Stories from Thursday, December 27, 2007

CHARLESTON - Peggy Ann Nelson French, 51, died at 7:30 a.m. Dec. 17, 2007, at her home. Born Oct. 31, 1956, in Marion, Ohio, to Sally L. Stillman Nelson of Charleston and the late Stanley L. Nelson, she was a 1975 graduate of Wilmington High School in Wilmington, Ohio. ...

GLADSTONE -- Norma L. Brandon, 91, died Dec. 24, 2007. Born Dec. 27, 1915, in Vanduser, she was the daughter of the late Lawrence and Frances Phegley Woodard. She is survived by one son, Jim Brandon of Gladstone; and one grandson. A committal service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Jan. 5 at The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Kansas City...

MORLEY - Vernon E. Phillips, 81, died at 2:20 a.m. Dec. 27, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

CHARLESTON - Joan Cossey Shands, 70, died at 7:15 p.m. Dec. 26, 2007, at the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 7, 1937, in Charleston, to the late Bousey H. and Louella Byrd McDermott, she had lived most of her life in Charleston. She was a member of the Cornerstone Church in Bertrand and had been employed with the Charleston R-I School District as a high school custodian for many years until her retirement...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- William Thomas "Billy" Cleaves, 61, formerly of Charleston, died Dec. 22, 2007, Born Dec. 26, 1945, in Diehlstadt, son of the late A.C. and Thelma Halliburton Cleaves, in 1946 he moved to Charleston, where he was a graduate of Lincoln High School, and moved to Cape Girardeau in 2004. He was of the Baptist belief...

BLOOMFIELD - Edna Marie Long, 90, died Dec. 24, 2007, at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield. Born June 8, 1917, at Bloomfield, to the late James Ernest and Veda Martin Robinson, she had spent all her life in the Bloomfield Community and was a long-time member of St. Joe General Baptist Church in Idalia...

BLOOMFIELD - Nancy Margaret Baker Aslin, 85, died Dec. 24, 2007, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Aug. 21, 1922, at Clines Island, to the late John Lee and Margie Ireland Baker, she was a member of the Second General Baptist Church of Dexter and a former teacher at Beech Grove and Gravel Hill Schools...

PIEDMONT -- Susie "Pauline" Townsend, 80, died Dec. 23, 2007, at Clarks Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Born Feb. 6, 1927, in Conran, she was a homemaker and member of Vulcan Assembly of God Church. On June 16, 1941, she married Alfred "Atch" Townsend, who preceded her in death in January 1995...

PUXICO -- Douglas D. Fann, 81, died Dec. 26, 2007, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Born Feb. 24, 1926, in Puxico, son of the late Marion Arthur and Lula Mitchell Fann, he had lived in San Francisco, spent 25 years in Beaverton, Ore. and moved to Puxico in 1988. He was retired from CSX Corporation and was a member of the Puxico United Methodist Church...

DEXTER -- Anita Bell Wheeler, 77, died Dec. 25, 2007, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Born Oct. 24, 1930, in St. Louis, daughter of the late Frank and Ula Mae Byers Wallen, she was a member of the Faith Lutheran Church in Dexter where she sang in the choir and was a member of the women's Extension Club...

BENTON - Donald I. Guerrier, 64, died at 1:21 p.m. Dec. 20. 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born June 22, 1943, in New Orleans, to the late Jack Guerrier and Beatrice Wells Guerrier Ackerman, he had lived in Michigan and Arkansas before moving to Benton in 1994. He was employed as a roofer and contractor until his retirement and was of the Baptist belief...

LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Pearlie McCoy, 84, died Dec. 24, 2007, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lafayette. Arrangements are incomplete with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, Mo.

SIKESTON - Novell Milani, 82, died at 2:47 a.m. Dec. 23, 2007, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born May 22, 1925, in Union City, Tenn., to the late Carroll J. and Lillie Russom James, she had been employed with Sunline Candy Co. in St. Louis where she was a candy machine operator. She was a member of the Miner Baptist Church and Sikeston Eagles Aries No. 3319...

SIKESTON - In a $20,000 cash transaction completed late Saturday, Stephens Burns Inc. of Maplewood purchased the building on Highway 60 north at Sikeston, formerly occupied by the Southeast Motor Co., Kaiser-Frazer Agency. SIKESTON - Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Dillender, Route 2 Sikeston, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary Sunday at a surprise reception from 2 to 5 p.m. at the East Side Church of the Nazarene. The reception was given by their son and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Dillender...

Still looking for that perfect gift? Do you know that gift is only a heart beat away! If you are looking for something that is free, that you know will fit and that will last a life time-have I got a bargain for you! Give the gift that someone will be thankful for a life time!...

I'll speak out a little louder and a little more clearer. You've never printed anything I said, never printed a word. I'll try one more time. You guys are very selective in what you print. You pick and choose everything. So that means you decide who you want to help. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The last game of the night at the seMissourian Christmas tournament Wednesday, proved that the seedings stood true, as the eighth- seeded Oran Eagles out-dueled the ninth-seeded Leopold Wildcats, 78-62. "I think they played really hard," Eagles head coach Denver Stuckey said. ...

BLOOMFIELD--Day one of the 51st Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament took place on Wednesday, as No. 1 Hayti, No. 2 Bernie, No. 3 Doniphan, No. 4 Bloomfield, No. 12 Puxico, No. 11 South Pemiscot, No. 7 Malden and No. 9 Portageville all advanced to the winner's bracket with victories...

SIKESTON -- With a year in office under their belts, local state representatives are ready to get back to work in Jefferson City. The next legislative session begins Jan. 9. Steve Hodges, 161st District's state representative, said while he spent time back home in his district productively, visiting elementary schools and attending civic meetings, he is looking forward to returning to Jefferson City on Jan. 6 for presession meetings on education appropriations...

SIKESTON - The Delta Regional Authority granted money to six Missouri entities this year, including a Sikeston project. Scott County was granted $236,400 to improve roads at the Sikeston Business, Education and Technology Park, 600 acres for business and industry development...

Shane Menz of Sonny's Solid Waste Service Inc. picks up discarded Christmas packing on Virginia Street early this morning. The company is running an additional truck to help remove trash. In the background is Trey Glaus and Justin Littleton.

SIKESTON -- Extreme temperatures and sporadic rainfall, usually in large amounts, seemed to be the trend for 2007, but overall, the climate wasn't too out of the ordinary for Southeast Missouri. "It looks like this year was normal, but as far as the times that things happened, that was unusual," said Dave Purdy, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. "There were dry months and wet months, and some were a lot more wet than normal but each month averaged the same."...

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports at least seven traffic deaths in the state during the Christmas holiday weekend. From 6 p.m. Friday to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, the patrol investigated 499 traffic crashes, which included 142 injuries and four of the seven fatalities. Troopers arrested 92 people for driving while intoxicated...