Stories from Wednesday, April 26, 2006

EAST PRAIRIE - The Kelly Hawks baseball team slapped around the home team East Prairie Eagles on Tuesday afternoon, with a 15-5 victory. With a combination of speed and power, Kelly opened up a close game in the fifth and scored nine runs in the inning, to put away the host Eagles. In the contest the Hawks stole 10 bases and hit all four of their home runs in the fifth inning...

Nobody asked me but...are you guys happy over there at Dexter? Today we are running an article on Eric Sitze and his pending resignation as the head boys coach at Dexter. It is a sad day for all area coaches. Not that Sitze is stepping down, but the way it came about...

DEXTER -- Three weeks after the Dexter school board decided to retain Eric Sitze as the head boys basketball coach, Sitze announced his resignation from the position on Monday morning. "I feel like Dexter wants to go in a different direction," said Sitze. "They want somebody else to coach there and if I'm not wanted, I just feel like it's best that I step down and let them find whoever they want to coach."...

SIKESTON -- Saturday night kart racing at SEMO had Robert Lowery of Paducah, Ky., the big winner of the night with three trips to Victory Lane with 1st place finishes in Stock Heavy, Stock Medium, and the Over 35 Class. Senior Champ Class Champion was Mark Davis of Mayfield, Ky. ...

POPLAR BLUFF -- The New Madrid County Central baseball team won on the road Tuesday, with a 14-2 thrashing over the host Poplar Bluff Mules. NMCC recorded 14 hits as a team and were led by Dylan Harris who went 2- for-3 with a triple and 3 RBIs. Thomas Higgerson drove in two runs with a double and Matt Whitehead had two hits, including a double and drove in one run for the Eagles...

CHARLESTON - Tony "Gramps" Hines, 86, died April 18, 2006, at his home. Born Dec. 12, 1919, in Phillippy, Tenn., to the late Will and Laura Murphy, he was raised after the age of 10 by the late Walter Hines. He was united in marriage to Samela Hines who preceded him in death in 1986. He later married Hattie Henry Hines who preceded him in death in 2000...

CHAFFEE -- Pauline "Polly" Bandy, 90, died at 6 a.m. April 25, 2006, at her home. Born May 22, 1915, in Morley, daughter of the late Ralph Thomas and Carrie Bell Turnipseed Carter, she had worked as a waitress at the Sand's Motel Restaurant in Cape Girardeau and was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Chaffee...

MATTHEWS -- Clara Marie Mills, 85, died April 25, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 28, 1929, in Matthews, daughter of the late George Benjamin and Lula June Mills, she was a member of the Methodist Church of Matthews. Survivors include: one daughter, Lou Ella Brown of Owasso, Okla.; one brother, John Richard "Dickie" Gossett of Columbus, Miss.; one sister, Rosalie Burch of Springfield, Ill.; and one granddaughter, Shauna Claire Brown-...

CHARLESTON - Georgia B. Davis, 65, died April 21, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 6, 1940, in Forrest City, Ark., to the late L.S. and Leoria Sisk McCain Sr., she lived many years in Missouri and was a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Debbie Stewart Reynolds, 53, formerly of Puxico, died April 24, 2006, at her home. Born April 4, 1953, in Dexter, daughter of Nina Gibson Stewart of Poplar Bluff and the late Donald Stewart, she was a 1972 graduate of Puxico High School. She moved to Poplar Bluff in 2005 after living 20 years in Florida. She worked as a clerk at the Christian Book Store and as a D.J. at KOKS in Poplar Bluff...

NEW MADRID - Ben Ashley, 77, died April 25, 2006, at the Veteran's Home in Cape Girardeau. Richard's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

GRAY RIDGE -- Irene Cora Foreman, 75, died April 24, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 15, 1930, in Malden, she was the daughter of the late Jerry and Cora Truett Book. She first married Jake Brown who preceded her in death. On Feb. 25, 1967, in New Madrid, she married Floyd Foreman who preceded her in death on Oct. 2, 1991...

BERNIE - Beulah Mae Craft, 87, died April 23, 2006, at the Malden Nursing Center. Born Aug. 29, 1918, daughter of the late John and Nettie Lorenda Welch Hester, she was a homemaker and a member of the Bernie Christian Church. On May 29, 1935, in Piggott, Ark., she married Rube F. Craft who preceded her in death on April 9, 1995...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs basketball team and head coach Gregg Holifield were honored this weekend at the B.A. Sports All-Star Extravaganza in Poplar Bluff at the Black River Coliseum. Holifield was given the Lennies McFerren Coach of the Year award and the Sikeston Bulldogs were given the B.A. Sports Team of the Year Award...

Avon District 5029 would like to thank you for making the recent Elvis Benefit Concert, in behalf of the Kenny Rogers Children Center, a success. The event would not have been possible without general sponsors like you. With your support, we raised over $1,500 for the Kenny Rogers Children Center. Just think how many families and children we were able to touch through this special event!...

The Missouri Senate almost got it right. In my opinion, the Senate had a golden opportunity to make substantial progress on the issue of illegal immigration. They came close but failed to take that final step. We'll see what happens in the days and weeks ahead...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Considering the extraordinary parity within the conference, all 11 teams are seeking momentum with the SEMO Conference Tournament on the horizon. The Sikeston Bulldogs may have taken a step in that direction with a gutsy come-from-behind 12-8 extra-inning win over the Notre Dame Bulldogs on Tuesday...

South Scott County Ambulance District personnel prepare to air lift an accident victim Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Missouri State Highway H and HH. Two vehicles were involved in the accident resulting in injuries to five. One of the injured was airlifted and the others were transported to Missouri Delta Medical Center. Also responding were Miner Police Department, Scott County Sheriff's Department, Sikeston Rescue Squad and the Miner Volunteer Fire Department...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Four persons were sentenced in federal court in connection with firearm charges. Scott County resident Jessie L. Mercer, 28, was sentenced to 188 months on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of firearms and Jonathan R. Ward, 29, was sentenced to 21 months on one felony count of possession of stolen firearms...

Grant Gillard, a bee keeper from Jackson, shows the students equipment used by bee keepers with the help of Oran Elementary School student Harlan Mullen. Gillard was one of the speakers for the Scott County Women in Agriculture's annual Farm Day. The Farm Day was for area third grade students. Over 240 students attended the event which was held at the St. Lawrence Parish Center in New Hamburg...

Put forth works and teaching people about God and growing spiritually and receive the fruits. In reading the legal section of the paper, I see a judge who is judging someone like God would and I really appreciate that. It makes my works worthy of the times to see someone who is loving a brother like this out...

SIKESTON - The 290 lots in Clayton and Rowe additions were sold at public auction in four hours and 20 minutes Saturday in one of the biggest transactions in the history of Southeast Missouri. SIKESTON - Ottis Freeman, board of education member from Scott Central school district, said yesterday afternoon during a panel discussion on radio station KMPL that the people of his district felt an injustice in the school reorganizational election Tuesday...

SIKESTON -- The Sixth Annual SEMO Conference Baseball Tournament will kick things off tomorrow with three play-in games. The seventh-seeded Sikeston Bulldogs (9-9) will take on No. 10 Kelly (10-6) at VFW Stadium at 4 p.m. while No. 9 Scott City (7-7) visits No. 8 Poplar Bluff (5-9) and No. 11 Chaffee (8-8) travels to play No. 6 Dexter (8-6)...

Thursday Game 1 Scott City (9) @ Poplar Bluff (8) Game 2 Chaffee (11) @ Dexter (6) Game 3 Kelly (10) @ Sikeston (7) Friday Game 4 Winner Game 1 @ Cape (1) Game 5 Jackson (5) @ Notre Dame (4) Game 6 Winner Game 2 @ Kennett (3) Game 7 Winner Game 3 @ NMCC (2)...

BENTON -- Water no longer runs out of fountains mounted to the veterans' memorial that sits on the front lawn of the Scott County Courthouse in Benton. And when the sun sets, the concrete monument is no longer visible to passersby. But most importantly, missing from the tribute are the names of Scott County veterans who lost their lives in wars occurring after 1918...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Officials confirmed three tornadoes passed through Pemiscot County Tuesday afternoon, but they did not cause the same devastation as the tornado that passed through the area earlier this month. "Some people were trying to outrun the tornadoes and ended up getting caught out in the middle of the storms," Pemiscot County Sheriff Tommy Greenwell said...

SIKESTON -- With the activation of the Southeast Missouri Regional Bomb Squad, six-hour waits for equipment and personnel to safely assess and deal with bombs and other explosives should be a thing of the past. The public got its first look at the bomb squad's equipment during a presentation Tuesday afternoon at Fire Station No. 1 on North West Street...

It was March 6, 2004, and the Dexter Bearcat basketball team had just beaten Lutheran South to advance to the school's first-ever trip to the Final Four. Dexter fans were chanting "Sitze for President," in reference to the team's coach Eric Sitze. Today, all is silent...