Stories from Sunday, November 8, 2015

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Future Farmers of America (FFA) attended the organization's national convention last week in Louisville, Ky., getting up close with some of the leaders of and most recent innovations in the industry. Nine Poplar Bluff FFA members and two advisors attended the 88th annual event Oct. 28-30 along with 66,000 FFA members from across the nation. Agriculture instructor Kathryn Clark says FFA members work all year to raise money for the trip...

DONNA FARLEY Staff Reporter VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Fairdealing, Mo., man is in jail today on 17 separate child sex abuse charges dating back to 1998. Kenneth E. White, 66, was booked Saturday at Carter County Jail for crimes involving two alleged victims, both under the age of 14 at the time of the reported abuse, said Sheriff Rick Stephens...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor SHOE DEPT. ENCORE will occupy 12,000 square feet in the Valley Plaza Shopping Center in 2016. "We hope to open the store in the spring," said Vicki O'Donnell, the director of Visual Merchandising/Marketing at SHOE SHOW, Inc. of Concord, N.C., which leased the space from Valley Plaza owner Jim Bailey of Poplar Bluff...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A variety of Veterans Day activities will give everyone an opportunity to honor U.S. military personnel who have courageously served their country. The list includes: PB VETERANS COUNCIL The Poplar Bluff Veterans Council will present its Veterans Day Program a 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Wall in front of the Black River Coliseum...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Two purchases approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council offer a snapshot of how money was spent by city leaders with Information Systems Intelligence. The Michigan-based firm received more than $3.5 million in no bid city contracts over a five-month period...

Ressie Lee Ragland of Harrison, Ark. and Mitchell Scott Thomas of Neelyville, Mo. are engaged. Parents of the bride are Gerald and Yvonne Ragland of Harrison. The bridegroom is the son of Leslie and Rebecca Thomas of Neelyville. Ragland is a 2006 graduate of Harrison High School and a 2009 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with emphasis on International Trade. ...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer The last "Mob Worship" service of 2015 will be held at 10:15 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 15 at Lively Stone, 522 W. Relief St., Poplar Bluff, and everyone is invited. Since April 2015, local churches have been coming together to experience one another's service. ...

By SARABETH WALLER "If your dream doesn't scare you, it isn't big enough." I remember seeing that exclamation plastered on the back of a semi truck Sept. 18, 2014, as I headed to Indianapolis for a missionary support raising seminar. It stuck with me because I was taking the first steps toward a big dream. A scary dream - moving overseas for a year to serve as a missionary in a country that is 85 percent atheist...

Do you have a friend you've known and loved for more years than either of you care to count? I hope so. Say her name, picture her face, recall the sound of her laughter, the color of her eyes, the way she makes you feel. When was the last time you spent an hour together? How would you describe the kind of person she is? What sort of difference has she made in your life and those of others? How do you want to remember her?...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Where do Republicans get that special talent for turning gold to dross? They score an electoral "massacre" (The Economist) in 2014 and, a year later, what do they have to show for it other than another threat to shut down the government? Hillary Clinton is caught in email flagrante and Benghazi mendacity and yet, with one Kevin McCarthy gaffe and a singularly ineffective 11-hour Benghazi hearing, Republicans render her sanitized...

Unhappy customer I am totally in shock that New Wave CableVision has pulled yet another stunt! Channel 3--KPOB--is now the weather in Centerville, Ill. Channel 3 had perfectly fine television shows on it. New Wave thinks we'd prefer to know the weather of an out-of-state town, I suppose. ...

Marge Becker ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Mary "Marge" Becker, 72, of Ellsinore died Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, at her residence. A visitation for the public will begin at 6 p.m. today at McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. Funeral services will follow at 10 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in the Robertson-Owl Roost Cemetery...

Mabel Graham Mabel M. Graham, 95, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday evening, Nov. 5, 2015, in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Graham, the daughter of the late James Edward "Eddie" and Katherine "Katie" Bergesch Browning, was born Oct. 5, 1920, in Poplar Bluff. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, gardening, quilting, crocheting and canning...

George Burgett CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- George William Burgett, 81, (also known as "G.W." ) formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Nov. 6, 2015 at Hospice of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio after chronic health issues. He was born Oct. 6, 1934, in Doniphan, Mo., to Ralph DeLano Burgett and Osa Ethel Walpole Burgett. ...

Glenn C. Scaggs Glenn C. Scaggs, 89, of Ellsinore, Mo., died Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff

The Patrons of the Arts Society will bring the classic R&B sound of the 50s and 60s to the Tinnin Fine Arts Center with "Doo Wop, Pop & Soul" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19. "Doo Wop" performs the best-known hits of the 50s and 60s R&B genre, including "Come and Go With Me," "Book of Love," and "The Great Pretender." Led by local-born musician Jon Sousan, whose shows "Take it to the Limit" (Eagles tribute) and "Bad Moon Rising" (CCR tribute) have been performed at the Tinnin Center in the past, "Doo Wop" pays tribute to great groups like "The Platters," "Four Tops," "The Temptations," and more.. ...

John David Telker MALDEN, Mo. -- John David Telker, 74, of Malden, Mo. died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 11 a.m, to noon Monday at Landess Funeral Home Chapel in Malden with the funeral following at noon in Landess Chapel in Malden with the Rev. Aulden Leblanc. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery of Malden...

A week ago against Wabash Valley, the Lady Raiders made six shots in the first half. Their fortunes changed on their home floor and Three Rivers handed Wabash Valley its first loss of the season, 66-58 on Saturday at the Bess Activity Center. "We had a good effort over there, I think we had a little bit better effort today, coming out and trying to take care of things on defense," Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Katie Sliger passed 25 runners over the final 2-plus miles, charging through the field at the MSHSAA Class 4 state championship cross country race Saturday. The sophomore ran the 3.1-mile course at Oak Hills Golf Course faster than any Poplar Bluff female ever, finishing 37th in 19 minutes, 56.14 seconds...

MALDEN -- Malden coach Joel Wyatt felt whoever had the ball last was going to win the district championship. The scoreboard provided grim news. The Green Wave were clinging to a three-point lead at midfield, facing third-and-34 with 2 minutes, 24 seconds remaining...

MATTOON, Ill. -- Three Rivers built up a 19-point lead midway through the second half, but had to hold on late against Lake Land. Three Rivers did just that and won 80-69 on Saturday. The Raiders also beat Oakland 128-81 on Friday and Kalamazoo Valley 69-59 on Thursday to sweep the Lake Land Classic for the second year in a row and improve to 5-1...

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- The Southeast Missouri State football team shut out Austin Peay in the second half to pick up its first road win of the season. The Redhawks kept APSU winless on the season with a 44-15 defeat of the Govs. Paul McRoberts broke the school's all-time receiving touchdown record with 7 minutes, 34 seconds left in the third with a 2-yard touchdown catch. It was the 27th of his career and put the Redhawks up 31-15...