Stories from Friday, October 16, 1998

To the editor: The 1998 Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival has long gone, but the Southeast Missourian's endeavors to help make the festival a great success have not been forgotten. Your contribution was overwhelming, from the front page of Tipoff to your assistance with advertising, the show program and our event posters. ...

For many years doctors thought ulcers were caused by excessive stomach acid, spicy foods, diet, and emotional stress. And, in the past some have described an "ulcer personality" for people who are tightly wound and who have trouble handling emotional upsets. But contrary to popular stereotype, not every person with a "Type A" personality develops ulcers...

The musical genius of George Gershwin will be celebrated tonight at Southeast Missouri State University with a concert commemorating the 100th anniversary of the composer's birth. The concert, entitled "Gershwin: Here to Stay," will be at 7 p.m. in Brandt Music Hall and will feature the talents Lori Shaffer, Christopher Goeke and Tim DePriest performing works written by Gershwin. Admission is free...

Crews installed the 15-ton magnet for a new magnetic resonance imaging unit Thursday at Cape Radiology, 36 Doctors Park. Dr. Craig Williams said the new Picker Outlook open MRI will be a boon for patients who can't use older, closed-model MRIs. "When you climb inside the older MRIs, what they have is a long, open bore. ...

Dr. Gregory Tobin of Midwest Physicians and Surgeons, injected sclerosant into a patient's spider veins. Sclerosant injected into veins hardens them, causing them to close down. The body then absorbs the vein much like a bruise. Two painless treatments for spider veins are available. One uses an injection to kill the veins while the other uses a pulsing flash from a bright light...

I AM absolutely sick and tired of being told by the Democrats and by the media that I'm sick and tired of hearing about our president's lies and deceitful tactics. I want to hear all the information I can about it, because I think it's important for the future of our country that I have the knowledge and that everyone has the knowledge of what direction our leadership is going. Our future is at stake here...

Nationwide, the U.S. Census Bureau recognizes 259 metropolitan areas. Missouri has six of those officially designated metropolitan areas: St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, Joplin and Columbia. Because they are officially regarded as metropolitan areas, these cities get top notice from businesses and industries looking for new locations or planning for an expansion. ...

There are few things more rewarding than to see young people get the help that will lead them on to productive lives as adults. Recently, 16-year-old Drew Jackson of Cape Girardeau and his mentor, Marsha Johnston, were honored for Jackson's development in a mentoring program at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The program is coordinated by the Missouri Mentoring Partnership...

To the editor: Matthew Shepard's death will not have been in vain if this tragedy can be the means of people learning that homosexuality is not a decision a person makes, but is a characteristic people are born with. Will we ever learn that we are all human beings who deserve respect regardless of our skin color, our sexuality or our religion?...

To the editor: On behalf of the Fr. Marquette Council No. 11205 of the Knights of Columbus, we again want to thank the citizens of Cape Girardeau and surrounding areas for their support during our annual Tootsie Roll Drive for the mentally handicapped Oct. ...

Senior citizens celebrated good life and good health Thursday during the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Southeast Missouri Nutrition Project held at the Show Me Center. "Most people get the impression when you get to a certain age you're supposed to sit down and die," said Bob Casteel of Jackson. "That's not happening."...

BURFORDVILLE -- Seeing schoolchildren walk across Burfordville Covered Bridge at Bollinger Mill this week brought smiles to the face of Jack Smoot, the historic-site administrator. It has been seven years since anyone could walk across the historic bridge, which has been closed to vehicles since 1986...

Southeast Missouri State University and its employees and students help fuel the region's economy, spending $69.3 million annually, a study by Southeast economics professor Dr. Bruce Domazlicky says. Domazlicky surveyed about 200 Southeast students this summer regarding their spending habits and applied those results to the whole student body...

Efforts of the U.S. Justice Department to reduce crime and stabilize troubled neighborhoods in Southeast Missouri took a step forward Thursday with the announcement that four more cities have been officially designated Weed and Seed communities. Edward L. Dowd Jr., U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, announced at the Federal Building here that Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville, Charleston and Poplar Bluff have earned official Justice Department designation as Weed and Seed sites...

If you want to know what winter is going to be like, wait until next spring. Or put up a hummingbird feeder. Your choice. There are little hints about the winter to come all around us. I can't tell you how many times I've heard about woolly worms and persimmons in the past couple of weeks...

Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau wants more details on how the city's hotel-motel-restaurant tax is collected. The CVB advisory board will ask city finance director John Richbourg to explain how the taxes are enforced and collected at the November board meeting...

What do you do after you lay an egg? Sit on it. One week after turning the ball over eight times in a 47-17 loss to Sikeston - five on interceptions - Cape Central (2-4) will accentuate the running game in its game with St. Charles West at 7:30 tonight at Houck Stadium...

JACKSON -- Jackson High's volleyball team doesn't perform to the fanfare or the overflow crowds enjoyed by the basketball team. But each time the Lady Indians yank up their knee pads and take to the floor, they further solidify their standing as the best volleyball team in the school's history...

The music's over for Jackson. After a 28-0 loss to Belleville-Althoff last week dropped the Indians to 2-4, Jackson coach Carl Gross moved to make his locker room, his bus -- anywhere his players prepare for a game -- a more reflective place. "Some things have changed," Gross said. "There won't be any headsets or CD's anymore. They're not going to be spending their time comparing the music they're listening to."...

Amanda Bollinger School: Jackson Sport: Softball Coach: Becky Riney This season: Bollinger led the Indians with a .458 average and set a new school record with 30 runs batted in. She had five doubles among her 33 hits, a .488 on base average, a .556 slugging average and a .522 average with runners in scoring position. ...

Bryan Meyer Sport: Football School: St. Vincent Coach: Paul Sauer This season: Meyer, a 5-foot-6, 145-pound tailback, has juked and sprinted his way to 706 yards on 83 carries and several touchdown runs of 40-plus yards this season. He also has been one of the most dangerous punt and kick returners in the area, with touchdowns in each return category. St. Vincent is 6-0 and ranked fourth in the state in Class 1A...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Cape Central's boys posted a perfect 15 on its way to the SEMO Conference Cross Country Invitational title Thursday at Ozark Ridge Municipal Golf Course. Jackson won the girls' varsity race as Cape Central finished runner-up. But it was the Central boys that gained the limelight with the only 1-2-3-4-5 varsity finish in meet history. In fact, led by Jonathan Anderson's first-place finish, the Tigers accounted for seven of the 10 all-conference spots...

John Burroughs put up a fight against undefeated Mary Institute/Country Day School last week, trailing only 7-3 midway through the third quarter before falling 26-3 to Missouri's second-ranked Class 3A team. The Bombers are considerably shorter on ammo, however, for their game at 7:30 tonight at Perryville...

MOREHOUSE -- Graveside service for Virginia Chapman of Columbia will be held at 11 a.m. today at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Sikeston. The Rev. James King will officiate. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Morehouse is in charge of arrangements. Chapman, 85, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998, at Ashland Villa in Ashland...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Georgia Dunning, 79, of Tamms died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 31, 1919, in Tamms, daughter of William David and Blanche Estella Hoover Coleman. She and Milford Dunning were married Aug. 18, 1936, in Alexander County...

CHARTER OAK -- Funeral for Maurice Dale Thompson of Charter Oak will be held at 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston. Burial will be in Harper Cemetery near Aid. Thompson, 59, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998, at his home. He was born Feb. 21, 1939, in Van Buren County, Ark., son of Audie Charles and Elva Mae Trotter Thompson. He and Sharon Payne were married Feb. 11, 1991...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral Mass for Paul John Diebold, Scott City Route 1, will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso. The Rev. Oliver Clavin will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery, with graveside rites by VFW Post 6407 of Scott City...

Funeral Mass for Thelma Bertrand Snerly of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City. The Rev. Patrick Wissman will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Friends may call at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City from 9-10:30 a.m. today...

Graveside service for Carroll E. Crites of Cherryvale, Kan., will be held at 2 p.m. today at Fairview Cemetery in Cherryvale. Friends may call at Potts Chapel in Cherryvale from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. today. Crites, 64, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998, at Labette County Medical Center in Parsons, Kan...

THEBES, Ill. -- Oscar Andrew Bryant, 82, Thebes Route 1, died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 13, 1916, at Tamms, son of George Justin and Madie Cohen Bryant. He and J. Lorene Orick had been married 62 years...

JACKSON -- Jerome Louis Scharenborg, 70, of Jackson died Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1998, at Heritage Gardens Nursing Home. He was born April 26, 1928, at Leopold, son of John George and Frances Adeline VanGennip Scharenborg. Scharenborg worked at Hahs Shell Service from 1946-66, Kroger Egg Grading Plant 1966-81, and at Southern Security Service from 1981-86...

Donald Fredrick Atchison, 61, of Pontiac, Mo., died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at St. John's Regional Health Center. He was born Nov. 6, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, son of Fred Lee and Pearl Henrietta Martin Atchison. Atchison was a 1954 graduate of Central High School and lettered in football. He attended Southeast Missouri State University and played on its football team...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Former Jonesboro Mayor Floyd F. Landreth Jr., 70, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He was born May 23, 1928, in Cobden, son of Floyd F. and Esther Aldridge Landreth Sr. He and Deloris Dillow were married Nov. 19, 1951, at Ebenezer Church in Jonesboro...

Wilber E. Briggs, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 23, 1934, in St. Clair, Ill., son of Jack W. and Alice Blackbarn Briggs. He and Ermal L. Mouser were married 41 years. She preceded him in death...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Gail Pearl, 32, of Cobden died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at her home. Hileman and Parr Funeral Home in Jonesboro is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Myrtle F. Boyd, 86, of Anna died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at her home. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

Graveside service for Iva Mae Hoover of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10 a.m. today at Fairmount Cemetery. The Rev. Charles Lance will officiate. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Hoover, 69, died Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1998, at Maple Crest Manor...

PERRYVILLE -- Ivan "Dutch" Harrison Feltz, 84, of Perryville died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born July 29, 1914, at Lithium, the son of Benjamin Harrison and Mary Adeline Vessels Feltz. He married Reeva M. Heck on May 29, 1937...