Stories from Monday, September 9, 2013

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer At just 14 years old, Tori Travers of Poplar Bluff, Mo., is quickly gaining a name for herself as a singer-songwriter in Southeast Missouri. Travers began singing at a young age and writing what she describes as "silly little songs." For her 13th birthday, she asked for a guitar to further explore her abilities...

By COREY NOLES SEMO Press Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo.-- A Dexter man charged with exposing and infecting unsuspecting individuals to the HIV virus has been jailed before. Documents from the office of Dallas, Texas County District Clerk Gary Fitzsimmons detail a series of arrests for varying misdemeanor charges...

Warrant amended to allow no bond By COREY NOLES SEMO News Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter man accused of recklessly exposing others to HIV has now been charged with 21 counts. Just one day following a hearing where David Mangum was denied a bond reduction, his bond amount was revoked. This means that Mangum will remain in jail until his case is decided...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer As the midday sun beat down on the group's camps Saturday, men (and a few women) clad in blue and gray reenacted a pivotal battle as part of Civil War Days on the shady hillside known as Fort Benton in Patterson, Mo...

Area men read Bible aloud at courthouse By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer "And all the people gathered as one man at the square ... and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding ... ...

By KEITH LEWIS SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- While no official word has been provided by 20th Century Fox as to whether Cape Girardeau will be a filming location for the feature film "Gone Girl," there was another casting call -- of a different sort -- Friday at the Osage Centre...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Two Puxico, Mo., residents were killed in a one-vehicle accident at shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday on Route BB in Stoddard County. A third Stoddard County resident was seriously injured in a separate accident Sunday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Brandy L. ...

The Poplar Bluff Public Library's popular Tech Talk Thursday program is undergoing changes in structure and services. The library staff is revising the program to fit the technology consumers need while keeping the personal service patrons want for accessing library technology...

NOTRE DAME -- Naylor finished third at the Notre Dame SoftballFest, improving to 5-2 on the season. The Lady Eagles swept the competition Friday, beating St. Genevieve 8-6 and Portageville 5-2. They ran into a tough Kelly squad in the semifinals and lost 17-2 before beating St. Puis X 6-4 in the third place game...

By BILL O'REILLY It used to be that most kids hated early September: those back-to-school ads all over the place and the dreaded specter of another long year sitting in front of Ms. Crabtree or whomever. Most baby boomers like me equated Labor Day with a trip to the dentist...

By DALE MCFEATTERS Scripps Howard News Service Although it can seem as if we're always fighting somewhere, the United States is not a terribly warlike country. During the Civil War -- our bloodiest conflict after World War II -- we fought among ourselves. WWII started when the Japanese attacked us without warning, sinking four of our battleships, damaging four others and killing more than 2,000 Americans. And Nazi Germany, in a show of Axis solidarity, declared war on us, not vice versa...

By MONA CHAREN Complacency is a state of mind that exists only in retrospective: It has to be shattered before being ascertained. --Vladimir Nabokov After 9/11, the prevailing view was that "nothing would ever be the same." The sight of bodies plunging 100 stories from the flaming towers of the World Trade Center seared into our psyches the reality that America has cruel and wanton enemies. ...

The Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center will host the 10th annual "Native American Day" from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. The event will be held on the grounds of the Museum at 1071 Heritage Park Drive, Piggott, Ark. There will be no house tours for the day. There is no admission charge. There will be free hot dogs and sodas, games and crafts for the kids, souvenirs from the museum store for under $5 and authorities on the subject of Native Americans...

TOPS MO 734 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) was called to order at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting with 16 TOPS and three KOPS present. Following roll call, Lou Ann Wrather read the secretary's report, which was approved...

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service Darkness to Light, a program aimed at educating adults on how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse, will be offered in Dexter on three dates during the month of September. According to Beth Bischof of the Regional Healthcare Foundation, the program is being offered in the area through a one-year-grant to the foundation's Mother-to-Mother Program...

Six members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol recently were promoted in rank and given new duties as they serve the citizens of Southeast Missouri and Ozark regions. Receiving promotions in Troop E were Cpl. Keith A. Almond, Trooper Matt L. Keeney, Trooper Lonnie R. Lejeune, Trooper David W. Crank and Trooper Dewey K. Heppe. Being promoted in Troop G was Trooper Brian D. Foster...

It only took three snaps and 7 yards for the Poplar Bluff football team to reach the end zone Friday night after a botched punt. Dexter, meanwhile, couldn't capitalize on turnovers by the Mules as Poplar Bluff won 34-7 at Morrow Field. "That was very key," said senior Jacob Sliger, who had seven tackles including one of Poplar Bluff's six sacks. "It gave the team confidence, that's exactly what it did."...

MALDEN -- After allowing a mind-blowing 60 points last week against Mountain View-Liberty, one had to wonder how Caruthersville's defense was going to respond a week later at Malden. Given the fact that the Tigers gave up those points to the second-ranked team in Class 2, Caruthersville's defense just didn't play like a top-ranked team at the time...

Brother Clint Colburn DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Brother Clint Roger Colburn, 86, of Doniphan died Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Brother Colburn, son of Clifford B. and Lucy J. (Smith) Colburn, was born Sept. 24, 1926, in Ripley County. He had been preaching for 51 years...

Ray Hawkins Raymond "Ray" W. Hawkins, 87, known by many as "Dago," of Poplar Bluff passed away Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at his daughter's residence. Mr. Hawkins was born Dec. 5, 1925, in Kennett, Mo. He was the first son of Everett and Myrtle (Fry) Hawkins. He was a member of First General Baptist Church and worked many years as the "Dairy Man" working for both Wallis - Case and Blakeney Dairy...

JACKSON -- Poplar Bluff's Isaiah Williams won the sophomore race Saturday at the Jackson Invitational. Williams ran the 2.35-mile course in 13 minutes to open the cross country season. The event is split up by grades with runners able to move up. Allison Huskey was fourth for the Lady Mules in the Senior Division with a time of 16:32 while Bailey Davidson placed sixth for the Mules in the Senior Division at 12:50...

Dorlus Tucker DEXTER, Mo. -- Dorlus L. Tucker, daughter of the late Carl Lawrence and Agnes McClard Lawrence, was born on Jan. 25, 1935, at rural Pyletown, Mo., and departed this life on Sept. 5, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo., at the age of 78 years...

Clyde Rainwater CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Clyde S. Rainwater, 88, of Campbell died Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. A graveside service will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Gravel Hill Cemetery at Campbell with the Rev. Darren Baker officiating...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- On Jan. 20, 1981, Michael Deaver, a political aide, peered into a bedroom in Blair House, across from the White House, and said to the man still abed, "It's 8 o'clock. You're going to be inaugurated as president in a few hours." From beneath the blankets, Ronald Reagan said, "Do I have to?"...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Who doesn't love a mystery? What could be better than a night of intrigue and mystery in the wild and romantic era of the Roaring 20's? This is what awaits those brave enough to attend "Death at the Depot" --an Ozark Family Resource Agency Murder Mystery, on Friday, Oct. 11, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at the Historic Train Depot on S. Main Street...

By SHARON RANDALL Scripps Howard News Service Happiness means different things to different people. Take my brother. Blind all his life and crippled by cerebral palsy, Joe lives alone with plenty of time to think about things he doesn't have and to miss all the people he has loved and lost...

Marjorie McGuire DEXTER, Mo. -- Marjorie Jane McGuire, 81, of Dexter died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 7 p.m. in the funeral home chapel...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER Sen. Bob Corker: "What is it you're seeking?" Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "I can't answer that, what we're seeking." -- Senate hearing on the use of force in Syria, Sep. 3. WASHINGTON -- We have a problem. The president proposes attacking Syria, and his top military officer cannot tell you the objective. Does the commander in chief know his own objective? Why, yes. "A shot across the bow," explained Barack Obama...

Luke Pierce FISK, Mo. -- Semuel Luther "Luke" Pierce Sr., 82, of Broseley, Mo., died Saturday, September 7, 2013, at Westwood Hills Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Pierce was born May 12, 1931, in Broseley. He was a farmer and had formerly owned and operated Pierce Grocery at Broseley. On Oct. 14, 1950, he married Eileen Rose Snider. She preceded him in death on June 5, 2008...

Donald Dirickson ARNOLD, Mo. -- Donald Ray Dirickson of Arnold, Mo., formerly of Qulin, Mo., passed away Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis. Donald was born June 20, 1936, to Fred Dirickson Sr. and Jewell Edna Dirickson. He graduated from Qulin High School and began his truck-driving career with 14 years for Railway Express in St. ...

Dexter falls to ND in semifinals CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After a 2-1 performance in pool play, the Dexter Lady Bearcats were narrowly defeated by the host Lady Bulldogs in the Gold Bracket semifinals of the Notre Dame VolleyballFest 25-18, 13-25, 25-23 Saturday night...

From fall rodeo to spring baseball and everything scheduled in between, the 2013-14 Raider rosters are set and ready to go. The annual Meet the Raiders event is 6 p.m. Monday at the Bess Activity Center. Admission is free. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. and is $3...