Stories from Friday, December 19, 2014

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff expects to put two new fire trucks on the road in the next year, replacing equipment more than 40 years old. Financing proposals for the approximately $900,000 purchase are due today at city hall. The trucks will be specially designed to meet Poplar Bluff's needs, including shorter wheel bases to accommodate the tight turns firefighters face when responding to calls on the city's narrow streets...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Missouri State Highway Patrol investigators are covering "every base" as they continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting death of a Doniphan, Mo., man suspected of stabbing a local man multiple times Friday shortly before he was killed...

Many people only purchase and prepare turkey around the holidays. We often need a little reminder of how to prepare a safe turkey meal. Do Americans really like to eat turkey? According to the University of Illinois Extension, 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter. In 2012, the average American ate 16 pounds of turkey...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Remember the Ebola crisis - the greatest single health threat in the history of mankind? Remember the prediction of as many as 100 million deaths worldwide, far greater than the mere 35 million victims of AIDS?...

R-1 starts holiday break after Friday Poplar Bluff R-I schools will dismiss for the Christmas holiday after regular classes on Friday. Classes will resume on Jan. 5, 2015.

By MICHELLE MALKIN In Manhattan's Union Square last week, a protester wielded a menacing sign. It didn't make the front page of any newspaper. You didn't see it on cable news. An appalled bystander sent me a photo of the marcher and his inciteful placard, but didn't want to be identified in any way...

Marie Decker PIEDMONT, Mo.--Marie Decker, 94, of Piedmont, died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, at Stockhoff Memorial Nursing Home in Fredericktown. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont, with the services following at 2 p.m. in the chapel...

William Middleton PIEDMONT, Mo.-- William Gene "Will" Middleton, 41, of Piedmont, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Murphy Cemetery, rural Piedmont. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com...

Minnie Arnold Minnie Juanita Pope Arnold, 79, of San Jacinto, Calif., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014. She was born Dec. 17, 1934 in Dudley to the late Isom Lavern Pope and Cynthia Louise Cryts Pope. She was of the Protestant faith. She was a long time resident of the Poplar Bluff area...

Jimmy Woodham Sr. QULIN, Mo.-- Jimmy Harold Woodham, Sr., 73, of Qulin died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 at his residence. He was born March 10, 1941 at Tallapoosa. He retired from the Missouri Department of Transportation in 1996. In 1961 he married Eva Williams. She preceded him in death on March 25, 2013...

Pansy Alexander Pansy M. Alexander, 93, of Harviell, died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, at the Black River Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. with the services following at noon Saturday at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville, with Bro. Don Alexander officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Gardens in Poplar Bluff...

Miranda Lee and Lance Edward Bates of Poplar Bluff, Mo., have chosen the name Liam Edward Bates for their 7-pound, 4-ounce son born Monday, Dec. 8, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Liam was 20 inches long...

Geneva White Klein Geneva (White) Klein, 76, of St. Louis, Mo., died Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Greenville. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel...

Trent Hills earns degree at S. Miss. Trenton Thomas Hillis of Poplar Bluff, Mo. was graduated Dec. 12, with a master's degree of professional accounting during the University of Southern Mississippi's fall commencement exercises during ceremonies on its Hattiesburg, Miss...

Abby Ferguson gets RN degree Black River Technical College in Pocahontas, Ark. conferred degrees or certificates to 283 students on Dec. 11. Abby Alyse Ferguson of Poplar Bluff, received her Associate of Applied Science - Registered Nursing.

MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- It didn't really matter where the Lady Raiders were standing, shots were not falling Wednesday night. Three Rivers shot a season-low 27 percent from the field, a season-low 12 percent on 3-pointers and a season-low 50 percent on free throws in their 100-61 loss to Wabash Valley (Ill.)...

Barbara Ann Castillo MALDEN, Mo.--Barbara Ann Castillo, 72, of Malden, died Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 at her residence. Visitation will be from noon until service on Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home. Service will begin at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Bradshaw Chapel with burial in Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...