Stories from Saturday, June 20, 1998

When "Taps" plays on the bugle or the music of a John Philip Sousa march resonates through the sanctuary of First General Baptist Church during the annual Freedom Celebration, feelings of patriotism seem to move through the audience. That is the point of the ninth annual event, which celebrates everything from military service to freedom to worship...

An Archaeology Lecture Series sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University, Murray State University and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is presented Monday nights through July 6 in Ste. Genevieve. The lectures are given from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Ste. Genevieve County Services Building, Meeting Room 255, Market St., Ste. Genevieve. All sessions are free and open to the public...

The end is getting near for the Cape Girardeau flood-control project. The final phase of the project to widen and straighten Walker Branch, which began in February, is expected to be finished by November, said Darl Ferguson, project manager for Mosley Construction, the contractor...

Two new surgery centers are in the works for Cape Girardeau. Dr. William Kapp III, an orthopedist, has issued a letter of intent to apply for a certificate of need to build a $5.4 million ambulatory surgery center. And the Missouri Department of Health has given the go-ahead to the Silver Springs Surgery Center LLC...

Low mortgage and unemployment rates and a solid local economy have helped new home sales climb to new highs in Cape Girardeau County. Housing starts are up more than 35 percent in Cape Girardeau, where 41 starts during the first five and a half months of 1998 have resulted in a $6.2 million boom to the economy...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- The year after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed segregated schools, Jack Brooks became the first black student to graduate from Ste. Genevieve High School. That and other facts about Brooks' family are of interest to a group of students from Southeast Missouri State University who are doing an assessment of the 150-year-old house he grew up in...

To the editor: The fervent drive to eliminate the present income-tax code seems to have developed somewhat of a euphoria driven by simplistic notions. Before such a move were made, necessity would demand a well developed improvement waiting in the wings for immediate replacement. ...

Soul-searching over the many incidents of students taking firearms to schools and killing and injuring dozens of people is to be expected. But the unfortunate result of focusing on school shootings is to detract attention from the fact that student-age youngsters shoot each other every day throughout the nation. But because most shootings don't occur on school property, there is scant notice...

I WOULD like to address this to the 18-year-old smoker. Yes, alcohol does kill people. However, most people can enjoy alcohol without becoming alcoholics or drinking while driving. On the other hand, you and everyone else who smokes are tobacco junkies, and it will kill most of you. ...

To the editor: When most folks think of doing acts of kindness for nursing homes, they think of the well-known, larger homes. Often the smaller homes are forgotten. For the past few years, Dee Messmer, Flo Hamil and Bonnie Rainey from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City have faithfully remembered the approximately 20 folks who live at Sunshine Villa in Scott City...

Cape Girardeau's Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team has lost its share of games so far this season. But win or lose, Cape never fails to make things exciting. Such was the case Friday night when Ford & Sons played host to Van Buren's Cougars in a doubleheader at Capaha Field...

The host Cape Jr. Legion team dropped both its games Friday as the SEMO Bank Jr. Legion Tournament opened in earnest. After winning the tournament opener Thursday over Chaffee, SEMO Bank dropped a 9-6 decision to Paducah and an 11-9 loss to Christian Brothers on Friday...

Daughter to Jason Albert and Lori Ann Sparks of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:41 p.m. Thursday, June 11, 1998. Name, Elizabeth Diane. Weight, 4 pounds 13 ounces. Mrs. Sparks is the former Lori Kitchen, daughter of Sharon Kitchen and Larry Kitchen of Cape Girardeau. She is a customer service representative at Concord Printing Services. Sparks is the son of Joy Kielhofner and Walter Sparks of Scott City. He is a welder at Standley Batch Systems Inc...

BENTON -- Gregory F. Martin, 80, of Benton died Friday, June 19, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are pending at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

BLOOMFIELD -- Elmer Stroud, 41, of Bloomfield died Thursday, June 18, 1998, at the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge near Puxico. He was born May 28, 1957, at Dexter, son of Leo and Lucille Gossier Stroud. Stroud was a member of New Haven Baptist Church in Flint, Mich...