Stories from Thursday, August 21, 2008

SIKESTON -- Sarah Griffin-Stallings and Homer "Quad" Stallings IV are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 11:15 a.m. July 15, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Quinn Mary-Caroline Stallings weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 21.5 inches long...

BERNIE -- Troy L. Hartle Sr., 80, died Aug. 20, 2008, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.

CHARLESTON -- Lindell Glenn Estes, 85, died Aug. 20, 2008, at the Bertrand Nursing Center. Born March 11, 1923, at Scopus, to the late Jesse Lee and Inola Welker Estes, he had lived and farmed at Sand Hill Farm in Scott County for over 50 years. A U.S. Army veteran, he served during World War II in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre Campaign...

MINER -- Jannie Thurston, 75, died Aug. 19, 2008 at her home. Born June 9, 1933, in Luxora, Ark., daughter of the late Harvey and Maggie Mae (Manning) Parker Sr., she was of the Baptist belief and had worked as a licensed practical nurse for St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Annie Sue Mitchell, 65, died at 10:10 p.m. Aug. 20, 2008, in the Landmark Hospital at Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

ANNISTON -- Clara Fay Rhodes, 78, died at 10:16 p.m. Aug. 18, 2008, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born March 5, 1930, in Murray, Ky., to the late Fount Walker and Bertie May Duncan Walker Barnett, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County where she was a member of the Victory Baptist Church in East Prairie...

SIKESTON -- Fay Box, age 94, went to be with the Lord on Monday Aug. 18, 2008, at her residence in Sikeston. She was born on May 29, 1914, in Hagarville, Ark., to the late Earl Jeffrey and Criner Snow Netwon. She was a housewife and homemaker and had also worked for 17 years in the housekeeping department for Missouri Delta Medical Center. She attended the River of Life Worship Center in Sikeston and enjoyed gardening and working with flowers...

Aug. 21, 1948 SIKESTON - Sikeston students will return to school on Sept. 7, according to Superintendent Van Bibber. SIKESTON - Electa Shankler, daughter of Edna Shankler and granddaughter of Mrs. John O'Hara, returned to Sikeston last Friday after receiving her discharge in New York City from the Army Exchange Service...

We may have witnessed the greatest speakout of all-time on Tues 8/12. The author of National Debt Solution shouldn't be wasting his/her time in SEMO. Their knowledge and expertise would be better served in Washington DC. Okay, okay, enough b.s. I would like to make a few comments regarding your five points. ...

DEXTER -- Losing four out of six varsity players would definitely put any team in a rebuilding year situation for the upcoming season. But, for first year head coach Leanne Dooley and her Dexter High School girls tennis team's case, they have one half of the 2007 first place district doubles team and state qualifier Katelyn Heil returning to the squad as their leader on the court...

CHARLESTON -- Gaining experience will be the focus of the Charleston Lady Bluejays tennis team this year. Coach Seth Benton's squad is a young one. Losing five of the top six and seven of the top nine to graduation will mean a new look for the Lady Bluejays this season...

SIKESTON -- After capturing their first-ever district championship in 2007, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs tennis team has returned to the courts with hopes of defending their title. However, in order to repeat as champions in 2008, Sikeston will have lean on the shoulders of some unfamiliar faces as the Lady Bulldogs find themselves in on the verge of rebuilding...

NEW MADRID - A man charged in a 2007 shooting death has pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Richard R. "Ricky" Wilson entered his plea to an amended charge Wednesday before Circuit Judge Fred Copeland. Wilson is charged in the Sept. 7, 2007, fatal shooting of John P. Ervin. Ervin was shot and killed following what authorities then described as an "altercation" with Wilson...

SIKESTON -- Those involved with the Bootheel Regional Training Group since its beginning seven years ago have always known it is a valuable resource. And when funding was pulled last year, they proved that to the Missouri Legislature, too. "This customized training group was formed for larger employers to pool their money and their employees' time to more efficiently train their employees," said Missy Marshall, executive director of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce, of which the BRTG is a subgroup. ...

SIKESTON -- A recent donation will help Sikeston Habitat for Humanity with their second build. By holding their first international rally here in July, Trike Riders International had already helped the local economy, said Kathy Hux, chair of Sikeston Habitat for Humanity's public relations and development committee...

BENTON -- The high schoolers in the Kelly School District weren't the only students to benefit from the new high school building constructed a year ago. When the new high school opened a year ago, it freed up space to house a preschool program. Now 4-year-olds living in the Scott County district can prepare for kindergarten through the district's first preschool program...

BENTON -- A Sikeston man was sentenced Tuesday to prison before Judge David Dolan at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton. Robbie Madison, 30, of Sikeston as sentenced to serve 18 years on assault in the first degree and 18 years on armed criminal action. The sentences will run concurrent...