Stories from Monday, November 10, 2003

WARRENSBURG -- At this rate, Bell City's becoming a safe bet in volleyball final four situations. The Cubs won the Class 1 state championship Saturday by defeating Lockwood 15-25, 25-23, 25-19 at the Central Missouri State University Multipurpose Building. It was Bell City's second championship after also winning the title in its only other final four trip in 1996...

JEFFERSON CITY. -- The best runners in Class 3 competed at the state cross country meet over the weekend at the Oak Hills Golf Center in Jefferson City. Sikeston sophomore Clay Lincoln finished in 21st place at the meet out of 160 runners which was high enough to be named an all-stater...

DEXTER - Corena Sue Williams, 4-year-old daughter of Kevin Williams of Dexter and the late Sara Denise Williams, died Nov. 8, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born July 22, 1999, in Poplar Bluff, she is also survived by: one sister, Abbigail Williams of Dexter; one brother, Jordan Ray Hatton Williams of Anniston; her maternal grandparents, Ron and Sherrie Montgomery of Dexter and Wayne Coonts of West Memphis, Ark.; paternal grandparents, Rayburn and Wanda Williams of Wyatt; maternal great-grandparents, Argus Coonts of Morehouse and Hubert Don and Mildred Ellis of Dexter; and her maternal great-great-grandmother, Merle Grubbs Kinder of Dexter.. ...

NEW HAMBURG - Mike Blattel, 85, died at 11 a.m. Nov. 8, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 15, 1918, in New Hamburg, son of the late Antone and Regina Diebold Blattel, he was a retired self-employed farmer. He was a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and St. Joseph Sodality in New Hamburg...

DEXTER - Loren "Bud" Killmer, 68, died Nov. 9, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

PADUCAH, Ky. - Ralph Waldo Cossiart, 89, formerly of Bloomfield, Mo., died Nov. 8, 2003, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. Born March 3, 1914, in Bloomfield, son of the late Albert and Lura Huggins Cossiart, he lived in Paducah for the past 25 years. He retired as a superintendent of bridge construction and was a member and deacon emeritus of the First Christian (Disciples of Christ) Church in Paducah. ...

BELL CITY - Virgil "J.D." Freeman Sr., 62, died Nov. 8, 2003, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 12, 1939, in Trenton, Tenn., son of the late John Franklin and Jane Edna Harris Freeman, he was a mechanic for Potashnick Transportation Inc. and was of the Baptist belief...

OLNEY, Ill. -- Even at less than 100 percent, Dereke Tipler showed just how valuable he can be. Tipler had 13 points, six assists and five steals off the bench to help No. 12 Three Rivers hold on for an 81-70 victory against Olney Central Saturday night...

EAST PRAIRIE - Caroline Rose, 59, died at 10:10 a.m. Nov. 10, 2003, at her brother's home in Charleston. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

EAST PRAIRIE - David Aaron Morgan, 18, died at 3:42 a.m. Nov. 8, 2003, at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Born Aug. 15, 1985, in Sikeston, son of Carl Arthur "Bubba" Morgan and Angela Renee Brooks Morgan Jr., he was a lifelong resident of East Prairie and a senior at East Prairie High School. He was a member of the First General Baptist Church...

SIKESTON - Irene L. Callaham, 84, formerly of Morley and Morehouse, died Nov. 9, 2003, at the Clearview Nursing Center. Born Nov. 26, 1918, in Kerwin, Kan., daughter of the late George and Rosa Miller McAdow, she was a member of the Morehouse Church of Christ...

The front page of the Oct. 29 edition of the Standard Democrat had a headline, "Ex-Howardville police chief pleads guilty." This is a headline that will get your attention, especially in an African-American community. It is well-known in the Bootheel that the community of Howardville is African-American. ...

NEW MADRID - The explosion of a kerosene lamp in a cabin in a New Madrid County farm owned by Mrs. Lula Sparks, formerly of Sikeston, early Friday morning, started a fire which burned three children to death, severely injuring two other members of the family and razed the small house to the ground...

Shawn Ferguson, Seth Copeland and Rory Jaynes play in fallen leaves at Big Oak State Park Sunday afternoon. Many children in the area enjoyed the fall temperatures Sunday by playing outdoors.

DEXTER -- A 4-year-old Dexter resident died Saturday as the result of an unattended death, according to the City of Dexter Police Department. Corena Sue Williams, 4, died at 8:46 a.m. Saturday at Missouri Southern Healthcare. An official with the City of Dexter Police Department said an investigation continues and no additional information could be released at this time. Stoddard County Coroner William Sifford was contacted, but was unavailable for comment earlier today...

WASHINGTON - As negotiations for the 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations Act came to an end between House and Senate negotiators, Eighth District Representative Jo Ann Emerson was pleased to see several projects she called critical to her district were funded...

CHAFFEE - Linda Gale Moore, 57, died Nov. 9, 2003, at her home. Born Sept. 15, 1946, in St. Louis, daughter of the late Charles and Lucille French Clark, she lived in Chaffee since 1993 and was a member of St. John's United Church of Christ in Jackson...

PORTAGEVILLE - Charlie Duff, 85, died Nov. 8, 2003, in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 22, 1918, in Lion County, Ky., son of the late Jessie Hobert and Madie Ann Collins Duff, he was a retired farmer and member of St. Eustachius Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus in Portageville...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Saturday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Thomas Larry "Tom" Crawford, 59, of Rock Hill, S.C., who died Nov. 4, 2003, were: Steve Westerfield, Kelly Westerfield, Jimmy Crawford, Nathan Martin, Kevin Kimes and Steve Stormer. Honorary pallbearer was Junior Phillips...

PEORIA, Ill. - Noel N. Melton Sr., 67, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died at 4:01 p.m. Nov. 6, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center. Born May 4, 1936, in Almyra, Ark., son of the late Howard L. and Elena Reynolds Melton, he was a graduate of Sikeston High School where he was a member of the football team. ...