Stories from Tuesday, April 1, 2014

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Sikeston pitcher Jacob Clark had no idea what he had done until the final out was made. Though that may have been by design, the mob that met him before reaching the dugout gave him a pretty big clue...

By Brent Shipman sports@standard-democrat.com DEXTER -- All season long Dexter seniors Paige Patterson and Alison Jarrell have been reaching milestones. From each player scoring their 1,000 career point to reaching the Class 4 championship game for the first time the duo have shared plenty of memorable moments in their final year with the Lady Bearcats...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - What do you get when you subtract hundreds of dollars per student, per year from Missouri's base school funding formula? 
According to a new report, the answer is struggling school districts across the state. 
Amy Blouin is executive director of the Missouri Budget Project, which conducted the analysis.
She says the end result is that Missouri's K-12 schools are underfunded to the tune of $656 million, which translates to larger classes and fewer resources statewide.
"Whether it's teacher assistance to help the children with reading, or special classroom services," she adds, "they are all being impacted negatively."
Missouri's foundation formula was adopted by lawmakers in 2005 and was meant to ensure that each school district could meet educational standards, regardless of its ability to generate local revenue. ...

BENTON - The Southeast Missouri DWI Taskforce, along with the Scott County Sheriff's Office, will conduct a DWI checkpoint during April The driving while intoxicated checkpoint will be conducted between the hours of 8 p.m. and 3 a.m., along with heavy DWI saturation patrols in Scott County, according to Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. HEALTH CARE ENROLLEES ENDURE BLIZZARDS, LINES, GLITCHES Across the nation, interest in getting health insurance_and avoiding the penalty_was piqued as midnight deadline loomed...

SIKESTON -- Route 61 in New Madrid County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulder repairs. This section of roadway is located from Route 162 to Route T. Weather permitting, work will be performed from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today through Thursday...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Southeast Missouri residents should be ready for heavy rains and possibly flooding. The National Weather Service at Paducah has issued a severe weather alert for the region warning of scattered to numerous thunderstorms are possible Wednesday into early Thursday in the region...

Tonight will be mostly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers after 8 p.m. with a low around 58. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with a 40 percent chance of showers mainly after 8 a.m. with a high near 73 while Wednesday night will have an 80 percent chance for showers mainly after 2 p.m. ...

BLOOMFIELD -- A Bernie man was jailed in the early morning hours of Sunday following a traffic pursuit that involved Highway Patrol units from three Bootheel counties. According to a probably cause affidavit filed in the Circuit Court of Stoddard County by Trooper J.K. Brooks, Larry Franklin Cavaness was first observed driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed on County Road 717 north of Route V in Stoddard County just after midnight...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Police are seeking the public's help to find a missing teenager. Breannin F. Arnold was last seen about 6:25 p.m. March 12, walking in the street with friends near Ellis and Maple streets, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Marvin Lloyd Keene Sr., 72, died March 30, 2014, in Birmingham. Visitation is from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday at Nunnelee Funeral Chapel, where services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday. His cousin, the Rev. Delores Redfering-Grindstaff will officiate...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Glenn E. Eastabrook, 94, died March 16, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Graveside services with full military rites will be at 3 p.m. Friday in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. The Rev. J.D. McClard will officiate...

DEXTER -- Jo Ann VanGilder, 65, died March 30, 2014, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation is at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Graveside services will follow at 11 a.m. in the Hagy Cemetery with the Rev. Steve Tipton officiating...

SIKESTON -- Geraldine L. Fodge, 87, died March 31, 2014, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at Ponder Funeral Home where services will be conducted at noon Friday. Burial will follow at 2 p.m. at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield...

DEXTER -- Heather Dawn Kingery, 37, died March 31, 2014, at her home in Dexter. Visitation is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter, where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday with the Rev. Gary Burns officiating...