Stories from Monday, January 5, 2009

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. Gavin Kyle Davidson weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Ken and Sherry Nave of Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Maxine McGee, 79, died at 10:03 p.m. Jan. 4, 2009, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services conducted on Saturday at the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for David Crockett Bell, 69, who died Dec. 31, 2008, were: Shawn Driskill, Chris Driskill, Gary Polley Jr., Keith Sadler, Bud Armstrong and Manuel Spraggs.

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services conducted Saturday at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for Mary Dover Ancell, 88, who died on Dec. 31, 2008, were: David Ancell, Jeff Bogue IV, Jeff Bogue III, Jim Henson, Christopher Snider and Blair Moran. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Margaret Evelyn Emory Schneider, 94, died at 12:55 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. She was born July 24, 1914 in Mississippi County to the late Charles Moore and Maggie Elizabeth McElmurry Emory. She descended from pioneer farming families Emory, Crockett, Tate and McElmurry who settled in Mississippi County in the 1800s. ...

CHARLESTON -- Stephen Bruce Austin, age 44, died Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009, at his home in Charleston. He was born Nov. 12, 1964 in Cairo, Ill. to Bruce Raymond and Myrtle "Sisser" Goodin Austin who survive of Charleston. He lived in Charleston most of his life, where he was a 1983 graduate of Charleston High School; and had attended the University of Missouri Medical School in Kansas City and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau...

DEXTER -- Norma Emilie Sells Wilson, 93, died Jan. 5, 2009, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

SIKESTON - John W. Fuchs Sr., 56, died at 7:24 p.m. Jan. 4, 2009, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Nunnelee Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete.

DIEHLSTADT -- Mary Virginia Taylor, 87, died at 2:30 a.m. Jan. 4, 2009 at the Miner Nursing Center. She was born May 10, 1921 in McLellon, Ark. to the late Len Cephus and Edna Lewis Woods Allen. She had lived Mississippi and Scott counties most of her life and had been a member of the Church of God of Prophecy since 1941...

NEW MADRID -- Gus C. Murphy Jr., 77, died Jan. 4, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Jan. 12, 1931, in New Madrid, to the late Gus Murphy Sr. and Ercie Taber Murphy, he was a veteran of the Korean War, having served with the U.S. Air Force. He was a retired iron worker of the St. Louis Local Union, a member of the American Legion and a retired commercial fisherman...

SIKESTON - A crew started preparation today for moving seven houses located on East Tanner and Lake streets to Smith Addition. The houses were recently purchased by Dr. T.C. McClure from R.D. Clayton, who bought them from the E.C. Matthews Sr. estate...

This is to the SpeakOut on Dec. 26, Cut out the extras. You dope! So businesses are cutting back because people have no money to buy. What's your miff with farmers? They work 10 times more than the ordinary guy. They get up at daybreak and you don't see them again till dark. ...

BROSELEY -- The Charleston Lady Bluejays' only two losses on their season was at the Lady Royals Holiday Classic tournament. Their second loss came at the hands of the Kennett Lady Indians on Saturday as Charleston took home a sixth place trophy. "We didn't get after it tonight," Charleston head coach Michael Minner said. ...

BROSELEY -- Before their third place game in the Twin Rivers Holiday Classic against the Naylor Lady Eagles on Saturday night, the Kelly Lady Hawks practiced just hours before. "I'm just glad that they came this morning (Saturday) to practice," Kelly head coach Rod McQuerter said. "That was the key. A lot of teams wouldn't do that. They came this morning (Saturday) and practiced because they really wanted to win this third place trophy for the school."...

BROSELEY -- For the first 27 minutes of Saturday night's championship game of the Lady Royals Holiday Classic, Portageville seemed to trade punches with top-seeded Dexter. Then everything changed. Dexter, holding a slim 45-42 lead, went on a 23-3 run in the final five minutes to defeat Portageville 68-45, and in the process won their third-straight Lady Royals Holiday Classic championship...

JEFFERSON CITY - A Southeast Missouri resident will assist Missouri in preserving its historic places. Sheila D. Perry, 54 of Bloomfield, was appointed by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt to serve on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Council reviews the National Register of Historic Places nominations, reviews and provides advice on the state's Historic Preservation Plan and provides guidance and advice to the State Historical Preservation officer, according to the council's Web site.. ...

BENTON -- Scott County's new safety program is showing results. According to Missouri Association of Counties claim records dating back to 1987, Scott County's highway department has never had an accident-free year -- until now. "Our highway department had no lost time (due to accidents) in 2008," said Norman Brant, highway superintendent for Scott County. "We had an accident-free year."...