Stories from Friday, May 15, 2020

NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County has had their first death related to COVID-19. The New Madrid County Health Department announced the death late Friday afternoon. No further information was given on the death. Currently New Madrid County has 14 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases with two active cases...

The Stoddard County Public Health Center is reporting a “hot spot” of COVID-19 at a Stoddard County nursing home. According to a release from the Stoddard County Public Health Center Friday afternoon, officials are unsure to what extent the outbreak may reach...

SIKESTON — Charges have been filed in a Sikeston stabbing death. According to a release from Sikeston Department of Public Safety Director Jim McMillen, Joseph B. Cannon, 40, of Poplar Bluff, was charged with second degree murder and armed criminal action...

SIKESTON – The process has begun to obtain federal disaster assistance for Missouri in response to severe storms and tornadoes that swept across the state on May 3 and 4, leaving behind a trail of destruction and extensive damage to electric power systems...

Considering the coronavirus I’m wondering what is the status of the Sikeston Farmers’ Market this year. Has it been canceled or postponed? The Sikeston Farmers’ Market opened for the season on May 9 with social distancing guidelines in place. The market is open from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Saturday in Legion Park.

HAYWOOD CITY, Mo. — Estella Jones “Rabbit” Sharp, 82, died May 11, 2020, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Missouri. Born Feb. 2, 1938, in Shuqualak, Mississippi, to the late Harry and Lurean Hardin Jones Sr., she was of the Christian belief and member of New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Haywood City. ...

SIKESTON — A settlement has been reached between David Robinson and the City of Sikeston. Robinson and his attorneys filed a lawsuit March 11, 2019, alleging multiple examples of witness intimidation, conspiracy and several direct and indirect actions over a decade that led to his wrongful conviction and continued incarceration in a Sikeston murder case...

SIKESTON — A Sikeston pedestrian received minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle late Thursday in Scott County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 9:03 p.m., the vehicle driven by Barbara E. Landers, 58, of Canalou, was traveling southbound on State Highway BB, half a mile north of State Highway 114, when the vehicle struck a pedestrian in the roadway...

SIKESTON — Lloyd Knuckles, 76, died May 14, 2020, at Delta South Nursing and Rehabilitation in Sikeston. Born Aug. 7, 1943, in Sikeston, son of the late Herschel and Stella Downs Knuckles, he was a member of Apostolic Promise in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and worked in farming, hotel management and maintenance at Wal-Mart before retiring...

For Southeast Missouri State University students Megan Kneezle and Melanie Smith, the decision to attend classes at the Regional Campuses in Sikeston and Kennett, Missouri, made sense. “At the age of 18, I was not ready to leave my parents just yet, so I was able to get the college experience by staying closer,” says Kneezle, a Sikeston, Missouri native who will be graduating this month with a Bachelor of Science in Education, early childhood education. ...

SIKESTON — Southeast Missouri farmers can expect to receive a survey about their agricultural land later this month. In late May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will begin surveying famers in Missouri and across the U.S. to estimate the value of agricultural land. The survey will be used to determine the average value per acre of all farmland, cropland and pastureland...

SIKESTON — Southeast Missouri Food Bank has scheduled more Covid-19 Response Mobile food distributions to respond to the increased need for food assistance following temporary layoffs and school closures due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The next Covid-19 Response Mobile will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Morley Baptist Church, 221 South Stephenson, in Morley...

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft will visit local election authorities Wednesday to deliver personal protective equipment for the June 2 General Municipal Election. Ashcroft will deliver face masks, distancing strips, sanitizer, face shields and posters to local election authorities for their polling locations. Ashcroft will deliver Scott County’s equipment in Benton at 11:05 a.m.; Mississippi County’s in Charleston at 11:40 a.m. and New Madrid County’s in New Madrid at 12:30 p.m...

A Jackson family is bringing a bit of Cajun culture to Southeast Missouri through SEMO Crawfish Co. Boilhouse & Market, set to open later this month. For more than 20 years, AmyJo and Ben Hunter have farmed and sold crawfish from their Sikeston, Missouri, farm, producing some 10,000 pounds each year. They own a 180-acre farm, 10 acres of which are used for crawfish...

Harps Food Stores of Springdale, Arkansas, has begun its ownership takeover of several former Country Mart outlets in Southeast Missouri. Country Mart, 309 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson, was converted to a Harps on Wednesday with stores in Marble Hill and Fredericktown slated for the changeover today and Friday, respectively...

A Dexter business has been awarded a contract to help secure the southern border of the United States. Randy Kinder Excavating was awarded a contract with a total value, including options, worth $175,577,000. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in partnership with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers...

Graduating from Southeast Missouri State University is the culmination of dedication and perseverance, according to Victoria Blue. It’s also the beginning of a new career and step forward she thought may never happen. Blue, a talented French horn player of Chaffee, Missouri, always knew she wanted to study music and perform. ...

Ashley Vonder Haar has dreamed of a lifetime working with animals. She inches one step closer to her dream job when she graduates this week from Southeast Missouri State University and moves on to the University of Missouri (UM) College of Veterinary Medicine next fall. There, she will find herself among several familiar faces...

Southeast Missouri State University is revising its plan for reopening the Cape Girardeau main campus. In a message emailed to faculty Thursday, the campus “will remain closed through May 31 at the very least.” Earlier this month, Southeast president Carlos Vargas announced a Phase I reopening would begin Monday...

LILBOURN, Mo. — Shirley Joray Coutant, 76, died May 14, 2020, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 14, 1943, in New York, she was the daughter of the late Evelyn JoRay and Everett JoRay. Her husband, J.T. Cameron, survives of the home in Lilbourn...

MALDEN, Mo. — Leland Mallett, 83, died May 15, 2020, at his home in Malden. Born July 2, 1936, in Mallett Town, Arkansas, son of the late Elmer Mallett and Mildred Bizzell Mallett, he was a farmer and a truck driver. He was a member of the Spoonerville Baptist Church where he served as a deacon...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Patsy Triplett, 82, died May 15, 2020, at her home in East Prairie. Born Feb. 23, 1938, daughter of the late Fred and Sueanna Guinn, she had lived in East Prairie most of her life and attended Blessed Assurance Ministries.