Stories from Thursday, January 22, 1998

To the editor: The faculty and staff of Washington School wish to express our sincere gratitude for the Y.E.L.L. grant which allowed us to purchase materials for the accelerated reader program. Your newspaper is a valuable part of our community. We are so please that you take such an active role in school activities...

AmerenUE customers in the Benton and Commerce areas may be without power twice today. About 800 customers are expected to have brief power interruptions at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m Each is expected to last up to 30 minutes. The interruptions area necessary to replace a defective switch at the company's Benton substation, said Doug Groesbeck, manager of AmerenUE's southeast district...

The Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School PTA will sponsor pre-enrollment activities Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Parents with students enrolled in seventh, eighth or ninth grades this school year, and who plan to for the students to be enrolled in those grades the 1998-99 school year in the Cape Girardeau school system, are invited...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- When asked why he based his new Broadway musical "Capeman" on such a dark subject -- the life of a murderer -- Paul Simon invariably brings up Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Carousel." The 1945 musical turns on the suicide of lead character Billy Bigelow and extended the idea originated by "Show Boat" that a musical could engage serious subject matters...

Members of ACTER who will perform at Southeast during February are, left to right, Biddy Wells, Peter Forbes, David Acton, Henrietta Bess and Peter Lindford. Residencies by a black dance company from St. Louis and a Shakespearean acting troupe that Patrick Stewart helped found will make February a lively month for the arts at Southeast Missouri State University...

After a somewhat shaky start, a hard-hitting boot camp program for young men otherwise headed for prison is marking up some fairly impressive statistics, including a low repeat rate and savings that total millions of dollars. Formally known as the Regimented Discipline Program, the boot camp at the Farmington Correctional Center is finally up to maximum participation for men 17 to 25 years old who have been sentenced to jail but have no pending felony charges and no history of violence. ...

It isn't often this newspaper finds itself in agreement with organizations like the Sierra Club. But when it comes to a proposed Missouri law aimed at heaping extra punishment on anyone who "defames" farmers or their products, freedom of speech is seriously imperiled...

To the editor: I observe from a distance the goings-on of the health-care community in Cape Girardeau. Two recent events should cause residents to stop for a moment an wonder what's really happening. On Dec. 31, MedAmerica HealthNet announced it was filing for bankruptcy protection. As I recall, one of MedAmerica's stated goals was to keep Cape dollars within the Cape community by making sure that health care was provided locally...

To the editor: Just because a person is in jail doesn't mean he's guilty. Your brother, father or friend could end up in this hellhole. We are supposed to have some rights. We stay in a 5-by-8 cell 24 hours a day. We get out for approximately five minutes to shower on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. ...

Runny noses, fever, stomach aches, scratchy throats and stuffy heads are just a few of the symptoms keeping students away from area schools this week. Local health officials said they have seen an increased number of patients suffering from upper-respiratory infections, head colds and gastro-intestinal problems resulting from viral infections during the past two weeks...

SCOTT CITY -- Shirley Young, who has served the Scott City community in many capacities since 1989, has retired as president of the Chamber of Commerce. Young, a former alderman and mayor of Scott City, from 1989 to 1992, has served as president of the chamber since 1993...

The owner of a Cape Girardeau nightclub says the city's decision not to renew his liquor license has forced him into bankruptcy. DeWayne Casey, the owner of Peppy's Sports Bar at 823 S. Kingshighway, filed for bankruptcy last week. "I had no choice but to file bankruptcy," said Casey...

Gov. Mel Carnahan wants lawmakers to appropriate $7.2 million to construct a polytechnic building and a vocational-technical school in Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri State University's polytechnic building and the Cape Girardeau School District's vo-tech school are two of the capital projects included in the governor's proposed budget...

Jan. 22, 1998 Dear Julie, On a recent trip to Kentucky, DC and I were nosing about in downtown Paducah when we came upon a work of art on a wall. A floodwall. A talented Louisiana artist named Robert Dafford is painting the story of the city on its floodwall. The eight murals completed so far consist of charming scenes from Paducah's yesteryears: An old fire station, a long-defunct strawberry festival, the city market, even one depicting the city's floods...

Saturday's lopsided loss in the season opener should in no way give people an impression that Southeast Missouri State University's gymnastics team is in for a down year. The Otahkians and their first-year head coach, Kris Buchheister, were emphatic about that earlier this week during Southeast's annual media day activities at Parker Gym...

SCOTT CITY -- Top-seeded Scott City and No. 5 Scott County Central advanced to the semifinals of the Scott Mississippi Conference Tournament with comfortable wins Wednesday. The host Rams improved to 15-1 with a 100-39 whipping of Chaffee (1-12). The Braves (6-8) upset fourth-seed Oran 72-59 as the Eagles fell to 8-6...

Two players from Leopold's Class 1A state-champion volleyball team balanced schoolwork and athletics on the way to all-state honors this past season. Their coach, 1A Coach of the Year Leanne Huffman, knows exactly what those players went through in her first season as a high school coach...

Shawn Kinder School: Delta Class: Senior Sport: Basketball Position: Point Guard Coach: Nate Crowden Week report: Most athletes perform best in familiar surroundings, but the 5-foot-11 Kinder totaled 51 points in two road games last week. Kinder started the week Tuesday by draining five 3-pointers and unloading 31 points in a 74-71 loss at state-ranked Scott City. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's men's and women's indoor track teams will host Murray State Friday in a pair of dual meets at the Student Recreation Center. The meets will begin with field events at 5:30 p.m., with the first running events scheduled for 7 p.m...

Mary Zuma Vanderpoel, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 19, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Jan. 21, 1920, at Holcomb, daughter of James Clifford and Ethel Hudgens Campbell. She first married Clyde Thomas Howard in 1940 in Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death. She later married Cornelius Eugene Vanderpoel III in 1971, in St. Petersburg, Fla. He also preceded her in death...

SCOTT CITY -- Eugene P. Robert, 90, Scott City Route 2, died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 14, 1907, at Kelso, son of Charles and Ida Hohman Robert. He and Irene Clara Robert were married April 24, 1935, at Kelso. She died Jan. 23, 1990...

ANNA, Ill. -- Martha Lucille Pengress, 82, of Anna died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at her home. She was born May 17, 1915, in Marion, daughter of Coll and Alice Greer Chamness. She and George P. Pengress were married June 5, 1941, in Napoleon, Ohio. He died Oct. 18, 1981...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Funeral service for Judy Hester of Olive Branch will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Trinity Assembly of God Church. The Revs. Paul Martin and John Childers will officiate. Burial will be in Wanda Cemetery in South Roxana, with graveside service at 3 p.m...

PERRYVILLE -- Nellie E. Gibbar, 86, of Perryville died Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born July 10, 1911, at Perryville, daughter of Prince Edward and Marcella Mary Richardet Wood. She and Arthur Joseph Gibbar were married Dec. 30, 1929. He died Oct. 30, 1976...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Ruby Ellen Caudle Allen, 87, of Olmsted died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at Daystar Nursing Center in Cairo. She was born Nov. 21, 1910, in Pulaski, daughter of Warren Edwards and Amelia Atherton Edwards. She married Jim Allen, who preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE -- Lonnie G. Blessing, 91, of Perryville died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1998, at his home. He was born Jan. 23, 1906, in Perry County, son of Theodore and Elizabeth LaRose Blessing. Blessing was a farmer, and member of St. Vincent's Catholic Church...

GRAY RIDGE -- Marion Norman Triplett, 73, of Gray Ridge died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. He was born Aug. 23, 1924, at Gray Ridge, son of John and Lelia Tucker Triplett. He and Shirley Simmons were married in 1957...

FROHNA -- Wilma R. Meier, 84, of Frohna died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1998, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born Dec. 21, 1913, at Frohna, daughter of Emmanuel M. and Pauline Stelling Bock. She and Norbert John Meier were married Nov. 10, 1956. He died April 18, 1987...

MORLEY -- Two Oran teen-agers were injured when their vehicle overturned on Scott County Road 431 Wednesday evening. Driver Stephen Hudson, 16, and his passenger, Krystie (cq) Hudson were taken by private vehicle to Missouri Delta Medical Center after the accident...

Southeast Missouri State University's spring enrollment Tuesday was up 2 percent over the start of spring semester classes a year ago. Southeast had 7,503 students enrolled Tuesday, up 153 students from a year ago, university officials said. The headcount for undergraduate students stood at 6,642, up 34 students or 1 percent from the 1997 spring semester...

JACKSON -- Alline S. Lange, 75, of Jackson died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 27, 1922, in Randles, daughter of Charles "Sam" and Malinda Lehmann Evans. Lange lived in the Tilsit community many years, moving to Jackson in the early 1980s. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church at Tilsit...

PARMA -- Hattie Edge, 84, of Parma died Tuesday, Jan. 20, 1998, at her home. Watkins and Sons Funeral Home at Parma is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Antonio and Delia Trejo of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 12:27 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14, 1998. Name, Daisy-Jasmin. Weight, 6 pounds 14 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Trejo is the former Delia Saavedra, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Saavedra of Devine, Texas. Trejo is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Antonio Trejo of Jackson. He is employed at El Torero Restaurant in Jackson...

Ethel Ella Breeden Leist, 85, of High Ridge, formerly of Scott City, died Wednesday, Jan. 21, 1998, at Cedars Health Care Center in Cedar Hill. She was born May 2, 1912 in Winnona, daughter of William Moses and Myrtle Josephine Burse Breeden. She married Alphonse Leist, who died in 1971. She then married Otto Leist, who died in 1995...