Stories from Saturday, June 6, 1998

June is here and finally it is time for summer vacations to begin. I have one planned and I am really looking forward to it. If you visit the travel section at cnn.com, you may still be able to participate in an ongoing "quick poll" asking the question: When traveling, what have you ever stolen from a hotel room?" At the time of this writing, 1,584 respondents had logged in and more than half (58 percent) said they had never taken anything from a hotel room. ...

Joan Strohmeyer mixed slaw for a Vincent's Vittles dinner last week at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Strohmeyer cooks about four times each year for the community meals. Attendance averages about 200 people. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"...

Over the last two years Denis Rigdon and Connie Eichhorn have collected dozens of stories about how the Christian service programs at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church have changed lives. "It's amazing what's happened," Eichhorn said. People from the parish helped find work for a man who came to a Vincent's Vittles meal after losing his job and running out of money to buy food. He just needed to eat, Rigdon said...

"We got a cake but no icing." Dan Mehan, vice president of governmental affairs for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce, wanted the icing. "But that went by the wayside during the final 30 minutes of the recent Missouri legislative session," said Mehan, referring to the Legislature's failure to pass a franchise-tax-relief bill for corporate taxpayers. A filibuster by Sen. John Schneider, D-Florissant, prevented passage of the bill...

Gov. Mel Carnahan Friday vetoed a bill that would have hiked pensions for Missouri legislators. Area lawmakers praised Carnahan's action. "He did the right thing," said state Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau. Kinder and state Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, were among a majority of lawmakers who voted for the pension bill as the session wound down. But they joined other Democratic and Republican lawmakers later in urging Carnahan to veto the bill...

Last week Sherry Sheffer watched her son graduate from high school and worried as her daughter took her first trips on a brand-new driver's license. She never thought she would live to see either event: Twelve years ago Sheffer was diagnosed with terminal cancer...

Classes that aren't required for graduation could be the first to be eliminated from the Cape Girardeau School District's curriculum next year. Budget reductions enacted by the Board of Education Monday will mean increased class sizes of up to 30 students for the 1998-99 school year. The larger classes are the result of positions vacated by retiring or resigning teachers that will remain unfilled as part of efforts to reduce the school budget beginning July 1 by some $1 million...

Budget reductions approved by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education will mean larger class sizes for some secondary students during the 1998-99 school year. Board members Monday froze spending and approved a number of cuts in an effort to reduce the next school budget by some $1 million. The tighter spending is to correct deficit spending that has occurred since 1995...

I have always been the worst of moody persons -- the one whose mood swings exist for no apparent reason. My personality and moods are in constant limbo, swinging from light to dark, happy to sad, and jovial to angry in a matter of moments. I have the unfortunate ability to be the life of the party for the first half of the evening, followed by a stint when all I want is to be alone so I can read my book, even if I'm in the middle of a party at the time...

ALL THESE news people on television and Bill Clinton and all the other politicians are bragging about the economy being so good and inflation being down. I'd like to know where they're getting their information. Every time you go to buy something, it's come up in price, food, building materials, automobiles, homes, lumber -- everything. ...

Budget reductions are never easy, whether at the federal, state or local levels. Everyone cheers responsible government spending until their pet programs are affected. The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has been through a difficult few months as members worked to cut nearly $1 million in spending from the budget. Since March, staff, parents, teachers and community residents have provided valuable input on ways to trim the budget...

How good are our local schools? One reflection of the high caliber of schools and students is the number of scholarships local seniors have been offered for college. The figures are staggering. Graduates from Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Notre Dame were offered more than $1 million combined in first-year scholarships. If you calculate these scholarships over four years -- since most are renewable -- the scholarship offers would grow to more than $3 million...

To the editor: Thank you for the story of Crazy Horse in the May 31 paper. Crazy Horse was an Ogala Sioux, and his story is told in a book, "Black Elk Speaks," by Dr. John Neihardt, who was many years ago a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia. I have been given permission to quote from the book by the University of Nebraska Press:...

To the editor: I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who worked with me on La Fete Francaise. The Southeast Missourian was especially helpful with its coverage of the event. The festival, which celebrates the French heritage of the region, was a success, thanks to many people and sponsors. A special thank you to the members of the Jackson High School French Club who generously gave up part of their Memorial Day to help with the event...

SIKESTON -- Lucy Zahray knows all the best ways to poison someone. The Michigan pharmacist-toxicologist is sharing her expertise at this weekend's Heartland Writers Conference, which runs through today. Mystery writers and writers of historical romances often need information about poisons. She provides them with a few facts: the poison's effects, some trivia about its name or physical attributes, and perhaps how a killer could acquire it...

COLUMBIA -- Trailing the Halfway Cardinals by seven runs during Friday morning's Class 1A baseball championship game at chilly Simmons Field, the Oran Eagles found themselves in a familiar situation. Only this time, the seven-run lead held up. After battling back from a 7-0 deficit in Wednesday's 9-7 semifinal win over New Bloomfield, the Eagles comeback magic expired in a 9-3 championship loss...

CHARLESTON -- Lucille Welch, 85, of Charleston died Thursday, June 4, 1998, at Bertrand Retirement Home. She was born Nov. 3, 1912, at Wickliffe, Ky., daughter of Frank and Mary Baugh Ogborn. She married James Victor Welch Sept. 6, 1930. He died Nov. 21, 1976...

PARMA -- Nannie Mae Lowrey, 90, of Parma died Thursday, June 4, 1998, at Malden Nursing Center in Malden. She was born March 16, 1908, in Houston, Miss., daughter of Basil B. and Cannie Bell Bennett Gilliam. She and Leonard F. Lowrey were married Dec. 17, 1927, at Houlka, Miss. He died June 22, 1992...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Bessie Marie Grogan, 61, of East Prairie died Thursday, June 4, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 26, 1937, in East Prairie, daughter of Charles Claude and Florence Roper Brown. She and Milton Lee "Mutt" Grogan were married Nov. 14, 1953, in Corinth, Miss. He died Dec. 13, 1997...

Memorial service for Barbara L. Frisbie of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Episcopal Church. Rectors Ken Truelove and Brant Hazlett will officiate. Following the service, the family will receive friends at 3 p.m. at the church...

JACKSON -- Fern J. Seabaugh, 82, of Jackson died Thursday, June 4, 1998, at her home. She was born Aug. 14, 1915, at Marble Hill, daughter of the Rev. Robert L. and Sadie Jones Yount. She and Glenn A. Seabaugh were married Nov. 9, 1935, at Old Greenville. He died March 7, 1995...

MALDEN -- Vivian Viola Whitlatch, 72, of Malden died Thursday, June 4, 1998, at her home. She was born July 12, 1925, in Arkansas, daughter of the Rev. C.R. and Arah Craig Richardson. She first married the Rev. J.W. Greenway, who died in January 1962. She later married William Whitlatch Feb. 14, 1967, in Santa Ana, Calif. He died Oct. 28, 1993...

PERRYVILLE -- Irene M. Geile, 80, of Perryville died Friday, June 5, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 9, 1917, at Silver Lake, daughter of Ignatz and Ella Duvall Ruch. She and Lawrence A. Geile were married Nov. 5, 1935. He died Dec. 19, 1996...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Mayme Jacobson, 96, of Cairo died Friday, June 5, 1998, at Daystar Care Center. Barkett Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Darryl and Ellen Pannier of Fayette, Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, 9:23 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 1998. Name, Kassidy Michele. Weight, 7 pounds. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Pannier is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Larry Ackley of Perryville. She is a high school science teacher in the Boonville School District. Pannier is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Pannier of Cape Girardeau. He is a middle school principal in the Fayette School District...

ANNA, Ill. -- Mary Walton "Tootie" Hill, 94, of Anna died Friday, June 5, 1998, at Jonesboro Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna.

The Family Area won't be the only place to find family activities at Riverfest. Plenty of family activity can also be found during the 16th Annual Kohlfeld Riverfest Run. "It's most definitely a family atmosphere," said Ron Keller, whose family has run at Riverfest the past few years. "You can take in the run, then go to the Riverfest afterward." Ron Keller's wife, Vicky; his daughter, Parlen; son, Jared; and he will all be running again this year...

More than 100 motorcycle riders are expected to participate in this year's poker and observation run Sunday. The run will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The ride is sponsored by the SEMO H.O.G. Chapter of Harley Owners Group. The event is open to anyone with any type of motorcycle. Or participants could drive the route in a car...