Stories from Sunday, April 12, 2009

SIKESTON - Patricia Parker Watson-Smith, 78, formerly of East Prairie, died April 10, 2009, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Funeral arrangements are with the McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

BERTRAND -- Pallbearers for funeral services held Friday at Ponder Funeral Home for Donald Ray Lynch, 68, who died April 8, 2009, were: Allan Lynch, Jamie Lynch, Keith Lynch, Brian Lynch, Mark Vance and Darrell Williams.

DEXTER - Woodrow Jones, 84, died April 10, 2009, at the Bertrand Retirement Home. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is in charge of arrangements which are incomplete.

ORAN -- Steven Witt Penrose, 62, died April 4, 2009, at his home. Funeral arrangements are with the Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

EAST PRAIRIE - Raymond C. "Jug" Powers, 85, a loving husband, father and grandfather went to be with his Lord and Savior on Good Friday, when he died at 5:29 p.m. April, 10, 2008, in the Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie...

EAST PRAIRIE - Gladys Marie Miller Mathis, 91, died at 9:15 p.m. April 9, 2009, in the East Prairie Nursing Center. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

BLOOMFIELD -- Norma Serena Woodiel, 93, died April 9, 2009, at the Cypress Point Healthcare in Dexter. Funeral arrangements are with the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Two of southeast Missouri's premier girls basketball players are heading to Shawnee Community College to play basketball for head coach Gary Poyner and the Lady Saints. Courtney Chamberlain and Brittney Walker, seniors at Portageville High School, will be making the jump to the junior college level beginning in the fall...

SIKESTON -- Although sports like baseball, golf and track are currently what's on many high school athletes minds, some dedicated young men and coaches are working hard toward next years football season. Kent Gibbs' Sikeston Bulldogs and Arlen Pixley's New Madrid County Central Eagles are two such programs with off-season activities...

NEW MADRID -- If by some chance you find yourself driving through the town of New Madrid, take a left off of Hwy 61 onto Davis Street. Travel down that road for not even a minute and you will find a baseball field to your left and a softball field to your right...

SIKESTON -- Some taxpayers locally and across the country will aim to have their voices heard by Congress on Wednesday when they participate in "tea parties." "We want to send the message to Washington that we're tired of it," said Pam Yant of Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Want the storm debris limbs picked up off your curb? Don't mix any trash, junk or pruned limbs in with them. As its last order of business before handing over the reins to the new mayor and council members, the Sikeston City Council awarded the contract for the removal of January ice storm debris during the reorganizational meeting Friday...

SIKESTON -- Historically, Easter Sunday is the most well-attended Mass in the church year. "On Easter Sunday, many people find their faith, and I hope to give them some sort of encouragement to hold on to that faith," said the Rev. Scott Sunnenberg, pastor at St. Francis Xavier in Sikeston and St. Henry's in Charleston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- An arrest was made Friday in the 1979 murder of a former Sikeston resident. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle announced Friday that Max Allen Ellison Jr., 61, was arrested at his Nixa home for the first-degree murder and robbery of Deborah L. Martin...

SIKESTON -- The shooting death of a woman early Saturday remains under investigation. At about 12:45 a.m. Saturday, Sikeston Department of Public safety received 911 calls about a shooting in the 900 block of Montgomery Street. At the scene officers found a 28-year-old woman dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to Sikeston Department of Public Safety Chief Drew Juden...