Stories from Saturday, April 5, 2014

SIKESTON -- A Maryland man is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a police pursuit from Sikeston to Portageville. Thomas Louis Seminazzi, 43, died when he fired a single round into his own head as officers approached his car Friday evening, according to Capt. Jim McMillen, public information officer for the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

sports@standard-democrat.com ADVANCE -- With the help of a five-run outburst in the third inning, the Chaffee Red Devils remained undefeated on the season by downing the Advance Hornets 9-3 on Friday. After a scoreless first two innings Chaffee's third inning rally put them up 5-0 heading into the fourth...

sports@standard-democrat.com EAST PRAIRIE -- The Charleston boys track team repeated have topped the Eva G. Hinshaw Invitational Tournament two years running. The Bluejays finished with 107 points to lead the 4th annual, 16-team event at East Prairie High School behind strong performances from their speed relays, jumpers and Devonte Ware who swept the 100 and 200-meter dash events...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Unable to overcome an early deficit, the Kelly Hawks opened the Lucky 13 Wood Bat Classic with a 5-2 loss to Greenville on Friday at Hillhouse Park in Charleston. "We had a couple walks early on that hurt us," Kelly head coach Josh Eftink said. "Add a couple throwing errors here and there you give a good team like that some extra chances, opportunities where they don't even have to put the ball in play to score runs...

I attended Sikeston Public Schools and received an excellent education. In fact, many of my classmates at Sikeston Public Schools are teachers at the schools. I am certainly aware of their dedication and commitment. I an certainly appreciate the conditions that many of them are teaching under at Lee Hunter and Matthews by trying to teach in buildings built in the 1950s. ...

jillb@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON-- Sikeston resident Tom Nunnelee recalls the day in 1977 when country music legend Kenny Rogers first heard about efforts to fund a center in Sikeston where children with disabilities could receive treatment. According to Nunnelee, Rogers was so enthusiastic about the services the center would provide, he became personally involved. It is an involvement that over the years has brought him back to Sikeston to assist the center which now bears his name...

scottw@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Transportation project ideas for this area have all been gathered. Now officials will decide which ones to ask for. Steve Duke, executive director of the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission at Dexter, said the BRPC ended with a couple of hundred different project ideas once duplications were removed...

scottw@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Voters in Sikeston's Ward 2 will pick a new representative April 8 to represent them for a year. The one-year unexpired term on the Sikeston City Council was created by the death of Tom Hedrick. Running for the position are two longtime residents: John Graham and Gerald Settles...

SIKESTON -- Glenda L. Becker, 78, died April 4, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- Charles McCoy "Chuck" Staggs, 76, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died March 30, 2014. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

HOUSTON -- Lucille May Ross McIntosh, 84, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., died March 31, 2014 at her home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

GODFREY, Ill. -- Barbara Ann Taylor, 77, died April 3, 2014, at Eunice Smith Nursing Home in Alton. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE -- J.K. Swilley, 83, died April 4, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.