Stories from Monday, November 24, 2003

CHARLESTON - Dorothy M. Williams, 73, died Nov. 21, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Nov. 24, 1929, in rural Charleston daughter of the late Willie and Ethel Jordan Gray, she lived in Chicago, Ill., for more than 40 years...

DEXTER - Doris Caudle, 74, died Nov. 23, 2003, at Missouri Southern Healthcare. Born March 17, 1929, in Dexter, daughter of the late Clyde Sitton and Alma Barker Sitton Rose, she attended the Second General Baptist Church in Dexter. She was head of the children's department at Stovall's Department Store in Dexter before retiring...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Shirley Anne Metcalf, 67, died at 10:47 a.m. Nov. 22, 2003, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Born Aug. 29, 1936, in Chaffee, daughter of the late William Buford and Lucille Gettings McKenzie she was a member of the Church of God in Chaffee, where she was pianist for many years...

EAST PRAIRIE - Ann Fowler, 82, died at 6:15 a.m. Nov. 22, 2003, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born April 17, 1921, in Hackleburg, Ala., daughter of the late Richard and Mary Rayburn Yielding, she lived in Mississippi County most of her life and was of the Baptist belief...

PORTAGEVILLE - David Bryan "Wink" Forrester, 40, at 10:56 a.m. died Nov. 21, 2003, at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Born Dec. 3, 1962, in Portageville, son of Betty Jackson of Portageville, he was raised by his grandmother Thelmer Forrester of Portageville. He was a farm laborer and fireman with the Portageville Fire Department...

The Sikeston High School cheerleading squad took first place in their class of the State Cheerleading Competition held Saturday in Columbia.

SIKESTON -- After a nearly week-long debate, the energy bill that could boost the potential of corn-based ethanol production in Missouri and other Midwestern states was blocked from a final vote in the Senate last week. Proponents fell two votes short of forcing an end to debate on the bill. Opponents threatened a filibuster, and Republican leaders needed 60 votes under the Senate's rules to close off debate and pass the bill. The official tally was 57-40...

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits. ...

SIKESTON -- Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety are investigating an assault that left a Sikeston man severely injured. At 2:50 a.m. Saturday, a man was reported to be lying in the roadway on Hunter Street. Upon arrival officers found Dennis Cantrell, 45, lying in the roadway and bleeding from his head...

Jimmy Jackson stiff-arms a Charleston player in a game earlier this season. Jackson was held to 80 yards on 20 carries in Saturday's semifinal game against Centralia.Centralia proved it is on an entirely different level than every other team in Class 2 with a 44-3 picture-erfect win agaisnt Caruthersville...

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Three Rivers coach Gene Bess has been known to bring his teams in for a Sunday afternoon practice following a bad Saturday night loss. He didn't wait that long this time. Upon arriving on campus from last night's 93-77 loss at John A. Logan, the Raiders had exactly 25 minutes to be on the practice floor. It was the second straight loss for Three Rivers following a 5-0 start...

SIKESTON - Pallbearers at services conducted Sunday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Lillian M. Capps, 89, who died Nov. 20, 2003, were: Tom Ayers, Jim McNiell, Danny Meeks, Jerry Shy, Jim Null and Keith Bateman.

JACKSON - Stephen C. "Steve" Logan, 60, died Nov. 21, 2003, at his home. Born Sept. 25, 1943, in Carbondale, Ill., son of the late Clarence I. and Mavis R. Hagler Logan, he was a graduate of the University of Arizona-Tucson and was in the U.S. Army from 1961-1965, serving in Vietnam and Korea. He was a substance abuse counselor in Cape Girardeau, Charleston and Malden and had owned and operated Truman's Antiques in Jackson...

DEXTER - Gwendolyn F. Alsup, 78, died Nov. 23, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 1, 1925, in Jiles County, Tenn., to the late Elvin Stanford and Maudie Johnson Stanford, she was a nurse for many years and a resident of Dexter...

PUXICO - Walton Paul Lee, 85, died Nov. 23, 2003, at his home near Puxico. Born Feb. 17, 1918, in Nacogdoches, Texas, son of the late Wendell Phillip and Bertha Adel Humphreys Lee, he lived in the Puxico area for many years. He was a retired farmer and member of the Corinth General Baptist Church of Puxico...

MARQUAND - Betty Beck, 73, died Nov. 22, 2003, at the Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington. Born May 20, 1930, in New Madrid, she was the daughter of the late James and Nellie Croach Sheppard. On April 28, 1951, in Piggott, Ark., she married Edward Acie Beck who preceded her in death on March 4, 1983...

SIKESTON - Vester "Bill" Ross, 63, died Nov. 22, 2003, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Jan. 4, 1940, in Caraway, Ark., son of the late Silvia and Marie Mitts Ross, he attended Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He worked for Johnson House Movers for 12 years and was a truck driver for Batesville Truck Lines before illness forced his retirement...

BERNIE - Donald Ray Farmer, 70, died Nov. 23, 2003, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. Born Aug. 3, 1933, son of the late Hershel "Jack" and Dolly Wilson Farmer, he was a member of the Bernie United Methodist Church. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War and was head ginner for the Stoddard County Cotton Company at Bernie before retiring...

With only 31 days left until Christmas area residents are decorating their yards and homes for the holidays. Many residents used Saturday's warm temperatures to get an early start on their holiday decorating.

SIKESTON - Plans were made Wednesday night at a meeting held at the armory to form an auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Sikeston. It is planned to hold charter night for the new auxiliary Dec. 3. SIKESTON - Sikeston Chapter 137 Order of the Eastern Star was opened in regular form Nov. 14 with Mrs. Guy Comer, worthy matron, presiding. The annual election was held and officers for the coming year were installed...

If the person who needs to have a wooden wheelchair ramp built would leave a phone number in SpeakOut, I will be happy to call. I have references and do these things on the side and my prices are very reasonable. Mike Jensen's article in the paper was way out of line. ...