Stories from Thursday, February 22, 2007

The Missouri Legislature has their heart in the right place. Unfortunately, their head is in all-too familiar territory. Once again the Legislature is trying to address the issue of illegal immigrants. A new bill gained widespread approval this week that would bar employers from receiving state tax credits who "knowingly" hire illegal immigrants. ...

TALLAPOOSA -- A Tallapoosa man sustained fatal injuries in a single-vehicle accident Wednesday night in New Madrid County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 9:30 p.m. David F. Summerton, 39, was traveling northbound on Route B, two miles south of Tallapoosa, when he ran his vehicle off the right side of the road. The vehicle overturned and he was ejected from it...

Good morning! Mr. Editor, you might want to ask an American what they think of illegal immigration. There is no reason why the Mexicans shouldn't come across the border. The white Europeans raided this country and established the borders. Then got too lazy and brought black people in to work...

CLASS 4 Dexter Bearcats (12-14) Sikeston Bulldogs (16-8) CLASS 3 Charleston Bluejays (21-3) East Prairie Eagles (17-8) Kelly Hawks (8-12) NMCC Eagles (5-18) Portageville Bulldogs (16-8) CLASS 1 Bell City Cubs (21-4) _ Oran Eagles (13-11) _ Richland Rebels (10-12)...

SIKESTON - The seeds held in the girls semifinals of the Class 4, District 1 Tournament at the Sikeston Field House on Wednesday night. Both games were exciting, down-to-the-affairs that had the crowds on the edge of their seats. In the first semifinal game of the night, No. 1 seed Fredericktown Lady Cats had to battle back late in the fourth quarter to defeat the fourth seeded Perryville Lady Pirates, 46-44...

SIKESTON - Valerie Estes and Timothy Wasson are the parents of their first child, a son, born at 9:17 a.m. Dec. 18, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Ryder Lee Estes weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Nancy and Billy Estes...

HOWARDVILLE -- Theresa C. Polk, 64, died Feb. 20, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 3, 1942, in Marston, daughter of the late LeRoy and Lurlene Robinson, she was a member of the Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Marston...

BLOOMFIELD -- Dorthia Lee Rogers, 81, died Feb. 20, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 3, 1926, at Essex, daughter of the late James and Nora Tennyson Trotter, she was a member of the St. Joe General Baptist Church at Idalia. She had worked at Elder Manufacturing Co. and for many years she and her husband owned and operated Rogers Phillips 66 Station in Bloomfield...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for the funeral services conducted today at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter for Gladys Wilburn, 85, who died on Feb. 20, 2007, were: Scott Gaines, Greg Gaines, Kevin Kell, Larry Carwile, Logan Carwile and Jared Hueckel...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers for funeral services held at 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home, for Jackie Webster Towe, 66, who died Feb. 19, 2007, were: Gary Dewitt, Phil Dewitt, Harvey Hull, Shawn Towe, Jerome Towe and Wallace Hastings.

Volunteering at our local hospital has opened my eyes in many aspects. I've found such enjoyment working with the hospital employees and patient's visitors. I am 22 years old, and I have discovered that there is this unmentioned rule to be a certain age to volunteer. ...

SIKESTON -- Staff members and volunteers of Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium this week are settling into the organization's new home located at a mini mall strip in Portageville. CEO Cynthia Dean called the move into the 14,000-plus square-foot facility a wonderful opportunity for growth...

Stacey Russell, a fifth grade teacher at Scott County Central Elementary School, kisses a pig during an assembly Wednesday afternoon. Principal Tim Thompson challenged the students to read five books each for a total of 1,000 books and score an average of 80 percent on their reading tests from Jan. ...

SIKESTON - Don't blame 7-year-old Tyzeek Hill if he is a little jumpy about things that go bump in the night. After all, the last bump he heard in the middle of the night landed him in the hospital emergency room. That bump was a truck hitting his bedroom - twice...

SIKESTON - Earl Cook has announced that he has bought the Sanitary Barber Shop and will combine it with the Model Shop. The new Model Barber Shop is an eight-chair affair. DEXTER - The Dexter High School band, under the direction of Howard Jones, will present its winter concert at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the high school auditorium...