Stories from Friday, December 14, 2007

BLOOMFIELD -- Gerald M. Bess, 84, died Dec. 13, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 1, 1923, at Advance, to the late Beauford and Lona White Bess, he had spent most of life in Bloomfield where he was a 50-year member and past master of Bloomfield Masonic Lodge No. ...

HIGGINSVILLE -- Johnny Marks, 54, died at 4:20 a.m. Dec. 12, 2007, at the Higginsville Rehab Center. Arrangements are incomplete at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- James Harold "Buddy" Edwards, 83, died Dec. 13, 2007, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON - Esther Lee Zook, 71, died Dec. 13, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born March 5, 1936, in Arkansas, to the late Floyd and Annie Brown Duncan, she was a housewife and member of the First Oneness Pentecostal Church of Morehouse...

PUXICO -- Pallbearers at services on Thursday at Watkins and Sons Chapel in Puxico for Alberta Alene Trout, 74, who died Dec. 10, 2007, were: Glen Green, Rusty Cureton, Cody Trout, Gary Tucker, Ronnie Hale and Eugene Trout.

BERTRAND -- Velma James, 88, died at 11:14 p.m. Dec. 3, 2007, at the Bertrand Retirement Home. Arrangements are incomplete at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services held today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Charles DeWayne Gaddis, 62, who died on Dec. 11, 2007, were: Shon McCanless, Paul Gaddis, Randy Stark, Chad Stark, Chris Meeker and Harold Fodge.

SIKESTON - Pallbearers for funeral services conducted on Thursday at the Ponder Funeral Home for Clarence Cantrell, 96, who died on Dec. 9, 2007, were: David Cooper, Ricky Cooper, Kenneth Cantrell Jr., Matthew Cantrell, Calder Ehrmann III and Jacob Ehrmann...

HOWARDVILLE -- Bernice Hill, 64, died Dec. 11, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Oct. 23, 1943, in Kewanee, to the late Cleo and Annie Mae Branch Hill, she was a member of the Life Changes Ministries in Lilbourn and of the Baptist belief...

Matt Deane portrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane during the First United Methodist Church Living Christmas Scenes. The Garden of Gethsemane is where Jesus and his disciples retreated to pray after the Last Supper, the night before he was crucified...

CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County officials are looking into bringing their insurance premiums down by raising the deductible -- this time on property insurance. During the regular County Commission meeting Thursday, County Clerk Junior DeLay advised commissioners of an option that would lower the county's annual premium by about $11,000 by switching companies and increasing the deductible from $2,500 to $5,000...

BENTON -- After much discussion, Scott County commissioners approved a bid for the county's health and life insurance. During their regular meeting on Thursday, commissioners decided to go with a plan provided by Principal Insurance Company, with the bid for health insurance awarded to Anderson Green Insurance in Sikeston for $48,916 a month...

Members of the Sikeston High School Choir, directed by Karen Kelley, perform Christmas songs at Thursday's monthly Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce meeting.

I'm calling to thank DAEOC and the Homeless Shelter. My family and I were homeless about six months ago, due to an economic decision and mistake of myself. They reached out to us. They didn't judge me but helped us. I have six children and it's hard to find housing. ...

SIKESTON - Although a copy of the official Aeronautics Board order granting approval to the Parks Air Transport Inc. for a St. Louis-Memphis route has not been received, service to Sikeston apparently was not approved in the order. Parks had no application before the CAB for service to Sikeston along with other cities between St. Louis and Memphis. No mention has been made of the application in statements by the CAB...

I was fulfilling one of my duties as the chaplain for the St. James, Missouri Police Department. It is a duty that I have performed more often that I would care to, but it is a duty that I carry out with all sincerity and respect. I represented our department at the funeral for Washington County Deputy Sheriff Michael G. Triplett...

DEXTER -- For the first half, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs made it a contest with the Dexter Lady Bearcats. But when Dexter turned up the defensive pressure Sikeston began turning the ball over and the Lady Bearcats took advantage, cruising to a 61-29 win...

PORTAGEVILLE - The Portageville Lady Bulldogs improved to 10-0 Thursday night after holding off the New Madrid County Central Lady Eagles 66-56. The Lady Bulldogs managed to use a great transition game in the first half, giving them a sizable lead at halftime, to outweigh a Lady Eagles second half comeback attempt...

DELTA -- The Charleston Lady Bluejays made a trip to Delta Thursday night, only to come up short against the Delta Lady Bobcats, 56-25. Although the Lady Jays were only behind by five points at the end of the first quarter, 17-12, Delta would go on to outscore them 39-13 in the remaining three quarters of play...

ORAN -- The South Pemiscot Lady Bulldogs visited the Oran Lady Eagles on Thursday night, where the home-town Lady Eagles won in double digits 60- 46. Oran started a little flat, as they trailed from the opening tip. But, with 4 minutes left to play in the second quarter they saw their first lead and never looked back. The Lady Eagles led by 11 at halftime, and 18 after the third quarter...

SIKESTON -- Three Sikeston-area cemeteries which once belonged to a company accused of fraud in the bereavement industry have a new owner. The agreement, announced Thursday by Attorney General Jay Nixon, will transfer assets of Mike Graham and Associates, including the Memorial Park and Garden of Memories Cemeteries in Sikeston and Forest Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Morley, to Birk Enterprises of Jackson...

Hughes SIKESTON - SkaTina Hughes is the parent of her fifth child, second daughter, born at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 6, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Aziyah Monet Hughes weighed 6 pounds, 6 ounces, and was 17.75 inches long. Grandparents are Teresa Hughes and Willis and Cheryl McGuire...