Stories from Wednesday, September 24, 2014

NEW MADRID - The city of New Madrid has hooked a big one. On Oct. 4 and 5, the community will host the 2014 Bass Pro Shops Big Cat Quest National Championship Tournament. The tournament will bring up to 100 teams from across the country, including outdoors television personality Bill Dance, to vie for the top prize and bragging rights...

By Leonna Heuring leonnah@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- For third grader Kailey Couch, one dot makes all the difference when she's reading and writing braille. The Matthews Elementary in Sikeston student has been learning those skills since preschool, and most recently, her work paid off with recognition on the regional and national levels...

Improvements are underway at the New Madrid County Airport at Marston. Employees of Fronabarger Concreters of Oak Ridge began construction last week on an additional taxiway. The work is part of a runway extension project which will eventually extend the current 3,200-foot runway to 4,000 feet, according to Buster Hampton, airport manager. ...

"Comic Con" is the theme for Portageville's 67th Annual National Soybean Festival. The festival will start with Main Street Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4th. The festival will run through Thursday, Oct. 9th. Girls throughout the Missouri Bootheel will have an opportunity to register for the 67th Annual National Festival Beauty Queen Pageant. ...

(Editor's note: The story below is about three young men taking a canoe trip on the Buffalo River and one of the boys received a snake bite. Gerard Dietrich is the grand son of Herman and Ruth Ann Priggel of Portageville. The power of prayer is very real for these boys. The story and photograph are reprinted here with permission from the West Plains Daily Quill.)

Columbia, MO -- The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be providing about $5.8 million in financial and technical assistance to help landowners voluntarily restore 1,638 more acres of wetlands in Missouri, mostly along the Mississippi River and the Missouri River...

CHARLESTON -- Warren E. Hearnes Elementary School and Charleston Middle School observed Patriot Day on Sept. 11. "While the memory of 9/11 is still vivid in the minds of faculty and staff members, nearly all of the students in K-8 were born after the event," said parent liaison B.J. Babb...

New Madrid - Recently, JaShaun McDaniel visited the New Madrid Early Head Start Center. While McDaniel was at the Center he had a family-style breakfast with the children and was able to visit them in their learning Centers. "I like how all the teachers and the managers that work there are all into it with the kids. They show them a lot of love," McDaniel said...

sports@standard-democrat.com JACKSON -- A hat trick from Sam Cox gave Sikeston a 3-0 lead in the first 20 minutes. That lead wouldn't hold. Jackson climbed back to defeat the Bulldogs 4-3 in overtime Tuesday. "After that first 20 minutes it seemed like Jackson wanted it more than we did," Sikeston head coach Gabe Dement said. "You can't give a team like Jackson a chance at momentum especially at home. We had our chances but we were just going through the motions I felt."...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- As they enter the home stretch of the season the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs are starting to build a little momentum following their 3-8-1 start to the season. On Tuesday they picked up their second win and sweep in as many days with a 25-17, 25-18 decision over the visiting Oran Lady Eagles...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WORLD LEADERS MEET AT UN FACING MULTIPLE CRISES The issues certain to top the agenda are Islamic extremists intent on erasing borders, Ebola and the plight of millions of civilians caught in ongoing conflicts...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Candidates seeking nomination to Missouri's 8th Congressional District and the 147th State Representative District answered submitted questions from voters about poverty, spending, medical marijuana, health care and immigration during a Tuesday forum sponsored by radio station KRCU and the League of Women Voters...

SIKESTON - Sikeston will again serve as host for one of the largest parades in the Missouri when the American Legion's Cotton Carnival parade gets under way at 10 a.m. Saturday. According to Capt. James McMillen, public information officer with the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the American Legion organizers are working with Sikeston DPS to ensure participants and spectators have a safe and enjoyable time...

SIKESTON -- A national officer for the nation's largest veterans organization will participate in the 70th Annual American Legion Cotton Carnival Parade. Joining members of the Henry Meldrum Post 114 of Sikeston, which sponsors the Cotton Carnival, is Paul O. Sanford, the national vice commander of the 2.4-million member American Legion. The parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday...

NEW MADRID - The Bass Pro Big Cat Quest National Championship isn't just bringing in fishing teams from across the United States from Oct. 2-5, it is also drawing the national media. There will be writers and photographers from such magazines as "Field and Stream" and Bill Dance will film a segment for his television show "Bill Dance's Outdoors" as he competes for honors...

SIKESTON - Donald Hastings, 82, died Sept. 24, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- William C. "Bill" Willoughby III, 64, died Sept. 21, 2014, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

GILBERT, Ariz. -- Anna Mae Gentry O'Neal, 98, formerly of Charleston, Mo., died Sept. 23, 2014, in Gilbert. Arrangements are incomplete at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston.

CHARLESTON -- Mac R. McClanahan, 93, died Sept. 23, 2014, at Bertrand Nursing Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHARLESTON -- James Spencer Brown, 85, died Sept. 22, 2014, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion, Ill. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

WYATT -- Robert Mathews Nolen, 61, died Sept. 21, 2014, at his home in Wyatt. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

Any time the federal government declares a "War on....", you can bet your bottom dollar - or tax dollar in most cases - the outcome will be utter failure at a massive taxpayer expense. The long-ago declared War on Drugs has turned into full surrender with nary a dip in the drug usage or availability after massive resources for law enforcement, education and an array of other tools...

We are helping ISIS by helping to defeat their enemy, the Shiites. We will learn from history or repeat it. Mohammed chronicled his wars in the Koran. He originally attacked Mecca and Medina. He conquered the first by lies and persuasion. The second city resisted him and fought back, so he slaughtered every citizen. ...

CHARLESTON - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $50,000 grant to allow the city of Charleston to investigate wastewater concerns. The funds, provided through the Small Community Engineering Assistance Program, will be used to hire an engineer to evaluate concerns and identify improvements that could be made to the city's wastewater collection system...

SIKESTON -- Lynn Feeler will once again take her spot at the stove, carefully stirring up the chili for the Lions Club Chili Day. Ask Feeler what makes the Lions Club chili so good and she laughs, saying: "It is good, but I can't tell you. It's a secret."...

SIKESTON -- Seven individuals and three teams will be inducted into the Sikeston Hall of Fame and Honor Wall Friday during the Bulldogs football game against the Poplar Bluff Mules. Set to occur during the game's halftime, the 19th annual induction ceremony will include two Honor Wall honorees, Howard Parker and Steve Taylor; and eight Hall of Fame honorees: Scott Ellis Droddy, Cal Lane, Jenni DeWitt-Miller, Michael Porter, Lance Rhodes, the 2008-2009 boys' track team, 1971-1972 boys' tennis team and the 1967-1968 football team.. ...

SIKESTON -- For third grader Kailey Couch, one dot makes all the difference when she's reading and writing braille. The Matthews Elementary in Sikeston student has been learning those skills since preschool, and most recently, her work paid off with recognition on the regional and national levels...

Becky Branum and Jami Geske, members of the New Madrid County Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee celebrated National Chocolate Milk Day a week early this year in Toni Lynn Phelps' class at New Madrid Elementary. After discussing where chocolate milk comes from (not from chocolate cows!), the types of farmers there are, and what types of "tools" they use each day, the class was treated to their choice of chocolate or white milk. (Submitted Photo)...

Jerry Dale Silman of Marston, formerly of Texas, died Saturday, September 13, 2014 at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was 76 years old. Jerry was born to Ercil Pavey and A.J Silman February 26, 1938 in Gideon. Both Ercil and A.J. preceded him in death...

CARUTHERSVILLE- A search is underway for a man who was last seen nearly six weeks ago. On Sunday, authorities combed the rural areas of Pemiscot County in search of Jerry Carr Jr., who was last seen Aug. 2 in Caruthersville. Officers from the Caruthersville Police Department, Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Conservation Department, along with members of the Pemiscot County Rescue Squad and numerous volunteers conducted the search during the weekend, said City Marshal Tony Jones.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY- It's been 10 years since Missouri voters passed Amendment 2, making same-sex marriage illegal in the state, but many advocates feel the tide of both public-and-legal opinion is turning, and have their sights set on the courts this week. ...