Stories from Tuesday, March 3, 2020

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Due to the ongoing network issues at Three Rivers College, Southeast Missouri State University classes at the Poplar Bluff delivery site only are canceled through March 16. As a reminder, ITV links to courses will continue to be sent to students via email...

SIKESTON — Ronnie Dee Dickerson, 77, died March 2, 2020,at the Sikeston Convalescent Center. Born March 4, 1942, in Morehouse, son of the late James Sylvester Dickerson and Myrtle Irene Morse Dickerson, he had lived in Morehouse and Sikeston his entire life and had been employed as a truck driver...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. — Maria Rose Phillips, 85, died March 1, 2020, at her home. Born Dec. 9, 1934, in Colton, Calif., daughter of the late Dolores Almaras and Thomas Placencia, On June 14, 1957, in West Palm Beach, Florida, she married William Edward Phillips, preceded her in death on Oct. 26, 2016...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — One witness took the stand and publicly testified to his allegations of being sexually assaulted by retired Catholic priest Fred Lutz at a bond hearing Monday. The retired priest was arrested Feb. 19 at his home in Springfield, Missouri, and charged with the unclassified felony of forcible sodomy, two class C felony counts of second-degree statutory sodomy and one class C felony count of sexual abuse...

DEXTER, Mo. — Two Dexter residents were seriously injured in an utility-task vehicle crash at 1:07 a.m. Sunday, March 1, on County Road 683, west of County Road 691, in Stoddard County. According to the report, Jaycob M. Ellis, 26, was operating a 2019 Polaris UTV eastbound when he failed to negotiate a curved, which caused his UTV to run off the right side of the road, strike a ditch and overturn...

BLOOMFIELD — Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner reports after an extensive narcotics investigation concerning distribution of methamphetamine, a search warrant was served on Jeremy Lott’s residence located in rural Bloomfield Methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription medication and drug paraphernalia were located...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Area students and community members have the chance to view authentic dinosaur fossils through the Mobile Museum of Earth History on display this week at an East Prairie church. On Tuesday, students in prekindergarten through fourth grade from St. Henry Catholic School in Charleston were among members of the public who visited the mobile museum at First Christian Church in East Prairie...

SIKESTON — The weather is being blamed for numerous dead birds found in the west end of Sikeston that had many residents scratching their heads Monday morning. In a statement from Scott County Conservation Agent Andrew Mothershead, he along with Kevin Brunke, a natural history biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, investigated the reports of the large number of dead birds near Wakefield Avenue in a general area north and west of the Sikeston Power Plant...

Reagan Collins, daughter of Blake and Barb Collins, is the Standard Democrat’s Calendar Girl for March. Collins, second runner-up in 2019 Miss Sikeston, plans to attend the University of Mississippi and major in marketing and corporate relations.

SIKESTON, Mo. — Jerry D.L. Kestner, 78, died Feb. 25, 2020, at his home in Sikeston. Born Sept. 13, 1941, in Lilbourn, son of the late Alta (Moreland) Kestner and John Kestner, he served in the United States Army for 21 years, serving in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He also served as a police officer in East Prairie, Cape Girardeau and Hanford, Calif...

SIKESTON — Huntley Kate Cooksey, infant daughter of Hunter and Katy Renae Gantner Cooksey, entered and left this world at 7:51 p.m. March 2, 2020, weighing 5 pounds and 1 ounce and 18-1/2 inches long. She is an angel from her beautiful, dark, curly hair, button-nose and perfectly long skis we saw as we looked upon her feet.

SIKESTON — Abigail "Abby" Cohen, 22, died Feb. 29, 2020, at Missouri Delta Community Hospital in Sikeston. Born April 15, 1997, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Stacy Linhart and Jama Hunt Furgerson of East Prairie, she was the office manager of the Sikeston License Bureau.

WILSON CITY, Mo. — Lommie Lane Jr., 62, died Feb. 28, 2020, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. He was born Aug. 31, 1957, to the late Lommie Lane Sr. and Nona Brewster Lane of Wilson City. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until service time at 11 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Charleston. His brother, Trent Lane, will eulogize...