Stories from Monday, November 3, 2014

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The Carter County Sheriff's Department will soon have additional personnel on its staff thanks to money being generated by a new sales tax. Sheriff Rick Stephens recently met with the Carter County Commission to make his first request to spend a portion of the money the county will be receiving from a half-cent sales tax...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor County Collector Chris Michel will mail real estate and personal property tax bills to Butler County residents this week. If all the bills are paid, Michel and his staff will collect approximately $24.3 million...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer In the two months since Poplar Bluff's new city manager has taken office, the city has committed to new spending and debt equal to more than a quarter of one year's budget. A nearly $5 million loan will fund technology and equipment upgrades, while at least $100,000 in new salary costs have been added to pay for a grant writer, grant writer's assistant and personal assistant for the city manager. ...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A taste of freedom for Poplar Bluff sex offender John L. Squires, who fled electronic monitoring on Wednesday, ended with his apprehension Friday night in St. Louis County. "I am certainly glad he is back in custody," said Poplar Bluff Police Chief Danny Whiteley. "It has been bothering us considerably, worrying about a perverted sexual predator on the loose. When I was notified by Butler County that he had been taken into custody, I said 'praise the Lord.' "...

See the facts One person in America dies from the Ebola virus and the media is losing its mind. People are going crazy. Yet, thousands upon thousands this winter will die from influenza and the complications of pneumonia that started with the influenza. ...

By SHARON RANDALL McClatchy-Tribune News Service It wasn't the first word I ever spoke. (My mother swore that was "go.") But the first word I learned to heed was "watch." "Watch what you're doing." "Watch where you're going." "Watch your manners." "Watch your mouth."...

Dear Editor, I am sure there are many people who read this paper who have not been to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, and read this article. I have. By the time this article is in the paper it will be Veteran's Day. So I think we all should read this a few times, and really appreciate what our service men do. Every time I see a service man, I give them a hug and say Thanks...

Eileen Mae Groff GREENVILLE, Mo. - Eileen Mae Groff, 89, of Silva, Mo. died Friday, Oct. 31, 2014 at the Greenville Nursing and Rehab Center in Greenville. Visitation will be 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3, at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Greenville. The funeral will follow visitation on Monday at 1 p.m. with burial in the Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Silva...

Alysha Liu POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Alysha Liu, 27, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 at the Sonshine Home in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Mark your calendar for Saturday, Nov. 8, and call your friends who love to shop because this is the day you can literally "shop 'til you drop!" beginning at 7:30 a.m. when Sacred Heart opens the doors in the parish center at 123 N. Eighth St., Poplar Bluff, for their annual St. Ann's Bazaar. Shoppers are requested to enter via the handicapped ramp on Vine Street...

By BEN CARSON I have had a fulfilling career as a pediatric neurosurgeon, which unfortunately included numerous instances where worst-case scenarios played out in the operating room. Good surgeons plan ahead for these possible events so that bad outcomes are minimized. But of course, few treatment plans will succeed if the doctor continually fails to make a proper diagnosis before surgery begins...

Louis Mack Louis Mack, 86, of Los Angeles, Calif., departed this earth on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014. Mr. Mack was of the Christian faith. He served in U. S. Army during the Korean War. He enjoyed watching the L. A. Lakers play and hanging out with friends and family...

Wilkie Russom QULIN, Mo. - Wilkie Russom, 87, of Qulin, departed this life Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. His death was sudden and unexpected. Mr. Russom was born Dec. 17, 1926 at Bemis, Tenn. He was a master of many trades and crafts, and was a self-employed businessman for many years...

Rev. Bob Holland BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Rev. Bob Holland, 81, of Bloomfield, Mo. died Friday, Oct. 31, 2014, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, 2014 at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield...

Ira Walker HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark.-- Ira W. Walker, 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2014. A native of Poplar Bluff, Mo.., and a resident of Hot Springs Village since 1988, he was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Walker of Poplar Bluff and by Deloris, his wife, of 56 years. He is survived by his son Robert, his grandson Robert Jr., and his daughter-in-law, Lili, who reside in Northern California...

Wilkie Russom -- Qulin, Mo. Ira Walker -- Hot Springs Village, Ark. Louis Mack --Poplar Bluff, Mo. Eileen Mae Groff -- Silva, Mo. Alysha Liu -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Rev. Bob Holland -- Bloomfield, Mo. Jacob Dylan Holmes -- Wellston, Ohio Jake Hemby -- Puxico, Mo...

Jesse W. Wessel, 26, of the 200 block of Broadway, was arrested at 8:28 p.m. Friday on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, no proof of insurance and speeding. He was booked at the Butler County jail. _ Ceara R. Tipton of the 600 block of West Main reported at 9:40 a.m. Friday sometime overnight her TV was stolen from her residence...

Kendra S. Arnold, 23, was arrested on three failure to appear warrants. She was booked at the Stoddard County Jail.

A Puxico man was killed in a single-vehicle accident at 8:40 p.m. Thursday in Stoddard County. According to reports, Jacob G. Hemby, 35, was driving a 1998 GMC Sierra truck east on Route J, five miles south of Puxico, when the truck ran off the road and struck a ditch...

Thomas L. Woodham, 31, of the 2000 block of Arkansas, was arrested at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at his home on a Poplar Bluff failure to appear warrant for driving while intoxicated. He was booked at the Butler County jail. _ Etha M. Link, 31, of Poplar Bluff, was arrested at 5:20 p.m. Thursday at the Police Station on a Poplar Bluff failure to appear warrant for no proof of insurance. She was booked at the Butler County jail...

FARMINGTON -- Isaiah Williams qualified for the MSHSAA Class 4 state cross country meet Saturday with his fastest-ever time, three days after he was shot in the arm with a BB gun while training. "Pretty awesome," said Williams of advancing to his first state meet. "Wanting this for a long time."...

Jacob Dylan Holmes Jacob Dylan Holmes, 23, of Wellston, Ohio, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Jacob was born July 25, 1991 in Mobile, Ala., and was formerly employed with Bellisio Food Processing in Jackson, Ohio. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, computers, video games and learning magic...

MALDEN -- After 11 games the Malden Green Wave offense finally looked human Friday night. Sure they gained 462 yards in just 17 minutes for a 58-12 win over Hayti in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal, but the Green Wave turned the ball over twice in the same game for the first time all season...

MATTOON, Ill. -- After surviving Halloween, the first day of November was all gravy for the Raiders. Three Rivers narrowly beat Kalamazoo Valley 101-95 on Friday before routing Mid-West Prep 96-57 on Saturday in the Lake Land Classic. Three Rivers will play host Lake Land at 2 p.m. today to finish the tournament...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Friday didn't go Bloomfield's way in the MSHSAA Class 2 state championship semifinal round robin. The Lady Wildcats were swept up in six sets at the Show Me Center as Mountain View-Liberty beat them 25-17, 25-17. Fatima followed with a 25-16, 26-15 win and St. Paul Lutheran-Concordia then beat Bloomfield 25-17, 25-16...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Bloomfield's second trip to the MSHSAA Class 2 final four didn't quite go like the trip the school made in 1992 when it won the state championship. The Lady Wildcats didn't win a set all weekend and it concluded with a 25-17, 25-17 sweep at the hands of St. Paul Lutheran-Concordia in the third place match Saturday morning at the Show Me Center...