Stories from Saturday, June 18, 2011

sports@standard-democrat.com CAPE GIRARDEAU -- When Columbia Trailblazer starter Ross Brown exited the game after nearly five innings of pitching, Southeast Missouri Cobras 16u coach Brian Anderson made it a special point to shake Brown's hand. He then congratulated Brown on a job well done saying, 'if you knew how well we have been hitting lately, you'd be really happy."...

Let's get the obvious out of the way -- Happy Father's Day to my Dad and the other fathers in our area. This one day is set aside to honor and recognize the importance of their roles in the family and in society. But at the same time -- it seems that each year I write a very similar column on this special day. And unfortunately, the narrative remains largely the same...

SIKESTON -- A vehicle stop resulted in the confiscation of about a half-pound of marijuana and the arrest of two Sikeston men Tuesday in Scott County. Around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, a DPS Officer stopped a vehicle on Lora near Branum Street, according to Sgt. John McMillen, public information officer for Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

HIGGINSON, Ark. -- Lucille Johnson, 86, died June 15, 2011, at Searcy. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Irene Godair, 89, died June 16, 2011, at Portageville. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

BERNIE -- Norma Jaques, 65, died June 16, 2011, at her sister's home in Campbell. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

BELL CITY -- Carolyn S. Polley, 61, died June 16, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

BERNIE -- Cloyce H. King, 87, died June 16, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

MAYFIELD, Ky. -- Auzy D. Drew, 79, died June 16, 2011, at Jackson Purchase Medical Center. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition.

ORAN -- Blanch I. Wheeler, 94, died June 17, 2011, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center in Sikeston. For the complete obituary and more stories from the Standard Democrat, click here to log on to the electronic edition...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Holding the Charleston Woodpeckers to two hits after taking a no-hit bid into the sixth, Chaffee's Blake Keasler led his team to a 5-2 win on Friday in the first game of a doubleheader. "It was in my mind, I'm not going to lie," Keasler said of his chances at a no-hitter. "They were talking about it in the dugout and I was trying not to think about it too much, but then I let it go in the sixth."...

Sikeston's Keyonna Blissett goes up for a layup against Ripley County, Tenn., at theRib City Shootout at Dexter on Friday. Thirty-five girls basketball teams took part. For more photos see our gallery at www.standard-democrat.com.

scottw@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- A Sikeston history teacher's second book will offer a different view of a controversial Civil War battle. Rick Justice has been Civil War enthusiast "going on well over 20 years." The book, which Justice plans to name, "Conspiracy on the Mississippi," is the result of research conducted for a graduate school project...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday saluted the men and women of more than 400 law enforcement and public safety organizations -- including two from Scott County -- that responded to Joplin in the immediate aftermath of the devastating May 22 tornado...

michellef@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- With only about 50 days to go until the 59th annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo kicks off, it's crunch time for the club to get everything ready for the big event, which begins Aug. 10. "Our work parties are in full swing pretty much every day," said Cal Crader, general chairman of the 2011 events...

leonnah@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Sunday marks exactly 101 years since the first Father's Day was observed. So in preparation for the day to honor fathers, some local children who attend the YMCA of Southeast Missouri's Summer Day Camp took time on Friday to explain what makes a good father and how they plan to spend Father's Day with them...