Stories from Tuesday, June 8, 1999

It's family reunion time, a time to think about family history and genealogy. The Internet has been buzzing with the introduction of a brand new genealogy site from the Mormon church, which contains links to 400 million names of people dating back to the 1500s...

A boardwalk below the visitors center allows visitors a close view of the swamp without getting their feet wet. Deer grazed in a meadow along Bluff Road during the late afternoon. Wildlife, abundant in the refuge, is best seen in the early morning or evening...

If Paul Ebaugh thought a project was good for Cape Girardeau, he would work to see the project a success. Friends said many projects benefited from Ebaugh's attention and quiet confidence. Ebaugh, 78, died Monday. In 1990, when many of his peers were enjoying their retirements, Ebaugh took the helm of the new bank, AmeriFirst Bank of Cape Girardeau. ...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- When Superman visits Metropolis this weekend, he'll be easily identifiable -- blue-and-red uniform, red cape, dark hair, spit curl and all. That's a far cry from a couple of years ago, when the "Man of Steel" suddenly took on a new look -- a tight-fitting, robot-looking, silver-and-white outfit...

A collision between a tractor-trailer truck and a pickup truck on Interstate 55 resulted in two injuries and logs scattered along the road Monday, police said. Charles J. Lance, of Scott City, was driving southbound on I-55 about 10 a.m. when his 1965 Ford pickup began to drift from the right lane onto the shoulder, reported Patrolman Kenneth Fountain...

A recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling should generate greater tax refunds, two Republican lawmakers say. But state Budget Director Mark Ward said he doesn't know yet what impact the ruling will have on the state's budget or tax refunds. "We are reviewing it," he said. "It is a complicated issue."...

An Independence Day celebration, complete with a parade, picnic and fireworks, is planned July 3 and 4 in Cape Girardeau. The event is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Eagles, and American Legion. The festivities begin at 4 p.m. July 3 with a parade from Capaha Park to Arena Park...

Once again real life is better than fiction. During a search for column ideas this week, I came across one of the most offbeat stories I've read in some time on the newswires. Apparently, scientists have decided that critical information about diseases and chemicals has been overlooked because no one was studying smells...

Midnight is a fortunate cat. He was one of thousands of cats and dogs that have been offered for adoption at a local Humane Society. Midnight was one of few who found a new home and a new life with an adopted family, Dean and Linda Goodson of Cape Girardeau...

The Cape Girardeau City Council unveiled the city's budget Monday night, and with it an increase in water and solid waste fees. The council will not vote for the budget until later this month. By law, the council is required to have hearings on the budget to get the citizens involved...

JACKSON -- A project that has been plagued by delays and unanticipated costs is finally complete. Residents of Grandview Acres can begin the process of hooking up to their new sewer system beginning today. The Jackson Board of Aldermen authorized the final payments on the project Monday night...

A cat called Socks THE FOLLOWING four-line poem expresses a portion of my reaction to Mark Bliss's wonderful feature story on incoming SEMO president, Dr. Ken Dobbins. What's in a name? Doctor Dobbins has a kitty. It's named Socks. That's not too witty...

Operators of a wood chip mill in Southeast Missouri are challenging a new state regulation that allows the state to monitor its timber harvest. Willamette Industries of Portland, Ore., has filed a complaint with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources over the new rule requiring the mill to report the locations of all its wood harvests, according to Scott Freeburn, Willamette's senior environmental engineer...

Social Security and how to reform it in the face of the huge consort of aging baby boomers is once again in the news. The government retirement system was the subject of a panel discussion last week at Southeast Missouri State University featuring U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and five other panelists. Bud Knowkler, regional director of the Social Security Administration, said that the number of Americans age 65 or older will double from 35 million to 70 million in the next 30 years...

Steve Fowler almost single-handedly made sure that the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion baseball team would not go away empty handed Monday night. After Cape dropped the opening game of a doubleheader against visiting Imperial 7-4, Fowler hit and pitched Ford & Sons to a 16-6 triumph in the nightcap...

If it's June, that can only mean one thing regarding area fast-pitch softball -- it's once again time for the Kelso Klassic. The 15th annual tournament will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Kelso City Park. The 16-team event, sponsored by the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau and the Kelso Kwik stop, figures to once again be competitive and balanced...

The following is a listing of players with area ties who are competing in professional baseball. Included in the list are each players' name, school or team, his last year as an amateur and his major league affiliation (statistics are through Sunday)...

Steve Lowe, who just completed his senior season for Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team, has signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Indians. Lowe, who played shortstop for Southeast, was to fly from his home in Canada to report to a Cleveland mini-camp today in Florida. From there he will likely be assigned to a Class A affiliate...

Elizabeth Grimes was inducted into the Cape Girardeau Women's Bowling Association Hall of Fame. Grimes, the director of the Women's Bowling Association for the past five years, has been bowling for 40 years. She is a charter member of the Cape Lanettes League which originated at the old Cape Lanes in 1959. She has been president of the league since 1990 (except 1994) and has served on every committee...

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- After a stellar spring in the high school baseball season, Josh Eftink has turned even hotter with the weather. In Chaffee Medicap Legion's split of a doubleheader with Blytheville (Ark.) Monday night, Eftink blasted four home runs in four consecutive at-bats...

A memorial service for Margaret M. Poe of Cape Girardeau was held May 28 at Saxony Village. The Rev. Richard Northcutt officiated. Burial was in Lakeview Cemetery in Wichita, Kan. Poe, 86, died Tuesday, May 25, 1999, in a hospital in Longview, Texas...

SIKESTON -- Vera M. Conrad, 86, of Sikeston, died Monday, June 7, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 19, 1912. Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

BLOOMFIELD -- Donald Jarrell, 36, of Bloomfield died Monday, June 7, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 26, 1962, at Poplar Bluff, son of Dwight and Shirley A. Cantrell Jarrell. He had lived in the Bloomfield community most of his life. He served in the 1221st Transportation Company of the Missouri National Guard...

MOREHOUSE -- Funeral for Mildred B. Day of Morehouse will be held at 11 a.m. today at Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Morehouse. The Rev. Rick Krietemeyer will officiate. Burial will be in Hagy Cemetery at Dexter. Day, 66, died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at her home...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Funeral for Harold "Jabo" Inman of Karnak will be held at 11 a.m. today at Wilson Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert Stubblefield will officiate. Burial will be in Masonic Cemetery at Cypress. Inman, 83, died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at Southgate Health Care Center in Metropolis...

SIKESTON -- Emily Ellen Fleurdelys, 76, of Sikeston died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at her home. She was born July 29, 1922, at Charleston, daughter of Earnest A. and Gertrude Hurley Poeppelmeyer. She and John W. Fleurdelys were married May 9, 1940. He died Sept. 8, 1996...

JACKSON -- Charles Kenneth Wilson, 60, of St. Louis died Friday, June 4, 1999, in a St. Louis hospital. He was born June 25, 1938, at Jackson, son of Merrill and Evelyn Wilson. Survivors include his wife, three children, and a sister, all of St. Louis...

Pauline M. Nieman, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, June 6, 1999, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 4, 1920, in Reynoldsville, Ill., daughter of Henry R. and Ethel Melton Haman. She and Kenneth E. Nieman were married June 7, 1943. He died April 28, 1978...

MARQUAND -- William Benton "Bee" Mills, 96, of Festus died Sunday, June 6, 1999, at Crystal Oaks Nursing Facility in Festus. He was born July 19, 1902, at Marquand, son of Jesse D. and Sally Wallis Mills. He and Rica Devenport were married Jan. 15, 1925. She died March 9, 1989...

Funeral for William O. Morrow of St. Louis will be held at 9 a.m. today at Baumann Colonial Chapel in Overland. The Rev. Wayne C. Kidwell will officiate. Burial will be in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Morrow, 73, died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at DePaul Health Center...

FRIEDHEIM -- Lorene A. Friese, 93, of Friedheim died Monday, June 7, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home at Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

A private memorial service for Theodore R. Holmes of Cape Girardeau will be held Wednesday at Memorial Park Mausoleum. The Rev. Robert Klein will officiate. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements. Holmes, 78, died Saturday, June 5, 1999, at the Lutheran Home...

SCOTT CITY -- Frances M. Hopkins, 68, of Ocala, Fla., died Sunday, June 6, 1999, at Monroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala. She was born July 3, 1920, at Fornfelt, daughter of Benjamin and Margaret Shipton Sharp. She married Ollie S. Hopkins. Hopkins received a bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University, and a master's degree in education from the University of Missouri...

Son to David and Lori Jean McCormick of Glen Allen, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:51 a.m. Friday, May 7, 1999. Name, Michael David. Weight, 10 pounds 8 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. McCormick is the former Lori McNeely, daughter of Robert and Marilyn McNeely of Cape Girardeau and Sharon and Bob Searls of Modesto, Calif. McCormick is the son of Harold and T.J. McCormick of Marble Hill. He is employed at McCormick Tire...