Stories from Wednesday, February 21, 2007

CHARLESTON -- A first-half clinic propelled the Charleston Bluejays to victory over the Doniphan Dons. Charleston played near-flawless basketball on both ends of the court for a 47-30 halftime lead en route to an 83-65 win over Doniphan on Monday. "We played a very good game, defensively and offensively, against a very good team tonight," said Charleston coach Danny Farmer. "We won on the boards and with our inside game."...

Nobody asked me but...here are my predictions for the upcoming boys and girls district tournaments. Sikeston and Notre Dame will meet in the final of the boys Class 4, District 1 tournament on Friday night. This much anticipated matchup has two of the best players in the region meeting on the same floor in Sikeston's Michael Porter and Notre Dame's Ryan Willen...

KENNETT -- Instead of celebrating a huge senior night victory over a SEMO Conference foe, the Kennett Indians are left to wonder what could have been. Down by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, the Tribe rallied to force overtime before dropping a 53-49 decision to the New Madrid County Central Eagles Tuesday...

The Chinese New Year began Sunday and since one-fifth of the world population lives by the lunar calendar, perhaps we Westerners should pay attention. Surely a few billion people can't all be wrong. Thus we have now begun the Year of the Pig. Now that may silly to most of us but since observance of the Lunar New Year has been around much longer than our culture or civilization, it's time we pay attention...

EAST PRAIRIE - The East Prairie Eagles basketball team overcome a huge third quarter deficit at home on Tuesday night and defeated the Clarkton Reindeer 99-90 in overtime. It was senior night at East Prairie and two seniors stepped up in their last home game of their careers. Paris Tipler and Randy Woods had 31 points apiece to pace the scoring for the Eagles...

SIKESTON -- The boys Class 4, District 1 Tournament got underway on Tuesday night at the Sikeston Field House with two first-round games. In the first game, fifth-seeded Dexter pulled a mild upset of No. 4 seed Perryville, 55-50. In the second game, third-seeded Fredericktown held true, defeating pesky sixth seed Ste. Genevieve, 45-36...

For those of you that might have missed it, the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities is proposing an increase in water and sewer rates. With the increase, the average user can expect to see their bill go up $7.49 per month or just about $90 a year, according to BMU figures...

ORAN -- Pearl L. Roberts, 83, died Feb. 20, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 31, 1923, at Malden, to the late Arvil C. and Mary Ellen Gage Weaver, she worked for 16 years at the International Hat Co. in Oran. She was a member of the Oran Trinity United Methodist Church where she was a member of the choir, Sunshine Club and the United Methodist Women and served as treasurer for many years...

CHARLESTON - Gladys Greer Newman, 93, died at 12:40 a.m. Feb. 20, 2007, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born Aug. 31, 1913, at East Prairie, to the late Jim Ben and Delphia Murphy Greer, she was employed at St. Louis City Hospital after graduating from the St. ...

DEXTER -- Ida V. Cowan, 89, died Feb. 19, 2007, at the Cypress Point Health Care in Dexter. Born March 4, 1917, at Marmaduke, Ark., to the late William and Lura Kimmitt Rose, she was a housewife and member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Dexter...

BERNIE -- Glenda Joann Gregg, 72, died Feb. 19, 2007, at her home. Born Nov. 2, 1934 at Pocahontas, Ark., daughter of the late Lloyd and Nancy Iona Reed Lemmons, she was a retired school teacher and had taught at Bernie Public Schools for 23 years. She had also taught at Dudley, Vanduser, Sikeston and one year in Imperial Beach, Calif., for a total of 31 years. ...

DEXTER - Gladys Wilburn, 85, died Feb. 20, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born March 6, 1921, in Dexter, daughter of the late Bertha Graves Clark, she lived all her life in Dexter where she was a member of the First General Baptist Church. She had worked at the La Hub Cafe, Elders Manufacturing Co. and the Hat Factory...

DEXTER - Mary Christina Sitton, 97, died Feb. 19, 2007, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center. Born Dec. 19, 1909, in Bollinger County to the late William A. And Lorena Myers Shell, she was a homemaker. A member of the American Legion Auxiliary, she was also a member of the Golden Age Quilters Club and active with the Dexter Senior Citizens Center...

CHARLESTON -- Stanley Louis Nelson, 78, died at 3 a.m. Feb. 19, 2007, at his home in Charleston. Born Dec. 31, 1928, in Racine, Wis., son of the late Alfred Peter and Jane Kirsten Nelson, he graduated from high school in St. Joseph, Mich., and began working with Whirlpool in 1949. ...

JACKSON - Katherine Margaret Millham, 91, died Feb. 18, 2007 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 13, 1915, in Skamokawa, Wash., daughter of the late John Daniel and Katherine Kinsfather Patterson, she was a preschool teacher and worked for J.C. ...

PUXICO -- Pallbearers for the services conducted on Tuesday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico for Roy E. Rodgers, 58, who died Feb. 16, 2007, were: Mike Morrow, Howie Nast, Ralph Walker, Mike O'Neill, Jimmy Frame and Curtis Glastetter. Honorary pallbearers were Matthew Rodgers and Kelbie Rodgers...

KEVIL, Ky. -- Louise Foley Barnett, 93, died at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 19, 2007, at Western Baptist Hospital in Paducah. The daughter of the late Louie and Annie Raney Duncan, she had been employed by Magnavox in Paducah and also worked at The Ora-Francis Shop in Grahamville. She was a member of Newton Creek Baptist Church...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A Pemiscot County woman has pled guilty on felony drug charges. Tammie Kennedy, 41, of Steele, entered a plea of guilty to one felony count of unlawful possession of pseudoephedrine in a court appearance Tuesday before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber...

BENTON -- If you've ever wanted to be a 911 dispatcher, now's your chance. Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday that the county has been advertising in local newspapers for dispatchers for the Scott County Communications Center...

SIKESTON -- Knowing who to call for road repairs and which roads their tax dollars go toward is a source of confusion for many area residents, according to county officials. Dennis Ziegenhorn, Scott County's first district associate county commissioner, said there are two other taxing entities for roads in unincorporated Scott County besides the county: the Illmo Special Road District near Scott City and the Sikeston Special Road District near Sikeston but outside the city limits...

SIKESTON - A Cape Girardeau man is facing felony stealing charges in Scott County with the possibility of additional charges filed by at least three other law enforcement agencies. James Barnhill, 30, is currently being held in the Scott County Jail under $25,000 bond. ...

CHARLESTON - A new city manager was named Tuesday for the city of Charleston. Daniel M. Gruen was announced as the new city manager for Charleston to replace retiring City Manager David Brewer. Brewer has served Charleston for the last 10 years as city manager...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Russell Smith moved into a new house on 526 W. Kathleen last week. The house was recently occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Glen Joyner. BENTON - Elbert Wade, who for the past 14 months has served as director of Manpower in Mississippi County, has been appointed county youth agent for Scott and Mississippi counties...

Borders, language, culture. You can't go wrong. I was wanting a special report about all the health problems, people been getting sick all the time in our eating establishments. I wish these health inspectors would get off their duffs and start checking some of these facilities...