News

MORLEY, Mo. — It was a sad time for many when the beloved Morley Cafe building collapsed, but losing their favorite social hub also served as a wake-up call to residents who want to preserve their town’s history and provide a thriving community for generations to come...

SIKESTON — The Missouri State Highway Patrol recognizes the importance of bus safety and inspects every school bus in the state each year. “We want children to arrive at school safely, and they can help by being good riders,” said Capt. John J. Hotz with the Patrol...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — The Portageville Fire Department is taking their fire-fighting capabilities to new heights. A 75-foot aerial truck is now officially part of the Department’s fleet. According to George DeLisle, the department’s chief, fire personnel have discussed the purchase of an aerial truck for several months...

Special programs SIKESTON — The 11th Annual Women’s Conference will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18-19 and 10 a.m. Oct. 20 at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Sikeston. Registration is at 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9:30 a.m.Saturday of the event. Lunch will be served after the service on Saturday of the event...

Evangeline DePriest waits as she gets a copy of “You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir” signed by the author, Melissa Ohden, who is the founder and director of The Abortion Survivors Network. Ohden of Kansas City was the keynote speaker at the Aspire Women’s Center’s Banquet for Life Tuesday at the Miner Convention Center...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — This year, the Portageville Chamber of Commerce conclude the annual Soybean Festival with a new event, “The Bean Bash.” This event featured live music by Pocket Change, a band from Poplar Bluff. The Bean Bash brought out people of all ages to enjoy the music. ...

SIKESTON — A Sikeston man faces multiple felony child pornography charges in Scott County. Joel Craig Williams, 48, is charged with the second-degree felony of promoting child pornography to a minor on or around Aug. 15; two counts of felony possession of child pornography-first offense on or around Oct. 15; and felony failure to register as a sex offender on or around Oct. 15, according to online court records...

MATTHEWS, Mo. — When Angie Hanlin became principal at Matthews Elementary School in Matthews, she knew she had challenges ahead. For the previous three years, test scores for Matthews Elementary students in reading and math had declined. As Hanlin searched for a way to turn those numbers around, she turned to the data that Matthews Elementary collects on students...

MATTHEWS, Mo. — Gathered around their teacher, the Matthews kindergarten students are busy sounding out the word in front of them. The first letter is one they are studying. “C” they shout. They dissect the compound word, repeating the first word, “camp.” Then the second word, “out.”...

Ciera Hamilton (left), store manager of Sikeston Cato, and Sonya Carter, assistant store manager, arrange a table full of breast cancer awareness items and information in preparation of the fourth annual Project Mammogram which will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — On Saturday, local vendors and auto enthusiasts will come together for HopeFest – Drive Out Cancer, to benefit the American Cancer Society’s mission to save more lives from cancer. The event will begin at 11 a.m. at the Davis St. Walking Track/Park in New Madrid. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Sikeston man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to robbing a Sikeston retailer in July. Joshua T. Kerr, 40, entered a guilty plea to one felony count of interference with commerce by robbery, one felony count of carjacking, and one felony count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, according to the United States Attorney's Office. He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr...

The Charleston High School Marching Band takes part in the Sikeston Marching Band Competition held Saturday at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium. The event featured many junior high and high school bands from across the area.

JEFFERSON CITY – Eight days before Missouri’s annual statewide earthquake drill, more than 448,000 people are already registered to participate in the Great Central U. S. “ShakeOut” on Oct. 18. A total of more than 2.6 million people are registered in the 14 central U.S. states that could be impacted by a New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Those who have driven by the northbound and southbound “Welcome to Portageville” signs along Interstate 55, may have noticed the conditions of the signs. Installed in panels, the signs slowly began to peel away with every storm and big wind that came through the area. Both signs were repaired Oct. 2...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Department of Public Safety is looking for a suspect in an armed robbery that happened Friday. According to Sikeston DPS Lt. Jon Broom, DPS officers responded to Gas and Goodies convenience store at 1307 W. Malone Ave. at 12:06 p.m. Friday on a report of an armed robbery...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Sikeston man was sentenced on Monday to nearly eight years in prison for the January robbery of a Sikeston fast food restaurant. Byron Jones, 20, was sentenced to 94 months imprisonment on one felony count of Interference With Commerce by Robbery and one felony count of Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He appeared before United States District Judge E. Richard Weber...

SIKESTON — A Sikeston man and Illinois man face felony charges for an alleged kidnapping and burglary with the use of a weapon over the weekend. Brandon Johnson, 31, of Sikeston and Thomas Evans, 29, of Bellwood, Ill., are each charged with felony first-degree kidnapping, armed criminal action, first-degree burglary, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession (previous felon) of a weapon.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Kentucky man was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to attempting to distribute child pornography to a local undercover officer. According to the United State’s Attorney’s Office, Frankie J. Pearl, 47 of Owensboro, Ky., was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison Monday at his sentencing hearing that followed his guilty plea earlier this year...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — An Illinois woman was killed following a head-on collision with a tractor-trailer late Thursday in Mississippi County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 7:03 p.m. on northbound Interstate 57 at the 17.2 mile marker, seven miles north of Charleston, as the southbound tractor-trailer operated by Herbert J. ...

SIKESTON — In every community there are those whose volunteer work helps better the community. The Sikeston Rotary Club now intends to honor those people who help better the Sikeston community. Beginning this month, the Rotary Club will begin giving the Sikeston Area Community “Service Above Self Award.”...

Georgia Poindexter, daughter of Heath and Stephanie Poindexter, is the Standard Democrat’s Calendar Girl for October. Poindexter, a finalist in the 2017 Miss Sikeston contest and a 2018 Sikeston High School graduate, is attending Murray State University where she is majoring in nursing...

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The USDA has announced it will invest over $734,000 in eight projects that will build community infrastructure and provide essential services for over 57,000 rural Missourians. East Prairie, Wyatt and Stoddard County are three of the local communities that will benefit from the investment...

STEELE, Mo. — A Steele man died on Thursday of injuries he received following an alleged assault two weeks ago in Steele. Jason Lee Mayfield, 43, died Thursday at Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn., where he was being treated for injuries he received late Sept. 28 after he was allegedly assaulted in Steele, according to Steele Police Chief Billy Joe Stanfield...

The Sterling Pharmacy Championship College Rodeo is currently being held at the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo grounds. The event, which began Thursday, is National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association-sanctioned and features top competitors from 13 college rodeo teams in the Association’s Ozark Region. The rodeo continues through Saturday night...