Stories from Thursday, February 19, 2004

SIKESTON -- It's no secret the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center offers scholarships to local students attending the institution, but what others may not realize is a majority of these scholarships are funded by local individuals and businesses...

SIKESTON - As surely as April showers bring May flowers, winter's chill digs potholes to fill. Water expands upon freezing, so melted snow and rain seeps into cracks in the pavement and then builds pressure as the liquid freezes, widening cracks and holes. Contracting and returning to a liquid state, water is replaced by empty space leaving pavement vulnerable to further damage from traffic...

There's a small stretch of border between California and Mexico that has a reputation for easy access to illegal immigrants. It's only 3.5 miles long and starts at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. The canyon area that the area crosses is known as "Smuggler's Gulch," and the Department of Homeland Security wants to erect a fence across the section to better control the daily flow of Mexican aliens who cross into California...

DEXTER - Helen Northington, 81, died Feb. 17, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 8, 1922, at Des Moines, Iowa, daughter of the late Joseph Warren and Elenor Springer Rinabarger, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Dexter. ...

SIKESTON - Carletta J. Boardman, 78, died Feb. 18, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Nov. 10, 1925, in Matthews, daughter of the late Harry G. and Clara A. Edmondson Jones, she was a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Sikeston. On Dec. 24 1942, she married Thomas Harold Boardman who preceded her in death on Feb. 12, 2004...

MORLEY - Roy William Ragains, 86, died at 10:25 p.m. Feb. 17, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 21, 1917, in Morley, son of the late Ulysses Grant and Lula May Griggs Ragains, he was a member of the Morley Methodist Church. He served with the U.S. Army Infantry in New Guinea during World War II and received two Bronze Stars, the Distinguished Unit Badge and the Combat Infantry Badge for the New Guinea Campaign...

After reading the complaints about the Sikeston Rescue Mission, we did some self-examination and, yes, we could do better but let me tell you how many people we served with our referral program last year. We distributed 5,226 clothing and household items for the year. This helped 210 adults and 213 children. We helped six burnouts. Through the food basket program, we distributed over 5,000 baskets of food. We also help people from the Grant City church...

In answer to "Wannabe Santa," you are so unhappy, I felt sorry for you. You are jealous. You want to be a Santa and you want to make someone happy. That's what Santas do. He is happy and free and can play Santa any time he wants to. His suit reminds him of Christmas and that is our Savior's birthday. ...

COLUMBIA -- Five Sikeston Bulldog wrestlers made the trek to Columbia today to vie for a Class 2 state wrestling title over the weekend. "We believe that we can get two or three guys to place and two or three guys to win some matches and score some points for us," said Sikeston coach Chris Hodgkiss earlier in the week. "That's what we're shooting for."...

NEW MADRID - New Madrid County Central will host its first basketball alumni night during the home game on Feb. 20. The athletic department would like to invite past players from both girls and boys teams to participate. Participants need to sign up at the table in the lobby. Game time is 6 p.m...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston High School Bulldogs went down to defeat Friday at the local gymnasium before a more experienced Cape Girardeau cage team. The local team was defeated 26 to 18. Hayden was high man with eight points. POPLAR BLUFF - Sikeston's Bulldogs dropped to fourth in the SeMo Conference here last night with a 3-3 loop posting after dropping a crucial league game to host Poplar Bluff Mules, 65-51...

SIKESTON -- Donnie and Geneva Morgan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Oct. 18, 2003, at Ryan's Banquet Room in Sikeston. The couple was married Oct. 24, 1953, and relatives and friends attended the celebration. The event was hosted by their daughters, Debbie Marks of Sikeston and Melissa Copeland of Belleville, Ill.; and their granddaughter, Kelly Marks Laird of Columbia...

SIKESTON - Sharonda Boyd and Tommy G. Jones are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 7:58 p.m. Jan. 22, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Tamiya Marie Jones weighed 5 pounds, 15 ounces and was 17 1/4-inches long. Maternal grandparents are Janet Boyd and Herman Thompson...