Stories from Thursday, December 7, 2006

Hicks CAPE GIRARDEAU - Stacey and Jason Hicks are the parents of their second child, first daughter, born at 9:52 a.m. Oct. 25, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Mackenzie Rae Hicks weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 20.5 inches long...

SIKESTON -- Once again, the SEMO Conference Tournament played out with no upsets on Wednesday night at the Sikeston Field House. Ninth-seeded Dexter closed out its tournament with its first victory under new coach Chris Trimmer, defeating No. 10 Kennett 68-38...

CHAFFEE - The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs looked sluggish in the first round of the Lady Devils Invitational at Chaffee, muddling through the host team by just enough to move to the semifinals with a 39-33 win on Wednesday night. Sikeston came into the tournament having not played in nine days and it showed throughout much of the contest with Chaffee...

NEW HAMBURG -- Clara Francis Steimle, 89, died at 3:30 a.m. Dec. 7, 2006, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Jan. 21, 1917, in New Hamburg, daughter of the late Frank Joseph and Mary Bertha Gosche Steimle, she was a retired floor lady at Thorngate Limited in Chaffee. She was a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg and St. Ann Sodality...

PORTAGEVILLE - Bernard W. Recker, 89, died Dec. 7, 2006, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with DeLisle Funeral Home of Portageville.

DEXTER - Carl Alexander, 83, died Dec. 5, 2006, in the Florida Hospital at Wauchula, Fla. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Dexter.

CATRON - Linda Conner Hardin, 44, died Dec. 7, 2006, at her home. Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, where funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

BLOOMFIELD -- David Scott McClain, 55, died Dec. 5, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 4, 1951, in St. Louis, son of the late Mel and Anetha Brant McClain, he lived most of his life in Bloomfield where he was a member of the Assembly of God Church...

SIKESTON -- George Elliott Mannon, 86, died at 2:32 p.m. Dec. 5, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Oct. 3, 1920, in Orange, Texas, son of the late John and Rosa Lee Cuthbertson Mannon, he was a cook at Lambert's Cafe before his retirement...

DEXTER - Robin Aslin Hartline, 46, formerly of Bloomfield, died Dec. 5, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 5, 1960, daughter of the late Robert Lewis and Patricia Ann Smith, she was a photo developer and had lived in Dexter the past five years...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Sikeston wrestling team continues to be haunted by forfeits as Carbondale (Ill.) defeated the Bulldogs 75-3 on Wednesday. The Bulldogs forfeited nine matches as injuries have begun to mount. Sikeston's only victory came from Gavilan Bland (160), who won by decision over Nick Bleyer...

Michael "Jamie" Kindle, 14, bagged his first buck on opening morning in southern Mississippi County. The buck had a 19 1/4" rack with 13 points and weighed in at 220 pounds.

I conducted the most informal, unscientific poll imaginable on Wednesday and the results were disappointing. I asked nearly two dozen people if today - Dec. 7 - had any significance to them. I think I actually asked what happened on Dec. 7. One person, a man near my age, knew that today was the "day of infamy" when our nation was attacked at Pearl Harbor. ...

SIKESTON -- A New Madrid County resident has been charged in the shooting/stabbing incident at 819 Davis Street Tuesday morning that left him and two others hospitalized. According to a news release from Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden, Vincent Minner, 42, of New Madrid has been charged with three counts of first degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action, one count of first degree burglary and one count of tampering with a witness...

Lindsey Wright and Ross Sindle, both Sikeston Senior High School Library service students, place mittens on the "Mitten Tree" Wednesday morning. The adviser/advisee classes at the Library are collecting children's gloves and mittens, which will be donated to the Sikeston Kindergarten Center...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Over $760,000 has been awarded to local law enforcement agencies through the federal Local Law Enforcement Block Grant JAG program. "These funding opportunities boost local law enforcement agencies with more resources and equipment to help keep their communities safe," Gov. Matt Blunt said...

NEW MADRID -- A second assessment to determine the needs of flood disaster victims is under way in New Madrid County. Due to the flooding rain in late September, the Long Term Recovery Committee formed to provide a support resource to individuals affected by the 10 to 20 inches of rain that fell across the county...

KENNETT (AP) -- A Missouri Bootheel man faces second-degree murder charges in the death of his 4-month-old son. Eric ''Rat'' Hooper, 29, of Kennett, was arrested Saturday and arraigned Tuesday. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 9. He is jailed on $250,000 bond...

BENTON -- A mobile home was completely destroyed by a structure fire early today in Benton. According to Scott County Sheriff's Department, at 6:15 a.m. today emergency officials responded to a fire in a mobile home unit located at 339 Shady Branch in Benton. Residing in the home were Larry, Delmar and Kathy Pluhar...

To the Editor: Since 2004, I have randomly asked two dozen-plus Southeast Missouri waterfowl hunters if they liked the "every member" draw at Otter Slough and Ten Mile Pond Conservation Areas. Of those questioned, only two favored the every-member draw...

I'd like to speak out to the people who live in the trailers on Highway 62. Your dog has been dead for a week right across the street from the house. It is not the Highway Department's job to pick that dog up. You need to at least get it out of the road. Thank you...

SIKESTON - At the Malone Theatre today, "Diary of a Chambermaid," with Paulette Goddard and Hurd Hatfield. BENTON - A hearing on the motion to contest the election of Aubrey Michael as collector of Scott County in the Nov. 8 general election was set today for Jan. 12 in Circuit Court...