Stories from Saturday, April 13, 1996

Susan J. Smith, left, a nurse clinician, provided first aid to Becky Tafra who suffered a bee sting. Megan Kastner sat in an examining room in Southeast Missouri State University's Center for Health and Counseling, nursing a sore throat. "This is my second time in a month and a half," she said as a nursing student prepared to get a throat culture to determine if she had Strep throat...

The SEMO Multiple Sclerosis Society Self-Help Group will meet Saturday from 10 to noon in the Friends Lounge at the St. Francis Health and Education Center. For more information, call Mike McClain, 334-9581. "Ask Your Doctor" airs Thursday Cheri Huckstep-Reed of St. Francis Medical Center and Gary Anderson of Mid-America Transplant Services Inc. will talk about organ donations on the Thursday broadcast of "Ask Your Doctor."...

The support group for families of children with disabilities will meet Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Southeast Missouri Hospital's Pediatric SPOT facility, 2851 Professional Court. A program on Educare, a comprehensive school readiness and referral service, will be presented. For more information, call Pediatric SPOT, 651-8700...

The 143 flood insurance policyholders in Perry County each avoided a $50 surcharge on their policies when the Perry County Commission improved a floodplain management program with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA sent a letter to Perry County in November threatening probation from the National Flood Insurance Program if the county didn't modify its floodplain policies in accordance with federal regulations. The probation would have taken effect April 1...

A bounty of beef may result in the lowest prices in years for ground beef this summer. And that means meatloaf's popularity could soar. Meatloaf is a mealtime staple that is as all-American as apple pie. For many families, the recipe has been handed down from grandparents to parents to grown children...

Area aviators don't want any more federal regulations on ages of young pilots. Following the fatal crash of a Cessna 177B Cardinal with 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff sitting alongside a licensed flight instructor, the Federal Aviation Administration indicated it would review rules governing when a pilot can allow an unlicensed passenger to fly a plane...

U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, who spearheaded major reforms to South Carolina's public schools, will be the commencement speaker May 11 at Southeast Missouri State University. Riley will speak at commencement exercises, set for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center, for 781 undergraduate and 74 graduate students...

In my continuing attempt to keep the public informed about new inventions to better the quality of life, I've uncovered a product close to my heart, literally. It's Accents -- the new bustline enhancers. Maybe it's not acceptable to talk about breasts in mixed company, but why not? Half the nation has them and the other half likes them. I've watched men carry on entire conversations with breasts before, totally unaware that words were coming out of the woman's mouth, not her cleavage...

William V. Thayer, dressed in a tuxedo, carrying a sack of juggling balls, had a mission Friday: Teach a group of math teachers to juggle. While his unlikely group of students tossed small bean bags in the air, Thayer explained the principles that make juggling both an art and a science...

VANDUSER -- Claude Ray Hatley, 80, of Vanduser died Friday, April 12, 1996, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born March 15, 1916, in Frederick, Okla., to Enos and Pearl Price Hatley. He married Ruth Gean on July 23, 1942, in Portageville. She survives...

SIKESTON -- James R. Kindle, 71, of Sikeston, died Friday, April 12, 1996, in the Emergency Room at William F. Bowld Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. He was born Nov. 22, 1924, in Decaturville, Tenn., son of Robert E. Lee and Bessie Pearl Slayter Kindle. He and Glenda Ruth Michael were married March 24, 1942, in Sikeston...

Lester Kavanaugh Conway, 73, 1923 Westwood, died Friday, April 12, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born March 28, 1923, in Vilonia, Ark., son of Kavanaugh Henderson and Lillie May Davis Conway. He and Ellouise Boyd were married Aug. 1, 1952, in North Little Rock, Ark...

CHAFFEE -- Laura Helen Struwe, 91, of Chaffee, died Friday, April 12, 1996, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 9, 1904, at New Hamburg, daughter of Anton and Regina Heuring Glastetter. She and Charlie William Struwe were married Oct. 8, 1928. He died Oct. 2, 1984...

SIKESTON -- Elizabeth Robinson, 77, of Sikeston, formerly of Bell City, died Thursday April 11, 1996, at Sikeston Health Care. She was born Jan. 20, 1929, in Sparta, Miss., to Jimmy and Annie White Chandler. She married Maj. Pearl Vee Robinson in 1944 in Osceola, Ark. He survives...

SIKESTON -- Memorial service for Connie Foster will be held at 5 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. John Tolbert will officiate. Friends may call at the chapel from 4 p.m. to service time. Foster, 65, died Thursday, April 11, 1996, at Sikeston Convalescent Center...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for George Ray Berry Sr. of Sikeston will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Revs. Maxey Schrieber and Wendy Downing-Birdwell will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Berry, 66, died Thursday, April 11, 1996, at his home...

SIKESTON -- Graveside service for Clyde William Thornton of Sikeston will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Memorial Park Cemetery, with the Rev. W.H. Newman officiating. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Thornton, 75, died Thursday, April 11, 1996, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

BLOOMFIELD -- Graveside service for Heaven Lee Wilkinson was held Friday at Link Cemetery near Bloomfield, with the Rev. Jack Crawford officiating. Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. The infant, 11 months, died Wednesday, April 10, 1996, at St. Louis Children's Hospital...

ALTENBURG -- Funeral service for Norman R. Littge will be held at 2 p.m. today at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg. The Rev. Willard Kassulke will officiate, with burial in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 8:30 a.m. to service time...

BERTRAND -- The Rev. William T. "W.T." Metcalf, 70, of Bertrand, died Thursday, April 11, 1996, at his home. He was born June 26, 1925, at Bertrand, son of Lloyd Emmert and Mary Baker Metcalf. Metcalf was employed by Harris Oil Co. 30 years. He was pastor of First General Baptist Church in New Madrid a number of Years, retiring in 1994. He was a member and former secretary of Charleston IOOF Lodge...

BURFORDVILLE -- Orville Reitzel, 84, of Burfordville, died Friday, April 12, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 7, 1911, near Marble Hill, son of Otto and Dora Barks Reitzel. He first married DeVern Brown Sept. 1, 1933. She died Aug. 20, 1988. He later married Doris Tanner Sept. 17, 1989...

ADVANCE -- Robert "Bob" Myers Sr., 60, of Advance, died Thursday, April 11, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 1, 1935, in El Dorado, Kan., son of Edwin Virgil and Delores Spunaugle Myers. He and Ellen Spain were married July 12, 1963, in El Dorado...

I READ the article in the paper about the lady who lived on the gravel road. Do they think that there's nobody in town who's sick who lives on gravel roads? We're the forgotten part of this city, and it's called Red Star District. We would like some information about what the city plans to do with the houses. It's detrimental to our health too. We pay our taxes, and something should be looked into...

A top concern listed by the public during Vision Planning town hall meetings and surveys last year was learning about school finances: where the money comes from, how it is spent and who makes the decisions. But when the Cape Girardeau Board of Education recently asked the public for questions on the district's budget, the response was less than overwhelming...

What's going on in the Illinois Legislature? A dogfight has developed between the Legislature and the governor. OK, it's not so uncommon to see politicians argue. But what makes this so peculiar is that the warring politicians are all Republicans. Republican Gov. ...

To the editor: I would like to thank you for the article about the Kevin Lossing fund raiser which you ran April 10. This event is being sponsored by Papa John's Pizza and the friends of the Kevin Lossing family. Naturally we appreciate the publicity very much...