Stories from Friday, January 18, 2002

It used to be that rape was a very heinous offense against women, but no longer in Missouri. Today the law provides little deterrence to the sexual predator because, based on the great influence of the Kinsey Reports (1948, 1953), rape penalties were lowered from felonies to misdemeanors and, today in many states only the evidence of physical violence or death now constitutes the crime of rape...

I agree with the caller who spoke out about members of Congress giving themselves an automatic raise every year. Look how long it was before minimum wage got a hike. You can talk all you want about Clinton, but we did get a raise on minimum wage when he was in there. ...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Otto Boyet are parents of a son born Friday at their home, 605 Delmar. --- SIKESTON - A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Lee Hodges of Route 2, Monday morning. MINER - Fire destroyed the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Lewis at Miner Switch Wednesday morning and the adjacent Sikeston Salvage Company, which the owners operated...

SIKESTON - Making high scores on the Missouri Assessment Program Test obviously reflects well on the school system. The state-required exam, taken in the spring by all school districts, has a big bearing on whether or not a school district receives or keeps state accreditation...

SIKESTON -- January is here and with it has come snow and hazardous driving conditions. When the roads do become slick, it is important to remember a few safety tips. "The first thing is to slow down," said Joe Sebourn, captain of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. "Make sure you allow more room between yourself and the car in front of you...

We expect the criminal justice system above all to be fair. We may from time to time disagree with the degree or severity of the punishment but as long as justice is consistent then it is also fair. Yet on a daily basis, I read reports of justice that does not seem to match the crime. And this week was no exception...

DEXTER - Ruth Eleanor Bailey, 89, died Jan. 17, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born Oct. 9, 1912, at Champaign, Ill., daughter of the late Orville L. Branam and Letha Mildred Hardenbrook Branam, she was the stepdaughter of the late Susie Traverse Branam, who raised her from an early age. ...

MISSION, Texas - The Rev. F. Edward Watson, 78, died Jan. 13 2002, in Mission. Born Aug. 14, 1923, in Alliance, Ohio, son of the late James and Eva Mae Watson, he was a graduate of Alliance High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a bachelor of divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. He was a Presbyterian minister for 55 years and served pastorates in Illinois, Missouri and Texas...

SIKESTON - Richard Herbert Hagen, 43, died Jan. 15, 2002, at the Jefferson Medical Center in Jefferson City. Born May 3, 1958, in Britton, S.D., son of Nita McGregor Hagen Brown of Sleepy Eye, Minn., and the late Donald Herbert Hagen, he had attended Concordia Lutheran Church and was a mechanic for Mid-South Salvage...

DEXTER - Beatrice Hagy died Jan. 17, 2002, at the Three Rivers Healthcare South Campus in Poplar Bluff. Born Feb. 16, 1925, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of the late Ernest and Nancy Jones Scott, she lived in Dudley for many years before moving to Dexter three years ago. She attended the Church of God in Dudley...

DEXTER - Nila Jeanie Hampton Botsch, 50, died Jan. 16, 2002, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born Nov. 22, 1951, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of the late Louie and Lavern Crabtree Hampton, she was a first grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School in Poplar Bluff...

SPRINGFIELD - Dona A. Long, 89, formerly of Bernie, died Jan. 16, 2002, at Springfield Rehab Healthcare. Born March 12, 1912, at Lamar, Ark., daughter of the late Ben F. and Molly Cook Harmon, she was a member of the Bernie Nazarene Church. On Dec. 14, 1935, at Hagarville, Ark., she married Ben Calvin Long who preceded her in death on Dec. 5, 1969...

BLOOMFIELD - James Fletcher Leggett III, 77, died Jan. 17, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Feb. 13, 1924, in Bloomfield, son of the late James Fletcher and Thelma Mosley Leggett Jr., he was a lifelong resident of the Bloomfield area. He attended Bloomfield Public Schools and played big band music throughout the country...

SIKESTON - James Willard Sexton, 93, died at 11:08 a.m. Jan. 17, 2001, at the Miner Nursing Center. Born Jan. 5, 1909, in Missouri, son of the late Alfred and Lucretia Sexton, he was a shoe cutter for the International Shoe Company. His wife, Geneva Evans Sexton, preceded him in death on June 11, 1993...

ST. LOUIS - James R. Little, formerly of Southeast Missouri, died Jan. 17, 2002, at St. Louis University Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.

JACKSON -- Sikeston's wrestling team came up on the wrong end of a dual with Jackson Thursday, losing 55-14. Kyle Weeks and Jackie Cowley were the only two winners, claiming the 125 and 171 divisions against the Indians, who are ranked fifth in Missouri 5A...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston played host to the top-ranked girls team in the state Thursday night, losing to Poplar Bluff 59-30. But instead of focusing on the 29-point loss, Sikeston coach Lee Brooks took only positives from the defeat. "We wanted to come out and show we could play with the same speed and confidence as the number one team in the state," explained Brooks. ...

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- The Sikeston Bulldogs' Superman Classic woes continued on Thursday night at Massac County High School. The Bulldogs dropped a 49-48 decision to the Caruthersville Tigers to lose their fifth straight game in the tournament dating back to last year...

CHARLESTON - Missouri cities south of St. Louis had to fight to be included in events celebrating the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, according to Silvey Barker of the Mississippi County Tourism Council. "We've called ourselves, 'The Forgotten 150 Miles'," said Barker during her presentation of the tourism council's 2001 annual report and 2002 budget request at Thursday's county commission meeting...

Mona Sanford, LPN for the American Red Cross, preps Joan Tesreau of Sikeston so she can give blood Thursday at the Sikeston Factory Outlet Stores. The blood drive continues today from 3-8 p.m. and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Over 50 units were donated Thursday...

SIKESTON -- Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety issued two search warrants Thursday, leading to two arrests. Nathan Baker was arrested after officers served a search warrant at 237 Welter. Baker is charged with one count of selling marijuana and another count of selling cocaine. His bond was set at $250,000...

DELTA -- Nathan Seyer scored 23 points as Oran beat Delta 70-49 in the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament on Thursday night. The top-seeded Eagles saw their leading scorer, Ryne Wood, benched most of the game after suffering a broke nose. Wood finished with 11 points on the night as Oran improved to 11-3 on the season...