Stories from Saturday, September 25, 1999

It's been nearly a century since a congregation gathered regularly for worship inside the plank-hewn walls of the old chapel, but that doesn't diminish its importance for area United Methodists. The Old McKendree Chapel is known as the oldest Protestant church still standing west of the Mississippi River. It was built between 1818 and 1819 and is on the National Register of Historic Places...

Republican House leaders are playing politics in opposing lifting trade sanctions against Cuba, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson said Friday. The Cape Girardeau Republican said congressional negotiations over an agriculture spending bill had stalled because House leaders oppose a proposal by Sen. John Ashcroft of Missouri to partially lift trade sanctions against Cuba...

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Missouri Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Talent decried a federal appeals court ruling Friday striking down partial-birth abortion prohibition measures in Nebraska, Arkansas and Iowa. Huckabee and Talent spoke to reporters at the Royal N'Orleans Restaurant in Cape Girardeau Friday night...

For patients who need more monitoring than is offered in a regular hospital room but not the care provided in intensive care, St. Francis Medical Center offers the PIN. To better serve patients, physicians and staff who use the Progressive Intermediate Nursing Unit, St. Francis just spent more than $500,000 to remodel it and the progressive care unit...

JACKSON -- Better publicity regarding financial aid information, regional learning opportunities and employable careers would result in better regional participation for Southeast Missouri State University. Those were the suggestions offered by area residents who attended a strategic planning forum Friday at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce building...

Hospitalized children sometimes have needs not covered by insurance and beyond their families' means. To help cover the cost of those needs, St. Francis Medical Center has established a fund dedicated to children and is letting children raise money for it...

The Zalma Fall Festival Pageant, sponsored by the Zalma PTO, will be Oct. 9 at Zalma High School. Judging will be at 11:30 a.m. for boys 0-23 months. For girls, judging will be at 12:30 p.m. for ages 0-6 months, 1 p.m. for 7-12 months, 1:30 p.m. for 13-23 months, 2 p.m. for 2-year-olds and 2:30 p.m. for ages 3-5...

To the editor: Discrimination in this country in all other facets of life is not tolerated and is considered unconstitutional. Yet we allow our state lawmakers to write laws to favor mothers who perpetuate prejudice by not enforcing fathers' visitation rights while scrupulously enforcing child-support payments...

THE THING that surprises me the most about the crucifixion of the boy in Jackson the fact that it was ever reported in the media at all. Most bad things that happen in Jackson are simply swept under the rug and covered up and never reported at all. I believe if this would have happened on Good Hope Street in Cape Girardeau, or in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri, this would have been on TV and in the news every single day. ...

What was the real reason the Democrats prevented President Clinton's removal from office? Was it because they truly didn't believe his felonious conduct was impeachable and removable? Not a chance! True, they all insisted Clinton's misdeeds "didn't rise to that level." And, they were able to summon the support of countless "unbiased" constitutional scholars. But we all know they would have been singing a different tune if a Republican president had behaved similarly...

One good turn deserves another. Today's community pat on the back goes to Dr. Dan Steska, who took over as Cape Girardeau superintendent of schools July 1. Steska has been waging his own campaign against low morale in the district. He is also working to build bridges with students, staff and the community...

Southeast Missouri State University's defense will have to change gears as the football Indians look for their first win of the season. Last Saturday, the Indians faced the high-powered passing attack of Murray State, which romped 45-18. Tonight, the Indians will try to slow down Western Kentucky's ground-oriented option offense -- known as the flexbone -- when the Ohio Valley Conference squads meet in a 7 o'clock kickoff at L.T. Smith Stadium in Bowling Green, Ky...

SCOTT CITY -- Since opening the season with a 30-0 loss at Malden, Scott City High's football Rams have been intent on showing the rest of Southeast Missouri that they are still a force to be reckoned with. After Friday night's performance, very few people are probably doubting the Rams these days...

DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- Dyersburg High's football team used the big play, rolling up 327 rushing yards and claiming its fifth straight victory by beating visiting Jackson 26-14 Friday night. The Trojans negated the Indians' running attack, limiting Jackson to 45 total yards, seven in the second half...

Some time on Friday, before the Oakville Tigers made their trek to Cape Girardeau, someone from Oakville snuck away with a handful of Cape Central jerseys. Then the whole team made like thieves and swiped a 17-6 win over Cape Central Friday night. Central dropped to 0-4 on the season, while Oakville improved to 2-2...

There is no greater feeling than sitting in the shadows and listening to the conversation of "Momma 'N'em." I've always had a healthy respect for my elders. That whole "Honor thy father and mother ..." thing was drummed into my head at an early age, and so was the "Respect thy elders" mantra so popular back in those days...

JEFFERSON CITY -- By practicing what coach Tom Doyle described as good ball control and passing, Cape Central's soccer team took control of the scoring and shut the Springfield-Greenwood 3-0 Friday night at the Jefferson City Tournament. The first goal of the match was scored by Mick Metzger, with an assist by Chris Cole 11:00 minutes into the first half, which is where the score remained at the end of the first half...

CLARKSVILLE -- They may have been the pre-season favorites, but the Southeast Missouri volleyball team was upset by Austin-Peay State University Friday evening in a four-game marathon: 17-5, 10-15, 15-11 and 15-8. The Otahkians were picked to finish first in the Ohio Valley Conference by the coaches, while the Lady Govs were selected fifth...

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- SEMO soccer will have to wait a little longer for their first victory in school history, as Tennessee Tech's Golden Eagles defeated the Otahkians 2-0 Friday afternoon. Tech moved to 1-8 overall with the win and SEMO, a first-year program, dropped to 0-5. The game did not count in the Ohio Valley Conference standings...

FULTON -- St. Vincent graduate Scott Pingel will try to add to three national records this weekend when the nationally-ranked NCAA Division III Westminster Blue Jays take on Kentucky Wesleyan. Since breaking Jerry Rice's all-division record of 301 catches on Sept. 4, Pingel broke the all-time yardage mark in Week 2 and snapped the all-division touchdown benchmark last week with three TD receptions...

PERRYVILLE -- Ethel M. Snyder, 76, of Perryville died Friday, Sept. 24, 1999, in St. Louis. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville.

PERRYVILLE -- Weldon J. Ernst, 73, of Perryville died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville.

Paul H. Thiessen, 72, died very unexpectedly of an aneurysm Tuesday, September 21, 1999 at Providence Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska. A memorial service will be held at the Kingdom Hall, 2301 Strawberry Road in Anchorage on Saturday, September 25, 1999. Long time friend and local minister, Richard Baker, will preside...

GLEN ALLEN -- Glenda M. Shell, 55, of Glen Allen died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at her home, following an illness. She was born Oct. 18, 1943, at Puxico, daughter of Edgar and Lois Gray Phillips. She and Jerald L. Shell were married Nov. 2, 1961. Shell was a member of Old Trace Creek Baptist Church...

PATTON -- Funeral for Marcia L. Creely of Berkeley will be held at 1 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Home in Patton. The Rev. Fred Rister will officiate. Burial will be in Patton Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until service time...

THEBES, Ill. -- Ruth Harvell Durham, 91, of Thebes died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 27, 1908, at Thebes, daughter of Daniel Webster and Adeline Holmes Sammons. She and Edward C. Harvell were married Feb. 20, 1945. He died March 20, 1956. She and James A. Durham were married Dec. 17, 1958. He died Oct. 13, 1966...

Elizabeth L. Steimle, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Oct. 22, 1908, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Frank and Sophia Schaefer Steimle. Steimle was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral, its St. Ann's Sodality and Legion of Mary...

Eunice M. Scott, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at her home. She was born April 13, 1932, in Brookfield, Ill., daughter of Louis and Ernestine Engelking Heinrich. She and Roger D. Scott were married Feb. 19, 1955, in LaGrange, Ill...

MOREHOUSE -- Walter Earl McCraw, 56, of Morehouse died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born April 4, 1943, in St. Louis, son of Raymond Earl and Sylvia Ethel Johnson McCraw. He and Carol Jean McDonald were married June 15, 1975, in St. Louis...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Funeral for Evelyn Jost of Kerrville, Texas, was held Monday at Grimes Funeral Chapel in Kerrville. Dr. Phil Tilden officiated. Jost, 57, died Friday, Sept. 17, 1999, in a Houston, Texas, hospital. She was born June 14, 1942, in Tamms, daughter of Clyde Everett and Anna May Dillman Tatum...

DELTA -- Frank W. Kinder, 86, of Delta died Friday, Sept. 24, 1999, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Gary Albert and Debbie Catherine Reischman of Chaffee, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 8:46 p.m. Monday, Sept. 13, 1999. Name, Drew Jonathan. Weight, 5 pounds 4 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Reischman is the former Debbie Kern, daughter of Bill and Luella Kern of New Hamburg. She is a clerk with the U.S. Postal Service in Cape Girardeau. Reischman is the son of Elizabeth Reischman of Oran. He is a photographer at KFVS-TV...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Gladys Cato Whitaker, 91, of Poplar Bluff died Friday, Sept. 24, 1999, at Doctors Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was born Jan. 16, 1908, the daughter of Phillip and Lula Ann Calder Deckard. She married Dolph Cato on March 17, 1924. He died Dec. 5, 1965. She also married Raymond Whitaker, who preceded her in death on Oct. 13, 1978...