Stories from Thursday, February 25, 2021

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — During Thursday’s press briefing at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson announced that Phase 1B - Tier 3 of the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan will be activated on March 15. “Missouri has had a vaccine plan since October, and this has not changed. ...

SIKESTON — Hazel Marie Dacus, 93, died Feb. 23, 2021, at her home in Sikeston. Visitation is from 1 p.m. until service time at 2:30 p.m. Friday at First Church of God with the Rev. George Carol officiating. Burial will follow in the Portageville Cemetery with DeLisle Funeral Home in charge of arrangements...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Bertha Bibb passed away Feb. 21, 2021, at the New Madrid Nursing Center in New Madrid at the age of 89 years. She was born Feb. 21, 1932, in Malden, Missouri, to the late Lee and Evoline McCollum Redman. She was preceded in death by her parents; sons, Tony Redman and Jerry Bibb; sisters, Faye Givens and Linda Wright; and brothers, Junior Redman and Jack Redman...

EMELLE, Ala. — Graveside services for Iva Dill, 93, of Emelle were held Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at 10 a.m. at the Central Cemetery in Emelle with Rev. Wilson Kilpatrick officiating. Mrs. Dill passed away at Sumter Health and Rehab on Monday, Feb. 22, 2021. She was born Sept. 11, 1927, in New Madrid, Missouri. She will be greatly missed by her loving family and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her...

MATTHEWS, Mo. — Brenda Marcus, 74, of Matthews passed away Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, at her home in Matthews. On Oct. 4, 1946, in Conway, Arkansas, she was born to the late, Milburn Love and Johnie Mae Lovelady Love. On Oct. 3, 1981, in Matthews, she was united in marriage to Larry Marcus, who survives of the home...

A Benton, Missouri, man is in custody on child molestation charges. Dustin M. Carter, 36, was booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail on charges of first-degree child molestation, a Class B felony. According to a probable-cause statement, Carter allegedly touched an underage victim inappropriately on numerous occasions...

After nearly a year of COVID-19 guidelines in place on campus, the Southeast Missouri State University community may finally have a reprieve in the Fall 2021 semester. In a letter to the student body Feb. 19, provost Mike Godard said fall classes “will be offered using normal, pre-pandemic guidelines and capacities.”...

KENNETT — Police Chief Kenny Wilson is seeking information about the deadly shooting at American Legion Post 66 and Poplar Bluff veterans organizations are stressing caution when allowing others to use their posts. Calling it the “most chaotic scene I have ever worked,” Wilson said he has been police chief in Kennett since 2018...

Calling it “a win for the state,” Gov. Mike Parson joined with Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox and representatives of SoutheastHEALTH and Universal Health Services to cut the ceremonial ribbon Tuesday at the new Southeast Behavioral Hospital. “This is really going to make a difference in people’s lives,” the governor said. “For too many years, and I’ll go back to my old sheriff’s days, we’ve put mental health on the back burner and tried to deal with it after things got out of hand.”...

Three Rivers College will have a new agreement regarding its Dexter campus. The board of trustees has approved a move toward purchasing the building. Dr. Wesley Payne, TRC president, said the college has been renting that facility for 10 years “This has been a long time coming,” he said. “We are committed to Dexter. Dexter is committed to us. It worked out for both of us to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for the building.”...

Downtown Cape Girardeau is the site chosen for a residential transitional housing program for homeless pregnant women, according to Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri. The organization is basing the $4 million facility off LifeHouse-Springfield, which opened in 2013. ...

What team has 11 World Series Championships (second only to the hated Yankies)? Which team is regarded as Baseball City? Fox Sports writer Dieter Kurtenbach, “St. Louis and the Cardinals are synonymous. What other team and city can say that? Sometimes it is just as simple as that.”...

SIKESTON — While 2020 was a year in which many sporting events were canceled or postponed, the Sikeston Parks and Recreation Department saw an opportunity. During 2020, Sikeston Parks and Recreation hosted numerous baseball tournaments while maintaining a safe environment for all involved. The tournaments provided a much-needed economic boost to the community as hotels were filled and local restaurants and retail businesses benefited...

SIKESTON — Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities is receiving calls from customers saying someone is using BMU’s telephone number to mask their identity to get customers to answer their call. “Do not trust caller ID, even if it shows our name and number,” Sikeston BMU posted late Wednesday on its official Facebook page. “Scammers know how to ‘spoof’ caller ID to make it read whatever they want. It’s another sneaky tactic that fools a lot of people.”...

Cape Girardeau Central High School named a new assistant principal Wednesday. Andy McGill, who spent the last nine years at Sikeston (Missouri) High School where he served as an assistant principal and athletic director, will be Central’s assistant principal beginning next school year...

Title Portageville High School Beta Club/Beta Members Participate (s) in State Competition Portageville, Missouri, February 3, 2021 – National Beta members from Portageville High School are celebrating their recent participation in the Missouri State Virtual State Convention. They were announced as winners of the following competitions:...