Stories from Wednesday, February 11, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Members of Poplar Bluff's Planning and Zoning Commission are against allowing a new permit to sell alcohol by the drink in the downtown area, based on concerns about the applicant. The commission voted unanimously Monday against a request by Dianne Buhler for a permit to sell alcohol from (the former Woolworth's building) 201 S. Main St...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The newest individuals inducted Monday into the Wall of Valor at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center span three generations of combat veterans. The wars in which the six men fought were separated by decades and continents, yet many of the honorees share a humbleness when talking about the actions for which earned each a Medal of Valor...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Butler County authorities are reviewing surveillance video footage from businesses around Dennis Outdoors in an attempt to confirm the suspect vehicle used in a weekend burglary in which nearly 20 handguns were stolen...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN -- A judge placed former Carter County Collector Jennifer Clark-Williams on probation Monday morning when he sentenced her for stealing property tax money from the county. Clark-Williams, who resigned in October 2012 after having served as collector since January 1999, pleaded guilty in January to the Class A misdemeanor of stealing...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- In 1981, Tennessee's 41-year-old governor proposed to President Ronald Reagan a swap: Washington would fully fund Medicaid and the states would have complete responsibility for primary and secondary education. Reagan, a former governor, was receptive. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Why did they do it? What did the Islamic State think it could possibly gain by burning alive a captured Jordanian pilot? I wouldn't underestimate the absence of logic, the sheer depraved thrill of a triumphant cult reveling in its barbarism. But I wouldn't overestimate it either. You don't overrun much of Syria and Iraq without having deployed keen tactical and strategic reasoning...

This past Monday it felt like we were all Bill Murray in 1993 reliving a bad day for the sixth time. It wasn't just because it was in fact Groundhog Day, but because President Obama released his proposed budget for fiscal year 2016. For the sixth year in a row, his proposed budget is fraught with higher taxes, more spending, and skyrocketing debt. ...

Fern Murdock DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Odie Fern Murdock, 82, of Doniphan, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at her residence in rural Ripley County. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 10 a.m. Thursday, in the funeral home chapel with her grandson, Brother Jared Baker officiating. Burial will be in the Russell Cemetery...

CPR class at VA on Wednesday A Friends and Family CPR Class and AED demonstration will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 5054 at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. This class teaches the basic lifesaving skills of CPR, choking relief, and AED awareness. Every person who attends will receive a kit containing a mannequin and DVD that can be used to share CPR knowledge with family and friends...

Bill Wages MALDEN , Mo. -- Bill Wages, 84, of Malden, died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at the Golden Living Center in Malden. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Landess Chapel in Malden. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday with Rev. Ernest Puckett officiating at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery...

BROSELEY -- No matter how good of a team or season they are having, the Neelyville Lady Tigers have always made things interesting in the Ozark Foothills Confererence Tournament semifinals. This year, it was the same deal. Neelyville, the top-seed, trailed at halftime for the second straight year. This time, it was to the host No.4 Twin Rivers Lady Royals and in front of their fired up home crowd...

Edna Bentley MALDEN, Mo. -- Edna Juanita Bentley, 96, of Gideon died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 at the Gideon Care Center. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Brett Hale of the Doniphan High School Future Farmers of America Chapter won the first public speaking contest during the Ag Expo at the Black River Coliseum. Julie LeMarr of the Twin Rivers High School FFA Chapter placed second, and Justin Schroeder, a member of Ripley County 4-H, was third...

BROSELEY -- For the first time since 2008, the Naylor Lady Eagles are heading to the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament championship game. But it took another grind-it-out win over Greenville to get there. Naylor, the second seed, came out cold to start Monday night with five consecutive missed shots. The Lady Eagles used a 12-2 run to surge ahead of Greenville but never led by more than seven points until very late in a 48-43 win...

Amanda Kirkpatrick Williams DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Amanda Joy Kirkpatrick Williams, 30, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, in rural Butler County near Neelyville. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. A graveside service will take place at 1 p.m. Friday in the Briar Oak Ridge Cemetery with Pastor Greg Gilberto officiating...

Howard Gentle Jr. Howard B. Gentle, Jr., 74, of Doniphan, passed away Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015, at Southeast Health Center in Doniphan. Mr. Gentle was born Feb. 22, 1940 in St. Louis, Mo. On March 5, 1958, he and Laveta Klocke were married in Edina, Mo., she preceded him in death on Sept. 24, 2013. On April 4, 2014, he married Barbara Wynn in Grandin, Mo., she survives of the home...

PERRYVILLE -- Kia Jefferson and Emily Wiseman each won races Monday while Jada Robards won the diving event for Poplar Bluff in the annual Beasts of Burden meet. The Oxen team of Perryville and Saxony beat the Mules 214-152 while in individual event scoring, Saxony edged Poplar Bluff 107-92 with Perryville third at 37...

DEXTER -- Freshman Krysten Garrison had 31 points on 14-for-17 shooting for the Lady Bearcats as they pulled with for a 79-62 home win against Notre Dame. Melanie McKuin finished with 16 points and Hannah Thurmon got 12 for Dexter (13-8). South Iron 54, Van Buren 40 Summer Shockley scored 12 points for Van Buren (8-14)...

Jasper Franklin Cochran Jasper Franklin Cochran, 103, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 at The Cedargate Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Cochran was born Oct. 29, 1911 in the Lone Hill community of Butler County, to the late Andrew Lee and Sara Rosetta Webb Cochran. ...