Stories from Saturday, September 9, 2000

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Janie Pfefferkorn dispenses hope from a converted church building that offers everything from a hot meal to job skills for area residents. Mission Missouri operates from a tidy, yellow-painted building in an economically depressed neighborhood...

The fall series of Friendship Bible Coffees will begin this month. Groups meet in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Gordonville and Fruitland at various times. Study topics also vary by meeting time and group leader. The series is sponsored by the Cape County Christian Women's Clubs and are part of Stonecroft Ministries. The Bible studies are designed for all denominations...

DELTA, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau County church that began in a railroad car will mark its 100th anniversary Sunday. First Baptist Church of Delta, Mo., will mark its centennial with special services beginning at 9:45 a.m. Sunday. Activities include a catered meal, recognition of former staff and church members, stories from days past and special music and a guest speaker...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- More than 1,000 people are expected to turn out for the fifth annual Christian Block Party today, organizers said. "We are expecting to feed lunch to 1,500 to 2,000 people," said Janie Pfefferkorn, executive director of Mission Missouri, the faith-based Sikeston organization that is the main sponsor of the event...

The 145th edition of the SEMO District Fair begins Sunday at Arena Park promising good country music and plenty of livestock competition and automotive demolition. Astro Amusements will operate on the midway from 5 to 10 p.m. today, but the fair officially opens Sunday. (See schedule on Page 2A.)...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County prosecuting attorney has requested the governor assign a special prosecutor to handle the case of two men accused of killing Scott City, Mo., resident Willie Mae Vasquez in July. Cristy Baker-Neel said Friday she decided to ask for a special prosecutor because the victim's daughter, Susan Steel of Commerce, requested one. ...

JACKSON, Mo.-- A 34-year-old Jackson man might consider doing impressions of people who don't work for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Troy D. Hamilton pleaded guilty Thursday to the misdemeanor crime of impersonating a highway patrolman, said Morley Swingle, Cape Girardeau County prosecutor...

A lot has changed in Donna Renschen's life during the past 10 years, and for that she is thankful. While they weren't all glamorous things, she relishes in the simplicity of her life. After heart transplant surgery 10 years ago, life took on new meaning for Renschen, of Cape Girardeau. She marked the anniversary Friday by spending the day with her children and grandchildren...

It's SEMO District Fair time in Cape Girardeau. It didn't take this month's Tip Off magazine to tell me that, or even the preview stories we've been running in the newspaper. No, I knew it was fair time because of The E-mail. Note the capitalization there, because it's important...

Leaders of several Cape Girardeau service organizations shared information about their club's missions and learned about efforts of the Area Wide United Way Friday morning. Members of Cape Girardeau Rotary West, the Lion's Club, and the Elks Lodge attended the breakfast, sponsored by the United Way at the Holiday Inn. United Way Executive Director Nancy Jernigan said the event will help determine how her organization can work with service clubs to coordinate services to the community...

A Farmington, Mo., man was killed Thursday after being struck by a vehicle. David Terry, 81, was killed Thursday afternoon after attempting to cross Highway 32 in Ste. Genevieve County just east of Route AA. Terry was crossing the road from the left side when a car driven by Donna Lee, 45, of Farmington, steered to the right to avoid hitting him. Terry was hit by the vehicle on its driver side...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- One person is in custody after shooting three Portageville residents early today. At about 2 a.m. today, three individuals came to the Portageville Police Department, all with gunshot wounds.The three were taken by ambulance, one to Memphis and two to Sikeston for treatment...

A 20-year-old Cape Girardeau man has been arrested for cocaine possession, police said. Marques A. Terry was taken into custody Thursday during a search of an apartment, police said. About 5 p.m., police searched the apartment at 601 North St. and found approximately 2.5 grams of cocaine...

Jason Crowell said he would continue a tradition of Mary Kasten if he is elected to as 158th District state representative this fall. "Mary Kasten is a very special person," Crowell told a large gathering at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee Friday. "She was always available to listen to comments of all people. I will continue that tradition."...

Jim Talent didn't have to worry about reading the fine print. The words were plenty big. Seated in a rocking chair, Missouri's Republican gubernatorial candidate read to five first graders in a reading classroom at Franklin Elementary School in Cape Girardeau Friday afternoon...

Another armed robbery at a Cape Girardeau gasoline station Thursday night makes 20 robberies since early July, police said. "This number of robberies is not typical for Cape Girardeau," Cpl. Kevin Orr said. Only six have been solved so far, he said...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Jackson voters may have repeatedly defeated school bond issues, but at Friday's annual Jackson Chamber of Commerce picnic no one was at all discouraged about the city's future. The bond issue debate, which is heating up again as a new vote looms in November, is just a disagreement within the Jackson family, people at the picnic said...

Gov. Mel Carnahan issued a written directive to state department directors this summer that critics say expands the power of labor unions representing state workers and moves the state closer to collective bargaining for public employees. Carnahan has created the position of "chief negotiator" to meet and confer with labor unions representing state employees and make salary and benefit recommendations to the state budget director. ...

NEW MADRID -- Cape Central coach Lawrence Brookins was worried that New Madrid County Central's slippery quarterback, Byron Minner, would be hard to contain. Ultimately, it wasn't Minner's legs that beat the Tigers. It was his arm. Minner connected on two long touchdown passes to Brian Murph and that was basically the difference as the sixth-ranked Eagles downed Cape Central 20-7 Friday night at New Madrid County Central High...

Tim Billings knows that Southern Illinois University opened its football season last week. But Billings insists that wasn't the real Saluki squad that suffered a 42-20 thrashing at the hands of Murray State. "We didn't see the real SIU this past week," said Billings, Southeast Missouri State University's first-year head coach. "They beat themselves."...

ST. LOUIS -- The Jackson Indians exploded for 35 second-half points as they turned a tight football game into a 42-6 rout of Sumner Friday night at Gateway Tech. Mario Whitney and Joe Walter each scored three touchdowns as Jackson improved to 2-0 on the season...

Southeast Missouri State University's women's soccer team was a little more than five minutes away from keeping its undefeated record intact Friday night. But a late Drury rally that saw the Panthers score two goals in the final 5:10 of the game resulted in a 2-1 Southeast loss in front of nearly 300 fans at Houck Stadium...

MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team fell in straight sets to unbeaten Florida State as the Holiday Inn Express/Nike Challenge tournament opened Friday night on the Ball State campus. The young and relatively inexperienced Otahkians (1-3) lost to the Seminoles (6-0) 13-15, 11-15 and 5-15. Florida State has lost only two sets thus far this season...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Scott City High School's football team, ranked eighth in the state in Class 2A, improved to 2-0 with a 27-14 victory over host Portageville Friday night. The Rams, who are also 2-0 in SEMO South Conference play, built a 27-0 lead before the Bulldogs (0-2, 0-1) scored two late touchdowns against Scott City's backups...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Johnny Franklin Abernathy, 67, of Dexter died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Services. He was born Nov. 8, 1932, at Dexter, son of Clarence and Mary Ann Lawson Abernathy. Survivors include two brothers, Roy Abernathy of Marble Hill, Mo., and Ray Abernathy of Dexter...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Funeral for Irene Elizabeth Horrell of Howe, Texas, was held Aug. 29, 2000, at Flesher Funeral Home in Howe. Bob Layman officiated. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery. Horrell, 89, died Sunday, Aug. 27, 2000, at her home. She was born Oct. 10, 1910, in Henderson County, Tenn., daughter of James and Mary Dellaney Runions. She and Joel Horrell were married Feb. 7, 1942, in Michigan. He died in June 1989...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Rev. Charles Thomas Freeland, 83, of Charleston died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 28, 1917, in Paris, Tenn., son of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Freeland. He and Pauline Null were married Nov. 14, 1936...

Robert Lee Burris, 76, died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Jan. 23, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of Robert D. and Amy F. Kirk Burris. He and Elsie Burn were married May 21, 1941, in Bowling Green, Ky. She died Dec. 12, 1972...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Betty Fisher, 71, of McClure died Friday, Sept. 8, 2000, at the home of a daughter in McClure. She was born Oct. 13,. 1928, in Dixon, Ill., daughter of George and Elizabeth Prebe Smith. She and Ira F. Fisher were married Oct. 1, 1949. He died Nov. 4, 1989...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Beatrice DeJournett, 93, of Fenton, Mich., died Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000, at Crestmont Nursing Home in Fenton. She was born Sept. 3, 1907, at Flat River, Mo., daughter of Isaac M. and Laura Razor Woolem. She and Luther DeJournett were married May 27, 1925. He died April 11, 1977...

To the editor: Carl Meyer was a bit older than I. However, his brother, Bob, and I were confirmed at Evangelical United Church of Christ and graduated from Central High School together, so I had a relationship with the family. It took a number of mature years before I really became better acquainted with Carl and his wonderful wife, Millie...

The Area Wide United Way is setting an ambitious monetary goal for its 2000 fund drive, which it kicked off last week. To reach the goal, the local United Way will have to raise $925,000 over the next couple of months. Considering the generosity of the community in the past, this goal is certainly attainable. In fact, the United Way could surpass that mark and for the first time break the $1 million threshold...

Who would have thought that tiny Pocahontas, Mo., would produce a world-class musician? Even more astounding is that the musician in question has established herself as a top performer of Irish music. Although Pocahontas is as quiet and peaceful as any hamlet in Ireland, the cultural roots of the area are more reflective of the Germanic than the Celtic...

I'm sorry, but I'm growing a bit weary of all this negative talk about negative campaigning. I think it's time we started being positive about this gloriously negative American tradition. It is generally a good thing for voters to be informed, on the theory that informed voters make better choices. Underlying this premise, though, is the corollary assumption that the candidates should provide reliable information to the voters. Being informed with erroneous data obviously is not desirable...

SO THAT'S it. We're not going to pray before Jackson High School football games any more. Our school board and Ron Anderson never received a complaint and never received a signed letter requesting us not to pray. And never have any of our opponents ever asked Jackson not to pray before home football games. ...

To the editor: Regarding derogatory remarks made about senior citizens and health plans: The people making these remarks can't or won't read and actually don't know the difference between Medicare and Medicaid. Our insurance through these channels costs us $429 a month. How much is your insurance? Our medicine is completely out of pocket. We pay as much as $3 for one pill...