Stories from Monday, June 1, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The National Park Service is the steward of not only buildings and monuments, but also skills, volunteer Dr. Jim Price explained last week from the Heritage workshop at the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. In a room filled with traditional woodworking tools as much as a century old, Price instructs area residents on more than history and artistry...

Larry Johnson, a 32-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), has been selected as the new superintendent of Ozark National Scenic Riverways (Riverways). Johnson is the superintendent of Jewel Cave National Monument in South Dakota. Since January, he has been on a detail assignment to the Riverways as acting superintendent...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of stories concerning officer-involved shootings and their impact on our local law enforcement community. The Butler County Prosecuting Attorney's Office recently issued a letter saying a Poplar Bluff Police officer was justified in his use of lethal force to stop a knife-wielding suspect...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Ozark Family Resource Agency (OFRA) has announced a new plan that seeks to partner with area schools in a more "aggressive" approach to ending child sex abuse. The agency reports 97 cases of child sex abuse in Butler County alone were referred to the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) in 2014. In an effort to reduce that number, the agency will institute a multi-faced approach partnering with local schools...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor KENNETT, Mo. -- A Stoddard County judge ordered a Malden woman to stand trial Friday on more than a dozen felonies stemming from the death of her adopted daughter, as well as the alleged neglect of two other adopted daughters...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Bernie native and Bernie High School Alum Paul Wayne Pierce is making a name for himself in country music circles. Paul also lived for a few years in Poplar Bluff where, as he said, "most of my family is from." He graduated from Bernie High School in 2003...

Evaluate options [mail] Poplar Bluff has fallen into the same pattern as other communities. The assumption that "old" is automatically bad and new is automatically "good." This applies to our school system and public building. We have just recently voted to build a brand new high school instead of maintaining and revitalizing the one we have and now we are going down the same path with our City Hall. ...

Lucy Pennington will celebrate her 90th birthday from 2-5 p.m. Saturday at her home. Born June 9, 1925, to Homer and Sara Delaney in Harviell, Pennington, who had four brothers and one sister, is the only survivor of her family. She attended Harris Ridge School in Neelyville. ...

The May meeting of the Poplar Bluff Garden Club was held at the home of Ellen Eddleman. The club's 78th anniversary was celebrated with a luncheon provided by the members. Attending this special event were 15 members and one associate member. An Arbor Day program was scheduled for May 14 at the Westwood Baptist Academy. Two crepe myrtles were planted. The third and fourth graders attending were presented with Red Bud trees to take home and plant...

By MONA CHAREN Carly Fiorina is articulate, thoughtful and accomplished. For those who keep track of such things, she was the first woman to lead a Fortune 50 business, and she ran a credible, if unsuccessful, campaign for a U.S. senate seat from California. In the early going of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, she is receiving enthusiastic responses from Republican audiences...

Samuel Sifford FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan.- Samuel E. Sifford died Monday, May 11, 2015. Sam was born on Aug. 4, 1935 to Henry and Loreda Sifford in Dudley, Mo. He graduated from Fisk High School. Sam joined the Army and went to Korea in 1954, then transferred to the Air Force in 1957. In 1960, he returned to the Army and was stationed in Fort Leavenworth, where he met and married Alicia Miller of Easton, Kan...

Jerry Wayne Pierce Jerry Pierce, 74, of Doniphan, passed away on Thursday, May 28, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on Nov. 1, 1940, to Henry and Euda (Scott) Pierce in Holland, Mo. On Sept. 11, 1966, he married Dorothy Turner in Morrison, Tenn...

Debra Lynn Thrasher Debra Lynn Thrasher, 54, of Poplar Bluff died Thursday, May 28, 2015, at her residence. Mrs. Thrasher was born June 1, 1960, in Indianapolis, Ind. to the late Robert and Caroline (Eiler) Toler. She was a member of Terre Haute First Baptist Church in Terre Haute, Ind.; and was a former paramedic and communications supervisor at Trans-Care Ambulance Service in Terre Haute. She enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer If you don't believe dreams come true, meet Brittney Russell. "When I grew up in Rombauer, later moving to Poplar Bluff," Russell said, "you could sum me up in three words: poor, tall and FAT. While I tend to opt for the term 'plus-size,' FAT seems appropriate in this situation because I felt like that is all society saw of me. ...

James Heaton Jr. DEXTER, Mo.- James W. Heaton, Jr., 76, of Sikeston, Mo., died Sunday, May 24, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Services will be held in Columbus, Ga., at a later date. Arrangements are under the direction of the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter...

Clyde Eddie Johnston CAMPBELL, Mo.--Clyde Eddie Johnston, 84, of Campbell died Friday, May 29, 2015, at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. No visitation is planned. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell with Mr. James Powell officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery...

Dorothy Mae Bledsoe DEXTER, Mo.--Dorothy Mae Bledsoe, 85, of Dexter died Thursday, May 28, 2015 at the Golden Living Center in Dexter. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at...

Jane Ellebrecht Jane Anne Ellebrecht, 65, of Hazelwood, Mo. died on Friday, May 29, 2015 at her residence. Memorial Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Calvary Church in St. Peters, Mo. Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff is in charge of arrangements...

Johnny L. Robinson Johhny L. Robinson, 49, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, May 12, 2015, at his residence He was born Nov. 24, 1965 in New Madrid to Oklred Robinson. He was preceded in death by his mother, Oklred Robinson, and two brothers: Roosevelt Robinson, Jr. and Jimmy L. Robinson...

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Poplar Bluff boys track and field team ended its season with a 16th place finish in the Class 4 state meet Saturday at Lincoln University. "It was a lot tougher today," senior Malik Metcalf said. "The intensity was definitely up for everybody."...

JEFFERSON CITY --MaKayla Waldner beat all but five teams at the MSHSAA Class 3 track and field championships. The Dexter junior earned four all-state honors, winning the 300-meter hurdles in impressive fashion Saturday at Lincoln University. After winning by nearly a full second at 42.89 seconds, a rain-soaked Waldner said her brother Trevor had provided a little extra momentum a few hours before she took her mark...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Poplar Bluff senior Jessenia Ellis was feeling a little pressure heading into the discus finals. The Lady Mules had completed their other events and were ahead in team standings by two points. The rest of her teammates sat in the nearby bleachers calculating possible outcomes and anxiously awaiting Ellis' throw to see if it could give them the necessary points to put them atop the podium...