Stories from Tuesday, October 27, 2020

UPDATED 10/27/20: A Poplar Bluff man missing for nearly a week has been safely located. On Monday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Poplar Bluff Police Department canceled the Endangered SILVER Advisory for 83-year-old Robert Lee Coats who had last been seen at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 20 in Poplar Bluff.

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Michael Friedman, M.D., unexpectedly passed away in his sleep on Oct. 24, 2020, at the age of 65. He was the beloved husband of Emilja Friedman; father of Alex Friedman and grandfather of Adam Friedman. Survivors also include his mother and father, Shirley and David Friedman; sister, Sheila Cranman (Kevin); sister-in-law, Rita Rapp (Ron); and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews...

SIKESTON — Alma York, age 102, passed away on Oct. 24, 2020, at her home in Sikeston. She was born April 15, 1918, in Dutchtown, Missouri, to the late Joseph Martin and Anna T. McBride Schaefer. On Dec. 22, 1935, she married Warren Allen York who preceded her in death...

SIKESTON – Virginia June Nelson, age 90, passed away Oct. 26, 2020, at Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 11, 1929, in Sikeston, daughter of the late Homer Herman and Lue Vanover Grimes, Virginia was a member of North Acres General Baptist Church and worked as a Caseworker for the State of Missouri Regional Center before retiring...

Southeast Missouri Food Bank in Sikeston, Missouri, has received a grant from Feeding America that will cover the cost of monthly mobile food distributions in Scott County and other nearby counties through April, a study on how well the food bank’s services are doing, a new staff member, and a pilot program to improve access to healthy foods, according to a news release sent Monday...

Vicki Jackson, site administrator of the Hunter-Dawson Historical Site in New Madrid, discusses the lives and deaths of Amanda and William Hunter during a tour of the Hunter-Dawson Cemetery Saturday in New Madrid. The tour of the cemetery wasn’t designed to scare up ghosts before Halloween but to introduce the public to history and some of the town’s founders. ...

SIKESTON — Early this month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said traditional Halloween activities are fun and can still be enjoyed this year, but there are some steps people can take to decrease the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the seasonal flu...

Standard Democrat SIKESTON — The purchase of three vehicles for the Sikeston Department of Public Safety was tabled during Monday’s Sikeston City Council meeting. Instead of purchasing the three used highway patrol vehicles, DPS Director Jim McMillen asked Council to table the measure. With the decrease in staff at DPS, McMillen said he wanted to focus on obtaining new hires for his department...

NEW MADRID, Mo. — As the local area continues to see positive cases, a free COVID-19 testing event is planned. The testing will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at the New Madrid County Public Safety Center, 342 US Highway 61, in New Madrid. The test is a PCR test done by a nasal anterior nares swab to determine if there is an active infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This is not an antigen or antibody test. Register online at health.mo.gov/communitytest...

Terry Cole and Dennis Ziegenhorn are both candidates for 1st District Scott County Commissioner on the Nov. 3 ballot. Cole is a Republican while Ziegenhorn is a Democrat. The following is a Q&A with each candidate. In 100 words or less: Describe your experience/background?...

Despite the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, most local communities will continue with Halloween activities, with extra safety precautions encouraged. Sikeston Trick or treating will continue as planned in Sikeston but officials are encouraging parents and children to follow the best practices for social distancing, face coverings and sanitation...