Stories from Thursday, March 24, 1994

PERRYVILLE -- -- Henry L. Hagan, 77, of Perryville died Wednesday, March 23, 1994, at his home. He was born July 20, 1916, at Flat River, the son of Andrew and Mary Cambron Hagan. On Feb. 23, 1946, he married Florentina D. Buchheit, who survives of the home...

It was a night of glitter and glamour. Monday night's Oscars linked Hollywood with 1 billion people -- giving the stars and those behind the scenes a night to show off their best work. And 1993 was a good year for the film industry. The stark epic of heroism amid Holocaust horrors won seven Oscars. But most critics agreed that in any other year, all of the "best picture" nominees had a chance at top honors...

KELSO -- Resting along Highway 61 in north Scott County, minutes away from Interstate 55 and quick access to more populated areas, retail centers, and employment, is the quiet village of Kelso. And, at a time when many small towns are dying, Kelso is thriving and looking forward to a bright future. It is a town with a mix of longtime residents and young people looking for a peaceful place to raise their families...

SCOTT CITY -- Dan Bollinger brought a bit of good news to Scott City. He approached the Scott City Council earlier this week to tell its members that Scott City is in the final running to receive about $1.3 million in federal grant money to rebuild much of Nash Road east of Interstate 55...

@$: Illmo Housing Authority designated high performer by HUD SCOTT CITY -- The Illmo Housing Authority of Scott City has been designated a high performer by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The rating goes to public housing authorities that exceed 90 percent of their annual public housing management assessment program evaluation...

Lady Luck Gaming Corp. learned this week that the Mississippi Gaming commission has granted Lady Luck Natchez the first Mississippi gambling license renewal. In March 1992, the Natchez casino became the first riverboat casino in Mississippi to receive a license...

March 24, 1994 Dear Mom and Dad, Last weekend, DC and I babysat for some friends who celebrated their five-year anniversary with a night on the town in San Francisco. For 24 hours, their 3-year-old daughter, Inga, and 2-year-old son, Christian, were unwitting participants in an experiment intended to answer one of adulthood's great questions: Are we ever ready to be parents?...

Daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Willy Clayton of Anna, Ill., Southeast Missouri Hospital, 10:41 a.m. Friday, March 4, 1994. Name, Fallon Brooke. Weight, 7 pounds 1 ounce. Second daughter. Mrs. Clayton is the former Diane Hale, daughter of Wayne and Carolyn Hale of Anna. She is a licensed practical nursing student. Clayton is a cement finisher with Local 542, and is the son of Beryl and Ruthe Clayton of Anna...

CHAFFEE -- Arthur Joseph Trost, 45, of Arnold, died Tuesday, March 22, 1994, in Arnold. He was born Sept. 17, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, son of Buford B. and Adella A. Kiefer Trost. He married the former Carol Ann Shy. Trost was an engineer with Union Pacific Railroad...

SIKESTON -- Joseph Cullen Polley, 81, of Sikeston, died Wednesday, March 23, 1994, at his home. He was born Feb. 8, 1913, in Sturgis, Miss., son of Joseph Edward and Helen Ramsey Polley. He and Vela Mae Harbison were married Feb. 15, 1941, in Scott County...

JACKSON -- Funeral service for Agnes S. Shirley of West Point, Miss., will be held at 10 a.m. today at Nowell-Robinson Funeral Chapel in West Point. The Revs. Bill Colston and David Carlton will officiate, with burial in Greenwood Cemetery. Shirley, 83, died Tuesday, March 22, 1994, at West Point Nursing Home...

Junior Martin Fornkohl, 68, of Rt. 1 Cape Girardeau. Passed away at St. Francis Medical Center March 23. Ford & Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

To the Editor: Does the constitution hold property rights to be more important than the right of Americans to enjoy a safe and healthy environment? Are individual rights more important than the health of the community, of our fellow citizens, of our children? Common sense says "No!" When confronted with this question, the courts likewise say "No!" But a small, active, and wealthy coalition disagrees with both common sense and the courts. ...

Opal Hahs, 74, of Rt. 1 Friedheim, Mo., passed away Wednesday March 23 at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson will be in charge of arrangements.

Estel L. Bess, 80, of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, March 23, 1994, at the Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born near Lutesville Feb. 7, 1914, son of Peter L. and Etta E. Perkins Bess. Bess was a retired diesel mechanic for Weithop Truck Sales in Cape Girardeau. He was an Army veteran of World War II and was a member of the Lutesville General Baptist Church...

MARBLE HILL -- Funeral service for Marion L. Myers of Marble Hill will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Baker Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Bill Myers will officiate, with burial in Dry Creek Cemetery near here. Friends may call at the funeral home after 6 p.m. today...

CAIRO, Ill. -- William Earl "Big Ben" Vowels, 83, of Kansas City, Mo., died Saturday, March 5, 1994, at St. Luke Northland Hospital in Smithville, Mo. He was born March 31, 1910, at Wyatt, Mo., son of Jesse and Anna Bradley Vowels. Vowels retired as a machine opertor with Sterling Aluminum Co., and farmed at Gale 20 years. He was a former Cub Scout leader, and attended the Lutheran Church...

SCOTT CITY -- Wilma "Nook" Walter, 80, of Scott City, died Wednesday, March 23, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 21, 1913, at Ancell, daughter of William and Amelia Sander Walter. Walter was retired from Florsheim Shoe Co. at Chaffee. She was a member of Eisleben Lutheran Church...

Elmer J. Welter, 72, 1544 Dunklin, died Wednesday, March 23, 1994, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Southeast Missouri State University can't afford to be locked into a guaranteed annual salary hike for faculty, Provost Charles Kupchella said Wednesday. Speaking to the Faculty Senate, Kupchella said the "basic flaw" of the current faculty merit system is that it guarantees about a 6 percent annual increase in faculty salaries forever...

JACKSON -- Negotiations by the city of Jackson and Allied Waste Management Industries Inc.'s desire to compete locally in the waste-management business led to the solid-waste-management contract that will save Jackson an estimated $500,000 in landfill closure costs over the next 20 years...

As city voters prepare to elect council members by district for the first time next month, there's talk about drastically changing the makeup of the council and the way candidates are elected. Talk is also focusing on the city charter's vague conflict-of-interest laws. Some city officials want to add meat to a provision that says a council member can be punished -- even impeached -- for breaking those laws...

SCOTT CITY -- As the Scott City Council's gambling committee called its first meeting to order Tuesday, two representatives from yet another gambling company sat waiting to be recognized. The men came to Scott City representing the Colorado-based casino company, Eagle Gaming Ltd...

WASHINGTON -- An agriculture subcommittee for the U.S. House passed a measure preventing what Rep. Bill Emerson says is unjust governmental "taking" of private land. The Private Property Protection Act is needed, says Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, to protect farmers and other private property owners in government land-use decisions, particularly regarding wetlands...

Cape Girardeau City Councilman Albert M. Spradling III, a mayoral candidate in the April 5 election, has issued a statement outlining his positions on issues he believes are important to citizens and central to the working of municipal government in the coming years...

SCOTT CITY -- Scott City police will do roadblock checks for city stickers Friday and Monday. Any resident who does not have a city sticker attached to the right side of the windshield will be issued a ticket. Deadline for purchasing city stickers was March 15. Residents who have not yet purchased stickers can do so at the Scott City Hall, but must pay a $1 late fee per sticker...

The nation's soybean farmers have voted to continue a program that raises money for advertising, promotion and new-product development of soybeans through a fee on their sales. But two of the top-four soybean-producing states opposed the measure by an almost 2-to-1 margin...

NEW HAMBURG -- An orientation session for parents who anticipate having a child in kindergarten at Kelso C-7 School during the 1994-95 school year has been scheduled for Thursday. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. All parents of children who will be 5 prior to July 1 should attend. Parents should take a copy of the child's birth certificate, immunization record and Social Security number...

A number of Southern Illinois fire departments and fire protection districts will share more than $125,000 in federal matching funds under a Rural Community Fire Protection grant program to provide equipment and training for rural fire-fighting agencies...

When it comes to juggling diverse entertainment packages, David Ross and Will Lofdahl can turn near spills into thrills with the best in the business. To hear Ross describe what it's like to bring in a rodeo show one weekend and Olympic caliber ice skaters shortly thereafter, one begins the realize a successful night is when only promoters, agents and managers know who they are. A perfect outing is when they all walk away happy...

The Southeast Missouri State Music Department's Opera Workshop will conduct two one-act comic operas April 30 and May 1. "The Reluctant Dragon" by John Rutter and Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi" will be performed at Academic Hall's Auditorium. "The Reluctant Dragon" is a tale about a dragon who prefers penning poetry to fire-breathing combat. A children's story that adults can also enjoy, it is also an allegory about prejudice and reconcilliation...

There are more talented musicians in Cape Girardeau than entertainment outlets seeking their services, much to the dismay of guitar players like Peter Kovacs. So Kovacs decided he would put together a "Writers Showcase" to let a few of his friends display the length and breadth of their ability April 2 at Port Cape Girardeau...