BETTY HEARNES NOT QUITE READY TO STOP

With the decision by state Rep. Gene Copeland not to seek another term -- he's been in the Legislature since 1960 -- folks in the Charleston area will have new representation in the Missouri House come next January. Filing for the post is Betty Hearnes, whose name is nothing short of a household commodity in her hometown.

The former first lady of Missouri who also served ably in the House from 1979 to 1988 is seeking to enter the fray again. One might wonder why, at an age when most of us look to a more leisurely lifestyle, Mrs. Hearnes would want to return to the demanding and hectic pace of a state legislator.

Anyone who knows her also know that Mrs. Hearnes has never stopped being an advocate for the people she holds dearest, which are those she has known all her life. She has in recent months been at the forefront of two important community issues: saving the old Mississippi County Courthouse, which burned last year, and getting Charleston picked as the site of a new state prison.

Mrs. Hearnes is an inspiration for anyone who thinks there is more to retirement years than a rocking chair.