Stories from Thursday, September 18, 1997

To the editor: The Lake Facts Committee has consistently tried to present to the public information regarding the proposed Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County Lake. Our information has been developed by a reputable engineering firm and by Southeast Missouri State University. The lake opponents have chosen to disregard the facts and try to confuse the issue. I will answer each of those letters individually...

Southeast Missouri State University has upheld its earlier decision to suspend the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity chapter for three years for verbally hazing pledges. The suspension runs through Aug. 15, 2000. The university has given fraternity members until the end of the month to move out of the school-owned house at 1409 N. Sprigg...

Chris Bell has spent many of his 34 years playing rhythm and blues in bars. Sunday, for the first time, he'll play music that sounds much the same in church. Bell, a keyboardist, vocalist and guitarist, will provide the music for a 5 p.m. joint service between the House of Prayer and the Livingway Foursquare Church. The service will be held at the latter church at 1224 Bloomfield...

Speaking at the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau the other day, the former U.S. senator from Illinois, Paul Simon, urged his listeners to forget their partisan preferences and solve society's problems as Americans rather than Democrats or Republicans. It was good advice, although not likely to be heeded by the party faithful of either group, despite former Alabama Gov. George Wallace's declaration that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between the two."...

Gov. Mel Carnahan succeeded last week in thwarting a powerful effort to override his veto of Senate Bill 275, the bill banning partial-birth abortions in Missouri. That override attempt fell just one vote short of the necessary two-thirds margin of 23 senators' votes. Because it failed there, the House never took up an override motion. Had the Senate been able to muster two-thirds, it is highly likely that the House, whose members run every two years, would have followed suit...

Efforts by the state of Missouri to locate two new prisons took a bizarre turn last week when the Joint House-Senate Committee on Corrections met and did something that for months its leaders had said they wouldn't do: Recommend to the governor anything but two final sites. ...

To the editor: I went to the Capitol in Jefferson City with the pro-life movement and was very impressed with the right-to-life management of restraint, self-control and downright good manners. There was a rally in the rotunda with lots of applause and revelry, and it was done with decorum...

To the editor: I started work at Jackson Manor in March 1996. The administration and staff took the time and patience to help me learn the best way to care for residents. They allowed me to take classes to further my knowledge so I could give the best care possible. It goes without saying that the residents deserve the best care possible, and that is what they receive at Jackson Manor...

To the editor: Life is not fair. People continue practicing the deadly combination of alcohol, automobiles, drugs, speed and non-use of seat belts. Mercedes-Benzes are crashworthy cars that come with front and side air bags and a warning to avoid serious injury: "For maximum safety protection in all types of crashes, you must always wear your safety belt."...

The drum line keeps the marching band in step. Erin Fluegge is a freshman at Southeast from Jackson and the feature twirler for the band this year. The Wednesday afternoon sun begins to sink as members of the Golden Eagles Marching Band listen again to instructions for an upcoming halftime show...

Queen Elizabeth shouldn't have been criticized for keeping a stiff upper lip over the death of Princess Diana, says a former member of Parliament. Sir Fergus Montgomery spoke to a crowd of about 200 people at a Common Hour program Wednesday at Southeast Missouri State University's Dempster Hall...

SCOTT CITY -- About 50 students and parents braved pouring rain Wednesday morning to pray for Scott City High School. People huddled under umbrellas around the flag pole to ask God for direction for school leaders, the city, the country and the world...

Pitching, or lack of it, has been a weak spot for the St. Louis baseball Cardinals recently with no less than four hurlers are on the ailing list. But another Cardinal hurler, this one retired, will be in Cape Girardeau this weekend, to sign autographs and talk baseball...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Mel Carnahan has accused state Sen. Peter Kinder of "opportunistic manipulation" over efforts to ban partial-birth abortions. Kinder denied the charge and spoke out against the accusation on the floor of the Senate Wednesday during the Legislature's on-going special session...

Sept. 18, 1997 Dear Rodriguez family Your son/brother and I went north to the Chicago Latin Festival last weekend. I think he has been missing his family and Panama badly, so the festival was at least a chance to experience some of the sounds and tastes of home...

Southeast Missouri State University and the Southeast Missourian newspaper will co-sponsor a series of hands-on Internet training sessions for beginners. The first class will be held next Thursday from 1-3 p.m. in Room 103 of Dempster Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University...

International students and other foreigners could find themselves barred from entering the United States for three years for visa violations under a new federal law. The first deadline is Sept. 27, said George Dordoni, assistant director of the Campus Assistance Center at Southeast Missouri State University. The Sept. 27 deadline applies to foreigners who violated the terms of their visas on or before April 1...

ZALMA -- Firefighters quickly controlled a convenience-store fire Wednesday. The interior of Arab Station at highways C and 51 six miles south of Zalma was heavily damaged by the fire, but the owner's home was saved when firefighters went directly to the source to extinguish it...

After 12 matches, Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team will finally get to play at home tonight -- and coach Cindy Gannon couldn't be happier. "It will be nice to be at home for a weekend," said Gannon with a laugh. "We've stayed in a lot of motel rooms the past few weeks."...

Former Otahkian Jodi Davis has been hired as an assistant women's basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State, replacing Dawn Barnes who left to accept a position at Indiana State. "Coaching is what I always wanted to do and has been a life-long dream," said Davis, who's father coached in four states. "I grew up around basketball and I played for coach (Ed) Arnzen in 1992-93. I know his program well."...

FULTON, Mo., -- Westminster College sophomore receiver Scott Pingel, of Perryville, set two school records in Saturday's 35-28 loss at Concordia University-St. Paul. Pingel caught three touchdown passes and had 178 receiving yards to set school marks for the Division III Blue Jays. Nationally, Pingel ranks third in receptions (10), fourth in receiving yards per game (178) and fourth in scoring (20)...

After a late start Wednesday due to a wet field, Cape Central improved to 9-3 with a 12-5 win against Kelly. The Lady Tigers broke open a close game in the fifth inning with six runs to take a 12-4 lead. Amber Voerg's two-run triple provided Central's final runs of the game. Voerg had two of Central's 12 hits and also had 4 RBIs...

Call it the Lost Weekend for Ohio Valley Conference football teams. That's basically what last weekend was. On a Saturday that featured six games involving OVC squads, only one managed to come away with a victory. And as a result, only one OVC team -- Eastern Illinois, which also happened to be the lone conference squad to win Saturday -- is now ranked among the nation's top 25 NCAA Division I-AA teams...

A seven-car accident north of Gordonville six days ago claimed its youngest victim Wednesday. One-year-old Whittney Roth died at Children's Hospital in St. Louis while her mother, Ruth Roth of Cape Girardeau, remained in intensive care at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Her other daughter, Brittany Roth, 3, was released from the hospital Saturday...

PERRYVILLE -- Myrtle M. Heberlie, 80, of Perryville, died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. Funeral arrangements are pending with Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville.

TAMMS, Ill. -- Pauline Christian, 92, of Tamms died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997, at Jonesboro Health Care Center in Jonesboro. She was born May 14, 1905, in Marion, daughter of Henry and Mary Ellen Price. She married Clarence Christian, who preceded her in death...

Funeral service for Alice Lee Bowers of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. David Pringle will officiate, with burial in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today. Bowers, 94, died Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1997, at the Lutheran Home...

Funeral service for Elode Steckler of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Earl Statler will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10 a.m. to service time...

ORAN -- Funeral service for John Franklin Houck of Oran will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church in Oran. The Rev. Ed Carter will officiate, assisted by the Rev. Jack Bishop. Burial will be in Forest Hills Memorial Gardens near Morley. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran after 5 p.m. today...

SCOTT CITY -- Helen Marie Garrett, 69, of Scott City died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997, at his home. She was born March 9, 1928, at Charleston, daughter of Carl and Annie Brown Hubbard. She and James Benjamin Garrett were married March 13, 1944, in Flint, Mich. He died June 26, 1991...

Ethel Mae Loomis, 81, of St. Louis died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997, in Kirkwood. She was born Jan. 13, 1916, in Murphysboro, Ill. She married Burton P. Loomis, who preceded her in death. Survivors include a son, Richard Loomis of Jackson; two sisters, Florence Clutts of Murphysboro, Alice Gola of Affton; two brothers, Ed Cochran of Murphysboro, Donald Cochran of San Diego, Calif.; and four grandchildren...

Son to David Wayne and Kerri Susanne Doyal of Burfordville, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6:29 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, 1997. Name, Austin James. Weight, 8 pounds 11 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Doyal is the former Kerri Monteith, daughter of Gary and Carol Monteith of Burfordville. She is a registered nurse at Southeast Hospital. Doyal is the son of Pete and Mary Doyal of Pasadena, Texas. He is a service technician at Lohmann Supply Co...

PERRYVILLE -- State Auditor Margaret Kelly's office made a routine audit of Perry County's government finances, finding the county to be in good financial shape. However, auditors found that county officials didn't follow all budgetary procedures required by law...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill.-- Virginia Wieting, 77 of Villa Ridge died Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1997, at Massac Memorial Hospital in Metropolis. She was born Oct. 2, 1919, in Thebes, the daughter of B. Fred and Elsie Jones Penrod. She married Joseph H. "Red" Wieting, and he died in 1981...

The Southeast Baroque Trio will perform music by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and Quantz on Thursday, Sept. 25. The concert will begin at 8 p.m. at Old St. Vincent's Church. The trio is composed of flutist Paul Thompson, cellist Dr. Sara Edgerton and harpsichordist Dr. Gary Miller. All three are members of the faculty at Southeast Missouri State University...