Stories from Tuesday, June 17, 2003

SIKESTON -- "Did you see how hard these questions are?" asked Sikeston R-6 School Board member Ann Jones. Jones was peering over the shoulder of Morehouse Elementary fourth grade teacher Beth Marshall, who was sitting at a computer terminal, scoring the fourth grade math portion of the 2003 Missouri Assessment Program test Monday afternoon...

CHARLESTON - The first batch went like hotcakes, so those interested in a collection of "down home" Missouri Bootheel recipes should place their order now. "We started out with around 550 cookbooks," said Denise Daughhetee of Citizen's Bank. "They're all gone - they were all gone within a three-week span."...

NEW MADRID - Bond was set at $1 million each for a man and woman charged in the death of a Parma man. Rebecca S. Pride, 41, of Catron and Cory J. Pride, 19, of Sikeston were arraigned on charges of first degree murder and armed criminal action in Division II of New Madrid County Circuit Court Monday...

A farmer harvests oats crop Monday afternoon in Miner on Highway H. Due to the recent rain Monday was one of the first days that farmers could get back into the fields to harvest crops.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Sikeston Sharks competed in the Gator Swim Meet Saturday in Cape Girardeau, placing second in a field of four teams. The highlight of the day was several record setting performances by Shark swimmers, including five by Morgan Fraser...

SIKESTON -- Debbie Hampton and Terry Hampton have announced the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Michelle, to Robert Scott Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Martin of Nixa. A 1997 graduate of Sikeston Senior High School, the future bride graduated in 2002 from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield. She is employed by Jasper Public Schools in Jasper...

PARMA - Polly Ann Spitzer, 64, died June 15, 2003, at her daughter's home in Wentzville. Born Dec. 23, 1938, in Clarkton, daughter of Elizabeth Tatum Daugherty of Cape Girardeau and the late Tim Daugherty, she was a retired school teacher. She was past director of the Malden Community Choir and served as a committee member of the Bootheel Youth Museum in Malden. ...

SIKESTON - Norma Emma Hurley, 86, died June 17, 2003, at her home. Born Aug. 26, 1916, in Bertrand, daughter of the late Walter and Nettie Holland Maxwell, she worked with the Scott County Division of Family Services for 25 years and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Sikeston. She owned Norma's Flower Shop in East Prairie for many years and also owned the Early American Motel at Aurora, Ky...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home for Mona Irene Ainsworth, 93, who died June 14, 2003, will be: Bruce Taylor, Brett Taylor, Jerry Burge, Dan Norton, Danny Freeman and Dewavon Adams.

CHAFFEE - Hilda M. Siebert, 85, died at 11 p.m. June 15, 2003, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 15, 1917, in Lemay, daughter of the late William and Christina Rolfes Schilli, she was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church and Daughters of St. Ambrose. A former leader of the Chaffee Go-Getters 4-H Club, she was also a former member of VFW Post 3127 Ladies Auxiliary in Chaffee...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Clarence Allen Carter, 61, who died June 14, 2003, will be: Arnie Stone, Joe Fritz, Roger Beck, Donnie Brown, Jerry Bryant, Gene Scott, Phillip Stinnett and Roger Miller...

A couple of weeks ago, this column reported the brouhaha under way over exit exams in Florida that are required before a student can graduate from high school. Despite numerous opportunities to take and retake the tests, 14,000 students there failed the exams and did not graduate this year. To compound matters, a similar test for third-graders revealed 43,000 who were not advanced to the fourth grade because of failing test scores...

COLUMBIA - Miss Margaret Gray Anthony of Sikeston, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. W.A. Anthony, and Miss Mary Emma Allen of Sikeston, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T.B. Allen, were members of the class of 683 college and high school students who received their diplomas at the 110th annual commencement exercises at Stephens College...

I'm calling about the person who called about the casino between East Prairie and Charleston. From their wording, they don't live in either city but are apparently unaware that when Sikeston got the new Wal-Mart Supercenter, Wal-Mart shut down its Charleston store, which drew a large group of shoppers from Illinois and Kentucky. ...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston Area Youth League Baseball was back in action on Monday night. Here are those results: JUNIOR BABE KSIM 9, Noranda 8 Garrett Limbaugh was 2-for-2, leading KSIM to a 9-8 victory. Other hits came from Sam Raines, James Taylor, Nick Lambert, Trey Glaus, Mark Fraser, Josh Williams, Shane Stewart and Adam Kimball...