Stories from Wednesday, September 2, 2015

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Following recent board discussions regarding efficiency, Poplar Bluff public schools custodial staff spoke out on the challenges of maintaining R-I's campuses on a daily basis. During the May school board meeting, Maintenance Director Alan Ursery gave his department's yearly report to the board, which led to a lengthy debate on cleaning procedures - specifically mopping frequency...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Fired Poplar Bluff, Mo., city manager Heath Kaplan is one of three finalists for a job as administrator for Benzie County, Mich. Kaplan and the other finalists will make presentations Tuesday before the Benzie County Board of Commissioners...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man allegedly attacked the woman he was romantically involved with Saturday night at the Marble Hill home he was sharing with her, critically injuring her and killing another man...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Freshman anxiety entering the very different world of high school is common among students beginning ninth grade and while schools use techniques to help reduce it, often, only time and familiarity with surroundings can alleviate those fears...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- As summer comes to a close, area residents are ready to celebrate the coming of autumn with a time-honored tradition: gathering with their friends and neighbors at the Williamsville/Black River Fire Department Labor Day Picnic. The 31st annual event will be held Friday and Saturday at the city picnic grounds next to the school on Highway A...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Miraculously, Puxico retired teachers Ray and Margaret Binford are on the road to recovery after falling nearly 300 feet while hiking Aug. 22 in Washington state. After being in separate hospitals for a week they are now together in Richland, Wash...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A dozen members of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways spent the end of August fighting five western wildfires with a combined acreage nearly as large as Carter County, where the National Park Service staff are normally based...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- On September 5, 2014, Russian agents crossed into Estonia and kidnapped an Estonian security official. Last week, after a closed trial, Russia sentenced him to 15 years. The reaction? The State Department issued a statement. The NATO secretary-general issued a tweet. Neither did anything. The European Union (reports The Wall Street Journal) said it was too early to discuss any possible action...

Tough to mail a letter Mailing a letter at the Poplar Bluff Square has become a chore, especially for the elderly. No slot to drive up to for deposit. One must get out of the vehicle, walk up, pull open compartment to make deposit. Not looking forward to winter, cold and icy days. USPS, please help us...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Every sulfurous belch from the molten interior of the volcanic Trump phenomenon injures the chances of a Republican presidency. After Donald Trump finishes plastering a snarling face on conservatism, any Republican nominee will face a dauntingly steep climb to reach even the paltry numbers that doomed Mitt Romney...

Celebrating Labor Day, for many of us, means spending time with family and friends at picnics and taking road trips. However, the day really serves to commemorate the social and economic achievements of American workers, whose efforts have secured and continue to maintain this country's strength and prosperity. While the modern expression of Labor Day has changed, the meaning has not. The day is still a tribute dedicated to the American worker...

Irene Hendrix PUXICO, MO - Irene Hendrix, daughter of the late William Barks and Bessie Steward Barks Ragland, was born in McGee, Missouri on Sept. 15, 1922, and passed away at the Puxico Nursing Center in Puxico, Missouri on Aug. 29, 2015, at the age of 92 years, 11 months and 14 days...

Doyne Baker Jr. WAPPAPELLO, MO - Doyne Baker Jr., 75, of Wappapello, passed away Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015 at his residence. Mr. Baker was born Dec. 11, 1939 Gideon, Mo., to the late Doyne Bruce and Margie (Grimes) Baker. He attended Little Brushy Missionary Baptist Church and had retired from Ford Motor Company in St. Louis. Mr. Baker enjoyed spending time with his family, fishing, computers and music...

Maggie Coble Maggie Cornelia Coble, 90, of Farmington, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, passed away Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015 at Community Care Center in Farmington. Mrs. Coble was born March 26, 1925 in Mt. View, Ark., to the late John and Esther (Tuttle) Webb. She was of the Pentecostal faith and was a homemaker. During her earlier years Mrs. Coble worked for Modern Laundry and Odell's Cleaners in Poplar Bluff. She enjoyed spending time with her family, fishing, gardening and canning...

No school Fri. at R-1 Poplar Bluff public schools will be dismissed Friday for teacher collaboration and Monday for the Labor Day holiday. Classes will resume Tuesday.

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN The Wednesday morning murders of 24-year-old Roanoke TV reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were a racist atrocity, a hate crime. Were they not white, they would be alive today. Their killer, Vester L. Flanagan II, said as much in his farewell screed. He ordered his murder weapon, he said, two days after the slaughter of nine congregants at the African-American AME church in Charleston, South Carolina...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat And we call this entertainment? Like most of you, I missed the VMA award show this weekend. It wasn't by accident. But it was hard to miss the highlight reel from the televised fiasco. The VMAs - more than most - is hype built on the expected inappropriate performance or comment that some "entertainer" uses to unleash their 15 minutes of fame...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Denver Corruptocrats'Holier-than-thou liberals on the Denver city council are waging war on Chick-fil-A in the name of tolerance and diversity. Now, let me tell you what the squawking is really all about: It's a distraction, a feint, a mile-high smokescreen...

BROSELEY -- Bernie couldn't have asked for a better start to its 2015 campaign. The Mules entered Monday undefeated and played some of their best baseball yet against Twin Rivers to keep that streak alive. Seven batters reached base and five came around to score in the top of the first inning for the Mules, who brought 10 men to the plate in that frame, busted out 16 total hits and coasted to a 12-0 win in five innings over the Royals...

Poplar Bluff senior Nikkia Hickman held serve to force a tiebreaker then edged Dexter's Lexi May 9-8 (9-7) for the Mules' lone win Monday. The visiting Bearcats won 8-1 against Poplar Bluff (1-2) and the teams meet again Wednesday in Dexter. "Dexter may not be the best team we play all year but they will be close to it," Mules coach Charlie Harper said. "Very strong team from top to bottom."...

Elsie Leah Huff will celebrate her 100th birthday Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Mark Twain Caring Center, 3001 May St., where she resides. The open house will be held from 2 -4 p.m. in the Activities Room of the center. Friends and neighbors are invited to attend this milestone event...

Mrytle Dunn PUXICO, MO. -- Mrytle Dunn, 83, of Glen Carbon, Ill., formerly of Puxico, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 28, 2015. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the chapel at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico with the funeral beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will be in the Puxico City Cemetery...

Rex Magee Rex Magee, 81, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

The past two seasons, the Three Rivers College men's basketball team has taken a December road trip to the Windy City. They'll be traveling a little farther this season. Instead of spending a couple nights on the south side of Chicago and sampling its deep dish pizza -- which didn't go over all that well with the Raiders -- Three Rivers is headed to Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York from Dec. 28-30 for three games over three days against Globe Institute of Technology, Monroe and Harcum...

PIEDMONT -- Eleven players had at least one hit and drove in a run, including Tristan Holmes, who had a game-high three RBIs to lead Clearwater to a dominant 20-4 victory over Eminence on Monday. The Tigers (3-0) scored 11 runs in the second inning and never looked back. They added one in the fifth and eight more in the sixth to enact the run-rule...

Joe Redus DONIPHAN, MO.--Joseph Lee "Joe" Redus, 74, of Doniphan, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015, at his residence in rural Ripley County. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, at New Home Cemetery in Gatewood, Mo...

Jim Eddens DONIPHAN, MO.--James William "Jim" Eddens, 76, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, at his residence in rural Ripley County, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept.2, 2015, at River Valley Community Church...

Freddie Lynn Rickman DEXTER, MO.--Freddie Lynn Rickman, 52, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 30, 2-15, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Wednesday, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m., Thursday, in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter with Rev. Dwight Hensley officiating...

James "Bill" Chambers DEXTER, MO.--James "Bill" Chambers, 57, of Dexter, died Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, in his home. Contributions to assist with the memorial service and burial can be made in care of Jason Chambers, 454 Chippewa Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. Memorial details can be obtained by contacting Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home, 125 West Stoddard Street, Dexter, MO 63841 at 573-624-4533 or Jason Chambers at jasonc34@yahoo.com...

Earl D. Gatewood Earl D. Gatewood, 80, of Piedmont, Mo., passed away, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, in Foley, Mo. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, in the Meador-Flatwoods Cemetery. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Jerry Taylor Jerry Lee Taylor, 71, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Sunday, Aug. 30, at his residence. Mr. Taylor was born Apr. 28, 1944 in Catron, Mo. He was the owner and manager of Stateline Truck Stop, and his hobbies included spending time with his children and his grandchildren...

Three Rivers College will host the HiSET® High School Equivalence Test at its location in Malden from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. The registration period for this test closes on Sept. 16. "Three Rivers main campus in Poplar Bluff normally offers the HiSET® test one Saturday each month," said Diane Patterson, coordinator of the Testing Center at Three Rivers College. "We're offering this so that people in surrounding areas can have a chance to take the HiSET® closer to home."...

Opal Pauline Wood ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Opal Pauline Wood, 95, Ellsinore died Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015 in the Current River Nursing Home in Doniphan, Mo. A visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, in the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. The funeral service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Bobby Smith officiating. Burial will be in the Carson Hill Cemetery...

Norman- Kayne Jones Norman-Kayne Jones 48, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015 in rural Butler County. He was born on July 5, 1967 to Gisela (Zimmermann) Jones in Fort Riley, Kans. She passed away when he was a young child and he was raised by Bill and Elke Lee. On Sept. 17, 1997, he married Betty Partenberry in Poplar Bluff...