Stories from Wednesday, February 25, 2015

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service DEXTER, Mo. -- In a strip of stores at One Mile Road and Business 60 in Dexter, at least three local businesses were destroyed when their flat roofs collapsed about 7:30 a.m. Saturday under the weight of the wet snow and ice...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A recent ice storm revealed the magnitude of structural problems at city hall as officers battled a watery mess over much of the weekend. Poplar Bluff Chief Danny Whiteley said police spent much of the Friday/Saturday shift dealing with water control problems in the aging station located in city hall, instead of being out in the community...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Forty-two Poplar Bluff High School seniors will get to take it easy for the next few months, after already meeting all the graduation requirements by the end of the fall 2014 semester. Most of them are already attending college. Others will walk at their high school graduation with an associates degree already in hand. However, despite what seems like an ideal situation, there are positives and negatives...

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill said Monday she will support legislation to lift the United States' trade embargo with Cuba, days after she returned from a trip there. McCaskill's interest in open trade between the countries aligns with that of Missouri Gov. ...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer State Rep. Steve Cookson, R-Poplar Bluff, has proposed several pieces of legislation in the 2015 session, including a plan to raise teacher salaries and another penalizing families on public assistance if kids miss too much school...

By MONA CHAREN President Obama's scolding of Western civilization at the National Prayer Breakfast ("Lest we get on our high horse...") may go down in history as the emblematic moment of his presidency. It was atrociously ill timed and characteristically sophomoric. My colleague Jay Nordlinger observed that Obama sounded just like the students in the 1980s who, when presented with evidence of the Soviet gulag, would respond with the tu quoque rejoinder: "Well, what about racism?"...

The graphic pictures of a Jordanian pilot being burned alive by militants from the Islamic State, or ISIS, were chilling and raised doubts about the humanity of the Islamic terrorists capable of such barbarism. This coupled with beheadings and crucifixions gives us a better understanding of the evil we, along with the rest of the world, are facing...

Brenda Evans DEXTER, Mo. -- Brenda Kay (Mayo) Evans, 63, of Bloomfield, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home with the Rev. Greg Stevens of Bloomfield officiating. Burial will be in the Walker Cemetery near Bloomfield with Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home of Bloomfield in charge of arrangements...

Louis John Jones PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Louis John Jones, 82, of Piedmont, died Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, at St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis, MO. Due to continued weather problems the family has elected to change the day of the visitation and funeral. Visitation will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont with the funeral service following at 1 p.m. also in the chapel. Sorry for any confusion...

Odell "Dell" Seal PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Odell "Dell" Seal, 85, of Piedmont, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at the Camelot Nursing and Rehab Center in Farmington. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Masonic Cemetery...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Today's liberals are not racists, but they often behave that way. They would benefit immensely from considering some of the arguments in award-winning scholar Dr. Shelby Steele's forthcoming book, "Shame: How America's Past Sins Have Polarized Our Country."...

James Franklin WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- James Franklin, 80, of rural Mill Spring, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at his residence. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday, February 24, at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Tuesday also at the chapel. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. A full obituary will be provided soon...

Joseph Caldwell Joseph Franklin Caldwell, 54, of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at his residence. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Dewayne Henson Sr. QULIN, Mo. -- Dewayne Paul Henson Sr., 50, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Feb. 19 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Henson was born March 6, 1964, in Flint, Mich. He was a machine operator at SUSA. On Nov. 19, 1983, he married Katherine Boitel. She survives...

Is this the wild west? Solution for Speak Out There has been a lot of discussion of late about Speak Out. I have a solution for those of you who do not like it.......JUST DON'T READ IT. It really is that simple. I don't believe Amendment 1 specifies whether or not people have to sign their name...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Americans, a litigious people, believe that rules for coping with messy reality can be written in tidy legal language. This belief will be tested by the debate that will resume when Congress returns from a recess it should not have taken, with a war to authorize. The debate concerns an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the Islamic State and also against .....

Tommy McElwrath Sr. CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Tommy McElwrath Sr., 60, of Campbell, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2015 at his residence. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Campbell - Landess Addition...

Grover Wilburn NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Grover Russell Wilburn, 82, of Crossville, Tenn. died Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 at Wind Ridge Health & Rehab in Crossville. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Friday at the Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo.SClB...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN SDLqFree trade results in giving our money, our manufactures, and our markets to other nations," warned the Republican Senator from Ohio and future President William McKinley in 1892. "Thank God I am not a free-trader," echoed the rising Empire State Republican and future President Theodore Roosevelt...

Joseph Caldwell Joseph Franklin Caldwell, 54, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015, at his residence. Mr. Caldwell was born Dec. 18, 1960, in Hot Springs, Ark., to Frank Caldwell and Helen D. Holt Caldwell Millar. Mr. Caldwell had served his country in the United States Navy and worked for the Poplar Bluff School District for 18 years. He had a B.A. in Art from Three Rivers Community College and enjoyed playing the guitar, painting and pottery...

Dorothy McCarty LICKING, Mo. -- Dorothy L. (Ramsey) McCarty went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. Dorothy was born to Frank D. and Sarah E. (Melton) Ramsey on Dec. 8, 1924, in St. Louis, Mo. She graduated from Naylor High School and married Robert Beakley McCarty in Naylor on Aug. ...

Sophia Renee Elle Durr is the name Charles (Rob) Durr, Jr. and Leslie Cooper Durr of Williamsville have chosen for their 7-pound, 7-ounce daughter born Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. Sophia was 19 inches long. Grandmothers are Sharon K. Bratton of Williamsville and Janet Hancock of Piedmont. Great-grandmother is Constance (Sally) Woodring of Williamsville,...

Marsha Jean Pruitt Marsha Jean Pruitt, 60, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at her home. She was born on June 2, 1954, to James Holden and Helen (Kenser) Holden in Poplar Bluff. She had worked as a cook at a school. She enjoyed watching movies and playing with her dog "Popcorn"...

Dr. Richard L. Francis Sr. CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Dr. Richard L. Francis Sr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, peacefully at his home surrounded by family. He was born Feb. 5, 1933, in Poplar Bluff, to Ira Ellsworth and Hazel Marie (Colcher) Francis. He and Joyce Merritt were married Aug. 22, 1965, in Kennett...

Jerry Willis FISK, Mo. -- Jerry Dale Willis, 48, of St. Louis, died Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015, at SSM St. Mary's Hospital in Clayton. Mr. Willis was born Dec. 29, 1966, at Poplar Bluff. He was a hairstylist at Regis Salons at St. Louis Galleria in St. Louis...

Marcus "Ski" Rutter VAN BUREN -- Marcus "Ski" Bufford Rutter,43, of Grubb Hollow, Mo., previously of Wappapello, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, in Grubb Hollow, Mo. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. A memorial service will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Darrel Grubb officiating...

Farmington spoiled a landmark night for the Poplar Bluff girls basketball program by doing what the Mules have been doing to opponents for nearly four decades. The Knights were able to build a double-digit halftime lead by crashing the boards, then held off a Poplar Bluff comeback for a 54-46 win on Senior Night at Peters Gym...

PB church holding teen girl conference A Poplar Bluff church is hosting a two-day conference in March aimed at biblically instructing and empowering teenage girls. Pro 3One is a traveling ministry that covers topics teens face daily: dating, true beauty, worth, value, fear and more. The event, which is March 13-14 at the First Church of God, features speakers, live worship, games, food, door prizes and breakout sessions...

Katelynn Frazier and Central Christian College of the Bible won the Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament on Saturday. CCCB beat Barclay by 14 points in the semifinals Friday and then beat Ozark Christian by six points in the final. Frazier (Dexter HS) had 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the championship game. She also connected on a pair of late free throws to give CCCB a two possession lead...

VAN BUREN -- It was all just a little bit of history repeating. For the second time in the last three years, East Carter upset Puxico, the No. 3 seed in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 tournament. In 2013, the Redbirds stole a 17-point win over the Indians. ...

VAN BUREN -- The memory of Greenville upsetting them in overtime of the Ozark Foothills Conference semifinals nearly two weeks ago faded quickly for the Neelyville Tigers. With even bigger stakes in the quarterfinals of the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 tournament Monday evening, the Tigers cruised to a 68-43 win over the fifth-seeded Bears...

SCOTT CITY -- The comeback just came up short for the Clearwater Lady Tigers. Senior Lexi Morris rimmed out a 3-pointer at the buzzer against No. 4 Kelly in a quarterfinal game of the MSHSAA Class 3 District 2 tournament Monday night as the Lady Hawks escpaped with a 72-69 victory...