Stories from Tuesday, April 4, 1995

Cape Girardeau Board of Education President Ed Thompson says extending Superintendent Neyland Clark's contract for one year is "in the best interests of the school district." Thompson Monday released a four-paragraph statement concerning Friday's assessment of Clark's work over the past year. At Friday's closed meeting the board voted 4-2 to extend Clark's contract for one year. He now has a three-year contract with the school district...

Candidates for Cape Girardeau's school board say the decision to extend Superintendent Neyland Clark's contract can be seen as a "slap in the face" to the community. Two new members will be elected today. Seeking the three year terms are Larry Trickey, R. Ferrell Ervin, Terry Taylor and Harold Hager...

Cape Girardeau Assistant City Manager Doug Leslie says he won't seek the job of city manager. Leslie informed the council of his decision Monday even as council members appeared divided over how best to conduct a search to replace retiring City Manager J. Ronald Fischer...

The O.J. Simpson trial may be the trial of the century. At this rate, it could certainly last that long. Not only is this trial long, it even has its own commercial breaks. This trial is televised and retelevised. You can watch it live during the day and see much of the testimony repeated on the highlight reels that evening...

WILLIAM J. Bennett, in his book, the bestselling "Book of Virtues," and Newt Gingrich, the speaker of U.S. House of Representatives, are giving Americans hope by urging them to act on their moral and religious convictions instead of relying on the government. ...

A Patton man continues to be treated at a Cape Girardeau hospital following a fatal crash Sunday night on Highway 72 west of Millersville. Terry Conrad, 44, of Patton was listed in good condition Monday at St. Francis Medical Center. Conrad suffered severe injuries as an unrestrained occupant of a full-size pickup truck...

Julius Erlbacher, 76, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, April 3, 1995, at Heartland Care and Rehab Center. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON -- David Phillips, 34, of Sikeston died Monday, April 3, 1995, at his residence following an extended illness. He was born Jan. 4, 1961, the son of Gene Phillips and Jackie Chism Ukman in Sikeston. Phillips married Frannie Campbell Sept. 6, 1980, in Sikeston. She survives...

PUXICO -- Graveside service for Sue Eaton, Puxico Route 1, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Hagy Cemetery in Dexter, with the Rev. Jimmy Kirby officiating. Friends may call at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter after 10 a.m. Eaton, 61, died Saturday, April 1, 1995, in Puxico...

Agenda Monday, 7:30 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Public Hearings Request to vacate the city's interest in Minnesota Avenue right of way between Shawnee Park and Southern Expressway. Request of West Side Church of God for a special use permit for a church sign at 2222 Bloomfield Road...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Meda Mathis, 98, of Waltonville, died Sunday, April 2, 1995, at Jeffersonian Care Center in Mt. Vernon. She was born Nov. 4, 1896, in Reynoldsville, daughter of George and Susan Knupp Rhymer. She married Eugene Lee Gifford in 1916, who died Jan. 5, 1922. She later married George P. Mathis June 23, 1925. He died Sept. 22, 1975...

SIKESTON -- Lola Fay Greer Miller, 80, of Sikeston, died Monday, April 3, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 8, 1914, in Salcedo, daughter of Sherman R. and Verbal E. Lands Turley. She and Emlus Greer were married May 13, 1933, at Canalou. He died Sept. 25, 1965. She later married Rulin L. "Bud" Miller March 15, 1970, in New Madrid County...

JACKSON -- Clara Kaminskey, 93, of Jackson, died Monday, April 3, 1995, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 21, 1901, in Lixville, daughter of William F. and Wilhelmina Puntnann Deimund. She and Alvin Kaminskey were married June 9, 1923. He died March 25, 1965...

PERRYVILLE -- Patsy Jo Rose, 56, of Perryville, died Sunday, April 2, 1995, at Fredericktown. She was born March 10, 1939, in Muskogee, Okla., daughter of Herschel and Eunis Williams Duggan. She and Dewan D. Rose Sr. were married March 15, 1957. Rose was a substitute teacher at Perryville High School. She was a member of United Methodist Church and its women's group...

ANNA, Ill. -- Cecil L. Drum, 77, of Washington, Ill., formerly of Anna, died Saturday, April 1, 1995, at Washington Christian Village Nursing Home. He was born July 5, 1917, in Neelys Landing, Mo., son of Clark and Stella Whiteside Drum. He married Eloise Smith Nov. 5, 1946, in Anna. She preceded him in death Nov. 1, 1983...

ANNA, Ill. Funeral service for Rena Corzine of Anna will be held at 11 a.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Larry Shacklee will officiate, with burial in Dongola American Legion Cemetery. Corzine, 85, died Sunday, April 2, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Ralph David McGowen, 73, of Cobden, died Monday, April 3, 1995, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Sept. 3, 1921, in Bernie, son of Thomas Wiley and Bertha Jackson McGowen. He and Mary Ruth Miles were married Oct. 7, 1969, in Mounds...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Marvin A. Holder, 87, of Olive Branch, died Monday, April 3, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 27, 1907, in Harrison, Ark., son of Perry and Florence Smythe Holder Sr. He and Ruth Haws were married Oct. 15, 1983...

Donnie Wayne Grubb Jr., 22, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, April 2, 1995, in a car accident on Highway 72 one mile west of Millersville. He was born July 31, 1972, in Cape Girardeau, son of Donnie W. and Brenda Wehmeyer Grubb Sr. Grubb was a carpenter with Moutell Construction Co. He attended Point Pleasant General Baptist Church...

PATTON -- Annie E. Masters, 97, of Farmington, died Sunday, April 2, 1995, at Parkland Community Hospital in Farmington. She was born Oct. 4, 1897, in the Mayfield community near Patton, daughter of Frederick J. and Polly A. Bollinger Mayfield. She and Luther A. Masters were married Sept. 24, 1922. He died Jan. 26, 1979...

LEOPOLD -- Ethel A. Brands, 58, of Troy, died Saturday, April 1, 1995, in Troy. She was born Aug. 15, 1936, at Leopold, daughter of William H. and LaSettia L. Brauer Brands. Survivors include a brother, Edward Brands of Farmington; six sisters, Alma Sites and Dorothy Murphy of St. Louis, Irene Phelps of state of California, Martha Peters of Marble Hill, Emma VanGennip of St. Charles, and Marie Collinson of Troy...

To the Editor: Last Friday evening we had dinner at Pagliai's Restaurant on Broadway. As in the past, the service and food were excellent. It's a nice friendly place to go and have some Italian food. To our dismay upon leaving, we discovered we had a flat tire. Due to some physical limitations, we were temporarily at a loss, but not for long. It didn't take long for the staff at Pagliai's to chip right in and change our tire for us, even while they were busy with a Friday evening dinner rush...

Fund raising can be a difficult task because there are so many groups out there with hands extended. But backers of the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center have seen donations grow dramatically since 1991. The center's advisory council raised a phenomenal $400,000 for capital improvements this year. That compares to $30,000 raised in 1991...

The U.S. Postal Service often takes a beating from customers, especially when rates rise. But to its credit, the Postal Service seems to be taking complaints seriously and is working to improve on-time mail delivery. A recent review in Southeast Missouri showed that on-time delivery surpassed the national on-time rate of 85 percent. ...

To the Editor: Your March 22 page 12A article on the University's farm transferring from primarily dairy to an all-beef enterprise leaves me with many questions. I'll ask only a few. If risk was a major factor, as stated, and if the state is number two in beef AND HAY (emphasis mine), why was hay production not chosen? That seems a safe risk. It incorporates the university's soil science, agronomy, plant science, and field crops on which animal science relates...

JACKSON -- Rick Bangert of Bangert Ford Tractor Sales told the Jackson Board of Aldermen Monday they would be wasting taxpayers' money if they accepted a backhoe bid from Fabick Equipment Co. in Sikeston as planned. Earlier, the board reviewed bids from Fabick, Bangert and other area dealers. Delbert Mouser, fleet maintenance foreman for the city, recommended they accept Fabick's bid of $51,207, even though it was second highest...

Vision 2000 has scheduled a dozen hearings and a town hall meeting to get public input on Cape Girardeau's transportation needs and how to fund them. City Councilman Melvin Gateley, an active member of the Vision 2000 civic group, announced the schedule at Monday night's council meeting...

Cape Girardeau Public Library is celebrating National Library Week by sponsoring Night of a Thousand Stars April 12 at 7 p.m. in the Hirsch Room of the library. Susanna Baylon and Mary-Anne Maloney of KFVS-TV will read picture books for children. Children are encouraged to attend the bedtime storytime in their pajamas and take their favorite stuffed friend. All ages are welcome...

The Scott City School Band received a No. 1 rating in the recent Missouri State High School Activity Association State and District Band Contest. It is the first time since 1982 that the band has received the top rating. Several students received district awards for musical performance. Getting no. 1 ratings were Army Arnold, clarinet solo; Jeremy Smith, alto sax solo; and Christy Shaw, vocal solo...

More than 700 applications have been picked up for a model search being conducted at Children's Bazaar of Cape Girardeau. The deadline to turn in applications is April 10. A photo shoot for a national back-to-school catalog is planned for May. Up to 40 models, 12 and younger, will be selected for the Children's Apparel Service of Dallas catalog...

The history of World War II in Europe will be the topic of an international study tour May 8-20 sponsored by the Senior Learning Program at Southeast Missouri State University. The tour coincides with the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. Dr. Frank Nickell, Southeast associate professor of history, will accompany the group...

Nichole M. Buehrle of Cape Girardeau has been awarded a Regents Scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University in the fall. The scholarship is awarded high-school seniors who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class and who have achieved an ACT score of 27 or SAT score of 1130...

Amy Debrock of Chaffee has been awarded a President's Scholarship and a Missouri Leadership Award to attend Southeast Missouri State University in the fall. Amanda Whipple, Angela Suhre and Jason Grebe, all of Cape Girardeau, and Tashia Beck of Chaffee have been awarded President's scholarships...

The top-three places for each grade participating in the 1995 poster contest sponsored by the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District were: -- Fifth, Danna Simpson, Deanna Shipman and David Banks, all of Scott County Central near Morley. -- Sixth, Gini Childers, Scott County Central; Jonathan Keenan, Sikeston Middle School; and Jamie Stanley, Oran Elementary...

Bryan Burger, a senior at Scott City High School, has been awarded a scholarship to the College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout. Burger received the scholarship based on his academic performance, leadership, and extra-curricular activities. Burger, who plans to major in agricultural technology, is the son of Mike and Judy Burger of Scott City...

Kelly Elementary School will host a Scholastic Book Fair Monday Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special evening hours will be held on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The reading event features the newest titles from more than 70 publishers and presents students, parents and teachers an opportunity to see the latest works by popular authors and illustrators of books for young readers...

Left, Amanda York, a student at the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School, wrote shorthand as her teacher, Barbara Lohr, dictated the lesson. Shorthand drops various letters of the alphabet in the interest of speed. To the unpracticed eye, a page of Gregg shorthand looks like nothing more than illegible scribbles...

OAK RIDGE -- When Marylou McNair decided to become a teacher, she was just following in the footsteps of her mother, aunts, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Her family has included teachers for the last 140 years. McNair teaches home economics and junior-high science at Oak Ridge High School. She has taught at Oak Ridge for 14 years...