Area digest 06/26/04

Center to hold event for soldiers' relatives

Families of soldiers and sailors deployed overseas will come together for a Soldier for a Day celebration today at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau. The celebration will feature various games for the children, including camouflage face painting and toy grenade pitching, said John Miller, a civilian employee who manages the family support center at the National Guard Armory in Cape Girardeau. The event is open to Southeast Missouri families who have relatives stationed overseas in any branch of the military including the National Guard, Miller said. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Two plead guilty to drug charges

Two Sikeston residents pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau Friday to drug-related charges. Walter Lynn Ellington, 42, entered a guilty plea to one felony count of conspiracy to possess a substance containing methamphetamine. Connie Floyd, 43, pleaded guilty to three felony counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Ellington faces a maximum of life in prison, $4 million fine and a term of supervised release of at least eight years; Floyd faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $2 million fine and a period of at least six years supervised release. Both will be sentenced Sept. 28.

Drawing for St. Jude home to be held Sunday

Today is the last day to purchase tickets for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway. The $250,000 house, in Touchdown Estates in Jackson, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The drawing will be broadcast on KFVS12 at 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (800) 382-8604. Proceeds benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

-- From staff reports