Stories from Thursday, August 30, 2007

You gotta give it to the Chinese. Those billion or so fine folk are now saying that the recall of millions upon millions of Chinese-made products is exposing a "protectionist agenda" by the United States. Guess what Beijing? You're right! We should have a protectionist agenda in this country. We should try every means possible to protect our citizens against anything and everything that can potentially bring harm. And if that's wrong, then the world is upside down...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Country Club recently released results of leagues played the week of Aug. 20. In the Ladies Golf Association, Mary Bain won the Championship flight with an 80. Doris Stepp claimed the A-flight with an 86, while Brenda Spence shot a 90 to win the B-flight and Glenda Bridges fired a 105 to take the C-flight...

ORAN -- If the effort of Oran High School pitcher Callie Kielhofner holds true to form, the Lady Eagles are going to be tough to beat in 2007. Kielhofner has been named The Standard Democrat's initial "Athlete of the Week" for the fall sports season based on her performance on the diamond for the week of Aug. 20-26...

CHAFFEE -- Jamie Lofton and Joseph Metz are the parents of their second child, second daughter, born at 3:59 a.m. July 20, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Ryleigh Michelle Metz weighed 6 pounds, 5 ounces, and was 19 inches long...

JEFFERSON CITY -- A state judge on Wednesday upheld Missouri's school funding method, rejecting claims by schools that it distributes money unfairly and inadequately. Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan ruled that the state constitution provides no guarantee of absolute ''equity, equality or adequacy in the dollars spent'' or in the facilities available from one school district to another...

EFFERSON CITY - City officals' dreams apparently came true Wednesday when Sikeston was named one of the Department of Economic Development's "DREAM" cities. The Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri Initiative is designed to help communities receive state assistance to ultimately improve the area's economy...

Return 2 Sunset committee members Liz Harrington, Erin Marks and Everlean Brown mark off vending areas Wednesday morning at Roberta Rowe Park. The committee is preparing the area for this weekends event.

SIKESTON -- Trampling through dusty fields of corn stalks and riding in combines is quite different than how U.S. Representative JoAnn Emerson usually spends her work days on Capitol Hill. But that's just what she did Wednesday afternoon at one of the stops on her annual farm tour...

SIKESTON -- Local high schools improved their ACT scores but did not pass the 2007 state or national averages. Missouri's average ACT score this year is 21.6, compared to the national average of 21.2, which increased this year by one-tenth of a point. The maximum possible score on the ACT is 36. The ACT is the most popular college-entry exam in Missouri and most other Midwestern states...

I'm calling in on the Programming is unacceptable that was in SpeakOut, apparently as a practicing homosexual that really don't need much practice anymore. They are referring here to homosexuals trying to change heterosexuals points of view. Well heterosexuals have been trying to change homosexuals point of view for years and years. ...

SIKESTON - Miss Mary Emma Allen, noted harpist, is to present special music at the Methodist Church Sunday morning. --- SIKESTON - The first bale of cotton reported received at a gin in this area was brought to the Base Line Gin south of Morley yesterday by Raymond Emerson...

SIKESTON - Basel Hessling, 91, died at 6:15 a.m. Aug. 29, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Blanchard Funeral Chapel for Brian Dale Farmer, 26, who died Aug. 27, 2007, will be: Thomas Miller, Timothy Doles, Matt Morrison, Danny Morrison, Branden Sides and Branston Keefer. Pete Goodman, plant manager of Brown Shoe Co., will officiate at services. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. today at the funeral home...

ORAN -- Ada Jean Wagoner was welcomed into heaven on Aug. 30, 2007. She passed away at the home of her daughter, Shirley Mason, at the age of 89. Born on Aug. 16, 1918, in Oran, Missouri, to Peter and Jewel Kappler, she married Charles Wagoner on June 12, 1935. He preceded her in death on Aug. 18, 1979...

DEXTER - Mary L. Johnson, 83, died Aug. 29, 2007, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Dexter.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Anna Ruth Countess, 85, formerly of Charleston, died at 8:15 p.m. Aug. 28, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 22, 1922, in East Prairie, to the late John and Gertrude Wright McCarty, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County where she worked at the Brown Shoe Company in Charleston and managed the former Ann's Restaurant in East Prairie. She was a member of St. James General Baptist Church in East Prairie...

DEXTER - John A. "Jay" Snyder, 44, died Aug. 28, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 17, 1963, in Birmingham, Ala., to Doris Patricia Boles Hoffmann and John B. Snyder of Dexter, he had lived most of his life in Dexter, where he worked many years at Arvin Automotive until his health forced his retirement. He had been a committee man with the U.A.W. and attended the Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter...

DEXTER -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs did something Wednesday afternoon that they hadn't done during the entire 2006 prep tennis season. By a 5-4 decision, Sikeston (1-3 overall) won a dual meet at Dexter, breaking a 20-match losing streak since the start of 2006...

SIKESTON -- The wait for the start of the 2007 MSHSAA football season is almost over. On Friday night, it's game time! That's when the Sikeston Bulldogs, with new varsity head coach Kent Gibbs, will debut at 7 p.m. in Week 1 on the brand-new gridiron at Caruthersville High School...