Stories from Saturday, November 7, 1998

To the editor: When folks hear news that they just don't like, they sometimes resort to name calling. Maybe this is why Larry Dowdy peppered his attempt to defend Senator Bond's environmental record with personal attacks on me. The main argument that Mr. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's International Student Activities Council will accept donations next week for Central America's hurricane victims. Canned goods, baby supplies, cleaning supplies and monetary donations will be accepted Monday through Friday in the University Center lobby...

The Rev. David Dissen reflected on his years as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. A picture of Judy Dissen is close to her husband in his office at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Rev. David V. Dissen, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, knows that the job of a pastor can be filled with both terror and humor. He has experienced both in his nearly 40 years of ministry...

MY QUESTION to the Cape Girardeau Police Department: Why is there nothing done about the red-light violations in Cape? As a citizen of Cape Girardeau, my wife and I have turned in several license numbers and descriptions of people. As far as I can tell, no one has really made any effort on this. ...

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do; once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, "and what is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures of conversations?" -- "Alice in Wonderland"...

Accountability: The private sector demands it. On the job, employees must live up to expected standards or they'll find themselves unemployed. Most people operate under a kind of merit pay system. Do a good job, earn a positive employee review and it will probably be rewarded by yearly increases...

The Southeast Missouri chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association is cooking up a special fund raiser for the Area Wide United Way. Participating restaurants are planning to donate a percentage of sales on a single day -- Dec. 1 -- to the United Way...

To the editor:I read Jeffrey Jackson's wonderful, thought-provoking column on male midlife crises. On Nov. 5 I read Dr. Peter Hilty's stimulating, well-reasoned response to Jackson's spin on the poet Dante's view of a male midlife crisis. Though I blame neither of them, I am, as a result, having one. My 60th. Help me.STEVE MOSLEYCape Girardeau...

To the editor: First of all, I do not live in Cape Girardeau. Other than working there, doing business and attending church there, I have no vested interest in the affairs of the city. I do, however, care for the city of Cape. It is the center of the region in which I have chosen to live. ...

Reuniting families with lost pets, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, adopting animals into loving homes, and providing food, care and shelter to injured and abandoned animals are all a part of services provided by the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri...

VIP Industries was founded with a $14,000 budget and 16 workers. Today, the not-for-profit company, which assembles, packages, and mails a number of products, serves five counties, has four operations and employs more than 360 workers. "We have provided services for Procter & Gamble Paper Products, Auto Parts, Ralston Purina, Lee-Rowan and Kitty Litter," said Hilary F. Schmittzehe, executive director of VIP Industries...

A new approach to conservation education -- a Conservation Campus in Cape Girardeau County North Park -- was authorized Friday by the Missouri Conservation Commission. Meeting in St. Joseph, the commission gave the go ahead to the $4.7 million project, which includes construction of a 19,000-square-foot nature center...

JACKSON -- A committee will study the feasibility of a new radio system that could serve all emergency response agencies in Cape Girardeau County and whether to set up centralized dispatching for all of them. Ten members were named to the committee by the Cape Girardeau County Commission Thursday. They will visit communities that have the system, called an 800-megahertz trunk radio system, to see if it would be a good investment here...

The largest decline ever in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and an increase in drunken-driving arrests are being attributed to a new blood-alcohol-content law that went into effect last year in Illinois. Last year, which was the first for Illinois' 0.08 percent BAC law, far surpassed expectations in life-saving and traffic-safety impact, said George H. Ryan, Illinois secretary of state and governor-elect...

Area Promise Keepers groups and the local ministerial alliances in six Southeast Missouri towns have combined forces to help hurricane victims in Central America. "We are collecting dry goods, clothing and bottled water for the Honduran people," said Lowell Spane of Chaffee, who is an ambassador for the region's Promise Keepers, a nationwide religious organization for men...

Native American musicians Bill Miller and Tommy Wildcat took separate paths to Academic Auditorium Friday night but both offered the audience of about 350 something unusual and powerful. Miller counts rock 'n' rollers Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young among his musical godfathers and is equal parts protest singer, spiritual warrior and Nashville showman. ...

If Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians are ever going to knock off Eastern Kentucky, today might be as good a chance as any. Entering this season, the mighty Colonels -- who have dominated Ohio Valley Conference football over the years -- had lost just nine home games in the previous 12 campaigns...

It's the toughest on-field decision a coach ever has to make. Overtime. No time left. You're trailing by one after a touchdown. Do you go kick the extra point to tie or go for two and the win? In triple overtime of the Class 5A District 1 championship game between Cape Central and Poplar Bluff Friday night, Cape Central's Jerry Dement went for two...

CHARLESTON -- Scott City High's football team knew things would get a lot tougher Friday night. But the Rams were more than up to the challenge. The Rams, keyed by a stifling defense and the running of Matt Underwood, knocked off a game but outmanned Charleston squad 34-0 Friday night to win the Class 2A, District 2 title...

Thursday's Games Sikeston 45, Potosi 22 Valle 35, Chaffee 14 Friday's Games Poplar Bluff 28, Cape Central 27, 3OT Vianney 35, Jackson 0 Scott City 34, Charleston 0 St. Vincent 38, Hayti 0 Malden 24, Portageville 19 East Prairie 31, Caruthersville 12...

JACKSON -- Snug in the bracing chill beneath a black Nike toboggan, propped up with the aid of crutches, Jackson High's offense watched Friday night's football game against Vianney from the sidelines. His left leg wrapped in a brace, there was nothing Todd Wessel could do as Jackson was trounced 35-0 in a Class 5A, District 1 game, its final contest of the season. ...

PERRYVILLE -- The Perrville Pirates made one final tuneup for Wednesday's 3A sectional football action by defeating DeSoto 46-30 Friday night in Class 4A, District 2. Matt Jenkins scored three touchdowns and rushed for over 170 yards alone in the first quarter as Perryville (9-1) jumped out to a 26-0 lead...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team suffered its fifth Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season here Friday night as host Austin Peay squeezed out a five-game victory. Austin Peay prevailed 5-15, 16-14, 18-16, 5-15, 15-11 as the Lady Govs improved to 17-10 overall and 11-5 in OVC play...

The Notre Dame High boys soccer team will shoot for its first ever post-district victory tonight. Notre Dame, which earlier this week won the second district title in school history, will take on St. Mary's of St. Louis at 7 p.m. in a Class 1A-3A sectional game at the Anheuser-Busch Conference & Sports Centre in Fenton...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Archie L. Cast, 73, of Cobden died Thursday, Nov. 5, 1998, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He was born April 10, 1925, at Makanda, son of William and Ethel Priddy Cast. He and Geneva Rickett were married Nov. 2, 1966, in Jonesboro...

DELTA -- Earl J. Sanders Jr., 79, of Delta died Friday, Nov. 6, 1998, at his home. He was born Jan. 5, 1919, at Chaffee, son of Earl John and Anna Mae Redfern Sanders Sr. He and Faye Huey were married Jan. 29, 1946. Sanders had been a millwright with the Carpenters Union. He was a member of First Assembly of God Church...

Funeral for Eva Mercier of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Thomas Bass will officiate. Burial will be in Home Cemetery at Perryville. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-6 p.m. today. Mercier, 92, died Thursday, Nov. 5, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

Champ Green, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 6, 1998, at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Aileen Alice Scheper, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 6, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center. Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Gregg William and Valerie Dee Winingar of Whitewater, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:56 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998. Name, William Gregory. Weight, 8 pounds 1 ounce. Second son. Mrs. Winingar is the former Valerie Arnold, daughter of Judy Arnold of Cape Girardeau and Jerry Arnold of Chaffee. She is employed at Cape Tractor Trailer Supply Co. Winingar is the son of John and Ruth Winingar of Imperial. He is employed at Quality Trailer Sales...

SIKESTON -- Edgar L. Grace, 66, of Sikeston died Friday, Nov. 6, 1998, at his home. He was born Aug. 2, 1932, at Essex, son of Earl Grace and Leora Ross Tanner. He and Shirley Kidd were married April 14, 1959, at Blodgett. Grace was a mechanic at Fabick Brothers Equipment Co., retiring in 1993. He was a member of Elks Lodge 2319...

After 10 years as a growing church in Cape Girardeau, La Croix United Methodist Church has plenty of reasons to celebrate. The congregation will do just that at a 10th anniversary banquet tonight at 6:30 at the A.C. Brase Arena Building. Nearly 500 people are expected...