Stories from Tuesday, May 31, 2005

I'm a resident of the Ridgeview Subdivision, just west of Sikeston. I would like to complain about the Eagles Club at their park having target practice in my backyard. That is not neighborly and it is also dangerous. I would like you to know that the Scott County Sheriff's Department will not do anything about it because they say it is within their rights to do that. ...

ORAN - Mrs. Virginia Kelley of New Orleans, La., is visiting relatives here this week. --- BLODGETT - Mrs. Robert Davis of Morley is now employed at the Blodgett Mercantile Company's store here. 40 years ago May 31, 1965 CHARLESTON - Commencement exercises for the largest class to ever to graduate from Charleston High School were held May 28 at 8 p.m. ...

ESSEX - China Williamson, 84, died May 29, 2005, at the Missouri Southern Healthcare Facility in Dexter. Born Feb. 18, 1921, in the state of Arkansas to the late Harvey and Eula Mae Howell Crews, she had lived most of her life in Essex where she was a member of the United Methodist Church...

PORTAGEVILLE -- William Dale "Billy" Blue, 57, died May 29, 2005, at Pemiscot County Memorial Hospital in Hayti. Born June 12, 1947, in Lorain, Ohio, to William O. "Shorty" Blue of New Madrid and the late Wilma Lee Allen Blue, he worked at Noranda Aluminum for over 35 years and was a member of the New Madrid Eagles Aerie 4206...

SIKESTON - Willia Mae Dodds, 62, died at 6:23 p.m. May 28, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born March 2, 1943, in New Madrid County, daughter of the late Joe and Mary Allen Dodds, she was an optician at the Wal-Mart Vision Center and had lived in Sikeston most of her life...

DEXTER - Davonte Lafonse Handy, four-month-old son of Ben Handy and Dara Vaughn of Dexter, died May 26, 2005, at St. Louis Children's Hospital. He was born Dec. 31, 2004, in Poplar Bluff. Surviving in addition to his parents are: one brother, Damian Handy of Dexter; maternal grandfather, Larry Vaughn of Bloomfield; maternal grandmother, Linda Vaughn of Dexter; and maternal great-grandmother, Christine Schacherbaur of Dexter...

DEXTER - Pallbearers at services conducted Saturday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter for Virginia Black, 74, who died May 26, 2005, were: Blake Duckworth, Kyle Galloway, Brandon Wooley, Cody Levart, Boyce Wooley and Steve Leinenbach.

SIKESTON - Jerry R. Smith, 66, died at 5 a.m. May 26, 2005, at his home. Born April 21, 1939 in Oran, son of the late McGoy and Louise Abernathy Smith, he was of the Baptist belief and was the founder of Century 21 Real Estate Co. in Sikeston. A member of the Elks Lodge 2319 for 30 years, he was a past officer and member of Eagles Arie 3319 and the Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114...

BENTON - Donald "Joe" Kneezle, 55, died at 7:35 p.m. May 28, 2005, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 29, 1949, in Benton to the late Leslie Roy Kneezle and Monzella Mary Griffaw, he was employed as an auto body painter and was a member of the Unity Baptist Church at Benton...

The public got their first look at Portageville's new city jail Sunday. The 8,000 square foot facility at 201 E. Main St., includes offices for Portageville Police Chief Ronnie Adams and his staff, offices for the Probation and Parole, the office of Economic Development and the Portageville Clerk. ...

Lt. Colonel Charles Hardy walks to the monument at Veterans Park to place a wreath for Memorial Day. Hardy was the guest speaker for the Memorial Day Service which over 100 people attended Monday morning.

NEW MADRID - There is such a thing as "home-river advantage." The New Madrid team of Billy Tanner and Jerry Whitehead took not only first place in the Cabela's KingKat Tournament at New Madrid Saturday but also Tanner pulled in the biggest catfish of the day...

DEXTER -- A Dexter couple was charged with the murder of their 5-month- old son over the weekend. According to Stoddard County Sheriff's Department, on Saturday the child's father, Ben Earl Handy, 23, was charged with class A felony murder in the second degree and two counts of class A felony armed criminal action while the child's mother, Dara Vaughn, 22, was charged with class A felony armed criminal action. ...

POPLAR BLUFF -- The Memorial Day holiday saw few accidents in both Missouri and Illinois, according to law enforcement agencies. A dispatcher for the Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop E headquarters in Poplar Bluff, said Troop E saw only one fatality in New Madrid County and a few minor accidents throughout the district...

SPRINGFIELD -- State tennis singles qualifier Marc Leible fell just shy of a state medal. Leible, a Sikeston High School senior, advanced to the consolation semifinals and finished seventh at the 77th MSHSAA Boys Tennis Championships at the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Sikeston senior Tyler Woodson ended his high school athletic career in the best way possible, with a state championship. Woodson captured first place in the 110 meter high hurdles at the Class 3 MSHSAA Track and Field Championships held at Dwight T. Reed Stadium in Jefferson City on Saturday...

ANNISTON -- Nadine Self Haley, 80, died at 7:30 p.m. May 30, 2005, at her residence. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

HOWARDVILLE - DeAnna Moore is the mother of her second daughter, Johndeja Tysha, born at 5:50 a.m. April 3, 2005, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth and was 19.25 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Charlie Mae Moore and Alex Saddler...