Stories from Saturday, February 20, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Public Schools board met Thursday in open session, approving two funding items, three program evaluations and furthering the conversation on food storage in the wake of a rodent infestation at the district warehouse...

By MARK Bliss SEMO News Service Missouri senators removed a one-year ban on lobbying from a bill Thursday that is part of a legislative effort to repair public trust in government. The vote was 18 to 14 to remove the prohibition from a House-approved plan to impose a one-year waiting period for members of the House and Senate to become lobbyists...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Butler County judge heard additional testimony Thursday afternoon in the case of a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man accused of killing another man whose body was found inside a car trunk. During the continuation of the Edward William Weaver's preliminary hearing, Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher presented testimony from two witnesses and submitted into evidence a videotaped interview of Amber McDannald, who had refused to testify during Weaver's Dec. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Expenses at Three Rivers College have dropped $822,960 or 3.67 percent during the first six months of the current fiscal year. Charlotte Eubank, TRC's chief financial officer, told TRC board members Wednesday expenses totaled $21.6 million from July 1 to Dec. 31 while operating revenues were $22.6 million -- a reduction of $733,860...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders seek to claim the "progressive" mantle. Both claim the other is not a true progressive. Clinton teased Sanders as being the "self-proclaimed gatekeeper for progressivism." Bernie Sanders said that Hillary Clinton can't be both a moderate and a progressive and that most progressives don't take millions from Wall Street. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Van Buren High School students placed first in nine categories during the Future Business Leaders of American District 20 Conference at Three Rivers College. The top five winners in 20 categories and the first place winners in 29 other categories will advance to state FBLA competition April 24-26 in Springfield...

Priorities are backwards The Sunday, January 24, edition of the DAR reported "The person making this complaint was concerned they would lose their job if they were identified" - concerning the out dated and mice infested food. On the other end of the matter, the report stated that the food was two years out of date, and that the mouse urine was so saturated in the walls of the cooler that the health department employees had to wear masks. ...

Shirley Hinkle PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Shirley Hinkle, 69, of Annapolis, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016 at Mercy Jefferson Hospital at Crystal City. Visitation will be held from 1 - 2 p.m., Tuesday, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m., also at the Piedmont Chapel. Burial will be at Mt. View Cemetery in Des Arc...

DEXTER -- Dexter High School has named its new head football coach. Superintendent Mitch Wood confirmed Thursday that Kevin Goltra will be Dexter's third head coach in four seasons taking over for former head coach Justin Peden, who resigned in late January...

Anna LaVerne White NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Anna LaVerne White, 77, of Neelyville, Missouri died Feb. 16, 2016 in Lebanon, Missouri. Visitation will be 6 p.m. Saturday Feb. 20, 2016. The funeral will be Sunday Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel of Neelyville. Burial will be in the Naylor Memorial Cemetery with Donnie Fowler Officiating...

The application deadline for Three Rivers College's day and evening Nursing programs in Poplar Bluff and its LPN-to-RN Bridge program in Poplar Bluff is March 1, and the deadline for its Practical Nursing program in Kennett is March 31. "We still have slots available for all four programs, but students will have to act quickly," said Dr. ...

For the first time in his 40 years, Kirk Chronister came to Peters Gym as an opposing coach Thursday night. The first-year Doniphan coach returned to face the program he started and players he coached up until a year ago. "It felt strange and I almost caught myself during the game, I almost said something to Megan (Knuckles) one time," said Chronister of the Poplar Bluff senior...

MALDEN -- Entering this season, the Malden girls basketball team had won just 30 games over Shellena Stone's first five seasons as head coach. Not to mention the program as a whole went without a winning season since Stone's senior season in 2003. A lot has changed since then...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After a disappointing start to their MSHSAA state wrestling tournament, four Poplar Bluff Mules kept their season alive Thursday night. All six of Poplar Bluff's qualifiers suffered losses in their opening match but seniors Chance Moore and Steven Haley, junior Josh Lewis and sophomore Tanner Dunivan won to advance to Friday's consolation second round...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The regular-season finale Thursday night was the first time this season that the Raiders never led in a game. After winning 8 of 9 and receiving votes in the most recent national coaches' poll, Three Rivers lost 84-70 at 11th-ranked Arkansas Baptist...

Possible Blurb: "We will win this war above all because of our best young people, like every previous generation of Americans, are stepping forward in droves to answer the great call to the great threat, the great challenge of their generation." James Olson...

BROSELEY -- The Dexter Lady Bearcats used a big first half to improve to 19-4 with a 67-49 win at Twin Rivers on Thursday night. Dexter led 20-12 after one quarter and 42-26 at halftime on their way to the 18-point win. Krysten Garrison scored a game-high 22 points for the Lady Bearcats while Melanie McKuin and Chaylea Mosby each finished with 14...