Stories from Friday, November 21, 2014

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service DEXTER, Mo. --Dexter school superintendent Thomas Sharp has announced he will be stepping down as head of the district effective July 1. Sharp followed Dr. Ken Jackson in the superintendent's role, coming on scene in July 2010 from the Crawford School District in Bourbon, Mo., but hailing from Nebraska...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Members of the Poplar Bluff Historic Depot Restoration Corporation's steps committee are not ready to give up on replacing the historic 1910 staircase which thousands of train passengers used to reach Main Street quickly...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Updates on construction progress at two sites and plans for needed maintenance projects were presented to the Three Rivers College Board Wednesday, "We have been issued a certificate of occupancy for our new Sikeston building," Dr. Wesley Payne, president of the college, said...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The strategic planning steering committee has prepared a new mission statement for Three Rivers College. TRC board members approved the mission statement Wednesday following a presentation by five staff members...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Three Rivers College and the Athletic Department recently honored "the Voice of the Raiders" for 24 years of service to the college. Veteran basketball coach Gene Bess presented Wilbur Thornton of Poplar Bluff with a plaque in recognition of his dedication in broadcasting the Raiders basketball games. He also served a six-year term on the TRC board of trustees from 2008 to 2014...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer In honor of Native American/Alaskan Native Heritage Month, the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center on Wednesday sponsored a performance by Oglala Lakota poet, storyteller and flute player Gerald Fisher. "I think the veterans deserve all the support they can get," Fisher said. "Even if you only served for a short time, that was a part of your life that you gave that you're never going to get back."...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In July of 1941, after Japan occupied French Indochina, the Roosevelt administration froze Japan's assets in the United States. Denied hard cash, Japan could not buy the U.S. oil upon which the empire depended for survival. Seeing the Dutch East Indies as her only other source, Japan prepared to invade...

Suppose you saw a person driving his car on the wrong side of a highway, against the traffic. Would you call him a stupid and/or incompetent driver? You say, "Williams, what kind of question is that? Of course he's one or the other!" I'd say, "Hold your horses. What are his intentions?" If the driver's intentions are to cause highway calamity, one can hardly call his actions stupid or incompetent. Given his intentions, he is wisely acting in a manner to achieve his objectives...

Home for Holidays event On Thanksgiving Day, the Stoddard County Ambulance District will be conducting tit 29th annual "Home for the Holidays" project. They will transport patients who are unable to travel except by ambulance from the nursing homes of Stoddard County to residences within the county. This service is available to any patient who is not ambulatory and who would like to spend some time at home with their family this holiday season...

Lake Road Elementary First Quarter A and B Honor Roll A Honor Roll 2nd Grade: Elijah Hensley, Gabriel Henson, Mason Bridgewater, Alyssa Alexander, Ireland Gowen, Aaryn Johnson, Brelynn Thomas 3rd Grade: Selena Anthony, Izabella Hernandez, Alex Keown, Keona Sample, Josalyn Stoner, Jacob Webster...

The Students of the Month for Lake Road Elementary School are: First Grade: Amyah Clayborne is Lake Road's first grade student of the month. Amyah is in Ms. Gray's class. Her mother is Melinda Tilley. Amyah likes to help her mother cook, clean, and do the dishes. ...

Kermitt Timmons PIEDMONT, MO. -- Kermitt Wayne Willis Timmons, 82, of rural Greenville, Mo. passed away Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at his residence. Kermitt was born Oct. 28, 1932, in Butler County, Mo., son of Garrett and Pauline Whittington Timmons. On Jan. ...

MALDEN -- It's been eight years, but Malden head coach Joel Wyatt has first-hand experience in coaching against Lamar in the state playoffs. It was 2006 when Wyatt was the offensive coordinator at Mountain Grove. His Panthers were victorious over the Tigers 13-9 in the quarterfinals of the MSHSAA Class 2 playoffs...

Are you tired of holiday ham or the traditional roasted turkey? Thinking about deep frying the Thanksgiving turkey? Use caution if you choose to deep fat fry the turkey. Deep fat frying results in a juicy product because the hot fat seals the outside and the skin becomes crisp and they are actually delicious...

Larry Boyles DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Larry Boyles, 68, of Gatewood, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at his home in rural Ripley County. Visitation will begin at noon Saturday at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan followed at 1 p.m. by the funeral in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Macedonia Cemetery...

MALDEN -- "The Swamp" was a little frozen earlier this week. But it will be ready to host one of the biggest games in school history as top-ranked Lamar comes to Malden at 1 p.m. Saturday for a MSHSAA Class 2 semifinal. The eighth-ranked Green Wave (13-0) have scored 455 points in home games this year and haven't lost there since Week 2 last season...

John Green, Sr. MALDEN, Mo. -- John Howard Green, Sr., 88, of Malden died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at the Golden Living Center in Malden. Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Howard Winberry officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

To the Editor and Community: Sorry for my delayed response to restate the record on the soccer player situation. I have been off taking care of my wife who had surgery on Wednesday, the 12th. Also, I have been consulting with the DAR since Monday, the 17th...

Shirley Ann Denney Shirley Ann Denney, 74, of Doniphan, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014, at her son's residence. Mrs. Denney was born March 9, 1940 in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to the late Lawrence and Clara J. Golden Richardson. On Oct. 30, 1982, she and Ronald Lewis Denney were married at the Church of God, in Poplar Bluff. He survives of the home...

James "Tony" Grassham VAN BUREN, Mo.-- James "Tony" Grassham, 47, of Van Buren, died Monday, Nov. 17, 2014, in the Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. with his wife and sons by his side. Mr. Grassham was born Oct. 26, 1967, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. to the late James Eugene and Ellen Pauline (Hunter) Grassham...

Nancy Carter PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Nancy Elizabeth Lindsey (Carter) was born March 15, 1921 near Winona, Mo. She departed his life Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Nancy was the daughter of the late John and Minnie Lindsay. ...

GREENVILLE, Mo.-- Anthony A. Hamman, 21, of Greenville, died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. The visitation will be at 4 p.m. today for the family and from 5 -7 p.m. for the public at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. The service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, in the funeral home chapel with burial at Grassy Friendship Cemetery...

Seven Poplar Bluff Mules soccer players earned postseason awards this week. Earning All-MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 honors were first-team members senior Jose Reyes (goalkeeper), senior Jonathan Hardin (defense), sophomore Jeffry Hardin (forward), sophomore Alexis Reyes (midfield) and sopomhore Adam Vincent (midfield)...

One Three Rivers College student, two TRC staff members and three area legislators were presented awards during the 50th annual Missouri Community College Association Convention in Branson, Mo. Dr. Wesley Payne, who is the TRC president, recognized all the award winners during the November meeting of the TRC Board...

Did you realize of the approximately 41,383 residents of Butler County, Mo., 1 in 34 go to bed hungry? That's 1,217 children in the community who are currently battling hunger. Express Employment Professionals and The Bread Shed have partnered for this holiday season to "Feed the Need" in an effort to raise funds and to collect food for families and children who are less fortunate this holiday season...