Stories from Sunday, February 27, 2000

Procter & Gamble Paper Products has added Bounty paper towels to the list of products being manufactured north of Cape Girardeau. "One line is up and working in the new facility," said a spokesman of the local P&G plant. "We're making Bounty towels."...

Some people are inclined to take ghost stories lightly. Don't! There are ghosts, and, they can crop up anywhere in various guises. Apparitions in ghost tales have appeared as a man, sometimes a woman. They may take the form of an animal usually as a dog or cat, with or without a head. More often they may assume the form of an inanimate object like a laundry bag, a light, a curtain or drape...

Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus project keeps rolling along. The university plans to turn a former Catholic seminary along the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau into a school for the visual and performing arts. The nearly $38 million project would provide some 150,000 square feet of building space...

VIP has come a long way in its 30-year history. Its beginnings can be traced back to the early '60s when concerned parents of mentally handicapped young people, including Hilary Schmittzehe, who is now VIP's chief operating officer, began looking for meaningful activities for their children beyond high school...

Some of the employees assembling over-door handles for car interiors worked quickly. Some were painfully slow. Some focused intently on the work. Others had occasional concentration lapses. But how fast these employees work isn't as important as that they are working and getting a paycheck for their efforts at VIP Industries, a sheltered workshop for mentally and physically handicapped individuals...

Last summer, GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Talent offered a plan for issuing bonds to finance Missouri's highway building program and begin rebuilding the credibility of the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission, so tattered since its abandonment of the 15-year plan they committed to back in 1992...

Adam Wachter made his first trip to state as a 125-pounder (above) his junior year. He finished 25-10. Jackson USA Signal/Mark Evans The way Adam Wachter saw it, the third period always belonged to him. Few opposing wrestlers could stand up to the Jackson High School senior in the latter stages of a wrestling match -- including the grapplers in the Class 4A state meet...

Busting a meth manufacturing operation and stopping the perpetrators from distributing the illegal and [potentially deadly) substance is only part of law enforcement's job. Unfortunately, according to Doug Ferguson, there are some agencies who leave it at that...

This photograph of the Jackson public square about 1908. It shows from left, the Jones Drug Store before it was turned and moved to its present location. The New McKendree Methodist Church is shown at its first location on the corner of North High and West Washington Streets. The old jail stands at the corner of the new courthouse. Part of the old courthouse is visible on the right. The small square building is a spring house...

Kirstin L. Glaser of Sikeston, grand daughter of Marilyn and Ed Rellergert of Jackson, has been awarded a Missouri Leadership Award to Southeast Missouri State University. The Missouri Leadership Award is a one-year award of $500 designed for Missouri students who have demonstrated leadership, scholarship and involvement. Recipients of this scholarship must have achieved a 3.0 grade point average...

1. CHAFFEE Columbia Sportswear Co. is planning to close its Chaffee plant next spring. Representatives from the company's headquarters in Portland, Ore., say the closure is a move to reduce costs and enhance operating efficiency. It will enable the company to focus on other areas, including product design and marketing. The factory in Chaffee is the only manufacturing operation Columbia owns and represents a small percent of total production...

Roughly the same number of businesses open and close each year in Cape Girardeau. During 1999, more than 180 new business licenses were issued. In that same period 149 businesses closed. Business licenses are required for every new business that opens in the city, or when businesses change ownership. Each business license requires an inspection of the building prior to approval. A fee, which varies according to type of business, is also collected...

12. PERRYVILLE A tiger refuge in Perry County would be a new venture for DePaul University, which has worked only with zoos and wildlife parks. DePaul has unveiled plans to buy more than 400 acres of hilly, wooded land in the southwest portion of Perry County to build a National Tiger Sanctuary. The decision to build the conservation-minded sanctuary depends on a favorable reaction from a majority of the people in the county...

3. SIKESTON A brass manufacturing business is severely damaged by an overnight fire. Firefighters are unable to get the blaze under control until 1:30 a.m., at which point the rear of the building partially collapses, while the rest of the structure suffers major smoke and water damage. ...

2. An environmental contractor installs a 76-foot-stack at the Missouri Electric Works Superfund site in Cape Girardeau. The stack is part of a $3 million effort to clean up the PCB-contaminated soil. Some 20,000 to 30,000 tons of soil at the site of the former motor and transformer repair business at 824 S. ...

1. Linda D. Puchbauer, a business banker and relationship manager with NationsBank, Jackson, is the recipient of the 1999 Missouri Bankers Association Bank Leadership Award. The award recognizes outstanding career and community involvement achievements of Missouri bank officers from the junior or middle levels of bank management. Puchbauer began her banking career in August of 1978 and was promoted to business banker in July 1997...

Though the number of rounds being played is static nationally, the sport of golf is growing in the Southeast Missouri region. Ground is expected to be broken this summer on a new Nicklaus-designed 27-hole complex in Cape Girardeau, while a new lighted nine-hole course intended for families is being contemplated in Jackson...

HDTV, DVDs, Web browsers, flat screens, 100-inch screens. Whatever happened to plain old TV-watching? The technological changes occurring in television are being driven by the desire to have the same experience at home you have at the movie theater, says Scott Siebert, project manager for the custom home division at Stereo One in Cape Girardeau. People want bigger TVs, which requires new technology to upgrade picture quality. That technology is here and still improving...

The largest manufacturer of food products in Southeast Missouri is growing, but slowly. Gilster-Mary Lee, maker of cereals, cake mixes, popcorn and other food products, has found itself held back by a good economy and the lowest unemployment percentage in Southeast Missouri in Perry County...

"You have reached 555-2355. If you know the extension of your party, you may dial it now. For account information, press one; to verify information on a statement, press two; to change account information, press three; to speak with a customer representative, press four."...

The area is served by major rail lines, including the Burlington Northern and Union Pacific railroads. Cape girardeau's location on the river benefits the city and its businesses with greater transportation access. Cape Girardeau offers a wide variety of transportation choices to and from the city -- river, rail, highway and air...

Brian and Amy Law As one reads this issue of the USA Signal, the Jackson High School's participating alumni will be busy putting last minute touches on today's "Leap Year Alumni Showcase" concert. The concert begins today at 3 p.m. in the "C" Building auditorium...

The Arnsberg Cemetery Association met Feb. 17, at the home of Paul and Loretta Lowes. Others in attendance were: Elroy Kinder, Norman and Val Tuschoff, Mary Daume, Leonard Adams, Harold Lowes and Dennis Hennecke. Harlan Tuschoff, a committee member was unable to attend...

I was wandering all around, Roaming helplessly. Peace was no where to be found, In the places that you could find me. I tried to be a good person, But I always failed. Then I realized the true reason, For the story I must tell. I thought I was nothing,...

25 years ago, 1975 Host of topics of countywide interest -- including controversial county jail issue -- were discussed Tuesday night at meeting in Jackson of Cape Girardeau and Jackson Chamber of Commerce officials; leaders of both cities said meeting, called by Clarence Lee Shirrell, who is member of both chambers, was attempt to "establish a ways and means of closer cooperation" between the two chambers and towns; other topics discussed were rural fire protection and water districts, widening of Highway 61 into Jackson, county sports complex, and solid waste disposal.. ...

The old trunk moans 'neath the weight of time, Her life held within its ancient walls. Musty air permeates the room. Years, embroidered on lace edged cloth, entwined in a mountain of thread. Tarnished hoops hold an unfinished pattern. A needle, embedded in its mist, stands poised for the next stitch...

She's not perfect, she's not a beauty queen, And sometimes when she gets mad, she might make a scene Her heart is kind, her intentions are good, She never quite gets around to the things she should She's honest, she's fun, she's full of joy, If you get her going, it's you she'll annoy!...

Oh Lord, I pray, Make this a really good day. I'm leaving this day in your hands, Whatever happens is part of your divine plan. Give me kindness, give me love, just as the dove you sent from above. Help me to love my sisters and brothers, And to practice loving one another...

Venture the bold opinion that Missouri is home to maybe the two worst urban school systems in America and, these days, you get fewer and fewer disagreements. Both the St. Louis and Kansas City school districts have been put on notice that they are about to have their state accreditation yanked. ...

When the nightmares came, late at night She's the one who held you tight. If your face would stop a 10-day clock She said you're the prettiest on the block. She cries when life has made you sad. But when you are mean, she calls for Dad. She read you stories, from the Bible...

Both Missouri and the nation as a whole are momentarily engaged in the process of selecting candidates for important, critical public-service offices, and while the winners and losers across the country and in our own state are fairly recognizable, many continue to labor under the impression that when they elections are at least over, the course of our state and national governments will be charted and a multitude of changes which we either favor or oppose will begin occurring...

The DARE Program is an important part of our community education program. DARE which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a program founded in the mid 1980's by the Los Angeles Police Department. The idea of bringing DARE to Jackson began to develop in 1990...

Mike Peters grew up in Jackson, then proved himself in tough St. Louis and California construction markets, before returning home. Sentiment was not the overriding factor in Peters' return. "We targeted Cape County because of some of the growth in the area and because there's a big hole in the market," said Peters, son of long-time Jackson Junior High teacher Ken Peters. "Contractors were building houses, rather than house-builders."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU- - Regional Social Scene recently opened in Cape Girardeau and has experienced initial success. Beth Schmucker, president and founder of the organization, said that "response has been gratifying and there is an obvious desire for this type of club in the region."...

Hello, my name is Erin Sides and I am the president of FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America). Being one of the first student organizations, we have been in existence for over 50 years. Since our central focus is the family, we try to promote activities and service projects that benefit everyone in our community. Students gain leadership, public speaking skills, and career preparation through various workshops, conferences and meetings...

The tenth annual Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive will be held this year on the weekend of April 29-30. Brochures and maps of participating communities and scheduled events should be available from local tourism offices by March 1. You may also contact the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau at 573-335-1631, or toll free at 800-777-0068...

CHAFFEE -- Hershell Robert McKenzie, 81, of Chaffee died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 8, 1918, at Glen Allen, son of William Arthur and Ida Mae Mansfield McKenzie. He and Ruby Kindred were married March 27, 1937...

Riverside Regional Library will hold a series of two workshops on basic photography at the main facility at 204 S. Union in Jackson. The workshops will be Feb. 29 and March 14, both at 7 p.m. The first workshop will be for those with "point and shoot" cameras. The lens cannot be changed and aperture and shutter speed cannot be set...

Missouri Republicans gathered last weekend in Kansas City for their annual Lincoln Day meeting and festivities in a hopeful mood. Following a 1992 scandal that defeated most of the state ticket that year, a state GOP that dominated most statewide offices throughout the 1980s has fallen back to the point where they control none of the six now. ...

Look at me, look at me, What do you see? A recycled teenager, In her fifties. Walking around with flowers in her hair, Putting off a certain flair. One who likes to live in the past, Wishing those days would have last and last. Whose heroes were John Wayne and Roy Rogers,...

More people than ever are working in Illinois. The state broke the 6 million employment mark as unemployment dropped to its lowest level in the state over the past quarter-century, at 4.3 percent. Two Southern Illinois counties -- Alexander and Pulaski -- dropped to five-year lows in unemployment, at 6.7 and 7.3 percent respectively. Ditto, Randolph County, which has slowly been rebuilding its employment numbers over the past three years...

PERRYVILLE -- Eiko the K-9 has a bone to pick with people who have illegal drugs in Perry County. Eiko, a 2-year-old German shepherd, went to work last week sniffing for drugs at a business, which is something Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf wants to make a regular practice...

Presidential candidates hopscotch from coast-to-coast in a dizzying array of party primaries. It may make for good television, but it's no way to run presidential primaries, says Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook. Cook favors a plan for four regional primaries that is being promoted by the National Association of Secretaries of State...

Cape Girardeau ranks 12th among Missouri cities in manufacturing facilities. The 80-plus plants in the city provide employment to 3,500 workers. Add the county, and the manufacturing employment numbers double, as more than 130 Cape Girardeau County plants provide employment to more than 7,000 people, with more than a third of them at two plants -- Procter & Gamble Paper Products north of Cape Girardeau and Lee-Rowan Co. at Jackson...

Today's newspaper may seem heftier than normal. That's because it contains the annual Progress edition. This year's edition, "Business and Industry" numbers 66 pages. It traces the business accomplishments of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois during 1999 and includes nearly 60 stories and 90 photographs...

Am I my brother's or sister's keeper? For thousands who have pledged historically black Greek-letter organizations, the answer is a resounding yes. Black Greeks never become former members, and members who have never met have an instant connection and network that begins with the correct answer to a greeting, handshake or hand sign...

COMMERCE -- The Mississippi River nearly dissolved the village of Commerce in the mid-1990s. After flood after flood inundated the town, many residents agreed to a government buyout of their properties in the flood plain. Now Dixie Jane Johnson thinks the same river can improve Commerce's fortunes...

In the 1960s classic movie "The Graduate," recent college graduate Dustin Hoffman was told that the secret to a successful future was in plastics. That prediction was right on target. Since the 1960s, plastics manufacturers have marketed their products to everyone from appliance makers to food packagers to auto manufacturers. ...

Jackson's business arena grew by 34 new businesses during 1999. Business licenses: General Clay Co., dba General Sign Co., P.O. Box 999. Dents Make Sense, 227 Old Cape Road. Sander Financial Services, 318 E. Main St., #2. Urhahn Satellites, 604 W. Main St...

It's that time of year again. The time of year when our living room suddenly disappears in a pile of cookie boxes. Our home has once again become a cookie warehouse thanks to our oldest daughter, Becca. She's a Girl Scout. Being a Scout is important. It allows you to annually be a cookie salesman, asking your friends and neighbors to buy those Thin Mints and other assorted treats...

Absentee voting is under way for Missouri's March 7 presidential primary. Absentee ballots can be cast in person at the offices or county clerks and election boards, or requested by mail from local election authorities. "I want to encourage Missouri voters to go to the polls," said Secretary of State Bekki Cook. "But if for some reason they can't, there is always the option of voting absentee."...

Each year, millions of pets are euthanized because there aren't enough homes for them. But if that's not enough to convince you to spay or neuter your pet, consider that it's better for the animal's health. For people who love their pets, spaying and neutering is one of the best things owners can do for their animals, said Kim Peters, director of education and outreach at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, which will have its annual Spay Day on Tuesday...

ESSEX -- Richland R-1 School District recently was classified under the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) as "Accredited with Distinction for Improvement in Performance" by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "We went through the MSIP program five years ago; the state department has changed the performance standards and there are a little more requirements now," said Superintendent Carrell Odom...

Few changes are planned for the Southeast Missouri Major Case Squad, said David James, who was chosen as its new commander this week. "There's no need to change something that works," said James, who is in charge of detectives for the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department...

Mid-America includes restaurant, construction, administration and hotel workers, including the Holiday Inn and Victorian Inn in Cape Girardeau. The Southeast Missourian's "Top 60" industries, based on number of employees, started as a "Top 25" a decade ago, but due to growth, expansions and new industry, the list went to "Top" 40 in 1995 and to the "Top 60" in 1996...

DEXTER -- It's back to the drawing board in the city's effort to entice residents to increase their participation in the voluntary recycling program after a regional agency denied Dexter's application for a grant to fund a curbside collection trailer...

The Missouri Department of Transportation hopes for smooth sailing this year on construction of the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau now that a bedrock problem in the middle of the river has been addressed. A Pennsylvania contractor in January completed jet grouting work to repair mud seams in the bedrock of a pier site in the river at a cost of about $8 million. ...

SIKESTON -- Scott County officials worry that waiting to build a new jail may prove to be costly, especially if the wait results in an expensive federal mandate. Scott County residents, county officials and city officials representing Sikeston and Miner met at the Sikeston City Hall Friday to discuss the issue...

Cape Girardeau County Assessor Jerry Reynolds plans to seek re-election. Reynolds, a Cape Girardeau Democrat, has served as assessor for 24 years. "The fairness of the property tax depends on how well it is administered," he said Friday in announcing his re-election plans...

If you've ever played a game or won a prize at a school fair, received a ribbon, planned a party needing decorations or played a practical joke, then you know about the Younghouse Distributing Co. in Cape Girardeau. The company sells everything from pencil erasers in all shapes and sizes to party supplies and decorations. ...

DEXTER -- A Dexter man is recovering after apparently being struck by a train near Tyson Foods at about midnight Wednesday, according to a Dexter Police Department report. John Q. Adams, 37, was airlifted to Southeast Missouri Hospitalin Cape Girardeau for treatment of minor injuries and observation...

ST. LOUIS -- An owner of Cape Girardeau's Zimmer Radio Group was sentenced to five years probation and fined $10,000 filing a false tax return, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Donald W. Zimmer, who owns the Zimmer Radio Group along with three brothers, was sentenced by Judge E. Richard Webber on Friday after having earlier pled guilty to understating his income by $49,376 in 1992...

During 1999, 149 businesses closed their doors, changed owners or type of license. More than 180 businesses applied for new city licenses during that same time period. Because business licenses are required for new businesses, operations that changed ownership but not company names could easily show up on both the new business and closed business lists. Also, businesses that changed contact names on the applications would be listed as having closed...

JACKSON -- Melody Rhodes put on boxing gloves to battle diabetes Saturday. Children and adults joined Rhodes, throwing jabs into the air and into the chest of instructor Danny Reesuvenile diabetes last April. About 50 others joined Rhodes for "Knock Out Diabetes," an aerobic fund raising event that she organized at the Main Street Fitness Center...

The Dow Jones industrial average isn't what it used to be. Exponential growth of the benchmark stock average, dramatic day-to-day volitility and the weening out of traditional industry from the "industrial average" have made it a vastly different indicator since its inception in 1896...

CHARLESTON -- Work began on the Southeast Missouri Correctional Center this month. Gov. Mel Carnahan and some 200 local and state officials and area residents were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 11 at the prison site. Carnahan called the prison the state's "newest partnership" in its fight against crime. ...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- It took overtime, but Eastern Kentucky's home-court domination of Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team continued Saturday afternoon. The Lady Colonels handed the Otahkians a 91-86 defeat in the regular-season finale for both squads, keeping EKU's home record against Southeast perfect. The Otahkians have never won at McBrayer Arena...

Businesses increasingly are finding it pays to set up shop on the Internet. Consumers see it as a convenient and economical way to buy products. The World Wide Web has transformed the geography of business, putting firms large and small on the same computerized playing field...

Tucked within a bend of the Mississippi River along the Cape Girardeau-Scott county line is one of the region's best-kept secrets: The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority. The port authority is a county-level government agency created in 1975 to allow better use of the Mississippi River...

The college basketball season is far from over. In a sense, in fact, it's just beginning as conference postseason tournaments are about to tip off across the country. Southeast Missouri State University's Indians are gearing up for the OVC Tournament that begins Tuesday. The Indians have their sights set on winning the tourney and gaining the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team took care of its business here Saturday afternoon. Then the Indians boarded a bus for the long trip back to Cape Girardeau wondering if their 65-48 win over Eastern Kentucky in the regular-season finale was enough to give them the outright Ohio Valley Conference championship...

Job-seekers have easier and quicker access to employment information thanks to a change in government employment services. Last summer, Missouri Job Service offices were reorganized to improve their use and reduce program duplications. The result was the development of four regional telephone centers for use by people filing unemployment claims, and the development of one-stop career centers for people seeking jobs...

When M&W Packaging changes its name later this year, it'll be a good thing, said Paul Wiedlin, company president. So many other companies with national profiles have gone through mergers, acquisitions and other forms of coming together last year for financial reasons, but M&W, soon to be known as Nordenia USA, just wants to send a clearer message...

BENTON -- Julie Draper and Julie Adams couldn't stand to see any more pets abandoned along gravel roads in rural Scott County, so they started a placement service to find the animals new homes. Within the last year, the pair placed 114 dogs into homes...

BLOOMFIELD -- The top-seeded Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs clobbered eighth-seeded Puxico 75-8 in the opening round of the Class 2A, District 2 Tournament Saturday. Notre Dame will now face fourth-seeded Greenville Tuesday at 6:30 in the semifinals. Notre Dame (19-5) completely dominated the game and never trailed, holding Puxico to just four points in each half...

Charlie Johnson isn't taking retirement sitting down. The 70-year-old Cape Girardeau man bags groceries at Schnucks. "I really enjoy it. I meet wonderful people, " said Johnson, who moved here last August from Cleveland, Ohio, after careers as a hospital chaplain and director of a neighborhood center...

Despite collecting revenue from an increased hotel-motel tax in the city, Cape Girardeau has yet to spend the money. A legal challenge by businessmen Jim, Robert and Charles Drury keeps the nearly $40,000 a month out of city coffers. Generally, the city collects $1 million a year from the tax...

The Shawnee Park Sports Complex will hold a rules meeting for its 2000 softball leagues March 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Osage Community Centre. Rosters and fees deadline is March 24. For more information, contact Kaed or Jennifer at 334-2523, or leave a message at 335-5421...

Happy New Year! No, this is not a reprint of a two-month-old column. If you are one of the many people who participate in outdoor activities in Missouri, then Wednesday, March 1, marks the beginning of the new outdoor year. Each year the Conservation Department's Regulations Committee reviews all of the rules in the Wildlife Code of Missouri to determine whether the existing regulations continue to sustain the state's fish, forest and wildlife resources with the least amount of regimentation and inconvenience to the public. ...

The Jackson Rotary Club will hold its annual 3 on 3 Hoopfest Basketball Tournament April 15 at Jackson High School. The event is for males and females, with divisions ranging from ages 10-11 to 30 and over. The tournament will be double elimination. Prizes will be trophies for younger divisions and cash for divisions 18 years of age and older...

The Kiwanis/Cape Central Youth Wrestling League will hold registration March 1-2 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Cape Central gymnasium lobby. Youths in Grades 1-8 are eligible. Cost of the camp is $20, which includes a T-shirt. The league will last approximately six weeks, with practices beginning March 7. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m...

The 16th annual Steamboat Classic Triathlon will be held April 30, at 10 a.m.. The event, hosted by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, will consist of a 500-yard swim, a 15.5-mile bike race and a 5-mile run. Pre-registration, postmarked by April 25, is $26 for individuals and $31 for teams. Race-day registration will be $31 for individuals and $36 for teams...

Business is booming, even in the classroom, and teachers are excited. With increased technological advances in recent years, teachers are working to keep up with current and predicted trends to assure their students will be ready for what lies ahead...

DEXTER -- Imogene Shipman, 70, of Fairdealing died Friday, Feb. 25, 2000, at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark. She was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Williamson County, Ill., daughter of William Henry and Sylvia Irene Triplet Harper. She and Charles Herbert Shipman were married Dec. 25, 1947. He died Feb. 18, 1984...

A local committee is steering toward development of a coordinated, public transportation system to serve Cape Girardeau County. The Cape Girardeau County Commission appointed the five-member committee last fall to explore suggestions made by a previous ad hoc transportation committee. That committee recommended last March that the Cape Girardeau County Commission establish a transit authority to coordinate transportation services for the public...

BENTON -- Herman L. Schwartz Sr., 78, of Benton died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Amick-Burnett Funeral Home.

ADVANCE -- Aubert W. Atkins, 94, of Advance died Friday, Feb. 25, 2000, at Advance Nursing Center. He was born Oct. 1, 1905 in Gibson County, Tenn., son of John and Mattie Veasy Atkins. He was a retired barber and a member of the United Methodist Church of Advance...

ANNA, Ill. -- Bernice Cox, 83, of Cambridge, Ohio, formerly of Union County, died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2000, at Southeast Ohio Regional Medical Center at Cambridge. She was born March 14, 1916, at Dongola, daughter of Homer and Susie Eddleman Davidson...

On Friday February 25th, 2000, Owensville, Mo..Beloved mother of Joan H. Hegedus (John), J. Sharon Adkison (Dale), George "Skip" Hopkins (Louise), dear sister of the late John B. Howard (Barbara) of Maryland, beloved grandmother of Jill Lenauer (Paul), Ken Adkison (Jackie), Jennifer and Nancy Adkison and great-grandchildren Iialey, Lyla and Jackson Lenauer and Lane Adkison and dear friend...

Eva Victoria Sailer, 93, of Kelso died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Aug. 27, 1906, at Kelso, daughter of John and Anna Hess Sailer. Sailer was an officer manager at Ely Walker Co. in Scott City for 40 years before she retired...

SIKESTON -- Effie E. Bohannon, 96, formerly of Morehouse, died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born May 2, 1903 in Atlas, Ark., daughter of Robert Clayborn and Belle Zora Watts Savage. She and Euggie I. Bohannon were married Aug. 26, 1919. He died Dec. 31, 1991...

Giant storage tanks have been set in place, new structures are in various stages of completion, training of new workers is under way BioKyowa Inc. is on schedule with a couple of building projects, announced almost two years ago: "We're on schedule with both projects," said William Hinckley, plant manager. "We're looking at a May or June opening of the L-lysine expansion, and a later opening for the new Kyowa Foods Inc. operation."...

After flooding in 1998 and drought last year, farmers in Southeast Missouri have reason to fear 2000. "Most farmers went into 1999 with some optimism," said Mike Blankenship of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Pemiscot County. "But after all we've been through, nobody's really looking forward to 2000."...

Voters could be the real winners in Missouri's presidential primary on March 7, says Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook. Cook, the state's chief elections official, predicts that more than a million Missourians will vote in the Republican and Democratic primaries. That amounts to about 30 percent of the state's 3.5 million registered voters...

Having an adequate number of doctors in a city means better care for patients with fewer long waits for appointments and surgeries that can be scheduled when it's convenient for the patients rather than when the doctor can squeeze it in. For those in the Cape Girardeau area who have been told they'll have to wait two weeks for a doctor's appointment or who can't get elective surgery scheduled when they want it, it will come as no surprise that Cape Girardeau is below the national average when it comes to having enough doctors for its population base.. ...

Since merger talks between the two Cape Girardeau hospitals came to an end because of opposition from the Missouri attorney general last year, there has been some cooperation but also plenty of competition between the two hospitals. Both Southeast Missouri Hospital and St. ...

Security plans, convenience plans, free nights and weekend plans, mobile plans and business plans. Trying to decide which wireless communications plans best fit your needs can seem overwhelming because there are so many plans, rates and features available for cellular users...

Jennifer Pauline Martin and Daniel Garrick Bickel exchanged vows Jan. 15, 2000, at Cape Bible Chapel. Hal and Dan Greene performed the double ring ceremony. Camie Phillips of Ft. Thomas, Ky., read scriptures. Pianist was Shane Steck of Cape Girardeau. Soloists were Wendy Taliaferro of Cape Girardeau, Brad Berry of Jackson, and Jesse and Karen Padgett of Vancouver, Canada...

For many, the time driving has turned into talk time as people use cellular phones to conduct business, work out schedules and check on children. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry of America, a trade group for the wireless industry, says statistics show cell phones don't contribute to a large number of accidents, but admit they can be a distraction...

It's rare to go anywhere these days without seeing people talking on their cell phones. You see people talking on wireless phones in their cars, at the mall and in grocery stores. They use them to discuss dinner plans when they are at the gym, close business deals in restaurants and check voice mail while sitting in lobbies waiting on appointments...