Stories from Tuesday, October 14, 1997

To the editor: Substance abuse is a major public health problem that affects millions of people. It destroys families, cripples the economy, victimizes the community and suffocates the education, criminal justice and social service systems. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 1995 an estimated 12.8 million Americans used illicit drugs...

The Internet gets a bad rap for all the negative influences on children. While the bad stuff is out there, we can't emphasize enough the great sites that target young people. We encourage parents to surf with their children, which would avoid a lot of the problems. ...

Franklin Elementary School was built in 1927 A mural by artist Don Greenwood greets students in the first-floor hall. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh made his historic flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the Mississippi River Bridge at Cape Girardeau was under construction and a new elementary school opened in Cape Girardeau...

Five Southeast Missouri State University professionals attended the annual conference of the American Council on Education National Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education last month in Kansas City. Participants from Southeast were Dr. SueAnn Strom, vice president of student affairs; Deborah Woolridge, associate dean of the College of Education and professor of human environmental studies and secondary education; Lisa Peden, student affairs officer; Kimberly Speight, an intern with the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education; and Ann Puryear, associate professor of educational administration and counseling.. ...

The Adene C. Keller Scholarship in vocal training has been endowed at Southeast Missouri State University. This scholarship was established through the last will and testament of Laura Keller, who established the scholarship in memory of her mother, Adene C. Keller...

"There's no business like show business." Vocal music instructor Mike Dumey said songwriter Irving Berlin had no idea just how true those lyrics would be when applied to teaching seventh-graders. "There are many similarities between an educator and an entertainer," said Dumey, who works with students at the L.J. Schultz school in Cape Girardeau. "Many of the same techniques used to "work" an audience on stage are used very effectively on students in the classroom."...

Questions about students' addresses BEFORE MY husband and I bought land and began building our house this past late spring, I checked with Cape public school officials about residency requirements and district attendance. I was told by a Cape school district official that the student's place of residence determines what school district they must attend. ...

When I learned that Mike Tigar would represent Terry Nichols, I realized that his case would be handled in a much different manner than the trial of Timothy McVeigh. I am not saying that the result will be any different. Nichols may also receive the death penalty. ...

Oct. 1 saw a happy anniversary dinner for one of Cape Girardeau's best-known business success stories. That would be Biokyowa, the Japanese-based animal-protein producer that chose to locate here in the fall of 1982. The company's dinner at the Holiday Inn Convention Center was a lavish affair, attended by all company employees and their families, together with dozens of local guests and out-of-town company suppliers...

The success story recounted above isn't the only one of recent note by a foreign-based company in the greater Cape Girardeau area's diversified economy. In early 1990, Miltenberger & Willing Packaging U.S. Inc., a German-owned company, opened the doors to a $41 million, eight-building complex across from Procter & Gamble Paper Products Co. ...

The region said goodbye to summer weather as a cold front moved through the area Monday, dropping temperatures and rain. The temperature was in the 70s in the Cape Girardeau area at the start of Monday. But it dropped to 58 degrees by 8:15 a.m. By 4 p.m., it had dropped to 53 degrees, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., reported...

Area crisis workers are hoping to educate the public and arm victims with the knowledge and the courage they need to step away from domestic violence this month. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Safe House for Women and the Perry County Women's Crisis Center are sponsoring informational activities throughout Cape Girardeau, Perryville and Scott counties to educate the public about their role in ending domestic violence...

Some businesses along Broadway were cleaning up and making repairs Monday after a power outage Sunday. High winds on Sunday might have blown a high-voltage power line feeding the Union Electric Clark Street substation into another line, eliminating power to a quarter of UE's Cape Girardeau customers and knocking out nine stop lights...

PERRYVILLE -- New computer equipment has been ordered and things are on schedule for Perry County's new Enhanced 911 system to begin operating by the end of the year. Jack Lakenan, E911 director, said much of the hard work has already been done concerning changing rural addresses and bidding equipment...

The city of Cape Girardeau approved extending water service to the new Notre Dame High School Monday. Under the agreement, the city will pay $281,500 to Drury Southwest, Inc. for constructing the water line in lieu of the city providing fixtures and other equipment for the water line, and the high school site and several other parcels of property along Route K will be annexed into the city, including the James L. Drury and Wanda L. Drury Real Estate Trust...

Considering the kind of loss Southeast Missouri State University's football team suffered Saturday, head coach John Mumford figures this week's open date is coming at just the right time. During his weekly media conference Monday, Mumford said he was still feeling the effects of the stunning 17-14 homecoming loss to Tennessee Tech. The Indians appeared to have the game in control, but the Eagles scored a touchdown on a blocked punt with less than three minutes left...

Marvin Proffer wanted to do something special in memory of his lifelong buddy, Joe Bertling, who died of cancer in late August at age 66. What Proffer, Southeast Missouri State University's legislative consultant who works closely with the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, came up with seems to be a fitting gesture...

Southeast Missouri State University's volleyball team will have a key match tonight when Austin Peay visits Houck Field House for a 7 p.m. start. The four-time defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Otahkians are currently in second place in the 10-team league, one-half game behind Tennessee Tech. Southeast is 7-1 in OVC play while Tech is 8-1...

The Cape Girardeau Kohlfeld Scorpions rugby team defeated the host Edwardsville (Ill.) Rowdies 52-5 Saturday as they improved their record to 7-2. Eight trys were scored, with two each by John Creutz and Mark Harris. Matthew Clark, Walter Denton, Richard Fricke and Mark Lineberry all added one. Sean Hagan scored six conversions...

JACKSON -- Jackson's girls survived a close 17-15 call in their opener with Fredericktown Monday night, but found less resistance in the second game, winning 15-1, to sweep the Lady Black Cats in high school volleyball action. "We started off real slow and the second game we came back and played real well," said Jackson coach Nancy Ellis...

ANNA, Ill. -- James E. West Sr. of Anna died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997, at Union County Hospital n Anna. He was 77 years old. He was born June 21, 1920, in Anna, the son of Percy M. and Lona Rainer West. He married Doris Andrews on July 1, 1944. He was a veteran of World War II and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross as a B-17 crew member with the 8th Air Force in Europe. He attended the University of Illinois prior to his military service and was a graduate of Southern Illinois University...

MARBLE HILL -- Marie H. Pearson of Grassy died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, at the Bond Nursing Care Center in Marble Hill. She was 90 years old. She was born Sept. 7, 1907, at Lamar, Ark., daughter of William and Anna Schlafke Loedige. In November 1934 she married Ewell C. Pearson...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Reba Sams, 64, of Olive Branch died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, at her home. She was born June 15, 1933, in Cairo to Voss and Genevieve Belangee Christian. She married Robert Sams on Dec. 24, 1951. She is survived by her husband; two daughters, Connie Alexander of Anniston, Mo., and Rita Blankenship of Barlow, Ky.; a sister, Marie Henderson of Olive Branch; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren...

BENTON -- Zelma Lee Bridwell of Benton died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, in her home after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 66 years old. She was born June 11, 1931, in Benton, daughter of William and Maggie Miller Norris. On May 7, 1949, she married Gerald Bridwell in Piggott, Ark. They were married 48 years until his death on March 24, 1997...

Jewell M. Cobb, 75, 1318 N. West End, died Saturday, Oct. 11, 1997, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born March 15, 1922, in Delta, daughter of Perry and Ida Snider Crawford. She had worked as a stitcher at Florsheim for 33 years. She married Harold Cobb on Dec. 25, 1940. He died June 17, 1993...

DEXTER -- Graveside funeral services for Hedger "Audie" Stroud will be at 10 a.m. today at Bluff Cemetery near Idalia, with the Rev. Doyle Corlew officiating. Visitation will be 9 to 10 before the funeral. Stroud, 78, died Friday, Oct. 10, 1997, at Lucy Lee Healthcare System in Poplar Bluff...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Zella Mae Faire Garner, 82, of East Prairie died of an extended illness Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born May 18, 1915, in Liberty, Ky., daughter of Welby Lee and Maude Alice Young Faire...

Everett S. Ussery, 93, 534 Oglala, died Friday, Oct. 10, 1997, at his home. He was born July 10, 1904, in Jonesboro, Ill., son of Charles and Roena Peal Ussery. He married Gusta I. McClard Dec. 6, 1932. She died in October 1986. He had worked on the Frisco Railroad for 18 years and was retired from International Shoe Co...

SCOTT CITY -- Bonnie Jean Daniels, 56, of Scott City died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, at her home. She was born Jan. 31, 1941, in Painton, daughter of Bertis and Sylvia Ovina Jordan Storey Sr. She married Walter Edward Daniels on Oct. 16, 1959, in St. Louis...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Florence L. Ash, 88, of Metropolis, formerly of Olive Branch, died Sunday, Oct. 12, 1997, at Magnolia Manor Nursing Home in Metropolis. She was born Aug. 11, 1909, in Hardin County, Ky., daughter of Christopher Jackson and Mary A. Gray Coyle. She married Clarence Ash. He died in 1956...

MATTHEWS -- Viola Stocker, 89, died Monday, Oct. 13, 1997, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews. She was born July 21, 1908, in Lenzburg, Ill., daughter of William and Julia Felhler. She married Alexander Stocker June 4, 1930, in Belleville, Ill. He died in 1982...

ORAN -- Hazel May Barron, 92, of Oran, formerly of Libertyville, died Thursday, Oct. 4, 1997, at her residence. She was born Dec. 19, 1904, at Mine La Motte, daughter of Joseph Flynn and Hattie Clouse Bequette. She married Paul Theodore Barron July 6, 1939. He preceded her in death...

Son to Bruce Gerard and Alecia Ann Robert of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, 1997. Name, Tanner Gerard. Weight, 6 pounds 4 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Robert is the former Alecia Clippard, daughter of Stanley and Evelyn Clippard of Jackson. She is employed at St. Francis Center for Health and Rehabilitation. Robert is the son of Melvin and Vilet Robert of Cape Girardeau. He is employed at Red Letter Communications Inc...

Two people were injured in separate accidents Monday along Southeast Missouri roads. In Bollinger County, Sherry Williams, 35, of Cape Girardeau suffered moderate injuries when the car in which she was riding failed to negotiate a curve on wet pavement on Highway 34, ran off the road and overturned...

BALLWIN -- Lillie M. Brotherton, formerly of Patton, died Saturday, Oct. 11, 1997, at her home in Ballwin. She was 67 years old. She was born in Sedgewickville Sept. 3, 1930, daughter of Otis and Ida Mae Seabaugh Johnston. On Oct. 10, 1947, she married Obia L. Brotherton. He died June 21, 1970...