Stories from Saturday, September 27, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor For 25 years, the Poplar Bluff City Hall has been located in the old hospital building across North Second Street from the library. It has served the city well, but now the roof leaks in many places and animals find holes to enter the structure...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Ever-changing technology is putting the newest smartphones and tablets into the hands of would-be criminals, necessitating law enforcement investigators to keep current in their equipment and training. If not for the National Computer Forensics Institute and the U.S. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor State Treasurer Clint Zweifel viewed the new 40-foot mobile training center at Three Rivers College Thursday and learned how the instructors have been successful in helping area workers develop new skills. Prior to the campus tour, Zweifel discussed new programs for workforce development with three TRC leaders -- President Wesley Payne; Dr. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor City Manager Heath Kaplan will conduct a budget workshop in each of the five Poplar Bluff wards, beginning next week. "We want to educate the people in each ward on the services we provide. We also want to know their priorities," said Kaplan, who has received budget requests from the department heads and is working on preparing the 2015 city budget...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer As many students of higher learning spent the summer lounging around the pool, Three Rivers Community College sophomore Megan Greer marched to the beat of a different drummer. Greer was accepted to the prestigious Music City Drum and Bugle Corps of Nashville, Tenn. As a member, 19-year-old Greer of Poplar Bluff spent her vacation touring the U.S. as part of the Music City Drum and Bugle Corps Color Guard...

Billy Carter Billy D. Carter, 66, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away on Sept. 23, 2014, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Billy was born on March 5, 1948, to Raymond G. Carter and Ruby Lawrence Carter Kneaves who preceded him in death...

Stephen Carl Hicks Stephen Carl Hicks, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014, at his residence at Maplecrest Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Hicks was born July 1, 1953, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Carl Homer Hicks and Thelma Robertson Brace Hicks. He enjoyed music, playing his bass guitar and singing, and watching football...

The Poplar Bluff Junior High football teams swept Jackson as the seventh grade Mules won 18-6 and the eighth grade won 26-14 Thursday at Morrow Stadium. The eighth grade Mules improved to 2-0 after beating Cape Central 20-8 last week. The seventh grade Mules (1-1) lost to Cape Central 14-12 when the Tigers scored with 3 minutes left...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer Area businesses who support moms and babies by becoming a Missouri Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite were recognized Tuesday at an event hosted by the Butler County Health Department. Nine businesses received certificates of recognition for setting up a lactation program in an effort to proactively support employees who choose to breastfeed their infants. ...

Joyce H. Riddle How do you write an obituary for your mother? No one ever thinks they will be doing that. Today this became our reality---Jeff, Kenny and Janis---today our mother left this world. Are we sad? Of course. But then we remember where and who she is with now and know that our tears are only going to last for a very short time. Our joy for her "trumps" everything...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After avoiding a double play, Poplar Bluff got a go-ahead hit by senior Lara Hafford in the top of the ninth inning Thursday. "She's putting the ball in play well so we moved her up (from No. 9 to 2 in lineup) and it happened to work out," said Mules coach Lisa Boyer of a 7-6 win at Cape Central...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After picking up the fourth seed in the upcoming MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 tournament, the Poplar Bluff tennis team knocked off the second seed Thursday. The Mules won two of three doubles matches for a 5-4 win at Cape Central. "My Nos. 2 and 3 doubles played wonderfully," Poplar Bluff coach Nicole Arnett said. "Elizabeth Bottorff played baseline since Stephanie (Hobbs) had a foot injury and did fantastic. Lots of control."...

Sacred Heart September Student of the Month is Katie Acre.She is a new student at Sacred Heart School and has adjusted very easily and quickly. She has perfect attendance thus far this year. She is a good helper to her teacher and her classmates. She is a very attentive listener and is a good worker. ...

A free conference will be offered Nov. 14 for family caregivers. The event will offer more information on home care services, Medicare part D plans and changes in service, veterans services and stress management. This conference will be held at Family Counseling Center, 3001 Warrior Lane. It also includes lunch and door prizes...

What a slap in the face to our local business community! You meet all the specifications of the bid, something only one other company did. In good faith you submit your bid. It's $17,000 cheaper than your competitor. Your competitor is not even a United States firm. ...

NEELYVILLE -- The Lady Redbirds only won one inning Thursday, but boy how they won it. East Carter scored 11 runs in the third inning off eight of its 12 hits and won 11-7 at Neelyville. "That's what I expect from them, but that was the only inning they did that. They didn't capitalize on anything else," East Carter coach Teresa Kearbey said. "I'm proud of them for that (inning). Very proud. I think they got a little lax at the end and let some things go by."...

By MONA CHAREN The long-running debacle over the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a textbook case of corruption. A great deal of money sloshes around without any accountability, pocketed by those with connections and without scruples, in the name of doing good. It's a sucker's game, at which taxpayers always lose. The Eisenhower Memorial travesty is more offensive than the usual palm greasing, because the greatness of an American hero is being lost...

After cutting Clearwater's 10-point lead down to four, Poplar Bluff got a lucky bounce that kept a rally alive Thursday night. Lauren Rowland made a desperation pass from her knees off the net and to a teammate, and later earned the point for the Mules with a spike that clipped the net and fell in for a kill...

Lake Road Elementary School September Students of the Month have been announced by principal Erica Weadon. 1st grade: They are Dakota Hart, first grade; Ariana Jenkins, second grade; Tasheena Lisenbey, third grade; and Tyanna Charles, fourth grade. Hart, a student in Ms. Pryor's class, has been chosen as the Lake Road Elementary first grade student of the month. Dakota is the son of Selena Hart...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "Merchants have no country. The mere spot they stand on does not constitute so strong an attachment as that from which they draw their gains." Jefferson's brutal verdict comes to mind in the fierce debate over inversions, those decisions by U.S. companies to buy foreign firms to move their headquarters abroad and renounce their U.S. citizenship -- to evade the U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent...

BERNIE -- The Bernie Mules prepared for the upcoming Fall Classic baseball tournament at Campbell by beating Stoddard County Activities Association rival Bloomfield at home, 4-1, Thursday afternoon. Bernie's Dalton Hobgood opened up scoring with an RBI single in the second inning. Bloomfield knotted it up on an RBI single by Noah Vandiver...

Dorothy Montgomery PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Dorothy Montgomery, 85, of Piedmont, Mo., died Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will be held at 5.m Friday at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmon. Services will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at the chapel. Burial will follow in Mill Spring Cemetery...