Stories from Thursday, February 14, 2008

CHARLESTON - Perry Roosevelt Gillespie, 77, died Feb. 12, 2008, at his home. Born Aug. 30, 1930, in Henson, to the late Theodore and Sarah Smith Gillespie, he was a lifelong resident of Mississippi County. He was employed as head man at Ed Marshall Farms and was of the Pentecostal belief...

POPLAR BLUFF - Pauline Laverne Whittenberg Davis, 74, died Feb. 12, 2008, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Born Dec. 31, 1933, in rural Parma, daughter of the late Rolla G. and Hynthia Mae Jackson Whittenberg, she was a sewing machine operator at Susan's Fashions in Memphis, Tenn. and a member of the Frayser Apostolic Church of Memphis...

CHARLESTON -- Ozie B. Standard, 84, died Feb. 10, 2008, at the Bertrand Nursing Center. Born Nov. 6, 1923, in Frenchmen's Bayou, Ark., to the late Jim and Carra Wood Standard, he was a retired farmer and a member of St. Matthews Missionary Baptist Church in Charleston where he was a deacon...

DEXTER - Pallbearers for services conducted Wednesday at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home for Raymond Curtis O'Neal, 92, who died on Feb. 4, 2008, were: Clinton Corlew, Jeffery Corlew, Randy Corlew, Keith Wilson, Glenn O'Neal and Doug O'Neal.

GORDONVILLE - Staff Sergeant, Bradley Joe Skelton, 40, died in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 6, 2008. He was a "Sapper" on his second tour in Iraq with Missouri National Guard's 1138th Engineer Company, headquartered in Farmington. He was killed when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A Scott County man has pled guilty to federal felony drug trafficking charges. Cordell Lee Hiler, 36, entered a plea of guilty to two felony counts of distribution of cocaine base in an appearance Monday in U.S. District Court. With his plea, Cordell admitted that on or about July 9, 2007, he distributed a substance containing cocaine base (also referred to as "crack") to a confidential informant who paid Hiler $300 for one-quarter ounce of cocaine base. ...

SIKESTON - Andy Johnson, 71, died Feb. 14, 2008, at his daughter's home in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

SIKESTON - Vernon L. "Bud" Jones, 71, formerly of Charleston, died at 8:45 p.m. Feb. 13, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

SIKESTON - Lewis Wayne Cowell, 69, died Feb. 13, 2008, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 23, 1938, in Lamar, Ark., son of the late Lewis Thomas and Johnilee Chronister Cowell, he was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Sikeston Masonic Lodge 310 AF & AM, Scottish Rite, Moolah Temple and the SEMO Shrine Club. He worked as a troubleshooter for Associated Natural Gas before retiring...

SIKESTON -- Olive Jeanette Cole, 88, died at 11:30 p.m. Feb. 12, 2008, at the Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. Born Nov. 9, 1919, in Tallapoosa, to the late James and Claire Boughers Beavers, she was a housewife and a lifetime member of the Henry Meldrum American Legion Post 114 and the Sikeston Eagles Aerie 3319...

I'm calling about the family that hosted the underage party in the paper. If someone had lived in the west end of town, they would have gotten in serious, serious trouble. Everybody knows that including the Standard Democrat and Jensen. They are his friends and acquaintances. ...

SIKESTON - The home of Bill Chism, 648 William St., was almost destroyed by fire early Sunday morning. SIKESTON - Eula Burns received Woman of the Year award from Louis Wiggins, president of the Missourians Men Club Wednesday night. BLOOMFIELD - Hanging on the wall in the front office of the Stoddard County Clerk is a sign reading, " County Court Memo Budget Crunch. ...

COOTER -- The No. 4 seed Risco Tigers got off on the right foot Monday night in their Tri-County Conference debut, beating the No. 5 seed Delta C-7 Chargers 76-59. Kyle White lead the way for the Tigers with 19 points and four 3-pointers while the Chargers were lead by Damian Flowers with 18 points and one 3-pointer...

DEXTER -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats had an opportunity to finish the SEMO Conference with a perfect record and win the title outright Wednesday night. Unfortunately for Dexter, Poplar Bluff had other plans. Poplar Bluff rallied from a 27-17 halftime deficit to defeat the Lady Bearcats 61-53 and force a three-way tie for the conference title with Dexter and Jackson. All three teams ended their conference season with one loss...

Taylor Phillips, 7, slides down the icy hill on North Ingram and Kennedy Drive Wednesday (top) while ice coats a wrought iron fence, one of many frozen decorations which glistened in Wednesday's sunshine.

SIKESTON -- Although power was restored to much of the region Wednesday, thousands of residents remain without electricity after an ice storm moved through southeast Missouri early this week. About 80 Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities customers were still without power Wednesday morning but most were expected to regain power by evening -- and at the very latest, this morning, said Wayne McSpadden, operations manager for Sikeston BMU...

SIKESTON -- As work to clean up debris from this week's ice storm continued Wednesday, professionals warned about the dangers associated with using chainsaws. "These yards and limbs are still holding a lot of ice, and if you're not experienced in chainsaw operation or tree trimming, find someone who is or hire someone to get it done because it can be very dangerous," said Steve Lee, street superintendent for Sikeston Department of Public Works...

CHARLESTON -- Police are investigating a Wednesday night shooting that left a Charleston man injured and recovering at a local hospital today. Charleston Department of Public Safety Director Robert Hearnes said the department received a call about 10:45 p.m. ...

SIKESTON -- The following statement was issued by Jerry Pullen, of Pullen Trucking Co.: "Recently the United States Department of Justice filed certain documents with the Federal Court in St. Louis. These documents set forth certain allegations by the government concerning Pullen's hiring of truck drivers...

SIKESTON -- Besides removing tree limbs, Sikeston Department of Public Works employees have -- over the past 48 hours -- put down salt on the roads and drained streets to prevent blockages and flooding from the heavy rainfall Sikeston received. So far Public Works employees have used about 200 tons of salt on the streets and 384 man hours were used during this storm, according to Steve Lee, street superintendent for Sikeston Department of Public Works...

SIKESTON -- With some local residents' homes without electricity for as long as two days, many are left wondering what of their refrigerated food will still be good when their power comes back on. "It all has to do with temperature," said registered dietitian Myra Gunn of the Mississippi County Health Department in Charleston...

NEW MADRID - New Madrid County improved its balances at the end of 2007 and despite rising costs hopes to do the same at the end of 2008. According to the budget approved for 2008 by New Madrid County's commissioners recently, the general revenue fund began the year with $2,637,743.79 on hand, which was $577,026.39 more than the balance on hand the previous year...

PORTAGEVILLE -- A Portageville business was damaged in a fire Wednesday evening. According to Portageville Police Department personnel, the fire started about 5 p.m. in a two-story flea market building located at 211 E. Main St. in Portageville. The upstairs of the building was destroyed. No one was in the building at the time of the fire...