Stories from Friday, July 11, 2003

University of Missouri President Elson Floyd continues to impress. Floyd, who took over as president of the University system in January, has consistently made the bold decisions needed to guide the university into the future. He has created an environment for change that has impressed virtually everyone in the academic community. And now, Floyd is once again ahead of the times...

I was reading SpeakOut where people said it has taken so long for them to get monuments ordered for Garden of Memories Cemetery. All three cemeteries, the Old City Cemetery, Garden of Memories and Memorial Park are all taken care of by one company. That's a lot of work that needs to be done. You have to order them, put them in place, so you just have to be patient. I know. I've had dealings with it...

SIKESTON - Harold E. "Bud" Landreth, 82, formerly of Kenosha, Wis., died July 9, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born May 24, 1921, in Clay County, Ill., son of the late Arthur and Bonnie Liggett Landreth, he worked for the American Brass Company for 36 years before retiring in 1986 and lived in Kenosha until moving to Sikeston in 1998...

BLOOMFIELD -- David Lynn Battles, 48, died July 10, 2003, at his home. Born Jan. 26, 1955, in Kennett, son of Maxine McGrew Battles of Senath and the late John Battles, he was employed as a control room operator for Associated Electric in New Madrid and was a resident of Senath until 1992 when he moved to Bloomfield...

CHARLESTON - Mississippi County commissioners will send a letter to Dorena-Hickman Ferry Captain Stephen P.J. Stanionis requesting fair treatment for motorcycles. "We have a little problem with vouchers for motorcycles," said Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg during Thursday's regular meeting...

SIKESTON - As the announced August closing nears for Sikeston's Essex plant, city officials are seeking a meeting with company leaders to avoid the loss of some 135 jobs here. "There have been significant efforts made to try to reason with the people who are making the decisions," said Sikeston Economic Development Director Bill Green, about the closing of the long-time Sikeston industry. ...

Sikeston Jaycee Nathan Hawkins works on the addition to the bathrooms at the Sikeston Jaycee Rodeo Grounds in preparation for the upcoming Jaycee 51st Annual Bootheel Rodeo. The Jaycee members are volunteering their time during the next few weeks to make numerous improvements to the grounds before the Aug. 6-9 rodeo...

SIKESTON -- Due to a late start, area cotton farmers are playing "catch up" for the rest of the season, agricultural experts say. "With this late of a crop, we can't afford to make any mistakes," noted Missouri Delta Research Center Cotton Specialist Bobby Phipps. "The crop's not good, but it's better than it was a week or two ago."...

PIEDMONT -- A former Dexter resident died as the result of a drowning Thursday. According to the Missouri Water Patrol, around 3:30 p.m. Douglas L. Hagy, 19, of Ellsinore had been swimming at the Piedmont Park Swim Beach for approximately 15 minutes. Reports said he yelled for help and disappeared under the surface...

FORT LEONARD WOOD -- The Southeast Tremors, a girls fastpitch softball team based in Sikeston, finished second in the Missouri National Softball Association's 16-and-under Class A state tournament held June 27-29 in Fort Leonard Wood. The team was made up of eight Sikeston players, three Poplar Bluff players and one New Madrid player. The team was coached by Ron Brinkmeyer, Kiki Curtis and Kevin Wibbenmeyer...

SIKESTON - The Sikeston Senior American Legion Post 114 baseball team won its sixth game in the last seven with a 14-4, seven inning victory against Fulton City (Ky.) on Thursday at VFW Stadium. Sikeston rotated four pitchers in the game to combine for a five hitter. It's the second game in a row that Sikeston has won by the 10-run rule...

ELLSINORE - Douglas L. Hagy, 19, formerly of Dexter, died July 10, 2003, at Clearwater Lake near Piedmont, the victim of a drowning accident. Born Dec. 27, 1983, in Centerville, Ill., son of Ruth Hagy Cole of Dexter, he was of the Baptist belief. Survivors in addition to his mother include: one brother, David Allen Hagy of Dexter; one sister, Jeanette Rose Hagy of Dexter; and his maternal grandparents, Carol and Patsy Hagy of Dudley and Jeanette Hagy of Fisk...

EAST PRAIRIE - Phil W. Porter, 67, died July 8, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Jan. 15, 1936, in Coldwater, Miss., son of the late Homer and Irene Cassell Porter, he lived in Missouri for more than 50 years. On Oct. 15, 1961, he married Rosie Strayhorn who survives of the home...

MARSTON - Abe "Bud Cool" Jamison, 74, died July 6, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 28, 1929, in Wardell, son of the late Abe and Hattie Ransom Jamison Sr., he was of the Baptist belief. Survivors include: two sons, Brian Evans and Sherrod Evans of Marston; four daughters, Gracie Harris of Omaha, Neb., Bertha Jamison of Lansing, Mich., Mattie Jamison of Memphis, Tenn., and Evie Mea Stone of Cleveland, Ohio; one sister, Vinia Lee Willis of Cape Girardeau; and 15 grandchildren.. ...

BELL CITY - Stella Mae Glasnapp, 94, died July 10, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 28, 1908, in Advance, daughter of the late Fred and Laure DeLay Winemiller, she was a member of the First Baptist Church in St. Clair Shore, Mich., for 42 years and later attended the Bell City General Baptist Church...

DEXTER - Leonard Creg, 86, died July 10, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Thursday at Ponder Funeral Home for Dale Riley, 67, of Blodgett, who died July 7, 2003, were: Kenny Plunk, Greg Riley, Jeff Riley, Don Riley, Mike Glastetter and Heath Burger.

SIKESTON - W.J.B. Taylor has been transferred from Sikeston to the state headquarters in Jefferson City of the Missouri State Highway Department. SIKESTON - With only a trifle more than 5 percent of Sikeston's 6,500 registered voters going to the polls to vote today, the annexation proposal won a "landslide" victory. The vote was 331 to 45...