Stories from Thursday, May 15, 2014

Many years ago the Spanish Armada was sailing off the coast of Florida. A hurricane struck and those ships carrying millions of dollars in gold and silver went to the bottom in shallow water. People knew the treasure had been lost but they didn't know where the ships had gone down...

There were 44 Seniors that made the Processional March at Portageville High School last Thursday night, May 8th. The ceremony was held in the Portageville High School gymnasium. After the Seniors came to their respective places, Senior Austin Crysler led with the Invocation...

In the graduation ceremony held last Thursday night in the Portageville High School gymnasium, both the class valedictorian and salutatorian delivered speeches of encouragement to their fellow classmates. This year's Valedictorian in Jake Bracey. He is the 18 year old son of Jim and Mary Catherine Bracey, and Sherri and Tony Scherer. He is the grandson of Bonnie Bracey and the late Hilton Bracey, and also the grandson of the late Edward and Mary Mosby...

As of Wednesday, May 14, the last game the Portageville Bulldogs played was their conference title game last week. They were also to play a make-up game with Gideon, only to have a wash out. They were supposed to play on Saturday, May 10, in Bloomfield against Kelly and Bloomfield, but it got rained out, according to Coach Wallace...

Average retail gasoline prices in Missouri have risen 0.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.40/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 3,940 gas outlets in Missouri. This compares with the national average that has fallen 1.8 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.62/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com...

SIKESTON -- A group of local children are making a difference in the lives of pediatric patients in Sikeston. After reading an article about the Mama Cooper's Closet project in the Standard Democrat, Cassandra Limbaugh, youth development director of child care at the YMCA of Southeast Missouri, knew the children enrolled in the Y's after school care program would be able to offer their assistance...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Though both juniors, Sikeston's Gabe Wheeler and Blake Below will enter the upcoming Class 3 state golf tournament with vastly different amounts of experience. For Wheeler, this marks his third time in as many years making the trip while Below competes on high school's biggest stage for the first time in his career...

NEW YORK (AP) -- An Iowa woman jokingly calls it "Satan's handiwork." A California mom says she's broken down in tears. A Pennsylvania parent says it "makes my blood boil." What could be so horrible? Grade-school math. As schools around the U.S. implement national Common Core learning standards, parents trying to help their kids with math homework say that adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing has become as complicated as calculus...

Members of the Portageville High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) were honored at an awards banquet on Monday, May 5, 2014. Those who won contest awards throughout the year were recognized, end of the year awards were given by FFA sponsor Sara Blattel and new FFA officers were sworn in. The order of business went as such:...

First State Community Bank's 2014 Scholarship recipient is Caleb Gooch. Caleb is the son of Ronda Gooch. He plans to attend Mizzou and major in Radiological Sciences. Pictured above is Portageville FSCB Vice President, Jana Morris, awarding the scholarship to Caleb. Congratulations!...

Southern Loop, located on Main Street next to the Portageville Police Department, had its grand opening on Saturday, May 3, 2014. They opened the store at noon, welcoming customers with decorative cookies by The Cookie Lady, beverages and live music by David Ellis and Whitney Callis of Steele, MO. Between noon and closing at 6:00 p.m., Southern Loop had over 300 visitors to the store...

SIKESTON -- A Sikeston man is in custody after his arrest on robbery and armed criminal action charges. According to Missouri Case.net, Eric W. Graham, 36, was arrested by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety on a first degree felony charge of robbery and a felony charge of armed criminal action...

CHARLESTON - It's a bad idea to mail marijuana to the county jail but the deputies appreciate it when you provide the evidence needed to lead to an arrest. Lenard La'troy Duncan, 30, of Mound City, Ill., is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, after deputies say he mailed marijuana to the Mississippi County Detention Center...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Nola Curtis, 86, died May 14, 2014, at the Baptist Hospital in Little Rock. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Laura Campbell, 78, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died May 14, 2014, at her home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BERNIE -- Ola Sifford, 103, died May 14, 2014, at her home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

NEW MADRID -- Donald Lee Woods, 75, formerly of Farmington, died May 13, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Arthur "Jimmy" Sparks, 71, formerly of Wyatt, died May 14, 2014, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHAFFEE -- Gilbert Woodrow Mabrey, 92, formerly of Allenville, died May 13, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Irvin LaVern Williams, 89, died May 13, 2014, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

I'd like to know what people have against Common Core? Forty some states are using it. All I can see wrong with it is people don't want to use paper and pencil again like they used to. They use these smart boards, computers and all that stuff. When the kids get ready to take a test, they don't even know what they are doing. ...

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites, located at 115 Hospitality Drive in Sikeston, is now officially open for business. The hotel features 73 guest rooms, 18 of which are suites, in addition to amenities including an indoor pool, fitness room, meeting area and complimentary breakfast. ...