Stories from Tuesday, November 30, 1993

Mrs. B lives alone in an old home desperately in need of repairs. But Mrs. B has no one to help her and no money to hire someone to do the work. Her only relative, a son, lives out of state. He will likely send her a Christmas card and might call her to wish her a Merry Christmas. But Mrs. B will celebrate the holiday with her chubby little dog...

Individuals give to the Toybox campaign in different ways. Families add children on the Toybox list to their own holiday shopping lists. Businesses, clubs and schools hold Christmas parties to gather toys for needy children. This year, customers making purchases at West Park Mall during the holiday season can use their receipts to help less fortunate children...

The largest medical group in Cape Girardeau is expanding in an effort to improve local access to primary-care physicians. Internal Medicine Group is adding two local doctors to its staff in the next several weeks, and moving three pediatricians into the former Community Counseling Center at 24 S. Mount Auburn Road, the group's administrator, Bill Port, said Monday...

The weather was right -- near-freezing temperatures and overcast skies. The geese were present -- more than 25,000 in the four-county quota zone of Southern Illinois. All-in-all, Saturday was a great opening day for operators of goose-hunting clubs throughout the quota zone -- Alexander, Union, Jackson and Williamson counties...

JACKSON - The Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday held a "close out" public hearing on an Action Fund Grant to Sanders Enterprises Inc. The grant, which amounts to a low-interest loan for working capital and the purchase of equipment, was provided to the company by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The grant is being overseen by the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, with the support of the Cape County Commission...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., told Alexander County officials and landowners Monday that emergency repairs will be made in the Len Small Levee District. "The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has agreed to emergency repairs on the Fayville levee in order to protect homes and businesses," said Costello, who visited the area Monday along with FEMA inspectors...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Lon Leland (Bud) Burns, 72, a retired journalist who was a baseball and basketball player at the former Southeast Missouri State College in the 1940s, died Nov. 23, 1993, in Nashville. He was the retired managing sports editor of the Nashville Tennessean...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Michael Medlin of Scott City, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:42 p.m. Friday, Nov. 19, 1993. Name, Erika June. Weight, 6 pounds 14 ounces. First child. Mrs. Medlin is the former Karen Roth, daughter of Richard and Doris Roth of Scott City. Medlin is a salesman with MFA Agri Services Inc. at Benton. He is the son of Leeman Medlin of Scott City, and the late June Medlin...

Hubert F. Jackson, 68, 466 W. Cape Rock Drive, died Monday, Nov. 29, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 24, 1925, at Scopus, son of Marvin and Permellia Ridings Jackson. He and Melba Hanners were married July 12, 1958. Jackson moved to Cape Girardeau 29 years ago from Scopus. He was a retired laborer with Local 282...

ZALMA -- Funeral service for Paul Noel Henderson, Zalma Route 1, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Chapel in Advance. The Rev. Gene Robbins will officiate. Burial will be in New Hope-McGee Cemetery at McGee, with military graveside rites...

ALTENBURG -- Rudolph R. Steffens, 102, of Altenburg, died Sunday, Nov. 28, 1993, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 23, 1891, at Wittenberg, son of Claus and Pauline B. Thurm Steffens. He and Lydia Pilz were married April 9, 1917. She died Jan. 25, 1948...

JACKSON -- William Hadley Froemsdorf, 84, of Jackson, died Monday, Nov. 29, 1993, at his home. He was born Dec. 7, 1908, at Neelys Landing, son of Henry and Matty Mcee Froemsdorf. He and Molly L. Leeds were married Nov. 20, 1933, in Cape Girardeau. She died July 7, 1991...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Eva P. Shanahan, 93, of Cairo, died Sunday, Nov. 28, 1993, at Daystar Care Center. She was born Dec. 7, 1899, in Chaffee, Mo., daughter of William Thomas and Edith Waterman Clanton. She married Edwin Shanahan, who preceded her in death...

Lee A. Harris, 61, 1017 N. Frederick, died Thursday, Nov. 25, 1993, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born April 15, 1932, in Luxora, Ark., son of Aurther and Irene Presberry Harris. He and Elnora Kuykendoll were married Sept. 30, 1953, in Indianapolis, Ind...

Lawmakers staggered out of Washington last week, finished with the first session of the 103rd Congress and with many crowing about putting a stake in the heart of gridlock. In assessing the work of Congress during the first 10 months of the Clinton administration, some Americans might be excused, to lift a line from commentator George Will, for wishing the good name of gridlock restored...

MARBLE HILL -- Nettie Long Green, formerly of Marquand, celebrated her 100th birthday Sundday at a reception at the El Natan Home in Marble Hill. Mrs. Green turns 100 today. She is the mother of Emma Yount of Cape Girardeau and Walter Long of Fenton...

Viola Blackford Smith celebrated her 100th birthday last Friday at the home of a daughter, Charlotte Behrens of Cape Girardeau. Assisting with the event is another daughter, Marjorie Cord of Rohnert Park, Calif. Smith was born Nov. 27, 1893, in Cape Girardeau. She has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren...

An educator for 42 years, Doris Ford loves to talk about teaching. She champions it with an enthusiasm borne of experience. As president of the Missouri State Teachers Association (MSTA), the 63-year-old Cape Girardeau school teacher spends much of her free time these days lobbying on statewide education issues and promoting the profession she loves...

Barb Randolph teaches her eighth-graders that writing is a messy process. As an English and French teacher and yearbook sponsor at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, Randolph strives to be a writing role model. "I sometimes write with my students, sharing my own struggles and triumphs with written words," she said. "I demonstrate that writing is messy and even teachers rewrite sentences and need help with titles...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Sarah J. Hill, a senior at Shawnee High School in Wolf Lake, was chosen by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. as a Commended Student in the 1994 National Merit Scholarship program. Over 1 million students entered the 1994 Merit program. About 35,000 were named Commended Students...

Julie Hoffman and Cassandra Krauss have been named Students of the Month for November by the Cape Girardeau Elk's Lodge 639. Hoffman, 17, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hoffman of Cape Girardeau. She is a senior at Notre Dame High School where she has been a cheerleader, and a member of SADD, Pep Club, Student Council and the Liturgy Council. She is also a member of the St. Vincent's youth group and a volunteer assistant coach for St. Vincent's eighth-grade cheerleaders...

Rachel Bettag recently placed second in the Junior Miss Missouri Job's Daughters pageant. Bettag is an eighth-grade student at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School where she is a cheerleader. She is also active in Pep Club and Spanish Club and is a volunteer at the Humane Society...

Dolores Murray and Ruthie Davis, Greenville R-II school staff members, recently represented Phi Delta Kappa Chapter 1044 of Southeast Missouri at the Phi Delta Kappa International Conference on Educational Issues. Over 1,300 educators met in Nashville, Tenn., to conduct the annual business meeting and attend sessions on educational issues...

During the past several months proponents and opponents have been quoted regarding what they perceived a middle school to be. Some statements were accurate; others raised serious questions as to their understanding of what a middle school is. Some schools are called middle schools, and for all practical purposes function as junior high schools, while others are called junior high schools and function entirely as middle schools. ...