Stories from Thursday, May 5, 2005

SIKESTON -- If 11-year-old Deaires Tate ever needs anything, he knows Sondra Meadows is just around the corner -- literally. For the past two school years, Meadows has served as a mentor to the sixth grader at Sikeston Middle School. Meadows is also a special education teacher at the Middle School...

SIKESTON -- All-night parties to celebrate surviving cancer and to raise money to fight the disease will be held again in the area as part of the largest fund-raising walk in the nation, the Relay For Life. Teams of eight to 15 members will gather at places like schools, fairgrounds and parks with tents and sleeping bags. During the event, each team tries to keep at least one member on the track at all times while the others enjoy games, food and entertainment...

A California woman was convicted of second-degree murder this week in the hit-and-run deaths of two children who were killed while walking on a sidewalk. By any definition, this was an avoidable tragedy. The woman was driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs. What makes the case even more tragic is that the woman had four previous drunken driving convictions...

I recently got a hold of a Sikeston Red Pepper constitution and while reading over it the following was revealed to me. Article 8 it says that "positions for minority cheerleaders shall be reserved based on the number of minority participants," meaning that if two tryout, one must make it and so on. ...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs tennis team fell to 8-7 on the season as they lost a home match to Carbondale (Ill.) 7-2 on Wednesday. "Carbondale has a solid team, probably the best team we've seen all year, top to bottom," said Sikeston coach Brian James. ...

LEAGUE RESULTS: Sunday Points Game (5-1) First place: Tony Hill, Keith McCanless $30 Second place: Tim Bryant, Larry Davidson $15 Third place: Geo Glasscock $10 Fourth place team: Gene Murphy, Beck Smith $5 Tuesday Senior League: First place team: Glasscock, Evans, Hollis, Wilson - 58...

BENTON -- Three people were arrested in Morley as the result of a drug related search warrant. Claude M. Woods, 25, of Morley is charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Chrystal D. Smith, 32, of Morley is charged with possession of a controlled substance...

BENTON -- A married Oran couple are being held in the Scott County Jail in connection with a rash of business and residential burglaries that started late last year. Keith D. Chapman, 44, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, five counts of burglary in the second degree, five counts of stealing, possession of burglar tools, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is set at $150,000...

SIKESTON - Sikeston stores and business houses will close Wednesday afternoon, May 16, so that everyone will be home when bond salesmen for the "Mighty Seventh" war loan call at every residence in the city. Sikeston's goal is $270,000. SIKESTON - The board of Directors of the Bank of Sikeston announced today that William S. Corrigan has been elected president of the bank. Corrigan succeeds the late Jos. L. Matthews, who served as president for the past 23 years...

Dear Editor, I would like to ask the Standard Democrat staff to take more care when publishing letters to the editor. My letter that was published April 21 contained three printing errors. "It" became "is", "legislature" became "legislation", and the phrase "They are merely lawyers in black robes who have their own personal bias..." was printed as, "They are merely personal bias..." These errors interrupted the flow of thought and were distracting...

SIKESTON -- Claudine B. Hensley, 88, died at 7:12 p.m. May 3, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 12, 1916, in Sikeston to the late George W. and Eva Sadler Hensley Sr., she had been a shoe stitcher for 35 years with the International Shoe Co., retiring in 1975. She was a charter member of the Fellowship Baptist Church...

INDIO, Calif. -- Minnie Lee Taylor, 71, died April 22, 2005, at Indio. Born Feb. 16, 1934, in Walls, Miss., she was the daughter of the late Benjamin and Louise Jackson Taylor. Survivors include: one daughter, Myra Preyer of Portageville, Mo.; one son, Richard Morgan of Portageville; one brother, Richard Taylor of California; one sister, Annie Frazier of Indio; and 13 grandchildren and 15 great-...

TEXARKANA, Texas - Linda L. Maxey, 59, died on May 2, 2005, in Matthews, Mo. Born Dec. 22, 1945, in Perryton, Texas, she was a member of Pleasant Grove Christian Church in Texarkana and Matthews First Christian Church in Matthews. She was a homemaker and was a member of the Sweet Adelines, a National Womens' Chorus Group...

DEXTER - Amy Barnes, 91, died May 1, 2005, at her home in Dexter. Born April 27, 1914, in Quitman, Ark., to the late Charles and Amy Ann Dawson, she had lived in Sikeston until 1979 when she moved to Dexter. She was a member of the Assembly of God Church...

IRONTON -- Sada Josephine Upchurch, 90, died May 3, 2005, at The Baptist Home in Ironton. Born Feb. 21, 1915, at Dudley, daughter of the late Oscar and Sada Nanney Upchurch, she lived near Lutesville most her life, moving to Ironton in 1981. In 1988, she moved to The Baptist Home in Ironton. She was a member of the Glen Allen Baptist Church...

RANDLES -- Frank "Mike" Dumey, 94, died May 4, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel of Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

BERNIE -- Rosie Terrill, 57, died May 2, 2005, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Feb. 3, 1948, in Robstown, Texas, daughter of the late Miquel and Louise Reyes Trevino, she had been a resident of Parma for 20 years before moving to Bernie where she was a member of the Church of Christ...

PUXICO-- Pallbearers at services held Wednesday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico for M. Dale Taylor, 53, who died May 1, 2005, were: David Holloway, Harold Tanner, Les Hemby, Dennis Keith, Kenneth Lambert and Terry Montgomery.

DEXTER - Paul Hodges, 79, died May 2, 2005, at the St. Anthony's Medical Center at St. Louis. Born Oct. 26, 1925, at Parma to the late Arthur Bell and Martha Susan Driskol Hodges Sr., he was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Dexter and a former welder for General Motors in St. Louis...

LONDON, Ark. -- Harold Dean Mason, 60, died April 24, 2005, on Ashworth Mountain. Born Aug. 17, 1944, in Dover, son of the late Mart and Hattie Anderson Mason, he was a farmer and attended Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. Survivors include: two daughters and one son-in-law, Donna Glueck of Dexter, Mo., and Diana and William Holmes of Russellville; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Preston and Allanna Mason of Archie, Mo., Randall and Criscina Mason of Garden City, Mo., and Lindel Mason of Dexter; two sisters, Carol Mason and Mildred Mason; three brothers, Carl Mason, Garry Mason and General Mason; and seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.. ...

DEXTER -- Elnora Elaine Sawyer, 81, died May 3, 2005, at Malden Nursing and Rehab in Malden. Born March 1, 1924, in Caruthersville, daughter of the late Hugh and Sadie Allen Hester, she had lived in Caruthersville until 1955 when she moved to Dexter...