Stories from Wednesday, December 17, 2014

BENTON - A man will spend 35 years in prison in connection with a 2013 death of a Sikeston resident during a family gathering. Joseph Thornton, 27, learned his fate during a sentencing hearing before Judge Benjamin Lewis, circuit judge in Cape Girardeau. Thornton had entered guilty pleas on Sept. 30 for the death of Jeremy Johnson and multiple assaults of others at a party on April 28, 2013, in Sikeston...

The path to a district baseball championship got a bit tougher for a defending state champion and a pair of SCAA talents Friday. The Missouri High School Activities Association released district alignments for baseball for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons Friday...

SIKESTON -- Filing for local school board elections began Tuesday, and some districts already have contested races. Board members in the Sikeston R-6 School District whose three-year terms will expire in April are vice president David Jones and member Chris Hodgkiss. Filing for candidacy in the district so far are Heather Drury, Jay Elliott, Matt Tanner and Hodgkiss...

sports@standard-democrat.com PARAGOULD, Ark. -- The Sikeston Bulldogs fell to 2-3 on the season Tuesday following its 68-61 road loss to Greene County Tech in Paragould, Ark. Sikeston's current three-game losing streak is its first since 2006. Senior Corbyn Blissett led Sikeston with 20 points while freshman Fred Thatch added 16. Sikeston went 15 of 28 from the free throw line...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- In their final tune up before this weekend's Tiger Classic, the Sikeston Bulldogs wrestling team picked up a pair of home wins Tuesday in a tri-meet with Kennett and New Madrid County Central. The Bulldogs cruised by the Indians 75-6 before closing out the night in convincing fashion, 52-15, against the Eagles...

CHARLESTON - A trespassing complaint turned into a narcotics investigation leading to the arrest of two Mississippi County residents. Ronnie Dale Brawner Jr., 33, and Ashley Nicole Cobb, 30, of East Prairie are to be arraigned today in Division II of Mississippi County Circuit Court. Brawner is charged with distribution of a controlled substance near government housing and trespassing while Cobb is charged with possession of a controlled substance...

sports@standard-democrat.com NEW MADRID -- The last time New Madrid County Central squared off with Notre Dame the Eagles used its 63-53 win as a springboard for its first SEMO Conference tournament championship in school history. Fast forward a week later and the Eagles were quickly reminded that the SEMO Conference is a season-long grind...

Local law enforcement agencies have been taking part in "Shop With a Cop" events.

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. PAKISTAN SCHOOL SCENE OF HEART-WRENCHING LOSS Images of blood-soaked floors, torn notebooks and blown up children's clothes show horrors of the attack that killed nearly 150 people in Peshawar...

JEFFERSON CITY - A Scott County Sheriff's deputy is one of 10 law enforcement officers from across the state who will be awarded the Missouri Medal of Valor. Gov. Jay Nixon will present the medal to Scott County Deputy Justin G. Wooten in a ceremony in the state Capitol on Thursday. Wooten and the other officers will receive medals for extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism to save the lives of Missourians during 2013...

The Sikeston Kindergarten and Preschool Center has announced the Preschool Pups for November. Pictured front row are Mina Angeletopoulos, Tucker Sherrod, Brandon Wright, Clara Cox and Carter Sander and back row are principals Jenny Hobeck and Sarah Carbaugh...

On Nov. 20 Sikeston High School Speech and Debate Team traveled to a speech and debate tournament hosted by Jackson High School, where 20 teams competed. Sikeston took 15 students, and five of those students made it to the final round. Of the finalists, four received trophies. ...

Staff report news@standard-democrat.com NEW MADRID - A successful pilot program at Lilbourn Elementary School will be expanded. New Madrid County R-1 School District Superintendent Dr. Cynthia Sharp-Amick reported during the fall, the district began an after-school tutoring program at Lilbourn Elementary School...

During the week of Thanksgiving, Hearnes Elementary students in Kim Wells' kindergarten class participated in their room's "Parent Involvement Turkey Camouflage Contest," which was a classic turkey-in-disguise art project with an added parent involvement element. ...

BENTON - A Jackson woman is in custody on charges stemming from a shoplifting investigation. Genny M. Jones, 28, is charged with two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and the misdemeanors of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, and stealing...

DEXTER -- Joseph E. "Shorty" Kestner, 87, died Dec. 8, 2014, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Wylie DeJournett, 87, died Dec. 15, 2014, at the Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

ST. LOUIS -- Wilma Ping, 82, died Dec. 14, 2014, at the Brookview Nursing Home in Maryland Heights. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PARMA -- Virtrue Lee Hill, 83, died Dec. 11, 2014, at Southeast Health in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Jason Allen Holt, 37, of Sikeston, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PARMA -- J.C. Bissel, 86, died Dec. 14, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Ladell Norman, 85, died Dec. 13, 2014, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Faye M. Little, 89, died Dec. 13, 2014, at the Elsberry Health Care Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

scottw@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- Christmas came early at the Scott County Courthouse. "The court reporter who works for Judge Dolan discovered some red tile under the carpet behind the courtroom," Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday. "It's like a Christmas present for the county."...

Remember the Ebola crisis -- the greatest single health threat in the history of mankind? Remember the prediction of as many as 100 million deaths worldwide, far greater than the mere 35 million victims of AIDS? Remember the August prediction from the Center for Disease Control that there would be as many as 1.4 million cases of Ebola by the first of the new year?...

I get so sick of these little old gals sleeping around with everyone in Missouri and part of Arkansas. Then when they get pregnant, they have to do a DNA test with half the country to see who the dad is. Most of the time it's not even who they think it is. They need to get off their backs and get a job. Have they ever heard of that?...

'Tis the season for my annual bah humbug Christmas column. Because just like every year, when Labor Day rolls around and I start seeing Christmas ads I start to cringe. Normally this time of year I put on my Scrooge cap and rant on the many things I dislike about Christmas. Having to go into crowded stores with angry shoppers looking for that perfect gift when you have no idea what anyone wants. I should get gift certificates but I can't ever get the price tags off...