Stories from Friday, February 25, 2005

EAST PRAIRIE - Michael Ray Conyers, 46, died Feb. 25, 2005, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Ky. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home.

EAST PRAIRIE - Linda Faye James, 45, died at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 24, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, following an extended illness. Born Sept. 8, 1959, in Ridgely, Tenn., daughter of Clyde Richard Wallace and Wyvon Marks Wallace of East Prairie, she had been employed as a secretary. She was of the Baptist belief...

DEXTER - Robert McGill, 64, died Feb. 23, 2005, in Dexter. Born July 20, 1940, in Arcadia, son of Betty Smith McGill of Noblesville, Ind., and the late Mark F. McGill, he was a certified public accountant in Dexter and Malden. A member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he was also a former member of the Dexter Kiwanis and Lions clubs...

BERNIE - Weston Beaird, 68, died Feb. 24, 2005, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.

NEW MADRID - Ricky A. Ling Jr., 27, died at 2:05 a.m. Feb. 25, 2005, of injuries sustained in an accident. Arrangements are incomplete at Richards Funeral Home.

SOUTH PORT, Fla. - James Murl Cogdill, 72, died at 9:445 a.m. Jan. 23, 2005, at his home. Born on August 6, 1932 in Algoa, Ark., son of the late James F. and Roxa Cannon Cogdill, he was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in the Secret Service while stationed in Germany. He then worked as a foreman for a Denver paper mill and later became a breeder and trainer for greyhound dogs with kennels in Florida and Iowa. Cogdill attended the Victory of Faith Fellowship Church of South Port...

EAST PRAIRIE - Gordon Ray Coffer, 68, died at 3:15 p.m. Feb. 23, 2005, at his home. Born Aug. 7, 1936, in Wolf Island, son of the late Forrest W. and Iva Mae Johnson Coffer, he lived in Mississippi County most of his life and was of the Baptist belief. He was a farmer and worked for Hartwell Aircraft in Culvert City, Calif., for 15 years...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Ponder Funeral Home for Betty Towe, 60, of Morehouse, who died Feb. 21, 2005, were; Brian Towe, Dustin Perry, Trey Riley, Ben Riley, Lee Boze, Allen Towe, Buddy McCain and Dude McDonnold. Honorary pallbearer was Billy Towe...

BLODGETT - Glen A. Rice, 79, died Feb. 25, 2005, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at the Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Grace Self Malone, 77, formerly of Wyatt, Mo., died at 2:10 p.m. Feb. 24, 2005, at the Red Bud (Ill.) Nursing Center. Born May 6, 1927, in Diehlstadt, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Charles Watson and Katie Katherine Mizer Self. She lived in Mississippi County most of her life, where she was employed by the Brown Shoe Company. She moved to St. Louis and worked for the Bemis Bag Company until retiring...

Proposed cuts are not severe enough! Fact: Medicaid fraud and abuse is rising drastically. It is a fact that recipients are the biggest abusers. Types of abuse are claiming you are separated or divorced to draw checks or benefits, working for cash and drawing benefits, going to the emergency room for non-emergencies, not taking care of your child at home first and foremost, calling the ambulance for stupid non-...

PERRYVILLE - Taylor Nelson and Rachel Blunt combined for 38 points as Dexter's Lady Bearcats defeated the Cape Girardeau Notre Dame Lady Bulldogs, 50-40 in semifinal action at the Class 4, District 1 Tournament Thursday night at the Perry Park Center in Perryville...

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County's rural water district is gearing up for Phase 2. Liz Long from the Green and Associates engineering firm met with county commissioners during their regular meeting Thursday to update them on the water district. Also, a meeting for the rural water district was held Thursday evening at the water district's office in Anniston to discuss a second phase for the district...

Anne Thompson, children's librarian for the Sikeston Public Library, speaks to area librarians during the Missouri State Library workshop Thursday. The workshop was a kickoff for the 2005 Summer Reading Program "Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds!" The workshops are held throughout the state and are made possible by Institute of Museum and Library Services grants...

SIKESTON - The upcoming Sikeston R-6 School bond issue has the unanimous support of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber membership voted to support the April 5 ballot issue following a presentation Thursday by Dr. Bob Buchanan, former R-6 superintendent. The $4.5 million bond issue, Buchanan explained, would fund the construction of a math/science center at the Sikeston High School...

Shayn Biby, a student at the Sikeston Fifth Grade Center, signs her name on a yellow paper bow Thursday to welcome home Sikeston's Charlie Company 1140th Engineer Battalion. Each student at the school signed the bow and it will be placed in the Sikeston Senior High School Field House for the welcome home celebration scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday. Also pictured are: Dawn Gipson, Jacob Wilson and Orval Taylor...

BENTON -- The Kelly boys varsity wrapped up a memorable regular season with a conference title and an unblemished homecourt record on Thursday. Kelly (19-5 overall) romped past Oran 67-30 on Senior Night to clinch the Scott-Mississippi Conference regular-season championship with a 6-0 mark while racking up its ninth home victory in as many contests...

CHARLESTON - Larry Rand and Michelle Thompson Brazel are the parents of their second child, first son, born at 6:49 p.m. Jan. 16, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Thomas Rand Brazel weighed 7 pounds and was 20 1/2-inches long...

LA FORGE -- A New Madrid resident sustained fatal injuries after being ejected from his vehicle early today in New Madrid County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol at 12:45 a.m. on Route V, one mile north of La Forge, an accident occurred as a vehicle driven by Rickey A. ...

SIKESTON - Pvt. Eugene Owens, nephew of Mrs. Claud Comstock and Mrs. Ted Joyce of Sikeston, was killed in action over in Germany last month, according to a message received here by his aunts. SCOTT CITY - It's those darkhorses from Scott County Central doing it again. ...

A word about the trash carts in Charleston, CWI, the carts will be used for dog houses and they will continue to burn their garbage and trash on the curb or in the alleys. In response to the Democrat caller's personal note addressed to Mr. McMillen in a Feb. ...