Stories from Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Ryan Kleffer, a fifth grader at Richland Elementary, recently competed with the Jets Gold AAU basketball team out of St. Louis which finished fifth in the nation. He was one of 10 players on the team out of 45 boys that tried out. The team played over 100 games in six months against mostly sixth grade teams. ...

Blake DeWitt's minor league statistics as of Aug. 16...

Despite a second place finish in the state tournament at Jefferson City, the Portageville Senior Babe Ruth team received an invite to compete in the Midwest Plains Regional Tournament in Wellington, Kan. Portageville ended up placing fourth out of eight teams. ...

SIKESTON -- With the end of the Bootheel Rodeo and the beginning of the school year comes another important tradition in Southeast Missouri, the opening of the 2004 dove season. The season brings in hunters from all over the country. A survey taken early in the year gives us a clear indication that Scott County, along with other Bootheel counties can expect another good season...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Sharks Swim team sent three swimmers to compete on Eastern Missouri's "Ozark" AAU Junior Olympic team. The Ozark team of over 40 swimmers won the meet with Sikeston swimmers Mary Anne Kendig, Aidan Marshall and Jessica Pierce bringing home several medals...

The 11-year-old Sikeston BigDogs took third place in the Cal Ripken State Baseball Tournament recently in Washington, Mo. From left are, first row: Mikey Russell, Nathan Rodgers, Josh Boese, Jason Stratman, batboy Ben Stallings and Marshall Stallings; second row: Ben Freed, James Naile, Zack Myers, Evan Underwood, Blake Newman, Chris Limbaugh and Ross Bohannon; back row: coaches Randy Bohannon and Tim Underwood; and team manager Mike Helms...

The death of Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Derrick Thomas four years ago shook the sports world. The nine-time Pro Bowler was an icon of sorts in Kansas City. He was killed in a traffic accident on a January day in 2000 while on his way to the airport...

SIKESTON -- When a bus full of tourists in town for last week's rodeo and Redneck Barbecue wanted to see more of what Sikeston had to offer, Donnie Beggs said bring 'em on. So the tourists from Illinois headed to Beggs' family farm north of Sikeston, where they were able to see home grown watermelon and what it takes to raise watermelon -- from growing it in the field to harvesting it and unloading it out of the truck...

BENTON- Union Pacific Railroad officials will revise their plans to add a connection curve in Rockview in response to concerns voiced by the town's residents. Meeting with about a dozen Rockview residents at Tuesday's Scott County Commission meeting were Michael W. ...

School opens Thursday in Sikeston and the Department of Public Safety is working to ensure children will be safe. "We are going to go into a high-enforcement mode for at least the first month or two," said Capt. Mark Crocker of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. ...

SIKESTON -Two Sikeston residents were taken into custody for a New Madrid County burglary and local forgery charges. The arrests were made by Sikeston Department of Public Safety detectives Thursday after the New Madrid County Sheriff's office broadcasted a stop and hold for the vehicle and suspects, according to DPS Director Drew Juden...

I would like to thank God for sending me another angel, Debbie, a nurse who works for the Semo Health Network. She is so nice and helpful and really cares about her patients. I would nominate her for Nurse Appreciation Day. I would like to thank the Sikeston Area Economic Opportunity Corporation (DAEOC) for having its School Days program. It made the children happy. Thanks to everyone who participated...

SIKESTON - With the announcement that the Missouri Institute of Aeronautics at Sikeston would close sometime in the middle of October, officials of the organization stated that they would seek to establish Sikeston as a stop on proposed "feeder route" in a new Parks' project...

The council and staff of the New Madrid County Extension Office would like everyone to know the Extension Council Fish Fry fund-raiser on July 30 was a great success. We appreciate all who attended and the many volunteers who came forward to help. The support shown for the Extension in New Madrid County was overwhelming...

SIKESTON - Jo Dale Hollis, 62, died at 8:15 a.m. Aug. 16, 2004, at the Clearview Nursing Center. Born March 1, 1942, in Gibson County, Tenn., daughter of Carmen Garner Mason of Sikeston and the late David H. Mason, she was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ in Sikeston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Fred E. Dormeyer Jr., 88, died Aug. 13 2004, at his home. Born July 18, 1916, in Stuttgart, Ark., son of the late Fred E. and Tacie Ford Dormeyer, he graduated from Central High School. A 1939 graduate of the Washington University School of Architecture in St. ...

MOREHOUSE - Frankie Haley, 77, died Aug. 17, 2004, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. - Thertsie Frazier Jackson, 65, died Aug. 16, 2004, at her home. Born in Little Rock, daughter of the late Fred and Ethel W. Frazier, she attended Pleasant Grove No. 2 School in Portageville, Mo., and Hayti (Mo.) Central High School. She was a registered nurse for more than 40 years, retiring in 2000 from the Oak Forrest Hospital in Chicago, and was a member of the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Blytheville...

SIKESTON - Cory Lee Kelso, 30, died Aug. 17, 2004, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born April 7, 1974, in Sikeston, he was the son of Betty Plunk Kelso of Sikeston and Tommy Dale Kelso, who preceded him in death in August 1997. Survivors in addition to his mother include: his paternal grandmother, Ruby Kelso of Sikeston; and aunts and uncles, Gerald and Sue Plunk, Charles and Gail Lawrence, Ron and Pat Cook, Tevis and Carolyn Noles and Vicky Bivens of Sikeston, Charlie Plunk of Matthews and Steve and Bobbie Jo Hadder of Oran.. ...