Stories from Friday, July 7, 1995

Traffic signals at the I-55 connection with Highway 61-34 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson are being installed. This should help lower the accident rate there, which has made the intersection one of the most dangerous in the area in recent years. Much of the problem has been caused by two factors: One is speed, and the other is confusion. ...

William E. Port of Cape Girardeau was installed as district governor of Rotary District 6090 at the regular meeting of the Cape Girardeau West Rotary Club recently. Past district governor Stone Manes of Jackson and present district governor Everette Wood of Salem participated in the installation...

Flood cleanup, a Regional Youth Council meeting and listening to concerns at a Regional Commerce and Growth Association gathering were all part of the lieutenant governor's daylong tour Thursday of Southeast Missouri. Lt. Gov. Roger Wilson was at Ste. Genevieve, Commerce, Trail of Tears State Park and Cape Girardeau participating in a variety of activities...

The lack of accessibility for disabled people is preventing two arts organizations from negotiating a move into Old St. Vincent's College. The Colonial Cape Girardeau Foundation bought the former Catholic seminary and college in April with plans to turn it into a Civil War museum and cultural center...

In a recent press release from our nation's capital, an environmental activist group attacked the farm program payments which local and state farmer committee members receive. To read what the Environmental Working Group says, one would truly believe that the fox is guarding the hen house. ...

Farm subsidies are a broad, easy-to-hit target. Last week a group calling itself Environmental Working Group issued a report saying that 1,400 U.S. Department of Agriculture employees and members of local committees that oversee federal farm programs in Missouri had received $91.7 million in payments over the past 10 years...

WENTZVILLE -- Jamie Talley was cold and wet and looking for refuge from the rain during the huge party Wednesday that followed his first Grateful Dead concert. Talley, who lives in Cape Girardeau, stood beneath a tent and watched a wooden deck collapse, injuring more than 100 Grateful Dead fans at a campground west of St. Louis. Chaos followed as people tried to remove debris and rescue wounded people...

The lowering of interest rates Thursday by the Federal Reserve is good news but on its own is unlikely to have a significant impact, according to some financially minded people in the region. In an attempt to head off a possible recession, the Fed lowered the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans from 6 percent to 5.75 percent. The reduction is likely to lead to lower bank prime rates that are benchmarks for loans to consumers and businesses...

Vacations are wonderful, and the memories last forever. That's why you decided to keep a diary of this year's trip to the Oregon coast. For your edification and enrichment, here are excerpts: Saturday: Board jet in St. Louis. Sit and sit and sit. Turns out the plane had to wait for a connecting flight from Atlanta. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council shouldn't have any trouble choosing a qualified city manager, but it probably won't be a woman. Mayor Al Spradling III said Thursday there are plenty of qualified candidates who have applied for the job. "There are some very good people there that I would be proud to have as city manager here," he said...

I JUST wonder if the city ever makes people clean their yards or mows their grass. We own property on South Spanish and behind the houses starting from 219 to 223 S. Spanish is a terrible mess. What a shame. People don't care about their property or try to keep the value up. ...

Officials at the Disaster Recovery Assistance Center were somewhat surprised to see only two visitors stop by during the first four hours Thursday. "We thought more people might stop by, but maybe that just means there aren't that many questions about the status of individual claims," said Jack Haley, Federal Emergency Management Agency public information officer...

The Small Business Administration will close its temporary SBA workshop in the Salvation Army building Saturday at 1 p.m. The SBA workshop at 701 Good Hope is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 1 Saturday. The workshop was opened to assist local residents in need of SBA disaster assistance. Since the disaster was declared on June 12 more than $681,000 in disaster loan assistance has been approved for Missouri storm and flood victims...

The Cape Girardeau area Chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Grace United Methodist Church. The meeting will be a party celebrating heritages. Entertainment will be by the Shawnee Trio of McClure, Ill...

SCOTT CITY -- Residents outside city limits are now eligible for fire protection services from the Scott City Fire Department. The Scott City Council approved an ordinance this week allowing residents outside the city to become members of the Fire District. A separate ordinance was approved for non-members, City Clerk Nona Walls said...

Seven families in the Meadowbrook area, 1995 flood victims, want the State Emergency Management Agency to buy their homes. But SEMA state hazard mitigation officer Buck Katt said it takes more than a signed petition to get the job done. "Sometimes people are under the impression that they just need to apply for a buyout and that's it," Katt said after receiving a petition signed by 12 residents of the Meadowbrook area. The families live on Larry Drive and Meadowbrook Drive...

LILBOURN -- Pamela Kay Raidt, 35, of Lilbourn and formerly of Sikeston, died of natural causes Wednesday, July 5, 1995, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born April 20, 1960, at Sikeston, daughter of the late Larry Gene and Imogene Hayden Gady. She married Johnny Bush Raidt on Dec. 31, 1988, at Sikeston...

Prisca "Bobbie" Lottes, 89, formerly of 1414 Dunklin in Cape Girardeau died Thursday at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Funeral service for William J. Whistler Jr., 105 S. Ellis, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The Rev. James Cauglan will officiate. Burial will be in Union Park Cemetery at Chaffee. Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. today...

Graveside service for Helen Louise Spurlock of Dowling Park, Fla., will be held at 10 a.m. today at Lorimier Cemetery. The Rev. James Caughlan will officiate. There is no visitation. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Spurlock, 88, died Monday, July 3, 1995, at Good Samaritan Center in Dowling Park...

Funeral service for Flora J. Davis will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Mitchell Jackson will officiate, with burial in Fairmount Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4-8 p.m. today. Davis, 87, died Wednesday, July 5, 1995, at Jackson Manor in Jackson...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Ray M. Chapman, 71, Cairo Route 1, died Wednesday, July 5, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 2, 1924, at Bird's Point, Mo., son of Albert and Martha Etherton Chapman. Chapman was a member of Mounds Assembly of God Church and Alexander-Pulaski Sportsman Club. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

OAK RIDGE -- Graveside service for Emma E. Wills, formerly of Leadington and Desloge, will be held at 11 a.m. today at Oak Ridge Cemetery. C.Z. Boyer and Son Funeral Home at Desloge is in charge of arrangements. Wills, 96, died Tuesday, July 4, 1995, at Parkland Health Center in Farmington...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Agnes V. Sitter, 83, of Cobden, died Thursday, July 6, 1995, at Union County Hospital in Anna. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Cobden is in charge of arrangements.

CHARLESTON -- Jeremiah Fulton, 64, of Charleston, died Wednesday, July 5, 1995, at Charleston Manor. He was born Sept. 29, 1931, in Hayti, son of Mose and Rosie Hurns Fulton. Fulton was a welder, and served in the U.S. Marines...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for John Scapino of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Ponder Funeral Home. The Rev. Tom Geers will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 5 p.m. Saturday...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Jeremy Scott Fulkerson, infant son of Rodney and Tina Morris Fulkerson of Essex, died at birth Wednesday, July 5, 1995, in Poplar Bluff. Survivors include his parents; a brother, Eric Fulkerson; paternal grandmother, Ruby Fletcher of Lake City, Ark.; maternal grandmother, Mary Lou Conner of Essex, and maternal great-grandmother, Margie Hopkins of Circle City...

PERRYVILLE -- Memorial service for Joseph C. Tiehes will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent's Catholic Church. Burial will be in St. Peter and Paul Cemetery in St. Louis. Miller Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Tiehes, 70, died Saturday, June 10, 1995, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau...

ANNA, Ill. -- Carrie Mowery, 91, of Anna, died Wednesday, July 5, 1995, at Sherman Hospital in Elgin. She was born Oct. 19, 1903, in Union County, daughter of Oliver and Ida Kohler Hileman. She and Howard E. Mowery were married April 4, 1924, in Union County. He died April 15, 1946...

Twin son and daughter to Matthew and Sherrie Troxel of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, Wednesday, May 24, 1995. Kristian Ray was born at 10:15 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces. Kyleigh Shay was born at 10:17 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds 1 ounce. ...

From the 1993 flood sprang a need for the Cape Girardeau Country Club to make plans to give the No. 17 green a facelift and take a hard look at the future. What has transpired since then is a lengthy process to acquire land and consider rerouting the front nine holes. "It's been a long haul since the fall of 1993, but we are evaluating all of our options and should know what the plan will be pretty soon," said J. Fred Waltz, former country club president and current board member...