Stories from Wednesday, December 1, 1999

A few days ago I read Dave Barry's column on suggested Christmas gifts. Included on the list was a trail boss western-style cowperson hardhat, jumbo rolls of toilet paper, a solar cooling hat, and, not to be left out, the everybody-needs-one-of-these bumper dumper, a portable potty seat that mounts on your SUV trailer hitch. ...

Chaffee has 13 buildings that could be used as Red Cross emergency shelters, but if a disaster happened today not one of those shelters could open its doors. John Halter, coordinator of the Chaffee Emergency Management Agency, said: "We don't have any trained volunteers who could operate those shelters. ...

Report cards are due today in school districts around the state.Since 1996, Missouri school districts have been required to issue annual reports detailing financial, enrollment, salary and testing information. The reports, mandated with passage of the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993, relate to the previous school year and are due by Dec. ...

Ignorance is bliss, the saying goes. It's not necessarily healthy or safe or responsible, but not knowing certain facts can keep troubles out of mind if not out of your life. You read about high school massacres and the bombing of buildings, and you start seeing bad guys lurking around every corner and explosive devices in every moving truck...

A Pemiscot County man was found guilty by a jury in federal court Tuesday of selling cocaine, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Undercover law enforcement officers testified that Alonzo Jones, 36, had sold cocaine to them on two separate occasions in Steele in 1998, said Paul Hahn, assistant U.S. Attorney...

ORAN -- A methamphetamine lab with crates full of supplies for making the drug was seized by Scott County Sheriff's Department on Monday. Boxes full of cold tablets, starter fluid and other ingredients were labeled and carried out of the house at 113 Elm St. ...

A design snag has temporarily halted work on inflating the long-awaited new bubble at the Central Pool.Workers began stretching the Tedlar-coated fabric over the surface of the swimming pool Monday morning and have been anchoring the perimeter in anticipation of inflating the bubble today. ...

Special MeetingThursday, Dec. 2, 1999 -- 12 p.m.Board of Education Office, 61 N. ClarkDiscussion on financial implication of Phase II of district construction project.* Consideration of motion for closed session to consider items, as appropriate. Authority is Section 610.021, Revised Statutes of Missouri, as amended...

This is a very important week for our basketball team. Thursday night's game at Tennessee Tech is our biggest to this point in the season because it is a conference game and because it is our first road game. A win would give us a big lift at the start of the conference season against another team that could contend for the Ohio Valley Conference title. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team has suffered a bad break -- literally. Antonio Short, a 6-foot-2 junior who had started the Indians' first two games at shooting guard, has a broken right wrist that could sideline him for up to five or six weeks...

It wasn't exactly the Jerry Springer Show, but the Cape Central-Notre Dame basketball game Tuesday night was plenty wild and nearly out of control. And it wasn't exactly award-winning entertainment either. Notre Dame, despite committing 31 fouls and shooting 32 percent from the field, managed to beat its turnover-prone, cross-city rival 61-51 at Tiger Field House...

Perryville native Scott Pingel a graduate of St. Vincent High School is among the 10 finalists to be considered for the Gagliardi Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.Pingel has already been named Player of the year in the St. ...

SCOTT CITY -- Brenda Kaye Niswonger, 47, of Scott City died Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999, at her home. She was born Sept. 6, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Cletis and Sadie Velma Nance Davis Sr. She and Joel Albert Niswonger were married Aug. 16, 1980...

OAK RIDGE -- Mae Marie Masterson, 87, of Oak Ridge died Monday, Nov. 29, 1999, at Perry Oaks Nursing Center in Perryville. She was born May 24, 1912, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Oscar and Lillie Breckinridge Sample. Masterson was a teacher 32 years, retiring from Oak Ridge School District in 1972. She was a member of Oak Ridge Methodist Church, and a former Sunday School teacher...

ADVANCE -- Fannie E. Turner, 89, of Advance died Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born March 7, 1910, in Pontotoc, Miss., daughter of George Washington and Jamina McGregor Boyd. She and Buford Glen Turner were married Dec. 27, 1927, in Pontotoc. He died July 23, 1976...

BURFORDVILLE -- Noah Hopkins, 87, of Burfordville died Monday, Nov. 29, 1999, at his home.Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson.

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Zelma Marie Sweitzer, 80, of Carbondale died Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999, at Memorial Hospital. She was born Nov. 10, 1919, at Mill Creek, daughter of Albert C. and Ruth Hastings Watkins. She and Raymond C. Sweitzer were married June 17, 1941, in Cobden...

SIKESTON -- Carrie Mae Harris, 66, died Monday, Nov. 29, 1999, at her home. She was born Aug. 18 1933, in Hughes, Ark., daughter of the Rev. J.L. Nabors Sr. and Gracie Moccasin Nabors. She and Alonzo Harris Sr. were married April 29, 1952. He survives...

CHARLESTON -- Mary Mabel Marshall, 96, of Charleston died Monday, Nov. 29, 1999, at Bertrand Nursing Facility. She was born May 23, 1903, in Sikeston, daughter of John and Sophia Meyer Witt. She and Raymond C. Marshall were married Jan. 7, 1921. He died Jan. 7, 1960...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Nina Lou Jones, 55, of East Prairie died Tuesday, Nov. 30, 1999, at her home. She was born March 11, 1944, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of John C. and Margie Nunn Jackson. She and Vernon Bill Jones were married Feb. 14, 1992. Jones lived in East Prairie all her life. She was a secretary at Farm Products Trucking Co. Inc...

JACKSON: Lydia Sievers, age 93, passed away Monday, November 29, 1999, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 23, 1906 in Tilsit, Missouri, the daughter of the former William and Anna Best Fluegge, Jr. On April 16, 1928, she married Walter B. Sievers. He passed away on March 30, 1958...

Ruby May Beatrice Seabaugh, 87, of St. Charles died Monday, Nov. 29, 1999, at her home. She was born Aug. 20, 1912, at Millersville, daughter of Charles F. and Sarah Elizabeth McCormick Niswonger. She and Loy Everett "Bill" Seabaugh were married Feb. 14, 1948. He died Aug. 21, 1994...

BLOOMFIELD -- Joe Arnold Mitzel, 63, of Powersite died Sunday, Nov. 28, 1999, at his home. He was born Aug. 24, 1936, in Bear Springs, Tenn., son of Oscar David and Viola Crain Mitzel. He and Edith Robinson were married Nov. 22, 1957. Mitzel lived in Granite City, Ill., most of his life, moving to the Branson area in 1998. He was a retired carpenter. Mitzel was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

The Senior Mobility Program of Greater Missouri announces the availability of Power Wheelchairs and three wheel electric scooters to senior citizens (65 years old and up) that require in-home mobility assistance at usually no out of pocket cost, for those who qualify...

The holiday season of 1951 was an exciting one for Mother and Daddy. They had a new baby girl, Angela Fay Thompson. Somehow, they made room for me in their 10-by-30-foot trailer at Mississippi State, where Daddy was a junior Ag major. He was an honor student, taking 20 class hours and working part-time for the school's dairy operation...

Major American holidays bring to mind a variety of family traditions. Stories range from how the table was set, the clothes different family members wore and of course the food that was served. I have memories of my grandmother's homemade noodles with her secret sauce and her angel food cake with cherry icing. ...