Stories from Saturday, September 29, 2012

Our friends from national environmental organizations, and specifically the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), would do well to heed the words of Mark Twain, who once said, "Always tell the truth. That way you don't have to remember what you said."...

PORTAGEVILLE -- There's still two weeks to go in the regular season, but the undefeated Portageville Bulldogs can now lay claim to at least a share of the SEMO South conference title. Led by the dual-threat of running backs, Daniel Allen and Denzell Simmons, the Bulldogs were able to pound out 349 yards on the ground and 400 overall as they ran away from visiting Scott City for a 46-13 win...

KENNETT -- The Charleston Bluejays and Kennett Indians combined to total 889 yards on Friday night, but when the dust settled it was Charleston who compiled the most points, winning 48-28. Charleston (4-2) got five touchdown runs from Robert Bogan as the junior gained 181 yards on 17 carries. Sophomore Rontavious Clark added a 30-yard touchdown run and 147 yards on 15 carries...

CHARLESTON -- Lavanna Jean Jones Gaskins, 66, died Sept. 28, 2012, at her home. Born Dec. 17, 1945, at Hayti, to the late Albert Lewis and Laura Sparks Jones, she had lived in Charleston a number of years and had attended the First Assembly of God Church in Charleston...

DEXTER -- Patricia Sue Langston, 47, died Sept. 27, 2012, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Born July 18, 1965, in Dexter, she was the daughter of Lesley Ray Mims and the late Barbara Sue Mims. In Nov. 1983, she married Willie Langston, and he preceded her in death on Aug. 24, 2002...

SIKESTON -- Daniel Harris Wagner Jr., 50, died Sept. 28, 2012. Born Sept. 24, 1962, at Joliet, Ill., to Daniel H. Wagner Sr. of Charleston and Leda Swope Wagner of Sikeston, he was a lifelong resident of the Sikeston area where he had been a self-employed farmer...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Nadine Holloman, 92, died Sept. 29, 2012, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with DeLisle Funeral Home of Portageville.

Libby Menz reacts after being named the Sikeston High School 2012 Fall Homecoming Queen on Friday night at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium. Her escort is Conner Meredith.

LILBOURN -- Friday may have started out with gray skies but for Brendan Wallace, 10, it was all sunshine and smiles. "He comes in every day smiling," said his physical education coach, Joseph McClarty. But Friday was no ordinary school day. Like all the other students at Lilbourn Elementary, he was excited about the assembly during which the winners of a schoolwide coloring contest would be announced...

Betsy Borgsmiller, daughter of Steve and Mary Borgsmiller, is the Standard Democrat Calendar Girl for October. Borgsmiller, a finalist in the 2011 Miss Sikeston Contest, is attending Missouri State University where she is on the track team while majoring in pre-athletic training...

SIKESTON -- A bullet narrowly missed a Sikeston man, who was sitting inside his vehicle. Officers with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety are searching for a suspect who fired a gun at Christopher Jackson, 28, as he was sitting inside his vehicle behind a residence in the 300 block of Lee Street...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central Eagles sophomore TJ Clark was the definition of an all-purpose player Friday night. Clark, who stands at 5-8, 145-pounds, scored three touchdowns and gave the Eagles a two-score cushion in the second half as the Eagles defeated Dexter, 28-13 at New Madrid County Central High School...

SIKESTON -- In their biggest test to date, the Sikeston Bulldogs aced their exam. In a battle of undefeated teams, the Bulldogs, as they have routinely done the past four years, came through with a resounding win on a big stage, defeating Jackson, 26-17, in front of 5,000 fans on homecoming night at Sikeston Public Schools Stadium...