Stories from Friday, March 21, 2014

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Trustees at Three Rivers College approved raises for employees Wednesday, saying their measures keep promises to faculty, while maintaining leadership that has helped the institution grow. Staff will receive a 2.5 percent bump in pay, while faculty have been given $1,500 to base pay. This amounts to a 3.5 percent raise on the average faculty salary, administration has said, but more importantly completes a commitment made three years ago to raise base pay by $5,000...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The U.S. Bureau of Prisons still has not made a decision on awarding a new five-year contract to operate a federal residential re-entry center to serve federal inmates being returned to Butler, Stoddard and Scott counties...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A "profound change" has taken place at Three Rivers College since 2008, according to a report from the institution's accrediting agency. The document from the Higher Learning Commission concerning its November focus visit praised improvements in strategic planning and assessment of student learning...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Three Rivers College has taken on an additional $8.6 million in debt to complete construction projects underway in Poplar Bluff and Sikeston, according to information presented at Wednesday's Board of Trustees meeting. The lease participation certificates were taken to market Tuesday and sold with an average interest of 3.7 percent. Three Rivers is expected to receive the funds in mid-April...

One of the earliest vegetables to plant in spring gardens is cauliflower. This delicious veggie is a cousin of broccoli. In fact, it's hard to tell the plants apart. I know from personal experience that it's easy to get these plants mixed up. Plant this vegetable any time between March 5 and April 5. ...

SBU awards scholarships Southwest Baptist University awarded more than 200 Dutile Scholars Awards to prospective students during the annual Scholars Day scholarship competition. For this area, Aaron Vincent of Poplar Bluff, Mo., a student at Poplar Bluff Senior High School, was awarded. He is the son of Warren and Melanie Hamann. He also has been accepted into SBU's Gordon and Judy Dutile Honors Program...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- The president of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council challenges critics of President Obama's Ukraine policy by saying "What are you going to do, send the 101st Airborne into Crimea?" Not exactly subtle. And rather silly, considering that no one has proposed such a thing...

By BEN CARSON As a teenager, I began a new lifelong routine of starting and ending each day reading from the book of Proverbs, which, of course, was written by Solomon, a very wise man. Interestingly, my parents gave me the middle name of Solomon -- not that I claim even a modicum of his wisdom...

The Constitution is clear- Congress has the duty to write laws and, once they are enacted, it is the President's responsibility to enforce the laws. Article II, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution declares that the President "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." However, President Obama has failed on multiple occasions to enforce acts of Congress that he disagrees with. ...

James Vert James M. Vert, 73, of Grandin, Mo., died Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

The Twin Rivers High School Students of the Month are Erica Love, Casey Wayne, Nathan Watson, and Hannah Sadler. The student of the month for the freshman class is Erica Dane Love. Her parents are Jessica and Brian Love. She is currently in FCCLA, FBLA and plays volleyball. Her plans after high school are going to college to play volleyball...

The great thing about raising the bar is that resting in that rare air just above it is something very special. The Dexter Lady Bearcats are heading back to the MSHSAA Class 4 Show-Me Showdown and are in a similar situation last year. Even Incarnate Word and its ESPN ranked 6-footers are back as the favorite to win it all...

For senior Okeemah Nicolini, a fresh start is nothing new. Poplar Bluff's seniors Nicolini, Courtney Raulston, Katelyn Moore and Kaycee Kimbrow will be playing for their fourth coach as Nick Toniazzo takes over the soccer program. "It's been really hard for us," Nicolini said of having a coaching change every season. "Each year is like a different coaching technique. It's kind of hard for us to get back in the swing of things every single year."...

Elvis Martin DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Elvis Levy Martin, Rolla, Mo., 91, passed away on Friday, March 14, 2014, in Rolla. He was born in Ripley County, Mo., to Edward Martin and Hattie Crutchfield Martin. He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Edna Lee Hawkins Martin; son, Mike Martin (wife, Nettie) of Rolla; daughter, Joan Wilson (husband, Tom) of Lee's Summit, Mo.; five grandsons, Michael (wife, Andrea), Rob (wife, Laura) and Greg Martin, Jay (wife, Emily) and Brian (wife, Alicia) Wilson; and six great-grandchildren, Jake, Allie, Kyle, Maddie, Sophie and Sloan.. ...

Donald Brown Donald "Don" W. Brown, Sr., 63, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., went home to be with our Lord on Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Brown was born Nov. 29, 1950 in Poplar Bluff. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and had retired as a Department of Transportation officer for Missouri Highway Patrol. ...

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. -- With the wind blowing in, the Lady Raiders traded their recent string of home runs for a healthy supply of small ball. Three Rivers swept and shutout Williams Baptist JV with 9-0 and 10-0 wins in a doubleheader Wednesday. "They played good defense, we just ran the bases well and had some people step up with some key hits," Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said. "It's two good wins no matter what you say."...