Stories from Tuesday, August 4, 2015

MARSTON -- An large explosion blew a hole in a roof at Noranda Aluminum Co. around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, but only two persons were transported by ambulance due to injuries from the blast. According to New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens, the severity of injuries to the two employees transported by ambulance was unknown. He said several people were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and were also having their hearing checked due to the loud explosion...

EAST PRAIRIE -- An East Prairie man was killed after the tractor he was operating overturned on a levee Tuesday in Mississippi County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, at 12:45 p.m., William H. "Billy" Thomure, 58, of East Prairie was operating a tractor on private property, about six miles south of East Prairie. The accident occurred as Thomure was driving up the levee and overturned, pinning him underneath the tractor...

SIKESTON -- Marilyn Lucille Grant, age 78, died Saturday, Aug. 1, 2015, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Ponder Funeral Home. The burial and commendation service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1010 North Main St., Sikeston. A reception and light lunch will be served in St. Paul's Parish Hall following the service...

ORAN -- Don Vance, 80, died Aug. 2, 2015, at his home in Oran. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Tuesday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran. Parish rosary will be at 6 p.m. followed by the Knights of Columbus prayers. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran with the Rev. Randy Tochtrop as celebrant...

DEXTER -- Sharon Mae Goodman, 67, died Aug. 1, 2015, at Southeast Health of Stoddard County in Dexter. Visitation is from 12:30 p.m. until service time at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The Rev. Joe Payne will officiate. For the complete obituary, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat...

SIKESTON - Route T in Stoddard County Closed for Pipe Replacement Route T in Stoddard County will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace the culvert pipe under the roadway. This section of roadway is located ½ mile west of Missouri Route 51...

Today will be mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. with a high near 95 then becoming mostly cloudy tonight with a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 1 a.m. and a low around 73. Mostly cloudy on Wednesday with a 60 percent chance for showers and a high near 88 while Wednesday night will be mostly cloudy with a 60 percent chance for showers, with some of the storms producing heavy rainfall and a low around 72. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The former executive director of a Cape Girardeau women's shelter agreed to a plea bargain Monday to get one of two felony charges dropped. Authorities say Allison C. Leonard, 44, misappropriated more than $20,000 for personal use from the Safe House for Women. She was charged with one count each of theft and fraudulent use of a credit device...

SCOTT CITY - Beginning next month, Scott City's city hall will be operating under new hours. After seeing the success with the Public Works department using a four-day, 10-hour work-week system, clerks at city hall asked the council at Monday night's meeting to implement a system in which two of three employees will work from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. This would give two of the clerks who work at city hall four-day work weeks...

CAPE GIRARDEAU - An arrest has been made in the July 28 shooting on Hanover Street in Cape Girardeau. Gabriel Derice Houseman, 20, of Cape Girardeau was arrested Friday and charged in connection to the shooting, Cape Girardeau Police Sgt. Adam Glueck said...

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. - The Blytheville Police Department has received at least ten different reports of businesses or individuals receiving counterfeit money in Blytheville since July 18. Most incidences involved counterfeit $10, $20 and $100 bills. There has also been one instance of a counterfeit $50 being reported. In the case of the counterfeit $100 bills, at least, all of the serial numbers were identical...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. GOP DEBATE STAGE DRAMA Seven of the 17 Republican presidential candidates will be left out in the cold when Fox News announces which of them can participate in the first formal debate of the 2016 primary season...

NEW MADRID - New Madrid County voters will have until 7 p.m. today to cast votes regarding a 1/2-cent sales tax to increase funding for the New Madrid County Ambulance District while voters in Charleston can cast ballots on whether to impose a 2-cent diesel tax...

DEXTER - Gladys Holford, 80, died Aug. 3, 2015, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield, where services are scheduled at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will follow in the Walker Cemetery in Bloomfield...

news@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Charleston voters have approved placing a new 2 cent per gallon sales tax on diesel fuel sales at the pump. Unofficial results shortly after the polls closed Tuesday had 256 yes votes and 42 against the tax, according to Junior DeLay, county clerk, exceeding the two-thirds majority needed to pass...

NEW MADRID - New Madrid County voters approved increasing the sales tax to help fund the New Madrid County Ambulance District in an election Tuesday. The proposal to raise the sales tax in New Madrid County by 1/4 cent to help fund the New Madrid County Ambulance District was passed by a vote of 321 yes votes with 268 no votes cast...

PORTAGEVILLE - Two teens are in custody in connection with a string of vehicle burglaries. According to Police Chief Ronnie Adams, investigators arrested a 19-year old male and a 16-year-old male, both from Portageville. The suspects' names are being withheld pending the filing of formal charges by the New Madrid County Prosecuting Attorney, Andrew Lawson.
For the past two months, investigators have followed leads which recently led to the arrest of the two suspects...

news@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Sikeston Department of Public Safety officers arrested a Tennessee man Monday suspected of murder. Demarcus Gonner, 19, of Nashville, Tenn., was arrested on the Applebee's parking lot in Sikeston by DPS officers at about 11:19 p.m. Monday...

news@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Two Sikeston women are facing felony charges after stabbing and slashing a man they live with. Angela Lott, 27, is charged with first degree domestic assault, a class A felony; a felony armed criminal action charge; and unlawful use of a weapon (exhibiting), a class D felony...

news@standard-democrat.com MINER -- A hostage situation Monday at a hotel in Miner was resolved without any serious injuries. Gary Corder Jr., 31, of Sikeston was arrested after a six-hour standoff, taken to Missouri Delta Medical Center for treatment and then taken to the Scott County Jail...

Shirley Collins or Portageville passed away Monday, July 27, 2015 at Golden Living Center in New Madrid. She was 81 years old. Shirley was born November 29, 1933 in West Frankfort, IL to Mary Ruth (Hatchett) Hoy and Sylvester Hoy. She was united in marriage June 6, 1948 in Benton, IL to Charles Collins. He preceded her in death January 11, 2004...