Stories from Thursday, October 14, 2004

When some group announces they have received a federal grant, we accept that at face value and make the assumption that the funds are indeed earmarked for a worthwhile cause. And in most cases, I believe that's true. But what I believe most people fail to connect is that federal grants are no more than your tax dollars being funneled based on a decision of others...

BLOOMFIELD -- Several Stoddard County residents have been victims to a recent phone scam. According to the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department, residents received call from an organization identifying themselves as "Government Grant Information Guide."...

SPRINGFIELD -- Cheryl Katherine Hilterbrand and Neil Slatinsky were married May 11, 2003, in an outdoor setting at Enchanted Hills in Springfield. Michael Hutchens performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Melinda Hilterbrand of Cape Girardeau and Ken Hilterbrand of Jackson, Miss., and the bridegroom is the son of Cathy Slatinsky and Christopher Slatinsky of Springfield...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Marjorie Jane Clubb, 71, our mother, grandmother and great-grandmother went to heaven on Oct. 12, 2004. Born Nov. 7, 1932, in Delta, daughter of the late Samuel Harvey and Hattie Mae Roberts Crader, she was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau and was a certified nurses's aide with private duty nursing...

KELSO - Herman Eugene Diebold, 82, formerly of Benton, died at 1:40 p.m. Oct. 12, 2004, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 27, 1922, in Benton, son of the late Frank and Ida Bollinger Diebold, he was a salesman for Anderson Parks and a U.S. Army World War II veteran. He attended the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso...

SAN JACINTO, Calif. - William Thompson "Bill" Biler, 69, died Oct. 6, 2004, at his home. Born Nov. 4, 1934, in Lilbourn, Mo., he was the son of the late Eugene and Luella Thompson Biler. On April 16, 1955, he married Sarah Evelyn Mills who survives of San Jacinto...

NEW MADRID - Janie Bernice Cowan, 71, died Oct. 12, 2004, at her home. Born May 29, 1933, in New Madrid, daughter of the late Walter and Janie Lee Fox, she had been a resident of the county for 67 years and was a member of the First Pentecostal Church in New Madrid where she had been a Sunday school teacher for 34 years. She had also lived in Chicago; Flint, Mich.; and Portageville...

HAYWARD -- Mary Mildred Swift, 86, died Oct. 6, 2004, at the Pemiscot Memorial Health Systems in Hayti. Born Nov. 1, 1917, in Bay City, Ill., she was the daughter of the late Sarah Ethel Hodge and Oscar Eli Babb. On Jan. 25, 1935, she married George Eugene "Jake" Swift, who preceded her in death on Feb. 2, 2003...

SIKESTON - Geneva L. Page, 84, died at 4:03 p.m. Oct. 13, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born April 1, 1920, in Lilbourn to the late Hugh and Ethel Ward Taylor, she was a homemaker and a member of the Tanner Street Church of God. On July 20, 1935, at Benton, she married the Rev. J. Marshall Page, who preceded her in death on July 26, 1995...

KENNETT -- Pallbearers at services conducted at 11 a.m. today at the First United Methodist Church in Kennett for Robert Carrow, 71, formerly of Morley, who died Oct. 10, 2004, were: Collin Cooke, Gabe Shipp, Ben Shipp, Dan Cooke, Jack York and Harold Sheppard...

LAKE CITY, Ark. -- Bettie L. Chronister, 77, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Oct. 13, 2004, at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. Born May 17, 1927, in Sikeston, to the late Henry and Fannie Roush Bolden, she worked for over 20 years for the American Electric Co. in Jonesboro. She was also a member of the First United Methodist Church in Jonesboro and a former member of the Junior Auxiliary at St. Bernards Hospital...

SIKESTON - Walter M. Tanner, 79, died Oct. 8, 2004, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Aug. 25, 1925, in Puxico to the late Walter and Alzady Woods Tanner, he was a chef at the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas. Survivors include: four sons, Jimmy Tanner of Las Vegas and Johnathan Tanner, Benjamin Tanner and Thomas Tanner of Marston; one brother, Benny Tanner of Marston; and one sister, Mildred Patillo of Marston...

BERNIE - Lester R. Miller, 86, died Oct. 13, 2004, at the Malden Nursing and Rehab Center in Malden. Born April 15, 1918, at Belleville, Ark., to the late George Timothy and Polly Edwards Miller, he had served in the Bernie National Guard Company C of the 140th Infantry which was activated for duty in 1940 and served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was employed in farming...

SIKESTON - Nellie Tanner Smith, 93, formerly of New Madrid, died Oct. 13, 2004, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

SIKESTON -- Pete Chaney, 50, formerly of East Prairie, died at 12:01 a.m. Oct. 14, 2004, at his home in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

PORTAGEVILLE - Bobbie Rex Keown, 71, died Oct. 13, 2004, in Ferriday, La. Born July 1, 1933, in New Madrid, Mo., to the late Cecil and Pearl Oliver Keown, he was a member of the First Church of God in Portageville. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a retired salesman for Watercraft...

BERNIE - Henry Stevens, 85, died Oct. 13, 2004, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are incomplete at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.

SIKESTON - The Sikeston volleyball team completed its final home game of the season on Wednesday with a 24-26, 17-25 loss to Notre Dame. It was Senior Night at the Field House. for two Lady Bulldogs, Audra Wooley and Berneatress Hunt. "The girls came out with a lot of emotion," said Sikeston coach Steve Beydler...

KENNETT - The Sikeston Bulldogs and the Kennett Indians enter Friday night's contest at Kennett High School with a same 1-5 record, but they are two teams on different paths. While Kennett has continued a downward spiral with an abundance of injuries, Sikeston has made it through the first half of the season with virtually no injuries and have steadily improved the last three weeks...

The House of Refuge for Abused and Battered Women held a candlelight vigil Wednesday night at Malone Park. The vigil which was for Domestic Violence Month.

SIKESTON -- Flu shots may be hard to come by for area residents, but local health care providers insist the public shouldn't panic. "There's no indication or reason for the public to believe that we have an epidemic this year," said Kelley J. Rushing, chief executive officer of Ferguson Medical Group in Sikeston. "We have flu seasons where very, very few people get sick. There's no way to predict that at this level."...

Alexa Barnes, a member of the Scott County Central Art Club, paints the inside window of Food Giant Wednesday afternoon. The members also painted the outside windows of Super D. The club, which is in its first year, is made up of Junior High and High School students...

It is pretty discouraging to think that some of you idiots still try to compare President Bush and Kerry in any way. Kerry couldn't even have a debate without lying. He was nothing but a puppet who had memorized the lines someone else had written and rehearsed all week. ...

SIKESTON - State, regional and local Missouri Department of Conservation officials will hold a public conservation forum at 7 p.m. today in the Clinton Building at the Sikeston Sports Complex. The public forums are being held all over the state, according to Leother Branch, Scott County conservation agent. "Sikeston was primarily picked as a central location for Southeast Missouri," he explained...

SIKESTON - Ernest L. Tongate, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.L. Tongate of Sikeston has received his commission as second lieutenant in the Marine Corps, after graduating from Officers Training School at Lejeune, N.C., on Sept. 30. SIKESTON - Kiwanis of the Mo.-Kan.-Ark. district elected George W. Kirk of Sikeston, treasurer in the tri-state convention here Friday...