Stories from Sunday, April 22, 2001

Nikki Wilson demonstrated proper stretching techniques at Main Street Fitness' Community Room. Health promotion students from Southeast Missouri State University held their last seminar in a series that began in February, entitled Healthy Weight, Healthy Heart 2001. This program was made possible through generous financial support from HealthLink...

Majhon Phillips, a seventh-grader at St. Paul Lutheran School, has completed organizing another Diabetes Walk for the American Diabetes Association. The April 7 walk was her second, and she plans to do it again next year. Phillips was motivated by her father's battle with this illness and the effect it had on her family. ...

Students and teachers from R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau participated in NASA's Earth to Orbit Engineering Design Challenge, and were to visit NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala...

The picture shows the Cape Girardeau County Shipping Association on Feb. 7, 1922. Adolph Kies, manager of the association, reported that from the 48 wagons coming that day, 338 hogs, 44 head of cattle and 312 sheep were loaded into nine rail cars. The Jackson Depot of Louis Houck's Railroad can be seen on the left in the picture. It was at 506 E. Washington St. near where the CO-OP Service Center is today...

Chairman Brad Burgess called the regular monthly meeting to order at 8 p.m. Members present were Burgess, Randy Eggiman, Tim Goodman, Sheila Gross, & Kathy Maynard. Guest's present were Steve Southard and Bill Dalton. Minutes of the March meeting were reviewed and corrections were made. Motion was to accept the minutes. Motion was approved...

Julie Levin, Rose Kemp and Jean Carnahan have received the Women Legislators of Missouri's annual DeVerne Lee Calloway Award during recent ceremony. The winners also received an engraved crystal vase. DeVerne Lee Calloway, the first African-American woman to serve in the Missouri General Assembly, represented District 81 in St. Louis from 1963 to 1982. She won battles in the areas of civil rights and civil liberties...

Tradition: The first passage from the dictionary defines it as follows; 1) handing down of knowledge, beliefs, customs or the like, from one generation to another. I remember when the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" came out and my Dad played the record all the time. ...

It was crisp and cold as they hurried along. The sun was peeking over the horizon, painting the fleecy clouds shades of orange and pink and violet. The cemetery was just over the hill; dark shadows still filled this place of death. The women were talking, faster and louder than usual; they were cold, they were nervous, they were afraid. ...

This week at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau, members of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority celebrated 70 years strong. President of Laureate Alpha Rho chapter, Loretta Atkins, said there are 11 chapters in the immediate area; 10 in Cape and one in Jackson. The Laureate Alpha Rho Chapter was the host of the celebration this year...

A natural wren house. Martin houses. A tin-roofed house. Squirrel feeder. Bob Lloyd is a friend of birds. Lloyd and his wife, Ann, also a friend of nature, provide feeders and houses for birds, squirrels and bats as well as an especially handy maintenance service for those having bluebird trails 10 bluebird houses on their property...

The following are just some of the new titles now available at the library: Easy Picture books: "My Son John," by Jim Aylesworth; "Henry the Sailor Cat," by Mary Calhoun, "The Youngest Fairy Godmother Ever," by Stephen Krensky; "Soccer Mom from Outer Space," by Barney Saltzberg; "Nocture," By Jane Yolen...

The children of First Presbyterian and members of the Girl Scout Troop 182, accompanied by the Rev. Grant Gillard and several adults, spent part of Good Friday on a bunny delivering mission. The bunnies had been collected over a few weeks time at Sunday worship services, and as bunnies do, well, they multiplied. A total of 65 bunnies were collected...

Lives in: Jackson Family: Comes from a family of five, is second to last in the lineup. Job: Works at the deli counter in Country Mart, part time. Courtney is a freshman at Jackson High School. What you like most about the area: Nothing. Favorite food: Pizza...

Jackson's April Business After Hours meeting took place at recently at Lichtenegger, Weiss & Fetterhoff, LLC, office at 1210 Greenway Drive. The law partners gave away the following door prizes: one power of attorney, two wills, one real estate closing and one healthcare power of attorney...

In the war on drugs, even toilets don't escape police scrutiny. Ryan O'Neal Pickens was in his apartment on Route V in Cape Girardeau County earlier this year when officers knocked on his door. Cpl. Brenda Cone of the Missouri State Highway Patrol waited outside the apartment building. She heard a toilet flushing...

Six months ago, members of the Girl Scouts of the Otahki Council each mailed out two home-made post cards as a project for the 10th annual Make a Difference Day program. With more than 2,900 Girl Scouts from Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, ages 5 to 17, and some 1,000 adult volunteers, the council sent 7,800 post cards, said Laura Hinkebein, communications and development director for council...

Minor-league sports have blossomed into a major-league industry. Indoor football is up to 70 teams and could double by next year. Professional basketball is exploding in the Midwest, targeting Missouri towns as small as Sedalia and St. Joseph for new teams...

EAST DUBUQUE, Ill. -- Homeowners along the upper Mississippi River kept watch on levees Saturday and kept pumps humming against the slowly rising water after light, scattered rain moved across the region during the night. Some of the river's excess spilled over a rural levee onto farm land, momentarily easing the threat to a couple of towns...

Singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow will take center stage here again when she receives an honorary degree May 5 from Southeast Missouri State University. Crow will receive the degree in commencement exercises at the Show Me Center where she performed on Dec. 2 before nearly 3,000 fans, many of whom danced in the aisles to the rock 'n' roll music...

On his first day back in uniform Monday, police Cpl. Keith May got choked up recounting the "unbelievable" outpouring of sympathy and cards from children and other well-wishers as far away as Pennsylvania after he and Sgt. Bradley Moore were shot by a drug suspect Feb. 10...

The folks at the Missouri Department of Transportation want to get more than our roads in shape. They want to fix us up too. The agency has launched its "Pick Up for Fitness" promotional campaign designed to get us to pick up litter along the state's highways because we need the exercise...

Deezer D is in Cape Girardeau, keeping it real. The 28-year-old hip-hop performer and actor best known for his role on the NBC television series "ER" has come to spend almost a week involved in a Christian outreach sponsored by Cape First Assembly. "I don't come anywhere unless they're going to do something real for the kids," said Deezer, who has played nurse Malik McGrath on "ER" since the show went on the air seven years ago...

Carrying on a proud tradition, the SS Cape Girardeau is an active ship in the Military Sealift Command's Ready Reserve Force, ready for service when called. Launched in 1943, the first SS Cape Girardeau was one of 2,751 Liberty Ships, built during World War II for the United States Maritime Commission. It has joined the history of all but two of the giant Liberty Ships -- It's not around any more...

George Wilmarth cracked a smile as he held a hanging basket planted with an ivy geranium, its pink flowers peeking out from beneath green leaves. "I love the flowers," said the Cape Girardeau man, one of many customers who took advantage of the SEMO Master Gardeners' plant sale at Arena Park's Conservation Department shelter Saturday to build up their gardens and decorate their porches and homes...

It's fourth-and-goal for the future of professional sports in Tupelo, Miss. The rural city an hour southeast of Memphis is waiting to see whether its 34,211 residents can and will support two new minor league professional sports. So far, it's a toss-up...

"Capitol Dialogue," a television program that brings together lawmakers and members of the news media to discuss Missouri legislative issues, will be shown on the local public-access channel at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The topic of the program, moderated by Bob Priddy, news director of Missourinet, will be the state's tobacco settlement...

I hope I don't jinx him by writing this, but Todd Pennington is well on his way to compiling one of the best seasons by a pitcher in the history of Southeast Missouri State University baseball. And professional scouts are beginning to take notice as at least one has been at the junior right-hander's last several home starts...

Since her freshman year of high school, Jackson senior Lindsey Meyr has dreamed of breaking a barrier. A 17-foot barrier. Her four-year goal was realized Saturday at the Cape Central Relays as Meyr broke her own school record with a long jump of 17 feet, 1 inch...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- According to former Scott City girls basketball coach Randall White, Scott City's school board removed him as coach, although he had the support of both the high school principal and the school superintendent. White, who will retain his status as a teacher at Scott City, has been at the school for 23 years. He coached girls basketball for 17 years and has been very successful over his career...

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Cape Central's girls swim team finished seventh and Notre Dame was ninth during the 12-team Parkway South Invitational that concluded Saturday. Powerhouse Lafayette captured the title with 348 points. Marquette (268) and Parkway South (173) rounded out the top three. Central had 49 points and Notre Dame scored 38...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri State University's softball team took over sole possession of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference by sweeping a doubleheader from host Eastern Kentucky Saturday afternoon. The Otahkians prevailed 2-1 and 6-4 as they improved to 19-19 overall and 12-3 in OVC play. EKU, which entered the twin bill in first place, fell to 33-14 overall and 11-4 in the league. Tennessee Tech is also 11-4 in conference action...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Central High girls soccer team beat the tougher of the two Springfield, Mo. schools -- Kickapoo -- 2-1 but had to turn around and play back-to-back games and tied Hillcrest 1-1. Against Kickapoo, Central (8-3-4) found itself down 1-0 at halftime, but a penalty-kick goal by Amber Voerg knotted the contest. With only four minutes left in the game, Trisha Klipfel scored on an assist from Alie McGinty to give the Lady Tigers the lead...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee continued its season-long roll with an 11-1 win over Oran as it defended its championship in the Red Devil Classic baseball tournament Saturday night. Host Chaffee (13-1) wasted no time, putting up eight runs in the first inning. The Red Devils hammered seven hits in the frame as they sent 12 batters to the plate and posted their 13th straight victory after a season-opening defeat...

Batting average Runs batted in Runs scored Home runs Triples Doubles Hits Walks PITCHING Earned-run average (minimum 15 innings pitched) Winning percentage Strikeouts Fewest walks per 7 innings...

Daughter to Travis W. and Jamie L. Qualls of Sikeston, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:08 a.m. Monday, April 16, 2001. Name, Grace Elizabeth. Weight, 6 pounds 9 ounces. First child. Mrs. Qualls is the former Jamie Lancaster, daughter of George and JoAnn Rand and Lynn and Mary Etta Lancaster, all of Sikeston. She is employed at Firstar Bank. Qualls is the son of Roger Qualls and Jim and JoAnn Arnold, all of Dexter, Mo. He is employed at Arvin Merritor...

Ruth Ann Murphy, 100, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Olive Branch, Ill., died Saturday, April 21, 2001, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 15, 1900, at Dunningville, Ill., the daughter of Louis Martin and Octavia Brown Dunning...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Funeral service for Ethelyn Day of Dexter was conducted Saturday at Rainey Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Fred Leist officiated. Burial was in Dexter Cemetery. Day, 96, died Thursday, April 19, 2001, at Dexter Memorial Hospital. She was born Sept. 27, 1904, at Alton, Ill., the daughter of Arthur and May Edith Meiner Dillingham...

There is firm belief that absence of knowledge of the state of government is more destructive to our cause than all the armies of the world. -- Thomas Jefferson KENNETT, Mo. -- If Thomas Jefferson worried about the "absence of knowledge" among Americans more than two centuries ago, as he obviously did, we should be consoled he is not contemplating on the porch of his beloved Monticello the identical absence in the third century of the nation he played such a large part in establishing...

In addition to its fine public school system, Cape Girardeau is blessed with a bevy of excellent church-affiliated schools. One of them, Cape Christian School, has achieved another milestone: full accreditation by the Association of Christian Schools International. The school, which is a non-denominational school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade, has 120 students. It opened in 1976...

THE RAG trade moved to China for cheap labor, taking away U.S. workers' jobs. Now that Americans are getting wise and not buying their Chinese imports, these ragmen are getting legislators to offer tax breaks on clothes. How manipulative can you get? Bring back those jobs to Americans. Then they might buy the clothes...

I have noticed a deep injustice currently in progress at Southeast Missouri State University. The university has enrolled a mass amount of new freshmen for the 2001-02 school year. I know this doesn't exactly sound like a problem, but by enrolling such a large number of first-year students, the university is pushing upperclassmen off campus...

There is a hubbub brewing over the emphasis being put on standardized tests in our nation's schools. Some teachers and parents are complaining that too much emphasis is being placed on test preparation. In some districts, especially those where students fail to meet minimum achievement standards, test preparation is given such a high priority because funding and job futures rest on good test results...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- There are four weeks remaining in the 2001 session of the Missouri General Assembly before adjournment on May 18. This past week we in the Senate completed earlier-than-usual first-round action on the 12 House bills that make up the $18.8 billion state budget...

Amy Jean Oldvader and Scot Edward Wanamaker were united in marriage Jan. 6, 2001, at Missouri United Methodist Church in Columbia. Jim Bryan performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist was Angie Weidinger of Vienna, Mo. Vocalists were John Litten of Nevada, Mo., Erika Knowlan of Jackson, Mo., and Caleb Bryson of Centralia, Mo...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Chitty of Scott City celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a dinner April 1, 2001. The event was held at the home of Don and Elsie Caldwell of Dutchtown, Mo. Co-hosts were Bob and Evelyn Chitty of St. Louis...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Julia R. Schmid and Eric J. Pitts were married Aug. 12, 2000, at Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. David L. Pitts, father of the groom, performed the double ring ceremony. Organist was Jean Schweain. Soloists were David Pitts, Lisa Barrett, Bryan Schmid, and the bride and groom...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Margaret Lei "Meg" Baldwin and Michael Jason Watson were married Sept. 2, 2000, at Wesley United Methodist Church in Fruitland, Mo. The Rev. Richard Combs performed the double ring ceremony. Pianist was Jean Schweain, and soloist was Dr. James Noland...

Paul and Sally Taylor of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Leah Michelle Taylor, to Andrew Joseph Wenger, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Mary Clair Wenger of St. Louis, and the late Jacob Wenger. Taylor is a 1990 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Joe and Judy Chambers of Oxford, Miss., announce the engagement of their daughter, Amy Rochelle Chambers, to Christopher Michael Patterson, both of Oxford. He is the son of David and Marcia Walton of Cape Girardeau. Chambers is a 1998 graduate of Oak Park High School in Kansas City. She is majoring in secondary education at the University of Mississippi...

Dr. and Mrs. S. Edwin Noffel of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kaffee Lynn Noffel, to William Banister Hopkins, both of Atlanta, Ga. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Kleger of Pompano Beach, Fla. Noffel is a graduate of Central High School and the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is vice president of account service at Fletcher Martin Ewing Advertising...

KELSO, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Montgomery of Kelso announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Anne Montgomery, to Byron Pletcher. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Pletcher of Cape Girardeau. A June 2 wedding is planned at St. Augustine Catholic Church...

Mr. and Mrs. Randall Knight of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Beth Rochelle Knight, to Andy Lynch. He is the son of Mari Jo Lynch of Cape Girardeau. Knight is a 1996 graduate of Mehlville High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in mass communication from Southeast Missouri State University in 2000. She is a sales representative with Paychex Inc. in St. Louis...

STURDIVANT, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Benny D. Bollinger of Sturdivant announce the engagement of their daughter, Courtney Brooke Bollinger, to Clifton Kent Verhines Jr., both of Columbia, Mo. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Donnelly of Jackson, Mo., and Mr. and Mrs. Kent Verhines of Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Sharon M. Rogers of Jackson, Mo., and George T. Rogers of Mart, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelli R. Wheeler, to Nathan D. Allen, both of Marble Hill. He is the son of Mark D. and Barbara K. Allen of Leopold, Mo...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Haggard of Marble Hill announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Lynn Lancaster, to James Garrett Raines. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Raines of Sedgewickville, Mo. Lancaster is a 2000 graduate of Woodland High School. She is employed at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Scott Farmer of Ottawa, Ill., and Sandy and Doug Schmidt of Morris, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Farmer, to Bart Vandeven, both of Leopold. He is the son of Norbert and Millie Vandeven of Leopold and Kathy and Kevin Solts of Boise, Idaho...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Ted McClellan of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Reagan F. McClellan, to Russell S. Holliday. He is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Holliday of Lawrenceville, Ga. McClellan is a graduate of Jackson High School. ...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Gilbert and Donna Bock of Uniontown announce the engagement of their daughter, Dana Joel Bock, to Jeffrey David Seibel. He is the son of David and Charlotte Seibel of Frohna, Mo. Bock received a bachelor of science degree in agri-business and agronomy from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a soil conservationist at the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jackson, Mo...

DELTA, Mo. -- Doug and Darla Hess of Delta announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Nicole Hess, to Jason William Mosley. He is the son of James and Debbie Mosley of Chaffee, Mo. Hess is a graduate of Delta High School. She is a phone operator at Star Communications in Cape Girardeau...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Willard and Zane Hubbard of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Christi Lazana Hubbard, to Brian Slinkard. He is the son of Charles Slinkard and Doris Conley of Jackson. Hubbard is a graduate of Jackson High School. Slinkard is a graduate of Jackson High School...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Cynthia Schaefer and Gary R. King of Scott City announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Barbara Schaefer of Scott City. King is the son of Carl King of Scott City, and the late Janice King. King is a river boat captain with Artco...

When a woman says she's having a bad hair day, one somehow gets the impression that it is something that happens only occasionally. News Alert! I have a bad hair day every day. Oh, for the good old Buster Brown hair days -- parted in the middle with bangs coming down to a little above the eyebrows. ...