Stories from Thursday, February 6, 1992

In Missouri, Interstate 44 stretches between Joplin and St. Louis. Along that route, 10,315 pounds of marijuana and 600 pounds of cocaine were confiscated from vehicles during 1991. Highways that spawn commerce for regions of the state also can serve as conduits for those willing to exploit public infrastructure for illegal activities. Is the answer to quit building highways? Hardly. It is instead to applaud the enforcement efforts under way and take action to strengthen them...

CHAFFEE -- The final day of filing for the April Chaffee City Council election ended with a one-race election turning into two races. First-time council candidate Marlene Creech of 412 West Yoakum filed for the Ward 2 seat now held by Irmgard Chronister. City Clerk Diane Eftink said Creech filed for the seat Tuesday, the final day of filing...

McCLURE, Ill. American Legion Post 900 of McClure, Ill. is sponsoring a spaghetti dinner and gospel sing Feb. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Shawnee Elementary South, located on Highway 3. The dinner costs $3 for adults and $1.50 for children. The gospel sing begins at 1:30 p.m. in the gym and features the Gary Teague Trio, Janet Rachel, the Robert McCain Family, Donna Smithey, the Jones Family Singers and Shawnee Trio of Southern Illinois...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Tamms Little Egypt Chapter 3927 AARP will meet Feb. 13 at Smiles II Senior Citizens Nutrition Center here. The program will focus on Heart Month and Black History Month. Lunch reservations must be made by Tuesday by calling the center at 618-845-3832...

"Rollin' Down the River" is the theme of this year's American Cancer Society Gala, scheduled for Feb. 29 at the A.C. Brase Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. Jeanette Juden, chairperson of the gala along with her husband Andy, said the featured entertainers will be a group that was a big hit at last year's gala...

The Oregon Ballet Theatre will entertain a Southeast Missouri audience Feb. 25 with an 8 p.m. performance at Academic Auditorium on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The ballet is part of this season's Community Concert series. Attendance is restricted to members, and membership information can be obtained by calling Ed Kaiser at 335-2953...

The first of three juried exhibitions sponsored each year by the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts is on display now at Gallery 100. "Midwest Minis" is an exhibit of two and three dimensional artwork no larger than 14 inches in size. Artists from all over the United States have submitted work for review by the judge for Midwest Minis, Kim Mosley, professor of art at St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley...

The Southeast Missouri State University Orchestra will present a symphonic orchestra concert, featuring works by Bach, Beethoven and Kreisler tonight at Academic Auditorium. The concert, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., is being presented by the university's music department and the Southeast Missouri Council on the Arts...

The Main Street Opry will come to Cape Girardeau Feb. 23 for a special appearance sponsored by the Area Wide United Way and the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Main Street Opry regularly performs at Lake of the Ozarks. Members of the band are Steve and Sarah West, "Gabby" and Sandy Gumm, Alicia West, Bobby Brown, Joe Hargrave and Joey Tennis...

Southeast Missouri State University's Homecoming Steering Committee has elected senior Kim Sanchez as its 1992 chairperson. Sanchez served as chairperson of the entertainment committee for last year's homecoming. "I feel my experience will benefit the committee, for I have worked with planning groups in the past and have helped groups to incorporate their ideas into one theme," she said...

Gary Gilbert, director of Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School, will be guest speaker at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee to be held at the Drury Lodge Friday. The 7:30-a.m. meeting this month is sponsored by the local office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri...

Fearing a new trades licensing ordinance might put some contractors out of work, a city board Wednesday discussed the possibility of adding another construction trade to the licensing requirements. The Board of Examiners, which is ironing out details of the licensing law and how best it should be applied, suggested a separate license be granted to drainlayers...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will consider a retirement incentive plan for teachers and administrators that could help the district ease pending budget cuts. The executive committee of the Community Teachers Association approved the proposal at its meeting Wednesday afternoon. The general membership of the organization will vote on the plan Friday, and it is on the agenda for Monday's Board of Education meeting...

If you've enjoyed the relatively mild weather so far this winter in the Cape Girardeau area, give thanks to El Nino. El Nino is a weather phenomenon affecting not only our local weather but weather worldwide, said Dr. Al Robertson, professor of earth science and climatologist at Southeast Missouri State University...

RISCO -- Nancy Wheeler of Risco High School has been selected to perform at the 1992 summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. She will join 89 other girls from the United States to perform thematic dance programs at halftimes of various basketball games during the Olympic competition and possibly at some soccer games as well...

Paul Kitchen, principal of Delta High School, has been appointed district coordinator of the Tech Prep occupational education program. The program is being developed through the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School and Mineral Area College as a model for vocational education in the state. It encourages high school students who do not plan to attend college to plan a curriculum to achieve a career objective...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- The McClure-East Cape Girardeau Fire Protection District will place its new central communications system on line here Saturday. "The new system will provide a central number for people to report a fire 24 hours a day," said Fire Chief Stanley Mouser. "We have installed a 40-foot tower at the Purple Crackle Club in East Cape Girardeau, and Crackle employees have been trained to operate the dispatching equipment."...

CHAFFEE - The Chaffee City Council Monday approved a motion to cut trash fees, but only for two customers. On a motion by Ward 4 Councilman Brad Bader, the council approved a 10 percent discount in trash removal fees for any factory with six dumpsters or more. That covers just Columbia Sportswear and Thorngate, said Bader...

The Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club will meet at noon Friday in the Executive Room at Holiday Inn. Veneida Reynolds, chairman of Lincoln Day, will discuss the pro~gress of the club's annual event to be held March 14 at the Arena Building...

CHARLESTON - Angelo "Shug" Blanchard, 80, of Charleston, died Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1992, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, following a brief illness. He was born Dec. 26, 1911, in West Point, Miss., son of Willie and Louisiana Blanchard. In 1935 he married Jessie Kate Heard, who died Sept. 18, 1988...

BLOOMFIELD -- David Baxter Griffy, 61, of Boonville, died Monday, Feb. 3, 1992, at the Veterans Hospital in Columbia. He was born Nov. 3, 1930, at Puxico, son of Ralph and Dixie Siler Griffy. He and Betty McGraw Pepper were married May 4, 1952, at Bloomfield...

SIKESTON -- Dessie Jane Ayers, 82, of Sikeston, died Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1992, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born April 8, 1909, in New Madrid County, daughter of Joel Hardy and Minnie Melinda Sparks Godwin. She and Oscar Vernon Ayers were married Nov. 8, 1930, at Charleston. He died Feb. 19, 1982...

THEBES, Ill. -- Paul W. Smothers, 78, Thebes Route 1, died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1992, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Marion. He was born Nov. 17, 1913, in Alamo, Tenn., son of William and Julia Murry Smothers. Smothers was a member of First Christian Church in Hurst, member of Odd Fellows Lodge, and a veteran of World War II...

Son to Mr. and Mrs. Greg Terry, Friedheim Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:24 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, 1992. Name, Landon James. Weight, 7 pounds 11 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. Terry is the former Rebecca Noel, daughter of Harry and Barbara Noel of Jackson. Terry is a first mate with Mid South Towing, and is the son of Mary Terry of Jackson...

MILLER CITY, Ill. -- Dovie Farris, 85, of Miller City died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 1992, at Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis. She was born Nov. 29, 1906, at Olive Branch, the daughter of Frank and Octavia Brown Denfip. In 1929, she married Samuel Farris, who preceded her in death Nov. 23, 1977...