Stories from Thursday, October 5, 2006

VAN BUREN - Donald W. Baker, 71, died Sept. 28, 2006, at the home of his brother in Hillsdale, Mich. Born. Oct. 3, 1934, in Providence, Ky., to the late William G. and Mable Cavenaugh Baker, he was a truck driver for 45 years and had worked since 1993 for the Ryder Logistics Trucking Company. He was a member of the United Auto Workers Union and the Van Buren American Legion...

MORLEY - Bobby "Bob" Wayne Crotts, 68, died Oct. 4, 2006, at Clearview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Sikeston. Born June 2, 1938, in Lamar, Ark., son of Hollie Terry Crotts of Bertrand and the late Willie H. Crotts, he was a member of Greater Visions Church at Chaffee. A retired farmer and Pentecost minister, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during the Vietnam War...

SCOTT CITY - Margie Marie Blankenship, 81, died at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 4, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 22, 1924, at East Prairie, to the late Virgil Green and Ora Speck Watson, she was a homemaker and for eight years delivered meals for Chaffee Nutrition Center...

WICKLIFFE, Ky. - Jimmy Dale Heath Sr., 73, formerly of the Dogwood Community near East Prairie, Mo., died at 5:25 p.m. at the East Prairie Nursing Center in East Prairie. Born Dec. 29, 1932, in Dogwood, son of the late Lewey and Ora Mae Sullivan Heath, he was a retired cattle farmer and buyer and for the past six years had lived in Wickliffe. He was a member of the Dogwood Methodist Church and a U.S. Army veteran having served during the Korean War...

PARMA -- Gary M. Rowland Sr., 58, died Oct. 3, 2006, near Matthews. Born April 10, 1948, in Parma, son of the late Joseph H. and Artie A. Bullman Rowland, he had lived most of his life in Parma where he was a member of the First Baptist Church. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran, he was retired from Noranda Aluminum where he had worked for 29 years. He was currently employed with Monsanto Seed Company in Matthews...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Eugene Frederick Fisher, 89, formerly of Memphis, Tenn., died at 8:40 p.m. Oct. 4, 2006, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born Nov. 14, 1916, at Phillipy, Tenn., son of the late Dr. Alfred and Mattie Ragon Fisher, he graduated from Hickman, Ky. ...

BENTON -- Both victims and defendants in Scott County who have participated in the court's restitution system may have unclaimed money waiting for them. Restitution is an important part of the justice system, according to Paul Boyd, Scott County's prosecuting attorney since Jan. 1, 2003. "As of last Friday, we've sent out over $482,000 in restitution since I've taken office," he said...

SIKESTON - Winter kept creeping up on the Sikeston area during the past few days with the mercury on Tuesday night dropping to 36, the lowest point recorded during the year. DEXTER - Dexter has been recommended for location of an electronics industry, Harold Williams, chairman of the community development project, told the Dexter Junior Chamber of Commerce Monday night...

Because the Mississippi County presiding commissioner's son-in-law requested that 4-wheelers be legal on county roads, the citizens of the county who operate licensed and insured grain trucks, pickups, automobiles and farm machinery and who are required to carry liability insurance will now be competing for the use of these roads with mostly uninsured vehicles. ...

I really appreciated the story "Living on minimum wage can be hard" that ran in your paper on September 22. Too often people think that low wage workers are teenagers, but the story of Bernice Brooks, a 59-year-old receptionist who is trying to make ends meet on $5.15 an hour, shows us that this is not always the case...

SIKESTON - Amanda and Darin Newton are the parents of their second child, second daughter, born at 12:55 p.m. Aug. 27, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Avery Elizabeth Newton weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long...

DEXTER - The Charleston Bluejays will invade Charles Bland Stadium on Friday night to take on a peaking Dexter Bearcat football team. Charleston comes into the Friday night tilt banged up as starting running back Joseph Watts (5-8, 170) and starting wide receiver/defensive back Jamarcus Williams (6-5, 200) will be out with injuries...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs dropped a hard fought match to the visiting Cape Central Tigers 1-0 on Wednesday night at the Sikeston Complex. Playing its third game in as many nights, Sikeston was solid on defense but did not have many scoring opportunities on the offensive end against the Tigers...

BLOOMFIELD - Two people were arrested on burglary charges Tuesday involving Bloomfield High School. Michael Dicks, 22, and Joshua Ervin, 17, both of Bloomfield, were charged with two counts of felony property damage in the first degree, two counts of felony burglary in the second degree, and felony tampering with computer equipment...

Under most circumstances, I would find some level of humor in kids stealing a police car and playing policemen by pulling drivers over to check their licenses, etc. Well, to be real honest, no it's not something that is humorous; it's just downright stupid...

Nancy Cravens, Christy Harrison and Rosemary Hubbert look through the Dysart/Baugher Studio portraits Wednesday at the Sikeston Depot. October 29 will be the final day to obtain the portraits. The portraits are available to the public at the Depot is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m...

Julie Heppe, a cancer survivor, scrolls over the names on the Breast Cancer Survivor Wall during the American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon at the First Methodist Church. Heppe was the guest speaker for the luncheon which over 150 women attended. The luncheon was one of several events planned as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month...

JEFFERSON CITY - A review of Scott County's budgets, funds and accounting practices by the Missouri State Auditor's office uncovered several problems, many already corrected by county officials according to the audit follow-up. In the official report from the auditor's office, officials noted actual expenditures exceeded the budgeted amounts in various funds and the minutes showed no documentation of discussion of budget status. ...

SIKESTON -- Still in search of that ever-elusive first win, Sikeston will host the New Madrid County Central Eagles on homecoming night tomorrow at SPS Stadium at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will be facing a team that has had a resurgence this season as the Eagles come into the game with a 4-1 record...