Stories from Friday, May 12, 2000

If there are enough valid signatures on petitions turned into the secretary of state's office last week, Missourians will be deciding in November if they want tax-supported political campaigns. Missouri Voters for Fair Elections has collected 108,00 signatures. ...

Sunglasses can do more than make you look cool. They can also protect your eyes from damaging sun rays. But be careful, local optometrists say. If you don't choose the right sunglasses, you could do your eyes more harm than good. "The primary reason for wearing sunglasses is to keep out UV rays," said Dr. Jim L. Davis, a Cape Girardeau optometrist. Ultraviolet or "UV" radiation is an invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum that comes from sunlight...

Thursday morning 4:00 AM: I kissed my wife and kids goodbye as they lay asleep. My night's rest was short but I knew that I must begin early to get the days work done. Sleepily, I crept out of the house trying not to make a sound so I wouldn't awaken the dogs. ...

Landowners concerned about private-property rights are up in arms over a congressional plan to allocate $45 billion to be spent over the next 15 years to create parks, protect wildlife and restore beaches. From what has been debated so far, it seems property rights should be the least of our concerns...

The critical issues of this year's elections in Missouri still haven't surfaced. The candidates haven't yet decided what they want to talk about. U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, completing his first term, has endorsed congressional term limits and has said he will retire at the end of his second term. Gov. Mel Carnahan, who is running against Ashcroft, has something even more limiting in mind...

Sixteen year-old Joshua Wolf is believed to have killed his grandmother because she wouldn't buy him an all-terrain vehicle or hook up his television set to a satellite dish, a source close to the investigation said. Carol Jean Lindley, Wolf's 56-year-old grandmother, had refused Wolf's request to connect a new satellite dish to his television set or buy him an all-terrain vehicle after they had moved here three weeks ago, the source said. ...

Family and friends of Carol Jean Lindley gathered Thursday night at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell to share stories of her life and sadness over her death. Visitation will be again from 6 to 9 tonight. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral chapel...

A Missouri Supreme Court ruling that makes it easier for people injured by drunken drivers to sue the bar or restaurant where the driver got his alcohol makes sense, says a local MADD coordinator. "It's about time we had changes in laws that benefit the victims," said Bettie Knoll, Cape Girardeau coordinator for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, coordinator of victim services for Cape Girardeau County and victim advocate for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents will consider authorizing further design work for proposed improvements at Houck Stadium and an addition to the Rosengarten Athletic Complex when it meets today. The regents meet at 1:30 p.m. today in Dempster Hall's Glenn Auditorium...

Minors thinking of indulging in alcoholic beverages at the upcoming Wappapello Lake Power Boat Races should think again. The event May 20 and 21 will feature the kickoff of a new round of Alcohol Safety Awareness and Prevention programs to prevent underage drinking, said Kenny Pincksten, supervisor of District 5 of the Division of Liquor Control in Cape Girardeau...

I think that I shall never C an acronym as lovely as a B. If I should live to C all the acronyms flee, it would suit me to a T. It all started, I think, when garbage collectors became sanitation engineers. That was OK with me. I don't blame anyone for trying to put the best spin possible on their careers. After all, editors are basically memo writers who go to a lot of meetings. But "editor" has a nice ring to it, don't you think?...

The Missouri Association of Counties has returned $644,496 in dividends and other monetary rewards this year to counties involved in a self-insured workers' compensation fund. Cape Girardeau County received a $13,911 dividend, said County Clerk Rodney Miller, who chairs MAC's insurance board...

City officials will open the new section of Bloomfield Road at its intersection with Silver Springs Road today at 11 a.m. Some painting and a few minor repairs still need to be made, but the road will open to traffic today. The reconstruction and widening of Bloomfield Road is one of the city's Transportation Trust Fund project. It involved widening the road to 36-feet of cement, concrete pavement, curb and gutter, pavement striping and storm drainage improvements...

On Saturday, Cape Girardeau letter carriers will be picking up canned goods in addition to letters and packages during the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. "We feel it's a good cause that helps the community," said Don Farrow, a letter carrier at the Cape Girardeau Post Office who has helped organize the food drive. Last year, he said, the drive raised about 14,000 pounds of food...

The goal for the Center for Action Against Sexual Assault is to be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week to serve children and adult victims of sexual assault. But to do that, there has to be trained examiners, said Kathy Blevins of CAASA. So a training course for registered nurses to become sexual assault nurse examiners will be held June 12-16 at the center, 63 Doctors Park...

Work has begun on a new, comprehensive five-year plan for the Cape Girardeau School District. The Board of Education began developing a mission statement and statement of beliefs during a meeting Thursday. Members worked for nearly an hour refining statements first developed five years ago when several teams of community members and educators drafted a master plan of action to improve the district's finances, programs and facilities...

The United States Department of Agriculture will revise a program from the early 1980s to provide low-cost loans to farmers to help build or upgrade commodity storage and handling facilities on the farm. Dan Glickman, USDA secretary announced the latest loan program Thursday...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A Cape Girardeau man already serving 14 years in prison for cocaine trafficking got an additional 20 year sentence, the Cape Girardeau County prosecutor's office said. Johnny E. Smith, 28, was given 20 years imprisonment without the option of parole or probation by Butler County Judge Robert Cope on Tuesday, said Scott Lipke, assistant Cape Girardeau prosecutor...

JENNIFER D. McEVOY AGE: 37 HEIGHT: 5' 6" WEIGHT: 170 lbs. HAIR: Brown EYES: Hazel LAST KNOWN ADDRESS: 1335 Amblewood, Cape Girardeau WANTED FOR: Felony probation violation. Original charge of passing bad checks. PEARL L. ANTHONY AGE: 25 HEIGHT: 5' 4"...

CHARLESTON -- Laura Loretta Bond, 82, of Sikeston Convalescent Center died Thursday, May 11, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Aug. 8, 1917, at Oran, daughter of Howard and Laura Annie Owensby Levan. She and Clyde Raymond Bond were married Jan. 23, 1955. He died Sept. 23, 1977...

SIKESTON -- Opal Kay Hays, 84, of Sikeston died Wednesday at Clearview Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 24, 1915, in Lilbourn, daughter of Henry and Katherine Marcus. She and William Clayton Hays were married Dec. 19, 1953, in Hernando, Miss. He died Oct. 29, 1993...

PERRYVILLE -- Funeral Mass for Herman A. Hennemann of Perryville will be held at 3 p.m. today at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Kevin Fausz will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. until 2:35 p.m...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- For the first time since 1994, Southeast Missouri State University's softball team is not the No. 1 seed for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. But the third-seeded Otahkians played like anything but underdogs Thursday as the six-team event got under way here...

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City coach Mike Umfleet and Cape Central coach Steve Williams could each think of better ways to be heading into district play next week. Neither coach was totally satisfied with his team's performance Thursday, but Williams' squad played a bit better as the Tigers improved to 18-7 on the year with a 12-6 victory...

Southeast Missouri State University held its annual Booster Club All Sports Year-End Celebration Thursday night -- and once again the school's athletic program had plenty of reason to celebrate. Almost 1,000 athletes, coaches, parents and Southeast Booster Club members were at the Show Me Center to praise the school's men's and women's teams...

BELL CITY -- Carl Ritter's career as an educator and coach has not brought him unusual fame or fortune, but he believes the rewards he has reaped are greater than anything he could have purchased with all the money in the world. "I would not go back and do anything different," said Ritter as he sat behind his desk at Bell City High School during a recent sunshine-filled spring day. "I have gotten so much out of my coaching and teaching career. It's been a great experience."...

Mark Fisher School: Cape Central Sport: Baseball Coach: Steve Williams Week Report: Fisher, a senior first baseman/catcher, had three hits, three walks, four runs scored and four runs batted in during two games last week. Fisher had two hits against Jackson and one against Kelly...

Jennifer Love School: Jackson Sport: Track Coach: Bob Sink Week Report: Love, a senior, was a three-event winner in last week's SEMO Conference track meet in Poplar Bluff. She won the 100-meter hurdles (16.2), the 300 hurdles (48.2) and anchored the mile relay team which took first (4:13.5). She also posted a personal-best distance of 34-6 in the triple jump to take second place...

SIKESTON -- Jackson stranded the bases-loaded in the final inning as the Indians closed their regular season with a 6-4 loss to SEMO Conference champion Sikeston in high school baseball action on Thursday. The loss ended with a familiar sight as Sikeston starter Billy Childers fanned the final batter, his 14th strikeout on the day...

PERRYVILLE -- Elsie Margaret Brewer, 98, formerly of Perryville, died Wednesday, May 10, 2000, at St. John's Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur. She was born Aug. 11, 1901, in Perry County, daughter of Gottlieb M. and Magdalena Margaretta Dippold Sandler. She and Clarence Elmer Brewer were married Oct. 16, 1924. He died Oct. 23, 1994...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Adrienne Barr, 64, of Cobden died Wednesday, May 10, 2000, at Jonesboro Health Care Center. She was born July 12, 1935, in Chicago, daughter of Robert and Irene Bertrand Sopher. She and John Barr Jr. were married July 21, 1956, in Chicago. He died in 1991...

ADVANCE -- Melba "Phyllis" Cook, 74, of Advance died Thursday, May 11, 2000, at her home. She was born July 8, 1925, in Advance, daughter of Joseph and Jewell Rhodes Redman. She and William T. Cook were married Feb. 14, 1947, in Detroit, Mich. He died in 1994...

Wanda Mae Ramsey, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 10, 2000, at her home. She was born Feb. 21, 1922, in Toledo, Ohio, daughter of Mark and Pearl Murphy Wheeler. She and Bentley Ramsey were married July 3, 1943, in St. Charles. He died Aug. 15, 1992...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Clyde Bailey, 83, of Jonesboro died Thursday, May 11, 2000, at Jonesboro Health Care Center. He was born Aug. 25, 1916, in Franklin County, son of Valentine and Inez Bettis Bailey. Bailey had owned and operated the Black and Tan in Olive Branch 33 years. Prior to that he was a coal miner in the Benton-West Frankfort areas...

JACKSON -- Ervin E. Leadbetter, 69, passed away Thursday, May 11, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call Friday, May 12, from 4-8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be private. The Rev. Sam Roethemeyer will officiate. Interment will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Grace Geraldine McKee Bennett Clark, 85, of Grand Chain and formerly of Sarasota, Fla., died Thursday, May 11, 2000, at her home in Grand Chain. She was born Aug. 20, 1914, at Olive Branch, daughter of Cyrus and Bertha Sickman McKee...

Paul Clyde Huber, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 10, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born May 2, 1917, at Egypt Mills, son of William and Ida Lange Huber. He and Althea Schleinger were married Jan. 25, 1948, in Piggott, Ark. She died in November 1975...

SIKESTON -- William C. "Dub" Moore Jr., 76, of Sikeston died Wednesday, May 10, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born Aug. 12, 1923, at Matthews, son of William C. and Mable Moore Sr. He and Mona June Provance were married Nov. 24, 1948, in Piggott, Ark. She died Oct. 3, 1996...

SIKESTON -- Gloria Mills, 50, of Sikeston was found dead at her home Monday, May 8, 2000. She was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Sikeston, daughter of Pluitt and Florida Leonard Wiggins. Mills was a graduate of Sikeston High School. She was a member of St. John Missionary Baptist Church...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Funeral for Leland Eugene "Lee" Foster Sr. of Sand Springs, Okla., was held Monday in Sand Springs. Foster, 67, died Saturday, May 6, 2000, in Tulsa, Okla. He was born July 15, 1932, in Olive Branch, son of Eugene and Hazel Lipe Foster. He and Gale Parkenton were married Sept. 25, 1976, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla...

JACKSON -- Funeral for Carol Jean Lindley of Jackson will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. Mike Fenton will officiate. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery at Clarkton. Friends may call at the funeral home from 6-9 p.m. today...

SCOTT CITY -- Robert Lee Phipps, 70, of Scott City died Thursday, May 11, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 28, 1930, at Bloomfield, son of James Edward and Irene Hockersmith Phipps. He and Mary Lue Carter were married June 18, 1954, at Illmo...