Stories from Wednesday, August 27, 2008

EAST PRAIRIE -- Andrea and Charles LaPlant are the parents of their third child, third daughter, born at 9:51 a.m. July 18, 2008, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Charlise Olivia LaPlant weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long...

SIKESTON -- Betty Jean Holt Gary, 69, died Aug. 14, 2008, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born June 28, 1939, in Hughes, Ark., to the late Rev. Sylvester Holt and Flora Lee Knox Holt, she was a member of Smith Chapel United Methodist Church in Sikeston...

IDALIA -- Christine Baker, 86, died Aug. 26, 2008, at her home in Idalia. Born Feb. 1, 1922, in Vanduser, daughter of the late R. L. and Lottie Caroline Kenneday Towery, she was of the Church of Christ belief and a member of the Order of Eastern Star...

SIKESTON -- Virgil Ivan Jones Sr., 89, died Aug. 22, 2008, in Cape Girardeau. Born July 30, 1919, in Okokona, Ark., to the late William Ivan and Stella Robertson Jones, he was a farmer. A veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during World War II, he was a member of the Holly Grove Baptist Church in Cooter...

SIKESTON -- Pearlie Mae Beasley, 68, died at 1:20 p.m. Aug. 24, 2008, at her home. Born Feb. 10, 1940, in Lilbourn, to the late Albert and Druller Wallace Patterson Sr., she was a 1958 graduate of Gray Ridge School and a member of West End Missionary Baptist Church where she was a member of the choir...

As I have said before, you have to credit Missouri's junior Senator Claire McCaskill. There she was Monday night in front of millions touting the accomplishments and life struggles of Sen. Barack Obama on his road to the Democratic nomination for president. Not bad for a relatively new political force from a blue state...

I had a Mountain Ash in my yard that was about 10 years old. In the spring of 2006, it died and upon inspecting it, the tree was covered with perfectly round holes where some sort of beetle had bored into it. All of the branches that I could see were covered with the holes. We had to cut the tree and burn it. I wonder if this could be the same beetle that was found in that trap?...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Daily Standard celebrated its anniversary with today's issue. SIKESTON - A course for women drivers will be offered in the night adult program at Sikeston High School. SIKESTON - Stephen Huffstutler, manager of Santie Oil Co. in Sikeston, has been elected state chairman of the convention of the Missouri LPG Association. The committee is responsible for planning and coordinating seminars and exhibitions for the association's annual convention each summer...

I am tired. As a matter of fact, I'm worn out, not to mention in a little bit of withdrawal. Who wouldn't be though? After two weeks of the Olympics, I'm ready for a four-year rest. It was hard not to get hooked on the Olympics with the 3,600 hours of television coverage. I think the only channel I didn't see the Olympics on was Lifetime. Then again, that channel is blocked from my TV since all they want to show is movies about men beating women. Some woman's channel...

Columbia -- The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced the host site for 2008 State Championships for all four classes today. After weighing the proposals from Columbia , Springfield and St. Joseph , the MSHSAA Board of Directors voted unanimously via conference call to move the championship to St. Joseph for two years, followed by two years in Springfield...

Sikeston all-state soccer player Scott Droddy has been honored with a plaque at the Sikeston Sports Complex high school soccer field. Droddy holds the state record for most saves in a career with 1,455 saves.

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PERRYVILLE -- The Oran Lady Eagles started the season on a positive note Tuesday afternoon, defeating St. Vincent 14-0. Oran was held scoreless for the first three innings before breaking through for six runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Lady Eagles added three more in the fifth and five in the seventh...

CHAFFEE -- The Kelly Lady Hawks soundly defeated the Chaffee Lady Devils, 7-0, at Frisco Park in Chaffee Tuesday afternoon. The Lady Hawks combined sound hitting and near flawless pitching of Danielle Dock to overcome a talented Chaffee team. Leading the Lady Hawks in hitting was Londyn Backfisch who used her remarkable speed to record an inside the park home run in the top of the fourth inning. The junior finished 3-for-3 with one RBI and one stolen base...

Skunk. That's the word of the day according to Chris Pobst. He'll fill you in on the details if you bump into him at a game. It's been unbelievably awful hasn't it Pobst? Okay, I'll admit, that the rest of this week's column is being thrown together at the last minute. ...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs have had two consecutive one-run games to open their 2008 season. One was a loss on Monday and the other, a dramatic walk-off win against the Perryville Lady Pirates, 7-6, on Tuesday afternoon. It all started when Sikeston took a 4-2 lead into the seventh and final inning. Perryville took advantage of four Lady Bulldog errors in the top of the seventh to have four runs cross the plate. Sikeston now found themselves at the bottom looking up...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Mississippi County woman was sentenced Monday to prison on a felony drug charge before U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton Tammy K. Abernathy, 45, of Bertrand was sentenced to 70 months in prison on one felony count of possession of five grams or more methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Upon release from prison, Abernathy will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years...

BENTON -- Kelly High School freshmen and sophomores now have access to participate in a mentoring program that can earn them savings to attend a Missouri college. For the first time, the Benton high school will participate in the A+ Schools Program, which provides a financial incentive for students who complete a required number of unpaid tutoring or mentoring hours...

SIKESTON - To check out a book, you must be on the books. The Sikeston Public Library is again joining the American Library Association in Library Card Sign-up Month. Officially, the month begins Sept. 1 but the library staff is already checking out those checking out books to ensure their cards are up to date...

SIKESTON -- Following a dip in involvement in Cub Scouts over recent years, those involved with the organization devoted to 6 to 10-year-olds are giving more attention to recruitment this year. "The numbers are kind of low, but we're trying to do some recruiting for the area," said Shawn Evans, chairman for School Night to Join Scouting for Pack 41. The pack has a "School Night to Join Scouting" planned for 7 p.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Sikeston...

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