Stories from Saturday, March 29, 2014

sports@standard-democrat.com SCOTT CITY -- The Scott City Lady Rams softball team racked up 18 hits during its 21-0 win over visiting Charleston in five innings. Valerie Bahr went 4 for 4 with a double, a triple and three RBIs for Scott City. Lyndsie Robert added three hits, including a double and triple, while Shelby Rhymer had three hits and Macy Hall had two...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- One of the many great aspects about Special Olympics Missouri is how it breaks down stereotypes of people with intellectual disabilities. Nobody is more emblematic of just how well our athletes can smash through those stereotypes with hard work and persistence than Southeast Area athlete Logan Gardner...

sports@standard-democrat.com SCOTT CITY -- You can't ask for a much better rebound than that of Scott City freshman Braden Cox in his second start of his high school career. After taking the loss in his career debut, Cox took the mound against New Madrid County Central on Friday and no-hit the Eagles on his way to a 4-0 win...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Police have arrested a second suspect in connection with a shooting early Saturday that injured four people at a Sikeston bar. Ericonta Flenoid, 31, faces four counts of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting at Cronies Bar, 1637 E. Malone Ave., according to a news release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

KENTLAND, Ind. --Wilma L. Bonds, 73, formerly of Randles, Mo., died March 27, 2014, at her home. For the complete obituary, see the Sunday edition of the Standard Democrat or log on to the electronic edition.

PORTAGEVILLE -- Noah T. Creasy, 63, died March 29, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete obituary, see the Sunday edition of the Standard Democrat or log on to the electronic edition.

Once a year -- without fail -- I use this column space to promote and encourage participation in the annual Kenny Rogers Children's Center Telethon. This is that Sunday. While quickly glancing back on prior telethon-related columns, I could not help but notice a recurring theme that I will repeat once again this year...

I would like to say something about these old gals that just gotta have a man. They live with any old thing that comes along, leave their babies with them that abuse them and the mothers never say anything about them. And finally, they kill the baby and the mothers are just so upset. ...

BENTON -- A Morehouse woman faces burglary and stealing charges following a multi-jurisdiction investigation. Ashley M. Riggins, 28, of Morehouse is charged with the class C felony of burglary in the second degree, class C felony of stealing a firearm and the class B misdemeanor of property damage in the second degree, according to a news release from Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter...

SIKESTON -- Three students from Saint Francis Xavier School in Sikeston are this year's statewide winners of Missouri's earthquake awareness poster contest. Third grader Isabella Guzman, fourth grader Bella-Ruth Steward and fifth grader Julia Spurlock took the top prizes in their grades for their posters showing the best way for people to protect themselves in an earthquake. The three were recognized during a ceremony at the school on Friday...

SIKESTON -- Sikeston R-6 taxpayers who want to know how much the proposed $32.3 million bond issue will cost them are encouraged to pull out their most recent county property tax statements. Look on the portion that has only the "Sikeston R-6 School District" line item, said financial consultant Bart Grant of Sikeston. ...

SIKESTON -- The Standard Democrat has always sought to be at the forefront of election coverage -- with news stories and on the editorial page. In 2013, the newspaper was contacted by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute on the University of Missouri campus about participating in research looking at newspaper election coverage...