Stories from Saturday, February 18, 2012

I am both surprised and somewhat disappointed that upcoming municipal and county elections in our area have such little competition. The number of uncontested local races seems much higher than normal. This lack of interest in local offices is a result of: A. Voters are highly satisfied with their current representatives and thus, no opposition. Or B. Voters are generally apathetic and have decided to sit on the sidelines and let the chips fall where they may...

TUPELO, Miss. -- Mr. Paul Calvin Jarrell, 83, died peacefully on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, at North Mississippi Medical Center after an extended illness. He was born on Dec. 23, 1928, in Chesapeake, W.Va., to the late Robert and Ina Rae Jordan Jarrell...

ZALMA -- Janice Ward, 67, died Feb. 17, 2012, at her home. Born Sept. 30, 1944, at Naylor, to Edward and Jewell Gimlin French, she was a member of Dongola Friendship Baptist Church. She had been a factory worker and also been employed with Walmart. On Nov. 27, 1963, at Poplar Bluff, she married Lindel Ward who survives of the home...

SIKESTON -- Gail Sawin, 52, died Feb. 18, 2012, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home in Sikeston.

SIKESTON -- Shirley Sue Ward, 76, died Feb. 16, 2012, at the home of her granddaughter in Sikeston. She was born Sept. 6, 1935, in Sikeston, daughter of the late William and Dorothy Lucille Lands Chadd. On July 6, 1957, she married Marvin Ward who preceded her in death on Dec. 31, 2010...

DEXTER -- Caleb T. Kinder, 29, died Feb. 16, 2012, in St. James. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs will be seeking their fourth district title in-a-row when the Class 4, District 1 Tournament kicks off Monday at the Sikeston Field House. Sikeston (20-4), earned the second seed in the district as rival Notre Dame (19-6) is the top seed. Sikeston defeated Notre Dame 78-63 in the semifinals of the SEMO Conference Tournament at the Field House on Dec. 9 and then lost to the Bulldogs at Notre Dame 62-54 one week later...

POPLAR BLUFF (SMNS) -- Charleston rolled to a 67-45 win Friday night at Poplar Bluff to earn a share of the SEMO Conference title. Charleston (23-2, 6-1 SEMO) was led by Ryan Parham's 14 points and Aaron Cassell's 12. Michael Hull and Robert Bogan each scored 10 points for the Bluejays, who forced 25 turnovers...

CLARKTON -- Back in the title game for the third-straight year, the Risco Tigers came into Friday's Tri-County Conference Tournament championship game looking to take care of some unfinished business. After falling to North Pemiscot in the finals each of the past two seasons, the Tigers entered the title game against Holcomb with a chance to earn the schools' first conference title since 1999 while avenging a 72-67 loss to the Hornets in late January...

CHICAGO -- Sikeston native Blake DeWitt, designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs earlier this month, has been sent to AAA. DeWitt, 26, cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Feb. 6, and the Cubs elected to send the utility infielder to their AAA affiliate in Iowa. DeWitt will likely be a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, where he will compete for a roster spot...

NEW MADRID -- After having to deal with the dismissal of two key players, Dominique Walker has shouldered the load for the Portageville Bulldogs. Walker scored a personal season high 33 points during the Bulldogs' 59-50 win over the New Madrid County Central Eagles on Friday night...

BERNIE -- The Sikeston Bulldogs closed out the regular season in impressive fashion with a 76-31 victory at Bernie on Friday. Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield was hoping to close out the schedule on a positive note with the Class 4, District 1 Tournament looming this week...

COLUMBIA -- Sikeston senior Blake Angle remains alive for a medal at the Class 3 state wrestling tournament in Columbia. Angle, wrestling in the 120-pound division, won an exciting quarterfinal match 3-2 over Jonathan Melton of Staley, using a takedown late in the third period to earn the victory...

SIKESTON -- The latest production by the Sikeston Little Theatre promises high-energy scenes, hillbilly fun and strong musical performances. Performances of "Li'l Abner" are set for 7 p.m. Feb. 23-25; 2 p.m. Feb. 26; 7 p.m. March 2-3; and 2 p.m. March 4 at the Albritton Mayer Center in Sikeston...

SIKESTON -- You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon? It's a guitar built for light-speed Han solos. With this guitar, you should be able to play "Eruption" in less than 12 parsecs (even if those are units of distance and not time). OK, I'll stop now. But the "Star Wars Millennium Falcon Guitar" video by a Sikeston native is showing no signs of slowing down...

JEFFERSON CITY - The number of meth labs uncovered by law enforcement is going up. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that across Missouri methamphetamine laboratory incident seizures totaled 2,096 during 2011, an increase of more than 6 percent from 2010...

SIKESTON -- The offices of the Standard Democrat will be closed Monday, and no paper will be published in observance of Presidents' Day. The office will reopen at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.