Stories from Saturday, February 26, 2005

25 years ago: Feb. 26, 1980 Frank X. Hastings, a 32-year-old Bloomsdale, Mo., businessman, will challenge Rep. Bill D. Burlison for his 10th District seat on the Democratic ballot in the August primary. Bernard A. Walther, 87, president of Cape Girardeau's oldest retail business and a leader in community affairs, dies in the evening; Walther was associated with Walther's Furniture Co. for 68 years; the firm was established here in 1864 by Walther's grandfather, August Walther...

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Southeast Missouri State track and field coach Joey Haines believes his program is positioned well to make a run at both the men's and women's titles in the Ohio Valley Conference Indoor Championships. After Friday -- and with the bulk of the meet still to come today -- Southeast's favored women led host Eastern Illinois 43-40, while Southeast's men trailed favored Eastern Illinois 58-54...

Tatiana Conceicao is without question the top player for Southeast Missouri State's women -- but coach B.J. Smith wonders where the Redhawks would be without their two senior stalwarts, Brandi Russia and Chandra Brown. "Brandi and Chandra have both played so well for us," Smith said. "As good a player as Tatiana is and as good a season as she's having, I really feel like the difference in our team this year has been the seniors...

On the surface, it might not look like there is much on the line for Southeast Missouri State's men tonight after they were eliminated from contention for hosting an Ohio Valley Conference tournament game. But searching a little deeper, there appears to be ample incentive for the Redhawks (13-13, 8-7) to beat Tennessee-Martin (6-20, 3-12) in the 7:30 regular-season finale at the Show Me Center...

HAMMOND, La. -- The Southeast Missouri State baseball team made the most of five hits Friday night, as the Redhawks defeated host Southeastern Louisiana 5-2 for their first win of the season. The Redhawks (1-3) and Lions (4-4) resume their three-game series at 1 p.m. today. The set concludes Sunday with a 1 p.m. contest...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- What a difference a player makes. Without star forward Bryce Willen, Notre Dame won a little more than one-third of their games this season. With Willen back in a significant role in the Class 4 District 1 tournament at the Perry Park Center, the Bulldogs went 3-0...

The New Salem Baptist Academy girls basketball team won two games Friday to advance in the Missouri Christian Schools Activities Association Class 1A state tournament in Joplin, Mo. New Salem (23-8) beat New Life Academy 41-30 with Sarah Green scoring 21 points. Celsey Cook added 10 points, and Holly Jordan grabbed 17 rebounds...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- After a somewhat listless three quarters, the Perryville girls basketball team showed what it was made of in the final quarter of the Class 4 District 1 championship game Friday night at the Perry Park Center. But Perryville's spirited fourth quarter came up short in a 51-40 loss to top-seeded Dexter...

Cowboy Church moving Thursday service ; Catholic Women's group to hold retreat; Ordination at Episcopal Church in Cairo ; Vincentian Youth to hold meeting

For years Allen Gathman and Pat Reagan Briggs have been talking about a need for the spiritual in their lives. But neither found what they'd been longing for in the traditional houses of worship in Southeast Missouri. "I'd never attended any Unitarian church but always said when people asked my religion that if there was a Unitarian church in town that's what I'd be," Gathman said. "Off and on we've kicked around the idea of starting some kind of group."...

SAN ANTONIO After driving for two days, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez arrived earlier this month at his new home -- a second-floor apartment at Assumption Seminary where retiring Archbishop Patrick Flores lived during more than 25 years as spiritual leader of San Antonio's Roman Catholics...

About 1,500 people are expected to attend tonight's Promise Keepers of the Heartland rally in Cape Girardeau. Promise Keepers is a non-denominational national organization dedicated to promoting spiritual maturity in men. The event will feature Joe White, founder and president of Kanakuk Kamps, which are Christian summer sports camps for children based primarily in Southwest Missouri...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following items on Thursday: * At 8:01 p.m., box alarm at 611 S. Kingshighway. * At 9:34 p.m., car fire at 1200 Cousin St. Firefighters responded to the following items on Friday: * At 1:40 a.m., emergency medical service in the 1400 block of North Water Street...

Cape Girardeau The following items were released Friday by the Cape Girardeau Police Department. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests * Jacob Scott Kennedy, 23, 707 Broadway, Apt. A, was arrested on two city warrants for failure to appear for no driver's license and no insurance, and on three Cape Girardeau County warrants fpr probation violation...

The River City Players will hold auditions for "Harvey," Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy about a man and his friend -- a 6-foot imaginary rabbit. Auditions will be at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Port Cape Girardeau's River City Yacht Club. The roles are for six men and six women...

To the editor: Congratulations are due you for running the column of that worthy wordsmith, Joe Sullivan. It is sad that he ran out of column space and could not finish his esteemed tome about the power of prayer. If he had enough room, he no doubt would have continued to say that the power does not reside in prayer, but resides in the God to whom the prayers are addressed. ...

To the editor: If you've been reading the letters to the editor recently, I'm not the only one who is absolutely weary of the rantings of Alan Journet, Robert Polack Jr. and other Southeast Missouri State University faculty members whom you apparently feel obligated to jam down our throats...

Lyerla; Kucera; Davis; Douglas; Crader; Brune; Simmons; Fischer; Hutcheson; Goodpasture

ENERGY, Ill. -- Tammy Parola, 45, of Energy died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at her home. She was born Oct. 30, 1959, in Herrin, Ill. She married Charles Parola. Survivors include her husband; a son, Shane Hock of Anna, Ill.; a stepson, Scott Dawson of Herrin; and three grandchildren...

Gentry Edwin "Bud" Matthews, 79, of Nixa, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, at Cox South Medical Center. He was born March 25, 1925, at Chaffee, Mo. Matthews retired as an agent with Frisco Railroad in 1981. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War...

BLODGETT, Mo. -- Glen Allen Rice, 79, of Blodgett died Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at his home. He was born Aug. 2, 1925, in Dyersburg, Tenn., son of Charles Rupert and Bonnie Avis Robert Rice. He and Christine Wade were married Nov. 23, 1961, in Sikeston, Mo...

Margaret H. Gorham, 92, of Newton, Kan., died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at Newton Medical Center. She was born Sept. 22, 1912, in Potwin, Kan., daughter of Earnest L. and Isabel Finch Hanstine. She and Charles Irvin Gorham were married June 3, 1936, in Newton. He died in April 1960...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Glenda Faye Wasson, 65, of Sikeston died Friday Feb. 25, 2005, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. She was born Feb. 9, 1940, daughter of Buford and Mildred Ernestine Floyd Harder. Her father died when she was an infant, and she was raised by her stepfather, Jim Pitts. ...

Bobbietta Jean Cortez, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 27, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Ivan and Nelda Stone Bragg. Cortez was store manager at Fill-Up Mart, and prior to that worked at Thorngate Ltd...

Southeast Missouri State University announced Friday it will expand its services at area higher education centers in Sikeston, Mo., Kennett, Mo., and Malden, Mo. The university will offer a bachelor of general studies degree completion program at the sites beginning this summer. Now students studying at those facilities can earn the degree without ever stepping foot on the Cape Girardeau campus...

To the editor: I just read a lovely story about the Tri Sigma sorority helping one of its members in her search for her adoptive parents. As a Tri Sigma alumni, I was very proud. But as an adopted child, I felt I should express another viewpoint on adoption...

To the editor: My nephew contracted viral encephalitis when he was 1 month old and now has cerebral palsy, epilepsy and developmental delays. Through the government program First Steps, he has received physical, occupational and speech therapy, and his family has received the peace of mind of knowing they are doing all they can...

Affordable clothing; Barbaric spectacle; Truth is revealed; The rest is filler; Impossible task; Let the poor decide; No to annexation; Thanks for wallet; Don't judge hastily; New opportunities; Be good parents; Roadblock for seat belts; Get good treatment; Widespread problem; Total overhaul; Biblical comparison

Leona M. Grebing, 96, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 26, 1908, in Shawneetown, daughter of Henry and Alvenia Kayser Wilkens. She and Richard Grebing were married Aug. 26, 1928, in Shawneetown. He passed away March 20, 1985...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Paula Crecelius, 18, of Olmsted died Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Barkett Funeral Home in Mound City, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Lucy I. Cook, 73, of Sedgewickville died Friday, Feb. 25, 2005, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Liley Funeral Home at Patton, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

Opal Patten, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

One thing has been a constant throughout this high school basketball season. No matter who Mark Dannenmueller is facing, the Scott City senior is going to get his points. Even against the area's toughest teams and facing tricked-up defenses, Dannenmueller's scoring prowess has not spared a single foe this season...

I understood bridles as a youngster because I grew up outside town and my family owned horses. I knew that putting a bit in a horse's mouth allowed me to control him even though he was much bigger than I. Today the ministers of the gospel are being threatened with a bit in their mouths that will control what they are allowed to preach in the pulpits of America's churches. ...