Stories from Wednesday, March 16, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A Butler County judge ruled during a Monday preliminary hearing that the case of a man accused of murder in a shooting on a mental health center parking lot in October would move toward trial. Eddie J. Skorcz, 58, of the 900 block of County Road 608, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of 52-year-old Mitchell Dugger of Broseley...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer Butler County voters were out bright and early Tuesday to have their say in the 2016 presidential primary election. In a campaign marked with plenty of controversy, residents wanted to make sure to get their votes in. Voters were mostly divided among each party's frontrunner...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer Students at Neelyville High School have taken initiative by starting the school's first ever student council. "It really was something that we've always wanted to do," said junior Ethan Anderson, who is the council's treasurer...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey has pledged to buy a 3-D printer for Poplar Bluff Junior High School, part of a massive donation to schools statewide from the social media mogul and St. Louis native. Dorsey dispersed the following tweet after agreeing to fund every Missouri request on the educational fund-raising site DonorsChoose.org...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Two Poplar Bluff, Mo., men may face gun- and drug-related charges after local officers found suspected marijuana, prescription pills and firearms while investigating a weekend traffic crash. At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, Poplar Bluff Police Patrolman Joey Woodruff reportedly heard what he described as a loud noise coming from the area of Fifth and Kinzer streets...

BY WALTER E. WILLIAMS George Washington, our first president, is probably our greatest and most decent statesman. We celebrate Washington's Birthday each February. But March 16th marks the birthday of probably the second-most important and decent American, James Madison...

Florence L. Brewer PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Florence L. Brewer, 93, of Annapolis, died Monday, March 14, 2016 at the Meadowbrook Residential Care Center in Pilot Knob. Visitation will be held at noon, Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Steven Sale officiating...

David E. Pence CORNING, Ark. -- David E. Pence, 61, of Corning, passed away Monday, March 14, 2016 at home. Mr. Pence was a retired truck driver who enjoyed fishing, barbequing, gardening, being around people, and spending time with his kids and grandkids. He was of the Pentecostal faith...

By MONA CHAREN Mitt Romney made a compelling and urgent case for why the Republican Party's soul is at stake in this election cycle. And speaking of Romney, his experience in 2012 illustrates why those who are shrugging that it is too late to stop Donald Trump are mistaken...

Doris Lee Barnes BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Doris Lee Barnes, 75, formerly of Dexter and Bloomfield, died Saturday, March 12, 2016 Cypress Point Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation will be after 5 p.m., Tuesday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Wednesday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield, with Kyle Carter, of Sikeston, officiating...

Ronald D. Mitchell DEXTER, Mo. - Ronald D. Mitchell, son of the late James G. Mitchell and Allie Fields Mitchell was born on November 19, 1936 in Dudley and passed away on March 11, 2016 at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter at the age of 79. Mr. Mitchell was a resident of Dudley and was the owner and operator of Mitchell's Body Shop and Auto Sales...

Donald G. Henson WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Donald G. Henson, 86, of Williamsville, passed away Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, Poplar Bluff. He was born Aug. 15, 1929, to Clarence E. Henson and Jettie Mae Hughes Henson, in Williamsville. He spent his childhood and attended school in Williamsville, graduating from Williamsville High School in 1946...

One of the only Constitutional requirements we must complete every year is passing the State's budget. It is one of the most time-consuming tasks but we do not take our responsibility as stewards of the people's money lightly. This week, the House was able to approve the fiscal year 2017 budget, which now goes to the Senate for consideration. ...

Perry Taylor GREENVILLE, Mo. - Perry Taylor, 85, of Greenville, died Monday, March 14, 2016, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Greenville.

Mary Louise S Stagner Mary Louise Stagner, 70, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, March 14, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

Edna Malone Kenser Edna Malone Kenser, 83, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

Genevieve Jackson Brown FISK, Mo. - Genevieve Berneice Jackson Brown, 90, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Broseley, Mo., died Sunday, March 13, 2016, at Westwood Hills Health Care Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk, Mo...

Patricia Shell Taylor DEXTER, Mo. - Patricia Shell Taylor, 82, died Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Brookdale Anderson Assisted Living Facility in Anderson, South Carolina. Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m., Friday, March 18 in Dexter Cemetery with Rev. Ron Routledge of Abbey Road Christian Church of Cape Girardeau, Mo. officiating...

Hubert Matchett FISK, Mo. - Hubert Matchett, 92, of Broseley, Mo., died Monday, March 14, 2016, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk.

Donald Ray Trousdale Donald Ray Trousdale, 65, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Saturday, March 12, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Trousdale was born Sept. 29, 1950 in Poplar Bluff. He was of the Baptist faith and had proudly served his country in the US Army during the Korean War. Mr. Trousdale previously worked at Riggs wholesale before retiring from Briggs and Stratton. He enjoyed fishing, animals, flower gardening and barbecuing...

Lillie Mae Howard DONIPHAN, Mo. - Lillie Mae Howard, 82, of Gatewood, Mo., passed away Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mrs. Howard, daughter of the late Herbert Sr & Myrtle Marie (Tharp) Dale, was born December 9, 1933, in Ripley County, Mo. She had worked as a coordinator of South Central Community Action Agency. Mrs. Howard enjoyed playing rook, counting cows, and life on the farm. She was a member of the New Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Nearly halfway through the season, the Lady Raiders are still looking for their first winning streak. Three Rivers, which has yet to win two games in a row, lost all five games at the Joplin Bash over the weekend by a collective score of 41-7...

Florence L. Brewer PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Florence L. Brewer, 93, of Annapolis, died Monday, March 14, 2016 at the Meadowbrook Residential Care Center in Pilot Knob. Visitation will be held at noon, Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Steven Sale officiating...

Scotty Reel CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Scotty Reel, 58, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Holcomb, died Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown. No visitation is planned. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday at Loyd Cemetery in Holcomb with Rev. Jack Allen officiating. Burial will follow...

PB man dies in crash A 58-year-old Poplar Bluff, Mo., man died Saturday evening of injuries he suffered in a two-vehicle crash earlier in the day in Butler County. Scotty D. Reel was pronounced dead at 6:45 p.m. by a doctor at Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown, Mo., according to Butler County Coroner Jim Akers...

The season just ended a few weeks ago, and Three Rivers women's basketball coach Jeff Walk has just two more roster spots to fill. Walk said recently that all 11 players eligible to return to the team have been invited back and, as of now, will be coming back, pending grades and any off-the-court incidents...

Dawn Parmer arrest report incorrect The arrest of Dawn Marie Parmer was incorrectly reported in the Daily American Republic last week. The 39-year-old resident of the 100 block of County Road 311 was arrested at 8:25 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on suspicion of affray, not shoplifting as was reported. Parmer was booked and released on bond...

Scotty Reel CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Scotty Reel, 58, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Holcomb, died Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown. No visitation is planned. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday at Loyd Cemetery in Holcomb with Rev. Jack Allen officiating. Burial will follow...