Stories from Thursday, December 22, 2005

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I did not say happy holidays. There are those in authority who don't want to offend anyone who may be of a religion other than Christianity, but are they concerned about offending the God of the universe and his son Jesus Christ, whose birthday we celebrate December 25th? Or, are they concerned about offending those of us who celebrate Christmas as a special day and not just another holiday?...

Information please. I need to know, they have passed a new law about the birth certificates to get your license. If you didn't have one, or your parents didn't make one or whatever the reason, I need some information on how to go about getting a birth certificate. Way back in the day, they didn't make birth certificates, just writing it down, even if you were born in the state of Missouri. But I need some information please, if you can...

SIKESTON - Miss Mary Emma Allen, accomplished musician and gifted harpist, was recently invited to become a member of the Salzedo Ensemble in New York City and is now on a concert tour. NEW MADRID - Plans are being made of a cooperative dental unit for county schools. The eight school districts of the county will cooperate with the county health department in providing a dental program for the students...

SIKESTON - Santa Claus and his elves aren't the only ones working overtime this week to prepare for Christmas. Employees at local caterers and grocery stores are pulling in extra hours to cook dinners and desserts and make meat trays for local families and businesses who opt to buy their holiday meals instead of cooking...

Sikeston Jaycees Shawn Towe, Scott Balcer and Craig Cox load a truck full of Community Christmas Campaign boxes Wednesday. The Jaycees along with an employee of Lee Hunter Elementary and other volunteers delivered the packages throughout the day to area residents...

SIKESTON - A grant from the Missouri Arts Council will help keep the lights on and the front door open at the Sikeston Depot. The Missouri Arts Council recently awarded $4,493 to the Sikeston Cultural Development Corporation, the non-profit organization which oversees the Depot. The money is part of $2,321,550 in grants to 297 nonprofit organizations throughout Missouri given in the first phase of its granting for the fiscal year that began July 1...

BENTON -- From a county development perspective, 2005 was a great year. The year started off with the establishment of the county development office in Scott County. "I think it shows the foresight of the county commissioners - in order to prosper we have to have somebody in the role of promoting the county," said Joel Evans, who was selected by commissioners to be the first Scott County developer...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Marlon A. "Tony" Samuel, assistant coach at Purdue University and former head coach at New Mexico State University, has been named the new head football coach at Southeast Missouri State University. The announcement was made today at a news conference at the Show Me Center where Samuel was introduced by University President Kenneth W. Dobbins and Athletic Director Don Kaverman as Southeast's new coach...

I promise the following story is true. And just in time for Christmas! On Wednesday afternoon, I arrived home from work and decided to sit down with a remote control and hot cup of coffee - not an unusual routine. I really wasn't interested in anything on television at the time but I thought I might scan the channels and just relax...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Two Sikeston students were awarded the grand prize for the public service announcements they created to encourage their peers to buckle up. High School students from around the state were in Jefferson City Dec. 13 to receive recognition for the public service announcements. Fifteen entries received recognition in the Restrain Yourself contest in one of the following categories: grand prize, first place, second place, honorable mention and special recognition...

HANNIBAL -- Mississippi County Boxing traveled to Hannibal this past weekend to compete in a club show. Teams from Columbia, Jefferson City, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Hannibal were also in attendance for the show. Starting the evening for Mississippi County was Tyler Latamondeer, taking a fight on last second notice against Cody Purvis of the Hannibal Boxing Team. ...

DELTA - Cindy Aufdenberg, 44, died Dec. 21, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

DEXTER - Lisa Coleman, 41, died Dec. 21, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

HOUSTON - Lucy Jane Martin, 97, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Dec. 19, 2005, at Woodwind Lakes Nursing Center. Born July 20, 1908, in Morrilton, Ark., daughter of the late Jack and Ann Parker Lindsey, she was of the Assembly of God belief. She married James Leonard Martin who preceded her in death on Nov. 16, 1970...

PARMA - Pallbearers for graveside services conducted on Wednesday at the Parma City Cemetery, under the direction of Watkins and Sons Funeral Service, for Wesley "Tony" McIntosh, who died on Dec. 17, 2005, were: Dan Catron, Tim Bartlett, Jim Buck, Jim Dean Buck, Larry Carwile and Shannon Cook...

SPRINGFIELD - Velma Valera Huey, 83, died at 4:40 a.m. Dec. 21, 2005, at The Baptist Home, in Ozark. Born July 1, 1922, in Chaffee, daughter of the late Alfred Poe and Fannie Bell Jones Varble, she had worked as a claims adjuster and was a member of Second Baptist Church in Springfield...

ESSEX - John Frank James, son of the late Robert and Myrtle Tankersley James, was born at Obion, Tenn., on Oct. 27, 1930, and passed away at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston on Dec. 17, 2005, at the age of 75 years. Mr. James had lived in Essex for the past 29 years. He was a retired backhoe operator and enjoyed playing the guitar and was a member of the Senior Country Band which played for many area nursing homes...