Stories from Wednesday, November 14, 2007

SIKESTON --Bids were awarded for casework, building amenities, technology and masonry at the Math and Science Center during Tuesday's regular meeting of the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education. Glen Alspaugh Company LLC will build and install classroom bookcases that will match cabinets already in use at the building for $10,600...

PORTAGEVILLE -- A Canalou teen sustained serious injuries following a single- vehicle accident near Portageville on Wednesday night. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports the accident occurred around 9:55 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 55, five miles south of Portageville. A northbound vehicle driven by Erin L. Beck, 20, of Portageville, ran off the left side of the roadway, crossed the median and struck a bridge...

Marilyn Huffstuttler and Debbie Aters, both organizers for the "A Soldiers' Christmas Campaign" box items that were donated to the campaign at Regional Title. Organizers are of need of money for shipping the campaign boxes to Iraq.

BENTON -- Scott County commissioners will have to get further into the budget process before deciding whether the county can afford a cost of living adjustment for county employees or not. "Nothing has been approved for the 2008 budget," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday...

SIKESTON -- Addie Vaughn, head cheerleader for Sikeston Senior High School, said there is one thing she and her fellow cheerleaders are focused on this week: Saturday's state competition in Columbia. "We're going over the routine in our heads," she said. One of her coaches, Sarah McGill, agreed the girls are anticipating the competition, coming into class and announcing how many days are left...

SIKESTON -- With less that a week to file for the April municipal elections in Sikeston and Charleston remaining, incumbents may end up running for new terms without opposition. Sue Rogers, who filed Oct. 18 for another term in her at-large Sikeston City Council seat, is still the only candidate to have filed for the position, according to Sikeston City Clerk Carroll Couch...

SIKESTON -- Citing an event last month that has brought "embarrassing inquiries" and "unflattering public attention" to the district, an apologetic Paul H. Boyd stepped down as president of the Sikeston R-6 school board. Boyd, who has served as a senior U.S. ...

MINER - Sires Woods, who suffered a skull fracture in a fall following the football game two weeks ago in Cape, was returned home from St. Francis Hospital in Cape. SIKESTON - In the final out-state Missouri High School Football poll conducted by the Kansas City Star, the Sikeston Bulldogs, Northern Division champions of the Southeast Missouri Football Conference, were ranked third. Sikeston finished out the season with a 5-0-1 record...

I attended a court proceeding that not only left me sickened and appalled, but very, very angry the way the judge handled it. The matter involved a man who engaged in sexual relations in an oral manner over 20 times with a male minor child. He pled guilty to that and to watching pornographic movies with this child. ...

NEW MADRID -- Dixie M. Akins, 69, of New Madrid, died Nov. 13, 2007, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid.

Last week - on Wednesday to be specific - the federal government announced very quietly that the national debt had topped $9 trillion for the first time. The national debt is the total of the yearly budget deficits plus the money the feds borrow from Social Security or other government trust funds...

The Sikeston 5th and 6th grade all-star soccer team won first place in the Sikeston Soccer Tournament held Nov. 2-4. Coached by Charles Atchison and Dan O'Brien the team members are: Layton Jones, Wesley Shaw, Bryant Dacota, Gabe Wheeler, Jared Boyd, Austin Erwin, Zach Harrison, Dilan Rucker, Gavin O'Brien, Chase Gaines, Marquan Green, Tyler McClinton, Aaron Neal, Steven Baker, Jacob Clark and Trey Walker. Not pictured is Brandon Housman...

The Sikeston and Cape Girardeau Taekwondo Advantage schools recently welcomed Grandmaster Brenda Sell of Lakeland, Fla., 8th degree blackbelt and president of the United States Chung Do Kwan Association, for a special seminar taught by Sell on the technical aspects of form...

Top: Sikeston's Dominic Fondon is guarded by Dominque McCray and Niquavious Dixon while head coach Gregg Holifield (background) looks on in Tuesday's practice. Bottom: Michael Porter drives to the basket while being guarded by Eli Jackson. The Bulldogs are preparing for their first game of the season, Nov. 27, when they host the Blytheville, Ark. Chickasaws...

The Sikeston 5th and 6th grade all-star soccer team won first place in the Cape Girardeau Soccer Tournament held last weekend. Coached by Charles Atchison, Lonnie Rucker and Dan O'Brien the team members are: Bryant Decota, Chase Gaines, Dilan Rucker, Gabe Wheeler, Austin Erwin, Layton Jones, Trey Walker, Wesley Shaw, Marquan Green, Steven Baker, Tyler McClinton, Aaron Neal and Jacob Clark. ...

The Sikeston second grade boys A Division soccer team has had plenty of success recently. The team has played in three tournaments the last three weekends, winning two in Carbondale, Ill., and Cape Girardeau. The team also placed second in the Sikeston tournament. ...

Sikeston 7-year-old Cam King has just completed his first year of racing at SEMO Kart Raceway in Benton. King began in the Yard Kart division before moving to the Junior Sportsman Champ Kart division. King won 10 of the 12 races he entered this season and and won the 2007 points championship in the Junior Sportsman Champ division and took first place in his division at the 6th Annual Coca-Cola Spring Showdown...

PARMA -- Barbara Knight Bonds, 63, died Nov. 12, 2007, at her home. Born Aug. 14, 1944, in Parma, daughter of the late Leonard and Lillie Allen Williams, she had lived in the Parma area for the past 38 years. She had been a business owner and worked as a bookkeeper with Ron Owens Construction. She was of the Baptist belief...

ORAN -- George Phillip Hobbs, 65, died at 9:54 p.m. Nov. 12, 2007, at Barnes- Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born June 28, 1942, son of the late Stowell and Luella Craven Hobbs, he was a self-employed farmer. In addition to his parents, one sister preceded him in death...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers at services held today at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Earl Clinton Baugher, 94, who died Nov. 11, 2007, were: Jim Crowe, David Coleman, Lee Shell, David Cange, Sonny Stover, Luther Lunn and Abe Macklin.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Larry Allan Prince, 53, died Nov. 12, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 26, 1953, in Hayti, son of the late Haggard E. and Lillian Marie Bivins Prince, he was employed at the Missouri State Highway Department for 19 years...

FREDERICKTOWN - Dr. T.A. "Al" Tinnin, 86, died Nov. 12, 2007, at his home. Born Sept. 18, 1921, at Marquand, he was the son of the late A.C. and Stella V. Tinnin. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired in 1986 after 40 years of practice as a dentist. He was a past president of the Southeast Missouri Dental Society and a member of the United Methodist Church in Fredericktown...

SIKESTON -- Josephine Harris, 87, died Nov. 13, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

CHARLESTON -- Mattie B. Denson, 93, died Nov. 11, 2007, at her home. Born Nov. 24, 1914, in Chickasaw County, Miss., to the late Willie and Rosielee Cunningham Word, she had been a resident of Missouri since 1949. On Sept. 23, 1948, she married Samuel "Uncle" Denson who preceded her in death in 1981...

SIKESTON -- Valerie Jean Williams, 48, died Nov. 7, 2007, at the St. Francois Manor in Farmington. Born April 10, 1959, in Howardville, to Rosie Gilmore of Sikeston and the late Earl Williams, she attended Sikeston Public Schools. She was a member of St. John Baptist Church and later a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church...

For years I have been told that soccer is the most popular sport in the world. Every time I mention that I don't care much for the sport, people are amazed. "How can people all over the entire world be wrong?" they ask. Of course, didn't Russia used to say the same thing about communism?...