Stories from Thursday, September 14, 2000

More and more Americans are turning to health clubs as a method of getting into the regimen of an organized exercise plan. Medical experts have long agreed that a rigid schedule of exercise does more for the body than that occasional give-it-all-you've-got workout...

They were all intelligent and creative people who had dyslexia. The word dyslexia derives from the Greek, meaning difficulty with words. Some have referred to it as "word blindness" but in fact the difficulty is not blindness but rather inability, or pronounced difficulty, in learning to read or spell despite normal intellectual function. ...

Thomas Howard, principal of St. Augustine School in Kelso, Mo., will be the next executive director of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Ironically, former executive director Daniel North resigned in July to take a job teaching art in St. Louis...

A soap box derby, the likes of which have not been seen in Cape Girardeau for many years, is set to take place Saturday morning on North Sprigg Street. The Southeast Missourian will publish a special section Friday previewing the derby, which is a project of the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau. The derby's major sponsor is St. Francis Medical Center...

The Southeast Missourian has named Heidi Nieland Hall as its new managing editor. Hall, a weekly columnist for the newspaper and a former staff writer, replaces Joni Adams, who is now Web master at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Hall, 30, has 13 years experience in the newspaper industry which should be a benefit to the newspaper's readers, said Editor R. Joe Sullivan. Two of the news organizations she worked for -- Gannett and Tribune -- are considered some of the best in the country, he added...

A group of old-time teamsters tried their hand at driving horses Thursday during the Senior Horse/Mule Hitch Challenge at the 145th SEMO District Fair. Eight contestants over 65 years old competed in the event, which debuted at the fair last year after several older fairgoers mentioned they'd like to see a horse event created especially for seniors...

The signals at Broadway and Pacific will not function until this evening. Ongoing projects:...

A Mississippi County, Mo., man was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on felony drug charges for making methamphetamine. Ronnie W. Lane, 49, was sentenced to 151 months in prison without parole on one felony count of attempting to manufacture meth. He appeared in federal court in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A poor appetite and other signals led the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department to send a 16-year-old charged with murder back to a state mental hospital, Sheriff John Jordan said. "He was not eating, and we decided we weren't going to take any chances," Jordan said...

JACKSON, Mo. -- A murder trial has been cut short for the second time by a mistrial, a Cape Girardeau judge said. The prosecutor, defense attorney and judge all agreed that it was better to end the trial of 20-year-old Darius Nicholson on Tuesday after a question of conflict of interest by Nicholson's attorney was raised, Circuit Judge John Grimm said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With tears in her eyes and voice cracking with emotion, state Rep. Mary Kasten bid farewell to her colleagues in the Missouri House of Representatives Wednesday, bringing to a close her 18-year legislative career. "You have to be a member of this body to understand the camaraderie that comes about while you're here," said Kasten, a Cape Girardeau Republican. "It has been a great 18 years."...

Southeast Missouri State University has case law on its side in keeping union pickets off campus grounds, a school official said Wednesday. The general rule is that picketing is "always restricted to outside the owner's property," said Dr. Pauline Fox, vice president of administration and enrollment management...

One robbery suspect was caught and another escaped during two separate chases on Tuesday, Cape Girardeau police said. About 10:22 p.m., the Jade Chinese restaurant at 2123 Broadway was robbed, police said. It made the 21st robbery in Cape Girardeau since early July...

Area employees in the industrial sector are taking advantage of an opportunity to advance their technological skills through an evening degree program offered by the School of Polytechnic Studies and the School of Extended Learning at Southeast Missouri State University...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County commissioners and sheriff approved revised design plans with Robert Stearnes, jail architect, moving the new county jail one step closer to a groundbreaking. Looking over the schematics during Tuesday's meeting, commissioners approved the plan with two exceptions: the back-up generators will be placed outside instead of in the basement, and there will be no access door leading outside from the recreation yard, which will be entirely enclosed with four walls and chain link and mesh over the top.. ...

A 23-year-old Cape Girardeau man was charged with two felony counts of assault Wednesday, police said. Roy L. Jones, of 234 S. Ellis St., Apt. B, was charged after he stabbed and attempted to choke two people residing at the apartment on Tuesday, Cpl. Kevin Orr said...

The following children were chosen as winners in the boys division of the Baby Contest at the SEMO District Fair Wednesday. The girls division had been held earlier in the week. Winners by division are: Three to six months Dalton Roy Duvall, son of Scott and Robynne Duvall of Perryville, Mo., first place; Jeffrey Long, son of Todd and Tina Long of Cape Girardeau; second place; Reiss Groves, son of Kala Garnett and Ryan Groves of Cape Girardeau, third place...

Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday at 7 p.m. City Hall, 401 Independence Action taken Applications Subdivision plats Other items...

Simple explanations, anticipating difficult questions and offering maps and charts to explain the finer points of a proposal to adopt countywide planning were just a few of the suggestions made by the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission Wednesday night...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Two teen-age girls attempting to find a way out of school Wednesday morning landed in the Cape Girardeau County Juvenile Detention Center instead, police said. Two girls, ages 13 and 14, were referred to juvenile authorities for making a false police report...

Southeast Missouri State University has added a new division to its Recreational Sports program. Starting this semester, students will be able to form and participate in Club Sports, which will compete against other schools and are organized and almost entirely funded by students...

Amy Arteme, a Southeast Missouri State junior from Benton, was recently selected the Ohio Valley Conference's Runner of the Week. After an impressive win in the two-mile Plough Park Invitational in Memphis in the opening week of the season in 11:55, Arteme tied for second place with a time of 12:02 in the Racer Invitational in Murray, Ky...

Southeast Missouri State soccer forward Nichole Thiele, a senior from Cape Girardeau, is among the NCAA leaders in points per game and goals per game after five Otahkian games this season. Through Sept. 10, Thiele is ranked 13th in points per game (3.00) and 16th in goals per game (1.25)...

BENTON -- Kelly's softball team recorded its second win over Cape Central (10-4) this season, knocking off the Lady Tigers 3-2 Wednesday to remain undefeated. Kelly (8-0) scored all three runs in the third inning. Bridgett Riley had a big two-run double in that inning. She also pitched the last two innings for the save...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Stella Mae Andrews, 83, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 4, 1917, in Allenville, Mo., daughter of Albert and Mable Withers Lape. Stella and James Lemuel Andrews were married in December 1935 at Benton, Mo. He died March 9, 1963...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Mona L. McCord, 61, of Kennett died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center. She was born April 11, 1939, in Piggott, Ark., daughter of Leslie and Dorothy Davis Haywood. She and Jim McCord were married May 30, 1962, in Portageville, Mo...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Grace Burd of Anna will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at First Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The Revs. Steve Wilkinson and Ron Cox will officiate. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens at Villa Ridge, Ill. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Anna from 5-8 p.m. today...

CROSSTOWN, Mo. -- Mark A. Verseman, 35, of Crosstown died Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at his home. He was born Oct. 1, 1964, in Perry County, Mo., son of Arlin and Lois Wharton Verseman. He and Karen M. Hartmann were married April 29, 1989. Verseman worked at TG Missouri and farmed. He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, and booster member of American Legion Post 133...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Hayden I. Keith, 92, of Cairo, died Wednesday at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

JACKSON, Mo. -- Viola Short, 94, formerly of Jackson, died Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at the Sikeston Health Care Nursing Home in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Grant Gillard officiating...

Funeral for Ron K. Reimann of Cape Girardeau will be held at 10 a.m. today at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. The Rev. Ron Watts will officiate. Entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum. Reimann, 57, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at his home...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Dennis Kinder, 56, of Chaffee died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 8, 1943, at Chaffee, son of Dick and Laura Noble Kinder. He and Rosetta Mae Harrell were married Feb. 22, 1962...

Son to Robert Eugene Griffith and Amanda Lynn Beck of Chaffee, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:24 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, 2000. Name, Blake Eugene. Weight, 6 pounds 6 ounces. First child. Ms. Beck is the daughter of Shelia Beck of Scott City, Mo., and Ben Beck of Rison, Ark. Griffith is the son of Hazel Boese of Chaffee and Bob Griffith of Cape Girardeau...

I AM calling about you article on Cristy Baker-Neel's request for a special prosecutor. This really upsets me terribly. There is no need for our county to be paying extra money for a prosecutor. The people have elected someone to take care of this position. ...

Last week, a 16-year-old student at Poplar Bluff Senior High School told some other students that he was going to put a pipe bomb in the gym during an assembly. This was properly reported to school authorities who called the police. Within hours, the student who made the threat was in the custody of juvenile authorities facing stiff sanctions from school officials...

The earliest record of taxation is about 6,000 years old. This first known tax was imposed to pay for -- what else? -- a war. Tax collectors were heavily armed and had full authority to use whatever means necessary to collect the tax. Eventually, the war ended. But the tax collectors liked their jobs -- and the money. So they kept collecting taxes, often by force...

To the editor: This is a letter I sent to Ann Wagner, state chair of the Missouri Republican Party in Jefferson City: As a Republican who believes that politics in its truest sense can be noble and self-sacrificing public service (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Byron White and John Danforth are prime examples), I am disgusted by the actions taken by Daryl Duwe, described in the Southeast Missourian as a Republican Party spokesman, in holding a press conference in Cape Girardeau Monday to claim that state Sen. ...