Stories from Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Everyone reaches a point in life where they recognize that life has simply passed them by. For me, that point arrived a few years back when I came across the top 20 songs in the nation and did not recognize even one. The point struck home again this week when a major credit card company predicted that 75 percent of Christmas shopping will be done online this year through Internet purchases. Needless to say, I am not one of those 75 percent...

VANDUSER -- Jerry E. Wallace, 69, died Nov. 21, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

NEW MADRID -- Donald Lee Ritchie, 67, died Nov. 17, 2006, at Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 15, 1929, in Clarksville, Ark., he was the son of the late Elbert and Minnie Ritchie. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Mable Ritchie, and one brother, Junior Ritchie...

KELSO - Andrew Frank Kieffer, 56, died Nov. 19, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 22, 1918, at Chaffee, son of the late Frank Joseph and Mary Catherine Bles Kieffer, he worked for Ste. Genevieve Building and Stone until 1950 when he moved to the Kelso area and began farming. He was a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, serving during World War II, a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church and a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans...

ORAN -- James Hartwell Jones, 93, died Nov. 19, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born April 18, 1913, in Illinois, son of the late John Robert and Callie Susanna Darrah Jones, he was a self-employed farmer and former president of the Perkins Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church of Oran where he was a member of the Men's Club and the Sunshine Club...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Lester Wilson, 82, died Nov. 19, 2006, at his home. Born Jan. 9, 1924, in Lynn, Ala., son of the late Chess and Nora Glover Wilson, he was a member of the First Assembly of God Church. On Aug. 3, 1966, in Tennessee, he married Earline White who survives of the home...

CLARKTON -- Thelma Louise Wright, 74, died Nov. 19, 2006, at her home. Born Jan. 31, 1932, at Monette, Ark., daughter of the late William Barney and Maude C. Coleman Wallace, she was of the Baptist belief. On Sept. 24, 2949, at Piggott, Ark., she married Cleo Therion Wright who preceded her in death on Aug. 5, 1992...

NEW MADRID - Demetres Washington is the parent of her third child, second daughter, born at 8:55 a.m. Sept. 30, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Adriana Nicole Mays weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. Grandparent is Cathey Kellum. Great-grandparent is Alberta Kellum...

NEW MADRID -- DNA and a stolen rifle were found to be enough evidence for a New Madrid man to face murder charges in circuit court. A preliminary hearing was conducted Monday in Division II of New Madrid County Circuit Court for Cornelius Sutton, 18, for the murder of Charles "Charlie" Toler, 70, on Aug. 17. Sutton is charged with first degree murder, first degree robbery and first degree burglary...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Department of Public Safety and other agencies arrested several Scott County residents this morning. The roundup came in response to a Scott County grand jury which was impaneled in September, said Drew Juden, director of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

SCOTT CITY - The Portageville Lady Bulldogs basketball team opened up the 2006-07 season on Monday night with a 65-41 road win over the Scott City Lady Rams. After a sluggish first quarter, Portageville opened up the second quarter on a 15-0 run to put the game away before halftime...

SIKESTON - At the Malone Theater today, "Easy to Wed," with Van Johnson and Esther Williams. At the Rex, "Winged Victory," with Edmund O'Brien. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Labor today approved two-man development training grants for the Sikeston Public School System. The grants amount to $643,582 for 180 employed persons for a 36-week, multi-...

Mike you are so right about the downfall of the GOP. It was because of their arrogant ways, including yours and the ones in SpeakOut. They continued to downgrade the Democrats all through the election. How does it feel to eat crow? Exactly like humble pie!...

CARUTHERSVILLE - An investigation is under way after police found a man wandering in the street bruised and bloody. At 12:36 a.m. Saturday, officers received a 911 report about a man walking at 10th and Ward streets who was covered in blood. The victim, Sam Campise, 36, of Caruthersville, appeared to have been involved in some type of altercation and received moderate injuries, according to a news release from Caruthersville Police Chief Chris Riggs...

SIKESTON -- In an effort to show the public how important New Dawn State School is to the community, the school's PTO held a public open house Monday night. School board members, administrators and educators from all the school districts in the four counties -- Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard -- served by New Dawn were invited to tour the facility, New Dawn PTO president Malinda Darter of New Madrid said the concept for the open house came after PTO members discovered many people in the area don't know about New Dawn and its services.. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Sikeston junior varsity basketball team dropped its season opener on Monday while the Bulldog freshman team rolled to victory in their season opener. Sikeston's J.V. team lost to Jackson in the first round of the Notre Dame Junior Varsity Tournament, 60-54. Sikeston's freshman team defeated Cape Central 58-34 at the Sikeston Field House...