Stories from Thursday, September 17, 2015

Labor Day weekend was not a weekend of rest for the Portageville Lady Dawg Softball Team. They played in the three- day Notre Dame Softballfest. "This tournament always has good competition throughout, and this year was some of the best," said Portageville coach, Ashlie Patton. ...

PORTAGEVILLE -- The Portageville Lady Bulldogs added another win notch to their belt last Thursday night. The downed Kennett in three sets. The Lady Bulldogs are now 6-1 on the record. Kennett fell in a final set to a scoreline of 21-25, 25-19 and 19-25...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Although the lights were on the field, and despite the efforts of the Portageville Bulldogs, it was not enough to control the Piggott Mohawks. "I'm really upset because we didn't get effort," Bulldogs' head coach Jeff Bullock said. "You have to play with heart, especially when you're undersized like us. If you aren't willing to stick a helmet in, it's going to be tough to win football games...

It must be Soybean Festival time! Johnathan Thacker and Roosevelt Mosby with the City of Portageville, have been busy installing eight new street pole flags promoting the 68th Annual National Soybean Festival beginning Saturday, Sept. 26. The flags have been purchased by the Portageville Chamber of Commerce...

Front, from left are, Freshman Maid Haylie Hammack, Sophomore Maid Shelby Rone, Junior Maid Mary Compere, Senior Maid Mikayla Rone, Queen Taylor Tiffany; back are Freshman Knight Bryce Rone, Sophomore Knight Logan Vent, Junior Knight Bryce Lowman, Senior Knight Will Crysler, and Homecoming King Jon Garrett Kellams. The student body has been involved in Spirit Week. Homecoming is Friday, Sept 18...

Earlier this year, a newly formed 501c3 nonprofit organization is a collaboration between the Bootheel Network for Health Improvement and the Missouri Bootheel Regional Consortium, Inc. was established. Thus, Bootheel Babies and Families was formed and had its third steering committee meeting. The Foundation for Health in St. Louis asked the two organizations to combine and form an organization called Bootheel Babies and Families that will combat infant mortality...

The Bible tells us in Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe." We read in Hebrews 6:18 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:" The author is writing to those who knew about the ancient cities of refuge set up by the children of Israel so that any person who might accidently kill another person by negligence or involuntary manslaughter could flee to and be safe from the avenger of blood. ...

Our prep football glance gives vital information for our local teams entering their weekly matchups. Learn your team's opponent, go-to players and the series history between the two throughout the season.

Coach Kent Gibbs is hoping Sikeston can keep the momentum rolling as the Bulldogs prepare for the meat of its conference schedule starting tomorrow when his team hosts Farmington.

SIKESTON -- Sikeston Goodwill's new facility will have more room to shop for customers and a convenient dropoff for donations. A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the store, located at 608 Brunt Boulevard, was held this morning. The new 14,430-square-foot building is the "standard model of what we are building around Missouri," said Mark Kahrs, executive vice president of retail operations for MERS/Goodwill. "The 9,600 square feet of sales floor is a layout that works for us."...

VOLLEYBALL PORTAGEVILLE -- Adrienne Duncan had three kills as the Bulldogs wrapped up Bootheel Conference regular-season play with a win at home over the Caruthersville Tigers, 25-19 and 25-9 Tuesday. Amanda Moody served seven aces for Portageville (9-4-1, 6-1 Bootheel Conference)...

"The less pressure that I put on them the better they can perform," Eric Voorhees said. "I don't want them thinking we're down or up or whatever. Just go up and hit the ball."

sports@standard-democrat.com POPLAR BLUFF -- The Sikeston tennis team once again got a win from Ali Price, but that's it as they fell to Poplar Bluff on the road 8-1. "Our bright spot today was our No. 1," Sikeston tennis coach Russ Dial said. "She played very well with lots of energy and a mental toughness. It's her second win over Poplar Bluff's No. 1 this season and this will improve Ali's seed position for individual district play."...

The North Pemiscot Lady Mustangs had a big win last Thursday night and they defeated conference foe, Senath -Hornersville in three sets. The first match, the Lady Lions took control and held on for that win. In the second match, the Mustangs started out slow, but managed to gain control for the win. In the last set, both teams were back and forth before the Lady Lions began making mistakes giving the Mustangs an edge and on for the win. 22-25, 25-23, and 25-21...

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) -- Amid the back-and-forth bickering over Donald Trump, the Republican presidential contest took a substantive and serious turn in Wednesday's prime-time debate, with candidates wrangling over immigration, gay marriage and foreign affairs...

ESSEX -- Cecil B. Hicks, 84, died Sept. 16, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BERTRAND -- Rosey L. McConkey, 80, died Sept. 16, 2015, at her home. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

MOREHOUSE -- Deena Lynn Kindred, 59, died Sept. 13, 2015, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

BERTRAND -- Helen Louella Chandler Ezzell, 79, died Sept. 16, 2015, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. For the complete Standard Democrat obituary log in to our electronic edition.

CHARLESTON -- A Charleston man was jailed Tuesday after a search warrant was executed at his residence by the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department. According to Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore, the investigation began last week when his department received information that Duramus Tyrone Coleman was stockpiling firearms, ammunition, narcotics and stolen property in an apartment in Charleston's public housing subdivision...

CARUTHERSVILLE -- A fire in Caruthersville turned tense after a piece of suspected military ordnance was discovered. The incident began early Wednesday when the Caruthersville Fire Department responded to a house fire at 806 Franklin Ave. at 4:43 a.m, according to a news release from the Caruthersville Police Department...

CHARLESTON -- Two Charleston residents were arrested for receiving stolen property after a search warrant was served by the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department at their shared Charleston residence. According to Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore, the investigation began last week when his department received information that Jonas Martell Phillips and Kelita Lashae Moore were in possession of items stolen during several recent burglaries...

I think it's utterly ridiculous the way they are doing that woman who won't issue marriage licenses to gay people. Whatever happened to people's rights to religious beliefs? Can the government and the Supreme Court take that away too? One thing about it, she will go to heaven. ...