Stories from Wednesday, February 14, 2007

It's officially here. The worst day of the year: Valentine's Day or what I have dubbed "Fraud Day." All day long I walk around with that nauseous feeling, wanting to strangle everyone. It can't be said enough that Valentine's Day is the most ridiculous holiday of all time. I certainly don't need a day to tell my wife that I love her. As a matter of fact, I just told her that very thing last month and I didn't need a special day for it either...

SIKESTON - Doug and Heather Watson are the parents of their third child, second daughter, born at 2 p.m. Dec. 23, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Kennedy Morgan Watson weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Dennis and Rhonda Matney...

Dear Editor, I am a high school teacher and I wholeheartedly agree with your editorial "Improving education begins in the home." Many times students come to school sick, hungry, angry, inappropriately clothed and exhausted. Teachers have become parents to many of these students by providing coats, clothing, transportation, money, food or whatever else the students may need. Some teachers come to sporting events to support students whose parents refuse to take the time to show up...

Justice delayed is justice denied. That basic foundation of our legal system applies to the defendant but I think it should also apply to society. And no case more clearly reveals this premise than that of Kenneth Baumruk. It was 15 long years ago that Baumruk walked into a divorce hearing in St. ...

I would like to say thank you to the wonderful people in the ER that took care of my daughter, Jessica at Mo Delta, especially to Dr. Angelos and nurse Linda. Also a special thank you to Dr. Rankin for the surgery. Your kindness and generosity was much appreciated. God bless you...

SIKESTON - Sixty members of the American Legion, representing 34 posts in Southeast Missouri that are members of the 14th District Legion organization, attended a quarterly meeting held at 2:30 o'clock Sunday afternoon in the assembly room at Hotel Dunn in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Kent Gibbs, the head coach of Fredericktown the last 13 years, has been hired as Sikeston High School's new head football coach during the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education's regular meeting Tuesday afternoon. An official announcement of Gibbs' hiring was scheduled for today...

NEW MADRID -- The Sikeston Bulldogs captured their fifth straight victory, defeating SEMO Conference foe New Madrid County Central 66-47 on the Eagles' Senior Night. The Bulldogs improved to 15-8 on the season and 6-2 in the SEMO Conference. NMCC hung tough for a quarter, but Sikeston exploded for 28 points in the second quarter to take a 43-21 halftime lead...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Underdog Cape Central's strategy worked for one half, but the talented Charleston Bluejays took control in the second half. Charleston went on to defeat Cape Central 54-33 in a SEMO Conference matchup on Tuesday. The Bluejays (20-3, 8-1 in conference) had trouble breaking Cape Central's zone defense in the first half of action at Tiger Field House...

Nobody asked me but...after an exhaustive search that spanned the four corners of the Earth, Sikeston has found a head football coach to replace Jerry Dement who resigned in late November. It took a while, but that is to be expected when you are battling the Dallas Cowboys for a head coach. Seriously folks, congratulations to Kent Gibbs who will guide the Bulldogs next season...

SIKESTON -- A second assessment in support of the Committee for Educational Equality was approved by the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education during Tuesday's regular meeting. Since 2003, the R-6 district has been part of the lawsuit that challenges the state's funding formula on the argument it's inequitable and inadequate...

BENTON -- Scott County will help Consolidated Drainage District No. 2 improve drainage in the county. Scott County commissioners approved a bid from Thompson Culvert of Sikeston for the purchase of five 40-foot long 5-foot diameter pipes during their regular meeting Tuesday...

ESSEX -- The Bernie Mules improved to 11-9 on the season as Marcus Massey exploded for 29 points -- including 10 in the pivotal third period to propel Bernie to a 70-61 victory over Richland. Massey also scored nine of the Mules' 13 second-quarter points as he proved to be the difference in the contest...

MORLEY - The Scott County Central Braves defeated the Doniphan Dons at Ronnie Cookson Gymnasium on Tuesday night, 74-70. The Dons came into the game as the fifth ranked team in Class 3 and were riding a 12-game winning streak. The Braves ended the streak with quickness and solid play in the paint...

SIKESTON -- Eloise Marsh and Ed Green are living proof you're never too old to fall in love. On Jan. 20, the 81-year-olds tied the knot -- a pleasant surprise the twosome said they never expected. But the couple's matchmaker, Karen Raffety of Wyatt, wasn't surprised at all. She knew all along the couple were meant for each other...

MINER -- Miner's Board of Aldermen have a new area of liability to think about: the loss of personal data. Shad Old presented board members with information on identity theft and options his insurance company offers to mitigate the city's liability during the regular Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday...

MINER -- Space at the old water treatment plant will be converted to make room for Miner's accumulating records. The Miner Board of Aldermen approved the modifications to the building during their regular meeting Tuesday. Police Chief Roger Moore said his department needs additional space to store records that his department is required to keep for various lengths of time. "We're running out of room," he said...

ESSEX - Mary Elizabeth Petty, 71, died Feb. 12, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 7, 1936, at Frisco, to the late Hubert L. and Mildred Lillian Swinger, she was a member of the Broadwater Church of the Brethren, where she served as organist and treasurer for 40 years. ...

SIKESTON - Mary Carter Jones, 65, died Feb. 9, 2007, at her home. Born May 26, 1941, in Mark Tree, Ark., to the late John Wesley Manning and Pearl Williams, she had lived in Missouri since 1965 and was a member of West End Missionary Baptist Church where she served as an usher...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston for Dorris Roberts, 86, who died Feb. 12, 2007, will be: Nathan Holmes, Bill Holmes, Clay Harshbarger, Thad Harshbarger, Barry Chessor and Bob Barnes...

ST. CHARLES -Willie J. Carlson, 89, died Feb. 11, 2007, at the S. S. M. Medical Center in St. Charles. Born Sept. 19, 1917, at Bernie, she was the daughter of the late Walter S. and Lelia Ida Smith Howell. A chef, she was owner and operator of Billie's Cafe in Bellflower, Calif., and a member of Harvester First Baptist Church in Harvester...

BLOOMFIELD - Martha Elizabeth Cooper, 96, died Feb. 12, 2006, in the Golden Living Center at Bloomfield. Born March 10, 1910, in Stoddard County, to the late Ira and Bessie Crane Thompson, she was a lifelong resident of Stoddard County and a member of the St. Joe General Baptist Church in Idalia...

SIKESTON -- Louise James Dixon, 96, died Feb. 9, 2007, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born May 7, 1910, in Vicksburg, Miss., to the late Alex and Florence Scott James, she lived in Missouri for many years and was a member of St. John's Missionary Baptist Church...