents motorists from turning left off Kingshighway between William and Independence.

15. Second armed robbery this week of Cape business has police concerned that both crimes may have been committed by same man; latest robbery occurred yesterday evening at Daves' IGA.

Perryville Superintendent of schools for Catholic schools in St. Louis Archdiocese has decided to keep St. Vincent High School here open.

Lack of funding has led to resignation of Les Lindy Jr., director of non-profit Teen Activity Center, which recently opened here.

16. City Council is expected to choose Monday from among four attorneys in hiring interim municipal judge: Marshall Shain, John P. Heisserer, Craig M. Billmeyer, and J. Patrick O'Loughlin.

Southeast Missouri State Indians advance to finals of South Central Regional at Show Me Center by whipping Southern Indiana 91-73.

Perryville Luella Musso of Perryville, former client of U.S. district Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Sr., says unless malpractice suit she and her daughter brought against Limbaugh over his handling of dispute before he was judge is settled soon, suit will be dismissed from court.

18. Southeast Missourian announces it will convert its week-day newspaper to morning circulation beginning June 4.

Southeast Missouri State Indians captured their seventh regional title in nine years Saturday night, sending them to Springfield, Mass., as one of NCAA Division II "elite eight"; Southeast downs Missouri Western 88-73 to capture South Central Regional title.

Dennis L. Jensen was arrested Friday at Boatmen's Bank facility at 800 North Kingshighway and is being charged with attempted robbery.

Heavy rains in Missouri and other Midwestern states have pushed Missouri and Mississippi rivers to near flood stage; by early this week, Mississippi at Cape could be highest it has been for nearly three years.

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson has filed for reelection to sixth term as 8th District congressman.

19. William H. Evans of Cape was stabbed 22 times Sunday after he left Good Hope tavern, and three suspects are in custody: Curtis A. Kluesner, Eric M. Stone, and Damon M. Campbell.

Chaffee Faulty radio communications between Scott County sheriff's office and Chaffee firefighters delayed fire department's response to mobile home fire that seriously injured Leslie Seabaugh of Chaffee Sunday.

Scott City West Lake Quarry workers return to their jobs after last of three striking labor unions ratified new, three-year contract Friday.

20. University task force says school needs more than 500 computers and budget of $2.27 million to fully neet its recommendations.

Marble Hill Kenneth W. Shrum of Marble Hill has been appointed judge on Missouri Court of Appeals.

Temperature dipped to 25 degrees Monday night, threatening peach orchards.

21. Dennis Stockard, owner of Royal N'Orleans restaurant, hopes to rebuild and preserve outer brick walls of historic, fire-damaged structure.

Walt Wildman, executive director of Regional Commerce and Growth Association, has extended invitation to Cape Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors to join his organization.

Cape's mayoral race is heating up; Councilman Al Spradling III, mayoral hopeful, says Mayor Gene Rhodes has told people he wants to replace City Manager J. Ronald Fischer if he is reelected; Spradling charges that Rhodes has attempted to undermine public confidence in Fischer "behind the city's back."

22. Union Bus Depot at 16 North Frederick has become victim of 21-day Greyhound bus strike; depot, which opened in 1947, closed its doors March 15.

Charges against Eric C. Stone and Curtis A. Kluesner, who were suspected of having been involved in stabbing of William H. Evans, have been dismissed.

City Council has appointed local attorney Craig Billmeyer as interim municipal judge.

Mayor Gene Rhodes, answering charges made by mayoral hopeful Al Spradling III, says he has not made any effort to fire City Manager J. Ronald Fischer.

23. Millersville Opponents of proposed 7,700-acre recreational lake in Cape and Bollinger counties continue to map plans for extensive publicity campaign, which they hope will raise sufficient questions about project to keep it from becoming reality.

Professional staff members at Southeast Missouri State have asked that they be given 15 percent pay raise and that no raises be given university upper-level administrative personnel next fiscal year.

25. Spring snow and ice storm moved through Missouri late Friday and early Saturday, snarling traffic and dumping up to 8 to 9 inches of snow across Central Missouri; in Southeast Missouri, mixture of freezing rain and sleet left highways and bridges ice-coated, resulting in numerous motor vehicle accidents.

Elizabeth Dombrowski, Cape business woman, has been appointed to Southeast Missouri State's Board of Regents, replacing Anne Bradshaw, whose term expired in January 1989.

26. National Transportation Safety Board says Dec. 22, 1988, crash of Air Evac medical helicopter near Cape was probably caused by series of pilot errors and poor weather conditions; three people were killed in crash of helicopter that serviced St. Francis Medical Center.

City of Cape and Cape County League of Women Voters are poised to begin recycling program next week despite lack of market for recyclable trash; pilot program in Woodland Hills subdivision will begin April 4.

Mild weather has saved city taxpayers between $5,000 and $6,000 in snow removal costs.

27. At Jaycees' candidate forum Mondy, Board of Education hopefuls addressed questions concerning new middle school for city and what can be done to prevent drug abuse among young people.

Enough money has been collected on county bad check enforcement program started late last year that part-time employee is being hired to handle it; meanwhile, Cape Assistant City Attorney Allen Moss Jr., says he will begin prosecution on bad checks written in Cape when county prosecutor cannot collect money.

Farmers in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois need about two weeks of dry weather before they can get into wet winter wheat fields and prepare for corn planting.

28. TCI Cablevision of Missouri, which provides cable television service to Cape and Jackson, announced this week it will increase its basic cable rates May 1 from $16.50 monthly to $17.95.

Chaffee Chaffee Hospital Development Corporation assumed operation of Chaffee Hospital here in January, when Dr. O. L. Sebaugh and Sebaugh Management Corp. relinquished lease.

29. Deadlocked vote last week by Cape Board of Education means Superintendent Arthur Turner's contract will not be extended.

Cape mayoral race, which culminates with Tuesday's city election, has developed into series of charges, denials and City Council side-taking; on one side, council members have stepped forward to back mayoral candidate and fellow Councilman Al Spradling II in his contention that Mayor Gene Rhodes is seeking to expand his power base, dissolve current system of government, and terminate City Manager J. Ronald Fischer; on other hand, Rhodes says that Fischer encouraged Spradling to file for mayor post.

After nearly year and half, St. Francois County Associate Circuit Judge James E. Pennoyer still hasn't made decision in Oak Ridge-Jackson school boundary lawsuit.

30. Authorities are trying to determine cause of early-morning explosion that levels unoccupied house about three miles north of Cape Rock Village.

Representatives of Cape, Jackson and Marble Hill chambers of commerce and Regional Commerce and Growth Association are joining together to promote benefits of 7,700-acre recreational lake in Cape and Bollinger counties.