Stories from Thursday, December 6, 2007

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Steele man was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms. James P. Dalton, 40, was sentenced to 94 months in prison on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm in a court appearance Monday in U.S. District Court before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey...

CHARLESTON -- Those looking for some bargains and holiday fun should find it during this weekend's Charleston Christmas Celebration. Festivities will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday with a Christmas parade traveling down Main Street. This year's theme is "Songs of Christmas."...

SIKESTON -- Total assessed valuations for 2007 in area counties are showing normal growth for the most part. This year was a reassessment year for all real estate property, according to Ronnie Simmons, New Madrid County assessor. "Your odd number years are your reassessment years," he explained...

This is a great-grandmother who is looking for Santa Claus to come and visit her dinner party for her great-grandchildren who are ages 1-11. Have Santa Claus contact me if he has the time at 472-3832. And Merry Christmas to all. This is in response to Monday, Nov. ...

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee Lady Devils Invitational rolled on Wednesday night, as Oran, Chaffee and Kelly each came away with victories. In game one, No. 6 seed Oran took care of business against No. 3 seed Scott Central, 58-56. "We played good," Oran head coach Adam Friga said. "Our young kids and our older kids played well together tonight. It was a total team effort."...

SIKESTON - Miss Ruth Tidwell will be crowned as the 1947 Sikeston High School football queen at the annual football banquet tonight at the Country Club. SIKESTON - Construction began today on the new multiple-use 5,000-seat field house to be located on the Sikeston High School campus between Gladys Street and the band shell. Total cost of the structure, including the cost of bleachers to seat 4,500-5,000 persons and a Tartan floor covering is $768,553...

DEXTER - Rickey Harold Cochran, 43, died at 3:07 a.m. Dec. 4, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 14, 1964, in Sikeston, to the late Jimmie Harold Cochran and Nancy Lou Cochran of Marble Hill, he was employed with Cargill Grain Co...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Esther Henry, 94, died Dec. 5, 2007, at her home. Born June 21, 1913, in Mississippi County, to the late Orb and Maude Ferrell Forrester, she lived all of her life in Mississippi County and was a member of the First Baptist Church in East Prairie...

SIKESTON - Clyde Alexander Davidson, 75, died Dec. 5, 2007, at Miner Nursing Center in Sikeston. Born Sept. 22, 1932, in Oakland, Tenn., son of the late Odis Alexander and Lizzie Everlyn Stines Davidson, he worked for Bridger Construction and Trailer Express before retiring...

MALDEN -- Martha M. Ragsdale, 90, died Dec. 5, 2007, at the Golden Living Center. Born Jan. 18, 1917, near Marmaduke, Ark., in 1949 she moved to southeast Missouri where she had lived in the Bernie and Dexter areas. She had worked in the processing department with the Swift and Hudson Poultry Plant in Dexter and was of the Methodist belief...

BLOOMFIELD -- Jerry A. Dodson, 72, died Dec. 4, 2007, at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield. Born March 11, 1935, in New Madrid County, son of the late Homer A. and Bessie Alice Wilburn Dodson, he has lived in the Parma and Essex areas most of his life. A retired farm laborer, he was of the Baptist belief...

ADVANCE -- Jessica Dawn Cato, 23, was born May 28, 1984, in Sikeston, daughter of Don L. Cato and Pamela Comstock, and passed away December 4, 2007, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis from injuries sustained in a car accident. Jessica was the activity director at Heartland Care and Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau. She was also a 2002 graduate of Advance High School...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central linebacker L.T. Sutton was named a first-team member of the Missouri Class 3 All-State Football team selected by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. "I can't say enough about him, how he's been for me this year as much as I can say how he's been for me the last four years," NMCC head coach Arlen Pixley said. ...

SIKESTON -- In game two of the SEMO Conference Tournament Wednesday night, the New Madrid County Central Eagles were able to win the turnover battle to edge out the Dexter Bearcats, 51-44. Most of the night was a defensive struggle between the two teams. Both Dexter and NMCC had trouble moving the ball without committing a turnover...

Every year, the United Nations publishes a list of the "most desirable" places to live. And this year, Iceland topped Norway for the top spot. Norway had headed the list for the past six years. The United States? A solid 12th place, down from 8th on the list last year...

Hopkins CAPE GIRARDEAU - Lauren Owens and Clinton Hopkins are the parents of their fourth child, second daughter, born at 2:15 p.m. Oct. 28, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. San'Niah Shanee Hopkins weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces and was 18 inches long...