Stories from Wednesday, July 27, 1994

ALBION, Ill. -- Dorothy Fitzgerald, 67, of Albion, formerly of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Monday, July 25, 1994, at General Baptist Nursing Home in Mt. Carmel. She was born Dec. 23, 1926, in Fairfield, daughter of Charles O. and Edith Faye Williams Meserole...

MORLEY -- James Vester Phillips, 65, of Morley, died Tuesday, July 26, 1994, at his home. He was born April 1, 1929, in Spadra, Ark., son of Lee A. and Sylvia Noe Phillips. Phillips was former owner/operator of Morley Building Supply, and owner of Versatile Builders Inc...

Dear Editor, A bona fide, functioning, thinking, Surgeon General of the United States would anticipate a horrible cholera epidemic in Rwanda from the reporting on TV and in other media, even before one case of cholera developed. Military water purification units have existed for a long time, but were not utilized until the cholera cases reached epidemic proportions. ...

The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is pleased with early results of the new soybean-oil dust suppressant being tested throughout Southeast Missouri this summer. Final results will rest with long-term durability of the oil, but Thomas M. Verry, director of field services with the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council headquartered in Jefferson City, is optimistic the product will make the grade...

Lee-Rowan Co.'s transfer of its St. Louis manufacturing operation to its plant in Jackson illustrates the confidence the company obviously has in the Cape Girardeau County community, its services and work force. Lee-Rowan, which manufactures and distributes home organizational products at its headquarters in St. ...

Few communities the size of Cape Girardeau and Jackson are fortunate enough to have municipal bands. But in each city the tax-supported bands have become fixtures, providing diversified musical entertainment out-of-doors beneath summer skies. The bands serve a twofold purpose: to entertain, of course, but also to provide young musicians with opportunities to perform next to accomplished ones, some of whom have been members of the bands for the better part of their lifetimes...

Chutzpah: A Hebrew word describing the attitude displayed by the boy who murdered his parents and then threw himself on the court, pleading for mercy because of his orphan status. Grasping the wettest matches in America, her poll ratings slipping along with her husband's, Hillary Rodham Clinton set out last week to light a fire under the American people for her vision of HillaryCare. ...

Secretary of State Moriarty says she didn't know bids were necessary if individual purchases were below $1,000. Judi thought the state bought paper clips in lots of $999.99. House Speaker Bob Griffin claims he was dealing with a casino company as a lawyer representing his client, not as a powerful legislator. That explains why he's often seen wearing two hats...

Dear Editor, The necessity of wearing a helmet for the safety of an individual upon a mo-ped is far more important than a possible added tax for taxpayers. Let us try to understand the government's intervention is purely for our safety. PAULA E. KIMPE...

To the Editor, Seems abortion is not wrong to some, but God is not wrong and never has been. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. So a baby conceived in the womb is part of God. Murdering God, or part of Him, is what abortion is. God doesn't compromise and Bill Clinton can't change God's plan. Bill Clinton is only a man. God isn't Democrat or Republican, and neither am I. I'm free, because Jesus died so I could be free...

SIKESTON -- Samuel Warfield, 81, of Sikeston, died Saturday, July 23, 1994, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. He was born April 4, 1913, in Natchez, Miss., son of Elisha and Anna Miller Warfield. He married the former Nadine Williams. Warfield was a partner in Warfield Truck Lines...

MINER -- Cornelia Jane Moore, 74, of Tifton, Ga., formerly of Miner, died Monday, July 25, 1994. She was born June 3, 1920, in Jonesboro, Ill., daughter of John Andrew and Minerva MacIntyre Brasenell. She and L.H. Moore were married Feb. 8, 1946, in Miner...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral service for Esther Pitts of Anna will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Lutz & Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. Burial will be in Casper Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. today. Pitts, 81, died Monday, July 25, 1994, at Union County Nursing Home...

SIKESTON -- A.B. Moll, 80, of Anaheim, Calif., died Sunday, July 17, 1994, at Sun Mar Nursing Center in Anaheim. He was formerly of Sikeston. He was born May 24, 1914, in Pharis Ridge, son of R. Edgar and Stella Ginger Moll. He and Dorothy Hesley were married May 19, 1934. She died July 27, 1970. He later married Lorene Whitson Nov. 9, 1971...

WYATT -- Delmer Lee Smith, 42, of Dallas, Texas, died Friday, July 22, 1994, in a drowning accident. He was formerly of Wyatt. He was born Sept. 6, 1951, in Winderville, son of Thatus and Bedella Walker Smith. Smith was a member of St. Paul Baptist Church in Henson. He had lived in Texas more than 12 years...

JACKSON -- Ethel Penrod, 88, of Jackson, died Monday, July 25, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 20, 1905, in Fisher, Ark., daughter of Thomas E. and Iva Childers Cox. She first married Chester Lee Masters Feb. 19, 1925, who died Sept. 10, 1933. She later married Lee Penrod Jan. 17, 1940. He died Dec. 15, 1967...

MARBLE HILL -- John Henry Hahn, 61, of Marble Hill, died Monday, July 25, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 9, 1933, at Scopus, son of H. Dewey and Ruby Angle Hahn. He and Anna Mae Retherford were married June 7, 1958...

EAST PRAIRIE -- James Mitchell Fent, 80, of Midlothian, Ill., died Monday, July 25, 1994, in Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights, Ill. He was formerly of East Prairie. He was born June 21, 1914, in Morning Sun, Iowa, son of Joseph and Mary Hewitt Fent. He and Inez Grissom were married May 27, 1941, at Palmyra...

WYATT -- Funeral service for Ross Pullen of Wyatt will be held at 1 p.m. today at McMikle Funeral Chapel in Charleston. The Rev. Tom Bridges will officiate, with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery. Ross, 68, died Monday, July 25, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

Geneva Alice Miller, 84, of Waynesville, died Wednesday, July 20, 1994, at Sunset Village of the Ozarks Medical Center in Waynesville. She was born Sept. 30, 1909, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Herman W. and Anna Jane McReynolds Klages. She and Eugene Edward Miller were married July 28, 1934, in Cape Girardeau...

Minnie C. Anderson, 90, 3120 Independence, died Tuesday, July 26, 1994, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

When Cape Girardeau school board member Steve Wright votes against extending Superintendent Neyland Clark's contract, he merely will follow Clark's advice. "Dr. Clark always says, `vote for what's best for students,'" Wright said. "I agree." Wright believes Clark is unable to do his job, because he lacks community support...

Area Wide United Way officials have set a goal of $520,000 for this year's fund drive. "This is a very aggressive goal," said Ron Hopkins, general chairman of the fund drive. Hopkins announced the goal at a press conference Tuesday at the United Way office in Cape Girardeau. The campaign officially begins Aug. 31 with a kickoff luncheon at Drury Lodge...

Cape Girardeau firefighters on Tuesday rescued a 36-year-old man from an apartment fire at 105 S. Spanish. Assistant Fire Chief Max Jauch said firefighters found the 36-year-old man on the floor near his bed. They believe he was overcome by toxic smoke and gasses while attempting to flee the burning apartment...

How could I have been so blind for all these years? I thought Walt Disney's characters were merely innocents designed to entertain kids and adults when things were getting a tad too complicated. But lo and behold, I realize that the "Lion King" is nothing but a cast of misfits who are sexist, racist, homophobic, violent and whatever else Harvard psychologist Carolyn Newberger has uncovered about their dastardly souls...

Chelsey Simms used to collect aluminum cans and take them to a recycling center just down the street from his home. It was good money. "But when I moved to Cape Girardeau, they didn't have anything like that," Simms said. "I didn't think they did recycling here at all."...

I-66 Project Inc. owes the Cape Girardeau Regional Commerce and Growth Association $68,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, according to a draft financial statement. The funds are listed as RCGA operating expenses for the group, I-66 Project Inc., that is promoting the idea of a new coast-to-coast interstate highway...

THEBES, Ill. - The Coast Guard plans to resume salvage operations as early as next week to raise three sunken barges from the Mississippi River. Two of the barges are just south of the Thebes railroad bridge. The third has yet to be found. A collision with one of the bridge piers sank the barges in late 1992. Another collision caused a barge to sink in March 1993...

The two Republican candidates for Cape Girardeau County Recorder of Deeds thought about seeking the office before because of their related experience in other jobs. Both Cheryl Stoffregen of Cape Girardeau and Darlene Bonney of Jackson concluded that 1994 was the time to run...

Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Ashcroft will swing through seven Southeast Missouri counties today. At the end of the trip, Ashcroft will have been to 101 of Missouri's 114 counties. He will start at 8 a.m. in Ste. Genevieve and end his day at 5:30 p.m. in Caruthersville at the Pemiscot County Courthouse...

Alan Wheat began the last week of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Cape Girardeau Tuesday, talking with students and administrators at Southeast Missouri State University about issues like education and health care. Before starting a question-answer session with about two dozen people on campus, the congressman from Kansas City expressed relief that the end of a long campaign was in site...

Even though U.S. Rep. Alan Wheat is viewed by media and political leaders as the frontrunner and holds a huge fundraising advantage, Branson businessman Jim Thomas believes he may surprise some people Tuesday night. When votes are cast in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Thomas said he will find out whether his careful campaign to attract the attention of Democratic voters was successful...

Magical mornings spent in search of ladybugs and clover bouquets, and evening romps among fireflies -- such are the misty memories of an adult. Time softens the edges of those lazy days. Grown-ups seldom recollect long afternoons dotted with bouts of boredom. Yet, parents recognize the symptoms that lead to their child's declaration that there is nothing to do...

This is the year of the watermelon and the snapdragon. Each year The National Garden Bureau selects a vegetable or fruit and a flower and concentrates on their publicity, hoping to promote them for use by the public. Nothing says "summer" like watermelon. The sweet juicy flesh means vacation, hot weather and gardening. Easy to grow, it offers a healthy snack, or can be used for salad or dessert...