Stories from Friday, August 17, 2018

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Friday that current Director of the Department of Public Safety Drew Juden will step down on Aug. 31. Parson said Col. Sandra K. Karsten will serve as the acting Director of Public Safety during the transition while also continuing her role as superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

On Tuesday afternoon, Barry Bean of the Missouri Farm Bureau State Board of Directors presents to Don Rone, far right, with the Friend of Agriculture award for his tireless work the last two years in Missouri’s Legislature for farm families and rural communities. Rone is the state representative of the 149th district...

I am calling about the golf carts and four wheelers and stuff in East Prairie. There’s supposed to be license on them and a flag and a small moving vehicle. They got golf carts and stuff riding around town and they do not have them, plus they got underage drivers that don’t have license driving them. Why aren’t the police doing something about it? They just overlook it like nothing is going on. They can even see one coming that doesn’t have the right stuff on it. Why is it that certain people get stopped and others don’t? If it’s one law it ought to be for everybody and not just certain ones.

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Don J. Mullins, 39, died Aug. 16, 2018, at his home.  Born Aug. 18, 1978, in Sikeston, son of Don William and Joyce Ann Tosh Mullins of East Prairie, he was employed by a family-owned restaurant, Primetime Pizza. A minister, he was also a member of the Christian United Brotherhood Church in Wyatt...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Kenneth Rodgers Cope, longtime resident of New Madrid, passed away peacefully in his sleep Aug. 16, 2018, at the age of 75. He was born Nov. 4, 1942, in Rison, Ark., son of the late Claude and Cloma Cope. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Bobby John and Boyce; and one sister Annie Bell Locke. ...

O’FALLON, Mo. — Bobby Lawrence Smith, 88, died Aug. 16, 2018. He was the son of the late Lawrence E. and Myrtle Smith. His wife, Velma Estelle Smith, preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his siblings, Pansy McNees, Irma Wilson, Lillie Hughes, Janet Parker, Regina Yates, Don Smith and Katie Smith...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The new class and district assignments for fall sports have been announced by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. While locally most of the districts remain similar to 2017, there are some changes in 2018, most notably New Madrid County Central dropping from Class 3 to Class 2. The Eagles were slotted into Class 2, District 1, joining Caruthersville, Charleston, East Prairie, Jefferson (Festus), Kelly, Malden and St. Pius X...

SIKESTON — The 66th Annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo may be over but the Sikeston Jaycees are still celebrating the success of the 2018 event. Thursday was the best performing Thursday night since 2015 and while Friday came within a few tickets of selling out, Saturday night was a sell out...

Discount Cigarettes and Beer thanked their loyal customers with a Customer Appreciation Day on Aug. 10. Store manager Matt Garner grilled hot dogs and visors and can coolies were given away as well. Live music was provided by Alex Beaird of the Alex Beaird Band...

Rodeo Clown Rick Young visits with Delta South residents Dorothy Pennington (left) and Diane Hall. Delta South Nursing Home and Rehabilitation in Sikeston organized several daily activities and visits from the rodeo clowns and queens during Stampede/Rodeo Week. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Saint Francis Medical Center has added an intensivist department with physicians, Israel Villanueva, Jr., MD, MBA, FCCP, CHCQM, and Joseph Fugaro, MD, FCCP. “We are excited to offer patients in our Intensive Care units another layer of care with the addition of Dr. Villanueva and Dr. Fugaro,” said Dr. Thomas Diemer, MD, chief medical officer. “Adding the Intensivist Department allows us to give more specialized care to our patients and their families.”...

Nakoma Beggs gives her mother, Shannon, a final kiss goodbye as her New Madrid Elementary Kindergarten teacher Kelsie Brands looks on. Shannon Beggs had accompanied her daughter to class on the opening day of school, Friday.

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A company that is rolling out school safety programs across the nation has close ties to Southeast Missouri, particularly the New Madrid County R-1 School District. Lauren Anne Cole, vice president of KIDaccount, who oversees sales and marketing, explained the program to R-1 staff members as they prepared for Friday’s start of classes...

SIKESTON — Alice Carolyn Walker, 78, died Aug. 17, 2018, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 10, 1940, in Trumann, Ark., daughter of the late Roy Lee and Florence Chandler Baker, she was a member of Illinois Avenue Baptist Church, had owned and operated Carol's Cleaning Service and had been a sales clerk for Eubanks-Finney Department Store before retiring.

BERTRAND, Mo. — Barbara Ann Chapman, 80, died Aug. 16, 2018. Born Jan. 17, 1938, daughter of Harvie Lee and Dorothy Craddock Jackson, she was a1956 graduate of Anniston High School and a beautician. She was a member of First Baptist Church, the Junior Study Club and women of Eastern Star in Charleston.