Stories from Thursday, March 4, 1999

ST. LOUIS -- The Paul Winter Consort will present a musical celebration of the creatures and cultures of the earth at 8 p.m. Friday, March 26, at Powell Symphony Hall. The ensemble combines classical and ethnic influences, diverse instruments and recorded sounds from nature in its performances...

Fiber piece by Jessica Donner, a 10th-grader at Sikeston senior high. Sculpture by Matthew Nichols from Valley R-6 High School. Last year, 598 works of art were entered in the University Museum's annual "Exhibiting Excellence" exhibition of work by high school students in the region. Almost double that number of entries were received this year...

The state's black lawmakers have gone to bat for Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus project. The endorsement by Missouri's black caucus comes as the university continues to lobby for state funding for the project. Southeast officials hope Gov. Mel Carnahan will revise his proposed capital improvements budget and recommend some level of state funding for the project this year...

The Southeast Missourian newspaper has become part of the school day for students at Cape Girardeau Central High School. Across the nation, newspapers and schools are celebrating Newspaper In Education Week this week. Newspapers are available for students in study halls. "Those students attack the newspaper first thing," said Julia Jorgenson, librarian at the school...

Traffic across the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau will be limited to one lane of traffic today as repairs continue. The bridge may be closed next week to complete additional repairs on the 80-year-old structure, said Randy Hitt, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation...

The Southeast Missourian today adds Cape Girardeau lawyer David Limbaugh to its list of editorial columnists. Limbaugh writes a column for WorldNetDaily, a newspaper on the Internet. His columns are now syndicated by Creators Syndicate and will be published regularly in the Southeast Missourian...

March 4, 1999 Dear Angela, While watching the movie "Message in a Bottle," wondering why I was at this soap opera, I had an epiphany of sorts. Kevin Costner's character had kept his dead wife's art studio just as it was when she'd died, and when he met a new woman he could fall in love with she found his house a bit too crowded, what with the ghost. Every soap opera on TV has drawn tankards of tears from this plot. Nothing is new, but it is when the "Aha" comes your way...

NOTE: This is David Limbaugh's premier column as a syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate, which also provides columns from Mona Charen and Walter Williams. Limbaugh is replacing Pat Buchanan, who is again running for president, in the Creators lineup. Limbaugh is a Cape Girardeau lawyer in the Limbaugh, Russell, Payne & Howard law firm. He has been writing a commentary for WorldNetDaily, an online newspaper, and the Washington Times. He is the brother of radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh...

When the current Independent Counsel Law expires on June 30, there isn't likely going to be anything waiting to take its place. This is just as well. The law, which was first enacted in 1978 after the Watergate era, hasn't resolved the issues that led to its creation. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are unenthusiastic about trying to fix the law...

There are many reasons to look forward with enthusiastic anticipation to the completion of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, slated for sometime early in the next century. Work is progressing on the new span across the Mississippi River, although passers-by and shoreline superintendents may not see much evidence of it...

To the editor: Thanks to the YELL Foundation for awarding the Cape Girardeau Public Library a $1,400 grant to support our year-round literacy efforts. The award will allow us to continue to offer book giveaways as reading incentives to youths in grades 5 and up...

To the editor: I read your Time Travels stories in the Sunday edition with great interest and enjoyment. Nobody is perfect. On Page 4 of the 1960-1979 section, there is an aerial photo of the Kingshighway-Cape Rock Drive intersection in 1968. The round building was Voges DX Service Station across from Wimpy's...

To the editor: Joe Sullivan's recent column regarding his trip to St. Louis to hear the world superstar tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, brought back a lot of fond memories for me and my wife. We heard Pavarotti some years ago when he gave his first concert in St. ...

To the editor: The Feb. 19 front-page article, "Concealed guns under fire," got me to wondering if I've lived in the hills too long and my logical thinking is going bad. In that article, a U.S. attorney said the conceal-carry law, as it is written could allow a gang member to carry a concealed weapon into a stadium, bank or saloon. ...

Although Perryville Road has been open since January, city officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony today at 11 a.m. to officially open the road. The city spent $1.7 million on the project, which widened a one-mile section of the road from Meyer Drive to the city limits. The road opened Jan. 7, which was 18 days behind its scheduled opening...

The National Association of Manufacturers has honored six members of Missouri's congressional and Senate delegation. U.S. Reps. Jo Ann Emerson, Roy Blunt, Jim Talent and Kenny Hulshof, and Sens. John Ashcroft and Christopher "Kit" Bond were among 213 federal legislators who received the first-ever Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award...

Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed with the outcome of Sunday's game against Murray State in the finals of the OVC Tournament. It was the toughest last-second loss I've ever had because the stakes were so high. I really feel for our seniors who have worked so hard to achieve the goal of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. Our other players and coaches will have more opportunities, but when the Murray State shot fell, the seniors saw their last chance go down the drain...

FARMINGTON -- Jackson's streak is over. But the Lady Indians didn't give up without a fight. St. Joseph's Academy out of St. Louis defeated Jackson 60-48 in overtime Wednesday night in a Class 4A sectional girls basketball game at the Farmington Civic Center...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team saw its losing streak reach five games here Wednesday afternoon. Host Arkansas State snapped a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the seventh inning to prevail 4-2 in a battle of Indians. ASU improved to 5-5 while Southeast fell to 2-8...

Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team is getting ready to head west for back-to-back meets Friday and Saturday. The Otahkians, ranked 38th nationally, travel to Oregon State Friday for a four-team meet scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. CST...

Melissa Palmer School: Jackson Sport: Basketball Coach: Ron Cook Week Report: Palmer scored 18 against Farmington and 11 against Poplar Bluff as the Lady Indians won their fifth straight district championship. But more important than any point Palmer scored this past week was a charge that she took with 11 seconds left in the district championship against the Lady Mules. Jackson was up by two points at the time...

Dusty Stephens School: Marquand Sport: Basketball Coach: Grady Smith Week report: Stephens put together possibly the most impressive week by a player in Southeast Missouri this season. In three games the 6-foot-3 senior averaged 37.3 points and 17 rebounds. ...

The Southeast Missouri State University softball team's scheduled season opener at Evansville Wednesday was postponed because of wet grounds. The game has been rescheduled for today at 2 p.m. Southeast will open the home season this weekend, hosting the Southeast Softball Classic Tournament Saturday and Sunday at the new softball complex just north of the Show Me Center on Sprigg Street...

PERRYVILLE -- Lester J. Weinkein, 87, of Perryville died Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 28, 1911, at Highland, son of Felix A. and Rosa Mary Miget Weinkein. He and Aileen M. Stortz were married May 10, 1941, in Perryville...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Roy V. Fuller, 92, of Cobden died Wednesday, March 3, 1999, at his home. He was born April 5, 1906, at Pomona, son of Harry V. and Ida V. Sexton Fuller. He and Theresa A. Rendleman were married Dec. 18, 1926, in Murphysboro. Fuller had been a carpenter and farmer...

Funeral for Marguritte L. Wright of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. Dr. Larry Gallamore will officiate. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today. Wright, 79, died Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at the Lutheran Home...

PATTON -- James Stanley Blevins, 81, of Patton died Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 26, 1917, in Manila, Ark., son of William E. and Girtie Pearl Coleman Blevins. He and Winnie Pearl Brown were married Sept. 17, 1938...

Son to Kris and Samantha Kight of Farmington, Parkland Hospital there, 1:55 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, 1999. Name, Gage Cedric. Weight, 4 pounds 8 ounces. First child. Mrs. Kight is the former Samantha Williamson, granddaughter of Joanne Alcorn of Farmington. She is employed at Little Caesar's. Kight is the son of Judy Dooley-Kight of Cape Girardeau and Keith and Kim Kight of Leopold. He is superintendent of Viburnum Golf Course...

BERNIE -- A memorial service for Minnie A. Sarratt of Wyoming will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Stoklan Drive Christian Church in Malden. Burial will be in Bernie Cemetery at Bernie. Announcement courtesy of Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Dexter...