Stories from Saturday, June 26, 1999

The story of a Noah, his ark and a great flood sent to destroy the earth isn't just found in Christianity. Mythology and other religions also offer similar stories about a great flood. The following is a summary of some selected stories: The Babylonian flood...

The images comes on everything from fabric to foam toys for children. Noah's ark hasn't gone out of style since the story was written for Scripture, and its popularity isn't likely to fade any time soon. The biblical account of Noah and his ark is found in Genesis 6-10. ...

An artist's rendering of the Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building. Southeast Missouri State University officials praised Gov. Mel Carnahan's "vision" of technical education at a groundbreaking Friday for the school's new Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building...

Freddie, a spindly little runt with no family, was left to survive on his own. But Freddie, actually Freddie II, was fortunate: He lived in John Seay's back yard. Freddie II is a squirrel. "He was certainly the runt of the litter," said Seay of Cape Girardeau, who has a number of bird and animal feeders in his yard...

Republicans were stung in the election that followed the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, but the lone undisputable GOP hero of the proceedings predicts his party may be benefiting from a delayed reaction. U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson says a new poll shows that 19 percent more people think Republicans are more honest and ethical than Democrats. He said those numbers were even two years ago...

Cape Girardeau school officials are weighing options carefully as they attempt to reduce unexpectedly high cost proposals for construction of a vocational school. School board members are scheduled to award the contract for the Vocational Education Center during a meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in room 214 of the Vocational-Technical School, 301 N. Clark...

Barbara Port knows hot: Her historic, three-story home in downtown Cape Girardeau has no air conditioning. "We have 11-foot ceilings and ceiling fans throughout," she explained. In the fashion of years gone by, she opens the windows and draperies in the morning to capture early morning cool, closes the house in the heat of the day and reopens it in the evening...

I miss my house. It's been five long weeks since our house was destroyed by fire, and I'm still not sure when we'll be able to return home. Amazingly, the insurance company has been great about finding us somewhere to stay and helping us line out the expenses, but as anyone who's had this experience will tell you, it just ain't the same as home...

Pianist-composer Joseph M. Martin will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Jackson, 212 S. High. Martin, a North Carolina native, has a bachelor's degree in piano performance from Furman University and a master's degree in piano performance from the University of Texas. He taught piano for five years at the University of Texas...

Farmers are experiencing difficult times with low commodity prices, a downturn in the hog industry and decreased agricultural exports. "While the economic picture for many in America is positive, low commodity prices are taking a toll on the farm," said U.S. Sen. "Kit" Bond during an "Ag Crisis" meeting at Columbia Friday...

Tangible benefits of the new Weed and Seed program in Cape Girardeau are now visible, as residents themselves are participants in its early success. Gwyndle McGee, who supervises a Weed and Seed-financed lunch program at the New Horizon Missionary Baptist Church, 800 S. Sprigg, is praising the success, although only in its first two weeks...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Air Show '99 will kick off the annual Black River Festival here July 3. The show will be dedicated to the late David May, a Missouri Highway Patrol sergeant who was killed in a May helicopter crash. Other air show events will include a fly-in pancake breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and Federal Aviation Administration Wings seminar for pilots only presented by Fred Harmes at 9 a.m...

PERRYVILLE -- His local effort has brought him national recognition, but to Thomas Tucker he just did his job. For 29 years Tucker has served as executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Commission in Perryville. He won the Walter Scheiber Award at the national conference for regional planners this month...

David Beasley was right. The former South Carolina governor called gambling a cancer eating away at families and communities in his state. In retribution, gambling operations dumped millions into last fall's gubernatorial race to unseat Gov. Beasley. That is what happens to those who dare cross the lords of luck...

Retreats are good opportunities to refocus priorities. Such was the case when the Cape Girardeau Board of Education gathered on a recent Saturday morning. The board went to work to map out immediate goals and priorities. Members are also learning to work with a new man at the helm. Dr. Dan Steska was a key player in the retreat as he takes over the superintendent's position July 1...

Kelly Transportation Co. has made a major change to improve Cape Girardeau's taxi coupon service. It will deliver coupons to customers the first three days of each month. It will eliminate the complaint that coupon users had to waste two coupons for a trip to city hall to buy new ones...

To the editor: I have been watching eagerly and with much interest for further plans for Main Street. My heart leaped with joy when I read in the June 16 Missourian of the progress Old Town Cape, the name selected for the Main Street project, is making...

Greg Rubel has been better known for his pitching than his hitting over the years. Friday night, Rubel used both attributes to make a triumphant return to Cape Girardeau. Rubel, a former star athlete at Notre Dame High School, now competes for the St. Louis Printers summer baseball team. He lives in St. Louis and works as a physical therapist after starring in baseball for Maryville University...

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy American Legion baseball team swept a doubleheader from visiting Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Friday night, 7-2 and 6-5. Chaffee improved to 11-3 overall and 6-0 in District 14 play. Cape fell to 11-12 and 4-6. Chaffee won the nightcap in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning on a game-winning gapper to right-center field by Brad Kolwyck, which scored Josh Eftink from second base...

Jackson's Mark Allen was eliminated Friday during the second round of the Missouri State Amateur Golf Tournament in St. Louis. Allen lost to Brian Kennedy of St. Louis 1-up. Also Friday, Poplar Bluff's Bobby Godwin was eliminated by Jay Story of St. Charles 4 and 3...

MATTHEWS -- Funeral for Charles L. Andrew of Matthews will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The Rev. Mike Cartwright and Curt Bellinger will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery at Sikeston. Friends may call at the chapel from 11 a.m. until service time...

SCOTT CITY -- Elaine Rauk, 59, of Kenyon, Minn., died Wednesday, June 23, 1999, at her home. She was born March 29, 1940, in Atlas, Ill., daughter of William and Rosalie Hillman. She and Rodney Rauk were married July 12, 1969. Her family moved to Scott City in 1943. She attended St. Augustine and St. Denis Elementary Schools, Kelly High School, and received a bachelor of science degree in music from Southeast Missouri State University in 1961...

Debra Poch, 44, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 24, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born July 21, 1954, at Dexter, daughter of Wilson and Barbara Peck. Poch was raised at Fisk and was a 1972 graduate of Twin Rivers High School. She had lived in Cape Girardeau two years and was employed at Patrick's Cleaners...

Mary Jean Cohen, 67, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, June 22, 1999, at Lucy Lee Healthcare System in Poplar Bluff. She was born Feb. 21, 1932, at Poplar Bluff. She and William Lewis "Bill" Cohen were married May 17, 1953. He died June 20, 1997. The Cohens lived in Cape Girardeau several years. She moved to Poplar Bluff in 1997 after the death of her husband...

POCAHONTAS -- Clinton A. Reisenbichler, 71, of Pocahontas died Thursday, June 24, 1999, in a tractor-trailer truck accident on Highway 51 in Carlisle County, Ky. He was born Oct. 18, 1927, at Pocahontas, son of William and Esther Fuehler Reisenbichler. He and Helen Krahn were married Aug. 9, 1953...

BELL CITY -- Shirley Harris, 62, of Bell City died Wednesday, June 23, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Morgan Funeral Home in Advance is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Keith Gerlach of Dearborn, Mich., 4:54 p.m. Thursday, April 17, 1999. Name, Leah Louise. Weight, 7 pounds 10 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Gerlach is the former Lisa Edwards, daughter of Harold and Betty Edwards of Columbus, Ohio. She is a nurse at Fairlane Clinic in Dearborn. Gerlach is the son of Kevin and Mary Ellen Gerlach of Cape Girardeau. He is an engineer with Motorola Corp. in Dearborn...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Claude Wilson, 93, of Villa Ridge died Friday, June 25, 1999, at the Meridian Manor Nursing Home in Mounds. He was born Jan. 2, 1906, in Frederick, Okla., son of Louis and Azona Harvel Wilson. He married Margaret Endicott in July 1971...