Stories from Friday, July 14, 1995

SIKESTON -- Peggy LaFont, 77, of Sikeston, died Tuesday, July 11, 1995, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Oct. 10, 1917, in Clarkton, daughter of Edward and Stella Clem Freeman. She and Gerald LaFont were married Nov. 15, 1944. The couple owned and operated LaFont Grocery Store many years. She was a member of First Baptist Church and its choir, and Order of Eastern Star...

Meanwhile, across the state in St. Louis, school officials can see the handwriting on the wall. That city's desegregation case also may be winding down. U.S. District Judge George F. Gunn Jr. has scheduled a hearing for next February. He wants to hear from the state, the St. Louis school board and other interested parties about recommendations that could lead to the end of the court-ordered, 15-year-old desegregation plan...

First, the good news: An agreement between Missouri officials and the Kansas City School District will likely reduce the state's court-ordered desegregation payments by $80 million in the coming school year. This is the result of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month...

BENTON -- Scott County citizens had a chance to air their grievances about tax assessments Thursday. The Scott County Board of Equalization met to discuss questions about alleged unfair tax assessments. Board members included the county commissioners, county assessor, surveyor and clerk...

Eight recipients of scholarships were announced by The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A.M. and the Harmony Grand Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star during the groups' scholarship awards banquet this week. "These are four-year scholarships to the universities and colleges of the recipients' choice," said George C. Brooks, chairman of the scholarship committee...

Second through 10th graders and their parents are invited to meet an award-winning children's author Saturday in Cape Girardeau. The author, Vicki Grove, is scheduled Saturday at a Zonta Club event held in the second-floor classrooms of the Southeast Missouri Hospital Regional Cancer Center...

An article in the July 7 Southeast Missourian has prompted me to write. I am the mother of two young children. I work and got to college part-time. It's not very often that I take the time to sit down, eat breakfast and read the morning paper. On July 7 I did...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cairo residents may be in a medical bind without the benefit of an ambulance service in the city. Cairo Independent Ambulance Service shut down its operation at 8 a.m. Thursday. The service's eight employees are now looking for other jobs...

MORLEY -- William Robert Dozier, 83, of Morley, died Wednesday, July 12, 1995, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. He was born Oct. 3, 1911, at Diehlstadt, son of Charles and Minnie Hampton. He and Marie H. Brien were married Sept. 2, 1962, at Union. Dozier was a warehouse foreman at International Shoe Co. in Washington, Mo. He moved to Morley 19 years ago from Washington...

SCOTT CITY -- Roy Wesley Brant, 50, of Scott City, died Thursday, July 13, 1995, at his home. He was born July 14, 1944, at Fornfelt, son of Woodson and Idalene Payne Brant. He and Mary Francis Kuehn were married Oct. 1, 1961, at Scott City. Brant was a truck driver with Potashnick...

PUXICO -- Funeral service for Oma P. Habada will be held at 1 p.m. today at Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. The Rev. Wiley McGhee will officiate, with burial in Rock Point Cemetery at Swinton. Habada, 91, died Wednesday, July 12, 1995, at Advance Nursing Center in Advance...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Robert Eugene Edwards of Montgomery City will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Schlanker Funeral Home in Montgomery City. The Rev. Edward Spencer will officiate, with burial in Montgomery City Cemetery. Edwards, 58, died Wednesday, July 12, 1995, at Columbia Regional Hospital in Columbia...

Clyde McMillan, 59, 1023 S. Kingshighway, died Wednesday, July 12, 1995, in Houston, Texas. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JACKSON -- Howard Bretz, 78, of Jackson, died Thursday, July 13, 1995, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

Son to Michael and Michelle Halter, 1226 N. Spanish, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:54 p.m. Thursday, May 18, 1995. Name, Nathaniel Paul. Weight, 9 pounds 13 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Halter is the former Michelle Renfro, daughter of Bayne and Wanda Renfro of Cape Girardeau. She is a secretary at Southeast Hospital. Halter is a zone leader at Wolohan Lumber. He is the son of Hubert and Virginia Halter of Biehle...

SCOTT CITY -- Lady Luck took a giant step toward a Scott City riverboat casino, hotel and entertainment center Thursday. The Las Vegas-based gambling corporation filed its application to locate its $65.3 million family-oriented development in the Diversion Channel, which empties into the Mississippi River...

The Transportation Trust Committee is official now. James Wente, Southeast Missouri Hospital administrator, was named chairman of the new committee during an organizational meeting Thursday morning. The new citizen committee is comprised of business leaders who will work to promote the transportation sales tax proposal on the Aug. 8 ballot...

SCOTT CITY -- On a dusty gravel road, Scott City officials handed out the first keys to the city and broke ground for an industrial site improvement project Thursday. About 25 people attended the ceremony near the intersection of Havco Road and East Outer Road Drive at the Scott City Industrial Park...

While meteorologists chat about high pressure areas, cool fronts and heat indexes, the non-experts know only one thing. It's hot. Really hot. Experts with the National Weather Service in Paducah predict Southeast Missouri residents won't get any relief from the heat until Sunday or Monday, when thunderstorms may move into the area...

If anyone was thinking about becoming a vegetarian, mid-July in Missouri would be a good time to start. Gardens are reaching their peaks. Roadside stands are popping up with fresh goodies at a reasonable price. The country probably already has enough laws and regulations to last for eternity. ...

DON'T FORGET Linda Godwin from Oak Ridge. She should be on the wall. I WAS reading Sunday's paper about the parents whose children had been killed by drunk drivers. I recognized one parent whose daughter was killed by a drunk driver who served a very short time in the penitentiary. He has gotten another DWI in the last few weeks. Evidently he didn't learn too much in the penitentiary. I was wondering if there isn't any type of severe penalty for these second offenders in matters like this...

A program called "Creatures of the Night" will reveal the dark side of Trail of Tears State Park Saturday. The one-hour program will begin at 9 p.m. at Sheppard's Point trailhead. Participants are asked to wear good walking shoes and bug repellent and to bring a flashlight...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Oasis Society will conduct a benefit for the Red Cross at 10 a.m. July 22. There will be a volleyball tournament with a $50 entry fee per team. Also, the bands Cringing Chickens, Matt Pittman Jazz Trio, Classified and others will play...

ASSA Asphalt will be repairing a portion of Independence Street near Kingshighway early this morning. There should be short delays, but flagmen will direct traffic around the construction area. The work is needed to correct an area that settled during construction of channel improvements on the west-end flood-control project...

A Baby Boomer Dance will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday at the A.C. Brase Arena Building. Music of the '50s, '60s and '70s will be provided by the Infinity Sound System. Admission is $3 for those 21 and older. On Sunday, a concert featuring the band Little Rock will be presented at the Capaha Park Band Shell...

As a longtime psychotherapist, Shelby Kneer was used to dealing with victims of domestic violence. But even dealing with her female clients wasn't enough to prepare her for the shocking statistics revealed at a recent summit on the subject. Zonta International sponsored the meeting in Tyson's Corner, Va., just outside Washington, and invited law enforcement officials, therapists, legislators, doctors and others to brainstorm about how to end abuse of women...