Stories from Sunday, January 4, 2009

ELIZABETH, Colo. -- Vernon and Patricia Shearer have announced the engagement of their daughter, Mary Cathrine Shearer, to Dustin Todd Underhill, son of Floyd and Belinda Underhill of Sikeston, Mo. A 2002 graduate of Elizabeth High School, the future bride graduated in 2006 from Drury University in Springfield, Mo., where she received a Bachelor of Arts in biology and psychology. ...

DEXTER -- Ashley Temples and Matt Schuerenberg have announced their engagement. The future bride is the daughter of Gary and Terry Temples of Dexter. She is the granddaughter of James and Ines Black of Poplar Bluff and the late Norris and Lucille Temples. A 2001 graduate of Dexter High School and a 2005 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, she is employed as a first grade teacher at the Bloomfield School District...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Stephanie Matheney and Roger "Bubbie" Scott Jr. have announced their engagement. A 1997 graduate of East Prairie High School, the future bride is employed by Focus Bank. She is the daughter of Herbert Marshall of East Prairie and the late Brenda Marshall...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A new Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper will report for duty in Troop E on Monday, following their recent graduation from the Patrol's Law Enforcement Academy in Jefferson City. Dennis W. McCormick has been assigned to Zone 10, which covers Dunklin County. His hometown is Campbell...

Joe Bill Davis, Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce president for 2009, gave outgoing president Mike Conway a plaque to recognize his service at the December luncheon for the group. Other officers that will serve on the Board of Directors in 2009 are: Michelle Fayette, 1st vice president; Jon Gilmore, 2nd vice president; Darrin Johnson, secretary/treasurer; and Cheryl Jones and Laura Green, who will serve as at-large officers...

MOREHOUSE (SMNS) -- In a day when trucking companies throughout the country are struggling financially, one local trucking operation is bucking that trend. Scott City-based Buchheit Trucking has expanded its warehousing and logistics operation with the recent purchase of the former Rowe Manufacturing property in Morehouse. ...

The Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to announce our newly revised magazine "The Avenue …Where Sikeston and Miner Meet and Southern Hospitality Begins." We are excited to be working with our new publisher, Concord and our new magazine editor Jill Bock with the Standard-Democrat. The articles in The Avenue focus on the different attractions we have to offer in our area as well as talking about our healthcare, education, and business opportunities...

As a SpeakOut commentator, I feel it is my duty to report what I observe. David Jenkins recently responded to an obvious tongue in cheek comment charging him with lookism by characterizing the commentator's comment as "asinine." This can only lead one to conclude that all commentary about Jenkins must stop because he may misinterpret it and blow a gasket. As a result, Jenkins will learn that the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about at all...

As we begin this new year, there's lots of talk about thousands of store closings and bankruptcies in the retail industry. A major trade publication this week predicted that well over 50,000 retail stores would close their doors in the coming months as the stalled economy continues to take a toll...

SIKESTON - The Oran Eagles sent Sikeston down to its first home defeat of the cage season, 45 to 38 last night. SIKESTON - The Rev. Gayle Jackson, pastor and founder of the First Assembly of God Church in Sikeston, announced today that he was resigning here to enter evangelistic work for his organization...

BROSELEY -- The Lady Bluejays were able to play fast in the second half. That enabled Charleston to catch up to the Greenville Lady Bears on Friday night at the Twin Rivers Holiday Classic Tournament on Friday night and come away with a close 58-55 win...

BROSELEY -- Last season in the championship game of the Lady Royals Christmas Classic, Dexter trailed Naylor by three heading into the final quarter and had to rally to defeat the Lady Eagles. This year, Dexter would need no such rally. The Lady Bearcats opened the game on a 11-0 run on their way to a 66-41 win over Naylor in the semifinals of the Lady Royals Classic...

BROSELEY -- Portageville tried to do one of two things in their game against the Kelly Lady Hawks on Friday night: limit Kelly standout Debra Hall or contain everyone around her. Hall scored 23 of the Lady Hawks 37 points as the latter option proved to be the more effective one in Portageville's 52-37 win over Kelly in their semifinal game at the Lady Royals Holiday Classic Tournament at Twin Rivers High School...

MARQUAND -- The Risco Tigers basketball team recorded a strong start to 2009 leg of their season with 76-40 victory on the road against Marquand Friday. Tigers head coach Brandon Blankenship was pleased to see his players ready to play coming off Christmas break...

Girls Basketball Charleston at Malden, 6 p.m. Boys Basketball Saxony Lutheran at Chaffee, 6 p.m. Bloomfield at East Prairie, 6 p.m. NMCC at Blytheville, 6 p.m. Girls Basketball Delta Tourn, TBA Wrestling Poplar Bluff at Sikeston, 6 p.m. Girls Basketball...

SIKESTON -- In a bit of irony, the state department that provides lawyers for people that can't afford representation can't even afford to hire more lawyers to keep up with the caseload. One lawyer with the Missouri Public Defender System recently pointed that out to Cathy Kelly, deputy director. While the system has been beleaguered for years with rising caseloads but the same number of lawyers, it recently took another hit when director J. Marty Robinson announced a hiring freeze on Dec. 15...

The first baby of the new year arrived at Missouri Delta Medical Center at 6:47 a.m. Jan. 2. Pictured is Marion Polk holding her newborn - and as yet unnamed - daughter, who weighed in at 6 pounds and 13 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Surrounding the baby and mother are her big sisters (clockwise from lower left): Nevaeh, 2, Kiana, 11, and Breana, 9. Turning picture duties over to the girls were the newborn's father, Tonny Buford and big brother, Derrick...

ORAN -- Oran native Amber Seyer has competed for the Miss USA title and appeared in numerous national print advertisements. Now the 22-year-old model will star in a national television commercial slated to run during the Super Bowl next month. Seyer said she can't tell every detail about the commercial, but she did say for the shoot, she had to pour 30 bottles of PowerAde and Gatorade on herself in 40-degree weather...

SIKESTON -- Law enforcement agencies, specifically those that fight drugs, are now feeling the pinch of the slumping economy. The Scott County Sheriff's Department recently learned it will not receive the MoSMART grant, provided by the Missouri Sheriff's Methamphetamine Relief Team. It was one of 17 agencies statewide turned down, including Stoddard and Perry counties...

SIKESTON - Virginia "Gin" Learue, 81, surrounded by family and friends went home to meet her Lord on Jan. 2, 2009. She was born June 28, 1927, in the Bridges Community near Charleston to the late Ulus and Stella McKinley Harper. She worked at Brown Shoe Company in Charleston and Learue and McKinnie's Big Star in Miner. She was a lifelong member of Bement Baptist Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher for many years before failing health...

MOREHOUSE -- Naomi Ruth Parr, 75, died Jan. 1, 2009, at her home. Born Oct. 3, 1933, in Mississippi, to the late Rev. James O. and Pearl Bell Fitzpatrick Casey, she was of the Pentecostal belief. On July 27, 1950, in Blytheville, Ark., she married Russell Parr who preceded her in death on June 1, 2002...

DEXTER -- William "Bill" Mangum, 79, died Jan. 2, 2009, at his home. Born Jan. 29, 1929, at Blytheville, Ark., to the late Roscoe Conklin and Francis Louise Burton Mangum, he had lived in Stoddard County since 1957. He was retired as a street superintendent for the city of Bloomfield and was a member of the New Bethel General Baptist Church and the Bloomfield Saddle Club...

CHAFFEE - Jean Nall, 74, formerly of Benton and East Prairie, died at 8 a.m. Jan. 2, 2009, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. Born March 27, 1934, in Mississippi County to Howard Lee Harr Adkisson of East Prairie and the late Robert Wesley Adkisson, she lived in Benton several years before moving back to East Prairie, then in June 2008 moved to Chaffee...

EAST PRAIRIE - Margaret Emory Schneider, 94, died at 12:55 a.m. Jan. 3, 2009, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Monday at the McMIkle Funeral Home in Charleston where services are scheduled at 3 p.m. Monday, Burial will be at the IOOF Cemetery in Charleston...

SCOTT CITY - Glenn Ward, 53, died Jan. 2, 2009, at his home in Scott City. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.