Stories from Wednesday, March 15, 2000

It's no secret that methamphetamine is a real problem in Southeast Missouri. Scott County's Sheriff's Department has taken a hard-nosed approach. It has dedicated two deputies to full-time narcotics investigations. This approach has made the sheriff's department more proactive. It allows criminals to be caught before drugs reach the street...

The River Heritage Museum is considering a move into the proposed River Campus museum. It might be a good mix of community and university resources on a project that is a partnership between Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University. The university is planning to transform the former St. Vincent's Seminary into a visual and performing arts school. The $36 million project would include the construction of a 20,000-square-foot museum...

Friend of Al? Recently the radical environmental group, Earth Liberation Front, took credit for breaking into a University of Minnesota lab and uprooting about 800 oat plants that were part of a genetic engineering experiment aimed at improving plant resistance to disease. ...

How about our Southeast Indian basketball team? This is one of the most exciting things to happen to our university and community in quite some time. It is definitely the most exciting basketball event within our family since the North Carolina Tarheels won the national championship. Scott loves basketball and we even planned our wedding around the Tarheel schedule so we could go to a game on our honeymoon. So any big basketball event is tops at our house...

Dan Quayle will probably not get a lot of invitations to be the Grand Marshall at St. Patrick's Day parades this week. Given the role the potato has played in Ireland's national history, someone who cannot spell it correctly is not likely to be accorded such an honor...

JEFFERSON CITY -- After nearly four hours of debate and a flurry of amendments, the Missouri Senate Tuesday gave first-round approval to legislation intended to protect Missourians from unwanted phone calls from telemarketers. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jerry T. Howard, D-Dexter, passed 29-4. A final vote is expected after lawmakers return from spring recess March 27...

In 1985, Mary B. Blue, longtime gardening editor at the Southeast Missourian and wife of former editor John L. Blue, wrote a letter to chapters of the PEO Sisterhood seeking financial assistance for Judith Ann Crow, who died Monday after many years as a staff writer and librarian at the Missourian. Here are excerpts of that letter:...

by Meredith Knight We take you to a place beyond sight and sound. A place known as Box office. Today we meet a group of people, trying to get through life just like any other group of people...and that is why we used them. As much of the entertainment industry has become caught up with the world and pleasing them all we can't help but give credit to those who please a few. ...

Roses for Mildred (in memory of my beloved grandmother) by Jason Kesterson Let us plant roses for Mildred, In hues of Amazing Grace, Scents of wisdom and remembrance A grand garden of blooming hymns Let us create from our tears Giant statues of brick and stone...

Sick of ferreting out subplots and hidden meanings? Tired of watching movies that leave you with more questons than they answer? Wanna have some fun at the movies? The Whole Nine Yards is just what you should see. Staring Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, The Whole Nine Yards is just a plain ole good time...

By Jaysen Buterin "I can resist anything but temptation" - Oscar Wilde Sometimes you have to marvel at the sheer surreality of the situation you're in. As if what you're experiencing seems more like you're watching it happen on television, instead of being ensconced in the midst of it. ...

by Reuben Romaine Now that football season is over, Yahoo RAMS! I really miss my Monday Night Hot Wings and Beer at Port Cape's River City Yacht Club. That Monday night special was the best deal, on the best wings in town. I'm gonna admit something, I don't much like watching football on TV, not even a nice big screen like the Yacht club has. ...

Each issue of OFF! highlights a someone who has achieved success in his/her field. This issue's pick is Don Greenwood of Cape Girardeau. Stats: 50 something. Kids: OMG! 5 kids! Marital status: very happily ensconced with his love of the last 14 years, Dr. Rosanna Whitlow, in their 100+ year old house in downtown Cape (they had it BEFORE it got trendy to buy the gracious old ones). Occupation: artist and engraver for Cape Art Die, also doubles as sales manager...

by Mark Bastable A riddle for you- what do the following have in common? Memphis, Phoenix, San Francisco, Milwaukee C'mon, c'mon. Any ideas? Let me make it easier for you. Also - Tulsa, Barrytown, Chattanooga and Savannah No? Okay, I'll tell you. It's not really a fair question. They are all featured in the titles of songs that I knew by heart even before I knew where the towns themselves were. (I shan't list the song titles - you can talk that out over lunch.)...

by Little Darling I got my computer about three years ago. I was married with one daughter, 6. I was miserable with my husband, he was a slug who never did anything but go to work and then get on the computer. My husband got me interested in chatting because he always did and then when I wasn't working my two jobs I would get online and check out the different chatrooms...

Thousands of years ago, a few drops of water seeped behind a massive block of unsuspecting sandstone. The subtle hands of nature then took over. Using the tools of time and erosion, nature slowly carved away the stone. At one point, the melt waters of glaciers facilitated the erosion; forming a stream that pierced through the center of the rock. Over time, the stream disappeared; leaving a phenomenon behind- a natural bridge...

by Phil Denson Bands come and go, but very few have what it takes to achieve "staying power". The time spent reaching the top usually adds up to a physical and emotional drain that most bands cannot handle, eventually causing a derailment along the way. For the fortunate few, the trip is well worth the troubleÉ giving the fans an endless rock & roll, roller coaster ride that can last decades. Step right up, sit down, buckle up and hold on tightÉnext stop Better Than Ezra!...

by Jaysen Buterin Not since I sat in the Pine Ridge tribal drum circle at a pow wow a few months ago, have I experienced such an air of mysticism as what was delivered by Ulali on February 26th at the Edison Theatre. Located on the beautifully scenic Washington University campus, the Edison Theatre, for that evening, became host to a cross cultural event that moved the audience intimately. ...

Southeast Missouri State University plans to hike graduate and undergraduate tuition and general fees for the 2000-2001 school year, generating about $990,000 in added revenue. The money would go to help fund salary increases for faculty and staff, improve computer services for students and cover other expenses...

Few government agencies ever declare bankruptcy, but when they do there is Chapter 9. Fewer than 30 such cases likely have appeared in federal bankruptcy courts nationally since the law was adopted in the 1920s, said Cape Girardeau attorney Paul Berens, who is representing creditors trying to collect money from Reynolds County Memorial Hospital in Ellington...

Former Cape Girardeau restaurateur Russ Reed, who now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, hopes Thursday's first-round NCAA game there between Southeast Missouri State University and Louisiana State University doesn't divide his family too badly. Reed, who owned Reed's Restaurant and Catering in the Townhouse Motor Inn for about eight years until moving to Salt Lake in 1995, has a daughter, Sally Reed Whitehead, who is a Southeast graduate and a son, Tom Reed, who graduated from LSU...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Whether it was due to the sheer boredom of travel or a contagious psyche of the entire squad, the mood of the Southeast Missouri State University basketball team on its trip to Salt Lake City on Tuesday was a calm one. The Indians arrived in Utah's capital at about 10 p.m. CST in anticipation of their matchup with fourth-seeded Louisiana State University on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament...

Two Carter-Moore Construction Co. workers were injured during a fall at a construction site in Nash Road Industrial Park Tuesday morning. The workers -- wearing safety harnesses -- were working about seven feet above a catwalk platform, when their scaffolding broke, plunging the workers downward...

PERRYVILLE -- Fourteen Japanese high school students will get a taste of American culture Perry County-style when they arrive for a week-long stay today. The students, accompanied by two academic advisers from Suijo High School in Mito City, Japan, will stay with host families from the Perryville School District through March 23. The purpose of the trip is to improve their English-speaking skills and gain a better understanding of American culture...

Agenda Wednesday, March 15, 2000 Superintendent's Office 6:30 p.m. Action items:...

Agenda Wednesday, March 15, 2000 6 p.m. For discussion:...

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Education agreed to research a parental concern and authorized several grant submissions during a meeting Tuesday. Jim Roach, a parent of two Jackson students, asked the school board to consider lengthening the amount of time junior high and high school students have to drop a class without receiving a failing grade...

Five people were injured in two separate traffic accidents Monday. The first accident happened at 5:30 p.m. on U.S. 61 outside Morley when a vehicle driven by Larry Lutes of Sikeston turned into the path of a vehicle driven by Dereck Arnold of Chaffee. Arnold's vehicle then went off the road and hit a parked vehicle...

BLOOMFIELD -- The pursuit and arrest of a father-and-son pair from Campbell Saturday lead local law enforcement personnel to a Bloomfield woman who was jailed on drug charges. Stoddard County Sheriff Steve Fish said that the chase of Bruce Dean Cole, 46, and his 18-year-old son, Bruce Lee Cole, began when sheriff's deputies and the Missouri State Highway Patrol were investigating a suspicious vehicle. ...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Mike Branson has come a long way to get to Salt Lake City. A junior in high school, Branson -- Southeast Missouri State's starting small forward -- didn't even start at Lafayette High School. "When I was a junior in high school I saw limited time," said Branson from a bus heading to his team's hotel. "I couldn't play a lick of defense and all I could do is shoot."...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Brian Bunche is enjoying every moment of this whole NCAA Tournament gig. Except for the long waits at the airport, perhaps. Bunche, at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, is as likeable as he is big. But just because he can flash that easy-going grin doesn't mean he's going to back down...

It is a tremendously exciting time for our basketball team and the entire community. The turnout at the Drury Lodge on Sunday night for the selection show party was simply unbelievable. We certainly have great fans, and our players really appreciate the attention and the loyalty of our fans...

Cape Central's girls swim team made its home debut Tuesday, making four state qualifying cuts in a 113-73 duel loss to Parkway North. Mary Beth Owen made two individual cuts for Central, winning the 200 freestyle in 1:56.65 and the 100 butterfly in 1:00.10...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral for Mary Alvin Sanders of Cairo will be held at 1 p.m. today at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The Rev. Brent Miller will officiate. Burial will be in Palestine Cemetery in Grahamville, Ky. Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until service time...

VANDUSER -- Funeral for Shea Mikel Watkins of Vanduser will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The Rev. Glenn Rogers will officiate, with burial in Forest Hills Cemetery at Morley. Shea, 10, died Monday, March 13, 2000, when hit by a tractor-trailer grain truck while riding his bicycle at Vanduser and Beech Streets...

Paul Lee Heye, 77, of Crestwood, Ky., a former professor at Southeast Missouri State University, died Monday, March 13, 2000, at his home. He was a native of Missouri. Heye was a biology professor at Southeast University from 1955 until retiring in 1984. He had also worked for the Missouri Department of Conservation...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Jettie B. Jones, 75, of East Prairie died Sunday, March 12, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born April 3, 1924, in Joiner, Ark., son of Freddie and Erma Lee Douglass Jones. He and Catherine Williams were married April 29, 1944, in Joiner...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Mildred L. Moore, 74, of East Prairie died Monday, March 13, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Jan. 15, 1926, in Dorena, daughter of James Clyde and Leora Idella Coates Adams. She and Virgil L. Moore were married Oct. 1, 1944. He died July 21, 1993...

Virginia L. Neace, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

DEXTER -- Ruth Golden Miller, 90, of Dexter died Monday, March 13, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born April 25, 1909, at Linn, daughter of William Thomas and Louise Catherene Seig Tharp. She and John Robert Miller were married Nov. 7, 1927. He died Aug. 29, 1986...

JACKSON -- John "Leroy" McNeely, 90, passed away Monday, March 13, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at New McKendree United Methodist Church. The Revs. O. David Griffin and Jimmie Corbin will officiate. Interment will be in Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Walter F. Johnson, 84, of Cairo died Monday, March 13, 2000, at Daystar Care Center. He was born Feb. 16, 1916, in Ballard County, Ky. Johnson retired as owner of Johnson Transport Co. in Cairo and also retired from Barkett funeral homes in Cairo, Mounds and Mound City. He was a former deputy coroner in Alexander County...

BELL CITY -- Funeral for Patsy Rendleman Whittenburg of Bell City will be held at 10 a.m. today at Bell City United Methodist Church. The Rev. Linda Zych will officiate. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Advance. Morgan Funeral Home in Advance is in charge of arrangements...

CHARLESTON -- George Luther Anderson, 78, of Charleston died Saturday, March 11, 2000, at the VA Medical Center in Marion, Ill. He was born Oct. 8, 1921, at Wolf Island, son of Luther and Meoley Cassel Anderson. Anderson served in the U.S. Army during World War II...

Lillian Marie Heise, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 17, 1910, at Egypt Mills, daughter of Charles and Lilly Gerlach Maevers. She and George Heise were married Dec. 21, 1939, at Egypt Mills...

MARBLE HILL -- Fred T. Cotner, 78, of Marble Hill died Monday, March 13, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 11, 1922, near Glen Allen, son of Albert and Iris Buckingham Cotner. He and Minnie C. Hedger were married July 10, 1955. She died Nov. 21, 1989...

Juanita A. Earley, 75, of East Cape Girardeau, Ill., and formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Iola Ludene Sheffer, 81, of Paducah, Ky., died Monday, March 13, 2000, at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Charles, Mo. She was born Feb. 20, 1919, at Dongola, daughter of James and Nellie Karraker Sivia. She and William Sheffer were married Dec. 5, 1936, in Dongola. He died April 15, 1997...

Daughter to Philip Anthony and Angela Marie Brandt of Jackson, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:48 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, 2000. Name, Maria Angela. Weight, 7 pounds 7 ounces. Third child, first daughter. Mrs. Brandt is the former Angela Rhoads, daughter of Debbie Rhoads of San Antonio, Texas, and Tom Rhoads of St. Charles. Brandt is the son of Angelina O'Connor of St. Ann and Ken Brandt of St. Peters. He is employed at Ralston Purina...

the program "Eating Disorders: A Dangerous Obsession" will be presented at 6:30 p.m. today in the Harrison Room at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Denise Essner and Debra Unterreinder, counselors with Ken Callis and Associates, will discuss the symptoms and consequences of anorexia and bulimia. A teen-ager with anorexia will share her story and be available for questions...

When I was a little girl, there was no place like Pappy Mays' for St. Patrick's Day. Pappy Mays turned the old tin washtub upside down, for its flat bottom gave me the perfect stage to perform the Irish jig. Pappy would whistle, and I kept time. As we ate, the air was full of shamrock shenanigans. ...