Stories from Friday, June 28, 2002

SIKESTON - In honor of the fifth birthday of her daughter, Maryjane, Mrs. Pleas Malcolm took a group of children to the picture show Saturday afternoon. Attending were Janet Sue Ford, Donna Sue Bennett, Billie Mae Sims, Monica Sue Rankin and Wadine Malcolm...

I believe East Prairie's form of government and aldermen are the stupidest thing in town. They take police to ride around town. Why can't they do their jobs and watch the crime and vandalism? They should use the money for better things. Leave it to East Prairie to do stupid things...

HAYTI -- The Bootheel Drug Task Force has created a new Web site to increase public awareness of the task force, and at the same time, educate the public about the area's drug problem. "We're just getting started," BDTF Agent Tim Trowberidge said. "It's been up about two weeks now. We have a lot of different things that we're thinking about putting on our Web site."...

Karen Brown, Pam Ferrell, Betty Hearnes and Cora Sue Stallings prepare for The First Baptist Church of Charleston's Fourth of July celebrations. "We Are America," a musical featuring a patriotic theme, will illustrate the importance of the American Flag and what it represents. The program, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, will be presented in the church auditorium...

CHARLESTON - The Mississippi County Port Authority will seek bids for a new ferry tow boat for the second time. Leon Steinbrueck, administrator for the Mississippi County Port Authority, updated county commissioners during their meeting Thursday on the port authority's efforts to buy a new tow boat for the Hickman-Dorena Ferry...

SIKESTON - Flip-flops may not be ready for the ritzy restaurants, but that hasn't kept designers from turning them into a fashion statement of their own. Wearing the summer footwear never looked so cool. Yesterday's solid colored toe shoes have been replaced by literally everything under the sun, featuring every color, texture and jewel imaginable...

A couple of years back, I argued with school officials over the policy of random drug testing for student athletes. The Supreme Court had ruled on an Oklahoma case that student athletes could be randomly tested so the school system was certainly on firm legal footing. ...

SIKESTON -- It was a roller-coaster season for Burger King this year in the National League of Sikeston Area Youth Baseball. The King had a disappointing first half, but caught fire in the second and put together a five-game win streak. The squad finished the year with a 7-5 record, taking fourth place in the league...

SIKESTON -- Here are Thursday's results from Sikeston Area Youth Baseball: JUNIOR BABE RUTH US Bank 8, DeWitt 4 Tyler Brooks was 3-for-4 with an RBI, leading US Bank to an 8-4 win. Blake Walker also had a hit and drove in a run. Joshua Jackson picked up the win, allowing four hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. For DeWitt Auction, Cody Cooper was 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Brandon Ayers also had a hit. Ayers and Mike Sansagraw both threw in the loss...

JACKSON -- After a disappointing performance against Dunklin County on Wednesday, Sikeston's American Legion baseball team rebounded on Thursday, hammering Jackson 12-1 in nine innings. Post 114 banged out 18 hits in the win, improving to 11-4 overall and 5-1 in district play...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Walter Hitt Jr., 84, died at 9 p.m. June 26, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Born Feb. 21, 1918, at Arbor, son of the late Walter Jefferson and Alice Anetta Adkison Hitt, he was a retired aerospace inspector for Menasco Manufacturing Inc., in Burbank, Calif...

SIKESTON - Mary Lillian Recker, 85, died at 10:50 p.m. June 26, 2002, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 4, 1917, at Point Pleasant, daughter of the late Archie Theodore and Mattie Blanche Williams Pikey, she attended Southeast Missouri State University and served as a teacher's assistant in the Marston School System. ...

MATTHEWS - Inell Rhodes, 83, died at 3:53 a.m. June 28, 2002, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 19, 1918, at Parsons, Tenn., daughter of the late Albert and Eva Bailey Moore, she was a housewife, homemaker, and member of the Nazarene Church in Matthews...

ADVANCE - The Rev. Earl Reinhart, 81, died at 11:50 a.m. June 26, 2002, in Greenville. Born July 7, 1920, at Galena, son of the late Joseph Daniel and Amy May Reinhart, he was a retired social studies teacher at Advance High School and was a General Baptist minister for several different towns before retiring. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Navy from 1942-1945...

RISCO - Robert David Bratcher, 19, died June 26, 2002, of injuries sustained in an automobile accident near New Madrid. Born July 23, 1982, in Dexter, son of Edward Cupp of Bernie and Bertha Bratcher Sherritze of Risco, he was a farm laborer and lived in Risco for the past eight years...

ST. LOUIS - Donna Faye Bunch, 46, died June 25, 2002. Born in St. Louis, daughter of the late John Wesley and Georgia Ann Klee McRoy, she was a lifelong resident of the St. Louis area. She was employed by Koller Enterprises Incorporated in St. Louis...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at services scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Ponder Funeral Home for Charles Andrew Hammon, 75, who died June 26, 2002, will be: David Hammon, Jason Hammon, Jarrod Baker, Billy Hammon, Heath Hammon and Daniel Hammon. The Rev. Robert Burnes, pastor of the House of Prayer General Baptist Church, will officiate...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Stevan D. Hicks Sr., 44, who died June 24, 2002, were: James Vaughn, Tommy Lemons, Darrel Ritch, Gus Johnson, Shawn Hicks and Donald Courter.