Stories from Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Let me see if I have this straight. Missouri is facing a health care crisis, education funding is at a critical juncture and tort reform has become the hot topic of discussion throughout the state. Yet in the middle of these pressing concerns, the Missouri Senate took time to give initial approval to a bill that would make it a crime to record a movie while watching it at a theater?...

SIKESTON -- The 14th Annual Ed Nunnelee Memorial Tennis Tournament, which last year drew 155 participants from seven states, has been scheduled for June 4-6 with the junior division beginning on June 4 and the adult tournament starting June 5. The tournament will be held at the tennis courts located at the Sikeston High School and Sikeston Country Club while other courts will be used in the early rounds of the tournament...

BENTON - Sometimes it's all in the timing and the way you ask. Scott County Commissioners were briefed during their regular meeting Tuesday by County Economic Developer Jim Schwaninger and Don Hagan, geographic information system consultant for Midland GIS Solutions, on the last couple of requirements to fulfill before the county's application for City and County Homeland Security grant funding is submitted...

BENTON -- As David Guethle raised each crop sample in front of a group of third graders from Oran Elementary, the children shouted their names: "Cotton! Corn! Soybeans!" -- and then there was a pause. The children were stumped. Guethle was holding some unfamiliar items -- milo and wheat. But that was OK. That was the purpose of attending the Third Annual Farm Day hosted by the Scott County Women in Agriculture at the Benton Community Building...

BENTON - Area merchants should be on the lookout for bad checks being written on closed accounts. According to Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul R. Boyd, Judy Strachan has allegedly written checks on three closed accounts in and around Scott County. Two felony warrants are pending and include charges of writing checks on the closed accounts with US Bank, First Star Bank and First Security State Bank...

Concerning Miner, your employees won't even mow the grass. What makes you think they'd trim a tree? To the person who said that being a native of Sikeston and Miner not wanting our revenue, you have to use Sikeston's name or nobody knows where the businesses are. It's sure nobody knows where Miner is...

KENTUCKY LAKE, Ky. -- The Bootheel BassBusters held their second tournament of the year on Kentucky Lake out of KenLake Marina on April 18th. David Fields, fishing his first club tournament, won the event with two fish weighing 6 lbs. 2 oz., and had the tournament big bass of 3lbs. 6 oz. Ty Garrett was second with two fish weighing 4 lbs. 12 oz., and Mike Estes took third with two fish weighing 4 lbs. 2 oz. Chris Wescoat won the "Lucky Drawing."...

PERRYVILLE -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs soccer team played a talented Perryville team to the wire Tuesday afternoon on the road, falling 2-0. "I thought we played a really good game tonight," said Sikeston coach Derrick Long. "They are one of the best teams in our districts and I think it was one of the most complete games we've played all year."...

SIKESTON - Sikeston High School news: Schools of Scott County have been given the privilege of naming a hospital airship in recognition of this county's success in the Fourth War Loan Drive. Each school is allowed to submit its choice to the Scott County War Finance Board. ...

Your recent editorial revealing some of the Senate Democrats' skullduggery was very enlightening. It seems the Republicans were so interested in the tort reform debate that they left the chamber. Democrats, figuring that the day's business was over, moved to adjourn and, since no Republican was there to object, the motion passed. (Now that is shenanigans of the highest order.)...

EAST PRAIRIE -- The East Prairie Eagles got a stellar pitching performance from Ben Walters to key a 5-2 win over Kelly in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday. Walters (3-1) tossed a six hitter, allowing two earned runs with one walk and five strikeouts behind an errorless defense...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldog tennis team improved their record to 7-1 Tuesday afternoon by downing Kennett 8-1. "At this stage of the season we're just trying to get ready for districts," said Sikeston coach Brian James. "I've about decided on our best lineup for district play. We just have to keep getting better and try to eliminate some of the careless play that we still have from time-to-time. We've got to be more consistent, but I think we're getting better."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Sikeston Bulldogs' baseball team dropped their first game of the season in a 5-3 loss on Tuesday. It was just a non-conference, regular-season, pre-tournament tuneup game. No big deal. Right? Well, all those things are true with one small proviso. The team Sikeston fell to is Cape Girardeau Notre Dame...

Missouri Conservation Department officer Brad Probst nets a sample fish in the CP Wing Lake Tuesday afternoon. The conservationists were sampling the fish population for the city of Sikeston. Also pictured is officer Christopher Kennedy.

NEW MADRID - Robert A. "Bobby" Blom, 57, died April 26, 2004, at the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas. Born Sept. 7, 1946, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Robert W. and Martha Ann Anderson Blom, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army and lifetime member of the United Methodist Church in New Madrid. ...

SIKESTON - Colin Hawkins, 58, died at 4:14 p.m. April 27, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are pending at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel, where visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church...

DEXTER - Travie Burleson, 87, died April 27, 2004, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Jo Ann Sadler, 72, died April 27, 2004, at Life Care Center. Born July 12, 1931, in Advance, daughter of the late Clarence and Sadie Gibbs May, she graduated in 1950 from Advance High School and was of the Baptist belief. On Feb. 23, 1952, at Piggott, Ark., she married James Sadler who survives of the home...

CHARLESTON - Willie "Honey" Moore, 89, died April 20, 2004, in Charleston. Born May 26, 1914, in Leland, Miss., son of the late Ed and Anna Bell Harris Moore, he was a member of Holly Grove Baptist Church in Wyatt. Survivors include: one sister, Lula Anderson of St. Louis; a sister-in-law, Bobbie Moore of Charleston; and nieces and nephews...

SIKESTON - Nora Cain, 87, died April 28, 2004, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.

BLOOMFIELD - Teddy and Charlotte Bradley are the parents of their third child, first daughter, born at 11:12 a.m. April 2, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Persephone Jane Bradley weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 18 3/4-inches long...