Stories from Monday, May 7, 2007

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for the services held Saturday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter for Margaret Jean Pursell, 81, who died May 3, 2007, were: Danny Fraser, David Hartle, Roger Wooten, Kevin Pursell, John Pursell and Steve Cox.

CATRON -- Hershel Akridge, 89, died May 5, 2007, at his home in Catron. Born April 25, 1918, in Gideon, son of the late James and Lenor Presson, he was a farm laborer. In 1940, he married Kathren Tanner who preceded him in death. In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by five brothers, three sisters, one daughter, one grandson and one great-grandson...

SIKESTON - Florence Imarene Moore, 92, died May 5, 2007, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 3, 1914, in Holcomb, she was the daughter of the late Oscar and Flora Oakes Reagor. She attended the First Christian Church and was an active member of the C.W.F. She owned and operated Moore's Ace Hardware in Sikeston before retiring in 1977...

BLOOMFIELD - James Ernest McCollum, 68, died May 4, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 16, 1938, at Bloomfield, son of the late Ernest and Lois Black McCollum, he was a lifelong resident of Bloomfield. He was an owner/operator truck driver for over 40 years...

SIKESTON - Peggy J. Sadler, 71, died May 5, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Oct. 21, 1935, in East Prairie, daughter of the late Webb Kenneth and Roxie Lee Majors DeField, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church, where she sang in the Chancel Choir and was a member of the Lamplighter Sunday School Class and a member of various bridge clubs...

GRANT CITY - Robert Bruce "Bob" Rogers, 73, formerly of North Carolina, died at 6:30 p.m. May 5, 2007, at Clearview Nursing Center in Sikeston. Born Oct. 20, 1933, in Fair Bluff, N.C., to the late Ollie and Essie Strickland Rogers, he was a retired millwright. He was a member of Moose Lodge No. 828 in Chicago Heights and of the Baptist belief...

MOREHOUSE -- William "Bill" Arthur, 76, died May 5, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Sept. 23, 1930, in Parma, son of the late Charles William and Emma Douglas Arthur, he was a U.S. Army veteran having served during World War II. He had been a truck driver for Malone & Hyde before retiring and was of the Baptist belief...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Patricia A. "Patty" Long, 76, died May 4, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital In Cape Girardeau. Born July 26, 1930, in Schuyler, Neb., she was the daughter of the late Jess and Velma Gordon Spence. On Sept. 28, 1984, she married James R. Long who survives of the home...

NEW MADRID - Cleo Marie Gilmer, 90, died May 5, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 9, 1916, in Hackleburg, Ala., she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Millie Ann Holcombe Barnett. In October 1937, she married John W. "Jack" Gilmer, who preceded her in death on Oct. 3, 1963...

There's subjects that I've sat back and I've pondered on and now it's time for my opinion. George Bush is an idiot. This is another Viet Nam. For those of us who lost family members in Viet Nam, we see it. When it's all over and said and done, this will be another police action that the veterans will have to fight to get anything done. ...

SIKESTON - Joseph Leslie was re-elected to the Scott County Tuberculosis Association at a meeting held at the Circuit Court room of the courthouse in Benton Thursday morning. SIKESTON - A bid submitted by the Commerce Trust Co. of Kansas City, in association with five other firms, including the Bank of Sikeston, was accepted for the purchase of $1.35 million in school bonds to finance school building projects in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Missouri Delta Medical center now has a new, state-of-the-art CT imaging system from GE Healthcare. This new 64-slice CT Imaging System replaces the hospital's older four-slice CT system. "We are excited to be the first to offer this medical technology to our patient population," said Earl Sisk, vice president of professional services for MDMC...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Dr. Jerry Caulder, a Gideon native and Southeast Missouri State University alumnus who is often referred to as the "Father of Agricultural Biotechnology," will speak at commencement exercises at 2 p.m. May 12 in the Show Me Center at Southeast Missouri State University...

SIKESTON -- A man was arrested Sunday after leaving the scene of an accident. The incident occurred at approximately 2:17 a.m. when a driver lost control of a westbound vehicle on Malone and struck a fuel pump at Huck's Fuel and Food Store at the corner of East Malone and Main, according to Capt. John Martin of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

The Second Annual "Riverbend Car and Bike Show" brought 45 cars and 21 motorcycles to Main Street in New Madrid Saturday to compete for honors. Sponsored by the New Madrid County Lions Club, in addition to the show there were arts and crafts, games and live entertainment throughout the day...

Sikeston Department of Public Safety officers Lorya Knox and Shirley Porter fingerprint a girl during the Sikeston Masonic Lodge Missouri Child Identification Program Saturday afternoon at the Sikeston Junior High School. The free MoChip program provided parents with information to help identify their child in the case of a disappearance...

JACKSON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs led the SEMO Conference track and field meet until the final race of the day only to lose by one single point to Poplar Bluff. The Mules took first place in the 4 x 400 meter relay while Sikeston took third. Poplar Bluff finished with 74 points while Sikeston had 73. Cape Central followed up with 67.5 points for third place and Jackson had 62.5 points to finish fourth...