Stories from Thursday, January 16, 2014

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Hall of Fame NBA player Jerry West was known as "Mr. Clutch" for his penchant for hitting big shots in crucial moments. The "Fireman Award" goes to the top closer in pro baseball. Charleston's Delfincko Bogan may be working on his own nickname...

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Wednesday marked the first time in their history that Bernie played a basketball game at the Show Me Center. They made a grand debut. Bernie kept Oran at bay with a superb shooting display to notch their first win in Cape Girardeau's premier sports hall Wednesday night 65-53 as part of the "Battle for Braggin' Rights" series...

scottw@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Construction in Sikeston was up last year as compared with 2012 both in the number of projects and in the total value. According to Collin Cecil, senior building official for the city's Code Enforcement Division, city records show a total of 125 building permits for new construction or substantial additions and renovations were issued last year by the city's Code Enforcement Division for a combined value of $31,402,790...

By Brent Shipman sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- After a disappointing finish on the road against Fox High School Tuesday, Sikeston wrestling coach Chris Lowe was optimistic his team could turn things around Wednesday when they hosted Ste. Genevieve, Windsor and Jackson...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. VATICAN FORCED TO DEFEND ITS RECORD ON CLERGY SEX ABUSE At a U.N. hearing, a top church official acknowledges there can be "no excuse" for child abuse, as the Vatican faces allegations it enabled the rape of thousands of children by protecting pedophile priests...

MINER - The city of Miner is under a boil water order for the next 48 hours. The order should be over by Saturday morning, according to city officials.

CHARLESTON - A New Madrid man is facing felony charges after Mississippi County corrections staff caught him trying to sneak a lighter into the jail. Adam H. Mainord Jr., 32, who was initially arrested for failure to appear on a Sikeston municipal warrant, now also is charged with possession of a weapon/ dangerous item in the county jail. The possession charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- According to the National Weather Service, more winter weather is likely, beginning today through next week. Today a chance of light to locally moderate snow was expected this morning before transitioning to rain this afternoon and then switching back to snow tonight. Total snowfall is expected to be less than an inch with significant melting later today...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Harold E. "Pete" Snider, 88, died Jan. 9, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home at Cape Girardeau For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE - Maxine Brown died Jan. 16, 2014, at the Pemiscot County Hospital. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

MORLEY -- Robert H. Ogden, 78, died Jan. 14, 2014, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Theresa Helen Fowler, 78, died Jan. 15, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

I just saw where the president is sending more soldiers to Iraq. I thought they didn't need anymore soldiers over there, that they were sending them all home. I think what they need to do is put the president on the front line with them. The reason why our nation is in the shape it's in, look at the front door of the church. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A Knox County man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for transporting good stolen from a Scott City business. Charles William Tague, 52, of Hurdland, will serve 14 months in prison on one felony count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and two felony counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods...

scottw@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Selling a couple of excavators to the highest bidder resulted in a much better return for Mississippi County than trading them in. The county invited bids on seven surplus vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment equipment, County Clerk Junior DeLay said during the regular County Commission meeting Thursday...

SIKESTON -- The Sikeston R-6 Board of Education officially declared on Thursday its intent to seek voters' approval of a $32.3 million-bond proposal for the construction and improvement of school facilities in the district. In a 7-0 roll call vote during the regular monthly meeting at the district's Central Office, board members adopted a resolution calling for a special bond election in the district on April 8 on the proposition whether to issue a $32.3 million principal amount of general obligation bonds.. ...

Three bank robbery suspects are in custody after First State Bank in downtown Dyersburg was robbed on Thursday afternoon.