Stories from Thursday, May 16, 2002

DEXTER - The Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team advanced to the championship game of the Class 3A, District 1 Tournament on Wednesday with an 11-1, five-inning victory against fourth-seeded New Madrid County Central at East City Park in Dexter. Top-seeded Sikeston will play No. 2 Kennett today at 4:30 p.m. in a rematch of last year's championship game...

ORAN - In the Class 1A, District 2 baseball tournament, things have played as seeded, so far. Today at 4:30 p.m. junior Ryne Wood and the Oran Eagles will face the Bell City Cubs and Jason Rampley. Wood, who is 4-1 on the season, could lead the Eagles to their first district championship in three years...

ST. LOUIS - The Sikeston High School tennis team will compete in the Class 1A-3A state sectional at Priory High School here on Saturday at 10 a.m. If the Bulldogs get by Priory, then they'd play in the quarterfinals against the winner of the other sectional matchup between Dexter and John Burroughs at John Burroughs High School...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central softball standout Abby Sexton signed a letter of intent to play for Dyersburg State Community College. "Abby played a great third base for us," said NMCC head coach Steve Rogers. "She was really a main cog in our offense. I'm just pleased she's getting the opportunity to go to college and further her education and softball career."...

SIKESTON -- Next Tuesday marks the five-month anniversary of the reestablishment of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety K-9 Team, and so far, the program "barks" success. "It's (the K-9 program) just another tool in our box," said Chief Drew Juden, DPS director. "It gives us flexibility to investigate the very serious crimes."...

BENTON - It is too early to be certain, but odds are the three sexual offenders from this area who were committed under Missouri's sexually violent predator law will receive new hearings. The Missouri high court ruled 6-1 Tuesday that instructions given to jurors during sexual predator hearings for two other sex offenders were flawed...

SIKESTON - Harry C. Young of Sikeston, Sunday was elected president of the state organization of the United National Association of Post Office Clerks. He succeeds Henry F. Nabe of St. Louis. SIKESTON - Roy Bone, manager of the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce, was elected by his associates as board member of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Missouri in a business session of the organization May 15...

There's not enough nice people in the world to go around, but Sikeston just lost another very, very nice one, a registered nurse named Phyllis Watkins. I went to work with her in 1968 at the Diagnostic Clinic. At first she was on the night shift, midnight to 8 a.m. ...

COLUMBIA - Ruth Ann Ashby Russell, 79, formerly of Charleston, died at 7 a.m. May 14, 2002, in Pleasant Hill. Born Sept. 28, 1922, in Charleston, she was the daughter of the late Frank Kelly and Effie Mai Anderson Ashby. A 1944 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, known then as "Cape State," she spent 14 years as a naval wife. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Alton Sutter, 78, died May 16, 2002, at Chateau Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico.

ST. LOUIS -- Mildred F. Stroud, 77, died May 14, 2002, at St. Louis University Hospital. Born March 4, 1925, in Parma, daughter of the late Tom and Laura Barnes Woodson, she was a lifelong resident of Morehouse, where she was a member of the Oneness Pentecostal Church...

POTOSI - Dorothy M. Holifield, 85, formerly of Bloomfield, died May 15, 2002, at the Potosi Manor Nursing Center. Born Oct. 5, 1916, in rural Bloomfield, daughter of the late John E. Harris and Letha McPheeters Holifield, she taught for the Bloomfield School District and other school systems in Stoddard County. ...

LILBOURN - H.L. Stanley, 75, died May 15, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born March 23, 1927, in Stanley, son of the late W.C. and Josie Ledbetter Stanley, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. On May 4, 1947, at Piggott, Ark., he married Betty Jean Nelson who survives of the home...

SIKESTON - Susan Gayle Friend, 52, died at 10:30 a.m. May 15, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Feb. 16, 1950, in Sikeston, daughter of Patricia Glass Parmenter of Sikeston and the late Leroy Parmenter, she was a surgical technician at the Ferguson Medical Group and member of Murray Lane Baptist Church...

ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Billy Joe Walker, 70, formerly of Neelyville, Mo., died April 24, 2002, in Rockford. Born July 1, 1931, in Naylor, Mo., son of the late Charles Edward and Damie Whitehead Walker, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Survivors include: two sons, Jed Walker of Aurora and Brent Walker of St. ...

CHAFFEE - Coena Uhrhan, 80, died at 9 p.m. May 14, 2002, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Sept. 15, 1921, in Oran, daughter of the late Edward and Nora Dannenmueller Eichhorn, she retired from the Sports Specialty Shoe Company in Chaffee. She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Daughters of St. Ambrose and the VFW Post 3127 Ladies Auxiliary in Chaffee...

SIKESTON - Barbara Rigsby, 72, died May 15, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Blanchard Funeral Chapel.

I really liked your article on the ACLU. I have asked a lot of people and nobody knows who they are and who pays them. They are ruining this country and wonder why. I have confidence in you that you can find out and put it in your good paper. Joe Christian...

MINER - Lora Leigh Sexton and Bruce Copeland exchanged wedding vows in a 5 p.m. ceremony May 19, 2001, at Miner Baptist Church. The Rev. Larry Davis and the Rev. Jason Grubbs of Sikeston performed the ceremony. A white archway decorated with tulle, lights and ferns stood as an entrance at the beginning of the center aisle in the sanctuary and a white cathedral style window surrounded by lighted white trees, pedestals with giant ferns, a white park bench and lamp post provided the focal point of the background setting. ...

MARION -- After two tough wins last Saturday Fas Gas/Lambert's, a local traveling soccer team, was set to win its division in the Marion Whirlwind Classic. Those two wins came against Cape All-Stars and Union County. Sunday started off with a win against Mt. Vernon. Laura Atchison got things rolling with a header over the goalie's outstretched hands. Jordan Rodgers, Megan Underhill, Kaitlyn Turnbow and Brittany Jenkins added four more goals to finish out the match...