Stories from Saturday, May 3, 2003

I read where the St. John's Ditch is finally going to be cleaned out this summer. Boy, does it ever need it. It needs it all the way to New Madrid, but from Sikeston north will help a lot. We have seen people dig out ditches and just leave it up on the bank. That is no good. You need to have something in the contract to stipulate that the dirt has to be hauled off and put somewhere else so it doesn't just wash back into the ditch. Get it right for a change...

DES MOINES, Iowa - Willie "Shortie" Johnson, 54, died April 24, 2003. Born Feb. 28, 1949, in Charleston, Mo., son of the late Cam Willie and Mable Lee Johnson, he was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. Survivors include: three daughters, Dorothy Kee of Columbia, Rashawn Lovejoy and Lisa Lee of Des Moines; five sons, William Johnson of Columbia and Ronald Moore, Willie Dawson, James Gonzales and Tanzell Johnson of Des Moines; two stepsons, Shawn Moore and James Dawson of Des Moines; two brothers, Floyd Johnson of Newton, Iowa, and Joseph Johnson of Columbia; three sisters, Virginia Johnson of Cairo, Ill., and Teola Wright and Martha Ann Dobbins of Columbia; and several grandchildren.. ...

SIKESTON - Mella Quay Batts, 62, died May 1, 2003, at her home. Born March 9, 1941, in Lilbourn, daughter of the late James Turner and Waymon Mary Louise Brewer Copous, she was a retired licensed practical nurse and a member of the Bement Baptist Church...

HAZELWOOD - Bessie Ruth Mouser, 68, died April 30, 2003, at her home. Born Jan. 22, 1935, at Avert, she was a former waitress for Holiday Inn and was of the General Baptist belief. On May 21, 1951, at Piggott, Ark., she married James J. Mouser who survives of the home...

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Virginia Ann Riley, 74, died May 1, 2003, at her home, as she requested, surrounded and cared for by her family and friends. Born Oct. 19, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Henry Clay and Mary Justine Ransburgh. "Mama Riley" dedicated her life to working with children, the American Red Cross, Girl Scouts of America, Bible school, public schools and countless other activities. ...

DEXTER -- Bert Farmer Minton, 85, died May 1, 2003, at the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center at Dexter. Born May 24, 1917, at Dexter, son of the late Marion T. and Stella Farmer Minton, he was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Dexter, a former heavy equipment operator, a real estate agent with McFaw Land Co. ...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Lorene Fairweather, 83, who died April 28, 2003, were: Jack Brock, Tom Howard, Jack Taylor, Orville Skalsky and Carl Bogle.

SIKESTON - Retired Lt. Col. Max Robert Miller, 80, died April 30, 2003, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Born April 23, 1923, in Puxico, son of the late Ethridge and Nettie Patterson Miller, he retired as a lieutenant colonel pilot and staff officer with the U.S. Air Force. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 310 in Sikeston, VFW Post 4294 in Charleston and of the Disabled American Veterans...

DONIPHAN - Verna Christine "Kit" Henderson, 81, died April 30, 2003, at Three Rivers Healthcare North Campus in Poplar Bluff. Born Nov. 9, 1921, in Doniphan, son of the late Bill and Ida Mock Hill, she was a member of the Doniphan Church of Christ and VFW Post 3485 Ladies Auxiliary. She was a salesperson for Montgomery Ward in Poplar Bluff for many years before retiring...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - William Ralph "W.R." Wing, 79, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died at 1 p.m. May 1, 2003, at his home. Born Dec. 2, 1923, in Lake City, Ark., son of the late Jimmy Marion Wing and Ollie Craft Wing Smith, he owned Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises in Tupelo, Starkville and Meridian, Miss., before retiring. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was also a member of the Germantown Church of Christ...

GORDONVILLE -- Stephen and Kaye Brands have announced the engagement of their daughter, Leslie Catherine, to Richard Wayne Jenkins, son of Guy and Linda Jenkins of Sikeston. The future bride is a 2001 graduate of Jackson High School and is pursuing a degree in social work at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. She is employed with Superior Advertising and Marketing in Gordonville...

SCOTT CITY - Margaret Bridgett Holder, 88, died at 9:15 a.m. April 29, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 8, 1914, in East St. Louis, Ill., daughter of the late Sidney Fost and Rose Phillips Johnston, she was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She was a volunteer with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program for 20 years...

BLOOMFIELD - Carros Elizabeth Worley, 60, died April 29, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 20, 1942, in Fairview, daughter of the late William Lawrence and Velma Mae Jackson Evans Sr., she lived in St. Charles for 25 years and moved to Bloomfield two years ago. She was a member of the First Christian Church...

ST. CHARLES - Ronald D. Watson, 39, died April 30, 2003, at the St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. Born Dec. 3, 1963, in St. Louis, son of Shelby Green Monroe of Bloomfield and the late Eual Jewel Watson, he was a lifelong resident of the St. Charles area...

SIKESTON - Retired Lt. Col. Max R. Miller, 81, died April 30, 2003, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

SIKESTON - National Butane Gas Corp. on Malone Avenue plans to move by the first of the month to the Ziegenhorn building on Highway 60, about a quarter-mile east of the airfield. --- SIKESTON - Lt. Col. Charles L. Malone began his second year as commanding officer of the Fort Leavenworth, Kan., Reception Center...

CHARLESTON -- Stephanie Michelle Ray and Billy Gene Taylor exchanged wedding vows in a 6:30 p.m. ceremony Dec. 27, 2002, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Charleston. Monsignor Mike Swalina of New Madrid performed the double-ring candlelight ceremony...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Emily Susan Moore and John Wayne Tatum Jr. were married in a 5 p.m. ceremony March 1, 2003, at the First General Baptist Church in East Prairie. The Rev. Earnest Brown performed the ceremony. The new Mrs. Tatum is the daughter of Lester and Mary Moore of East Prairie. She is the granddaughter of Dola Benson and Maxine Prince of East Prairie, Howard and Imogene Benson of Sikeston and the late Anderson Moore...

CHAFFEE -- Due to heavy rains on Thursday, the SEMO Conference Tournament was postponed until Friday. Most of the tournament schedule will remain unchanged, but the first three scheduled games will be moved. Game #1 between Chaffee and Kelly was moved to Chaffee's Harmon Field at 4:30 p.m. Friday...

DEXTER -- Sikeston's tennis team defeated Dexter on Wednesday afternoon, 7-2. The Bulldogs lost two singles matches, but swept the doubles events to improve to 7-2 on the season. In singles play, No. 1 Peter Jones was defeated by Dexter's Drew Wethington 8-9 with a 7-5 tiebreaker...

SIKESTON - While most people seem to associate speech therapists with children and schools, injuries and even aging make speech therapy necessary for many adults as well. The American Speech and Language Association observes May as Speech and Hearing Month each year "to promote information about speech and hearing everywhere throughout the United States," said Jennifer Steelman...

DEXTER - The Dexter Bearcats baseball team warmed up for the SEMO Conference Tournament with a 6-2 league victory against New Madrid County Central on Wednesday at Dexter's East City Park. The Bearcats plated two runs in the bottom of the second and added one run in the bottom of the third inning...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After giving up five goals in the first half of Wednesday's match against Notre Dame, Sikeston's soccer team turned up its defensive intensity in the second half, holding the local power to just one goal. Considering the opponent, head coach Derrick Long was satisfied with his team's performance in the 6-0 loss...

Editor's note: Tom Heeb, a Chaffee native and brother of Sikeston physician Dr. Max Heeb, recently sent this message from China, where he is missionary. Heeb is serving in the Chinese province where Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was first discovered. Heeb has been in mission work since the 1960s in foreign lands. In China, Heeb cannot be classified as a missionary ad instead serves as an English teacher. The following letter speaks of some of his experiences....

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County commissioners accepted funding through the Office of the State Court Administrator's Domestic Relations program during their regular meeting Thursday and approved a contract for Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center to provide the services funded with the grants...

PORTAGEVILLE - Some honors are big enough that everyone shares in them. For Portageville, it was the presentation of a Milken Award to elementary art teacher DeLois Booker. Announced in October by Missouri Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Kent King and Missouri First Lady Lori Holden in an assembly at the Portageville Elementary School, Booker was in Los Angeles Saturday through Monday to officially be honored by the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards program. ...

Teresa Bye, Survivor Chairperson, right and Janet Hudspeth, American Cancer Society Relay for Life chairperson, place Sikeston Relay for Life signs in yards. The Relay for Life Committee is encouraging as many residents as possible to pick up the signs to help them "Paint the Town Purple." Signs can be picked up at the ACS office, 201 N. New Madrid St., or by calling 471-1823...

SIKESTON - While the right to a jury of our peers is one we hope never to use, it's one we should be sure to appreciate. "It's an important part of the system," said Pam Glastetter, circuit court clerk for Scott County. "The scales of justice do not balance without the juror."...

An officer surveys an accident scene after a fatal crash Wednesday morning. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 9:20 a.m., motorist Christine W. Mitchell, 83, of Malden was headed southbound in the driving lane in New Madrid County on Interstate 55, two miles north of Matthews. ...

Michael Parker plays the drums while Steve Clinton plays the mandolin as the Sikeston Community Choir prepares for Sunday's spring choir concert. The concert will be held at the First United Methodist Church and is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m.

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Tom Mathis Jr. will be the caretakers of the Country Club and are to take charge in the near future. Conn Armour, who has been the caretaker at the club, has enlisted in the Merchant Marines. SIKESTON - Clyde Poe, coroner of Scott County, has just completed 20 years association with the Welsh Funeral Home. In addition to his duties professionally, Poe will have completed 20 years as county coroner at the end of his present term...

There's an interesting case developing in Illinois where 42 school children suffered food poisoning from eating tainted chicken tenders at a school lunch program. Two education officials were charged Wednesday with reckless conduct for allowing the food to be served to school kids...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Mr. and Mrs. Rex Pullum and Mr. and Mr. Herman Priggel of Portageville have announced the engagement of their children, Angella Michelle "Shelly" Kellams to John Christopher Priggel. The future bride is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. ...

SIKESTON -- Barry and Angie Duncan have announced the engagement of their daughter, Alecia Carol, to Randall Keith Horne Jr., son of Randy and Susan Horne of Sikeston. A 2000 graduate of Sikeston High School, the future bride will graduate in may from Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff. She is employed by Super D Pharmacy...

Mike, your article about the parents expect the teachers to do their job, all the teachers do is look for an excuse not to work with these children. They need to take the children where they are and teach them. They want the money, just like welfare...