Stories from Tuesday, April 7, 1998

JACKSON -- A committee investigating erosion of Hubble Creek presented its proposed solution to the Cape Girardeau County Commission Monday. Commissioners and Jackson city officials agreed that something must be done to correct the problem, but the question of who should take charge and how to fund the recommendations remains...

DELTA -- Fifth-graders in Loretta Blattel's class this year added a few new subjects to the regular courses taught in elementary school. The students at Delta Elementary School are learning keyboarding, Internet, e-mail and computers. "This year the focus is on computers in the classroom," said Blattel. "Our school received a technology grant written by the business teacher. Now we have computers for the students."...

A pink visitor's pass is required for all visitors to Scott City schools. Just two months ago, eight students were shot, three fatally, as they left their prayer circle after 14-year-old Michael Carneal allegedly opened fire at Heath High School in West Paducah, Ky...

Cybertip: Random Acts of Kindness is set May 10-16 in the region. Interested individuals can register online at www.semissourian.com or by calling 335-6611. Names of businesses, churches, schools, clubs and individuals who signup will be run on the front page of the newspaper in the coming weeks. We're also looking for the names of kind people to profile in the newspaper during Kindness Week. E-mail your suggestions at webmaster@semissourian.com...

CREAL SPRINGS, Ill. -- A Dexter, Mo., man whose son was killed in a weekend boating accident on Lake of Egypt has been released from a hospital. Robert T. Maddox, 47, the driver of one of two boats that crashed at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, was released Monday from Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- The shipping situation on the Mississippi River and Gulf Inter-Coastal Waterways is changing as a strike by some towboat pilots entered its fourth day today. Widespread effects of the strike have been difficult to gauge, said U.S. Coast Guard officials, who are keeping tabs on the strike for safety reasons...

A special-use permit that would have allowed Drury Southwest Inc., to build and occupy a sixth floor of an office building under construction on William Street was rejected Monday by the Cape Girardeau City Council. Construction of the addition already has begun, but DSW's Larry Westrich said the additional space, originally planned as an attic, will be completed as such and won't be occupied by tenants...

A national study to find out whether a drug used to treat breast cancer could also prevent the disease from developing hit close to home for three Southeast Missouri sisters. Martha Nothdurft, Cheryl Crouch and Sharon Wendel all participated in the national Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, which studied the effectiveness of the drug tamoxifen as a preventive measure against breast cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease...

Three fourths of the money confiscated in one of Missouri's largest drug money seizures -- over $1 million in New Madrid County four years ago -- will be distributed to three law enforcement agencies Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Checks totaling $750,000 will be presented to the Missouri Highway Patrol, Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and Mineral Area Drug Task Force for their efforts in seizing the drug money...

The best part of being a journalist is that you can never predict what will be the big news from day to day. Nor can you predict how people react to the news. With the ruling last week that Paula Jones didn't have enough evidence to continue her case against President Bill Clinton, the nation was sort of caught off guard. You could hear the buzz miles away...

The Dow Jones industrial average bulled its way to a new milestone Monday, closing at more than 9,000 points. But, without the rise in financial stocks, spurred on by the announcement of a $70 billion merger of financial giants Citicorp, the nation's No. 2 bank, and Travelers Group, the powerhouse broker and insurer, the Dow would have missed the historic marker and lost ground for the day...

To the editor: Several bills in Congress would establish school vouchers, claiming this would improve education. The solution, with the veneer peeled off, is a reversal of our nearly 150-year public policy, which denies public funds to nonpublic schools. This could drastically change American education...

I WANT to comment about the person who said they need to raise the minimum wage and how the Republicans wouldn't let them. This is an example of economic ignorance that's wrong with the country. This person never has figured that instead of $1 more or $2 in the minimum wage, what if you cut taxes? If taxes -- hidden taxes, licenses, everything -- are 52 percent of your salary, and if you only had to pay 10 percent of your salary into the government, you would have another 40 percent in spendable income. ...

Two recent reports indicate positive trends for the Cape Girardeau area. One has to do with revenue from the county's sales tax, which jumped sharply in the first quarter. The other is the latest census adjustment, which shows healthy growth in Cape Girardeau and Jackson as well as outlying areas of the county...

To the editor: Recently there was a letter to the editor from a gentleman criticizing teachers for wanting a pay raise. It seems reasonable that anyone who has a job would want a pay raise. This person also went on to question teachers' dedication and to blame them for students' lack of respect. ...

JACKSON -- The city's annual Spring Clean Up/Fix Up Week will be May 4-8. Residents can leave almost anything at curbside for pickup. Large appliances will be picked up for a small charge. "These are things that the trash people wouldn't ordinarily pick up," Mayor Paul Sander said...

When the current Cape Girardeau County jail opened in Jackson in 1979, it had room for 64 prisoners -- at a time when the daily jail population averaged about 15 inmates. And in the decade from 1984 to 1994, the jail count grew, but it remained fairly constant at an average of 45 prisoners a day...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Wal-Mart store will relocate to a Wal-Mart Supercenter to be built further east on East Jackson Boulevard. Construction of the store is scheduled to begin in August. The grand opening is expected in spring 1999. The store at 2001 E. ...

Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan figured it was only a matter of time before the Indians put it all together for a sweep of a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series. Well, that time finally came over the weekend as the Indians traveled to Clarksville, Tenn., and won all three games against Austin Peay...

Two huge hits were all the offense Southeast Missouri State University's softball team needed Monday against Middle Tennessee to gain their fourth Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader sweep of the season. Kim Palmer smashed a three-run home run in the first inning of the opening game at Parker Field as the Otahkians cruised to a 5-0 victory. In the second game, Renee Enos ripped a bases-loaded single in the third inning to score two runs in a 4-1 win...

Erin Vogt returned to St. Louis Monday afternoon worn out but extremely satisfied. Vogt, a former Cape Girardeau Central High student who is spending her senior season of high school in St. Louis, finished seventh over the weekend in the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. National Swimming Championships in Minneapolis...

JACKSON -- Perryville High's baseball team wielded some hot bats Monday as the Pirates blasted host Jackson 15-7 in a makeup game. The contest had originally been rained out last Friday. The Pirates, who evened their record at 2-2, had 13 hits, including three home runs. Shawn Duvall homered twice and added another hit along with four runs batted in while Nick Adams ripped a grand slam among his two hits...

Donald Dean Terry, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, April 6, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 11, 1932, at Wolf Lake, Ill., son of Otis E. and Hazel Rumfelt Terry. He and Emma Jean Dewrock were married July 23, 1955, in Cape Girardeau. She died Aug. 28, 1994...

FARMINGTON -- Funeral Mass for John Joseph Eck of Farmington will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The Rev. Eugene Robertson will officiate, with burial in New Calvary Cemetery. Cozean Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Bobby J. Seabaugh, 72, of Dyersburg, Tenn., died Monday, April 6, 1998, at Dyersburg Methodist Hospital. He was born Oct. 9, 1925, in Cape Girardeau, son of Thomas and Avis Drum Seabaugh. He and Mary Helen Sawyer were married Nov. 20, 1945, in Paragould, Ark. She died May 15, 1996...

NEW HAMBURG -- Memorial service for Lorena Adams of Lakewood, Calif., was held recently in Lakewood. Announcement courtesy of Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City. Adams, 93, died Wednesday, April 1, 1998, in Lakewood. She was born Dec. 30, 1904, at New Hamburg, daughter of Louis and Mary Schwartz Gosche. She married Cecil Adams...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral Mass for Lovina Rovina Whitledge of Scott City will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church. The Rev. Pat Wissman will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at the church from 10 a.m. until service time...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Terry Bruce "Bubba" Williford of Sikeston will be held at 1 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. The Rev. James Hewitt will officiate, with burial in Dogwood Cemetery. Williford, 36, died Saturday, April 4, 1998, at his home...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Myra Tindal of Sikeston will be held at 11 a.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. Dr. Jim Davis and the Rev. Fred Leist will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery. Tindal, 77, died Saturday, April 4, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center...

ANNA, Ill. -- Phillip S. Friedman, 84, of Anna died Monday, April 6, 1998, at Jonesboro Health Care Center in Jonesboro. He was born July 1, 1913, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, son of Abraham and Fannie Gross Friedman. He married Lillian Canis on Nov. 20, 1941. She preceded him death. He later married Letha York Shacklee on March 17, 1984...

THEBES, Ill. -- Barbara Tinsley, 76, of Thebes died Sunday, April 5, 1998, at Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. She was born Sept. 6, 1921, in McGregor, Iowa, daughter of Foster and Mabel Weir Merritt. She and Alvie "Curly" Tinsley were married May 30, 1959...

Daughter to Michael David and Tina Marie Duley Jr. of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 3:48 a.m. Thursday, March 26, 1998. Name, Morgan Elizabeth. Weight, 7 pounds. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Duley is the former Tina Tanner, daughter of Larry and Karen Tanner of Cape Girardeau. Duley is the son of Mike and Judy Duley of Dexter. He is a flight paramedic at Southeast Hospital...

Mariko Koyama Brown, 71 of Cape Girardeau died April 3, 1998 at home. She was born Nov. 13, 1926 in Mie-ken, Japan, daughter of Hironske and Toku Koyama. She married George Brown on September 24, 1958 in Yokohama, Japan. He preceded her in death March 15, 1992...

DEXTER -- Harold Leek of Dexter died Sunday, April 5, 1998, at his home. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Dexter is in charge of arrangements.

Marcia G. Hayes of St. Louis died Sunday, April 5, 1998. She was the daughter of Harold and Carol Rudert. Survivors include her husband, Chester; two sons, William and Todd Hayes of St. Louis; her mother of Cape Girardeau; three sisters, Carol and Patricia of Cape Girardeau, Jane of Florida; and two grandchildren...

Florence Edna Sawyer, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, April 6, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Feb. 2, 1915, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Frank and Hattie Parker. Sawyer was a licensed practical nurse at Southeast Hospital and in Elgin, Ill., retiring in 1981. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church...

Betty Wilson, 74, of Santa Fe, N.M., died Saturday, April 4, 1998, She was born at Egypt Mills, and grew up in Cape Girardeau. She and Woodrow Wilson had been married 54 years. Wilson and her husband operated an art gallery in Santa Fe. Survivors include her husband; two sons, Woody Wilson of San Diego, Calif., Paul Wilson of Silver City, N.M.; a daughter, Carol Toner of Pecos, N.M.; three sisters, Anna Barr of California, Sue Dillow of Jackson, Georgia Esicar of Cape Girardeau; and two granddaughters.. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Joseph H. Hagan, 70, of Perryville died Monday, April 6, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 8, 1927, at Perryville, son of John Simon and Lillian Marie Glaub Hagan. He and Eleanor M. Zahner were married Sept. 18, 1948...

U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond received an endorsement for re-election Saturday from the statewide Missouri Farm Bureau FARM-PAC coalition. The endorsement came following interviews with Bond, Jay Nixon and other candidates for the U.S. Senate. Dexter farmer Charles Kruse, Missouri Farm Bureau president, said Bond has an impressive track record of support for agricultural issues and rural interests...

A section of Perryville Road 700 feet north of Meyer Drive to the northern city limits will be restricted to local traffic only while construction work continues. In addition, the speed limit along that section of roadway has been reduced from 35 mph to 20 mph. City engineer Mark Lester said the speed reduction is necessary because of the construction and is limited only to the construction area...