Stories from Sunday, May 6, 2007

To the person who parked the cotton trailer filled with empty jugs and with a political sign on the side of it. The election was over several months ago. Don't you think it is time to move this eyesore. We the people of Morehouse think so. We are tired of looking at it!...

SIKESTON - In high school notes, Jay Dowden and Graham Sadler have received certificates from the Scholastic magazine for their achievement with vocabulary work. MATTHEWS - Mrs. David Croom and Mrs. Frederick Mitchell have been appointed by WICS Inc. ...

At a pro-immigration rally in Los Angeles this week, police were ordered to remove the demonstrators from the streets and move them on the sidewalks and into a city park. The rally had been going on for hours without incident. But now the thousands who gathered had clogged a city street...

Keith Renfroe, owner/operator of The UPS Store, cuts the grand opening ribbon at the new location, 223 N. Main in the Shops at the Lake Crossing in Sikeston. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. ...

Anderson Green Insurance's Jeremy Anderson and Laura Green cut the grand opening ribbon at their office, located at 526 S. Main in Sikeston. The insurance company, which offers commercial, health, auto, home and life insurance, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...

HARRISBURG, Ark. -- Keith McDonald and Bill and Debra Mink have announced the engagement of their daughter, Latia Rachelle McDonald, to Stuart Moore Carraway, son of Joe and Tricia Carraway of Sikeston, Mo. A 2002 graduate of Weiner High School, the future bride graduated with a Bachelor of Science Education in mathematics in 2006 from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. ...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Darrell Byard and Leslie Byard, both of Memphis, have announced the engagement of their daughter, Melissa Ann Byard, to Jason Idleman, son of Lynn and T.J. Feeler of Sikeston, Mo., and the late John D. Idleman. A 2001 graduate of Cumberland University with a Master of Arts in education, the future bride is employed as a fifth and sixth grade special needs teacher at Treadwell Elementary School in Memphis...

DEXTER -- Vickie Sue Rice of Dexter and Richard Lynn Heuring of Kelso have announced their engagement. A 1988 graduate of Three Rivers Community College, the future bride is a laboratory technologist at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington. She is the daughter of Dorothy Phillips of Fisk and the late Paul Rice...

SIKESTON - Local businesses are invited to market their companies to area women as they spend the day learning ways to better health for themselves and their families during this year's free Multi-County Women's Conference Oct. 19. The conference will be from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the First United Methodist Church, 1307 N Main...

SIKESTON - After 10 years as a social worker, Tracy Cookson's feet led her down a new career path. Cookson became the owner of D.J.'s Shoes and Things last September. "I had known the original owner for a while," recalled Cookson, referring to the store's former owner Debbie Hurst. "When I found out she was selling I thought this would be a good investment and fun to do."...

The Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring our Spring 4- County Job Fair on Thursday, May 10 at the Clinton Building from noon to 6 p.m. All prospective employees are welcome to come and speak to area employers about career opportunities...

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. -- Alicia Lorraine Ellington and Roberto Balmieri were united in marriage April 19, 2007, during a morning ceremony at Sun Key Park in Clearwater Beach. Close family and friends attended the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ellington Jr. of Tampa. She is the granddaughter of Edna Riley Ellington of New Madrid, Mo., and the late John Girvin Ellington Jr. Parents of the bridegroom are Dr. and Mrs. Aldo Balmieri of Naples, Italy...

SIKESTON -- Upkeep of the Sikeston Field House takes place year-round, but in the coming weeks, the district's maintenance department will take on smaller projects to prepare for the biggest night in a high school student's life -- graduation. "We will check out the air conditioning units and do some touch-up painting," said Mike Brown, Sikeston R-6 director of building and grounds. "We'll be policing the grounds and making sure we've mowed well right before time of graduation...

SIKESTON -- Missouri public, private and home schooled students can begin on Monday applying online for the state's first "virtual classes." Set to begin the first week of August, the "virtual classes" will offer a wide array of courses for Missouri students in grades K-5 and 9-12...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Ponder Funeral Home for Charles R. "Dick" Sherrard, 69, who died May 3, 2007, will be uniformed officers of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Honorary pallbearers will be: Joe Sebourn, Thurman Burns, Gerald Rogers, Bill Smith, Tommy Richardson, Leon Culp, Jim Terrell, Ray Merrick, Arthur Bruce, Benny Thurston and Anderson Walker...

WILSON CITY - Betty Mae Harris, 60, died May 3, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born March 14, 1947, in Charleston, to Georgia Harris Smith of Charleston and the late A.D. Smith, she attended Charleston Public School and was a member of Church of Christ in Charleston...

SIKESTON -- After a one-year hiatus of no state qualifiers in golf, the Sikeston golf team got back on track this year with a pair that qualified at the Eagle Lake Golf Course in Farmington Tuesday. Not only did sophomore Dakota Trevino and junior Bill Green qualify, but Trevino ended the day as the Class 3, District 1 champion, Sikeston's first since Brandon DeWitt in the 2000 season...

SIKESTON -- High school football teams will have an easier shot at reaching the state playoffs starting in the 2008 season. A new football playoff format passed with a 169-91 vote by Missouri State High School Activities Association member schools on Thursday...

BLOOMFIELD - Charles Edward Clary, 68, died May 3, 2007, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born March 14, 1939, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Titus and Florence Allen Clary, he was a retired truck driver and a member of the Apostolic Church in Bloomfield...

SIKESTON - Betty Lou Launius, 80, died at 10:20 p.m., May 4, 2007, at Bertrand Retirement Home in Bertrand. Born Dec. 13, 1926, in New Madrid County, to the late Alonzo William and Elphia Marie Edmondson Collier, she was an elementary teacher at Morehouse in the 1940s, an administrative assistant with Himmelberger-Harrison for 35 years and a member of First United Methodist Church...

SIKESTON - Florence Imarene Moore, 92, died May 5, 2007, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

SPRINGFIELD - Wilma Louise Batts Burke, 90, formerly of Sikeston, completed her mortal journey after a long life of love and laughter at 10 a.m. May 4, 2007, in Springfield. She was born on Aug. 30, 1916, to John Amon and Barbara Ladd Batts. Wilma lived most of her life in Scott County until moving to Springfield in September 2000...

GRASSY - Huewliott Richard "H.R." Shaw, 78, passed away May 4, 2007, at his home near Grassy, Mo. He was born Aug. 18, 1928, in Wynne, Ark., the son of the Rev. R.E. and Nona Shaw. He and Betty Masters were married Dec. 18, 1998, at Bernie. He retired as a conductor from Frisco and Burlington Northern Railroad after working for 40 plus years. ...