Stories from Sunday, August 24, 1997

Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar won't run for the U.S. Senate after all. The popular, two-term Republican chief executive made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, surprising statehouse and national political observers who had expected his entry against Democratic Sen. ...

25 years ago, 1972 Following three-day teachers' workshop, pupils of Jackson R-2 School District will begin year with full day of classes Aug. 24; as in past several years, space for elementary enrollment will be tight when school begins; but unlike past years, solution isn't far away; Superintendent Frank a. Wiley says present estimate is that new elementary school on West Lane will be ready for occupancy about Oct. 1...

JACKSON -- Final winners of the Jackson Homecomers Talent Show were announced Sunday. The Talent Show was held in conjunction with the 89th Homecomers Celebration sponsored by American Legion Post #158. Jim Nelson, talent show chairman, said the winners of each age group received cash prizes and plaques as awards...

Flath joins the Army Eric Flath of Glen Allen has joined the U.S. Army. He will receive training in the job specialty of his choice, medium helicopter repairer. Flath will graduate from Woodland High School in May 1998. He will take basic training at Fort Leonard Wood and advanced training at Fort Eustis, Va. He reports for duty June 15, 1998...

Looming in September is an historic confrontation between Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan and those of us in the General Assembly who will seek to override his veto of Senate Bill 275, the bill banning the especially gruesome form of infanticide known as partial-birth abortion. ...

Between now and next January, joint committees of the General Assembly will investigate, study and recommend changes in a number of fields ranging from post-desegregation public schools to the inadequacies of state mental health services. All of the topics coming under legislative purview concern important, vital services which Missourians need and deserve. ...

News that U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft of Missouri, a Republican, is testing the waters for a presidential race continues to stir interest. Recent weeks have found Ashcroft traveling through New Hampshire, site of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, along with treks to Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Michigan and Louisiana, among other points. ...

To the editor: In the past few days, much publicity has been given to the recently adopted policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, which approved "full communion" with the Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ and the Reformed Church in America...

To the editor: In response to your Aug. 10 editorial, I want to explain Target Missouri, a common-sense approach to improving upon the state's economic development strategies. While existing strategies have helped the private sector generate impressive growth in the state over the last four years, significant challenges remain in various parts of the state, including Southeast Missouri. In any case, we can never rest on our laurels...

New starting quarterback Justin Keen listens to instructions from head coach Carl Gross. Keen played wide-receiver last year for the Indians. Jackson players are in good physical condition for this time of the season according to coach Gross. The offensive line for Jackson will play a big role in the new multiple attack offense for the Indians...

While I was studying for the Ministry, I recall hearing a lot of negative reactions to Norman Vincent Peale. He was to my very conservative friends a flaming liberal! To many he was practically the "poster boy" for modernism and the new "theology" of depending on ourselves...

Southeast Missouri State University isn't global enough to suit the school's president. President Dr. Dale Nitzschke wants to boost international student enrollment, which has been declining in recent years. To do so, the university plans to restructure its international student programs and services...

Susan Swartwout pushes poetry. These days, she is not only writing it, she's reading it. A published poet, Swartwout also is an assistant professor of English at Southeast Missouri State University. It was Swartwout's idea to broadcast poetry on KRCU, the National Public Radio station at Southeast...

The judges in this weekend's Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Annual Barbecue Fest at Arena Park prepared themselves in different ways for the task laid before them. They had to take small bites of as many as 29 differently prepared samples of some of the finest barbecue in the region...

"It's all about basketball." That simple statement, surrounded by a chorus of yeah's, explains why Jeremy Finley, 10, and his friends were among the first people to arrive at the SlamFest '97 basketball tournament taking place this weekend at Indian Park...

Goodbye day care, hello kindergarten. My oldest daughter, 5-year-old Becca, starts kindergarten this week. Where did the time fly? It seems only yesterday that Joni and I brought her home from the hospital and our bank account began going into a serious decline...

@$: GOP meet delegates evaluate hopefuls The Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS -- Texas Gov. George W. Bush, a rising star of the Republican Party, criticized President Clinton on Saturday for siding with organized labor and derailing a Texas welfare initiative...

An increased talent level that has upgraded team speed considerably and a favorable schedule that features seven home games has Southeast Missouri State University's football Indians thinking big things for the 1997 season. Despite a 3-8 record last year and a preseason ranking of seventh in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference, Southeast head coach John Mumford sees no reason why the Indians can't challenge for the OVC title...

It wasn't exactly Florida vs. Tennessee, but the 1997 college football season got off to a decent enough start Saturday when Northwestern beat Oklahoma 24-0 in the Pigskin Classic in Chicago. Wait one minute. Is that really so? Was their really an official football game played on Aug. 23? It hardly seems possible...

Murray State's football team enters 1997 riding a 16-game Ohio Valley Conference winning streak and coming off consecutive undefeated league seasons. But the lack of a proven quarterback and numerous holes on defense have relegated the Racers to a role of OVC non-favorite as the 1997 campaign approaches...

Imagine a golf course where the object is to shoot turkeys and deer, rather than eagles and birdies. That's basically the concept behind the 3-D Archery Shoots being held by Yancy Poorman at Lake Twappity in Chaffee. Poorman, the owner of Top Flight Archery, designed an archery course similar to a golf course in the woods of Lake Twappity. The course features 25 different shooting areas along a dirt path in the woods with free-standing, full-bodied animal targets...

Missouri Department of Conservation holds a variety of hunting-related activities for youths. If you have a youngster in the household, or have spent any time with a youth this summer, you've heard those three famous words -- I'm bored! I know my 12-year-old son, Allan, is famous for the use of this expression...

PERRYVILLE -- Bertha A. Balsman, 85, of Perryville died Friday, Aug. 22, 1997, at the Perry County Nursing Home. She was born Jan. 19, 1912, in Perry County, daughter of Ignatius and Barbara Ponder Trapp. She married John Balsman on Nov. 10, 1931. He died Oct. 18, 1966...

Funeral service for William M. Bennett Sr., 88, of Lamar will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. today at the chapel, where parish prayers will be held at 7. Bennett died Thursday, Aug. 21, 1997, at Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar...

MOREHOUSE -- Janetta Vandemark, 77, of Morehouse died Friday, Aug. 22, 1997, from an auto accident west of Sikeston. Arrangements are pending at Amick Burnett Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

Ivan E. Clark, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Aug. 23, 1997, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Funeral plans are incomplete at the Lorberg Funeral Chapel.

A few people have been wondering if the local Burger Kings have had problems with contaminated beef from Hudson Foods. Dan Drury, owner of 22 area Burger Kings, including the three in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, said they have not. Drury said two cases of Hudson Foods beef were recalled out of Drury's restaurant in St. Louis. He said his stores are supplied through a different distributor than most of the Burger Kings in St. Louis...

A.D. Hoffman II, right, owner of Wib's Drive-In in Jackson, prepared barbecue sandwiches with Clara Tyler for their lunch-time customers. John Fitzgerald prepared barbecued pork with special sauce for catering at the Pilot House, across from the Cape Girardeau Municipal Golf Course...

Jean Bell Mosley's new autobiography, "For Most of the Century," is only available in serialized form in the Southeast Missourian. Return each week for her continuing story. Stephen Wilson, my brother, was born at home December 20, 1916. I was barely 3 years old so don't remember the event. Nor do I remember much about him except for photos that seem to call up some dim memories and the things the other family members have told to me...

JACKSON -- The descendants of Jacob, Christian and Peter Friedrich held a family reunion last Sunday at Emanuel United Church of Christ. Sharon King was recognized for writing the Friedrich genealogy. "Our Story," a play by Bonnie Ludwig, included music by Cherry Hinderberger, Larry Friedrich and Joe Mayfield...