Stories from Wednesday, March 28, 2007

HARDIN, Ky. - Harold E. Clark, 72, died at 2:55 p.m. March 26, 2007, at Murray Calloway County Hospital. Born Aug. 27, 1934, to the late James E. and Beulah Killian Clark, he was a member of Hardin Baptist Church. He and his wife, Ramona, were married June 29, 1978, and she survives of the home...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Bertha M. Pierce, 102, formerly of Naylor, Clarkton and Sikeston, died March 26, 2007, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Born Dec. 23, 1904, at Naylor, to the late Zack Marvin and Viola Morton Jenkins, she had resided at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau since soon after its opening in 1980. ...

DEXTER -- Virginia Wilhite, 80, died March 27, 2007, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Aug. 3, 1926, at Bernie, daughter of the late Frank and Grace Crump Crain, she was a homemaker and of the Baptist belief. On Nov. 2, 1946, she married Clarence Wesley Wilhite who preceded her in death on Nov. 6, 2005...

SIKESTON -- Helen C. Matthews, 74, died March 27, 2007, after a brief illness. Born Feb. 3, 1933, in Charleston, to the late Ernest and Mae Cox Maynard, she was a housewife and homemaker. A member of Miner Baptist Church, she was active in many church functions...

SIKESTON - Lillas Heacox, 84, died March 27, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 20, 1922, in Essex, daughter of the late John and Lela Sylvia Mae Tucker Triplett, she was a member of the Nazarene Church, Rebekah Lodge, VFW Auxiliary, Henry Meldrum American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and the Election Board...

HERLONG, Calif. - Marion "Doug" Triplett, 46, died March 26, 2007, in Gasconade County, Mo. Born March 4, 1961 in Dexter, Mo., son of Shirley Lee Simmons Triplett of Grayridge, Mo., and the late Marion Norman Triplett, he graduated from Richland High School in 1979 and attended Three Rivers Community College for two years. ...

BLOOMFIELD - Wanda Williamson, 68, died March 27, 2007, in the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Dexter.

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at services set for 11 a.m. Thursday at Ponder Funeral Home for Oma Eva Wyman, 94, who died March 26, will be: Jesse Kirk, Mike Meyers, George St. Onge, Ray Cook, Dick Nelson and Howard Harper. Visitation is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home...

WILSON CITY -- Leonds "L.S." Lane Jr., 71, died March 25, 2007, at the Charleston Manor Skilled Nursing Facility. Born May 14, 1935, in Wyatt, son of the late Leonds and Millie Graham Lane, he was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Charleston and was a member of Sanders Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wyatt...

BENTON -- Scott County commissioners are surprised at the Sikeston City Council's decision to not support a countywide law enforcement sales tax. County officials discussed the Sikeston City Council's decision during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday...

SIKESTON - The S&K Products Co. will go out of business the first of the month and the building will be leased by the owners, William Seabaugh and Charles L. Kirk. SIKESTON - Richard Pinkerton, manager of the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce, left today for St. Joseph to confer on industrial procedures with Larry Cohick. Pinkerton said he would review the St. Joseph methods that apply to the Sikeston area...

I'm calling on behalf of all the stuff they are blaming the president for, high gas prices and such. I think it's totally ridiculous when they say it's all these Republicans. Well, Congress is run by Democrats now so people should wake up and get their politics right. ...

After reading several criticisms from opponents attacking the Senior Tax Justice Act, HB 444 I think it is necessary to make some clarifications. It's hard for me to understand how anyone could oppose a plan to bring needed tax relief to over 250,000 Missouri seniors...

For years I have been looking to find an activity that my wife and I both enjoy attending. I am a sports fan and, as most people know, most men and women can never really enjoy themselves when they are together at a sports event. Don't get me wrong. ...

SIKESTON - The Southeast Missouri Major Case Squad is investigating a homicide reported Tuesday evening outside a Sikeston business. At approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a 911 call reporting a subject who was shot outside of Cronies Bar, 1637 E. Malone St. Director of Public Safety Drew Juden said upon officers' arrival, a subject was found lying on the ground just east of the business...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Northbound Interstate-55 traffic is reopened at Cape Girardeau following a fiery crash Tuesday afternoon; however Exit 96 will remain closed until further notice. At about 1:20 p.m., a truck hauling diesel fuel overturned while traveling northbound on Interstate 55 and exploded into flames just before the William Street exit...

A farmer discs a field located off of Salcedo Road. Recent warm, dry weather enabled many area farmers to get into their fields and begin work for this year's harvest.

SIKESTON -- This week's warmer-than-average temperatures and tornadic activity earlier this month are definitely unusual but not enough to indicate a severe storm season this year, experts say. "Spring is our most active time for severe weather because that's the transitional time for weather patterns," David Humphrey, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston youth who was shot this weekend during a party at the Lincoln-Gloryland Community Center is reported to be recovering. At approximately 10:55 p.m. Friday the Sikeston Department of Public Safety responded to a report of a disturbance with weapons at the old Lincoln school...

I doubt there is a reader of this column whose life has not been touched by cancer. This insidious disease has baffled the medical community for decades and it remains deadly to this day. Granted, there have been substantial improvements in our diagnosis and care for cancer but yet, despite years of research, that magical cure remains illusive...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Dallas Tew was too much on the mound and Dustin LeGrand provided the punch at the plate Tuesday in an 8-3 win by the Kelly Hawks. Tew struck out 11, walked none and helped himself at the plate with two hits, an RBI and a pair of runs...

Nobody asked me but...the second annual girls basketball NAMB Awards are front and center. As with the boys, NAMBY's only go to those high school players or coaches that I personally saw perform. Menz, a 5-foot-7 guard, averaged 17 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals per game for Delta...

HILLSBORO -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs soccer team had an offensive explosion at Hillsboro on Tuesday night and blanked the Lady Hawks, 10-0. Junior Jordi Ferrell had a breakout game for the Lady Bulldogs with three goals and four assists. Freshman Emily Eaves continues to impress in the absence of sophomore Abbi Keefer, who continues to nurse a knee injury. Eaves had two goals and two assists for Sikeston...

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association released the 2006-2007 all-state basketball teams today. Many local players were chosen for their outstanding play this past season. In Class 4, Sikeston had two players make the all-state team for a second consecutive time. Sophomore Michael Porter made the first team, while senior Julian Beard made the second team...

SIKESTON -- In baseball, one hit is usually not enough to pull out a victory, but the Sikeston Bulldogs did just that on Tuesday afternoon as they collected just one hit, but somehow snuck out of VFW Stadium with a 4-3 win against Scott City. As it turned out, Sikeston was solid in every other aspect of the game, particularly on the bases to rally from a three-run deficit...