Stories from Tuesday, July 8, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A new GPS tracking system for the Butler County Highway Department has been approved by the Butler County Commission. The county entered into a three-year contract with Advanced Tracking Technologies, Inc. of Houston, Texas, on July 2. The firm will provide 25 units for a one-time activation fee of $748.75 and a monthly service fee of $548.75...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Information from a tow-truck driver helped authorities arrest a suspected burglar and recover guns and electronics stolen from at least two local homes. "The homeowners returned home from vacation and found their house had been broken into," explained Butler County Deputy Travis Huddleston. " ... Their truck had been stolen (along with) numerous electronics and firearms."...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor NAYLOR, Mo. -- A Naylor man faces domestic assault charges after allegedly shooting his wife during an apparent argument Saturday morning. Bobby S. Leonard, 59, was charged Saturday with the Class A felony of first-degree domestic assault and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA) or in the alternative the Class A felony of first-degree domestic assault and the unclassified felony of ACA by Ripley County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Miller.. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor MALDEN, Mo. -- A Fisk, Mo., man is among two being held in the Dunklin County Jail on charges stemming from a Saturday afternoon robbery at the Sonic Drive-In in Malden. Jesse T. Sandage and Davine S. Donnelly of Buffalo, Mo., were charged Sunday with the Class B felonies of second-degree robbery and kidnapping by Dunklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jonce Chidister...

Editor's note: All messages to Speak Out, mail, email or phone, are transcribed as submitted. We do NOT edit your message. Working for citizens? Isn't it nice when our city government works for the people? Well, I'll say used to work for the people. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Even when Supreme Court decisions are unanimous, the justices can be fiercely divided about fundamental matters, as was demonstrated by two 9-0 rulings last week. One overturned a Massachusetts law restricting speech near abortion clinics. ...

Lyndy Foust, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. was recently named to the Presidents Honor Roll list at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. Foust is a Elementary Education major and a graduate of Poplar Bluff Senior High. All students included on the President's Honor Roll lists are enrolled in a minimum of 12 class hours, and must maintain a GPA of 4.0 during the semester...

By PATRICK BUCHANAN "For the first time since President Richard M. Nixon's divisive 'Southern strategy' that sent whites to the Republican Party and blacks to the Democrats ..." began a New York Times story last week. Thus has one of the big lies of U.S. political history morphed into a cliche -- that Richard Nixon used racist politics to steal the South from a Democratic Party battling heroically for civil rights...

Jennifer Carroll of Poplar Bluff, Mo. has been awarded a scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2014-2015 academic year.

SPRINGFIELD, MO - Nicholas Ducote, a senior at Poplar Bluff Senior High School, recently attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy (MFAA), on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield. Ducote is the son of Melody Dolle Ducote, Poplar Bluff, and Bob Ducote, McKinney, Texas. He is the grandson of the late John and Ruth Dolle, Poplar Bluff, and Mary Jane Ducote and the late Charles Ducote, Plano, Texas...

Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education acted on personnel matters June 26 during a closed session meeting, which followed the monthly meeting. The board:...

Gary Gilbert CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo.- Gary Kenneth Gilbert, 81, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, July 4, 2014. He was the son of Charles Wooten and Violet Markhart Gilbert, born in the family home on North Middle in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 3, 1933. Family and friends knew him as "Sonny", given to him as a young boy by his mother who exclaimed that, "He was so bright, we had to put a washtub on him to let the sun come up."...

Jeff Mock DONIPHAN, Mo.- Jeff Mock, 57, of Fairdealing, Mo. died Friday, July 4, 2014, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. Funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. tonight with Steve Sanders officiating...

The Stroud Family Reunion will be held Saturday, July 26, at the Lions Club building in Qulin, Mo. Persons should bring a covered dish. For information, call Wayne Allen at 573-996-4704.

Dorothy Bass Dorothy Pearl Bass, 70, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, July 6, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Clelah Faye Sisk Clelah Faye (Boyers) Sisk, 88, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Saturday, July 5, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Sisk, daughter of the late Ira and Clelah (Loge) Boyers, was born Feb. 7, 1926 at her parents Cane Creek Farm in Butler County, and was raised in the Hvam area of the Coon Island District. ...

Jack Moore MALDEN, Mo.- Jack Moore, 92, of Malden, departed this life on Thursday, July 3, 2014 at his residence. He was born on Sept. 28, 1921 in Malden, Missouri to the late John Moore and Bertha Underwood Moore. Mr. Moore was former Assistant Chief of Police at the Malden Police Department with 29 years of service and was a active member of the First Christian Church in Malden...