Stories from Saturday, May 2, 1998

Moderate injuries resulted from three separate accidents that occurred Friday in Troop E District of the Missouri Highway Patrol. The first accident occurred in Bollinger County at 7:49 a.m. on Highway 34, three miles west of Marble Hill. Driver Karen Householder, 17, of Glen Allen was taken to St. Francis Medical Center with moderate injuries....

Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel wants the city to buy 30 reconditioned police cars over the next three years as part of an effort to improve police visibility in the community. Hetzel discussed his proposal Friday afternoon during the City Council retreat at Black Forest Villages. The council took no action at the daylong meeting...

One person can do something to help others, and two people can do more. But an international organization can do much much more, says Kajit Habanananda, incoming president of Lions Clubs International. "There is more opportunity to serve." Habanananda will be the keynote speaker today at the 75th Missouri Lions State Convention at the Holiday Inn Convention Center...

The Trinity Lutheran Church at Friedheim is celebrating the 150th anniversary of their church this year. FRIEDHEIM -- Five generations of the Kester family have attended Trinity Lutheran Church in Friedheim, so it isn't unusual for Gilbert Kester to know so much about the congregation's history...

Students gather each week at the Baptist Student Center for TNT, Tuesday Night Together, an informal praise and worship time. Campus Minister Mike Parry spoke to the group last week. With its wooden pews, stained glass windows and piano the Baptist Student Center chapel looks like almost any Protestant church. But the people who gather there each week aren't typical church members -- they are college students at Southeast Missouri State University...

Cape Girardeau residents would pay more for water and trash service in the coming fiscal year under a budget plan submitted Friday to the City Council. City officials discussed the proposed increases in water and trash collection fees at the council's annual retreat. The daylong meeting was held at Black Forest Villages...

The question of women's reproductive issues remains unanswered in affiliation talks between Cape Girardeau's two hospitals. James Sexton, president of St. Francis Medical Center, said the Catholic hospital is looking for ways to offer tubal ligations as part of a permanent affiliation between St. Francis and Southeast Missouri Hospital...

A wild-eyed teen-aged roller coaster enthusiast I am not. I am a mild-mannered newspaper reporter and mother of four who is 35 years old. Honest. So why, I asked myself as I dropped my notebook, pen, press pass, film and eyeglasses into the basket, was I climbing aboard Six Flag's newest roller coaster -- Mr. Freeze...

Shuttle coasters, like Mr. Freeze, the new roller coaster at Six Flags St. Louis, got their start at tiny Fairyland Park in Kansas City. A shuttle coaster is technical talk for a roller coaster that returns in reverse. Technically, Mr. Freeze is a shuttle loop, because the coaster does a loop in the middle of the ride...

SCOTT CITY -- Voters in August may be asked to increase Scott City's sales tax to finance improvements to the fire department. At the April 20 City Council meeting, Scott City Fire Chief Les Crump asked council members to consider putting a quarter-cent sales-tax initiative on the ballot. If passed, revenue from the tax would be earmarked for the purchase of a new fire engine and additional fire equipment...

Every artist dreams of having a painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Bill Needle's "Treasures of Tutankhamen" will be there May 17, if only for a day. A print of the painting will be auctioned off at a gala at the museum. Proceeds will go to the American Research Center in Egypt...

Isn't it strange how we meet so many people and form relationships, only to forget about them as we move on in our lives? Over the last two weeks I've received calls from or seen numerous people from my past. I don't know if Fate or spring's arrival was the impetus behind these reappearances. Whatever it was, I wish it would have made its intentions clear to me from the start...

WOULD YOU please tell the people here in Jackson to keep their cats to themselves? I am sick and tired of getting my car washed and no more than I get it washed, I have cat footprints all over it. So why can't a cat be on a leash like a dog? They are more trouble than the dogs are...

People don't like to think about impending disaster. But when you're in government, officials must plan for public safety. Cape Girardeau's city officials have done such a good job planning for disaster that the state has bestowed a special honor. The city was named Missouri's first disaster resistant community...

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport will be the host for a three-day air festival July 10-12, and lots of help is needed. The airport is hoping that this year's festival will the first of many to follow. That would certainly be good news. Past events at the airport have been exceedingly popular, and the festival will also provide well-deserved exposure to airport facilities...

To the editor: I am handicapped and have been since birth. I have an assistant dog called Tom Dooley which is a black Labrador. I'm writing this to let the public know what they should never do when they see someone with an assistant dog and why.I've been asked this question a number of times and thought maybe Be Kind to Animals Week would be a good time to do this...

To the editor: From reading various comments in the paper's Speak Out columns, it is obvious that there is a vast amount of misinformation in the public. Your newspaper, being the main source of detail-written information, could perform a much-needed service...

Ohio Valley Conference softball teams have been chasing Southeast Missouri State University's Otahkians for the past several years. For two days beginning today, that chase will be held in Cape Girardeau. Southeast, which has won four straight regular-season league championships and three of the past four league tournament titles, will serve as host for the 1998 OVC Tournament...

Dane McLaird, Cape Girardeau Central High School's most consistent golfer the past four years, is hoping to have the same type of success on the collegiate level. McLaird, a Central senior, recently signed a letter of intent with Southeast Missouri State University...

ANNA, Ill. -- Charles Aaron Taylor of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of Anna died Friday, May 1, 1998, at his home. He was 21. He was born June 27, 1976, in Anna, the son of Gary E. and Donna Lingle Taylor. He was a member of the Anna Heights Baptist Church...

GIDEON -- Funeral for Thelmalene Frances Faith of Gideon will be held at 3 p.m. today at First Baptist Church, with the Rev. Lloyd Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery at Clarkton. Bradshaw Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

SIKESTON -- Graveside service for Kenneth Edward Lehmann Sr. of Sikeston will be held at 1 p.m. today at Blodgett City Cemetery in Blodgett. The Rev. Ted Wimberley will officiate. Friends may call at Blanchard Funeral Chapel from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Lehmann, 61, died Thursday, April 30, 1998, at his home...

ZALMA -- Alfred "Pete" Slaughter, 64, of Zalma died Thursday, April 30, 1998, at his home. He was born June 6, 1933, at Gipsy, son of George and Elizabeth Blake Slaughter. He and Evelyn Rogers were married July 28, 1956, in Mississippi. Slaughter was a retired carpenter. He was a member of Community Church of Christ at Lowndes...

SIKESTON -- Donald Semancik, 65, of Sikeston died Thursday, April 30, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born July 16, 1932, in Vigo County, Ind., son of Steve and Izetta Hamm Semancik. He and Pauline Canady were married Aug. 5, 1978. Semancik was a 1950 graduate of Clinton High School in Clinton, Ind., and served in the U.S. Air Force...

SIKESTON -- Lenora Elizabeth Emory Leslie, 88, of Springfield died Friday, May 1, 1998, at Mercy Villa Nursing Center in Springfield. She was born March 9, 1910, at Dexter. She married Joseph A. "Joe" Leslie, who preceded her in death in 1983. Leslie attended William Woods College. She had been a substitute teacher in the Sikeston School System, and was a caseworker several years for State of Missouri in the Sikeston office...

L.W. "Bill" McDowell, 72, died Friday, May 1, 1998 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 9, 1925 in Brownwood, Mo., the son of William and Molly Revelle McDowell. Mr. McDowell was in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946, having served in the Pacific Theater at Guadalcanal during World War II. He was a Petty Officer at the time of his honorable discharge...

LOWNDES -- Ben Wilfong, 78, of Lowndes died Friday, May 1, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born March 8, 1920, at Hiram, son of Thomas and Martha Elizabeth Carver Wilfong. He and Mary Morgan were married April 22, 1950, in Piggott, Ark...

MARBLE HILL -- Taylar Shirlene Weakley, 5 months, of Marble Hill died Thursday, April 30, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 30, 1997, daughter of Timothy R. and Misti L. James Weakley of Marble Hill. Survivors include her parents; two brothers, Shannon and Kyle Weakley; a sister, Samantha Weakley, all of the home; maternal grandparents, Shirlene James of Jackson, Everett James of Marble Hill; paternal grandparents, Beverly Weakley and Gordon Weakley of Marble Hill; maternal great-grandmothers, Irene Hodge of Jackson and Beatrice James of Marble Hill; paternal great-grandparents, Raymond and Mary Fowler of Marble Hill, and Chester and Dorothy Weakley of Grassy.. ...

CHARLESTON -- Bessie B. Anderson, 90, of Charleston died Friday, May 1, 1998, at the home of a daughter in Charleston. She was born Oct. 27, 1907, in Neelyville, daughter of John and Jane Hall Hogan. She first married Herbert St. Cin, who died Jan. 20, 1951. She later married Clyde Anderson, who died April 16, 1962...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Zola E. Miller, 92, of Cobden died Friday, May 1, 1998, at Herrin Hospital. She was born Oct. 10, 1905, in Mill Creek, daughter of Ernest and Josie Lingle Mowery. She and Hulbert Miller were married Jan. 26, 1924, in Jonesboro. Miller was a member of Mt. Moriah Lutheran Church...

Son to Stacey Suzanne Bertrand and Jacques Patrick Breen of Oran, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 4:16 p.m. Saturday, April 18, 1998. Name, Isaiah Kane. Weight, 6 pounds 4 ounces. First child. Ms. Bertrand is the daughter of John and Paula Bertrand of Oran. She is employed at Fashion Bug. Breen is the son of Jacquline Breen of Chicago. He is employed at Pasta House...

Southeast Missouri State University has received awards in three national advertising and marketing contests. "These awards are the result of the effort of some very creative people here at Southeast," said Dr. Dale Nitzschke, university president. The awards recognized the work of the university relations staff...

Registration is under way for Cub Scouts wanting to attend Cub Scout Summer Day Camp this summer. Cub Scouts in second through fourth grades and Tiger Cubs graduating from first grade are eligible. The Cape Girardeau-Jackson Day Camp will run from 9 a.m. ...

The Rev. Joel H. Sarrault is pastor of Eisleben Lutheran Church in Scott City. He is a 1988 graduate of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He serves on the board of Lutheran Family and Children Services and the advisory council of Parents as Teachers...