Speakout 1/2

My wife and I were in your city Dec. 22-24 due to the snow and Missouri's inability to handle bad road conditions. We stayed at the Days Inn. It was a wonderful stay with polite and helpful employees. We dined at one of the best Chinese buffets ever. It was attached to the motel. Now the part that makes Sikeston look like any other tourist gouging big city. We had to find some fuel for our dooley truck. We were on the way to the Sinclair station down from the motel. I missed the non-plowed driveway. I then had to go up the street to a prescription business and try to turn around. As I was trying to get back on South Main Street, I became stuck in the non-plowed intersection and was blocking traffic. The prescription business called a wrecker and said they were backed up until 6 pm. They then called the Sikeston police. The police were very helpful. They mentioned that an auto service in Sikeston listened in on their scanner and were helping out that day. A rollback wrecker showed up with two employees of this company. They got me unstuck in about 5 minutes. When it came time to pay, the driver said, "Get the money and let's go" to the helper. He (the helper) then came to the window of the truck and said "That will be a hundred bucks." I asked if they would take a company check out of Memphis. I was told "no." The driver then said "How much ya' got?" We had $80 in cash. The driver said, "With no receipt that would be enough." I own a wrecker company in Memphis. Ours Towing. I have had experience in the past that when a driver says no receipt to a customer, it means the owner will never see the money from the tow. My trucks in Memphis were charging $40 for simple winch-outs. Not anymore! If you have a Missouri plate on your vehicle and one of my trucks shows up, now you may as well kiss your vehicle good-bye. I now have five Missouri vehicles on my impound lot because the owners could not afford to pay the $500 tow or winch fee. I am also putting this story on my web page warning visitors away from Sikeston. Thanks for letting me know that small towns are just as crooked as big ones.

We have so many negative things about East Prairie, I would like to tell you about some good neighbors who are E.P. residents. They did us a big favor. My husband has a breathing problem and it would have been impossible for him to have cleaned the snow off our doorsteps, but thanks to Van Loomes, Larry Britt and son, Chris, who came with a tractor and cleaned our driveway off to the road, where we could get out in case of an emergency. Larry's son helped lots of people who were snowed in. Without their help, we would never have gotten out of our garage. I would say they surely deserve the "Good Neighbor Award" and our thanks. They would not let anyone pay them for their work. God bless people like them who will give a helping hand.

People need to stop complaining about things and worry about their families. You all are doing a great job with the news. Keep it up.

I'm calling in response to "Love it or leave it." I agree with the caller. If the person who doesn't believe in God doesn't like the way we do things, why don't they move to a country that doesn't believe in God? Check out the way they live - I'm sure you would like it, either. I'm sure some of us believers would be glad to buy you a one-way ticket to a God-forsaken country. If you don't like this country, get out of it.

Commercials lose sales

I am calling about a fast-food restaurant that advertises with people sticking straws in their mouths and having food in their mouths. I don't feel like eating after seeing those commercials. I hope they stop these commercials.