Stories from Monday, February 10, 1997

Federal Reserve policy-makers left interest rates unchanged last week, apparently deciding that economic growth is moderating enough to prevent inflation from igniting. The widely anticipated decision means borrowing costs for millions of consumers and businesses with loans linked to benchmark Fed rates will hold steady as well...

Dollar Tree Stores Inc., a variety store offering merchandise at $1, has opened in the West Park Business Park. The company, which operated 737 stores in strip centers and malls in 26 states, operate under a variety of names -- Dollar Tree, Dollar Bill$, and Only One Dollar...

Shipping Utilities Inc. of St. Louis, a dealership for Hyster Fork Lift, Cushman Industrial Personnel and Burden Carriers and Advance Industrial Scrubbers & Sweepers, has opened at 1477 N. Kingshighway. The new business offers sales, service and leasing for Hyster, Cushman and Advance...

Tamms State Bank has a new name. Starting today, the bank, with operations at Tamms and Cairo, will become Capaha Bank. "The last several years have been a period of strong growth for the bank," said John Abercrombie, president and CEO. "We believe the name change is a positive step that will help our growth continue."...

Cultural Exchange Network, a non-profit foundation designed to promote, develop and administer cultural exchanges, has opened at Jackson. Dr. Marvin Swanson, president of International Network for Education and Training, 111 N. Missouri St., Jackson, announced the new organization recently...

Digitron Electronic Cash Registers and Sales, 1420 Kurre Lane, has become an authorized dealer for Sharp cash registers. Sharp offers products for all levels of retail, said Chuck Reiminger, owner of the business, and sells more electronic cash registers than any other manufacturer.Digitron offers a number of other lines of cash registers and scales...

Aunt Ginny's Bed & Breakfast has opened in Dyersburg, Tenn. The new business, owned by Don and Nancy Beard, is an 1800s Victorian farm house in one of Dyersburg's historic neighborhoods, decorated with country antiques and collectibles.

Look for another restaurant and nightspot to open on Beale Street in Memphis next summer. Elvis Presley's Restaurant and Nightclub will open in the original Lansky's building, 126 Beale St., where the late rock 'n' roll singer purchased the clothes he wore during his appearance on the "Ed Sullivan show."...

Southwestern Bell mobile Systems will be the host for the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours, Feb. 18 at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. The monthly meeting, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., is designed to unite chamber members in a relaxed atmosphere and encourage members to meet, mingle and make new business contacts. The chamber's membership committee sponsors the event...

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions in four areas this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available Feb. 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions (about one hour) are free. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

"How to Start and Manage a Small Business" is the topic of a three-hour workshop to be held at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office, 1267 Mt. Auburn Road, Feb. 18, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. "How to Start and Manage a Small Business" is the topic of a three-hour workshop to be held at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office, 1267 Mt. Auburn Road, Feb. 18, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m...

Casino Aztar, which operates along the Mississippi River at Caruthersville, is expanding its facilities there. George Stadler, Casino Aztar vice president and general manager, said the company's new "Riverview Park" will consist of a 12,000-square-foot Expo Center, a 37,500-square-foot rodeo arena and a scenic picnic area with grills, tables, covered gazebo and horseshoe pitching pits...

Gospeland Bookstore of Cape Girardeau has been recognized as the "Store of the Region" by the Christian Booksellers Association, for outstanding service, excellence in merchandising, marketing and business management. David and Kathy Brunaugh, owners of the store in West Park Mall, received the award during the CBA Expo '97 Convention, attended by about 6,000 retailers and product suppliers, at Nashville, Tenn...

Dana Corp., headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, has announced record sales for 1996. Sales reached $7.7 billion. Profits reached an all-time high of $306 million, an increases of 6 percent from the previous year. Earnings per share totaled $3.01, up 6 percent from 1995...

The Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce has a spot on the Web. Information about the chamber -- committees, membership by category, calendar of events -- may be obtained through SACC Internet Site at WWW.Sikeston.com.

C.A. Walker Construction Co. Inc. was named "Business of the Year" by the Dexter Chamber of Commerce. Other awards during the chamber's Golden Celebration went to Bud Shell for "Man of the Year," and Delores Bailiff, "Woman of the Year." Shell is owner of Bud Shell Ford dealership, and Bailiff has been active in community projects...

Pier 1 Imports, a specialty retailer of unique, decorative home furnishings, gifts and related items, will open this month in a new, free-standing building at 3051 William, adjacent to Barnes & Noble Booksellers. The new store, 730th in the Pier 1 chain, is looking to a Valentine Day opening and will employ 10 people...

From time to time, an item appears on my desk that is deserving of a special "Thumbs Up" recognition. Here's "Thumbs Up" to Dana Corp. and its "employee participation and reward dinner" program. Dana Corp. encourages its employees to suggest ways for the company to improve the workplace...

Rhonda Wessell has joined Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems as an account executive. She has a bachelor's degree in business administration and had previoulsy served as business manager of Regional Eyecare Center. Andra L. Fahlberg, a licensed massage therapist and nationally certified in therapeutic massage and bodywork, has joined Studio Designs Beauty Salon, 229 S. Broadview...

Philip Morris Companies Inc. said its profit climbed 15.6 percent in the fourth quarter, propelled by an industry-leading tobacco business led by the top-selling Marlboro brand. The conglomerate, which also owns the growing Kraft food business and the struggling Miller Brewing operation, also said Wednesday that its earnings rose 15.7 percent for all of last year compared with 1995...

Construction permits are off to a slow start this year, but that's understandable, considering the weather, city inspection services director Rick Murray said. Some 15 building permits worth about $1.3 million were issued last month. January was a month of wintry weather, with a period of sub-zero weather (minus-4 Jan. 1 and minus-2 Jan. 13) to go along with as many as nine single-digit temperature days...

"Death never looked so bleak as when painted on the face of a child." -- Unknown When a child dies suddenly and without explanation, the only solace may lie in finding the answers. How did it happen? Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented? What can we do to make sure it doesn't happen again?...

It was appropriate for Ahmad Alaadeen and The Deans of Swing to hold Sunday's concert at Cape Girardeau Central High School since the band is on a tour to educate the public about traditional jazz. Despite having to compete with referee whistles from a sixth-grade boys basketball game across the hall, the five-member Deans of Swing brought the mellow sounds of jazz to about 30 grateful people in the school's auditorium...

"Ready." The word was spoken by a man with an expectant grin on his face and his hands on his knees. "Set." The racers' eyes were set on the first turn about 15 meters in front of them. "Go!" They were off, little arms swinging and little legs pumping as a group of 5-year-olds dashed through one of the heats of the 6th annual Super Kids Race Day Sunday at the Southeast Missouri State University Recreation Center...

I came home from work the other night, tired after a hard day of newspapering and started channel-flipping. I hadn't flipped too far when I came across an old guy in black leather singing "Smoke on the Water." The cat and I were making disparaging remarks about aging rock stars who should just retire their leather vests and get on with their lives when I realized who I was seeing...

To the editor: The other day I bought a sausage and asked to have it sliced. I could barely avert a grimace when the person touched the pieces with his bare hands, the same hands that he used to handle money and that he used as a shield when he coughed. When he handed the package to me, I saw that his fingernails had rings of black under them. (I was afraid to look for cuts or sores.)...

By random calculations there are probably more Missourians who believe O.J. is innocent than favored the proposed salary increases for state legislators and judges. For one to declare that, yes, a pay raise was justified for the men and women who write our laws, required no small amount of courage, and therefore there were few in the Capitol who held a press conference to announce such political blasphemy...

The Missouri Department of Transportation is seeking input on Interstate 55 traffic between Scott City and Cape Girardeau. The department has held meetings in Scott City and Cape Girardeau to gather ideas. Among the suggestions have been adding a lane or lanes to I-55, building a road between the two cities and building a road north out of Scott City to the new extension of Nash Road (Route AB) just north of Scott City...

Harry Rediger recently was honored for his service to Vision 2000 and Area Wide United Way. The Cape Girardeau businessman has given and continues to give countless hours of his time for the betterment of the community. He is a model citizen always ready to serve in whatever capacity needed...

To the editor: In reading the article on the American Bar Association's wanting to stop the death penalty, at least 119 of their members had the common sense to know the death penalty is needed to deter some murders. At least it is justice to the families of the murder victims...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, What do you think of a proposed Missouri bill to ban credit card machines that provide quick cash for gamblers on Missouri's riverboat casinos?" Jennifer Enke, Cape Girardeau "I don't think the government needs to take any more control of people's lives than they already do. It's a person's responsibility when they go on that boat; it's not the government's responsibility."...

SPRINGFIELD -- A new license plate has been unveiled in Illinois. The "Sporting Series" is a bit more pricey than the standard Illinois license plate, but a portion of the proceeds goes to the Illinois Wildlife Habitat Fund. Secretary of State George H. Ryan unveiled the new series of six plates during the recent 1977 Chicagoland Fishing, Hunting, Travel & Outdoors Show...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Entering their current road trip, it wasn't too much of a stretch to envision Southeast Missouri State University's Indians winning both games. After all, Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky were occupying the bottom two spots in the 10-team Ohio Valley Conference...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Sunday afternoon's women's basketball game between Southeast Missouri State University and host Eastern Kentucky was basically over almost as soon as it began. The powerful Lady Colonels scored the game's first 15 points and never looked back as they hammered the Otahkians 81-44...

CHARLESTON -- Jackson High's girls basketball team held off a hot Poplar Bluff team with a 64-55 victory Saturday night to capture the championship of the Charleston Tournament. Shannon Perry turned in a 21-point performance for top-seeded Jackson, which improved to 16-2. Michele Millham added 12 points...

PERRYVILLE -- Mabel Louise Emmendorfer Hunt, 85, of Perryville died Saturday, Feb. 8, 1997, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. She was born May 11, 1911, in Perryville, daughter of the Andrew and Louise Pannier Emmendorfer. They preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE -- Helen Irene Baylard Bush, 77, of Perryville died Friday, Feb. 7, 1997, at her home. She was born Sept. 13, 1919, in Belgique, daughter of Joseph and May Gertrude Miles Baylard. She married George E. Bush Sr. on Oct. 17, 1945, and he survives...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Virginia Lucille Steinhoff, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 9, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Born April 1, 1918, in Cape Girardeau, she was the daughter of John and Daisy Ellis Reynolds. She married Thomas E. Steinhoff on Oct. 15, 1943 in Cape Girardeau, and he preceded her in death on July 10, 1971...

SCOTT CITY -- Melba Melinda Hamil, 73, of Scott City died Saturday, Feb. 8, 1997, at Hardin Memorial Hospital in Kentucky. She was born Jan. 6, 1924, in Howell County, Ark., daughter of the Rufus and Sarah Durham Rhodes. She married Arthur Clifford Hamil on Nov. 16, 1949, in Flint, Mich. He preceded her in death on Dec. 23, 1976...

With last Friday marking the 185th anniversary of the biggest of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12, historian Tim Keel took about 13 people through a history of the event Sunday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Starting off with Native American legends about the disaster, Keel presented a slide show and information-filled seminar derived from more than 170 research papers and 13 books in his collection about the New Madrid quakes...

Pool is chess played with a cue stick. At least that's how 90 local players approached the game this weekend at a tournament at the Clubhouse Grill & Pub in Cape Girardeau. Playing for a grand prize of $1,000, the 14 five-person teams used defense, positioning and luck to try to move to Sunday's championship game of the Clubhouse First Annual 5-Person Team Triple Elimination Tournament...