Stories from Tuesday, April 17, 2012

EAST PRAIRIE -- Graveside services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the East Prairie Cemetery for Mary Jane McLain, 77, who died on March 23, 2012, in Fenton.

DEXTER -- Bettie Rowland, 93, died April 15, 2012, at the Cypress Point Skilled Care Facility in Dexter. Born Sept. 9, 1918, at Sikeston, to the late Edward W. and Olive Taylor Bean, she was a seamstress for Elder Manufacturing and a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter...

SIKESTON -- Deborah Gammons, 59, died at 7:25 p.m. April 16, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

DEXTER -- A.C. Lay died April 16, 2012, in the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

DEXTER -- Emma Mae Niehaus, 90, died April 15, 2012, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter. Born Feb. 13, 1922, in Bernie, to the late Edward and Velma Crain Fritts, she was a housewife and had worked at Medler's Cleaners in Dexter. She was a member of the First General Baptist Church in Dexter...

WYATT -- Daniel Lee Johnson, 60, died April 13, 2012, at his home. Born Aug. 2, 1951, in Matthews, to Don and Kay Francis Seymour Johnson of Morley, he was a 1970 graduate of Scott County Central and received an Associates Degree in computer science at Metro Business College. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a member of Cornerstone Church in Bertrand...

ORAN -- Karen "Susie" Tidwell, 65, died April 17, 2012, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home of Sikeston.

NEW MADRID -- Clara Jeanne Clark Murphy was born on April 30, 1932, and passed away on the morning of April 16, 2012. On June 17, 1950, she married Gus Murphy Jr., and together they had six children. She was preceded in death by Gus and five of her children: Annette, Lynette, Tony, Mark and Amy...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Carrie Ann Roberds Hale, 92, died at 7:45 p.m. April 15, 2012, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born Jan. 18, 1920, in the Tipp community of Woodruff County, Ark., to the late Tom and Johnnie Sasser Roberds, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County farming with her husband. She worked as a beautician and a certified nursing assistant and volunteered at the East Prairie Nutrition Center. She was a member of the Nelson United Methodist Church in East Prairie...

sports@standard-democrat.com JACKSON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs golf team finished in fifth place Monday during the Jackson Invitational at Kimbeland Country Club. Evan Deere finished tied for sixth with a score of 78. Kirk Hoggatt and Gabe Wheeler, who each carded an 80, tied for 13th...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHAFFEE -- With starter Alex Davie providing seven innings of shutout ball, the Chaffee Red Devils continued their hot start to the season on Monday when the Charleston Bluejays came town. Surrendering only two hits while not issuing a walk, Davie struck out 10 Bluejays as the Red Devils picked up their 14th win of the season, 6-0...

sports@standard-democrat.com SCOTT CITY -- When Scott City senior Katie Hogan began her search for the perfect college destination, she wanted both the chance to get a great education and play for a prestigious volleyball program. She found it 18 hours away...

MORLEY -- A black oak tree in Morley is certified as the largest known tree of its species in the state by the Missouri Department of Conservation's Forestry Division. Doug Sikes of Morley contacted the MDC about the tree after recently purchasing the field it stands in. Sikes said he purchased the property last fall because he wanted his family to enjoy the sprawling black oak that dominates the field...

SIKESTON -- Charter subscribers in Sikeston and the surrounding area will see a new channel lineup beginning Wednesday. Charter is adding 28 new high definition (HD) channels and relocating over 90 percent of its channels. Charter plans to bring even more HD channels as well as HD on demand and online programming to customers this summer...

scottw@standard-democrat.com EAST PRAIRIE -- This year's Tour de Corn is just over two months away but recruitment for volunteers has already begun. Tour de Corn 2012 is set for June 23, according to Silvey Barker, coordinator for the event. "It's a mass start -- it all begins at 7:30 a.m.," Barker said...

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leonnah@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- An upcoming springtime event offers fun for the entire family as well as a time for others to get reacquainted with Downtown Sikeston. The annual Sikeston in Bloom will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 28 at the American Legion Square in Downtown Sikeston...