Stories from Monday, December 3, 2001

Cell phones are only valuable when you are buying them. When you try to sell them, they are almost worthless. Here's a way to put your old cell phones to good use and get a tax deduction at the same time. On Saturday, December 8 the New Madrid County Center High School Fellowship of Christian Athletes will be at Sikeston Wal-Mart collecting old cell phones from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m...

Thousands of Missourians received a $1.2 million gift from the state the day before Thanksgiving. It seems the state mistakenly double-issued child support checks to 7,500 women and the total tops $1.2 million. How can that happen you ask? That's a good question...

MARSTON - Don't expect to find Inez Baldwin at home. Look first at Beverly Healthcare in New Madrid. Check the church. Or maybe even City Hall. At 85 years young, Baldwin is constantly on the go. Her involvement earned her the title of Volunteer of the Year by the Missouri Healthcare Association District 5...

MOREHOUSE - Rita Myers, 41, formerly of East Prairie, died at 7 p.m. Dec. 1, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 31, 1960, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of the late Joe B. and Kathleen Couch Myers, she was of the Pentecostal belief...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Freeda Crain, 91, formerly of Dexter, died Dec. 1, 2001, at the Lutheran Home. Born Aug. 26, 1910, in Diehlstadt, daughter of the late Perly and Laura Ann Hogg Collier, she had been employed by Elder Manufacturing in St. Louis and Dexter before retiring...

ORAN - Cornelius "Colonel" Dannenmueller, 82, of Scott City and formerly of Oran, died Dec. 1, 2001, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 10, 1919, in Oran, son of the late Albert and Rosalia Welter Dannenmueller, Colonel served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He retired as a machine operator for Florsheim Shoe Company in Cape Girardeau and was a retired carpenter working for Yant Construction Company in Sikeston...

Heather Hester, daughter of Johnny and Linda Hester is the Standard Democrat's Calender Girl for the month of December. Miss Hester, runner-up in the Miss Sikeston contest, plans to graduate in May and attend college where she hopes to get her degree in pre-law before attending law school...

SIKESTON -- December has arrived, bringing with it Christmas pageants, holiday music and family gatherings. The spirit of the holidays has reached many but there are families in the area who are in need of assistance to have a nice Christmas. Many people have already donated time and money to the Community Christmas Campaign but more help is needed to make sure as many families as possible have a festive Christmas...

BENTON - A Sikeston man has pled guilty and sentenced to serve two, 10-year sentences in prison for selling "crack" cocaine twice to an undercover SEMO Drug Task Force Agent. Eric D. Moore, 20, was sentenced by Judge David Dolan to serve 10 years in prison for each offense...

SIKESTON - All aboard! But don't expect just any 'ol train. This one is a study in motion, carrying a cargo of creativity. Artrain USA is the nation's only art museum on a train, with five rail cars housing a fine arts exhibition, interactive area, artist studio, gift shop and staff administrative space...

SIKESTON - Dorothea "Dee" Sanders, 63, died Dec. 2, 2001, at her home. Born Sept. 30, 1938, in Syracuse, N.Y., daughter of Ruth Bryers of Syracuse and the late Karl F. Bryers, she was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ and had been employed by Bell's Electronics...

PORTAGEVILLE - Richard George Scherer, 83, died Dec. 2, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 14, 1918, in Oran, son of the late Bernard and Mary H. Eftink Scherer, he was a member of St. Eustachius Catholic Church and served with the U.S. Army in the South Pacific...

SIKESTON - Alice A. George, 77, formerly of Bertrand, died at 10:05 p.m. Dec. 1, 2001, at the Clearview Nursing Center. Born Sept. 8, 1924, in Hot Springs, Ark., daughter of the late Clark Braden and Cora Broyles Spiller, she lived in rural Bertrand most of her life and was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church...

PORTAGEVILLE - Raymond Eugene "Ray" Taylor, 49, died Nov. 30, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 13, 1952, in Dayton, Ohio, son of the late Raymond Eugene and Elizabeth Taylor Sr., he lived in Missouri for more than 20 years. ...

DEXTER - Clifford Benjamin Boyce, 84, formerly of St. Louis and Bloomfield, died Dec. 2, 2001, at the Beverly Health and Rehab Center in Dexter. Born Jan. 4, 1917, in Bloomfield, son of the late Albert and Ada Mae Palmer Boyce, he was a retired machinist, U.S. Army veteran and member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars...

SIKESTON - Larry Hunt, 33, died Dec. 3, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center, where he was a registered nurse. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home.

SIKESTON - Harry Barnes, 67, died Dec. 2, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home.

I would like to reply to the Columbia Daily Tribune on the union vote for the state employees. As the wife of a union member, I'm for the unions, of course. We do not pay for eye, dental or medical insurance whatsoever. Our insurance is fantastic. My husband makes three times more what a normal worker in this area would make and they have the right to stand up for themselves and not be run over by the company or anyone else. ...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central opened the 2001-2002 season with an impressive win over Blytheville Friday night, beating the Chickasaws 61-47 in a late-scheduled game. The Eagles had conducted just four practices heading into the contest, but showed no ill-effects...

SIKESTON -- The 2002 Midwest Plains Region 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth Regional Tournament will take place in Sikeston Aug. 2-7. The select tournament brings state championship little league teams from North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri together for a chance to qualify for the 14-Year-Old World Series...

DESOTO - One night after getting run out of the gym at Dexter High School on Friday night, the Sikeston Bulldogs did a complete 180, and pulled the same trick at DeSoto High School. The Bulldogs thoroughly dominated the highly-touted Dragons on Saturday night, winning 49-28 to even their record at 2-2...

SIKESTON - A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Pryor of Route 1, Tuesday. --- SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. William DeKriek are receiving congratulations on the birth of twins, a son and daughter Monday morning at St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Friday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Thelma Mae Wamble, 86, who died Nov. 26, 2001, were: James Wamble, Michael Digna, Charles O'Dell, James O'Dell, Paul Robinson, D.J. Caldwell and Joe Murphy.

SIKESTON - Betty B. McFarland, 71, died Nov. 30, 2001, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born May 31, 1930, at Goobertown, Ark., daughter of the late August Martin and Luie Elmertie Shell McFarland, she owned and operated a child care business and was a member of Ladds Chapel Church...

SIKESTON - Mary Lucille Carson, 69, died at 2:07 a.m. Nov. 30, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born May 12, 1932, in Sikeston, daughter of the late Grover Cleveland and Magdalene Cantrell Heath, she was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and Daughters of Isabella Circle 768. She was personnel director for J.C. Penny's in Sikeston for seven years and had previously been employed by the Sterling Department Store in Sikeston...

NEW MADRID - Viola K. Arnold, 80, died at 12:15 p.m. Nov. 30, 2001, at the Beverly Nursing Center. Born Sept. 2, 1921, in St. Louis, daughter of the late August A. and Lucy Brown Zartt, she was a seamstress for Lighthouse for the bind in St. Louis and was a member of the United Methodist Church in New Madrid...

I would like to respond to "Interpretations offered" about baptism. The caller who said baptism is a prerequisite to salvation. I totally agree that Jesus set the example and was baptized. All through the New Testament, the Bible clearly indicates baptism as a needed follow-up and obedience is a prerequisite to salvation. So I wouldn't want to stand before God if I had an opportunity to be baptized and didn't take it. Baptism is not a prerequisite to salvation but obedience is...

SIKESTON - Tom Allen and Dr. T.C. McClure went to St. Louis Wednesday to take the 32nd degree in Masonry. They were accompanied by H.L. Harty and Leo Fisher. NEW MADRID - A motion for a new trial for D.W. Gray, sentenced to 60 years in prison for second degree murder, was overruled here yesterday by Judge Ray Wieghtman. At the same time, Gray entered a plea of not guilty on a felonious assault charge and trial was scheduled Jan. 16 in New Madrid County Circuit Court...

DEXTER - The Dexter Bearcats may have lost all-stater Brett Hale and all-region performer Shannon Wright, but it sure didn't seem to phase them much on Friday night against the Sikeston Bulldogs at Dexter High School. The Bearcats looked in mid-season form, routing the Bulldogs 75-43...

SIKESTON - The 30th Annual Sikeston Invitational Tournament will kick off tomorrow at the Sikeston Field House. Defending tournament champs and top-seeded New Madrid County Central will open up play with a first round game against No. 8 Cape Central at 5:30 p.m...

ORAN -- The Twin Rivers Royals claimed their third straight Oran Tournament title Friday night, beating second-seeded Richland in the championship game, 70-61. "This gym is built exactly like ours, the lighting is the same" said Twin Rivers coach Scott Kruse. "I don't think that has anything to do with it, but we seem to play real well over here."...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 2 p.m. today at Ponder Funeral Home for Ada Jean Laird Armstrong, 69, who died Nov. 29, 2001, will be: Steve Lefler, Todd Lefler, Ron Stearns, Derek Lefler, Gary McWaters and Justin Hawkins.