Stories from Thursday, May 27, 2004

Boone SIKESTON - Jessica LeAnn Fletcher and Otis Boone are the parents of their third child, second son, born at 8:15 a.m. April 21, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Otis Lee Boone Jr. weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces and was 19 1/2-inches long. Fletcher, daughter of JoAnn Fletcher and David Howard, is employed in the laundry industry...

SIKESTON -- Robert and Bernice Medlock will be guests of honor for a golden wedding anniversary celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. June 5 at Fellowship Baptist Church, 1801 Ables Road. The event will be hosted by their children, Carol Blankenship and Chuck Medlock of New Madrid, Debbie Atchley and Rose Medlock of Columbia, Ill., and Judy Montgomery of Sikeston. They have nine grandchildren and one great-grandson...

BENTON - When the Scott County Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, county residents got more than just a listing: a bit of history was preserved. The courthouse was listed on Jan. 28, and a copy of the official National Register listing from the National Park Service delivered to the county Feb. 10...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Missouri Division of Family Services investigated allegations of statutory rape, which reportedly occurred in a Collins Street residence. During the investigation, conducted Monday, Joseph Edward Hood, 46, of Sikeston, admitted to having sexual intercourse with his fiancee's underage daughter on several occasions. Charged by the Scott County Prosecutor's Office with four counts of statutory rape, bond for Hood is set at $150,000...

STEELE -- Two men, including the mayor of Steele, have been arrested on drug charges after a lengthy investigation. Steele mayor Keith Samford, 50, was arrested at just before 8 p.m. Tuesday in Blytheville, Ark. At the time of Samford's arrest, two to three grams of methamphetamine were recovered as well as a firearm from the suspect's vehicle. ...

Sikeston Department of Public Safety Det. John Blakely carries the Missouri Special Olympic Torch during its trek to Columbia, Mo., Wednesday during the statewide Law Enforcement Torch Run. Blakely along with Keith Hente, Jiggs Moore, Kevin Harris and David McDermott participated in the event which starts the 2004 State Summer Games...

ORAN - After graduating nearly every single player from last year's Class 1 state runnerup, many didn't feel Oran would have what it took to win a district championship, much less make a run at a state title. But here Oran sits, just one game away from reaching the state semifinals for the third year in a row after Wednesday's 14-1, five-inning domination of North Pemiscot in a Class 1 sectional game at Oran High School...

BENTON -- Kelly's young Hawks never really got airborne in an 8-5 sectional loss to Caruthersville on Wednesday. Caruthersville (14-5), the District 1 champion, jumped to an early lead and held on to eliminate Kelly (11-9), the District 2 titleholders, from the MSHSAA Class 2 baseball tournament...

SIKESTON - Three high school tennis players from Sikeston and Charleston will be playing in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Tennis Championship on Friday. Sikeston singles player Marc Leible and doubles players Peter Jones and Chris Robey, along with Charleston singles player Alec Peterson and doubles players Blake Branum and Less Hess will be shooting for a state title at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield...

SIKESTON -- "This is gonna take hours," sighed a third grader from Beth Lambert's class at Morehouse Elementary Wednesday morning. Lambert's class was in the middle of end-of-the-school-year-cleaning. Students were thumbing through their textbooks, erasing pencil marks and pulling out extra papers that didn't belong...

Despite a series of bad decisions, I think St. Louis resident Rick Pearia is getting a raw deal. Hopefully a judge will agree on July 12 when Pearia is scheduled for sentencing. But first the background. Pearia last October killed Donald Brinkmeyer in a confrontation that had been months if not years in the making. ...

Safety is priority I read the article about the patrolmen and police cracking down on seat belts. If I remember correctly, the law still says they are not allowed to stop you only for a seat belt violation. So what are they going to do? Make up some reason to stop you and then check for seat belts, or are they going to disobey the law?...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Lair are receiving congratulations on the birth of their daughter. SIKESTON - The Board of Directors of Republic States Life Insurance Co. announced today they have elected William B. Lynn, 39, president to succeed Arbit C. Clark, who resigned...

DEXTER - Joseph "Joe" Howard, 59, died May 25, 2004, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter.

ORAN - Kenneth R. Harris, 60, died May 27, 2004, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Kimberly Gaye Ring, 41, of Tucson, Ariz., formerly of Sikeston, who died May 24, 2004, will be: Bud Miller, Bud Dock, Bill Hupp, Billy Chamberlain, Hobb Chipman and Earl Watson...

GOSNELL, Ark. - Elmer R.L. Raymond, 71, formerly of Bernie, Mo., died May 26, 2004, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Blytheville. Born June 24, 1932, in Scott County, Mo., son of the late Ernest Rodney and Lillie Beatrice Raymond, he lived in Gosnell for the past year. He was a farm worker and affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...

SIKESTON - Dale Richard Sipult, 78, died May 24, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Nov. 25, 1925, in Goddar, Kan., son of the late Bud and Elizabeth Poschen Sipult, he was a member of Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. During his 40 years as a truck driver, he had been employed by Complete Auto Transit and Midway Wholesale Florist before retiring...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Robert Troup, 93, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died May 26, 2004, at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. Born March 8, 1911, in Aberdine, Miss., he worked for the Sikeston Compress for more than 30 years before retiring. He attended West End Missionary Baptist Church in Sikeston for many years, where he had served as an usher. He had attended Carters Chapel Baptist Church and later attended the New Hickory Hill Baptist Church in Memphis...

ORAN - Edith B. Maness, 80, died May 24, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 20, 1923, in Catalpa, Ark., she was the daughter of the late Truman and Maude Dewberry McMillan. Survivors include: one son, Keith Peterson of Appleton, Wis.; four daughters, Wanda Sue Rutter of Florence, Colo., Wenda Sullivan of Incline Village, Nev., Gail Hahn of Duluth, Ga., and Betty Heimer of Whiteright, Texas; one brother, Kermit McMillan of Springfield; two sisters, Emozene Doris Blount of Walkerton, Ind., and Jewell Smiddy of Springfield; 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; and a special friend, Roy Graviett of Oran.. ...

ESSEX - Elder Barney Dixon, 60, died May 25, 2004, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 2, 1943, in Jacksonville, Fla., son of the late Shorty and Lily Dixon, he was minister of the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in Circle City. ...

CHARLESTON - Dorothy Jane Finley Goodin, 79, died May 25, 2004, at the Capetown Assisted Living Center in Cape Girardeau. Born April 10, 1925, in Charleston, daughter of the late H.C. and Essie Della Stark Finley, she was a lifelong resident of Charleston. A member of the First Baptist Church in Charleston, she was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star...

ARNOLD - Bobbie L. Allen, 70, formerly of East Prairie, died at 9:30 p.m. May 26, 2004, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.