Stories from Tuesday, April 22, 1997

DELTA -- Social Studies instructor John Weber became a teacher because he loved learning about the past. He has spent the last four years trying to convey that love to students at Delta High School. Weber said his favorite history lesson is the Civil War battle at Gettysburg. ...

SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City Council will look at a way to ensure that its employees stay with the city. Council member Gary Miller asked the council Monday night at its regular meeting to consider paying 75 percent of each employee's family insurance premiums. The city already pays for its employee insurance, and Miller wants to expand that to partially include wives and children...

When conservative commentator M. Stanton Evans says liberals are wrong about everything, he is being a bit facetious. But not entirely. "It is a cheap way of gratifying conservatives and provoking liberals," Evans said by way of explaining the title of his talk...

The American Queen, one of the largest riverboats on the inland waterways, has canceled two dockings at Cape Girardeau because of high water. The boat, a 3,707-ton paddle-wheeler that is more than 400 feet long, is one of three riverboats of Delta Queen Steamboats Co. Inc. The American Queen, which is the largest of its fleet, was scheduled to dock on the Mississippi River here Friday and April 29...

Nearly $100,000 of bonds for Cape Girardeau school improvements remain for sale to local investors. Donna Domian of the Cape Girardeau office of Edward D. Jones and Co. said that although all of the $13,999.195.25 of bonds were issued last week, local issuing groups still have bonds for sale...

As "stream dancers," Amy Strickland, left, and Dotty O'Leary stirred up the bottom of Apple Creek so that Kristie Reid and Sarah Riehn could catch specimens in the net. OAK RIDGE -- A group of Oak Ridge High School students have been experiencing a different stream of information lately...

Kansas University's fall honor roll included Charlotte Kathryn Balsamo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Balsamo of Cape Girardeau, and Brendon M. O'Grady, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert O'Grady Jr. of Cape Girardeau.

JACKSON -- City employees will be able to live outside the city limits as a result of an ordinance passed Monday night. The Jackson Board of Aldermen passed a revised ordinance that amends the city residency requirements of full-time employees. Previously, all city employees were required to live within the city limits. The new residency requirements place no limitation on the radius from Jackson that city employees may reside...

Cybertip: At www.semissourian.com you'll find a special online subscription offer just for Internet users. We're also giving away 20 Random Acts of Kindness books online. Check it out. It's official. SEMissourian.com, the official web site of the Southeast Missourian, has launched into cyberspace...

The Missouri Transportation Department has agreed to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Interstate 66 route through southern Missouri. Gov. Mel Carnahan pushed for the study, local civic and business leaders said. The state committed to the study this month as local and state economic development officials sought to convince Procter and Gamble to choose Cape Girardeau County as the site for a new plant...

FRUITLAND -- As many as 1,500 exotic animals -- from African antelope to zedonks and alpacas to zebras -- and 450 to 500 animal buyers and sellers are expected in Cape Girardeau County this weekend for an annual animal auction. The two-day sale will be held at the Fruitland Livestock Sales Inc. barn Friday and Saturday starting at 9 a.m. each day...

May Greene elementary students discovered Monday that they went the extra mile in a two-month drive to collect a mile's worth of pennies. The students learned the results of the penny drive Monday during a school assembly. Teachers announced that students had exceeded their goal of 84,480 pennies -- the amount needed to measure a mile -- by nearly a tenth of a mile by collecting 93,680 pennies...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education purchased 75 acres for a vocational-technical school nearly dead center in the school district. The property is situated between Silver Springs Road and South Kingshighway southwest of the Kingshighway-Southern Expressway intersection. When Southern Expressway is extended westward, it will front the property's northern edge...

TCI should expect a call from Cape Girardeau's city manager soon. The Cape Girardeau City Council voted to have City Manager Michael Miller head a team to begin discussions with the cable television company about changing its franchise agreement with the city...

Amid a literal mountain of monotonous mail, once in a while I get something I think is of interest to the public. That happened recently when the American Bar Association's annual booklet, "Facts About the Criminal Justice System," arrived. I pass the information along to you, at no additional cost...

To work toward the fulfillment of an ambitious dream to become a doctor and serve the community takes a special person. Dr. Connie Simmons is just such a person, and the realization of her dream has been recognized. She is this year's recipient of the Womancare Award presented at the 11th annual Womancare Conference sponsored by St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

I SEE in the newspaper that the VFW is raising money to rebuild the brick posts in Capaha Park. I would donate money to have the old posts torn down but wouldn't contribute a dime to rebuild them. The old posts are nothing but a monument glorifying war -- war, the widow and orphan maker and the destroyer of the nation's treasury as well as the biggest drag on the advancement of civilization. ...

An old-timer is someone who can remember when McDonald's sold hamburgers, fries and shakes and there wasn't a little, funny-looking cloth doll in the place. Experienced golfers have learned the hard way that if they're ever going to be any good at the game, they have to be a tiger in the woods...

There are any number of programs to fight crime. Some work best after a crime has been committed. Still other look for the causes of crime and try to steer would-be criminals in a law-abiding direction. The Weed and Seed program is a national effort to involve communities in problem areas, particularly those with youth gangs and drugs. ...

Primarily because of improvements made over the past decade, the main baseball diamond in Capaha Park is now widely regarded as one of the best fields in the region. And the Capaha Field Improvement Committee -- which is primarily responsible for everything that is done with the field -- is not about to rest on its laurels. More improvements are in the works for the immediate future...

JACKSON -- Jackie Givens and Thelma Lemonds were inducted into the Cape Girardeau Women's Bowling Association Hall of Fame at their recent annual meeting and banquet held at the Elks Lodge. They were each presented with a plaque and engraved pendant. Both ladies were honored for their meritorious service to the association and to the sport of bowling...

JACKSON -- Travis Reiminger shot a sizzling one-under par 35 Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course to lead Jackson to a triangular victory over Cape Central and New Madrid. Reiminger was the only golfer to score under par as Jackson totalled a four-player score of 160 on the par-36 front nine. Central, led by a 37 by Dan Grossbeck, took second with a 167 and New Madrid shot 181...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral service for Tony Ray Beckett of Scott City was held Monday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Terry Eades officiated, with burial in St. Mary's Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. Beckett, 31, died Thursday, April 17, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

MARBLE HILL -- Beverly Lynn Elfrink, 30, of Cabot, Ark., formerly of Marble Hill, died Thursday, April 17, 1997, at her home. She was born July 10, 1966, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Floyd and Kathryn Long Mayfield. She and Gregory E. Elfrink were married May 30, 1987, at Leopold...

CHARLESTON -- Funeral service for Freeman Edward Pemberton of Charleston will be held at 11 a.m. today at First Assembly of God Church. The Rev. Gerald Penn will officiate, with burial in Oak Grove Cemetery. McMikle Funeral Home at Charleston is in charge of arrangements...

ARBOR -- Funeral service for Lanson W. Cox of Arbor will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Morgan Funeral Chapel in Advance. The Rev. Naamon Eaker will officiate. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park, with graveside rites by Advance VFW Post 7750. Friends may call at the chapel from 4-8 p.m. today...

Funeral service for Emily M. Schmidt of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. today at Basler Funeral Chapel in St. Marys. The Rev. Jeffery Sippy will officiate, with burial in Immaculate Conception Cemetery at St. Marys. Schmidt, 89, died Sunday, April 20, 1997, at Chateau Health Center...

BLOOMFIELD -- Funeral service for Homer Mize will be held at 2 p.m. today at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home. The Rev. Hank Foster will officiate, with burial in Walker Cemetery near Bloomfield. Mize, 96, died Saturday, April 19, 1997, at Dexter Memorial Hospital in Dexter...

DOOLITTLE -- Lillie Emma Hickam, 83, of Doolittle died Sunday, April 20, 1997, at her home. She was born Feb. 26, 1914, at Patterson, daughter of Curtis and Julia Ann Payton Goforth. She and Henry D. Hickam were married Oct. 11, 1936, at Marble Hill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Mabel Kaufman, 90, of Anna died Sunday, April 20, 1997, at Jonesboro Health Center in Jonesboro. She was born May 13, 1906, in Vienna, daughter of Rufus and Mary Adams Wilkinson. She married Lester Kaufman, who died July 18, 1994. Kaufman was a member of First Baptist Church...

BENTON -- Jessie Joseph "Grassy" Doty Jr., 68, of Benton died Saturday, April 19, 1997, at Chaffee Nursing Center. He was born June 7, 1928, at Benton, son of Jess and Anna Stark Doty. Doty was a lifelong resident of Benton. He was a self-employed truck driver, retiring in 1989...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Funeral service for Mrs. Cecil Mowery of Ullin will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. Wednesday. Mowery, 93, died Sunday, April 20, 1997, at City Care Center in Anna...

ANNA, Ill. -- Carl William Johnson, 76, of rural Anna died Monday, April 21, 1997, at the Veterans Affairs Nursing Center in Marion, Ill. He was born May 7, 1920 at Mounds, son of Elzie William Johnson and Cora Elizabeth Little Johnson. He was an Army veteran of World War II and a retired farmer...

CHARLESTON -- Lillian V. Johnson, 83, formerly of Charleston, died Monday at her home in O'Fallon. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

A head-on collision in Perry County Monday resulted in at least two serious injuries. According to the Missouri Highway Patrol, John Fernow, 44, of Rt. 3 Perryville was driving his car north on U.S. Highway 61 just north of the Route V intersection when the car crossed the centerline and collided with a car driven by Mike Renaud, 33, of Route 1, Perryville...

MALDEN -- Edith Artance Nettleton, 82, of Malden died Monday April 21, 1997, at her home. She was born March 16, 1915, at Vanduser, daughter of August Jesse and Gertrude Orange Tuck Sittner. On April 7, 1934, she married George Nettleton in Risco. He preceded her in death on March 15, 1985...

CHAFFEE -- Velma A. Miller, 72, of Chaffee, died Monday, April 21, 1997, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born March 30, 1925, in Chaffee to Earl E. and Essie Pearl McKnight Green. She married Art Miller. He died May 3, 1971. She was a machine operator for 40 years at Florsheim Shoe Co. in Chaffee and taught at Head Start in Chaffee for five years...

MOREHOUSE -- Frieda M. Cambron, 75, of Morehouse died Monday, April 21, 1997, at Sikeston Health Care. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Morehouse is in charge of arrangements.

Doyle McKinley, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, April 21, 1997, at his home. He was born July 31, 1927, in Advance, son of Harry and Ada Dixon McKinley. He and Mary Sonsoucie were married May 3, 1963, in Collinsville, Ill. McKinley was employed 37 years by Cotton Belt Railroad. He was a member of the Baptist Church in Okawville, Ill. He served in the U.S. Navy durng World War II...

CHAFFEE -- James D. Evans, 50, of Amarillo, Texas, died Saturday, April 19, 1997, in an automobile accident near Amarillo. He was born Feb. 20, 1947, in St. Louis, son of Ottis Walter and Norma Lee Jones Evans Sr. Evans was a welder. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War...

Funeral service for Mildred G. Summerlin of LaPorte, Ind., will be held at noon today at Cutler Funeral Home in LaPorte. The Rev. William Freese will officiate, with burial in Pine Lake Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10 a.m. to service time...