Stories from Wednesday, September 14, 2011

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- An Ellsinore, Mo., man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Monday for illegally possessing a firearm when he fired shots into a mobile home. Phillip W. Catlett Jr., 38, was sentenced to 120 months on the felony of being a felon in possession of a firearm by U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Sorrell...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Hard rock bands Theory of a Deadman and Alter Bridge will be performing at the Black River Coliseum Saturday in the Poplar Bluff, Mo., leg of the Carnival of Madness tour. Hard rock acts Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Ways and Emphatic will round out the lineup...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor DEXTER, Mo. -- A Dexter police officer is recovering at home today from serious injuries as the men accused of assaulting him sit behind bars. A 10-year veteran of the Dexter Police Department, Patrolman Kevin Moore, who was injured while responding to a fight in progress Monday night, was released late last night from St. Louis University Hospital, according to Dexter Detective Trevor Pulley...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Students returning to Oak Grove Elementary School this year got a surprise--an outdoor classroom! A few months ago, an outdoor classroom was merely a dream of Kim Murphy, the art teacher at Oak Grove. As she talked it over with friends, Murphy was encouraged to pursue her dream. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor State and federal investigators are investigating an early morning fire that could have destroyed the Grand Avenue Baptist Church had an alert motorist not intervened. Just before 5 a.m. today, the Poplar Bluff Police Department was notified by Bill Clifford that the church, located at 822 N. Grand Ave., was on fire...

SEMO News Service MALDEN, Mo. -- School officials in Malden said a student who was pulled out of school Thursday was planning a violent assault. Thursday afternoon, during the last period of the school day, a student was noticed writing in a notebook. The teacher confiscated the notebook and upon review, the student was escorted to the principal's office. The student's mother checked her child out of school...

By LECIA FORESTER SEMO News Service KENNETT, Mo. -- New charges of possession of child pornography have been filed against a Senath, Mo., man accused of murdering his 3-year-old neighbor. Shawn Morgan, 43, appeared in a Dunklin County courtroom Tuesday morning before Judge John C. Spielman, his third appearance since being charged with the disappearance and death of 3-year-old BreeAnn Rodriguez, also of Senath...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Lightning struck a 69KV transformer in the Municipal Utilities substation on Morrison Road, knocking out power to 1,275 customers in the north part of Poplar Bluff, Mo., at 7:49 a.m. today, according to MU Distribution Superintendent Lyndell Coleman...

The Poplar Bluff volleyball team was aggressive from the start Tuesday night. The Lady Mules jumped out ahead of Bell City early in the first game with tough play at the net and beat the visiting Lady Cubs, 25-22, 25-23, 25-19, at Peters Gym. "The games were a little tighter than I had hoped," Poplar Bluff coach Mike Berry said...

DEXTER -- Poplar Bluff's tennis team had its undefeated season end Tuesday by the slimmest of margins. Dexter edged the Lady Mules 5-4 by winning a doubles match 8-6 and three singles matches by an 8-5 score while Poplar Bluff won two tiebreakers on the road...

WEST PLAINS -- The Poplar Bluff Junior High cross country team got two big wins Tuesday. Isaiah Williams won his second straight race while the Lady Mules beat the host by placing four in the top 10 at the West Plains Invitational. Williams won the 1.5-mile race in 7 minutes, 59 seconds...

PIEDMONT -- Chasity Fowler had three RBIs for Van Buren as it upset Clearwater, 5-3, on Tuesday. Brittany Hager had two hits and scored two runs while Gavy Cipponeri had a home run in the win for the Lady Dawgs (5-4). "It was a big win for us," Van Buren coach Jeff Lindsey said. "Clearwater is a good team, it was good to go on the road and play a tough opponent and get the victory."...

BROSELEY -- Home has been sweet so far for the Twin Rivers volleyball team but it hasn't been easy to stay unbeaten there. Greenville never led in the first game and put the pressure on in the last game Tuesday night but the Lady Royals got the win, 25-20, 27-25...

By JOHN WILLEY Staff Writer The son of a share-cropper, U.L. Smith grew up on a Bootheel farm outside of Cardwell, Mo. The final years of his high school determined how the rest of his life would turn out. At age 17, while still in high school, Smith took a part-time for Dolph Riggs Jr. in the Riggs Hardware store in Cardwell...

J.C. Penney is renovating its Poplar Bluff, Mo., store as part of the Company's continued investment in its existing stores. Upon completion of the project in November, the 515 S. Westwood store will have the look and feel of a new J.C. Penney store...

Be humane about it You know we caught a young man coming down CR 312 a while back with a sack load of baby kittens at 35 mph, he throwed 'em out his window. We stopped him and made him pick 'em up and take 'em back home with him. He said, "I don't want 'em." We said, "We don't either." We've got numerous people throwing 'em out down here. ...

Butler County 4-H is gearing up for another year. There will be an enrollment meeting from 5-7 p.m. Monday at the Butler County University of Missouri Extension Center, 222 N. Broadway St., Poplar Bluff, Mo. 4-H is open to youth ages 5 to 18 as of Jan. 1. Children 5-8 years old will participate in Clover Buds...

Paul Pauls PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Paul Thomas Pauls, 68, of Silva, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, at his home near Silva. Mr. Pauls was born Sept. 3, 1943, in Piedmont. He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He worked as a carpenter for many years in St. Louis, Mo...

Corey Martin DEXTER, Mo. -- Corey Martin, 34, of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, in Dexter. Funeral arrangements are pending with Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Joella Hays CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Joella Hays, 73, of Campbell, Mo., died on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. Ms. Hays was born on April 21, 1938, in Clarkton. She was a retired Real Estate salesperson. She loved music and animals. She was former owner and operator of the Sikeston Theater and was Peach Queen in 1952. She was of the Baptist Faith...

Kevin Rodgers Kevin M. Rodgers, 47, of Linn, Mo., died Saturday Sept. 10, 2011, at St. Mary's Regional Hospital in Jefferson, City, Mo. He was born Jan. 4, 1964, in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Rodgers was a truck driver and enjoyed fishing and was an avid deer hunter...