Stories from Sunday, December 28, 2008

Micheal L. Parker, left, was recently selected to be a member of Ed Slott's Elite IRA Adviser Group. Slott is pictured at right. According to a letter Parker received, he was personally selected because of his dedication to clients and their families, as well as his desire to enhance his knowledge of IRA distribution planning. Parker is a certified financial planner with LPL Financial, located at 215 N. Stoddard St. in Sikeston. The phone number there is 471-4007...

SIKESTON -- Lee Bowman, a financial representative with Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial, was representative of the month for the Missouri East Region in November. Bowman joined Modern Woodmen in November 2003. Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal life insurance society headquartered in Rock Island, Ill. It provides life insurance and annuity products to more than 765,000 members nationwide...

JACKSON -- Small business owners are faced with tough decisions on how to manage their business. Should they cut expenses, hold their own or take the risk and lead the pack are a few they face daily. A series of classes being sponsored by the local University of Missouri Extension Small Business Development Center in Jackson are designed to help the local business owner make more sense of their marketing options while increasing the value it can bring to the business...

As we wrap up the year here in Downtown Sikeston, we can only look forward to 2009. Many things were accomplished in 2008 and everyone involved with the revitalization efforts can be extremely proud of the progress made this year. Although I've only been here about four months, I feel like a lot has been accomplished in that short time...

KELSO -- Earlier this year, Care A Lot Learning Center achieved recognition of excellence through Missouri Accreditation. This distinguishes it as an exemplary program offering high quality programming to the children of Missouri. The Missouri Center for Accreditation has awarded a Certificate of Accreditation to Care A Lot Learning Center. ...

SIKESTON -- Kat Smith and Herb Moore have announced their engagement. A 1985 graduate of Delta C-7 High School, the future bride is employed by Phillips Products in Sikeston. She is the daughter of Tudie and Pete Stegmann of Kennett. The prospective bridegroom is a 1986 graduate of Sikeston High School and is also employed by Phillips Products. He is the son of Larry and Brenda Moore of Sikeston...

VANDUSER -- William and Virginia Ruedrich have announced the engagement of their daughter, Sharon Burton to Mike Dorris, son of Gene and Louise Dorris of Sikeston. Plans are under way for a May 4, 2009, wedding.

SIKESTON -- The area's oldest church will be featured in this year's Christmas Catholic Church Tours set for 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Madrid has joined 11 other churches in Scott, Mississippi and Cape counties for the third annual church tours...

SIKESTON -- For the most part, nursing home facilities in Scott, New Madrid and Mississippi counties received average scores in the five-star rating system recently released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. There are 12 facilities in the three-county area. One received four out of five stars overall; six were awarded three of five; three received two of five stars; and two ranked at the bottom, with one of five stars...

NEW MADRID -- The latest round of Local Law Enforcement Block Grant/JAG program awards will help local agencies with officer protection items and communications. In a recent press release, Gov. Matt Blunt announced $490,562 in funding was awarded to law enforcement agencies in the state through the 2009 LLEBG/JAG program...

SIKESTON - Four Sikeston men are in custody for December robbery that became homicide after a victim died from his injuries. Linnie Lee Andrews, who was struck in the head during a home invasion on Dec. 7, died Thursday at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis...

I was first team all-state offensive line on that list and my name wasn't mentioned? I'm just wondering why is it hard for kids that accomplish stuff from Hayti don't get any articles. Like last year I won Class 2 shot-put? There was nothing said. I also believe I should be considered as male athlete of the year...

With the holiday season in full swing and the new year literally just around the corner, I hesitate to take a too-serious approach to this near-final column of 2008. But I read something this morning that piqued my interest. Of all things, I was reading the year-end message from Pope Benedict XVI and it struck a nerve...

SIKESTON - David Urban, son of Dr. and Mrs. E.D. Urban, celebrated his fourth birthday this afternoon with a party at the Dunn Hotel. SIKESTON - Bud Davis assumed ownership of the Mitchell-Sharp Chevrolet Co. today from former owners C. La Val Sharp and H. Garwood Sharp. The brothers had owned the firm for over 33 years...

MORLEY -- Elman William Gibbs, 87, died Dec. 25, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 6, 1921, in Zalma, to the late John William "Bill" and Lillie Venita Cullins Gibbs, he served from 1939 to September 1942 in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army where served as a surgeon technician in Southern France and Rhineland Campaign until November 1945. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Good Conduct medal...

BERTRAND -- Elmer R. Hutson Sr., 89, died Dec. 26, 2008, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 24, 1919, in Charleston, to the late John L. and Gladys M. Anderson Hutson, he returned to Mississippi County in 1991, he had lived in Bertrand since 2005 and was a member of the South Side Baptist Church in Charleston. He was a retired farmer and truck driver...

SIKESTON -- Lola Smith, 86, died Dec. 26, 2008, at Hunter Acres in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Bradshaw Funeral Home of Malden.

DEXTER -- Everett Medler, 93, died Dec. 27, 2008, at the John J. Pershing V.A. Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are incomplete at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dorothy Dean "Deanie" Woodard, 83, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died Dec. 24, 2008, at the Arlington Memorial Hospital. Born Aug. 13, 1925, in East Prairie, to the late Steve Wallace and Goldia Lucille Yount Durbin, she lived most of her life in East Prairie where she was a member of the Nelson Memorial Methodist Church. In 1978, she moved to Arlington where she was a personnel consultant for Personnel Plus...

BERNIE -- Wanda Adkins,79, died Dec. 24, 2008, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born July 21, 1929, at Flint, to the late Ephriam and Opal Thelma Trent Robinett, she was a homemaker and a member of the White Oak Grove General Baptist Church where she has served as treasurer for over 30 years...

SPRINGFIELD -- Kyle and Rebecca Davidson are the parents of their first child, a son, born at 7:48 p.m. Nov. 20, 2008, at St. John's Medical Center in Springfield. Maternal grandparents are Ken and Sherry Nave of Sikeston. Paternal grandparents are Keith and Nancy Davidson of Sikeston...

BLOOMFIELD -- The 52nd Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament got under way Friday in Bloomfield. The eight game first round was full of excitement as three lower seeded teams were able to upset their higher seeded opponents. Results on Friday's first round play are as follows...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Scott County Central Braves kicked off the opening round of the 2008 Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament in traditional fashion as the No. 1 seed dismantled the No. 16 seed Delta Bobcats in a 88-24 romp on Friday. The Braves began their dominance with a 19-0 run to start the game while the Bobcats first basket came at the 2:30 mark in the first quarter...