Stories from Friday, April 2, 2004

SIKESTON - Memorial contributions for Wyatt Tyson Smith, 22, who died March 30, 2004, can be sent to New Dawn State School PTO, 710 Glen St., Sikeston, MO 63801. The name of the beneficiary was incomplete in Thursday's obituary. We regret the error...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Maxine M. Hale, 82, of Vanduser, who died March 30, 2004, were: Donnie Drew, Steve Vincent, Jordan Drew, Matthew Freeman, Gary Kindred and Mitch Thompson. Honorary pallbearers were: Tara Hale, Holly Hale, Tamara Freeman, Lisa Drew, Jeff Drew, Alana Hargrove, Joel Hargrove and Bethany Drew...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at private graveside services for Robert Marvin "Bob" Jenkins, Sr., 76, of Sikeston, who died March 31, 2004, will be: George Steck, Woodrow Glass Jr., Don Baker, Dan Norton Sr., Michael Jensen and Steve Woods. The Rev. Tim Russell of Dexter will officiate...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at private graveside services for Robert Marvin "Bob" Jenkins, Sr., 76, of Sikeston, who died March 31, 2004, will be: George Steck, Woodrow Glass Jr., Don Baker, Dan Norton Sr., Michael Jensen and Steve Woods. The Rev. Tim Russell of Dexter will officiate...

SIKESTON - Sandra Fay Williams, 38, died March 31, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born May 10, 1965, in Hughes, Ark., daughter of Flora Lee Mitchell Williams of Sikeston and the late Joe Louis Williams, she lived in Sikeston for more than 36 years. She attended New Dawn State School in Sikeston and was a member of Powerhouse of God Church, where she served as an usher...

SIKESTON - The honorees of the 54th annual Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet never showed. It wasn't an April Fool's joke; they really weren't expected. By dedicating the evening to the members of the 1140th Engineer Battalion now serving in Iraq, it was the Chamber and the community's way to let them know they are still very much a part of the community...

CHARLESTON - The "new" is finally wearing off Mississippi County's courthouse. County officials discussed surface rust that is appearing on the courthouse's exterior steel doors. "And paint is, I noticed the other day, starting to peel, bubble up," County Clerk Junior DeLay said. "They probably need to be brushed and painted."...

SIKESTON - Three Sikeston residents remain in custody after being arrested by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety for allegedly selling marijuana. According to reports from DPS, a Sikeston drug detective and patrol officers went to 723 Matthews St. Wednesday to check on information received that an individual was selling marijuana from the home, which is situated within 2,000 feet of Sikeston Senior High School...

SIKESTON - Adam William and Lisa Marie Russell are the parents of their second son, born at 2:45 a.m. Feb. 29, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Tharen Daniel Russell weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 22-inches long. The former Lisa Hodges, Mrs. Russell is the daughter of Mike and Carol Gentry of Bertrand and John Hodges of Minford, Tenn...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldog track and field team lost some top-notch talent to graduation last year, but they return enough to keep head coach Jerry Dement's spirits high. With the bulk of his team returning, including individual all-staters Felante Larry, Tyler Woodson and Clay Lincoln, Dement has his sights set on another district championship...

Thanks for printing the pictures showing the properties that the City of Sikeston intends to demolish. It would be interesting to know how many citations the City of Sikeston has issued in the last 12 months for each of these properties. Since the taxpayers have given the city officials a blank check through the increase in sales taxes, it is probably easier for city officials not to issue citations before buying property to demolish. ...

Dear Editor: Many people still do not understand the significance of the medical malpractice crisis in Missouri. I hear about it firsthand, every day, from family physicians across the state. Insurance premiums coupled with low reimbursement are forcing them to quit providing services or even leave Missouri. If we don't get some legislative relief this year, it will be harder for citizens to find a doctor, get obstetrical care and access other services...

I have long said that the way to curtail the methamphetamine epidemic is to attack the suppliers. It just makes common sense. Meth cookers can't be in business unless they have large quantities of ingredients that go into the making of the illegal drug. And they have to get those supplies from somewhere. So distributors and retailers who knowingly sell large quantities are just as guilty as the drug cookers themselves...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston tennis team improved to 2-0 on the season with a 9-0 shutout of Dexter on Thursday afternoon at Sikeston High School. The Bulldogs had some tight matches but were able to hold on in all of them. "I don't think the score's indicative of the closeness of the matches," said Sikeston coach Brian James...

EAST PRAIRIE - The East Prairie Eagles remained undefeated on the season with a thrilling 3-2 victory against arch rival Charleston on Thursday at East Prairie. The Eagles rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to pull out the win. The Eagles (6-0) won the game when Josh Boyer walked to start off the bottom of the seventh tied at 2-2...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston 8th grade boys and girls track teams were swept by Cape Central on Thursday at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium. The boys team was nipped 64-58 while the girls lost 90-29. Sikeston's boys team won six events and had a seventh in the bag, but they were disqualified by an illegal handoff in the 4 x 200 meter relay, a race they won by a landslide. The 10-point swing proved to be the difference...

SIKESTON - Sgt. Bon E. Boswell Jr., 24 years old, a gunner in the Army Air Forces, has been missing in action since March 8, according to notification received from the War Department. He is the grandson of Mrs. Joe Voelker of Sikeston. SIKESTON - Mrs. Kendall Sikes and son, Alfred, visited her mother, Mrs. Carl Weber in Bloomfield from Friday until Sunday...