Stories from Sunday, November 5, 2006

NEW MADRID - The New Madrid County Central football team is back to a familiar place, meeting the Ste. Genevieve Dragons in the first round of the Class 3 playoffs. NMCC won a hard-fought 34-26 contest over Dexter to reach the sectional game, while the Dragons dispatched Potosi for their district title...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Once a member of one of Sikeston High School's best group of linemen, Justin Lowes has made his mark at the college level as well. Lowes, now a redshirt senior at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, has started six games for the Salukis this year and hopes to help lead his team back into the Division I-AA playoffs...

SCOTT CITY - Carrie and Richard Surface are the parents of their second child, first daughter, born at 5:22 p.m. Sept. 14, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Kadence Abbigail Surface weighed 8 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20 inches long...

I've followed politics for more years than I care to count but this Tuesday's election seems to be one of the more lengthy campaigning cycles in my memory. Regardless of the outcome, I'm sure we're all looking forward to voting and moving on. What we've become, for the most part, is a nation divided by issues. ...

Can someone please tell me the phone number of Missouri Soil Conservation Office? So many people have called my number in the last six months. I have gotten calls and told they were given my number to call. I cannot find this place in the phone book...

SIKESTON - Airport notes: James LaGrand and Tice Martin passed their private pilot's course Sunday. SIKESTON - Nine area 4-H members won ribbons in the halter-broken steer competition Friday night at the Sikeston-Jaycee Fat Calf Show at the Sikeston Auction Co. The show was sponsored by the Sikeston Junior Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the 4-H Clubs. Peter Myers of Canalou was chairman...

Jarrett Milam of Milam Masonry and Contracting places one of the bronzed nameplates onto the newly remodeled Scott County War Memorial Friday morning at the courthouse. County officials are preparing for the dedication of the memorial at 11 a.m. Veterans Day. ...

NEW MADRID -- Outdated heating and cooling systems, deteriorating floors and ceilings and poor drainage are just some of the conditions plaguing New Madrid County R-1 Schools. On Tuesday voters will consider a proposition which, if approved, would authorize the district to borrow $8,993,000 to fund improvements throughout the district. Of that, $993,000 would be in the form of zero interest bonds...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston's annual Veterans Day service will feature comments by one of Sikeston's own. Veterans Day will be observed this year with a ceremony scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Friday at the Sikeston Senior High School Field House. Honored guest and speaker will be Sikeston native and Iraq War veteran 1st Sgt. Dan Armour...

SIKESTON -- A Sikeston teenager was killed in a head-on traffic accident Friday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, the accident occurred at approximately 3:12 p.m. on U.S. Highway 61, three miles south of Sikeston, when the northbound vehicle driven by Bradley D. Colbert, 17, of Sikeston, crossed the centerline and struck the southbound vehicle driven by Jessie S. Jackson, 69, of East Prairie, head on...

SIKESTON -- Two federally-funded studies will work to determine the best route for Interstate 66. "One of them is through Kentucky at Wickliffe with a bridge that would connect to Highway 60," explained Sikeston Mayor Mike Marshall. "The other one they are looking at is what Cape (Girardeau) is proposing, which is building a new highway through southern Illinois that would connect to the new Emerson bridge at Cape."...

SIKESTON - Blake Taylor had a shining and distinguished soccer career at Sikeston and will leave the program with many of the scoring records. Taylor played four years for head coach Derrick Long and set or tied the record for career goals, goals for a season, career points leader and assists leader...

SIKESTON -- Brian Tyrone Williams, 19, died Nov. 2, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Born March 2, 1987, in Sikeston, son of Gary and Brenda Gross of Sikeston and Frank and Tina McCaster of Minneapolis, he was a 2005 graduate of Sikeston High School...

MOREHOUSE -- Pallbearers for services scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel in Sikeston for Margaret M. "Marge" St. Mary, 62, who died on Nov. 2, 2006, will be: Philip Spreckelmeyer, Mike Botkin, Geoff Botkin, John Nelson and Michael Nelson...

PUXICO - Audra L. Hobbs, 87, died Nov. 2, 2006, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Born Feb. 9, 1919, in rural Puxico, daughter of the late David and Florence Carter Reasons, she lived all her life in the Puxico and Dudley area where she was a homemaker and member of the Hobbs Chapel Church near Puxico...

BERTRAND - Betty Joyce Neal Lishman, 60, died Nov. 2, 2006, at her home. Born April 1, 1946, in New Madrid, daughter of the late William Junior and Clentine Black Blaize Neal, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County where she worked as a licensed practical nurse. She lived a number of years in the state of Mississippi and returned to Mississippi County in 1999. She was of the Jehovah Witness belief...

ST. PETERS - Geneva M. Hobbs, 85, died Oct. 31, 2006, at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. Born April 20, 1921, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of the late Elmer and Ethel Propst, she was a homemaker and member of the Retirees Club Operating Engineers Local 513 in Bridgeton...

ANNISTON - Karen McClendon, 94, died at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 2, 2006, at the Bertrand Nursing Facility. Born Aug. 13, 1912, in Clinton, Ky., daughter of the late Jewell and Agnes Harris Gardner, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County. She married Jessie Mack McClendon who preceded her in death on Dec. 24, 1980...

SIKESTON -- Odessa Williams, 89, died Nov. 3, 2006, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born July 20, 1917, in Tuckerman, Ark., daughter of the late Eugene and Bertie Sexton Straubie, she was a member of the First Baptist Church in Marianna, Ark., and had worked for Bobbi Brooks Clothing before retiring...

DEXTER -- Pallbearers for the services conducted on Friday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter for Neoma Faries, 87, who died Nov. 1, 2006, were: Cecil Stafford, Justin Kinsey, Mark Kinsey, Larry Kinsey, David Moses and Jordan Minton.

SIKESTON - Bradley D. Colbert, 17, died at 4 p.m. Nov. 3, 2006, from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near Sikeston. Born March 20, 1989, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ricky and Mickey Wagoner Colbert of Sikeston, he was an active member of the First Baptist Church at Blodgett and a senior a New Madrid County Central High School where he maintained a 4.0 grade point average, was captain and starting center for the football team, competed in the shot put and discus on the track team and was a 6-year member of the band and a Gold Card member of the Renaissance Club. ...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Ollie Nadine Williams, 85, died at 10:07 p.m. Nov. 3, 2006, at her home. Born Aug. 13, 1921, in Mississippi County, daughter of the late John Earl and Rose Evans Roach, she lived all of her life in Mississippi County and was of the Protestant belief...

VIENNA, Ill. -- Mileigh Ann Ballard-Gurley, 1-month-old daughter of Jared Evan Gurley and Melissa Jean Ballard-Gurley of Vienna, died Nov. 2, 2006, at Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. She was born Oct. 3, 2006, in St. Louis. In addition to her parents, survivors include: one brother, Evan Marshall Ballard-Gurley; her maternal grandparents, Darrell and Beverly Ann Ballard of Belknap; her paternal grandparents, John "Ernie" and Paula Gurley of Sikeston, Mo.; her great-grandparents, Velma Ballard of Vienna, Steve and Cathy Ford of Metropolis, Mildred Gurley of Vienna and Bill and Janell Luepkes of West Frankfort; and her great-great-grandmother, Della Carlton of Vienna.. ...

SIKESTON -- Mildred Knaupp Brock, 84, died at 5:15 a.m. Nov. 4, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

Wake up, America! Like it or not, we are at war! George Bush did not cause it. We have been attacked repeatedly on our turf and overseas. Half our country is still in denial. It's late. After Pearl Harbor 65 years ago, our citizens united and sacrificed to beat back the Japanese and Germans on two fronts. ...

SIKESTON - Orscheln has returned to Sikeston. The newest store has opened at 1401 East Malone. Although the address is the same, the building is being completely remodeled and refurbished. Customers will see a fresh, updated product offering including lawn and garden, farm supplies and livestock feed, animal health, pet food and supplies, hardware, plumbing, electrical, automotive, toys, housewares and clothing...

CHAFFEE -- Tracy Dawn Crowe and Chad Allen Siebert of Chaffee have announced their engagement. The future bride received a bachelor's degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University in 2004. She is a social studies teacher at Kelly Middle School in Benton...

SIKESTON - Southeast Missouri Transportation Service is nominated for the prestigious National Public Service Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This acknowledgement by the Federal Transit Administrator is for providing outstanding rural transportation service to people living outside of Missouri's major urban areas. Singled out for special recognition were Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond and Berniece Schuerenberg, secretary of SMTS' Board of Directors...

DAYTON, Ohio - Carla Beussink has been promoted to the position of Service Center Manager at the Sikeston Service Center. Serving the company as Operations Supervisor/Sales Representative at the Sikeston facility since July 2005, she has over 25 years of transportation industry experience...

On behalf of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce I would like to congratulate the Historic Midtown Development Group on a successful Halloween Family Fun Day in the Park, downtown last Saturday. With the help of the downtown businesses, humane society and other groups fun was had by all...

DOGWOOD -- Barbara Rolwing and Charles Lingle Jr. were united in marriage Oct. 7, 2006, in the gazebo at the Dogwood United Methodist Church with the Rev. Martin Lucas officiating. The bride was given away for marriage by her son, Cody Rolwing. Bridal attendants were Shirley Crandall, sister of the bride; and Emily Moore and Margie Hawkins...