Stories from Thursday, April 6, 2006

CHAFFEE -- Pallbearers at services conducted today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Daniel Lee Gossett, who died April 3, 2006, were: Eddie Beckemeyer, Roland Saxenmeyer, Bob Sensmeyer, Tim Kirk, Phillip Reeves and Tim Palmer.

PORTAGEVILLE - Mary "Madge" Brandenburg, 88, died April 4, 2006, at Beverly Health Care in New Madrid. Born March 25, 1918, in Parma, she was the daughter of the late Gabe and Ethel Mae Copeland. In 1933, she was united in marriage to Thomas Brandenburg, who preceded her in death in 1976...

DEXTER -- Christine Samples, 82, died April 3, 2005, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 22, 1923, in Ardeola, daughter of the late Richard Alvin and Katherine E. Meinz Keating, she was a member of the Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston and a retired secretary for the U.S. Civil Service...

BENTON -- Izada Mae Cowell, 92, died at 3:32 p.m. April 5, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 3, 1913, in Johnson County, Ark., daughter of the late Luke Holman and Elizabeth Daniels, she was a member of Morley Church of God in Morley...

BLOOMFIELD -- Robert James Rought Sr., 69, died April 5, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Anna Leora Curry, 82, formerly of Morehouse, died at 3: 20 a.m. April 6, 2006, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee Red Devils baseball team posted an 11-0 victory against Delta on Wednesday. Chaffee's Alex Orr was the winning pitcher, allowing just one hit and two walks with nine strikeouts. "This is his third outing for us and he's thrown very well all year," said Chaffee coach Brian Horrell. "He had good stuff again today. Nice to see him perform this way early in the season."...

Ali Bedell, a member of Brownie Troop 28, sprinkles cheese on her pizza Wednesday afternoon at Pizza Inn. The Brownie troop made personal-size pizzas to help them earn a service patch.

SIKESTON - Most people wouldn't think that 8- to 12-year-olds would be the target group for a campaign to curb youths' drug and alcohol use. That's a myth a new group is working to clear up about adolescent drug and alcohol use. Thanks to a five-year, $500,000 grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services agency and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the Southeast Missouri Anti-Drug Coalition formed in December to change the way people think about alcohol and drug use...

The Southeast Missouri Anti-Drug coalition meets the fourth Tuesday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. at Mission Missouri, 218 Dixie St. in Sikeston. A light dinner is served. The group is looking for anyone interested in getting involved, including youth, parents, the business community, school community, religious organizations and service organizations. "We need as many people from the community to join us and help us out," said Bryan Montgomery, chairman of the coalition...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Earl Masterson have announced the marriage of their daughter, Dorothy, to Paul Badagliacca of Massachusetts. They will be making their home in Fitchburg. JEFFERSON CITY - Sikeston will send 16 people from the city to the eighth annual Missouri Industrial Development Conference April 20. J. Lewis Powell, nationally known management consultant, professional writer and maker of management motion pictures, will address the organization...

I'm just a bit curious and I wish the powers that be could explain to me where the logic is of withholding the identity of a 16-year old attempted murder suspect simply because of his age? There could be potentially hundreds of people who could tell them where this individual is. It's no wonder these kids are doing the things they do...

I would like to thank your newspaper for publishing Michael Jensen' article entitled "Misuse of Medicaid is ruining Missouri" and would like to thank Michael for speaking out on this topic. I hope he sends it to Matt Blunt to read. I totally agree with the article. I couldn't have said it better myself...

BENTON -- Scott County's new hot mix asphalt paving machine will enable the county to start getting ahead on road maintenance. Scott County commissioners and Harlan Duncan, road and bridge department supervisor, conducted their annual road and bridge inspection Wednesday, starting at the north end of the county and working their way south...

We are not alone on the issue of illegal immigration.An interesting report came out of the Canary Islands this morning concerning boatloads of destitute Africans trying to reach this Spanish resort island. It seems that the African immigrants want to flee their home countries and so they risk their lives to make the four or five-day journey in makeshift boats. Many fail to make their destination...