Stories from Thursday, August 27, 2015

SEMO News Service The brother of U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, has been reported missing, according to the Dent County Sheriff's Office. A missing-person report was filed Monday for Billy G. Smith Jr. The sheriff's office describes Billy Smith, 41, of Salem, Missouri, as a 5 foot, 10 inches tall, weighing 315 pounds with blue eyes, very short hair and a goatee...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer As one Butler County court official counts down the days to retirement -- five -- success can be measured in the numbers that really matter. Upwards of 200 treatment court graduates found the support they needed to begin drug and alcohol-free lives in Butler and Ripley counties...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Following a debate on where the funding would come from and other issues, the Poplar Bluff school board agreed with a split 4-3 vote to approve the high school athletic complex low bid and pay for $1.8 million of the project with reserve funds...

Syble Moore Syble Moore, 74, of Puxico and Advance died Aug. 15, 2015 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Services were held Aug. 22, 2015 at Watkins and Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. Rev. Gavin Page and Rev. Nathan Riney officiated. Burial followed in the Puxico Cemetery with Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico in charge of arrangements...

The Puxico Nutrition Center would like to thank the merchants who provided door prizes for the week of Homecoming. These include Lenny's Gas Mart, Claybee's Car Wash, Puxico Florist, Mel's Diner, JKM, PC Outdoors, Patti Cooper, Larry McClure, People's Community Bank and First Midwest Bank. We truly do appreciate your generosity! Special thanks to all the volunteers!...

Jerry Carver PUXICO, Mo. -- Jerry Carver, son of the late William Franklin and Lillian Versie Walker Carver was born in Kewanee, Mo., on Feb. 27, 1947, and passed away at the Southeast Missouri Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter, Mo., on Aug. 13, 2015, at the age of 68 years, 5 months and 17 days...

Members of the Glenn-Hodge Family held its annual reunion Aug. 14 at the Puxico United Methodist Church. Those in attendance were Rudy and Pam Williams of Puxico, Becky And Allen Schulte of St. Louis, Norma Hix of Godfrey, Ill., Ron and Bonne Wilhelm of Brighton, Ill., Brock, Ashley and Vivian Williams (Daniel started Kindergarten) of Dexter, Merla Deneke of Jackson, Loy D. May of Elsah, Ill. and Kevin and Janelle McCoy of Dorsey, Ill...

"Rejoice in the Lord; again I say, Rejoice." Phil. 4:4. These are not words from someone who had just had a mountain top spiritual experience with the Lord. They came from the Apostle Paul in a Roman prison cell. His life was so given to his Lord and his service he could rejoice even in prison for his and the gospel's sake. ...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL The Puxico R-8 Schools 2015-2016 school year officially began Aug. 19, and things are off to a good start. "The first day went really smooth," said Dr. Kyle Dare, superintendent of the Puxico R-8 School District. "No problems that I am aware of. Everybody seemed prepared."...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Brenda Crawford and Barb Hupp took top honors with their Best of Show and Alternate Best of Show nods during the judging in the 2015 Mingo Swamp Flora & Fauna Photography Contest Aug. 21 at the visitor center at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL As part of the annexation process for the portion of Highway PP coming into town on the east side of Puxico, the Puxico Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance Aug. 20 to establish a 45 mile per hour speed limit on that section of road...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Doyle and Patsy (Dever) Mitchell celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary Aug. 15, on the Saturday of the 69th Annual Puxico VFW Homecoming, with their traditional ride on the Ferris wheel. "The first time I laid eyes on him, I was 12 and he was 17," said Patsy. ...

The members of the Steinmeier Hawks family held their annual reunion Aug. 15 at the First Baptist Church in Puxico. Those in attendance were Rudy and Pam Williams, Zena Onstott, Brandon Hodge, Emma Walton, Margaret Bindford, Hoover Steinmeier, Geneva Lacewell, Becky and Allen Schulte, Brenda and Irvin Mansbridge, Ed Sifford, Karen Peters, Nettie Ward, Jonathon and Abigail Ward, Brock, Ashley, Daniel and Viviam Williams, Keith and Anita Ward, Alyssa, Laura and Dominic Vitale and Elvena, Nomra and Kenny Sheets, Terry and Linda Ward and Dave and Carolyn Chaney.. ...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is now accepting applications for raccoon hunting on the refuge for the 2015 season. The raccoon hunts will take place through a random draw process in which parties will be issued a free special use permit that outlines their hunt area and hunt dates...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The Missouri Conservation Commission, in its meeting last week, approved several changes to the state's deer hunting regulations, which will go into effect for the 2016-17 season. Other changes also could be on the way, pending the outcome of a public comment period...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor After 38 years of protecting the area's fish, forests and wildlife, Butler County Conservation Agent John Pratt will be making his final patrol and hanging up his hat on Monday. "I came out of the Class of 1977," said Pratt. "We were the first class after the Design for Conservation tax was passed."...

You know, us educators enjoy our jobs a whole lot more after the students return from summer break. So needless to say, we have been back in our element since school began on Thursday, Aug. 13. But as you may have observed, starting school on time wasn't exactly an easy feat this year. As with everything we accomplish, it was a major collaborative effort, and we have many individuals to thank for pulling off nothing short of a miracle...

By MICHELLE MALKIN "Are you sure?" I asked my daughter before writing this column. "Yes," she said resolutely. Veronica is profoundly grateful for all the prayers, kindness and advice from strangers, friends and family alike that she received earlier this summer when I first told you about her plight. We hope sharing the rest of her story can help pay it forward in some way...

A-State awards diplomas JONESBORO, Ark. - Area students were among the nearly 800 candidates, representing 31 states and seven countries, were awarded diplomas during Arkansas State University's 2015 summer commencement ceremony, Aug. 7, in the Convocation Center...

Jacee Weimer Edington and husband, Major Aaron Stumpf (USAF), announce the birth of their son, Fulton James Stumpf. Fulton was born at 11:29 p.m. Thursday, April 9, 2015, in Denver, Colo. He weighed 8.2 pounds and was 19 3/4 inches long. Fulton's grandparents are Jamie (Cantrell) and Tom Edington from Poplar Bluff and Kerry and George Stumpf of Chesterfield, Mo. His great-grandparents are the late Hazel Weimer and James (Jim) Cantrell and the late Jean (Fulton) and Norman Edington...

Mary Ann Cowart MALDEN, MO.--Mary Ann Cowart, 73, of High Ridge, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday till service time at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, Mo. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bradshaw Chapel...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard-Democrat With Hillary Clinton in free fall and Joe Biden poised to gum up the works in the Democratic primary for president, you would think the GOP would be awash in glee over the prospects. Unfortunately for the Republicans - and I count myself in the conservative wing of the GOP - it's all Trump, all the time...

Jean Brown DEXTER, MO.--Jesma Jean Brown, 84, formerly of Dexter, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015 at Heritage Nursing and Rehab Center in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Visitation will be from 9:30-11 a.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Greg McGhee officiating. Burial will follow in Dexter Cemetery...

With the first job interview of her life, former Lady Raider Kelsey Snider got the Three Rivers assistant softball coaching job. "I was very nervous," Snider said. "My dad helped me out a lot." Snider, who played softball at Three Rivers from 2011-13 before moving on to Missouri Baptist, started work Aug. 18. She takes over for assistant coach Christa Childress, who resigned during the summer and is now teaching at Neelyville...

Alvin Davis DEXTER, MO.--Alvin Davis, 60, of Dexter, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015 at Golden Living Center in Bloomfield, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m., Friday, in the Rainey-Mathis Chapel in Dexter. Arrangements are being handled by the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home...

Mary C. "Kay" Davis FISK, Mo.-- Mary C. "Kay" Davis, age 72 of Campbell, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, Aug. 24, 2015 at her residence. She was born July 24, 1943 at Piggott, Ark., the daughter of the late Cearl and Lattie Vaughn Kilbreath. ...

Jerry Lyle Dawe Jerry Lyle Dawe, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., son of the late Eugene and Mary Dawe, went to be with his Lord, surrounded by his family on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015. Jerry was born Sept. 14, 1942 in Marion, Ill. After graduating Marion High School in 1960 he served in the U.S. ...

Vivian E. Garman Vivian E. Garman, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died in her home the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015, after a 25-year battle with breast cancer. Mrs. Garman was born July 27, 1932 in Broseley, Mo. to the late Floyd and Louise (Brown) Fredwell. ...

Wilma Hatley Lewis CORNING, ARK.--Wilma Hatley Lewis, 78, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 23, 2015 at home. Survivors are children: Terry (Linda) Hatley of Sevierville, Tenn., Danny Hatley of Poplar Bluff, and Gina (Tommy) Aden of Corning, Ark.; one brother; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren...

CLARKTON, Mo. -- Naylor sophomore Evan Bergeron started the game with a triple, scored on sac fly by junior Jacob Rich and came to bat again with two outs in the first inning. Nine straight Eagles reached base resulting in 9-run inning in a 17-7 victory Tuesday at Clarkton...

Mike Berry's day started at Poplar Bluff Junior High School teaching his current students and ended at Peters Gym coaching against his former students. In his first year coaching the Puxico volleyball team, Berry's first match ended up being against the Mules...