Stories from Saturday, February 7, 2015

ESPN to televise event By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Emotions ran the gamut from nervous excitement to pride at a Thursday send off for the nationals-bound Poplar Bluff Cheerleaders. The high school team traveled overnight to Orlando and will participate in the National High School Cheerleader Championship hosted by Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) on Saturday and Sunday at Walt Disney World Resorts...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff woman critically injured in a weekend house fire, which claimed the lives of two of her young grandsons, also has died of her injuries. Erma Pierce, 47, died Thursday in the burn unit at St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, where she, along her 46-year-old husband, Daniel, were patients...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff man was ordered to stand trial Thursday afternoon for the shooting death of another man found submerged in Black River. Accompanied by his attorney, Scott Reynolds, Curtis L. Walker appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for a preliminary hearing in his case...

Two events will be held for Dusty Vass, mother of the two boys who died in the house fire Feb. 1 in Poplar Bluff, at the Bears Lodge 4 aka Trax Bar, 182 Vine St. The first will be a benefit dinner at 5 p.m. Monday. Dinner is $5 per plate and there will be Kickin' Kountry Karaoke as well...

The Neelyville R-IV School District is taking appointments for kindergarten screening, which will be held at Hillview Elementary from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, Call Hillview Elementary at 989-3370 and speak with Ms. Kellie to schedule a child's appointment...

R-1 closed Feb. 13 & 16 Poplar Bluff R-I Schools will be closed Friday, Feb. 13 for a teacher collaboration day and Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of Presidents' Day. Classes will resume Tuesday, Feb. 17.

R-IV Board meeting is now Feb. 12 The Neelyville R-IV Board of Education meeting scheduled for Feb. 16 has been changed to Thursday 6 p.m. Feb. 12. The meeting is open to the public.

From Staff Reports The First Church of God will hold a ceremony Sunday to install the church's new senior pastor Derek Shaw. His wife is Tammie Shaw. Worship service begins at 10 a.m. with a dinner to follow. The installation service will begin at 3 p.m. with Illinois State Minister Eric Livingston and Missouri State Coordinator Howard Megill officiating. A reception with refreshments will follow in the Family Life Center...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- The business of baseball and the nation's business used to be conducted in Washington with similar skill. The Washington Senators were run by Clark Griffith, who said: "Fans like home runs, and we have assembled a pitching staff to please our fans." Today, however, Washington's team is a model of best practices. The government? Less so...

By SCOTT WELTON SEMO News Service An area man's true story of being stranded on a life raft with two other men in the South Pacific during World War II finally has been made into a film -- 73 years later. "Against the Sun," officially released last month in most of the U.S., is based on a 1942 book by Robert Trumbull titled "The Raft."...

JACKSON -- Poplar Bluff's 15-point lead disappeared Thursday night as Jackson stormed back for the lead early in the fourth quarter. Instead of getting blown away, the Lady Mules weathered it. Poplar Bluff turned the tables over the final 2 minutes with an 8-2 run thanks to rebounds and free throws to beat the Indians 57-52 in SEMO Conference play...

Erma Pierce Erma L. Pierce, 47, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., from injuries sustained in a house fire that also claimed the lives of her two grandchildren, Phoenix and JayDen Brannon...

Nathaniel Carl Richardson MALDEN, Mo. -- Nathaniel Carl Richardson, 53, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, at his residence in Malden. A private service will be Saturday at Macedonia Cemetery in Malden. Burial will follow in Macedonia Cemetery with Bradshaw Funeral Home in charge of arrangements...

Lolah W. Gaines DONIPAHN, Mo. -- Lolah W. Gaines, 96, formerly of Doniphan, died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at Mercy Regional Medical Center, Manhattan, Kan. Visitation will be held 5-8 p.m. Sunday at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. Funeral services will take place at 10 a.m. Monday in the funeral home chapel with the burial to follow in the New Hope Baptist Church cemetery...

Mary Jane Ford DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Mary Jane Ford, 89, of Lemay, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be held from 5 - 8 p.m. Friday at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Doniphan. The funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday with Brother Hubert Payne officiating. Burial will be in the Grandin Cemetery in Grandin...

NEELYVILLE -- One is your prototype big man that blocks shots, grabs rebounds and put in shots around the bucket while drawing multiple defenders. The other is 9 inches shorter but provides nearly the same skills. Combined they have helped Neelyville to a No. 1 seed in the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament, which starts Saturday at Twin Rivers High School...

Hartsel Holford MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. -- Hartsel Lee Holford, 84, a former Poplar Bluff resident, died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2015, in Auburn, Ala. Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. Saturday at the Duncan Funeral Chapel in Mountain View. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. with Bro. Richard "Rick" Holford, II and Bro. Lawrence Hillis officiating. Burial will be in Greenlawn Cemetery in Mountain View...

Kevin Q. Morant, 26, of the 1200 block of Mary Street, was arrested at 1:04 a.m. Thursday at his home on Poplar Bluff traffic warrants. He was booked and released on bond. _ Mark A. Buchanan, 30, of the 100 block of Lexington, was arrested at 6:49 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of US 67 and Highland on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. He was booked at the Butler County jail...

Murlene Patterson BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Murlene Patterson, 78, of Bell City, died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. The funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Bob Bradford of Delta, officiating. Burial will be in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Bell City with Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home of Bloomfield in charge of arrangements...

It's a Raider Reunion on Saturday. The Three Rivers men's and women's basketball programs will take on State Fair while the college has been encouraging former players to attend the game. Along with the homecoming-like atmosphere, Three Rivers will honor former cheerleading coach Cheri Ramsey and men's basketball coach Gene Bess...

Bernice Wilson DEXTER, Mo. -- Bernice Wilson of Poplar Bluff, 86, died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015 at the Westwood Hills Health and Rehab Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter with the funeral services to be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter with Bro. Bill Adkisson of East Prairie officiating. Burial will be in the Browns Chapel Cemetery in Broseley...

BROSELEY -- One of the crowd favorites for the Twin Rivers Lady Royals rarely has numbers next to her name in the scorebook. The lone senior, though, is one of the most important pieces to the Lady Royals and is in the hunt for enough steals to make school history...

Butler County firefighters responded at 8:17 a.m. Thursday to an alarm at 399 Route T. Investigation revealed the alarm was caused by heavy cigarette smoke in the room. _ Butler County firefighters responded to a grass fire at 2:27 p.m. Thursday at 2392 County Road 488. The fire consumed approximately one-quarter acre...

DEXTER -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats trailed by one at halftime but held Naylor to just nine third-quarter points as they won 60-47 Thursday night. "I felt like we came out flat tonight," Dexter coach Chad Allen told the Daily Statesman. "We weren't really moving our feet well defensively or attacking offensively. At halftime we really talked about that and I thought the girls did a much better job the second half."...