Stories from Friday, August 4, 2000

"Smile." LaKaren Ware-Porter, who only moments earlier had been sharing a memory and a laugh with her sisters in the sanctuary of House of Prayer Church, was all game face as she and her sisters began rehearsing a song. LaKaren's is one voice in the five-member singing group appropriately named the Ware Sisters. Other members of the group are Shelly Ware-Moore, JoAnn Ware McCauley, Brenda Ware and Eric Ware...

GRASSY, Mo. -- The second annual August Bluegrass Festival will be held Aug. 11-13 at Arrowhead Campground in Grassy. Performers will include Grassy Mountain Boys and the Meramec Jets Aug. 11-12, White Oak Aug. 12, the Split Rail Bluegrass Band Aug. 12-13, the Missouri Bluegrass Band Aug. 12, Bob and Barb Aug. 11 and 13, the Bailey's Aug. 11 and 13...

Dr. Edwin smith will provide a stone sculpture demonstration Tuesday night at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Participants should bring a soapstone, available at local art supply stores. Smith is a professor of art at Southeast Missouri State University...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A former Missouri public defender in Cape Girardeau County who was hired in June as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Mississippi County was fired last week for what her boss called a deviation from ethical standards. Deidre Jewel, a Cape Girardeau native who has practiced law in recent years under the name Deidre Jewel McMenamin, was fired July 25 by Mississippi County Prosecuting Attorney Jennifer Rafferty. ...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Susan Steel says she knows her mother inside out, but she doesn't know where her mother is. "It's not like her," said Steel, talking about the disappearance of 57-year-old Willie Mae Vasquez of Scott City. "If she walks next door to a neighbor, she'll call me to tell me where she is."...

After nearly two decades with Mary Kasten as their state representative, voters in the 158th District have grown used to low-key -- often nonexistent -- campaigns for the office. A popular and respected legislator, Kasten faced opposition only three times during 18 primary and general elections since 1982...

Three things happened this week that made me think there is hope for Cape Girardeau: 1. The River Campus Board of Managers started to think like tourism marketing pros. 2. A woman from Burfordville pointed out the obvious: Concrete floodwalls don't help tourism...

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- Not everyone at the Republican Convention is thrilled with George W. Bush. Ron Gladney isn't. But then he's a St. Louis lawyer and staunch Democrat whose clients include labor unions. Gladney's attending the convention because of his wife, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. The political opposites married last January...

The Area Wide United Way is seeking donations of school supplies to help disadvantaged children in Cape Girardeau and Jackson prepare for the school year. Collection stations have been set up at Schnucks, ShopKo and Target stores and will remain through next Friday. Executive Director Nancy Jernigan said shoppers are encouraged to pick up extra packs of notebook paper, rulers, pencils, pens and other school-related items and drop them at the stations...

Cal Rockefeller, area manager of Cinema Billboard Network, a division of Technicolor, will speak at a luncheon meeting of the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals in Cape Girardeau on Aug. 10. The meeting is scheduled to begin at noon at the Cape West 14 Cine at 247 Siemers Dr...

BENTON, Mo. -- Rita Milam, Scott County clerk, prepared the following list of frequently asked questions concerning Tuesday's primary election: Q: Why do I have to pick a party ballot for this election? A: This is a primary election. The person receiving the greatest number of votes as a party candidate for an office shall be the only candidate of that party at the general election...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission plans to issue $4.7 million in bonds to finance construction of the Missouri Department of Conservation nature center. The state agency would pay back the county over 10 years, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said Thursday...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A fight outside bar Wednesday left a man with his ear partially bitten off. According to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, Tim Ingram of Morley, was leaving Cheers at 1637 E. Malone, Wednesday at approximately 6 p.m. when someone attacked him from behind...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has approved financing a study on improving two water supply systems -- or creating a consolidated system for a larger number of customers. State Rep. Marilyn Williams , D-Dudley, announced the funding this week...

Most golfers go a lifetime without achieving the seemingly elusive hole-in-one. Imagine the envy those people must be feeling when they learn of Jesse Hency's hole-in-one, recorded July 21 at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson, Mo. Jesse, you see, is only 6 years old (he'll turn 7 in November). ...

The McDowell Capahas returned to Kansas with loads of confidence as they look to keep rolling in the 66th annual National Baseball Congress World Series. Manager Jess Bolen's squad won its first two games when the 48-team, double-elimination tournament began last weekend in Wichita. That's the first time in several years that the Capahas have began the prestigious event with a 2-0 record...

It's a long way from Perryville, Mo., to the National Football League. You certainly don't have to remind Scott Pingel of that. And Pingel, a Perryville native, is still a long way from his dream of reaching the NFL. But he's certainly a lot closer than most young men who have at one time or another entertained those same dreams...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Funeral for Flora Bell Phillips of Sikeston will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Blanchard Funeral Chapel. Cletus Lemmons and Pat Hogan will officiate. Burial will be in the family cemetery at Montgomery City, Mo. Friends may call at the chapel from 5-8 p.m. today...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Funeral for Iris E. Null of Glenallen will be held at 11 a.m. today at New Salem Baptist Church north of Marble Hill, Mo. The Rev. Aaron Allen will officiate. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery at Marble Hill...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Earl Tremayne Street, 88, of Bloomfield died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 31, 1911, at Bloomfield, son of Lloyd Ancil and Alma Ella Chasteen Street. He and Wanda Marie Cook were married Aug. 1, 1931, at Bell City...

MATTHEWS, Mo. -- Richard Lee Smith, 53, of Matthews died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2000, at his home. He was born Aug. 30, 1946, in East Prairie, Mo., son of Harry and Helen Myers Smith. He and Belvee Woodard were married Nov. 22, 1966. Smith was a farmer, and member of Parker Memorial Pentecostal Holiness Church in Sikeston, Mo...

TAMMS, Ill. -- James L. "Jim" RedCloud, 66, of Tamms died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2000, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Ill. Crain Funeral Home in Tamms is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Christina Nicole Johnson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:15 a.m. Monday, July 31, 2000. Name, Daja Diane. Weight, 6 pounds 14 ounces. First child. Miss Johnson is the daughter of Benny and Genetha Johnson of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at May Credit Service Center...

Mae L. Farmer, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2000, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Feb. 2, 1916, in Dent County, Mo., daughter of Lem and Burtle Tucker Hanning. She and Coy Farmer were married Sept. 22, 1934, in St. Louis. Farmer moved to St. Louis in 1926. She worked at Superior Electric, transferring to the plant in Cape Girardeau in 1936. She retired in 1962. She was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, Mo...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mary Reddick, 49, of Jackson died Thursday, Aug. 3, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Chapel in Jackson.

I JUST went out to walk my dog and found that someone had planted a political poster in my front yard. Maybe that is how things are done here, but where I come from it is considered good manners to ask someone before you put your poster in a front yard. Had I been considering voting for this candidate, he would certainly not get my vote now. I think that is an appalling lack of manners...

Republican convention media clamor: At least 13,000 to 15,000 media folks -- reporters, photographers, TV, radio and newspaper people -- were in Philadelphia this week (and a similar number will undoubtedly be at the Democratic convention in Los Angeles starting Aug. 14)...

The fuss over the war memorial at Cape Girardeau County Park North took some unusual twists after plans for the Missouri Conservation Department's new nature center were announced. Those plans showed the center being built where the war memorial is now, and the memorial moving to a new location...

When Southeast Missouri State University officials announced plans for the new River Campus in 1998, development of site plans and preliminary architectural drawings were put on a fast track so voters would have some idea of what they would get if they approved a bond issue and sales tax in November of that year...

To the editor: I received the following from an Internet friend. It's powerful stuff. This should make us stop and think about how our Christian freedoms are being eroded. Question is, what can and will we do about it? Just suppose that at every ball game, graduation and prom, someone who has had enough of stupid, anti-historical court decisions had the guts to start reciting the Lord's Prayer loudly, and others joined in, then more, until hundreds participated...