Stories from Saturday, September 16, 2000

Four years ago Wayne Moore and Bill Parker saw an aging congregation and thought Red Star Baptist Church wasn't attracting younger families. They knew that if it didn't get more young families in it, the church would die a slow death. So they decided to try AWANA, a program that is designed to equip churches for evangelization and to disciple children and youth through a weekly Bible study. The name is an acronym for Approved Workers Are Not Ashamed and comes from a Scripture reference...

When Cari Noel of Cape Girardeau was younger she did what most children do in church -- she sat in the back and passed notes to her friends. That was before she became part of AWANA. In those days, she was bored with church and confused with what the minister was saying...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- As Perry County's revamped Senate Bill 40 board met with a new group of members for the third time this year, old tensions that divided the board earlier seemed hard to bury. Four people who had been part of a lawsuit to retain their positions on the unpaid board participated again as members Friday for the first time since they were dismissed last March...

JACKSON, Mo. -- It wasn't very loud, but prayers rarely are. Many football fans recited the Lord's Prayer prior to the Jackson High School football game Friday night in what one organizer of the event described as an act of "civil disobedience" that attorneys have assured was completely legal...

Today, Sept. 16 Grandstand: 8 p.m., Don Williams. Special Events: 8:30 a.m., 4-H/FFA public speaking; 10:30 a.m., Parade of Champions; 11:30 a.m., Quarter Scramble; 1 p.m., Poultry/Rabbit Dress-Up; 2 p.m., Pee Wee Showmanship; 1:30-3 p.m., AG Adventure; 4 p.m., Pedal Tractor Pull...

Dr. Stanley Grand's office is tucked into a corner behind the exhibits in the Southeast Missouri University Museum. But with his wide-ranging love of art and culture, Grand, 55, isn't easy to pigeonhole. "I am just curious as I can be about anything," he said...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Two Southern Illinois women suffered major injuries Friday afternoon in a head-on collision in rural Ullin. Deborah C. McHarry, 36, of Ullin was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital after the 1 p.m. accident on Crippen Road, one and one-half miles south of Shawnee College Road...

Cape Girardeau County's temporary planning commission will hold six public meetings on the county planning ballot issue. The issue is on the Nov. 7 ballot. Voters will be asked to approve county planning, which would clear the way for the Cape Girardeau County Commission to implement planning and zoning regulations...

FRUITLAND, Mo. -- Most of the 250 seats at the Fruitland Livestock Auction Barn are filled the first Tuesday of each month. "That's when we feature sheep, goats and pigs," said Neal Franke, barn manager for the weekly livestock auction, held at he facility...

Two men and a 16-year-old boy have been charged with robbery and other felonies for a Sept. 5 incident involving a group of up to 20 who harassed and beat a man leaving a Cape Girardeau restaurant and bar, police said. Arrested were Robert D. Weissinger, 23, of 603 Mechaw St., and John R. Mitchell II, 19, of 1502 Scott St., Cpl. Kevin Orr said. The boy was cited into juvenile court...

For 25 years, Danny Essner has seen southeast Missourians from all walks of life come together for a common cause: hot rods. Essner is a charter member of the River City Rodders car club, which is having its 23rd annual car show Sunday at Capaha Park...

COBDEN, Ill. -- A 47-year-old man was arrested after law enforcement officers caught him trying to harvest a crop of marijuana worth over $700,000, the Illinois State Police said. William Randall Runion, of Carbondale, Ill., was arrested on his father's property Sunday in Cobden...

U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft listened to the health care concerns of a group of senior citizens and health care providers at Southeast Missouri Hospital Friday afternoon. The group's concerns involved issues such as Medicare payments, the price of prescription medicine, hospitals' inability to operate in the black and government bureaucracy in health care...

If anything ever were a labor of love, "Winding Roads" is. The movie is a story about the decisions people make searching for love, but the making and distribution of the movie is itself a love story. Director Ted Melfi, a Southwest Missouri State University graduate, and his wife, actress Kimberly Quinn, wrote the screenplay after asking themselves how people decide whom to spend the rest of their lives with...

In the Robinson Carving Co., everyone has to chip off some old block sooner or later. Stacey Robinson started making objets d'art with his chainsaw 19 years ago. His 18-year-old son, Travis, has cut alongside him in shows for about three years now, and 16-year-old Clint starts his chainsaw practice at their home in Montgomery City, Mo., this winter...

A fire caused $3,000 in damage to a trailer home early Friday morning, the Cape Girardeau Fire Department reported. The trailer, at 606 Silver Springs Rd., was reported to be on fire at 12:39 a.m. Friday. A fire started in the trailer's rear bedroom. No one was at home when the fire started, and no one was seriously injured...

Members of the Missouri Tourism Commission, in Cape Girardeau as a group for the first time ever this week, were treated to the sights local visitors bureau staff want all tourists to enjoy, including downtown and the new river campus of Southeast Missouri State University...

Southeast Missouri State University first-year football coach Tim Billings says Illinois State is the type of program he hopes the Indians some day resemble. Tonight, Billings and the Indians will get a first-hand look at the program they would like to emulate as the Redbirds help Southeast open its home schedule with a 6 o'clock kickoff at Houck Stadium...

Cape Girardeau Central High School's football team wanted to make a major statement last week, but the Tigers fell a bit short of an upset at powerhouse New Madrid County Central. There was no falling short Friday night, however, as the Tigers spoke loud and clear with a resounding 30-6 pasting of a perennially strong Blytheville (Ark.) squad that was coming off a last-second loss to Poplar Bluff...

Cape Central 30, Blytheville 6 Jackson 37, Perryville 3 Scott City 7, East Prairie 6 Piggott 49, Chaffee 0 St. Vincent 13, Lutheran South 10 Festus 41, Fredericktown 8 Caruthersville 20, Charleston 16 Sikeston 17, Dexter 0 Jackson Northside 35, Poplar Bluff 32...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Before the season, Jackson coach Carl Gross warned of this. Stack nine or 10 in the box to stop Mario Whitney and Jackson can find other ways to beat you. The Indians passed for 207 yards and Ray Goodson caught three passes for 120 yards as the Indians posted a 37-3 victory over the visiting Perryville Pirates Friday night...

Defending Ohio Valley Conference volleyball champion Southeast Missouri State begins defense of its title this weekend at Houck Fieldhouse. Off to a slow start at 1-6, SEMO is excited to begin conference play. "We have faced some tough competition over the past two weeks and I hope that translates into big wins this weekend," said SEMO coach Cindy Gannon...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Scott City scored its only touchdown on a 1-yard Bradley Glenn run, but it proved to be enough offense to overcome a spirited East Prairie squad as the Rams claimed a 7-6 SEMO South Conference victory Friday night. Scott City, ranked seventh in Missouri Class 2A, improved to 3-0. East Prairie fell to 1-2...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Hubert J. Milfelt, 71, of Perryville died Friday, Sept. 15, 2000, at Perry County Nursing Home. He was born Sept. 22, 1928, in Perry County, Mo., son of Joseph and Lena Kiefer Milfelt. He and Ruth Manner were married Sept. 19, 1953...

ESSEX, Mo. -- Delphia L. "Dorothy" Sitz, 90, of Essex died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter, Mo. She was born Dec. 29, 1909, in Ashville, N.C., daughter of William L. and Mary Etta Deweese Sawyer. She and Clarence H. Sitz were married Jan. 23, 1932, in Rosewell, Mich...

RANDLES, Mo. -- Nadine Pleasant, 75, of Troy, Mo., formerly of Randles, died Friday, Sept. 15, 2000, at Lincoln County Memorial Hospital in Troy. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Clifford D. Crump, 71, of Belleville, Ill., died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000, at Belleville Memorial Hospital. He was born March 17, 1929, at Chaffee, son of Ernest Kirby and Ida Mae Williams Crump. He and Norma O'Mara were married March 3, 1967...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- "Our Little Angel," Alexander James Rios Salinas, born in Pleasanton, Calif., July 11, 1996, was returned to Our Heavenly Father on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2000, at 7:28 p.m. Alex was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at 11 months old and fought a battle with a loving and courageous spirit. He taught many lessons and touched many lives in his four years on earth...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Earline Lee, 85, of Morley died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000, at her home. She was born Oct. 26, 1914, at East Prairie, Mo., daughter of Tom Wesley and Hanna Eveline Morgan Flowers. She and Robert "Shelton" Lee were married Oct. 20, 1941, at New Madrid, Mo. He died May 24, 2000...

Robert Charles Blattner, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Sept. 15, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born April 18, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, son of Charles F. and Helen Kies Blattner. He and Earlene Schrader were married March 21, 1942, at Dexter, Mo. She died Nov. 20, 1990...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Funeral for Ward Dillow of Jonesboro will be held at 3:30 p.m. today at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. Bryan McAlister and Joe A. Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery in Dongola, Ill., with graveside rites by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Funeral for Thomas Henry "Hank" Dinkins of Malden will be held at 2 p.m. today at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Glen Graham will officiate. Burial will be in Rosewood Cemetery, with military graveside rites. Dinkins, 74, died Thursday, Sept. 14, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Funeral for Ryan James Otte of Ste. Genevieve County was held Thursday at Taylor Funeral Home in Farmington, Mo. The Rev. Donald E. Cox Sr. officiated. Burial was in Little Vine Cemetery in Ste. Genevieve County. Otte, 18, died Monday, Sept. 11, 2000, at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis...

THIS IS an appeal to those who commute in the mornings and afternoons between Jackson and Cape. A law was passed in Missouri that on a four-lane highway you are supposed to stay in the right-hand lane unless you are passing. Then you move over into the left lane to successfully pass the other driver and then pull back into the right lane. ...

George Bush's biggest problem is not Al Gore. It's voter complacency stemming from our prosperity. Bush must remind voters why this election is vitally important. I am not knocking prosperity. In fact, one of the best ways Bush can distinguish himself from Gore is to show how his domestic agenda will preserve economic growth. Because Gore misunderstands the source of our prosperity, he will squander it as surely as a teen-ager would throw away an inherited fortune...

Cape Girardeau has received considerable notice in recent months for being on the cutting edge of disaster preparedness. In 1997, the city was designated as a Project Impact community, one of the first in the nation. Project Impact is a program that coordinates planning and preparation to blunt the effects of disasters as well as dealing with disasters when they occur...

When the U.S. House of Representatives voted in June to abolish federal inheritance taxes, 65 Democrats joined the Republican majority to send the bill to President Clinton. The president, as promised, vetoed the measure, calling it a huge tax cut for wealthy Americans...