Stories from Friday, March 29, 2002

POPLAR BLUFF - The Chaffee Red Devils baseball team's hopes of repeating as conference champions took a major hit as they dropped their second straight SEMO Conference game on Thursday to Poplar Bluff 12-2. The Red Devils (1-2, 1-2 SEMO) committed nine errors in the game, allowing 10 unearned runs to the Mules...

SIKESTON - Scott County residents are making history and the Scott County Historical Society wants to record it for posterity. At Thursday's monthly meeting of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce, Doug Sikes with the Historical Society urged members to write down details of their family's lives in Scott County as well as information about local businesses, organizations and churches. ...

CHARLESTON - With half of the municipal races in Mississippi County only having a single candidate listed, much of the focus during Tuesday's election will be on school boards. Jack Feezor has no opposition in his bid for a three-year term on the Charleston city council...

ANNISTON - Mike Harvell, 58, died March 28, 2002, at his home. Born July 21, 1944, at Charleston, son of the late John Wesley and Eva Mae Jones Harvell, he had lived in Mississippi County most of his life and was employed by Moore's Landing in Wyatt until retiring in June 1998. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Charleston...

SIKESTON - Ricky Lee Dirickson, 42, died at 11:25 p.m. March 28, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Jan. 24, 1960, in Scott County, to Wanda Ford Dirickson of Sikeston and the late Wilbur Gene Dirickson, he was employed as a welder with B&J Enterprise and was affiliated with the Baptist church...

If a business wanted to invest millions of dollars to expand its operations in Missouri, generate more than a billion dollars in new economic activity and create 7,000 new jobs without any net cost to taxpayers, the state's cooperation would be a given. ...

SIKESTON - Appointment of a 17-member finance committee to direct solicitation of $75,000 in funds needed in connection with construction and initial operation of Missouri Delta Community Hospital was announced Wednesday by E.P. Coleman Jr., chairman of the hospital committee...

I'm trying to watch MTV and Charter Communications commercials keep cutting in and messing up what I'm trying to see. Could you all please quit? This is to the jackass who has got to blame somebody. Do you not realize everyone is jealous of the United States? As far as jobs in the United States, NAFTA has cost us many jobs, as in the Depression. ...

Death row inmates - virtually without exception - file appeals on their convictions based on inadequate legal representation. There's a reason for this. In most instances, those facing execution cannot effort legal counsel and thus get lawyers appointed by the state. Some of these attorneys are seasoned veterans with ample experience - most are not. And this leads to the avalanche of lawsuits by condemned men over the legal representation...

FRONTENAC - Carolyn E. McMullin, 71, died March 21, 2002, at her home. Born May 11, 1930, at Hibbing, Minn., daughter of the late Frederick and Dora Stostad Quayle, she was employed for many years as an assistant store manager of Stix, Baer & Fuller and later Dillard's Department Store. She was a member of the Salem Methodist Church...

ST. LOUIS - Julie Ann Palmer, 13, formerly of Bernie, died March 28, 2002, at St. John's Mercy Hospital. Visitation is from 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie until time of services at 3 p.m.

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted at 1 p.m. today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for George Wiley Lackey, 74, who died March 26, 2002, were: Darrin Johnson, Jimmy A. Johnson, Freddy Jo Millner, Tony Millner, Kenneth Sledd and Travis Cox.

SIKESTON - Jeannie Thomas Smith, 85, formerly of Wyatt, died at 5:20 a.m. March 28, 2002, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born Dec. 6, 1916, in Hardin County, Tenn., daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas Craig, she had lived in Mississippi County most of her life and was of the Baptist belief...

DORENA - Howard L. Hutchison, 69, died at 10 a.m. March 27, 2002, at his home. Born Feb. 11, 1933, at Wolf Island, son of the late John and Betty Stokes Hutchison, he lived all his life in Mississippi County where he was a farmer and an electrician. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was of the Baptist belief...

EAST PRAIRIE - Eleanor L. Kennedy, 82, died at 12:55 a.m. March 29, 2002, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Shelby Funeral Home of East Prairie.

SIKESTON - Wilbur Gene Dirickson, 69, died at 7 a.m. March 28, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born March 25, 1933, in Scott County, son of the late Claude and Wilma Madden Dirickson, he had been employed by Sikeston Wood Truss as a truck driver and also was a licensed auctioneer. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having earned the rank of sergeant, and served during the Korean Conflict. He was of the Baptist belief...

BLOOMFIELD - Helen Welker died March 28, 2002, in Farmington. Arrangements are incomplete at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield.

Sikeston Senior High School students rehearse Thursday for their upcoming play at the Sikeston Field House. The play, "Our Town," by Thornton Wilder will be performed April 4-6 starting at 7 p.m.

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County officers and employees are insured - and that's a good feeling. Good enough that commissioners decided to stay with Trustmark health insurance for the time being despite a company offering to take them up April 1 for a lower price...

SIKESTON - Misti DeLisle is the mother of her second son, born at 8:02 a.m. March 1, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Logan Michael DeLisle weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 1/4-inches long. Grandparents are Dennis and Jane Eppestine. SIKESTON - Derald Keno and Lois Renee Campbell are the parents of their fourth child, third daughter, born at 12:18 p.m. ...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- The Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team picked up its first win of the season on Thursday with a 6-4 victory over Stuttgart (Ark.) in the Champions Classic at Nettleton High School in Jonesboro, Ark. The Bulldogs led 6-0 entering the seventh inning before Stuttgart rallied with four runs in its final chance...

ORAN - The Oran Lady Eagles softball team picked up its first win of the season with a 17-7 victory over Oak Ridge in six innings on Thursday. Oran freshman Jamie Pobst picked up the win on the mound, allowing five hits and two walks with eight strikeouts...

BENTON -- Mark Adam Wade produced a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading New Madrid County Central to a thrilling 10-9 win over Kelly on Thursday. The Eagles (1-0) trailed by as much as six runs in the SEMO Conference matchup, and were down 9-6 heading into the bottom of the seventh. But the Eagles pulled through in the clutch, plating four runs for the come-from-behind victory...