Stories from Thursday, July 29, 1999

April Hinrichsen, left, and Kate Devaney met at "The Wall" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." These children used their imaginations as a team in the improvisational theater game "Magical Machines." Brittany Rhodes threw an imaginary ball of energy to another participant in the theater game "Sound Ball."...

Joe Essner is Godfrey Pond and Beth Bishop is Miss Evelyn Whitchurch in "The Happiest Days of Your Life." Trying to pick a play to stage for the St. Vincent de Paul Youth Ministry's annual theatrical production, director Gerry Strohmeyer thought of one he and his wife, Joan, had appeared in 30 years ago in Salina, Kan. ...

Patricia Hunt and Chanel Tucker have made the move from welfare to work, but getting to the job was hard without their own transportation. That won't be a concern now that both women received vehicles Wednesday morning that will make their commute to work much easier. About 25 people attended the presentation...

A half-dozen giant storage tanks have been set into place at the BioKyowa Inc. L-lysine plant in Nash Road Industrial Park. The tanks -- each about 50 feet long, 21 feet in diameter and weighing more than 150,000 pounds -- were moved through the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority by Girardeau Stevedores to trucks that hauled them to BioKyowa as part of the company's $35 million expansion of its agriculture feed-supplement plant...

Richard Kline is on the campaign trail again. The 59-year-old, ex-Navy man is running for governor as a Reform Party candidate. Kline has the backing of Reform Party presidential candidate Jerry Beck, who hopes to bring Minnesota Gov. and former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura to Cape Girardeau on a campaign trip next year...

SCOTT CITY -- A proposed casino on the Diversion Channel likely won't float in Missouri. The site proposed for a Lady Luck casino near Interstate 55 and the Rhodes Travel Center is more than two miles from the Mississippi River, and that apparently doesn't comply with the boats-in-moats measure approved by Missouri voters last November...

A midsummer night's dream about peace, love & understanding July 29, 1999 But earthlier happy is the rose distilled,/Than that which withering on the virgin thorn/Grows, lives and dies, in single blessedness. -- "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Dear Gail,...

The majority of the suggestions included on a 10-point safety checklist recently released by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education are already being met by three area schools. Administrators of Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City schools said state recommendations indicate they are headed in the right direction regarding security issues in their districts...

Thunderstorms Wednesday ripped through Southeast Missouri leaving behind a trail of heat and humidity. The heat index after the rainfall was a cool 80, but later that afternoon the index in Southeast Missouri crept up to about the mid-90s. "Based on overall weather patterns, the heat advisory is still in effect even though at the moment, it does not seem like we need it," said David Blanchard, a weather forecaster for the National Weather Service in Paducah...

Even at age 5, Caleb Goode can understand that serving drinks during the Salvation Army's Meal with Friends is helping someone out. Caleb was among 20 children from La Croix United Methodist Church who helped serve dinner and dessert to people eating at the Salvation Army Wednesday evening...

JACKSON -- A car struck a cow in the road late Tuesday night, killing the cow and leaving the 17-year-old driver moderately injured, according to the state Highway Patrol. The accident occurred about 11:45 p.m. on Route FF, two miles west of Fruitland. The 1990 Ford, driven by Brandon J. Wendel of Oak Ridge, struck the cow, which was standing in the road, according to reports. Wendel's car then flipped onto its top and skidded down the road, coming to rest in a ditch...

JACKSON -- Alderman Dave Reiminger was miffed at last week's Board of Aldermen meeting. It turns out, his pique may have saved the city $1,300. Last week, the board was asked to approve paying $1,300 to the St. Louis firm of Hastings & Chivetta for an artist's rendering of the city's proposed multipurpose building. Reiminger insisted the drawing should have been covered under the original $20,000 contract...

To the editor: Last week a good friend's life was cut short by cancer. Allen Hawk of Anna was my teammate and fierce competitor on Wednesday nights at West Park Lanes. At his funeral last Saturday, a bowling team from Cape Girardeau arrived with a team bowling shirt and announced that "Big Al" was being named an "honorary Rowdy Roller."...

To the editor: What is the problem with the younger drivers? We were on I-55 recently headed north. We were forced off the highway and almost hit when a car came at us at a very high rate of speed. The other vehicle went sideways off the northbound lane and across the median and the southbound lane. The car stopped 15 feet off the highway. The driver told us she lost control...

To the editor: The editorial cartoon you chose for the July 25 edition was meant to demean the idea of a mere woman commanding a NASA team, I suppose. Thoughtful people, however, are well aware that most single moms and married women and moms perform the tasks listed (picking up the dry cleaning, stopping at the store for milk and eggs etc.) and more while pursuing careers in medicine, law, education, science and most any other field that can be named. ...

To the editor: I want to thank the Southeast Missouri and its many years of support for the science fair program. Words fail to convey the rich educational experience the program has been to my students and to me. Additionally, this year's experience at the international competition not only brought honor to our school, but it allowed me to share the educational experience from a new perspective with my students...

To the editor: The purpose of this letter is to thank you for the tremendous coverage you provided on our annual Quality of Life Indicators for Progress publication. For the second time, you have chosen to do an entire series on this topic, and for that we are extremely grateful...

To the editor: On May 28, at the age of 54, my sister lost a three-year battle with breast cancer. On June 4 I read an article in the Southeast Missourian stating that an estimated 175,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year. And nationwide, breast cancer is expected to kill about 43,700 women this year...

Much has been said in recent months about the financial situation in the Cape Girardeau School District. Over time, we learned of the problems the district was having in meeting state-mandated fund balances. That problem has been resolved, thanks to some belt-tightening. And we learned that major construction and renovation projects are costing far more than estimated. That situation has been offset by higher-than-expected revenue for those projects...

To the editor: I want to share with you a factual story that happened to me in the governor's office on July 12. This story is being shared around Missouri during our travels to encourage support for the override of the governor's veto of House Bill 427. It is being shared to show the blatant lack of respect for law and a government for the people and by the people, as well as a lack of respect for life...

Southeast Missouri State University basketball coach Gary Garner looks at his schedule for the coming season and sees a slate that will sufficiently challenge a squad featuring several key returning players and a load of newcomers. The 1999-2000 Southeast schedule, which was released Wednesday, features 16 home games, including two exhibition contests...

"I'm proud of where I come from. When I was being introduced (prior to Clippers' games), the announcer would say I'm from Las Vegas. I told them to announce me being from Cairo, Ill. That's what I want." -- Tyrone Nesby CAIRO, Ill. -- Tyrone Nesby was one of the NBA's top rookies last season -- yet until a few years ago he never even thought a pro basketball career was possible...

Former Southeast Missouri State University basketball star Calvert White will be playing in the professional ranks soon. The 6-4 White recently signed a contract to play for a pro team in Holland. The season is scheduled to begin early next week. A native of the Virgin Islands, White played two seasons for the Indians after transferring from Southeastern Illinois Community College...

Son to Jolene Ann Renner and Christopher William Hancock of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:14 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, 1999. Name, Tristan Nathaniel. Weight, 6 pounds 14 ounces. First child. Ms. Renner is the daughter of Wilfred and Lucille Renner of Perryville. She is a student at Southeast Missouri State University, and is employed at Style Stop Impact. Hancock is the son of Mark and Terri Hancock of DeSoto. He is employed by Maplewood Richmond Heights School District...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral for Evelyn M. Kinsloe of Lake Zurich will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The Rev. Glynn Copeland will officiate. Burial will be in Beechwood Cemetery at Mounds. Friends may call at the funeral home from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday...

ADVANCE -- James "Leo" Deckard, 74, of River View Gardens died Tuesday, July 27, 1999, at St. Luke West Hospital in Chesterfield. He was born April 5, 1925, in Zalma, son of Lester Leo and Alma Lemons Deckard. He and Veda West were married Nov. 17, 1944...