Stories from Friday, December 8, 2006

CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County has a new emergency management director. During their regular meeting Thursday, county commissioners first accepted the resignation of the former director, Brenda Bickford, before appointing Danny Harris of Charleston to the position...

SIKESTON -- While the SEMO Conference Tournament semifinal games didn't prove to be the barnburners everybody had hoped, the championship matchup that everybody expected will become a reality. Top-seeded Sikeston raced past No. 4 Jackson 86-73 while second-seeded Charleston rolled over No. 3 Notre Dame 76-63 on Thursday night at the Sikeston Field House...

BENTON -- A Sikeston man died of injuries sustained in a car accident Thursday evening in Scott County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 5:50 p.m. on County Road 330, three miles east of Benton, the accident occurred when northbound motorist Alex M. Johnson, 20, of Sikeston ran his vehicle off the right side of the road and went airborne. The vehicle returned back onto the road, ran off the left side of the road and overturned, coming to a rest in a ditch...

Bootheel Golf Mens Association members Rick Roberts, Jeff Ketterman and Bill York load toys Thursday morning. The toys are from the annual Santa Open, which were donated to a local charity for needy children.

SIKESTON -- With 2007 weeks away, the tax season is just lurking around the corner. And tax professionals insist it's never too early to prepare for filing, which begins Jan. 2. "Don't forget all the tax credits you're eligible for when preparing to file," said Phil Cluck, owner of Fax Tax in Sikeston...

Nannette Morris, a Sikeston Optimist Club member, checks for the correct shoe size for students during the annual Optimist Club Shoe Project. Over 300 area children received shoes from the club.

CHAFFEE - The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs lost in the semifinals of the Lady Devils Invitational Tournament to the Kelly Hawks 56-36 on Thursday night at Chaffee. Sikeston was its own worst enemy against the Lady Hawks by committing 25 turnovers in the game and going 6-for-23 from the free-throw line...

DEXTER -- The New Madrid County Central Lady Eagles fell 77-30 to the Dexter Lady Bearcats in a SEMO Conference matchup at Dexter on Thursday. Freshman Shameka Williams again provided the bulk of the scoring for the Eagles with a game-high 22 points...

NEW MADRID -- The Sikeston eighth grade basketball team improved to 2-1 on the season with a 48-42 victory against New Madrid County Central's eighth grade team on Thursday. Sikeston trailed 9-7 after one quarter but pulled ahead for a 24-14 halftime lead. The Bulldogs maintained a 35-28 lead heading into the third quarter...

I'm calling about the Hazy days in New Madrid. I've got two neighbors who insist on burning. It's been so bad lately that we can't even go outside and we can also spell the burning inside our house. It gives me a migraine. I don't understand why these people don't cover the hole on their lawnmower and mulch the leaves up. I think they need to get with the program...

SIKESTON - Sikeston has dominated three places in the 1946 SeMo Conference All-Star football team, as picked by the coaches of the conference teams. SIKESTON - Firemen were called at 1:30 p.m. today to extinguish a blaze at Lambert's Cafe, Highway 61 South. There was no damage. A transformer to the neon sign at the front of the building apparently shorted and caused wires to burn and smoke...

CHARLESTON -- The Mississippi County Sheriff will use law enforcement grant money to purchase new bullet proof vests. During the regular County Commission meeting Thursday, Sheriff Keith Moore said his department will receive $8,099.92 in Local Law Enforcement Block Grant funding from the Missouri Department of Public Safety...

CATRON -- Linda Marie Hardin, 44, passed away Dec. 7, 2006, surrounded by her family at her home in Catron. Born April 17, 1962, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of W.L. and Eloise Conner of Essex, she was a scout leader, choir director and member of Hopewell General Baptist Church, where she volunteered her time monthly at Crowley Ridge Care Center through her church and worked as a part-time floral designer...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Garry Eugene Schearf, 56, died at 6:50 p.m. Dec. 6, 2006, at his home. Born May 2, 1950, at Cape Girardeau, son of Phillip Eugene and Enid Alice Campbell Schearf of Delta, he was an iron worker and civil-mechanical foreman for Fru-Con Construction. He was a member of Laborers Local 282 and First Baptist Church of Delta...

SIKESTON -- John Wyrick, 86, formerly of Morehouse and Poplar Bluff, died at 2 p.m., Dec. 7, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born April 27, 1920, in Wilson, Ark., son of the late Bert Milton and Nina V. Glasner Wyrick, he had worked at Himmelberger-Harrison and served with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II...

MALDEN - Dortha Mae Davis, 79, died Dec. 5, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 2, 1927, in Bloomfield, daughter of the late Archie and Mary Maude Forbes Batchelor, she was of the Baptist belief. On May 31, 1946, she married Grady Davis who preceded her in death Nov. 4, 1980...

SIKESTON -- Sam William Chadd, 74, died Dec. 8, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born April 24, 1932, in Kewanee, son of the late William Melvin and Dorothy Lucille Lands Chadd, he was a veteran of the U.S. Army having served in the Korean War and had worked for the Sikeston Fire Department for 30 years before retiring...

DEXTER -- Carl Ernest Alexander, 83, died Dec. 5, 2006, in the Florida Hospital at Wauchula, Fla. Born July 19, 1923, at Bloomfield, son of the late William and Eva Miller Alexander, he was a retired switchman for Grand Trunk Western Railroad in Michigan; a U.S. Navy veteran; past master of the Genesee Masonic Lodge 174 at Genesee, Mich., where he was a life member; a member of the Flint, Mich., Shriners; and was of the Methodist belief...

SIKESTON -- W.H. "Abby" Abernathy, 94, formerly of Malden, died Dec. 6, 2006, at Clearview Nursing Home in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden.

BENTON -- Arvel O. Long, 70, died Dec. 7, 2006. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

CHARLESTON -- Robert Ricky "Bob" French Sr., 76, died Dec. 7, 2006, at the Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 22, 1930, in Charleston, son of the late Oliver B. and Jennie Brown French Sr., he lived most of his life in Charleston where had been a partner in the French Implement Co. until his retirement in 1977. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of Charleston and a U.S. Air Force Veteran serving during the Korean War...

As Southeast Missouri 's representative for class 2 of the Missouri State Soccer Coaches Association, I am the person charged with coordinating the selection of the class 2 all-region soccer team. Before I attempt to clarify the selection process, let me give you a little history. ...