Stories from Thursday, March 9, 2006

SIKESTON - Cheryl Peet, 37, died March 9, 2006, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- William Randy Riley II, 23, died March 8, 2006, of injuries sustained in a car accident. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Friday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

CHAFFEE -- Christine McKenzie, 84, died March 9, 2006, at Chaffee Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

PORTAGEVILLE - Mary K. Richardson, 104, died March 8, 2006, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville.

CHARLESTON - Ronnie Eugene Ferguson, 45, died at 3:15 p.m. March 7, 2006, in Barnes-Jewish Hospital at St. Louis. Born April, 13, 1960, in St. Louis, son of Freddie Eugene Ferguson of St. Louis and Joyce Jo Bailey Jones of Charleston, he lived most of his life in Mississippi County and was of the Protestant faith...

CHAFFEE - Jewell Marie Elsperman, 78, died at 7:28 a.m. March 8, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born July 25, 1927, in Morley, to the late Thomas Johnathan and Myrtle Mae Cruse Jackson, she had worked as a machine operator at Convair Aeronautical in San Diego and retired as a cook from the United States Army in Yuma, Ariz...

Dear Sir or madam I have been a resident of Sikeston for almost a year now and have become an avid reader of your publication. Recently, I stumbled across an article labeled "humor" written by David Jenkins and was appalled. The article was dated 2/15/06 and was titled "These Olympics Leave Me Cold". ...

Sikeston Bulldog basketball fans cheer as the players are introduced during a pep assembly Thursday morning. The SHS basketball team left for Columbia after the assembly to play in the final four. Sikeston plays Ozark at 12:10 p.m. Friday.

COLUMBIA -- The Sikeston Bulldogs' Class 4 semifinal opponent is certainly no stranger to the state final four. The Ozark Tigers, under the direction of seventh-year head coach Steve Hunter, have made the state semifinals four times in the last six years, including a state championship run in 2003...

POPLAR BLUFF -- It's not too often that the Charleston Bluejays basketball team goes into a game as the underdog. But that's exactly what they were heading into their Class 3 Sectional game with the state-ranked Doniphan Dons at Poplar Bluff High School...

POPLAR BLUFF - The Kelly Lady Hawks basketball team lost to a very tough Doniphan Donettes squad 58-23, on Wednesday night in Class 3 sectional action at Poplar Bluff High School. This win marks the second time in as many years for the Donettes winning over Kelly in sectional play. Doniphan put the Lady Hawks away early with hot shooting and good, solid pressure defense...

SIKESTON - Jamie Western and Nathan Rapert are the parents of their first child, a son born at 4:25 a.m. Jan. 31, 2006, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Peyton Andrew Rapert weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 17 inches long...

We talk about illegal immigration and the social and economic impact surrounding the flood of immigrants who arrive in our country each day. Yet there is no agreement whatsoever on how to address the problem. This lack of national resolve on the issue of illegal immigration will cost us dearly in the future. We have no one to blame but ourselves...

SIKESTON -- Anyone wanting to take a peek into the lives of girls from around the world can do so by attending the Girl Scouts-Cotton Boll Area Council's "World's Fair" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Tanner Street Church of God in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Students at Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do will join thousands of martial artists across the nation Saturday in an attempt to set a world record and support a worthy cause. A Spar-A-Thon will be held Saturday at Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do's new location at 505 Davis Blvd., according to Leon Lamb and Jason Lynch, chief instructors/owners of Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- A Sikeston man was killed after the vehicle he was driving crashed and burned Wednesday in Scott County. William "Randy" Riley, 23, of Sikeston was pronounced dead at the scene by Scott County Deputy Coroner Jerry Goin. The accident occurred at 10 p.m. ...

BENTON -- A Sikeston man has been convicted for attempting to shoot a Sikeston police officer. Gregory Earl Stevenson, 31, was convicted Wednesday of assault of a law enforcement officer, a class A felony, and armed criminal action, an unclassified A felony, according to Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd. The jury trial was held in Jefferson County on a change of venue...

I get so tired of people running down our President. If you can't say something good keep your mouth shut. If you claim to be a Christian, pray for him. You shall not judge no man. He is carrying a heavy load and needs our prayers. Have you not read to pray for those in authority? How can you pray with one breath and run him down with the next? I'm praising the person who on Wednesday said, "Give him a break." Why don't you do likewise. ...

SIKESTON - Contributions to the Red Cross Fund drive in Sikeston alone amounted to approximately $3,000, according to Harry Dover, countywide drive chairman. CHARLESTON - A special high school bond election was called for March 29 by the Charleston R-1 Board of Education after heated debate. This resulted after it was decided that bonds approved in an election March 2, 1965, for a $1.4 million high school building were invalid...