Stories from Sunday, October 26, 2008

SIKESTON -- Bill and Geneva Jones celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary by reciting their vows during a ceremony Sept. 20 at Old Bethel Baptist Church. A cake and punch reception followed in the church fellowship hall. A family dinner hosted by the couple's sons, Kevin and Scotty Jones, was held at LaVilletta in Sikeston. Eighty family members and friends attended the dinner and celebration...

SIKESTON -- Laura Green and Jay Leible of Anderson and Green Insurance Agency in Sikeston recently attended a training session on property/casualty insurance hosted by Barton Mutual Group of Liberal. Attendees received continuing education hours awarded by the Missouri Department of Insurance. Training included instruction on new product offerings, service enhancements and company and industry trends. More than 350 independent agents attended one of the regional meetings throughout the state...

PERRYVILLE -- BBL Buildings & Components, Ltd., a 100 percent employee-owned company, recently broke ground for construction of their new office building which will be adjacent to their state-of-the-art Truss Plant which was constructed in 2004. BBL is known throughout the area as an industry leader in constructing quality Post-Frame Buildings, Roof Trusses and Custom Built Homes...

Several weeks ago, Historic Midtown Development Group members, Sikeston city officials and Downtown property owners got a glimpse at what Downtown Sikeston could look like in a couple of years. PGAV, an urban consulting firm out of St. Louis, gave a presentation with several different design ideas for American Legion Square and the area surrounding the Depot. ...

SIKESTON -- Six years ago, Madra Jones opened Elements Salon Spa & Boutique in Cape Girardeau. With the exclusive product lines and services most often found only in larger cities, her store became a huge success -- which opened her eyes to a new customer base and need for a place to "shop" for these coveted products outside of Cape Girardeau...

MATTHEWS -- Andrea Chadd is the parent of her third child, second daughter, born at 11:03 a.m. Sept. 22, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Brooklyn Taylor Chadd weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 18.5 inches long. Grandparents are Lisa and Barry Kyle...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for services conducted Friday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Walter D. Williams, 88, who died Oct. 21, 2008, were: Michael Williams, Michael Abbott, Gary Cooper, Steve Thompson, Tom Williams and Skyler Travis.

CHARLESTON -- Izayiah Tobiarion Kentrez Miller, infant son of Heather Nicole Miller and Tobias MyShawn Moore of Charleston, died Oct. 23, 2008, at the Children's Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Oct. 12, 2008, at Cape Girardeau. In addition to his parents, survivors include: maternal grandparents, Carla Humphrey Miller and Randy Miller of Charleston; maternal great-grandparents, Verla Humphrey and Della Divinny of Charleston and the Rev. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- James Benjamin "Buck" Williams, 84, died at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 23, 2008, at his home. Born Aug. 28, 1924, in Belgreen, Ala., to the late Dudley and Jennie LeMay Williams, he was a retired machinist for TWA and had lived in East Prairie for the last 16 years after moving from Franklin County, Ala., where he was a member of the James Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Belgreen...

HOWARDVILLE -- David Gates, 74, died Oct. 23, 2008, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston. Born June 26, 1936, in Vardeman, Miss., son of the late Dave and Eula Mae Ezell Gates, he had lived in Missouri since 1955 and retired from Noranda Aluminum after 32 years of service...

Sen. Barack Obama has said he wants to talk with Iran and others without preconditions once elected in order to start a rational dialogue with the soon-to-be nuclear nation. For now let's overlook Iran's stated goal of bringing the USA to her knees. Sen. Obama knows best with his extensive foreign experience. And so, if the polls are to be believed and Obama is elected, then it's off to Iran...

SIKESTON - Richard Michau Smith Jr., two-month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Michau Smith, was christened Sunday afternoon at the home of Mrs. David Blanton, a sister of Mrs. Smith. SIKESTON - Strong demand for absentee ballots in four Southeast Missouri counties indicates a heavy voter turnout at the polls in Tuesday's presidential election. In Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard counties, 968 civilian and 912 soldier ballots have been requested...

I read in the paper where Osama instead of Obama was printed on the absentee ballots in New York. Isn't that weird - or maybe it's a warning. America, wake up! Give McCain a chance to show his change and protect America. Listen Mike, I know you're prejudiced and I know you're a Republican. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- The East Prairie Eagles football team was able to hold on against the Tigers of Caruthersville to win 22-15 Friday night in East Prairie. The Eagles (6-3) came out strong in the first quarter, striking for touchdowns on their first two possessions with runs by Jordan Jarrett. The Tigers (2-7) also showed their ability to move the ball early on with 45-yard bomb from quarterback David Shaw to Jovon Hagerman...

ST. JOSEPH -- The Kelly Lady Hawks have returned to the state championship game on the softball diamond. A 3-1 victory over the Marion C. Early Lady Panthers on a chilly Friday morning at Heritage Park in St. Joseph has given the Lady Hawks a chance to add more hardware to the trophy case at Thomas W. Kelly High School...

SIKESTON -- Turnovers can win or lose football games. C.J. Council's fourth quarter interception did both. With the score tied at 28 and only three seconds remaining in regulation, the Poplar Bluff Mules (4-5) opted to line up on their own 25-yard line and take one last shot at a score instead of running out the clock and trying their luck in overtime...

BENTON -- A tip received by a deputy with the Scott County Sheriff's Department led to the recovery of several stolen items. On Friday, Dep. Jeremy Perrien followed up on information he received earlier in the day by investigating a Sikeston residence, according to a news release by Sheriff Rick Walter...

SIKESTON -- Residents wanting to see some fall color can find a little bit in the Sikeston area, but they may have to travel north to get the breathtaking views. Joe Garvey, forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation's Southeast region office, said leaves have been turning color on sumacs, gums, dogwoods, elms, maples and hickories...

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SIKESTON -- If Proposition A is approved by voters Nov. 4, Sikeston Public Schools could end up with just over $300,000 dollars more in their annual budget. The initiative would make several changes to laws pertaining to casinos with the major change being the removal of the $500 loss limit...