Stories from Sunday, December 14, 2008

SIKESTON -- Elizabeth Gail Tongate and Richard Henley Montgomery IV were united in marriage during a 6:30 p.m. June 21, 2008, ceremony. The Rev. Geoff Posegate officiated. Parents of the couple are Dr. and Mrs. David Tongate and Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Montgomery III, all of Sikeston...

DEXTER -- Lauren Elizabeth Stuever and Jason Robert Mayer were united in marriage Sept. 27, 2008, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dexter. Parents of the couple are Jim and Angie Stuever and Rob and Nancy Mayer, all of Dexter. Grandparents of the bride are Jerry and Sue Cooper of Sikeston and the late Herman and Bernice Stuever. Grandparents of the bridegroom are Marilyn Tuley of Dexter and the late Everett Tuley and Marjean Mayer of Dexter and the late Richard Mayer...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Mr. and Mrs. Roger Crafton have announced the engagement of their daughter, Carey Allyson, to Daniel Ryan Crouthers, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Crouthers of Catron and Georgia Ivy of New Madrid. A 2003 graduate of Portageville High School and a 2008 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in education, the future bride is employed with the New Madrid County R-1 School District as an eighth grade resource teacher. ...

SIKESTON -- Betty Morrison was chosen as the July employee of the month at Sikeston Health Care. An employee there since July 2007, she is a certified nursing assistant and works in the laundry department. Her famous saying is "if you keep on working it will all come out in the wash."...

SIKESTON -- For many years, hearing loss has been considered either an occupational hazard or a natural occurrence of growing old. But as recent studies indicate, and local hearing experts confirm, hearing loss is becoming more and more prevalent in younger demographics, and many children are not getting the treatment they need...

SIKESTON -- The first time Tim Rodgers had food cooked on a Big Green Egg, he was hooked. "It was just delicious," said the local dealer. "I don't know how to describe it. It was just the best barbecue I'd ever had. " The Big Green Eggs are charcoal cookers used for smoking and grilling. Rodgers began his business, "Just Eggin," in October...

We were appalled by the comments of Bill Burlison concerning a sales tax increase. Of all taxes we pay, sales tax is the most fair. Every person then can stand with pride that though not at the top of the pay scale they are helping to make their community a better place to live. ...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs went down to their first defeat of the cage season, 52-27, at the hands of the Cape Girardeau Central Tigers Friday evening. CHARLESTON - Marian R. Waggener was elected president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce yesterday. He succeeds Morris Gaines. Other 1969 officers elected were: Art Walhausen Jr., first vice president; W. Clifton Banta, second vie president; and July Shelbey, secretary-treasurer...

Why all the uproar over Hot Rod Blagojevich? Do you think Blago is the first politician to expect something in return for granting a favor? If so, you're both naive and uninformed. Blagojevich did what politicians have been doing since the beginning of time. He had power over something of value and he expected something in return. And the truth is, most of the time this process is perfectly legal...

SIKESTON -- Christina and Jason Merritt are the parents of their second child, second son, born at 5:10 p.m. Nov. 7, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Tyler Christopher Merritt weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long...

MINER - Helen V. Martin, 86, died Dec. 12, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Roberta V. Tanner, 92, died Dec. 12, 2008, in Memphis. Visitation is scheduled from 11 a.m. Monday until time for services at 1 p.m. Monday at the DeLisle Funeral Home. Burial will follow in the Portageville Cemetery.

JACKSON -- Betty Ann Farrow, 79, passed away Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Since 1996, she had been a resident of various local nursing homes. She was born April 14, 1929, in St. Louis, to Joseph "Joe" W. and Charlotte Dahill Masterson. She attended Cape Central High School...

EAST PRAIRIE - Alene Baker, 84, died Dec. 12, 2008, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Shelby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

LAREDO, Texas -- Fred R. Golightly, 58, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., died Dec. 11, 2008, in Laredo. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

DEXTER -- Paul David Smith, 39, died Dec. 12, 2008, in the emergency room of the Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Sept. 1, 1969, to David Smith and Dannett Sue Joiner Cates of Dexter, he was the owner and operator of Computer Smarts in Dexter...

CHAFFEE - Kathleen Pearl Shelton, 75, died at 3:50 p.m. Dec. 11, 2008. Born June 27, 1933, at Crump to the late Spencer and Fugie May Wilkinson Reynolds, she was a homemaker and a member of the First Baptist Church at Whitewater. On Sept. 3, 1979, she married Otho Allen Shelton, who survives of the home...

SIKESTON - Everett William Hays Sr., 90, died at 9:50 a.m. Dec. 12, 2008, at his son's home in Sikeston. Born May 6, 1918, in Hartman, Ark., to the late James Washington and Edna Mae Brotherton Hays, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was employed in the propane gas industry for 40 years retiring from MFA Oil Company of Charleston. ...

SIKESTON -- Taking some simple precautions may make traveling a bit safer during wintry weather. "A lot of things are usually preventable," said Jason Hughes, manager of Plaza Tire in Sikeston. And with wintry weather in the forecast for this week, time is of the essence...

NEW MADRID - The death of a toddler is under investigation. New Madrid County Coroner Jim McSpadden was called to a residence in New Madrid at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday where he pronounced a 2-and-a-half year old child dead at the scene. McSpadden, who declined to give details, described the death as "unnatural."...

SIKESTON -- This year's Community Christmas Carol Sing-A-Long will be even more special than usual. The annual event has become a yuletide tradition since Harry Howard organized and directed the first Sing-A-Long in 2002 as a way to bring the community together to celebrate the season with music...

EAST PRAIRIE -- A Mississippi County high school has been ranked among America's top high schools by a national newsmagazine. East Prairie High School received a bronze medal in U.S. News & World Report's second annual list of America's Best High Schools posted Dec. 4...

SIKESTON -- The SEMO Conference tournament title is back in the hands of the Sikeston Bulldogs as they soundly defeated the New Madrid County Central Eagles 64-44 on Friday evening. The packed Sikeston Fieldhouse saw a battle on the floor, but from the opening tip the game was controlled by the Bulldogs...

EAST PRAIRIE -- On a very special night at East Prairie High School on Friday night, former Eagle standout Tony Jones was honored in front of his home crowd by having his No. 44 jersey retired. "It was a special night," East Prairie head coach Matt Schonoff said. ...

ORAN -- The Oran Eagles basketball team charged past the Scott City Rams in the second half of Friday's game to 40-37 victory in Oran. The young Eagles (2-3) found themselves outplayed by and trailing the Rams (2-2) 27-16 at halftime. However, the Eagles came out re-energized in the second half and began to battle back. Oran was finally able to even the score with 3:45 left in the game. That was the first time the game was tied since 6:00 left in the second quarter...

GIDEON -- The Scott County Central Braves (6-1) soundly defeated the Gideon Bulldogs 95-48 on Friday night at Gideon High School. The Braves outscored the Bulldogs 24-8 in the first quarter and never looked back. Scott Central held a 53-20 lead at halftime...