Stories from Wednesday, May 3, 2006

BENTON -- Enforcement of speed limits and stop signs in the Mini Farms Subdivision can prevent a tragedy from happening, according to concerned residents of the neighborhood. Terry Eakins, president of the Mini Farms Homeowners Association, and Mini Farms residents Kenny Little and Donna Morris met with Scott County Commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday for assistance in researching when the speed limit was changed...

It looks as if a proposal to increase the minimum wage in Missouri will be on the November election ballot and, as usual, business and labor are at odds over the merits and impact on the wage increase. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, petitions are currently being circulated to place the question on the November general election ballot. It's likely the supporters will get enough signatures...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston tennis team improved to 10-2 on the season with a 7-2 victory against Dexter on Tuesday at Sikeston High School. "I was proud of the way Logan Hampton played today," said Sikeston coach Brian James. "He lost to the same kid a week ago, came back today and played about as well as I've seen him play. ...

CHAFFEE - The New Madrid County Central Eagles baseball team defeated the Chaffee Red Devils 13-3 on Tuesday afternoon at Chaffee. In a game that was originally scheduled to be played at New Madrid, the game was held at Chaffee due to poor field conditions. NMCC was the home team on the scoreboard for the contest and the Eagles seemed right at home in the opponent's park...

FARMINGTON -- Sikeston failed to qualify any golfers for state at the Class 3 District Tournament held at Eagle Lake Golf Course in Farmington on Tuesday. "Our young team struggled today and for the first time in a very long time we had no one qualify for state," said Sikeston coach Rick Oetting...

ORAN -- Willie B. Mills, 72, died April 28, 2006, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born Jan. 8, 1934, in Malden, daughter of the late Everie and Georgia Mae Steward, she was a member of Divine Second Chance Ministries and was a former member of Greers Chapel Baptist Church in Sikeston...

SIKESTON - Dale Scott Hulan, 50, died April 29, 2006, in Springfield, Ill. Born Aug. 22, 1955, in Lakewood, Calif., to Richard Hulan of Mountain Home, Ark. and the late Lynnette DeCrow Hulan, he was a driver for Reliable Trucking Company and had served four years with the United States Navy...

BERTRAND - Marvin Clark Hartwick, 92, died at 2:53 a.m. May 2, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Oct. 27, 1913, in Guy, Ark., to the late John Leonard and Emma Edwards Hartwick, he lived 32 years in St. Louis where he was a member of the Apostolic Oneness Holiness Church and was employed with the Chase Bag Corporation until his retirement in 1978. ...

SIKESTON - Phyllis Joyner Throgmorton died peacefully at her home in Sikeston on May 1, after a brief bout with cancer. Daughter of Floyd L. and Elnora Gross, she was born on July 24, 1917, in New Madrid, Mo. She was married to Glen L. Joyner on October 31, 1937, and he preceded her in death February 16, 1969. She married Dr. Howard B. Throgmorton February 24, 1971, and he preceded her in death May 15, 1985...

ST. LOUIS - Nellie Mae White, 87, formerly of Matthews, died April 30, 2006, in the Woodland Nursing Home at St. Louis. Born Dec. 14, 1918, in Starville, Miss., daughter of the late Nel and Smitty Hamilton, she was a member of Greer Chapel Baptist Church in Sikeston...

PARMA - Freddie Gene Akridge III, 3, died May 1, 2006, at his home. Born Dec. 24, 2002, he was the son of Freddie Gene Akridge II and Rebecca Mead, both of Parma. In addition to his parents, survivors include: one brother, Christopher Jay Lawson of the home; his paternal grandparents, Peggy and Larry Murphy of New Madrid and Freddie Akridge Sr. of Catron; his maternal grandparents, Bobbie Nell Mead of Bernie and Richard Lewis Mead Sr.; and great-...

DEXTER - Lucille Bates, 85, died May 2, 2006, in the emergency room of the Missouri Southern Healthcare at Dexter. Born Sept. 9, 1920, at Bernie, daughter of the late James and Ora Vineyard Kifer, she was a homemaker and a member of the First General Baptist Church in Dexter...

DEXTER - Woodrow "Woody" Horton, 88, died May 2, 2006, in the Cypress Point Healthcare at Dexter. Born July 25, 1917, at Lamar, Ark., son of the late Warren and Ruth Ann Overby Horton, he was a veteran of the United States Navy, having served during World War II, and of the Methodist faith. He and his wife were the former owners of Faye's Bakery in Dexter for 42 years...

KEWANEE -- George M. Kennedy, 70, died at 11:43 a.m. May 1, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Feb. 14, 1936, in Walnut, Miss., son of the late Willie V. and Thelma Leona Gates Kennedy, he had worked as a truck driver for over 40 years, retiring from Edwards Transportation in East Prairie. He was of the Baptist belief...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Helen L. Campbell, 87, passed away May 1, 2006, at Health Care at Adams Place. A native of Pitman, Ark., she was a military wife and lived in many states before moving to Murfreesboro where she lived for the past 46 years. She was a member of Third Baptist Church and a homemaker...

SIKESTON -- The Bootheel BassBusters held their second tournament of the year on Sunday, April 23rd on Kentucky Lake out of KenLake Marina. Mitch Allen won the tournament with a six fish limit weighing 13 lbs. 15 oz. Ty Garrett was second with a six fish limit weighing 13 lbs. 14 oz. and also won the "Lucky Drawing"...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulls Baseball Club is currently searching for businesses and families in the Sikeston area to play a vital role in the success of the Bulls this summer. The Bulls are looking for families that have an extra room to host one or more of their players...

SIKESTON -- The Department of Public Safety has made an arrest for burglaries on Sikeston's north end. Terriel Londell Williams, 19, of Sikeston was arrested in the early Monday morning while in the process of perpetrating a burglary at 705 N. Kingshighway, according to DPS officials...

Jasmine Greer, a Sikeston kindergarten student, tries to catch a bubble Tuesday afternoon at the Sikeston Sports Complex. The Kindergarten Center held a play day at the complex for the students to reward them for their work during testing.

PARMA - A 3-year-old child died when his home was engulfed in flames. Freddie G. Akridge III, the son of Freddie G. Akridge II and Rebecca Mead, was pronounced dead at the scene of a trailer fire on North Broad Street in Parma, according to New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens. Stevens said when personnel arrived on the scene at about 3:30 p.m. Monday the trailer was fully engulfed in flames...

NEW MADRID - A preliminary hearing date is set for one person in connection with the murder of a Texas man while a second person charged in the case is to return to court Thursday. Michael D. Meador and Dennis Dinwiddie are being held in the New Madrid County Jail in connection with the shooting death of Sergio Burgos Gonzalez, 36, of Edinberg, Texas. Gonzalez's body was discovered April 22 in Mississippi County, where he apparently had been taken after being killed in New Madrid County...

SIKESTON - Workmen have been engaged for the past weeks in putting new siding on the main building of Mill A of the Scott County Milling Co. LILBOURN - Seven students were awarded college scholarships and 39 were recipients of high school grants at the Delmo Housing Corporation's annual meeting...

NEW MADRID - A man charged in the shooting death of his son remains in jail in lieu of $100,000 cash bond. William Eugene Pardon is charged with second degree murder and armed criminal action for the shooting death at 2:50 a.m. Friday of his son, Dustin, "Dusty" Pardon, 20, of Portageville. He was arraigned Monday in Division II of New Madrid County Circuit Court on the charges and Judge Charles Spitler ordered Pardon to return to court on May 11...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The SEMO Conference Baseball Tournament has only existed for six years, and every year the Sikeston Bulldogs seem to rise to the occasion in the annual event. For the sixth straight year, the Sikeston Bulldogs were playing in the championship game, but this time the top-seeded Cape Central Tigers proved to be too much, winning 8-4 on Tuesday afternoon at Cape Central High School to win their first SEMO Conference Tournament championship...

Nobody asked me but...Sikeston's baseball season has turned for the better the last couple weeks and culminated with a second place finish in the SEMO Conference Tournament. Credit should go to Bulldog head coach Kevin Self, who after spending much of the year tinkering with the batting order, has seemingly found a good fit with Josh Jackson in the three hole and Tyler Baker batting cleanup...

I'd like to comment on the school shootings and in the county. If they would have something decent on the television for these children to watch we wouldn't have as many shootings. All you see is shootings. That's all they see, so they think that they might as well do it themselves. They are sent to these jails and institutions for years. If you would clean up the televisions, we wouldn't have the problems we have to day with our youth...

Never discuss Scientology with the critic. Just discuss his or her crimes, known and unknown. -- L. Ron Hubbard It was an exciting week last week. Yes, that's right, Tomkitten was born. Just another reason for an idiot celebrity to keep getting his name in the paper while promoting his movies and "religion."...