Stories from Tuesday, March 15, 2016

BENTON, Mo. -- Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton were the top vote getters locally in Tuesday's presidential primary. _Scott County_ Thirty-four percent, or 8,758 of Scott County's 25,677 registered voters cast ballots, which was close to the 35 percent voter turnout predicted by Scott County Clerk Rita Milam. The following votes, which were provided by Milam's office, are unofficial...

SIKESTON -- Two Sikeston men face felony charges for stealing more than $25,000 in cash from three elderly residents who believed they were helping a friend in need. Jimmy L. Poyner, 46, is charged with three counts of felony financial exploitation of the elderly for property of $1,000 to $49,999, and James Ricky Ramsey Jr., 20, is charged with three counts of felony financial exploitation of the elderly for property of $500 to $999, according to Missouri Case.net. ...

Today will be mostly sunny, with a high near 79 and a southeast wind 7 to 15 mph becoming south southwest in the afternoon with gusts as high as 21 mph then becoming mostly clear tonight with a low around 50. Sunny on Wednesday with a high near 69 while Wednesday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 43. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Bed bugs are an itch Poplar Bluff public-housing officials and local hotels have found hard to scratch. Poplar Bluff Housing Authority has treated dozens of its apartments for bed bugs in the past year and recently began a new extermination effort at Twin Towers...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. WHOSE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS FACE A MOMENT OF RECKONING Republicans Marco Rubio and John Kasich are fighting for their political futures in their home states of Florida and Ohio, while Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is hoping to keep rival Bernie Sanders from building new momentum in Tuesday's primaries...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The top presidential contenders have been targeting Missouri in the final days before Tuesday's primary elections. Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders all have held recent rallies in Missouri, including a scheduled Monday night event by Sanders in St. Charles on the eve of the election. All also have been airing TV ads...

SIKESTON - Ermadean Emmons, 87, died March 13, 2016, at her home. No public services are scheduled. Burial of cremains will be at a later date in the Mount Lebanon Cemetery in Bridgeton. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For this obituary and more, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat...

ANDERSON, S.C. -- Patricia Shell Taylor, 82, died March 12, 2016, at Brookdale Anderson Assisted Living Facility in Anderson. Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at the Dexter Cemetery. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

SIKESTON - Maruice "Reesey" Wright, 60, died March 8, 2016, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. No public services are scheduled. For this obituary and more, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat...

PARMA, Mo. - Myrtle Perry, 87, died March 13, 2016, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until time of service at noon Thursday at Richards Funeral Home in New Madrid. Burial will follow in the Parma City Cemetery...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. - Lonnie Dale Cochran, 55, died March 14, 2016, at his home. Ponder Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. No public services are scheduled. For this obituary and more, see the Wednesday edition of the Standard Democrat.

CHAFFEE, Mo. - Mary Faye Dennis Eachus Caul, 91, died March 11, 2016. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Chaffee with the Rev. Gwen Streeter officiating. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall...

SIKESTON - Robert Keller, 79, died March 15, 2016, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete with Ponder Funeral Home.

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. - Mary Skelton, 78, formerly of East Prairie, Mo., died March 12, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until time of service at 1 p.m. Friday at 302 S. Washington in East Prairie with Charlie Dixon officiating...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Mildred Tanksley, 86, died March 14, 2016, at the Bertrand Nursing Center. Visitation is from 6-8 p.m. Friday at 302 South Washington in East Prairie where services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday. Burial will follow in the East Prairie Memorial Park Cemetery with Ponder Funeral Home of Sikeston in charge of arrangements...

JACKSON, Mo. - Bill G. Hodges, 86, died March 15, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until time of service at 1 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau with the Rev. Jeffrey Sippy officiating...