Stories from Wednesday, April 26, 2000

How safe are our students? The question has taken on new meaning as tragic school shootings occurred across the country. Many public schools have done a good job of increasing security. But the shooters were not crazed individuals from the outside. They were students who took their rage and frustrations out on fellow students. Locked doors and name badges won't prevent that kind of enemy from within...

Teen-agers care about the community. Just ask those who attended the Teen Summit 2000 Youth Conference in Cape Girardeau last week. The summit was a great opportunity to bring young people and city movers and shakers together to focus on community betterment...

Airborne laser fills vital need, officer says: Col. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, who earlier this month assumed command of the Air Force's top weapons project, says its success ultimately will change the face of war. The Airborne Laser Attack Aircraft (officially the ABL, but some call it ALAA) is designed to use a powerful laser to destroy enemy ballistic missiles in midair shortly after launch...

This week's trip: Wickliffe Mounds, Kentucky About 1200 years ago, several groups of pre-historic peoples inhabited the lower Mississippi Valley. Ancestors of modern Native Americans, they have come to be called the "Mound Builders." Known for the large plateaus of earth they created, the Mound Builders formed towns, which became centers of daily living, trade and religious ceremony. ...

"And if there is a God, I know he likes to rock" - Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins "Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Pumpkins," was the chant that filled the smoke filled and body packed theatre. That transcendental mantra heralded the anticipation of the performance of one of the most innovative bands in music today. ...

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Reviewed by Ryan Harper I am unsure if parable is a recognized literary genre. The term is perhaps too friendly to be academic, too "ethical" to be "objective." It calls to mind short stories and extended metaphors (though many attempts at creating parables ironically result in over-extended narratives and underdeveloped symbolism)...

High Fidelity Reviewed by Chad Armbruster High Fidelity is John Cusack's latest big screen creation that will make men realize "Hey, we're all thinking the same thing!" And, will let women find out just what it is that men are really thinking. The film was originally plucked from the novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, originally written in 1995 and set in a record shop in London. ...

OK, it's not often in someone's life that they can say they played music with a jazz legend, but, as of tax day, I can now say it with all the joy of a school girl. On April 15 at Southeast Missouri State University, the men of Phi Mu Alpha held their second annual Jazz Festival where 30 high school and middle school bands came to show off their stuff and hopefully walk away with a trophy or two. ...

"There will be time to prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet" - T.S. Eliot I'll be honest with you. Right now I'm having the time of my life. And I think it's only just the beginning. In the past two months I've gotten to review bands like Lords of Acid, Ulali, Moby, Bree Sharp, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Sister 7. ...

It's Friday night and people are starting to pour into the Copper Dragon (Carbondale, IL). Neil, the bands tour manager shows me to the dressing room. It's larger than I had pictured in my mind with several people scattered throughout. Neil escorts me to the couch where Scott Lucas and Brian St. Clair are sitting. As we exchange pleasantries I'm thinking...COOL, an interview with Local H...

Colored and patterned contact lenses have become popular with young people, and optometrists say it has led to some teen-agers swapping lenses like they might a blouse. But it is more like chewing someone else's gum and can lead to infection, a local optometrist says...

JACKSON -- Two men who appeared to be drag racing on Highway 177 before a fatal accident in February had blood-alcohol levels about twice the legal limit, a state Highway Patrol trooper testified Tuesday. The testimony came in a preliminary hearing for John A. Long, 41, who is charged with second-degree murder for his part in the wreck...

Two Cape Girardeau police officers Tuesday welcomed the findings of a Justice Department civil-rights investigation that they say exonerates their actions in last year's Good Hope Street melee. The U.S. Department of Justice has sent letters to those involved in the confrontation...

JEFFERSON CITY -- A couple of years ago state education officials might never have known about Dr. Richard Bollwerk's misdemeanor criminal convictions. But a recent Missouri law that broadened the state's authority to conduct background checks on educators brought the former Cape Girardeau School District official's misdeeds to light and cost him his teaching and school administrator's licenses...

JACKSON -- The 37 photographs from a 2-year-old's autopsy showed a multitude of bruises, all of which contributed toward her death last year, medical examiner Michael Zaricor said. But during a trial Tuesday no one could be shown to be responsible for them...

Suggestions have been made, questions asked and projects ranked. So what happens now that the city has information from residents about a proposal to extend the Transportation Trust Fund sales tax? The information will be compiled by Vision 2000, and a report will be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission at its next regular meeting, said Kent Bratton, city planner...

JACKSON -- A committee of staff and community members will convene to discuss building needs and the Jackson School District's growing pains in the near future. The Jackson Board of Education will submit names to Superintendent Ron Anderson over the next week and develop a full committee to study facilities and other needs of the district. The school board discussed space needs and possible development of the junior high and high school during a meeting Tuesday...

CHARLESTON -- After a series of threats caused two neighboring school districts to shut down last week, Charleston and East Prairie educators are ready to get back to business. "We're back to normal," said Charles School Superintendent Terry Rowe. "I think the scare is over."...

Finding a speaker for a community event sounds like it might be a difficult task, but Sherri Mehner put a lot of prayer and consideration into the work. Mehner and a committee have worked for weeks to coordinate the activities for National Day of Prayer May 4. Events are planned in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, including prayer services held each night at 7 in Cape Girardeau. The services are sponsored by several area churches...

Broadway meets the blues on behalf of the arts Thursday night. Nona Chapman will sing Broadway tunes and Van Gogh's Ear will play blues and rock Thursday night at Rufus Mudsucker's Restaurant in a benefit for the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. The performance will be the swan song for Van Gogh's Ear, a power trio that has been a mainstay of the Cape Girardeau music scene since February 1996...

SCOTT CITY -- Missouri Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Holden released his plan for improving education during a visit to Scott City High School Tuesday afternoon. Holden, state treasurer, also visited schools in Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis to debut a 38-page "blueprint" for improving public education...

PARIS, Tenn. -- For Southeast Missouri State University's golf team, the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament that concluded Tuesday was no doubt an event to forget. The Indians improved their score a bit from Monday's opening round but still wound up ninth out of 10 squads. Last year, Southeast placed second and finished just one stroke out of first...

SIKESTON -- The Notre Dame Bulldogs sent a message to the Sikeston Bulldogs: This is a new week. Sikeston, which went 6-0 last week, including a tournament championship, suffered a 7-3 loss to Notre Dame Tuesday at VFW Stadium. The loss also snapped a nine-game Sikeston winning streak...

CHAFFEE -- -- Three Chaffee pitchers teamed up to hurl a no-hitter Tuesday as the Red Devils defeated Woodland 6-0 in high school baseball action. Tommy Stidham started the hitless feat with four innings of work and was followed by Matt Stroup, two innings, and G.P. Glueck...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Glenn D. Hight Sr. of Anna will be held at 2 p.m. today at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Ron Ferguson will officiate. Burial will be in Friendship Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after noon today...

Daughter to Lance Michael and Laura Denise Bray of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, 2000. Name, Allison Elizabeth. Weight, 7 pounds 15 ounces. First child. Mrs. Bray is the former Laura Pierson, daughter of David and Diana Pierson of Jackson. She is employed at Millennium Environmental. Bray is the son of Andy and Patricia Bray of Gillespie, Ill. He is employed by the Hawthorn Group...

Marvin Bennett, 62, of Thebes, Ill., died Tuesday, April 25, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Enid Shuffler, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, April 24, 2000, at her home. She was born Aug. 25, 1920, in Rutherfordton, N.C., daughter of Bryant E. and Saphronia Roper Upton. She and B.E. "Bill" Shuffler were married Feb. 12, 1952, in Marion, N.C...

CHARLESTON -- Pearlean Bostic, 91, of Charleston died Saturday, April 22, 2000, at her home. She was born Nov. 11, 1908, in Jonestown, Miss., daughter of Daniel and Ella Cain King. She and the Rev. L.B. Bostic were married in 1926. He died in 1984. Bostic was a member of Mercy Seat Missionary Baptist Church and had served on the Mother Board...

MATTHEWS -- D.C. Morris, 80, of Matthews died Tuesday, April 25, 2000, at his home. He was born March 9, 1920, in Hagerville, Ark., son of Elmer Eugene and Iva Pearl Allison Morris. He and Helen Tryphena Flanagin were married Dec. 27, 1941, in Russellville, Ark...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Helen Mae Dillow, 78, of Ishpeming, Mich., died Tuesday, April 25, 2000, at Bell Memorial Hospital in Ishpeming. She was born Aug. 25, 1921, at Cobden, daughter of John R. and Elsie M. Ingram Stewart. She and Carl Sidney Dillow were married July 4, 1941, in Jackson, Mo. He died in 1972...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Robert T. Johnson of Anna will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church. The Rev. Tom Miller will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery. Friends may call at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna from 6-8 p.m. Sunday. The rosary will be recited at 7:30...

Henry W. Reinagel, 80, of Kelso died Tuesday, April 25, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON -- Velma I. Lawrence, 77, of Sikeston died Sunday, April 23, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. She was born May 17, 1922, in Pawnee, Okla., daughter of Hans and Alta Dine Schroeder. Lawrence was a graduate of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater...

CHARLESTON -- M. Dewey Heppe, 69, of Charleston died Monday, April 24, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 10, 1930, in Supply, Ark., son of M. Dewey and Catherin Purl Heppe. He and Nina B. Harris were married June 2, 1951, in Piggott, Ark...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A memorial service for Ronald Ralph Bedwell of Dallas, Texas, will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Alto Pass Vineyard Gazebo, or in the event of rain it will be held at Congregational Church in Alto Pass. Burial will be private in Alto Pass Cemetery...

JACKSON -- Three Jackson residents were arrested on multiple drug charges Tuesday, the Sheriff's Department said. Arrested were Wesley T. Ing, 20, Danny W. Moll, 29, and Deborah S. Ing, 37. Along with members of the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, deputies searched a residence on County Road 607 and discovered items used to produce methamphetamine, along with quantities of marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia...

"Many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese toasted mostly," said Robert Louis Stevenson. That's a yearning which my friend and colleague, Dennis Seyer, scenic designer and technical director for University Theatre, will have no trouble satisfying...

Tomorrow is the Southern Living Cooking School and the release of the Recipe Swap cookbook. I hope many of you have your tickets to come to the show and stop by the Southeast Missourian booth so we have the opportunity to get acquainted and to pick up your copy of the book...