Stories from Saturday, June 17, 2000

The Rev. J. Friedel blessed the sacrements before the serving of communion on Pentcost Sunday. A man kneels in prayer, making the sign of the cross as he enters a pew. A pastor utters a prayer before observing the Lord's Supper. A congregation, without instruction, rises to sing a doxology as ushers come forward with the offering collection...

Cape Girardeau County's new transit board needs to take stock of the taxi and van services already provided, say two transportation providers. The County Commission established a five-member transit authority this week to better coordinate transportation services countywide...

A group of Cape Girardeau police officers is looking for ways to raise money, but Police Chief Rick Hetzel said their efforts don't represent the department. The Cape Girardeau Police Officers Association, made up of 45 active officers, started its first-ever telemarketing campaign this week, said patrolman Curtis Sessions, association president. ...

In what is described as a win-win situation, Cape Girardeau County is getting a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring organization through an affiliation with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater St. Louis. Officials with the St. Louis organization were in Cape Girardeau Friday to make the announcement of the affiliation official...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- It's Saturday morning, and Mildred Wallhausen is most likely where she always is at that time of day: at work. "Nobody interrupts me on Saturday," Wallhausen said from her home Friday. "That's why I like to work on Saturdays, because I can lock the door and get some work done."...

is column originally ran Jan. 25, 1997. I'm a nosy person, which often helps me as a reporter. I like to join other people's conversations, and the offended down-the-nose stares they give me do not deter me from giving my opinion when I think I need to...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dressed in his "bullrider" hat and belt buckle and a shirt imprinted with the heads of longhorns, cherub-faced Charlie Daniels did Friday night what country acts do for their fans on concert nights: He smiled for the cameras and signed autographs countless times backstage before going on. But fans love Charlie Daniels because there's something he won't do: Make the kind of mealy-mouthed music that gets people on the country Top 10 these days...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A drug checkpoint on Interstate 55 didn't catch any large shipments of narcotics Friday, but it was still effective, the Perry County sheriff said. "This is the first time we have tried this in Perry County," Sheriff Gary Schaaf said. "We may do this sort of thing again in the future."...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Schaper's IGA Foodliner officially became a Food Giant Friday. The sale of the supermarket at 528 W. Main St. occurred last week and became official Friday. Jim Maevers of Maevers Management Inc., owner of Schaper's IGA Foodliner, said the competitive situation among grocery stores in Jackson dictated the decision to sell the store to Food Giant, an employee-owned company with 84 stores...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Joseph H. Lukefahr, 98, of Perryville died Thursday, June 15, 2000, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born Nov. 22, 1901, in Perry County, son of Frank and Minnie Roberts Lukefahr. He and Mary Lou Briscoe were married in 1940. She died April 18, 1985...

Son to Robert and Catherine Kraus of Ridgefield, Conn., 1:11 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2000. Name, William Robert. Weight, 7 pounds 9 ounces. First child. Mrs. Kraus is the former Catherine Bollinger of Cape Girardeau, daughter of Linda Bollinger of Millersville...

Patricia Sue George, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 16, 2000, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 28, 1935, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Homer and Ruth E. Ingram George. George was a lifetime resident of Cape Girardeau. She worked at VIP Industries. She was a member of First Baptist Church and its Love Sunday School Class...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Veda Jewell Skinner, 73, of Jackson died Friday, June 16, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 15, 1927, at Patton, daughter of John F. and Nola Elizabeth Reagan Brotherton. She and Ray Skinner were married Dec. 3, 1946, in Jackson...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Fred Dark, 78, of Parkville died Friday, June 16, 2000, at Overland Park Hospital near Parkville. He was born Feb. 7, 1922, in Charleston, son of Stanley and Claudia Dark. He and Ruth Bevil were married in June 1946. Dark moved from Charleston in 1946. He was retired from the Chevrolet plant in St. Louis. He moved to Parkville from West Alton...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- John W. Coonrod, 83, of Mound City died Friday, June 16, 2000, at Meridian Manor Nursing Home in Mounds, Ill. He was born Nov. 8, 1916, at Mound City, son of John and Dora Bell Coonrod. He was a retired commercial fisherman. He was a member of the First Baptist Church...

Helen Louise Hency, 70, of Lake Wales, Fla., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, June 16, 2000, at Lake Wales Hospital. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Ernest E. Warren, 50, of Greenville, N.C., died Thursday, June 15, 2000, at Chapel Hill, N.C., Medical Center. He was born Aug. 12, 1949, son of Clyde and Josephine Warren. Following the death of his father, he was raised by his mother and stepfather, Josephine and Hurl Dale. He and Elizabeth Dottger were married April 28, 1972, in Cape Girardeau...

Before pulling over a motorist, a police officer should have good reason for doing so. Simply not liking the look of someone is not a reasonable cause for suspicion. After an investigation revealed that New Jersey State Police inappropriately targeted racial minorities for traffic stops, law enforcement agencies throughout the country have had to deal with the issue of racial profiling...

Three times a year, the Avenue of Flags in Cape Girardeau County Park North is an impressive sight. Approximately 250 American flags -- each one representing a deceased local veteran -- line the entrance to the park every Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Veterans Day. As impressive as at is, it could be doubly so...

To the editor: I'm sure many of you reading this are familiar with the serenity prayer. This is addressed to those who may not know it or to those who are familiar but perhaps would like to be reminded of its meaning to me. I am uncertain who wrote the prayer. It goes as follows: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference ."...

To the editor: Way to go, youths. That was what I was thinking when I was told how much Youth Walk for Diabetes 2000 raised. The walk was a tremendous success, raising over $9,000. I am proud to say that all of the money raised will go into a special new fund that the American Diabetes Association has set up just for youths...