Stories from Saturday, October 24, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The Missouri Structural Assessment and Visual Evaluation (SAVE) Coalition conducted a training class for volunteers at the Smith & Co. engineering firm in Poplar Bluff Thursday. SAVE is a group of volunteer engineers, architects, building inspectors and other trained professionals who assist the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency with building damage inspections...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A stretch of ground on the edge of the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park got one step closer this week to being state certified and shovel-ready for a new manufacturing or distribution facility. City council members voted Monday to rezone approximately 7 acres at South 11th Street and Cravens Ditch from residential to general industrial...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor NEELYVILLE -- The Neelyville School District continues to score high on the state's annual performance report, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "Our district had 134.5 points out of a possible 140," Superintendent Brad Hagood said. "We are very, very pleased with the score."...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer BROSELEY, Mo. -- Twin Rivers public schools saw a four-point increase on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (DESE) annual performance report. Annual performance reports (APRs) contain five data sets, which form an overall score. DESE reviews the scores yearly for accreditation purposes. Districts falling below a score of 70 percent risk losing full accreditation...

Honor the advertising Gee, isn't it nice living here in Poplar Bluff? Having fast-food restaurants that do NOT follow the advertised specials on television and gas stations that see us as nothing more than a way to pump profits into their little quickie marts enterprises. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Three months ago, this writer sent out a column entitled, "Could Trump Win?" meaning the Republican nomination. Today even the Trump deniers concede the possibility. And the emerging question has become: "Can Trump be stopped? And if so, where, and by whom?"...

Gretchen Elizabeth Price and Michael Schaun Flaim of Cape Girardeau, Mo., have chosen the name Gabriel Joseph Ray Flaim for their 7-pound, 10-ounce son born at 1:25 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2015 at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Gabriel was 20 1/2 inches long...

Martha Westfall GREENVILLE, MO. -- Martha Westfall, 82, of Maryville, Ill., formerly of, Greenville, Mo., died Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. Visitation services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. also at the Greenville Chapel. Burial will take place at Rucker Cemetery...

On Saturday, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge will be hosting an Open House in the Mingo Visitor Center. The open house will be celebrating National Wildlife Refuge. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. refuge staff, volunteers and Mingo Swamp Friends Members will be offering family-friendly activities in the Mingo Visitor Center area...

Dale L. Halcomb SALEM, Mo. -- Dale L. Halcomb, 81, of Salem, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Salem. Visitation was Thursday and the funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, at the Wilson Mortuary Salem Chapel. Burial will be in the Lake Spring Cemetery with Full Military Honors...

Iva Cosby Iva Imajean (Dollins) Cosby, 84, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 in the Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Mo. She was born Jan. 10, 1931 at Coon Island, Mo. to the late Ross and Estella "McKinley" Dollins. On Sept. 23, 1950 at Piggott, Ark. she was married to Robert Glenn Cosby. He preceded her in death on Feb. 20, 2011...

Edna Mae Elliott DONIPHAN, MO. -- Edna Mae Elliott, 82, of Doniphan, Mo., departed this life Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Elliott, daughter of Charlie and Rosa (Hawkins) Jones, was born July 13, 1933, in Poplar Bluff. ...

Alan M. Niswonger NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Alan M. Niswonger, 53, of Doniphan, Mo. died Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015. No services are scheduled. Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

As Three Rivers sophomore Taylor Bradfield was putting away her horse Burr on Thursday night, he started scrapping his hoof against the gravel parking lot. "Burr," Bradfield said, calmly but firmly. Her 16-year-old horse stopped immediately and looked up at her with wide brown eyes...

WARDELL, Mo. -- A meeting between Clarkton and Gideon in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 1 final wasn't anything new. But in a rematch of last year's championship, the second-seeded Lady Reindeer felt the pressure late against the top-seeded Lady Bulldogs...

The Portageville softball team has made no bones about it. They're out for redemption. They finished last season with the feeling that something was taken from them. Every game, every lesson and every practice has been about getting back to this point...

Douglas Wilson DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Douglas Wilson, 66, of Doniphan died Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, at the Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Visitation will begin at noon Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. A graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at the Wilson Cemetery near Doniphan with Brother Alan Wilson officiating...

Jerry Dale Hendrickson Jerry Dale Hendrickson, 73, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hendrickson, son of the late O. Paul and Velma (Murray) Hendrickson, was born Sept. 14, 1942 in Poplar Bluff. ...

Mary Dunnegan WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Mary Dunnegan, 97, of Williamsville, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015 at Greenville Nursing Center in Greenville, Mo. She was born Jan. 20, 1918 in Mill Springs, Mo. She was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Dunnegan; parents, Jeff and Mattie Mae Wallace Duckett; two sisters, Norma Berry, and Vivian Henson; and one brother, John Duckett...

Ronnie Roper NEELYVLLLE, Mo. -- Ronnie Dell Roper, 54, of Naylor, Mo., passed away at his residence Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. He was born March 2, 1961 at Kennett, Mo. to Eldon and Mae (Richmond) Roper. On Sept. 16, 1983 at Overland, Mo., He was married to Kimberly Stoutt. She survives...

ST. LOUIS -- It wasn't as lopsided this time around, but St. Louis soccer powerhouse Christian Brothers College still found a way to beat Poplar Bluff in both team's regular season finales. Kameron Misner's fourth goal in as many games to tie it by halftime was a promising sign at an upset, but the Cadets scored late in the second half to down the Mules 2-1 on Thursday...