Stories from Wednesday, December 15, 1993

There are some mighty weighty issues on the table this year. Health care reform has taken the front burner, but a secondary issue that will greatly affect both state and federal budgets is that of welfare reform. Both President Clinton and Gov. Carnahan have touted welfare reform as top administration goals...

CHAFFEE -- Jennifer Hinkebein of Chaffee has ben awarded a President's Scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 1994-95 academic year. The President's Scholarship is awarded to high school senior who rank at least in the upper 20 percent of their high school class and score 25 on the ACT or 1030 on SAT. The scholarships also are awarded to students who are their class valedictorian or salutatorian and complete the core curriculum...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new federal regulation expected to be announced Thursday that drastically restricts the role of ethanol in a new smog-reducing gasoline formula is a regulatory "stalling tactic," U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Mo., said Tuesday. Emerson was responding to wire service reports that he says suggest the Clinton administration backed off its initial plan to completely exclude ethanol from the formula...

City officials are fine-tuning the initial draft of a "request for proposal" document aimed at attracting developers of a riverboat gambling operation in Cape Girardeau. On Monday, the city council will conduct a public hearing to review the RFP, which is written to "leave flexibility for developers to provide the best possible proposal for the community," said Doug Leslie, assistant city manager...

About 6,400 students dialed in their classes for the spring semester at Southeast Missouri State University during the month-long successful startup of telephone registration, officials said. Southeast students proved to be early risers, with the peak registration time occurring between 4 and 5 a.m. daily...

Missouri motorists visiting other states will probably appreciate gasoline prices back home. Prices have fallen to their lowest level in five years in some areas, including St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas, noted Right, a public affairs officer based in St. Louis...

A Democratic state senator was in Cape Girardeau Tuesday evening to talk with the people he believes will elect him to the U.S. Senate in 1994. "I believe the candidate who carries the out-state Missouri vote will win the election," said State Sen. Steven Carroll, D-Hannibal. "That is why I started campaigning so early. I want to take the time to listen and understand the viewpoints of the people in these areas...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library is holding a mini-craft festival for children in grades first through fourth Monday at 7 p.m. During the hour-long program, which will be held in the Hirsch Community Room of the library, children will be given the opportunity to make crafts to celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Christmas...

With a little more than half the applications for Toybox filled and many still coming in, Jaycees organizers say their supply looks rather small. Today is the last day the Salvation Army will accept Toybox applications for this year. Applications must submitted from 10 a.m.-noon or from 2-4 p.m. at the Salvation Army building, 701 Good Hope...

For years and years, it was Mr. O's job to comfort others as they faced the troubles life sometimes doles out. Mr. O now faces some troubles of his own. A retired minister and widower, Mr. O has diabetes, heart disease and is losing his eyesight. Working all these years at small congregations across the Midwest, Mr. O didn't have an opportunity to save much for his retirement...

A 37-year-old Dexter woman sustained minor injuries in a one-car accident Tuesday evening on Bloomfield Road, about two miles west of Cape Girardeau. A spokesman for the Missouri State Highway Patrol said Anna P. Miller she was a passenger in an eastbound vehicle driven by Barney Miller, 73, of Dexter...

JACKSON - The Jackson School Board's recent enthusiasm over awarding a lower-than-expected bid for the Jackson Middle School now is being tempered because of a later-than-expected date for starting construction. That means the middle school will not be ready to use until the start of the 1995-96 school year, instead of next year at this time as had been hoped...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Dirnberger, Oran Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:47 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8, 1993. Name, Carrissa Mary. Weight, 8 pounds 6 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Dirnberger is the former Valerie Tucker, daughter of William Tucker of Messler, and the late Javada Tucker. Dirnberger is a self-employed farmer, and is the son of Vincent and Monica Dirnberger of Oran...

William W. "Bill" Eckert, 51, 1208 Fairlane, died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1993, at Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis, Ill. He was born Sept. 15, 1942, in St. Louis, son of Wilbert W. and Violet Kinderman Eckert. He and Janice E. Grass were married June 29, 1979...

MARBLE HILL -- Beulah Bell Stone, 89, of East Alton, Ill., died Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1993, at Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, Ill. She was born March 16, 1904, in Marble Hill, daughter of William and LuCinda Fowler Beasley. She and Ercel Stone were married June 23, 1923. He died Nov. 20, 1981...

Loretta Templeton loves Christmas. Her north Cape Girardeau home is laden with lights, bows, candles, evergreen garlands and Christmas figurines, and four Nativity sets. "I add to my collection of decorations every year," said Templeton. "I make a lot of my own ornaments."...

Traditional plants of Christmas have a long history that is woven into religion and legends dating back to ancient Greece. Outstanding among the plants is the traditional Christmas tree. History of the decorated tree is an old one. It started in the tenth century, when an Arabian geographer told this story--...