Stories from Friday, December 5, 1997

To the editor: In the Nov. 15 Southeast Missourian, gambling panel director Tom Irwin of the Missouri Gaming Commission has recommended that the $500 loss limit be lifted with the argument that Missouri is losing the big gamblers to other border states that have no limits. ...

Principal Janice Margrabe will probably be more excited about the completion of Eagle Ridge Christian School than any of her students. "I'm really anxious," she said. "We've almost hit the miracle mark -- $500,000." But the $1.3 million project can't be completed without money. Christian Faith Fellowship church, which sponsors the school, will hold a "Soaring with the Vision" fund-raising banquet Sunday evening at Drury Lodge...

Homes and businesses in Scott City will be dressed in holiday style and a feeling of Christmas will be in the air Friday as the Parks and Recreation Department and the Scott City Fire Department celebrate the Tree of Lights and Winter Wonderland. The official lighting will be held at the city parking lot across from the VFW building on Main St. Christmas caroling, led by the choir from Broadway United Methodist Church, will begin at 7 p.m...

Michelle Eise wouldn't be where she is today without a winning attitude. The reigning Miss Missouri tried five times -- that's right, five times -- before winning the title last June. She said her achievement wouldn't have been possible if she hadn't worked hard and believed in herself...

JACKSON -- Five people were appointed to serve on the first board of trustees for the newly formed Cape Girardeau County Common Sewer District. Voters in the Fruitland-Pocahontas area approved establishment of the sewer district in November. The five members were appointed to terms ranging from one to five years. Board members will be elected to staggered terms. The first election for board members will be held in April 1999...

There are only 14 days left until the Jaycee Santas deliver toys to Cape Girardeau children. But Santa's bags aren't nearly full of toys and games. Jaycee Santas will deliver toys Dec. 18. "We don't have enough toys to fill all the requests," said Scott McClanahan, Toybox chairman for the Cape Girardeau Jaycees...

An expanded version of Cape Girardeau's hotel, motel and restaurant tax ordinance will be forwarded to the City Council for action. The Convention and Visitors Bureau advisory commission voted Thursday to accept the revision of the existing tax, which redefines who pays the 1 percent restaurant tax and the 3 percent hotel/motel tax...

U.S. Rep. Jim Talent (R-Chesterfield), chairman of the House Small Business Committee, will be guest speaker at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee today. Talent, a third-term congressman represented the second district of Missouri, will discuss small business issues...

JACKSON -- Highway lobbyist Walt Wildman was back before the Cape Girardeau County Commission Thursday seeking support and money for his effort to bring an east-west highway through Cape Girardeau County. Commissioners agreed to endorse the idea of a "good road" from Paducah, Ky. to Cape Girardeau and from Cape Girardeau to Van Buren...

I'D LIKE to speak to some of the young people, especially students, who are complaining about the ordinance that the city of Cape Girardeau is trying to pass on teen-age smoking. All these people are doing is trying to help you and give you good advice. ...

For a variety of reasons, the planned sale of Saint Louis University's hospital in the city of St. Louis has attracted a lot of attention. Because the university is run by Jesuits, many Catholics are interested in the issues that have been raised. Because nearly everyone will need hospitalization at one time or another, there is a good deal of interest purely from the perspective of providing good health care...

Once a quarter during the school year, the Southeast Missourian publishes honor rolls from all schools in our area that send them to us. Traditionally, hundreds of names of high-achieving students are published at the end of the first quarter in our Thanksgiving Day edition...

MILLERSVILLE -- The Jackson Board of Education and schools superintendent Dr. Howard Jones had to clear up several misperceptions during a public hearing at Millersville Attendance Center Thursday night. Reports that school board members are planning to close the outlying community school along with the Gordonville Attendance Center have spread during past weeks. ...

More than 5 million American businesses -- 1,700 in Cape Girardeau County -- will receive 1997 Economic Census questionnaires from the U.S. Census Bureau this month. The Economic Census, conducted every five years, is important to business and industry, local governments, economic development agencies and chambers of commerce, said John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce...

NEW MADRID -- For the second time in as many months, a Southeast Missouri sheriff has left office because of nepotism allegations. Standing on the steps of the county jail at noon Thursday with his wife, Naomi, by his side, Terry Stevens resigned as New Madrid County Sheriff effective immediately...

The world shared the joy of seven tiny infants and gasped at the news of eight shootings in a high school. Is there a connection? The news of the world around us has been at one extreme or the other in recent days. Consider the birth of the septuplets in Iowa, a cause for joy and celebration. And consider the shootings at the high school in Kentucky. Was this some sort of global tit for tat? For each new life in Iowa, some high school student in Kentucky has to die or be put in harm's way?...

Sarah Frazier, the leading scorer for Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball team, has left the squad. Frazier, a 5-foot-7 sophomore guard who had averaged 9.4 points during Southeast's first five games this season, did not make the trip for Wednesday night's game at Tulsa...

Fans attending Thursday night's Ohio Valley Conference basketball opener might have left the Show Me Center disappointed that Southeast Missouri State University's Indians didn't come away with a victory. But the 4,704 on hand surely must feel like they got their money's worth...

JACKSON -- Larry Cunningham used a nine iron to hole the 134-yard fourth hole at Kimbeland Country Club Nov. 28. Ron Miller and Gerald Jones witnessed the shot, which was Cunningham's second hole-in-one.

Frank Osborn's hole-in-one at the Cape Girardeau Country Club was witnessed by seven other golfers while playing through a hole with his threesome Nov. 28. Five golfers ahead of Osborn and partners Jerry Van Oostron and Jamie Estes witnessed the ace while the threesome played past them on the 135-yard Hole No. 8. Osborn used a seven iron. It was his second hole-in-one...

ST. LOUIS -- Cape Central beat Oakville 54-28 and took third in the Oakville Invitational on Thursday, its best finish ever in the tournament. After struggling in the first half, Central (2-1) outscored the host 33-12 in the second half. Central held Oakville to eight points or less in each quarter...

DEXTER -- Funeral service for Fletcher W. Chasteen of Dexter will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Rainey Funeral Home. The Rev. Wayne Dismuke will officiate, with burial in Dexter Cemetery. Chasteen, 93, died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Funeral service for James M. Beaird of Sikeston will be held at 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home. The Rev. Dolan Rogers will officiate, with burial in Memorial Park Cemetery. Beaird, 75, died Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1997, at his home. He was born Dec. 21, 1921, at Holcomb, son of James William and Zora Lee Beaird. He and Thelma Horner were married Sept. 7, 1948...

SCOTT CITY -- Funeral service for Dale David Stevens of Scott City will be held at 10 a.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City. David Bragg will officiate, with burial in Lightner Memorial Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 8 a.m. until service time...

CHARLESTON -- Robert L. "Bob" Warren, 72, Charleston Route 2, died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 9, 1925, in Mammoth Springs, Ark., son of Harry Thomas and Eva Phoeba Marie Risner Warren Sr. He and Mary Maragret Crabtree were married July 21, 1945...

Robert F. White Sr., 67, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born July 22, 1930, at Matthews, son of Willis and Ada Osteen White. He and Sally Gore were married Sept. 21, 1950, in Tunica, Miss. White retired as an engraver with American Greeting Card Co. in Osceola, Ark...

PERRYVILLE -- Flora E. Hotop, 84, of Perryville died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 1, 1913, in Perry County, daughter of Henry N. and Josephine S. Wibbenmeyer Buchheit. She first married Clyde Gonz Nov. 11, 1939. He died in 1957. She later married Ervine H. Hotop Oct. 24, 1959, at Perryville. He died Nov. 5, 1981...

Lucy Miederhoff, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at Ratliff Nursing Home. She was born May 25, 1906, at Oran, daughter of Henry and Anna Marie E. Wulfers Miederhoff. Miederhoff had been a personal maid for the mother of August Busch Jr. She was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral...

James Edward Patterson, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Dec. 5, 1922, in Cairo, Ill., son of Ollie Richard and Minnie Mabel Milligan Patterson. He and Ruby Lucille Parnell were married Feb. 5, 1943, in Cape Girardeau. She died Feb. 19, 1995...

CHAFFEE -- Funeral service for Stella Prosser of Chaffee will be held at 11 a.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The Rev. Watis Harrell will officiate, with burial in Union Park Cemetery. Friends may call at the chapel from 9 a.m. until service time...

SCOTT CITY -- Ella Amelia Darby, 88, of St. Louis died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Sept. 7, 1909, at Commerce, daughter of Henry C. and Rosa Bretzel Koch. She and Ralph Grady Darby were married Jan. 31, 1931, at Jackson. He died May 4, 1986...

JACKSON -- Funeral service for Michael W. "Mike" Skinner of Jackson will be held at 11 a.m. today at McCombs Funeral Chapel in Jackson. The Rev. Sam Roethemeyer will officiate, with burial in Russell Heights Cemetery. Skinner, 40, died Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1997, at his home...

Thomas H. Norman, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Lynn R. and Julie A. Fritsche of Frohna, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 5:10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, 1997. Name, Taylor Marie. Weight, 8 pounds 5 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Fritsche is the former Julie Reisenbichler, daughter of Earl and Margie Reisenbichler of Jackson. She is employed at Perry County Savings Bank. Fritsche is the son of Leroy and Lois Fritsche of Farrar. He is self-employed...

Mary Aneda Bennett, 60, of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997, in Jonesboro, Ark. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Ford Chapel, with the Rev. Cy Smith officiating.

Kelly School first quarter honor roll A Honor Roll 12th Grade -- Amy Arteme, Bethany Baker, Judy Curry, Ashley Dirnberger, Gail Dirnberger, Nancy Enderle, Michelle Essner, Pamela Essner, Jennifer Forck, Tiffany Glastetter, Brandi Hamm, Tracy Johnes, Karrie King, Benjamin Klipfel, Valerie Lawless, David Mayberry, Jennifer McNiell, John Murrah, Hilary Powers, Jeremy Rasnic, Kim Riley, Kristina Roslen, Jarett Seiler, Denver Stuckey, Kathryn Taulbee, Tim Thomason, Sara Vinyard...