Stories from Wednesday, March 26, 2003

ORAN - Coletta Ann Eftink, 72, died at 7:30 p.m. March 25, 2003, at her home. Born Nov. 12, 1930, in Oran, daughter of the late Henry and Caroline Arnzen Jansen, she was a member of Guardian Angel Catholic Church and St. Ann Sodality in Oran and VFW Post 5368 Ladies Auxiliary in Morley...

SCOTT CITY - Eugene Swinford, 72, died at 4:55 a.m. March 25, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 7, 1930, in Bell City, son of the late Luther and Gertrude Bass Swinford, he retired as a machinist for Braswell in Cape Girardeau and was of the Baptist belief. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War...

CATRON - Ernest Tubbs, 56, died March 25, 2003, at his home. Born July 17, 1946, in Avery, Texas, he was the son of the late Dorothy Robert and Mattie Olds Tubbs. On Oct. 11, 1968, in Delka, Texas, he married Barbara Tubbs who survives of the home. Other survivors include: two sons, Ernest A. ...

GRAYRIDGE - Gale "Big" Orr, 75, died March 25, 2003, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.

SCOTT CITY - Terry Stephen Ledure, 49, died March 25, 2003, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

CINCINNATI - Malinda Lucille Hahs Smith, 84, died March 6, 2003, in Cincinnati. She was married to John Sherwood Smith of Benton, Mo., for 57 years before his death on Nov. 16, 1998, at age 79. Born May 5, 1918, in Dexter, Mo., Mrs. Smith was the firstborn child of the late J. ...

Regardless of the rhetoric, the American Civil Liberties Union is a misguided, divisive plague on this country. I mean not to stifle opposition or prohibit differing viewpoints. Quite the contrary. But it's against the law to cry fire in a crowded theater and the same should apply to the clearly anti-American stance taken by the ACLU on subjects large and small...

SIKESTON -- Here are Saturday's results from the Sikeston Drag Strip: SUPER PRO Linden Hills of Fremont posted his first win of the season in the Super Pro Class. With a 5.23 dial he ran 5.28 at 121 m.p.h. His reaction time was .522. Second place went to Don Cutsinger, of Calvert City, Ky. Cutsinger dialed a 6.61 but mechanical problems on the starting line aborted his run...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central boys basketball coach David Fields has resigned for unspecified reasons. The first year coach steps down after his team went 9-16 this year. While he gave no reason for his resignation on Tuesday night, he did have positive things to say about his players...

NEW MADRID -- Sikeston's golf team opened the 2003 season with a road victory on Tuesday, beating New Madrid County Central, 169-187. "We played well for an opener," said Sikeston coach Rick Oetting. "The New Madrid course is one where you have to make a lot of short finesse shots to do well. The greens put slower than we are used to."...

SIKESTON - Malone Theater today and tomorrow, "Mrs. Miniver" with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Rex Theater: "X Marks the Spot" with Damian O'Flynn and Helen Parrish. --- MORLEY - Mrs. Wanda Holley was complimented with a birthday party Sunday afternoon...

I read where the city is endorsing the candidacy of Mike and Harry because their political signs are on city property in the Recreation Complex at the end of Kennedy Drive. My son had a bike wreck on March 17 on Broadway. I just want to thank the family that stopped and picked him up and took him to the emergency room. They sat there with him until we got there. You don't know how much that was appreciated. That just lets me know there are angels here on earth. Thank you very much...

SIKESTON -- The year-long efforts by educators to prepare their students for the Missouri Assessment Program test will literally be put to the test beginning as early as Monday for some students. And to ease the stress and show support to students, the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce, Scott County Central and Sikeston Public Schools have partnered to promote the importance of quality education as schools conduct the MAP test. ...

Becky DeKriek-Ault of How Does Your Garden Grow? plants flowers in a customer's flower bed. Look in today's edition of the Standard Democrat for the Spring Home Improvement section.

BENTON - Scott County commissioners believe they have found a solution to what they hope is the last hurdle to clear before opening the new Scott County Jail. Commissioners discussed a water pressure problem and other loose ends to address at the new jail during their regular meeting Tuesday...

SIKESTON - The employees of a Sikeston industry received bad news Tuesday: Nearly a third are losing their jobs. The remaining workers will see cuts continue until August, when production could end. Officials with Superior Essex plant, located 1620 Malone Ave., informed the 28 salaried and 183 hourly employees Tuesday that "due to economic conditions, primarily low product demand and competitive pricing, we are forced to curtail production capacity," said Melanie Hall, vice president of corporate communications for Superior Essex's corporate office in Fort Wayne, Ind.. ...

POPLAR BLUFF -- The Poplar Bluff Letter Club held the 43rd Annual Basketball Banquet on Tuesday night at Poplar Bluff High School. The banquet honored players and teams in the SEMO Conference, handing out several awards. The John Gibbs award (boys MVP) was given out to Poplar Bluff's Tyler Hansbrough and Charleston's Kewain Gant...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs will open their track and field season tomorrow with a triangular meet with Malden and New Madrid County Central at SPS Stadium at 4 p.m. The two-time defending district champion Bulldogs once again have plenty of numbers to work with and an experienced boys lineup that has had success on the state level...

Now that the 2002-2003 high school basketball season is officially over, it's time to pick Southeast Missouri's Dandy Dozen. Everybody has their own opinion on who the top players in the area are, and the following list is mine. Here are my top 12...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs baseball team won their season-opener on Tuesday 4-2 on a cold, windy and rainy afternoon at VFW Stadium. The Bulldogs got a pinch-hit RBI-single by sophomore Cullen DeHart to plate the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning...