Stories from Friday, January 30, 2004

Hundreds of Sikeston residents and thousands within the region will line-up today to receive "instant" tax refunds in the form of loans on their anticipated tax returns from the federal government. Virtually all will be low-income residents who need or want their money now and are willing to pay a fee to avoid waiting for the month or so it takes normal returns to make their way through the system...

DEXTER - Mr. and Mrs. Leon Groves and children arrived Wednesday from San Antonio and Laredo, Texas, where Groves has been employed as an engineer with a construction company. Mrs. Groves and the children will visit her parents. SIKESTON - Walter P. ...

Well, Kennedy looked cute on TV this morning after he was being drunk and killed somebody and everything. He is always up there criticizing Bush and everybody else. I think I wouldn't have put him on television this morning. He was out 24 hours before they found out about the woman he killed. ...

The new federal rules updating 60-year-old regulations governing the number of hours commercial drivers can operate their trucks each day will save hundreds of lives, safeguard billions of dollars in commerce and improve the safety of our highways for years to come. The new "hours of service" rules make good safety and economic sense, contrary to the headline in your Jan. 4 article, "New trucking rules could impact costs."...

CHARLESTON -- The identities of the two people killed in an accident Thursday on Interstate 57, along with the 18 other passengers, have been released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Gloria Emery, 57, and Janice Franklin, 43, both of Harvey, Ill., died in the early-morning crash, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. The accident occurred at 5:25 a.m. three miles south of Charleston...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston's wrestling team improved its dual meet record to 5-3 on Thursday night with a 62-18 win over Dexter. "We wrestled very aggressive tonight," said Sikeston coach Chris Hodgkiss. "That's the style I like to see us wrestle. We had some matches that could have been close, but our kids kept pushing and pushing and won by major decision. Then we had a couple of other matches that were relatively close that we ended up winning by pin. It was a big dual meet win for us."...

BLOOMFIELD -- The semifinal round of the Stoddard County Tournament took place on Thursday night, with Dexter beating Advance 70-44 and Bell City defeating Bloomfield 64-49. Dexter and Bell City will play for the championship tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Bloomfield High School...

SIKESTON -- Standard Democrat sportswriter Derek James has been promoted to sports editor. James replaces Lance Hanlin, who recently accepted a job as sports editor of the Post Register newspaper in Idaho Falls, Idaho. James has worked in the Standard Democrat sports department for seven years. He graduated from Sikeston High School in 1993 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Southeast Missouri State University in December 1999...

MORTON, Ill. - Michael R. Pryor, 58, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died at 8:09 a.m. Jan. 27, 2004, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Born Aug. 18, 1945, in Sikeston, son of the late Roy Francis and Stella Mae Lee Pryor, he served with the U.S. ...

DEXTER - Lvara Walker, 84, died Jan. 29, 2004, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born Aug. 5, 1919, in Marble Hill, daughter of the late Thomas Clarence and Tiney Bollinger Burnett, she attended Ark of Hope Church in Dexter. On Nov. 23, 1935, at Essex, she married William Earl Walker who preceded her in death on June 13, 1987...

CHARLESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at McMikle Funeral Home for Donald Ray Henry, 50, who died Jan. 28, 2004, will be: Warren Palmer, Jason Palmer, Richard Kelly, Johnny Stokes, Steve McClanahan and Alvin Pollard. Honorary pallbearers will be: Larry Johnson, Jerry Johnson, Phil Root and James Russell...

ST. LOUIS - Catherine Diane Powell Baker, 47, formerly of Lilbourn, died Jan. 28, 2004, at DePaul Health Center in St. Louis. Born Aug. 12, 1956, in Hayti, daughter of Lorene Powell Divinny of St. Louis and the late Bill Caldwell, she was a licensed practical nurse at IHS on Gravois in St. Louis...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Gordon "DeWayne" Frazier, 45, formerly of Portageville, Mo., died Jan. 26, 2004, at his home. Born Aug. 18, 1958, in Kansas City, son of Martha Lavern Frazier of St. Louis and the late Charles V. Jackson, he was a graduate of Portageville High School and earned a masters degree in special education. He was a teacher in Hernando, Miss...

SIKESTON - Dennis John Crowley, 80, formerly of Evanston, Ill., died at 2:37 a.m. Jan. 28, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 1, 1923, in Rochester, N.Y., son of the late Dennis Leo and Mary Estelle Kavanaugh Crowley, he was a U.S. ...

SIKESTON - Tommy Beeson, 63, died Jan. 30, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are pending at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston, where visitation is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home...

CANALOU - James "J.D." Basinger, 68, died Jan. 29, 2004, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews. Born Nov. 6, 1935, in Pocahontas, Ark., to the late Delbert and Ida Ellen Jackson Basinger, he attended Big Ridge General Baptist Church in Canalou and worked for Noranda Aluminum. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

PUXICO - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Jane Crisel, 60, who died Jan. 26, 2004, were: Berry Stewart Ron Tweedy, Art Norris, Sonny Newsom, Ronnie Martin and Ray Payne.

SIKESTON - A Sikeston man is facing multiple drug and traffic charges related to a high-speed chase. According to Sikeston Department of Public Safety officials, James Ivie, 46, was charged Thursday with attempting to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of the meth ingredient ephedrine "plus numerous traffic tickets" and is being held at DPS on $100,000 bond...

SIKESTON - Department of Public Safety officials are concerned stolen lethal chemicals may be used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. According to the DPS, officers responded at approximately 7:41 a.m. today to a report of a burglary at Terminix at 834 Linn. Terminix employees and DPS officers arriving on the scene discovered pesticides were missing including a two-pound can of phosmume pellets and seven three-pound cans of phosfume tablets...

SIKESTON -- Sure the annual Monopoly Game Tournament is played in good, clean fun, but even in charity, competition can rear its head. "Some of these guys who play are just horribly, horribly competitive," admitted Wende Pruden of the Sikeston Optimist Club. "These guys take their game pretty seriously. It's kind of fun to watch, but kind of scary."...

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County commissioners approved the county's 2004 budget following a public hearing during their regular meeting Thursday. With revenues estimated at $1,446,204 and $1,446,153.60 in appropriated expenditures, the general revenue fund is "basically a 'dollar in, dollar out' budget," according to County Clerk and Budget Officer Junior DeLay...