Region briefs 4/7/04

Charleston man pleads guilty to cocaine charge

A Charleston, Mo., man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Tuesday to two felony counts of distribution of five grams or more of cocaine base. Santago Townsend, 21, now faces a maximum punishment of 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine on each count. Sentencing is scheduled for July 14. Townsend sold over five grams of crack cocaine to an undercover officer for the Missouri State Highway Patrol on July 29 and Aug. 7, 2002. Both transactions took place in Charleston.

Change in vendor license requirements is approved

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Street corner merchandisers will find it considerably more difficult to do business in Sikeston. Council members approved a change in licensing requirements during the regular Sikeston City Council meeting Monday. Modeled after the city of Arnold's solution, the amendment establishes a 14-day application process and requires background checks and fingerprinting, a $20 deposit for an identification badge and a $1,000 bond among other things.

Train kills man north of Poplar Bluff

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man was struck and killed by a Union Pacific train Monday morning while he was apparently lying between the tracks north of town. The accident, which occurred at about 11:10 a.m. on tracks about 1 1/2 miles north of Poplar Bluff, left Henry Lee Stradford Jr., 25, dead, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Nelson Wallis. The train was northbound from Little Rock, Ark., to Dupo, Ill., and was considered a "priority train," according to Union Pacific officials. It had two engines and five trailers.

Puxico girl, 8, killed in ATV crash

PUXICO, Mo. -- An 8-year-old Puxico girl was killed Monday evening when she was ejected from the all-terrain vehicle on which she was riding. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol reports, the accident occurred at 6:58 p.m. Monday on County Road 287, one mile north of Puxico. Rebecca G. Kennedy, 21, of Puxico reportedly was northbound on a 2004 Honda ATV when it ran off the right side of the roadway where it overturned several times, throwing off Kennedy and her passenger, Courtney N. Kennedy.

-- From staff, wire reports