Stories from Wednesday, December 20, 2006

SIKESTON - Lorene A. Bennett, 86, died at 4:35 a.m. Dec. 20, 2006, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

BENTON -- Essie Marie Ray, 81, formerly of East Prairie, died at 2:15 Dec. 19, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born April 15, 1925, at East Prairie, daughter of the late John and Ethel Woods Buttery, she was a member of Unity Baptist Church in Benton...

PUXICO - Larry Hancock, 62, died Dec. 18, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 26, 1944, in Puxico, to Ellsworth Hancock of Puxico and the late Mary Kitchen Hancock, he lived all his life in Puxico and in 1990, he graduated from Southeast Missouri State University. ...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Opal M. Foster, 89, died Dec. 20, 2006 at Portageville Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Ruby Webb Denton, 90, died Dec. 18, 2006, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 6, 1916, in Wright County, daughter of Jesse Edward and Bertha Alice Cravens Webb, she was a member of Business Professional Womens Club and Centenery Methodist...

EAST PRAIRIE - Bobby Joe Williams, 55, died Dec. 16, 2006, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born April 12, 1951, in Dorena, to the late Roy Lee and Nina Ervin Williams, he was a farmer and of the Baptist belief. Survivors include: two brothers, Joe Louis Williams of Corpus Christi, Texas and Johnny L. Williams of Rockford, Ill.; three sisters, Willestene Williams, Daisy Dismuke and Wilma Copeland, of Rockford; and a host of nieces and nephews...

NEW MADRID -- Bennett C. Coomer, 85, died Dec. 19, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid.

There are only a few more days until Christmas and as my final chore in my transformation into Mr. Christmas I decided to help my wife with the buying of Christmas gifts. In a normal year as "Scrooge," I would just make a list and tell my wife what to get my friends and family, but this year was going to be different. I was going to actually help in the purchasing of the items...

BENTON -- Scott County commissioners have selected a new health insurance provider, saving the county money. During their regular meeting Tuesday, commissioners accepted the bid for health and life insurance from the American Community insurance provider through Associated Industries of Missouri...

SIKESTON -- Pharmacists would take the biggest hit from a proposed rule designed to save states and the federal government about $8.4 billion over the next five years, officials who oversee Medicaid said earlier this week. Pharmacist Ron Hamra of Medicap Pharmacy in Sikeston said the proposed rule could potentially put a lot of smaller pharmacies out of business...

SIKESTON -- Thus far, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety hasn't experienced any big traffic problems. And it wants things to stay that way. "We've had a few accidents but nothing out of the normal for this time of year," said Captain John Martin. So far during the holiday shopping season, DPS has recorded between 20 and 25 accidents a month, which is about the rate for other times of the year. "It's been a good holiday traffic season so far and we'd like to keep it that way."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Scott County man was sentenced to federal prison on a drug-related charge Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel. James Junior Buckhanan, 45, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. ...

SIKESTON - New paint around the new floor furnace at the home of Charles Rafferty caused a run by the fire department Tuesday morning. MORLEY - Two governors will address the Rotary Club at the Christmas party at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Masonic Temple. They are Gov. Warren E. Hearnes and Lee Cochran Jackson, district governor of Rotary International...

I started to read John McMillen's latest mega-length letter to the editor, but realized McMillen's views have mercifully been rendered irrelevant. It must be nice to send out statements each month and say your bill is going up $2 next month like the cable people. Do they have no censorship? Are they able to do this? Never mind that we don't get raises every month...

We are engaged in a war IN Iraq, not with Iraq. A war that cannot be won. The Iraqi people do not want a democracy, they don't even know what it is. The Iraqi are a tribal, warring people that are so fanatically religious that life itself has little meaning as they are sure they are all going to be with Allah. ...

Here's a little Christmas mirth that has nothing to do with Santa or elves or reindeer. It's all about mashed potatoes. And young ladies. And what happens when you combine the two. Seems there's this bar in East St. Louis that decided it would be fun to invite a few young ladies, fill a kids' swimming pool with mashed potatoes and see what happens...

BROSELEY - The quarterfinals of the 10th Annual Lady Royals Christmas Classic at Twin Rivers High School were held on Tuesday night with four games of action. The Kelly Lady Hawks defeated No. 5 seed Greenville Lady Bears 59-53 to advance to the semifinals. Kelly will face No. 9 seed Twin Rivers who had the shocker of the tournament, defeating top seed Doniphan, 58-53...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs rebounded from a tough loss on Friday with a 76-50 victory against district foe Perryville on Tuesday night at the Sikeston Field House. The Bulldogs (5-3) were never seriously threatened as they built a double- digit lead early in the second quarter and never looked back...

Nobody asked me but...the holidays are upon us and that means one thing...high school basketball tournaments. The 62nd Annual seMissourian Christmas Tournament in Cape and the 50th Bloomfield Christmas Tournament are area traditions that usually serve up some great basketball...