Stories from Wednesday, July 27, 2011

SIKESTON - Route105 (North Main) in Mississippi County will be reduced to one lane while the City of Charleston repairs water lines. These repairs will take place on Iron Bank Street and Route 105. Weather permitting, the work will take place Thursday, July 28 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m...

SIKESTON -- Pamela Massey, 55, died July 25, 2011, at her home. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Janice Smith Hogue died at 11:30 a.m. July 25, 2011, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center, at the age of 76. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Shirrell W. Smith, 90, died July 26, 2011, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON - Hershel Cossey, 90, died July 27, 2011, at the Miner Nursing Home. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

I would suspect that this time next week, the United States Congress will have raised the debt ceiling with some hybrid plan that reduces spending. But the much larger question centers on whether this last-minute plan will actually address the spending problem that threatens this country...

SIKESTON -- The Postal Service's plan to close more than 1 in 10 of its retail outlets will have an impact on several Southeast Missouri small towns. The financially troubled agency announced Tuesday that it will study 3,653 local offices, branches and stations for possible closing. Included in that list are: Braggadocio, Bragg City, Blodgett, Catron, Canalou, Dutchtown, Gray Ridge, Gipsy, Harviell, Holland, Kewanee, Perkins, Whitewater, White Oak, Vanduser and Tallapoosa...

With the heat nearing 100 degrees, several young ladies decided to become entrepreneurs Tuesday afternoon by opening a lemonade stand on Foust Street in Sikeston. Here, clockwise, from left: Ashlyn Bedell, Brylie Noe, Kylie Noe, Bailey Brown and Ellie Noe make a sale...

The New Madrid County Library's Summer Reading Program is taking youngsters around the world with a theme of "One World, Many Stories." At the Matthews Branch Library, children listened to story read by Jeanie Adams, colored a picture of a giraffe and created their own banks. The summer reading program is coming to an end this week...

There Darryl Howard sat all alone while his friends and fellow athletes were recognized for their athletic achievements from the 2010-11 sports season at Sikeston High School during Sikeston's athletic banquet. He watched as his good friend, Corey Porter, was called up before him leaving him as the loner...

Baseball Player of the Year James Naile, Charleston Basketball Player of the Year Otto Porter, Scott County Central Cross Country Player of the Year Brandon Shemonia, Scott City Football Players of the Year Trey Lewis (offense) and Ray Clark (defense, Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- Coming off their Cal Ripken 9U state championship, the Sikeston All Stars baseball team will compete in the 2011 Cal Ripken Midwest Regional Tournament in Yankton, South Dakota starting on Wednesday. "I like our chances," Vince Howard said. "We're not a bad team. We're a little salty and we're going in a little bit injured and banged up...

Students and instructors from the Sikeston Moo Sul Kwan recently participated in "Pushups for Joplin" at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. Pictured raising funds with pushups, center, is Adam Woods, a purple belt at the Sikeston MSK, with assistant instructor Janet Hinson of the Sikeston MSK counting. ...

SIKESTON -- Three people were arrested on methamphetamine and marijuana charges by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety on Tuesday. Stephen Beedle, 26, and Kimberly Beedle, 22, of Sikeston, were both charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree and possession of drug paraphernalia. The couple received a $50,000 cash or surety bond through the Scott County Court...