Stories from Tuesday, January 15, 1991

CAPE GIRARDEAU - How do high school, college and pro basketball players get to be as good as they are? Certainly, it takes talent. But another aspect overlooked many times is the time a player puts into the game in his younger years. Most of the time it starts well before high school...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - As two SEMO Indoor Soccer League players sat beside each other during a recent game one asked the other, "Hey, what place are we in. "I don't know," his teammate answered. "We're not keeping standings. This league's just for fun." When Craig Billmeyer, president of the Noon Optimist Club, the league's sponsor, heard that, he said he felt pretty good...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- People questioned here Monday were divided on whether the use of force by the United States against Iraq is necessary. But right or wrong, most said they think a war in the Persian Gulf is unavoidable. "I don't want to see it happen, but it looks like we have no choice," said Anita Crabtree of Imperial...

JACKSON - A $5.4 million budget approved by the Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday reflects a 4.4 percent increase in revenues and expenses for this year. But in his annual budget message, presented as part of the county's budget hearing, Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep warned that flat sales-tax growth and increasing expenses in most areas of county government will make it necessary to keep a close eye on funds...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Many people agree there is a "glut" of oil on the market now, but that any fighting in the Persian Gulf could prompt market speculation, panic buying, hoarding and price hikes. Gasoline prices in Cape Girardeau are still hovering around $1.12, well under the national average...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Monday recommended that a $1 fee be charged to residents using the A.C. Brase Arena Building for recreation programs. The board also recommended that the Southeast Missouri Scorpion Rugby Club be allowed to use a field in Arena Park for practices and weekend rugby matches...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The City Council Monday discussed for the third time in two years a liquor license application for the former Sprigg Street Tap at 316 S. Sprigg. The council voted in 1989 and again last November against granting a liquor license to John and Jerrianne Malone Wyman, who wanted to reopen the tavern...

SCOTT CITY -- The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority set a record for tonnage last year, but it was far under the 50,000 tons Executive Director Allan Maki had projected. In a report to the monthly meeting of the executive board Monday, Maki said total tonnage passing through the port in 1990 was 28,345, which was an increase over the previous high of 27,400 in 1989...

JACKSON -- Citing reasons of health, Jackson City Collector Deloris "Dee" Uren has withdrawn as a candidate for re-election in April. Meanwhile, Uren's assistant, Beverly Nelson, announced Monday she will seek the collector's job this spring. In a brief, prepared statement Monday, Uren said she was withdrawing because of recent health problems that would prevent her from devoting the time and energy needed to fulfill the duties of the office. She filed for re-election Jan. 4...

PVT. TYRONE D. HULL U.S. ARMY Private Hull is the son of Viola Ruffin of Cape Girardeau. He attended Cape Central High School and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Fla. He enlisted in October, 1989, and serves in the infantry. He has been stationed in Saudi Arabia since mid-December. Prior to that, he was stationed in Germany...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Demonstrators gathered locally Monday to protest congressional authorization for President Bush to use military intervention in the Persian Gulf. About two dozen people gathered in front of the Federal Building and visited congressional offices there. Students on the Southeast Missouri State University campus passed out black arm bands...

Last week in the News Guardian Advertorial I expressed concern over the lack of growth in Cape Girardeau's population. Several people, including city officials have contacted me since then to discuss the issue. One city councilmember voiced agreement with the observation that Cape's growth rate has slowed, and may have become a negative growth rate. Doug Richards said the city council needs to study the issue thoroughly and discover the cause of the problem...

Gilbert Degenhardt works as a business counselor in conjunction with the Small Business Administration adn the Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University. He also teaches a business course at the Cape Vocational-Technical School...

If you see a snake, just kill it --don't appoint a committee on snakes. --H. Ron Perot With the international satellite communication of today, one receives information and opinions about as fast as the president of the United States. What the public lacks is the behind the scenes, non-public communication that is going on, as well as the reasoning and perspective that history, experience and study bring to the attempted solution of a problem...

James R. Thompson woke up this morning as a private citizen. For the 5,114 days before, he woke up as governor of Illinois. He was the nation's most senior governor and the longest-serving in Illinois history before he left office at noon Monday. The trust placed in him by Illinois citizens for 14 years reflects grandly on a talented public servant and his unique political career. Thompson served with distinction and accolades being heaped on him with his departure from office are well-deserved...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will meet at 7:30 tonight for its regular monthly meeting. Among items on the agenda are a discussion of changes in the performance based teacher evaluations and formation of a committee to study "at-risk" student needs...

JEFFERSON CITY - Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn of Sikeston has been named to head the Missouri House of Representatives Committee on Insurance. The committee is considered one of the most important in the General Assembly and handles all bills relating to the state's massive insurance industry that come before the House...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Graveside service for Thomas F. Pulliam of St. Louis will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Park. Mayer Funeral Home of St. Louis is in charge of arrangements. Pulliam, 66 years old, died Sunday, Jan. 13, 1991, at Bluff Manor in Poplar Bluff...

ADVANCE -- Funeral service for Edison Leroy Cato of Advance will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Morgan Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Norman Elledge will officiate, with burial in Cato Cemetery near here. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today...

GORDONVILLE -- Funeral service for Walter W. Hanschen of Gordonville will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Christ Lutheran Church. The Rev. Charles Minetree will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson from 4-8 p.m. today, and from 8:30 a.m.-noon Wednesday...

PATTON -- Hattie Grace Welker, of Patton, died Sunday, Jan. 13, 1991, at the age of 80, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born at Patton on Oct. 17, 1910, daughter of Henry and Clara Jane Johnson Yamnitz. On April 2, 1933, she married Julius E. Welker. He died on Jan. 17, 1989...

JACKSON -- Lillie Marie Eaker, 84, of Jackson died Monday, Jan. 14, 1991 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau where she had been a patient for three days. She was born Feb. 26, 1906 at Glen Allen, the daughter of Andrew Mouser and Ida Sawyer Mouser...

IN REGARD TO the letter by Mr. McMananan, his description of a terrible situation is splashy and it left me cold. I am a Vietnam veteran and also a man who lost a daughter to cancer. Caring for an ailing child and serving your country are both honorable, but which is really the higher calling? Thank you...

I WOULD LIKE to tell the citizens of Cape County I think KFVS really did a disservice to the community on this Monday morning, Jan. 14, by not telling people it was slick outside. I saw several accidents coming to work. One looked like it could be pretty bad. ...

PRESIDENT BUSH SAYS read my lips. I'm reading them and he's talking out of both sides of his mouth. I thought he was pretty good to start out, getting those guys in Saudi Arabia in August, and we were really going to do something. We should have nuked them then and got our boys back here. Now we've given them time to dig in over there and really make trouble for us. I don't know what's going to happen. I just don't know...

Some sporting thoughts after a big weekend that saw Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team beat Central Missouri before a nearly packed Show Me Center: --- Southeast Missouri's Indians getting blown out on their own court? It's almost unthinkable, isn't it? But that's what a lot of people figured would happen Saturday night when Central Missouri's powerful Mules came to the Show Me Center...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Those who plan to stay around for the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association post-season party will have to maintain the highest level of consistency from here on out. Perhaps no one is more aware of this than Southeast Missouri State coach Ron Shumate, who has been more consistent in the conference than any of his peers the last nine years...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Jerry Kaiser was never much of an athlete in high school but he's certainly making up for that these days. Kaiser, 40, a Cape Girardeau native who now lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., is one of the premier cyclists in the nation for his age group...