Stories from Friday, November 22, 2013

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Six former Butler County deputy sheriffs, who are now Poplar Bluff police officers, cited higher pay and better benefits as reasons why they switched departments. Deputy Police Chief Jeff Rolland worked for the sheriff's department for two years, beginning in March 1988...

By COREY NOLES SEMO News Service A Stoddard County, Mo., man accused of a 2012 rape and abduction near Advance, Mo., has pleaded guilty to some of the charges. Steven Clark Rendleman, 52, will face a jury trial Dec. 3 to 5 in a Franklin County, Mo., courtroom before Judge Gael D. Wood...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer For the fourth year, the Palace of Praise Church will be bringing "The Sounds of Christmas" to area residents with its annual community performances to be held nightly at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15 through Wednesday, Dec. 18. The performance evolves each year with last year's players carrying on the story in this year's production...

By COREY NOLES SEMO New Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man accused of recklessly exposing as many as 300 people to HIV has been transferred to the Butler County jail and will have his case heard in Butler County. David Lee Mangum has been charged with 21 counts of the Class B felony of recklessly exposing another to HIV...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor JACKSON, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau County jury is expected to begin its deliberations today as to whether a Hayti, Mo., man is guilty of murdering a local teen who was shot multiple times in the parking lot of Rick's 66...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer When she arrived home from the hospital on Jan. 22, four-day-old Madison Rose was blessed with a unique family: the teen mother who realized she was too young to raise a child, and the Poplar Bluff, Mo., couple who adopted her...

Jaycee Logan WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Jaycee Marie Kelsoe Logan, infant, daughter of Justin Logan and Kimberly Kelsoe of Williamsville died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013. The visitation for Jaycee will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ruegg Funeral Home chapel in Williamsville with services following at 2 p.m. Burial will be at the Holiday Cemetery in Williamsville...

4-H needs volunteers. From clubs to fairs to special events, there is a place to serve the youth in the community. 4-H needs enthusiastic parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors who enjoy working with youth. Volunteers can organize 4-H clubs; lead 4-H project groups; lead 4-H advisory groups; be a 4-H council Vmember; chair a committee such as shooting sports or horsemanship; help at a camp, fair, judging or state event; teach 4-H school enrichment programs; assist with fundraising activities; or help in many other ways.. ...

The Twin Rivers High School October students of the month for the 2013-2014 school year are Kassidy Sentell, Jamie Lowe, Jase Worley and Hayle Doyle. The student of the month for the freshman class is Kassidy Malia Sentell. She is the daughter of Kim Johnson and Matt Sentell. ...

Puxico High School has announced its first quarter honor and merit rolls for the 2013-2014 school year. Highest honors: 12th grade Ethan Adams, Grace Adams, Kristen Bozeman, Destinee Cookson, Hannah Foriester, Emmalee Hamann, Timothy Hancock, Amy Hayes, Alana Jones, Jayna Little, Alicea Little, Dakotah McMeans, Emily Merick, Ethan Miller, Garrett Payne, Hunter Placher, Brittany Shain, Michaela Simms, Trent Stafford, Micahel Sullivan and Austin Teichman...

Sarah Kay and Cody James Martin of Ellington, Mo. have chosen the name Sebastian Kail Martin for their 6-pound, 15-ounce son who was born at 6:31 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Sebastian was 20 inches long...

Rev. Riley Mathias Rev. Riley M. Mathias, 85, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Rev. Mathias, one of nine children of Carl and Lillie B. Goostree Mathias, was born Jan. 2, 1928, near Portland, Tenn...

By ARTHUR I. CYR Scripps Howard News Service Shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, CBS commentator Eric Sevareid noted the principal legacy of the murdered leader might well be an "attitude," a contagious spirit that all things are possible if only we have the vision and will...

By MONA CHAREN The talking heads love presidential analogies. Is Obamacare's rollout Obama's Hurricane Katrina or his Iraq? Is Obama's false promise that you could keep your health care plan like George H. W. Bush's "read my lips" pledge, or is it like Bill Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman"? Iran-Contra anyone?...

A couple of years ago Santa bought me a crockpot for Christmas. I haven't had one for years. I discovered that I really enjoy opening the back door on a cold winter night and being greeted by the wonderful smells of beef stew from my slow cooker. You might also enjoy this small appliance...

By CLIFFORD D. MAY Scripps Howard News Service "Any agreement that does not recognize the rights of the Iranian people and does not respect these rights, has no chance," Mohammad Javad Zarif said last week. The Iranian foreign minister was not talking about freedom of speech, assembly and religion -- among the many rights his regime has denied the people of Iran for more than 30 years. No, he was talking about a "right" that does not exist: his regime's "right" to enrich uranium...

Buddy Davis Ola "Buddy" Davis, 63, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, at his residence. Mr. Davis was born June 26, 1950, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was a former resident of Poplar Bluff having moved to Doniphan recently. He was in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and had retired from the city of Poplar Bluff. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, working on cars and loved the outdoors...

James Baker DONIPHAN, Mo. -- James Lewis Baker, 88, of Doniphan died Monday, Nov. 18, 2013, at his residence in rural Ripley County. Mr. Baker, son of Dewey and Ruby Mae (Coe) Baker, was born Oct. 31, 1925, in St. Louis, Mo. He had retired from General Motors. Mr. Baker had been a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Methodist Church in Vandalia, Mo. He was a veteran of World War II having served for both the U. S. Navy and U. S. Army...

A new banner hangs proudly inside the gymnasium at Westwood Baptist Academy. The green background bordered in black with white letters signify the 4-0 run the Eagles went on last February to win the Missouri Christian School Athletic Association state title...

Earl Fagan DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Earl Ray Fagan, 73, of Riverside, Calif., passed away Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at Keck Hospital of USC in Los Angeles. Earl, son of Ivan and Lula (Morris) Fagan, was born March 19, 1940, in Gatewood, Mo. He graduated from Couch High School in 1958. ...