Stories from Saturday, June 30, 2001

A religious program designed to attract "unchurched" members of the community seems to be working. Half the blue and white "Alpha is coming" signs placed around Cape Girardeau to advertise the program have been stolen, said the Rev. Clayton Smith, pastor of Centenary Methodist Church...

Albert Lowes shuffled up to a courtroom lectern Tuesday, seeking justice for a man who he claimed was only defending his emus. Punctuating the argument with his booming cadence, Lowes wound his way through an explanation of how his client, an exotic-bird farmer, happened to end up making two trespassing teen-age boys strip naked before the barrel of a shotgun...

The waiting will continue for the state's full share of promised funding for the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. Gov. Bob Holden's top budget official confirmed Friday that $1 million for the school and money for other building projects around the state won't be released before the spending authorization expires. The authorization expires today...

My family took a one-day getaway last weekend to Memphis to see a national tour of a Broadway musical. I went with my parents, husband and sister to the performance, which we were already familiar with since we've seen the Broadway version more than two dozen times on television and videotape...

Southeast Missouri State University officials might have to cut $7.5 million from the school's $108 million budget. That assumes Gov. Bob Holden withholds another 15 percent of state funding from the school for fiscal 2002, said Art Wallhausen, associate to the president at Southeast. The new fiscal year begins Sunday...

Progress on a steel framework and block walls that will make up a new Cape Girardeau high school has district leaders hopeful the building will be completed on budget and in plenty of time for the school's opening in fall 2002. Motorists on nearby Interstate 55 can clearly see the high school taking shape on the 70-acre tract it will share with the recently completed Career and Technology Center. ...

BALLWIN, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Senior American Legion team is on some sort of tear. Cape (16-11) knocked off Manchester 11-1 and Chesterfield 10-1 Friday in the Ballwin Tournament. Cape has now scored 57 runs in its last four games. Against Manchester, Jason Chavez picked up the win in eight innings of work. He allowed one run on six hits and a walk while striking out nine...

Mike Scott, Kelly High's baseball coach for the last seven years, will not be coaching the Hawks next year. The school board elected to not renew his contract. During Scott's tenure, the Hawks went 97-63, won two district championships and took third place at state in 1997. In four of the last five seasons, Kelly made it to the district title game. Eleven players were offered baseball scholarships under Scott and six players were named all-state...

Son to Kelly Paul and Tiffany Nicole Bollinger of Marble Hill, Mo., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:21 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2001. Name, Ty Herman. Weight, 8 pounds 2 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Bollinger is the former Tiffany Trentham, daughter of James Trentham and Pat Trentham of Marble Hill. Bollinger is the son of Lynn Bollinger and Catherina Bollinger of Sedgewickville, Mo. He is employed at McCormick Tire Inc...

DONGOLA, Ill. -- Bertha L. Baker, 72, of Dongola died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. She was born June 1, 1929, in Alto Pass, Ill., daughter of John Eldridge and Mildred L. Fisher Trexler. She married Thomas J. Baker. Survivors include her husband; five daughters, Luci Sampson of St. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Ada Myers, 82, of Charleston died Thursday, June 28, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. She was born Nov. 11, 1918, in Charleston, daughter of Charles W. and Corinne Williams Hequembourg. She and Carl W. Myers Jr. were married Feb. 11, 1940. He died March 18,1992...

Shelby Mason Long, 80, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Bell City, Mo., died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Monticello House in Jackson, Mo. He was born Nov. 5, 1920, in Bollinger County, Mo., son of Arnold and Hester Limbaugh Long. He and Lafern "Fern" Kneezle were married July 31, 1941, in Bell City...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Orita M. Rola, 96, of Perryville died Thursday, June 28, 2001, at her home. She was born July 5, 1904, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of Charles T. and Elizabeth Layton Hayden. She and Elliott J. Rola were married Nov. 23, 1946. He died March 9, 1985...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Geraldine Portell, 59, of Jonesboro died Friday, June 29, 2001, at her home. Lutz and Rendleman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Graveside service for Jacob Michael Minner was held Friday at Lightner Cemetery. The Rev. Rennie Phillips officiated. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel at Scott City was in charge of arrangements. Jacob, 16 months, died Wednesday, June 27, 2001, at St. Louis Children's Hospital in St. Louis...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Alma M. Janet, 85, of Peryville died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. Funeral arrangements are pending at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville.

ANNA, Ill. -- Mary Imogene Adams, 77, of Anna died Wednesday, June 27, 2001, at her home. She was born Sept. 23, 1923, at Alto Pass, Ill., daughter of Lawrence and Edna Angell Sitter. She and Dorris C. Adams were married Nov. 8, 1946, in Metropolis, Ill. He died Nov. 15, 2000...

DOGWOOD, Mo. -- Funeral for Teresa A. Lingle of Dogwood will be held at 1 p.m. today at First Church of God in East Prairie, Mo. Larry Smith and Rob Kespelher will officiate. Burial will be in Dogwood Cemetery. Friends may call at the church from 10 a.m. until time of service...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Elsie W. Hawley, 87, of Chaffee died Friday, June 29, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 4, 1913, at Dorena, Mo., daughter of Thomas B. and Francis M. Jackson Webb. She married Wesley Hawley, who preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marie Weiss, 88, of Perryville died Thursday, June 28, 2001, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Nov. 27, 1912, at Fornfelt, Mo., daughter of Oscar and Edith Allen King. She and Roland Weiss were married April 13, 1940. He died Nov. 20, 1988...

Funeral Mass for Marcia Beckett of Arnold, Mo., was held Thursday at Immaculate Conception Church in St. Louis. Burial was in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Lang-Fendler Funeral Home in Arnold was in charge of arrangements. Beckett, 46, died Monday, June 25, 2001...

ANNA, Ill. -- Funeral for Robert W. Bartlett of Anna will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The Rev. Gene Hart will officiate. Burial will be in Portageville Cemetery at Portageville, Mo. Friends may call at the funeral home from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday...

Robert H. Buehrle Jr., 87, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 28, 2001, at his home. He was born Jan. 9, 1914, in St. Louis, son of Robert H. and Caroline Douglas Buehrle Sr. He and Julia Bernice Cutright were married May 6, 1939. Mr. Buehrle was a sales representative for Sunshine Biscuit Co. 39 years. He was a member of old St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church from 1940-58. He then was a member of St. Mary of the Annunciation Cathedral Church from 1958 until his death...

ORAN, Mo. -- After suffering with clinical depression since 1966 and learning that faith in God, medical compliance and support yielded my husband and me and our families a healthy quality of life, God led me to become a mental health volunteer and advocate...

Candidates can't file for Cape Girardeau's mayoral election for nearly four months, but the city already is buzzing about one potential candidate. Jay Knudtson, a Bank of America senior vice president, park board chairman and youth sports activist, said last week he was leaning toward running. This week, people jokingly greeted him as "Mayor" and bent his ear on city issues...

Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County's prosecuting attorney, and former public administrator John Ferguson are having a war of words over Ferguson's actions since leaving office. At issue is Ferguson's timeliness in turning over cases to his successor...

When will you people quit looking at your own bottom line? Supporting the Cards should be a top priority for the state. Yes, I realize they ultimately are a private business, but they are necessary to the health and well-being of St. Louis. When St. Louis does well, so does the rest of the state. Stop looking at this as a waste of your tax dollars and as an investment. This is not corporate welfare...

To the editor: Since they support spending $100 million of state dollars on a new Cardinals stadium, state Sen. Peter Kinder and the Southeast Missourian should stop whining about liberals wasting Missouri taxes. This is the same Kinder who earlier this year bragged about saving the state $100,000 in administrative expenses. ...