Stories from Wednesday, August 8, 2007

After counting the days and holding my breath, the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo has finally arrived. Four days of wanna-be cowboys, people from out of town and country music. What could be better, huh? Normally I would rush for the safe haven known as my parents' house, waiting out the rodeo hustle-and-bustle in the comfort of their swimming pool. But this year will be different. Instead of dreading the rodeo, I want to embrace it. That's right, I want to become Mr. Rodeo...

SIKESTON - Traces of dust follow each step as Nate Hawkins strides across the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo ring. There is a problem one of the committee members wants him to see. Before the chairman of the 2007 55th Annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo reaches the midway mark, his phone rings. Hawkins looks at the number on the phone, grins and says: "He will have to wait."...

SIKESTON -- Along with the class schedules, housing assignments and other college information filling up mailboxes of incoming college students are a fleet of other envelopes: credit card applications. "It's too easy for folks to get into trouble -- it's too tempting," said Eric Wooden, a financial advisor at Raymond James in Sikeston...

BENTON -- Anyone who wants to get a look at the new Scott County Mobile Command Unit will have their chance at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. "The Jaycees are going to use our emergency management trailer at the rodeo grounds," Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday...

SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Luther Akins, former residents of Cape Girardeau, moved here last week. They are now located at 627 N. Vernon Ave. SIKESTON - Gov. Warren E. Hearnes will speak at a regional commission planning dinner at the National Guard Armory Thursday at 7 p.m. The governor will formally create the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission and present copies of the proclamation to officials of the region...

I've heard or read, that for the last 50 or 60 years, law schools do not teach a thorough inspection of the Constitution for its original intent, but rather focus on the "Precedents of Judge's Opinions" about what the Constitution 'meant to say.' (And even then, only those opinions that support a subversive view of the Constitution, especially those spawned over the last 70 years or so.) In the ever increasing clamor for new morality about the 'evil undeserving rich' (just because they are rich by ever changing standard) and the 'righteous deserving poor' (just because they are poor by by an ever changing standard) why don't they ever hear these wise words of warning from one particular U.S. ...

MORLEY -- Over the last few years, youth sports programs in the local area, outside of Sikeston and Cape Girardeau, have nearly become extinct. But the North Scott County Sports Club looks to change that, and bring about a new phase to the surrounding communities...

Sikeston High School softball player Kaitlyn Turnbow works on a throwing drill with a teammate during practice this week at the Sikeston Sports Complex.

BENTON -- A Benton woman was arrested over the weekend in connection with the shooting of a wrecker driver in the presence of two county deputies. According to a news release issued Tuesday from Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter, the incident occurred Saturday while two deputies were at a Victory Lane residence, working on a stolen and recovered ATV. ...

We as a community can never truly thank the Sikeston Jaycees quite enough. These young men - many of them now third generation Jaycees - bring a spotlight on the southeast Missouri region and Sikeston in particular that puts us on the map. Of course, the attention this week is focused clearly on the annual Bootheel Rodeo and the thousands of fans who will visit our community. ...

Dear Mike, Thank so much for the two editorials you recently wrote about all our products being made in China. Your last editorial was great in explaining what the products are doing to our health and families. I remember being taught many years age that the pen was mightier than the sword. You certainly proved that to be true in your last article...

SIKESTON -- Bernard Daniel, 45, died Aug. 2, 2007, at the Capitol Regional Medical Center in Jefferson City. Born Aug. 24, 1961, in Bell City, son of Willie Bee Walker Daniel of Sikeston and Leon Daniel of New Madrid, he was a graduate of Sikeston High School and a member of West End Baptist Church...

JONESBORO, Ga. -- Joe Lee Craig, 40, formerly of Charleston, Mo., died July 31, 2007, in Decatur. Born July 19, 1967, in Sikeston, Mo., to Elijah Mason of Seattle and the late Loretta Craig, he was a self-employed contractor and of the Baptist belief...

DEXTER - Lloyd E. DeJournett, 72, died Aug. 6, 2007, at his home. Born May 15, 1935, near Grayridge, son of the late Marshall Seymore and Mary Mae Annis DeJournett, he had lived in the Essex and Dexter area all his life and had worked as a farmer. Survivors include: two brothers, Marvin DeJournett of Dexter and Wiley DeJournett of Essex; and one sister, Kathleen Givens of Cape Girardeau...

MORLEY - Bill Mouser, 76, died Aug. 7, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Chaffee.

SIKESTON - Dale May, 67, died Aug. 7, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home of Sikeston.

This is Jeff Arenz, and I am Speaking of Sports. -- A new era began on Monday for The Standard Democrat's sports department. With the departure of Derek James, D.A. Publishing has hired me, Jeff Arenz, to be the sports editor in Sikeston. Derek served The Standard Democrat for 10 faithful years -- first as a sports reporter and, later, as its sports editor. He is a native of Sikeston and his knowledge concerning the history of area athletics will be extremely hard to replace...

SIKESTON -- The blistering heat this week is not an oddity for the 55th Annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo, which begins at 7 p.m today and continues each night through Saturday at the Sikeston Rodeo Grounds. Not only has the heat been turned up in regard to recent temperatures, but it's also on the cowboys of the Great Lakes Circuit, which will bring many competitors to the Jaycee Rodeo...

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