Stories from Sunday, December 12, 2004

SIKESTON - It's flashy and fast and turning heads. The arrival Wednesday of a bright red 2005 Ford GT at Sikeston Motors even stopped traffic as it was unloaded from the car transport, according to Roger Elledge II with the local Ford, Mercury and Lincoln dealership...

VENTURA, Calif. - Doris Lorine Clark, 83, died Dec. 7, 2004, at the Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura. Born June 9, 1921, at Canalou, Mo., to the late James and Hattie Alberson Lawson, she had lived in Missouri before moving to California many years ago. Also she lived in Arkansas before returning to California two years ago. She worked for 14 years as a nurse's aide at the St. John's Hospital in Oxnard...

ZALMA - Kenneth (Tuffy) Simpson, 77, died at 5:45 p.m. Dec. 9, 2004, at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born March 27, 1927, in Brownwood, to the late Lewis Thomas and Mary Alvia Cooper Simpson, he was a retired construction worker and a member of the Advance Eagles. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps...

MERCED, Calif. - Franke Mae Woods died Dec. 7, 2004, in Merced. Born in Missouri, she was a school teacher for more than 40 years before retiring. She was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Order of the Eastern Star where she served in various offices including past matron. She was also a member of the Retired Teachers Association and University Women...

PORTAGEVILLE - Jane Florence Priggel, 92, died Dec. 9, 2004, at the Gideon Care Center in Gideon. Born Dec. 26, 1911, in Leopold, daughter of the late Theodore and Sena Elfrink Brands, she was a member of St. Eustachius Catholic Church and Our Lady's Altar Sodality in Portageville...

DOGWOOD - Carol A. Ditto, 88, died at 11:55 p.m. Dec. 10, 2004, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 30, 1916, in Pascola to the late Alfred and Effie Keene Ditto, he had lived most of his life in Mississippi County where he was a retired farmer and a member of the Dogwood Methodist Church in East Prairie...

EAST PRAIRIE - Vickie Jean Watson, 47, formerly of Murphysboro, Ill., died at 10 a.m. Dec. 10, 2004, at her home. Born Oct. 2, 1957, in Murphysboro, daughter of Amber Yearian Walker of East Prairie and the late Bud Walker, she was of the Pentecostal belief...

NEW MADRID - Richard Pierce, 75, died Dec. 7, 2004, at Beverly Healthcare in New Madrid. Born June 2, 1929, in New Madrid, son of the late Franklin Pierce and Martha Cooper Pierce, he was a retired truck driver. Survivors include: two daughters, Cindy Thompson and Christy Reed of Dexter; and four grandchildren...

SIKESTON - Loretta Joyce Skelton, 63, died Dec. 10, 2004, at her home. Born Dec. 30, 1940, in Hayti to the late Lawrence and Lottie King Welch, she was a seamstress for Falkoff's Mens Shop for 17 years and a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ. On Jan. 27, 1961, in Sikeston, she married Leonard M. "Jack" Skelton who preceded her in death on Feb. 13, 2001...

NEW MADRID - For James LaFerney it really is the gift of life. Thanks to the blood someone else donated, LaFerney is alive for one more day. Now, he can only hope others will continue to donate so he can continue to live. The tall, burley New Madrid resident admits he never thought much about donating blood. He tried to donate a couple of times when he was younger but it made him sick, so he stopped...

DONATING TIPS...

Caution: The following information may drastically increase your blood pressure, may cause you substantial irritation and may leave you sick at your stomach. You have been warned. For the first time in history, spending on Medicaid - the federal/state health care program for the poor - will exceed spending on all public education from kindergarten to graduation. ...

NEW HAMBURG --When it comes to tackling the typically dreaded holiday task of hanging Christmas lights, most people either do it themselves or hire a professional. But for 90-year-old Anna Glastetter of New Hamburg, she just relies on her family -- all 50-plus of them...

Sondra Armour, secretary of Charlie Company Family Readiness Group, places a bell ornament on a Christmas tree at the Sikeston Armory. Armour along with employees of Helen's Florist and Nunnelee Funeral Chapel decorated the tree. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel purchased the ornaments for Charlie Company 1140th Engineer Battalion of the Missouri National Guard and Helen's Florist donated the use of the tree...

SIKESTON - The Caruthersville Tiger avalanche moved into Sikeston Friday at the local field house and rolled over Perryville with the force of a bowling ball scattering a set of 10 pins. When the north conference champion Pirates limped off the field, they were on the short end of a 26-0 score...

I also live in Sikeston. I live on the northwest side of Sikeston behind the Middle School. We never get our mail until after 4 p.m. (sometimes after 5 p.m.) and our newspaper follows the same pattern. You're welcome to come sit in my driveway and watch them deliver my mail and throw my paper and you will see that it's the same on the northwest side as it is on the southwest side. You need to quit sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself...

I understand the urge to condemn early voting based on the argument that this is just a vehicle for lazy voters or the sort of absurd 40 percent each side theory, but there are good reasons for early voting in dense urban areas. I am originally from Sikeston and would not even consider voting early if offered because polling place lines tend to be fairly short. ...

ALL-REGION SOCCER 2004 All-Region First team J. R. Bizzell, forward, sr., Sikeston Blake Taylor, forward, soph., Sikeston Anel Ibrcic, forward, sr., Affton Admire Gledovic, midfielder, sr., Affton Chris Clarkin, midfielder, jr., Trinity Catholic Chris Hopping, midfielder, jr., Trinity Catholic...

SENATH -- East Prairie suffered a heartbreaking 50-49 loss to Senath-Hornersville when Quinn Dogan calmly sank two clutch free throws with two seconds remaining on Friday. The Eagles had erased a one-point halftime deficit to go up by 11 at the end of the third quarter before the disastrous fourth...

SIKESTON - In one of the most stunning upsets in the 33-year history of the Sikeston Invitational Tournament, the Sikeston Bulldogs knocked off heavily favored Blytheville 55-52 on Friday night at the Sikeston Field House. It marks the first SIT championship for the Bulldogs since 1994, when they also defeated Blytheville...

Busby Storage has opened at 677 North Interstate Drive (behind Linda's Western Wear). Constructed this fall, the secured storage facility is owned by James and Leila Busby. Busby stated the 11 areas available are 10-by-15 feet with extra high ceilings enabling renters to "store ladders and other tall items." Rental is available by the month or the year. For more information contact Busby at cell phone number 225-2920 or telephone number 481-9409...