Stories from Sunday, September 28, 2003

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services held Saturday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston for James McGhee, 46, who died Sept. 24, 2003, were: Harold Hoskins, Dewey Davidson, Larry Rodgers, Jeff Chapman, Larry Lofton and Aaron McGhee.

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- Geneva Lambert, 74, died at 5 p.m. Sept. 26, 2003, at Springdale North West Medical Center in Springdale. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Monday at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston, Mo. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Sikeston...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Ralph H. "Pete" Smith, 85, died Sept. 25, 2003, at St. Bernard's Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark. Born Dec. 13, 1917, in Portageville, son of the late James Ralph and Elizabeth D. Lester Smith, he was a former police officer in Portageville and a truck driver...

BLOOMFIELD -- Aaron F. Martin, 63, died Sept. 16, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 13, 1939, in Caraway, Ark., son of the late Henry C. and Bracy Deola Gossien Martin, he moved to Sikeston in 1983 prior to moving to Farmington in 1984, where he owned and operated a boarding home for 12 years. In May 2002, he moved back to Bloomfield. He also served 21 years in the U.S. Army, where he was a senior drill sergeant...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Jean Rogers Williams Martin, 53, died Sept. 26, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 26, 1950, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of Ellare Hollingsworth Rogers of Cape Girardeau and the late Lewis Rogers, she was a member of the Community Church of Christ in Lowndes and was a beautician/stylist at J.C. Penney Styling Salon in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER -- John J. Harrell, 79, died July 11, 2002, at the Missouri Southern Healthcare Facility in Dexter. Graveside services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday at the Committal Shelter in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield with full military honors provided by the Delta Team of Cape Girardeau and the Stoddard County Veterans Honor Team...

DEXTER -- Lee A. Shaw, 43, died Sept. 13, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Graveside services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at the Committal Shelter in the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield with full military honors provided by the Missouri Military Honor Guard...

SIKESTON - While Saturday's Cotton Carnival parade was an opportunity for area residents to salute the men and women in our Armed Services, the state's American Legion commander called on the public to provide that support every day. Rich Heigert, who addressed the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday, said while even he may not always personally agree with the administration's foreign policy "I will stand firmly behind our American soldiers and I believe all Americans should be behind them, too.". ...

Above: Catherine Marshall is crowned Miss Sikeston during the Sikeston American Legion's Annual Cotton Carnival Friday night at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo Entertainment Barn. The crowning and announcement of the winners were moved inside due to rain which began just after the final question was asked to one of the 12 semi-finalists. ...

We have a small internal problem here at the newspaper but we're looking to the public for a solution. The debate centers on the practical and the philosophical. It involves the upcoming Community Christmas Campaign. Granted, it's not even October yet but planning for this annual community fundraiser starts well before Christmas day obviously. This week alone we had two early inquiries concerning the 2003 Christmas campaign...

SIKESTON - Announcing that Taylor's Ice Cream Shop, 115 E. Malone Ave., has been purchased by Ruby Ralph and sons and will be known as Ralph's Cafe. SIKESTON - Sikeston and Charleston have played 77 times in one of the oldest high school rivalry in the United States. The Bulldogs have won 47 times, the Blue Jays 24. There have been six ties...

I read SpeakOut about the dogs and police in Morley. The police misrepresented themselves in that situation. They shot the wrong dog. They shot a resident's dog and are trying to cover it up. The Morley police force must be a cover-up and this should be investigated by somebody. Who should I call?...

SIKESTON - Derek and Shonda Tyra are the parents of their second son, born at 9:48 a.m. Aug. 20, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Blake Andrew Tyra weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces and was 18 1/2-inches long. Mrs. Tyra, daughter of George and Jennie Pulliam, is a secretary for Aramark...

SIKESTON - It isn't just about tanning, said Melanie Ramey, owner of The Sun Club. It is about education and knowing the benefits of proper skin care. That, said Ramey, is her goal as she opens her new tanning business at 764 N. Main St. "I've always been the type of person who has enjoyed helping people," said Ramey. ...

Bill Burch details his Oliver 88 tractor Friday afternoon at the Sikeston Depot. An antique tractor show will continue today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

NEW MADRID -- In the first three weeks of the season, New Madrid County Central was a second half team. Against Charleston on Friday night, they were a first quarter team. The Eagles set a school record with 34 points in the opening frame, scoring five touchdowns on just eight offensive plays. The Eagles added two more scores in the second quarter, coasting to a 48-13 win over the Bluejays...

DEXTER -- The Dexter Bearcats crossed the goalline five times in Friday night's Homecoming game against the Malden Greenwave (0-4), but only two of those touchdowns counted as the 'Cats pulled out a 16-6 victory to move to 3-1 on the year. "We had some nice looking passes dropped and called back for penalties," Dexter coach Aaron Pixley said. ...

SIKESTON -- An overall healthy lifestyle and other factors can reduce cancer mortality in the United States by as much as 30 percent, the American Cancer Society says. "There's tons of things people can do to prevent cancer. For starters, they can quit smoking, eat healthier and exercise regularly," said Kim Davis, American Cancer Society public relations specialist for Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Springfield and Joplin...

NEW MADRID -- A grain bin caught on fire at Cargill Inc. in New Madrid Friday. According to the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department, the department received a call at 11:46 a.m. that a fire had started in one of the grain bins at Cargill. Sikeston Department of Public Safety was called to the seen and assisted by providing a ladder truck...

SIKESTON -- Despite recent door-to-door solicitations, Sikeston Public Schools alternative school, New Horizons High School, is not conducting a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "We are not requesting donations of any kind on behalf of New Horizons," Principal Lynn Crader noted Friday. "Apparently some people are soliciting area residents and claiming the school is part of a fundraiser for St. Jude's, but we are not."...

Herb St. Mary, grand marshall of the 2003 American Legion Cotton Carnival Parade, waves to spectators Saturday morning. Many flocked to the streets to watch one of the largest parades in the state. More photos can be seen in Monday's edition of the Standard Democrat...

SIKESTON - When your football team has scored just 35 points through three games, it's usually time for a change. The Sikeston Bulldogs' offense was going nowhere fast in the first three weeks, so head coach Charlie Vickery decided to revamp things...