Stories from Tuesday, January 17, 2012

scottw@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- Scott County's finances ended well in 2011 leaving county commissioners optimistic about the new year. The 2012 operating budget for Scott County was adopted by commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday...

DEXTER - Delmer R. Barks, 82, died Jan. 14, 2012, at the Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born Aug. 24, 1929, in Lowndes, son of the late David Ransom and Minnie Ann Hardesty Barks, he was raised in Wayne County and resided in Dexter since 1962. He began a teaching career at the Frye School, a one-room school house in Wayne County, and later was a teacher, coach and a principal for the Greenville Schools. ...

SIKESTON -- Ruby "Skeeter" Gordon, 93, died at 1:05 a.m. Jan. 12, 2012. Born May 31, 1918, in Center Ridge, Ark., to the late Edd and Dola Hogue Holloway, she was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ. Survivors include: one son, Shelby Gordon of Sikeston; one sister, Myrtle L. Edwards of Austin, Ark.; and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren...

DEXTER -- Red Cloud "R.C." Eagle, 71, died Jan. 15, 2012, at the Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 31, 1940, in Gideon, to the late Chief Ed White and Mary Josephine Pashegoba Eagle, he had lived in Dexter most of his life. He had been a sign painter and also did lettering and pin striping...

NEW MADRID -- Rosie Lee Guest, 87, died Jan. 11, 2012, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 7, 1924, in West Memphis, Ark., to the late Prince and Annie Freeman, she was a member of St. Mary's Baptist Church in Chatfield, Ark. In 1969, she married Otis Guest who preceded her in death...

CHAFFEE -- Charlotte Ann Surface, 67, died Jan. 15, 2012, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Feb. 12, 1944, in Detroit, to the late Monroe Henry and Naomi Regina Compas Lauck, she was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee, Daughters of St. ...

BENTON -- Hattie Slinkard, 89, died Jan. 16, 2012, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel of Benton.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Mary Lee Jones, 85, died Jan. 13, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with the DeLisle Funeral Home of Portageville.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Dennis "Todd" Dean, 49, died Jan. 14, 2012, at Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in Hayti. Born Dec. 31, 1962, in Hayti, to Sandra Kay Pullum Bordonaro of Portageville and the late Bobby Dean, he was a member of the First Baptist Church in Portageville...

SIKESTON -- Mrs. JoAnn Cravens passed peacefully to a better place on Monday, Jan. 16, 2012. JoAnn was born March 12, 1925, to John Willard Proffer and Willa Lois (Lessley) Proffer in her grandparents' home in Gravel Hill. Her early formative years and experiences were shaped by running that small Southeast Missouri community's fields and woods and being an ever mischievous presence in her grandfather's country store. ...

ROCKWOOD -- The Sikeston wrestling team saw several players put together good performances in the Rockwood Tournament on Saturday, as the Bulldogs placed seventh in the 11-team event. Senior Blake Angle won the event in the 120 pound division, defeating Nick Solter of Washington 9-1 in the championship...

sports@standard-democrat.com SCOTT CITY -- Taking advantage of a young Kelly squad that couldn't hit from the field, the Scott City Lady Rams bested the visiting Lady Hawks 59-30 on Monday night at Scott City High School. Led in scoring by Alicia Kern's 12 points, Scott City held Kelly's freshman and sophomore dominated roster to an 18 percent shooting average (11 of 61)...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHAFFEE -- Building a 26-point lead by half-time the second-seeded Scott City rolled to 78-39 win over seventh-seeded East Prairie on Monday in the opening round of the Scott-Mississippi Conference tournament. "When you get up in a game like that it's tough to remained focused," Rams head coach Mark Dannenmueller said. "But I thought our kids did a pretty good job of that...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHAFFEE -- Having beaten Kelly by 43-points just last week, third-seeded Chaffee looked to have drawn a easy matchup in opening up the Scott-Mississippi Conference tournament against the sixth-seeded Hawks on Monday. After going up by as many as 24-points late in the first half, however, the Red Devils found themselves facing a near upset before holding on for a 48-44 win...

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SIKESTON - "The dream is already here," the Rev. Kenneth Holloway said. "Grab onto the hope and make it a reality in your life." It was theme repeated by speaker after speaker at Monday's 26th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration. Some 200 people gathered Monday at the West End Baptist Church to honor and remember King...