Stories from Friday, January 5, 2001

His uniform was baggy -- he had gigantic feet His hat was always cock-eyed & he had but a few teeth And a schnozz as big as Baltimore -- and a heart as big as Devon Max Patkin made the children laugh -- and for that he's gone to Heaven ... -- From "Gone to Heaven"...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Carl Gene Penzel and his son Philip Penzel snow ski, hunt and fish together, and for many years they worked together in the family construction business. Now they've found something new to do together -- run for public office. Thursday, both filed for different seats on the Jackson Board of Aldermen...

The 1-cent stamp is back in vogue for the first time in two years because of a postal rate increase effective Sunday. The first-class letter rate is rising to 34 cents. Toni L. Charles, customer service manager for the U.S. Postal Service in Cape Girardeau, said the rush on 1-cent stamps has begun and will worsen next week. If an anticipated shipment doesn't come by Saturday, Cape Girardeau's post office and area stamp vending machines may not have them...

BENTON, Mo. -- Voters in Kelly School District could consider their sixth funding proposal in three years if a group of bond issue proponents gathers enough public support. The Builders for Tomorrow Committee will sponsor an open meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the high school band room. The committee campaigned in support of the district's $4.9 million bond issue to build a new high school, but it failed during November elections...

Anyone who knows me also knows I'm a big booster of the Mississippi River. Quite frankly, the river needs all the fans it can get. As noted elsewhere in this newspaper (the lead editorial on today's Opinion page), the river that flows past the River City of Roses, Murals and One-Lane Streets Currently Under Construction rarely gets noticed unless it's threatening to wipe out downtown or has trapped a tug pushing a line of barges in a block of ice...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson appointed Mike Hurst as Cape Girardeau County coroner Thursday to fill the vacancy created by the death of longtime coroner John Carpenter. The Cape Girardeau Democrat, who lost his race for public administrator in November, will serve a four-year term ending in 2004...

Water Street will be closed between Independence and Broadway for about two weeks during construction on the city's lift station and force main project. The project is the first stage of a plan being paid for by the $8.5 million sewer bond approved by voters last year...

BENTON, Mo. -- Skeletal remains discovered in a concrete grain silo last month belong to a 25-year-old Sikeston man who was possibly a homicide victim, the Scott County sheriff said Thursday. Undraus D. Nabors' remains were identified this week by a forensic anthropologist from the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office, Sheriff Bill Ferrell said...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau County Commission is tongue tied when it comes to proclaiming "Falun Dafa Week." The commissioners aren't even sure what Falan Dafa is, much less whether it deserves an official proclamation for the week of Jan. 22-28...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Gary Garner worried all week that his Southeast Missouri State University men's basketball team would be looking ahead to Saturday's nationally televised showdown at Austin Peay, thus not focusing properly on Tennessee State. Well, Garner evidently fretted for nothing. The Indians were plenty focused Thursday night, blitzing the Tigers early and often on their way to an 88-57 Ohio Valley Conference road romp...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Cape Central Lady Tigers played the No. 3-ranked Poplar Bluff Mules tough before falling 49-37. Trailing by only four points with six minutes to go, Central (7-3) saw the Lady Mules go into a stall which took about two minutes off the clock...

The St. Francis Indoor Invitational 2001 will begin play today and continue through Sunday at three sites on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. The indoor youth soccer tournament, in its seventh year, will contain a field of 110 teams from four states. The tournament is for boys and girls ages 9 to 16...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Ed Arnzen figured Thursday night's Ohio Valley Conference opener would be a big character test for his team, which was coming off a dismal performance in its most recent outing...

Daughter to Jeffrey Scott and Lisa Ann McBride of Scott City, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6:42 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2000. Name, Lacey LeAnn. Weight, 7 pounds 15 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. McBride is the former Lisa Bates, daughter of Vester Bates of Bell City, Mo., and Robin Bates of Cape Girardeau. She is a senior at Scott City High School. McBride is the son of Danny and Wanda McBride Sr. of Scott City. He is employed at Purcell Tire and Rubber Co...

Howard Meagle, general manager for KFVS-TV, is transferring to Memphis, Tenn. with Raycom Media, Inc. Jeff Rosser, group vice president, television for Raycom Media, headquartered at Montgomery, Ala., confirmed late Thursday that Meagle would join WMC-TV, a NBC affiliate at Memphis...

Virginia Dorothy "Ginny" Thornton, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 12, 1917, in St. Louis, daughter of Earl and Marguerite Minnigerode Drake. She and Luther Eugene Thornton were married Aug. 31, 1940. He died Aug. 24, 1992...

WHITEWATER, Mo. -- Raymond W. Abernathy, 74, of Whitewater died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 10, 1926, at Benton, Mo., son of Harry J. and Gladys M. Campbell Abernathy. He and Martha E. Welker were united in marriage Aug. 16, 1951...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Opal L. Newton, 78, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001, at Clearview Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 5, 1922, in Obion, Tenn., daughter of Marvin and Daisy Ladd Fausett. She and R.L. Newton were married Feb. 17, 1940. He died Feb. 6, 1998...

Grace H. Ousterhout, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001, at her home. She was born Sept. 26, 1907, in Allegan, Mich., daughter of Jacob and Grace Harriet Smith Banks. She first married Kenneth William Bond in February 1927. He died in 1959. She later married Earl Ousterhout in June 1960. He died in 1969...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Jerry Everett Lucas, 59, of Bernie died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter, Mo. He was born Dec. 26, 1942, in Flint, Mich., son of Louie and Avenell Rodgers Lucas. Lucas lived in Michigan many years, moving to Bernie six years ago. He was a drywall installer until retiring due to ill health...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Funeral for Sarah E. Castle of Mounds will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Ill. The Rev. Herman Painter will officiate. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge. Friends may call at the funeral home from 8 a.m. until service time...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Esther Wheelis of Dexter died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at her home. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ANNISTON, Mo. -- Nettie F. Rodgers, 94, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at Lucy Lee Hospital in Poplar Bluff. She was born Oct. 10, 1906, in Mississippi County, Mo., daughter of Joseph D. and Ollie Roach O'Connor. She and James F. Rodgers were married in 1937. He died Jan. 11, 1954...

BENTON, Mo. -- Willard J. Hopper, 85, of Benton died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

Janis A. Matthews of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Funeral Home.

Cape Girardeau's prominence as a river town tends to get lost in the hustle and bustle of life on land. But there are times when the Mississippi River becomes the focus of attention. One is when the river goes on a flooding rampage. Another is when frigid temperatures draw our attention to the freezing river water...

I KNEW it was going to happen. As soon as the Democrats got out of office, the Rams did not repeat. I knew this was going to happen. IF PEOPLE think things have been so great the past eight years, I'd like to know where it is. Everything you can name has gone up. ...

IWhen it comes to times of adversity around the globe, there is one organization that is likely to be on the scene rendering assistance: the Red Cross. In this country, the American Red Cross is on there when tornadoes or hurricanes hit, when floods wash away entire communities and when other tragedies leave people homeless and in need...

To the editor: As a nation, we decided some 40 years ago to go astray. At first it was a few rebels without a cause. Then with civil rights and the Vietnam War came a cause, and our youths followed the rebels and created a new anthem of rock 'n' roll...