Stories from Wednesday, May 7, 2003

SIKESTON -- Sikeston's tennis team defeated Dexter on Tuesday afternoon, 8-1. In varsity singles, Peter Jones beat Dexter's Drew Wethington 8-4. In the No. 2 spot, Ryne Vickery defeated Dexter's Jake Smith 8-4. Marc Leible beat Dexter's James Ford 8-5, Chris Robey defeated Dexter's Ben Smith 8-4, Kyle Weeks beat Dexter's Derek Roberts 8-2, and Logan Wagoner defeated Dexter's Nathan Long 9-8 with a 10-8 tiebreaker...

BENTON - Kelly handed Oran its second loss of the season on Tuesday afternoon, shutting out the top-ranked Eagles 6-0. The Hawks jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the first inning and never looked back, plating two in the fourth and one in the sixth...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central's softball team ran its winning streak to 50 straight on Tuesday afternoon, blanking Portageville 13-0. The Lady Eagles got another stellar performance out of senior lefthander Heather Robey, who allowed one hit and one walk with 14 strikeouts...

Here are the weekend race results from tracks around the area. SIKESTON DRAG STRIP SIKESTON -- Zalma's Randy Merick set a new track record before a standing room only crowd at the Sikeston Drag Strip on Saturday night. Merick ran a blistering 4.02 at 184 m.p.h. Second place went to Donnie Little from Columbia, Ill. In the Super Pro Class, rain came late and left four to split $3,100. The purse was split between Gary Summers, Ronnie Egner, Brian Bickings and Gary Pigg...

CHAFFEE -- Sam Burnett was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, leading Chaffee to a 5-3 win over South Pemiscot on Tuesday. The Red Devils reached the .500 mark with the victory, improving to 9-9 on the season. "I thought we played a tremendous game," said Chaffee coach Brian Horrell. "We had some errors, but didn't let the floodgates open like we have in the past. We made some good plays defensively, and the team kind of fed off that."...

SIKESTON -- Last week's earthquake in Blytheville, Ark., occurred in the center of the New Madrid Seismic Zone, once again reminding area residents of the unpredictable and uncontrollable work of Mother Nature, not to mention the destruction that can follow...

Blair Moran, a member of the Veterans Park Committee, mulches around the monument at the park. The committee is preparing for their upcoming Memorial Day service on May 26 at the park.

I have found a cocker spaniel who has a rabies tag from Florida. If this is your pet, please call 472-2280. Would someone please consider putting a Fazoli's in Sikeston? We desperately are in need of a fast-food Italian restaurant. Does anyone know of this being considered?...

BENTON - Scott County officials believe a tornado was the cause of some damage near Morley, including damage to the county's E-911 center. "It was a tornado," said Joe Burton, Scott County E-911 administrator, during Tuesday's county commission meeting...

The once-mighty Kmart emerged from bankruptcy Tuesday after 15 months in financial purgatory. That means simply that the company arrived at a reorganization plan approved by a federal bankruptcy judge and will now conduct business in a downsized fashion. Others have come out of similar bankruptcies and continued to compete aggressively in the retail market. Only time will tell if the giant retailer Kmart follows that path...

SIKESTON - Officials have narrowed it down to just a handful possibilities for an I-66 Interstate Highway project linking Missouri and Kentucky. "We started with 22 options, narrowed it down to seven, and now we're down to two interstate alternatives, two bridge alternatives, a 'no-build' alternative and the hybrid alternative," said Barbara Michael, project manager for the Parsons Brinckerhoff consulting firm, during Tuesday's I-66 public meeting...

SIKESTON - Mrs. W.E. Hedden was elected president of the Woman's Club Tuesday afternoon at the meeting held in the home of Mrs. J.W. Farley, retiring president. --- SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Wayman Pratt are receiving congratulations on the birth of their first child, a son, born Thursday morning at Sikeston General Hospital. He has been given the name of Donald Eugene...

I read the article about the Charter Cable Company. I like the one part about 30 of their 40 employees being reassigned. Someone lied to you. I am an employee of Charter. There are 50 customer service representatives and 50 customer service representatives will be losing their jobs. ...

SIKESTON - Louis Aaron Moultrie, 86, died May 6, 2003, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born Feb. 15, 1917, in Obion County, Tenn., son of the late William Logan and Annie Emma Moultrie, he was a member of Shady Acres Church of Christ and Eagles Aerie 3319 in Sikeston. He worked for Sherwin-Williams and for Sikeston Paint and Wallpaper before retiring...

SIKESTON - Dorothy Marie Pearson, 58, died May 5, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Nov. 29, 1944, in Searcy, Ark., she was the daughter of J.D. and Tula Jackson Peters of Jacksonville, Ark. Her husband, Namon Lynn Pearson, preceded her in death...

PORTAGEVILLE - Evelyn V. Atwill, 85, died May 5, 2003, at her home. Born Dec. 16, 1917, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of the late William McKinnley and Roberta Lane Greene, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Portageville, where she served as church treasurer, was a Sunday school teacher and past president of United Methodist Women. ...

EAST PRAIRIE - Harold A. Powers, 89, a lifetime farmer and livestock dealer, passed away May 6, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. The son of the late Arthur Powers and Myrtle Metheny Powers, he was born Dec. 17, 1913, near East Prairie. He had lived in Mississippi County his entire life, where he was a member of the First Christian Church...

CATOASA, Okla. - Bobby Martin Banks, 63, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died at 6 a.m. May 6, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Born June 19, 1939, in New Madrid County, Mo., son of the late Shirley Martin and Mildred Rosalie Blyzes Banks, he lived in Catoasa for many years and was a boilermaker...

ALMA, Kan. - Mary Apolinar, 95, died May 4, 2003, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston, Mo. Born April 19, 1908, in Mexico, daughter of the late Juan and Gregoria Rodriguez, she was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Alma. On June 23, 1928, in Topeka, she married Sebastian Apolinar who preceded her in death on May 9, 1988...

SPRINGFIELD - The Rev. Roger L. Leveillee, 53, died May 6, 2003, following an extended illness. Born March 30, 1950, in Providence, R.I., son of the late Donald O. and Estelle Larocque Leveillee, he was ordained for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau on June 9, 1979, by Bishop Bernard F. Law at the St. John the Baptist Church in West Warwick, R.I...

JACKSON - Jane L. Seyer, 46, died May 5, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born July 23, 1956, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of Cornelius and Dorothy Halter Rolwing of Charleston, she graduated in 1974 from Charleston High School and was employed by Wal-Mart in Jackson for 24 years. A member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson, she was a former chairperson with Wal-Mart for the Children's Miracle Network...

CHAFFEE - Martha Mae Sheeley, 82, died at 7:43 a.m. May 6, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 11, 1921, in Chaffee, daughter of the late Luther Lee ad Anna Johnson Arnold, she retired as a machine operator for Thorngate Ltd. in Chaffee. She was a member of the Church of God of Prophecy in Delta and VFW Post 3127 Ladies Auxiliary in Chaffee...

PUXICO - Charlie Jones, 72, died May 6, 2003, at Three Rivers Healthcare North Campus in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are incomplete at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico, where visitation is scheduled for Friday evening.