Stories from Sunday, July 14, 1991

Jobs. For any community, it represents the golden ring on the merry-go-round of today's economy. As any city official will tell you, new jobs are tough to find. But Perryville has had its share of good fortune in the jobs market in recent years. Much of the credit goes to Dianna Moore, who has served as executive director of the Perry County Industrial Development Authority the past eight years...

SIKESTON -- The Missouri Commission on Human Rights will sponsor a "Bias Crime Forum" at the Sikeston Inn Thursday. The program will be held from 7-9 p.m. The commission defines bias crimes as hate vilence which is perpetrated for the sole reason of racism and hatred toward a person or group due to their race, religion, national origin or andicap...

Governments, especially at the federal and state levels, place countless obstacles in the path of progressive business people, the sort of risk-takers who fire the engines of our economy. Those obstacles include taxes, which seem everywhere on the rise, and excessive regulation, whether in the name of protecting the environment, or enforcing workplace rules, or whatever. ...

The number of people in Cape Girardeau County who are receiving food stamps has reached an all-time high. As of July 1, 2,008 households, or about 4,500 people qualified for the state and federally funded program, said Dennis Reagan, director of the county office of the Missouri Department of Social Services...

Increasing the amount of money going into the state's welfare system won't solve its problems, says a Cape Girardeau man who is the chairman of Missouri's Welfare Reform Coordinating Committee. "It's not a checkbook issue; it's a delivery of services issue," said Cordell Dombrowski, who last year was named head of the committee by the director of the Missouri Department of Social Services...

The doors are locked, the windows are up and the temperature inside a parked car in a store lot is up to a 110 degrees in the July sun. If your dog was left in this car, it would die within 10 to 15 minutes, said Dr. Wanda Pipkin. Pipkin is a veterinarian at Pet Medical Center at 660 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Animals are at risk when the temperature inside a car is over 90 degrees, she said...

The Cape Girardeau airport is scheduled to become a part of a nationwide automated weather reporting network in September 1993, a spokesman for the National Weather Service in Kansas City said Friday. The network, called the Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS), is sponsored by the U.S. ...

Cape Girardeau residents will be asked to cooperate in a curbside-pickup recycling program this fall. "The program won't be mandatory," said Doug Kaminskey, environmental services coordinator for the city, "but we're hoping for good participation by the city's residents."...

"Getting Published in Popular Fiction and Non-Fiction" will be the topic of the Heartland Writers' Conference scheduled Aug. 10 at Southeast Missouri State University. The one-day seminar will feature workshops conducted by published authors, literary agents and editors from several New York publishing houses. Conference participants may register for appointments to discuss their writing projects with an agent or editor...

Considerably fewer vehicles at this year's Donnie's Speed & Custom Saturday Night Super Cruise just couldn't keep promoter Donnie Smith from talking about the good times. To him, Saturday's car show though disappointing in the number of vehicles was a party still the same...

PERRYVILLE -- The Perry County School District Board of Education plans to hire an architect/planner to evaluate and possibly redesign the school's campus. Ronald Fitch, new superintendent of the district, said one of the main concerns of school officials is the district's teacher-to-pupil ratio, which exceeds state recommendations...

About 430 elementary and junior high students attended summer music camp last week at Southeast Missouri State University. This marks the 34th year for the camp, which is one of the largest in the nation, according to Barry Bernhardt, Southeast director of activity bands and summer music camp...

Delia "Dee" Loos Kimmich, 86, of 1827 Lacey, Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, July 13, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Feb. 10, 1905 in Jackson, daughter of Adam and Mary Catherine Koehler Loos. She was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Church...

Daniel James Roth, age 7, of 1837 Stoddard, Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, July 13, 1991 at his parents home of an extended illness. He was born June 19, 1984, in Cape Girardeau, son of Dennis J. and Joan Marie Middendorf Roth. He was a member of the Cape Bible Chapel...

ANNA, Ill. -- Fred A. Tompkins, 85, of Anna, died Thursday, July 11, 1991, at 3:35 p.m. at the City Care Center in Anna. He is survived by his wife, Gladys Tompkins, Anna; a daughter, Ernestine Louise Wright, Anna; brother, Roy Tompkins, Anna; a sister, Mildred North, of Anna; and two grandchildren, Robert L. Wright, Anna, and Janice L. Wright, Carbondale; and two grandchildren...

Pearl M. Stratton, 82, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, July 13, 1991, at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home. She was born Feb. 2, 1909, at Lutesville, daughter of Peter and Cordelia Francis Eaker. On Sept. 15, 1928, she married Rev. Willie Lee Stratton. He died Aug. 28, 1971...

EAST PRAIRIE -- LaVerne Hobgood, 82, of East Prairie Route 1, died Saturday, July 13, 1991, in the Baptist Memorial Hospital at Memphis, Tenn., following a brief illness. She was born May 20, 1909 in Cleveland, Ark., daughter of William Thomas and Verda Brents Brice...

Charles Geiger, 82, of 708 S. Benton died Saturday, July 13, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The body is at Ford and Sons Funeral Home where funeral arrangements are incomplete.

SIKESTON -- Clyde Lee Cagle, 83, of Sikeston, died Friday, July 12, at Charleston Manor. She was born Oct. 29, 1907 in Blandville, Ky., daughter of Cyde Lee and Erma Sallee May. She married Arthur Kagle Sept. 25, 1932. He survives. Also surviving are a son, William Garfield Cagle; one grandchild; and one great-grandchild...

Louise Anna Brown, 87, of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, July 11, 1991, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Aug. 2, 1903, in Illmo, daughter of George and Sadie Cottner Short. She married Virden Brown on Jan. 4, 1934. He survives. She was a member of the Gospel Assembly Church in Cape Girardeau...

BLOOMFIELD -- Norman L. Coburn, 75, of Bloomfield, died Thursday, July 11, 1991, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau.He was born at Puxico March 3, 1916, son of Jasper Coburn and Ethel Siler Coburn. He married Louise Sifford on July 11, 1942. She survives...

Mrs. Lucinda Pfister, 86, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Thebes, Ill., died Thursday, July 11, at Southeast Missouri Hospital.She was born Oct. 13, 1904 at Thebes, daughter of Hollis and Ada Butler Henderson. She was married to George Pfister in 1934. He preceded her in death in 1966...

Son to Regina Dueitt of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:12 a.m. Friday, July 5, 1991. Name, Adam Jeremy White. Weight, 5 pounds 9 ounces. First child. Dueitt is the daughter of Pam McCarty of Jackson. Daughter to Brent and Diane Ashcraft of Chaffee Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6:58 p.m. ...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. Private graveside services for Mary Frances Lingle McDonell, 88, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., formerly of Jonesboro, Ill., will be held Monday, July 14, at the Jonesboro (Ill.) Cemetery. McDonell died in 1986 in Fort Lauderdale, and her body cremated there. The ashes are being returned to Illinois for burial tomorrow...

GLEN ALLEN -- Robert E. Peters, 60, of Glen Allen, died Thursday, July 11, at his home. He was born March 10, 1931, at Mountain Grove, son of William and Bessie Foster Peters. On Oct. 10, 1957, he married Audrea Wooten, who preceded him in death Sept. 25, 1987. He married Nedra Deck on Sept. 10, 1988. She survives...

CHARLESTON -- Ollie May McTigue, 81, of Charleston, died Thursday, July 11, at Southeast Hospital. She was born Dec. 15, 1909 in Elizabeth, Ark., to Hiram Talbert and Ida Virginia Wiles Helms. She was married Sept. 1, 1927, to W.A. McTigue, who preceded in death June 24, 1967...

Judy Thrower was installed recently as president of the Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau. Installing the new president was past national president of the Ladies Auxiliary, Glenneta Vogelsang. The auxiliary is composed of wives, daughters, mothers, sisters, grandmothers and granddaughters of veterans of foreign wars, whether the veteran is a member of the VFW organization or not. VFW Auxiliary 3838 currently has 787 members and is the largest in the state...

Construction of the Community Counseling Center's new, $1.5 million building is on target, despite state budget cuts that will affect the agency's programs. Mati Stone, clinical director of the Community Counseling Center, explained that the capital project and the agencies services are funded separately...

The July General Membership meeting of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA) will feature a talk by Cape Girardeau Attorney David Limbaugh. Limbaugh will address the gathering on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The program will follow a report from the representative of a new tourist attraction in the area, the Rocky Holler Ranch, located north of Cape Girardeau on I-55...

PERRYVILLE -- The National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) has recognized the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission with the 1991 NADO Innovation Award. The commission, which is headquartered in Perryville, serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Iron, Madison, Perry, St. Francois and St. Genevieve counties...

About this time of the year I go to the bookshelves and pull out the same old book I've been reading every summer for, I suppose, the last 50 years. You're probably thinking this is some beautifully written piece of literature, full of wise sayings, challenging suggestions, inspirational thoughts, profound utterances. It's none of the above, yet all of the above on a simpler scale somewhat like comparison of Keats and Shelly to Guest and Armour...

What do a retired accounting supervisor, mechanical engineer, Air Force major, production superintendent, teacher and operations foreman have in common? They endure bone-chilling winter cold and searing summer heat, wield hammers instead of pens, live in camping trailers, earn minimum wage, and are having the time of the their lives...

Hot, humid July weather the past week has been a test for heat-tolerant plants in our area. There are a few that are "bloomin' fools" in spite of the weather which causes adults to wilt, but in the sudden change to upper 90 degree temperatures, begonias, marigolds and vinca proved their love of the heat...

Thomas S. Palis, formerly of Cape Girardeau, recently earned his degree from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at Kansas City. He received Midwestern's master of religious education degree with church music leadership emphasis. In addition, he completed a course of study prescribed for the master of church music degree, and is in the process of being certified by the seminary's accrediting associations...

MY SINCERE APPRECIATION to the honest and caring person who found my wallet last Saturday afternoon or night at Schnucks. There was a considerable amount of money in it. As the office personnel did not know who turned it in, they did not want to accept the monetary reward I offered to leave with them. The entire contents, $200, was in tact. Thank you...

Ronald Franklin Hastings, a student at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia, Miss., has been recognized by inclusion in "Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges." Hastings is the son of Mr. and Ms. James A. Hastings Jr. of 3006 Berniece in Cape Girardeau...

The first computer franchise to open in the Eastern bloc countries may come about from a happenstance meeting between a Bulgarian visitor and a Computerland executive here. A delegate on a foreign business seminar, Hristo Mantchev, (See accompanying story.) and Bill Thomas, Midwest regional manager for Computerland, met in the Cape Girardeau Computerland store and began discussions that may evolve into the computer industry's first franchise entry into the former communist Eastern European area.. ...

Mickey's mouse ears should perk up at the news despite a slowdown in travel, Florida's Disney World is still the big cheese when it comes to family vacation choices. Close behind Disney are other areas in the state of Florida, and Las Vegas, Nev., with its glamour, glitter and gambling, as travelers, relieved over the outcome of the Persian Gulf War and more optimism about the economy, make summer of 1991 leisure plans...

Missouri drivers are enjoying dropping fuel prices as they take more weekend drives and vacations than before. According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, gasoline prices in the state are five to eights cents lower than in June and as much as 15 cents below the national average...

The dozen Bulgarians who visited Southeast Missouri for three weeks left for home Thursday with new views of American capitalism, culture and commodities. The new exchange program in which they participated was established to shed light on the nuts and bolts of business development and operations for the visitors. ...

Connie Copsy, counselor with AAA Travel Agency, Cape Girardeau, recently returned from a trip to Orlando/Walt Disney World, where she inspected the on-site Disney hotels. She visited the luxurious Grand Floridian and the newest Disney property, the Port Orleans Resort, as well has visiting the theme parks and area attractions...

Dr. Roy P. Meyer of Cape Girardeau has been elected president of the Missouri State Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Meyer, who was appointed to the board by Gov. John Ashcroft in 1988, served as secretary of the board in 1989. He is a 1975 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, and 1980 graduate of Life Chiropractic College in Marietta, Ga. He entered into private research with a local M.D. in dermatological cases, and his results were published in Curtis Medical Journal in 1980...

Ken Boyer has been named business and industry coordinator for the Southeast Missouri Private Industry Council (SEMO PIC), headquartered at Cape Girardeau. Mary McBride, executive director of the organization, announced the appointment this week. The SEMO PIC administers federal Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs in 13 Southeast Missouri counties...

Ron Lungwitz, general agent for Franklin Life Insurance Company, headquartered at Springfield, Ill., has been named to membership in the 1991 Franklin Million Dollar Conference, the firm's elite organization of national sales and sales management leaders...

A small business workshop will be held at the University Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus in Cape Girardeau July 30, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The workshop, "How to Start and Manage a Small Business," is designed to acquaint the small business operators with current management principles as they relate to small business operations...

A series of photography workshops is being presented in Cape Girardeau for the first time by local photographer/writer Martha McBride. The six sessions are geared for people with amateur through professional experience. The series starts July 27, and will be presented at the Victorian Inn, Route K and Interstate 55...

Nancy Pleimann, owner of Uniquely Sew, a quilt shop at 1141 N. Kingshighway, recently attended the Spring International Quilt Market at Kansas City. The quilt market is a bi-annual trade show for the quilting and soft craft industry. More than 300 exhibits were on display, and several seminars were conducted by fabrics designers. New fabrics, books, notions and patterns were introduced at the show...

Jeff Unterreiner has joined the Equitable Life Assurance Society as a registered representative. Unterreiner, a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, with a degree in business administration, specializes in business and personsal insurance, investments, estate planning and employer-sponsored pension plans...

Cape West Business Park will have its first occupant in January 1992. Bluff City Beer Co. is building a warehouse there to handle its expanding business. The park is located southwest of the Interstate 55/Route K intersection. Wal-Mart will open one of its Supercenters there in 1992, fronting Route K...

Betty Abernathy baked the best cherry pie, and Charles Mosebach mixed up the best barbecue sauce. Abernathy and Mosebach were big winners in contests recently sponsored by the Food Giant Supermarkets in Cape Girardeau. Each received $100 gift certificates. Linda P. Jones was second in the cherry-pie baking contest, and Donna Barron was second in the barbecue sauce contest, and each received a $50 gift certificate...

SCOTT CITY -- Two retirements have been announced at Blair Industries, 116 E. Missouri, Scott City, including one person who has been with the company since it was founded in October of 1980. Vivian LeGrand, a machine operator for the firm since 1980, and Arletta Washburn, also a machine operator who started in August of 1983, were honored at a recent retirement dinner. Each received a plaque from the firm...

ULLIN, Ill. -- The Cosmetology department at Shawnee Community College, located near here, will present a day-long hair seminar at the college's cafeteria, Aug. 5. Cathy Jo Warren of Nashville, Tenn., and Bonnie Hayes and Georgia McCuan of the Zoto's Creative Design Team will be the feature styling team...

The Small Business Development Center at Southeast Missouri State University will sponsor a counseling session far area small business persons and individuals planning business ventures at three locations this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available July 24 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sessions, about one hour each, are free. Appointments may be made by calling 335-3312...

The Dairy Queen restaurant at 913 Broadway closed last week. Owner Frank Bean said he combined the operation with the Dairy Queen he operates at 31 So. Kingshighway, just south of Schnucks. "We transferred the majority of the employees there," Bean said. "It now has 25 to 30 workers." He opened the Kingshighway restaurant five years ago this August...

Businesses in Cape Girardeau County received $1.87 million in Small Business Administration loans in the first three quarters of fiscal year 1991, more than any other non-metropolitan county served by the St. Louis SBA office. It covers the 54 counties in the eastern half of Missouri...

Rhodes 101 Stop Convenience Store has opened operations at 449 S. Kingshighway. "This is the 15th Rhodes 101 Stop in the chain, which ranges through Southeast Missouri," said Paul Dirnberger. "This store is the prototype for the new ones to be built. The interior has new graphics, is very colorful, and is painted in the new company colors maroon and silver."...

BLOOMFIELD -- Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home, Inc. of Bloomfield has been accepted for membership in the International Order of the Golden Rule. The Order is comprised of funeral directors from all over the world. Members of the attend regularly scheduled seminars and educational meetings...

The Missouri Bar Association will present the annual Workers Compensation Institute 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. July 26 at the Cape Girardeau Holiday Inn. The educational forum will update attorneys on methods to handle workers compensation claims. The Americans with Disabilities Act will also be discussed...

CHARLESTON -- Stark Manufacturing Co. of Charleston, has been selected to receive the Q1 outstanding quality award by Ford Motor Co. "The award is based on performance in meeting the demanding expectations of the Ford plants which use our products," said Chuck Chatneuf, plant manager...

CINCINNATI -- Procter and Gamble Co. is redesigning its traditional moon-and-stars logo which has prompted what the consumer products giant called false rumors linking it with the devil. The company is also adopting a script-type corporate logo to complement the symbol of a bearded man in a crescent moon surrounded by starts, company spokesman Terry Loftus said this week...