Stories from Saturday, September 21, 2013

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Having many memories of growing up in the 1950s, Larry Mizell has created a mini museum dedicated to that decade. "I always had this in my mind once I retired," Mizell said. "I have always been an old car buff and I wanted to purchase one to take to car shows."...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff School Board reached an agreement Thursday with engineers for work on Oak Grove Road that will move their elementary school entrance to the back of that campus. Board members also discussed whether more school personnel should be armed during the school day for the safety of students, and received a letter from residents near O'Neal Elementary concerning traffic problems...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff schools earned high marks from auditors in a review Thursday of their Fiscal Year 2013 financials. The district earned the best opinion auditors can give, Steve Austin of Kraft, Miles and Tatum said during the monthly board meeting...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Like baby birds with yawning beaks, college football fans clamor to be fed. So fasten the chin strap on your helmet -- ignore the warning label on it ("No helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries including paralysis or death. To avoid these risks, do not engage in the sport of football.") and enjoy the seasonal festival of physical carnage, institutional derangement and moral seaminess...

By MONA CHAREN After every mass shooting, I write a variant of the same column. Perhaps I'll republish this one when the next attack happens. The increase in mass shootings over the course of the past several decades is not imaginary. In 2000, The New York Times analyzed 100 mass shootings between 1949 and 1999 and found that 73 of them had happened since 1990. ...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Every year members and friends of the First United Methodist Church come together to help others in the community. Their ministry is known as "Serve." This year, 65 adults and children volunteered to work on Saturday, Sept. 7. They did small repairs and yard work on four homes, the Child Concern Center, Recycling Grace Ministries, Boys and Girls Club and Habitat for Humanity...

By SHARON RANDALL Eulogies, though well-intentioned, are highly overrated, a belated kind of praise my mother used to call "a day late and a dollar short." I'd much prefer my roses (or my thorns) while I'm living. Why do we wait until it's too late to say what's in our heart?...

If you want to learn more about the religion of Islam and the teachings that differ from the Christian faith, Usama Dakdok will be speaking at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Baptist Church, corner of Ditch Road and Highway 53, across from McDonald's south...

Donna Barks OKLAHOMA CITY -- Donna Mae Barks went to be with the Lord Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013. She was born Jan. 22, 1938, in Enid, Okla., to Walter C. and Dessie Elledge Kelly. After high school, she met the love of her life, Dallas Barks, and they married on April 15, 1956. Donna raised their two sons, Danny and Ricky. She loved to fish, play games, work puzzles and do crafts. She loved her church family and was always caring for someone or some special pet that she kept dear to her heart...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman has published her first book, aimed at teaching children to be thankful for what they have and to not make fun of those who are different. Teresa Persons' "God's Special Gift: Glowing Shoes" tells the story of a young boy named Ralph Boy, who is poor and teased but learns he can still be "God's special light" to other children...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Plans are under way for the American Cancer Society's annual fundraiser, Relay for Life. This year's event will be held at the Black River Coliseum on Friday, Oct. 25. Opening ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. and the event will continue until 2 a.m...

Cane Creek Community Club met a 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Twin Towers. President Glenda Phillips called the meeting to order and members offered the Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call responses were "Something about school days." Everyone had attended a rural school and shared their experiences and told how much they learned from dedicated teachers...

Chester Vincent CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Chester Leo Vincent, 74, of Campbell, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, at his daughter's residence in Webster Groves, Mo. Mr. Vincent, son of Jacob and Dorthea Cullum Vincent, was born on April 21, 1939, in Campbell. He was an insurance agent for more than 25 years and was a member of the Westwood Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff...

The Sept. 12 meeting of the Missouri Star Quilters' Guild was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by President Teresa Rueck with 24 members present. The minutes from the August 2013 meeting were approved. Cheryl Maples presented the treasurer's report. New member Cleo Emery was welcomed. She is an avid quilter and even had an item for Sew and Tell. We also were glad to have member Pat McWilliams back after a long illness...

Cecil Kelley FISK, MO. -- Cecil Wayne Kelley, 74 , of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, at Westwood Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center at Poplar Bluff. Graveside service will at 11 a.m. Monday at Missouri State Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo., with Rev. Everett Gunter officiating. Burial will follow service with full military honors...

Pansy Wyman PARMA, Mo.--Pansy Marie Graham Wyman, 81, of Parma, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will at 11 a.m. Saturday the Parma First Baptist Church in Parma. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Parma First Baptist Church with Rev. Kerry Stokes of Charleston, Mo. officiating...

Leonard Norman BERNIE, Mo. -- Leonard Norman, 77, of Bernie died Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013, at his residence. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie.

Mary Jo and Justin Andrew Pennington of Harviell, Mo. have chosen the name Justin Cooper Pennington for their 7-pound son born at 9:13 a.m., Friday, Sept. 6, 2013 at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Justin was 20 inches long...

By KEITH LEWIS SEMO News Service When it comes to pool players, many people might harbor the image of a pool shark who confounds opponents by making seemingly impossible shots. Some might also recall the character of philosophical pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, made famous by Paul Newman in the movies "The Hustler" and "The Color of Money."...

Rayeline Collins NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Rayeline A. "Thuglett" Hall Collins, 4, of Neelyville, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, near Neelyville. Visitation will be held after 3 p.m. Saturday at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel...

Cape Central just pressed a little bit more late in Thursday's soccer game at Poplar Bluff. The Tigers were tied or trailed a majority of the game but came through with two goals about three minutes apart with less than 10 minutes to play to pull out a 2-1 victory at Whiteley Park...

NEELYVILLE -- Defensive miscues gave Doniphan the lead early, but Neelyville made up for it and won 5-3 Thursday. The much-improved Lady Tigers (4-7) started the season 0-4 after struggling to find timely hits. The habit continued through the early part of Thursday's game...

Raben Tire & Auto Service has kicked off the Michelin Signature Soccer program, an annual fund raiser for the Poplar Bluff Optimist Soccer League. Between now and Oct. 6, Raben Tire & Auto Service and Michelin will donate a portion of each tire sale to the Poplar Bluff Optimist Soccer League. In addition, families who register to play this season can take advantage of extra benefits, including discounts and a free soccer ball...

The Historic Downtown Dexter Association will be hosting its annual Fall Fest Pageant on Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Dexter High School auditorium. Each category will have a queen and two alternates, and each queen will receive a crown and trophy. Alternates will receive a trophy as well...

ELLSINORE -- Maci Coleman tossed a 3-hit shutout Thursday as the Poplar Bluff softball team won 9-0 at East Carter. Coleman and the Lady Mules have not allowed a run in 14 innings after beating Jackson 2-0 Tuesday. Coleman struck out four, walked one and hit one in seven innings...

BERNIE -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats got a leg up on the Bernie Lady Mules in Stoddard County Activities Association play with a 25-19, 25-16 win Thursday. "I felt like our effort was there tonight and we were moving well," Dexter coach Carmen Morgan told the Dexter Daily Statesman. ...