text msg in notification bar and shows 1 on msg icon

Anybody tell me how I can permanently remove the little envelope symbol from the notification bar and get the number 1 on the text msg icon to go away. I don't have any text messages showing but these indicate I have one and when I hit clear from the notification bar it goes away but comes right back. Any ideas?

Same thing is happening to me!

here to .. and also my notification sounds doesnt play all the way each time