Stories from Wednesday, December 11, 1996

Every two years following the November election, newly elected members of the General Assembly are taken on a tour to learn more about the business and budget of Missouri. For a couple of weeks the not-yet-sworn-in lawmakers traverse the state in a chartered bus to learn more about state government by becoming more familiar with its many parts: state universities, junior colleges, penal and mental health institutions, parks and conservation centers, social service delivery offices and the myriad of other outposts of Show Me State government.. ...

Scarlett Seabaugh has been a way maker for the disabled in Cape Girardeau, and she was recently awarded the Missouri Easter Seal Society Disability Awareness Award for her efforts. The Easter Seals recently held its 69th annual awards dinner at the St. Louis Airport Marriot, and Seabaugh was recognized for her work to eliminate barriers in order to provide greater opportunities for people with disabilities in Cape Girardeau...

Christie Johnson, the student representative to the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents, will present the address at commencement exercises Saturday at the Show Me Center. Johnson, who is from Cooter, is no stranger to public speaking. She spoke in August at the Democratic rally for President Bill Clinton...

Southeast Missouri State University during events in January and February. Highlighting events will be the 12th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial breakfast at 8 a.m. Jan. 20 in the Show Me Center. The breakfast keynote speaker has not yet been announced. There is an admission charge...

The only commuter airline serving Cape Girardeau Regional Airport recently announced a drop in rates. Depending on the amount of advance notice, some Trans World Express fares are less than half what they were several weeks ago. A local TWE spokeswoman said the airline will offer round-trip tickets to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis for $68. The tickets must be purchased 21 days in advance and must include a Sunday stay-over...

Reconstruction is about to begin on Cape Girardeau's water intake structure on the Mississippi River in the northern part of town. Three pumps pull in river water to be treated at a water plant on Cape Rock Drive. It is a system that works pretty well until the river floods...

Santa Claus is coming to town in style tonight. Riding the rails on a locomotive and five cars covered with 27,000 Christmas lights, St. Nick will stop in four Southeast Missouri towns to visit with children. The Santa Claus Express '96 will swing through Lilbourn, Sikeston, Chaffee and Cape Girardeau. Santa will disembark at each location to greet children while helpers hand out candy...

You do not know Mrs. P, but she probably resembles one of your rarely thought about relatives. Like your relative, Mrs. P has health problems, most notably renal failure and high blood pressure, and she takes medicine daily. She lives alone in her home, without benefit of children living locally who might help take care of her...

On Dec. 19, members of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees will put on their Santa suits and be off to make Christmas merry for needy children. The Santas will carry big bags full of goodies, and elves will be on hand to help hand out gifts. Each Santa will have made his list and checked it twice beforehand, so he will know the name of each child and that child's special gift...

The Gettysburg Address runs about 200 words. The Declaration of Independence runs about 1,300 words. The Holy Bible runs about 773,000 words. But our federal income tax codes runs about seven million words and is growing longer every year. (ital)Capitalism works better than any of us can conceive. ...

A Hawaii judge has made good on predictions offered nationwide last year that he would overturn that state's law forbidding legal recognition of same-sex marriages. The case now goes through the appeals process before a final review by the Hawaii Supreme Court...

Although expected revenues from real estate and property taxes continue to rise, Cape Girardeau County's cities, school districts and fire districts aren't necessarily enjoying big financial windfalls. "People sometimes forget that the expense side does not stay static," said Jackson School District superintendent Howard Jones...

Propane gas inventories are down and prices up. The Missouri Propane Gas Association is concerned about a shortfall in the supply of propane this winter, said Wallace Willard, MPGA president. "Propane inventories are at the lowest levels since 1970," he said...

A group of 24 newly elected members of the Missouri House of Representatives got an insight into Southeast Missouri State University during a stopover here Tuesday night. The group is on a tour of the state as a part of the freshmen lawmakers' exposure to the diverse problems they will be dealing with as voting members of the legislative body next month...

It finally happened. Some girl convinced Josh to marry her. She scored the proposal, the engagement rock and the whole nine yards. I don't know Josh well, but in my single days he was one of those guys I wished I knew better. Wink, wink. But it was not to be. He went through a string of high-school students, luring them into his car with promises of value meals and All-4-One CDs. I went through a string of losers and finally ended up returning to my soulmate, who today is The Other Half...

JACKSON -- The Jackson School Board moved into its last phase of preparation for next month's state review during the school board meeting Tuesday night. The board approved a contract for a Title I consultant and accepted the latest revisions of the district's curriculum guides and manuals as part of their preparation for the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) review, which will take place the fourth week of January...

The Southeast Missourian asked students at Jackson Middle School about their special Christmas tree decorations. Matt Gordon: "One of my favorites is an ornament I made in preschool with a smashed soda can. It is spray-painted with a face on it. The mouth is the opening."...

Cape Girardeau County won a community award from the national Groundwater Foundation for work towards better drinking water in the county. Martha Vandivort heads the county's groundwater committee. She is also the League of Women Voter's state water chairman. The project advocating preservation of groundwater was in part supported by a grant from the League of Women Voter's Education Fund...

Funeral service for Mary Ellen Greer of Scottsdale, Ariz., will be held at 3 p.m. today at Paradise Chapel Funeral Home in Phoenix, Ariz. Burial will be in Green Acres Memorial Gardens in Scottsdale. Greer, 92, died Monday, Dec. 9, 1996, at Brighton Garden Care Center in Scottsdale...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for C.D. Martin Jr. of Sikeston will be held at 1 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Revs. Greg Robertson and Dean Heady will officiate, with burial in IOOF Cemetery at Charleston. Friends may call at the chapel after 11 a.m...

CHAFFEE -- Allie Francis Hampton, 81, Chaffee Route 2, died Monday, Dec. 9, 1996, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 24, 1915, at Perkins, daughter of Otto and Amelia Gibbs Jennings. She and James E. Hampton were married July 14, 1950. He died June 13, 1979...

Funeral service for Joseph Losin Moore of Zephyrhills, Fla., will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel, 829 N. West End Boulevard. The Revs. Encil Edmonds and James Bolden will officiate, with burial in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 4:30-8 p.m. today...

Betty E. Stubbs, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

PATTON -- Viola Seabaugh, 85, of Torrance, Calif., died Thursday, Dec. 5, 1996, in Torrance. She was born Sept. 3, 1911, at Patton, daughter of Frederick Monroe and Elva Mayfield Devenport. She and Wilberd Shell Seabaugh were married Dec. 4, 1927. Seabaugh had lived in St. Louis, Tilsit, Patton, Jackson, Bloomfield, and Ada, Okla., before moving to Torrance in 1956...

ANNA, Ill. -- Julie A. Lamszus, 33, of Carbondale, formerly of Anna, died Monday, Dec. 9, 1996, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale. She was born July 20, 1963, at Stone Lake, Iowa, daughter of Edwin John and Ann M. McKinney Thuemling. Survivors include two sons, Lance West and John Lamszus; a daughter, Laura Lamszus; her mother of Jonesboro; her father of Plant City, Fla.; six sisters, Eileen Waidleich, Kathleen and Irene Logelman, Bobbi Clements, Sophia and Marina Thuemling; three brothers, Larry Cozetti, Randy and Roger Thuemling; and a stepbrother, Louie Thuemling.. ...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Howard W. Smith, 85, of Carterville, formerly of Cobden, died Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996, at his home. He was born Sept. 8, 1911, in Jonesboro, son of Hervey H. and Elva Holmes Smith. He and Elva M. Crowell were married June 24, 1930. She died Aug. 15, 1983...

Son to Steve and Terry Myles of Arnold, Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Saturday, Nov. 23, 1996. Name, Randal Jeremy. Weight, 7 pounds 6 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Myles is the former Terry Propst, daughter of Bill and Lori Propst of East Cape Girardeau, Ill. Myles is the son of Ken and Jean Myles of Cape Girardeau. He is a service representative with National General Insurance Co. in Earth City...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Funeral service for Samuel L. Hoffmeier of Kansas City will be held at 3 p.m. today at Kansas City Country Club United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Jefferson Barracks Cemetery in St. Louis. Hoffmeier, 76, died Sunday, Dec. 8, 1996, at his home...

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m. City Hall Hearings and Voting -- Request of the Lutheran Home for the Aged to rezone a parcel of land at 2825 Bloomfield Road from R-1 to R-4. -- Request of the Lutheran Home for a special use permit for a home health agency office at 2861 Bloomfield Road in an R-1 district...

We count on color. It paints our moods and communicates to us. When we see a baby dressed in pink, we assume it is a girl. Colors affect attitude, said Faye Pickett, an interior designer with Rust & Martin in Cape Girardeau. "We mainly work with color."...