Stories from Tuesday, December 24, 2002

BENTON - A Georgia woman arrested Dec. 20 at a motel in Miner for fraudulent use of a credit device is now wanted for murder in Georgia. Lt. Jerry Bledsoe said the Scott County Sheriff's Office received numerous felony warrants Monday from Gwinnett County Georgia, charging 18-year-old Malaika M. Hunt of Norcross with murder, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft and financial transaction card theft...

PORTAGEVILLE-- Michael and Sheila Brands have announced the engagement of their daughter, Natalie Nicole, to Justin Allen Noble, son of Rosemary Cooley of Portageville. A 1999 graduate of Portageville High School, the future bride is owner and operator of Images in Portageville...

Santa is coming tonight and Seth Copeland and Rory Heacox Jaynes are waiting anxiously for his arrival. But even before he brings his bag full of presents, the youngsters decided to take a peek at the gifts under the tree.

CHARLESTON - With little business on the agenda to cover, most of the Mississippi County commission meeting Monday consisted of W.R. "Bill" Thompson, Mississippi County assessor, pitching the Occupancy Law to commissioners. This week and next week's county commission meetings were moved to the preceding Mondays instead of their usual Thursdays due to the holidays...

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David): to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child...

BLOOMFIELD - The 46th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament will tip off on Thursday at Bloomfield High School with eight first round games. Dexter has won the tournament four years in a row, setting a new record in the process, but that didn't keep the coaches from voting the Bearcats as the No. 2 seed...

The University High Christmas Tournament has a new name this year, the seMissourian Christmas Basketball Tournament. The 58th annual event will still feature 16 local teams, keep the two-official format like last year and be played at the Show-Me Center in Cape Girardeau...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Sikeston's wrestling team took 10th place in the 16-team Tiger Classic on Friday and Saturday, finishing with 126 team points. "We started off a little slow on Friday, and didn't wrestle as well as we should have in the pool action," explained Sikeston head coach Chris Hodgkiss. "But on Saturday, when we got put in the brackets, some of the boys really stepped up."...

NEW MADRID -- Gene and Sara Ramsey have announced the engagement of their daughter, Heather, to Garett Ryfa, son of Patricia and Frank Ryfa of Amsterdam, N.Y. The future bride graduated in 1993 from New Madrid County Central High School. A 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia, she is currently attending the Georgetown University Law Center...

BERTRAND - Christopher Lee and Angela Michelle Kreitzburg are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 1:31 p.m. Dec. 6, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Alyssa Michelle Kreitzburg weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20 1/2-inches long...

CHARLESTON -- Everyone knows there's no place like home for the holidays, but what if you can't make it home? For German exchange student Dmitri Task, the next best thing is spending a good, old-fashioned family Christmas with his American host family...

SIKESTON - While the rest of us will spend the day opening presents, eating entirely too much and relishing time at home with loved ones, some individuals aren't quite so lucky. But then again, it all depends on how you look at it. "The employees who get paid an hourly wage will get time and a half for working tomorrow," noted Crystal Hammon, deli manager at Huck's. "Not me, I'm on salary."...

The East Prairie city crew starts decorating the poles for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. The lights start getting strung before Thanksgiving by Jerry Burton. The Chamber starts putting up the decorations as soon as weather is permitting. Thousands of hours are put into making the city look beautiful. ...

SIKESTON - Cadet Lee Austin Bowman arrived Friday night from Virginia Military Institute at Lexington to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Bowman, until Saturday night. SIKESTON - Mr. Stork must be trying to outdo Santa Claus this year. Evidence is the nine babies born over the past weekend at Missouri Delta Community Hospital. ...

SIKESTON - Lloyd L. Neeley, 65, died Dec. 23, 2022, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born April 24, 1937, at Reno, Ark., son of the late Thomas and Sylvia Laws Neeley, he was a farm laborer and had worked for Asplundh Tree Service. He enjoyed playing pool and checkers...

SIKESTON - Lloyd Wilburn, 98, died at 7:43 a.m. Dec. 23, 2002, at the Clearview Nursing Center. Born Feb. 28, 1904, at East Prairie, son of the late Louis W. and Nora Hinton Wilburn, he was a self-employed farmer and a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Sikeston...

DALLAS, Texas - Louisa Wood, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Dec. 23, 2002, at Baylor University Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at the Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

CHAFFEE - Grace Catherine Myer, 86, died at 3:05 a.m. Dec. 23, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 30, 1916, in Bloomington, Ill., daughter of the late Rilley and Etta Cohern Herrell, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church at Whitewater...

ST. CHARLES - Opal Marion, 91, died Dec. 22, 2002, at the Blanchett Place in St. Charles. Born Oct. 18, 1911, in Portageville, daughter of the late Olive E. and Etta Boatwright LaFont, she was a member of the All Saints Church in St. Peters. She had been a nurse and was active in the 4-H Sewing Project in the New Madrid County region...

SIKESTON - Henry King Jr., 75, died Dec. 19, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born May 19, 1927, in Grenada, Miss., son of the late Henry and Hazel Smith King Sr., he attended Portageville High School and mechanic school in Dallas, Texas. He was a head mechanic for the JC Penney Auto Center for seven years, worked on the railroad for many years and was a school bus driver for the Sikeston R-6 School District for 20 years before retiring. ...