Stories from Wednesday, January 21, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Refusing to bend to the new Republican Congress, President Barack Obama unveiled Tuesday night an ambitious State of the Union agenda steeped in Democratic priorities, including tax increases on the wealthy, education and child care help for the middle class and a torrent of veto threats for the GOP's own plans...

Kelly senior Samantha Ratledge signed a letter of intent to play softball with Mineral Area College Tuesday at Kelly High School. Ratledge was a four-year varsity player and a two-time all-state player for the Lady Hawks. Pictured with Ratledge are, front row from left, Brailey Ratledge, David Ratledge, Mineral Area head coach Dave Guemmer, Ratledge and Nikki Caldwell. Back row from left, Kelly head coach Rhonda Ratledge and Kelly assistant coach Melanie Heuring. (Submitted photo)...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Back to back games from the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs have yielded lopsided results. Not just by their margin of victory, but the colossal amount of turnovers they create too. Sikeston has made the most of 70 combined turnovers from its last two opponents with the latest being a 61-22 victory over Perryville on Tuesday at the Sikeston Field House...

sports@standard-democrat.com ORAN -- For a team in the midst of a culture change under first-year head coach Ryan Garnett, the Kelly Hawks took a big step forward Tuesday night against East Prairie. Playing the fourth-seeded Eagles in the opening round of the Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament, the fifth-seeded Hawks fought back from a double-digit second half deficit for a 70-66 win that propels Kelly into the semifinals...

sports@standard-democrat.com BROSELEY -- Led by Willie Jimerson's 25 points, the New Madrid County Central Eagles took down host Twin Rivers 71-55. With just a one-point edge going into the second quarter the Eagles went on to outscore the Royals 24-14 in the final eight minutes of the half. NMCC extended its lead to 15 entering the fourth before holding on for the win...

sports@standard-democrat.com FARMINGTON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs have been waiting for a performance like this. Having lost four of its last five games, the Bulldogs are a team still searching for its identity after several personnel changes and roster moves this year...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. PRESIDENT CAPITALIZES ON RECOVERY Obama's State of the Union address used economic successes to leverage his position over the GOP which now fully controls Congress...

SIKESTON -- Every year Gloria Wilderness brings her daughters to Sikeston's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program. Wilderness explains she wants her daughters to know about the man and the history. "It is just important to pass on the legacy of freedom," said Wilderness. "I want them to be mindful of the struggle -- to be aware of and appreciative of what others have gone through to bring us where we are today."...

scottw@standard-democrat.com MINER -- A Miner police captain's move to a city administration role will be a permanent one. The Miner Board of Alderman approved Mayor Darren Chapman's appointment of Darrin Skinner to the city clerk position during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday...

scottw@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- MoDOT going into "survival mode" could put a hardship on motorists and farmers in Scott County. David Wyman, area engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, presented the County Commission with MoDOT's Highway and Bridge Construction Schedule for 2015-2019 during the Commission's regular Tuesday meeting...

SIKESTON -- Races for the April 7 school board elections were set Tuesday as filing closed locally. In the Sikeston R-6 School District, voters will choose two of four candidates when they step up to the polls in April. Filing were Heather Drury, Jay Elliott, Matt Tanner and incumbent Chris Hodgkiss. Opting not to seek re-election was current board vice president David Jones. The terms are for three years...

NEW MADRID - A missing New Madrid County man has been located. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported the cancellation of the "Endangered Silver Advisory" for Cleveland Treadwell early Sunday morning. According to the Patrol's news release, Treadwall was located "safe and secure."...

By JONATHON DAWE SEMO News Service ESSEX -- An Essex man was arrested after an altercation involving a stun gun, and a knife left another man bleeding and in need of medical attention. According to the probable cause affidavit, Stoddard County Deputy Garry Brady responded to a call at 11:58 p.m., Saturday night regarding a domestic dispute in progress that involved a stabbing at 210 Brandon Street in Essex...

SCOTT CITY (SMNS) -- At Tuesday night's Scott City City Council meeting the main topics of discussion centered around the possibility of working regionally with other police departments to begin a 911 call center, street improvements and cleaning the city cemetery...

NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central Middle School has announced the honor roll students, outstanding students and students who achieved perfect attendance for the second quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. Jarret Ash, Donald Brown, Hannah Faries, Lona Kershaw, Logan Sletten, John Stanley, Morgan Young...

Matthews Elementary in Matthews recently announced the Outstanding Students for the month of December. Selected from the kindergarten classroom were Patti Babb and Adam Hartlein.

Matthews Elementary in Matthews has announced the Outstanding Students for the month of November. Selected from the 5th grade were Skyler Price and Samantha McElroy.

SIKESTON -- Sikeston Fifth and Sixth Grade Center has announced the honor roll students for the second quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. They are: Raghad Alkilani, Karris Allen, Kelsie Anderson, Kylie Andrews, Analiese Arredondo, Haily Bard, Haley Barker, Abby Basinger, Carson Beaird, Culin Beck, Eunique Bland, Chloe Bles, Amyari Blissett, Gavin Boardman, Molly Bogle, Christopher Bonner, Tristen Brotherton, India Burton, Sydney Burton, Sophia Carter, Blaze Chanley, Hailee Clark, Kaela Clark, Kenlea Cochran, Addie Coplin, Kalista Corwin, Quintin Craft, Dezarie Davis, Theodore Davis, Kyle Day, Cooper Dees, Taylor Dover, Tanner Eaton, Lila Eckert,. ...

Richland R-1 senior Skyler Harper uses the flashlight on his cell phone while removing miniature screws from the from the motherboard of a Canon T2i DSLR camera. Harper, mostly known for his steady hand on the basketball court, also proved his "surgery skills" were true as he completely disassembled and reassembled the modern camera, even putting in a new SD card slot. ...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Donald G. Cook, 62, died Jan. 20, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

BELL CITY -- Eugene "Snoozey" Pullen, 71, died Jan. 19, 2015, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Clifford "Bud" Carlton Shell, 78, died Jan. 15, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

KELSO -- Leo Berghoff, 79, died Jan. 18, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- William Cann, 89, died Jan. 18, 2015, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Chris Huls, 54, died Jan. 19, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

ESSEX -- Donald Glenn Sanders, 64, died Jan. 19, 2015, at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BENTON -- Ann Catherine Scherer, 82, died Jan. 20, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Carlla Ann Pate Turnbo, 75, died at 9:58 a.m. Jan. 18, 2015, at her home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHAFFEE -- Linda Gay Golightly, 61, died Jan. 16, 2015, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Richard Thomas Holman, 69, died Jan. 19, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BLOOMFIELD -- Betty Doris Edwards, 83, died Jan. 17, 2015, at Golden Living Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Gary Lee Fox, 69, died Jan. 16, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHAFFEE -- Phillip Wayne Reeves, 54, died Jan. 17, 2015, at his mother's home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Elizabeth Ann "Betty" Tongate, 85, died Jan. 18, 2015, at the Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Linda Sue Medlin Pashia, 64, died Jan. 17, 2015, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Michael D. Hopper, 64, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

EAST PRAIRIE -- Mary Gene Smotherman Baker, 85, died Jan. 15, 2015, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

POPLAR BLUFF -- Alexis Kathleighn Jenkins, 9, formerly of Sikeston, died Jan. 19, 2015, at her home.

SIKESTON -- Joe R. King, 72, died Jan. 17, 2015, at the Hunter Acres Caring Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

It's clear that the left-leaning power structure in Hollywood goes to extraordinary lengths to push their liberal agenda on the American public. Quite frankly, that analysis is not in dispute. But increasingly, the American public votes with their pocketbook and rejects outright these unfair and inaccurate motion picture portrayals...

You need to correct your introductory comments to speakouts with 'thinking we don't agree with will not be published,' because that's really what's going on. I want you to ask the question why the drug mebendazole was removed by the pharmaceuticals with the consent of the FDA from the American market. ...