Stories from Thursday, November 21, 2013

Suspect captured in 33 minutes By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Within 33 minutes after allegedly robbing a Poplar Bluff bank Tuesday morning, a Malden, Mo., man was in custody for the alleged crime. At 11:26 a.m., a 911 call came into the Poplar Bluff Police Department from a teller at the Poplar Bluff Federal Credit Union in the 200 block of North Fifth Street, according to Dave Williams, the communications officer answering the call...

N'ville clerk pleads guilty By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A former Neelyville city clerk pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to stealing by using a city credit card and charge account to purchase merchandise for her own use. Accompanied by her attorney, Carl Miller, Melissa Michelle Porter, 37, of Neelyville, Mo., pleaded guilty as charged to the Class C felony of stealing, according to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour...

Rick's 66 shooting trial starts By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor JACKSON, Mo. -- Jury selection began this morning in Cape Girardeau County in the case of a Hayti, Mo., man accused of shooting a local teenager multiple times in the parking lot of a local business, leading to his death...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Federal authorities recently recognized several area law enforcement officers for their work in bringing accused kidnapper and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Dean Shelton, to justice and returning his alleged victim to her mother alive...

Twelve people will graduate in January from the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce 2013 Gateway to Leadership Program. Gateway to Leadership (GTL) started in 2009 and is an innovative community program designed to identify and motivate emerging and/or relocated leaders and to develop their potential for community leadership roles by acquainting them with the opportunities, realities and challenges of the community. ...

Natalie Quynn is the name Nathan and Beth Levenson of Poplar Bluff, Mo. have chosen for their 5-pound, 3-ounce daughter born at 4:32 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2013, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Natalie was 17 and one-half inches long. Grandparents are Larry and Tanya Floyd of Fayetteville, Ark. and Ina Levenson of Israel...

The Agee Community Club met Nov. 14 at Ryan's and celebrated its 81st anniversary meeting. Jeanie Figgins was this month's hostess. Orel Smith offered the invocation. Cathy Womack, club president, called the meeting to order with the members repeating the club collect. Nickey Orton read the devotional on the unbreakable love of God from Romans 8:35-39. Roll call was answered with: What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving?...

Tina Moffitt PIGGOTT, Ark. -- Katherine "Tina" Consos Moffitt, 82, of Fagus, Mo., passed away Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, in San Diego, Calif. Tina was born Feb. 6, 1931, in Savannah, Ga., and was the daughter of the late Louis and Bonnie (Young) Consos...

To say the opening few days of this fall's firearms deer season have generally been a disappointment would be an understatement. Wind, rain, warm temperatures and a full moon all have plagued hunters this season, and the deer harvest reflects it. Statewide, hunters took 61,446 deer over the first weekend, a number which represents the lowest opening weekend harvest in more than 20 years. Last year, hunters took 69,614 over the same period, which was considered very low...

Berneda Hughey GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Berneda Knight Hughey, 86, joined the heavenly angels Tuesday morning, Nov. 19, in her daughter's arms at her house in Poplar Bluff where her earthly angels (Carrie, Buffy, Kim and Angie) have been caring for her for over a year...

By GEORGE F. WILL What he was, he was: What he is fated to become Depends on us. -- W.H. Auden, "Elegy for JFK" (1964) BOSTON -- He has become fodder for an interpretation industry toiling to make his life malleable enough to soothe the sensitivities and serve the agendas of the interpreters. The quantity of writing about him is inversely proportional to the brevity of his presidency...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS There's more to the deceit and dishonesty about Social Security and Medicare discussed in my recent columns. Congress tells us that one-half (6.2 percent) of the Social Security tax is paid by employees and that the other half is paid by employers, for a total of 12.4 percent. ...

The Three Rivers Raiders made it through a busy eight days with a flawless record and now have 10 days to practice before their next game. The Raider bench contributed 44 points Tuesday in an 80-68 against Lewis & Clark on Tuesday at the Bess Activity Center...

Willie Padgett Jr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Willie C. Padgett Jr., 76, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield with Jerry Elder and Jack Gilles officiating. Burial will follow graveside services...

Donald Hampton Sr. Donald Ray Hampton Sr., 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at Mark Twain Caring Center. Mr. Hampton was born Jan. 30, 1930, in Hartville, Mo. He was a member of Liberty Church and was a minister and missionary on an American Indian reservation. He had served in the Air Force during the Korean War...

Take Off Pounds Sensibly Missouri 734 met Nov. 13. Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting with 15 TOPS and four KOPS present. Following roll call, Lou Ann Wrather read the secretary's report which stood approved. Best losers were Bob Parshall for TOPS and Millie McClannahan for KOPS...

Buster Lindsay FISK, Mo. -- James "Buster" Dallas Lindsay, 51, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at Poplar Bluff. Mr. Lindsay was born March 26, 1962, at Broseley, Mo., to George Edward and Cecelia Stella Warner Lindsay. He had lived around Fisk and Poplar Bluff most of his life...

Rev. Riley Mathias Rev. Riley M. Mathias, 85, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Melvin Keel DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Melvin Lewis Keel, 80, of Doniphan died Monday morning, Nov. 18, 2013, at his residence in rural Ripley County. Mr. Keel, son of Dona and Adelia (Risinger) Keel, was born Aug. 8, 1933, in St. Louis, Mo. He retired as a truck driver with the Teamsters Union. ...

To the Editor: Thank you to the following sponsors for supporting the East Carter 2013-2014 Yearbook. Without your contributions, our all color yearbook would not be possible. Please support these businesses as they have supported us. Gold Sponsors: SMV, INC-Van Buren; Stray Dog BBQ-Van Buren; Baldwin Ford Lincoln Scion/Verizon Wireless-Poplar Bluff; Bank Of Grandin-Ellsinore, Doniphan, Grandin, Van Buren; Big Valley Fox Pen-The Kearbeys-Ellsinore; Jostens-Jim Dumont and Mark Williams; MHJ Insurance Agency-Poplar Bluff; First Midwest Bank of the Ozarks - Poplar Bluff, Van Buren; Van Buren Drug Store-Van Buren; LEERJACK Travel Center-Ellsinore; PFT Diagnostics-Ellsinore; Coltons Steakhouse and Grill-Poplar Bluff; Tag Truck Enterprises of Mo.-Poplar Bluff; Las Margaritas - Poplar Bluff and Van Buren.. ...

Eugene Field Elementary School has chosen its October Students of the Month for the 2013-2014 school year. Mallory Metz was chosen for Ashley McCauley's second grade class. Metz is the daughter of Jamie and John Jackson. She enjoys running and jumping rope. Her teacher says that Metz is always doing her personal best and is a joy to have in class. She adds, "She is helpful and encouraging to others. Mallory has good leadership skills." Metz wants to be a doctor when she grows up...

Live free or die Well, folks, in another brilliant move by our wonderful, control everything, federal government, the FDA has now issued a ban against all trans fats. You know for the betterment of everyone's health. Well, here's something they probably are not remembering. ...

Some NFL fans might have just assumed that Ray Lewis was also the team chaplain during his 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens. The hulking, emotional linebacker that helped lead the Ravens to two Super Bowls in his career was front and center about his religious beliefs. The cameras always seemed to pick up Lewis as he rallied his teammates, often with high-strung enthusiasm mixed in with some scripture and testimony before kickoff...

By BILL O'REILLY Readers of The New York Times must have been confused the other day when the paper ran an article titled "Under Strain, France Examines Its Safety Net." Because the Times is ultra-liberal on its editorial page -- pretty much advocating every entitlement possible -- the hard news story seemed somewhat out of place. ...

Glenda Phillips hosted the Cane Creek Community Club meeting for November. The meeting was opened with the hostess giving a devotional. Roll call was answered with "Caring and Sharing" in honor of Thanksgiving. The treasurer's report was given. Then, cookies were decorated to resemble a turkey and sent to Swift Creek Residential Care. ...

Within 33 minutes after allegedly robbing a Poplar Bluff bank Tuesday morning, a Malden, Mo., man was in custody for the alleged crime. At 11:26 a.m., a 911 call came into the Poplar Bluff Police Department from a teller at the Poplar Bluff Federal Credit Union in the 200 block of North Fifth Street, according to Dave Williams, the communications officer answering the call...

Cpt. George E. Ridens, commanding officer of Troop E, Poplar Bluff, announced Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, and on Sunday, Dec. 1, Troop E officers will take part in the 20-Mile Trooper project in an effort to promote safety and to reduce the number of traffic crashes in the Troop E area. ...