Stories from Thursday, August 13, 2015

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Acting on information from Tennessee authorities, two young children allegedly kidnapped by their non-custodial mother were found early Tuesday morning at a South Poplar Bluff, Mo., residence and are now back with their grandmother...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer During a special meeting Tuesday that lasted less than 30 minutes, the Poplar Bluff City Council interviewed five applicants for a vacant at large council member seat. Professing a desire to help the community, most candidates came forward with assurances that they have no hidden agenda. Concerns about utility board autonomy, the Black River Coliseum, city hall and city finances were also highlighted during the brief conversations with candidates...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer As school busses return to the morning commute Thursday, Poplar Bluff Police are asking the public to exercise patience in order to avoid preventable accidents. Missouri experienced 936 traffic crashes involving school buses in 2014. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A report of shots fired late Tuesday night led to the arrest of a convicted felon who allegedly was in possession of several loaded firearms and suspected marijuana. Officers with the Poplar Bluff Police Department responded at about 11:10 p.m. to the area of Eighth and Cedar streets in reference to shots fired, according to Patrolman Joey Woodruff...

The American Red Cross urges blood donors to give in the final weeks of summer to help prevent a blood shortage. Blood donations often decline in August as final summer vacations are planned and back-to-school activities ramp up. On average, during the summer months, about two fewer donors give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than whit is needed...

Vacation Bible School was held at Egypt Community Church in Puxico July 27-31. Opening prayer was offered by Pastor Rick Knotts each evening. The theme for this year's program was "Who Can Help on Bad Days?" Twenty-nine children and eight adults attended the program. ...

Dollar General will celebrate the opening of its new location at 9898 Highway T in Wappapello next Saturday, Aug. 15 at 8 a.m. with free prizes and special deals. Dollar General will offer Wappapello residents a convenient new place to shop for everyday essentials at low prices...

Congregation members of Brown General Baptist Church introduced and welcomed their new pastor and family to the Puxico community, Brother Shawn Bradford, wife Brandy, and their children: Korbin, Hailey, and Grayson from Ellsinore. An installation service was held on July 26 during the church's morning service. Rev. Ray Placher gave the charge to this young preacher and the church with an encouraging message. It was followed with a luncheon and an old fashioned "Pounding"...

President and District 20 President, Nathan Dare; District 20 Vice President of FBLA/PBL Relations Mikayla Hodge; and Caleb Swallows from Puxico High School's chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) along with adviser/District 20 Co-Lead Adviser, Jeff Davis attended the Executive Leadership Conference held at Mizzou and Stoney Creek Conference Center at Columbia, Mo. on July 27-28...

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service Keynote speaker at Sunday's Moving Wall ceremony was Brigadier General (Ret) Charles Kruse of Dexter. Kruse, a heavily decorated military veteran and Dexter native, was the keynote speaker at Sunday's ceremony that followed a flag-waving motorcade from Business 60 to the park grounds shortly after 1 p.m...

Home! This week our fair little city will be noisy from music from the Merry-Go-Round and screaming children on some of the more exciting rides, and all but over run by people-It's Homecoming Week-and Homecoming Week for former Puxico residents is the time they take their vacations to return to their former home to visit relatives, friends and schoolmates of years gone by. ...

By ELEANOR C. HASENBECK Staff Writer Calhoun's Food Rite changed ownership recently, leading to improvements at the Poplar Bluff and Wappapello Food Rite locations. The Taylor family, who own the State Line Truck Stop near Neelyville, purchased the Poplar Bluff store in late April...

By MIKE McCOY SEMO News Service Hillary Starnes has been hired to replace retiring Dexter Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Coleman when Coleman retires at the end of December. Starnes was selected by a committee made up of the Chamber president and representatives of the city, local industry, economic development and Three Rivers College...

By SAVANNA MAUE SEMO News Service After nearly 10 years with its new owners, Roth Hardware again is up for sale. Ralph Roth will have owned Roth Hardware in Scott City for 10 years in December, after taking over the business when his brother and longtime owner, Donnie Roth, died in 2005. The Roth family began its store in 1946, and through many obstacles, it's continued to stay open...

Aug. 11 4-6 p.m. (Preparation): Usual crew when available. May need help. 6-8 p.m.: Peoples Community Bank. 8-10 p.m.: Puxico Country Squares. Closing: Rudy Williams, Doug Siler, Linda Siler, Rick McLean, Brock Williams, Randy Zoll, Lynn Mattingly and Kay Mattingly...

The members of the Puxico VFW announce the entertainment for Aug. 13-15 in Veteran's Park. For Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Mikayla Smith and at 7 p.m. Kathy Faries, Shirley Walker and Edward Parsley, Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Zalma General Baptist Praise and Worship and at 8 p.m. Zach Zook and the Leftovers and Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. the Powers Family and 7 p.m. Anna Catheirne DeHart with Jordan Copeland...

Aug. 11 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Peter Coutavas, Chuck Fann, Sherry Thompson, Erin Thompson. 7:30-9:30 p.m.:Cindy Martin, Teresa Burns, Courtni and Tanya. 9:30 p.m. until closing: Ronnal and Carol Clinton, Pam Parsley, Kathy Ginn. Aug. 12 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Patti McLean, Chrystal McLean, Brandi Robison, Kim Smith...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Pollinators were the subject of this past weekend's Swamp Saturday at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Park Ranger Caitlin Pyle and intern Tina Nguyen led the discussion on pollinators, specifically talking about Monarch butterflies...

From Staff Reports The Puxico R-8 Board of Education approved a refunding bond resolution at its Aug. 6 regular meeting. The resolution will save the district $415,182. The refunding bond resolution "authorized the sale of $1,595,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds," according to a press release issued by the board the day after their meeting...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL The Harty Family Annex to the Puxico Library, made possible by the generous donation of Puxico native and longtime businessman Norman Harty, is set to open this week. Harty sat down recently to talk about his motivation behind the annex. It is Harty's hope the annex will pay homage to the people who have shaped Puxico and influenced him throughout his life. He spoke with admiration when he recounted how these 18 people have had a significant impact on him...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Readers, who know me well, know that I am a Type 1 diabetic and have often fallen ill for weeks at a time due to my disease being uncontrolled. I have been especially ill this spring and summer, and, for once, the uncontrolled diabetes is not the only culprit...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor What a difference a year makes. Compared to last year's brutal humidity, fog and the threat of rain, this year's Shootin' for St. Jude archery fundraiser saw nearly perfect conditions, an increased number of shooters and a lot more money raised...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation Have you been outside lately? Have you noticed a loud sound in the early mornings and late afternoon and evenings? You may even be hearing it in the middle of the day. Have you noticed small, half-inch holes in your yard? Is your dog digging small, shallow holes in the yard? Have you seen the large, beetle-like shells attached to the outside of your house?...

By PATRICK BUCHANAN If his Republican opponents will not take down Donald Trump, Fox News will not only show them how it is done. Fox News will do the job for them. That is the message that came out loud and clear from last Thursday's debate in Cleveland, which was viewed by the largest cable audience ever to watch a political event -- 24 million Americans...

By DICK MEYER Scripps Washington Bureau WASHINGTON _ The hulking, wounded elephant in the room of American politics is the disgraceful, scandalous performance of the two political parties over the past 50 years. "Elephants" are truths that are obvious but too big, too established or too awkward to talk about. ...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard-Democrat Hillary Clinton just had the best week of her rocky presidential campaign. Now granted, the former First Lady and her two campaign sidekicks were ordered by a federal judge to pledge under oath of perjury they had turned over all emails related to her time as secretary of state...

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Lamar Williams, 61, of St. Louis, Mo., departed this life on Monday, Aug. 10, 2015 at his residence. Mr. Williams, son of the late Joe E. Sr. and Charline (Graham) Williams, was born Jan. 6, 1954 in Malden, Mo. Disabled since the age of 17, he enjoyed spending time with his family. Mr. Williams was always happy, smiling and loved listening to music...

Georgia L. Dement DEXTER, MO.--Georgia L. Dement, 81, of Dexter, died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015 at her residence. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 14, at the Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter with Rev. Tim Russell and Pastor Dale Hartle officiating. Burial will follow in the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter...

Rhonda Mitchem Rhonda Bollinger Mitchem, 52, of Poplar Bluff died Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015 at her residence. A Memorial gathering will be from 3 to 6 p.m. today at Wheatley Park on Benton Street in Poplar Bluff. Any food or donations can be sent or brought to Amanda Burgess at 653 N. Main St., in Poplar Bluff...

Denene Howard PIEDMONT, MO.--Denene Howard, 74, of Patterson, died Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, at her home. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Masonic Cemetery...

Margaret A. Cannell FISK, Mo. -- Margaret A. Cannell, 82, of Essex, Mo., died Monday, Aug. 10, 2015 at Crowley Ridge Care Center at Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Pastor Bonnie Cannell officiating. Burial will be in Rombauer Cemetery at Rombauer, Mo...

Ted Medlin FISK, Mo. -- Ted Dewane Medlin, 82, of Conway, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 at Lebanon North Nursing Home in Lebanon, Mo. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. The funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Pastor Shane Shaver officiating. Burial will be in Brown Chapel Cemetery at Broseley...

Thelma Webb Thelma Webb, 88, of Poplar Bluff, died on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015 at her residence. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday at Moore Funeral Service. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel in Poplar Bluff...

Jeremy Booker and Daniel Romine planned on paddling their aluminum canoe through the first night of the Missouri 340 canoe race, foregoing sleep in order to get a lead on the rest of the competition in their division. Around 2:45 a.m., they were told to seek shelter from the thunderstorm rolling in. In the dark, they pulled over onto a narrow bank, flipped over their canoe and tied it against a tree, forming a makeshift lean-to, and waited out the storm...

"You do not need to be an expert or interested in only Ag related matters to be involved in 4-H," said Stephanie Milner, regional 4-H youth development specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "4-H is so much more with project opportunities in photography, robotics, foods and nutrition, gardening, animals and much more."...