Stories from Saturday, January 21, 2017

Here’s the question Americans should always be asking every member of Congress: who are you fighting for?   Here’s who I’m fighting for: Billy Hull.   Billy Hull is a retired coal miner with nearly 30 years working at the Peabody Coal Power Mine near Montrose, Missouri. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- For a half, the Kennett Indians gave the No. 3 Class 4 state-ranked Bulldogs all they wanted. But in the third quarter that all changed as Sikeston flashed its devastating potential. In a matter of eight minutes, Sikeston turned a close game into a blowout victory, defeating Kennett 80-51 on Friday night in front of a sell-out crowd at Kennett High School...

MALDEN, Mo -- With a four-game winning streak and conference implications on the line Portageville suffered a letdown Friday night against host Malden. A brief lead early by the Bulldogs gave way to a game controlled by the Green Wave, who outscored Portageville in all four quarters for a 70-51 win...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The SEMO Conference can sometimes be brutal on Dexter, especially early. They lost five of their first six games to that field of nine that's routinely mentioned as one of the toughest grinds in the state. But the Bearcats are far from that 1-5 start now and were able to continue one of the longest winning streaks in southeast Missouri on Friday night...

RISCO, Mo. -- The Risco Tigers continued its long winning streak and its head coach met a milestone Friday during their 67-37 homecoming romp over conference foe Holcomb. Risco head coach Brandon Blankenship won his 200th career game at Risco which was also their 10th win in a row...

SIKESTON - They went from studying history to witnessing it. Students at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School watched throughout Friday morning as Donald Trump became the president of the United States. It was a moment their teacher Jeanne Cowgur hoped they would remember...

SIKESTON -- Following a series of town hall discussions on building needs, the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education has created a no-tax-increase, $11-million bond proposal for its voters to decide during the April 4 election. The official ballot language was approved by the R-6 Board of Education during a special session Thursday at the board office...

CHARLESTON, Mo. - An inmate caught with an improvised knife now faces additional charges. Van Lynn Owens, 47, of East Prairie, who was already jailed on multiple burglary and victim tampering charges, will be arraigned Jan. 25 on a felony charge of possession of a weapon in a county jail, according to online court records. He is scheduled to appear before Associate Judge S. Rob Barker...

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- "America's Got Talent" winner Neal E. Boyd of Sikeston and his mother were injured in a car crash early Saturday in Scott County. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at 8:45 a.m. on northbound Interstate 55 at the 89-mile marker when the vehicle Boyd, 41, was driving ran off the road, struck a tree, went airborne and struck another tree...

New Madrid County Central senior Bailey Branum adjusts her tiara after being crowned 2017 Basketball Homecoming Queen before the Eagles' basketball game against Dexter on Friday night. Looking on is her escort Monte Sykes.

Blake Pearson, left, is congratulated by Scott County Judge Scott Horman after Pearson's swearing in ceremony Thursday. Pearson was appointed to fill the vacancy following the retirement of Judge Hense Winchester. Pearson served as the Scott County assistant prosecuting attorney until his appointment and has also worked in private practice in Sikeston as well as working with the public defender system...

SIKESTON -- Following a series of town hall discussions on building needs, the Sikeston R-6 Board of Education has created a no-tax-increase, $11-million bond proposal for its voters to decide during the April 4 election. The official ballot language was approved by the R-6 Board of Education during a special session Thursday at the board office...

Like many of you perhaps, I worry about the future of the news industry. Unlike most of you, this is the career and culture in which I live daily. I won't pretend to give a history lesson on the news business because we all analyze those who bring us our daily information in vastly different ways...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Geneva Calvin Beck passed away Jan. 19, 2017, in Springfield, Mo. She lived 101 years and six months. Geneva was born July 26, 1915 in Sikeston, Mo., to her parents Pearl and Guy Calvin. She graduated from Matthews, Mo., High School and then attended Central Missouri State University and also Southeast Missouri State University. She began her teaching career in a two-room schoolhouse (Fairview) near Sikeston...

Southeast Elementary in Sikeston announced its November Base Students. Pictured, are front row, from left: Wesley Patterson, David Bautista, Jacob Mooney, CJ Pobst, Madalyn Manning and Gunner Hopkins; and back row: Hunter Sletten, Matthew Ross, Emmaleigh Bryan, Dokota Thompson and Alyssia Rhodes. Not pictured is Jeramiha Rowe...

SIKESTON -- The Christian Academy has announced the honor roll students for the second quarter of the 2016-2017 school year. They are: Second grade Eli Clark, Ryleigh Housley, Kale Leggett, Parker Lorenz, Sam Self, Cadence Shelby, Conner Simmons, Mia Slipis, Anna Whitley, Cole Lawrence...