Stories from Wednesday, October 7, 1998

My mailbox has recently been filled with flyers and catalogs from companies selling fall bulbs (spring blooming flowers such as tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils). In addition most garden centers have shelves filled with packages and bins of bulbs. It sure is hard to think of spring flowers when our fall temperatures are in the 80s and 90s, and when the ground is as hard as a brick due to the lack of rainfall...

ANNA, Ill. -- Jim Town isn't found on an Illinois map, but some people in Union County know where it is. Jim Town, a small community now known as Jim Town Loop, is east of Anna off Route 146, It does have a claim to fame by being listed in a book, "Southern Illinois Ghost Towns."...

The eighth annual Octoberfest will be held Saturday and Sunday at Black Forest Villages. More than 2,000 people are expected at the event. The festival will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The weekend will offer demonstrations such as basket weaving, broom making, pioneer furniture making, weaving, leathersmithing, quilting, blacksmithing, flintknapping and wood carving among other traditional crafts...

Meeting agenda Thursday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. Board of Education Room Action Items: -- Consider residency issue -- Consider board policy updates -- MSIP report on certification/planning time/educational persistence -- Consider audit -- Discuss bond issue...

Marching band brings home first place trophy, gears up to Trans World Dome contest The Cape Girardeau Central High School Marching Tigers attended the 30th annual Washington Marching Festival in Washington, Mo., and brought home the first-place trophy in the class B division...

THANK YOU, Burt Lehman, for stopping and offering to help when my car was not running properly. I appreciated it so very much. May God bless you for your kindness. I WANT to say watch out, Cape. I just got through reading Dr. Nitzschke's letter on the Opinion page saying the university will do what's best (at the former St. ...

It's always good to listen to what the other person has to say and to view things, as best you can, from his perspective. So, I was happy to read that AFL-CIO president John Sweeny, a frequent foe of Big Business, is scheduled to address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Nov. ...

Call it a shot of prevention. Fall is already in full swing, and the official start of winter is a mere 75 days away. Face it: Crisper, colder days will soon be a reality. Most adults are good about buying the proper coats, gloves and scarves for their children. And many parents make sure their children are immunized...

Health officials are excited about a development on the horizon that could take the sting out of the yearly flu shots. A new nasal spray is being tested. Early results indicate that the spray is not only more effective, but it is much more palatable to children and adults who hate shots...

To the editor: I read the Sept. 28 letter, "This list has grown too long already," by Ms. Poole and was shocked and horrified that such conduct is going on here in the Midwest and even in our nation's capital. If this lady can collect this many cases of very probably illegal conduct, how much more must be in the files of the FBI and the Justice Department? Has the conspiracy of cover-up, such as the fund-raising conduct of the Democrats, extended to many of these acts of violence?...

To the editor: I recently was doing some research on the Internet on the various candidates in Missouri. The first survey I looked at was a broad-based, impartial survey about all sorts of issues done by Vote Smart. After looking at this survey, I looked at the Missouri Right to Life Web site for its candidate endorsements. ...

To the editor: As to fairness, the casino industry promised us one thing (romantic, nostalgic riverboat cruises with a touch of family entertainment) and has giving us quite another (smoky casinos that float in a moat where neighbors, not tourists, go to spend money they really can't afford to lose)...

To the editor: I recently had a dream. In this dream, I observed the planet Earth revolving around like a spinning ball. Standing in the center of the planet was an object like a statue. This object had everyone's attention. While observing the object, I heard voices shouting out all of the woes and problems which Earth is facing. ...

For the first time in its 174-year history, the Cape Girardeau Baptist Association removed a church from its membership because it ordained women as deacons. First Baptist Church of Cape Girardeau was removed from association membership by a vote of 98-41 for ordaining six women as deacons in May. A two-thirds majority vote was needed for removal...

Forget the umbrella. The stormy weather is expected to move on east today. Southeast Missouri, drenched by heavy rains this week, could see some dry weather as early as today, forecasters say. But heavy rain in Missouri and elsewhere in the Midwest river basins is expected to send the Mississippi River over flood stage at Cape Girardeau this weekend. ...

There's a lot to be said for the life of a multi-unit apartment dweller. When you live in one of those huge, sterile places with three floor plans, a staff of five and a laundromat, you don't have to worry when the little stones from the bottom fish tank somehow make their way into the garbage disposal. You just call the maintenance dudes...

Tuesday was Girls Night Out for Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team. The cloud of pressure that looms over crucial Ohio Valley Conference matches wasn't present for Southeast's nonconference affair with Arkansas State. So the Otahkians let their hair down, slipped on their dancing shoes and relished the 15-10, 10-15, 15-13, 15-7 victory before 255 fans at Houck Field House...

The ride home from Charleston, Ill., Saturday was about three-and-a-half hours. It seemed like 100 hours. Football is, and always has been, a test. A test of young men's character, will and heart. Even though the roller-coaster 35-33 loss to Eastern Illinois, our players must realize that their character, will and heart stand tall and will lead to future success...

FARMINGTON -- Chris Cole and Nathan Gibbar both scored a pair of goals as Cape Central pummeled Farmington 10-1 Tuesday in high school soccer action. The Tigers built a 6-0 halftime lead on its way to improving to 6-9-2 on the season. Justin Shelby, Mike Pickett, Brad Bollwerk, Robbie Winschel, Trevor Blattner and Brett McNabb all had single goals. Shelby also had two assists, while Gibbar, Winschel, McNabb, Jon Mark Thompson, Arthur Pilsner and Matt Brandt had one apiece...

SIKESTON -- Lelia Stausing, 82, of Sikeston died Monday, Oct. 5, 1998, at her home. She was born Dec. 6, 1915, in McEwen, Tenn., daughter of Walter and Effie Hooper Stewart. She and Elgin Stausing were married in 1942. He died in 1990. Stausing was a member of First Baptist Church...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Funeral for Suda Baker of Ullin will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church. The Rev. Richard Martin will officiate, with burial in Ullin Cemetery. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin after 6 p.m. today. Baker, 78, died Monday, Oct. 5, 1998, at Union County Hospital in Anna...

DEXTER -- Katie Wood, 85, of Dexter died Monday, Oct. 5, 1998, at Crowley Ridge Care Center. She was born Feb. 9, 1913, in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. She and Carl O. Wood were married in 1971. He died Dec. 21, 1991. Wood had lived in Tennessee many years, moving to Dexter in 1971. She was a member of Vinson General Baptist Church...

Willard H. "Dutch" Estes, age 89, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., passed away Friday, September 4, 1998 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Memorial services will conducted at 2:00 pm Saturday, October 10, 1998, at the First Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Brendan Dempsey officiating. ...

BREWER -- Magdalena Mary Mattingly, 94, of Brewer died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1998 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 5, 1903, in Perry County, daughter of Barice and Mary Mattingly Mattingly. She and Bernie Mattingly were married June 15, 1921. He preceded her in death July 15, 1982...

Memorial service for Willard H. "Dutch" Estes of Cape Girardeau will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Brendan Dempsey will officiate. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Estes, 89, died Friday, Sept. 4, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital...

SIKESTON -- Demetrius Lamar Tate, 18 months, of Sikeston died Saturday, Oct. 3, 1998, at St. Louis Children's Hospital after an automobile accident. He was born March 7, 1997, in Sikeston. He is survived by his mother, LaToya Fletcher of Sikeston; maternal grandmother, Joann Fletcher of Sikeston; maternal grandfather, David Howard of Sikeston; and maternal great-grandmother, Florence Howard of Sikeston...

WHITEWATER -- Funeral for RoseLee Nussbaum of Whitewater will be held at 11 a.m. today at Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville. The Rev. D. Lee Cullen will officiate, with burial in the church cemetery. Nussbaum, 67, died Saturday, Oct. 3, 1998, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Funeral Mass for Therese Ann Petermichel of Chula Vista, Calif., will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cairo. The Rev. Jerome Fortenberry will officiate, with burial in Calvary Cemetery at Villa Ridge. Friends may call at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo after 5 p.m. Friday...

CHARLESTON -- Larry D. Clark Jr., 37, of Kansas City died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1998, at Trinity Lutheran Hospital in Kansas City. He was born Jan. 10, 1961, at Charleston, son of Larry D. and Linda Coble Clark Sr. A resident of Mississippi County most of his life, he moved to Kansas City 11 years ago. He was a construction worker...

BENTON -- Jessie Faye Hutson, 87, Benton Route 1, died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 21, 1910, in McLeansboro, Ill., daughter of Jesse M. and Opal E. Barron Wheeler. She and Everett D. Hutson were married June 14, 1930, in Charleston. He died April 8, 1971...

Funeral for Glen O. "Bunny" Runnels of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. The Rev. Gerald Huff will officiate. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery near Marble Hill, with graveside rites by VFW Post 5900...

Justine P. Snipes, 84, of Nashville, Tenn., died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1998, at Mariner Health Center in Nashville. She was born April 17, 1914, in Norge, Okla., daughter of James J. and Irma Jones Anderson Snipes. Snipes was formerly of Cape Girardeau. She was a staff member in the House of Representatives...

ANNA, Ill. -- Elizabeth Walser, 92, of Anna died Monday, Oct. 5, 1998, at Parkway Manor Estates in Marion. She was born July 17, 1906, in Hickman, Ky., daughter of Robert and Nina Polk DePriest. She and Clayton Walser were married July 17, 1925, in Anna. He died in 1954...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral for Larry Allen Tidwell of Bragg City was held Sunday at H.S. Smith Funeral Home in Caruthersville. The Rev. Steve Turner officiated, with burial in Little Prairie Cemetery at Caruthersville. Tidwell, 64, died Friday, Oct. 2, 1998, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro, Ark...

BERNIE -- Inez Catherine Blocker, 73, of Bernie, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1998, at her home. She was born Feb. 2, 1925, at Paragould, Ark., daughter of James Autry and Cora Stephens Autry. She and Felix Blocker were married Aug. 23, 1949, in Leachville, Ark...

JACKSON -- When the Jackson Chamber of Commerce went looking for its first-ever executive director, communication and leadership skills were the primary requirements. In Ken Parrett, the chamber found someone whose leadership abilities were tested in Operation Desert Storm...

A cooperative effort between the city of Jackson, Lee-Rowan Co., Missouri Department of Economic Development, and SEMO Regional Planning has resulted in some great news for Jackson and its economic future. Two announcements were recently made at a Jackson City Hall news conference. ...

7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5 City Hall Action items Power and Light Committee -- Approved appointment of Alderman Larry Cunningham Jackson Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ken Parrett to serve on the Industrial Tract Steering Committee. -- Approved a contractual agreement with Baer Engineering and Land Surveying of Perryville relative to providing engineering services for the city. The work involves the Grandview Acres sewer project...

The Southeast Missourian asked people how they viewed widening a 3 1/2-mile stretch of Highway 34 to three lanes, running from Highway 25 to the Highway 34/Highway 72 split west of Jackson, as proposed by the Jackson Board of Aldermen. The Missouri Department of Transportation has recommended a five-lane upgrade for the highway...