Stories from Saturday, July 19, 2014

Jefferson City, Mo. -- Secretary of State Jason Kander announced on Monday Missourians serving in the armed forces who are stationed away from home now have access to a new online platform that makes voting significantly easier for them. Kander's office launched the Military and Overseas Voting Access Portal (www.momilitaryvote.com) to give active duty service members the opportunity to securely register to vote and request and receive absentee ballots for all local, state and federal elections. ...

NEW MADRID -- A woman charged in connection with the death of a Sikeston man will return to court Monday. Savannah R. Davis entered a not guilty plea during her arraignment on charges of second degree murder and armed criminal action. Davis is charged in the July 11 death of John Sharber...

The newly renovated Best Western Plus, located at 120 S. Interstate Drive, recently held a ribbon cutting. The hotel has a handicap accessible heated indoor swimming pool, fitness center and offers a hot breakfast along with 37-inch flat screen HD televisions with over 100 channels in the rooms...

The City of Sikeston recently honored the Employees of the Quarter for the third quarter.

I rarely write a column about sports. Not that I have no interest in sports. In fact, I love sports and follow my favorites like any other fan. But something odd happened at this week's All-Star game and it speaks more to sportsmanship than sports. This year's All-Star fest was actually a tribute to Derek Jeter of the Yankees. Jeter has been a star in the Big Apple for years and is a certain Hall of Fame inductee when he becomes eligible...

CHAFFEE -- Ann Loretta Kielhafner, 72, died July 18, 2014, at her home in Chaffee. For the complete obituary, see the Sunday edition of the Standard Democrat.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cathrine Ritchie, 77, died July 18, 2014, at Heartland Care in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary and more, log on to the electronic edition of the Standard Democrat.

BENTON -- A Chaffee-area man is in custody for drug-related charges. Joshua Franklin Baker, 31, is charged with two counts of the Class C felony of possession of a controlled substance, and the Class A misdemeanor of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia...

SIKESTON -- Over the past year several businesses and individuals have offered their financial support of Sikeston R-6 School District's Project iLearn. Most recently, from Sikeston Public Schools Foundation, $75,000 of donated funds were applied to Project iLearn for the purchase of iPads for Sikeston Junior High School and will be used by both students and staff when the new school year begins Aug. 14...

SIKESTON -- When Sikeston Junior High School students start the new year, educators say they'll also be opening themselves up to a whole new world of learning. Both students and teachers will use iPads in their classrooms as part of the school district's 1:1 initiative called Project iLearn. Last year the initiative was first implemented at the high school, and in May the school board approved the program for the Junior High...

By David Jenkins davidj@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- For the last 25 years a staple of the local farming community has been Delta New Holland in Charleston. Located at 975 Highway 105 South, Delta New Holland opened in 1989 by what some would say as a stroke of luck and others a stroke of genius...