Stories from Wednesday, May 27, 2020

To the editor: I am writing today about the upcoming school bond issue. My question is, why is the school system not operating just like any typical business in the U.S.? All successful businesses must budget for salaries, normal daily operation expenses, maintenance expenses, etc., as well as the replacement costs of the depreciating equipment and buildings...

To voters of the Sikeston R-6 School Bond Issue: We are asking you to “VOTE YES” for the “Better Schools Better Communities” Bond Issue on June 2, 2020. When it comes to passing a bond issue for building new schools, we so often hear the following comment: “We just had textbooks, and that was good enough for us.” However, we no longer live in a “textbook-only” school culture. ...

June 2 is an important day for Sikeston. I have lived in Sikeston my entire life. If we expect our community to have a chance to grow, then we need to get behind this bond issue. You have to make an investment in education to give our community a future. Lee Hunter was built before I was born. It has outlived it’s usefulness. Those students need a better place to learn and this bond issue is the only way to make that happen. I’m voting yes for our future. I’m voting yes on the bond issue on June 2.

Since becoming Chief in August 2019, we have faced many challenges. We have had some serious issues to deal with for sure, but I do believe we are on the path of improvement. Still, I know there is much that needs to be addressed if we are truly going to better our community...

SIKESTON — The City of Sikeston is seeking funding for a Regional Workforce Development Approach project that would be a cooperative effort between the Sikeston R-6 and New Madrid County R-1 School Districts. Approval to apply for the Community Development Block Grant funding was approved unanimously by Sikeston City Council at a meeting held by Zoom Tuesday afternoon...

CHARLESTON — Members of the Missouri National Guard were at the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a plan to have sentinel testing at all Missouri Department of Corrections adult institutions. “We now have the necessary number of supplies to be able to meet the needs for testing our entire division of adult institutions, staff and offender populations, which is approximately 32,000 people,” said Anne Precythe, director of the Missouri Department of Corrections at Tuesday’s press conference with Missouri Gov. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Pauline Sugg Patton, 90, died May 27, 2020, at her home in Charleston. Born Dec. 20, 1929, on Chickalah Mountain in Yell County, Ark., she was the daughter of the late Newman Ethridge and Lillie Horn Sugg. She was a charter leaders of the Lucky Clovers 4-H Club in Mississippi County. A member of the Mississippi County Historical Society, she was also a member of the American Quilter’s Society and the First Baptist Church of Charleston...

MOUNDS, Ill. — Edward Eugene Owens of Mounds passed away peacefully at 12:55 p.m. May 23, 2020, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Aug. 29, 1933, in Malden, Mo., to A.E. and Pauline (Qualls) Owens. He married Freda Jo Showmaker June 9, 1951, who survives...

SIKESTON — Reagan Deonne Kuykendall, 4 months old, died May 21, 2020, at her home. Born Jan. 3, 2020, in Sikeston, she was the daughter of Reginald Kuykendall and Alexis Sharp of Sikeston. In addition to her parents, survivors include: one brother, Reginald Kuykendall III of Sikeston; four sisters including her twin sister, Reign Kuykendall, Ava Jones and Avaree Jones of Sikeston and Kimiyah Kuykendall of Chesapeake, Va.; paternal grandparents, Reginald Kuykendall Sr. ...

A fifth person has died in Stoddard County related to COVID-19. According to the Stoddard County Public Health Center, a resident of Crowley Ridge Nursing Home died at approximately 1:45 p.m. Tuesday. The death is the fifth from the outbreak at the nursing home...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Margie Marie Miller, 82, died May 22, 2020, at her daughter’s home in Topeka, Kan. Born Dec. 31, 1937, in Dorena, Mo., daughter of the late Morris and Ethal Caperton Wolford, she had retired from Mississippi County Savings and Loan. She was a member of First Church of God in East Prairie...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Trudy Houston left her Earthly home on May 14, 2020, at the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Trudy was born July 29, 1948, to the late JD and Telethia Fodge in Catron, Mo. She lived in Cape Girardeau with her daughter and family. She was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church of Sikeston...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. — Melba Joyce Davis Bonds, 83, died May 27, 2020, at her home in Morehouse.  Born Dec. 30, 1936, at Peach Orchard, Mo., daughter of the late Benjamin Franklin Davis and Sirlda Jane Stovall Davis, she had lived many years in Morehouse...

BENTON, Mo. — Michael David Gray, 72, died May 26, 2020, at his home near Benton. Born Nov. 10, 1947, at Poplar Bluff, Mo., to the late G.B. Gray and Dorothy M. Davis Gray, he had lived many years near Benton and was of the Baptist belief. He worked in over-the-road trucking hauling new cars from St. Louis for many years until his retirement. He was a U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Navy veteran...

PLANO, Texas — Sally Hawks Frazier, 84, formerly of Portageville, Mo., died May 24, 2020, at Harker Heights. Born Jan. 25, 1936, in Wardell, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Myrtle Ball and Robert Hawks. On Aug. 18, 1956, in Hernando, Miss., she married Bob Frazier, who preceded her in death on April 12, 2014...

SIKESTON — James Ross HeiRonimus Jr. (Jay Hei), age 92, died Tuesday, May 26, 2020, at his residence in Sikeston.