Stories from Monday, November 3, 2003

POPLAR BLUFF -- Only a few months into his Three Rivers career, Tony Webb already understands priority No. 1. It's the same as priorities 2 and 3. "When you have a coach like coach (Gene) Bess, you can't stress defense enough," Webb said after the 12th-ranked Raiders routed Kaskaskia, Ill., 84-50 Sunday afternoon to conclude the First Midwest Bank JUCO Tournament of Champions. ...

SIKESTON - Grace Marie Sitzes, a senior, has filled the vacancy left on the Barker staff by the resignation of Phil Bowman. She is active in school affairs and is a member of the Red Peppers. Grace has been contributing to the Barker regularly by writing articles and editorials...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Saturday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Robbie Taylor, 92, who died Oct. 30, 2003, were: Gary Gilbert, Larry Gilbert, Josh Gilbert, Cody Ritch, Jay Azure and John Azure.

ORAN -- Becky L. Glueck, 48, died Nov. 3, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

EAST PRAIRIE - Elmo Westmoland, 86, formerly of Sikeston, died at 12:15 a.m. Nov. 2, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

BERNIE - Novella Jean Cornelison, 72, died Nov. 2, 2003, at the Missouri Southern Health Care in Dexter. Born March 31, 1931, in Lavelle to the late Scott and Carrie Trammel Craft, she was a resident of Bernie where she was a member of the General Baptist Church...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Juanita Faye Britt, 70, died at 6:20 p.m. Nov. 1, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born May 8, 1933, in the Sassafras Ridge community near East Prairie to the late Harve and Cleo Lindsay Ivie, she had lived in Mississippi County for most of her life and was a member of the Full Gospel Church in East Prairie...

Some years ago, Gary Rekstad wrote an historical summary under the title, "Once There Was a Great Nation." I have capsulized his summary even more to fit in this column space. I thought you'd like to read it: Once There Was a Great Nation - founded by the pilgrims who decided to leave their own country, which didn't encourage freedom of religion or freedom of speech. They migrated to an uncivilized land inhabited only by savages. The rock where they landed was to become a national shrine...

DYERSBURG, Tenn - Law enforcement officials are continuing their investigation today into the apparent suicide of a woman who jumped from the Mississippi River bridge between Pemiscot County, Mo., and Dyer County. Dyer County Sheriff Jeff Holt said his department received a call about 4 p.m. Sunday that a woman had jumped from the bridge. The sheriff stated a motorist on the bridge noticed the woman standing on the edge of the bridge and then saw her jump in his rearview mirror...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services conducted today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Verbal L. Selph, 69, of Morehouse who died Nov. 1, 2003, were: Dianna Clemons, Belinda Marcapura, Bryant Brooks, Roy Hodgkiss, Doug Griffith and Matt Griffith.

MATTHEWS - Mitty Thelma Heitman, 90, died at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 2, 2003, at the Sells Rest Home in Matthews. Born March 2, 1913, in Sleeper, Mo., to the late Floyd and Bessie Bowman Jones, she was a warehouse work for Sears-Roebuck in Kansas City and worked in the nursery for the Church of God...

DEXTER - William David Townsend, 61, died Oct. 31, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 3, 1942, at Fisk, son of the late James and Myrtle Williams Townsend, he was a retired salesman and lived in Dexter for the past 25 years. He was a member of the Dudley Community Church...

BERTRAND - Daniel Webster "Bud" Watkins, 64, died at 11:45 a.m. Nov. 1, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 27, 1939, at Lilbourn to the late William Jasper "Jack" and Edith Ray Brown Watkins, he was a self-employed building contractor and a truck driver. He served in the U.S. Navy...

I've said it before and I'll say it until I die. Stop every giveaway unless it is to an elderly person who lives on a fixed income and definitely deserves it, not to these people who are drawing checks on illegitimate children and who have boyfriends selling dope and are living with them. Stop it all. Just cold turkey. Stop it. That's the only way Sikeston is going to improve...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Little Theater opens its 45th season with a production of "Steel Magnolias." Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 14 and 15 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Albritton-Mayer Cultural Center, 506 S. Kingshighway. Advance tickets are $6 each and are currently on sale at Collins Music in Sikeston...

SIKESTON - Delilah Tayloe sees her new job as curator of the Sikeston Depot as an opportunity to engineer a link between past and present, art and history. "I hope to help the Depot Museum serve as a place of learning and interaction for all people of all ages to experience our world and learn," Tayloe explained...