Stories from Monday, July 24, 2006

The farmers have not been burning the fields off, they used to plow it under and use it for fertilizer. Whoever that has been calling and saying they've been doing it since the century has been here, they are wrong. They are dreaming. Farmers used to conserve more and people did. I'm sure there would be other means for food...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Helen J. Brown, 72, died July 22, 2006 at her home in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 13, 1934, in Bowling Green, Ky., daughter of the late Roy J. and Judy Pettis Lober, she was a graduate of Charleston High School, attended the University of Missouri, and formerly worked at the Sears Store in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of Maple United Methodist Church...

MALDEN -- Samuel Wayne Ellsworth, 48, died July 22, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 9, 1958, in Kennett, son of Darlene Montgomery of Dexter and the late Harold Samuel Ellsworth, he was a resident of Malden and was baptized into the Church of Christ at age 11...

PUXICO - Kenneth Morgan, 73, died July 23, 2006, at the Puxico Nursing and Rehab Center in Puxico. Born April 22, 1933, son of the Thelma Fish Morgan of Arab and the late John Morgan, he lived in the Puxico area all his life. He was a retired logger and sawmill worker and had been a maintenance worker for 13 years with Puxico Public Schools. He was a member of the Mingo Saddle Club and the Brush Creek Baptist Church in Arab...

SIKESTON - Virginia Trisdale Bonner died at 12:32 a.m. July 23, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Fordyce, Ark., to the late Preston and Lona McKinney Trisdale. She graduated magna cum laude from Southeast Missouri State University with a nursing degree. ...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for services at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Chapel in Dexter for Mary Ann Wilson, 96, who died July 16, 2006, were: Michael Wilson, Keith Wilson, Donnie Bennett, Doug Bennett, Aaron Cole and Brett Roper.

DRY PRONG, La. - Mackie "Randy" Gromer, 52, formerly of Dexter, Mo., died July 21, 2006, at the Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria. Born Sept. 8, 1953, in Dexter, son of Myrtle Ritchie Gromer of Dexter and the late Howard E. Gromer, he had lived in Dexter, Jackson, Miss. and Tampa, Fla. before moving to Dry Prong four years ago. A graduate of Richland High School, he had worked as a heavy equipment operator and was a veteran of the United States Army...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Bennie Joe Morrison, 80, formerly of Charleston and Sikeston, died July 22, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born June 17, 1926, in Sikeston, son of the late Benjamin Franklin and Anna Virgin Gipson Springs Morrison, he was a 1944 Sikeston High School graduate. ...

The farmers have not been burning the fields off, they used to plow it under and use it for fertilizer. Whoever that has been calling and saying they've been doing it since the century has been here, they are wrong. They are dreaming. Farmers used to conserve more and people did. I'm sure there would be other means for food...

SIKESTON - The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved the Robinson Flying School as an official GI flight training center. NEW MADRID - The 18th annual New Madrid County 4-H Fair brought out more than 400 people Thursday night and Friday to view the displays and programs held at the high school gymnasium. The county 4-H group, representing 30 clubs, has a membership of more than 1,000 boys and girls. It is the largest membership of any county in Missouri...

RISCO -- Tuesday will mark the six-month anniversary of Teresa Lynn Butler's mysterious disappearance from her Risco home. Since the 35-year-old mother of two vanished without a trace Jan. 25, family, friends and law enforcement have searched the area around her home, put up posters in the area, talked to psychics and set up reward funds for Butler's return...

To bring the issue of terrorism a bit closer to home, there's a chance that your phone records have been supplied to the National Security Agency. If that's the case, it may fall in violation of Missouri privacy laws. But those laws may also be trumped by the issue of national security...

DOGWOOD -- Anyone who travels Highway B on a daily basis knows about Mike Leible's peach stand that sits roadside between East Prairie and Bertrand. And as Leible tells it, there's nothing like tasting a peach picked right from the tree. "Most of the people that live around here are country-oriented and have had the opportunity to eat home-grown tomatoes and tomatoes from grocery stores. There's no comparison between the two, and it's the same with a peach," Leible said...

RISCO -- Teresa Lynn Butler's husband, Gary Dale Butler, discovered she was missing when he returned home from work around 9:30 a.m. Jan. 26, after working the night shift at his job in Blytheville, Ark. The couple's 2- and 4- year-old boys were alone...

SIKESTON -- The premise is simple. Mismatched roommates who drive each other crazy and create a little comedy on the way. The concept has been utilized for years in TV and movies, but it all started on Broadway. From July 27-30, the Sikeston Little Theatre will perform its own rendition of Neil Simon's classic theater production, "The Odd Couple."...

I have friends on Kinder Street in Sikeston and recently they found out that Jobe Construction has bought the land. Jobe Construction is planning on making the owners move their trailers so they can build houses. I was just wondering why when they had the meetings about this none of the people that owns trailers on Kinder Street were told about the meeting? Why is it up to the people on the other street to vote on whether to move the trailers? There are a lot of people on that street that cannot afford to move their trailers and buy land somewhere else. ...

SIKESTON - Samuel Winstead of Springfield, Ill., is visiting with his sister, Mrs. J.C. Davis and family. Mr. Winstead is 85 years old and made the trip to Sikeston by bus. SIKESTON - The City Council, in special session yesterday, approved two resolutions - one for creation of an official city planning commission in conformity with Missouri statutes, and one which sets procedures for acquisition of land for construction of water and sewer facilities...

When the City of Sikeston hosts a blood drive -we know it will be extraordinary! It was so encouraging to see so many city officials come out and roll up their sleeves at our Community Blood Drive on July 18th at the Hunter Memorial First Presbyterian Church. ...

SIKESTON - Although the night may summon sleep for most Americans, a growing number of workers are greeting dusk as the start of the day. In recent years, more companies are running on a 24-hour clock and utilizing shift work among their employees to do so. Unfortunately for the workers, shift work can bring about a number of undesirable effects...

Source: Bootheel Counseling Services...

Tyler Anderson delivers a pitch for the Sikeston 11-year-old and under All- Stars during the state finals at the Sikeston Complex. Sikeston defeated Mineral Area 20-1 to win the state title.

SEMO North's Daniel Dooley tags out MABA's Brendan McCoy at home after he tried to score on a wild pitch at the 11-year-old Missouri State Cal Ripken Baseball Tournament at the Sikeston Complex. SEMO North won the game 13-12. The Sikeston All-Stars defeated Scott County 12-2 on Friday...

SIKESTON - Scott Gardner will take his soccer skills to the next level as he has signed to play for the Greenville College Panthers this upcoming semester. Greenville is located 45 minutes east of St. Louis in Illinois and the Panthers are a member of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) in NCAA Division III...

SIKESTON -- With the implementation of the MUSE system and other technology, Missouri Delta Medical Center is stepping into the digital age. Using money raised by the Missouri Delta Medical Center Benefit Ball, the Missouri Delta Medical Center Foundation has purchased and put into place a computerized MUSE EKG recording system for $138,000...

COLUMBIA -- Dr. Edward and Mary Kay Schumacher have announced the engagement of their daughter, Jean Marie Schumacher, to Joel Douglas Shaw, son of Doug and Suzanne Shaw of Sikeston. A 2003 graduate of the University of Nebraska, where she earned a Bachelor of Journalism, the future bride earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Missouri in 2005. ...

SIKESTON -- Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Grady have announced the engagement of their daughter, Tosha Raquel Grady, to Bryan Joseph Drury, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Drury of Cape Girardeau. A 2000 graduate of Sikeston High School, the future bride received a degree in nursing from Cox College of Nursing in Springfield in 2004. She is a registered nurse on the cardiac floor at Cox Health Medical Center South in Springfield...

SIKESTON -- Lynn Ray and Shelia Ray have announced the engagement of their daughter, Lynda JoAnn Ray, to Michael David Warren Jr., son of Michael David Warren Sr. and Barbara Susan Warren of Sikeston. A 1998 graduate of Richland High School, the future bride is a student...

NEW MADRID - Boom. Boom. Boom. Rap. Tappity-tap. Rap. Rap. Crash. Boom. The drumline makes their presence known as they begin to practice. Boom. Boom. Boom. Almost a year in the making, the group is mastering the basics of drumming, dancing and marching. And more importantly said Darren Robinson, one of the organizers, they are mastering the art of teamwork...

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - Kevin M. Lankheit has joined Lockheed Martin Corporation as a system engineer - field tech support at E2K within Missiles and Fire Control at Fort Campbell. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control produces the Topscene Mission Rehearsal System for the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines and Special Operations Forces. Topscene utilizes overhead image data from satellites and other sources by converting the two-dimensional images into three-...

While he may be a new business, Larry Eaves points out he brings 12 years experience in the plumbing business. Eaves, who owns and operates Eaves Plumbing and Septic Service with his wife, Lorrie, provides residential and commercial plumbing services ranging from installation to repairs of leaking faucets. A state-certified septic installer, Eaves' new business also provides sewer cleaning...

CHARLESTON - After 33 years as owner and operator of Humpty Dumpty Daycare in Charleston, Judy Asa retired on June 30. Asa opened the daycare in August 1973 in the building that was formerly Pates' Grocery store. The daycare was licensed for 20 children ages 2 to 12 and opened from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for more than three decades...

CVB is beginning a new fiscal year. The Sikeston and Miner Convention and Visitors Bureau has changed their fiscal year to match that of the Missouri Division of Tourism. Our new Cooperative Marketing Projects have begun with advertisements in the Midwest Traveler and Home & Away magazines...

SIKESTON - Almost daily there is another news story about the need for Americans to become more active and physically fit. Today, more and more Sikeston and area residents are doing their part to achieve a healthy lifestyle by making Ozark Fitness a regular part of their fitness routine...

SIKESTON -- Romantic relationships have greatly changed over the past 30 years. People have talked about such things as divorce rates, premarital sex and interracial couples. Today, another change is beginning to turn heads; a large number of couples are moving in together before marriage, nearly 50 percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau...

Connor Landers of the Sikeston 11-year-old and under All-Stars makes contact with a pitch in the state finals at the Sikeston Complex. Sikeston defeated Mineral Area American 20-1 to win the state title. Sikeston advances to the Cal Ripken Midwest Plains Regional Tournament at Waite Park, Minn. Sikeston will face South Dakota on Friday at 5 p.m...

The Heartland National All-Star 14-and-under girls softball team won the Babe Ruth Fast Pitch State Tournament held at Chaffee on July 14-15-16. The championship qualifies the team for the regional tournament scheduled for July 27-30 in Monett. Heartland National went 4-1 in the tournament, advancing out of the loser's bracket to claim the title. They opened the tounament with a 22-0 drubbing of Sikeston, then lost in 10 innings to Monett on Saturday...

CHARLESTON -- A second straight gut-wrenching defeat eliminated the Charleston Fighting Squirrels from the Senior Babe Ruth State Tournament. Cape Girardeau's Blake Gaddis blasted a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 4-3 win over host Charleston at Hillhouse Park on Friday...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Portageville boys basketball coach Jim Bidewell has long been considered one of the best coaches in Southeast Missouri. Now the entire state is taking notice. Bidewell, 46, was recently inducted into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Springfield...

Hoffman LEOPOLD - Erin and David Hoffman are the parents of their first child, a daughter, born at 1:35 a.m. June 15, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Alexis Jane Hoffman weighed 9 pounds, 8 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Brad and Penny Willrich of Grimes, Iowa...

ST. LOUIS - Eva. L. Appleton, 86, died July 20, 2006, at the St. Louis University Hospital. Born July 11, 1920, at Canalou, daughter of the late Jesse and Ettie McMahan Reeves, in 1951, she moved to St. Louis where she was a member of the Missionary Baptist Church...

DEXTER - Cecilia Peggy Bower, 92, died July 21, 2006, in the Beverly Health and Rehabilitation Center at Dexter. Born Nov. 13, 1913, at Dexter, daughter of the late Fredrick and Philomenia Dietsch Sauer, she was a homemaker and of the Catholic faith...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Bennie Joe Morrison, 80, formerly of Sikeston, died July 22, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home of Sikeston.