Stories from Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Pizza Hut's Tyler Anderson slides in safely at home plate while Montgomery Bank pitcher Jarrett Sandlin tries to apply the tag during National League action on Monday in Sikeston Area Youth Baseball. Find Montgomery Bank's results from Friday in the Scoreboard on page 10...

Blake Pierce, a maintenance employee for the Sikeston R-6 School District, paints a parking block Monday afternoon at the Field House parking lot. The district is preparing the facility for tonight's graduation.

SIKESTON -- Following an alleged kidnapping attempt last week, many residents are asking: Does Sikeston have a problem with abductions? "I would say no," said Sgt. Jim McMillen of the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. "I wouldn't necessarily say we have a problem with it, but always be careful. We did have an alleged abduction attempt on May 14 which is currently under investigation."...

I?drive to Bloomfield for work throughout the week. The past few months I? have almost had two accidents with ATVs on AB highway near Avert. Each time the driver has had children with him. Then last week I almost had another accident with two different ATVs. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Dorothy Hodgkiss, Cline, 74, formerly of Sikeston, died at 3:16 a.m. May 21, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 7, 1932, at Sikeston, to the late Charles Thomas and Ella Mae Johnson, she was a cook for War Drum Restaurant in Sikeston, retired from Brown Shoe in Sikeston and attended Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...

HUNTINGDON, Tenn. -- Patricia Anne Passley Trayers, 58, formerly of Charleston, Mo., died May 18, 2007, at Jackson. Born July 27, 1948, in Charleston, she was the daughter of the late Samuel "Dago" and Nellie Rose Murr Passley. Having lived in Charleston mot her life, she had lived in Huntingdon for the past 10 years...

ESSEX -- Inez Boone, 90, died May 20, 2007, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born Sept. 4, 1916, at Fulton, Miss., daughter of the late Edgar Spencer and Gertrude Dozer Hare, she had lived in Essex since 1946, where she attended the Harvest Assembly of God Church...

MCALLEN, Texas - George Jones Waters Sr., 74, passed away peacefully on May 19, 2007, from cancer. George was born in Missouri to the late Alex and Helen Waters. He retired in McAllen after serving 22 years in the United States Marine Corps. A retired USMC lieutenant colonel, he owned Waters' Remodeling & Construction Company. He belonged to the Our Lady of Sorrows Men's Club and was a past president of the Evening Kiwanis Club...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Julian Raymond Carver, 69, died May 18, 2007, at his home. Born Oct. 24, 1937, in La Belle, Fla., to the late Joseph and Iona Sweeny Carver, he was a member of the National Guard and a U.S. Army veteran having served during the Korean War...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Donel Ray Walls, 59, died May 19, 2007, at his home. Born Jan 17, 1948, in Keiser, Ark., he was the son of the late Johnny and Hester White Walls. Survivors include: his former wife, Patricia Walls of Portageville; two sons, Anthony S. ...

I've tried to follow the saga of the St. Louis public schools for several reasons. For starters, we have school districts in southeast Missouri that may soon face a state takeover and it's important to follow the progress of the St. Louis schools to know what to expect. And since the 32,000 student district is the state's largest, decisions made there will likely impact schools throughout the state...

ST. LOUIS -- Former Charleston resident, Roy Blaine Williams, was honored May 8, 2007, by his induction into the St. Louis Metropolitan Football Coaches Hall of Fame. In a letter from the St. Louis Metropolitan Football Coaches Association, Williams was chosen and duly recognized because of his distinguished career and his contributions to the game of football...

OLATHE, Kan. - Bethel College's Derek Demaree has been named a 2007 NAIA Men's Basketball Daktronics Scholar Athlete. Student athletes must be nominated by their head coach, have achieved junior academic status and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Demaree is the only player from the TranSouth Conference to receive the honor...

SIKESTON -- Gasoline prices hit yet another national high Monday. And with the upcoming holiday weekend, during which AAA predicts 32.1 million travelers by motor vehicle, many are expecting prices to stay on the rise. "Historically, toward the end of the week and toward the Memorial Day holiday there's always a big push to bring prices up because of the heavy traffic," said Bobby Jenkins of General Oil Company in Sikeston...

Chris Word and Joseph Cooksey collide while attempting to make a catch during Monday's Fifth Grade Center East Pod Kickball Tournament. The teams were made up of students from each of the four classes in the pod.

SIKESTON - Mrs. Edna Shankle and Mrs. Electa O'Hara have announced the opening of the Artificial Floral Co., 506 East Center. SIKESTON - The City Council has approved a plan to lease five acres of land to the Sikeston Industrial Development Corporation and authorize the corporation to sublease the property to a manufacturing firm. The action was taken in a special meeting last night...

MARBLE HILL - Brittany and David McIntyre are the parents of their first daughters, second and third children, born April 11, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Maci Noelle McIntyre was born at 7:26 a.m., weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 18.25 inches long. Kaida Jenai was born at 7:27 a.m., weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 18 inches long...