Stories from Tuesday, February 3, 2009

By Chris Pobst sd_sports@yahoo.com SIKESTON -- The recent weather madness has not only affected thousands of homes in the area but has also wreaked havoc on the local sports scene. Many schools are still in the dark in their gyms and in their knowledge about when they will play basketball again or reschedule missed games due to the weather. ...

Due to problems with internet service, the Standard Democrat was unable to post Tuesday's edition. We regret the problems and hope to be back powered by electricity soon.

BERTRAND -- Mabel Ann Woods Peters, 92, died Jan. 31, 2009, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Funeral arrangements are with the McMikle Funeral Home. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

DEXTER -- John T. Vangilder 96, died Jan. 31, 2009, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter. Funeral arrangements are with the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON -- Wilford Grover "Jack" Hadder, 85, died at 12:18 p.m. Jan. 28, 2009, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Funeral arrangements are with the Nunnelee Funeral Chapel For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON -- Billy Gene Thornton, 73, formerly of East Prairie, died at 3:20 a.m. Feb. 1, 2009, in the Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are with the Shelby Funeral Chapel For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. -- Wilson "Bud" Allen, 73, died Jan. 27, 2009, at the Baptist Health Medical Center in Heber Springs. Funeral arrangements are with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON - Mildred Lorene Crawford, 64, died Jan. 24, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are with the Blanchard Funeral Chapel. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

ST. CHARLES -- Robert L. Webb, 83, formerly of Dexter, died Jan. 28, 2009, at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield. Funeral arrangements are with the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

SIKESTON -- No one knows for sure when all area school districts will be back in session, but what administrators do know is their biggest concerns are the safety and well being of students. "Obviously, the lack of power is the challenge, and we're considering our alternatives," said Sikeston R-6 Superintendent Steve Borgsmiller...

SIKESTON -- Power restoration efforts are continuing in the area. Here are the most recent updates from area electric companies: As of 8 a.m. today, approximately 60 percent of Sikeston Board of Municipalities customers had their electricity restored...

SIKESTON -- Only a fraction of those left without power in the wake of last week's ice storm sought help at warming shelters. "Right now we still know that we have approximately 54,000 customers without power in southeast Missouri," said Susie Stoner, public information officer for the State Emergency Management Agency. "The power companies have told us we had 6,000 poles that snapped. They are replacing the poles so the restoration of the power may take some time."...

One killed in crash on I-55 BENTON (SMNS) -- A tractor-trailer struck a car being pushed by two men Monday evening on Interstate 55 south of Benton, killing one of the men and sending the other for treatment at Saint Francis Medical Center, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said...

Propane demand has been great SIKESTON -- To say there has been a big demand for propane is almost an understatement. "We're swamped," said Leven Cox, owner of Home Oil Propane. Last Wednesday, the first full day of massive power outages, there were 212 calls, said Cox, with people wanting to purchase propane for alternate heating sources, as well as outdoor grills so they could cook...

SIKESTON -- The National Guard's 1140th Engineer Battalion of Cape Girardeau is wrapping things up in Sikeston but will continue helping with the recovery effort elsewhere in Southeast Missouri. "For the most part we're pretty much done in the Sikeston area," said Capt. Scott Ratcliff of the 1140th...