Stories from Tuesday, March 3, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor River Blount of Annapolis, who placed second in the regional spelling bee a year ago, was determined to win this year and he did. Blount, a home schooled sixth-grader, correctly spelled "adjudicate" in the 12th round to win the sixth annual Three Rivers College Southeast Missouri Regional Spelling Bee in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center Saturday...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The National Weather Service and emergency management personnel are participating in a Severe Weather Awareness Campaign in Missouri March 2-5. "We encourage individuals and businesses to develop a severe weather plan and practice the plan," Butler County EMA Director Jeff Shawan said...

PB man a good Samaritan I would like to take this time to recognize the selfless service of one of your community members. My family and I were traveling through Missouri on Friday the 21st when we were involved in a serious motor vehicle accident on Hwy. 60 East of Mountain View. My wife and daughter were both injured and taken to the hospital in Mountain View...

Richard E. Miller Richard Edmon Miller, 33, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mr. Miller was born May 8, 1981, in Chester, Ill., to Robert Sr. and Gloria Hendrix Miller. He was employed as a caregiver. Mr. Miller enjoyed spending time with his family and collecting swords...

Violet Smith DEXTER, Mo. -- Violet W. Smith, 94, of Bernie, died Saturday, Feb. 28 2015, at the Golden Living Center in Malden. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Stan Dauck of Bernie officiating. Burial will be in the Smith Stevenson Cemetery near Dexter with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

It's been less than a year since voters approved our buildings plan, and over four years since we embarked upon this imperative journey. Now we are finally ready to see some earth being moved. The public is invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony at 9:45 a.m. Friday, March 6, behind Poplar Bluff Junior High School for the FEMA safe room project, which will officially kick-off our buildings plan...

By MICHELLE MALKIN The Department of Homeland Security refuses to release a report on "right-wing" terrorism that somehow found its way into CNN's hands during the farcical White House summit on Don't Say Islamic Extremism. Your tax dollars are once again hard at work -- defaming conservatives, deflecting from worldwide murderous jihad and denying the public access to information they funded...

Gary Stage Gary Stage, 67, of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Wallace Massingham Wallace David Massingham, 91, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, March 2, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Christine Chapel MALDEN, Mo. -- Beulah Christine Chapel, 90, of Portageville, died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at Portageville Nursing and Rehab. Visitation will be at 2 p.m. today at the Bradshaw funeral home in Malden. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. at the Rosewood Cemetery. Burial will follow in the Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Seaca Foerster VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Seaca Wanda Foerster, 95, of Fremont, Mo., went to be with the Lord Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, with her son at her bedside at Mark Twain Nursing Home in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Foerster was the daughter of the late Everett and Izetta (Sweetin) Pettit. She was born Jan. 6, 1920, in Sesser, Ill. She was a homemaker who enjoyed her home on the farm. She was a hard-working woman and liked gardening, canning, sewing and most of all reading her Bible...

Emil Thurner Emil Charles Thurner, 71, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Inurnment of Mr. Thurner's ashes will be at the family cemetery in Chicago, Ill., at a later date. Online condolences: www.cotrellfuneralservice.com...

Joseph Wayne Collier Joseph Wayne Collier, 68, of Neelyville, passed away Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, in Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Feb. 19, 1947 at Yuma, Arizona. He was a member of the Apostolic Tabernacle Church in Poplar Bluff. ...

Dorothy Cobb DEXTER, Mo. -- Dorothy Cobb, 93, of Grayridge, Mo. died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at the Central Gardens Residential Care Facility in Dexter. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Dale McFarland officiating. Burial will follow in the Taylor Cemetery near Essex, Mo...

ARNOLD -- Kirk Chronister finally caught hall of fame coach Herb Webster. Poplar Bluff's 63-54 win over Seckman in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 quarterfinal Saturday gave the Lady Mules coach his 742nd career win, tying Webster's state record. "Hopefully it took a little bit of pressure off of them," Chronister said of his team. "They've been working hard. I know it's been on their mind, it's nothing that's ever been mentioned, but everybody knew."...

Sandra Eaton Sandra Arlene Eaton, 61, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Williamsville, died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at her residence. She was born June 30, 1953 in Poplar Bluff to the late Neal and the late Alta Mae Groves. She was of the Christian faith and was employed with Briggs and Stratton. She enjoyed spending every minute with her family, especially her grandchildren. She enjoyed going to Branson, on shopping trips and swimming...

SEMO NEWS SERVICE ORAN -- A man was arrested for an assault with a baseball bat after his alleged victim near Oran, Missouri, tied him up until police arrived. Thomas Rust Brown, 31, of Bell City, Missouri, is charged with first-degree assault and two felony counts of armed criminal action, all felonies...