Stories from Sunday, September 28, 1997

THERE IS no magic pill for weight loss. The answer is Overeaters Anonymous. Go to their meetings, share, learn what it's all about, and you'll know why you're fat. COLUMNIST Jack Stapleton recently wrote, "Far from me to throw cold water on prosperity" and then proceeded to throw cold water on prosperity...

Nearly three years after this writer began trying to inform Missourians exactly how our public schools are being hijacked by an arrogant bunch of educrats, how go the school wars? Well, as usual, there is both good news and bad. On the bad front, the same bunch of unelected state bureaucrats remains in charge, and none has been punished. ...

25 years ago: 1972 Money through five different state and federal programs has been funneling through office of Cape Girardeau County Treasurer Ruth Meadows to schools in county in recent days; largest block of funds has been staid apportionment for September, with Cape Girardeau schools receiving largest amount, $391,061; amounts received by others included Jackson, $271,480; Delta R-5, $64,894; Oak Ridge R-6, $32,426, and Nell Holcomb R-4, $35,264...

Firefighters were busy in north Scott County early Saturday, with three fires reported between midnight and about 2. A one-story house fire at Oran, a vacant theater building at Chaffee and a mobile home fire at Scott City were reported. Oran and the New Hamburg, Commerce and Benton firefighters battled the blaze at Oran just past midnight...

From the Cape Girardeau Democrat Saturday, June 17, 1899 Page 4 The First Legal Hanging for Fifty-Two Years. The execution of John Headrick here today is the first legal execution had in this county for more than half a century. To be exact, 52 years, 3 months and 25 days have elapsed since the last previous hanging, which occurred at a spot of ground within a few feet of where the east mill now stands. ...

Crowds converged on the small community of Altenburg last weekend to be a part of the "Best Little Fair in the Land." On Saturday, Mother Nature tried her best to deter the crowds, but in the end the fair goers would not be denied their fun. Earl Lorenz, fair president, didn't want to place a number on the crowd but he said it was quite large considering the rain on Saturday. Despite the rain all of the scheduled events were completed...

All ages enjoy snacks at the Food Fair program at the library in Jackson. Summer Reading Pick up at Riverside Regional library in Jackson. Travis Roth, Stacy Roth, Eric Roth, and Ryan Roth picking out their Summer Reading Book for participating in the program...

"A nation that kills its own children is a nation without hope." These words of Pope John Paul II came to mind during the recent special session of the Missouri General Assembly. As you will recall, our state legislators came within one vote of over-riding our Governor's veto of the legislation that would have banned the "partial birth abortion procedure" in Missouri. ...

SIKESTON -- Two modular homes came off the Heritage American Homes assembly line last week. "We're looking at one-a-day now," said Antonio (Tony) Jr., vice president and Chief Operating Officer of Heritage American Homes, a new company which has its Southeast Missouri factory at Sikeston...

Missouri faces its greatest challenge in the resolution of a problem that too many believed was resolved when federal courts handed down desegregation orders for public schools in St. Louis and Kansas City. Many were convinced the orders that became effective 16 years ago would solve problems that had their beginnings far earlier, so today's resolutions must take into account the dilemma of racial divisions and those with economic, sociological and cultural origins...

In its special session earlier this month, the Missouri General Assembly sent to the governor a major economic development bill. Now, most observers would agree that flying under the banner of "economic development" are a multitude of sins -- er, subjects. Each year, it seems, persons pushing "economic development" bills push the envelope a little more...

Time, we are told, heals all wounds. In the Middle East, despite repeated wars and long-standing grievances, time somehow appeared to be on the side of peace. If some weeks went by without bombs and bloodshed, it seemed -- if only briefly -- a bit more like peace than war...

What's in a name? When it comes to creating a job description for people working within the Americorps national service program, the name is everything. There has been much public debate since Americorps' inception in 1994. People opposing the program claim it is wasteful bureaucracy and that participants are "paid volunteers" who are looking for an easy way to eat into taxpayers' money...

Artist Norman Rockwell and the editors of The Saturday Evening Post saw something familiar in the works of an unknown and untrained painter who had entered their magazine art contest. "I was 22 years old. I didn't have any art training, but I had been working with some painting," Gene Boyer said. He saw the full-page ad in The Saturday Evening Post calling for new illustrators. "I was just brash enough to enter."...

Former Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball coach Ron Shumate has accepted the position of Director of Promotions for Athletics at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Shumate was head basketball coach of the Moccasins seven years before a 16-year stint at Southeast. He accepted the job Friday and will begin duties Wednesday...

On Aug. 30, and again on Sept. 6, Jim Jarrell decided to go to church. But he never got there. His car was in the shop getting a new motor, so at 8:30 a.m., he decided to call Kelley Transportation for a cab to make his Saturday School at 10 a.m., or the 11 a.m. services at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on West End Boulevard, Jarrell said...

Wheelchair users in Cape Girardeau believe the subsidized taxi service they receive from Kelley Transportation is not as good as the service other people receive. Terrence Kelley who runs Kelley Transportation said the company is providing wheelchair users the best service he can afford to give...

Looking for a new car, a new job, a new home? The Southeast Missourian is offering readers access to classified advertisements online. Addition of classified ads is just one of several new developments on SEMissourian.com, the official website of the Southeast Missourian...

Although many members and former members of the Southeast Missouri State University AmeriCorps program agree on the overall excellence of the program, opinions remain mixed about its local management. Most praise local efforts for assisting with a broad range of educational, environmental and community-related projects in the region...

Don't be fooled by the name. A new investment column, The Motley Fool, offers serious advice about making money. The Motley Fool debuts in the Southeast Missourian Monday as part of the weekly business package. A companion online version of The Motley Fool is available on SEMissourian.com, the website of the Southeast Missourian...

I never meant to kill the dog, even though it was beeping incessantly. Digital Doggie died a dirty death, killed by my electronically inept actions in the space of a few hours Friday. "How could you kill Tiger?" Joni asked when I informed her of the dog's demise...

It has certainly been an eventful sports-news week in Cape Girardeau as the two highest-profile athletic teams at Southeast Missouri State University took a couple of major hits just days apart. On Tuesday, SEMO officials announced that they had received a letter of official inquiry from the NCAA in regard to allegations concerning the men's basketball program...

They're rookies on paper, but not on the floor. Krista Haukap and Rachelle Knapp were much aware that four starters on last year's Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team graduated, and that the Otahkians have only one senior starter this year...

MARTIN, Tenn. -- The last two weeks had not been much fun for Southeast Missouri State University's football team as the Indians lost to Illinois State and Murray State by a combined 58-10 score. But all that changed in a big way here Saturday night. The Indians' frowns turned to big-time smiles as they broke a two-game losing streak with a 42-7 romp past the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks...

JACKSON -- After getting rained out last weekend, the Jackson Tournament held 64 games Saturday with Fox emerging as the tourney champion with a 14-4 win over Kelly. Cor Jesu took third place with a 3-2 win over Hillsboro. LaFayette won the fifth-place game over Lutheran South. First game losers moved to pool play were Jackson and Vienna (Ill.) both went 3-0 to win the two respective pools...

MURRAY, Ky. -- Notre Dame's soccer team used two dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victories to capture the four-team Pepsi Invitational Saturday. Notre Dame saw Chris Dirnberger score two late goals against Louisville Atherton in the championship game to overcome a 2-1 deficit...

It's been nearly two seasons since Chaffee won a football game, but this week the Red Devils picked up a victory over the top team in the SEMO South Conference without having to break a sweat. Malden, which beat Chaffee 38-0 in the opening week of the season, discovered after a 42-14 loss to New Madrid last week they had used an ineligible player in its first three games. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Several area cross country teams competed well at one of the largest meets of the year Saturday during the Hancock Invitational at Jefferson Barracks. "It's the biggest race in the state of Missouri every year," said Central coach Mark Hahn. "There might have been 300 or 400 people in a race...

For the 1997 archery season, hunters will be allowed to take two deer and two turkeys of either sex, except that only one antlered deer may be taken from Oct. 1 through Nov. 14. This means that you can take two archery deer prior to firearms season but only one of them can be antlered. ...

Emanuel Andrew Colyer, 80, of rural McClure, Ill. died, Friday, Sept. 26, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 15, 1917, at McClure, son of Jesse A Colyer and Jenny Murphy Colyer. He married Wilma Rogers on May 28, 1938, at Jackson, Mo. She survives...

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Lois N. Abernathy Malin, 79, of Anderson, formerly of Campbell, Mo., died Friday, Sept. 26, 1997, at Miller's Merry Manor in Chesterfield, Ind. She was born Aug. 20, 1918, at Campbell. She was retired from Kmart. She is survived by five children, Rosemary Nichols of Campbell, Pat E. ...

ALTENBURG -- Elmer A. Kasten, 76, of Altenburg died Saturday, Sept. 27, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 16, 1921, at Altenburg, son of Alfred and Natalie Koenig Kasten. He married Nora Stueve April 20, 1952. She survives...

CHARLESTON -- James Walter "Jim" Parker, 64, of Charleston died Saturday, Sept. 27, 1997, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by McMikle Funeral Home at Charleston.

Billie Roth, telephone chairperson for the FISH Volunteers of Cape Girardeau, stacked donated food in the pantry at 106 S. Sprigg St. For people who don't know where their next meal is coming from, food pantries in Cape Girardeau and Jackson offer a place to turn...

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story. Continued from Sept. 21 ...Learning to read and having more books available were two of the best things to come out of Loughboro school days...

The City of Roses Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Association will be held Thursday at Drury Lodge. The social time begins at 6 p.m. and the meeting and dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. The program will be presented by Sheldon Tyler, director of the Cape Girardeau alternative school...