Stories from Wednesday, March 18, 1992

ADVANCE -- Tommy West, 60, of Zalma died Tuesday, March 17, 1992, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

SCHWEERDaughter to Mr. and Mrs. James B. Schweer of Affton, St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, 3:12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1992. Name, Julie Ann. Weight, 6 pounds 12 ounces. First child. Mrs. Schweer is the former Gina Hertlein, daughter of George and Marie Hertlein of St. Louis. She is an institutional advisory nurse for the state of Missouri. Schweer is business manager for Walter Aviation of St. Louis, and is the son of JoAnn Schweer of Jackson...

Despite assorted claims from the campaign stump, American govern~mental assistance to the nation's less fortunate continues to rise. Still, there are gaps to be filled in the process and pressure to be taken off governmental agencies. The Salvation Army provides such relief. ...

Leslee Pollina, assistant professor of psychology at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named the new director of the university's Institute of Gerontology. "I am really excited about this appointment," Pollina said. "It's an area that I've always been interested in."...

JACKSON - An opponent of a proposed 2 percent pay increase for all Jackson city employees said Tuesday he voted against the measure because most employees will receive fringe benefits in excess of the pay hike. But proponents said the pay increase is needed for newer city employees with families...

Vision 2000, a community service effort launched by civic minded Cape Girardeau residents in 1987, is slowly coming closer to attainment of a set of goals to achieve by the year 2000. Members of the Vision 2000 Community Relations Council Monday presented the group's annual report to the city council...

Three representatives of the Westvaco Corp. Paper Mill, a major manufacturer of paper, packaging and chemicals, will provide the program for the Regional Commerce and Growth Association (RCGA) meeting to be held at the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau today...

Missouri offers a number of services to help communities and businesses retain and create new investments and jobs. "There are a number of individuals and groups which can play a big role in helping their community create jobs," said Garry Taylor, deputy director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. "We want to inform these people and groups of our roles and theirs in building a better place to live and work."...

A new program introduced Tuesday by Coad Chevrolet allows area schools to earn computers and other classroom equipment by urging people to test drive new cars. Through the program, called "Driving for Education," schools can obtain Apple computers, Magnavox audio-visual equipment and Compton's encyclopedia sets, said Tim Coad with Coad Chevrolet...

Something about the name of the offense is deceptively refreshing, like an activity you'd undertake on a breezy spring day. Some years ago, Cape Girardeau had a Capitol Hill marble-shooting champion as its congressman, so it seems not a bit strange now that elected representatives of the federal kind would engage in a diversion known as kiting...

Illinois voters turned thumbs down on incumbent Reps. Gus Savage, Charles Hayes and Marty Russo in Tuesday's Democratic primary. Turnout was heavy in another congressional district Democratic primary, this one in Southern Illinois, where voters decided which incumbent to turn out of office - both byproducts of the remap, which reduced Illinois' congressional delegation from 22 to 20...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Patrick Duffy of Cobden and Ward Walshon of Grand Chain will square off in the race this fall for state's attorney of Pulaski County. Duffy defeated Loren Waite of Mounds by a vote of 510-378 to win the Democratic nomination. In a close Republican primary, Walshon defeated James Flummer by a vote of 643-564...

Ora Bell Withers, 84, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, March 16, 1992, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Oct. 20, 1907, at Allenville, daughter of J.W. and Mary Ellen Noble Fenimore. She married Harry Edward Withers in 1924, who died July 24, 1977. Withers had worked at International Shoe Co. ...

The annual spring science fair is scheduled to be held in Cape Girardeau March 31 to April 2. Throughout the area young students in the junior division, grades six through eight, and the senior division, grades 10 through 12, and students in grade nine, as participants in either division, will enter scientific inventions seeking recognition and awards. The students hope their scientific problems will have merit on a larger scale than a classroom invention. This will be the 36th fair...

PUXICO -- John W. Colbert, 71, Puxico Route 1, died Monday, March 16, 1992, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 2, 1920, at Oran, son of Jake and Eunice Slater Colbert. He and Evelyn Watkins were married July 2, 1946, in Corning, Ark. Colbert was a member of Kinder General Baptist Church, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

CHARLESTON -- Marquis D. Cagle Jr., 75, of Columbia, died Tuesday, March 17, 1992, at Harry S Truman VA Hospital in Columbia. He was born May 25, 1916, at Charleston, son of Marquis DeLafayette and Mary Elizabeth Gunter Cagle Sr. He and Virgie Shaw were married Oct. 16, 1941...

George Brown, 61, of Stewart, Tenn., died Sunday, March 15, 1992, at Trinity Hospital in Erin, Tenn. He was born March 21, 1930, in St. Louis, son of Carl and Pearl Brake Brown. He first married Mariko Koyama Sept. 24, 1958. She survives. He later married Kathryn Oltman, who also survives...

SIKESTON -- Bob L. Moore, 61, of Sikeston, died Tuesday, March 17, 1992, in the emergency room at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Feb. 17, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, son of Otis O. and Irene Huffman Moore. He and Janet C. Stevens were married June 29, 1956, in Sikeston...

MARBLE HILL -- The Rev. Truman Collins, 72, of Marble Hill, died Tuesday, March 17, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Aug. 22, 1919, at Schlatitz, son of Edward and Pearl Shell Collins. He and Virginia Eaker were married Dec. 23, 1939...

Henrietta Launhardt Horrell, 87, of St. Louis, died Monday, March 16, 1992, at Lutheran Hospital in St. Louis. She was born July 23, 1904, in Los Angeles, Calif., daughter of Henry and Louise Freytag. Horrell was a member of Grace Lutheran Chapel in St. Louis...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Elmo Wilson of Sikeston will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Shelby Funeral Chapel in East Prairie. The Rev. Buddy Hannah will officiate, with burial in Dogwood Cemetery near East Prairie. Friends may call at the funeral home after 3 p.m. today...

The book is apparently closed on the Southeast Missouri State University textbook policy issue. The university's Administrative Council decided Tuesday to keep the textbook rental system, but with some modifications including eliminating the institution's textbook committee...

The Environmental Protection Agency has started a $2 million cleanup of the Kem-Pest Superfund site in Cape Girardeau. Agency officials, along with representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers, held an informal public meeting Tuesday in Cape Girardeau to answer questions about cleanup of the site and address health-related concerns...

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson has acknowledged that he wrote six bad checks totalling $26,345 at the House Bank between Jan. 31, 1989 and Sept. 30, 1991. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Cape Girardeau Republican said that he was informed by the House Ethics Committee that the six checks were held by the House sergeant at arms, who was in charge of the Capitol Hill bank...

SCOTT CITY -- Candidates for elected positions in Scott City were asked what they would do to lower city taxes and how they would help the city grow at a candidate's forum Tuesday night. Eleven candidates running for mayor, city council and school board seats spoke at the forum...

EARL BRUNKE Occupation: Maintenance at Cape LaCroix skilled nursing facility. The best part of my job is: "It's never boring." What do you do in your spare time: "Wood working and gardening." The book I'd recommend is: "The Bible." I've always looked up to. Why? "My dad because he was honest and knowledgeable."...

CHAFFEE - The Chaffee City Council will hold a special meeting and public hearing March 30 for adoption of the city's coming fiscal year budget. The meeting, to begin at 7 p.m., was announced at the council's regular meeting Monday. The city's fiscal year begins April 1...

BLOOMFIELD - Another one of Sheila Perry's dreams to bring space exploration and its assorted technology to her third-grade classroom here is a little closer as she has been named a Christa McAu~liffe Fellow and will receive $34,800 in federal funds to implement her OSCAR's project...

Commercial drivers who have not obtained their commercial driver's license can take the written portion of the test Saturday during group testing at the Teamsters Local 574 meeting hall, 429 Broadview. Charlie Deal, secretary-treasurer of Local 574, said the testing will begin at 9 a.m. under the supervision of CDL test examiners from the Missouri Highway Patrol...

Vernon Meyr will present travelogue on the Mayan Indian ruins during a meeting at the Cape Girardeau Public Library Thursday. The meeting, free to the public, will be held in the Hirsch Community room at 7 p.m. The presentation will include slides of the ruins of Tikal, Belize City and Chichen Itza...

BENTON -- A former U.S. Postal Service supervisor from Sikeston has withdrawn as a Democratic candidate for Scott County assessor. Jim McGee, 56, said Tuesday that his withdrawal from the race was prompted by "personal reasons." He did not elaborate other than to say that he felt he would not be able to get out and campaign aggressively for the position...

COLUMBIA -- High-tech medical equipment is coming to the aid of the Missouri swine industry. A real-time ultrasound machine that quickly and accurately measure meatiness of live animals is available for on-farm use, say extension specialists the University of Missouri-Columbia...

A cosmetology instructor's seminar will be offered April 5-6 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The seminar, worth 1.6 CEU credits, will be held on the fourth floor of the University Center. It has been approved by the Missouri State Board of Cosmetology for cosmetologists, instructors and salon owners. Registration will begin both days at 8 a.m...

Jackie Kurre remembers her experience in a one-room school for her elementary education. "It was called Critesville," Kurre said, "and was located near Daisy. And yes, I walked 1 miles to school!" Kurre's fourth grade teacher, 19 years old with "one-quarter of college" under her belt, impressed her by beginning a PTA, instituting a hot lunch program, directing Christmas programs and community plays...

Some weeks ago, our pastor preached an excellent sermon on the evils of the sexual revolution. He suggested it might be better described as the sexual devilution. We considered Pastor Dissen's play on words remarkably apt, and the pun posed no problem in pronunciation...