Stories from Wednesday, August 19, 1992

Tom Johnson has joined the Southeast Missouri Boy Scout Council's professional staff as council program director. "This is a new position," said Johnson, who joined the council in June. He will work at the district headquarters in Cape Girardeau. As part of his duties, he will be in charge of programming, camps and properties throughout the council...

PULASKI, Ill. -- An "open" demolition derby will be featured as the grandstand event at the Pulaski County Fair here tonight. The 33rd annual fair, conducted by the Pulaski County Fair Association, opened Monday at the community's fair grounds, with a local demolition derby...

Southeast Missouri State University is not Harvard, but it is attracting its share of scholarly students. Thirteen National Merit finalists this fall will attend Southeast, the most in the school's history. "We had two last year. We had three in our whole history before this year," said Juan Crites, director of admissions/new student relations...

A group of businesses that want to form a health care alliance in an effort to reduce health insurance costs pitched the idea Tuesday to local physicians, who said they too are fed up with high health care costs but are not to blame. Twenty-nine local businesses are involved in the group, called the Southeast Missouri Business Group on Health. ...

HOUSTON - Sen. Phil Gramm derided Bill Clinton's economic program Tuesday night as a "lemon for America," keynoting a vigorous Republican convention attack on President Bush's opponent and the Democratic Congress. "Republicans stand for change," said Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, "Democrats stand in the way."...

Washington Elementary School playground equipment is getting a new look in preparation for the school's opening next week. A group of youngsters who are members of the Cape Girardeau Junior Optimist Club from the nearby SEMO Community Treatment Center were using bright red, yellow and green paints to give swings and climbing bars a brilliant look of color Tuesday...

Southeast Missouri State University officials hope to minimize traffic congestion and provide more services to students moving into campus residence halls by having students check in at the Show Me Center. Students will be able to check in from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at the Show Me Center...

The city next week will advertise for bids on a project to begin replacement of antiquated sewers on Cape Girardeau's south side. During the past several years residents of the area have reported mostly following heavy rains sewage-filled basements and raw sewage discharged in drainage ditches and into Cape LaCroix Creek...

New students at Southeast Missouri State University for the fall semester and entering students with fewer than 30 semester credit hours must attend orientation Friday and Saturday in Academic Auditorium at 8 a.m. Orientation consists of placement, testing and enrollment and is designed to ease the transition into college life, university officials said...

Southeast Missouri Hospital's capital campaign has passed a notable milestone in its campaign to raise $1.7 million this year. "We have passed the $1 million mark," said J. Charles Stotz, director of Southeast Missouri Hospital Foundation, which is conducting the fund drive...

DONNA JENKINS Occupation: Sewing machine operator. Pet Peeve: "People who complain and whine." The best part of my life will be: "When I receive my college degree." What do you do in your spare time? "Read" The book I'd recommend: "Love and Marriage" by Bill Cosby...

JACKSON - The Cape Girardeau County Democratic and Republican party central committees elected chairmen who were not present Tuesday night at organizational meetings to choose officers for the next two years. Ralph Ford, who was elected to a second term as county Republican chairman, is a delegate to the party's national convention in Houston this week. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Graveside service for James Irvin of Shelbina will be held at 1 p.m. today at Anniston Cemetery. The Rev. Richard Farquhar will officiate, with Shelby Funeral Home here in charge of arrangements. Irvin, 89, died Monday, Aug. 17, 1992, at Salt River Nursing Home in Shelbina...

MARBLE HILL -- Clayton A. Whitener Jr., 63, of Glen Allen, died Monday, Aug. 17, 1992, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 6,. 1929, at Marquand, son of Clayton and Bertha Rickman Whitener. They both survive. On July 24, 1951, he married Essie Mouser. She survives...

Jennie E. Caldwell, 96, 2852 Independence, died Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Feb. 7, 1896, at Commerce, daughter of George E. and Canzada Penn Clymer. She married Guy J. Caldwell Aug. 23, 1914, at Commerce. He died April 1, 1947...

JACKSON -- Tony L. Butler, 80, of Jackson, died Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1992, at his home. He was born March 3, 1912, near Neelys Landing, son of the Rev. William and Martha Butler. He and Marie Gibson were married Oct. 23, 1937, at Benton. Butler worked at Coca-Cola Bottling Co. a number of years, was sexton with city of Jackson 12 years, and worked eight years at Cracraft-Miller before retiring...

GORDONVILLE -- Funeral service for Ermal D. Sprenger of St. Louis was held Aug. 12 at Fey Funeral Chapel in St. Louis. The Rev. Kenneth Brown officiated, with burial in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Sprenger, 88, died Saturday, Aug. 8, 1992, at Gravois Health Care Nursing Home in St. Louis...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Joseph C. "Jay" Bucher, 72, of Cairo, died Monday, Aug. 17, 1992, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born March 23, 1920, in Cairo, son of Joseph and Florence Barry Bucher. Bucher was retired from the U.S. Post Office at Cairo. He was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Cairo Elks Lodge 651, and Cairo VFW Post 2649...

KEWANEE -- Funeral service for Izra Wesley Vines of Kewanee will be held at 2 p.m. today at Kewanee Missionary Baptist Church. The Rev. Jerry Dudley will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park Cemetery at Sikeston. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Sikeston is in charge of arrangements...

Charlene William Peyton will be the featured guest entertainer tonight at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band's final concert of the season. Also, in keeping with the summer concert tradition, children in the audience will be given a small baton and invited to direct as the band plays "Cape Muny Band March."...

Being an American doesn't assure any citizen of greatness ... what it does is provide an opportunity to have dreams and, with certain degrees of talent, luck and backbone, see them realized. No greater testament to that exists than the life of Oscar C. Hirsch, a man who wasn't afraid to dream big and work hard. Hirsch died Monday in Cape Girardeau, the city he enriched. The example he set stays with us...

Carol Scoville is president of Missouri Right to Life. For years now, abortion advocates have been threatening the Republican Party. Abortionists say that if pro-life Republicans want to stay in office, the party must change its position from pro-life to pro-abortion. The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) has made it an election year tradition to claim that they will vote out of office any pro-life candidates, especially Republicans...

The ceiling of the A.C. Brase Arena Building has been completely removed and regular events are now being held as scheduled, says Dan Muser, parks and recreation director. Several events last month had to be rescheduled or moved when portions of the ceiling started falling. City officials have blamed wear and vibration for the damage...

Charlie and Ruthie Knote know how to put their three gas grills, three water smokers and two charcoal grills to good use. With nearly 40 years of experience barbecuing, smoking and making sausage, the Knotes decided to share the lessons they've learned by writing cookbook filled with practical tips and easy-to-follow recipes...

A two-day conference, "Adoption: Issues and Insights," will be held Nov. 12-13 in Cape Girardeau. The conference will be held from 7-9:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Centenary Methodist Church Hall, 300 N. Ellis, and from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Show Me Center...

Most authorities on the use of the English language have ideas about how to begin a sentence. Some strongly oppose opening with "There's." Seldom do we tune in on a radio or TV newscast without hearing announcements such as: "There's more people using this bridge every day"; "There's some new intriguing political events to talk about this morning"; "There's more rare books in this lady's house than you'll ever find in your (hometown) library."...

The Southeast Missouri District Fair has always been fun. But the 1992 event is bound to be extraordinary. Obtain a catalogue and it will surprise you with the wonderful entertainment the fair committee has planned and the numerous classes in which prizes will be awarded. Catalogues are at the fair office in the Arena Building and are free...