Stories from Monday, December 2, 1996

Zachary Pierce, left, and Asten Eftink played with Legos before nap time. Fixing food for 75 children is no small project. Choosing a proper day-care is of utmost importance to parents of young children so it's advantageous that many Cape Girardeau day-cares address different needs...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Pemiscot County has received a DED grant to purchase electrical transformers and a dolphin for mooring barges at the Pemiscot County Port Authority. The improvements will assist Trinity Industries Inc., which manufactures barges and barge covers, to expand its facilities to include a crane operation at the dock for loading and unloading barges...

BERNIE -- Parker Binding Products Inc., a manufacturer of double loop binding wire for calendars, manuals and other publications, will move to Southeast Missouri because of an industrial infrastructure grant to Bernie. The Missouri town has been selected by the Missouri Department of Economic Development to receive a grant $149,600. ...

The Bank of Perryville observed its 105th anniversary earlier this month. The financial institution was chartered Nov. 2, 1891, and opened its doors Nov. 7, 1891. The bank recently announced plans for a new branch at Highways 51 and 61. A modular unit is in place to serve customers until the new building is completed next August...

Every wonder why they do that? Beginning this week, this column will answer some of those little "Whys" about the business world. If you have a "why" you'd like answered, let us know. We'll try and explain why they do that... Paper or plastic? Hardly a grocery shopper goes through the checkout lane without being asked to make that choice...

Venture Stores Inc., headquartered in O'Fallon, Mo., is rolling out a new private label credit card for uses at its 111 family value stores. The new card will provide a special financial option -- 90-day, interest-free, same as cash. Cardholders will also receive a 2 percent rebate on purchases made with the card...

Westvaco Corp., a major manufacturer of paper, packaging and chemicals, has reported sales and earnings for fiscal 1996, which ended Oct. 31. Westvaco, which includes a paper processing facility at Wickliffe, Ky., reported sales at $3 billion, down 7 percent from the 1995 total of $3.3 billion, but up more than 18 percent over sales of two years ago...

SIKESTON -- The city of Sikeston has received a DED grant for street, water and sewer improvements to assist in the expansion of Alan Wire Co. The construction bid has been awarded to Lappe Cement Finishing Co. of Perryville.

Heavenly Ham, 3443 William, has added new products to its inventory. "Homestyle Favorites" includes side dishes that debuted this month.They include broccoli, rice au gratin, sweet potatoes with pecans, sage dressing, cinnamon apples and potatoes au gratin...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- America Online users nationwide will be given more time and information to consider a new pricing plan in an agreement with Washington state's attorney general. The agreement last week follows negotiations over AOL's plan to automatically switch subscribers to a new $19.95 flat rate on Dec. 1 unless they advised the company they preferred to stick with the current basic plan -- $9.95 a month for five hours and $2.95 an hour thereafter...

Rick C. Shultz of Jackson has joined Maintenance Engineering as an independent lighting consultant. Shultz, a graduate of Missouri Institute of Technology, with a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering technology, has more than eight years sales experience,...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- CompuServe Inc.'s stock tumbled as investors reacted to the company's $58 million second-quarter loss that underscored its troubles competing with cheaper providers of online and Internet services. CompuServe posted the loss after the close of financial markets Wednesday. Its shares dropped nearly 14 percent in morning trading Thursday on the Nasdaq Stock Market, but recovered to an 8 percent loss, down 93.8 cents at $10.69 per share by the close...

WASHINGTON -- Motorists who don't want air bags may soon be able to disconnect them under federal rule changes that also clear the way for bags that inflate less forcefully. Consumers also will soon see five brightly colored and strongly worded warning labels about air bags in new cars. Air bags deploy at up to 200 mph in the blink of an eye and have been blamed for the deaths of 31 children and 20 adults, yet they have saved about 1,600 lives...

The 110 floats in Sunday's Cape Girardeau Parade of Lights made this year's event the largest in the parade's four-year history. "We've probably had about 30 new entries this year," Doc Cain, event chairman, said. "We had a lot of people calling us from throughout the Bootheel wanting to participate this year."...

Mr. H has lost everyone he had for support. He cared for his parents until their deaths three and five years ago. He also lost the dog he loved and cared for sometimes before caring for himself. He lives alone in a house located in the flood plain. The house desperately needs repairs...

They might resemble Mother, Father, Dick and Jane if you saw them from afar, but there are a couple of major differences between make believe and real life. Mother worked hard cooking and cleaning and wiping away occasional tears. And Father was the breadwinner, the one who came in and hugged his children after a long day at the office...

Nearly three months after Councilman Tom Neumeyer first introduced a political sign ordinance, the law may be headed for final passage. At the Cape Girardeau City Council's Sept. 16 meeting, Neumeyer proposed a law designed to limit the placement of signs. He wanted them kept off all public property, including city right of way...

Although the Christmas holidays are not a good time to bring a puppy -- any puppy -- into the household, animal groups are predicting a lot of spots beneath the Christmas tree this year. The new live-action `101 Dalmations' arrived at West Park 4 Cine Wednesday night, and with it comes some concern by the American Dalmatian Association (ADA), Dalmatian lovers and veterinarians...

The Dalmatian has been around a long time -- since the 1700s. Another name for the Dalmatian dog, from Dalmatia, Austria, is "Coach Dog." The dogs were used to run along between the wheels of coaches and carriages, as companions to the horses. The Dalmatians were trained to protect the horses...

Archaeologists have found what may be another "Great Wall" in Inner Mongolia. In the scheme of things, I suppose, the discovery of an old clay wall doesn't amount to much, particularly in light of U.S.-Chinese sniping on trade and human rights. But I've always been fascinated by archaeology -- the romance, not the facts of dust and dirt and politics -- and by China -- again, the romance, not the reality...

Sometimes costly studies are so predictable that it is a wonder they are every done at all. Take a report issued recently regarding the effect on children of transferring most welfare programs to states from the federal government. Here is a clue: The study was funded by a group calling itself the National Association of Child Advocates. ...

Since the advent of air bags in automobiles, they have been responsible for saving some 1,600 lives in crashes where drivers front-seat passengers otherwise surely would have died. This is the sort of lifesaving advancement that earns high praise in the consuming public...

To the editor: I recall how much of a problem I had in grade school because I was visually color-blind. I had a real problem in art classes, because my teacher would make fun of me for my purple skies and red grass. I made the worst grades in those classes. ...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "How do you feel about the rash of burglaries against the elderly?" Vera Burger, New Hamburg "I just think it's terrible. I wish they would catch them. I don't know what they could do to protect them...more security...more lights and all that...I just don't know. Checking on your neighbors."...

CHARLESTON -- Fannie M. Moss, 76, of Charleston died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1996, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Feb. 29, 1920, in Covington, Tenn., the daughter of Walter and Lela Woodall Hemphill. In 1935, she married Louis Moss, who preceded her in death in 1984...

SIKESTON -- Ruby Ione Brown Webb, 76, of Sikeston died Saturday, Nov. 30, 1996, at the Miner Nursing Center. She was born Jan. 18, 1920, in Bertrand, the daughter of Irvin Brown and Minnie M. Haley Holmes. On Oct. 13, 1945, she married James H. Webb, who preceded her in death on Jan. 5, 1984...

SCOTT CITY -- Roy "Bob" Rubel, 58, of Scott City died Saturday, Nov. 30, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 21, 1938, in Illmo, the son of Fern Hilda Menees. On May 24, 1963, in Zalma, he married Joyce Statler. Rubel was a pipefitter with the Local 669 in Maryland and the Local 562 in Cape Girardeau. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Scott City. He raised and showed quarter horses in Southeast Missouri and northern Arkansas...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- David F. Sronce, 80, of Jonesboro, Ill., died Saturday Nov. 30, 1996, at his home. He was born on Oct. 17, 1916, in Anna, Ill., son of Harvey and Blanche Dickerson Sronce. He married Jewel Brown in Manchester, Ga., on Oct. 29, 1944 and she preceded him in death on Jan. 26, 1979...

ADVANCE -- William "Jerry" Williams, 73, died Sunday, Dec. 1, 1996, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Morgan Funeral Home of Advance.

BLOOMFIELD -- Tom M. Bishop, 73, of Bloomfield died Saturday, Nov. 30, 1996, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Poplar Bluff. He was born Sept. 20, 1923, in Washington County, Ky., the son of Hubert and Mattie Young Bishop. He married Wanda James on April 26, 1975, in Malden...

Cape Girardeau City Council Monday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m. Public Hearings -- A public hearing regarding the request of John and Winona Crampton for a special use permit for a craft business at 2228 Hillbrook in an R-1 district. -- A public hearing regarding the request of Americare Properties Inc. for a special use permit for an addition to the existing residential care facility at 2910 Beavercreek in a C-1 district...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Charles O. Green, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 1, 1996, at the Beverly Hilton Rehabilitation Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. today at Ford & Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...