Stories from Tuesday, December 6, 1994

What was the dominant issue in this year's historic election? If you said the size of government -- especially Congress -- you're right. "Too big!" shouted the overwhelming majority of Americans. "It sticks its nose into places it doesn't belong!" "Cut it!" "Dismantle it!" "Leave us alone!"...

What was the dominant issue in this year's historic election? If you said the size of government -- especially Congress -- you're right. "Too big!" shouted the overwhelming majority of Americans. "It sticks its nose into places it doesn't belong!" "Cut it!" "Dismantle it!" "Leave us alone!"...

At its inception in 1913, the federal income tax was dubbed the "rich man's tax" largely because it applied to only 1 percent of Americans. How long ago that seems today. Over the decades, tax regulations, like the specialist lawyers and accountants who interpret them, have spread like crab grass in August. ...

Dan Niswonger remembers the day of his accident -- Saturday, April 2 -- as a beautiful, clear but coolish day. He was working traffic control for a 5K run near the Show Me Center on his motorcycle. The race was about two-thirds completed, and he was returning to the lead to make sure the winners would not be impeded by traffic problems...

It has been more than eight months since Cape Girardeau police officer Dan Niswonger was seriously injured on his motorcycle. While working traffic control during a 5K run on Sprigg Street April 2, he collided with a van. Both he and his motorcycle went flying. His pelvic bone was shattered in 18 places, his right hip socket was broken five times. His backside was torn to pieces. The list of injuries was extensive...

The Missouri Department of Health has published its second annual Buyer's Guide, which compiles charges for 50 outpatient procedures offered at area hospitals and surgical centers. But local hospital administrators warn that the guide shouldn't be the final word in consumer's crucial health-care choices...

Gov. Mel Carnahan announced Monday that Dexter will be the site for the regional office of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The site was chosen by Department Director Joe Driskill. During his campaign in 1992, the governor promised to establish regional offices to make state services more accessible to local economic development organizations around the state...

Southeast Missouri State seniors have taken steps outside the classroom to strengthen their chances of landing a job after graduation. Michelle Herter, who will graduate Saturday with a mass communications degree, spent last summer as a public relations intern with Arista Records in Nashville...

America is suffering from absolutely appalling penmanship. "Cost of Awful Handwriting Set At $200 Million a Year," a recent newspaper headline blared. I've always had bad handwriting, but I never realized until now that my personal scribbles were part of a national problem...

Monday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Public hearings Request of Charles L. Hutson Trust to rezone 120 and 122 S. Spanish from R-4, multiple family residential, to C-3, central business district. No opposition Amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow bed and breakfast inns or hostels in R-3, two-family residential districts, with a special-use permit. No opposition...

Mrs. N lives alone and relies heavily on the companionship of her dog Nicky. When she is not spending time with Nicky, Mrs. N likes to read her Bible. She suffers from diabetes and hypertension, and has trouble reading small print. She lives in a small, rented house and pays her bills from Social Security checks and Medicaid...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Dr. Dorothy Munch, a physician at Poplar Bluff Family Medicine, has been appointed to the Board of Governors of Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville. Munch, 35, has a bachelor's degree in biology from Northeast and a medical degree from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine...

The Boy Scouts last week provided Toybox with a much-needed boost: approximately 30 toys. Cape Girardeau Jaycees co-chairman Jackie Ahrens said the gesture of goodwill should make her job a lot easier. "Any time you can get something organized and turned in this early, it just makes our job of filling orders that much easier," Ahrens said...

Even the clouded future of Cape Girardeau Regional Airport's traffic-control tower couldn't dampen the spirits of Greg Chenoweth. On Monday, Chenoweth, 38, began his new job as the city's airport manager while still handling some last-minute business from his former job as manager of the Hutchins, Kan., airport...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- George Andrew Glen "Charlie Brown" Helman, 17, of Villa Ridge, died in an automobile accident Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, east of Pulaski. He was born Sept. 9, 1977, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., son of Paul L. and Debbie Berry Helman. Helman was a senior at Meridian High School in Mounds and was also attending Shawnee Junior College in Ullin. He was employed by Helman Farms at Villa Ridge. Helman was a member of Villa Ridge Union Church, and Pulaski Volunteer Fire Department...

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY Marvin G. and Ruth J. Rellergert to Associates Relocation Management Co.; Associates Relocation Management Co. to Ronald Lee and Patsy Sharon Garner; Noel E. and Charlotte M. Cowell to Steven W. and Diana K. Schreiner. Debra J. Lowes to the Debra J. Lowes Trust; Joan E. Whiteside to Dwayne E. Cox and Geannie L. Smith; Gerald E. and Catherine M. Stoverink to Rodney W. Sievers...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Edward M. Swan, Sikeston Route 3, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Charles E. Buck will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Swan, 83, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

SIKESTON -- Mickale Dale Boardman, 35, of Sikeston, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, at his home. He was born April 17, 1959, in Sikeston, son of Dale and Peggy Boardman. He and Debra Hicks Allen were married April 4, 1944, in Sikeston. Boardman was a 1977 graduate of Sikeston High School, and a crane operator with Nucor-Yamato Steel Co. in Blytheville, Ark...

THEBES, Ill. -- Funeral service for Lester "Toad" Cohen of Thebes will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms. The Rev. Billy Don Heady will officiate, with burial in National Cemetery at Mound City. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today, and until service time Wednesday...

PUXICO -- Bazzle Lee Overton, 82, Puxico Route 1, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, at his home. He was born Dec. 27, 1911, at Zalma, son of Richard S. and Lula Jackson Overton. Overton was a retired farmer, and member of Brush Creek Missionary Baptist Church at Arab...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for Eva May Baker of East Prairie will be held at 2 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home. The Rev. Raymond Hannah will officiate, with burial in IOOF Cemetery near Charleston. Baker, 97, died Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, at East Prairie Nursing Home...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Graveside service for Chester Lyman Palmer of McClure will be held at 11 a.m. today at Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Rev. Cy Smith will officiate. Military rites will be conducted by VFW Post 3838, National Guard 1140th Engineer Battalion and 135th Engineer Group...

ADVANCE -- Eva Mae Quinn, 91, of Advance died Monday, Dec. 5, 1994, at the Dexter Convalescent Center in Dexter. Funeral arrangements were incomplete at the Morgan Funeral Home in Advance.

WYATT -- George L. "Billy" Greer, 72, of Wyatt, died Friday, Dec. 2, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 25, 1921, in Tiptonville, Tenn., son of Elvin and Katerine Dunlow Greer. Greer was a retired farmer. He was a member of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, and served on the Deacons Board...

Johnny Lee Smith, 61, 415 William, died Saturday, Dec. 3, 1994, at Heartland Care Rehabilitation Center. He was born Aug. 3, 1933, in Baton Rouge, La., son of Tom and Cindy Smith. He and Geraldine DeBerry were married Aug. 25, 1994, in Cape Girardeau...

ANNA, Ill. -- Thelma Jennings, 82, of Anna, died Monday, Dec. 5, 1994, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. She was born June 18, 1912, in Buncombe, Ill., daughter of Robert and Rosa Prewett Smith. She and Carl Jennings were married Dec. 26, 1935, in Alto Pass. He died Jan. 9, 1985...

ADVANCE -- Robert Elvis "Bobby" Wells, 27, of Brookport, Ill., died Sunday, Dec. 4, 1994, at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah, Ky. Survivors include his mother, Norma Wells of Brookport; his father, Elvis Dewayne Wells of Poplar Bluff; three sisters, Elizabeth McLain of Brookport, Kay Martin of Newton, Iowa, Crystal Crockett of Oklahoma City, Okla.; a brother, Jerry Wells of Centralia; paternal grandparents, Deloris Friend of Ellsinore, Melvin Wells of Poplar Bluff, and maternal grandmother, Lorena Lemons Gleen of Zalma.. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Nacinda Brooke Rundles, 2 months, died Monday, Dec. 5, 1994, at her home in Wickliffe, Ky. She was born Sept. 23, 1994, in Paducah, Ky., daughter of Wesley Rundles and Sherry Smith. Survivors include her parents; two sisters, Felicia Rundles and Tiffany Smith of Wickliffe; a brother, Wesley Rundles Jr. ...

SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City Council endorsed the I-66 project but delayed a decision to financially support it. Councilwoman Brenda Moyers said she supported the project, but it wasn't in the city's budget. She said the city's finance committee will consider how much financial support to give the project and present a recommendation at a later council meeting...

The SEMO District Fair has new officers for 1995. President is Sam Below. Pete Poe is vice president, and Chris Weiss will continue as treasurer. Also elected were Marilyn Schott as secretary and Ed Kaiser as property custodian. The 1995 directors are Steve Engles, Bob James, Gary Kight, Charles Mangels, Glen Birk, Patty Reisenbichler and Fred Higdon, along with the officers...

JACKSON -- Property owners within 185 feet of 417 N. High St. have until Dec. 19 to sign a petition at the Department of Public Works objecting to a special-use permit for that property. Businessman Kenneth Waldron addressed the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday night about his plan to build two warehouses on the property...

Jackson Board of Aldermen Dec. 5, 1994 Action Items Approved placement of street lights at 3024 E. Jackson Blvd. and on the 800 block of August Street. Approved a contract with City Water and Light of Jonesboro, Ark., relative to the purchase of electricity. The Jonesboro organization provides 20 to 40 percent of Jackson's electricity annually...

Southeast Missouri State University will offer three English courses Saturday mornings to give students more options in planning their schedules. English Composition, Rhetoric and Critical Thinking and Varieties of Literature will be offered from 9 to noon...

The Smoke-Free Class of 2000 is sponsoring a letter-writing contest for seventh-grade students. Students are asked to research a tobacco interest and write a letter on that topic requesting action from an elected official. Two winners from Missouri will receive a trip to the Smoke-Free Class of 2000 National Youth Ambassador Forum in Washington, June 10 to 14...

Students can compete High school students can compete for U.S. savings bonds from Duracell. Students in grades 9-12 are asked to invent a battery-powered device. The device can be made at home or as part of a science or industrial arts class project...

"Teens Against Suicide," a 40-minute skit, is about teens and the tremendous pressures put upon them in today's society. The players include Amy, whose divorcing parents take their frustrations out on her. Then there's Jo, an orphan whose emotional troubles and run-ins with the law land her in a juvenile detention center...

Teresa and Richard McGuire's daughter wasn't doing well in school several years ago. They decided to teach her at home. Nan and Scott McDowell were concerned about having their son educated in a Christian environment. They were also worried because their son had allergies and was sick a lot. They, too, decided to teach him at home...

When Delvin G. Meyr was a boy living on his family's farm, he found reading books to be a lot more enjoyable than doing his chores. "It was difficult to find time to read, yet I remember I wanted to read books," Meyr said. So when he got an opportunity to attend college, he took it and became a teacher where he could remain close to books...