Stories from Tuesday, May 2, 2000

Brandi Bailey touched a "Smart Board" during her Power Point presentation, "Successful Job Searching," at Scott City High School. SCOTT CITY -- Change is the common thread running through business-related classes in area high schools. The equipment and teaching strategies have changed drastically in recent years as businesses have moved from the manual age to advanced computer technology. ...

MARBLE HILL -- Teri Burke never thought she'd work with children. The oldest of five children, Burke spent a lot of her free time baby-sitting. It wasn't her favorite task, and she looked forward to the day when she wouldn't have a bunch of children underfoot...

I was so intrigued with the sites nominated for the Webby awards, I decided to visit a few more this week. After all, these are supposed to represent some of the best and brightest on the Internet. While I have seen a number of these sites, quite a few are new to me. Let's check out the nominees in music. All five were fascinating, well done and useful...

For the rest of March and into April and May there were more attacks on ships offshore. The window glass rattled at night, and once, after the dishes fell out of the cupboard again, Delia looked out an upstairs window and saw fire on the horizon. She knew it was a burning ship...

ADVANCE -- Lucille Eakins, 80, of Advance died Saturday, April 29, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 16, 1919, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Robert and Altha Wiseman Hitt. She and Olin Eakins were married in 1937. He died in 1979...

The Alumni Association of Southeast Missouri State University has selected seven alumni to receive the University's 2000 Young Alumni Merit Awards. The seven will be honored during spring commencement exercises on May 13 at 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Each Young Alumni Merit Award is presented by an academic college at Southeast to honor a distinguished young alumna or alumnus...

Workers used a sweeper Monday to bring out the fibers of the new FieldTurf playing surface in Houck Stadium. The field will be ready for football in the fall. The grass is greener at Houck Stadium thanks to a new artificial turf. "It looks outstanding," said Don Kaverman, director of athletics at Southeast Missouri State University. "It is a beautiful green color."...

PERRYVILLE -- City officials want a Catholic organization to keep its collection of rare books, paperweights and art pieces in Perryville rather than move it to Southeast Missouri State University's proposed River Campus museum. The extensive collection is housed in the library at St. Mary's of the Barrens, a former Catholic seminary in Perryville owned by the Congregation of the Mission or Vincentians...

Charter Communications Inc., which offers cable television, digital video programming and high-speed Internet access, will include Cape Girardeau in its plans to construct a national electronic nerve center for its digital network. Andy Morgan, Charter communications manager, announced on Monday that Charter had purchased property in 630 Industrial Park near the Dana Corp. plant on Corporate Circle...

A compromise agreement worked out by school administrators and a small group of Franklin Elementary School parents Monday afternoon could be a temporary solution to overcrowding at Blanchard Elementary School. But parents who attended a meeting Monday night said the district should begin now to plan for boundary changes that will equalize enrollment and racial and socio-economic diversity at the district's five elementary schools before the opening of the new high school in two years...

Cape Girardeau City Councilman Richard "Butch" Eggimann ran for his council position on a platform of working to improve the city's streets. Six years later he is ready to support an extension of the Transportation Trust Fund. Council members Monday night unanimously approved on first reading an ordinance that would ask voters Aug. 8 to consider an extension of the current half-cent transportation sales tax...

Two longtime girlfriends of mine announced their engagements last weekend. A third eloped to Brewton, Ala., and married in a judge's office with a stuffed albino raccoon staring at her. And I always thought my own wedding, performed outside the courthouse in downtown Cape Girardeau during happy hour, was the most trashy possible...

A mock accident involving hazardous materials gave the Southeast Regional Local Emergency Planning District a chance to show off a decontamination shelter it is bringing to the area. The accident was staged near the emergency room entrance at St. Francis Medical Center in a "Behind the Scenes" program for local business leaders...

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan will deliver the Southeast Missouri State University commencement address May 13 in the Show Me Center. A Vietnam veteran who served in the Marine Corps, McClellan has worked at the Post-Dispatch since 1980, first as a night police reporter. He began his column in 1983...

A three-paragraph letter from the U.S. Department of Justice should put an end to an investigation that alleged two Cape Girardeau police officers violated the civil rights of Greg and Kenneth Campbell. Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel received the letter Monday afternoon via facsimile. Another copy is being sent in the mail...

The juvenile justice center has reached the point of obsolescence and the county needs to move forward with its plans to construct a new facility, county officials said Monday. County officials appeared Monday night at the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting to address questions or concerns related to a request for a special-use permit...

Missouri Statewide Parent Advisory Network has named Valleroy Teacher of the Year. Franklin Elementary School teacher Diane Valleroy will receive statewide honors today during a private ceremony held in Gov. Mel Carnahan's office. Valleroy was selected to receive the Missouri Statewide Parent Advisory Network (MO-SPAN) Teacher of the Year award for her advocacy on behalf of students...

Local philanthropist B.W. "Bill" Harrison was recognized for his contributions and accomplishments during his 90th birthday celebration Sunday. About 200 people attended the event held at Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau and sponsored by Iowa Rep. Clarence Hoffman and Lynn Hoffman...

JACKSON -- An amended rezoning request for a lighted nine-hole golf course in a residential area will return to the Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday. On Monday, the Jackson Board of Aldermen waived the usual two-year ban on rezoning and special-use permit applications for the property at 1600 N. ...

The Missouri Legislature is days from adjournment, and a $2 billion bond issue for highways is likely to be approved. With such an enormous sum of money, it would be reasonable to think all the pertinent questions have been answered. It will come as no surprise to MoDOT watchers that most of these questions remain unanswered. ...

To the editor: Once again, a big thank you is due Mrs. Warren Hearnes and her group of very talented musicians for the beautiful Piano Praise concert held in Charleston as part of the azalea festival. Anyone who did not attend really missed a blessing. Thanks again, Mrs. Hearnes, for bringing us this wonderful program...

To the editor: A lot of national sportswriters and sportscasters have voiced opinions over Bobby Knight, the long-time basketball coach at Indiana University, suggesting his actions deserving of dismissal. Knight is filmed, supposedly, choking one of his players...

To the editor: John Cook of Cape Girardeau recently wrote that the Southeast Missourian was "an organ for the Republican Party in Missouri." Though correct as far as it went, I think the assertion needs expansion and refinement. A more accurate characterization of the role of the Southeast Missourian when it comes to the GOP is that it is an organ for the dissemination of Republican Party propaganda at the local, state, national, international, solar, galactic, inter-galactic, and universal levels. ...

To the editor: Regarding the April 28 story "Child safety seat training for technicians held" that started, "Four days of classes and hands-on training to put child safety seats in cars might not be enough": Even using Speak Out as a yardstick of intelligence, I would still protest the insult. ...

Derek Winans lives in Illinois, but it's not a stretch to refer to Southeast Missouri State University as his hometown basketball team. And Winans, a senior at Shawnee High School, will be taking his considerable basketball skills to Cape Girardeau next season as a member of the Southeast squad...

The calendar says the district baseball playoffs don't begin for another two weeks. In the minds of the Notre Dame Bulldogs, playoff time is now. On Monday, Notre Dame came out slugging and never let up against Poplar Bluff at Notre Dame Field, posting a 19-1 victory in a game shortened to five innings by the 10-run rule...

DEXTER -- Jackson built up a big lead and then held off a late Dexter rally as the Indians picked up a 9-6 victory Monday in high school baseball action. The Indians, who raised their record to 10-6, received an impressive pitching performance from John Jackson, who was making his first varsity start...

The McDowell Capahas summer baseball team will hold tryouts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Capaha Field. Any player with American Legion eligibility remaining is not eligible while any collegiate player whose season is still going on is not eligible to work out but should still attend the session if interested in playing...

Three local soccer clubs were forces to reckoned with in this past weekend's City of Roses/CAYSA Select Soccer Tournament. All but one of the 11age divisions included a local club team as the champion or finalist. Seven of the Southeast Missouri Soccer Club (SMSC) teams placed either first or second. Four of the Classic United Soccer Club teams placed first and the Jackson United Soccer Club claimed one championship...

UNIONTOWN -- Esther W.P. Wichern, 87, of Uniontown died Sunday, April 30, 2000, at Perry County Nursing Home in Perryville. She was born June 12, 1912, at Uniontown, daughter of Gottfried Hemmann and Emma Kanke. She and Rudolph H. Wichern were married Nov. 15, 1936. He died Dec. 8, 1991...

PERRYVILLE -- Charles W. Ochs Sr., 62, of Perryville died Sunday, April 30, 2000, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born Jan. 25, 1938, in Perry County, son of Walter H. and Lora B. Ochs. He and Patsy L. Andrews were married Feb. 22, 1958. Ochs was the former owner of Perryville Discount Furniture and Ochs Auto Sales...

BLOOMFIELD -- Christine Sanders, 79, of Bloomfield died Sunday, April 30, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter. She was born Sept. 18, 1920, in Hickman, Ky., daughter of Matt and Rosie Everett Dockins. She married Ben Sanders, who preceded her in death...

JACKSON -- Marie Ruester, 66, of Jackson passed away at her home Sunday, April 30, 2000. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Dr. Brian Anderson will officiate. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

CHAFFEE -- Quentin Westrich, 65, of rural Chaffee died Monday, May, 1, 2000, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Scott City.

Son to Doug and Jennifer Brantley of Marble Hill, University of Arkansas Hospital in Little Rock, 5:25 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2000. Name, Dakota Wayne. Weight, 1 pound 6 ounces. Mrs. Brantley is the former Jennifer Spraggs, daughter of Leroy and Doris Spraggs of Jackson. She is a respiratory therapist at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Brantley is the son of Jerry and Marie Brantley of Marble Hill. He is assistant manager at Buchheit in Jackson...

SCOTT CITY -- Clifford Benjamin Foulk, 83, of Scott City died Sunday, April 30, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 23, 1916, in Benton, Ill., son of Thomas Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Henson Foulk. He and Laura "Bernece" Lipe were married Oct. 5, 1936, at Benton...

Funeral for Dorothy Sarah Seabaugh of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Lorberg Memorial Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Jim Sanderson will officiate. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park. Friends may call at the chapel Wednesday from 10 a.m. until service time...

ANNA, Ill. -- Russell McClure, 89, of Anna died Monday, May 1, 2000, at City Care Center in Cobden. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.