Stories from Wednesday, September 30, 2015

MALDEN, Mo. (SMNS) -- Malden authorities continue to investigate a Sunday shooting, which left two people critically injured and a young boy with minor injuries. The injured apparently were shot during an altercation, which took place in the 600 Block of North Kimball in Malden on Sunday evening...

The 24th Annual Qulin Homecoming this Friday and Saturday will be filled with fun, food and festivities and opportunities to reminisce with old friends and make new ones. The homecoming will kick off with the Qulin Homecoming Beauty Pageant at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Qulin Middle School gym. The pageants are open to everyone. For more information, call 718-0192 or email qulinpageant@yahoo.com. All proceeds go to the Qulin Homecoming Society for the betterment of the community...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A significantly smaller, but better controlled, crowd attended the three-day Trucks Gone Wild event at Brick's Off Road Park over the weekend, according to owners and law enforcement. Both say steps taken to address safety and security concerns following a June event that resulted in one death and other serious injuries will be maintained in the future...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor As harvest season begins to wind down, Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs encourages farmers to consider protecting their irrigation equipment with an anti-theft warning system just as one area farmer did. Steps taken by farmer Melvin Lee Lewis Jr. to protect his pivot irrigation system helped authorities catch and convict Zachary Alton Hicks of Dexter, Mo...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff has never "balked" at bringing awesome guest speakers to its annual Steak and Burger event. This year promises yet another ace appearance. St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha will highlight this year's event, which begins 5:30 p.m. Nov. 19 at Black River Coliseum. The annual Steak and Burger event features dinner, auctions and guest speakers and is the club's biggest fundraiser of the year...

Craig and Brooke Lansford of Poplar Bluff, Mo., have chosen the name Cayson Todd Lansford for their 6-pound, 12-ounce son born at 11:57 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Cayson was 21 inches long. Grandparents are: Todd and Sheryl Talkington, Rick and Twilla Lansford, all of Poplar Bluff, and Gary and Cindy Reed of Herculaneum, Mo...

Debbie Medley Debbie Lou Medley, 56, of Poplar Bluff went home to be with her Lord on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, at her residence. Debbie was born Feb. 13, 1959, in Claremore, Okla. She was an active member of Second Baptist Church where she met the love of her life, Richard. They were united in marriage on June 4, 1977...

No choice but NewWave I am a loyal customer of NEW WAVE..I had no chose but to be one after the sale of the system (which I supported) my City.... But I am sorely disappointed with the obviously inferior service provided by NEW WAVE. I subscribe only for the internet service through my cable here INSIDE the city...

Many people argue that liberals, socialists and progressives do not understand basic economics. I am not totally convinced about that. Take the law of demand, for example, one of the fundamental principles of economics. It holds that the lower the cost of something the more people will take or do of it. Conversely, the higher the cost the less people will take or do something. By their actions, liberals fully understand the law of demand. Let's look at some proof...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN What Vladimir Putin is up to in Syria makes far more sense than what Barack Obama and John Kerry appear to be up to in Syria. The Russians are flying transports bringing tanks and troops to an air base near the coastal city of Latakia to create a supply chain to provide a steady flow of weapons and munitions to the Syrian army...

Officers get free meal at Stateline In "Support of the Blue," Taylor's Longhorn Grill (inside Stateline Truckstop), Hwy. 67 South at Stateline, will treat every law enforcement official and a guest to a free meal Wednesday, Sept. 30. Officers and guest will be served a three-piece fish dinner with coleslaw, French fries, hushpuppies and soft drinks...

The Poplar Bluff Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has partnered with the Vietnam War Commemoration for the observance of the 50th anniversary of that war. The objectives of the commemoration are to thank and honor the veterans of the Vietnam War, to highlight the service of the Armed Forces during the war, and to pay tribute to the contributions of those in service and their families. ...

Verla LaPlant PIEDMONT -- Verla M. LaPlant, 87, died Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, at her home in Piedmont. Arrangements will be announced by Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont.

Karla Barker FISK -- Karla Devon Barker, 52, of Broseley died Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, at her residence. Arrangements are pending with White-Sanders Funeral Home at Fisk.

Idea to stop hunger Hello, Speak Out. On the front page of today's DAR there was a headline that said, Stop Hunger in Our Community. Hey, I've got an idea. Let's have a Chamber of Commerce that does something like getting the low-rent air-conditioner people out of that big facility so they can actually recruit a place to come in that will have more than 10 jobs. ...

Gustave "Gus" H. Tegeler PIEDMONT -- Gustave "Gus" H. Tegeler, 83, of Patterson died Sunday Sept. 27, 2015, at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Ruegg Funeral home in Piedmont. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in the funeral home chapel...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Beliefs matter. "Ideas Have Consequences," as conservative scholar Richard Weaver wrote in his classic of that title in 1948. Yet, for so believing, and so saying, Dr. Ben Carson has been subjected to a Rodney King-style night-sticking by the P.C. police...

Linda Webster PUXICO, Mo. - Linda M. Webster, 71, of Puxico, formerly of Wappapello, died Saturday, Sept. 26 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1 at Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 2 in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Shiloh Cemetery in Shook, Mo...

Sybil Bennett PUXICO, Mo. - Sybil Bennett, 89, formerly of Puxico, died Saturday, Sept. 26 at Crowley's Ridge Nursing Home in Dexter. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Life Chapel Assembly of God church in Puxico. The funeral will also be held at the church at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. Burial will be in the Puxio City Cemetery in Puxico. Morgan-Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico is in charge of arrangements...

Lois Jackson DONIPHAN, Mo. - Lois Starlene Jackson, 70, of Doniphan, died Sunday, Sept. 27, at her residence in Ripley County. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., tonight at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. A graveside service will take place at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30 at the Black Creek Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences may be made to edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Mark Gearhart NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Mark Q. Gearhart, 43, of Corning, Ar., died Monday, Sept. 28, at his residence. Visitation will be from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville. Graveside services will take place at 3 p.m. in the Corning Cemetery, Corning, Ar...

Three Rivers' Callie Stanhouse opened the rodeo season with a win at the Missouri Valley Viking Stampede this past weekend, continuing a strong run of finishes from the previous year. Stanhouse finished tied for fifth in the long round of goat tying in 8.3 seconds. She lowered that to 7.4 seconds in the championship round to win first place in both the championship and the average...

Debbie Medley Debbie Lou Medley, 56, of Poplar Bluff went home to be with her Lord on Monday, Sept. 28, 2015, at her residence. Debbie was born Feb. 13, 1959, in Claremore, Okla. She was an active member of Second Baptist Church where she met the love of her life, Richard. They were united in marriage on June 4, 1977...

JACKSON, Mo. -- Alexis Reyes scored the Mules lone goal in their 4-1 loss at Jackson on Monday. Liam Gray scored two goals to lead Jackson. Justice Crosnoe netted one goal and had one assist. Drew Brown added one goal, and Josh Scholl provided two assists for the Indians (9-2-2)...

Howard Hopkins DEXTER, Mo. - Howard Newton Hopkins, 83, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, in the Crowley Ridge Care Center at Dexter. Visitation will be from noon-2 p.m., Thursday, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Ron Dunavin officiating...

Ola Kelley DEXTER, Mo.--Ola Kelley, 92, of Essex, Mo., died Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Health Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Gravesides service will be conducted at 11 a.m., Wednesday in the Essex Cemetery with Pastor Herman Morris officiating. Burial will follow in the Essex Cemetery...

Verla LaPlant PIEDMONT, Mo.--Verla M. LaPlant, 87, of Piedmont, died Monday, Sept. 28, 2015 at her home. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m., Friday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday at the funeral home chapel...

Anna Sue Workman CAMPBELL, Mo.--Anna Sue Workman, 55, of Campbell, died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday, at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. Funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in Landess Funeral Chapel...

Kenneth Smith FISK, Mo.--Kenneth L. Smith, 73, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday Sept. 25, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Smith was born May 17, 1942 at Fagus, Mo. He was a carpenter. He is survived by his companion Peggy McGill; three children: Rusty Smith of Marana, Ariz., Linda Robey of Peru, Ill., and Theresa Baker of Henderson, Nev.; a brother: Jim Smith of Wylie, Texas; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren...

Edward Josiah "Joe" Stadler NEELYVILLE, Mo.--Edward Josiah "Joe" Stadler, 70, of Doniphan, Mo., passed away Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 in the Southeast Healthcare in Doniphan. He was born Nov. 29, 1944, at Fairdealing, Mo. to the late Alfred John Stadler and Estella Amaliea Jones Stadler...

Lara Ann DeFord FISK, Mo.-- Lara Ann DeFord, 53, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 at her residence. She was born June 4, 1962 at Hastings, Neb. Dec. 27, 1996 she married Gary Eugene DeFord. He preceded her in death July 16, 2011. She was also preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, and two sisters...

Karla Barker FISK, Mo. - Karla Devon Barker, 52, of Broseley, MO, died Saturday, September 26, 2015 at her residence. She was born July 5, 1963 at Alton, IL. She enjoyed photography, especially taking pictures of family. She loved her dogs, deer hunting, and spending time with her nieces and nephews...

Betty J. Hodges DONIPHAN, Mo. - Betty J. Hodges, 80, of Fairdealing, died Sunday, Sept. 27, at Mercy Jefferson Hospital in Crystal City, Mo. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m, Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1 in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Doniphan City Cemetery mausoleum. Online condolences may be made at edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Teddie Birdsong Teddie Gene Birdsong, 72, of Poplar Bluff died Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 at Westwood Hills Healthcare in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Black Creek Cemetery...