Stories from Wednesday, November 11, 1998

To the editor: We have laws called truth in lending for those who want to investigate all of the facts before taking out a loan. There is truth in labeling so that we can improve the health of our bodies, once called a temple of God, by reading the labels on everything we purchase to eat. ...

Wyatt Earp, Butch Cassidy, Annie Oakley and Billy the Kid -- all legends of the Old West -- were made famous or infamous by their daring exploits and prowess with guns. While Scott Boyd's exploits may be less daring and certainly more lawful, the Cape Girardeau man is another "gunslinger" taking aim at the history books...

Last week I was out of town for the annual MISSOURI PRESS ASSOCIATION convention in KANSAS CITY where we received a number of awards (even though the Southeast Missourian was placed in the category with the larger St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Kansas City Star and Springfield, Joplin and St. Joseph dailies). My thanks to a truly dedicated staff for making these awards possible...

Catholics across southern Missouri celebrated with an old friend this past weekend. Cardinal Bernard Law traveled to Cape Girardeau from Boston to observe the 25th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop. His first post as overseer was in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese...

Raise the flag and salute a veteran. Today, the nation pauses to celebrate Veterans Day. It was on this day in 1918 that marked the end of World War I -- the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Take time today to thank a veteran. These men and women have helped ensure the freedoms that we too often take for granted today...

To the editor: I commend the Southeast Missourian for supporting the Honduras relief effort by encouraging monetary contributions. I also commend Promise Keepers for quickly providing a mechanism for donations of food, clothing and building supplies. Having returned from Honduras on Oct. 27, I left a country that was ruggedly beautiful, primarily agricultural and poor but friendly...

Highway projects in Cape Girardeau County, including the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge across the Mississippi River, an expansion project for highways 34-72 west of Jackson, and new interchanges on Interstate 55 at Oak Ridge and Fruitland, remain on Missouri's list of transportation projects...

The Teen Challenge Thrift Store is back in business. A grand re-opening of the business Tuesday attracted a large turnout of city, state and chamber officials, and Teen Challenge of America representatives, including the group's Auxiliary members and volunteers...

The Cape Girardeau School District could benefit financially if a settlement is reached in the St. Louis desegregation case, says a school finance expert. Dr. John A. Jones, the research and salary director for the Missouri State Teachers Association, said the district could receive $306,000 in additional state money, or approximately $76.59 per student...

Experts say women spend about 14 hours a week more doing household chores than men, and that doesn't count child care. Simple statement, sure, but it doesn't really tell the whole story. Guys, I think it's time you realize exactly what the females in your life do for you. ...

The storm that ripped a path of damage through central Missouri and central Illinois blew through Southeast Missouri with very little damage. Wind gusts at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport measured 50 mph at the storm's peak early Tuesday morning...

One of the state's top basketball guards will sign a Division I letter of intent today when the early signing period for high school seniors begins. Scott City senior Jon Beck plans to put his name on the dotted line with Arkansas State this morning...

Jackson High's bid for its first playoff soccer victory ever was put on hold for a while. The Indians were scheduled to face Hazelwood Central Tuesday in a Class 4A sectional game but that contest was postponed because of heavy rain that put many of the fields at the Anheuser-Busch Conference & Sports Centre in Fenton under water...

St. Vincent High's football team will be looking to make school history tonight. The Indians have never won a playoff game -- but that could very well change tonight. St. Vincent is considered a solid favorite over Cardinal Ritter when the squads square off at 7 p.m. in a Class 1A first-round game at John F. Kennedy High School in St. Louis...

Scott City High football coach Terry Flannigan refers to tailback Matt Underwood as "the main mail carrier." In turn, Flannigan hopes the junior will go postal on visiting Malden tonight (7 o'clock kickoff) in a Class 2A sectional game. In Scott City's season opener, a 39-12 victory over Malden, Underwood ran for three touchdowns. Nine games later, he stands as Southeast Missouri's leading rusher with 1,628 yards in 187 carries, an average of 8.7 yards per attempt, and has scored 24 touchdowns...

Perryville High's football team will be playing its first playoff game since 1990 tonight -- and the Pirates certainly have a tall task in front of them. Awaiting the Pirates in Class 4A first-round contest in Perryville (7 p.m. kickoff) will be none other North County, one of the state's top squads. The Raiders made it all the way to the 4A championship game last year and they're considered solid title contenders once again...

The regular season for Southeast Missouri State University's basketball team hasn't even started yet -- but the Indians are already in the process of securing recruits for next year. Today marks the start of the week-long early signing period for colleges across the country...

Our game with Eastern Kentucky ended in a 19-7 road loss for the Southeast Missouri State Indians. Our football team deserves better than this game and season has provided. However, in order to win consistently, we must execute more consistently on responsibilities and techniques...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- Arkansas State avenged an earlier loss to Southeast Missouri State University by downing the visiting Otahkians 8-15, 15-13, 16-14, 15-7 Tuesday night. The Otahkians (19-11) got 19 kills from Krista Haukap, 17 from Lea Beckemeyer and 15 from Jackie Derwort. Kandi Candelarie, playing setter for the third match in place of the injured Amy Henken, had 52 assists...

ADVANCE -- Funeral for Charlie "Larry" Rackley of Tucson, Ariz., will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Morgan Funeral Home. The Rev. Marshall Link will officiate, with burial in Morgan Memorial Park. Friends may call at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until service time...

Dennis Ray Brown, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 8, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Feb. 19, 1938, at Charleston, son of Claude "Buddy" and Evelyn Hubbard Brown. He and Judy Pind were married Sept. 19, 1959, in Cape Girardeau...

OAK RIDGE -- Willis O. Ludwig, 84, of Oak Ridge died Monday, Nov. 9, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 26, 1913, at Oak Ridge, son of Charles F. and Josephine "Jossie" Dambach Ludwig. He and Oleda Schoen were married Dec. 25, 1937...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Funeral for Richard Corzine of Florissant, Mo., will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hileman and Parr Funeral Home in Jonesboro. The Rev. Richard Sullins will officiate. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery, with graveside rites by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455 in Anna...

Frank M. "J.R." Kimes Jr., 36, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Nov. 9, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born April 24, 1962, at Fredericktown, son of Frank M. and Emily Sutton Kimes Sr. He and Theresa L. May were married April 16, 1987. Kimes was a self-employed truck driver. He previously owned and operated Heartland Lawn Care and Woodall Trucking. He attended Fellowship Baptist Church...

PINHOOK -- Wash Cooper, 93, of Pinhook died Friday, Nov. 6, 1998, at Charleston Manor. He was born March 22, 1905, in Macon, Miss., son of Henry and Mattie Bush Cooper. Cooper was a retired farmer, and member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church. Survivors include nine sons, Jerry Cooper of Memphis, Tenn., Willie Cooper of Boston, Mass., Jessie Cooper of Sikeston, Walter Cooper of Pinhook, Bennie Cooper of Syracuse, N.Y., Wash Cooper Jr. ...

ADVANCE -- Funeral for Gerald "Michael" Bird of Advance will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Morgan Funeral Home. The Rev. Larry Greenfield will officiate. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park, with military graveside rites. Friends may call at the funeral home from 4:30-8 p.m. Friday...

SIKESTON -- Margie M. Davis, 57, of Sikeston died Monday, Nov. 9, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Aug. 13, 1941, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of John Vernon and Helen Virginia Davis Britt. She married Ervin Leonard Davis, who died in 1980...

PUXICO -- Susie L. Foster, 91, of Puxico died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff. She was born March 9, 1907, in Pocahontas, Ark., daughter of Darb and Matilda Foster. She married Isaac Howard Foster, who died Dec. 3, 1977...

JACKSON -- Betty Harper, 75, died Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1998, at her home in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

The Southeast Missourian asked veterans what frightened them most about war. James Johnson: "In World War II, I went into Japan as a spy and got out six weeks before we dropped the bomb." Dick Schroeder: "While I was in Vietnam, bullets were flying about three feet away from me."...

JACKSON -- Teachers in the Jackson school district should get a boost in their professional education with approval of a new professional development plan for the district. Jackson Board of Education members unanimously approved Tuesday a plan that would help meet the district's educational goals for the current 1998-99 year...

JACKSON -- Members of the Altenthal-Joerns American Legion Post 158 Honor Guard will march in this evening's Veteran's Day Parade but they also perform a solemn duty on other days of the year. For the past quarter century, the Honor Guard has conducted funeral services for post members who pass away...

Today, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Americans pause to acknowledge the debt we owe to fellow citizens who have served in our Armed Forces, including the more than 40 million who have served in wartime and the more than 1 million who have given their lives in that service...