Stories from Sunday, January 28, 2007

DEXTER -- Pallbearers at services conducted Friday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter for Delois Slavings, 67, who died Jan. 23, 2007, were: Mike Slavings, Jason Slavings, Kelly Slavings, Nick Wysocki, Kevin Cunningham and Mike Cobb.

SIKESTON - Nota D. Ables, 86, died at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, 2007, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Sept. 27, 1920, in East Prairie to the late John Wesley and Bird Cooper Dover. Graduating from St. Louis City Hospital School of Nursing in 1941, she spent the next 50 years of her life serving her community as well as the American Red Cross in the nursing profession. ...

SIKESTON - William D. "Bill" Johnson, 62, died at 7:30 a.m. Jan. 26, 2007, at his home following an extended illness. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Friday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church in Sikeston...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services for Jean McCord, 86, who died Jan. 25, 2007, will be: Sam McCord, Bob McCord III, Rick Huls, John Mobley, Jason Hildenbrand and R.L. Richards. Honorary pallbearers will be: Joe Blanton, Joe Silverthorn, Jack Yount, P.J. Ponder, Mike Marshall, Judge John Bailey, Ralph Boyer, Dr. John Kendig, Terry Cole and Lloyd Smith...

MATTHEWS - Pallbearers for services held Saturday at Ponder Funeral Hone for James Harbison, 79, who died Jan. 24, 2007, were: Mike Cullum, Dale Harden, Danny Harden, James Harden, Joe Santos, Jason Houston and Drew Harbison and Cody Harbison.

CHARLESTON - Patricia Cooper, 47, formerly of Doniphan, died Jan. 25, 2007, at Sikeston. Born Nov. 20, 1959, in Doniphan, to the late Robert Lewis and Edna A. Sisco Maxwell, she attended the Smith Avenue Baptist Church at Sikeston. She was formerly married to Claude Cooper, who survives...

BENTON - J.W. Wiedefeld, 57, died Jan. 26, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Benton.

Well, the '08 presidential campaign season has already begun! I just wonder how much national news coverage will be given to the various candidates. It will be interesting to see if equal coverage will be given to each party. My prediction is, the national news networks(except Fox News)will give more coverage to Democratic candidates and will give more coverage to Senator Hillary Clinton. ...

EAST PRAIRIE - Jennifer Jernigan is the mother of her second child, first daughter, born at 8:21 a.m. Dec. 11, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Autumn Lynn weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Pamela Jernigan and the late Buddy Jernigan...

SIKESTON -- Erin Lynne Eberhard and David Allen Carmack were united in marriage during a 2 p.m. ceremony Sept. 23, 2006, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sikeston. The Rev. Scott M. Sunnberg performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of James and Diane Eberhard of Sikeston, and the bridegroom is the son of Dennis and Terry Carmack of Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Leila Nicole Brown and Bradley Andrew Garner were united in marriage during a 4:30 p.m. ceremony Nov. 4, 2006, at North Acres General Baptist Church in Sikeston. The Rev. Steve Tipton, pastor, officiated. The bride is the daughter of Tim and Tonya Brown of Sikeston, and the bridegroom is the son of Pam and Brad Garner of Sikeston...

BENTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs snapped a two-game losing streak by defeating a fired-up Kelly Hawks squad on the road, 62-57 on Friday night. The Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start and rallied with a big third quarter to pull out the victory. It wasn't picturesque, but Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield had nothing but praise for Kelly...

EAST PRAIRIE - The East Prairie Eagles basketball team held on to defeat the Hayti Indians on their homecoming Friday night, 86-81. The Eagles led 73-51 with 2:30 to play in the fourth quarter when Hayti started to make things very interesting. The Indians started to heat up midway through the fourth quarter, led by junior Jamestic Gooden. With East Prairie forward Tony Jones saddled with four fouls in the fourth, Gooden started to score at will in the paint for Hayti...

CHAFFEE -- Scott County Central's Braves cruised past the improving Chaffee Red Devils for an 88-60 win at Chaffee on Friday in a Scott-Mississippi Conference game. Scott Central's pressure defense and team quickness eventually wore down the Red Devils, who managed to stay close for most of two quarters...

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri Department of Agriculture, at the request of the Missouri Cotton Growers Organization, has waived the late stalk destruction fee for the 2006 cotton crop in the state. Extremely wet conditions delayed the cotton harvest in parts of the state and have prevented timely stalk destruction in many areas. Stalk destruction eliminates hibernation sites and any potential food sources that may be available to pests...

As if you were really interested, here's how I write this Sunday column. Throughout the preceding week, I gather bits and pieces of news articles that catch my eye. They might be funny or sad. They might be uplifting or depressing. Truth is, you never know what is going to attract your attention...

I'm so glad to read the article in the paper on Friday about the imaging company that makes you think you are going to get a job as a model and everything. My son was involved in that. We made a lot of trips to St. Louis and spent a lot of money. He got one 5x7 picture and some paper ones and that was all he got out of all the money that was spent up there. ...

SIKESTON -- All things considered, it is better to be prepared for major earthquake that never comes than to be caught unprepared. Earthquake Awareness programs and events have been scheduled by the State Emergency Management Agency to take place beginning Thursday and running through Feb. 11...

Missouri's Earthquake Awareness will be Feb. 1-11 with public events in New Madrid, Cape Girardeau and St. Louis. "A major earthquake would have a devastating impact on Missourians and Missouri businesses," said State Emergency Management Agency Director Ron M. Reynolds. "I urge Missourians to take the Earthquake Awareness activities seriously and take earthquake safety measures to protect themselves, their homes, and businesses."...

SIKESTON -- Catholic Schools Week begins today with several local schools and their students planning to show appreciation to those who support them throughout the year. "To me, the week is about celebrating who we are, who we've been and who we're going to be and appreciating each group on how to get there," said Laura Halter, principal at St. Henry Catholic School in Charleston...

SIKESTON - Roy Watson of Dexter passed his flying instructor's test under inspection of Jim Cotton from the C.A.A. MOREHOUSE - The board of education Friday employed the architectural firm of Buchmueller, Whitworth and Associates of Sikeston to plan a 12-class elementary school building. When plans are completed a bond election will be held...

SIKESTON -- Becky and Scott Smith have announced the engagement of their daughter, Mary Beth, to Joshua David Schwenck, son of Barbara and David Schwenck of High Ridge. A 2003 graduate of Sikeston Senior High School, the future bride will graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia this year...

SIKESTON -- Steve and Pam Richmond have announced the engagement of their daughter, Hope Elena, to Dustin Ray Duncan, son of Eddie and Donna DeLoach of Sikeston. A 2000 graduate of Sikeston High School, the future bride is a 2003 graduate of the Sikeston Licensed Practical Nurse Program. She is a licensed practical nurse at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston...

SIKESTON - One of the larger warehouse properties in Sikeston has been sold according to Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau, who handled the recent sale. Ivan Griffin, owner of Pine Tree Trucking from Advance purchased the former Media Press building located at 835 Wakefield. The 50,000-square-foot building on 4.74 acres was sold to Griffin by Cahokia Properties in Kirkwood...

Jeremy Wade, Gary Malone and Roger Elledge II look at the engine in the 2007 Ford Shelby Mustang now available at Sikeston Motor Co., 1030 S. Main St. The most powerful Mustang ever from the factory, the Shelby Cobra GT500 features 450 horsepower and 450 pounds-feet of torque generated from a supercharged 5.4-liter DOHC V-8 engine. To visually distinguish the Shelby Cobra GT500 from a standard Mustang, Le Mans-style stripes run from nose to tail...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Kim Madigan, formerly coordinator of special programs and services with the School of Polytechnic Studies at Southeast Missouri State University, is the new academic coordinator at Southeast Missouri State University-Sikeston. Madigan, a Sikeston resident, began her new position Jan. 2. She replaces Helen Steinmetz, who retired Dec. 31...

SIKESTON - Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar will stampede into Sikeston with a Jan. 28 opening at 231 N. Main St. Owners and brothers-in-law Bill Zellmer and Lonnie Griggs said the casual family-style restaurant will cater to an important segment of the population -- the sports buffs...

CARDWELL -- The Risco Tigers earned a road win in the Tri-County Conference on Friday night against the Southland Rebels, 64-62. Ricky Davis got the Tigers going in the first quarter with 13 points and Risco led 20-10 after a quarter of action. "Ricky got us going early in a place that is difficult to get a road win," said Risco head coach Brandon Blankenship. "We tried something different on the offensive end and the kids did a good job of executing tonight."...