Stories from Wednesday, November 28, 2007

I have a political suggestion. Let's designate the December before a presidential election as a political free zone. That would mean that starting next week, the presidential wannabes would quietly slip back into their caves and hibernate for the month...

Morehouse volunteer fire personnel and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety responded to a fire on Locust Street early this morning. Firefighters from both departments arrived at the scene at 5 a.m. to a fully- involved home. The blaze caused one fatality, which was confirmed by the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department; and with several being transported to the Missouri Delta Medical Center...

CHARLESTON -- The Dexter Bearcats traveled east on Highway 60 to Charleston Tuesday night, where the Bluejays were back to winning form, defeating Dexter by a score of 75-54. "We're not too bad," Charleston head coach Danny Farmer said. "(But) we have a long way to go."...

JERSEYVILLE, Ill. -- Earl Cordell Hix, 85, died Nov. 26, 2007, at the Willow Rose Rehab and Healthcare in Jerseyville. Born Jan. 26, 1922, in Drumright, Okla., to the late Oliver and Annie McAlpin Hix, he lived most of his life in Michigan and moved to Godfrey in 2004. ...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Audrey "Tee" Henson, 86, died Nov. 27, 2007, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 14, 1921, in Mississippi, daughter of the late Willie Parker and Mr. Parker. On March 15, 1944, she married Orville Stanley Henson, who preceded her in death on Nov. 27, 1979...

SIKESTON -- Dominic A. "Nick" Fama, 93, died at 10:40 a.m. Nov. 27, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Larry David Williams, 65, died at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

VANDUSER -- Ermon Storms, 94, died Nov. 28, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete at Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- Jean Hinton, 67, died Nov. 27, 2007, at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Arrangements are incomplete at Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services scheduled at 2 p.m. today at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Ora Jane "Janie" DeWitt, 64, who died on Nov. 26, 2007, will be: Phil DeWitt, Gary DeWitt, Lonnie DeWitt, Jeff DeWitt, Larry DeWitt and Steve DeWitt.

SIKESTON - Bob Deneke, son of Mr. and Mrs. E.F. Deneke, was one of fewer than 30 out of 115 freshmen on the University of Missouri football squad to receive a sweater and numeral. SIKESTON - City workers passed a proposal to have a municipal employee pension plan...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs wasted no time getting the new season off to a good start, jumping out 9-0 on the Blytheville, Ark. Chickasaws en route to a 59-51 win Tuesday night. "We just got whipped," said Blytheville coach David Hixson. "We got off to a horrendous start. They got off to a 9-0 start and we were just waiting to get a basket."...

ESSEX -- The Richland Rebels shocked the Portageville Bulldogs Tuesday night behind Drew Thornton's 27 points, 70-68. "It's a huge win," said Richland coach Casey Knight. "You couldn't ask for a better way to start the season to pull off the win against a quality team like Portageville."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- A Mississippi County man faces imprisonment and fines after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge. Gary Dean Irvin, of East Prairie, pled guilty to one felony count of distribution of methamphetamine, according to a news release from the United States Attorney's office for the eastern district of Missouri...

SIKESTON -- Hope Terrell, a longtime supporter and member of the Sikeston Little Theater, will finally see a dream of hers come true this weekend, when the performance "The Littlest Angel," takes the stage. "This has been a dream for about three years," Terrell said. "To just give it to our members free as a Christmas present."...

BENTON -- Scott County is combining its emergency management and county development positions. Scott County commissioners announced their decision to combine the two positions during their regular meeting Tuesday. Joe Burton, emergency management director for Scott County, is retiring at the end of the year, according to Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger...

I see where the NAACP is screaming racism again over a black kid in California being charged with murder when a robbery he and his friends planned went bad. That's the law folks. If he was working for a payday instead of terrorizing and robbing people he would not be charged with anything. ...

Losing a friend is hard. Someone is with you day after day, making you laugh, knowing just when you want to sit and not talk or when you need an escape from the day-to-day routines. Then, all of a sudden, they are gone. I lost a friend recently. He was struck by lightning if you can believe that. Of course, everything I love gets struck by lightning. In the last five years I've lost a television, computer and my surround sound. But my latest loss was almost too hard to take. My TiVo...