Stories from Monday, July 20, 1998

Commerce Bancshares, with assets of $10.3 billion, is a registered bank holding company operating at 280 sites in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas. The company has loans of $6.6 billion and deposits of $8.7 billion...

Hastings Entertainment Inc., a multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of books, music, software, periodicals and videotapes with the rental of videotapes and video games in a superstore format, has been named Retailer of the Year in the large retailer category (more than 25 stores) by Video Software Dealers Association...

Travis Metje welded a broken boat propeller before grinding it into shape. David Dodds, right, checked out a malfunctioning outboard motor with Steve Armstrong at Cape Boat & Motor, 505 Good Hope. Today's anglers, hunters, campers and other outboard motor enthusiasts can sit comfortably in a boat and let the outboard motor propel them to certain destinations simply because a woman wanted a dish of ice cream...

Chrysler Corp.'s earnings more than doubled during the second quarter from a year ago, when the nation's third-biggest domestic carmaker was hit by a strike at an engine plant. Strong truck sales and deep cost-cutting pushed the automaker's profit to $1 billion, $1.51 per diluted share for the three months ended June 30. That compares to the $483 million or 70 cents a share from a year ago when a monthlong strike cost the company more than $480 million...

NEW YORK -- Americans continued their shopping spree in June, giving the nation's retailers their sixth straight month of gains. The Merrill Lynch retail index, the investment firm's barometer of sales performance at department stores and discount chains, rose 3.9 percent last month after a 6.6 percent increase in May...

CHICAGO -- Ameritech Corp., which is seeking to merge with fellow baby Bell SBC Communications, reported its second-quarter profits tripled on the sale of its stake in New Zealand's telephone company and on increased sales of high-speed phone connections...

SBC Communications Inc. has announced financial results for the second quarter. Revenues for the quarter were $6.6 billion, up 7.9 percent, from the $6.1 billion during the same period a year ago. Earnings for the quarter were up 19.6 percent, to $966 million, from $808 million during the same period a year ago...

Sondra Coughlin feels at home in Cape Girardeau. Coughlin, who has settled in as administrator of Chateau Girardeau, a retirement community in Cape Girardeau, is a Midwest native. Coughlin has spent the past 10 years in the Anaheim, Calif., area, lived in Savannah, Ill., a small northern Illinois community along the banks of the Mississippi River, for more than 25 years...

This "Financial Focus" column is prepared by Edward Jones Investments, headquartered in St. Louis. Jones includes branches throughout the nation, including Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Compounding is money earned on your principal plus the accumulation of the money previously earned and reinvested. ...

Mary Miller of Cape Girardeau has joined the certified public accountant firm of Schott & Van de Ven. Miller, who has more than 25 years of management experience and 17 years of marketing development, will develop marketing programs and implement new services for the company at 1020 N. Kingshighway...

A new Drury Inn & Suites has opened at Evansville, Ind. Owned and operated by Drury Inns Inc., headquartered at St. Louis, this is the second Drury Inns operation in Evansville. The latest Drury Inn is at Interstate 164 and Lloyd Expressway. The general manager of the 150-room hotel is Brian Collins...

NationsBank Corp. reported a 23 percent increase in earnings during the second quarter to $1.13 billion, or $1.18 per common share, compared to $919 million or 97 cents a share during the same period a year ago. Operating earnings represent a return on average assets of 1.45 percent and return on equity of 18.3 percent, exceeding the 1.30 percent and 15.7 percent respectively during the same period a year ago...

Ford Motor Co. earned $2.4 billion in the second quarter, down 6 percent from a record profit a year ago that included results from a financial business that Ford no longer owns. The nation's second biggest automaker earned $1.91 a share in the April to June period compared with $2.5 billion, or $1.82 a share, a year ago...

This week's KINSA contest semifinalists prove that some of the best pictures can't be planned. The winning photographers happened to be at the right place at the right time with cameras in hand. KINSA, Kodak International Newspaper Snapshot Awards, is the world's largest annual amateur-snapshot contest. Locally, the KINSA contest is entering the fifth of six weeks. The last date for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, July 31...

A "Bridge closed" sign is expected to go up on the bridge that carries traffic across the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau on Jan. 1, 2002. That's the day Missouri and Illinois officials hope to open the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to traffic between the two states...

The equipment is in place, and construction crews are waiting on the river to re-start work on the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. Several problems, from soft bedrock to high waters, have caused delays. The bridge will span the Mississippi River, connecting Cape Girardeau with Southern Illinois. It will replace the present narrow bridge built in 1927...

"Fleas are, like the remainder of the universe, a divine mystery." -- Anatole France A friend's experience of receiving the cremated remains of her beloved terrier in a sandwich bag prompted Paul C. Dahm to write "The Rainbow Bridge," a book for pet lovers -- especially those coping with the loss of a pet...

Repeat after me: Scratching only makes it worse, even though it feels so-oo good. I ventured out of doors the other night, for work-related reasons, and came back missing a few pints of blood. You guessed it: I was attacked by mosquitoes. I am covered with dozens of swollen, itching red bumps...

BLOOMFIELD -- Forrest Jackson says he doesn't have any complaints about state Rep. Marilyn Williams. He just wants her job. "I have no gripes at all against her," said the 65-year-old Democrat from Bloomfield. Jackson is seeking to unseat Williams, D-Dudley, in the August primary...

7:30 p.m. Monday, July 20 City Hall Action items Power and Light Committee -- Consider a motion authorizing the city's consulting engineer to conduct rock probing activities and seismic surveys relative to work on the Grandview Acres Sewer Project. -- Consider a motion approving the mayor's appointment of employees to serve on Deferred Compensation Committee...

Although he has held the position for only two years, Cape Girardeau's school superintendent, Dr. Dan Tallent, has been a driving force in helping to move the school district forward, particularly in terms of vitally needed buildings and other physical facilities...

The federal government spent an awfully long time investigating allegations that voters were given coupons worth $1 in merchandise at a Charleston convenience store in exchange for their votes during the 1996 general election. The two-year probe finally ended last week in a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge by the only person ultimately accused of any wrongdoing. ...

To the editor: I would like to dedicate this poem to my parents, Sally and Lenard Clayton, Melba Myers and all of the senior citizens of Cape Girardeau: They Call Them the Gold Years Senior citizens, oldies and wrinklies, Discard the cane. You're not in pain...

Monday, July 20 7:30 p.m. Study session 5 p.m. Consent ordinances -- An ordinance accepting a trustee's deed from Charles W. Riske, trustee of the bankruptcy estate of William G. Evans, for right-of-way on South West End Boulevard. -- An ordinance levying a special assessment for making certain sewer improvements in Cape Commercial Park subdivision, Lateral Sewer District No. 14-1-C-2, and authorizing the issuance of special tax bills therefore...

This week the Southeast Missourian asked, "What do you think of the court's decision to require secret service agents to testify in the Starr grand jury investigation of Bill Clinton?" David Bleckler, Cape Girardeau "As long as it doesn't interfere with national security I think they should have full disclosure."...

The McDowell Capahas called on their classic comeback style to defeat Ste. Genevieve 9-7 Sunday and cap a two-victory day at Capaha Field. McDowell (22-10) defeated Goreville 6-2 in the afternoon, but found themselves in late trouble against Ste. Genevieve...

Dunklin Co. Post 303 enters the District 14 American Legion baseball tournament as the top seed when play opens today at Capaha Field with three first-round games. Dunklin Co. will not be among the six teams playing today as the as it gets the precious first-round bye in the seven-team field. Dunklin Co. did not pin down the top seed until this weekend, but finished with a district-best 9-3 record...

Todd Centers of Cape Girardeau found consistency residing in his golf bag and it was enough to win the First Annual Parks Development Foundation Men's Individual Tournament Sunday at Jaycees Municipal Golf Course. Centers shot his second consecutive 75 for a 150 total to capture Championship flight by a comfortable six strokes over first-day leader Thomas Rainwater...

ST. LOUIS -- Chaffee's Junior Legion baseball team needed extra innings, but defeated Imperial 8-6 in its Zone Tournament championship game late Saturday night to advance to the state tournament. Imperial had defeated Chaffee 12-1 earlier in the day in the first championship game of the double-elimination tournament. Imperial, which lost to Chaffee earlier in the tournament, appeared headed for total revenge, but saw the game slip away in eight innings...

JACKSON -- Bill Bradley defeated John Davie 6-1, 6-2 in Sunday's Men's Open final of the Coca-Coca Classic held at Jackson City Courts. In A division, Michael Pobst defeated Joe Childress. Pobst won the first set 6-4 and was leading 3-1 when Childress was forced to retire...

JACKSON -- Stacy Preston Sims, 31, of Jackson died Sunday, July 19, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 7, 1967, at Meridian, Miss., son of Ronald Edsel and Johnnie Gayle Pylate Sims. Sims was a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency assigned to the Cape Girardeau office for two years. ...

JACKSON -- John William Golden, 71, of Jackson died Saturday, July 18, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 22, 1926, at St. Joseph, son of John William and Mary Clara Lager Golden. He and Jean Hendrickson were married on Feb. 8, 1986...

Juanita Barks, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 19, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Dec. 21, 1917, at Oneonta, Ala., daughter of John H. and Mary D. Gilliland Abercrombie. She and Earl Barks were married Dec. 30, 1934, at Benton. He died March 20, 1985...

Helen Marie Holzum Whealen, fortified with the Sacraments of Holy Mother Church, died peacefully in her home on July 18, 1998, with family and friends accompanying her. Helen had waged a courageous battle with cancer since 1982 and was an inspiration to all...