Stories from Monday, April 7, 1997

Antiques With An Attitude has opened at 519 Broadway. Gary McMillan is owner of the new antiques and collectibles operation, which features furniture, glassware, toys and other collectibles. The store is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday...

Business Expo '97, originally scheduled for April, has been rescheduled for Sept. 19 and 20. The two-day Expo will offer businesses a chance to meet consumers, create or expand mailing lists, conduct customer surveys, introduce new products and visit with other businesses...

Southeast Missouri counties have experienced industrial growth over the past five years. More than 600 manufacturing facilities throughout a 14-county area provide about 35,000 jobs, up from the 532 industries and about 32,000 jobs in 1992. Cape Girardeau, the area's largest city, has increased its manufacturing facilities from 87 to 96, up 11 percent, from 1992 to 1996...

Cape Girardeau County ranks 11th among the state's 114 counties in businesses, with 2,723. This total includes the gamut -- manufacturing, retail, wholesale, big businesses, little businesses. A dozen counties in Southeast Missouri account for almost 10,000 businesses...

The Small Business Development Center will conduct counseling sessions in four areas this month. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 23 at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce office. The counseling sessions about one hour long. Call 335-3312 for appointment...

The Greater Missouri Ostrich Association will meet from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the River Room of the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The meeting is open to all GMOA members, said Larry Brewer, a spokesman for the group. "But you don't have to own an ostrich to attend and enjoy the meeting. It is open to the public."...

The Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., power plant at New Madrid established new operating records in January. Units 1 and 2 at the plant combined to produce 821,576 megawatt-hours of power, surpassing the previous record of 804,781, established in January 1982...

P&L Auto Parts, 141 N. Oklahoma St., Jackson, has changed vendors and is purchasing parts from Auto Value, a nationwide company. Owners Paul and Linda Berry say that with the new company they can order parts with overnight service. The company, which was founded three years ago, offers a number of brands -- Moog, Borg Warner, Goodyear and others -- along with a number of private label brands...

Aid Association for Lutherans Branch 7275 of Gordonville has been awarded a Gold Star rating by the fraternal benefit society in recognition of exemplary volunteer service in the community. To achieve the highest AAL rating, gold or silver stars, branches must annually sponsor at least one benevolent activity (fund-raising event or work project), conduct at least 12 meetings, sponsor one educational activity and one member-awareness event, and comply with AAL's attendance, voting and reporting requirements.. ...

Davis Photography Studio has opened at 1407 Primrose Lane in Jackson. The new studio will offer studio portraits, wedding and other on-location photography, along with custom framing and matting. Brad Davis, who has a bachelor's degree in journalism and broadcasting from Murray State University and a master's degree in management from Webster University in St. Louis, owns the new business...

J.J. Williamson Agency has opened at 334 N. Frederick. The Williamson Agency, which offers Allstate Insurance, provides life, health, auto, homeowners and business insurance. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday...

Shirley Ramsey, executive coordinator of the Community Caring Council, has attended a weeklong training session at St. Louis Kenrick Center. Topic of the meeting, sponsored by University of Missouri Extension Teaching, was "Community Development Academy: Building Communities from the Grassroots," an ongoing community-based development curriculum...

A government report showing Americans earning and spending at a robust pace wrenched an already frazzled Wall Street during the past week. Stocks have plunged for a second session on fears of more interest-rate increases from a Federal Reserve intent on keeping the economy from overheating...

The Sikeston Dragstrip is under new ownership. Ray Poirier, a Tennessee businessman and drag racer, has acquired the drag strip, an eighth-mile strip north of Sikeston off Interstate 55, and will do business as PRP Racing. Previous owners of the track, Ron and Freda Mayfield, will continue to work at the track as co-managers...

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center at Poplar Bluff has received the "Scissors" award. The Scissors award is presented by the Veteran's Administration to individuals or teams who streamline operations and improve the quality and timeliness of service to veterans and their families...

When Marvin Proffer speaks, Missouri's state officials and lawmakers listen. Southeast Missouri State University officials like it that way. Proffer works as a lobbyist and fund-raiser for the school, a job he has held since January 1989. The former state representative works under a year-to-year contract...

American workers are enjoying a strong job market. Economists and job services executives agree that "there are lots of jobs and employers are paying more." From an employee's perspective, this is a good labor market. Look at some statistics. Unemployment nationally dipped to 5.2 percent last month, falling for a third straight month for the lowest seasonally adjusted rate in five months...

At least for the next few months, cable television subscribers in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will pay lower rates for more channels than nearby systems. However, compared to St. Louis, TCI subscribers in Cape Girardeau pay more for fewer channels. TCI plans to raise rates June 1. The exact amount of the raise is not known, but it will probably be about 4 percent...

Olivie? Zaziki? Klompens? American students may have come to the first day of the week-long International Festival '97 Sunday not knowing what these items from other countries are, but they didn't leave that way. Olivie is a Russian salad with potatoes. Zaziki is a Greek yogurt with cucumbers and garlic. And Klompens are those pointy wooden shoes that women wear in the Netherlands when they are working on their farms...

FARMINGTON -- They were standing on their seats, dancing like chickens and throwing pies in each other's faces Sunday when Nickelodeon television came to the Farmington Civic Center -- and their kids had a good time, too. More than 2,200 children of all ages attended a traveling version of the popular kids' cable channel entertainment program. ...

Can anybody recommend a good agent? My father's decided to become a guitar god. I was informed of this the last time I headed north to visit the folks. It seems Pop, who's 73, finally took a neighbor up on his offer of free guitar lessons as repayment of neighborly kindnesses over the years...

Concerned about dwindling financial reserves, the Scott County Commission says it plans to resubmit a quarter-cent sales tax proposal to county voters. After meeting Thursday to discuss Tuesday's overwhelming defeat of the proposal at the polls, commissioners indicated they might put the question to voters again in the fall...

Faced with a growing truancy problem, school administrators and prosecutors in Springfield, Mo., decided that this was the year to do something about it. Their solution might be considered harsh by some, but it could prove the best remedy to children skipping school when all other efforts fail...

Three cheers for Missouri's First Lady, the Honorable Jean Carnahan. When it became known that a health care group had made arrangements to rent a portion of the first floor of the Executive Mansion, the Lady of the House put her foot down. The word she used was "No!"...

To the editor: I would like to express my appreciation for the excellent performance presented by the symphonic wind ensemble conducted by Robert M. Gifford and the Cape Girardeau Central High School Salsa Project led by Mark Ellison at Academic Auditorium...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "Do you think Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols will get a fair trial?" Bettie Gunn, Cape Girardeau "I sure do. I think they got to select their jury and everything and they should be pretty sharp with a big trial like this of who they're going to pick ... where the people's minds aren't made up and they can see what's going on. I think he'll get a fair one."...

Lanson DeBrock, a freshman pitcher out of Notre Dame High, entered a crucial game at a crucial time. DeBrock, looking confident beyond his years, proceeded to shut down visiting Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Illinois in the second game of Southeast Missouri State University's doubleheader Sunday at Capaha Park and earn his first collegiate victory...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University's men's golf squad wound up eighth in the 14-team Tennessee State Intercollegiate Invitational that concluded Saturday. The Indians had a two-day total of 605. Jacksonville State won the event with a 571. Austin Peay was second at 586...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's women's tennis team improved to 11-5 overall and 5-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play by rolling past host Morehead State 7-2 Sunday. The Otahkians won five of the six singles matches and two of the three doubles...

Southeast Missouri State University's softball team won its ninth and 10th straight games Sunday by sweeping a doubleheader from visiting Tennessee State. The Otahkians prevailed 11-1 and 9-1 in a pair of games shortened to five innings by the run rule. Southeast is now 17-12-1 overall and 10-3 in Ohio Valley Conference play...

SIKESTON -- Clara May Bledsoe, 82, of Sikeston died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at the Clearview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

Peggy Ann Capshaw, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, April 5, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Jan. 26, 1929, at St. Louis, daughter of Pleas H. and Catherine Halbert Wilkinson. She and Ben Capshaw were married at Chaffee on May 4, 1947...

DEXTER -- Russell Lemons, 76, of Dexter died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at the Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff. He was born at Morehouse on July 10, 1920, son of James D. and Frances M. Heath Lemons. He and Maxine Maisel were married Dec. 6, 1941, at Bloomfield...

ST. LOUIS -- James Donald Walsh of St. Louis and formerly of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

MORLEY -- Lillian Bell Stanley, 90, of Morley died Saturday, April 5, 1997, at St. Anthony Medical Center in St. Louis. She was born at Morley Jan. 22, 1907, daughter of John C. and Harrie J. Miller Stanley. Stanley was a diner cook, working for a railroad company and retiring as the head cook for the Morley School...

SCOTT CITY -- Claude E. Drexler, 86, of Scott City died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

SCOTT CITY -- Betty Joan Smith, 62, of Scott City died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born May 4, 1934, at Morehouse, daughter of Clarence B. Elders and Gladys Mae Reynolds. Smith was a homemaker and a member of New Life Gospel Church in Scott City and the Sikeston Eagles...

THEBES, Ill. -- Lola Mae Staten, 86, of Thebes died Sunday, April 6, 1997, at the Jonesboro Health Care Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at the Jones Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill.

COBDEN, Ill. -- Emma Basler Lence, 92, of Cobden died Saturday, April 5, 1997, at the Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born April 3, 1905, in Cobden, the daughter of Joseph and Anna Howenstein Basler. She married John G. Lence on Nov. 28, 1923, in Cobden. He died April 21, 1966...

JACKSON -- Richard D. Yamnitz, 44, of Jackson died at his home Saturday, April 5, 1997. He was born July 29, 1952, in Perryville, son of Loy and Wilma Barks Yamnitz. He was a graduate of Jackson High School, a member of the Kimbelwood Golf Club and had worked with his parents and brothers at Yamnitz Auto Body and Sales...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Raymond Baker, 67, of Jonesboro died Saturday at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born Nov. 27, 1929, in Pulaski, the son of Wesley and Wilda Rives Baker. He was a retired accountant and member of the First Baptist Church in Ullin...