Stories from Monday, February 5, 2007

CHAFFEE - Heather and Melvin Thornton are the parents of twin sons born Dec. 14, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Zyrin Horton was born at 7:35 a.m., weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. Kyrin Horton was born at 7:37 a.m., weighed 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long...

POPLAR BLUFF - A former Middle School teacher, charged with two counts of statutory sodomy and two counts of statutory rape, will never again teach in a Missouri school as part of her terms of probation. Judge William C. Seay suspended the seven-year sentences imposed on each count faced by Susan Sharp and placed her on five years supervised probation Thursday in Butler County Circuit Court...

Portageville's Trey Mosby (left) defends against Malden's Robert Ison (42) in Saturday's Bootheel Conference Tournament final. Malden, the fifth-ranked team in Missouri's Class 3, remained undefeated with a 78-67 victory over Portageville for the varsity title. Portageville won the junior varsity championship with a win over Hayti...

The Jan. 24 editorial suggesting that Gov. Blunt should renew discussion on Right to Work as one of his first priorities and that it would level the playing field in attracting industry is a distorted fact. All the law does is allow workers to choose if they want to be a "dues paying" member and in turn financially weakens a Union when some employees refuse to pay dues. ...

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. -- Maryel Neal, 76, formerly of Morehouse, Mo., died Jan. 31, 2007, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Born May 24, 1930, at Royal Oaks, Mich., daughter of the late Forrest Willard and Elsie Hileman Sherrard, she lived in Morehouse most of her life before moving to Clarksville in 1981 to be near family. She worked as a licensed practical nurse and was a member of the First Baptist Church at Morehouse and the Rebecca Lodge of Sikeston, Mo...

DELTA -- Ruby J. Dykes, 86, died at 10:55 a.m. Feb. 3, 2007, at her home. Born Dec. 12, 1920, in Logan County, Ark., daughter of the late Dewey Lee and Nettie Brown Eskew, she was a homemaker and member of the Church of God of Prophecy at Delta. On Nov. 14, 1942, she married Ira B. Dykes who survives of the home...

DEXTER -- John Irvin, 53, died Feb. 2, 2007, in the Barnes-Jewish Hospital at St. Louis. Born Jan. 20, 1954, at Poplar Bluff, son of Betty Snider Irvin of Dexter and the late John T. Irvin, he was a farmer and a member of the Liberty Hill General Baptist Church at Aid...

WHITEWATER -- John Lee Kennedy, 78, died at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 2, 2007, at his home. Born April 5, 1928, in Perkins, son of the late Henry Lee and Rosa Lee Simmons Kennedy, he was a retired farmer, a member of the First Baptist Church in Delta and the VFW Post 3838 in Cape Girardeau and a U.S. Army veteran having served during World War II...

MOREHOUSE -- Bonnie Sue Keith, 60, died Feb. 3, 2007, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born March 16, 1946, in Gosnell, Ark., to the late Russell and Estell Manes McMinn, she was a homemaker and past president of the Lady Eagles Auxiliary 3319. She was of the Baptist faith...

NEW MADRID -- Casey Gates, 83, died Feb. 3, 2007, at the Golden Living Center. Born Jan. 7, 1924, in Mississippi, son of the late George Pink and Ollie Mae Gates, he lived most of his life in New Madrid. He was also preceded in death by three sons in addition to his parents...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers at the funeral services conducted Saturday at Watkins and Sons Chapel in Dexter for Alice C. Abbott, 95, who died Jan. 31, 2007, were: Dale Gillespie, Kyle Gillespie, Scott Perry, Franklin Allstun, Leon Allstun and Bill Kitchens...

SIKESTON -- Loise Mae Williams, 94, died Feb. 4, 2007, at the Miner Nursing Center. Born May 26, 1912, in Itawamba, Miss., daughter of the late Clifton Lonzo and Alabama Gileard Kent Moses, she was of the Baptist belief. On Jan. 29, 1934, she married William Lee Williams who preceded her in death on May 28, 1985...

SIKESTON -- Reginald Lee Dodd, 54, died at 2 p.m. Feb. 4, 2007, at his home. Born Sept. 19, 1952, in Sikeston, son of the late Max A. and Bobbie Casey Dodd, he was previously employed as a union laborer concrete finisher and was a member of the Sikeston Eagles 3319 and American Legion Post 114...

SHARON, Miss. -- Steven Albert Harmon, 51, died Jan. 26, 2007, at St. Dominic's Hospital in Jackson. Born Sept. 22, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., son of Fred and Thelma Harmon of Portageville, Mo., he was co-owner of Mitchell of Mississippi of Jackson, a food service broker and national sales manager of Harvest Select of Union, Ala. A member of Pinelak Baptist Church at Jackson, he was a graduate of Arkansas State University and a 1973 graduate of Portageville High School...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at funeral services conducted today for the Rev. Harold O. Norton, 70, who died Feb. 2, 2007, were: Blair Bohannon, Ross Bohannon, Jason McHaney, Justin Hurley, Adam Werts and Rick Werts. Honorary pallbearers were: Dr. William Cully Bryant, Dr. Jimmy Heath, Dr. Mike Chouinard, Dr. Linza Killion, Dr. John Leible and area Methodist Church ministers...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Mark L. Walker, 47, died Feb. 2, 2007, from injuries sustained in an accident. Born Nov. 14, 1959, in South Haven, Miss., he was the son of Mildred Walker of Jackson and the late William Walker. In addition to his mother, survivors include: four brothers, Terry Walker and Rick Walker of Lilbourn, Jack Walker of Lantana, Fla., and Rocky Walker of Risco; and two sisters, Sheila Marks of East Prairie and Lisa Greenwalt of Jackson...

BLOOMFIELD - Zenoba Smothers, 97, died Feb. 3, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 28, 1910, near Swinton, daughter of the late Linnie Ridge Hobbs and Logan A. Hobbs, she was a homemaker and an active member of the First General Baptist Church of Bloomfield, where she taught and worked in vacation Bible school. She had resided in Cape Girardeau for the past three years...

I thought sidewalks were supposed to be walked on, not vehicles parked on so people would have to walk around them, it's very dangerous. Especially for people 70 and 80 years old that are walking. It's great to be a Portageville Bulldog. It's great to be a Portageville Bulldog. ...

COMMERCE - C.D. Butler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Butler, will be ordained as a minister in the Baptist Church of Commerce. He will serve as its pastor. SIKESTON - Customer Appreciation Days, an annual promotion sponsored by the Sikeston Retail Merchants Association and the Chamber of Commerce, will be held Friday and Saturday...

Rory and Morgan Andrew Jaynes play in their driveway Sunday morning after waking up to nearly an inch of snow. There is another chance for snow Tuesday night.

Sikeston Public Works employees Ricky Skelton and Billy Hammon build a barrier for wood chips at Roberta Rowe Park. New modular playground equipment will be installed at the spot before the wood chips are put in place.

BENTON -- The consolidation of court clerks for Scott County is resulting in a more user-friendly court system for citizens and personnel. With Scott County's consolidation having gone into effect Jan. 1, the entire 33rd circuit is now on the same page, according to Scott T. Horman, associate judge for the Circuit Court Division 5...