Stories from Friday, December 15, 2023

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Former political powerhouse and Southeast Missouri trailblazer Betty Hearnes died Thursday, Dec. 14. She was 96 years old. Hearnes, a longtime Charleston resident, was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1979 and reelected four times. ...

To the few Sikeston businesses and residents who lowered their flags on Dec. 7, thank you. To those who didn’t, most notably, Sikeston VFW, Sikeston American Legion, Sikeston Post Office and Sikeston police station, please remember to do so next year. Thank you.

Dear Editor: A hate-spewing individual has been posting on Speakout, saying that Jason Smith and the Republicans are talking hate and divisiveness. Yet, everything this person has called in has been full of hate and venom. This caller even accused Trump of wearing makeup. ...

SIKESTON — Christmas came early for over 160 Sikeston children in preschool through high school who participated in “Shop With a Hero” Thursday, Dec. 14 at Walmart in Sikeston. There were 162 children in Sikeston R-6 School District’s prekindergarten through high school who received $200 each to spend while shopping with a local hero at Walmart in Sikeston...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo.  — To honor and remember veterans, the Missouri Veterans Commission will host Wreaths Across America, a holiday wreath-laying event on Saturday, Dec. 16. Locally, volunteers will lay wreaths on veterans’ graves at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, as well as four other veterans’ cemeteries in Missouri...

SIKESTON — SEMO Electric Cooperative in Sikeston celebrated the holiday season Wednesday, Dec. 13 with its first-ever public Christmas picture event, which included candy canes, cookies, Santa Claus and family photos. Many families in the community came out to SEMO Electric’s Sikeston office Wednesday evening to allow their children to have a magical encounter with Santa, telling him what they wanted for Christmas and meeting one of Santa’s elves. ...

SIKESTON — Brenda LaVaughn Cook Riley, age 72, passed away Dec. 14, 2023, at Delta South Nursing Care & Rehabilitation in Sikeston. She was born July 1, 1951, in Benton, Missouri, daughter of the late Cleve Cook and Thelma Vaughn Cook. Brenda grew up in Oran, Missouri. She was a member of Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and had worked as a bookkeeper for Heartland Office Supply before retiring...

Southeast Missouri State University has had 18 presidents in its 150-year history, and Art Wallhausen served as assistant to six of them. Wallhausen first came to SEMO in 1984 as the coordinator of the university’s News Bureau. He had been the editor of the Enterprise-Courier newspaper in Charleston, Missouri, which was owned by his family...

SIKESTON — Varsity cheer squads from several local high schools are celebrating their championships at the state level. Three Southeast Missouri teams — Thomas W. Kelly High School, Sikeston Senior High and East Prairie High School — won first place in their respective divisions Dec. 9-10 during the Missouri Cheerleading Coaches Association’s state tournament at Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri...

SIKESTON — Christmas is a time to remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus, and local pastors from area churches took some time to reflect on the true meaning of the season and how to remember the birth of the Savior of the world. People take time off from work and school over the holidays to make cookies, pies and hams in order to spend quality time with family and friends, offering gifts, dinners and stockings full of delicious treats. ...

Lee Hunter Elementary third grade students perform in their Christmas program Friday, Dec. 15 in the school’s gymnasium. Elizabeth Headd, music teacher at Lee Hunter, worked with the students since the beginning of the school year to prepare them for the Christmas program...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Former First Lady of Missouri Betty Cooper Hearnes died in Charleston on Dec. 14, 2023, surrounded by her family. She served as First Lady of the state of Missouri from 1965 to 1973 while her husband, Warren E. Hearnes, served as the 46th Governor of Missouri. She was born on July 24, 1927, in Brinkley, Arkansas, to Rev. A.B. Cooper and May Lawrence Cooper.

WYATT, Mo. — Heather Marie Siars, 40, died Dec. 14, 2023, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. McMikle Funeral Home of Charleston, Missouri, is in charge of arrangements.

In the last week, I had the opportunity to attend two musical events. The first was an Advent Sing at a church where members of four church choirs performed Advent and Christmas choral music. The second was at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau where the Wind Symphony performed Christmas and secular music...