Stories from Friday, December 2, 2011

ESSEX -- George Leon Baker, 94, died Dec. 1, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 23, 1917, in Dexter, to the late William S. Baker and Florence Kirby, he was a member of the Essex United Methodist Church, Bloomfield Masonic Lodge and Essex Lions Club...

BENTON -- Roger Lynn Rice, 56, died Dec. 1, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 4, 1955, in East Prairie, to the late James Thomas "J.T." Rice and Eva Louise Gunter Rice, he was a truck driver for Faith Global. He was of the Pentecostal belief...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Willis Black, 59, died Dec. 2, 2011, at the East Prairie Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home in East Prairie.

CHAFFEE -- Jackie Don Atkins, 56, died Dec. 1, 2011, at his home. Born May 24, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Gus Henry and Opal Mae Wiseman Atkins, he was a life-long resident of Chaffee and attended the First United Methodist Church. He retired in September from Leggett and Platt after 34 years...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Imogene Mayabb, 84, died at 7:50 a.m. Nov. 30, 2011, in the Bertrand Retirement Home. Born July 19, 1927, in Calloway County, Ky., to the late Con and Esta Mae Tripp Childers, she lived most of her life in Mississippi County and was of the Baptist belief...

sports@standard-democrat.com BERNIE -- The Risco Tigers advanced to the finals of the Bernie Invitational with a 68-45 win over Bloomfield on Thursday night. Risco was tied with Bloomfield 12-12 after one before taking a 29-20 lead into halftime. "We got off to another slow start," said Risco coach Brandon Blankenship. "We went off again in the second quarter like (Wednesday night) against East Prairie."...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHARLESTON -- Scoring 12 unanswered points to end the third quarter, the Scott City Lady Rams held off a late push by the Charleston Lady Bluejays on Thursday for a 72-61 win. "That's probably the best we've played," Scott City head coach Ricky Keller said. "I know it's only two games into the season, but I thought they played with a lot of heart and ran the ball well."...

sports@standard-democrat.com ORAN -- A raucous first half gave way to patience and the all-important free throw line during the Oran Eagles' semifinal contest against the Advance Hornets on Thursday as the second-seeded Hornets pulled away late for a 68-58 victory during the Oran Invitational Tournament...

sports@standard-democrat.com ORAN -- Although he may have had the numbers to back it up, Scott Central's Dominique Porter is not in the business of filling the shoes of Otto Porter. Dominique Porter, one of the Braves' senior leaders, poured in a game-high 47 points on Thursday during the semifinals of the Oran Invitational Tournament helping the Braves dispatch of the Malden Green Wave 88-57...

leonnah@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Southeast Missouri farmers may not be working in fields during winter, but many of them do use the time to brush up on the latest developments in agriculture. "We try to have informational meetings on a range of topics -- from production to managing to marketing," said David Reinbott, agriculture business program director for University of Missouri Extension's Scott County office and Southeast Region. ...

SIKESTON --Those in need of a little Christmas music to put them in the spirit of the season can enjoy not one but two concerts Sunday afternoon. The Sikeston Public Schools' Seventh and Eighth Grade String Orchestras will present their concert at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Sikeston Field House. This will be followed by the Sikeston High School String Orchestra's Christmas Concert at 3:15 p.m. Sunday in the Field House...

SIKESTON -- Catholics continue this weekend to adjust to Mass changes formally implemented last Sunday. Joan Chinnadurai, a longtime member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sikeston, said she thought the changes were a wonderful idea. "I love it," Chinnadurai said. "It's gotten to a point where the text doesn't mean anything if you say it without really thinking about the words...