Stories from Wednesday, October 24, 2018

On Friday, October 5th, the Portageville Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) conducted their Second Annual Installation and Initiation Ceremony at the Portageville School cafeteria. Missouri JAG Director Paul Kincaid was the guest speaker. Kincaid shared some history and figures about the JAG programs...

The #17 Fastenal NASCAR made a pit stop at the Magnitude 7 Metals plant Thursday, October 18 en route to their next destination. The local Fastenal office in Sikeston asks for them to stop at the aluminum smelter plant. “We wanted to do this as our way of saying ‘Thank You to Magnitude 7’ for bringing jobs back to the area,” Jimmy Adams, the local Fastenal sales associate. ...

Donnie Benjamin Townsend, age 87, a resident of Mobile, AL passed away Monday, October 15, 2018.   Donnie was a U.S. Air Force Veteran and was loved and admired by all.   He was preceded in death by a son, Jeffrey Glenn Townsend; 7 brothers; and 1 sister...

It’s hard to get an exact number, but Josh Hawley and Claire McCaskill — along with ample “dark money” — will spend upwards of $90 million to entice your vote come Nov. 6. Out of that massive war chest, the 232 newspapers in Missouri will get zip. Politicians — actually their handlers — have decided that newspapers are media relics. These senatorial wannabes invest millions upon millions in social media that ignores newspaper readers. But here’s the irony. In many of their media buys, they proudly tout newspaper endorsements. When hypocritical politicians come campaigning, their first call is often to the local newspaper to assure a photographer captures their smiling mug. Then they willingly sit down with newspaper editorial boards in hopes of favorable coverage. Yet they spend not one cent to support the men and women who produce that local news coverage they so crave. Newspapers remain an invaluable source of local news on which the public relies.

Yes, I just wanted to say we were at the Cotton Carnival in Sikeston this morning and there was a man there in his 60s sitting there with a red-headed woman and a boy in his seat. A grown boy. Well that man, there was three little bitty boys by themselves and he kept grabbing them and kept running out to the vehicles and begging for candy. He was getting for the kids and for him, but mainly for him, and then when they came by with those beads who dragged halfway down the street with those little boys with him. I don’t know how they didn’t get run over. And then when they had the hats I thought he was going to jump in the car with them. And when they come through with that cake. He was hitting candy. He was taking it away from other little kids standing around. And when the majorettes came by he was out there. Those small ones was clapping his hands telling them “dance baby, dance.” It was horrible. We did call and speak to the sheriff’s department there and the city police and he was getting so obnoxious at that time. I’m sure he was drinking. It was pitiful. He was taking just buckets out of those trucks and pouring it in his sacks and trailers. But when the policemen came up on their bicycles, he left. But it was down there by Food Giant and that Nathan’s Car Wash between there. People left because of him. I do have to say that the Sikeston Police Department came down and they did take over. Because when they showed up he left. So I suspect he’s either wanted for something or under the influence of something. I have never, in all the years, I have rode my horses and been in those parades, saw anything like it was this year. It was just total chaos with that man. Please say something so next year we can be able to go and enjoy it. Thank you.

LEOPOLD, Mo. — James “Jim” Gibbons, 86, died Oct. 23, 2018, at his family home. Born Dec. 9, 1931, in Delta, son of the late Ira Richard and Mae Sarah Seabaugh Gibbons, he was a retired maintenance man for Frisco Railroad and Burlington Northern Railroad. He was of the Baptist belief. He served in the United States Army during the Korean War...

DEXTER, Mo. — Ronnie E. Haney, son of the late Joe Haney and Mary Jennings Haney, was born on July 26, 1964, in Sikeston, and departed this life on Oct. 23, 2018, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff at the age of 54 years. Mr. Haney was the manager for B. Dawson Farms for many years. He attended the Pleasant Grove Church near Dexter and was a resident of rural Dexter...