Stories from Saturday, March 6, 1999

The National Rifle Association has come under fire from some state lawmakers over its support of a collective bargaining bill. Two Southeast Missouri lawmakers -- Reps. David Schwab, R-Jackson, and Patrick Naeger, R-Perryville -- voiced unhappiness Friday with the NRA's decision to back the bill...

Because Missouri's death penalty cannot be administered fairly or consistently, it should be abolished, opponents of the death penalty say. But even if it could be administered fairly, that doesn't account for taking away an opportunity for redemption or stripping a person of his humanity, said a group of students at Southeast Missouri State University...

A schools boundaries committee will meet next week to reconsider student population data used recently in a proposal to the Cape Girardeau Board of Education. The Attendance Area Study Committee will meet at noon Thursday at the district's board office, 61 N. Clark. No questions or interviews will be taken from noncommittee members during the meeting...

Long-term budget projections and class scheduling will be among the items discussed by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education during its annual planning session today. The school board's retreat begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board room and is open to the public. It is scheduled to conclude at noon...

ORAN -- Friday was Daniel Dirnberger day at Oran High School. The band played. The mayor attended an all-school assembly. His classmates presented him with gifts. Dirnberger was overwhelmed. A senior at Oran High School, Dirnberger generated the celebration by finishing second in the national "Voice of Democracy" essay competition...

Women are the workhorses of the world. That's why sick days apply to husbands and children, but never to moms. I've never had time to be sick. I've had plenty of time to think about this fact, because sinus pain, an unsettled stomach and an overall cruddy feeling have affected me for the past 10 days...

Feeling compassion for a convicted criminal isn't the easiest task, but it's a necessary one for Christians -- particularly when they are talking about a criminal condemned to die. A group of Catholic students from Southeast Missouri State University were able to connect a face with the anti-death penalty message. The issue is a fierce one, even divisive among Missouri's Catholics, who are split nearly 50-50...

WorldNetDaily reported Monday that the San Francisco Housing Authority recently refused to allow residents of the Sunnydale Housing Development to hold a Bible study in its community room, citing separation of church and state. On Feb. 23, the Pacific Justice Institute filed a civil rights action in federal court on behalf of the aggrieved residents against the Housing Authority, the city and the county of San Francisco...

A proposal in the Missouri Legislature would put a faculty representative on several state university boards of regents. The idea has gone far enough to earn approval in the Missouri House. It's time to derail this speeding train. Don't misunderstand. Good communication among university administrators, boards of regents, faculty and students is vital. But placing a faculty representative on a board of regents is unnecessary...

Get ready to cruise to good will. The American Cancer Society will gather tonight for its annual gala. This year's theme is a grand cruise ship. The fund raiser generates an impressive $75,000 for the organization each year. Cancer touches so many families. While great strides have been made in cancer research, there is still much work to be done. Events such as these provide much-needed dollars for both research and local cancer services...

To the editor: I am writing in response to the concern voiced in Speak Out in the Feb. 28 edition. Scott City's 911 system is a great benefit to citizens. Not only do dispatchers take all 911 calls, they also dispatch the North Scott County Ambulance Service, Scott City Police Department and Scott City Fire Department...

To the editor: I cannot let the week pass without conveying the thanks of Southeast Missouri State University to the many hundreds of sports fans among your readers who so enthusiastically supported the Indian and Otahkian basketball teams during this extraordinary season...

Cape Girardeau Vocational-Technical School faculty encouraged business leaders during the Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee Friday morning to participate in a program that would help them locate or train skilled workers for available jobs Bev Hickam and Nancy Witvoet presented a program to local employers detailing the history and benefits of the Work Keys work-force development program...

When the foreign language clubs at Central High School sold candy, worked in concession stands and hosted a dinner to raise money for Make A Difference Day last fall, the students knew only that they'd be helping someone in an Indian village in Guatemala...

As I stood in the darkness of the theater watching the end of the war movie "Saving Private Ryan," my eyes welled up with tears as the older Private Ryan stood at the grave of his friend. This scene made me think about how much these brave men and women have had to suffer and sacrifice so that our freedom may endure to this day...

Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team may be down right now, but coach Mark Hogan insists the Indians are definitely not out. The Indians -- plagued by injuries to several key players -- are saddled with a five-game losing streak that has their record at 2-8...

BLOOMFIELD -- For Scott City High, the beginning -- four successive turnovers -- was ominous. And matters never improved much for the Lady Rams in the Class 2A, District 2 girls basketball tournament here Friday, as No. 1 seed Notre Dame glided to a 55-24 championship game victory over the No. 3 seed...

BLOOMFIELD -- Scott City's Jon Beck and Kelly's Jim Hulshof have deservedly been touted as two of the area's elite basketball players this season. But when the district championship was on the line midway through the fourth quarter, it was the Hawks' Jason Glastetter who hoisted his team on his broad shoulders...

CHAFFEE -- Charles "Charlie" Sallee Sr., 64, of Chaffee, formerly of Oran, died Friday, March 5, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Funeral for Vernon Houston "Bud" McDermott of East Prairie will be held at 2 p.m. today at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. Larry Smith will officiate, with burial in East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery. McDermott, 71, died Thursday, March 4, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON -- Mabel Augusta Hennecke, 88, of Jackson died Thursday, March 4, 1999, at her home. She was born Oct. 21, 1910, near Whitewater, daughter of Christian and Edna Rhodes Grebe. She and Henry Hennecke were married Feb. 20, 1928. He died June 9, 1991...

Charles D. Dietiker, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 5, 1999, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Sept. 3, 1906, in Cape Girardeau, son of Fred and Tempa Trout Dietiker. He and Lovie Gertrude Pippin were married Sept. 28, 1928, at Burfordville. She died Aug. 3, 1977...

HAYWOOD CITY -- Isiah "Man" Grayson, also known as "Spot," died Wednesday, March 3, 1999, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center, the result of a robbery and assault on Sept. 24, 1998. He was 89 and a resident of Haywood City. He was born Feb. 10, 1910, in Yazoo City, Miss., son of Henry and Lena Grayson and had lived in Missouri since 1940. He was of the Pentecostal faith...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Funeral for Sam A. McGee of Jonesboro will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Larry Shacklee will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. today...

PARMA -- Delois Cox, 62, of Parma died Wednesday, March 3, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Oct. 12, 1936, in St. Louis County, daughter of Joseph and Willie B. Miller Sandridge. She and Leon L. Cox were married Nov. 28, 1968...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Three people were seriously injured Friday morning when their vehicles collided on U.S. Highway 62, one-fourth mile west of the Mississippi River Bridge in Mississippi County. Seriously injured were Randall Banning, 48, of Iuka, Ky., Larry Black, 53, of Bardwell, Ky., and Black's passenger, Laurie Meyer, 35, of Bardwell...