Stories from Friday, May 15, 2015

Adopting animals that seem to have been abandoned by their parents isn't kind. Each year, more than 100 Missourians find fawns without their mothers nearby and decide the young deer have been abandoned. Believing they are performing a good deed, they bundle the adorable, spotted animals off to their house and try to raise it themselves. It's a scene that's as tragic as it is common...

NEW MADRID - Retired Army Col. Richard Sherman observed there couldn't be a more appropriate time for the public to view The Traveling Wall, a replica of the Vietnam Memorial. This year, Sherman pointed out, is the 50th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War and the 40th anniversary of the end of the war...

The Portageville graduating class of 2015 had Co-Validictorians, both with 4.0 grade point average. They were Kristin Britt and Derrick Priggel. After a brief introduction about them by High School Principal Jeff Bullock, they each delivered their speeches. Their introduction and speeches are below...

Walt Disney hates your mother, and the evidence is shockingly conclusive. Exhibit A: Bambi. Before the poor boy can celebrate his first birthday, his mother, who Walt Disney didn't even name because he knew she wasn't going to last long, is shot and killed...

As a team, Sikeston will enter the Class 3 state golf tournament with simple aspirations of playing the best they can. The best, for one of its members, will be a state championship.

sports@standard-democrat.com FREDERICKTOWN -- Junior Torrie Helms broke the single season goal record for Sikeston with her 28th score of the season Thursday during a 6-0 road rout over Fredericktown. Mackenzie Yant scored two goals and had three assists. Helms, Grace Hamra, Claudea Kuykendall and Kyra Rainwater each had one goal. Sydney Henson and Kayla Graham both had one assist...

sports@standard-democrat.com ORAN -- With a chance to get one last game in before districts this weekend, the Oran Eagles didn't get any favors from visiting Kennett on Thursday. Scoring a combined 11 runs in the final three innings, the Indians won 14-2 in six innings via the mercy rule...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Even as they come in as one of the lower seeds, the Sikeston Lady Bulldogs have plenty of reasons to remain confident entering its first year in the Class 3, District 1 tournament. Looking for their second-straight trip to a district championship game they'll open up postseason play against rival Cape Central Monday at 7 p.m. at Cape Central High School...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WHY DID AMTRAK TRAIN SPEED UP BEFORE CRASH That's a question investigators are exploring in the wake of the deadly derailment in Philadelphia...

JACKSON -- Mary Beth Grisso Nall, 68, formerly of Charleston, died May 14, 2015, at the Monticello House. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Kakie Anne Cobb, 38, died May 13, 2015, at Portageville. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Joe Whitaker, 82, died May 12, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- JoAnn Terrell, 83, died May 14, 2015, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

NEW MADRID -- Lloyd Goodale, 58, died May 14, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHARLESTON -- Dorothy A. Pattengill, 93, died May 13, 2015. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BENTON -- A Vanduser man is in jail following a domestic assault. John K. Wallace, 22, is charged with felony second degree domestic assault. On Wednesday, deputies responded to a 911 report in Vanduser of an assault. According to Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter, when deputies arrived they found the victim "bleeding from the top of his head...

STEELE -- An investigation into a fire led to the arrest of a Steele man for arson. Blake Allen Gist, 28, is charged with second degree arson and second degree burglary for a May 9 fire in a shed behind a home on Fairmont Street. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log in to our electronic edition...

scottw@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- There is some satisfaction in accomplishing goals. During the Mississippi County Commission's April 23 meeting, Carlin Bennett, presiding commissioner, listed eight priority projects for the county road and bridge department selected, he said, for how fast the county could complete them and to address some of the major drainage issues which manifested during heavy rains combined with melted snow...

The Christian Academy's first-ever graduate, Morgan Johnson, gives a speech during TCA's Graduation Ceremony held Thursday night at Miner Baptist Church

leonnah@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- When Scott Gordon received a phone call recently from Sikeston High School regarding his son, Eric Gordon, he was told Eric was in trouble. Gordon admitted it sounded out of the ordinary for his son, and Eric was put on the phone...

POPLAR BLUFF -- A Sikeston businessman will speak at Three Rivers College's commencement ceremony at 7 p.m. today at the Black River Coliseum. "Commencement is our college's most important event of the year," said Three Rivers President Dr. Wesley Payne. "We are proud this year that the Commencement speaker is successful Three Rivers alumnus Larry DeWitt."...

It's amazing that the city of Charleston can do something with the old buildings and 18-wheeler trailers around Charleston, but they cannot do anything about the salvage/scrap yard in the middle of town. I'm calling about Morley. I have never seen such a trashy town in this county. ...