Stories from Friday, March 23, 2007

CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County's county road and bridge department is up to operating four motor graders from three and may be up to five once a new employee is done with some mowing, according to Jim Blumenberg, presiding county commissioner. One of the graders will soon be pulled from road work to mix asphalt, however, he said during Thursday's regular County Commission meeting...

Future Miss USA contestants Kaitlyn Hailey, 9; Jenny Keller, 10; Audrey Keller, 8 and Allissa Garner, 8, wave to passing cars in pageant dresses Friday morning on Northwest Street. The four queens are preparing for tonight's Miss USA pageant where Oran's Amber Seyer will be competing for the title...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs defeated the Perryville Lady Pirates in a shootout at the Cape Central Tournament on Thursday afternoon, 3-2. Sikeston (1-0) outscored Perryville 4-1 in the shootout to advance to the semifinals today against Cape Central at 5:45 p.m. The Lady Tigers devoured Farmington, 5-0. Marion, Ill. and St. Vincent will battle in the other semifinal at 7 p.m...

This is to the people of Sikeston and the surrounding area who use the city parks. Sikeston has a leash law. That means that your dog cannot run loose in the city limits. Some people seem to think that the law does not apply to the parks but it does and it is enforceable. ...

SIKESTON - William F. Sikes, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Sikes, was initiated into the Phi Delta Theta social fraternity of the University of Missouri. SIKESTON - Donald J. Paska, grocer, one of three men chosen as finalists for the postmastership of Sikeston, received the endorsement of the Scott County Democratic Central Committee, Tom Arnold, Benton committee chairman announced today...

CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County Commissioners will ask the county assessor to apologize for negative comments allegedly made about the county's geographic information system vendor. Commissioners reviewed a letter from John Teale, president of Midland GIS Solutions in Sunrise Beach, during their regular meeting Thursday...

SIKESTON -- Obviously the main focus is the children, but the 27th Annual Kenny Rogers Children's Center telethon will also provide plenty of entertainment and interests for all ages. Center Director Michelle Fayette estimated about 1,000 people will wander through the Sikeston Field House during the two-day event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Teresa Diane Cantrell, age 57, formerly of Sikeston, died surrounded by friends and family early morning on Thursday March 22, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Born Sept. 16, 1949, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Francis "Bud" Street and the late Margery Street, she was raised in Sikeston and moved to Cape Girardeau when she attended Southeast Missouri State University...

DEXTER -- Virginia Smothers, 75, died March 21, 2007, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 19, 1931, in Cleveland, Ark., daughter of the late William "Lonnie" and Katie Mae Montgomery Rhoades, she graduated from Bernie High School in 1949 and drove a school bus for 20 years for the Ferguson-Florissant school district and 15 years for the Dexter school district. She was a member of the Dexter Church of Christ...

ST. LOUIS - John James Sr., 75, formerly of Portageville, died March 17, 2007, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until noon Saturday at DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville. Graveside services will follow at 1 p.m. in the Portageville Cemetery...

SIKESTON - Gladys M. Carpenter, 82, died at 6:47 p.m., March 22, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Nunnelee Funeral Chapel of Sikeston.

MALDEN -- Charles King George, 82, died March 21, 2007, at Missouri Southern Healthcare at Dexter. Born Feb. 17, 1925, at Rombaur, son of the late Tillman Howard and Minnie Mae Stage George, he was a member of the Malden Church of Christ and the Disabled American Veterans. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served during World War II...

SIKESTON - Jerry M. Crowley, 69, died March 21, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born May 15, 1937, in Morehouse, son of Yutteve Treece Crowley of Sikeston and the late Ray Crowley, he was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, a member of First Baptist Church in Sikeston and had been a salesman for Jarvis Motor Company until ill health forced his retirement...

DELTA - Evelyn Rottenbuecher Selsor, 64, died at 4:25 p.m., March 21, 2007, at Monticello House in Jackson. Born Nov. 19, 1942, in Delta, to the late Oscar Lee and Stella Irene Chapman Keys, she was a retired machine operator from International Hat Factory in Oran and a member of the Order of the Eagles in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON -- Helen Beatrice Jaynes, 80, died at 11 p.m. March 22, 2007, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 12, 1927, in Kennett, daughter of the late Frank and Gladys Scott Jones, she moved to Sikeston from Parma in 1972. She was a member of the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and was a foster grandparent at Matthews Elementary School for 10 years. ...

MATTHEWS -- Harold Leon Shrum, 80, formerly of Mississippi County, died at 9:55 p.m. March 21, 2007, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews. Born July 21, 1926, in Blodgett, son of the late Harold Orlando and Ethel Moody Shrum, he lived most of his life in Mississippi and Scott counties. ...

March is American Red Cross Month and 2007 marks the 64th anniversary for the National Red Cross Month. In 1943 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first proclamation naming March as American Red Cross Month! The rest -as they say is history, and history lives on as years pass and seasons change...

NEW MADRID -- Sikeston traveled to the New Madrid Country Club for the opening match of the season with the Eagles and the Green Wave of Malden in a tri-meet event. Sikeston was not at full strength but sophomore Dakota Trevino was medalist for the event with a 5 over par 41...

EAST PRAIRIE -- The Charleston Bluejays baseball team gained their first win of the season on Thursday afternoon at East Prairie, 8-4. Charleston jumped on the Eagles early and led 7-0 after four innings of play. Bluejay starting pitcher Jamie Barber held East Prairie at bay through most of the contest. The Eagles rallied for four runs in the sixth and seventh innings, but it was too little too late...