Stories from Tuesday, November 11, 1997

To the editor: I read in disbelief the reported comments and allegations state Sen. Peter Kinder was quoted as saying in the front-page article, "Group of lawmakers pushes impeachment." Nov. 7. In this article, Kinder said, "I believe Bill Clinton is an appallingly corrupt president, the most corrupt we have ever had. ...

America has had a long experiment with affirmative action that began, for the most part, under the Nixon administration in 1971. Sadly, what began as an effort to provide positive outreach to underprivileged minorities -- including them in ways they seldom had been included before -- mutated into a rigid system of quotas and preferences. There were quotas for hiring, quotas for promotions, quotas for contracting and quotas for admission into many institutions of higher education...

I AGREE, the eagle as our mascot is a perfect choice to go with the proud Indian. Indians were proud people and loved the land, took care of it and respected the eagle. I would recommend you consider drawing the eagle as strong, proud and deserving of respect, rather than as some clowny caricature that could not find his own aerie. ...

Students conclude each Truth meeting with a prayer. Prayer can be a powerful tool for Christian believers, but it has to be used to accomplish a good. "I call it work," said Mendy Burgess, a junior at Southeast Missouri State University who heads the prayer committee at the Baptist Student Center...

First-grade teacher Dena Shelton chose teaching as a profession in answer to a call to minister to children. Shelton, in her third year of teaching at Cape Christian School, said she wanted the chance to help students move forward academically and religiously. She enjoys working in a Christian setting where she and the students can pray together for each other and their concerns and where they can study the Bible and learn to apply it to their everyday lives...

The Joint Interim Committee on Desegregation and School Finance Issues has decided to take Cape Girardeau Superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent's advice and share the wealth of desegregation savings. Committee co-chairman Sen. Ted House, D-St. Charles, said placing the desegregation savings into categorical spending items made the most sense to committee members because every school receives that funding...

Today is Veterans Day. It is a day we honor the men and women who have given so much to protect and preserve the United States of America. While we set aside a day to honor veterans, you can learn more about veterans and the military any time on the Internet...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- A new island will be formed in the Ohio River. Plans for a $9 million, 27,000-square-foot island belonging to Players International Inc., were announced Monday at Players Theater in Metropolis. The two-level island, which will be just off the Ferry Street Landing shore in this city of 7,500 people, will be under a thatched roof and will feature lush vegetation, palm trees, Polynesian decor and colorful murals. ...

JACKSON -- The number of possible corridors under consideration for expansion and improvements to Highways 34 and 72 has been trimmed from 13 to five. Representatives for QST Infrastructure Inc., the firm hired by the Missouri Department of Transportation, outlined the remaining proposals for Cape Girardeau County public officials during a meeting Monday at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce...

When Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones does the math, funding for a new court automation program doesn't quite add up. Over the past three years, the local circuit court has paid $128,000 toward the cost of automation. The $7-per-case fee for automation continues for seven more years. At the current rate, Cape County would pay another $300,000 toward automation costs...

JACKSON -- After 12 years as principal of Jackson High School and 32 years as an educator, Vernon Huck wants to try something new. Huck submitted his resignation to the Jackson Board of Education in mid-October. However, he will continue as principal until the end of the school year...

Local officials haven't decided if they will pay $25,000 to Walt Wildman to lobby for an east-west interstate route that the state's top transportation official doesn't support. Cape Girardeau County's presiding commissioner and the mayors of Cape Girardeau and Jackson said they don't know when they will act on the issue...

"War makes rattling good history, but peace is poor reading." -- Thomas Hardy I watched "Air Force One" again last weekend and it sparked a conversation about patriotism in America -- does it really exist? Apparently, I was so engrossed in the action and suspense of the film the first time around that I missed all the patriotic messages. I'm not really sure how I overlooked them, but it happened...

They can no longer finish the season with a winning record, so the goal now for Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians is to simply finish the season strong. The Indians (3-6 overall, 1-5 Ohio Valley Conference) have two games left, both at home. Southeast will face non-league foe Southern Illinois Saturday and close the campaign Nov. 22 against OVC opponent Tennessee State...

It won't count on their record. And there were some rough spots, particularly early. But Southeast Missouri State University's basketball Indians opened the Gary Garner era Monday night with a victory, beating Dream Builders 97-80 in an exhibition game...

It's been a history-making season for the Jackson Indians soccer squad as they enter their first-ever Class 4A Sectional soccer match tonight at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Complex in Fenton. The Indians, winners of District 1 with a 14-3-6 record, will face the Lindbergh Flyers at 5:30 p.m. Lindbergh (21-2-4) emerged as the No. 3 seed to claim the District 2 title...

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team will tune up for the 1997-98 season tonight by hosting the Finnish National Team in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the Show Me Center. "There are two aspects to the Finland game," said Southeast coach Ed Arnzen, whose squad opens the season Saturday night at home against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "First, we will play to win. Second, we will play everyone...

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team appears poised to capture the regular-season Ohio Valley Conference championship for the fifth time in a row and the sixth time in the past seven years. Entering tonight's final regular-season home match against Tennessee-Martin (7 p.m. at Houck Field House), the Otahkians lead the OVC with a 12-3 record. They're 22-8 overall...

GIDEON -- Funeral service for Roy Boyet of Gideon was held Monday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Gideon. The Rev. Cleo Payne officiated, with burial in Stanfield Cemetery at Clarkton. Boyet, 84, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997, at Twin Rivers Hospital in Kennett...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Funeral service for George A. Adams of Cobden will be held at 11 a.m. today at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Cobden. The Rev. DeWayne Taylor will officiate, with burial in Alto Pass Cemetery. Adams, 77, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

ADVANCE -- Funeral service for Hubert H. Deckard of Advance will be held at 11 a.m. today at Morgan Funeral Chapel. The Revs. Gene Robins and Bob Porter will officiate. Burial will be in Clubb Cemetery near Zalma. Deckard, 66, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997, at his home...

Funeral service for Robert Anthony Gabler of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Clayton Smith will officiate. Gabler, 82, died Sunday, Nov. 9, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Aug. 3, 1915, in Chicago, son of Anthony J. and Nella Erana Hoeppner. He and Juanita Beard were married Jan. 10, 1956, in Winter Haven, Calif...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral service for Kenneth Karraker of Anna will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Kenneth Wilson will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery, with graveside rites by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455...

A Cape Girardeau woman is the first patient in the region, and one of only a small group the nation, to receive a new type of chemotherapy treatment for a cancerous brain tumor. Local neurosurgeon Dr. Scott Gibbs performed the procedure Monday at Southeast Missouri Hospital. The woman was released Friday and Gibbs said she was doing very well...

Georgia Eloise Wilson, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Nov. 10, 1997, at the Lutheran Home. She was born March 9, 1905, at Allenville, daughter of W.F. and Calista C. Goger Wilson. Wilson received a bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University...

PERRYVILLE -- Paul J. McLain, 92, of Perryville died Monday, Nov. 10, 1997, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born Nov. 19, 1904, at Silver Lake, son of Marion and Mary Tucker McLain. He and Mary Corine Jannin were married Oct. 20, 1925. McLain was a farmer, and member of St. Vincent's Catholic Church...

ADVANCE -- Ivan Eugene Coleman Jr., 34, of Hopewell died Sunday, Nov. 9, 1997, at St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio. He was born Sept. 7, 1963, in St. Louis, son of Ivan E. and Joyce Ann Dicus Coleman Sr. He and Mary A. Whittley were married Oct. 13, 1984 in Hopewell...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Helen McFarland, 87, of Karnak died Monday, Nov. 10, 1997, at Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Metropolis. She was born June 18, 1910, in Carbondale, daughter of Ed and Belle Smith Glasco. She married John D. McFarland, who died in 1962...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral service for William Colmore "W.C." Stallings of East Prairie will be held at 2 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Larry Smith and James Day will officiate, with burial in Dogwood Cemetery. Stallings, 72, died Saturday, Nov. 8, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, following an extended illness...