Stories from Thursday, November 29, 2007

I was just wanting to praise the people that are so giving during this Thanksgiving season. If it wasn't for the Salvation Army, all these food banks and the Boy Scouts with their food drive, I don't know what some of these people would do for Thanksgiving. ...

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Bill Dudley, a senior at Baylor, a preparatory school for boys in Chattanooga, has been promoted to cadet commander with the rank of cadet major. BLOOMFIELD - Joe Welbourn of Bloomfield was elected president of the Southeast Missouri Council, Boy Scouts of America, at its annual meeting at the Hickory House Restaurant. He succeeds Circuit Judge Marshall Craig of Sikeston...

PARMA - One person was injured when a house exploded this morning. According to the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department, at about 8 a.m. an explosion occurred at a residence located at 406 N. Broad St. One person, who was in the house at the time, received injuries, a department spokesman said...

I don't pretend to know the first thing about the diplomatic efforts in the Middle East peace talks currently under way. All I know is that everyone seems to want the opposing factions to discuss potential solutions to their centuries-old differences. And I know that these efforts will fail as all others in the past have failed. But failure doesn't mean you quit trying. Not by any means...

SIKESTON -- Lights, garland and figurines aren't the only items used to brighten homes for the holidays. Many people purchase live plants to decorate. That's why experts caution consumers to take the right steps to keep plants healthy throughout the season...

Allenna Landers and Stephanie Carter, fourth grade students at Morehouse Elementary School, load canned goods into a truck Wednesday. The school collected over 386 cans which were donated to area charities for Christmas.

SIKESTON -- Tax credits have been approved for the first Sikeston business under the Enhanced Enterprise Zone program. The Missouri Department of Economic Devlopment has OK'd credits for $239,511 over a five-year period for Ace Building Systems LLC. The plant, which officially came to Sikeston over the summer, is located at 821 Wakefield Ave., and will be a manufacturing facility...

MOREHOUSE -- Officials spent most of Wednesday investigating a house fire in Morehouse, where a 3-year-old boy died. Clayton Meeks, 3, died in a fire at his home, located at 608 Locust St. Personnel from the Morehouse fire department responded to the fully-...

SIKESTON - Mary Ellen Rushing, 88, died Nov. 28, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

PUXICO - Pallbearers for services conducted today at Watkins and Sons Chapel in Puxico for Earl Cordell Hix, 85, who died on Nov. 26, 2007, were: Rudy Williams, Rick Williams, Brock Williams, Leo Lowery, Bill Pogue and Rickey McLean.

DEXTER -- Louise Shaver, 74, died Nov. 29, 2007, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Arrangements are incomplete at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

CORDOVA, Tenn. - Melvin A. Mydland, 94, died Nov. 27, 2007, at Applingwood Health Care. A retired manager of a lumber company in Portageville, Mo., he was a member of First Methodist Church in Sikeston, Mo., a graduate of Hortan High School in Kansas and a veteran of the U.S. Army...

VANDUSER -- Ermon M. Storms, 94, died Nov. 28, 2007, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 12, 1913, in Clarksville, Ark., son of the late Louis and Amanda Poteet Storms, he farmed for his father-in-law after he moved to Missouri and later owned and operated his own trucking business until 1942 when he went into the construction business as a carpenter. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Larry David Williams, 65, died at 1:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 2007, at his home. Born Jan. 24, 1942, in East Prairie, to the late Cecil Ray and Alma Doris Edwards Williams, he lived in East Prairie most of his life. He was a retired boilermaker and truck driver and a member of the Rose Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Wickliffe, Ky...

ANNISTON - John Karl Peters, 84, died at 11:55 p.m. Nov. 28, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born May 14, 1923, at Ponotoc, Miss., to the late John Karl and Virginia Savely Peters, he had lived in Anniston most of his life where he was employed in farming until his retirement. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he served as an Air Corp Gunner and was of the Baptist belief...

SIKESTON -- Dominic A. "Nick" Fama, 93, died at 10:40 a.m. Nov. 27, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born Sept. 25, 1914, in Blackley, W.Va., son of the late Biagio and Carmelina Ratifrelle Fama, he served in the 63rd Infantry of the U.S. Army in the Asiatic-...

SIKESTON - Lois Jean Hinton, 67, died Nov. 27, 2007, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Born Nov. 16, 1940, in Cairo, Ill., to the late Thomas and Kathryn Whitaker Hafford, she had been employed as a sales clerk at TG&Y and later was a machine operator at National Lock. She was a member of First Assembly of God Church, where she had been an active member and Sunday School teacher and helped with the children's programs...

SIKESTON -- It's that time of year again basketball fans. The SEMO Conference Tournament is upon us yet again, and as the second year of action comes back into town at the Sikeston Field House, the 10 area high school teams in the SEMO Conference are gearing up for a shot at the title game...

FARMINGTON -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats got their season off on the right note with a 56-36 win over Lutheran South Wednesday night in the first round of the Farmington Tournament. Dexter will now play Farmington Friday night at 6 p.m.