Stories from Saturday, February 15, 2014

SIKESTON  -- The Standard Democrat will not publish a paper Monday in observance of President's Day, and the offices will be closed. Regular publication will resume Wednesday. Normal business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will resume Tuesday...

By Derek James sports@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Charleston's Delfincko Bogan has made a name for himself as being able to take over when the game is on the line. But on Saturday afternoon in a pivotal SEMO Conference game against Jackson, he got some help from his teammates...

sports@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- Damion Tipler scored a game-high 23 points as the East Prairie Eagles took down Kelly 71-35 Friday at Kelly High School. Seth Bays and Dustin Bryars each added 11 points to East Prairie's 11th win of the season. Their one win shy of matching their best record in six years...

KENNETT -- The Dexter Bearcats' bid to upset Kennett came up just a bit short. Dexter led by as many as 13 points in the first half and led by nine early in the third quarter, but fell victim to an Indians' comeback in a 76-61 loss here Friday night...

GIDEON - After four straight second-place finishes in the Tri-County Conference varsity boys basketball tournament, claiming the conference title was a focal point for the Risco Tigers entering the 2013-14 season. "It was a goal at the beginning of the year for these guys," Risco longtime coach Brandon Blankenship said. "We've got a good group of kids and we've really been playing well these past three or four weeks."...

sports@standard-democrat.com ORAN -- When it comes to Oran and Scott County Central, it's all or nothing. Last season the Eagles broke a decade long drought against the Braves to sweep their three-game season series. On Friday Scott Central turned the tide back in their favor by picking up their third and final win in this year's series with an 85-68 decision at the Eagles' Homecoming...

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Heading into Friday night, the race for the top seed in Class 4, District 1 appeared to be wide open among three teams: Cape Central, Notre Dame and Sikeston. The picture has cleared up somewhat following Sikeston's 67-52 SEMO Conference win at Cape Central, marking the first time the Bulldogs have beaten the Tigers on their home floor since 2008...

SCOTT CITY -- A Scott City man was killed after his vehicle overturned into a creek Friday in Scott County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at 3:45 p.m. on county road 321, half a mile south of county road 318, as northbound motorist Ronald D. Adams, 76, of Scott City traveled off the right side of the road and overturned in a creek...

SIKESTON -- A Southeast Missouri nonprofit organization has earned the highest level of accreditation possible by the premier accreditation body of health and human service organizations. Bootheel Counseling Services in Sikeston announced it has been accredited for a period of three years by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities International, or CARF...

I don't know why businesses have offices any place. All it is is push this button, push that button to get to a human. Most of them are so stupid that you have to push more buttons. If they are gonna hire people to work, let them work. They send you to India, China or someplace else. That is ridiculous...

CHARLESTON -- A Memphis, Tenn., man now has an additional felony charge after lying about his identity to county jail staff. Martinez Marquette Warren, 37, was charged Monday with forgery, a class C felony, on a case that began in mid-January, according to a news release from Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore, when Warren was brought brought in by sheriff's deputies to the Mississippi County Detention Center to be held on burglary and stealing controlled substances charges in two area counties.. ...