Stories from Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Don't expect me to shed a single tear over the departure of disgraced news anchor Dan Rather. The longtime news reporter parted company with CBS Tuesday after 44 years with the network. For all practical purposes, Rather's departure was inevitable after his phony story concerning President Bush's National Guard record. But rest assured, if it wasn't the Guard story, Rather was on his way out regardless. He had long since lost his audience and then he lost his credibility...

I'd like to comment on an editorial in the June 9 edition of the Southeast Missourian concerning the railroads. The City of Sikeston agrees completely with your point that "Safety issues cannot be ignored" and that to do so would be irresponsible...

DEXTER - A second volleyball standout at Dexter High School has signed a letter of intent to play next season at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff. Amanda Pixley will join fellow Lady Bearcat Mallory Kennedy at Three Rivers. Pixley played setter for Dexter and was an excellent player all three years under volleyball coach Kris Vandeven...

Nobody asked me but...Sikeston has been a perennial power in high school baseball. In recent years, the Bulldogs under head coach Kevin Self have finished second, third and fourth in the Class 3 state finals. Blake DeWitt is on the fast track in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system. Jacob Priday was a key member of the University of Missouri baseball team that made it to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time ever...

SIKESTON -- With the largest crowd ever this season, bikers of all ages came out to enjoy the racing action this past Saturday night at SEMO Raceway at Blodgett. Spectators enjoyed the high action jumps of the 250 and 125 Pro Classes which had everyone on the edge of their seats...

Sikeston Area Youth Baseball MUSIAL LEAGUE 5-13-06 American Legion 9, Elks 2 WP -- Zach Stinnett (12 k) LP -- Shane Garrett Leading hitters -- American Legion: Tim Fox (2-3), Tyler McClinton (2-2), Joe Duty (2-3). Elks: Audie Hay (1-3), Shane Garrett (1-3)...

HELP WANTED A semi-intelligent person with the ability to lead others and make good decisions. Common sense is preferred. Apply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Please somebody take over FEMA and fix it because this agency is sucking money out of the government faster than my dog gobbles up food dropped on the floor. And if they are sucking money from the government, that means they are sucking money from us the taxpayers...

SIKESTON - James and Crystal Nance are the parents of their third child, first daughter, born at 9:51 a.m. May 26, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Victoria Faye Nance weighed 10 pounds and was 20 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Byron and Teri Still. Maternal great-grandparents are Russell and Juanita Haynes...

SIKESTON -- Jordi Ferrell rebounded from a serious injury and a lost season to be chosen a 2006 second team Class 1 All-Stater. "I'm really excited and shocked that I was selected," said Ferrell, a Sikeston High School sophomore midfielder. Ferrell suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear which sidelined her for the entire 2005 season...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Senior American Legion Post 114 baseball team fell to 7-5 on the season with a 10-5 loss to Mayfield on Tuesday at VFW Stadium. Sikeston fell behind early in the contest as Mayfield tallied a pair of runs in the top of the first inning...

RANDOLPH, Ill. -- John Grady Corbitt, 76, formerly of Benton, Mo., died at 4: 49 a.m. June 20, 2006, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville. Born Sept. 28, 1929, in Camden, Tenn., son of the late Meredith Smith and Ila Jane Wiseman Corbitt, he was a minister of nondenominational churches in Kansas and later owned Oil Field Construction Co. in Flora. A 1949 graduate of Benton High School, he attended Hope Christian Church in Waterloo...

SIKESTON -- Tishania Talisha Tajuan "Tootie" Walker, 20, died June 5, 2006. Born May 9, 1986, in San Diego, Calif., daughter of Sabrina Renee Walker of California and the late Perry Miller, she had lived in Sikeston since she was a teenager. In addition to her mother, survivors include: one son, Marc-Anthony G. ...

BLOOMFIELD -- Lucy Irene Harrison, 95, died June 20, 2006, in the Crowley Ridge Care Center at Dexter. Born Feb. 20, 1911, near Dexter, daughter of the late Thomas Loyd and Carrie Bell Tracer Allstun, she was a member of the Essex Church of God, a homemaker and resident of rural Bloomfield...

SIKESTON -- Anyone looking to make money after retirement, check the status of their health or simply earn a chance to win a free trip may want to consider attending the 2006 Sikeston Senior Expo this weekend. The free event is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Sikeston...

James V. Cullum, 21, of Sikeston, right, was formally charged with first degree murder and armed criminal action for the stabbing death of his ex- girlfriend, Tishania T. Walker, 20, of Sikeston during his arraignment Tuesday in the Scott County Associate Circuit Court, Division 5. Associate Circuit Court Judge David Mann set Cullum's preliminary hearing for Aug. 2 and ordered him to remain in custody without bond...

BENTON -- County and transportation officials are looking at options for alleviating traffic congestion at Scott City. Scott County Presiding Commissioner Martin Priggel and Jamie Burger, second district associate commissioner, met in Scott City with Ron Eskew, city administrator, and Missouri Department of Transportation and federal transportation officials Tuesday to discuss the project which will connect Scott City with the outer road which extends south from Route AB/Nash Road along the eastern side of Interstate 55.. ...

SIKESTON - Sikeston voters will go before the polls Tuesday to pass a proposition issuing $125,000 in Sikeston School District bonds to build an addition to Bailey schools. SIKESTON - The 90th anniversary of the founding of the Ben Franklin Stores was featured during the annual zone meeting held at the Holiday Inn here Tuesday. ...

I've been reading in the paper about all this fussing about people who don't work and who are lazy and where our tax dollars go. Has anybody ever thought that they also go to these nonprofit organizations, too? I was wondering about one in particular, because every time you turn on the TV it seems like they are out taking care of disaster victims, or cooking hamburgers and frying bologna for the people in the hurricane. ...

Nikki Vaught, Sikeston R-6 health services coordinator, uses a fire extinguisher to put out a fire Tuesday morning at the Sikeston Field House. Vaught, along with all other Sikeston R-6 nurses, participated in the Community Emergency Response Training...

SIKESTON -- Some local school bond issue projects are moving right along this summer while others are at a temporary standstill. It's been a year since both Sikeston R-6 and Scott County R-4 (Kelly) voters approved bond issues to construct new buildings at their high schools, and now school district officials are seeing results...