Stories from Thursday, September 25, 2003

SIKESTON -- Mr. and Mrs. Charles Collom will be guests of honor for a golden wedding anniversary from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 5 at Susie's Bake Shoppe in Sikeston. Collom and the former Bobbie Sims were married Oct. 4, 1953, in Hernando, Miss. Friends and relatives are invited to attend the drop-in reception, which is hosted by their children, Gil Collom of Troy, Tenn., Chuck Collom of Biehle, Cindy St. ...

SIKESTON - Sgt. Harold Ancell, stationed with the quartermaster corps of the Army in Australia, has written to Mrs. Ancell of his recent promotion to the grade of sergeant. SIKESTON - The Folklores of Sikeston were among the four winners at the Mid-South Talent Show semifinals at Memphis, Tenn., Friday night. The young musicians, all students at Sikeston High School, are Larry Bond, George Gilmore and Jim Caskey. They defeated 18 other acts...

DEXTER -- An Arkansas resident sustained fatal injuries in a two-vehicle accident late Tuesday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 11:50 p.m. in Stoddard County, one mile west of Dexter, an accident occurred as motorist Donald R. Reeves Jr., 52, of Springdale, Ark., was traveling in his 1993 BMW when he attempted to pull onto westbound U.S. Highway 60 and pulled into the path of a 1999 freight tractor-trailer unit driven by David A. Marks, 53, of Baxter Springs, Kan...

MINER - There's a new face among Miner's city officials, but one most residents are likely to be familiar with. Benny Thurston, formerly of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, was selected by the Miner Board of Alderman to become the city's new fire division chief. Thurston replaces Randy Baker who resigned from the position...

SIKESTON -- Sitting around, in a jam-session type atmosphere, Sikeston Senior High students of Nora Fuch's choir class listen as SHS alumnus Hunter Moore sings about life near the Mississippi River, love and everyday conversations. "He's very inspiring," said junior Julie Annesser about the songwriter-performer. "He's definitely worth seeing. I think everyone really enjoyed his music."...

Why does everybody think they should be tipped for their services? I don't get tipped at my place of employment and I don't expect to have to tip someone. If you don't like not being tipped, then I suggest you get out of that line of work and find a better job...

It should really come as no surprise that centers of higher education across Missouri are preparing to reduce the number of degree programs available. And it is apparent that the reductions are long overdue. Only in tough economic times do bureaucracies begin to explore ways to reduce expenses. ...

Scott County Road and Bridge Department Supervisor Harlan Duncan places one of the county's new magnetic logos on a county vehicle.

SIKESTON -- Three people are in custody after a robbery at Hibbett Sports Wednesday night. At approximately 9:45 p.m. a male wearing a black hood grabbed a bank bag from an employee at Hibbett Sports. The bag contained an undetermined amount of money. The employee was not injured...

CHARLESTON - Albert Kent, 76, died Sept. 21, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 9, 1927, in Walls, Miss., he was the son of the late Julius and Flora Brown Kent. He worked for Paul Bell Farms in Deventer, Clint Hutcheson Farms in Charleston and Burkhart Foam Rubber in Cairo, Ill., before retiring. He was a member of Mount Hope Missionary Baptist Church...

SIKESTON - Eunice E Abernathy, 79, a resident of the Miner Nursing Center, died at 11:15 p.m. Sept. 23, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Nov. 15, 1923, in Grayridge, daughter of the late John Benjamin and Ruth Whitman Bailey, she had worked in the cafeteria at the Sikeston Middle School and was a member of North Acres General Baptist Church...

PEVELY - Ines Whitehead, 78, died Sept. 24, 2003, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City. Born Nov. 26, 1924, at Naylor, she was the daughter of the late Ed and Pearl Rines. Her husband, Ralph L. Whitehead, preceded her in death on April 5, 1978...

SIKESTON - Maudie I. Denton, 80, died at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 25, 2003, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.

SIKESTON -- James McGhee, 46, died at 11:45 p.m. Sept. 24 at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home.

ST. LOUIS - Hadie DeLois Blissett, 57, died at 1:20 a.m. Sept. 21, 2003, at Christian Hospital Northeast in St. Louis. Born Dec. 8, 1945, in Earle, Ark., daughter of the late Rev. E.L. and Lillie M. Blissett, she was a graduate of Scott County Central High School. She was employed by Ford Motor Company in St. Louis...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Clarence Ray Vandemark, 69, died Sept. 20, 2003, at Mount Vernon Hospital in Alexandria. Born Feb. 18, 1934, in Matthews, Mo., son of the late John D. and Ausa Eagleton Vandemark, he was a printing officer with the U.S. Civil Service and veteran of the U.S. Army...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers for Elmer Joyce Matthews, 86, who died Sept. 23, 2003, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center will be: Dan Lape, Benny Eason, Darrell Stewart, Steve Sikes, King Sidwell and Keith Gregston. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Blanchard Funeral Chapel, where the Sikeston Masonic Lodge will conduct rites at 7:30 p.m...

EAST PRAIRIE - Emma F. Cade, 87, died at 3:45 a.m. Sept. 25, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born March 13, 1916, in New Madrid County, daughter of the late John and Ethel Woods Buttry, she lived in East Prairie most of her life. She was employed by Sells Rest Home in Matthews for many years and was a member of the Gospel Assembly Church in East Prairie for more than 50 years...

SIKESTON -- James Goyins died Sept. 24, 2003, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home.

SIKESTON - After disappointing seasons on the gridiron the last two years, the Kennett Indians felt it was time for a change in leadership. Enter Ronnie Jones, who coached at New Madrid County Central for 18 years and built the team into a force in Class 3 in the late 1990s...

SIKESTON -- Tracy Lynn Townsend and William Henry Jr. were married in a 5:30 p.m. ceremony April 19, 2003, at Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church before the Rev. L.J. Nabors of Sikeston. The bride is the daughter of Louise Simmons of New Madrid and the late Bufford Simmons, and the bridegroom is the son of William and Katherine Henry of Bell City...

CHAFFEE -- Sikeston's tennis team made quick work of Chaffee on Wednesday afternoon, beating the Lady Red Devils 8-0. "The girls did great," said Sikeston coach Lynne Dewitt. "We went out and knew we had to play hard. All the girls stepped up and did that."...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston softball team equaled last season's win total with a 9-0 shutout of Egyptian, Ill., on Wednesday at the Sikeston Recreational Complex. It's Sikeston's sixth win of the year, improving to 6-7. "I think we're doing pretty good this year," said Sikeston head coach Jenny Hobeck. "We've already equaled our win total from last year. I think their confidence is up and we're playing better because of it."...