Stories from Thursday, March 4, 2004

The coffee shops are beginning to talk politics and this time around it's not about John Kerry and George W. Bush. With springtime just around the corner, that means the political season is about to get under way. And this year, Sikeston and Scott County should provide ample ammunition for political junkies...

CLARKTON - The Scott County Central Braves and Clarkton Reindeer advanced to the championship game of the Class 1, District 1 Tournament with semifinal victories over the Delta C-7 Chargers and Gideon Bulldogs, respectively, Wednesday night at Clarkton. Scott County Central and Clarkton are scheduled to face each other today for the district title at 7:30 p.m., following the girls' championship game between Naylor and Scott County Central at 6 p.m...

ORAN - Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Green and daughter, Margaret, were business visitors in Cape Girardeau Saturday. --- SIKESTON - Billy Northington, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Northington of Sikeston, suffered a broken collar bone Friday in a collision with another boy while playing at school...

To all of you who read SpeakOut, we should be aware that one of our judges in the Scott County Courthouse is honest and fair, but gives no favors. He judges everyone the way the law should, regardless of what it is. My son was in his court several times and the judge let him out on a P.R. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cliff and Melanie Lankheit have announced the engagement of their daughter, Lauri Danielle, to Johnny Derek Guffey, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Ted and Gail Guffey of Jackson. A 1993 graduate of Sikeston High School, the future bride received a degree in marketing from Southeast Missouri State University in 1998. She is a word key specialist at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center...

POINT PLEASANT - Joseph Ben Cayton, 81, died March 2, 2004, at his home. Born March 29 ,1922, at Ridgely, Tenn., son of the late George and Pearl Wilson Cayton, he was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...

MARION, Ky. - Theo E. Poindexter, 78, died at 11:50 p.m. March 2 ,2004, at the Livingston County Hospital. Born July 9, 1925, in Livingston County, son of the late Lacy Boyd and Lena Poindexter, he was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Marion and the Marion Masonic Lodge. He was an advertising representative for the Crittenden Press in Marion...

CHARLESTON - Ernest Ivy, 72, died Feb. 27, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born July 20, 1931, in rural Charleston, son of the late Berry and Lula Scaife Ivy, he attended local public schools and was a corporal with the U.S. Army from 1952-54. He was a member of Faith Temple Church of God in Christ at Wyatt...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Howard Duane Garner, 76, died March 1, 2004, in Little Rock. Born June 13, 1927, in Calico Rock, son of the late Howard T. and Gladys Burns Garner, he was a part-time Church of Christ minister, teacher and song leader. He assisted more than 30 churches in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Oklahoma. ...

SAND SPRINGS, Okla. - The Rev. T.A. McDonough, 80, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died March 1, 2004, in Tulsa. Born April 19, 1923, in Weber Falls, son of the late Isaac and Mildia Suggs McDonough, he was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He lived in Sikeston for 22 years, during which time he served as pastor of the First Assembly of God Church and Calvary Temple Assembly of God Church. He retired in 2001...

MOREHOUSE - Kay Laminack, 62, died March 2, 2004, at her home. Born March 30, 1941, in Parma, daughter of the late Ora Lee and Mildred Faye Woodson Stroud, she had lived in Illinois and Texas and was a resident of Morehouse for many years. She had been employed by National Lock and Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Morehouse and attended the Oneness Pentecostal Church in Morehouse...

DEXTER - Arthur W. Dunning, 71, died March 3, 2004, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

POINT PLEASANT - Robert C. Fleming, 78, died March 3, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born March 18, 1925, at Burnt Prairie, Ill., son of the late Clarence and Bessie Hall Fleming, he graduated in 1949 in Evansville, Ind., and was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He was a member of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War...

KENNETT - Syrean Gaddis, 78, died March 2, 2004, at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center. Born Feb. 4, 1926, in Bell, Tenn., daughter of the late Vernon and Sarah Gaddis, she lived in Missouri for more than 45 years and was of the Baptist belief. Survivors include: one son, John Sutton Jr. ...

DEXTER - Margaret Ann Klipper, 84, died March 1, 2004, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston. Born Feb. 11, 1920, near Birch Tree, daughter of the late William and Essie Hannah Denton Klipper, she lived in Farmington for several years before moving to Dexter eight years ago. She had worked in an airplane factory and was of the Baptist belief...

PARK HILLS - It took 28 years for the Dexter Bearcats to break their district title drought. Now they're trying to make up for lost time. Dexter is now one win away from the Class 4 Final Four after Wednesday night's thrilling come-from-behind victory, defeating No. 2 state-ranked DeSoto 45-42 in a sectional game at Mineral Area College...

EAST PRAIRIE - Hindsight being 20/20, Cecil Hammontree of East Prairie agrees he probably shouldn't have allowed anyone to put tires on the land while it was still his. But then, he did receive documented assurances from officials that everything was in order with the plan to build a tire conversion plant. "It's all on paper," Hammontree said. "I have lived with this thing since 1989."...

SIKESTON -- Every other month or so a Parents as Teachers educator from New Madrid County R-1 Schools comes into Nicki Stokes home to ensure her 14-month-old son, Tyler, is doing the things he's supposed to be doing at his age. "Even before I had him, they gave me some books abut what to expect," Stokes said. "My educator would drop by with pamphlets about what he should be doing, what to look forward to and about them sleeping through the night."...

ORAN -- James Graviett of Oran and Kathie Graviett of Cape Girardeau have announced the engagement of their daughter, Victoria, to Aaron Johnson, son of Janet and Ron Johnson of Sikeston. The future bride graduated in 1998 from Oran High School. A 1999 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School in Benton, the prospective bridegroom is employed by Good Humor-Breyers in Sikeston...

FENTON - For the first year in competition the Heartland Wrestling Team made a very strong appearance at the state tournament last weekend. The team bought home two state champions, four runner-ups, six third place, one fourth place and one fifth place...