Stories from Friday, March 8, 2002

PITTSBURGH, Mo. - Gladys Irene Denton, 75, died March 5, 2002, at her home. Born Feb. 18, 1927, in Collinwood, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Jesse Lucinda Jane Freeman Griggs. On March 16, 1945, in Benton, she married James D. Denton who survives of the home...

BLOOMFIELD - Vernon Robert Cooper, 87, died March 7, 2002, at the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center in Bloomfield. Born Aug. 21, 1914, at Zadock, son of the late Charlie and Victoria Pope Cooper, he was a retired construction worker and livestock farmer. He was a member of the Oak Ridge General Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon for more than 60 years...

SIKESTON -- When the racial profiling law was instituted in August 2000, the goal was to prevent police from targeting people because of race. But, as statistics for 2001 were compiled and turned into the state before the March 1 deadline, it is becoming clear that the law has flaws...

CHARLESTON - Justin Robinson, 19, of Charleston was arrested Thursday and charged with two felony counts of first degree assault and two felony counts of armed criminal action in connection with shootings Wednesday, according to the Mississippi County prosecuting attorney's office...

The Sikeston Junior High School was closed Thursday after an early morning water main break. Two classrooms, a office and the hallway on the west side of the building were flooded. Fred Horad, a Sikeston Public School employee, cleans up after the water leak...

SIKESTON - George Thadeus Campbell Jr., 63, died at 4:24 p.m. March 6, 2002, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born June 5, 1938, in Harviell, son of the late George Thadeus and Carrie Mae Grider Campbell Sr., he was raised in Poplar Bluff and lived in St. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Arvella P. Steimle, 89, died March 2, 2002, at the Lutheran Home. Born Nov. 2, 1912, in Kelso, daughter of the late John and Bertha Bles Dumey, she was a cook for St. Mary's Elementary School for more than 20 years. She was a member of St. Mary's Cathedral, St. Ann's Sodality and the Pinochle Club for 40 years...

MARSTON - Ruby Ellen Curtis Ray, 92, died March 7, 2002, in Caruthersville. Born Oct. 12, 1909, in Tallapoosa, daughter of the late Rufus Andrew and Adeline Miller Smith, she was a cook for a school before retiring and was a member of the Pentecostal Church of Marston...

PARMA - Cynthia G. Collier, 40, died March 6, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 4, 1961, in Kennett, daughter of the late Grady Edward and Sybil Estell Nunnery Collier, she lived in the Bernie and Parma communities most of her life. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Bernie...

SIKESTON - Artists share their talents in a number of ways, but an event taking place during Lent will provide a unique opportunity. From March 24-31 the First United Methodist Church will host a "Faces of Jesus" art exhibit and artists throughout the community are invited to be a part of the project by creating their own depictions of Jesus...

DEXTER - Charles Lacy Smith, 66, died March 7, 2002, at the Three Rivers Healthcare North Campus in Poplar Bluff. Born March 6, 1936, in Dexter, son of the late Elzie Floyd and Helen Winona Coggins Smith, he was a lifelong resident of Dexter. A member of the Sons of the Confederate Army, he was also an amateur ham radio operator...

SIKESTON - Audy Powell, 85, died at 4:40 p.m. March 7, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Feb. 13, 1917, in Portageville, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Preston Pitts, she was of the Baptist belief. On Sept. 22, 1934, in Caruthersville, she married Vernon H. Powell who preceded her in death on Sept. 29, 1986...

WYATT - Henry Lynn, 96, died March 5, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born June 16, 1905, in Senatobia, Miss., son of the late George and Lourie Lynn, he was a member of Holly Grove Baptist Church in Wyatt. His first wife, Arleayera Lynn, preceded him in death...

DEXTER - Sessel Hutchcraft, 74, died March 7, 2002, at the John J. Pershing Veterans Administration Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County will receive $115,000 over three years through a federal U.S. Department of Justice grant to address gun violence. Jennifer Raffety, Mississippi County prosecuting attorney, reported the grant award to county commissioners during Thursday's meeting. "I'm pretty excited," said Raffety...

The more Gov. Bob Holden speaks, the more you realize what an ineffective leader he truly is. Holden has been plagued with self-imposed problems since his first step into the governor's mansion. If you count his million dollar fiasco of an inauguration, his first misstep took place before he took office...

I would like to SpeakOut about the over crowded prisons. I'm sure those people are intelligent enough to know that if an inmate has served half of their time, then they should be let out and free to come home. There are so many who come and go home and then there are others who just stay and stay. ...

SIKESTON - Plans were announced to open a new Walgreen's Drug Store and Wards supermarket. SIKESTON - A $98,000 program of extension and improvement to the water system is expected to be completed by spring, according to Mayor Alvin Corbitt. SIKESTON - More than 14.5 million cans have been recycled at the two centers located here A total of $142,137.77 was paid to those who turned the cans in...

SIKESTON - If preseason rankings mean anything, then the Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team will have another banner year in 2002. Ranked No. 2 in the preseason state poll in Class 3A, Sikeston will have a target on its back for most of the year. The Bulldogs, which took second in the state last year with a 22-6 record, return plenty of talent to legitimize such a lofty ranking...