Stories from Saturday, March 5, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff Industrial Park bypass will be closed for three days next week at the railroad crossing on Cravens Road, according to county officials. Union Pacific will do work to repair the crossing near Riceland Foods from Monday morning through Wednesday afternoon, said Butler County Presiding Commissioner Vince Lampe. The road will be open on either side of the railroad tracks, he said, but traffic will not be able to cross the tracks...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service Jim Martin said he was surprised to get a call from Gov. Jay Nixon's office Wednesday telling him he had been appointed Perry County, Mo., coroner. Martin is the chairman of the Perry County Central Democratic Committee. He applied to the governor's office to replace Herbert Miller, who resigned Dec. 15, but his committee nominated someone else for the position...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The community will have a chance to view a collection of original artwork from some of the most beloved children's books of all time this spring at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Public Library. Golden Legacy, Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books is on display during March and April 2016 and free to the public...

By MARK BLISS SEMO News Service The silence hurts Felice Roberson and Pam Robinson. The mothers are frustrated no one will bear witness to the shooting deaths of their two sons in separate incidents on Cape Girardeau's south side. Roberson's son, Quinton David Combs, was shot and killed about 2 a.m. Nov. 15 in the 500 block of South Frederick Street. He was 24...

Doris Jean Switzer DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Doris Jean Switzer, 62, of Doniphan, died Wednesday, March 2, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be held beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday, in the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at noon in the funeral home chapel with Brother Kevin Crider officiating. Burial will be in the Hunt-White Cemetery...

Barbara J. Stucker JACKSON, Mo. -- Barbara J. Stucker, 68, of Jackson, formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to service time, Friday, March 4, 2016, at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 7 p.m., Friday, at the funeral home, with the Rev. Ken Grant officiating. Memorials may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...

The Seventh Annual Poor Man's Dinner is Friday, April 15, sponsored by the Altrusa International of Poplar Bluff Foundation. The Ham and Bean Dinner will be held at the Masonic Complex on Main Street from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Altrusa club is busy selling $5 tickets and sponsorships for its yearly fundraiser...

Oak Grove Elementary School staff has named the Students of the Month for February 2016. First Graders Isaac Stork, son of Alison Colley, was nominated by his teacher, Jacy Moyer, because he always is willing to help and works very hard in the classroom. He always does his best on all assignments...

Arthur "Ricky" Wirtz Arthur "Ricky" Wirtz, 61, of Poplar Bluff, died Tues., March 1, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Friday, March 4 at the Assembly of God Church in Van Buren, Mo. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. with Rev. Dave Truncone, Rev. Bruce Hawkins and Rev. Ross Marshall officiating. Burial will in the Yount Memorial Cemetery at Garwood, Mo. Online condolences may be made at: www.mcspaddenfh.com...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- "Hell," said Alabama's Democratic Gov. George Wallace before roiling the 1968 presidential race, "we got too much dignity in government now, what we need is some meanness." Twelve elections later, Wallace's wish is approaching fulfillment as Republicans contemplate nominating someone who would run to Hillary Clinton's left. ...

By STEPHEN MOORE If Donald Trump's gravity-defying ascendancy has validated anything, it is that for Middle America, jobs and economic security are still the dominant issue. Republicans have talked up tax reform, regulatory relief and fiscal restraint -- and those are all critical to growth...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- State of the world, Year Eight of Barack Obama: (1) In the South China Sea, on a speck of land of disputed sovereignty far from its borders, China has just installed anti-aircraft batteries and stationed fighter jets. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Dexter senior point guard Dakota Reynolds caught fire in the second half with the season on the line Thursday night. The 5-foot-5 guard opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers as her hot perimeter shooting allowed top-seeded Dexter to overcome a three-point halftime deficit and defeat fourth-seeded Kennett 45-30 in the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 semifinal...

CEDAR HILL, Mo. -- Once again, Jackson ended Poplar Bluff's season. And again, it was in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game after the Mules earned the top seed by winning the regular-season meeting. This time the Indians claimed their fourth straight district title with a 75-66 win over Poplar Bluff at Northwest High School...

The phrase win-or-go-home rings extra true for three local basketball teams at this point in the season. After successful playoff wins earlier this week, the Neelyville and Naylor girls return to the all-too-familiar quarterfinal round, while the Bloomfield boys are here for the first time in 50 years...

The Small Business Administration and partners will sponsor a training called, "Starting or Growing a Veteran-Owned Business" from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19 at the Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce. Registration is free and lunch is provided. The deadline for registration is March 15...

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 have been extended. The application deadline for the Poplar Bluff day RN program and evening LPN-to-RN Bridge program is now April 1, and the deadline for the Poplar Bluff RN evening program is now May 1...

Sidney Eugene Shoumake Sidney Eugene Shoumake, 79, of Naylor, passed away Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born April 14, 1936 in Poplar Bluff. He was a member of Southside Assembly of God, where he served as a deacon for several years. He was a Vietnam Veteran and honorably served his country in the United States Navy for 30 years...

Norma Ritter COLLINSVILLE, Mo. - Norma Glodeen (Thompson) Ritter, 76, of Caseyville, Ill., born Nov. 4, 1939, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, March 1, 2016, at her residence. Norma owned Alton Sewing and Vacuum Center, Alton, Ill. She was a member of Alpha Omega Christian Fellowship Church, Collinsville, Ill...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff R-I students cast votes Thursday in a mock primary election at the high school, an event traditionally foreshadowing the outcome of local and national results over the past decade. "It is a good opportunity for them to see how this actually works," said social studies teacher Mitch Davis. "They are told how it works, they are lectured about it, but it is an entirely different thing to work these election jobs and see the level of apathy...

Goldie Johnson Goldie Johnson, 96, of Bolivar, Mo., formally of Poplar Bluff, passed away Wed., March 2, 2016 at Citizen's Memorial Healthcare Facility in Bolivar, Mo. Goldie was born Dec. 7, 1919. She lived in Poplar Bluff for many years before moving to Bolivar, Mo. in 2009. She was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church...

John and Shannon Poole of Fisk have chosen the name Emerson Lynn Poole for their 8-pound, 5-ounce daughter born at 8:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Poplar Bluff. Emerson was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Mickey Credille of Broseley, Bob and Janice Hancock of Fisk, and John Poole, Sr. of Poplar Bluff...

Evelyn M. Harris McDaniel Evelyn M. Harris McDaniel went home to live with her Savior Sat., Feb. 27, 2016. She was living with her son, Jerry, and his wife, Becky, in Shreveport, La. Evelyn was born Aug. 3, 1922 to Elmer H. and Rettie Myrtle (Houston) Williams. She grew up in and around the Jonesboro, Ark. area. She was the last surviving of eight siblings...