The Springfield News-Leader from Springfield, Missouri • Page 19

mavamm The News-Leader ACROSS THE OZARKS Friday, May 13, 1988 3B BARTON COUNTY Lamar man appointed circuit judge Gov. John Ashcroft appointed a Lamar man to the Barton County associate circuit judgeship Thursday. Gary Ratzlaff, 46, is a former Barton County prosecuting attorney. He replaces John R. Miller, who is its four-week Reading Olympiad Program with awards presentations next week.

Students in kindergarten through second grade will receive medals and certificates Monday for their participation in the Contracted Reading Program and Field Day events. The olympiad's intent was to encourage children to read for 15 minutes five nights a week. Other activities included sports field day, sports dress-up day, sports show-off day, jump rope day and a book report footrace between classes. Awards assemblies will be held in the school's cafeteria: morning kindergarten at 8:30 a.m., second grade at 9:10 a.m., first grade at 10 a.m. and afternoon kindergarten at 1 p.m.

VERNON COUNTY 2 face charges in Nevada shooting Two men face May 31 preliminary hearings in connection with the 1985 shooting death of a Nevada woman. Jimmy Crouch, 20, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the Oct. 15, 1985, killing of Juanita Cartwright, 60, of Nevada. Crouch is the victim's stepgrandson. He will appear for a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m.

in Barton County Associate Circuit Court in Lamar. Phillip Owens, 21, of Independence is charged with first-degree murder for the killing. He is a friend of Crouch. Owens will appear for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. in Vernon County Associate Circuit Court in Nevada.

The two men were charged in March in th2I2-year-old case. Crouch was living in a halfway house in Springfield at the time of his arrest. Cartwright's stepdaughter, Laura May Pursley of Nevada, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder for the killing. Pursley, 38, was sentenced to life in prison but will be eligible for parole after serving 15 years, said Vernon County Prosecuting Attorney Neal Quitno. Pursley entered her guilty plea the week before her first-degree murder trial was set to start.

In exchange for reducing the charge, Pursely will testify against another defendant in the case, Quitno said. BUTLER COUNTY Blue Law closes store doors again POPLAR BLUFF Butler County stores must once again close their doors to customers on Sundays because a court-ordered recount of election results reversed a repeal of the Blue Law, a judge said Thursday. But Circuit Judge Rex Henson said those stores that had been conducting business on Sundays since the April 5 election appeared to make it legal were not in violation of the Blue Law, which bans Sunday sales. Butler County Presiding Commissioner Bob Hunter said the proposal to repeal the law would be put before the voters again Aug. 2.

Some store owners, who had hired extra employees to work Sundays, said they were disappointed the repeal was reversed. Virgil Colvin, mart manager, said: "I'm sure there will be people from the outer areas that don't know all that's happened and will drive in to shop and find us closed. That will be detrimental to our business." The initial count of votes repealed the law by one vote. But a recount, requested by a group called Save Our Sundays Committee, retained the law by six votes. HOWELL COUNTY Library to get boost for more books MOUNTAIN VIEW Plans are under way to boost the library at Southwest Baptist University Center in Mountain View, the center's director said.

David King, director, said the center's advisory committee has allocated $120,000 to be spent over the next two years on the center's new library. The money will be used for purchasing books and periodicals, for entering donated and new books into the library's system and for equipment purchases. The center, an extension of Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, opened in June 1986. This year, 263 students enrolled for the spring semester, 102 of whom were full-time students. The center offered 57 courses this semester.

King said the library is being created because of the number of students enrolled and the distance from Bolivar campus library. each additional family member. For more information, call Dana Kucginski, (417) 679-4090. PHELPS COUNTY Researcher to address graduates ROLLA The University of Missouri Rolla's 115th annual spring commencement will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the UMR football stadium.

Robert L. Banks, retired senior research assistant for Phillips Petroleum Bartlesville, will give the commencement address. Banks, a pioneer in olefin chemistry, joined Phillips Petroleum in 1946 as a research chemist. He retired in 1985. While at Phillips Petroleum, Banks and fellow researcher J.

Paul Hogan discovered a catalyst to make crystalline polypropylene and high-density polyethylene. He is the author of more than 40 technical publications. Banks served as visiting professor at UMR in 1981 and received an Alumni Merit Award in 1980. In the event of bad weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Gale Bullman Multipurpose Building. If the ceremony is moved indoors, tickets will be required.

Graduates will receive four tickets when they pick up their caps and gowns. POLK COUNTY SBU campaign heads to Arkansas BOLIVAR Southwest Baptist University officials plan to expand their $18.5 million fund-raising campaign to northwest Arkansas with a kickoff dinner Thursday in Rogers, Ark. The dinner, which officially marks the start of the Arkansas campaign, begins at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. The complimentary dinner is open to all SBU friends and alumni.

Reservations should be made by calling the campaign office in Rogers at (501) 631-7098. Currently, 33 students from northwest Arkansas attend SBU, said Paula Landers, SBU public relations director. The five-year fund-raising campaign, called "An Era of University Advancement: The 20-20 Campaign," began in 1986. Campaigns similar to the one in northwest Arkansas have been held in Kansas City, Springfield and West Plains. The drive has raised more than $10 million, Landers said.

More information about the fund-raising campaign is available by contacting the campaign office or calling (417) 326-5281, Ext. 110. CHRISTIAN COUNTY OZARK COUNTY Education board president named Trail riding clinic set for Saturday WEBSTER COUNTY Student wins excellence scholarship MARSHFIELD A Marshfield resident is one of 260 Missourians to receive an Excellence in Education scholarship leading to teaching careers. Susan Lynn Mainard, Route 2, Marshfield, will use her $2,000 scholarship to attend Evangel College in Springfield next fall. The scholarships are designed to encourage people to choose teaching as a career and to remain in Missouri to teach.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers the awards, received 760 applications this year. To report news across the Ozarks, call The News-Leader regional editor at 836-1277. GAINESVILLE The South Central Missouri Arabian Club will sponsor a competitive trail riding clinic Saturday. The clinic will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Caney Mountain Refuge, north of Gainesville.

Ron Pappan, a St. Louis area veterinarian, will discuss horse conditioning, and Jackie Coleman will present horsemanship pointers. A 10-mile demonstration ride will begin at noon, and a barbecue will follow. Although the morning presentations are free, there are fees for the ride and barbecue: $5 per individual, $9 per couple, $11 for a three-member family and $3 for NIXA Marcelene Middleton is the new president of the Nixa Board of Education. She replaced Kenneth Richmond, who didn't seek another term.

The Nixa Board of Education also recently elected Joe Bell vice president. GREENE COUNTY Reading awards program to be held REPUBLIC Republic Elementary I will conclude I Special unit to probe Kansas City killings young women found Tuesday as Rhonda L. Dennis, 16, of Kansas City. He said she wasn't related to Linda Dennis. Investigators from Kansas City said Rhonda Dennis had been stabbed 31 times.

The unidentified victim was believed to be between 18 and 25. Her legs had been cut off in the same manner as another young woman whose body was found in the river in Lafayette County about two years ago. "It almost looked professional," Harmon said of the amputations. "Both legs had been surgically removed at an angle upwards on the torso." He said it appeared someone had started to amputate one of her arms. The sheriff said one of the first jobs of the special squad will be to identify the woman.

"At that time, maybe we can start piecing together a connection between the three," Harmon said. The Associated Press RICHMOND A special squad of detectives from Kansas City and Ray County was activated today to investigate the deaths of three young women whose nude bodies were found in the Missouri River in a five-day period. Sheriff Tom Harmon said the three bodies had been in the river for some time and "it would appear the bodies were (dumped) upstream." He said he didn't think the victims were killed in Ray County. Two of the victims were identified as Kansas City women, but the third victim remained unidentified today. The body of Linda Dennis, 17, was found Saturday, but authorities said an autopsy failed to determine a cause of death because of the advanced state of decomposition.

Dennis had been missing since last month. Harmon identified one of the Health plan goes to attorney general John WallThe News-Leader A bia niaht The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY A plan to ask voters to enact a $280 million tax increase for a state health insurance plan has been forwarded to the attorney general's office for approval, Secretary of State Roy Blunt's office said Thursday. Another initiative petition plan to increase counties' share of gas tax revenue has also been forward Brand new graduates of Greenwood Laboratory School celebrate commencement, Greenwood's 65th, was held at Craig Hall on the Thursday night, just minutes after receiving their diplomas. The Southwest Missouri State University campus. form of the petitions for the proposed constitutional amendments.

If Webster approves the forms, groups pushing the measures then have until July 8 to collect the nearly 110,000 signatures to get the issues on the Nov. 8 ballot. Rep. Jerry Burch, D-Walker, is backing the petition drive on the health insurance plan. He sponsored a "Medassist" plan during the recently adjourned legislature, Qt I nnic oHi mzkknr hlactc Ronnott'c rnmmpntQ ed to Attorney General William Webster, who must approve the but it failed to win approval.

Education chief calls citv's school svstem 'awful': officials sav secretary 'irresponsible' DmcoMitnr pvnprt tn fill nnsts soon The Associated Press ST. LOUIS A St. Louis school official says remarks made by U.S. Education Secretary William J. Bennett about the city's schools Mayor Vincent C.

Schoemehl Jr. also criticized the education secretary's comments. "It is unfortunate that a member of the Reagan administration, which has neglected the housing, employment and education needs of our cities, feels compelled to utter hollow platitudes instead of addressing our nation's education needs," Schoemehl said. Missouri Commissioner of Education Robert Bartman said he superintendent for curriculum and programs in the St. Louis School District, said he was "alarmed at having a person in so responsible a position sound so irresponsible." Bennett said St.

Louis spends more per pupil than Chicago and has poorer student performance. Pearson said Bennett "is making observations without research and the kind of scholarly behavior he expects of our graduates. His critical thinking is seriously flawed." didn't agree with Bennett's assessment or his methods. "I haven't been in all the schools in St. Louis, but I have been in more than he has," Bartman said.

"I'm on record as saying I think city schools have improved. At the same time, I think they can get better." Bateman invited Bennett to come to to see the schools before making any more snap judgments. Bennett told a joint session of the Illinois Legislature in Springfield, 111., on Wednesday that the reer move. "I'm sorry to lose both of these very fine individuals and very fine prosecutors," Mountjoy said. "Both of them in their time with Greene County have contributed significantly to the handling of many serious felony ing the Glennon Paul Sweet murder case." Rigler and Marquardt both assisted in the Sweet trial.

Rigler also helped Special Assistant Prosecutor Richard Monroe in the Richard Paul McMillin murder case. Sweet and McMillin both were convicted and were sentenced to death. Greene County Prosecutor Tom Mountjoy expects to fill two vacancies in his office soon. Two assistants, Jeff Marquardt and Joe Rigler, have resigned. Marquardt, who was in the office 414 years, left to enter private civil law practice.

He is sharing offices with the law firm of Wampler, Wampler and Catt. "Although I enjoyed the experience tremendously, I felt it was time to make a change in the direction of my career," Marquardt said. Rigler, an assistant for almost l'2 years, moved to Salem to go into private civil law practice with a law firm. Rigler termed it a ca bt. louis scnooi system was awful" and possibly worse than Chicago's.

William A. Pearson, associate Police identify skull in sexual torture case Woman facing arson charge after fire It ii" 'i TV' Berdella was arrested April 2 and charged with nine felony counts for allegedly holding captive and torturing a 22-year-old man for four days. The man was naked when he escaped from Berdella's home and called police. Berdella is being held in the Jackson County jail on $750,000 bond. Last week, police notified a California woman that another skull found in Berdella's house was that of her son, Robert Sheldon.

The Kansas City Times reported that a former friend of Sheldon said he had rented a room from Berdella, and sometimes brought women friends back to the house, which upset Berdella. The Associated Press "'KANSAS CITY Police have identified the second of two skulls found in the back yard of a man charged with sexual torture. But i jhe county prosecutor said Thurs-' day he needs more evidence before murder charges can be filed. any murder case, what we've got to do is prove that someone was killed, the identity, how he 1 "was killed, and who killed him," aid Jackson County Prosecutor Albert Riederer. "So far, what we have been able lo do is establish the identity of people who are dead," Riederer said.

"So the investigation is on how these people died. And, if they were killed who killed them." Riederer said the second of two skulls found in Robert Berdella's back yard has been identified as that of Larry W. Pearson, of Wichita, Kan. Pearson would have been 21 in February, Riederer said. Pearson was traced through dental records and was one of seven men depicted in photographs found in Berdella's home and released to the media last month.

Police said six of the men have been identified. Pearson's uncle, Wayne Pearson of Wichita, said Larry Pearson hadn't been seen by his family since last spring. But Wichita police said they didn't have a missing person report on Pearson. A Springfield woman was arrested Thursday afternoon in connection with an arson fire at a central Springfield home. Shortly before 4:30 p.m., firefighters responded to the blaze at 950 W.

Poplar St. Kent Turner, a fire department arson investigator, said the living room and an adjoining bedroom sustained fire damage and the rest of the home was damaged by water and smoke. He said the fire was started by someone who had used combustible material in the home. Witnesses told investigators that the woman left the home shortly before the fire was discovered. Turner said they found the woman in the neighborhood and arrested her on suspicion of arson.

She was being held in the city Jail Thursday night. He said investigators hadn't yet determined a motive for the fire. The home is owned by Howard Thurman of Springfield. The damage was estimated to be about $8,000. Robert Berdella Facing murder charges.