Stories from Sunday, September 11, 2005

Charleston 14, Sikeston 8 -------------------------------------------------------------- Gosnell, Ark., 27, Dexter 13 -------------------------------------------------------------- East Prairie 41, Mountain View Liberty 27 --------------------------------------------------------------...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County is conducting a disaster relief drive for hurricane evacuees who are passing through relocating to the area. Items collected will be used in New Madrid county for evacuees. Items needed include toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, hair combs, brushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, feminine products, women's, men's and children's clothing, undergarments, baby bottles, formula, diapers, baby wipes and nonperishable food and water...

SIKESTON -- Mike Bohannon of Sikeston has seen firsthand the impact Hurricane Katrina is having in the South. A few days ago Bohannon traveled with friends staying in Sikeston to retrieve whatever belongings, if any, they had left in their Orleans Parish, La., home...

SIKESTON - At-risk youth in Sikeston may soon have the opportunity to build a better future by understanding and appreciating their past. For more than a dozen years, the Watoto de Afrika program has helped disadvantaged African-American youth stay away from drugs and gangs by putting them on the musical stage, according to Donald O'Conner, a school teacher and professional musician from Memphis, Tenn...

Sikeston Department of Public Safety School Resource Officer Joey Henry reads a card from Emily Limbaugh as Bryce Bays puts his card next in line at the Sikeston Kindergarten Center Friday morning. The center honored DPS officers in commemoration of Sept. 11, 2001, by making cards and posters and offering the officers to lunch with the students. Limbaugh and Bays are students in Karen Bain's classroom, which made cards for the officers...

SIKESTON - Major James E. Matthews and family from Louisville, Ky., will be the guests of the former's parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Matthews. SIKESTON _ Jimmie Wyrick was honored last Friday night when a party was given for his birth anniversary. SIKESTON -A second policy committee meeting will be held by the Junior Chamber of Commerce Saturday to plan a campaign to buy a site for the new state mental retardation center...

There seriously needs to be an article in the paper on how to safely enter and exit the parking lot for the License Bureau and the businesses surrounding it. I have watched drivers come and go for quite a few years and have never seen so many idiotic, inconsiderate people since the License Bureau moved to this location, how ironic. ...

I don't mean to dwell on the tragedy that has struck the Gulf Coast but, to be real honest, it's the only thing on the public's mind right now. Regardless of where I go, the discussion is constantly about the plight of those impacted by Hurricane Katrina...

COTTONWOOD POINT -- Marijuana plants with a street value of over $10,000 were found Thursday during a marijuana eradication operation. According to Matt Fowler of the Bootheel Drug Task Force, the small plot of marijuana was found in the Cottonwood Point area in Pemiscot County by the Mississippi County, Ark. ...

SIKESTON - Sometimes even the most basic football plays are taken for granted. But the Sikeston Bulldogs won't be taking anything for granted anymore after narrowly missing on an upset of arch rival Charleston on Friday, losing 14-8 in the 120th meeting at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium...

SCOTT CITY -- This "medley" was anything but sweet music to the Scott City Rams in Friday night's game against the Portageville Bulldogs. Portageville senior C.J. Medley's game-winning field goal from 24 yards out with no time left lifted the Bulldogs to a 19-16 win over the Rams in the SEMO South Conference matchup...

BONNE TERRE - The New Madrid County Central Eagles took the long trek into Raider country to take on state-ranked North County on Friday night. What awaited the Eagles was a two-headed monster named Nick Neeley and Dan Harris, the Raiders star-studded backfield, which would score four touchdowns en route to a North County 49-7 victory...

GOSNELL, Ark. -- Gosnell controlled the football and the game against Dexter Friday night rolling to a 27-13 win over the Bearcats at home. Gosnell earned the win with a punishing ground game that ate up yards and swallowed valuable time off the game clock to keep Dexter's offenseon the side lines...

Sikeston Senior High School greenie peppers walk down Greer St. Friday afternoon during the Greenie Pepper Parade. The parade is the final initiation for the girls to become a Red Pepper. The Red Peppers is the largest and oldest girl pep organization in the state...

MALDEN - Iva May Gregory, 91, died Sept. 9, 2005, at Beverly Healthcare. Born July 10, 1914, in New Madrid County, daughter of the late John Royal and Mary Melissa Graham Skidmore, she was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ in Malden. On Feb. 9, 1931, she married Oriel D. Gregory who preceded her in death on March 4, 1989...

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. -- Alfreda Lynn Cline, 83, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Aug. 26, 2005, in Muscle Shoals. Born Oct. 12, 1921, in Blodgett, Mo., daughter of the late Ulise and Stella Bonifield Lynn, she was a 1939 graduate of Sikeston High School...

DEXTER - Margaret Garner, 92, died Sept. 9, 2005, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home. Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday in the Dexter Church of Christ. Burial will follow in the Armstead Dowdy Cemetery...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home in Lilbourn for Annie Singleton, 91, who died Sept. 8, 2005, will be: Tim Sullenger, Terry Hawkins, Jerry Lewis, Roger Lewis, Jim Steward and Charles Swain. Visitation begins at 10:30 a.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home in Lilbourn...

DEXTER - Ruby Rhoades, 86, died Sept. 10, 2005, in the Cypress Point Health Care. Arrangements are incomplete at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home.

All of us are looking for some way to help evacuees. Individuals, companies and organizations are pitching into help following Hurricane Katrina. Now, Missouri's tourism industry is taking steps to assist displaced hospitality industry workers who have been evacuated from the Gulf Coast following the devastation caused by Katrina...

NEW MADRID - Word spread rapidly through Noranda Aluminum Co.'s New Madrid plant of damage to one its suppliers by Hurricane Katrina. Just as quickly, the Missouri plant's workers offered their help to Gramercy Alumina, a supplier of alumina in Gramercy, La...

SIKESTON -- Lewis and Kingshighway Furniture and Appliance in Sikeston have joined the efforts of helping Hurricane Katrina relief by donating $1,000 to the Salvation Army Hurricane Relief Fund. Lewis and Kingshighway Furniture and Appliance is a member of the nationwide buying group, MEGA Group USA. Following Hurricane Katrina, the MEGA group board of directors approved a matching contribution -- up to $50,000 collected in aggregate -- challenge for its members...

ADVANCE -- Amy Garner and G.W. Gilmore of Advance have announced their engagement. A 1996 graduate of Advance High School, the future bride is the daughter of Cecilia Wilton of Advance. She is also a 2000 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and is currently pursuing a master's degree in elementary administration. She is a first grade teacher and cheerleading coach at Advance R-4 Schools...

DEXTER - Joseph and Jessica Laxton are the parents of their second child, first son, born at 11:59 p.m. Aug. 4, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Jayse Evan Laxton weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Mrs. Laxton, a nurse, is the daughter of Larry and Judi Miller of Springfield, Mo...

SIKESTON -- Jerry and Sue Cooper celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently at a weekend party with their family. The couple were married Aug. 19, 1955, at the old Miner Baptist Church.

SIKESTON -- Charles and Lola McCollom Sr. recently celebrated their golden anniversary. The couple were married Aug. 29, 1955, at the Southside Baptist Church in Charleston by the Rev. Joe Smith. They have one son and daughter-in-law, Charles and Cathy McCollom Jr.; three daughters, Vicki Jacobs, Teresa Green and Monica Jordan; and eight grandchildren, Jason McCollom, Kendill McCollom, Ben Ashcraft, Kevin Ashcraft, Wayne Green, Sandra Green, Richard Jordan and Billy Jordan, all of Sikeston...

Sikeston Mayor Mike Marshall, Economic Development Director Ed Dust and Scott County First District Commissioner Dennis Ziegehorn stand in front of the former Essex building. The city of Sikeston is offering the building free of charge to an industry impacted by Hurricane Katrina as a temporary site to relocate a business as recovery efforts continue along the Gulf Coast...