Stories from Monday, November 4, 2013

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Passports are available this year for the annual Butler County Fall Driving Tour arranged by the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Committee. Persons interested in taking the 56-mile tour to see the beautiful leaves may obtain a passport at the chamber office at Business 60 and 67 or at any of the 11 participating businesses along the route...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Carter County jury assessed a punishment Friday night of one day in the county jail for a former deputy it convicted of receiving stolen property. The seven-woman and five-man jury began its deliberations in the punishment phase of Steffanie M. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The long awaited draft general management plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways will be available Nov. 8 for public review. This is the last public comment period before the final guiding document is approved by the National Park Service. The GMP will direct how the Riverways is managed for the next 20 years, said Faye Walmsley, chief of interpretation and public information officer...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Carter County jury took about two and one-half hours Friday afternoon to convict a former deputy of receiving stolen property, but acquitted her of three other felonies. The seven-woman, five-man jury began its deliberations at 2:25 p.m. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A savings of $5,587 on its sales tax revenue bonds will allow the Poplar Bluff Regional Transportation Development District to prepay $5,000 in additional bonds. The TDD board approved the necessary transactions during a meeting in City Hall while on a conference call with the district's general counsel Shannon Creighton of the Gilmore and Bell law firm in St. Louis, Mo...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff High School isn't afraid to try new things as staff look for the right mix of teaching strategies, relationship building and interventions to inspire and engage more than 1,300 students every day. "We want (students) to know somebody here cares about them and somebody here cares about what they're doing," said Principal Mike Kiehne, who discussed the campus's strengths and weaknesses during a Board of Education workshop that looked at every building...

By DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A highly watched court battle over a new Texas abortion law could have an effect in Missouri, where a similar law has been in place for years requiring doctors who perform abortions to have connections to nearby hospitals...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor EF-1 tornadoes with peak wind speeds ranging from 95 to 105 mph were responsible for the Oct. 31 damage at four locations in Ripley, Butler and Stoddard counties, according to damage survey reports released today by the National Weather Service at Paducah, Ky...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer On a recent fall morning, students at Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center could be found working on walk-in freezers, screen printing T-shirts for orders, serving customers in the cosmetology department, training in vehicle alignment and practicing rebar tying to pour concrete...

The 12th ranked Three Rivers Lady Raiders opened the season in strong form, beating Southeastarn Illinois 107-69 at the Bess Activity Center. Macy Wright made sixth 3-pointers and the squad added another five. The offense made 26 assists while committing seven turnovers...

Three Rivers held off North Lake (Texas) in overtime Saturday to start the season 2-0 in the First Midwest Bank Classic at the Bess Activity Center. Three Rivers also defeated West Paducah 69-60 on Friday. Uzonna Akazi and Eli Sample led the Raiders in scoring in both games...

Jordan Emmons postponed The Countdown with a big run of his own Friday night. The Poplar Bluff senior returned the opening kickoff 89 yards to put the Mules ahead for good to win 34-6 over Seckman in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 opener at Morrow Stadium...

Heart Warming In these times of government shut downs constant fighting over whose ideas are right and whose ideas are wrong it is really nice to see a community coming together for a really good cause. I experienced something wonderful on Saturday. ...

Bi Nguyen only just started to chase his goal Friday night. The Poplar Bluff junior running back broke the single-season rushing record in a 34-6 win over Seckman to open the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 playoff. "It didn't really mean that much to me," Nguyen said. "I think win or loss, that means more to me...

LEOPOLD -- In its third appearance in the MSHSAA Class 1 playoffs in as many seasons, the Bernie Lady Mules looked like a veteran team in terms of handling the opposition. Playing against Lesterville Saturday afternoon, Bernie got up and punished the Lady Bearcats in the first set...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Nothing is lost save honor." So said Jim Fisk after he and Jay Gould survived yet another scrape in their corrupt and storied careers in the Gilded Age Fisk's dismissal of honor came to mind while watching Barack Obama in Boston smugly explain how his vow -- "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it!" -- was now inoperative...

Terry Wiley Terry Duane Wiley, 52, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Wiley was born June 22, 1961, in Poplar Bluff. He was of the Protestant faith and had been disabled since birth. Survivors include two sisters, Brenda Hildrich of Poplar Bluff and Linda Moss (Lee) of Herculaneum, Mo.; two brothers, Hoy Wiley, Jr. (Mary) and Tim Wiley (Linda), all of Poplar Bluff; and numerous nieces and nephews...

Edith A. Hutchison Edith A. Hutchison, 60, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013. Edith was born Nov. 10, 1952 in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and was a life time resident. She attended Midland Street Church. She was a video store manager. Edith loved her family, pets and her job...

By JONATHAN FAHEY AP Energy Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Local gasoline prices are swinging up and down ever more drastically, a result of a national fuel system that is operating with a shrinking margin for error. Jumps of 20 cents per gallon or more in a single day are becoming more common, for example, according to an AP analysis of daily and weekly price changes at 120,000 U.S. ...

Robert Lofting Robert Wayne Lofting, 63, of Van Buren, Mo., died Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013, at his residence. Services are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff, Mo

By SHARON RANDALL Scripps Howard News Service Have you ever made a decision you felt sure was right, only to end up wondering later: What was I thinking? Second-guessing. I hate it. Recently, I left my home and my husband and the life that I love, to spend some time alone working on a novel on a lake in the mountains where I grew up...

Mittie Scott FISK, Mo. - Mittie Elizabeth Scott, 85, of Broseley, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013 at Lake View Residential Care at Wappapello, Mo. Mrs. Scott was born Oct. 1, 1928 at Grubbs, Ark. On July 29, 1943 she married Simon James Scott, Jr. He preceded her in death on March 2, 1982. She was of the Baptist faith and enjoyed reading, and flower arranging...

My parents were children during the Great Depression, and it scarred them, especially my father, who saw destitution in his Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood: adults standing in so-called "bread lines," children begging in the streets. My grandfather was a New York City cop, and so my dad did not suffer as others did. But he never forgot the brutal scenes and worked hard his whole life to build some financial independence...

Red Burns DEXTER, Mo. -- Lee Roy "Red" Burns, 89, of Dexter died Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Mike Kohlbaker officiating. Burial will follow in the Hagy Cemetery...

The 91st annual St. Ann's Bazaar will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 at Sacred Heart Parish Center at Eighth and Vine streets. Please use the wheel chair ramp entrance. Early shoppers may enjoy Nancy Doran's cinnamon rolls served along with milk or coffee from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. ...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Sarah White's passion for children and teaching will continue to live on. Her courageous fight with cancer ended Jan. 23, 2012, but friends and family want the community to remember her bravery and zeal forever. The decision to continue her legacy was made at her visitation...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- This term the Supreme Court will rule on important subjects from racial preferences to restrictions on political speech, but its most momentous case, to be argued Tuesday, concerns the prosecution of a Pennsylvania woman who caused a chemical burn on a romantic rival's thumb. The issue is: Can Congress' powers, which supposedly are limited because they are enumerated, be indefinitely enlarged into a sweeping police power by the process of implementing a treaty?...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer The United Methodist Women will hold their annual UMW Bazaar from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 at the First United Methodist Church, 500 N. Main Street, Poplar Bluff, Mo. The Annual Christmas Bazaar has been held at the First United Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff for decades. ...

Brandie Christine and Justin Monroe Morrow of Risco, Mo. have chosen the name Xander Monroe Morrow for their 7-pound, 4-ounce son born Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2103 at 4:41 p.m. at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Xander was 18 and one-half inches long...

Andy Harralston MALDEN, Mo. -- Andy R.V. Harralston, 75, of Malden died Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. today at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home chapel...

Lola Feverston Lola Irene Feverston (Hillis), 85, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, Nov. 1, 2013, at her residence. Lola was born Aug. 16, 1928, in Butler County. She married Charlie Feverston on Jan. 3, 1948, in Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death. She loved spending time with her family and friends and was an animal lover...

Greenville Honor Roll Greenville High School and Junior High announces its first quarter honor roll. Seniors Cullen Barks, Brandon Bates, Emily Bratton, David Breeze, Hannah Brown, Rachel Brown, Thomas Costephens, Trevor Craig, Zach Davis, Bailey Faries, Shaylin Harvell, Danny Helm, Wayne Hensley, Brittany Hill, Kelley Hillis, Sarah Hillis, Denyce Keele, Tylor Logsdon, Dakota Norden, Kaci Payne, Winston Porter, Dorthy Robinson, Corinne Rose, Amber Smith, Dakota Stilts, Chelsea Studdard, Maria Tibbs, Dalton Tilley, Bailey White, Sara Young.. ...

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) 734 was called to order at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16, with 14 TOPS present. Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting. The best loser was Mae Greenwood for TOPS. Lou Ann Wrather read the secretary's report. It was approved...