Stories from Sunday, October 11, 1998

Dear Editor, Last week I received a hand delivered letter concerning the recommendations that have been made to upgrade Routes 34/72 west of Route 25 to a five lane roadway. The letter from Ms. Clark further stated that my property may be affected with this improvement, and that representatives from (Missouri Department of Transportation) would like to meet with me to discuss concerns that I might have. ...

October is National Cookie Month. In celebration, the Jackson USA wants your favorite cookie recipe. All recipes turned in before Oct. 16 will be published. Send your recipes to: Cookie Month Recognition c/o Jackson USA Signal 108 S. Hope Street Jackson, MO 63755...

David Watkins knows what it's like to live the life of a celebrity. He's done so the past two times that he's visited St. Louis. All all because some guy hit 70 home runs. Watkins said that he never really thought he looked like Mark McGwire before all the hoopla and had even been wearing his goatee and short hair before McGwire set foot in St. Louis...

The Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association has elected their officers for the 1998-99 term. The officers were elected at the MLNA/KNLA Summer Meeting and Trade Show recently held in Kansas City, Mo. Elected as president of the Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association was Chris Lix of Millersville, Mo. Chris is with Lix's Quality Nursery, Inc. in Cape Girardeau, Mo...

In 1973, there were no home health services available in Southeast Missouri until the administrators of five public health departments took the initiative to begin what is today called "Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Missouri." They saw a need for home care that no one else recognized. They worked for and earned a grant from the Missouri Department of Health to establish the first home health agency in Southeast Missouri...

The Jackson Noon Optimist Club's "Little Indians" will be guests at the Jackson High school football game on Friday, Oct. 16. Parents should bring the flag football participants to the gate at the east end of the football field by 6:30 p.m. that evening. All "Little Indians" should have on their 1998 Flag Football shirts and will receive their caps the night of the game...

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Sarah J. Guebert, daughter of Allyne C. Bodenstien of Jackson, Mo., recently reported for duty with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One, Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md. Guebert's rotation to a new duty station exemplifies the worldwide assignability of Marines and Sailors. This flexibility allows our naval forces to protect U.S. national interests around the world while providing a visible deterrence for regional conflicts...

1998 marks the year for another trip back in time. "Friends of Steam Railroading," the train's volunteer organization, is proud to announce, that they will be hosting the Civil War reenactments in October of 1998. The scheduled dates are October 17 at 11 :00 a.m. ...

During the month of October, the Mineral Area College Tourism center will be displaying the artwork of Vel Marshall of Patton, Mo. Marshall has been dubbed "Bollinger County's very own professional artist" and works primarily in watercolor and oil. As a naturalist, she finds beauty in everything that surrounds her -- old houses, barns, covered bridges, depots, flowers, and pastures...

25 years ago: 1973 Dance at American Legion Hall Saturday night opens third annual Harvest Festival sponsored by Jackson Community Betterment Association; Jack Trapp Orchestra provides music. Date to hold election on proposed Cape Girardeau County public health unit and architect to design new county jail were selected by County Court Thursday; court set election on twice-defeated public health unit issue for Dec. 4, and named Thomas E. Phillips of Cape Girardeau as architect for new jail...

The Mineral Area College Tourism Information and Education Center will host their first book signing this fall on Saturday, Oct. 17 from noon to 2:30 p.m. Glen Thompkins of Florissant, author of The House on Riddle Hill, will be the first Missouri author featured...

The 54th annual Jackson Marching Band Festival has been rescheduled for Oct. 13 due to rain. The day's events will include a parade through downtown Jackson at 1:30 p.m. with field shows by participating bands beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Jackson High School Stadium...

The newly installed officers of the Jackson Noon Optimist Club are (l-r) Kim Anderson, secretary/treasurer; Chris McReynolds, vice president; Phyllis Tallent, president; and Jodean Holshouser, vice president. The newly elected officers were installed at the club's appreciation banquet held recently...

The Jackson R-II Parents As Teachers (PAT) program has set a "Back To School Night" on Oct. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Jackson Middle School. The theme for the evening will be "Fun With Food" and Southeast Missouri Hospital will provide cooking activities for children ages three to five who are currently enrolled in the program...

To the editor: Recently I have had the opportunity to speak to several fourth- and fifth-grade classes regarding responsible pet ownership and domestic animal abuse. These young students have been reading the novel "Shiloh," which deals with the abuse of a dog, in their literature classes...

The Democratic Party hasn't returned $1.7 million in donations that congressional investigators on the House committee probing fund-raising abuses say are either illegal or clearly suspect, according to a recent report. The money went to the Democratic National Committee, Democratic state parties or other Democratic fund-raising committees...

Some Cape Girardeau physicians have stepped forward, saying they want to have more say about how any merger of the two local hospitals will work, should authorities approve it. Specifically, the doctors are concerned with the issue of governance of the merged entity after any merger is completed. Leaders of the group include Dr. Richard Martin, an ear, nose and throat surgeon, and Dr. Matt Coleman, a local internist...

Today there are 115 prisoners in the federal penitentiaries serving sentences for the crime of perjury. Bennett: "My client's a liar": All attorneys understand that they are first and foremost officers of the court, with ethical obligations that precede and transcend their representation of this or that client. Transgress against those obligations, and the attorney can lose his license to practice...

Missouri has become the poster state for the nation's gambling industry. Within a relatively brief period of time, Missouri has been transformed into one of the major gambling states in America. Just a few years ago, there was not a generation of Missourians who could clearly remember the bad old days of the 1930s, when illegal games of chance flourished behind closed doors for the benefit of powerful political machines that dealt in every vice known to man, from illegal liquor sales to prostitution to bribery of public officials.. ...

Some very unusual, one-of-a-kind typewriter drawings are currently on display at the MAC Tourism Center. The TypEtchings are the creations of Mrs. Winifred T. Caldwell, formerly of this area. Michael Devaney of Park Hills, Mo., Caldwell's grandson, has made a commitment to displaying his grandmother's works of art. Devaney comments that "as my grandmother put it, she saw the entries to a typewriter art contest in the local newspaper and decided to try something different."...

Save some money MUCH HAS been published about the millions spent investigating lying under oath and disgracing the Oval office. I find it absolutely amazing that all the numbers involved can be crunched to obtain the so-called $40 million amount. What is more amazing is that no one can determine the cost for the president's Far East trip. ...

Over 16 million Americans have diabetes. Half of those do not know it yet. How can you tell if you're at risk? A free community health education event will take place Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at St. Francis Medical Center. Nancy Snyderman, M.D., medical correspondent for ABC News, will host a teleconference broadcast to educate the community about new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes...

B.W. Harrison smiled as he was introduced to a small gathering Saturday at the front courtyard of the old St. Vincent's Seminary grounds. He viewed the displays and greeted those who were attending. Then Harrison admitted he is a bit overwhelmed by the scope of what he started...

As a full-time St. Louis lawyer, husband and father of five, Michael Kahn is often asked how he finds time to write novels. He's published five. But the answer poses no mystery for Kahn. "You really have to want to do it," he said. The same advice holds true for any goal...

If talking to your children or parents about sex is difficult, imagine being a teacher whose students have questions about the predicament the president is in. Most teachers who were asked how they're handling questions about President Bill Clinton's plight said they are trying to avoid the sexual elements of the situation and focusing on the possibility of an historic impeachment...

Stacy Sitze and her uncle, David Fox, watched as their house burned Saturday. Four people were inside the house when a gas heater exploded, but no one was injured. MARBLE HILL -- An explosion Saturday morning rocked nearby houses and set fire to a Marble Hill home...

ANNA, Ill. -- A 125th anniversary celebration project at Clyde L. Choate Mental Health and Development Center five years ago has developed into an annual extravaganza that attracts thousands of people to the center. A year ago the annual project, "Pumpkin Town USA," attracted more than 34,000 vehicles, including vans and school buses...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, voted with the majority of her House colleagues in passing a bill that would force the president to get congressional approval of agricultural embargoes. "History shows that agricultural embargoes are not effective in changing behavior. Instead, agricultural embargoes hurt our prices, hurt our economy, and most of all, they hurt our farmers," Emerson said...

Some days, it's hard to get past the whining. Our children aren't the only ones whining these days. Many of our nation's politicians have turned whining into an art form this fall. But then that's to be expected. After all, it's an election year. Today's political ads on television are full of whining about the other guy. Our whole political system seems built on the premise that candidates should be free to whine to the voters...

ST. LOUIS -- Nobody believed Kacie Flinn had what she said she had. "This freshman kid walks in and tells us she's got all these pitches," Rockwood Summit softball coach Doug Robinson said. "We thought, 'yeah, right.' But now we know she's got them, and they work. Fastball, change up, drop ball, drop curve, screw ball. She's confident throwing all of them."...

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- For the second straight week, Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians put together a late comeback. And this time, it stood up for a victory. Quarterback Bobby Brune hit wide receiver Corey Chester for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Indians claimed a thrilling 29-24 victory over host Tennessee Tech Saturday afternoon...

The college and high school football seasons are barely past their halfway points -- but that doesn't mean sports fans with a passion for basketball can't start thinking about hoops. I know, the NBA is in a lockout stage and there's no telling when some of the world's richest -- and most spoiled -- athletes will be taking the court...

A week after winning the Carbondale (Ill.) Invitational, Jackson High's girls cross country team won the 22-team Marshall County (Ky.) Invitational Saturday afternoon. Jackson won with 70 points, eight points better than Davies County (Ky.). The Lady Indians were paced by Amanda Beussink, who placed sixth and covered the 2.5-mile course in 15:50. She was followed by Jennifer Brown, who finished seventh in 16:02...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Given Scott City's No. 7 ranking in Class 2A and Caruthersville's winless record, the Rams should have rolled to victory in Saturday afternoon's game. And the Rams did. Scott City is now 5-1 after its 37-7 win. Caruthersville dropped to 0-5...

Jackie Derwort established a team record for hitting percentage in a match in Southeast Missouri State University's 15-2, 15-3, 15-3 dismantling of Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State Saturday afternoon before 100 at Houck Field House. Southeast improved to 12-7 overall and 7-2 in the OVC, dropping Tennessee State to 2-14 and 0-9...

ST. LOUIS -- Kelly's reign as Missouri Class 2A champion is over. The Lady Hawks ran into Linn's Megan Nikolenko - a right-hander with a 21-2 record including five no-hitters this season - in a Class 2A quarterfinal contest Saturday at Forestwood Park...

You might be surprised what a high school experience can reveal about the world of nature. Think about high school social structure. Whether positive or negative a structure exists and it is similar for almost everyone everywhere. Students tend to group together socially into cliques. The clique can help you understand much about our natural heritage...

JEFFERSON CITY -- The latest in a series of grants from a federal conservation program is expected to pump nearly a million dollars into Show-Me State wetland development. The result will be one of the largest state-owned wetland areas in the Midwest. But even this impressive project is only a drop in the bucket compared to conservation progress already achieved...

ST. LOUIS -- Saturday will not go down as one of the better days for Notre Dame soccer in what has been a stellar season. Notre Dame took a 12-1-2 record into two road games Saturday and emerged with a 12-2-3 mark. The Bulldogs first battled Rolla to a 1-1 tie in St. Louis before traveling to Washington and encountering a 2-0 loss at the hands of St. Francis Borgia...

ST. LOUIS -- Janelle Quigley outraced her nearest competitor by more than 21 seconds as Southeast Missouri State University's women's cross country team won the 25-team All Missouri/Border State Championship Saturday at Forest Park Golf Course. Southeast totaled 73 points; Southern Illinois was second with 98...

The 4th annual Teen Challenge Golf Marathon will be held Oct. 12 at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. Thirty-six men and women will play 100 holes in one day to raise support for Teen Challenge International of Mid-America. Teen Challenge helps combat addictions to drugs and alcohol...

The Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department will hold its 11th annual Set & Spike Co-ed Volleyball Tournament Nov. 15 at the Osage Community Centre. Entry fee is $42 per team and must be accompanied by an entry form. All entry forms must be in by Nov. 9...

The Jackson Parks and Recreation will hold the Youth Pizza Pace Race Oct. 17 at the Jackson swimming pool parking lot. Registration will be held at 9 a.m. and the race will follow at 9:30. A quarter-mile and half-mile races will be held. Each participant will receive a goody bag...

CHARLESTON -- Mary Elsie Cummins, 88, of Charleston died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at her home. She was born May 12, 1914 in Conran, daughter of George and Susie Brewer Earnheart. She had lived in Charleston most of her life and was Baptist. On Oct. 20, 1934, she married Elbert Juneous Cummins. He died Sept. 20, 1960...

VANDUSER -- Hazel L. Hargrove, 73, of Vanduser died Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, at her home. She was born June 22, 1925, in Cagle, Ark., daughter of Ira Allen and Laura Ethel Coffman Burton. She was a housewife and homemaker. For 17 years she worked at the International Hat Factory in Oran. She also worked in the dietary department of Sikeston Convalescent Center and had been a cook at the Vanduser Cafe...

PERKINS -- Freda J. Hicks, 83, of Perkins died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at her home. She was born March 17, 1915, at Perkins, daughter of Joseph Pinkney and Dodie Ruthetta London Kennedy. She was a shoe dresser for the Florsheim Shoe Co. in Chaffee, retiring June 10, 1977...

Janice Louise Pind, 46, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Oct. 8, 1998, at her home. She was born April 16, 1952, in St. Louis, daughter of Frank Hepfinger of St. Louis and the late Lita King Hepfinger. On July 22, 1982, she married Michael J. Pind in Cape Girardeau. He survives...

PERRYVILLE -- Beulah I. Propst, 93, of Perryville died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Aug. 10, 1905, at Alliance, daughter of Benjamin and Caroline Kuhlman Johnson. On Sept. 5, 1922, she married Cecil Robert Propst. He died March 30, 1976...

BERTRAND -- William Henessey McKenney, 91, of Bertrand died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at the Bertrand Retirement Facility. He was born Sept. 2, 1907 in Sikeston, son of Revis and Viola Suter McKenney. He had lived in Mississippi County most of his life where he was a member of the United Methodist Church of Bertrand...

JACKSON -- Tessie Marie Brown of Jackson died at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home on Friday, Oct. 9, 1998. She was born March 24, 1915, at Jackson, daughter of James and Lena Kniebert Taylor. She first married Albert Byerly. He preceded her in death. She then married Cletus Brown. He died Nov. 7, 1997...

ANNA, Ill. -- Ellen Brimm, 78, of Anna died Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born July 3, 1920, in Jonesboro, daughter of Mabel Perry. She married Carl Richard "Cotton" Brimm Aug. 22, 1943. He died Feb. 4, 1966. She is survived by two brothers-in-law, Bob Brimm of Anna and Buddy Brimm of Marion, and a sister-in-law, Barbara Cox of Cobden...

SCOTT CITY -- William Eldridge Hillman, 81, of Scott City died Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 21, 1917, at Atlas, Ill., son of William and Zelma Baker Hillman. On May 9, 1939, he married Rosalie Theresea Burger at Kelso. She survives...

ADVANCE -- James "Jim" Honnes, 22, of Advance died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, near Aquilla. Honnes was born Dec. 13, 1975. He worked as a leadman for ACBL Bargeline. He was a member of the Social Club of Pontoon Beach, Ill. He is survived by his father, John Honnes of Collinsville, Ill.; his mother and stepfather, Pam and Roger Mayberry of Zalma; maternal grandparents, Howard and Etta Crook of Wappapello; two brothers, John Honnes of Superior, Wis., and Rusty Mayberry of Zalma; two sisters, Jessica Honnes of Collinsville and Dena Mayberry of Zalma.. ...

JACKSON -- Mildred Grossman of Jackson died Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, following an auto accident at Topeka, Kan. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Willard Martin, 76, of East Prairie died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at his home. He was born June 22, 1922, in Rosedale, Miss., son of Harold W. and Eiren Hale Martin. He had lived in Mississippi County most of his life where he was a member of the Victory Baptist Church of East Prairie. He was veteran of World War II, serving in the Army. He was retied from the Oil Transport Co...

The Cape Girardeau Kiwanis club held its installation banquet Oct. 3 at the Holiday Inn. New officers are Bill Heckert, president; Tom Brandtner, president-elect; James Banken, first vice president; Fred Horrell, second vice president; Ralph Stroud, secretary; Joe Anders, treasurer. Rick Blattner serves as immediate past president...

Tommy Watkins applied white-face after defining his eyes and mouth line with a grease pencil. Tommy Watkins Everett Scharenborg is giving Tommy Watkins makeup tips: Use lots of powder, go easy on the black liner and keep the lips large. Scharenborg holds up a box of cotton swabs. "These are a godsend," he tells Watkins...

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and now Iraq? Old purple Persia where the irises grew so tall? I was weary of wars...