Stories from Sunday, July 7, 1991

The best answer to the critics of President Bush's Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas is the remarkable life of Clarence Thomas. Likewise, the best way to get a feel for what this man is like is to read him in his own eloquent words. Let's do that today...

Cape Girardeau is among 83 cities in Missouri with sales tax revenue generating more than $100 per capita. As a retail hub, our city continues to grow and prosper from thousands of out-of-town visitors who frequent our shops and restaurants each day...

Motell Dunn Reynolds, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 6, 1991 at the Cape Nursing Center. She was born Sept. 10, 1902 in Ballard County, Ky., daughter of Samuel and Lillian Purcell Dunn. On Jan. 19, 1926, she married Carey P. Reynolds in Wickliffe, Ky. He preceded her in death May 25, 1946...

Area peach growers finally have something to brag about a good peach crop. "We have some fine peaches this year," Shirley Beggs of Pioneer Orchard in Cape Girardeau said Saturday. "And it's a good crop." David Diebold of Diebold Orchard, Interstate 55 and Benton Exit, agreed...

MARBLE HILL -- Bollinger County officials have begun collecting ballots that apparently will decide the fate of a proposed Cape-Girardeau-Bollinger counties recreational lake. An informal straw poll, being conducted at the suggestion of Presiding Bollinger County Commissioner Elwood Mouser, is asking county voters if they want the lake issue to be decided in a November election...

Conflict of interest again has sparked a rift between Cape Girardeau's mayor and members of the City Council. At Monday's council meeting, the council amended the minutes of a June 17 meeting to reflect that Mayor Gene Rhodes abstained from voting on a paving contract with a company in which he has financial interest...

PERRYVILLE -- Dianna Moore's job is to deal with jobs. As executive director of the Perry County Industrial Development Authority for the past eight years, Moore has worked hard to attract new industry to Perryville and Perry County. But Moore will change jobs soon; she's leaving to take a position with the Missouri Department of Economic Development as director of the state's Community Development programs...

Cape Girardeau City Council members last week said Mayor Gene Rhodes failed to comply with the city charter for not disclosing his interest in a company the city awarded a paving contract to last month. But the council fell short of recommending that the charter's stated penalty for conflict-of-interest violations be sought...

Families living life in the "fast lane" will be the topic of the July 18 Woman to Woman luncheon at St. Francis Medical Center. Mary Gosche, coordinator of the Work and Family Institute at Southeast Missouri State University, will speak about the growing number of two-career couples. She will describe how their families react to overload and make positive adjustments in today's fast-paced environment...

Details about the upcoming New Trends in Agriculture on July 17-18 at the Show Me Center was the main topic at a Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee meeting. Gerald Bryan, an agronomy specialist, said that the two-day show is the largest agricultural-oriented show between St. Louis and Memphis...

An aerospace education specialist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will be the featured speaker at an aerospace education workshop on the Southeast Missouri State University campus July 16-24. NASA specialist L.B. Marshall Jr. will give presentations during the first two days of the workshop. The seminar is scheduled for noon to 5 p.m. in Room 406 of the Scully Building...

Seven Cape Girardeau teachers attended the 1991 Missouriana study tour in Jefferson City June 16-28. Among 43 teachers from across the state participating were Ann Freeman, Dorothy Evans, Ann Hutson, Betty Heisserer, Jan Meyer and Judy Peetz, all from Jefferson Elementary School, and Shelby Shell from Central Junior High School...

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded Cape Girardeau a loan of $130,092 to install energy conservation measures at the Municipal Airport terminal building and the waste-water treatment plant. The city will use the 2 percent-interest loan to replace windows; modify lighting; and install high-efficiency pump motors, boiler-chiller controls and roof and wall insulation...

PERRYVILLE -- Perry County Memorial Hospital has scheduled an open house July 21 and 22 so people can see phase one of its $3 million expansion project. A little over a year ago the hospital began the project, which is being financed by revenue bonds...

The Southeast Missouri State University cheerleaders will conduct a cheerleading clinic July 29. The one-day clinic will begin at 8 a.m. and end at noon. It will be held on the Academic terraces of the university campus. In case of rain, the clinic will be held in the Parker Lower Gym...

ANNA, Ill. -- Edith Irene Holdman, 85, of Anna, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Union County Nursing Home here. She was born Feb. 25, 1906, in Chester County, Tenn., daughter of Wilborn and Sally Ross Seaton. She married Claude Holdman Nov. 17, 1928. He died Sept. 27, 1982...

Christopher D. "Petey" Jackson, 10, 30 N. Hanover, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 11, 1980, at Fredericktown, son of Russell and Conte Yount Jackson. Survivors include his father of the home; a half brother, Bradley Jackson of Patton; three half sisters, Christina and Beverly Jackson and Carrie Yount, all of Patton; maternal grandparents, Dale and Nellie Yount of Patton, and paternal grandmother, Marion Jackson of Vulcan...

THEBES, Ill. -- Funeral service for Randy K. Tapley of Thebes will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at First Baptist Church here. The Rev. Carl D. Fisher will officiate, with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms until noon, and then at the church from 12:30 p.m. until time of service...

ZALMA -- Doyle Hartford Stilts, 58, Zalma Route 2, died Thursday, July 4, 1991, at his home. He was born Aug. 1, 1932, at Arab, son of Hartford and Effie Burns Stilts. He first married Dorothy Hisaw in 1951. Stilts was a farmer, and member of Zalma Masonic Lodge 545, Mingo Saddle Club, and Puxico Country Squares...

JACKSON -- Linda Anna Springer, 75, of Jackson, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. She was born June 4, 1916, at Fruitland, daughter of August and Catherine Zimmer Koechig. She married Walter Springer Nov. 8, 1941. He died May 25, 1949...

FRIEDHEIM -- Cora C. Sauer, 90, of Friedheim, died Saturday, July 6, 1991, at her home. She was born March 3, 1901, at Daisy, daughter of Chap and Emma Kaiser Stearns. She married Alvin Sauer Oct. 21, 1921, at Perryville. Sauer was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church here, and its Ladies Aid...

Helen Ruth Arnoldi, 72, 104 N. Sunset, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born April 28, 1919, at Stone Fort, Ill., daughter of the Rev. John W. and Mary Gregory Ellis. She married Edward P. Arnoldi June 2, 1940, in Cape Girardeau...

Jessie Pauline Ranney, 75, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Medical Lodge South Nursing Home in Pittsburg, Kan. She became ill while visiting a daughter last November. She was born June 20, 1916, at Alton, daughter of Mason and Fannie Sifford Minnich. She married Don Ranney Jan. 23, 1937, in Cape Girardeau. He died Dec. 9, 1983...

Mary L. McGlothlin, 90, of St. Petersburg, Fla., died Monday, Feb. 25, 1991, in a hospital there. She was born Dec. 12, 1900, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Rudolph and Eva Bahn. She and her husband moved to Florida in 1978 from St. Louis, after retiring from 30 years of security commercial reporting. He died in 1982...

PERRYVILLE -- Thomas Leroy Hart, 71, of Perryville, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at his home. He was born Dec. 17, 1919, at Perryville, son of Ode and Louise Fassold Hart. He and Anna Lee Otte were married June 15, 1946. She died March 12, 1959. Hart was a retired mail carrier with Perryville Post Office. He was a member of Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Sportsmen's Club. He was a veteran of World War II...

Veda Sidwell, 82, Fountainbleau Lodge, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Aug. 19, 1908, in Ramsey, Ill., daughter of Vinton and Nettie Roadarmel Harley. She married James D. Sidwell May 16, 1942. He died May 6, 1974...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral service for Louise D. Coker of Perryville was held Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Jerry Statler officiated, with burial in Home Cemetery. Coker, 92, died Thursday, July 4, 1991, at American Care Center. She was born March 27, 1899, in Newton County, Miss., daughter of Robert and Mary Lou Walker Dansby. She married H.L. Coker, who died June 15, 1945...

CHARLESTON -- Memorial service for Geraldine Drinkwater of Charleston was held Friday at the United Methodist Church. The Rev. Richard Combs officiated, with burial in IOOF Cemetery. McMikle Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. She was born at Charleston, daughter of John T. and Margaret Shelby Turner. She married E.B. (Pete) Drinkwater, who preceded her in death...

JACKSON -- Homer Lee Thorne, 56, of O'Fallon, Mo. died Saturday, July 6, 1991 at St. Joseph Health Center West at Lake St. Louis. He was born Feb. 17, 1934, the son of Otto Thorne and Estella Howard. She survives at Leeper, Mo. On Nov. 17, 1956, he married Anita M. Garcia in Marble Hill. She survives...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Graveside service for J.D. Coffer, East Prairie Route 2, was held Saturday at East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery, The Rev. Bruce White officiated, with Shelby Funeral Home here in charge of arrangements. Coffer, 77, died Wednesday, July 3, 1991, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

BENTON -- Funeral service for Mildred S. LeGrand of O'Fallon, Ill., was held Saturday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church there. The Rev. William Hitpas officiated, with burial in Mount Calvary Cemetery at Shiloh, Ill. Wolfersberger Funeral Home at O'Fallon was in charge of arrangements...

SIKESTON -- Faber E. "Bill" Spear, 71, of Sikeston, died at 1:55 a.m. Saturday, July 6, 1991, in Missouri Delta Medical Center here. He was born June 20, 1920, at Greenbriar, Ark., son of Floyd Joseph Spear and Mary Estella Spear Wilson. His mother, of Greenbriar, survives...

SIKESTON -- James T. Dowdy, 84, of Sikeston, died Friday, July 5, 1991, at Hunter Acres Caring Center. He was born April 11, 1907, in East Prairie, son of Thomas and Minnie Dowdy. He and Louella Goodwin were married Sept. 23, 1938. Dowdy had lived in Sikeston 15 years, and was a retired farmer...

SIKESTON Funeral service for Steven Michael Coffey of Sikeston was held Saturday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Revs. David Craig and James Hewitt, brother-in-law of Coffey, officiated. Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery. Coffey, 26, died Wednesday, July 3, 1991, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A Cairo man died and a passenger was injured in a one-vehicle accident Saturday morning, said Illinois State Police. The driver, Sylvester Allen, 40, of Cairo, was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau by helicopter. He died at the hospital, said police...

Jennifer McBride, daughter of Mr. and Ms. Robert McBride, 251 Peach Tree, was named to the spring dean's list at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. A grade-point average of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale is required for the designation. About 14 percent, or 136, of all Cornell College students were named to the list...

At certain intervals during my growing up, the space of such intervals akin to once in a blue moon, Grandpa would take his sharp pointed pocket knife, pry open the back of this big, heavy, silver-colored (maybe it was silver) pocket watch and show my sisters and me the fantastic inner workings of the timepiece...

BENTON -- Dan Little of Chaffee and David Dabbs of Cape Girardeau, street stock racers, surveyed their competition in the pits at the Missouri International Racepark July 4. Their early assessment showed competition would probably be tough. Undaunted, the young racers began making adjustments to their engines preparing to race...

Willard Morgan, professor of educational administration and counseling at Southeast Missouri State University, attended the Foreign Policy Conference for Educations in Washington, D.C. recently. The conference offered educators an opportunity to participate in foreign policy briefing sessions with U.S. ...

Scientists now sing praises of the sweet potato. More than 20 countries were represented recently at Tuskegee University in Alabama. The meeting was so important that the Atlanta Constitution devoted a section to this vegetable which has been often neglected vegetable for such a long time. The sweet potato is said to be simple nutritional fare that has received little respect from our affluent society...

CHAFFEE -- Kathryn Phillips Belvins of Chaffee has completed the process leading to certification as an OB/GYN Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner. The certification program is designed to provide a way to recognize the nurse who has demonstrated knowledge in a specific area of clinical practice...

Betty E. Cato of Cape Girardeau served as manager of the sales department for the Missouri Girls State program. This was her second year to serve on the staff. Missouri Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary. The 75 staff members are volunteers...

Applications to take the rural mail-carrier entrance examination for jobs at 17 area post offices may be picked up at post offices through Monday, the U.S. Postal Service announced. The purpose of the exam is to compile names of people interested in being rural carriers at the post offices, a Postal Service spokesman said. The spokesman said the service does not anticipate hiring more than one person per post office over the next two years...

JACKSON -- A year after the Frontier Motel reopened, it has joined the Day's Inn Motel chain. A special ribbon-cutting ceremony at the motel here Monday marked the official change from Frontier Motel to Day's Inn. The Frontier, which was destroyed by fire in August of 1989, reopened in mid-May of 1990 at its original location, 517 Highway 61 East in Jackson...

The best thing to cool down on a hot summer day is Hawaiian Snow, said Howard Kinder, owner of Burger Tyme fast-food restaurant, 1865 Broadway. Kinder opened his Hawaiian Snow business just over two weeks ago. "Our product is not a traditional snow cone ... It's totally different. Our machine creates a miniature snow storm. It's shaved ice, and not chipped ice," explained Kinder. "We also use a corn-based syrup rather than water based which really sticks to the ice."...

Mary Gorham and Pat Durbin have a "cool" job. "We work inside a snow cone," said Mary Gorham. "It's cool inside, and we provide a `cool' product." The new business, housed in a giant replica of a snow cone, made its appearance on the Cape Girardeau scene two weeks ago. It is "Sno to Go," which prepares snow cones...

If you're making financial plans for the future, a Social Security benefit estimate statement can be a helpful tool. "This statement the SSA7004 form not only will tell you how much you can expect when you retire, but will provide estimates of any disability benefits you might be eligible for," said Gary Eason of the local Social Security office, located in the federal building, 339 Broadway. "The estimate statement is useful for retirement planning."...

Norma Showmaker has joined the staff of Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau and Memorial Park as a family service counselor. She is at the Memorial Park location, handling sales of cemetery and mausoleum spaces. She formerly worked as a secretary at Cape Mobile Homes three years. She has nine years' experience in the secretarial, accounting and computer field...

DUDLEY - The Quincy Soybean Co. of Arkansas, based at Helena and a division of Quincy Soybean Company at Quincy, Ill., has its first grain elevator in southeast Missouri following the recent purchase of the former Merchants Grain facility about three miles west of here on Highway 60...

Richard R. Wittneben has been named Apple Educational Sales Consultant for Cape Girardeau and the Southeast Missouri area by Computer Junction, Inc. Fred P. Becker Jr. president of the firm, announced the appointment recently. Wittneben, who has been educational consultant and service manager for the firm at Washington, Mo., for eight years, will live in Cape Girardeau and call on elementary and secondary schools in a 17-county area...

Melody Hudson, Mrs. Missouri, was guest speaker during a recent Miss Sapphire Night, sponsored by the Jana Jateff unit of Mary Kay Cosmetics. Beauty consultants gave "makeovers" to guests during a contest. Trish Robison was beauty consultant for Angie Simmermon of Cape Girardeau, who was selected Queen...

The Cape Girardeau County Legal Secretaries Association, won several award during the Missouri Association of Legal Secretaries Convention held recently at Kansas City. Local chapter president Glendella May, secretary to A.M. Spradling Jr., won "Outstanding New Member" honors...

Norman Cooper and Erwin Fritsche, truck drivers from Wetterau, Inc. Scott City Division, captured first-place honors in two divisions at the annual Missouri State Truck Driving Championships held at Kansas City recently. Cooper placed first in 4-axle van, and was the selected `Grand Champion' truck driver from 85 entries...

Cape LaCroix (C.G.C.C), a nursing center located off Route W in Cape Girardeau, is undergoing a three-phase renovation. Administrator Katherine M. Lane said Capaha Construction Co. of Cape Girardeau is general contractor. "Stage one should be done in six weeks," she said. ...

Legends, a new night club, will open in Cape Girardeau in mid-July. The new club, which will feature a house band which will play a variety of country, rock and contemporary music, will open at 610 S. Kingshighway in a building which was formerly the the Bill & Chas Club...

James Waller's part-time business is now full time. "I started vehicle detail work while I was a student in college," said Waller, who now operates Waller's Auto Care." The service provides a complete detail program. "We wash vehicles, clean the exterior and interior, and provide decal work," said Waller...

Dr. Yong Kie Kim announced this week that Cape Neurosurgical Associates has moved to a new office, at 3129 Blattner Drive, and includes neurosurgeon David G. Yingling, who joined the new group July 1. Kim has practiced in Cape Girardeau since January of 1985...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Dillard Department Stores Inc. has entered into an agreement to purchase seven West Florida department stores from Maison Blanche Department Stores in a deal valued at $68 million. The agreement includes the purchase of store properties, leases and inventory and the assumption of mortgages...

Jodi Montgomery of Cape Girardeau has joined Hair Biz beauty salon, 312 Independence. Montgomery has been in the beauty business 11 years. she worked seven years as artistic director and salon educator at Hair Performers, in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau...

Dr. Charles P. McGinty of Cape Girardeau was honored recently for his work in the Missouri Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. McGinty, who was instrumental in chartering the organization in 1967, and served as its second president. The organization met June 28-30 at Lake of the Ozarks for their annual meeting. Dr. Donald G. Sessions of St. Louis was elected as next year's president...

Tom Moates has joined Health Service Corporation of America (HSCA), headquartered in Cape Girardeau and St. Louis, as area vice president, serving western Florida. Moates, a certified procurement and contract specialist, was formerly assistant director of purchasing and contract negotiations manager at Tampa, Fla., General Hospital...

Chris Rushing has been named sports director for Newsradio 960 KZIM in Cape Girardeau. Rushing, 24, is a May graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he earned a degree in mass communications. Rushing, a Poplar Bluff native, previously worked with a Zimmer Broadcasting affiliate, KWOC, at Poplar Bluff. ...