Stories from Wednesday, October 12, 1994

Bill Clinton kicked off the final month before mid-term elections lambasting Congressional Republicans in a televised news conference last Friday. Arguing that the country is on the right track, he blamed Republicans for upsetting his legislative agenda by adopting a strategy to "stop it, slow it, kill it or just talk it to death."...

JACKSON -- Deborah Spradlin and Shelly Stone, who both have sons in Jackson's North Elementary School remedial reading, have a message for the Jackson School District Board of Education. Get a certified teacher's aide or get a lawyer. The mothers spoke at a board meeting Tuesday, demanding that their first-grade sons be given the same opportunity to learn as the children in Orchard Elementary, which is in the city of Jackson...

JACKSON -- Cape Girardeau County's sales tax receipts are holding steady at a double figure increase. The October check was for $320,929, up from the $289,138 last October, an increase of 11 percent. For the 10 months of 1994, growth is running 10.65 percent ahead of 1993. Total receipts are $3,198,120, compared with $2,890,095 for this same time last year...

The scaled-down, post-Cold War U.S. military is getting something of a test. Troops in Haiti are learning how to handle an "enemy" that is hard to define: mostly street thugs who have operated with the blessing of the military junta. And troops on alert for another showdown with Saddam Hussein are wondering whether they will get to finish a job many Americans think was left undone in the Persian Gulf War...

Much was made of Hillary Rodham Clinton's agenda when her husband was elected president. Would she be co-president? Would she overstep the accepted boundaries, whatever they are, for a first lady in the White House? Now Mrs. Clinton is a tested commodity. ...

Dr. Sharon Bebout was so moved by the selfless compassion and inner strength demonstrated by families and communities during the flood of 1993 that she wrote a play about it. The culmination of Bebout's one-year project is "Heads Above Water, Heartblood in the Sand." The play can be seen at Port Cape Girardeau's River City Yacht Club Thursday through Saturday during a dinner theater. Doors will open at 6 p.m, a buffet will be served from 6-7:30 p.m., and the play will begin at 8 p.m...

Bill Clinton kicked off the final month before mid-term elections lambasting Congressional Republicans in a televised news conference last Friday. Arguing that the country is on the right track, he blamed Republicans for upsetting his legislative agenda by adopting a strategy to "stop it, slow it, kill it or just talk it to death."There's some truth to what the president said. ...

All over the country, people are getting killed in ways we have never heard of. A radio announcer tells us a woman has died of "affixation." To what or to whom was this woman affixed? Newswriters explained that the woman died of "asphyxiation," a term familiar to most survivors of noises caused by rock, country, and airborne screamers paid to flog their companies' wares...

Area state representatives agonized last week over whether to vote articles of impeachment against Secretary of State Judith Moriarty. Whether they voted for all of the articles, none or some, they agreed the process was painful. "No one liked doing what we did, but we did what we had to do," said Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston, who voted for all of the articles presented against Moriarty...

Darlene Williams and Robin Farrow can control the scary things inside their Halloween House. But the co-owners of the Halloween House and A Party and Flower Shop have no say about the hazardous traffic situation outside their stores at Independence and Kingshighway...

Perhaps the theatre of the bizarre, a.k.a. Phyllis Wilcox's Texas claimed-she-saw-and-was massacre, tells us something about a curious American pastime. It's called people using people. I'm talking about the hoax that never got a chance to gather momentum last week, thanks to the diligence of people like Cape Girardeau Police Chief Howard "Butch" Boyd and a Denton County, Texas, sheriff who knew he smelled a fishy story...

The Fruitland Fire District has scheduled an informational meeting tonight at 7:30 at the fire station on Highway 61 north of Fruitland. Representatives from local insurance companies have been invited to explain the importance of the fire district to Fruitland area residents...

All Missourians who plan to vote Nov. 8 must be registered by today to participate in the general election. Registered voters who have changed their addresses have until Oct. 19 to notify their county election authorities to be eligible to vote Nov. 8...

JEFFERSON CITY -- An additional $30 million has been awarded to 80 communities for flood recovery projects, Gov. Mel Carnahan's office announced Tuesday. The grants from the state Department of Economic Development include $753,500 to Whitewater for water-related projects and $342,250 to Scott City for economic development...

Sylvia Hester Morgan White, 87, of Chaffee, died Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Home at Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for Robert Ray Ryan of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The Rev. John Beard will officiate, with burial in Garden of Memories Cemetery here. Ryan, 61, died Sunday, Oct. 9, 1994, at Sikeston Convalescent Center...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Mary Agnes Travers, 100, of Mounds, died Monday, Oct. 10, 1994, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. She was born July 11, 1894, in Grampian, Pa., daughter of William and Catherine Danver Ryan. She married John R. Travers, who preceded her in death...

Cora Lee Garrett, 89, of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, Oct. 10, 1994, at the Lutheran Home. She was born April 20, 1905, in Delta, daughter of Daniel and Margaret R. Franklin Gilder. She and Arthur R. Garrett were married Sept. 19, 1924, in Cape Girardeau. He died Oct. 3, 1944...

PERRYVILLE -- Buford O. "Bill" Grantham, 88, of Perryville, died Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1994, at Aspen Forest Care Center. He was born April 13, 1906, in Bollinger County, son of Nathan and Anna Hahs Grantham. He and Geneva Kretsch were married March 11, 1938. She died June 29, 1984...

August H. "Red" Ziegler, 74, of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Oct. 11, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born Aug. 20, 1920, in Scott County, son of August and Anna Hahn Ziegler. He and Mary Ann Nenninger were married Aug. 4, 1943, in Cape Girardeau...

James R. Cairy, 64, 2920 Perryville Road, died Monday, Oct. 10, 1994, at St. Francis Medical Center. He was born May 6, 1930, in Fort Madison, Iowa, son of Fred and Myrrl Meadows Cairy. Cairy was a 1956 graduate of the University of Missouri, and served in the U.S. Air Force...

Son to Dr. Marc and Barbara Schechter, 836 Jurie, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:13 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 1994. Name, Adam Lyle. Weight, 8 pounds 8 ounces. Third child, second son. Mrs. Schechter is the former Barbara Wendell, daughter of Lyle and Rose Wendell of Pierre, S.D. Schechter is a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon at St. Francis Medical Center, and is the son of Selwyn and Gladys Schechter of Springfield, N.J...

JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD ACTION Tuesday, Oct. 11 Approved proposed school district budget for 1994-95 as amended. Approved proposal for non-resident tuition rates for 1994-95. Students in grades kindergarten through eight will pay $2,900 per year, in grades nine through twelve $3,600 per year...

SIKESTON -- Willie Joe Harrington Jr., 46, of Sikeston died Monday, Oct. 10, 1994, at his home. He was born April 2, 1948, at Sikeston, the son of Carleen Harrington of Sikeston and the late Willie Joe Harrington Sr. He was a child abuse investigator for the Division of Family Services. He formerly worked for the Sikeston Department of Public Safety for five years...

Pamela Lowry has turned her love of pets into a thriving business. When pet owners leave town for business or pleasure, Lowry would be more than happy to check on their "children" at least twice a day in their own home. "Many people think of their pets as children," Lowry said, "and they want to make sure they get good, quality care."...

SCOPUS -- The Scopus Volunteer fire Department will sponsor a breakfast on Oct. 15 at their firehouse on Rt. M. The menu consists of sausage, pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy. Tickets are $4 for adults, $3 for children six through 12, and free for children five and under...

Fall is the time for planting garden chrysanthemums and enjoying the beauties of nature. Garden mums can be purchased at this time of the year in a wide variety of containers ranging from 6-inch pots to 2- to 3-gallon containers, to hanging baskets. The true gardener grows his own, however. Mums wintered well this year...

CHARLESTON -- The 1994 Southeast Missouri Band Association Marching Contest will be held Saturday at Charleston. Beginning at 9 a.m., approximately 30 bands will participate in a parade competition. The John Harris Marshal Athletic Complex will the the site for the field show competion at 1:15 p.m., with about 20 bands competing...