Stories from Sunday, June 28, 2009

SIKESTON -- Ronald Price, 63, died June 26, 2009, at his home in Sikeston. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

DEXTER -- James Mike Williams, 65, died June 25, 2009, at his home near Dexter. Funeral arrangements are with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON -- Laurence Edward "Larry" Jones, 49, died June 25, 2009 at his home in Sikeston. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Hazel Marie Beccue, 87, formerly of Portageville, died June 25, 2009, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville is in charge of arrangements. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON -- Roger T. Craft, 67, of Sikeston, died at 7:30 a.m. June 26, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are under the direction of Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

yahoo.com SIKESTON -- The Union City Greyhounds came into town on Friday evening and quickly caged the Sikeston Bulls at VFW Memorial Stadium. Union City, who earlier in the season had dropped a few to the Bulls, managed to get out of town with 14 runs, holding their opponent to just two, 14-2...

SIKESTON-- Sikeston resident Morgan Fraser has been making waves for some time now, literally. Fraser, 16, has been swimming competitively almost all of her life and has become one of the most highly-touted swimmers in southeast Missouri in recent years...

SIKESTON -- Despite bearing two inches of ice atop their branches in January, the trees in Mike Leible's peach orchard have bounced back, and the peach harvest will begin any day now. Leible, co-owner of Dogwood Peach Orchard, said recently he is fielding questions from local residents about whether or not he would have peaches this summer after last winter's ice storm...

SIKESTON -- The structure of the local convention and visitors bureau is about to change, but those who use the office to plan trips or market what they offer to tourists shouldn't see any changes. As of Wednesday, the organization will officially become the Sikeston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Although the city of Miner will no longer be a part of the organization, not much will change for hotels, stores and restaurants there...

SIKESTON -- Each summer day begins the same. Veronica Mills and her two daughters, Alanna Mills, 21, and Raea Mills, 17, along with their friend, 19-year-old Brianna Johnson, arrive about 6:30 a.m. at Scott County Central Elementary where they prepare lunches to be delivered to nearly 500 children ages 0-18 at seven sites in the Sikeston area...

Fourth-generation farmers Ben Pearson (left) and Cullen Pearson, both 5, of Sikeston inspect the season's first reported cotton bloom Friday afternoon. The blooming began on a Pearson Farms' property south of Matthews.