Stories from Wednesday, June 30, 1999

Grass can succumb to lawn disease such as brown patch. The last few days have been very hot and extremely humid due to all of the rain. I've heard comments like "I feel like I'm going to melt." "The humidity is so thick that I can cut it with a knife."...

Notre Dame Regional High School and the community welcome a new principal. Brother David Anthony comes to Cape Girardeau from St. John the Baptist School in St. Louis. His presence underscores the importance of religion to the school. Brother David belongs to the Franciscan order and wears the traditional robes of a friar...

Local talent can turn heads. Just ask those in attendance at the recent Heartland Homecoming '99 Talent Shoot-Out. The local talent competition was the warm-up to the professional gospel performers. But it soon became clear that many of the amateurs had talent enough for professional careers of their own...

State budget growth: Per a request at last week's editorial board meeting, I was provided the following information for the Missouri budget (excluding capital improvements, which are dependent on vagaries of economic growth or lack thereof), so this is the operating budget):...

Poem about new doctors union THE FOLLOWING poem speaks to the difficulty I'm having convincing people that physicians have voted to unionize. I worry that someday they'll go on strike just when I need one. The Doctor Is Out My docs joined organized labor...

To the editor: This debate about when the new millennium begins must cease. The new millennium began several years ago. Without taking up a lot of space to explain their reasons, historians are now in general agreement that our calendar is off by four years. We now know that Jesus, whose birth dictates the beginning of our calendar, was actually born four years earlier than the calendar assumes...

Southeast Missouri State University's new president won't speculate if he will be living at Wildwood like past presidents. Dr. Ken Dobbins, Southeast's executive vice president, takes over as the school's 17th president on Thursday. Dobbins has an off-campus home...

FBI agents should be finishing their work in Cape Girardeau soon, said Police Chief Richard Hetzel. The agents, who arrived June 21, are continuing their investigation into possible violations by police in a June 11 altercation on south Good Hope Street. Six police officers were injured and eight people were arrested when a crowd of about 150 began to throw rocks and bricks. The crowd had reacted to police attempts to arrest two brothers, Gregory and Kenneth Campbell, who had fought with police...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A four-day Fourth of July celebration, the Black River Festival in Poplar Bluff, celebrates Butler County's sesquicentennial this year with new events and lots of traditional entertainment. The celebration will be held Thursday through Sunday. Many events are held along the Black River in downtown Poplar Bluff...

Cape Girardeau is doing its part for the environment by helping to reduce landfill waste. The city has been reducing solid waste and increasing recycling since 1991. Cape Girardeau has one of the top programs in the state, meeting and exceeding the state goal of landfill diversion, said Pam Sander, solid waste coordinator for the city's public works department...

An 85-mile stretch of Highway 34 from Cape Girardeau to near Van Buren could be widened, straightened and improved into a "super two" highway. The highway still would be two lanes but better designed to handle traffic, state highway officials said Tuesday...

There's something about the blast of a car horn that turns thinking people into animals. Driving seminar. Mandatory. Auditorium. Be there. Welcome to corporate America, where some insurance company somewhere has decreed that a buck can be saved if 20 bored employees watch a Power Point presentation on safe driving. Coming soon to an office complex near you!...

CARUTHERSVILLE - A storm sweeping through Pemiscot County Monday afternoon resulted caused several accidents and damage. At least one tornado was sighted. The National Weather Bureau at Memphis, Tenn., reported tornado activity near Deering around 2:30 p.m., with a path moving east toward Caruthersville. Warning sirens sounded, but no damage was reported...

NEW MADRID - With little regard for the heat, humidity or the height, Jennifer Husmann hopped off the ladder, flicked a bead of sweat from her brow and offered a broad smile. "I knew I could paint, but I never knew I could roof a house," she said. The 19-year-old St. ...

Southeast Missouri State University has received a $10,000 donation to help launch the Southeast Missouri National Scenic Byways Initiative. School officials said the donor wants to remain anonymous. The initiative seeks to establish three National Scenic Byways in Southeast Missouri -- Crowley's Ridge, El Camino Real and Trail of Tears...

PERRYVILLE -- Police officers in Perryville are set to receive some federal assistance in the purchase of bullet-resistant vests. The Perryville Police Department has been awarded a $2,000 grant as part of the federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership program. The program provides partial funding for police departments to purchase the vests...

EAST PRAIRIE -- The East Prairie Nutrition Center will host its third annual quilt show Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It will be held at the Doyle Elementary Multipurpose Room. More than 100 quilts were on display at the center during the 1998 event, and more are expected this year...

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee Medicap Pharmacy American Legion baseball team suffered its first District 14 loss of the season Tuesday night. But Chaffee manager Jeff Graviett still likes the position his squad is in regarding District 14 regular-season play...

Kathy Michel, a recent Cape Central graduate, has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff. Michel was a successful pitcher at Central, going 16-6 her senior campaign with two saves, a 1.26 earned run average and 61 strikeouts. She also threw a no-hitter and four shutouts. Michel established new Cape Central records for most batters faced (600) and most innings pitched (148) in a season...

The Major League Instructional Baseball-Softball Clinic will be held July 19 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Cape Girardeau Central High School. Clinic instructors scheduled to appear are former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Scott Terry; former Cardinals vice president and general manager Bing Devine; and veteran scouts Dave Jennings, Joe Thurman and Eric Schifferdecker...

The Cape Magic girls soccer team will have tryouts July 13 and July 15 at Shawnee Park. Tryouts will be from 6-7:30 p.m. both days Girls born after Aug. 1, 1987 are eligible to participate. Players should wear shin guards and bring water and a soccer ball...

RISCO -- Vivian Marie Miller, 75, of Risco died Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. She was born Feb. 6, 1924, in Rector, Ark., daughter of Cecil and Sara Violet Kent Porter. She and Julian Miller were married Nov. 6, 1941, at Malden...

Cheryl R. Brown, 31, of Bertrand died Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at the Bertrand Nursing Center. She was the daughter of James and Betty Brown of Bertrand. Funeral arrangements will be handled by the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

FRUITLAND -- Funeral for Bradley J. Reddick of Fruitland will be held at 11 a.m. today at New Life World Outreach Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Zack Strong will officiate. Burial will be in Puxico Cemetery at Puxico. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements...

PUXICO -- Rubie Haney, 91, of Puxico died Monday, June 28, 1999, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. She was born Jan. 5, 1908, at Puxico, daughter of Martin V. and Ethel Ross Sifford. She and Ross Haney were married Feb. 17, 1927. He died June 24, 1995...

JACKSON -- Sola A. Franck, 75, of Jackson died Monday, June 28, 1999, at her home. She was born Sept. 30, 1923, in Piggott, Ark., daughter of John and Roenna Young. She and Oscar Franck were married in 1945 in St. Louis. He died in 1974. Franck retired from Southeast Missouri State University...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Hope Husk, infant daughter of Adam and Melissa Husk of East Prairie, died Monday, June 28, 1999, at St. Mary's Health Center in St. Louis. Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie is in charge of arrangements.

Anna Blanche Masters, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at her home. She was born July 14, 1912, at Patton, daughter of Pinkney and Rella Clementine Seabaugh Brotherton. She and Elbert S. Masters were married Nov. 2, 1929. He died Jan. 28, 1984...

ANNA, Ill. -- Wilma Jean Hinkle, 63, of Anna died Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at The Abbey in Carbondale. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to David D. and Brenda L. Limbaugh of Sikeston, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2:22 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, 1999. Name, Emily Elizabeth. Weight, 7 pounds 2 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Limbaugh is the former Brenda Laster, daughter of Julius and Faye Laster of Bertrand. She is a teacher at Sikeston Public Schools. Limbaugh is the son of Mike and Dottie Limbaugh of Sikeston. He is a pilot with American Eagle Airlines...

SCOTT CITY -- Josephine Williams, 74, of Farmington died Tuesday, June 29, 1999, at Mineral Area Osteopathic Hospital. She is formerly of Scott City. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Independence Day not only brings beautiful fireworks and picnics but an abundance of zucchini and corn. There are so many different and good ways to fix zucchini that the possibilities are endless. With my work at the Senior Center, I am blessed with friends that share their garden abundance with me, for which I am very thankful. ...

The essence of chocolate gravy, the original breakfast treat, and many of the old-time recipes is that they were born from the ingredients that folks had on hand. The air filled with a fragrant affection as my Granny Thompson served her Saturday morning breakfast specialty -- hot buttered biscuits, topped with a ladle of warm chocolate gravy. They should create a Recipe Hall of Fame, and the first inductee should be Chocolate Gravy...

Studies have shown that people are living longer, healthier lives and one of the biggest contributors has been water purification. In the United States, numerous laws are in place to keep water purification standards high. Water produced at the Cape Girardeau's drinking water treatment facilities meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards...