Stories from Tuesday, January 29, 2002

To the citizens of the area: Please say thank you to Ellen Brandom's Artrain USA Steering Committee. The committee's long months, days and hours of work made the visit of Artrain USA possible. The Sikeston Depot (Sikeston Cultural Development Corporation) is proud to have been the sponsor for such a unique opportunity and would like the community to recognize the personnel, the amount of work and the involvement of the Artrain USA Steering Committee...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Ralph McClellan celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary Jan. 5 with their family. McClellan and the former Doris Johnson were married Jan. 5, 1942. As part of the celebration, Shakespeare's "Sonnet 116," I Corinthians 13, referred to as the "love chapter" in the Bible and Genesis 2 on marriage were read. A special prayer of thanksgiving and blessing was made by one of their sons to conclude the event...

SIKESTON - Robin and Carolyn Chambers have announced the engagement of their daughter, Erin Gray, to Benjamin Roy Alcorn, son of Sonny and Elizabeth Alcorn of Sikeston. The future bride is a 2001 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and the prospective bridegroom will graduate in May from the University of Missouri-Columbia...

BROSELEY - The Sikeston Bulldog ninth grade basketball team improved to 7-7 on the season with a 53-45 win over Twin Rivers on Monday in Broseley. Sikeston led 12-11 after one quarter and 33-19 at the half. They extended the lead to 41-29 entering the fourth quarter...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at graveside services conducted Monday at Garden of Memories Cemetery for Wilford Waters, 74, of Morehouse, who died Jan. 25, 2002, were: Donald Waters, David Waters, Jackie Waters and Jamie Coffee. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Blanchard Funeral Chapel for Lucretia Bennett, 88, who died Jan. 23, 2002, will be: Bruce Way, Jerry Aldridge, Glen Peel, Mel Cokenour, David Hay and Kevin Heuiser. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home, where Eastern Star rites are scheduled for 7:30 p.m...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Patsy Joe Fitzgerald, 71, formerly of Dexter, died Jan. 27, 2002, at the Beverly Healthcare Facility in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 9, 1930, in Parma, daughter of the late Charlie and Cora Lee Sanders Trout, she was a member of the Pentecostal Church...

WASHINGTON, Ill. - Virginia Louise Dixon, 76, died at 9 p.m. Jan. 25, 2002, at the Proctor Hospital in Peoria. Born May 10, 1925, at Mayfield, Ky., daughter of the late Charles W. and Lura B. Duty Gregory, she was a member of the Leisure Acres Golden Agers Club in Washington and was of the Baptist belief...

Put this on the list of things I simply don't understand. Police in Los Angeles had strong suspicion that a woman traveling to New Jersey was carrying drugs. The suspect had purchased her airline ticket from a known drug source and information was abundant that she was a drug courier. LA police alerted authorities that an Hispanic woman was headed their way...

PORTAGEVILLE - T.C. Kincy, 77, died Jan. 29, 2002, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at DeLisle Funeral Home.

EAST PRAIRIE - Jean Davis, 73, died at 3:45 a.m. Jan. 29, 2002, at her home following an extended illness. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home.

DEXTER - William Isom Abel, 72, died Jan. 27, 2002, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born Sept. 24, 1929, in Nauvoo, Ala., son of the late Annas Clifford and Annar Kellon Abel, he was a welder with Pullman Standard. Survivors include: one son, William Dale Abel of Moberly; two daughters, Gail Walker of Dexter and Linda Upton of Jackson, Miss.; one brother, James Abel of Nauvoo; three sisters, Essie Gainey, Volora Ann Boshell and Magdaline Youcum of Carbon Hill, Ala.; and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.. ...

DELTA - Longtime Delta businessman Arthur Ray Rhodes, 62, died at 9:53 p.m. Jan. 27, 2002, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Ill. Born Feb. 15, 1939, in Millersville, son of the late Charles J. and Esther Estes Rhodes, he owned and operated Rhodes Grocery, Semo Produce and Semo Brokerage in Delta for more than 30 years. He served with the U.S. Army missile battalion from 1956 to 1962...

CHARLESTON - Cleaster McCauley "Red" Townsend, 64, died unexpectedly Jan. 25, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born April 9, 1937, in Matthews, daughter of the late Cornelous and Gladys Rhodes McCauley, she attended public schools in Matthews and Texas Bend and was a member of the Church of Christ in Charleston...

This is to thank the Sikeston Street Department for the great job they have done with the leaf and snow removal. The new leaf machines are wonderful and I'm proud of the city for purchasing them. The streets are cleaner than I can remember. This is to the person who called in asking for someone who would accept clothes and toys to be given away. ...

SIKESTON - Mrs. Joseph P. Read held a party on the occasion of her son's fourth birthday. Attending Ivan's birthday celebration were Billy Lewis, Myra Propst, David Bailey, Margaret Hyslop, Norman Woods, Martha Seabaugh, Damon Deal and others. ---...

BROSLEY -- Sikeston's girls basketball team had an impressive showing against Twin Rivers Monday night, losing to the traditional area power 40-32. The Lady Royals improve to 14-2 with the win while Sikeston falls to 10-6. "We came out to play," said Sikeston coach Lee Brooks. "I was looking for a good game out of the girls and they gave it to me. We played our best game of the season."...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Bulldogs picked up a much-needed win on Monday at the Field House with a 56-34 victory against the Gideon Bulldogs. Sikeston went over the .500 mark again, improving to 10-9. It was a much better performance from Saturday's debacle at Portageville...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A Portageville man was sentenced Monday eight and a half years in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. Buddy W. Newsom, 36, appeared before U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber, charged as a convicted felon in possession of a firearm...

Long before springtime, a young woman's fancy turns to fancy dresses and prom. As a way to make use of those dresses, the New Madrid County Central High School cheerleaders are hosting a prom dress sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the NMCC Commons. ...

SIKESTON - Identity theft. Everyone's read about it. Everyone's heard about it, but is it something consumers of Southeast Missouri should be concerned about? Sources say: "You bet!" "I know of an attorney who had his wallet stolen, and he quickly learned the steps to recover his account," said Robin Pace, assistant vice president of Firstar Bank of Sikeston...

DEXTER - A Dexter man sustained moderate injuries late Monday evening when he was involved in a one-vehicle accident. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Derik S. Arnold, 23, was driving north on Stoddard County Road 607, five miles south of Dexter. He lost control of the vehicle, which traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck an embankment and overturned...

CHAFFEE -- The Chaffee Red Devils won their first game of the Mississippi-Valley Conference Tournament on Monday, beating Leopold 47-36. The Red Devils had a solid defensive outing, allowing just four points in the first quarter and 32 the rest of the game...