Stories from Tuesday, October 2, 2001

HOWARDVILLE - Queen Esther Johnson, 90, died Sept. 27, 2001, at Missouri Delta Community Hospital in Sikeston. Born Oct. 23, 1910, in Coldwater, Miss., daughter of the late Lucy Williams, she was a member of the First Baptist Church in Howardville. Survivors include: one son, Shedd Johnson of Howardville; one sister, Jessie Mae Stokes of Yuba City, Calif.; and four grandchildren, Candra Booker and Shed Booker of Parma, LaShante Johnson of Cape Girardeau and Shaqouya Hill of Florida...

SIKESTON - You've heard the word MAP for some time. Now here's your chance to see what it's all about. Sikeston Public Schools encourages parents, guardians and grandparents to see what their child's Missouri Assessment Program test looks like at an informal meeting set for Thursday in the Sikeston High School Field House classroom...

Workers for Fronabarger Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge have been working hard at finishing the new intersection of Murray Lane and South Kingshighway. Tuesday was spent pouring concrete and preparing for future traffic.

SIKESTON - Lowering the blood alcohol content sufficient for the municipal prosecution of DWI or BAC from .10 to .08 will not result in a dramatic increase in the number of citations, according to Drew Juden, director of Public Safety. The council approved a bill lowering the blood alcohol to match the state's standard during Monday's regular City Council meeting...

SIKESTON -- When the Missouri's Army National Guard asked for volunteers in response to the President's request for heightened airline security, 26 members of Company C 1140th Engineering Battalion in Sikeston stepped forward. Today, two of those guardsmen are undergoing training to fill the first of 250 security spots...

Eight members of Kelly High School's cross country team recently medaled at the Chester Invitational at Chester, Ill. Those members from left are: Trey Simmons, Lance Scheffer, Adam Lofton, Andrew Mothershead, Ashley Hahn, Adam Daughhetee, Shannon Lawson and Michael Glastetter...

On Tuesday, Sept. 11, my daughter called to relay the shocking news. In disbelief, I had flashbacks of that horrendous day in December 1941. In our home, every meal was laced with conversation concerning Adolph Hitler and FDR. Willingly, we donated some of our most precious treasures that were auctioned at Victory War Bond rallies. ...

I am writing this letter to tell you about an incident that occurred while we were in Sikeston visiting my wife's family this past weekend. We live in Springfield and will be returning home this week, but I can assure you that we will be taking something home with us when we leave...

COLUMBIA - Family and friends gathered for the 5 p.m. wedding July 7 to witness the exchange of vows between Hayli Anne Cummins and Nathan Matthew Stallings. The double-ring ceremony was held at the Christian Chapel and performed by the Rev. Doug Phillips...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Sikeston man pled guilty Monday to charges of distributing cocaine base. Walter Rainey, 48, pled guilty to three felony counts of distributing cocaine base when he appeared in front of U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Monday...

CHARLESTON - A Wyatt man sustained minor injuries in a single-vehicle accident. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a vehicle driven by Douglas Hayden, 24, ran off the roadway and struck a concrete culvert at 10:40 a.m. Sunday on U.S. 60, three miles east of Charleston...

DEXTER - A Dexter man was moderately injured in a one-vehicle accident early Sunday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 66-year-old John Stites was driving a vehicle on Arrowhead Lane in Stoddard County, one mile southwest of Dexter at 3:34 a.m. when he failed to negotiate a curve and struck a tree...

SIKESTON - Wood's Quick Chek Market will not face any additional suspension time beyond that already served for paying off on video slot machines. At the public hearing for the liquor license violation, held during Monday's regular City Council meeting, the council agreed on a nine-day suspension with credit given for the state suspension already served...

Missouri's new lower limit for drunk driving violations went into effect Saturday and it couldn't have come at a better time. Nationally, the number of people killed by drunk drivers increased last year after 13 years of steady decline. There's no guarantee that the new lower limit in Missouri will have a substantial impact on drunk driving incidents but it's clearly a step in the right direction...

DEXTER - Frank and Ruth Box of Dexter have announced the engagement of their daughter, DeAnna Box of Joplin to Jeffery Malloy of Joplin and son of Jeffery and LaDon Malloy of Dexter. The future bride graduated in 1999 from Dexter High School. She has completed her freshman year at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff and plans to continue her college education in the field of medicine...

SIKESTON - Cynthia Westerhold of Sikeston and Walter Westerhold of Pacific have announced the engagement of their daughter, Dayna Lynn, to David Matthew Rouse, son of Linda Rouse and John Rouse of Columbia. Westerhold graduated in 1996 from Sikeston Senior High School and is employed by the First National Bank and Trust Co. in Columbia...

BENTON - Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lynn have announced the engagement of their daughter, Donna Jean, to Jason Joseph Claes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Claes of St. Charles. A 1994 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School, the future bride received a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy in 1999 from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. She is a second year student at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Sikeston's volleyball team ran into a much-improved Caruthersville squad on Monday, losing in three sets, 8-15, 15-13, 8-15. "We were kind of surprised," said Sikeston coach Steve Beydler. "Caruthersville is a lot better than they were last year. They've got three or four girls that hit the ball very well, and one young middle blocker who was just killing the ball. She gave us fits."...

POPLAR BLUFF - The Sikeston junior varsity football team lost to Poplar Bluff 19-8 on Monday. Sikeston fell behind early and never recovered. "The second half we played much better," said Sikeston head coach Charlie Vickery. "We just got into a hole early."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Sikeston girls tennis team salvaged a split with Cape Central on Monday. The Lady Bulldogs lost a makeup match, 5-4, but they came back to win the regularly scheduled match 9-0. Sikeston finishes 9-6 on the season. The district tournament will be held on Thursday at Sikeston beginning at 9 p.m...

Down with Doonesbury. It's gotta go. People, I know this is going to surprise you, but these old smart boys are saying that this is going to be a mild winter. But you better get out and look around. My autumn olives have more berries on them than I've ever seen before. ...

ORAN - Pickets parading in front of Scott County Milling Company mills in Oran, Dexter and Sikeston dissuaded any person from entering the properties Wednesday and Thursday, interfering with the firm's plans to reopen. SIKESTON - The fire department was called to 100 Westgate about 10:30 a.m. Thursday. Some clothes in the home of Minnie Marks had caught fire. There was not much damage...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Kernell Sr. are observing their 60th wedding anniversary today. Kernell and the former Joyce Sitzes were married Sept. 27, 1941, at Grayridge by Justice of the Peace John Julian. They spent their early years in Sikeston after Kernell returned from the 84th Infantry of World War II. ...

SIKESTON - Amy Muench and Shane Smith exchanged wedding vows in a 6 p.m. ceremony April 28, 2001, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Sikeston before the Rev. Ken Yerkes. Scripture was read by Alex Norton. Each window of the church sanctuary was decorated with flowers and candles, and ferns were placed on either side of the altar. The bride's mother designed the floral centerpiece for the altar...

SIKESTON - Lynn and Shelia Ray of Sikeston have announced the engagement of their daughter, Lynda JoAnn Ray of Springfield, to Daniel James "Dan" Hunsucker of Springfield, son of Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Hunsucker of Platte City. The future bride, granddaughter of LaVerne and Deloris Rettig of Sikeston, Marie Ray of Benton and the late A.C. Ray, is a 1998 graduate of Richland High School in Essex. She attended Central Bible College in Springfield...

MORLEY - The Rev. and Mrs. Rick McNeely have announced the engagement of their daughter, Bethany, to Adam Graves of Morley, son of Danny and Marilyn Graves of DeRidder, La. The future bride graduated from Christian Liberty Academy at Arlington Heights, Ill., and her fiance is employed by Tetra Pak...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. George E. Swogger have announced the engagement of their daughter, Trina Michele, to Don Raphael Waldhalm, son of Hanna Waldhalm of Oak Harbor, Wash., and Dr. and Mrs. Steven J. Waldhalm of Starkville, Miss. A 1997 graduate of Sikeston High School, Swogger graduated in 2001 from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering. She is employed by Cooper Industries in York, Pa...