Stories from Friday, July 6, 2007

SIKESTON -- Nate Taylor is the new AFC light heavyweight champion. While the temperatures inside the Sikeston National Guard Armory were high, nearly 600 fight fans endured the heat and were rewarded with a full night of hot mixed martial art action during the Absolute Fighting Challenge V "Total Conflict" Saturday June 30...

BENTON -- Scott County Commissioners hope those eligible to sign up for Public Water Supply District No. 4 take the 11 Salcedo households into consideration before saying no. "I just hate to see people pass on No. 4 here and then 10 years later wonder why they can't sign up for a reasonable rate," said Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger. "They need to take advantage of it and think real seriously about it."...

Walter Scott and Jeff Wilson, both employees of the Sikeston Public School District, construct modular playground equipment at the Fifth and Sixth Grade Center on Thursday afternoon. Starting this fall, the Fifth and Sixth Grade Center will be housed at the former Junior High School building on Twitty Drive...

CHARLESTON -- A farmer who lost part of a crop to a fire accidentally set by county workers will be reimbursed for every bushel under 30. Duke Presson, who lost 25 of 37 acres of beans planted on land he leases from the county to the fire, presented Mississippi County Commissioners with five-year crop yield averages from the Farm Service Agency during their regular meeting Thursday...

DEXTER - Norman R. Hann Sr., 72, died July 5, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Watkins and Sons Funeral Home of Dexter.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Imogine Burney, 83, died at 12:02 a.m. July 6, 2007, in East Prairie. Born June 9, 1924, in Paris, Tenn., daughter of the late Stanley B. and Ruthie L. Cook Thomas, she lived in Mississippi County most of her life, where she was a member of the Dorena Baptist Church...

MATTHEWS - Richard Glenn Landers, 63, died at 11:52 a.m. July 4, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 9, 1943, in Sikeston, to the late Raymond Cecil "Goob" and Emma West Landers, he graduated from Lilbourn High School in 1961 and served in the U.S. ...

MARSTON -- Andrew C. "Ralph" Wyatt Sr., 60, died June 27, 2007, at his home. Born June 27, 2007, in Mississippi, to the late Jessie and Lucille Wyatt, he worked at the Rice Mill and was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He married Rosetta Leach who survives of the home...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Sherry Lynn Duncan, 66, formerly of Dexter, died July 4, 2007, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. Born March 8, 1941, in Matthews, daughter of James Howard Rhoades of Poplar Bluff and the late Ruby Thelma Frazier Rhoades, she was formerly employed as a nurse's aid with Home Health Care and a member of the First Assembly of God Church, both in Dexter...

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Adron Udell Werneck, 89, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died July 5, 2007, at his home. He married Hazel McCormick who survives of the home. Other survivors include: one son, Adron Allen Werneck of Aventura; one daughter, Carol Carter of Blue Ridge, Ga.; one grandson, Michael Stephen Werneck of Fairfax, Va.; and one granddaughter, Lisa Hunter Werneck of Atlanta...

The WarChild Riding Group, motorcycle enthusiasts out of Chaffee held their Rebel Yell Rally on Paul Friga's farm outside of Oran on June 1 & 2. The event offered camping, food and product venders, motorcycle games and events, and live music by Slight Return on both nights...

NEW MADRID - Joan Duffy Cooper, 73, died July 3, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 8, 1934, in Chattanooga, Tenn., to the late Jim and Dixie Altman Duffy, she attended Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga and received an English degree from Sienna College in Memphis, Tenn. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Church in New Madrid...

HAVEN, Wis. -- Tom Dawson, a Sikeston native that now resides in Rutherford, N.C., is competing in the Senior Open Golf Championship in Haven, Wis. After a strong start to the day in which he was 1-under at one point, Dawson posted a double bogey on Hole 8 to begin his decline in Round 1 at Whistling Straits Golf Course on Thursday...

I've seen and counted 25-40 cars going in and out of a certain house in our neighborhood, and people walking back and forth in the driveway smoking dope and drinking. This goes on around the first of every month. I don't care what the grownups do, but when you see 13 to 17 year olds doing it like no one is going to do anything to them or the guy selling to them, it bothers me that police and sheriff's department knows about it, and not doing any thing about it. ...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Matthews entertained the employees of the Bank of Sikeston with a barbecue picnic at The Shack last Thursday evening. SIKESTON - Members of the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce went on record today at the Midtowner Restaurant to support the intentions of Sun Airliner Co. to extend passenger service to Sikeston...