Stories from Wednesday, February 4, 2015

PADUCAH, Ky. - A strong cold front will move through the region this afternoon and evening. The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement noting a band of light snow is forecast to fall immediately behind this front and that a brief mix with rain is possible as the precipitation begins...

news@standard-democrat.com WYATT -- Wyatt voters unanimously approved a bond issue for the city's water and sewer systems during Tuesday' municipal election. The $1 million in revenue bonds to extend, improve and operate the two systems will be paid off solely with revenues from the water and sewer systems...

scottw@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- Plans for putting in new streets and taking care of the city's existing roads were the main items of business for the Sikeston City Council during their regular monthly meeting Monday. On the first item of business for action, the Council authorized staff to proceed with 2015 Street and Stormwater Drainage Improvement Program as presented by Jay Lancaster, public works director...

The seeding meeting for the girls Bootheel Conference Tournament had to wait until after Thursday night. That's when the top two teams, both undefeated in conference play, faced off.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Bald eagles are large birds of prey and in winter they follow waterfowl flocks that often settle on southern wetlands in large numbers. Together, eagles, geese and ducks provide a dramatic winter show. Hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Eagle Days event includes wildlife viewing opportunities outdoors and indoor nature programs Saturday, Feb. 7, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m...

sports@standard-democrat.com CHAFFEE -- Jacob Priggel led all scorers with 23 points as Oran routed Chaffee on the road 79-34. Oran (16-6) also received 10 points from Max Priggel as well as eight points and nine assists from Thomas Trankler. Brandon Ivester and Austin Copeland each had six for Chaffee (0-17)...

sports@standard-democrat.com SIKESTON -- It might not go down as a win in the books, but the Kelly Hawks certainly weren't hanging their heads after their latest matchup Tuesday with Scott County Central. Against a team they'd already lost to twice this season, by 42 and 33 points respectively, the Hawks held a one-point lead at the half and remained within a possession going into the fourth quarter...

sports@standard-democrat.com NEW MADRID -- New Madrid County Central once again felt the sting of an unforgiving conference schedule. Four nights prior, Poplar Bluff did too. Just goes to show no team is safe when it comes to the SEMO Conference even if you are the defending conference champion...

CHARLESTON -- A Scott County man faces a felony drug charge after he was caught sneaking drugs into the Mississippi County Detention Center Earnest Dewayne Motton, 43, of Haywood City is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, punishable by not less than five years and up to 15 years in the Department of Corrections...

scottw@standard-democrat.com BENTON -- The announcement is not official yet, but the word is out: Scott County is going to need a new public administrator. "I am going to retire," Pam Dirnberger, the current public administrator, advised the commissioners during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday...

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today: 1. PLANE CRASH KILLS AT LEAST 19 IN TAIWAN A TransAsia flight turned on its side midair and then careened into a river after takeoff from a Taipei airport, the latest plane disaster to beset Asia...

SIKESTON -- An Illinois man was arrested for kidnapping after bringing a 13-year-old girl to a Sikeston hotel. Steven Larson, 60, of Altamont, Ill., was arrested early Sunday morning in Sikeston on a kidnapping warrant from the Illinois State Police...

Lynn Lancaster, executive director for Historic Downtown Sikeston, hangs a banner inviting the public to a Valentine Chocolate Walk on Friday and Saturday in Downtown Sikeston. Those attending will receive a chocolate treat from each participating business and can enter a drawing for a Valentine gift basket. Participating stores are marked with red and pink balloons...

SCOTT CITY (SMNS) -- A Benton, Missouri, man was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center with moderate injuries after a rollover crash Monday morning near Scott City, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has reported. About 10:20 a.m. Monday, Timothy A. Lanning, 38, was driving a 1998 Ford Explorer north on Route M two miles southwest of Scott City when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned, the patrol reported...

ZALMA --The father of a Zalma, Missouri, murder suspect told police his son shot Kenneth Willard because he feared Willard was setting him up to kill him, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed Monday in connection with the case. Russell Mayberry, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Willard, 53, whose body was recovered Jan. 24 from the Black River in Wayne County, Missouri. Willard had been shot to death with a small-caliber gun...

GREENVILLE -- Wayne County authorities continue their search for a man described as armed and dangerous who is accused of killing a man Sunday near Hiram. Michael Burkman is accused of killing John C. Fowler, 57, by shooting him multiple times with a shotgun...

JACKSON -- The boyfriend of an Arkansas woman pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to a manslaughter charge in connection with her strangulation death at a downtown Poplar Bluff apartment building. Accompanied by his attorney, Ted Liszewski with the Public Defender's Office, Jeremy Allen Winkle pleaded guilty to an amended information filed with the court by Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour during what was to be a case review before Circuit Judge Michael Gardner...

LILBOURN -- Lilbourn Elementary has announced the honor roll students and the students who achieved perfect attendance for the second quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. An before a student's name denotes honors with distinction. Honor students are:...

The Key Club of Sikeston High School made donations to two different organizations during the fall semester. The club gave $300 to the Eliminate Project, a project of Kiwanis International which seeks to eliminate neonatal tetanus worldwide, and $200 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. ...

Richland R-1 School crowned its 2015 Homecoming Queen on Friday night before their basketball matchup with the Zalma Bulldogs. Sophomore Katelyn Pinkley, seated left, was crowned as the new queen. Along with Pinkley is her court: standing from left, senior Ashley Carmack, Student Council President junior Skie Pinkley, junior candidate Tracy Partenberry and freshman candidate Sara Tackett. Seated along with Pinkley is Flower Girl Allie Corlew...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Portageville Middle School has announced the honor roll students and the students who achieved perfect attendance for the second quarter of the 2014-2015 school year. Honor students are: Sixth grade Destine Adams, Sophia Angel, Meridyth Benthal, David Chamberlain, Elizabeth Compere, Jamie Crites, Maggie Frakes, Aaron Guo, Kaitlyn Halterman, Anna Hayes, Jauslyn Johnson, Isaiah Jordan, Cody Lewis, Andrea Martin, Madisyn Palmer, Savannah Parchell, Ryan Riddle, Triston Sipes, Caleb Slack, Mary Hannah Swilley, Kaitylyn Tucker Jaycie Walls.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- John Steven Hoffman, 59, died Jan. 31, 2015, at St. Alexius Hospital. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHARLESTON -- Olestine Howard, 77, died Feb. 2, 2015, at the home of her sister. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

ATLANTA -- Rufus Pullen, 76, formerly of Bell City, Mo., died Jan. 28, 2015, in Atlanta. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Clorene Alberta Glass, 82, died Feb. 2, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Norma Moore, 92, died Jan. 29, 2015, at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

ST. PETERS -- Doris Elizabeth Schaefer, 85, died Jan. 31, 2015. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DEXTER -- Mildred Jarrell, 88, died Feb. 2, 2015, at Southeast Healthcare of Stoddard County. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Larry Bruce Bird, 65, died Jan. 31, 2015, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

RISCO -- Tony Hugh Penrod, 69, died Feb. 1, 2015, at his home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

DANDRIDGE, Tenn. -- Nancy Carol Lucy Hurley, 75, died Feb. 1, 2015. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

SIKESTON -- Betty Jo Freshour Colwell, 80, died Feb. 3, 2015, at the Sikeston Convalescent Center.

CHARLESTON - A man accused of threatening two individuals with a gun is scheduled to appear in court today. John Buck Miller, 35, of Bertrand, is to be arraigned on the felonies of second degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon before Associate Judge S. Rob Baker at 9:30 a.m. today, according to Missouri Case.net...

Unless something happens soon, the 2016 Presidential election is shaping up to be a lackluster matchup that promises little change when what we need most is radical change from eight years of big government, runaway spending and racial politics that have bought this nation to its knees...

Sometimes office conversations take a turn that nobody sees coming. A name may spark a funny conversation or even a news story that comes through may get some laughs. But sometimes these conversations get way out of control. One such conversation happened last week when a simple story about Bruce Jenner led to a whole nutty conversation that continued for days...

I've got a message for "Drone gone." It ended up in Washington on the White House lawn. It didn't quite get the job done. This is in response to "Free Ride," about depending on who you are everything can be free. That's not right. It does not depend on who you are, it depends on your circumstance. No job, nothing, absolutely nothing - that's how you get Medicaid and food stamps. It's not who you are, it's your circumstance...