Stories from Saturday, October 3, 1998

The shelves of reference books behind his desk are full, and the baseball memorabilia is taking over the walls in Kim Ferguson's office. But his office isn't the only cramped space in the Cornerstone Church building. The sanctuary is filled to near capacity each Sunday, and parking lots are overflowing each week...

Dustin Burnett, 21, isn't looking for celebrity and fame but if that's what God has in mind for Lightheaded, it's OK too. Burnett is the lead singer and songwriter for the Metropolis, Ill.- based band Lightheaded. Other members of the band are his brothers Dillon, 18, and Reid, 16, and friends Michael Gregory, 18, and Josh Koster, 17...

Leland "Freck" Shivelbine, a supporter of music in the region for more than 50 years, is the 1998 recipient of the Otto Dingeldein Award. The award is given annually by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri to a person making an outstanding contribution to the arts in the region...

Local physicians want more of a voice in the proposed merger of Cape Girardeau's two hospitals. Members of the Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society voted Thursday night to elect a seven-physician negotiating team to meet with hospital officials and business leaders, said Dr. Richard Martin, president of the society...

Schools dismissed early the first few days of September because temperatures reached into the 90s, and the heat index hit 110 in some classrooms. The SEMO District Fair in mid-September stayed dry for the first time in a number of years. September was a long, hot, dry month across the region...

Today, the Southeast Missourian marks its 95th birthday. Think of it -- 1904. The same year of the St. Louis World's Fair. In fact, founders Fred and George Naeter traveled to Cape Girardeau on a steamer from the fair and discovered the local newspaper had gone out of business. So they started the newspaper...

Hang the Old Farmer's Almanac in the outhouse and tune out those newfangled, color-radar, weather screens. Once again, the reliable old woolly worm has offered first predications on what to expect for winter 1998-1999. Four of the mostly brown caterpillars, found recently in a farm field near Oak Ridge, reveal that the coming winter could be mild...

Diane Runnels remembers climbing over boxes of stuff piled in an old garage behind her friend's home in search of two old photographs. That was two years ago. Runnels' friend, Gwyn Mincher, had purchased the old house and garage at 1436 Luce. As Mincher started cleaning out items left in the garage, she spotted the two photographs hanging on a wall and wondered about the people pictured. She called on Runnels, a genealogist, to take a look...

Ma Dear's birthday was Wednesday, and I and my family are headed down to Walls, Miss., today to celebrate with her. Ma Dear's birthday is a big deal to us because, as I've said before, she's the family matriarch. We had planned to celebrate last weekend, but she wouldn't allow it because she said it's bad luck to celebrate a birthday before it actually arrives...

It's a sign of the times. Motorists passing through the intersection of North Sprigg and Bertling now must stop in all four directions. Previously, motorists stopped only on Sprigg. The newly installed stop signs may pose an inconvenience for some travelers, but they're definitely worth the trouble...

William Woods University is stretching into Southeast Missouri. The private four-year college in Fulton plans to offer three degree programs in Chaffee, New Madrid and Poplar Bluff -- including a master's program in business administration. The move provides additional educational opportunities in the region...

To the editor: Have you heard of the year 2000 problem with computers that a lot of people are talking about? You have probably heard about it, but was your thought that someone will come up with a solution and it is nothing to worry about? I am writing to say that it is something to worry about. I have a new book on the subject, "The Millennium Bug: How to Survive the Coming Chaos," by Michael S. Hyatt...

To the editor: "Under penalties of perjury, I declare that ..." are the words printed above the signature line on each American tax form. If the Republicans and Democrats in Congress let Bill Clinton get away with perjury, then what "penalties of perjury" should the U.S. ...

To the editor: I'm in the Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Is there anyone out there who will send me a day calendar? I've lived in Cape since 1965 and have not found any day calendars. I worked for 36 years for the federal government, and we had that type of calendar...

To the editor: We received this letter from one of our patients in regard to the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon: Once again another Labor Day has come and gone, and so has another telethon. Like many years before, the telethon was a huge success. ...

To the editor: Whenever doctors tell patients they need a serious operation, doesn't a second opinion make sense, especially when the patient isn't suffering any symptoms yet? When a patient doesn't completely understand why all that cutting and stitching are needed, a second opinion could provide some peace of mind. ...

The new Bank of America created by the merger of BankAmerica and NationasBank on Wednesday is donating $1 million to improve life in 100 communities across the U.S. Cape Girardeau was selected as one of the communities in which a non-profit organization receives a $10,000 grant. It was presented to Community Caring Council Friday morning...

IN RESPONSE to the Southeast Missouri Hospital employee who is responding to the St. Francis employee, I would like to make one comment. He started off his comment by saying "there a fear of losing one's job which will effect Cape's economy." Nothing could be further from the truth. ...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan and Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle endorsed Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond for re-election at a press conference Friday. Also on hand for the announcement on the steps of the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau were two other Republican supporters, Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf and Stephen Gray, who will take office as Bollinger County's new prosecutor in January...

The SEMO Crime Lab will observe its 30th anniversary next year. Personnel at the lab, which occupies a 2,500-square-foot house, would like to observe the 30th year from a spacious 7,000-square-foot facility in a Southeast Missouri State University warehouse at the intersection of Ellis and Merriwether streets...

Nobody can accuse Cape Central or Belleville Althoff of playing boring football this season. More often than not, the games these teams play go down to the wire, and so it was last night at Houck Stadium. Althoff charged up its running game at halftime and edged Central 23-20 in an overtime cliffhanger on Central's Homecoming night...

SCOTT CITY -- Smothering and suffocating. Stifling like your car's interior after hours in southeast Missouri midsummer, midday broil -- with the windows rolled up and the air conditioner off. That was Scott City High's defense during Friday night's homecoming football game against Chaffee...

JACKSON -- Todd Wessel is piling up some huge numbers for Jackson High's football team -- and he is always quick to credit his offensive line. Wessel, in just Jackson's fifth game of the season, went over the 1,000-yard mark Friday night as he rushed for 249 yards on 35 carries to lead the Indians to an impressive 38-14 rout of visiting Beaumont from St. Louis...

Belleville Althoff 23, Cape Central 20, OT Jackson 38, Beaumont 14 Sikeston 36, Alton, Ill. 14 Poplar Bluff 33, Salem, Ark. 7 Scott City 41, Chaffee 0 Dexter 31, East Prairie 7 Kennett 22, Portageville 14 Thayer 20, Hayti 0 Malden 28, Charleston 6 New Madrid 40, Caruthersville 7...

No matter what the preseason polls indicate, Southeast Missouri State University football coach John Mumford says he is looking for his Indians to be a factor in the Ohio Valley Conference race. If that is to be the case, then the Indians will have to be able to handle some of the teams projected to be among the OVC's elite...

BRENTWOOD -- Perryville scored 27 points in the second quarter to snap a 7-7 tie and went on to defeat Brentwood 48-22 Friday night in high school football action. Perryville, which scored all seven of its touchdowns via the run, improved to 4-1 with the victory...

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team barely worked up a sweat Friday night in rolling past visiting Eastern Kentucky. The Otahkians prevailed 15-7, 15-8, 15-1 in front of 135 fans at Houck Field House. Southeast improved to 8-7 overall and 4-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play. EKU fell to 1-12 overall, 1-6 in the league...

Graveside service for Joseph E. Wunderlich of Cape Girardeau will be held at 11 a.m. today at Poplar Bluff City Cemetery. The Rev. David Griesemer will officiate. Cotrell Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff is in charge of arrangements. Wunderlich, 77, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center...

ANNISTON -- Eula Rose Seay, 84, of Anniston died Friday, Oct. 2, 1998, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born Jan. 3, 1914, in Hickman County, Ky., daughter of John R. and Lula Sons Jackson. She and W.F. Seay were married in 1940. He died in 1962...

Shirley Ann Blaylock, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Sept. 17, 1934, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of H. Clarence and Virginia Moore Ervin. She and William B. Blaylock were married Nov. 20, 1955, in Cape Girardeau...

Dorothy Heggie Moseley, 95, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998, at Heritage Forest Lane in Dallas, Texas. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

PERRYVILLE -- Helen M. Zoellner, 77, of Perryville died Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998, at Perry County Nursing Home. She was born June 23, 1921, in Perry County, daughter of Adrain and Janie LaRose Keller. She and Floyd A. Zoellner were married June26, 1939. He died July 23, 1983...

James F. Gray, 76, of Canton, Ill., died Thursday, Oct. 1, 1998, at Graham Hospital in Canton. He was born Aug. 6, 1922, in Canton, son of Shiloh M. and Lillian I. Baker Gray. He and Dorothy L. Kelpe were married June 14, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. Gray owned and operated Dog-N-Suds in Cape Girardeau, then later worked at International Harvester Co. in Canton, retiring in 1978...

Daughter to Stacey and Stephanie Hart of Eureka, St. John's Mercy Hospital, 12:22 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, 1998. Name, Hannah Claire. Weight, 6 pounds 11 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Hart is the former Stephanie Fuemmeler, daughter of David and Cheri Fuemmeler of Cape Girardeau. Hart is the son of Edward and Mary Jane Hart of Cape Girardeau. He is employed at Electrorep Energy Products...

WAPPAPELLO -- Funeral for Norman Yount of Wappapello will be held at 2 p.m. today at Unity Baptist Church in Benton. The Rev. Dale Huff and Scott Yount, grandson of Yount, will officiate. Burial will be in Unity Cemetery at Benton. Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston is in charge of arrangements...

CAIRO, Ill. -- As part of the Cairo Riverboat Days celebration, several churches will be on tour Sunday. Churches include The Church of the Redeemer, St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Cairo Baptist Church, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Ward Chapel AME Church, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church and Tigert Memorial United Methodist...