Stories from Friday, December 26, 2008

SIKESTON -- Rutha Lawrence Wylie, 91, died Dec. 25, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 29, 1917, near Dallas in Fannon County, Texas, to the late Sam William and Minerva DeWitt Blackshear, she was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ...

PORTAGEVILLE -- James Alvin Vires, 68, died Dec. 24, 2008, at Portageville. Born Feb. 13, 1940, at Hornersville, to Zettie Vires of Chicago and the late John Roosevelt Vires, he was a construction worker, from which he retired. He then worked as a farmer...

PUXICO -- Pallbearers for services conducted on Tuesday at the Watkins and Sons Chapel for Russell Kelley, 86, who died on Dec. 19, 2008, were: Tim Martin, Kelley Henson, Karl Kelley, Ronnie Martin, Justin Henson and Leonard Kelley.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dorothy "Deanie" Woodard, 83, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Dec. 24, 2008, in the Arlington Memorial Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by the Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

MORLEY -- Elman William Gibbs, 87, died Dec. 25, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

BERNIE -- Wanda Adkins, 79, died Dec. 24, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital at Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.

KINGMAN, Ariz. -- John Thomas "Jack" Thornton, 33, died Dec. 23, 2008, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

SIKESTON -- Rose and Trenton Cain are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 12:57 p.m. Nov. 18, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Keira Bailey Cain weighed 6 pounds, 1 ounce and was 19.5 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Jimmy and Mary Lou Farmer of Sikeston...

Bloomfield Christmas Tournament Dexter-East Prairie loser v. Hayti-Puxico loser, 9 a.m. Twin Rivers-Malden loser v. Kennett-Van Buren loser, 10:30 a.m. Doniphan-Richland loser v. Portageville-Greenville loser, noon Bernie-East Carter loser v. Bloomfield-South Pemiscot loser, 2 p.m...

SIKESTON - In a rapid fire auction sale Sunday afternoon, 74 lots were sold to prospective home builders in the McCord addition east of Sikeston. Good prices were reported in the sale with a maximum of $260 being paid for the largest lot. BLOOMFIELD - Members of the Stoddard Grand Jury met this morning to choose a foreman and a 12th member. One of the members chosen by outgoing Sheriff Ed. Cockrell is physically unable to serve, Circuit Clerk Bill Bike said today...

CHARLESTON -- With the year ending soon along with the tenure of two county commissioners, there wasn't much business for the Mississippi County Commission Wednesday other than paying bills and signing paychecks. The commission's regular weekly meeting was held Wednesday instead of Thursday due to Christmas...

This is in regards to the Dec. 14 entry about falling gas prices. This person is obviously one of the Republicans that only seem to refer to the Democrat Congress being to blame for all Bush's mess-ups. Ronald Reagan was the greatest president in their eyes? Let's see, did he have a Democratic Congress? Yes, he did. ...

SIKESTON -- A small fire broke out in a Sikeston home on Christmas morning. The Sikeston Department of Public Safety was called to a fire at 405 Branum at 10:49 a.m. on Thursday. The blaze was caused by a plastic air mattress, which got too hot sitting near a floor furnace, according to Capt. John Martin of DPS...

SIKESTON -- It's all over the news: the plunging U.S. housing market. Earlier this week, data confirmed U.S. home sales for 2008 are expected to be the worst in a decade. And although Sikeston's real estate market is down a bit this year, it's not nearly what people are seeing on the news...

SIKESTON -- Those who decorate with real Christmas trees during the holiday season also have a valuable conservation asset that can have a positive impact well beyond the season. By recycling a real Christmas treat through the annual Ch­ristmas tree collection program, area residents can improve fish habitat in the city's lakes in the Recreation Complex and R.S. Matthews Park. It also benefits the Corps of Engineers' Lake Wappapello, and will ultimately improve the fishing in those lakes...