Stories from Monday, December 23, 2019

MALDEN, Mo. — A Malden man was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Monday in Dunklin County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 12:50 a.m. on county road 118 at Malden, as the eastbound vehicle driven by Jared R. Risinger, 43, of Malden ran off the road and overturned...

DEXTER, Mo. — A Dexter woman and child who have been missing since Saturday were spotted entering a suspect’s vehicle early Sunday, but police still seek the public’s assistance in safely locating them. The Dexter Police Department issued late Sunday an Endangered Person Advisory for a missing person incident that occurred at 2 p.m. Saturday at 307 S. Elm St. in Dexter. Missing are Maria Danelia Reyes, 48, and Aryany Reyes, 7...

Columba, Mo. – Southeast Missouri Food Bank received 7,292 pounds of pork recently thanks to a partnership of pork industry organizations and farmers. The Missouri Pork Association, Smithfield Foods Inc., Prairie Fresh Pork and Missouri pig farmers teamed up to provide 73,000 pounds of protein and $5,000 to Feeding Missouri. ...

JONESBORO – Chancellor Kelly Damphousse conferred more than 1,500 diplomas to graduates of Arkansas State University during the 2019 fall commencement ceremony Saturday morning at the First National Bank Arena on the A-State campus. “While you may be nervous about what you will do when you leave the A-State comfort zone, I hope that you know what your professors and I know about you. ...

The judges of the Christmas Deck the House Lighting Contest had a hard choice to make. Congratulations to all of the lighting contest winners. The contest was sponsored by the Portageville Chamber of Commerce. Winners are: Brightest: Trey Rone Family, Most Animated: Shirley Musgrave, Most Traditional: Lee Richardson Family, Best of Ward I: Barry Richardson Family, Honorable Mention Ward I: The Allen’s, Best of Ward II: Kevin Miller Family, Honorable Mention Ward II: Terry Cook Family, Best of Rural: EP Priggel Family, and Honorable Mention Rural: Rob Barham Family.. ...

Portageville, Mo. - Portageville Elementary students write annual Christmas letters- “Letters to Santa” from the 1st and 2nd graders, and letters of “What Christmas Means to Me” from the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. This year, Mark Jones, ASM with Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance, chose a winning letter from each grade and sponsored the prizes. ...

Dear Readers, Most of you have probably heard of antioxidants and that they are good for you, but what are they exactly? The antioxidant is a chemistry term that simply means the prevention of oxidation, which is the transfer of tiny, electrically charged particles known as electrons...

MISSOURI – The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting census takers for temporary positions in communities across Missouri in advance of the 2020 Census. Pay rates for census takers in Missouri have increased, with a range from $17.00 to $23.50 per hour.* ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (12/19/2019)-- The following students have been named to the fall 2019 Dean's List at Southeast Missouri State University. Matt Babb of Portageville, MO Emily Brown of Portageville, MO Hannah Crawford of Portageville, MO Connor Eidson of Portageville, MO...

Portageville, Mo. - It is that time of year again! Parties, big family meals, and other holiday get-togethers provide opportunities to over-indulge. Studies have linked mid-November through December with an average weight gain of 1 to 3.5 pounds. This may not sound like too much, but the key is whether or not you are reversing the upward trend after the holidays. Accumulation of even small amounts of weight can lead to “creeping obesity” over the years...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Stuart Douglas Jantz, 70, died Dec. 16, 2019, surrounded by his loving family. Born Aug. 31, 1949, in Baraboo, Wis., son of Margaret (Kane) Jantz and the late Harry Jantz, he grew up on the family farm in Fairfield, Wis. Following graduation from Baraboo High School in 1967, he attended college at UW-Black River before enlisting in the Army. ...

DEXTER, Mo. — Thomas Allen Crowe, 91, died Dec. 14, 2019, at his home in Dexter. Born Aug. 20, 1928, in Powe, son of the late Cecil and Mildred Patterson, he attended school in Dexter. He served as a jet mechanic in the Air Force during the Korean War. ...

Not too soon after I began work here as the Managing Editor, one of the first folks of the community I met was Betty Drerup. She can into the4 office in a flash and said loudly, “Stop the Presses!” She came to visit Mr. Don about someone in the community or Trader Dick’s business. “Oh, there is nothing big, I just like to come in here and say it,” she explained as we met. If she were alive today, her words will come to fruition...

BATCHELOR, La. — William Richard "Bill" Jordan, 79, died Dec. 22, 2019, at his home in Batchelor. Born Dec. 22, 1939, in Morehouse, Missouri, son of the late Loy and Mable Irbin Jordan, he was raised in the Morehouse and Essex, Missouri, communities and for many years had lived in Batchelor where he was an over-the-road truck driver. He has served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam...

BENTON, Mo. — Law enforcement officers in Scott County are looking for two vehicles stolen from a Benton business. According to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, several vehicles were stolen from the ReCar parking lot in Benton. Two of the vehicles, a 2017 Ford Raptor and a 2014 Chevrolet Corvette have been recovered but two cars are currently still being sought by officers as of Monday morning...

MCKINNEY, Texas — Norman Lee Dockins, 76, of McKinney, Texas, died on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019. He was born on May 22, 1943, in Marble Hill, Missouri, to Chalmer Augustus Dockins and Martha Evelyn McClellan Dockins. Norman graduated in 1961 from Sikeston Senior High School, where he was a star athlete, excelling in football, baseball and track. ...

SIKESTON — Lois Beatrice Bond, 91, of Sikeston, died peacefully in her sleep Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019, at the Southgate Living Center of Caruthersville. She was born Feb. 14, 1928, in Advance, daughter of Manley and Irene Talent Long.  She married Glen Bond on Dec. 27, 1945, at Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death on Aug. 4, 2004...

SIKESTON — Walter Beck Pollock, 64, died Dec. 19, 2019. Born July 6, 1955, at Cairo, Ill., son of the late James Girard Pollock and Bessie Nannette “Nan” Beck Pollock, he had lived a number of years in Sikeston where he was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and a former Knights of Columbus. He was a farmer and commercial trucker...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Louise Chambers, 90, died Dec. 17, 2019, at her home in Portageville. Born Feb. 14, 1929, in Missouri, daughter of the late Florence Williams Brake and Grady Brake, she was a lifelong resident of the Portageville community, She was a member of Boekerton Baptist Church and First Baptist Portageville. She worked many years in the food pantry and clothes closet at First Baptist...

SIKESTON — Charity “Estella” Alberson, 90, died Dec. 23, 2019, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston. Born June 15, 1929, in Hornersville, Missouri, daughter of the late Thomas L. and Zuella Pendley Griffin, she was a member of Sikeston Community Baptist Church...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Daisy Robertson Reeves, 97, died Dec. 22, 2019, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Aug. 14, 1922, at Perks, Illinois, to the late Earl Henry Robertson and Mary Beasley Robertson, she was the valedictorian of her graduating class, having received the Herff-Jones Scholastic Award. A resident of Mississippi County most of her life, she was a member of the First Baptist Church in Charleston, where she served as a Sunday school teacher and Bible school teacher. ...

ESSEX, Mo. — Gayle Meritt, 81, died Dec. 22, 2019, at her home in Essex. Born March 26, 1938, in rural Bernie, daughter of the late Clarence Ott and Pearl Kifer Ott, she was a member of the Olive Branch General Baptist Church and a homemaker. On July 25, 1958, in Circle City, she married Tom Meritt, who survives of the home in Essex...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Santa and the elves can sit back and relax a bit. Students from New Madrid County R-1 School District are working to make this a merry Christmas for more than 200 children. Dubbed an Eagle Christmas, the event has grown in size and support as it marked its second year...

Editor’s note: For the past 30 years or so we have shared the following story with readers every Christmas. The words of Francis P. Church will ring true today as they did more than 100 years ago when first written. In 1897, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon became worried when her friends told her there was no Santa Claus. Her father advised her to write to the New York Sun to find out the truth, and the reply by Francis P. Church became a classic:...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Cladis Lee “Bob” Berry, 89, died Dec. 23, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Feb. 2, 1930, at Charleston, son of the late Press Berry Sr. and Crystal Reno Berry, he had lived in Charleston his entire life and was a U.S. Army veteran. He was engaged in the logging and timber industry and later worked as a building contractor. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Charleston. ...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Richard Carson Gemeinhardt, 79, died Dec. 19, 2019, at his residence. Born Nov. 13, 1940, in Cape Girardeau, Mo., son of the late Richard Charles Gemeinhardt and Anna Margaret McKee Gemeinhardt, he served eight years in the Army National Guard and was a graduate of Arkansas State University. He was the owner of Gemeinhardt Seed Company in Anniston, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. — Carlos Nelson, 56, passed away Dec. 16, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 2, 1963, in Little Rock, Arkansas, son of the late Beatrice Williams and Richard Nelson, he graduated from Senath-Hornersville High School class of 1981...