Stories from Friday, September 5, 2014

I don't necessarily believe that karma is a legitimate force of nature, but I'd like to think that those of us who go out of our way to be kind and helpful to others have a bit more good fortune. I have been told by more than one person that I have the uncanny ability to walk through a pig farm and come out smelling like a rose, and I always attribute that to holding the door open for people, being friendly to everyone, and trying my best to be a genuinely nice fellow. ...

New Madrid County R-1 is proud to announce the 2013-2014 yearbook as receiving the National Yearbook Program of Excellence Award. "Mrs. Vicki Redden and the yearbook staff have worked diligently on the yearbook at for New Madrid County Central High School. ...

As he completes his third year at the helm of the Fisher Delta Research Center, Trent Haggard welcomed at 700 farmers and guests to the 53rd Annual Field Day and Appreciation Breakfast held on Tuesday, Sept. 2nd. The event was held in Rone Hall at Lee's Farm...

The Buddha said, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Well, ready or not kids, your teachers are showing up in classrooms everywhere. It's time to crack open the books, slip the surly bonds of summer, and head back to school. In the coming days, and in some regions the academic year is well under way already, this country's 130,000 public and private schools will be firing on all cylinders, spending $600 billion on the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic; employing some four million teachers, and educating more than 60 million children. ...

While I was at post office the other day, a lady barged in complaining that she got home to find a note from the mail man saying that he tried to deliver a package but nobody was home. She said, "My husband was home all day!" Obviously she was very upset. After she opened the package I heard her tell somebody "Oh, I'm so excited, it's my husband's new hearing aids!"...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri Extension and the AgrAbility Project are reaching out to returning veterans who have an interest in farming. Karen Funkenbusch, MU Extension safety specialist, said the second in a series of meetings aimed at helping veterans get into farming will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 13 at the Hampton Inn in St. Robert, Missouri...

JEFFERSON CITY -- State Treasurer Clint Zweifel (ZWY-ful) announced House Bill 1217 goes into effect today, meaning public retirees in Missouri are now protected from the predatory lending practice known as pension advances. Retired public employees who are drawn into these misleading agreements can now take legal action against the businesses offering them. This measure is just one step Treasurer Zweifel is taking to protect working Missourians' retirement security...

Average retail gasoline prices in Missouri have fallen 6.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.20/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 3,940 gas outlets in Missouri. This compares with the national average that has increased 0.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.43/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com...

Sikeston/Bootheel Area United Way sets goal at $110,000

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Madison Smith hit a walk off single in the sixth inning to beat Chaffee Thursday during the first round of the Notre Dame Softballfest at Notre Dame High School. The Lady Bulldogs (4-3) won the game 5-4 due to the time limit rule but wound up losing to Notre Dame 7-1 in their second game of the day...

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After 100 minutes of close calls and not a single goal by either team, Notre Dame had little trouble finding the net when it came time for penalty kicks against Sikeston Thursday in the opening round of Notre Dame Soccerfest...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- After losing the first set and on their way to another, Sikeston head coach Steve Beydler wanted to regroup. During the timeout he told his team to relax and simply worry about scoring the next point. After that, worry about the next one and so on...

CHARLESTON, MO- Mississippi County officials have finally found the bottom of the hole where County Road 310 used to be before being washed away during the 2011 activation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. "We are above the water line on 310," Presiding Commissioner Carlin Bennett said during a County Commission meeting Thursday...

The Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center will host the 11th Annual Native American Day on Saturday, September 13, 2014 from noon to 3:00 p.m. The event will be held on the grounds of the museum at 1071 Heritage Park Drive, Piggott, AR. There will be no house tours for the day. ...

Three Rivers College will hold the first annual "Three Rivers Raider Rodeo" on October 2-4 at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. each night, with the rodeo beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets will be $10 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and under...

scottw@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- An equipment vendor has a chance to patch things up in Mississippi County. County Commissioners agreed during their regular weekly meeting Thursday to begin the process of purchasing an asphalt patching machine that should make life a lot smoother for motorists on county roads...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Donald Wesley Ferguson, 70, died Sept. 4, 2014, at Marston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

ST. CHARLES -- Mary Emma Rakers, 79, died Aug. 28, 2014, at Frontier Health and Rehabilitation in St. Charles. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Addie Ann Beck, 67, died Sept. 3, 2014, at Southeast Healthcare of Stoddard County. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

MARSTON -- Stephanie Renee Long, 55, died Sept. 3, 2014, at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Tulsa, Okla. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

I take my first grade grandchild to Matthews Elementary in Sikeston every day. The bus monitors open the car door and wait for her to get out of the vehicle. Not once has either he or she failed to say, "Have a good day." That's so sweet, and I just wanted to let the school officials and the school monitors to know how much this is appreciated...