Stories from Tuesday, April 18, 1995

Last year's Tour de Girardot was such a success organizers decided to try the two-day stage race again. It attracted about 150 members of the U.S. Cycling Federation. They stayed in Cape Girardeau motels and ate in local restaurants. Local bike enthusiasts watched the pros and participated in amateur races while merchants benefited...

Happenings along the lower Mississippi River, from St. Louis to New Orleans, have been "rather uneventful" during the past six months, said Brig. Gen. Eugene S. Witherspoon, of Vicksburg, Miss., and president of the Mississippi River Commission. Witherspoon issued his annual "state of the valley" report aboard the Motor Vessel Mississippi V, which was docked on the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau Monday morning...

Cape Girardeau's Historic Preservation Commission may recommend the Hunze Home at 312 Bellevue for local landmark status. The issue will be discussed when the commission meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. The home is situated in an area that was referred to as Lorimier Hill during the Civil War. It was built in 1892 by Capt. Henry Hunze, a Civil War veteran, and was patterned after a German castle...

PERRYVILLE -- A Cape Girardeau County jury awarded a Perry County farmer $275,000 last week for 54 acres of land condemned by the city of Perryville to extend the city's airport runway. But after a protracted 3-year battle with the city, farmer Henry Romann Jr. sees only a loss of valuable farmland that can never be replaced...

A bill making it easier for cities to get land for airport expansion cleared the Missouri Senate last week and is expected to win approval in the House before the end of the session next month. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, was requested by Perryville officials who faced a court challenge to their condemnation of land for airport runway expansion...

SCOTT CITY -- The richest birthday icing Chaundra Mason ever tasted arrived in the form of a thumbs-up sign from organ transplant surgeons at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Chaundra and her husband, Michael of Scott City were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief upon learning the liver transplant their 10-month-old daughter, Summer Nicole, received was a success last Thursday...

Easter is over, but the chocolate horde remains. Our daughter, Becca, loved Easter. Over the weekend, she charged through several Easter egg hunts, which netted enormous quantities of chocolate candy. There were gobs of chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs, which seemed to instantly melt on our 3-year-old's face and clothes...

THIS IS in regard to the lunchroom discipline at Scott City Elementary School. I think parents need to be made aware of what is going on. Ask your kids how many times this year they have been punished because of people talking at their table. Several days each week a whole class has to stand on a line outside on the playground through a whole recess period. ...

A brother and sister were killed Easter Sunday when their car collided head-on with a northbound truck on Highway 25 near Blomeyer. The highway patrol said David C. Farrow, 26, of Cahokia, Ill., and his sister, Susanne Farrow, 15, of Chaffee were killed about 8:35 p.m...

Wanted: City manager who can demonstrate leadership. The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday agreed to place leadership ahead of public relations ability in the job description. At the study session prior to the regular meeting, the council also agreed to advertise for a new city manager in several industry publications and general circulation newspapers...

Children have turned Oakley Street into their private playground, creating havoc for motorists and neighbors alike, two women who reside in the neighborhood told the City Council Monday night. They urged the council to address the problem. Several councilmen said it isn't illegal to play in city streets, making it difficult to address the problem...

Marilyn L. Thorpe, 78, 3120 Independence, died Monday, April 17, 1995, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born July 31, 1916, in Robinson, Ill., daughter of Homer and Lulu M. Parr Lawhead. She and Ralph S. Thorpe were married June 16, 1940, in Robinson...

BERTRAND -- Doyle Lafayette Wicker, 51, of Arlington, Ky., formerly of Bertrand, died Saturday, April 15, 1995, at Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, S.C. He was born Oct. 2, 1943, in Anniston, son of Lafayette and Levgia Mae Reynolds Wicker. He and Linda Coble were married June 24, 1985...

SIKESTON -- William G. "Bill" Jones, 73, of St. Louis, died Sunday, April 16, 1995, at his home. He was born April 11, 1922, at Steele, son of Carless and Anna Mae Clayton Jones. He and Ruby Pauline Cantrell were married Jan. 11, 1945, in St. Louis...

CHAFFEE -- David Christopher Farrow, 26, of Cahokia, Ill., died in an automobile accident Sunday, April 16, 1995, near Blomeyer. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Farrow, Chaffee Route 2. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements...

CHAFFEE -- Susanne Renae Farrow, 15, Chaffee Route 2, died in an automobile accident Sunday, April 16, 1995, near Blomeyer. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David Farrow, Chaffee Route 2. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements...

JACKSON -- Thelma Davis, 87, of Jackson, died Monday, April 17, 1995, at Deal Nursing Home. McCombs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Reuben and Sharon Davidson to Patricia A. Biri; Brenda B. and Jerry W. Ayers to Joe True; Joella M. Ryan et al. to Joann R. Crader. Katherine M. Dodge to Betty J. Francis; Paul L. and Karen L. Schenkelberg to Thomas K. and Lori A. Edmondson; Roscoe O. King by power of attorney to Rose Ann and Wilmer Dean Farmer...

JACKSON -- Marie L. Kasten, 72, of Jackson, died Monday, April 17, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON -- June Emerson, 76, of Sikeston, died Sunday, April 16, 1995, at Colonial Manor. She was born June 1, 1918, at Morley, daughter of William and Maude May Daugherty. She married Joe Emerson, who died May 28, 1953. Emerson was a member of Morley Baptist Church and Morley Chapter Order of Eastern Star...

ZALMA -- Marion Adolph Pittman, 89, of Zalma, died Sunday, April 16, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 24, 1905, at Zalma, son of William Robert and Sciota Arthur Pittman. He and Clara Fish were married Nov. 15, 1956, at Zalma...

STURDIVANT -- Juanita Hendricks, 83, Sturdivant Route 1, died Sunday, April 16, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 8, 1911, at Greenbrier, daughter of W.G. "Bob" and Ada Belle Lloyd Cato. She and W.R. "Russ" Hendricks were married in May 1934, in Illinois. He died Aug. 22, 1984...

JACKSON -- A memorial service for Janice E. Mann of Jackson was held Monday at the family home, with the Rev. Jack Mann officiating. McCombs Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Mann, 53, died Friday, April 14, 1995, at her home. She was born May 1, 1941, in Allen County, Ind., daughter of Virgil and Edna Butler Sherman. She married Paul Mann June 30, 1961, in Platte, Neb...

WASHINGTON -- The clouds were like ribbons across the sky, edged in pink and gold, as more than 3,000 men, women and children sat quietly, excitedly on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was Sunday morn, and it was Easter.When the sun broke above the horizon, voices lifted, "Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens and earth reply, Alleluia!"Those in attendance were black, white and every other color that people come in. ...

From time to time, governmental groups like city councils, school boards and county commissions have closed meetings. The public is barred from these executive sessions. This means that sometimes government is secret, hidden from view. Such meetings are regulated by Missouri's Open Meetings/Open Records Act. For many years strict guidelines have been in place that determine when it is appropriate -- or inappropriate -- for a meeting to be closed to the public...

Monday, April 17 7:30 p.m. Action Items Power & Light Committee Authorized contractual agreement with Coast to Coast Signs for construction~ of "Welcome to Jackson" sign. Accepted $10,391 bid from Ditch Witch Sales Inc. of Sullivan for backhoe for trencher...

Discarded televisions, broken-down couches and refrigerators, and the assorted debris of cardboard boxes, lumber and yard waste cling to Cape Girardeau's curbs. They are everywhere this week, these mini-mountains of junk. Cape Girardeau residents have hauled their trash to the streets for the city's annual spring cleanup...

Teachers looking for positions for fall are invited to Education Career Day April 26 at Southeast Missouri State University. The event, slated for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center, is for all elementary-secondary education majors, entry-level or experienced personnel...

The Cape Girardeau West Rotary Club and the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club combined efforts in a local essay contest with the theme "Be A Friend." The project was intended to encourage young people to think about the importance of friendships in personal and community development. This local effort is part of a contest sponsored by Rotary International. Local winners were recognized with cash awards...

The Mississippi Valley Home Educators will hold a seminar Saturday, April 22. The seminar is called Home Education: Helping Your Children Learn. Candy Summers is the seminar speaker. The seminar will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1820 Cape Rock Drive. It begins at 9 a.m...

Tracy K. Guth and Josh M. Miller of Cape Girardeau have been awarded a Regents' Scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 1995-96 academic year. The Regents' Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who graduate in the top 10 percent of their class and who have achieved an Enhanced ACT score of 27 or SAT score of 1,130. ...

Blake D. Burger of New Hamburg and Amanda C. Webb of Cape Girardeau have been awarded President's Scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 1995-96 academic year. The President's Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who rank at least in the upper 20 percent of their high school class and score 24 on the Enhanced ACT or 1,010 on the SAT. ...

Greg K. Blattner of Cape Girardeau has been awarded a Boy's State Leadership Award, and Jessica L. Gaydos of Cape Girardeau has been awarded a Girl's State Leadership Award to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 1995-96 academic year...

Christie Etherington, a Jackson High School senior, has been awarded the Cape Girardeau County Rotary Club scholarship for 1995. She was selected for the award based on her academic achievement, school activities and volunteer service to the community...

Derek Fenwick has been selected as one of about 350 students from Missouri invited to attend the 1995 Missouri Scholars Academy held on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia, June 11 through July 1. Fenwick currently is a sophomore at Notre Dame High School...

Awards winners at the 1995 Foreign Language Fair held April 8 at Southeast Missouri State University have been announced by the University's Department of Foreign Language. More than 400 students studying foreign languages at 14 high schools and junior high schools in the region had the opportunity to test their skills at the event. Students competed in a number of events in French, Spanish and German...

Ninety students were inducted into the Southeast Missouri State University chapter of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society for freshmen in a ceremony March 26 in the University Center. The students inducted at the ceremony had attained a grade-point average of 3.5 on a four-point scale during their first semester at Southeast...

Judy Holshouser, a counselor for guidance and placement at the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School, talked with high school junior Garrick Dockery about his resume showing his interest in electronics. Paul Albertin, left, seventh-grade teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau, discussed some of the day's activities with Robert Hartmann, school principal, who has been selected as administrator of the year by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce...

ORAN -- When a fourth-grade student challenged Diana Siebert to a foot race on the playground, the youngster expected an easy win. Siebert tried to beg off with excuses about wearing a dress and high heeled shoes, but the student's persistence paid off. Siebert and the youngster sprinted across the pavement with students cheering...