Stories from Friday, February 2, 2001

Cape Central's Jennifer Rubel sculpted a reclining female nude from alabaster, the world's softest stone. Holly Dirnberger of Oran High School painted and drew a detailed portrait of a Native American adding a third dimension with a feather. Derek Lloyd of New Madrid County Central created a 4-foot-tall assemblage from small wooden rectangles and spheres. ...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County officials want to shackle prisoner medical costs, which last year totaled nearly $109,000. The costs included everything from prescription drugs to ambulance charges to visits to the county's two hospitals. Medical bills for prisoners housed in the county jail totaled $52,974 last year. The rest came from the county's prisoners held in other counties' jails, primarily the Mississippi County Jail...

After I read Sam Blackwell's column Thursday morning, I said to Heidi Hall, managing editor and also a columnist in her own right: "This is it. This is the crusade we've been looking for." In short, Sam launched the first grenade in a full-scale war to lure Michael Feldman's "Whad'Ya Know?" radio show to Cape Girardeau...

When ShopKo closes its Cape Girardeau store in April, 78 employees will lose their jobs. ShopKo Stores Inc., announced this week that it would close 23 stores, including an anchor store at Westfield Shoppingtown and a store in the Kentucky Oaks Mall at Paducah, Ky...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Stars and Stripes Museum has a low profile but big plans. Opening in 1997 at the birthplace of the famous military newspaper, the museum has outgrown its exhibition and storage space and is set to begin construction of an addition that will more than double its size...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Two state-ranked teams met and, on this night, the Doniphan Donettes proved their ranking is no fluke with a 63-48 victory on Thursday. Eighth-ranked Jackson (13-4), coming off a big win over No. 1 Poplar Bluff, fell behind early and could never catch Doniphan, the eighth-ranked team in Class 3A...

The Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs keep finding ways to win. Cape Central keeps finding ways to the emergency room. Notre Dame (15-3) defeated Cape Central (11-8) for the second time in three tries Thursday night, 38-36, in a slow-paced game at Tiger Field House...

In a battle of comebacks Thursday, Austin Peay had the one that counted the most. As a result, the Lady Govs picked up a key Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball victory, knocking off host Southeast Missouri State University 67-66 at the Show Me Center...

Southeast Missouri State University's men's basketball team made up 23 points from its first meeting with Austin Peay. But that improvement still wasn't enough to prevent a second straight loss to the Governors. In a game that was about as closely contested as possible for most of the way, Austin Peay used a late surge -- along with the all-around brilliant play of Trenton Hassell -- to claim a hard-fought 77-72 victory in front of 5,426 fans at the Show Me Center Thursday night...

De SOTO, Mo. -- De Soto hit a shot just inside the 3-point arc with three seconds left to knock off Perryville 44-42 Thursday night and put the Lady Pirates' string of Jefferson Conference championships in jeapordy. Since joining the conference in 1991, the Lady Pirates have owned or shared the Jeff Co. title, but the loss dropped the Lady Pirates to 6-1 in conference play while De Soto jumped to 7-0...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Donnie Garrett, 47, of New Madrid, Mo., formerly of East Prairie, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Sept. 27, 1953, in St. Louis, son of Burl and Lovie I. Pope Garrett. He and Deborah French were married July 24, 1982...

BRAZEAU, Mo. -- Robert W. Weinhold, 70, of Brazeau died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 10, 1930, at Menfro, Mo., son of Walter Ernst and Ella Mathilda Katt Weinhold. He and Dorothy V. Feiste were married June 28, 1958...

Funeral for Virginia Welch, formerly of Cape Girardeau, will be held at 2 p.m. today at Taylor Funeral Home in Farmington, Mo. Dr. David Webster will officiate. Burial will be in Hillview Memorial Gardens Cemetery at Farmington. Welch, 84, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2001, in Farmington...

KARNAK, Ill. -- Rosa Avery Davis, 95, of Karnak died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at her son's home in Karnak. She was born Nov. 11, 1905, at Keensburg, Ill., the daughter of Charles and Lena Dell Avery. She married Homer Davis. He died in 1983. She was a housewife and member of the Bethany Baptist Church at Cypress, Ill...

LONGTOWN, Mo. -- Melvin Oscar Wills, 80, of Perryville, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. He was born March 16, 1920, in Longtown, son of Peter and Della Bingenheimer Wills. He and Hilda Weinrich were married Oct. 12, 1947...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Ennis Wendel Seiler, 95, of Jackson died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at Jackson Manor. He was born Nov. 22, 1905, at Whitewater, Mo., son of Wendel Seiler and Florence A. Thrower Seiler. He and Eula M. Brown were married Aug. 30, 1931. She died in 1976. He and Ruby Barks Kaempfer were married Jan. 12, 1976. She died in 1989. He married Helen Schwepker in April 1991. She died in 1996...

Clara M. Adams, 95, of Fairfield, Conn., died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at Southport Manor. She was born July 13, 1905, at Neelys Landing, Mo., daughter of Spencer and Florence Miller Lemmon. She and Walter Q. Adams were married June 3, 1933. He died Sept. 30, 1975...

Russell Morrison "Mutt" Wachter, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Aug. 9, 1914, in Jackson, Mo., son of John and Emma Clementz Wachter. He and Sarah Kathleen Slinkard were married Jan. 19, 1935...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Funeral for Horace "Van" VanMatre of Advance will be held at 11 a.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home. The Rev. Bill Sargent will officiate. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park in Marble Hill, Mo. VanMatre, 75, died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2001, at his home...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Doris A. Kiefer, 83, of Perryville died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001, at her home. She was born Aug. 1, 1917, at Perryville, daughter of August and Amelia Buerck Zoellner. She and Lloyd J. Kiefer were married March 22, 1941, at Perryville...

ANNA, Ill. -- Joan Newell, 68, of Anna died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 3, 1932, in Marion, Ill., daughter of Earl and Ruth Fowler King. She was married to Raymond Newell. She was a former employee of Olin Industries and Allen Industries in Herrin, Ill. Her hobby was her three beloved dogs, and she was a member of the First Baptist Church of Anna...

Paul Wilbert Kaiser, 79, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Oct. 18, 1921, at Friedheim, Mo., son of John and Rosina Schroeder Kaiser. He and Mona Fern Pulliam were married Feb. 5, 1985, in Cape Girardeau. She died Jan. 20, 2001...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Inis Egner, 87, of Ullin died Thursday, Feb. 1, 2001, at Parkway Manor in Marion, Ill. She was born Jan. 26, 1914, in Perks, Ill., daughter of Henry Everett and Christein Taylor Ritter. She and C.J. Egner were married Oct. 19, 1935. He died Oct. 22, 2000...

IN REFERENCE to the letter to the editor regarding the McClure schools opening 10 minutes earlier to accommodate parents: As a parent, I am concerned about leaving my child alone and unattended for 10 minutes so I can get to work on time. Therefore, I have to wait. I have a question as to how the president of the board could step in and change the decision of the school superintendent on this...

When Missouri Gov. Bob Holden announced his state spending plan during his State of the State Address Tuesday, a lot of eyebrows arched. In its simplest terms, the state budget for the year beginning July 1, if approved, would increase total state spending to $19 billion, a whopping $2 billion increase from the current budget of nearly $17 billion. ...

To the editor: A recent Speak Out comment was interesting because it assumed that if you complain about police officers, then you don't respect them. And if you remain silent, you hold them in high esteem. That's not necessarily true. Behind every disdainful Speak Out comment is a person with unanswered questions. ...

Son to Scott and Annette Readnour of Festus, Mo., St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, 8:05 a.m. Monday, Nov. 20, 2000. Name, Isaac Andrew. Weight, 10 pounds 4 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Readnour is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Freddie Rutledge of Sikeston, Mo. Readnour is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Michael Readnour of Cape Girardeau. He is a math teacher and basketball coach at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis...