Stories from Wednesday, April 6, 2016

BRANSON, Mo. -- Mark Jones, Pemiscot County Farm Bureau insurance agent, was recognized as a Top of the Court Producer by the Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance Companies. This is Jones' first year to achieve membership on the Court of Excellence and he was one of only four agents of more than 200 throughout the state to qualify for Top of Court honors...

The Republican Caucus for New Madrid County will be held on Saturday at the New Madrid County Courthouse. The caucus will begin at 10:00 a.m., and will conclude around 12 noon. Missouri state law (RSMO 115.776) requires the Missouri Republican Party to "conduct a series of caucuses culminating in congressional and state conventions" for the purposes of selecting delegates to the national convention...

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A driver was killed when he drove in the wrong direction on Interstate 55. At 6:12 p.m. Thursday, Dennis J. Tittle, 67, of Marston was driving southbound in the northbound lane of the interstate, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's report. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Sikeston boys track team won the Perryville Invitational after four first-place finishes. Sikeston topped the 11-team meet with 128 points. Perryville was second with 112 and Park Hills Central rounded out the top three with 94 points. Scott City finished eighth and Dexter ended in 10th...

The Bulldogs suffered their second extra-inning loss as Poplar Bluff got a pair of two-out RBI hits to win in eight innings.

SIKESTON -- Brennan Miller pitched a two-hit shutout as the Chaffee Red Devils ran over Scott County Central 15-0 in five innings Tuesday during a Scott-Mississippi Conference contest. Miller threw 80 pitches, struck out five and walked three. Chaffee (7-2, 2-0 Scott-Mississippi Conference) pounded out 15 hits and Austin Copeland led that attack. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston woman faces felony drug and child endangerment charges in Scott County. Shantell S. Ardrey, 26, is charged with two counts of felony possession of a controlled substance, felony endangering the welfare of a child and misdemeanor of endangering the welfare of a child involving drugs...

ORAN, Mo. -- Oran Elementary School has announced the honor roll students for the third quarter of the 2015-2016 school year. They are: Paden Anderson, Halle Boshell, Caroline Brashear, Kolden Dobbs, Lanny Frala, Leland Gonzalez, Olivia Girsso, Kylie Ingram, Annah McGuire-Jenkins, Lillian Senciboy, Colin Shands, Ayden Shy, Kaylee Williams Brison Winchester, Rachana Yates...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Portageville High School has announced the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2015-2016 school year. They are: Connor Barham, Gracie Brandenburg, Robert Allen Carter, Cayla Crafton, Andria Dunigan, Steven Guo, Nerissa Gurley, Maison Hall, Haylie Hammack, Cassidy Hughes, Kaley Hunt, Dasmine Johnson, Hannah Karizamimba,...

The Sikeston Kindergarten and Early Childhood Center donated $2,000 to St. Jude Children's Hospital recently. The whole building collected and gave all the money to Julie Hodges' class to donate in honor of student Dustin Ranson who is battling cancer...

Like it or not, Western civilization and culture are at war with ISIS. At this point, it's an undeclared war and a highly non-traditional war. But it's a war nonetheless. Unfortunately, President Obama is clearly not at war with ISIS. It has been abundantly clear from the very beginning of his first term that our president has a somewhat different world view of America's role...

SIKESTON - Barbara Ann Casey, 73, died April 2, 2016, at her home in Sikeston. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


SIKESTON - Maxine Waltrip, 93, died April 4, 2016, at the York Place Nursing Center in Bertrand. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


SIKESTON - Otis Greer, 81, died April 6, 2016, at his home in Sikeston. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


SIKESTON - Larry Earl Curtner, 77, a life-long resident of the Sikeston area, died April 4, 2016, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


CHARLESTON, Mo. - Marie L. Crysel, 87, formerly of East Prairie, died April 3, 2016, at the Charleston Manor. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


WILSON CITY, Mo. - Jerry Edward Mays, 74, died April 3, 2016, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete article and more stories from the Standard Democrat, log on to the electronic edition.


BENTON, Mo. -- The citizens of Miner chose to keep their mayor during Tuesday's general municipal election, but they voted in a new alderman. Incumbent Darren Chapman defeated Frank Tatum in his bid for a second term as mayor of Miner, 147 votes to 123 votes. In the Ward I council seat, Donald Foster was selected over Timothy Jackson with a vote of 72 to 67. Ward II voters chose Bill James over incumbent Janet Williams with a vote of 83 to 37...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- There will be some new individuals representing voters in office following Tuesday's election. However, during the election, New Madrid County Clerk Clement Cravens was dealing with complaints about election judges. Complaints from Howardville voters prompted a change in election judges during the day, Cravens said...

World War II veteran Warren Harber casts his ballot with the help of election judges Joann Nichols (left) and Kari Burden-Dorris on Tuesday morning in Sikeston.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County saw very few contested elections on Tuesday, as voter turnout was sparse with the lack of issues. In East Prairie, Carlin Bennett and Darrin J. Davis were elected to three-year terms on the R-2 school board. Bennett finished with 332 votes and Davis with 248 while Ronald Carter garnered 217...

SIKESTON -- Working closer with the public and enforcing a no-tolerance policy are among the ways city police and county prosecutors plan to target gun crimes in Sikeston. Sikeston Department of Public Safety Chief Drew Juden, Scott County Prosecutor Paul Boyd and New Madrid County Prosecutor Andrew Lawson detailed their plan on Wednesday...

SIKESTON -- A Sikeston woman faces felony charges after allegedly making threats to a state agency. Adren Carleen Romo, 29, of Sikeston is charged with the felony of making a terrorist threat, according to Missouri Case.net. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 20 before Judge Scott T. Horman in Scott County's Associate Court Division...