Stories from Sunday, August 3, 2008

POPLAR BLUFF -- University of Missouri Extension Telecenter has teamed up with Steve Halter to offer a program helping small business owners, office managers, and staff members more comfortable preparing, developing, and delivering presentations. The series will meet from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 4, 11 and 18 at the University of Missouri Extension Telecenter...

SIKESTON -- Rodeo is upon us and as the Sikeston and Miner areas get busy with visitors and increased traffic. The Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce will be busy selling rodeo T-shirts and merchandise and will be busy answering questions for our out of town guests...

POPLAR BLUFF -- Captain Lester D. Elder, director of the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Gaming Division, recently announced the following promotions: Corporal Freddie L. Butler Jr. was promoted to the rank of sergeant and will be designated unit supervisor of the Lady Luck Casino in Caruthersville...

Computer 21 LLC recently held the grand opening ribbon cutting for its Sikeston satellite location. The store, located at 303 S. Main in Sikeston, is an authorized dealer for Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, as well as Dell and custom PC sales. The location carries other phone and computer accessories and offers repair services on all model PCs, plus technical assistance with laser printers, VOIP phone systems, voicemail, Web site design, TiVo repairs and upgrades and building cabling. ...

SIKESTON -- Joseph and Helen Sander have announced the engagement of their son, Robert Daniel Sander, to June Aiyko Sands, daughter of Kay and Robert Dobson and the late James A. Sands. A 1994 graduate of Minot High School in Minot, N.D., the future bride will graduate from Devry University in March 2009. She is employed as a coordinator of finance and fulfillment services for USA Volleyball in Colorado Springs, Colo...

CHARLESTON -- Mr. and Mrs. Glenn C. Ault Jr. have announced the engagement of their daughter, Sayler Anne, to Kevin Christopher Fleming, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Fleming of Moberly. The future bride is a graduate of Mississippi State University and Vanderbilt University Law School. ...

SIKESTON -- Pat Reaves has announced the engagement of her son, Charles Matthew Reaves, to Kelly Rae Nickell, daughter of Eugene and Sandra Nickell of Smyrna, Tenn. Reaves is also the son of the late Charles Reaves. A 2000 graduate of LaVergne High School in LaVergne, Tenn., the future bride graduated in 2004 from Harding University in Searcy, Ark. She is an interior decorator for Contract Furniture Alliance in LaVergne...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Sam and Tammie Scholl have announced the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Erin Scholl, to Dr. Justin Heath Bain, son of Stuart and Sandra Bain of East Prairie. The future bride attended Southeast Missouri State University and is employed by Southeast Missouri Hospital...

SAN DIEGO -- Stephanie Lomax and Kayvan Ilkhanipour have announced their engagement. A 1990 graduate of Sikeston Senior High School, the future bride graduated in 1994 from Culver-Stockton College in Canton with a Bachelor of Science in music education and in 2008 from National University in San Diego with a Master of Science in educational administration. ...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Rebecca Low and Eric Matney were united in marriage during a 3:30 p.m. ceremony May 3, 2008, at Antioch Methodist Church in Springfield. The Rev. Kevin Cowley officiated. Parents of the couple are Johnny and Bonnie Low of West Plains and Dennis and Rhonda Matney of Poplar Bluff...

Aug. 3, 1948 SIKESTON - Carl Elam was elected commander of the Henry Meldrum Post No. 114 of the American Legion at a meeting of the post held last night at the Legion home. Aug. 3, 1968 SIKESTON - Voting in Sikeston before noon today's primary was lighter than the noon vote in the August 1964 primary. At noon today, 935 votes had been cast in Sikeston's eight precincts. In the 1964 primary, 1,076 votes had been cast by noon...

I'm sorry I have not added my voice with others across the state and endorsed Rep. Kenny Hulshof for the Republican nominee for governor of Missouri. I should have shared my views much earlier. But the truth is, I assumed Hulshof was such an outstanding leader and man of upstanding character, that my small voice would be drowned in the rush to support him...

Two-year-old Macy Danielle Burger, pictured with her grandparents Geri and Don Riley, caught her first big catfish in a family farm pond in New Hamburg on July 30. The catfish weighed eight pounds.

SIKESTON -- The SEMO South 13-year-old all-star team blazed through their opening round game of the Midwest Plains Babe Ruth Regional Baseball Tournament Friday afternoon, beating Fargo, North Dakota 13-3. Action first got started in the top of the third after a line shot by Brett Dirnberger gave Fargo an early 1-0 lead. And with the bases loaded with one out, the team from North Dakota looked to be heating up...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston 13-year-old All-Stars advanced to the winner's bracket of the Midwest Plains Regional by defeating Kansas (Ottawa) 13-3 in five innings on Friday evening. The game followed the opening ceremonies of the tournament, and as play began Sikeston looked as if they had their hands full from the beginning...

I totally agree with the editorial in the July 23 paper concerning media favoritism toward Obama. I ask you, in all honestly, count any newscast you watch on national television and see how many times his name is mentioned. By the same token, count how many times Senator McCain's name is mentioned. This will absolutely blow your mind...

COLUMBIA - A New Madrid man will serve the rest of his life in prison for the 2006 shooting death of a Sikeston man. After two days of testimony and several hours of deliberation, a Boone County jury convicted Vincent Keith Minner, 43, for the murder of 49-year-old Michael Terry of Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Vision screenings, child identification cards and school supplies are among the benefits for parents and children who attend local back-to-school fairs. On Friday Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corp. conducted its annual back-to-school resources fair for Scott County residents at the Sikeston Field House...

Tate Williams is the August Standard Democrat Calendar Girl. A finalist in the 2007 Miss Sikeston Contest, Williams is a 2008 graduate of Sikeston High School. The daughter of Marty and Kelly Williams, she plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University this fall...

SIKESTON -- Despite the hype and concerns that banks are in trouble, Sikeston bank officials say there is no reason for people to worry -- as long as their account is FDIC insured. "You see all these things in the media and it gets people talking and wondering," said Mike Pobst, community president at Alliance Bank. "And you can't blame them."...

BENTON -- Races for sheriff and county commission seats appear to be the contests to watch at the county level during the August primary election. In Scott County, incumbent Rick Walter is facing Bobby Sullivan in the race to be the Democrat's candidate for Scott County sheriff...

SIKESTON -- Even the soaring temperatures couldn't keep people away from welcoming a new business to town on Friday. More than 200 people representing area businesses, the city of Sikeston and Scott and New Madrid counties, plus state elected officials and those in the Department of Economic Development, turned out to witness the Orgill Inc. ...

SIKESTON -- Judith Marie Sullivan, 56, died at 11:55 a.m. Aug. 1, 2008, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 9, 1952, in Sikeston, daughter of the late Herrion L. "Perry" and Mildred Schweppe Allen, she was a hairdresser at the Accent on Hair and later at Ralph's and was a member of the Tanner Street Church of God...

ELSBERRY - Mary Belle Wilson, 76, died July 31, 2008, at her home. Born Feb. 26, 1932, in Portageville, daughter of the late Edgar Shirell and Nellie Thomas Jimerson, she was the owner and operator of Hap's Lounge in New Madrid for many years before retiring in 1996 then moving to the Elsberry area in 1999 to be near family...

CHAFFEE -- Vanda Ann Cannon, 65, died July 28, 2008, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Sept. 13, 1942, in DuQuoin, Ill., she was the daughter of the late Vandy and Hilda Sanders Byrd. Survivors include: two sons, Tim Cannon and Terry Cannon of Chaffee; one daughter, Debbie Jones of Chaffee; and five grandchildren...

RISCO -- Royce Wendell Fortner, 63, of rural Risco, went to be with his Lord on July 30, 2008, at his home. He was born Jan. 21, 1945, near Gideon, to Beulah Francoy (Robinson) Fortner of Risco and the late William Montrose Fortner. He courageously fought cancer for 11 months, never losing his spirit or faith...

Normally I try to make this column witty and sarcastic but today I am still saddened by the death of Standard Democrat photographer Tim Jaynes. Only 38, Tim leaves behind a wife, two small children along with many family and friends. If you haven't met Tim then you have just moved to the area or never leave your house. For 19 years Tim was everywhere, taking pictures of everyone and everything. He seemed to know everybody and everyone knew him...