Stories from Tuesday, March 28, 2000

ORAN -- Students from Oran Elementary and Guardian Angel Schools will participate in the Show Me Body Walk on Friday at school. Children entering the Body Walk exhibit through the mouth, wearing tags identifying themselves as a food item, such as a hamburger, slice of cheese or carrot. ...

Is anyone listening to you? Many people are frustrated by the fact they have a complaint or compliment, but there's no one really listening. Well, the Internet may be able to lend a helping hand. Granted, most Web pages aren't sophisticated enough to make the communication audible. But a number of sites are geared toward listening to consumer input...

The self-contained classrooms considered by many to be the definition of special education are only a small part of the services Missouri school districts provide. Special education programs are being redefined around the country as educators work to include special services in mainstream experiences. When entering a "regular" classroom today, a visitor may not be able to identify the average student from a student who receives special educational services...

The story so far: The morning after the terrible explosion, Delia goes outside into the light snow. She is surprised to see a pony in the yard, looking at her. When he walks down Howard Street, Delia follows him, and he leads her past the lighthouse to a pretty little cove on the sound. She realizes with a shock that she is at the place called Teach's Hole, which may be haunted by Blackbeard's ghost. Suddenly she hears a rustling in the trees behind her...

Sixth-grade teacher Kay Riek's students have come a long way since her childhood. Riek, in her third year as an educator, developed her love of teaching as a child. That's when her dolls and stuffed animals served as students. Today, however, Riek leads a classroom of active sixth graders who are at an age where creativity and free expression are to be savored...

PERRYVILLE -- Protesting low wages paid to handicapped workers, a number of supervisors and a manager at a sheltered workshop in Perryville didn't show up for work Monday, said Hillary Schmittzehe, president of VIP Industries. A representative of the group who left a phone message with Schmittzehe's secretary on Friday cited pay that averages $2 an hour for assembly work, Schmittzehe said...

ORAN -- Tom Urhahn is the man to talk to if you want to know what's going on in and around Oran. Urhahn, Oran mayor and president of the Oran Board of Education, is seeking re-election as mayor and school board member April 4. He also is the Oran postmaster...

County planning and zoning would benefit both Cape Girardeau and Jackson, say leaders of both cities. The Cape Girardeau City Council and Jackson Board of Aldermen met jointly Monday night at the Osage Community Centre to discuss stormwater management, a possible site for emergency water connection and county planning and zoning. It was their third such meeting together...

JACKSON -- Two Cape Girardeau County officials recently traveled to Germany as part of an industrial recruitment effort to land 100 to 110 manufacturing jobs for the county. Making the trip were county Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and county Assessor Jerry Reynolds, and Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association, and state industrial recruiter Phil Tate. ...

This time, I'm in it for the long haul. Really! Too bad there's no sort of Weight Watchers GED for people like me. Apparently, the only way to lose weight is to stick to the diet for more than a couple hours. I always lasted until a pizza delivery man crossed my path, at which point I knocked him to the ground, took the pie and ran off which also marked the first exercise I'd done in some time...

BENTON -- Few candidates face opposition in municipal elections across Scott County April 4. In Scott City, voters will select a mayor and four council members. Three men are seeking the four-year post of mayor: Tim Porch, Rodney Holloway and Pete Sturm. Mayor Jerry Cummins didn't seek re-election...

Ameren Corp. is about to make bill payment a complete, non-paper, electronic round-trip for some of its customers. AmerenUE customers in Missouri and AmerenCIPS customers in Illinois may soon be able to view and pay their bills online. The Ameren Web site will use E-Bill technology from CheckFree Corp...

Commissioner of Education Robert Bartman will recognize student achievement in two area school districts during visits Friday. Bartman will visit Gordonville Elementary School and Fredericktown Intermediate School as part of an annual tour conducted in the spring in the state's 10 educational regions...

A Hayti woman pleaded guilty to possession of more than 18 grams of cocaine base in federal court on Monday. Reba L. McIntyre, 33, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, said assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn. During a search of McIntyre's house by law enforcement officers, a safe was discovered underneath her bed. ...

Plans for a nature center in Cape Girardeau County North Park continue to take root as part of a $6.5 million project to develop a conservation campus. A construction contract could be awarded by next spring. Construction is expected to take 18 months, with completion in 2002, said Keith Lesko, project manager for the Missouri Department of Conservation...

John W. Grimm's first act of community involvement was at age 10, when he organized his friends to campaign for his father, Stanley, then running for circuit judge. A circuit judge himself for six years, Grimm on Monday received the 2000 Distinguished Service Award from the Cape Girardeau Jaycees...

BENTON -- No other candidates have filed for countywide offices in Scott County. The filing period ends at 5 p.m. today. Voters will decide some contested races with the August primary election because only one party had candidates file. Every candidate filed on the Democratic ticket...

I LIVE in the Jackson school district. I think that even though we might not be in favor of the taxation coming up on the bond issue, the schools are very crowded. The junior high needs to be fixed. What makes the public mad is that they attach different things to it. ...

Cape Girardeau County is likely to have a transit authority in a few weeks. A committee appointed by the county commission last fall has recommended such a move. This follows several years of studies and planning reports by various agencies, all of which have listed all the transportation services available in the county while lamenting the lack of coordination to better serve those who need rides...

To the editor: Without question, this year's Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball team has had a remarkable season. The team's accomplishments are an inspiration for all Southeast Missouri students to raise the bar for their own goals and expectations of success...

To the editor: We plead with the good residents of the Jackson School District to take a second look at the weighty school bond and levy issues. This is not coming from a bureaucrat nor the administration. We are not running for the school board. We are simply citizens who work with the district and who have children who attend school there. We are looking at these issues from both sides...

To the editor: Like others who share Missouri's roads, we are 100 percent against drunk driving. For nearly 20 years, my fellow Missouri Anheuser-Busch distributors and I have pushed for better enforcement of existing laws as well as creating new laws to fight drunk driving...

Most of us weren't around 75 years ago when the nation's deadliest tornado cut a swath across Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and into Indiana, killing 695 people along the way. As the severe weather season starts up, it might be good to reflect on that 1925 tornado...

To the editor: I have been a teacher and coach with the Fredericktown School District for many years. I have always been proud to be associated with this district because of the quality students and staff. Recently, I was made aware of a rating our school district received from the SEMO Football Officials Association. We were No. 1, followed by Cape Central and Farmington in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. The schools were rated in 12 categories such as facilities, security and personnel...

For Josh McIntosh, hitting two home runs Monday afternoon was sweet -- as was the fact those long balls helped Cape Girardeau Central High's baseball team claim a big 7-6 victory over visiting CBC. The Cadets are traditionally one of the top squads in the St. Louis area and they have had their way with the Tigers over the past couple of seasons, including a lopsided win last year...

Jon Younghouse closed out his collegiate swimming career in style over the weekend. Competing during the NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, the University of Texas senior swam the first leg on the national championship 800-meter freestyle relay squad as he helped lead the Longhorns to the team title...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team opens its OVC schedule today when it visits Austin Peay for a doubleheader. The Otahkians will be seeking their sixth straight OVC title and have been picked to do so in a preseason coach's poll. They carry an 8-12 record into today's games...

The season for Southeast Missouri State University's baseball team has primarily been filled with good news so far, but Monday the Indians received some bad news. Senior Phil Warren, who leads the Indians in doubles and is fifth in batting, will undergo surgery today for a broken left hand he suffered over the weekend at Austin Peay. Warren, who apparently broke the hand during batting practice, will probably miss about six weeks...

BENTON -- Notre Dame High's baseball team continued its impressive start and added to Kelly's woes as the Bulldogs rolled to a 13-1 victory over the host Hawks Monday afternoon. The game was stopped after six innings by the 10-run mercy rule. Notre Dame improved to 3-0 while Kelly fell to 0-3...

The Kohlfeld Scorpions Rugby Club got 10 tries from nine different players during a 64-8 romp past the St. Louis Hornets Saturday. Scorpion scorers included two tries by Alan Kloss and one try each by John Creutz, Doug Childers, Marc Harris, Sean Hagan, Dan Grimm, Mark Lineberry, Jeremy Mabrey and Paul Atkinson. Hagan also provided seven conversion kicks...

MARBLE HILL -- Joseph J. Rhodes, 75, of Marble Hill died Saturday, March 25, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 21, 1924, near Glen Allen, son of Joseph L. and Hattie V. Johnson Rhodes. He and Dorotha I. Diesel were married July 21, 1949...

OAK RIDGE -- Mrs. Mae Engler, 99, of Oak Ridge passed away Sunday, March 26, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral service will be Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home, with Janet Hopkins officiating. Burial will be in Goshen Cemetery at Oak Ridge...

GRAND CHAIN, Ill. -- Mary Joyce Greer, 68, of Grand Chain died Sunday, March 26, 2000, at Union County Hospital in Anna. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.

ESSEX -- Archie Grant Pierce, 92, of Essex died Monday, March 27, 2000, at his home. He was born Oct. 7, 1907, in Hillsboro, son of Frank Marion and Cora Virginia Partney Pierce. He and Mary Jane Minker were married Sept. 9, 1931, in Hillsboro. She died April 23, 1989...

WARE, Ill. -- Serena E. Miller, 97, died Monday, March 27, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 18, 1903, at Wolf Lake, daughter of David L. and Alice Newbold Miller. She and Elbert Miller were married May 7, 1924, in Cairo. He died Aug. 9, 1966...

PULASKI, Ill. -- Jennie Susan "Grammy" Thurston, 102, of Pulaski died Sunday, March 26, 2000, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. She was born Nov. 2, 1897, near Pulaski, daughter of Warren Ernest and Amelia Elizabeth Atherton Edwards. She and Harry F. Thurston were married Nov. 11, 1915, in Mound City. He died in February 1970...

Son to Shawn Michael and Alison Ann Morningstar of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 11:02 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2000. Name, Zachary Michael. Weight, 8 pounds 10 ounces. Mrs. Morningstar is the former Alison Kitchen, daughter of Paul and Peggy Kitchen of Sikeston. Morningstar is the son of Gary and Joan Morningstar of Cape Girardeau...

BLOOMFIELD -- Sylvia A. Thompson, 82, of Bloomfield died Monday, March 27, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. She was born Feb. 27, 1918, at Bloomfield, daughter of Frank and Dora Gill Norris. She married Thurman Thompson, who preceded her in death...

SIKESTON -- Funeral for Lee Roy Ottinger of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Kelley Grubbs will officiate. Burial will be in East Woodlawn Cemetery at Hayti. Friends may call at the chapel from 11 a.m. until service time...