Stories from Monday, May 26, 2014

SEMO News Service Charges against a Kennett, Mo., businessman have been upgraded to first degree murder in the shooting death of his wife. Allan Branum, 51, is accused of shooting his wife, Regena Branum, in the head with a .38 caliber revolver around 8:30 p.m. Thursday at 305 N. Jackson St., Kennett...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Four Ripley County teens were injured and one killed in a one-vehicle crash at 10:35 p.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 160, one mile west of Briar, Mo. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Ethan B. Yount, 16, of Gatewood, Mo., was operating a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 pickup eastbound on U.S. Highway 160 when it ran off the road, overcorrected and overturned in the road...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Jeanne Robertson will be the keynote speaker at the annual Women Aware conference Thursday, Sept. 25, at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Mo. "We have tried to reserve Jeanne Robertson for several years now and due to scheduling conflicts have been unable to do so. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Cecile Thompson's home in Piedmont is unusually quiet on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Those afternoons were once reserved for instructing students in everything from Beethoven's "Für Elise" to Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine" at the upright piano which takes center stage in the living room...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A southern Butler County, Mo., man was killed in an incident with a Butler County Sheriff's Deputy at 12:50 a.m. Saturday in the 3700 block of Highway BB. Sources close to the Daily American Republic identify the deceased as Frank "Sid" Smody...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Campbell R-II schools will place a $5 million no-tax-increase bond issue on the August ballot in hopes of funding new construction at the location of the old high school. Built in 1930, the old high school gym had been used until recent years. With the construction of a new high school in 2003, the rest of the old building has been mostly vacant...

Students at Oak Grove Elementary earning places on the Fourth Quarter Honor Roll are: Second Grade A Honor Roll Matthew Duane Anderson, Cooper Myles Jackson, Ava Lynn Kingree, Cayden Grant Larkins, Aiden Khan Nguyen, Pamela Sue Richards, Cameron Lucas Settle,...

Thomas and Brenda Allen of Naylor, Mo. announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Harper Allen, of Altamonte Springs, Fla. to Beker Padilla, also of Altamonte. Padilla is the son of Daniel Padilla of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and Teresa DeJesus Lopez of Orange Walk, Belize...

Twin Rivers - Qulin Middle School staff has released the Fourth Quarter Honor and Merit Rolls. Students earning the honors are: Honor Roll Fifth Grade -- Kayla Johnson, Hannah Jones, Blake Jordan, Ashley Langley, Hunter Lourance, Drew Love, Cody McCrory, Karson Null and Tyler Suiter...

By SHARON RANDALL McClatchy-Tribune News Service Do you know what it's like to move freely through time, to see the past, present and future all at once, and sense a connection to all that's gone before, all that is and is still yet to come? Yes, I do mean without the use of hallucinogenic drugs...

The Poplar Bluff Housing Authority, Senior Citizen Center, Twin Towers Dining Room and Library will all be closed for Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. Wednesday, 11 a.m., Xan Graves and the Country Band will sing and play a variety of songs for everyone to enjoy. Bingo every Wednesday at 1L30 p.m. Open to the public...

Mayor Pearson, Where are the charges? Since May of last year, we have been hearing accusations of deeply rooted corruption in the city government of Poplar Bluff. Our current Mayor, Angela Pearson, even submitted a multi-hundred page 'expose,' to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and the Missouri Attorney General...

Rita D. Hodge PETERSBURG, ILL.-Rita D. Hodge, 94, died on Thursday, May 22, 2014 at Sunny Acres Nursing Home. She was born Nov. 26, 1919, in McGee, Mo., the daughter of Byron and Nancy DeCelis. She married Frank Hodge on Jan. 4, 1940. He preceded her in death on July 26, 1999...

Herschel Eaton PIEDMONT, Mo.--Herschel "Doc" Eaton, 89, of Hernando, Fla., formerly of Ellsinore, Mo. died Monday, May 19, 2014 at his residence. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. Sunday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. The service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, at the chapel. Burial will be at Carson Hill Cemetery in Mill Spring, Mo...

Arthur Gunells Arthur Lee Gunells, 66, a lifetime resident of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, May 23, 2014 at his residence with his close friend and army buddy Bill Gentry at his side. He was born Oct. 27, 1947, in Poplar Bluff. He had served in the U.S. Army and was a member of the American Legion. His hobbies were going to the American Legion and watching the St. Louis Cardinals play...

Velma Billheimer GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Velma Lee Billheimer, 81, of Lodi, Mo., died Friday, May 23, 2014, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be held at 5-8 p.m. Monday at Ruegg Funeral Home, Greenville. Services will follow at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Lodi Community Church. Burial will follow at Lewis Cemetery in Lodi...

CORNING, Ark. -- Mayor Dewayne Phelan is among 112 officials in 60 counties who have declared May as Historic Preservation Month, AHPP Director Frances McSwain announced today. "The theme of Historic Preservation Month 2014 is 'New Age of Preservation: Embark, Inspire, Engage!' 'Come to the Table: Celebrating the Flavors of Arkansas' is the theme for Arkansas Heritage Month," McSwain said. ...

Jerry Foster Sr. The funeral for Jerry Dale Foster Sr., 60, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. A complete obituary will appear in Wednesday's Daily American Republic.

Charles Carroll FISK, Mo. -- Charles Carroll, 69, of St. Charles, Mo., died Friday, May 23, 2014, at his residence. Mr. Carroll was born Nov. 27, 1944 at Broseley, Mo. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was the owner of Gateway Crane and Hoist...

FENTON -- The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules set themselves up for a jump or throw away from a state title Saturday. The Lady Mules qualified in only field events at the MSHSAA Class 4 Sectional 1 meet at Rockwood Summit while Denzell Britton took the last qualifying spot in the 100 meters and Quinton Michel was also fourth to advance in the shot for the Mules...

ELLSINORE -- Football fields are 100 yards long. Basketball courts are 84 feet long and 50 feet wide. Soccer fields are 100 yards long and 60 yards wide. Baseball fields are unique in the shear fact that dimensions to the fence from home plate vary from park to park. Sure, the bases are always 90 feet apart and the mound is 60 feet and 6 inches from home plate. That's where the uniformity of a baseball field stops...

The winning run had just reached first base and moved the tying run to second base. There were two outs in the final inning of the district championship game and Poplar Bluff coach Stan Bullington slowly walked to the mound and gathered his infield...

Poplar Bluff will make its first appearance in the state baseball playoffs in 37 years while the Mules' opponent has waited 12 months for another shot at its third state title. Vianney, the District 2 champion, was knocked out of the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal last year. The Golden Griffiths (27-7) will host Poplar Bluff (17-3) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Kirkwood...