Stories from Monday, March 16, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor SHOOK -- Two women, one girl and one boy were rescued when a car stalled out on a flooded low water bridge near Shook around 1 p.m. Friday. Participating in the successful rescue were personnel from the Wappapello and Greenville fire departments, Wayne County Sheriff's Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and East Wayne County Ambulance...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The winter of 2014-15 will be remembered for having the coldest February in 116 years and the most snow in 21 years. February's average temperature at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport was 29.2 degrees, according to the National Weather Service at Paducah, Ky...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Neelyville R-IV voters will decide on a $4 million bond issue in April to fund new construction that administrators say is "much needed" to provide a better environment for the kids. "I think that has been a misconception in the past - that we are just trying to get this done. That we are just trying to raise taxes or that the principal needs a new office. That is not the case. The bottom line is we are doing this for the kids, " said Superintendent Brad Hagood...

Neighbors grateful for man's efforts I would like to give the Good Neighbor of the Month award to the young man who cleans off all the driveways and the roads on King Road and Haven Hills Subdivision. I won't give his name because I don't want to embarrass him, but I do want him to know all of his neighbors appreciate all of his hard work and that he doesn't have to make snow angels because he's our angel every time it snows and he clears our driveways so we get out and about our business. ...

By LEONNA HEURING SEMO News Service After years of feeling God was asking him to write a book, a Dexter man finally answered the call with a children's story of how a mother's love never changes. "Always Be My Little Boy: Mother Reading to Son," by Gary Teel, is a journey from childhood to adulthood through the eyes of a boy who becomes a man and learns to appreciate and love of his mother through all the stages of his life...

Get ready for higher electric rates. Five years from now rates could be 20.5 percent higher for Poplar Bluff residents. Several weeks ago, City Manager Heath Kaplan hired Utility Financial Solutions (UFS), LLC of Holland, Mich., to do an electric financial projection report for Poplar Bluff...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Do you circle dates on the calendar or tie a string around your finger or set an alert on your Smart Phone to remember important dates? Whatever method works for you, do it now so you won't miss Friday, March 27. From 4-6 p.m., many of the area's most talented artists, members of the Paint and Culture Club, a group of fun-loving artists, will exhibit their talents at the Black River Art Gallery, 502 Vine St. ...

James Buckhanan DONIPHAN -- James B. Buckhanan, 76, of Doniphan died Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Southeast Health of Ripley County. Private family services will be at a later date. Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan is in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences: www.edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Sue Hawkins FISK -- Sue Hawkins, 86, of Poplar Bluff died Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Monday at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk, followed by the funeral at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Rombauer Cemetery...

Mary Auld Mary Alice Auld, 77, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Oakdale, Ill., died Saturday, March 14, 2015, at her daughter's home. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

Instead of accepting the resignation of Kirk Chronister, Poplar Bluff High School should be celebrating its long-time girls basketball coach. Instead of looking for a new coach, the school should be naming a gym after him. Just three days after tying the state record for wins, Chronister submitted his resignation after 39 years and over 1,000 games leading the Lady Mules program he started...

James and Patsy Dorris of Poplar Bluff will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 21, 2015 at Temple Baptist Church, 1813 Barron Road, Poplar Bluff. Family and friends are invited. No gifts please. The couple were married March 24, 1955 in Poplar Bluff, and are lifelong residents of Southeast Missouri. They attend Temple Baptist Church...

Loyd Tubb Loyd Newell Tubb, 81, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, March 13, 2015, at Cedargate Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Tubb was born in Harviell, to the late George M. and Binnie (Hager) Tubb. On May 2, 1954, he and Sandra H. Cochran were married in Poplar Bluff. She survives of the home...

Carl Belcher Carl Edmond Belcher, 81, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, March 13, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Belcher was born April 16, 1933, in Ware, Ill., to the late Elbert George and Ella May Smith Belcher. He had retired as a welder for McCade Powers in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Belcher enjoyed gardening, tinkering with and repairing anything, trading and going to flea markets...

Arthur E. Allen GREENVILLE, Mo.--Arthur Eugene Allen, 83, of Greenville, died Friday, March 13, 2015 at Greenville Nursing and Rehab in Greenville. Visitation will be at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the Ruegg chapel...

Beverly Rothenhoefer GREENVILLE, Mo.--Beverly Rothenhoefer, 69, of Clubb, died Thursday, March 12, 2015 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation was held Saturday evening at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the chapel in Greenville...

Hattie Nottingham DEXTER, Mo.--Hattie Nottingham, 101, of St. Charles, died Thursday, March 12, 2015 at her home. Visitation and funeral services were held Saturday at Watkins Funeral Home in Dexter. Rev. Tom Russell of Dexter officiated. Burial was in Walker Cemetery in Bloomfield...

Velva "Teed" Hankins DEXTER, Mo.--Velva "Teed" Hankins, 82, of Morehouse, died Thursday, March 12, 2015 at her home. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Sunday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Dexter...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The amount of council oversight needed to spend city money would be reduced under proposed changes to Poplar Bluff's purchasing policy. City council members currently vet all purchases of $5,000 or greater. Spending would have to hit $25,000 before council approval was required under the new policy...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff City Council members, many of whom ran for office with promises of transparency, may have violated Missouri's open meetings laws by taking "consensus" action multiple times during closed sessions, without recording a vote...

COLUMBIA -- The road to the Show-Me Showdown started at Couch and ended at Mizzou Arena for the Naylor Lady Eagles. Unless a team is fortunate enough to have a win-loss record that's unblemished, there are always peaks, valleys, hardships and celebrations. Naylor's 23-7 season had a little bit of everything...

COLUMBIA -- Naylor's comeback and championship hopes ran out of time. The Lady Eagles cut a 10-point, second-half deficit down to a single point twice and had a chance to force overtime in the MSHSAA Class 1 championship game. However, Shayna Tharp's contested 3-pointer from the left corner didn't fall as Walnut Grove held on for a 48-45 win to win its third straight title...

TAMPA BAY, Fla., -- So far, this season's story sounds like the chapter the Raiders just finished. Three Rivers has opened its season with nothing but 1-run games. The stretch continues a narrative from last year, when the Raiders had 19 1-run games in 46 contests and finished 8-11 in those games...