Stories from Tuesday, February 19, 2008

SIKESTON -- Gene and Monica Tidwell of Sikeston have announced the engagement of their son, Jimmy Ray Fowler Jr., to Peggy Sue Crider, daughter of Bonnie Vent of Canalou and Phillip Stephens of Broker Bow, Okla. The future bride is a graduate of Idabel, Okla., High School. Her fiance is a 2001 graduate of New Madrid County Central High School and is employed by Stewart Farms of Wappapello...

DEXTER -- A missing person's report was filed Monday for a Marble Hill man last seen Friday in Dexter. According to the Dexter Police Department incident summary, Terry Lee Marquis, 41, of Marble Hill was last seen about 11 a.m. Friday in Dexter and was driving a blue 1998 Ford F150 extended cab pickup truck with the Missouri license plate 884FJ9. The report was filed at 6:16 a.m. Monday...

Dear Editor, "Truckers for Kids," a non-profit organization has just completed their fifth year of making Christmas a little brighter for area children. Thanks to the generosity of our many contributors, we were able to contribute to 135 children this year, which was 27 more than last year...

PORTAGEVILLE -- It would be an understatement to say that the Portageville Lady Bulldogs' basketball team is gelling at the right time. The Lady Bulldogs are heading into district play Saturday on the heels of an seven-game win streak in which they have defeated their opponents by an average score of 37 points per game. Monday evening the point spread was 33, as the Lady Bulldogs defeated the visiting Kelly Lady Hawks by a final score of 61-28...

PUXICO - Pallbearers for services conducted Monday at the Watkins and Sons Chapel in Puxico for Oscar R. Pate, 82, who died on Feb. 15, 2008, were: Gary Wilfong, Donald Ray Wilfong, Bub Yates, Bob Braswell, Billy Clark and Randy Stephens.

SIKESTON - Harriet Hill, 91, died Feb. 14, 2008, at Sikeston Health Care. Born Sept. 17, 1916, in Tupelo, Miss., to the late William and Annie Ruff McKeller, she had lived in southeast Missouri since 1923, and was a longtime member of the New Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church near Essex...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers for services held Monday at Ponder Funeral Home for Andy Johnson, 71, who died on Feb. 14, 2008, were: Greg Bixler, Michael Bixler, Joe Paul Bixler, Jim Bob Bixler, Sam Oatsvall and Rodger Achter. The Rev. Billy Davis officiated...

DEXTER -- Zachary Charles Snyder, 23, died Feb. 14, 2008, in the emergency room at St. Francis Medical Center at Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 25, 1985, in Yuma, Ariz., son of Edith "Edie" Collins Snyder, who survives of Dexter. Other survivors include: one son, Ethan Charles Snyder of Cuba, Mo.; two daughters, Chloe Marie Snyder of Cuba and Makiah Morse of Sullivan; and one sister, Amanda Pryor of Cape Girardeau...

SULLIVAN -- Willette Dowdy, 82, formerly of Dexter, died Feb. 15, 2008, at the Meramec Nursing Center at Sullivan. Born Jan. 13, 1926, in Grayridge, to the late Walter Earl and Gladys Bradbury Tharp, she was a former proofreader for Fact Inc. in St. Louis...

DEXTER -- Gladys S. Cox, 95, died Feb. 15, 2008, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Jan. 20, 1913, at Roth, N.D., to the late Hans and Emma Olson Hanson, she had worked as a waitress and was a member of the Turtle Mountain Lutheran Church in Bottineau, N.D...

BLOOMFIELD -- Sarah Betty Perryman Cox, 89, died Feb. 16, 2008, in the emergency room at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Dec. 23, 1918, at Greene County, Ark., to the late Isaac Peter and Barbara Jane Trippt Perryman, she was a homemaker and a member of New Bethel General Baptist Church...

NEW MADRID -- A tragedy was narrowly avoided Monday when a New Madrid man was rescued from a grain bin. Employees of the New Madrid Grain company were loading grain trucks from Bobby LaValle's grain bin located on Bloomfield Road when the grain stopped moving...

SIKESTON -- Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety are investigating an incident that occurred on Ruth Street on Monday evening, which left two injured. According to the DPS incident report, at least three calls were received just before 10 p.m. regarding shots being fired near the 800 block of Ruth Street. When officers arrived to conduct a search of the area, no one was found. However, the street was closed and area hospitals were notified...

SIKESTON -- Although several schools and businesses were closed on Monday to observe President's Day, a few fourth graders at Scott County Central took some time out of their day to share their thoughts on the holiday. "I think that President's Day is special because we show respect for all the presidents," said Savannah Whitten. "They are people that lead our country and usually they are bright and good people -- that's why they got elected as president."...

SIKESTON - Mrs. Harold Ancell entertained this afternoon with a birthday party for her son, Charles Dover Ancell. Charles celebrated his first birthday. --- CHARLESTON - A daughter was born this morning at a Cairo, Ill., hospital to Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Walton Jr. of Charleston...

Here is what I have been predicting for about a month now. First that McCain would win the Republican nomination and that the Democratic nomination would be close and depend on the others dropping out and who they supported. If Clinton wins the nomination, then McCain will win the office. If Obama wins the nomination, he will win the office. I am a Republican, but I think I would give my vote to Obama. He has a lot of character and would make a good president...