Stories from Sunday, September 16, 2012

PLANO, Texas -- Ruth Hatcher Sheppard, devoted and loving wife, mother and sister, passed suddenly on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012, in Plano. Born Oct. 23, 1922, to the late George W. and Topsy H. Whitaker, she graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, Mo., and Southeast Missouri State University, formerly Teachers College, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. ...

DEXTER -- Marvin Russell Allen, 91, formerly of Sikeston, died at 1:20 p.m. Sept. 13, 2012, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center. Born July 7, 1921, in Bloomfield, son of the late Steve and Jenny Avery Allen, he worked for 20 years as an auto machinist and was a line operator for the Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities for 27 years. He was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Lillie Pearl Williams, 89, of Portageville, passed away at her home at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. Services are set for 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, at United Methodist Church with the Rev. Barron Willer officiating. Visitation will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, at the DeLisle Funeral Home in Portageville. Burial will be in the Portageville Cemetery...

FLORISSANT -- Darla Kay Campbell, 42, died at 5 a.m. Sept. 6, 2012, at Christian N.W. Healthcare in St. Louis. Born Nov. 30, 1969, in St. Louis, daughter of the late George T. and Carolyn Kay Newman Campbell, she was of the Baptist belief. Survivors include: her fiance, Joseph L. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Virginia L. Scott, 92, died at 5:25 p.m. Sept. 14, 2012, at the Golden Living Center in New Madrid. Born June 14, 1920, in Mississippi County, to the late John T. and Emma F. Ivie Johnson, she lived her entire life in Mississippi County where she was a sales clerk for several years with the Falkoff Dime Store in East Prairie and a member of the Church of Christ in Charleston...

SENATH -- Susie Nell Crockett Noe, 74, formerly of Lilbourn, died Sept. 13, 2012, at Heritage Gardens of Senath. Born March 12, 1938, in Portageville, she was the daughter of the late Shelly McMahan Crockett and Neal Crockett. Her husband, John W. Noe Jr. survives of the home...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services to be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ponder Funeral Home for Bonnie Sharion Sindle, 70, who died Sept. 13, 2012, will be: David Crader, Mike Estes, Curtis Gross, George Hale, David McDermott and Wesley McDermott. Honorary pallbearers will be: Walter Bizzell, Gayle Callahan, Pat and Albert Cox, Mary Lynn Crader, Bob Depro and Dick Inman...

KEVIL, Ky. -- Marion Thomas Billington, 96, died Sept. 13, 2012, at his home. Born July 17, 1916, in Lilbourn, Mo., to the late Samuel Elmer and Edna Sheridan Billington, he was of the General Baptist belief. He had worked as a general contractor and supervisor for Stone and Webster Construction Company. He was a veteran of the United States Merchant Marine, a 63-year member of Trio #57 AF&AM in Rock Island, Ill., and a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Southern Illinois...

Like most of you, I don't pretend to know all of the reasons for the massive violence and unrest in the Middle East. I do know that there are those who hate our country and who clearly wish us harm. The brouhaha over an anti-Islamic video in this country has spawned violence and death in the Middle East. But the fact is that this little-seen video is just the latest excuse to damage our nation and our interests around the world...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Dexter saw their early season troubles continue on Friday night with a 35-7 road loss to Caruthersville. Dexter scored first on a 4-yard run from Ryan Joyner to take a 7-0 lead but Caruthersville scored on a Tyler Grissom run and a Grissom pass to Myron Woods to grab a 12-7 halftime advantage...

CHAFFEE -- Getting the win was the main thing. How they looked doing it was another. Behind senior tailback Daniel Allen, a banged up Portageville Bulldogs team continued their resurgence Friday night getting by the Chaffee Red Devils, 21-6, at Chaffee High School to remain perfect on the season...

CHARLESTON -- Trailing by four points to start the fourth quarter on Friday, the Charleston Bluejays marched 82 yards down the field for the game-winning touchdown in a 14-10 win over New Madrid County Central. "Our kids' character came shining through there when they had that gut check at halftime and they rose up and took the game," Charleston head coach Brett Blackman said. "Every one of us kind of drew up when we're carrying that ball (early on)...

SIKESTON -- Scott County Central High School graduates will reap the benefits as the district's three-year process to receive A+ Schools designation will be achieved by the end of the school year. "You have to go through a very rigorous process," said Kimberley Blissett, A+ coordinator and guidance counselor for Scott County Central High School. ...

LILBOURN -- Three people were injured Friday in a head-on collision in New Madrid County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at 6:35 p.m. two miles north of Lilbourn. Zachary A. Graham, 16, of New Madrid was traveling southbound on county road 624 when his vehicle lost control, swerved into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with the northbound vehicle driven by Kyle L. Wood, 15, of Lilbourn...

MINER -- Tardiness will now mean additional costs for business owners in Miner. During a special meeting Friday, the Miner Board of Aldermen approved adding penalties for late payments. The first is a $500 penalty for failure to remit the city's 4 percent tourism tax in a timely manner...

CHARLESTON -- An East Prairie man faces child molestation and sex-related charges. Registered sex offender James Tyrone Craig, 53, of East Prairie is charged with child molestation in the second degree, three counts of statutory rape in the second degree and statutory sodomy in the second degree...