Stories from Wednesday, September 16, 2015

By TYLER GRAEF SEMO News Service The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has issued a rabies alert in Bollinger County after the positive identification of infected animals. A bat and a domesticated dog in Bollinger County both tested positive for rabies, prompting the six-month alert...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Deputies tasered a suspect at the Butler County jail on Monday after he pulled a bag of suspected methamphetamine from his rectum, attempted to swallow it and then assaulted deputies trying to save him from an overdose. In addition to the possession of a controlled substance charge that originally landed him in jail, Joshua L. Holderfield, 29, of Bloomfield, now faces charges of third-degree assault on law enforcement following the incident...

By JONATHAN DAWE SEMO News Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- It was 26 years ago that 11-year-old Jacob Wetterling was abducted. And although Wetterling's body was never found, his disappearance led to the first federal law on registering sex offenders. Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver said officials at the state and county levels do a good job of maintaining the registry, but he would like to see something added to it...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff risks losing a tangible and authentic link to the history of its African American community without preservation of the Garfield Street buildings that represent the social, educational and commercial development of the Fifth Ward, according to city officials...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway will deliver the keynote address during the big 50th annual Truman Day Rally at the Poplar Bluff Elks Lodge Saturday night. Another highlight of the event will be the naming of the Democrat of the Year, according to Dr. Shirley Langley Hindman and Levell Hinton, co-chairmen of the rally...

The Agee Community Club held at noon luncheon Sept. 11 at The Bread Company. Nickey Orton was hostess. Cathy Womack club president opened the meeting with the ladies repeating the club motto. Jeanie Figgins offered the invocation. Nadine Johnson read the devotional from Mark 10:35-45. Secretary and treasurers report is delayed until next month due to a printer problem. There was no old business...

The Butler County Genealogy Society met Thursday, Aug. 27, at the First United Methodist Church. President June Allen presided over the meeting with 21 members and guests attending. Vice President Glenda Rollman led an informal discussion explaining how to use DNA in genealogy research. Society members shared their experiences using DNA results in researching their family history...

Ryan Stoll of San Jose, Calif., graduated from the University of Southern California Leventhal Graduate School of Accounting on May 15. He was awarded the Master Degree of Accounting (MAcc), earning a GPA of 3.52. Stoll attended Sacred Heart Catholic School and graduated from Poplar Bluff High School. He is the son of Karen Armstrong of Cape Girardeau and Frank Copanas of St. Louis. His grandparents are Jim and Shirley Stoll of Poplar Bluff...

Gambling legal in PB? When did it become legal to gamble in Poplar Bluff. I think these places need to be illegal they are destroying marriages and family's someone needs to do something about this. Why lock Clinton Park? I've subscribed for the paper and I pay up three months in advance and hope this is printed in Speak Out. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Autumn, season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, also is the time for The Washington Post and other sensitivity auditors to get back on -- if they will pardon the expression -- the warpath against the name of the Washington Redskins. ...

By MONA CHAREN The Democratic Party has been weak-minded on defense for decades, but with the Iran capitulation, they've achieved a new threshold of cowardice and treachery. While it's true that an honorable handful of Democrats have resisted the president's pressure, the overwhelming majority have chosen to go over the cliff with Barack Obama, a president who never met an enemy he didn't wish to conciliate or an ally he didn't seek to betray...

To the Editor: Many thanks to everyone who took part in Doggie Swim Day at the Poplar Bluff city pool in Hillcrest Park on Aug. 30. It was a big success, with about 70 dogs and 125 people. Everyone seemed to have a great time. This year's Doggie Swim Day was our second consecutive and was co-sponsored by the Poplar Bluff Parks & Recreation Dept. ...

Carl Joe Clanahan Carl Joe Clanahan, 77, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at his residence. Carl was born Jan. 3, 1938, in Poplar Bluff, to the late Leo Harvey Clanahan and Ada Goldie Hendrickson Clanahan. He was a life time resident of Poplar Bluff. Carl was of the Pentecost faith and a member of the First Assembly of God Church...

Women's Citizenship Club meets The Women's Citizenship Club met at Twin Towers on Wednesday, Sept. 2, with 10 members present. After enjoying lunch, the meeting was opened by President Gloria Hover. An opening pray was led by LaVerne Matthews, who also introduced the speaker, Amber Christian, marketing manager at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital...

Christopher Paul Rice DEXTER, MO.--Christopher Paul Rice, 39, of University City, Mo., died Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, at his home. Graveside funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., Friday, Sept 18, 2015, at the Missouri Veteran's Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo. with Rev...

Junior Ray Ward Junior Ray Ward. 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

James Louis Montgomery, Sr. FREDERICKTOWN, MO.--James Louis Montgomery, Sr., 71, of Silva, Mo., died Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at his home. Visitation will be from noon - 2 p.m., Thursday, at the New Hope General Baptist Church in Silva. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m., Thursday at the New Hope Church with Pastor Dan Ross officiating...

Gregory Spencer Gregory L. Spencer, 63, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Monday, Sept. 14, 2015, at his residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

R-I Board meets Thurs. The Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in the board of education room, 1110 North Westwood. Items on the agenda include a foreign exchange student matter, the upcoming superintendent search, electronic board packets and report cards...

The Poplar Bluff tennis team earned consecutive wins for the first time this season by beating visiting West Plains 5-0 Monday. The Mules (3-6) swept doubles play for the first time this fall as Sydney Miller and Kailee Kanell edged West Plains' No. 3 doubles of Hannah Morrison and Mae Pavelka 9-7...

George W. Davis George W. Davis, 94, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. George was born Sept. 28, 1920 to the late William Henry Davis and Lasarah Jane Vinson Davis. He was a lifetime resident of Poplar Bluff and was of the Baptist faith...

VAN BUREN -- The Van Buren softball team has its sights set on winning a coveted first district championship, and Monday's game proved the Lady Dawgs might have the firepower to reach that goal. Van Buren scored four runs in the first inning, combined for 11 hits and held off a late-inning comeback against district foe Naylor in a 9-5 victory...

At last year's Meet the Raiders event, then new "Voice of the Raiders" Roger Burton gave pronouncing some of the more unique names on the various Three Rivers teams the old college try. On Monday, he served as emcee for this year's event and let the coaches introduce their own players. Poplar Bluff alum Abiodun Francis Ayetimiyi had himself a chuckle after assistant basketball coach Bryan Sherrer introduced him...

Following a long weekend at the Dig For Life Classic, one Mules volleyball team looked fresh while the other didn't Monday night. Poplar Bluff committed 26 errors directly leading to points for Bernie, which played a clean match to win 25-17, 25-12 at Peters Gym...

The final person introduced at Three Rivers' "Meet the Raiders" event Monday was sophomore basketball standout and All-American honorable mention Justas Furmanavicius. Shortly after stepping forward and giving a quick wave to the crowd, the crowd broke into a rendition of "Happy birthday," and Furmanavicius thanked them a second time...

Vernon Ward Vernon Junior Ward, 85, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. A visitation will begin at 1 p.m. today at Cotrell Funeral Chapel with the service following at 2 p.m. Dr. Steve Proctor will officiate. Burial with full military honors will be at the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery...

A Piedmont man was injured in a single-vehicle accident at 11:50 a.m. Monday on Route V, 15 miles southeast of Piedmont. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Daniel B. Millmaker was driving westbound in a 1999 Buick Park Avenue when the vehicle ran off the left side of the road and struck a sign and an embankment...

Christopher L. Law, 38, of the 200 block of County Road 468, was booked at the Butler County jail Monday on a failure to appear warrant for distribution/production of a controlled substance. _ Justin L. Schmidtt, 38, of Greenville, was booked at the Butler County jail Monday on suspicion of first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle...

Cassady C. Taylor, 25, of the 5000 block of Linwood, was arrested at 10:05 p.m. Monday at an undisclosed location on warrants for trespassing and possession of a controlled substance. She was booked at the Butler County jail. _ Tawiana S. Hicks, 36, of Fisk, was arrested at 6:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Victor and Cross on a probation/parole warrant. She was booked and released at the police station...

BISMARCK, Mo. -- Ben Becker's two-out, 2-run double in the seventh inning led Greenville past Bismarck in a 4-2 victory Monday. The Indians rallied for two runs in the sixth but came up short after stranding two runners in the bottom of the seventh...