Stories from Saturday, May 6, 2000

To the editor: The more I read of U.S. Sen. John McCain's public pronouncements, the gladder I am that he withdrew from contention for the presidency. The man is far too immature for the job. Please do not consider this to be a ringing endorsement for any of his rivals for the job. ...

To the editor: Your readers should know that the Missouri House of Representatives defeated the Missouri Equal Pay act by a vote of 68 to 86 on April 19. All Republicans present, including our representative, and 11 Democrats voted against it. House Bill 1559 would have required that employees doing the same job be paid the same salary. What could be more fair?...

An imbalance among some of Cape Girardeau's elementary schools will come up again at the next Board of Education meeting May 15. The board is soliciting input from parents as it considers a boundary change between Franklin and Blanchard elementary schools...

The recent flurry over special contracts with former university officials -- mainly a three-year, $621,000 contract with former Central Missouri State University president Ed Elliott -- prompted action from the Missouri Senate, which wants to require future college contracts be applied "uniformly, consistently and fairly" to all...

I guess I've been so busy thinking about Elian that I almost missed another outrage in progress. But this time the outrage was not being committed by the gun-happy executive branch, but by its liberal enablers who believe the Clinton gestapo ought to have a monopoly on guns...

The pressure is great, but Heidi Stegeman is up to the challenge of displaying her Christian faith on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Stegeman usually wears a gold cross on a chain around her neck along with a softball glove pendant and a WWJD bracelet on her wrist. She sports a tattoo and tries to live her faith daily...

People hoping to win well over $200 million in the multistate Big Game drawing plunked down more money than expected Friday. The jackpot had passed $230 million before the numbers were drawn Friday night. The jackpot swelled from $5 million to $230 million after going eight weeks without a winner...

Two teachers from Cape Girardeau and Jackson public schools are recipients of the nation's highest honors for science and math teachers. The Cape Girardeau teacher, Franklin Elementary School's Judith Gau, and the Jackson teacher, North Elementary School's Martha Short, are among 200 teachers selected for the 1999 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Recipients are selected by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House...

You're reasonably intelligent, can read instructions and can figure things out. So why should you have a child-passenger-safety technician check the car seat your child rides in? Because there are installation problems with about 90 percent of car seats brought to car seat checks, said Sharee Galnore, coordinator of Cape Girardeau Safe Communities...

My son Jerry is on a two-week vacationorama with my sister. This unplanned trip began on Monday, when I met Clarissa in Tennessee so she could take him with her to visit friends in Birmingham, Ala. I've talked to him every day since, and each time he has a new drama unfolding. With less than a week gone by, the child has already been to the movies and the mall, and he had great seats at a showing of Walt Disney on Ice...

JACKSON -- For the first time in 125 years, a state appeals court will hear cases in the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District will hear eight cases being appealed from Cape Girardeau and Perry counties on May 16. Most are civil cases...

Cape Girardeau won't add any new employee positions next year but the city will continue to make its salary package competitive and offer incentives for long-term employees. The budget, as presented to the Cape Girardeau City Council during an all-day retreat Friday, wouldn't support any new full-time personnel, said Finance Director John Richbourg...

The Missouri Business Leadership Network wants to establish a chapter in Cape Girardeau. The Missouri group, headquartered in St. Louis, was established two years ago as a means to engage employers in a focused effort to market the benefits of hiring qualified individuals with disabilities...

Harry Rediger, chairman of the board of directors of St. Francis Medical Center, received the Missouri Hospital Association's Excellence in Governance Award. Rediger was one of four Missourians to receive the award, which recognizes individuals who are active in their community and instrumental in hospital governance. Rediger received the award at MHA's annual Spring Leadership Forum...

A Poplar Bluff man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Friday to distributing cocaine base. James Jackson, 30, entered guilty pleas to two felony counts of distribution of cocaine base during an appearance before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. Sentencing was set for Aug. 7...

Southeast Missouri State University baseball coach Mark Hogan has to make sure the Indians keep their entire focus on Tennessee Tech this weekend -- for a couple of reasons. First, Southeast may have one eye on another Ohio Valley Conference series going on this weekend, that featuring Eastern Kentucky at Middle Tennessee in a matchup that affects the Indians greatly...

CHAFFEE -- If a person was in a gift exchange, he wouldn't want to draw the little piece of paper that had Chaffee's baseball team written on it. Chaffee will gladly take a run here or there, but when it comes to giving up runs, the Red Devils are a bit, well, stingy...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Cape Central's girls team took first place with 101 points while the boys took third with 57 Friday in the four-team SEMO Conference track and field championships. Jackson's girls (91) took second, while the boys team (41 1/2) took fourth...

BLOOMFIELD -- Deloit Dean Cooper, 66, of Bloomfield died Friday, May 5, 2000, at his home. He was born Sept. 6, 1933, at Swinton, son of Vader Elvis and Anna Kathleen Shelden Cooper. He and Betty Joe Robey were married April 20, 1957. Cooper was a 1952 graduate of Advance High School. He served in the U.S. Army...

Glenn E. Daulton, 91, of Caruthersville died Wednesday, May 3, 2000. He was born in Paragould, Ark., on Aug. 11, 1908, son of Charles and Margaret M. Gilbert Daulton. He and Marjorie Mitchell were married on March 6, 1939, in Nashville, Tenn. She died Feb. 28, 1999...

GRASSY -- William Joseph "Joe Bill" Kirkpatrick, 94, of Grassy died Friday, May 5, 2000, at ElderCare of Marble Hill. He was born June 30, 1906, at Grassy, son of Charles Monroe and Mary Eunice Hill Kirkpatrick. He and Zola Newell were married Feb. 7, 1927. She died Nov. 8, 1988...

SCOTT CITY -- Raymond August Heisserer, 90, of Scott City died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 4, 1909, at Kelso, son of Otto and Emma Scherer Heisserer. He and Frances Cecilia Wilhelm were married Nov. 15, 1932, at Kelso. She died Aug. 22, 1988...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Larry Joe Baker of Anna will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home. The Rev. Larry Shacklee will officiate. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery with military honors by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455. Baker, 60, died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at his home...

BERNIE -- An 18-year-old Bernie man sustained moderate injuries Thursday night when his vehicle ran off the road and overturned east of Bernie. Adam Gordon was taken to Dexter Hospital after the 9:35 p.m. accident on Highway Z, 3 miles east of Bernie...

SIKESTON -- The Rev. Billie Fair, 54, of Sikeston died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at her home. She was born March 6, 1946, in Sikeston, daughter of the Rev. Lawrence and Mary Stuppy Ray. She and Wayne Fair were married June 4, 1967, in Jonesboro, Ark. Fair received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Arkansas State University, a master's degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master of divinity from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary...

JACKSON -- Eugenia Kellett, 85, of Vancouver, Wash., died Thursday, May 4, 2000, at her home. She was born Nov. 8, 1914, daughter of Emanuel and Lillian Armstrong Milde. She and the Rev. Orme Kellett were married Dec. 30, 1939. Kellett was formerly of Jackson. She was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church in Vancouver, PEO, DAR and a number of charitable organizations...

JACKSON -- LaVera V. Minner, 78, of Jackson died Friday, May 5, 2000, at Jackson Manor. Friends may call at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson from 4-8 p.m. Sunday. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...