Stories from Tuesday, April 4, 2000

Steven Hendricks made 15 round trips to Scott City and back with his dad, all in the name of science. Adam Flesch used a hot iron on metal bars and rods to determine which ones best conducted heat. Leslie Micek studied the effectiveness of different sunscreens...

Ben points to a long, flat object floating in the surf. "Looks like a piece of wood," he said. "A log or something." He slid off Flame's back and waded into the icy, pounding waves. "Be careful!" Delia shouted, holding on to Flame's streaming mane. The wind muffled her voice...

JACKSON -- Kim Loos Landewee believes in books. Landewee, a 16-year teaching veteran, has filled her third-grade classroom at South Elementary School with books she has collected over the years. She has successfully written several Youth Education Literacy and Learning grants that have helped supplement the regular reading program...

Life can be a challenge, especially during its dark times. Sometimes we need someone else to lend a helping hand. My dark time came just over six years ago when I miscarried a baby. It broke my heart, and took me nearly a year to dry my tears. To tell you the truth, it still hurts today especially when I look long and hard at my two beautiful daughters and picture another child in-between...

If the adjustment to daylight-saving time has you yawning, imagine how it would be to never get a good night's sleep. That is the plight of about 50 million Americans who suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and insomnia, says the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. Many of these people don't even realize they have a disorder or that there are treatments for the disorders, the center says...

Cape Girardeau doesn't need term limits if it means losing good representation on the City Council, the mayor said Monday. Monday was the last regular session of the City Council for Dr. Melvin Kasten and Melvin Gateley. The council will meet again Friday afternoon for a special meeting to swear in new members after today's election...

Missouri law enforcement is taking a big leap into the computer age with the first steps being taken by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force. The Missouri Highway Patrol will test an Internet-based criminal-intelligence network by the end of April, with the hope of improving abilities of police statewide to solve crimes...

They already have shown their dominance over local competitors, and on Saturday some 140 students will test their knowledge of historical facts at the state National History Day competition in Columbia. As usual the Southeast Missouri region will send the largest group of qualifiers to the state competition, and, if history repeats itself, the region will be well-represented at the national competition June 11 through 15...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Wanted: Superman! Should have dark hair with spit curl. No superhero experience required. Will train. Applicants for a four-day career of playing the most popular superhero in the world of comics should look the part, said Jahnae Erpenbach, Superman Festival coordinator for this river community of about 7,500...

Falling-apart-after-last-payment blues cruel, but no joke That old joke about things falling apart after you've made the last payment ISN'T just a joke. It's real. Horribly real. Take the very computer I'm using at this moment. Please. The Other Half and I bought it in 1997 on a three-year payment plan. ...

JACKSON -- An upgrade tripling the capacity of electrical lines on the west side will begin this spring. Jackson aldermen accepted the low bid of the L.E. Myers Co. of Decatur, Ill., to perform the upgrade. The $223,475.38 bid was $7,000 less than the estimate...

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved six special-use permits and a zoning change Monday for individuals, churches, businesses and a school seeking to make renovations or change the use of their property. Special-use permits are required by city ordinance if the usage of a building changes but its zoning classification does not. Most churches and schools operate under special-use permits because they are situated in neighborhood areas...

Former Southeast history student Dennis Stroughmatt and his band, The Brown Baggers, will perform their Cajun-style music at a free concert at 8 tonight at the University Center Ballroom. The band also will perform April 15 on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion."...

When Southeast Missouri voters head to the polls today, they will cast ballots for city offices, school boards and decide on bond issues for construction of new schools in Cape Girardeau and Jackson and a jail in Scott County. Polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m...

Public hearings Consent ordinances (Second and third readings) New ordinances (First reading) Resolution (Reading and passage)...

Southeast Missouri State University has awarded several scholarships to area seniors. Regents' scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who have achieved an ACT composite score of 27 or SAT score of 1,220. Students must also have a high school grade-point average of 3.5 or graduate in the top 10 percent of their class. ...

I'M WATCHING the news about the NASA program to Mars. Someone is bragging that no heads will roll because they've been embarrassed. We didn't have any heads roll because government employees screwed up. They probably were promoted and sent to another position. They're definitely not dismissed or barred forever from government employment, as they should be. They just go ahead and spend our tax money. Who cares?...

It would be pretty hard to explain to the average motorist why a gallon of the lowest-octane unleaded gasoline costs nearly 25 cents more in Jefferson City than it does in Cape Girardeau. But most motorists would gladly forgo an explanation if there were just some way to pin fluctuating fuel prices on something...

When midnight came on New Year's Eve, many of us were glued to the TV to see if the dire Y2K predictions came to pass. They didn't. We rationalized that we were terrified of calamity and went to extraordinary lengths -- with success -- to avoid the worst...

To the editor: The other day, my daughter handed me a letter that made my blood boil. It concerns everyone in this country, so please heed its warning. The letter stated CBS will be forced to discontinue "Touched by an Angel" for using the word "God" in every program. ...

To the editor: The Baha'i community of Cape Girardeau has recently learned that on Feb. 11 the revolutionary court of Iran issued death sentences for three Baha'is. The Baha'i faith is a non-Muslim, independent world religion with a long history of persecution in Iran...

To the editor: Below please find an open letter to a group called Moms in Touch. They quietly come into our building once a month and leave treats for the staff. They also get together on a regular basis to pray for the students and staff. They ask nothing of us in return. Could you print my letter to them so they and others of the community know how much we appreciate them:...

For Cape Girardeau Central High's baseball team, strong pitching, solid defense and clutch hitting was a perfect formula for beating its city rival Monday afternoon. The Tigers excelled in those areas as they held off the visiting Notre Dame Bulldogs 4-3 in an exciting, well-played game...

Southeast Missouri State University's women's tennis team will open Ohio Valley Conference play today, taking on Tennessee State in Nashville. The Otahkians are 1-7 overall after last Wednesday's 6-0 loss at Arkansas State. Southeast has been led by No. 1 singles player Mel Thomas, who has a 3-1 record...

ADVANCE -- Advance High scored six runs over the final two innings to defeat Puxico 9-8 Monday and remain undefeated on the baseball season. The Hornets (5-0) trailed 8-3 in the fifth inning but they scored six runs over the next two frames. "We made six errors and we didn't play well," said Advance coach Darrell Dannenmueller. "We were lucky, but we'll take it."...

ADVANCE -- Ruby Inez Day, 76, died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Sept. 24, 1923, in Advance, daughter of Ben and Ada Pixley Croy. She married Curtis J. Day Sr. April 5, 1947. He died July 10, 1973. Day was a bookkeeper at Machinery Inc., retiring in 1978. She was a member of First Baptist Church and Order of Eastern Star Chapter 4120...

SIKESTON -- Lucille Litchford, 84, of Sikeston died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Clearview Nursing Center. She was born July 7, 1914, at Morehouse, daughter of John and Mary Etna Holder Ellis. She and Frank Litchford were married June 6, 1935, at Sikeston. He died Sept. 4, 1981...

CHAFFEE -- Jim Kinnison, 70, of Chaffee died Monday, April 3, 2000, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

Funeral for Bernard "Bernie" Bierschwal of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Jeff Sippy will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park. Bierschwal, 85, died Saturday, April 1, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

SIKESTON -- Warren Ramsay Manning, 70, died at 7 p.m. April 1, 2000, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. Born April 14, 1929, in St. Louis, son of the late George Warren and Elise Gessler Manning, he earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, where he majored in biology. He was a member of Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon, elder and Sunday School superintendent...

DEXTER -- William J. Lau, 73, of Green Cove Springs, Fla., died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Integrated Health Services Care Center in Orange Park. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Watkins & Sons Funeral Service.

SIKESTON -- Edith Lorrane Hammon, 79, died Sunday, April 2, 2000, at Hunter Acres Caring Center. She was born April 25, 1920, in Ronda, W.Va., daughter of Robert and Lydia Brewer. She married Orval E. Hammon, who preceded her in death. Survivors include a son, Robert Hammon of Los Angeles, Calif.; a daughter, Sharon Merideth of Sikeston; two brothers, Robert Brewer of Quick, W.Va., Edward Brewer of Elkview, W.Va.; a sister, Betty Kinder of Elkview; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.. ...

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Carroll Moore, 76, of Wolf Lake died Monday, April 3, 2000, at Jonesboro Health Care Center in Jonesboro. He was born Sept. 16, 1923, at Kennett, son of Rube A. and Emma Easley Moore. He and Opal P. Vincent were married Jan. 12, 1946, in Jonesboro...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Graveside service for William O. Garrison of Poplar Bluff will be held at 1 p.m. today at Morgan Memorial Park in Advance. Morgan Funeral Home in Advance is in charge of arrangements. Garrison, 86, died Sunday, April 2, 2000, at Westwood Hills Health Care Center in Poplar Bluff...

SIKESTON -- Diane Moser, 40, died Sunday, April 2, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born Nov. 6, 1959, in Bell City, daughter of William Gus and Georgia Laverne Baker Surface. Survivors include a son, Dale Moser of Sikeston; a daughter, Robin McCormick of Sikeston; two brothers, Roy Surface of Sikeston, Marshall Surface of Valdosta, Ga.; and a grandson...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Laura B. Davis, 96, of Naples, Fla., formerly of Dongola, died Sunday, April 2, 2000, at Hope Hospice in Fort Myers, Fla. Crain Funeral Home in Dongola is in charge of arrangements.

Lelan LaVerne Ates, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, April 2, 2000, at his home. He was born Dec. 16, 1932, in Cape Girardeau, son of John P. and Anna Engelmann Ates. He and Mary Jane Thornton were married Feb. 4, 1961, in Cape Girardeau. Ates was a farmer in the Egypt Mills community. He was a member of Hobbs Chapel United Methodist Church...

Son to Scott and Dawn Fallert of Cape Girardeau, St. John's Mercy Medical Center in St. Louis, 2:44 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2000. Name, Weston Hayes. Weight, 6 pounds 6 ounces. Second child. Mrs. Fallert is the former Dawn Galnore, daughter of Gene and Sharee Galnore of Jackson. She is co-owner of High Street Station in Jackson. Fallert is the son of Bob and Sheryl Fallert of Ste. Genevieve. He is a project manager at Procter & Gamble...

7:30 p.m. Monday City Hall Action Items Power and Light Committee Accepted bid of Pyramid Roofing of Sikeston of $22,650 under the City Hall Roof Repair Project. Authorized agreement with Pyramid Roofing for repairs under the City Hall Roof Repairs Project...

KARNAK, Ill. -- James Dunn, 28, of Round Lake, formerly of Karnak, died Monday, April 3, 2000, in Mexico, Mo. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.