Stories from Tuesday, February 26, 2019

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Virginia Wylie Fowlkes Ely, 67, died Feb. 22, 2019, at her home. Born Oct. 2 1951, at Rock Springs, Wyo., daughter of the late Charles Wyley Fowlkes and Helen Young Fowlkes. She returned with her family to Charleston in 1954. A 1969 graduate of Charleston School, she graduated from Southeast Missouri State College with a Bachelor of Science in speech and drama in December 1974. From 1975-1976 she returned to graduate school at SEMO with an emphasis in secondary education and subsequently taught drama at the University High School in Cape Girardeau. ...

SIKESTON — Billy Ray Pickett, 83, died Feb. 25, 2019, at Westfield Nursing Center in Sikeston. Born Feb. 25, 1936, in Doniphan, son of the late William A. and Lillie (Lerouix) Pickett, he had served over 20 years in the U.S. Army Reserves and had owned and operated Pickett Shoe Store until retiring in 1999...

SIKESTON — Mark Lane Smith, 53, passed away on Feb. 18, 2019, at his best friend’s home in Fort Pierce, Fla. He was born Dec. 12, 1965, in Cape Girardeau, to Barbara Smith and the late Billy Smith. Mark married the love of his life, Ronda Smith, on June 28, 1986. They had three children: Dylan Lane Smith (married to Shelby Swick Smith), Katie Smith Apple (married to Schell Apple) and Garrett Lane Smith. Mark served as a deacon at Shady Acres Church of Christ. He was loved by many...

SIKESTON — Jerry Bryant, 79, died Feb. 25, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON — Paul David Roslen, 55, died Feb. 25, 2019, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.

MALDEN, Mo. — A year after an EF2 tornado blew through the south side of Malden, residents continue working to get back to their “normal.” The entire town and area communities pitched in to offer assistance and to prove Malden was shaken, but not broken...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. —Two Stoddard County bridge projects are a step closer to replacement with the opening of bids from four companies during Monday morning’s county commission meeting. Smith & Company Bridge Engineer/Project Manager Jeremy Manning opened bids from Robertson Contractors, Inc. of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Joe’s Bridge and Grading, Inc. of Poplar Bluff, Keith Simpson Contracting, LLC of Benton, Mo. and Fricke Management and Contracting, Inc. of Murphysboro, Ill...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Competitive archery is on target in Southeast Missouri. Saturday, 120 archers from eight schools competed for the right to take part in the statewide competition later this spring in Branson. The number of participants is nearly double those who competed in 2018...

The Christian Academy in Sikeston held its eighth annual dinner auction fundraiser Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Sikeston.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — A Charleston man faces charges after he was allegedly found to be a convicted felon in possession of a firearm Saturday. According to Charleston Department of Public Safety Director Robert Hearnes, at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday, a patrol office came into contact with 24-year-old Cornelius Perkins of Charleston. ...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — A Portageville man died in a two-vehicle crash early Tuesday in New Madrid County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 4:30 a.m. on southbound Interstate 55 at the 31.7 mile marker as the southbound car driven by 29-year-old Ridge Starnes of Portageville struck the rear of the southbound tractor-trailer operated by Ali S. Arab, 33, of Denver, Colo...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — James Michael McGee, 73, died Feb. 24, 2019, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 28, 1945, in Canalou, son of the late Pauline Byrd McGee and James R.T. McGee, he was a past deacon of Risco First Baptist Church and New Madrid Baptist Church...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Ridge Hunter Starnes, 29, died Feb. 26, 2019, in Portageville. Born May 8, 1989, in Sikeston, son of Rod and Mary Hunter Starnes of Tell City, Ind., and Sandy Starnes of Hayti, he was a 2007 graduate of Portageville High School. He and his wife, Haley Elizabeth Starnes, were married on April 29, 2017. She survives of the home in Portageville...