Stories from Thursday, January 5, 2012

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer The owners of the only animal shelter in Ripley County worry the facility may have to close soon due to lack of funds and volunteers. Hank and Della Hadley opened Kindred Spirit Animal Rescue Center in 2008 and have since found homes for more than 650 animals. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Precipitation in Poplar Bluff during 2011 was 60 percent above normal, making it the second wettest year on record. A cooperative weather observer at KLID Radio at 11th and Vine streets recorded 75.5 inches, according to the data on the National Weather Service website at Paducah, Ky. This is 36 inches more than the 39.45 inches in 2010 and 28.5 inches more than the average of 47 inches during the past 30 years...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Wednesday for illegally possessing a firearm. Thomas L. Richardson, 48, was sentenced to 180 months on one felony count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer The owners of the only animal shelter in Ripley County worry the facility may have to close soon due to lack of funds and volunteers. Hank and Della Hadley opened Kindred Spirit Animal Rescue Center in 2008 and have since found homes for more than 650 animals. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Precipitation in Poplar Bluff during 2011 was 60 percent above normal, making it the second wettest year on record. A cooperative weather observer at KLID Radio at 11th and Vine streets recorded 75.5 inches, according to the data on the National Weather Service website at Paducah, Ky. This is 36 inches more than the 39.45 inches in 2010 and 28.5 inches more than the average of 47 inches during the past 30 years...

Avon Hyten PUXICO, Mo. -- Avon Hyten of Puxico, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, at Puxico Nursing and Rehab. Funeral arrangements are pending with Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Puxico.

Three Rivers freshman Will Holifield is making up for lost time. He didn't pick up basketball until the sixth grade, but Holifield excelled throughout high school at Sikeston. After winning a title for the 30-0 Bulldogs last year, Holifield comes off the bench primarily as a shooter for the Raiders, who open Region XVI play Saturday at the Black River Coliseum...

Floyd White WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Floyd Bentley White, 4 months, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Friday followed by the funeral services at 2 p.m. at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville, Mo...

Terry "TeeJay" Britton, has come a long way since he played basketball at Poplar Bluff High School. Now living in Joplin, Britton is the summer camp director and assistant head basketball coach for Rain Makers Christian Sports Ministry. There he coaches young athletes from third grade through high school...

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. -- Three Rivers had some costly defensive lapses Wednesday. The Lady Raiders were ahead by five with less than eight minutes remaining but Williams Baptist hit key 3-pointers to complete a late comeback and win 76-73. "We probably had four turnovers in the last three minutes of the game that were real crucial," Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said. "That is eight points we needed to capitalize on."...

By MONA CHAREN Campaign season is not a time for truth. It's a time for the candidates, the press and the voters to tell themselves fables. The Democrats' fable this year is straightforward: President Obama has been a failure at reviving the economy because the hole dug by George W. ...

Did you see that, America? If Mother Earth really cares she would open up right under the coffin of Kim Jong Il and drop his worthless skin and bones into her fiery hole, then close up around his flaming arse. This dear leader of North Korea lived much, much too long. ...

Johnie Parker Johnie Parker, 68, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at his residence. Mr. Parker was born Feb. 18, 1943 in Poplar Bluff. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and had retired in 2000 after 31 years as a supervisor with Rowe Furniture Co. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and was an avid Atlanta Braves baseball fan...

Bob Barriner Bob Barriner, 71, of Boaz, Ala., died Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, in Birmingham, Ala. He was born Aug. 6, 1940, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where he formerly lived. He was of the Christian faith. Mr. Barriner served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era. He was a heavy equipment operator in the coal mines. He enjoyed fishing...

Frances Montgomery DEXTER, Mo. -- Frances Ann Montgomery, 74, of Dexter, Mo., died on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at the Gideon Care Center in Gideon, Mo. Mrs. Montgomery was born on March 12, 1937, in Dexter and was a homemaker. She was a member of the Second General Baptist Church in Dexter where she played the organ for a number of years. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren...

Gilbert Faulkner DEXTER, Mo. -- Gilbert M. Faulkner, 79, of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at his residence. He was born on July 31, 1932 in Bloomfield, Mo. Mr. Faulkner retired from the United States Navy at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He and his brother ran an aviation service, his brother Norman would fly planes and Gilbert serviced the planes...

With the beginning of the new year, there is plenty of outdoor activity still available for those who wish to indulge. This weekend will wind up the firearms deer hunting seasons as the youth hunt will be Jan. 7-8. There appears to be a good supply of deer available. The deer seem to be herded up as most of the ones I have seen usually are in a bunch...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor Dates were set for the spring turkey seasons and the fall firearms deer opener during the Missouri Conservation Commission's December meeting. Setting the dates early, said MDC spokesman Jim Low, allows hunters to plan accordingly well ahead of the seasons...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation Yet another portion of the 2011 firearms deer season is over, the muzzleloading season. While not a new record for this season, it was fairly close. Hunters took 15,238 deer during the muzzleloading season, which ran December 17-27. It was the second largest harvest for this season. The record was taken in 2009 at 15, 907 checked. We were only 669 short of that record this year, but were up 18 percent over last year however...

Floyd White WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Floyd Bentley White, 4 months, died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Friday followed by the funeral services at 2 p.m. at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville, Mo...

Bob Barriner Bob Barriner, 71, of Boaz, Ala., died Monday, Jan. 2, 2012, in Birmingham, Ala. He was born Aug. 6, 1940, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., where he formerly lived. He was of the Christian faith. Mr. Barriner served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era. He was a heavy equipment operator in the coal mines. He enjoyed fishing...

Johnie Parker Johnie Parker, 68, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at his residence. Mr. Parker was born Feb. 18, 1943 in Poplar Bluff. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and had retired in 2000 after 31 years as a supervisor with Rowe Furniture Co. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and was an avid Atlanta Braves baseball fan...

Did you see that, America? If Mother Earth really cares she would open up right under the coffin of Kim Jong Il and drop his worthless skin and bones into her fiery hole, then close up around his flaming arse. This dear leader of North Korea lived much, much too long. ...

By MONA CHAREN Campaign season is not a time for truth. It's a time for the candidates, the press and the voters to tell themselves fables. The Democrats' fable this year is straightforward: President Obama has been a failure at reviving the economy because the hole dug by George W. ...

Terry "TeeJay" Britton, has come a long way since he played basketball at Poplar Bluff High School. Now living in Joplin, Britton is the summer camp director and assistant head basketball coach for Rain Makers Christian Sports Ministry. There he coaches young athletes from third grade through high school...

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. -- Three Rivers had some costly defensive lapses Wednesday. The Lady Raiders were ahead by five with less than eight minutes remaining but Williams Baptist hit key 3-pointers to complete a late comeback and win 76-73. "We probably had four turnovers in the last three minutes of the game that were real crucial," Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said. "That is eight points we needed to capitalize on."...

Three Rivers freshman Will Holifield is making up for lost time. He didn't pick up basketball until the sixth grade, but Holifield excelled throughout high school at Sikeston. After winning a title for the 30-0 Bulldogs last year, Holifield comes off the bench primarily as a shooter for the Raiders, who open Region XVI play Saturday at the Black River Coliseum...

Frances Montgomery DEXTER, Mo. -- Frances Ann Montgomery, 74, of Dexter, Mo., died on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at the Gideon Care Center in Gideon, Mo. Mrs. Montgomery was born on March 12, 1937, in Dexter and was a homemaker. She was a member of the Second General Baptist Church in Dexter where she played the organ for a number of years. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren...

Gilbert Faulkner DEXTER, Mo. -- Gilbert M. Faulkner, 79, of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012, at his residence. He was born on July 31, 1932 in Bloomfield, Mo. Mr. Faulkner retired from the United States Navy at the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He and his brother ran an aviation service, his brother Norman would fly planes and Gilbert serviced the planes...

By BILL GRAHAM Mo. Dept. of Conservation KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Snowy owls from the Arctic tundra are being spotted in the Midwest this winter in uncommonly large numbers, including three at Smithville Lake in the Kansas City area. The large, white owls with black markings are rarely seen in this area and only when their winter food supply is short in their natural habitats to the north. A single snowy owl in the region is big news to birders...