Stories from Tuesday, February 1, 2005

SIKESTON - Barbara M. Johnson, 84, died Jan. 31, 2005, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.

PUXICO - Pallbearers at services conducted today at the Brown General Baptist Church near Puxico for Jarrell Verdell Grindstaff, 79, who died Jan. 29, 2005, were: Dick Baskett, Tom Bivens, Ronnie Adams, Ronnie Adams Jr., Jason Crites and Keith Juedemann...

CHAFFEE - James Edward Owens Sr., 80, died Jan. 31, 2005, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

JACKSON -- June James, 82, formerly of Sikeston, died Jan. 29, 2005, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Born July 16, 1922, in Chickasha, Okla., daughter of the late Fred and Iva Mercer Baugher, she trained in St. Louis during World War II to be a machinist and later worked at Hahs Machine Shop in Sikeston. ...

PORTAGEVILLE - Hattie P. Hankins, 95, died Jan. 31, 2005, at the Gideon Care Center. Born Feb. 2, 1909, in Portageville, daughter of the late James Henry and Suzie Sutton, she was a member of the Trinity Baptist Church. On Nov. 1, 1930, she married Oval W. Hankins who preceded her in death in April 1963...

VALRICO, Fla. - Sarah Carolyn Alfultis, 101, died at 2 p.m. Jan. 25, 2005, at her home in Valrico. Born March 16, 1903, in East Prairie, Mo., daughter of the late Benton Lafayette and Clara Clarinda Bonifield Barnhill, she was a retired teacher and had taught at Blodgett, Mo., Vanduser, Mo., and Oran, Mo., public schools. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Dustin Ray and Kelley Dawn Snider are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 10:25 p.m. Jan. 3, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Reagan Elizabeth Snider weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces and was 18 1/2-inches long. Mrs. Snider is the former Kelley Rodgers, daughter of Kenny and Becky Rodgers of Morley. She is a speech language pathologist for Cape Girardeau Public Schools...

Maybe I have a morbid fascination with capital punishment or maybe I just see the folly in the odd manner with which we treat the murderers who sit on the death rows of this nation. Rarely does a week pass without some new twist created by defense attorneys to stall the inevitable and delay the execution of a death row inmate...

SIKESTON -- Most people have received their W2 forms needed to file taxes and the result was a very busy Monday for tax preparation services. Although there were lines at tax preparation services, Karen Martin, office manager for H&R Block in Sikeston, assured the waits weren't long...

In Wednesday's (Dec. 29) paper I was reading the article where "Resident is going to give railroad a fight." He says there is a state statute that trains cannot block a crossing longer than five minutes. They need to take a look at New Madrid when that coal train comes through, probably once every day. ...

SIKESTON - It looks like Excess Energy has captured first place in the Shape Up Sikeston! fitness competition but all of the participants who put out the effort are winners. Monday was the last day to record points for the competition. "I think it went really well," said Kylie Wibbenmeyer, wellness coordinator for ReStart. "I think the people really enjoyed doing it, from what I hear."...

Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety help to take an injured woman out of a car Monday afternoon after an accident at South Main and Helen. The accident occurred at 2:25 p.m. and two were injured. No other information was available at press time...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston freshman basketball team wrapped up its season with a 64-42 home victory against Twin Rivers on Monday. The Bulldogs finish up at 4-12. Sikeston raced out to a 22-6 first quarter lead and was never threatened. They led 39-22 at the half and 53-34 heading into the fourth quarter...

SIKESTON -- It was the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs who were queens of the court in a dominating 50-20 win over the Twin Rivers Lady Royals on Monday at the Field House. An energized first-half by the Lady Bulldogs settled this one early. "The girls played excellent," said Sikeston coach Tiffany King. "They hustled and played team ball. We've been stressing teamwork and leadership and we got that tonight."...