News

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Pemiscot County, Missouri, man was sentenced to prison on drug charges. Korey Linnell Johnson, 36, of Hayti, Missouri, was sentenced to 17 years of incarceration on one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He appeared before United States District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Johnson will be placed on supervised release for a term of five years after the completion of his incarceration...

BENTON — The Scott County Commission has awarded nearly $3 million in CARES Act payments to county entities. In May, Scott County received $4,491,008 in CARES Act money from the Missouri Treasurer’s office and as of Friday morning, the commission had awarded $2,881,636.47...

SIKESTON — As the COVID-19 pandemic took over early this spring, students were kept out of school, keeping some students from access to good, healthy meals. But one local group stepped up and started the Summer Food Program. John McHaffie, pastor at Sikeston First Assembly of God, was concerned about the students affected by the pandemic and began to research possibilities and found a USDA summer food program through a church in High Ridge, Missouri, that was having success with food programs...

SIKESTON — With the start of the new year school year nearing for many districts, it also means it’s time for the state’s school bus inspections. Col. Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announced on Tuesday the results of the Driver and Vehicle Safety Division’s 2020 annual school bus inspection program...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Thanks to the generosity of local pastors, churches, businesses and individuals, all three Charleston R-I schools have received an abundance of schools supplies for the upcoming school year. Several weeks ago, a massive donation of supplies were dropped at Warren E. Hearnes Elementary School, providing a majority of this year’s listed school supply items for PreK-5 students. At that time, they were only lacking a few notable items, like backpacks...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Representatives from Missouri State Parks invite the public to attend an informational meeting for Hunter-Dawson and Towosahgy state historic sites on Saturday, Aug. 22. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hunter-Dawson house at Hunter-Dawson State Historic site. Participants can help celebrate the 160th anniversary of the house with a free tour after the meeting...

The number of active coronavirus cases in Scott County has decreased, according to the Scott County Health Department. The health department reported eight new positive cases late Thursday afternoon but also reported 16 recoveries, bringing the total number of active cases to 112. There have been 438 total positive cases since the pandemic began in March, with 313 recoveries and 13 deaths...

SIKESTON — A Koshkonong, Missouri, man was killed and two others were seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash early Thursday in Scott County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 8:25 a.m. on Route Z, five miles north of Sikeston, Missouri, as the vehicle driven by Michael S. ...

SIKESTON — Sikeston R-6 School District recognized the bond issue committee and received and bond project update during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday which was held in the Wing Elementary gymnasium to practice social distancing. The Better Schools for Better Communities Committee was recognized for their efforts to educate the public about the $18.6-million bond proposal which voters approved on June 2. ...

SIKESTON — Historic Downtown Sikeston has been recognized as a Main Street America affiliate program. Each year Main Street America recognizes affiliate programs for creating positive change in downtowns and commercial districts using the Main Street Approach for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization. Sikeston was one of 341 programs designated as a Main Street America Affiliate...

The number of active coronavirus cases in Scott County reached an all-time high on Wednesday. According to the Scott County Health Department, there were 19 new positive COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday along with 14 cases that have fully recovered. Currently there are 120 active cases in the county, the highest number since the pandemic began in March...

SIKESTON — Missouri governor Mike Parson traveled to Southeast Missouri on Tuesday afternoon, attending a broadband development event at SEMO Electric Cooperative. During his visit, Parson announced that 16 projects from eight different providers were getting $3 million toward their respective projects. SEMO Electric was one of those 16...

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks awarded $15,000 to Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri for its low-income home improvement program in an 11-county region of eastern Missouri. The “Repairing Homes and Rebuilding Lives” program is available to CCSOMO clients in Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Ripley, Scott and Shannon counties...

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks awarded $20,000 to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, based in Sikeston, for its Hunger-Free Weekends program. This program supports low-income children with backpacks that provide nutritious, non-perishable food for kids to take home for the weekend...

Another local fair scheduled for next month has decided to cancel due to the coronavirus pandemic while the annual Cotton Carnival is still on – for now. On Tuesday, the Stoddard County Fair Board elected not to proceed with the 2020 Stoddard County Fair in Dexter, joining the SEMO District Fair in Cape Girardeau and the Delta Fair in Kennett in canceling their annual events...

By David Jenkins Standard Democrat There are 12 new positive COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours in Scott County, putting the county over 400 since the pandemic began in March. According to the Scott County Health Department, there were also four new positive cases reported on Saturday and 17 on Monday, giving the county 411 cases...

SIKESTON — A fundraiser to install 31 lockers in the dressing rooms of the Sikeston Little Theatre is underway. Currently, funds have been raised for 10 lockers, which have been installed at the Theatre, according to Wayne Noe, volunteer with the Theatre...

SIKESTON — The Sikeston Little Theatre wants you to “Let It Go” and take in a show. And, in this time of coronavirus, they want to do it safely with social distancing and face masks. “Frozen Jr.” opens at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Sikeston Little Theatre, 506 S. Kingshighway. Performances are slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Aug. 20-22 and at 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 23...

There are 21 new positive COVID-19 cases since Friday in Scott County and nine more cases that have recovered. According to the Scott County Health Department Monday afternoon, there four new positive cases reported on Saturday and 17 on Monday, giving the county 399 cases since the pandemic began in March...

MARSTON, Mo. — On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that the United States is reinstating a 10% import tax on Canadian aluminum, receiving praise from a local aluminum smelter. “Ever since Canada got its tariff exemption, Canadian primary aluminum imports have been skyrocketing. ...

SIKESTON — Lori Boardman never intended to work in the Sikeston R-6 School District for an extended period of time. She was hired temporarily in 1994, and she never left. But after working 26 years — the past 19 as the director of business services — in the R-6 District, Boardman said goodbye on July 31...

SIKESTON — With the ever-changing status of COVID-19 and its related issues, the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education adopted a $37-million budget for the 2020-2021 school year with a planned deficit of $146,585. The R-6 Board of Education approved on June 23 the budget for the new fiscal year 2021, which began on July 1...

There were 50 new COVID-19 cases reported by area health departments late Thursday afternoon. The Scott County Health Department reported 11 new positive coronavirus cases late Thursday afternoon, giving the county 370 cases since the pandemic began in March with 83 of those cases currently active...

BLODGETT, Mo. —“What’s the definition of a farmer? A man who’s out standing in his field,” Donnie Beggs of Blodgett, Mo. jokes. By this definition, he truly is a farmer, as he stands overlooking a watermelon field that has been owned by his family for more than 125 years...

SIKESTON — A daily desire to seek and choose “gratitude” and share that with others through the written word led Sikeston resident Bettie Birch to write her second volume of devotionals, giving readers short “snippets” to give the reader a “glimpse of happy” for the day...