Stories from Thursday, June 8, 2000

Inflammation of the middle ear, or otitis media, occurs most commonly in young children but occasionally affects adults. It is caused by bacteria or viruses that enter from the nose or throat and rise through the eustachian tube to reach the middle ear...

Small ticks, no bigger than a poppy seed, may carry a microorganism capable of causing potentially debilitating diseases in humans. This family of ticks is called Ixodes and the most recognizable member of this family is the "deer" or "bear" tick. These ticks are much smaller than the common dog or cattle ticks and may be no bigger than a pinhead. ...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Firefighters from three Southern Illinois fire districts battled a blaze Wednesday afternoon that consumed 500 acres of land and threatened a petroleum pipeline. The fire began in a field about 3.5 miles south of the Illinois routes 3 and 146 intersection. The blaze likely started from a cigarette butt tossed out near the Duke Energy natural gas pipeline. The fire burned for about three hours before crews got it under control...

Measures are in place to keep students and teachers honest when taking state or national assessment exams, but in the end the burden is on the individual to decide whether to cheat. "We provide guidelines to all school districts for administration of the tests," said Jim Morris, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "Ultimately, it's the districts' responsibility, because we can't monitor 2,000 school buildings from here."...

It has been more than 20 years since anyone occupied the old Marquette Hotel, except for the occasional birds who still nest in the rafters. But even the birds will have to find new homes if the city demolishes the old hotel. The Cape Girardeau City Council voted Monday night to begin condemnation of the property at the corner of Broadway and Fountain streets. If the process is complete, the building could be demolished within a year...

COBDEN, Ill. -- In 1986, a Cobden High School class was assigned to find all the Cobdens in the world. Through writing each other and visits, the students in the towns named Cobden eventually helped establish the "Cobden Connection," an informal organization made up of people from the world's five Cobdens...

June 8, 2000 Dear Patty, The chairs on the floor of the community college gymnasium were filled and people were sitting flank to flank in the bleachers nearly an hour before the show was to begin. A major league lighting system was in place, and the sound board set up in the middle of the gym might have handled the Rolling Stones...

BENTON, Mo. -- A 19-year-old man died in a farm-related accident involving a four wheel all-terrain vehicle, the Scott County Sheriff's Department said. Daniel Mothershead was driving the ATV with his 14-year-old brother, Andrew, when the accident occurred on Tuesday, Sheriff Bill Ferrell said. They had been returning to a field to rake hay about 1 p.m...

Traveling north and south through Cape Girardeau gets a little easier Friday. City officials will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. to open the extension of Mount Auburn Road from Bloomfield Road to Shawnee Parkway, the new highway 74. The event will be held at the south end of the extension where the road connects to Shawnee Parkway...

Hundreds of people are expected to gather across the globe Saturday for the annual March for Jesus and Jesus Day celebrations. Locally, a march is planned from Grace United Methodist Church down Broadway to the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse Park. It is the fourth year for the event...

This is not a column about Bob Knight. But you have to grasp one end of the spectrum to question the other. Bob Knight chokes a player, scares the living paper clips out of a secretary, throws chairs and makes a jackass of himself and Indiana University and he keeps his job...

As a first-year American Legion baseball program, the Stoddard County Wolves are finding it difficult to match up with the other teams in District 14. And the Wolves' struggles continued Wednesday night at the hands of Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons, which romped to a doubleheader sweep at Capaha Field 16-2 and 9-1...

GOREVILLE, Ill. -- The McDowell Capahas put on an offensive show here Wednesday night that must have left Goreville's players shaking their heads. The Capahas banged out a whopping 24 hits and slammed seven home runs as they romped 24-1 in seven innings...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Virgie Jenice Throop, 79, of Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau, died Monday, June 5, 2000, at the home of her daughter. She was born June 2, 1921, at Allenville, daughter of John and Ella Settles Jones. She and Carl O. Throop were married Jan. 18, 1941, at Bloomfield. He died May 21, 1997...

Daughter to Mark Edward and Jessica Sue Wyatt of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:26 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2000. Name, Miranda Alexis. Weight, 7 pounds 6 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Wyatt is the former Jessica Ramsey, daughter of John and Susan Bush of Fort Worth, Texas, Kim Ramsey of Jackson, and the late Dr. ...

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- Funeral Mass for Larry Hugh Trickey of Oak Ridge will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Milton Ryan will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau from 4-8 p.m. today. Parish prayers will be at 7...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Martha J. Wooldridge, 87, of Jonesboro died Tuesday, June 6, 2000, at Union County Hospital in Anna. She was born Aug. 4, 1912, in Anna, daughter of William and Rebecca K. Dover Sheppard. She married Robert L. Wooldridge, who died Dec. 12, 1974...

BENTON, Mo. -- Daniel Brian Mothershead, 19, of Benton died Tuesday, June 6, 2000, near Benton. He was born Nov. 1, 1980, in Cape Girardeau, son of Robert and Christy Dodson Mothershead. Mothershead was valedictorian of Kelly High School class of 1999. He was Mr. KHS 1999 and a Boys State delegate. His high school activities included: FFA, track, FBLA, Foreign Language Club, Beta Club, basketball, cross country, Student Council, and yearbook staff...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dana L. Standridge, 37, of Dexter died Wednesday, June 7, 2000, at the home of her parents. She was born Jan. 24, 1963, at Dexter, daughter of Robert C. and Lena Tharp Adams. She and Tim Standridge were married Sept. 8, 1984, at Dexter...

Charles E. Jackson, 69, of Cape Girardeau died at his home Wednesday, June 7, 2000. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

KARNAK, Ill. -- Linda Cross, 54, of Karnak died Wednesday, June 7, 2000, at South Gate Health Care Center in Metropolis. Wilson Funeral Home in Karnak is in charge of arrangements.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Earnesthene Woods, 54, of Charleston died Tuesday, June 6, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Nov. 10, 1945, in Charleston, daughter of James and Myretta Clark Sinks. Woods attended Charleston High School...

Funeral for Virginia Owens of Cape Girardeau will be held at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The Rev. S.S. Borum will officiate. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 5-8 p.m. Saturday. Owens, 90, died Tuesday, June 6, 2000, at Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Services of Cape Girardeau...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Paula K. Carter, 50, of Charleston died Wednesday, June 7, 2000, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born July 26, 1949, in Sikeston, daughter of James and Lillie Northern Wren. She and William Carter were married Jan. 16, 1968...

MAYFIELD, Ky. -- William L. Hall, 78, of Mayfield and formerly of Mound City, Ill., died Wednesday, June 7, 2000, at Western Baptist Hospital. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Barkett Funeral Home in Mound City.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Bernard A. "Barney" Baer Sr., 89, of Perryville died Tuesday, June 6, 2000, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born July 6, 1910, at Apple Creek, son of Bernard M. and Mary Trapp Baer. He and Philomena C. Wibbenmeyer were married May 10, 1941, at Apple Creek. She died Sept. 21, 1994...

Despite a recent report that shows U.S. unemployment has edged up sending the stock market into an immediate upswing the fact is that there are far more jobs than there are job seekers in many categories of employment. Typically, this is the time of year when teen-agers, out of school for the summer, look for ways to earn spending money or cash for college. ...

With no shortage of worthy causes and projects on which to spend its money, it is curious that the Area Wide United Way wants to give the Cape Girardeau County Commission $20,000. While certainly a generous offer, the county hasn't fallen on such hard times that it needs financial support from a charitable organization to pursue endeavors important to its citizens...

To the editor: While I do not normally respond to materials printed in your paper, I feel compelled to do so in response to Tony Hall's series on drug courts and your June 5 editorial sue to the false light that your paper has attempted to place both myself and several other judges in...