Stories from Monday, February 24, 1997

There's a party going on all over the "World" -- and the world is invited. The 15-month celebration of Walt Disney World's 25th birthday began in October and will last all year. A quarter-century ago, Orlando and Orange County in Florida were known as a large shipping center for citrus fruits...

Wes Kinsey, a Cape Girardeau baker who has been designing and baking cakes, pies and other pastries for the past two decades, will showcase one of his products nationally. My Daddy's Cheesecake, a downtown bakery owned by Kinsey, is one of 20 companies selected for "Most Promising Products," and will be showcased for national sales during a prime-time television broadcast by QVC Inc. next summer...

Supporters of Eagle Ridge Christian School haven't raised all the money yet, but they have faith that they will be able to pay for a $1.2 million building. About 200 parents, staff and supporters of the school attended a ceremonial ground breaking for a planned building with 16 classrooms, a gym and cafeteria Sunday...

One thing that seems to be a constant when it comes to studying the weather is that everything changes. After 46 years in the weather business, Don Semancik, a weather observer for Midwest Weather Inc. at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, is being pushed out by one of those changes...

Government and private agencies will need to work together to provide dependable child care in the aftermath of welfare reform. Agencies are sending out the word that child-care assistance will be available as people make the transition from welfare rolls to employment rolls, but private institutions will be needed to help develop nontraditional child care for parents working overnight and weekend hours. ...

Frances Patterson, a Salvation Army volunteer, assisted with the distribution of government surplus commodities to welfare recipients Friday. Agencies that provide assistance to needy families are working together to prepare for the first aftershocks of the new welfare reform program...

Lone Star Industries spends $7 million a year on electricity to power its sprawling cement plant at Cape Girardeau. The plant is the largest user of electricity in the area. Deregulation of the electric industry would be good news for Lone Star if it results in lower electric bills...

My friend Mitch wants to rediscover his childhood. Mitch and I met in kindergarten. We were both fussing about being abandoned by our mothers to the rigors of public education and bonded immediately as we snuffled and tried not to burst into outright tears...

To the editor: Those cable customers who recently lost access to the Comedy Central cable service and miss it should have tuned into C-SPAN on Feb. 12. C-SPAN commits itself to gavel-to-gavel coverage of the floor proceedings of the U.S. House. What happened then and there was hilarious...

Holigan Family Investments Inc.'s plan to pump more than $75 million into Southeast Missouri through purchase or development of five residential subdivisions in Cape Girardeau County and the startup of a factory in Sikeston will provide welcome fuel to the region's robust economy...

To the editor: Who's invited? All teen-agers from Jackson, Cape Central and Notre Dame high schools. What's the occasion? All-night party -- bring your own beer. When? Just about any weekend. Where's the party? Home of various parents in your hometown...

While Faye Copeland sits on death row at Missouri's Chillicothe Correctional Center, her attorney is trying desperately to overturn the 75-year-old grandmother's convictions for helping her husband kill transients in a livestock swindle. Gaining a new trial is highly improbable since the U.S. ...

After Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team swept a doubleheader against Bradley Saturday in the Braves' first two games of the season, Southeast coach Mark Hogan said that Bradley would get better quickly. Hogan's prophecy was fulfilled...

Out of all the teams that qualified for the Ohio Valley Conference post-season men's basketball tournament, Morehead State probably took the toughest path. The Eagles entered their final regular-season game Saturday night knowing that Eastern Kentucky -- which was battling them for the eighth and final tourney spot -- had already won...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- Notre Dame High's boys basketball team bounced back from a last-second loss Saturday to roll past John F. Kennedy of St. Louis 57-38 Sunday afternoon on the final day of the Catholic Classic hosted by Ste. Genevieve Valle. The Bulldogs (7-16) lost to Sacred Heart of Sedalia 56-55 Saturday afternoon...

Nine-and-one-half years after its opening, the turnstiles at the Show Me Center clicked for the 3 millionth time on Sunday at the Longhorn Championship Rodeo. The center honored its 3 millionth visitor --Kerry Lasters, who farms between Bell City and Oran -- with a ceremony...

BELL CITY -- David Ray George Jr., 18, of Bell City died Saturday, Feb. 22, 1997, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. He was born March 29, 1978, in Rockford, Ill., the son of Brenda Myers Cunningham and David George Sr. He was a 1996 graduate of Bell City High School...

Southwestern Bell has launched a massive campaign to wire more than 6,000 classrooms for Internet access throughout five states, including Missouri. The announcement was made Friday by Southwestern Bell's state and regional executives during a simultaneous news conference in more than a dozen cities throughout Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "What do you think of reserved parking spaces at grocery stores for expectant mothers?" Renee Tlapek, Cape Girardeau "I think it would be nice to have them. I just had a baby seven months ago and at that last month you get pretty tired."...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Johnny Gorostiza, 46, of East Prairie died Saturday, Feb. 22, 1997, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center from injuries he received in an auto accident. He was born Nov. 14, 1950, in Sikeston, son of Atanacio and Laura Vasquez Gorostiza. He lived in Mississippi County most of his life and worked as a crane operator with the Fitzgerald Marine Service in Wyatt. He was a member of the St. Henry Catholic Church in Sikeston...

Vernon Daniels, 83, of Scott City died Sunday, Feb. 23, 1997, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Susan Glueck Jansen, 39, formerly of Kelso, died Friday Feb. 21, 1997, in Hamilton, Texas. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with the Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Scott City.

CHAFFEE -- Nora Elminah Purdom, 94, of Chaffee died Sunday Feb. 23, 1997, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Sept. 8, 1902, in Harvell, daughter of Thadius and Margaret Bryant Campbell. She married John D. Purdom on Nov. 22, 1922. He preceded her in death on Nov. 9, 1962...

Robert C. McNulty, 75, of 429 N. Frederick died Saturday, Feb. 22, 1997. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

THEBES, Ill. -- Winifred Graham, 76, of Thebes, Ill., died Saturday, Feb. 22, 1997, at Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 14, 1920, in Alexander County, Ill., the daughter of John and Flo Iona Eidson Hall. She married Henry Graham on Oct. 18, 1957. He preceded her in death on Aug. 31, 1982...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Willie B. Frans of Route 1 Cairo died Sunday, Feb. 23, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital at Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

WYATT -- A one-car accident in Wyatt took the life of an East Prairie man Saturday night. Johnny Gorostiza, 46, was northbound on Highway 77 in Wyatt at 7:25 when his 1984 Ford struck a culvert. The impact threw him from his car. An AirEvac helicopter flew him to Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston where he died at 9:22...

Helen Juanita McWilliams, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday Feb. 22, 1977, at St. Frances Medical Center. She was professionally known as Helen Mack. She was born Oct. 6, 1910, in Olney, Ill., the daughter of George and Flora McWilliams. She taught school in Olney, and later was a welfare case worker before becoming a professional musician. ...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Hazel Penrod, 84, of Dongola, Ill., died Sunday, Feb. 23, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 17, 1912, near Dongola, the daughter of Eldie and May Penrod Troutman. She married Theodore Penrod on Dec. 8, 1928. He preceded her in death on Aug. 13, 1994...

John A. Hudak has been named executive director of the Community Counseling Center, 402 S. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau. Hudak previously served as director of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatry for Appalachian Regional Hospital, Beckley, Va., where he was responsible for development, administration and management of an acute care, 70-bed inpatient program for adults and adolescents...

A month after opening, Kansas City's largest riverboat casino, Kansas City Station Casino, has laid off 162 employees, citing a need to trim staff levels in certain areas. The casino opened Jan. 16, as the fourth-largest casino complex in the U.S. Joe Canfora, Midwest president of Station Casino Ins., said business at the gambling and entertainment are good. "We're just regrouping," he said...

Wholesale prices for prescription drugs rose just 1.8 percent in 1996, as higher increases in brand-name drugs were offset by declines in generics, a drug industry researcher reports. The increase was below the overall inflation rate of 2.1 percent reported by the government for wholesale prices, IMS America Inc. said Wednesday...

Women-owned food services and restaurant companies are on the "grow." They increased more than 40 percent between 1987 and 1992, according to the National Restaurant Association. Women now own and operate more than one-third of the U.S. eating and drinking establishments...

Funding has been approved for an exhibit hall at the University of Missouri's Delta Center near Portageville. G.W. "Son" Rone Exhibit Hall will be a 60 x 240-foot structure, erected on the Lee Farm, about seven miles southeast of Portageville. Funding for the hall, which will be used to house machinery and serve as a permanent exhibit center for the Delta Center Field Day, was approved by the center's 44-member advisory board...

A gasoline marketer that helped pave the way for motorists to pay at the pump with a credit card has a new device that should speed visits to its gas stations while letting customers leave the card at home. Mobil Corp. said Wednesday it plans to introduce an electronic gizmo that can be clipped to a key chain and uses radio signals that activates the gas pump and charges the purchase with a single swipe past the pump...

Dates have been established for the 17th annual Southeast Missouri Home Builders Association (HBA) Home and Garden Show. The three-day event will be held at the Show Me Center on Southeast Missouri State University campus March 14, 15 and 16. A number of gardening and home improvement seminars will be held. The HBA will also host the Bi-Annual Missouri State Beef Cook-Off...

The laboratory at Southeast Missouri Hospital has been awarded a two-year accreditation by the Commission on Laboratory Accreditation of the College of American Pathologists based on results of a recent on-site inspection. Tony Williams, laboratory directors, said Southeast's lab is one of more than 5,000 CAP-accredited labs nationwide...

Two Southeast Missouri chambers of commerce and one business have been recognized as 50-year members of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. They are: The Charleston Chamber of Commerce was founded as the Charleston Commercial Club on Jan. 23, 1947, and voted to become a member of the state chamber at that time. The Rev. Gerald Penn of Assembly of God Church, is the current president...

The Day Company, 1217 N. Kingshighway, has received accreditation by the CARF, the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission, for its community employment services throughout Southeast Missouri, The accreditation is awarded to organizations which demonstrate that participants are benefiting from the service and that their health, welfare and safety are being protected...

Plaza Tire Service Inc. of Cape Girardeau will open two new facilities this summer. The company has plans for a new five-bay building at St. Joseph and Highway 51 in Perryville, and a six-bay facility at 747 Weber Road in Farmington. The Perryville store is scheduled to open in mid-June. Construction on the Farmington facility is expected to start April 1, with an Aug. 1 opening...

John Nall, owner of Advance Hardware & Lumber Co., has purchased Contractor Supply Co., a lumber and home center, at Cape Girardeau. Both Contractor Supply and Advance Hardware will continue to operate as separate entities, with Nall as general manager of both operations...

The Town House Inn, 505 N. Kingshighway, will open its new lounge in early March. The lounge, which will seat about 50 and includes pool table and dart boards, will be open from noon to midnight. A previous lounge at the inn was closed more than a year ago, said Jan and Donna Wasikowski, new owners of the motel...

Feature Presentation Video has opened at Scott City. The new business, at 309 Crites, at Main and Crites, sells and rents movie videos and video games and sells sports cards. Roy and Serena Hartle are owners of the business. Roy Hartle Jr. is store manager...

First Discount Travel, which has opened at West Park Mall, will hold it grand opening from March 3 through 8. The new travel agency, owned and operated by Mark and Shari Elfrink, offers all types of travel plans for vacation and business, including cruises, tours, airline tickets, resort vacations and more. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday...

A new truck stop, with convenience store and restaurant, has opened on Route 177 north of Cape Girardeau. The 177 Truck Stop, where Your Store was a number of years ago, provides diesel fuel and gasoline, and a trucker's lounge, complete with showers...

Richard Kirkpatrick, a Cape Girardeau businessman, has purchased the Missouri International Racepark near Benton. Plans for the track will include reopening the drag racing facility for Super Pro, Pro and E.T. racers on Friday nights. The racing format will remain the same with the Saturday programs holding Winged Outlaw Sprints, Limited Late Models, Fast Street and Slow Street events...