Stories from Thursday, February 9, 1995

Buddy Anderson performs at Bessie's Restaurant & Smorgasbord at 3524 William St. Vi Keys plays dinner music at the Holiday Inn at *-55 and William Street. Some musicians play music to listen to, some play music to dance to. Jean Pierre, Vi Keys and Buddy Anderson play music to eat to...

A few years ago, a great-aunt of Cape Girardeau housewife, mother and sometime free-lance artist Desiree Palmer asked her to read a children's story she'd written. The aunt asked her to draw some sketches of the central characters -- freckled twin boys and their pet turkey...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Several Sikeston officials told members of a Missouri Senate committee Wednesday they needed authority to impose a sales tax for public safety because of serious crime problems. Police Capt. Bob Gee said revenues from the sales tax would put more officers on the streets. He said the additional officers are needed, because Sikeston is "being overwhelmed with violence...

Fifty-five sex offenders have registered with sheriff's departments in Cape Girardeau and surrounding counties under a new Missouri law that gives authorities an instant suspect list for future crimes. Twenty-six have registered in Cape Girardeau County, 19 in Scott County, seven in Bollinger County and five in Perry County...

The memory of the hazing death of Southeast Missouri State student Michael Davis ignited deep-rooted emotions, eloquent tributes and the reminder of harsh consequences during a memorial ceremony at Rose Theater Wednesday. Tamara Zellars, who dreamed of teaming up with Davis as co-editor of the student newspaper, the Capaha Arrow, fought back tears as she delivered a moving speech about the loss of a former co-worker and friend who was killed by members of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Feb. ...

BENTON -- Scott County voters will decide two sales tax issues for law enforcement funding on the April 4 ballot. The first measure would impose a countywide quarter-cent sales tax for county law enforcement services. The tax would amount to 25 cents on a $100 purchase...

Cape Girardeau plans to tell voters what projects would be funded with a transportation sales tax and in what order they would be done. Mayor Al Spradling III and City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said Wednesday public input will be sought in deciding which road and bridge projects would be funded with the tax...

Missouri's new sex offenders law provides a way to identify potential suspects in future crimes, area law enforcement officials say. Sex offenders must register with police and sheriff's departments. "Right off the bat, you have an instant suspect list," Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said...

Feb. 9, 1995 Dear Julie, The first snow of the winter arrived this week, welcome as a baby at a family reunion. Even my dad, who doesn't wish for much, wanted a snow. Just one to make things right. Lots of accidents occurred, of course. Spring, summer and fall create an annual amnesia about driving in the snow. Or maybe it's just the adult glee of sledding on four wheels...

I READ in last week's Southeast Missourian that there was some talk going on about changing the paddling laws as far as the children in the schools are concerned, and I think it is a great idea. I think that we should be teaching our children to solve their problems and to mediate and to talk about things rather than forcing ourselves on them...

BLOOMFIELD -- Graveside service for Oma Jane Ham of Bloomfield will be held at 3 p.m. today at Walker Cemetery, with Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Dexter in charge of arrangements. Ham, 87, died Monday, Feb. 6, 1995, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born Dec. 15, 1907, in Fifty-Six, Ark., daughter of Isaac Z. and Tennessee Qualls Southard. She and Robert E. Ham were married in 1927. He died Aug. 18, 1964...

DEXTER -- Mary Ellen Hedrick, 91, of Dexter, died Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1995, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born April 27, 1903, in Vincennes, Ind., daughter of George Wesley and Laura Essie Warner Faith. She and Raymond Alton Hedrick were married Nov. 24, 1925. He died Dec. 12, 1984...

Daughter to Don and Robin McQuay of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:53 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, 1995. Name, Kaitlyn Rose. Weight, 7 pounds. Second daughter. Mrs. McQuay is the former Robin Meier, daughter of H. Roy and Betty Meier of Jackson. She is employed by Cape County Lawn Service Inc. McQuay is owner of Cape County Lawn Service and Construction. He is the son of Melba and Glenn Steinbach of Farmington and Donald R. and Margaret Ann McQuay of Friedheim...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Darrell Acuff, 67, of Dongola, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at his home. He was born July 16, 1927, in Dongola, son of Dock W. and Lucricia Ann West Acuff. He and Betsy Jo Dillow were married Feb. 9, 1950. Acuff was a member of First Baptist Church of Dongola...

MARBLE HILL -- Aldon Lester Shell, 42, of Ferguson, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at Christian Northeast Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Oct. 28, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, son of Alva L. and Wilma Long Shell. He and Linda C. Boyd were married Feb. 14, 1993...

ANNA, Ill. -- William F. "Bill" Plott, 59, of Anna, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at his home. He was born Dec. 26, 1935, in Dixon, son of Lee and Carrie Foster Plott. He and Joan Barringer were married May 14, 1955, near Anna. Plott had been a truck driver with Colonial Bread Co., and was currently a fishing guide at Kentucky Lake. He was a member of Big Creek Baptist Church, Anna Masonic Lodge 520 AF&AM, and the Scottish Rite Bodies Valley of Southern Illinois...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Opal Mae Atkins of Chaffee will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The Rev. Joe Payne will officiate, with burial in Union Park Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. today...

SIKESTON -- Herbert "Bud" Brown, 57, Sikeston Route 3, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born March 9, 1937, in Charleston, son of Wesley and Mary Baker Brown. Brown was a retired carpenter. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy...

SIKESTON -- Ersie "Mary" Clark, 91, of Sikeston, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Jan. 7, 1904, in Hardin, Ky., daughter of Alonzo and Betty Putman Hunt. She and Roy Clark were married Feb. 10, 1931. He died Jan. 16, 1977...

KBSI-TV's transmitter caused the station to go off the air for 10 hours Monday and one on Tuesday, but the problems should be fixed soon, the station's general manager, Steve Engles, said. About 450 gallons of water run through the transmitter to keep it cool. Early Monday morning, a crack developed in the cooling system, allowing water to fall on the electrical system...

DEXTER -- Rubye Daniel, 78, of Dexter, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born Sept. 26, 1916, near Murray, Ky., daughter of Perry Delmar and Bessie Lee Hendrick Daniel. Daniel was a retired union representative with Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. She was a member of First Baptist Church...

ESSEX -- Dorothy Lucille Robertson, 60, of Essex, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff. She was born May 26, 1934, in Carlinville, Ill., daughter of Walter and Evelyn Eppinger Seamen. She and Robert Preston were married Sept. 8, 1950, in Carlinville. He died Dec. 10, 1974. She married Melvin Robertson in 1983 at Essex. He died in December 1990...

DEXTER -- Bert Sitz, 85, of Dexter, died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1995, at Crowley Ridge Nursing Center. He was born Sept. 4, 1909, near Dexter, son of James Earnest and Grace Land Sitz. He and Margaret Patterson were married March 14, 1936, at Essex. Sitz moved to Fulton, Ky., in 1979 and then moved back to Dexter in 1990. He was a retired farmer, and was assessor of Richland Township four years. He was a former member of IOOF Lodge at Essex...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Martha Alma Sweet, 90, of Fontana, Calif., formerly of East Prairie, died Saturday, Feb. 4, 1995, at her home. She was born Aug. 26, 1904, in Samath, Ill., daughter of Joseph Henry and Martha Jane Johnston Chunn. She and Henry Lester Sweet were married Aug. 7, 1921. He died June 2, 1959...

SCOTT CITY -- Raymond E. Dover, 79, of Scott City died at 6 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, 1995. Arrangements were incomplete at Amick Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

In last Sunday's column, I described a grass-roots uprising of Missourians for Academic Excellence, a group concerned about radical, state-imposed changes being forced on our public schools. Everything MAE is reacting against was set in train by the 1993 passage of Senate Bill 380, Gov. Mel Carnahan's tax-and-reform package for education...

EMERSON ON WELFARE: I believe it is essential to carefully define what is considered to be welfare and which programs should be integrated with one another as we consider reform of the present debilitating system now in place. There are programs that provide public assistance directly to individual families through cash benefits or food coupons; programs providing work or training to get able-bodied people to work; programs that provide meals in schools and other institutional settings; programs that provide distribution of commodities to hungry people; and, programs linking health and food. ...

To the editor: Some say that lawyers thrive on misery. Others say that lawyers flourish upon the misfortunes of others. If this be true, then indeed the lawyers will be in a blissful state tonight after they are handily defeated for the second straight year by the out-of-shape but more focused and dedicated doctors in the basketball game for the benefit of the Community Counseling Center Foundation. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Central High School gym...

The seventh annual awards banquet of the Regional Commerce and Growth Association will be tonight at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau. Marjorie Beenders, director of the Missouri Division of Tourism, will be featured speaker. The social hour begins at 6 and dinner will be served at 7. The cost is $22 per person...

Irish folk musicians Bernie and Barbara McDonald will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday in Academic Auditorium. The McDonalds live in Missouri but both have performed extensively with Irish musicians, both in the United States and abroad. Barbara, a former member of the Dayhills Irish Band, teaches flute in the St. Louis Irish Arts Program. Bernie, a guitarist, is a former member of the Irish music group Bowhand...

Louisa Panou-Takahashi and James Sifferman, faculty members at Southeast Missouri State University, will give a joint recital Thursday, Feb. 16, at Old St. Vincent's Church. Panou-Takahashi, an assistant professor of voice at the university and artistic director of the Operafestival di Roma, will perform songs by Schubert, Ravel and Rodrigo...