Stories from Thursday, December 14, 1995

PONTIAC -- Donald Lee Loberg, 57, died Friday, Dec. 8, 1995, at Pontiac. He was born Aug. 29, 1938, at Cape Girardeau, son of Lester and Ruth Seabaugh Loberg. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 1955 to 1958. He was employed by Con P. Curran Printing Co. and Keller Printing Co. in St. Louis before retiring...

The city of Cape Girardeau may expand the job of public awareness coordinator to full time. City Manager Michael Miller said that option will be considered as the city looks to replace Sherri Finley. Finley, who has served as Cape Girardeau's public awareness coordinator since the job was created last November, plans to step down in mid-January because of a job move by her husband. ...

Wednesday, 7 p.m. City Hall Hearing Applications Subdivision Plat Reviews...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- Plans are rolling again to keep the rolling tides of the Mississippi River from reaching this historic town. After a two-year dispute with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Ste. Genevieve Levee District 2 agreed Monday to lower its rock levee by at least 2 feet, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

SCOTT CITY -- As a teen-ager, Mike Warnke got rid of all his records, books and stylish clothes in an attempt to make his Christianity stronger. "I had all these ideas about holiness and they were all external," he said during a meeting of the Impact Bible Club at Scott City High School Wednesday. "But the harder I tried, the harder I failed. I wasn't listening to the Lord."...

A petition drive to let voters decide whether to extend a sales tax for state parks and conservation programs is going well, says an official with Missouri Farm Bureau. The effort was launched by Farm Bureau and a number of conservation and parks groups in August at the Missouri State Fair. The first batch of signatures was turned in Dec. 1...

Magazine collector Mike Beck, left, made a sale to buyers Dennis Depro, center, and Hugh Smith of Cape Girardeau. Antiques and collectibles promoter Mike Newell, left, collected the booth fee from Ronnie Wheeler, an antique dealer from Trenton, Ill., who specializes in silver...

Some day an article will need to be written on the 10 or 20 most under-reported stories of 1995. Where Missouri state government is concerned, surely one that would qualify is tucked away in the juvenile crime bill of which Mel Carnahan is so proud...

This month the Riverside Regional Library system celebrates 40 years of service to Southeast Missouri. Started as a bookmobile that traveled to various communities in the region, Riverside has expanded along with information technology. Patrons now can access the Internet by computer, literally linking Southeast Missourians with the world...

Son to Staff Sgt. Tony and Mary Beth Kenkel of Jacksonville, Ark., Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock, Ark., 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1995. Name, Jordan Phillip. Weight, 9 pounds 4 ounces. Fourth son. Mrs. Kenkel is the former Mary Beth Lineberry, daughter of C.E. and Frances Lineberry of Cape Girardeau. Kenkel is stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville. He is the son of Janel Kenkel of Kelso...

JACKSON -- George M. Wessell, 77, of Jackson, died Wednesday, Dec. 13, 1995, at Bethesda General Hospital in St. Louis. Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

DEXTER -- Bernice Fitzgerald, 77, of St. Louis, died Monday, Dec. 11, 1995, at Festus Nursing Center in Festus. She was born Nov. 11, 1918, daughter of Noah Lee and Ida Mae Ellis Woods. She and Gerald R. Fitzgerald were married in St. Louis. Formerly of Dexter, she had resided in St. Louis since 1944. She was retired from the St. Louis Board of Education, and was a member of First Methodist Church...

Elsie Gaden Sterling, 82, 1105 S. Ranney, died Friday, Dec. 8, 1995, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Dec. 10, 1912, in Coosa County, Ala., daughter of William and Pauline Slaughter Temple. She first married Herbert Gaden, who died in 1969. She later married Jessie Sterling, who died in 1988...

Funeral service for Herman E. "Hap" Logsdon, 943 Rodney Vista, will be held at 10 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Larry Gallamore will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park. He worked at the Jaycee Golf Course 14 years, then worked at Associates Finance Co. from 1982 until retiring this year. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

FREEDOM -- Milton Clarence Hemmann, 75, of Freedom, died Monday, Dec. 11, 1995, at St. Mary's Health Center in Jefferson City. He was born July 27, 1920, at Old Appleton, son of Benjamin C. and Hulda Elizabeth Frede Hemmann. He and Anita Niewald were married May 24, 1952, in St. Louis...

ADVANCE -- Martha Ann Davault, 94, of Advance, died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1995, at Minor Nursing Home. She was born Feb. 2, 1901, at Grassy, daughter of Jasper and Sarah Newell Cooper. She and Willard Davault were married Dec. 21, 1917, at Dongola. He died Sept. 1, 1980...

How community leaders respond to setbacks is one way to evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership. This year the board of directors for Riverside Regional Library and the board for the Jackson Public Library attempted to merge the libraries. With two separate libraries in Jackson, it became obvious that they would operate more efficiently as a single library. ...

JACKSON -- Retta Mae Seibert, 91, of Jackson, died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1995, at Deal Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 26, 1904, in Lixville, daughter of George Washington and Rebecca Ann Barks Loberg. She and David Seibert were married Sept. 13, 1925, at Oak Ridge. He died June 26, 1972...

Mildred Geneva McClard, 85, of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 1995, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 15, 1910, in Marble Hill, daughter of Harley W. and Mary Huffman Cobb. She first married William Earl "Butch" Shackles and later married Harry N. McClard, both of whom preceded her in death...

ANNA, Ill. -- Graveside service for Betty Kahler of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Vienna Fraternal Cemetery, with the Rev. Don Poole officiating. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements. Kahler, 70, died Monday, Nov. 13, 1995, in Florida...

Cape Girardeau plans to tout its transportation tax projects with road signs similar to those the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department has used for its road work. The city's Public Awareness Advisory Board approved the sign design at a meeting Tuesday at City Hall...

As any parent can tell you, picking toys for children isn't as easy as it looks. But Cape Girardeau Jaycees are getting pretty good at it as they fill orders for the 1995 Toy Box toy drive sponsored by the Jaycees and the Southeast Missourian. "We try to give every child a pair of gloves or mittens and a hat or earmuffs," said Melanie McDaniel, now in her second year as a Toy Box volunteer. "For the younger kids, we try to give them stuffed animals."...

The sizable interest payments that would go with a proposed half-billion dollar highway bond issue would largely be offset by benefits yielded from the speedy completion of those projects, according to the highway department's district engineer for Southeast Missouri...

People and organizations planning to give gifts for Christmas for the Elderly are encouraged to bring the gifts today or Friday so items may be delivered before the holiday. Although donations have been arriving steadily, they are fewer this year than in past years...

The city of Cape Girardeau routinely shuts off water service to customers who are late on their bills that exceed $10. But the city staff is reviewing the disconnection policy and hopes to report back to the City Council by Monday. City Manager Michael Miller said most of the city's 14,900 customers pay their combined water, sewer and trash bills on time...

Dec. 14, 1995 Dear Julie, The mercury is rising again after nose-diving last weekend, burying us in snow, canceling school and Christmas parties, boosting Campbell's soup stock. It feels right to live according to the seasons once again. Mimicking animals whose fur thickens in the winter, we have moved the heavy wrappings out to the kitchen coat rack and put the light ones away. The hammock is stored and a bag of rock salt sits on the porch at the ready...

An enthralling phantasm of sound, dance and visions percolating around a flamenco telling of the Nativity story drew a small, appreciative audience to Academic Auditorium Wednesday night. Four musicians led by master guitarist Igor el Ruso propel "Flamenca Navidad," which infuses the familiar story of the angel Gabriel, Mary and Joseph and the Magi with the stirring rhythms of flamenco. ...