Stories from Saturday, April 19, 2014

The Poplar Bluff Kiwanis Club, in partnership with the Mark Twain National Forest, will host a 6K and 10K trail run Saturday in the Wolf Creek area of the forest northwest of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The run will begin at 9 a.m., according to Kiwanis Club member Steve Halter, and participants can register on-site that morning...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer October 2013 marked 10 years in remission from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia for Brandon Scott, a 12-year-old from Poplar Bluff, Mo. This year also marks his 10th year collecting pull tabs to give to the Ronald McDonald House Charities at the Tab Top Pandemonium event in St. Louis...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Administrators at Poplar Bluff School District believe it will have to supplement federal money that pays for nearly 40 staff members if all of those positions are to be kept next year. The board also discussed a possible change to the high school policy on fighting and issues with the girls soccer program...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff School District approved $1.4 million in raises and health insurance benefits for employees Thursday, during the monthly meeting. Staff will receive a $500 raise to the base salary and be allowed to move a step on the salary schedule, which increases pay based on experience and education...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat A few months back, I penned a column that talked about trust in our government and specifically trust in this administration. The theme then - as it remains today - is that absent trust virtually any act or proposal coming from government officials will be viewed with some level of skepticism...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor The sun's rays stream in Annette Joseph's office at the Church of the Holy Cross in Poplar Bluff, Mo., reflecting in her smile and eyes. Joseph is the priest for the local Episcopal congregation. Her journey to renewal and the priesthood was paved with domestic violence...

Juanita Beshears PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Juanita Beshears, 64, of Piedmont, Mo., died Thursday, April 17, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont.

Don't mislead America A few years back in our country's history there used to be a law on the books called "The Truth in Advertising." When it came to advertising products on the American airways, well, apparently that doesn't work anymore in America. ...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor As the sun rises Easter morning, Jonathan Brandsasse, 37, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., will watch with renewed vision. A former Marine, Brandsasse has been fighting battles most of his life. He started using alcohol in his mid teens and about 20 he added marijuana to his addictions. In April 2010, Brandsasse's 72-year-old mother passed away with heart problems and he had a "real hard time." By August, he had lost his job, his vehicle and his home...

By GEORGE F. WILL DETROIT -- Robert Griffin, now 90, who rose to be second in the Republican U.S. Senate leadership, was defeated in 1978. Since then, only one Michigan Republican, Spencer Abraham in 1994, has been elected to the Senate and for only one term. Evidence that former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land might end this GOP drought is that Democrats are attacking her for opposing "preventive health care."...

William Coplin GREENVILLE, Mo. -- William Coplin, 82, of Greenville died Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Greenville Nursing and Health Care in Greenville. Visitation will be at 5:30 p.m. today for the family at the Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville and 6 p.m. for the public. The service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday also at the chapel, with the burial at Camp Eight...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Two months ago, a petition bearing more than 110,000 signatures was delivered to The Washington Post demanding a ban on any article questioning global warming. The petition arrived the day before publication of my column, which consisted of precisely that heresy...

Lorine Keith PUXICO, Mo. -- Lorine Keith, 85, of Puxico died Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Oakdale Caring Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel with Scott Sifford officiating. Burial will be in Puxico City Cemetery...

Marie Darlin Marie Darlin, 88, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Darlin was born Dec. 14, 1925, in Okmulgee, Okla., to the late Clifford Renick and Viola Johnson-Renick. She was employed at the Butler County Clerk's office for 21 years and was a homemaker. She was a member of the Hilliard Extension Club...

Wilburn Maxwell VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Wilburn Madison Wayne Maxwell, 74, of Van Buren, formerly of St. Louis, Mo., died Thursday, April 17, 2014, in the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. A visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren with a memorial service following at 2 p.m. Rev. Johnny Gipson will officiate...

Helen Smith Helen Maxine Smith, 90, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Smith was born Feb. 21, 1924, in Hunter, Mo., to the late Carlos and Pearl Rongey Jordan. She was valedictorian of her class at Ellsinore High School, graduating in 1940...

Morgan Taylor of Doniphan, Mo., was one of 30 high school sophomores recently selected to participate in the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Missouri Agribusiness Academy. Taylor and the other students selected will spend the first week of June in northwestern Missouri learning about many of the unique opportunities available in agriculture...

Area Missouri Lottery winners of $1,000 or more in March include the following: $10,000 Powerball winners: Cheryl Brawley, Ellington, $10,004 Keith Crabtree, Ellington, $3,333 Annabelle Lanham, Ellington, $3,334 Clifford Smith, Williamsville, $3,333...

Chamber hosts best-selling author for management talk The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce will host number one best-selling author Glenn Shepard from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 23. Shepard will speak on the topic of "Be the manager other managers envy and bosses can't wait to reward." He is a well-known national speaker in the areas of leadership and human resources...

PARK HILLS -- The Lady Raiders kicked off the home stretch of the regular season with a split against Mineral Area Thursday afternoon. Taylor Friend pitched a complete-game shutout in the opener to win 2-0 and then the Lady Cardinals hit a pair of 2-run home runs in the nightcap and won 7-5...

ELLSINORE -- There's a chance, he will see them again in May. But in his two most recent spring starts against the Neelyville Tigers, Logan Saffle has done a pretty good job keeping them in check. In a battle of two Class 2 state-ranked teams and a rematch of last year's district title game, Saffle and his East Carter Redbirds scored all of their runs in the first two innings as they won 5-2 Thursday afternoon...

PARAGOULD, Ark. -- Wesley Pyles and Brandon Stuckenschneider combined on a 2-hitter and Kameron Misner out-hit Greene County Tech in Poplar Bluff's 8-1 win Thursday. Misner was 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs as the Mules (9-0) played for the first time in a week...

PIEDMONT -- Clearwater only had one more hit, but did a fantastic job of putting the ball in play at just the right times Darrian Gayle was 3-for-3 with a triple and four RBIs for the Lady Tigers (8-3) on Thursday and each of her hits scored runs as Clearwater defeated Twin Rivers 10-3...