NEW MADRID, Mo. - Bids will be opened March 9 for the next phase of New Madrid County R-1’s Safe and Secure projects. Corey Bextermueller presented construction updates to the New Madrid County R-1 School Board at their February meeting. Bextermueller advised everything is on target in terms of the time line and budget, according to Dr. Sam Duncan, superintendent...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. - A grant will enable the New Madrid County Library System to expand its summer reading program in 2021. The reading program will be offered to children ages 5-10 and their families at the libraries at Gideon, Matthews, Morehouse, New Madrid, Parma, Portageville and Risco. Also library personnel are partnering with the New Madrid County Family Resource Center to provide additional programs...

Mia Arndt is the Standard Democrat’s Calendar Girl for March. She is the daughter of Melissa Morris and plans to attend Washington University in St. Louis where she will major in business.

As of Monday, more than 50 million people across the United States had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine with more than 25 million receiving both doses.

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The Charleston Middle School gym remodel is nearly complete. Over the summer, an issue with an air conditioner caused the floor to buckle, making the gym unusable until resolved, according to a news release from Charleston R-1 Communications Specialist B.J. Babb...

SIKESTON — Plans are underway for the 41st Annual Kenny Rogers Children’s Center Telethon, which will be virtual later this month. Set for March 22-27, the virtual event offers many ways community members can participate in the fundraising this year...

SIKESTON — With the area engulfed in frigid temperatures in February, many Sikeston BMU users are being greeted with higher-than-usual electric bills for the second month in a row. But there are avenues to help those who are unable to pay their bills through BMU and other outside resources...

MARSTON, Mo. - A card game took a violent turn Friday evening when one man was shot and another slashed by a knife. Maurice Reshawn Jones, 23, of Howardville, Mo., is charged with first degree assault and armed criminal action. Charged with seven counts of first degree assault, eight counts of armed criminal action and one count of unlawful use of a weapon is Jonathon Lamont Brown, 21, of Howardville...