Stories from Tuesday, January 12, 2016

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Erica Peet scored 13 and Tyeshia Mitchell added 11 as the Sikeston girls basketball team pulled off a 51-13 rout at home over New Madrid County Central. Sikeston (8-2) led 20-5 after the first quarter and 37-12 at the half...

MINER, Mo. - The suspicions of a citizen led to the arrest of two Tennessee men on burglary charges. Jairus D. Alston, 28, and Justin Whitmore, 33, of Memphis, Tenn., were arrested early Tuesday on charges of second degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and second degree property damage...

HIGHLANDS,Texas - William A. "Sonny" Morgan, 81, died Dec. 19, 2015, at his home. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery in East Prairie, Mo., with McMikle Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. For this obituary and more, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Kathleen L. Conklin, 86, died Jan. 9, 2016, at her home. Visitation is form 9 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The Revs. Joe Rowley and Sam Roethemeyer will officiate...

Today will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 38 and a west southwest wind 7 to 11 mph becoming north in the afternoon; winds could gust as high as 23 mph then becoming mostly clear tonight with a low around 21. Mostly sunny on Wednesday with a high near 42 while Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 34. ...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WHAT OBAMA WILL FOCUS ON DURING FINAL STATE OF UNION ADDRESS The president will paint an optimistic vision of the country's future in hopes of encouraging voters to elect another Democrat to the White House...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - It's the end of an era: Demolition of the Drury Lodge began this week. Workers have cleaned out the building. They have removed furniture and anything else that can continue to be used. The hotel was built as a Ramada Inn in 1969 and became the Drury Lodge in 1985. The two-story hotel had 140 guest rooms. It housed banquet halls, meeting rooms and, for a time, the Cedar Street Restaurant...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., believes the federal government has too many, burdensome regulations. Smith has convinced a majority of his colleagues in the House something needs to be done about all those regulations. The House last week approved Smith's bill, the SCRUB Act, on a vote of 245-174. SCRUB stands for a much longer title: "Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome."...

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. - Search and rescue workers continue to search for Jerry Hooper, the Kinder Morgan worker who fell overboard from a barge and into the icy Mississippi River on Saturday night. Multiple agencies are involved in the effort. Saturday evening, around 8:25 p.m., in response to a call from the company about the incident, a Mississippi County Sheriff's deputy arrived at Kinder Morgan and was informed that employees had located Hooper and were attempting to get him into a boat. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. - A Charleston man recently released from prison will be arraigned on numerous charges after attempting to assault a former girlfriend. Kibrandon L. Coleman, 18, is scheduled to be arraigned before Associate Judge Rob Barker at 9:15 a.m. Jan. 20 on charges of attempted burglary, two counts of second degree assault, domestic assault and resisting arrest following an incident Sunday...

BENTON, Mo. - Henry Bernard Heuring Jr., 79, died Jan. 11, 2016, at his home. Visitation is from 4-8 p.m. Wednesday at Amick-Burnet Funeral Home in Benton, with parish prayers at 6 p.m. A funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Denis Catholic Church with the Rev. Normand Varone as celebrant...

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Virginia May McDermott Riles, 87, died Jan. 7, 2016, at Mercy Hospital in Jefferson City. Services were conducted Monday at Dietrich-Mothershead Funeral Home in De Soto. Burial followed at Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery at Hillsboro. For the complete obituary, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat...

scottw@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- Scott County residents shouldn't put off reporting flood damage to county authorities -- or cleaning up, as long as they've got pics. "If they have flood damage we need to know about it," Tom Beardslee, emergency management director for the county, said Tuesday. "That's the first thing because we are compiling a number to send to FEMA. They need to contact us so we can get their name to FEMA as soon as possible as well. We've got 17 confirmed so far."...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Ruby L. Johnson, 80, died Jan. 6, 2016, Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Visitation is from noon until service time at 1 p.m. Saturday at Opportunity Church of God in Christ in Charleston with Steve Betts, pastor, officiating...

Danny L. Sweat passed away Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at his home in New Madrid at the age of 64 years. He was born October 31, 1951 in Pt. Pleasant to the late Freddie Lee and Mary M. Dial Sweatt. Also preceding him in death was one brother, Phillip Sweatt...

Willa G. "Billie" Estes was born April 13, 1930 in Conran. She passed away Sunday, January 3, 2016 at Golden Living Center in New Madrid at the age of 85 years. Willa was born to Altie (Mingle) Pardon and William M. "Will" Pardon. She was united in marriage June 3, 1948 in Portageville to Tommy Estes, who preceded her in death. ...