Stories from Thursday, June 5, 2003

SIKESTON -- Susan and Todd Morris have announced the engagement of their son, Brant T., to Mindi Moore, daughter of JoAnn and Bill Moore of Libertyville, Ill. A 1993 graduate of Hickman High School in Columbia, the future bride graduated in 1999 from Moody Bible Institute at Chicago, Ill. She is employed by Trinity International University in Chicago...

Vince Howard works on passing during a drill at the Sikeston Bulldog basketball camp at the Field House Wednesday. Looking on is Sikeston head coach Gregg Holifield (right) and assistant coach Brian James.

HARDING, Ark. -- Former Sikeston resident Brandon Dodds took first place in the Arkansas Class AA-AAA State Track meet for the second year in a row. Dodds was also selected All State in track for the second straight year, receiving the MVP award from Harding High School for the past three years. After winning the state championship, Dodds competed in the Meet of Champs where all of Arkansas' state champions compete against each other. Dodds finished third in the event...

COLUMBIA -- The Oran Eagles are soaring into the Class 1 championship game as a result of their 7-3 win against the Concordia Orioles on Wednesday evening at Taylor Stadium in Columbia. Playing as the visiting team for the second straight game did not hurt the Eagles (22-2) as their leadoff hitter Nathan Seyer smacked a double to left to start the game...

BENTON - A Sikeston woman will face trial on second degree murder charges following her appearance before Associate Circuit Court Judge David Mann at her preliminary hearing Wednesday. Stephanie Miles, 28, is charged with the stabbing death of her estranged boyfriend, Sherman Baker, 34, also of Sikeston, during an altercation at 1:30 a.m. April 18 at 249 W. Kathleen. Her arraignment is set for June 26 in Division I of Scott County Circuit Court...

SIKESTON - The two visitors from Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, stepped inside The First National Bank and found many things like home. But it was the differences that interested Inna Sharapova and Oleg Kovalenko the most. Kovalenko remarked Premierbank, where he worked in Dnipropetrovsk, was much the same size as The Montgomery First National Banks. Calculating the difference between Euros and dollars, he estimated that even in terms of investments the banks were similar...

Day camper Kyle Brown dodges a ball at the YMCA Wednesday afternoon. This is the first full week of the camp which is held daily throughout the summer.

Adrian Bowman, 24, of University City near St. Louis, finally had his last day in court. Bowman is by any definition an example of the thugs who are plaguing our society. Police portray Bowman as a violent drug dealer. He was convicted this week of murder for the killing of Daryl Spann of St. Louis. The murder followed an earlier altercation between the two. But that's just the beginning of the story...

SIKESTON - Local men in uniform include: Marion Simpson and John Marshall from the Malone and Rex Theaters; Harold Ancell of Buckner-Ragsdale Co.; James B. Turner of the Claude Turner Garage; and others. --- SIKESTON - Dr. and Mrs. W.A. Anthony will leave Tuesday for Columbia to attend the graduation of their daughter, Miss Margaret Anthony, from Stephens College...

My shift starts at 7 a.m. and at about 6:30 a.m. the fastest cars on the road belong to the correction cars at the Southeast Missouri Correction Center. What's going on in that place. Have they got a hot rod shop inside the prison or something? These are just plain-looking cars and they go by faster than anyplace else on the road. They go at least 20 miles over the speed limit. What's going on?...

PUXICO - Pallbearers at services conducted Wednesday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Barbara Ann Oliver, 54, who died June 2, 2003, were: Buddy Clinton, Jason Fowler, Tim Fowler, Danny O'Neal, Tim Doublin and Scotty Clark.

SIKESTON -- Fannie Mae Davis Lane Simmons, 99, died June 4, 2003, at the Miner Nursing Center. Born Sept. 3, 1903, in Martin, Tenn., daughter of the late Lorenza Dow and Martha Jane Lane Davis, she was a member of the Willingham (Tenn.) Baptist Church...

BERNIE - Martha "Jimmie" Rickman, 87, died May 24, 2003, at the Malden Nursing Center. Born Aug. 16, 1915, in Bernie, daughter of the late Bedford and Lora Elizabeth McNeil Tucker, she lived in Bernie most of her life. She retired from Hawley's in St. Charles, Ill., where she made speaker cones and automobile parts and was a member of the Bernie Christian Church...

SIKESTON - Rachel Ruth Pierce, 88, died June 3, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Feb. 8, 1915, in Hornersville, daughter of the late Peter V. and Lora Moody Branum, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church and Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114. She served with the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) in Washington, D.C., and worked for the Anchor Toy Company for 16 years...

SIKESTON - Virginia G. Gwaltney, 88, died June 3, 2003, at Hunter Acres Caring Center. Born Oct. 15, 1914, in Newbern, Tenn., daughter of the late John Thomas and Esther Dickson Griffin, she was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ. She worked for the International Shoe Company 35 years before retiring in 1978...

NEW MADRID - William Ray "Billy" Staffey, 47, died June 3, 2003, at his parents' home in New Madrid. Born Oct. 21, 1955, in St. Louis, he was the son of William J.R. and JoAnn Staffey. Survivors in addition to his parents include: one son and daughter-in-law, Ray and Tiffany Staffey of Minehart, N.D.; one daughter and son-in-law, Wendi and Brad Patterson of Portageville; two brothers, Tommy Calton of Lonedell and Brian D. ...

DEXTER - Beulah Adkins Putnam, 94, died June 3, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born May 7, 1909, in St. John, Kan., daughter of the late William M. and Molly Stevenson Adkins, she was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter, 50-year member of the Missouri Extension Homemakers Association and a former member of the Golden Age Quilters...

DEXTER - Patty J. Owens, 78, died June 5, 2003, at the Beverly Health and Rehab Center in Dexter. Born May 30, 1925, to the late Francis and Edith Wright Dyer, she had lived in Bell City, spent 32 years in St. Louis then moved to Dexter 12 years ago. She worked as staff assistant for McDonnell-Douglas in St. Louis, was a member of the Hidden Trails Country Club and attended the Sadler's Chapel United Methodist Church in Dexter...

PARMA - Melissa Dawn Simmons, 31, died June 4, 2003, at her home. Born Oct. 8, 1971, in St. Louis, she was the daughter of Harold and Anna Boyer Simmons of Parma. Other survivors include: one son, Eric Alexander of Parma; two sisters, Lisa Scott of Arnold and Lori Knoll of Pacific; and a special friend, Richard Silman of Parma...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Billy Joe Douglas, 64, died June 4, 2003, in Portageville. Born Feb. 17, 1939, in Portageville, he was the son of the late I.K. and Carolyn Durbin Douglas. Survivors include: one son, William Douglas Sr. of Portageville; three daughters, Cindy Douglas of Portageville, Polly Hendershot of Fair Grove and Martha Douglas of Orlando, Fla.; and 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren...

MATTHEWS -- Sherry Bell Lyons and Roger Brooks were married June 1, 2003, in the front pasture of the North Dallas Forty in rural Matthews. The Rev. Joey Manning performed the double-ring ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Louise Bell of Sikeston and the late Beachem Bell. Her husband's parents are Lucille Summerfield of East Prairie and R.C. "Bob" Brooks of Macon, Ga...