Stories from Thursday, April 19, 2007

Have you ever wished that you could say thank you to someone who has performed a service to our community? We have that opportunity during National Volunteer Week, which takes place April 15-21 this year. National Volunteer Week is sponsored by Target and the Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C...

JACKSON - It was one of those days for Dexter coach Brian Becker and his Bearcats. Jackson got hot at the plate and pitcher Logan Lawson tamed the Bearcat hitters as the Indians rolled to an easy 14-4 win at home in SEMO Conference action Wednesday...

BENTON -- The Kelly Hawks baseball team fell behind early and never could overcome the early deficit as the Cape Central Tigers posted a 15-5, six- inning SEMO Conference victory Wednesday at Kelly High School. Cape Central led 9-0 before the Hawks could get on the board in the bottom of the third inning...

Kelly High School has tapped Bell City native Nathan Wills as its next head basketball coach. Wills has been an associate head varsity coach at Duchesne High School in St. Charles the past three years. Along with his basketball duties, Wills will also be the head baseball coach. Wills, 28, is a Southeast Missouri State graduate...

MOREHOUSE -- Around Morehouse Elementary, Marilyn Hasty is affectionately known as the "Copy Queen." For the past 14 years, the Morehouse woman has volunteered every Wednesday afternoon, making photocopies for teachers and handling any other tasks thrown at her...

SIKESTON - Jean Smith Collins, who served Sikeston as a community leader, volunteer and politician, died April 18, 2007, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was 93. Born Jean Smith on Jan. 7, 1914, in Frankford, she was the daughter of Walton Smith and Charlotte Jones of Fayette...

SIKESTON - Joe Borgers was named president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce at club elections Monday night at the Hotel Dunn. SIKESTON - A new rate schedule for non-residents who use the city-operated facilities for disposal of trash or refuse was announced today by City Manager Raymert Miller. The new rates are approximately double the rates now charge residents, the city manager said...

If there's anyone out there who has a lift chair they would like to get rid of or sell cheap, or give away even, I'm in need of one and would appreciate it. Please put your number in SpeakOut. I've owned pit bulls all my life and I've never had one to turn on me. ...

CHARLESTON -- The Charleston Bluejays basketball program has a long list of outstanding point guards that have come through the school. Add senior Shawn Sherrell to the ever-growing list. On Tuesday, Sherrell signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Moberly Community College...

MALDEN -- Sandra Kay Dishroon, 55, died April 17, 2007, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 18, 1951, in Gideon, to Lavona Earline Rollins Reese Hickson of Malden and the late Orval Junior Reese, she attended the Church of God in Malden...

ST. LOUIS - Jimmy A. Gremard Jr., 62, died April 16, 2007, at St. Louis. Born April 27, 1944, in New Madrid County, son of the late Jimmy A. and Cora Emma Covey Gremard Sr., he was a member of Teamsters Local No. 618. He married Linda Wright in St. Louis. She survives of the home...

ORAN -- William J. Dempsey, 58, died at 5:50 p.m. April 17, 2007, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Born Dec. 19, 1948, at St. Louis, son of the late William Robert and Irene Eisle Baker Dempsey, he was a retired self-employed carpenter and was a member of VFW Post No. 5368 having served in the U.S. Army...

FRONTENCAC -- Memorial services for Charles J. McMullin, 89, who died March 24, 2007, were conducted April 14 at Salem in Ladue United Methodist Church. Interment was private.

MATTHEWS -- Pallbearers at services scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Billy Jack Plunk, 69, who died April 15, 2007, will be: Brad Gilmer, Mike Burton, Brian Campbell, Bud Campbell, Timmy Farrenburg and Rick Tiery. Honorary pallbearers will be Stephen Plunk and Jacob Plunk...

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Charles Henry, 60, died April 16, 2007, at the Medical Center in Bowling Green. Born Dec. 15, 1946, in Bell City, Mo., son of the late Mack Henry Sr. and Teacora Lewis Henry, he lived in Kentucky for many years. He was a member of Trinity Full Gospel Baptist Church, where he attended Sunday school, Bible study and was a former choir member. A U.S. Army veteran serving from 1966 to 1968, he was employed by General Motors Corvette Plant...

CALIFORNIA - June Collins, 86, formerly of Caruthersville, died April 17, 2007, at Moniteau Care Center in California. Born Dec. 11, 1920, in Osceola, Ark., daughter of the late Hugh "Buck" McVeigh and Eugenia Harris Lovewell, she attended Osceola High School in Arkansas. She was a homemaker and attended United Eastwood Memorial Church in Caruthersville...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Fred Lee Gilligan, 82, died at 12:30 p.m. April 17, 2007, in the Charleston Manor Nursing Facility. Born Jan. 24, 1925, in Poinsettia, Ark., to the late Charles Joseph and Mary E. Sides Gilligan, he moved to East Prairie in 1990. Prior to that he lived for 35 years in Albany, N.Y., where he was a groundskeeper for the Albany Golf Course...

NEW MADRID - Ronnie Dean Kimball, 44, died April 10, 2007, at New Madrid. Born Dec. 26, 1952, in New Madrid, he was the son of the late Willard and Bernadine Bramlett Kimball. He was married to Venus Douglas who preceded him in death Oct. 7, 2003. One brother and two sisters also preceded him in death...

EL CENTRO, Calif. - Gordon Allen Starnes, 61, died April 15, 2007, at El Centro Medical Center. Born July 24, 1945, at St. Bernard Hospital in Jonesboro, Ark., to G.H. and Bernadine Starnes of Sikeston, Mo., he graduated from Sikeston High School and Rolla School of Mines Engineering School with a civil engineering degree...

BERTRAND - Pallbearers for services held Wednesday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel for Wyatt McClanahan, 92, who died April 15, 2007, were: Mac Davis, Kenneth Morgan, Steve McClanahan, Jerry Don Naile, Travis Cox and Jeff Winders.

EAST PRAIRIE - Harvey Hutcheson, 71, died April 18, 2007, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home of East Prairie.

SIKESTON -- Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities crews have identified the cause of Wednesday's citywide power outage. "It was a house cat," said Wayne McSpadden, operations manager for BMU. "A house cat climbed one of our 69,000 volt poles down by the power plant, crawled out on an insulator and electrocuted itself. It caused the fault."...