Stories from Tuesday, December 5, 1995

After Gerald Jones missed the Cape County Park entrance one night last December, he knew it was time for better lighting. "I was taking my mother-in-law to see the lights and slid right past it," the now-presiding commissioner of the county said. "I couldn't see."...

The Community Caring Council will start its asset mapping project by conducting door-to-door surveys Saturday in neighborhoods served by Washington, Jefferson, Franklin and May Greene schools. "There's a small questionnaire of about five or six questions," said Shelba Branscum, chairwoman of the council's Community Partnership Resource Board. ...

Mrs. K has spend the past 20 years caring for her elderly mother. Last month, her mother entered a nursing home because Mrs. K no longer was able to care for her. She can barely care for herself. Mrs. K is feeling particularly lonely this Christmas. In the past she has decorated her home to cheer up her mother. Now she doesn't see the point. Mrs. K could use a holiday morale boost...

City Councilman Melvin Gateley wants the city to establish a board of governors to look at funding public-private partnerships such as the one proposed for Old St. Vincent's Seminary. The Cape Girardeau City Council tabled the matter Monday night over the objections of Gateley, who said the city needs to formulate a strategy to fund a wide range of economic development projects...

Cape Girardeau public schools Superintendent Neyland Clark plans to stay on the job for another 2 1/2 years. He made the announcement Monday by submitting his resignation, effective June 30, 1998, at the end of his current contract with the school district...

Cape Girardeau voters will decide April 2 on a dozen proposed changes to the city charter, including creation of an ethics commission. A simple majority is needed to amend the city's governing document. Each of the amendments will be voted on separately...

Christmas should be a time of celebration with family and friends. But for families who have suffered financial or health setbacks, the stress and expense of Christmas is just another burden. Donors to the 1995 Toy Box toy drive, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian, can help ease that burden...

The Cape Girardeau City Council Monday night approved a 3 percent hike in water rates, effective Jan. 1. Councilman Melvin Gateley tried to reduce the rate hike to 2 percent, arguing that the city should consider tightening its financial belt. But the council defeated Gateley's motion on a 4-2 vote. Councilman Richard Eggimann sided with Gateley...

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, do I have to decorate you? Of course you do, particularly when you have promised your 3-year-old daughter that she can help decorate the evergreen you chopped down and stashed in a corner of the living room. "It will be one of those father-daughter things," my wife said, offering encouragement...

WE ARE fifth grade students in Mr. Frazier's class at Nell Holcomb School in Cape Girardeau. We read the Southeast Missourian daily. We are writing to you because we took a survey regarding the new Weather Art in place of the Weather Pet. The results were that 100 percent of our class prefer the Weather Pet over the Weather Art. ...

Shirley Ann Seib, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Aug. 27, 1922. She and Norman B. Seib were married May 21, 1942, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death May 17, 1994. Seib was previously employed at St. Francis. She was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church...

COBDEN, Ill. -- A Union County resident died Monday as the result of a house fire. Jerry Sanders, 48, of Cobden, was pronounced dead on arrival at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. at 9:26 a.m. Monday. He died as a result of smoke inhalation, the Union County coroner said...

Robert E. Ramsey, 66, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at his home. He was born Jan. 2, 1929, in Cape Girardeau, son of Benjamin Edward and Gussie Mae Rash Ramsey. He and Dorothy Borchelt were married Oct. 5, 1947, in Piggott, Ark. Ramsey was an electrician 47 years with IBEW Local 1, retiring in 1991. He was a member and past master of St. Mark Masonic Lodge 93 AF&AM, member of Moolah Temple, St. Louis Scottish Rite, and Knight York Cross of Honor...

CHARLESTON -- John Henry Scheffer Jr., 48, of Greensboro, N.C., died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at his home, following an extended illness. He was born Aug. 26, 1947, son of John H. and Rita Scheffer Sr. He and Deborah Barr were married June 14, 1969. Scheffer graduated from St. Henry High School in 1965, and served in the U.S. Air Force. He moved to Greensboro in the early 1970s and started a high-rise window washing business with three of his brothers...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Jerry Sanders, 48, of Cobden, Ill., died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, from a house fire. He was taken to the Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Cobden.

NEW YORK -- Mary Johnson Tweedy, 80, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Dec. 2, 1995, at her home in Manhattan section of New York City. Tweedy, who was born in Cape Girardeau, married Gordon Bradford Tweedy in 1944. He preceded her in death in 1985...

Memorial service for Donald "Bill" Swan of San Jose, Calif., was held Wednesday. Swan, 66, died Tuesday, Nov. 28, 1995, at Kaiser Hospital in Santa Clara, Calif. He was born Dec. 27, 1928, at Seventy-Six, son of Alice Swan Haman. He and June Westgate were married in 1955 in San Jose...

CHARLESTON -- Reubie Huckstep, 88, of Charleston, died Sunday, Dec. 3, 1995, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born July 21, 1907, in Lancaster, Texas, daughter of James and Martha Jane Atteberry Mills. She and John William Huckstep were married July 21, 1929. He died March 30, 1987...

ANNA, Ill. -- Cecil May Davis, 88, of Anna, formerly of Centralia, died Sunday, Dec. 3, 1995, at City Care Center. She was born Aug. 6, 1907, in Jackson County, daughter of William R. and Minnie E. Hanner Land. She and Harry Euel Davis were married March 22, 1928, in Jonesboro. He died Nov. 16, 1969...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Murray V. Bryant, 83, of Cairo, died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at his home. He was born April 27, 1912, in Brookport, Ill., son of Jesse and Nell Wise Bryant. Bryant had been a bartender in several hotels and country clubs before retiring. He was a member of First United Methodist Church and Cairo Elks Lodge 651...

ADVANCE -- Walter Westbrook, 86, of Advance, died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 4, 1909, in Advance, son of James and Rebecca Umfleet Westbrook. He and Lucille Bass were married Dec. 24, 1939...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Angelyn Arminta "Penny" Shell of Marble Hill will be held at 2 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The Rev. Dale Huff will officiate, with burial in Bollinger County Memorial Park. Shell, 77, died Sunday, Dec. 3, 1995, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

BLOOMFIELD -- Wanda McRoy, 68, of Bloomfield, died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 14, 1927, in Pontiac, Mich., daughter of Raymond and Flossie White Gaines. She and Clarence McRoy were married Aug. 28, 1944, in Bloomfield. He died April 7, 1991...

MARBLE HILL -- Nina O. Capps, 91, of Marble Hill died Monday, Dec. 4, 1995 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Baker Funeral Home in Marble Hill.

Route K motorists received an early Christmas present last week. The expansion of the Route K bridge over Interstate 55 opened a week early, much to the delight of motorists and merchants. The early opening was a goal of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department, which wanted all lanes open in time for the holiday shopping season. Some shoulder work remains to be done, and a signal will be added to Siemers Drive in the coming months, but at least all lanes are clear for now...

Senseless. There's no excuse for the recent desecration of the Old Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. Vandals broke into the fenced-in cemetery and overturned or broke more than 120 stones. Some of the stones marked the graves of prominent forefathers including Lucius Cheney, a president of the Old Normal School, and George Lewis, a second cousin of President George Washington...

Each year the University of Missouri's Agricultural Economics Department sponsors an economic policy seminar dealing with current agricultural issues. This year's subject was "The Industrialization of Agriculture: Changes in Structure, Ownership and Control."...

To the editor I am outraged at the killing of the northern Illinois woman and two of her three already-born children, supposedly by a trio bent on "harvesting" her not-yet-born child. My mind cannot conceive a cruel enough punishment to do justice for this crime...

JACKSON -- Reasoning that a small city library is better than none at all, the Jackson Board of Aldermen voted Monday to let the facility move with city offices to the new City Hall. After a tax issue failed for a new, state-of-the-art library building, which would have housed both Jackson Public and Riverside Regional Libraries, Mayor Paul Sander and other officials hinted that closing the public library was a possibility...

The United States Postal Service has introduced a new service called "Stamps by Fax." "The program is an expansion of our Stamps by Mail program," Mike Keefe, postmaster of the Cape Girardeau Post Office. "It's an overnight program." The new program allows customers to fax their stamp orders to the post office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday...

A brief trip to the Cape Girardeau County Administration Building in Jackson today could result in some unexpected cash for those who may be among the nearly half-million Missourians with unclaimed cash and property in the custody of the state. State Treasurer Bob Holden will be in Jackson from 3 to 4:30 p.m. to check people's names on his portable unclaimed property computer. The computer contains the names of all owners of unclaimed property. Anyone can have their name checked...

Central Pool will be open during the public school holiday break. Hours are from 1-8 p.m. Dec. 20-22 and 26-29. The pool will be closed Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. All ages are welcome to come to the pool for activities like water sports and lap swimming...

Fourteen students from 11 communities have received scholarships to Stage One, The Hair School in Cape Girardeau. The beauty school at 904 Broadway is owned by Keith and Susan Koepp. Scholarships, in the amounts of $500, were presented to students from area high schools. ...

The Bethel 51 chapter of the International Order of Job's Daughters in Cape Girardeau has installed its new officers. The elected officers were installed at a semiannual meeting held at the Masonic Temple. Elected officers include Rachel Bettag, honored queen; Sara Criffen, senior princess; Amber Bertrand, junior princess; Veronica Vinyard, guide; and Christine Beardslee, marshal. ...

The City of Roses Chapter of the American Business Women's Association in Cape Girardeau will hold its annual Christmas meeting Thursday. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 318 S. Spanish St. President Ruth Hathaway will report on the national convention where she was presented an award...

Jeremiah D. Johnson of Tamms, Ill., was recently awarded the Regents' Scholarship by Southeast Missouri State University. The scholarship covers full-time fees for up to eight semesters. It is awarded to high school seniors who have earned an Enhanced ACT score of 27 or SAT score of 1,130 and will graduate in the top 10 percent of their class...

The Scott City High School Student Council will hold a roadblock Thursday to collect money for Toybox. The roadblock will be held at the interstate ramps from 7-8 a.m. Donations can be made to the Toybox of Scott City fund at the school, or sent to Scott City Student Council, Scott City High School, 3000 Main St., Scott City, Mo. 63780...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation's Bridge Club met Friday, Nov. 24. Winners were Clara Feldmeter and Vera Trowbridge, first place; Janis Gilbert and Irene Lewis, second place; Tom Wood and Paul Gilbert, third place. The club meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Friday of each month at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The club is free to the public but anyone interested in playing should come with a partner...

SCOTT CITY -- Learning is explosive in Bobbie Tomlinson's fourth-grade class at Scott City Elementary School. As part of history assignments, Tomlinson's students have erupted a student-made volcano model, made salt maps and Missouri notebooks. "I'm thoroughly enjoying this since history was my favorite subject in school," Tomlinson said, adding that she also uses the newspaper for various social studies activities...

Two-year-old Madison Blankenship cut scraps of paper to decorate a construction paper Christmas stocking as her mother, Teresa, watched. The two were participating in the monthly story hour, one of the projects of Cape Girardeau's Parents as Teachers program. "I'm gluing!" the toddler cheered...