Stories from Tuesday, August 17, 2021

NEW MADRID, Mo. — A man charged in a fatal shooting will stand trial. Shawn Luke Sinclair, 29, of Iola, Kansas, is scheduled to appear in Division I of New Madrid County Circuit Court at 1 p.m. Aug. 24. Sinclair is charged with first degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action in connection with the May 25 shooting death of Christopher J. Pollpeter, 31, of Republic, Mo...

Darlene Jackson works on a baby quilt Saturday during the 13th Annual Bootheel Quilter Guild’s Quilt Show Sunday at the Miner Convention Center.

SIKESTON — Candice S. Redd-Ellis, 33, died Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She was born in Sikeston on April 28, 1988, in Sikeston, the daughter of Connie Lott and Demegee (Sandy) Redd of Sikeston. She was a graduate of Sikeston H.S., class of 2006. She earned an associate degree in accounting at Everest University and was a loan officer at Advance America in Sikeston...

SIKESTON — Sheila M. (Moore) Gillespie, 67, passed away peacefully at her home in Sikeston. on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021. She was born Oct. 20, 1953, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Sheila was married to Wilbur Gillespie Jr. who survives of the home. Services are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, at the Freewill Baptist Church in Sikeston. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. until time of service at noon. Pastor Larry Williams will officiate...

MORLEY, Mo. — Donnie Lynn Johnson, age 88, passed away on Aug. 16, 2021 at his home in Morley. He was born on March 12, 1933, in Sikeston, to the late Roy and Hallie Wyatt Johnson. He was a member of Morley Baptist Church in Morley. Donnie had a servant’s heart; he served in the United States Air Force., he served as a Scott County Sheriff’s Reserve Officer for over 30 years; he had served as a volunteer fireman for the Morley Fire Department, and he worked for the Scott County Ambulance Service for 16 years before retiring in 1995.. ...

MIDWAY, Ga. — Wesley Solomon Stutts, AKA “Pop” was called home, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at Springer Health Care in Port Royal, South Carolina. Wesley was born July 10, 1922, at Coldbrook, Georgia, AKA Goshen Road in Effingham County. As a young child, he worked on a farm, then once he grew up he worked at the Savannah Sugar Refinery and at Union Bag Corporation before finding his true calling, the United States Navy. ...

SIKESTON — Melvin Ferntino Strickland, 40, of Sikeston passed away Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, at St. Mary's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Sept. 27, 1980, in Hayti, Missouri, he was the son of Ella Ochoamadrid. He graduated high school and was employed as a dishwasher at Ryan's restaurant before later attending a welding trade school. ...

SIKESTON — The 69th Annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo concluded Saturday night with a performance by T.I. while Dustin Lynch closed Friday’s festivities.

The City of Sikeston saw very little population change in the last decade according to U.S. Census data released last week. U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Sikeston had 16,318 residents in 2010 and had 27 fewer in 2020 with 16,291. While Sikeston stayed relatively the same, Charleston saw their population decrease by a significant amount. Charleston had 5,056 residents in 2020, 891 fewer than the 2010 Census when Charleston had 5,947 residents...

SIKESTON, Mo — After finishing four straight seasons below the .500 mark, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs enter the upcoming year hoping to buck that trend with a wealth of returning talent. Leading that charge will be first-year head softball coach Jacob May, who should be a familiar sight to Sikeston’s sports fans having served as an assistant wrestling coach for the Bulldogs in recent years...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — New Madrid County R-1 school bus driver Phil Newman has had many close calls. He recalls a distracted driver speeding down Highway 61. The car veered across the center line heading into Newman’s bus before swerving back over and averting the collision...