Stories from Thursday, March 8, 2007

MOREHOUSE -- Pallbearers for services conducted on Wednesday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Morehouse for Maxine Harper, 77, who died on March 3, 2007, were: Jim Laminack, Mike Dillard, John Launius Jr., Noah Kennedy, Gerald Williams, Jackie Hayes and Roger Laminack...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Jerry Lee "Scrooge" Johnson, 60, died at 10:35 a.m. March 6, 2007, in the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born July 11, 1946, in Wyatt, son of the late Luther and Alma Marie Dyer Johnson, he lived all of his life in Mississippi County where he was a self-...

SIKESTON - S.A. "Snooks" Lockhart, 93, died March 7, 2007, at his home. Born Sept. 19, 1913, in the state of Oklahoma, son of the late Carl and Pauline Cross Puckett, he was a member of First Baptist Church in Sikeston. A veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during World War II, he was a line foreman for REA before retiring...

SIKESTON -- Evelyn Naomi Andrews, 61, died at 5:34 p.m. March 6, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born April 6, 1945, in Hayti, daughter of the late Calvin and Annie Flynn Bolan, she was a homemaker and of the Pentecostal belief. On April 25, 1965, she married William Andrews who preceded her in death on May 7, 1997...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Lindel Boyd Morris Sr., 72, died March 5, 2007, at Gulfport, Miss. Born Jan. 11, 1935, in New Madrid County, son of the late Ira Boyd and Mary Jannetta Morgan Morris, he lived most of his life in Mississippi County. He was a truck driver with Farm Products Co. since 1969 and was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Vietnam War...

DEXTER -- Patsy Doris Jennings, 70, died March 7, 2007, in the Missouri Southern Healthcare at Dexter. Born May 20, 1936, daughter of the late John Oliver and Eathel Ella Losh Wilson, she had worked before her retirement at Brown Shoe Company in Bernie and also at the Hat Factory in Dexter. She was a member of the White Oak Grove General Baptist Church of rural Bernie...

PITMAN, N.J. -- Clara Byrd Scott, 91, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died March 3, 2007, at the JFK Hospital in Washington Township. Born March 10, 1915, in East Prairie, daughter of the late Bird and Iva Allen Hubbard, she lived most of her life in East Prairie where she was a member of the Church of Christ and owned and operated Scott's Paint Store with her husband for many years...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Minnie Hillis, 99, March 7, 2007, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Born April 24, 1907, in Austin, Ky., she was a homemaker and a longtime resident of Butler County. A member of the First Christian Church since 1951, she lived and farmed in Broseley for 44 years. She then retired and moved to Poplar Bluff in 1976...

DEXTER -- Granville "Cate" Gregory, 62, died March 6, 2007, at his home in Dexter. Born Dec. 10, 1944, in Parma, son of Grady and Eva Jane Bell Gregory of Dexter, he became a patrolmen with the Dexter Police Department on Jan. 20, 1982, and retired as detective on Sept. ...

CHARLESTON -- Darrell Casey, 51, died March 6, 2007, at his home. Born Oct. 17, 1955, in East Prairie, son of Mary Genive Cave Ketchum of the home and the late Billy Casey, he lived in Mississippi County his entire life. Survivors in addition to his mother include: his stepfather, Charles Ketchum of the home; one brother, David Casey of Charleston; one sister and brother-in-...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services conducted Wednesday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston for Barbara Ann Carroll, 69, who died March 3, 2007, were: Billy Littleton, Chester Bell, Neal Ross, Vernon Smith, Billy Martin and Joe Karnes.

HOUSE SPRINGS - Charles D. Miederhoff, 65, died March 2, 2007, at his home. Born Jan. 16, 1942, in Benton, to the late Andy and Clara Buhs Miederhoff, he was a welder and had attended Morehouse High School. Survivors include: two sons and one daughter-in-law, Tim Miederhoff and Andy and Darlene Miederhoff, all of St. ...

The campaign for apology for slavery, without substance, is well-intentioned, but meaningless. Our nation and the American people have been apologizing for slavery for almost a century and a half. Hundreds of thousands of lives were sacrificed in the Civil War to free the slaves. That was an apology with substance...

BENTON -- Billy Clayton and Kevin Armstrong with Racetrack Promoters plan to reopen Auto Tire and Parts Racepark next month on Friday night, April 13. The Friday night weekly schedule includes Outlaw Sprintcars, Modifieds, Pure Streets and Crusiers with racing beginning at 7:30...

POPLAR BLUFF -- It was one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year, but in the end it was a lot of the same-old, same-old for Charleston in Wednesday's Class 3 sectional matchup with Malden. The Bluejays never trailed in the game, held off every Malden run, and eventually won the game going away in the fourth quarter, 80-59, in front of an overflow crowd at Poplar Bluff's Peters Gymnasium...

POPLAR BLUFF - The Kelly Lady Hawks basketball team upset the Doniphan Donettes in a Class 3 sectional game at Poplar Bluff on Wednesday night, 49-46. Kelly looked to exact some sectional play revenge on Doniphan, who defeated the Lady Hawks the last two seasons in the first round of the playoffs. The Donettes came into the contest ranked No. 4 in Class 3 and a raucous crowd greeted the two clubs at Peters Gymnasium...

I would like to make a comment about the article Honoring the oath. I agree that when you take an oath, you should stand by that oath. But, the comment about just sitting around after 20 years in the service and drawing a paycheck. This comment should not be directed to everyone who has served in the military. ...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Woods left Tuesday for Mission, Texas. SIKESTON - The deadline for candidate filing for the one Sikeston city council post for the April 4 election is noon Saturday, City Clerk John Vaughan said today. Any qualified resident of Sikeston may file...

It's that time of year when Sikeston and other communities try to address the issue of trash around residential property. Sikeston's code enforcement officers address this issue on a daily basis. Mayor Mike Marshall this week called for renewed vigilance toward eyesore violations and urged citizens here to adhere to city ordinances and remove trash and eyesores. And the city soon will begin their annual Spring Clean-Up campaign...

A farmer disks his field Wednesday morning south of Sikeston on Highway 61 and New Madrid County Road 806.

SIKESTON -- Testing for HIV infections and addressing risky behavior are among the tactics to be used to promote HIV/AIDS awareness during a conference set for Saturday in Sikeston. The Ahteel Corp. will present Rural HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign 2007 "Fighting Against HIV/AIDS: Get Educated!" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Lincoln-Glory Land Community Center, 229 Westgate St...

SIKESTON -- Springing clocks forward happens early this year. Daylight-saving time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, a change made official on Aug. 8, 2005, when President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Beginning this year, daylight-saving time in most of the United States will begin on the second Sunday in March and extend all the way until the first Sunday in November in an effort to conserve even more energy...

BENTON -- Former Scott County Sheriff Bill Ferrell has requested the court dismiss the grand jury's indictment against him. On Wednesday in the Scott County Circuit Court, Ferrell's attorney Jim Robison filed the motion calling for the dismissal stating Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd had a conflict of interest in the case...