Stories from Thursday, May 5, 2016

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor A group of Poplar Bluff, Mo., women celebrate Mother's Day weekend annually by raising money for the United Cancer Assistance Network (UCAN). This year their seventh annual Xi Kappa Flower Sale benefitting UCAN will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday at Poplar Bluff Realty on North Westwood Boulevard and end at noon, unless they sell out of plants earlier...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer With prom and graduation season upon us, one local community is working to ensure teenagers get home safely. Members of the Greenville law enforcement, local businesses and the school district recently presented It Only Takes One to the students...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport is teaming up with SEMO Aviation Services to raise money to send youth to college. The two organizations will hold its annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday, with all proceeds going to Masonic Scholarship funds...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman may face child endangerment charges after she allegedly nearly struck two boys while driving erratically in their neighborhood Tuesday evening. At about 6:50 p.m., Poplar Bluff Police Patrolman Andy Cleaveland was sent to a home in the 200 block of East Midland Street regarding a vehicle driving in a careless and imprudent manner...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Junior High School's newly formed underwater robot team recently won first place in their division during a competition at Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Mobile, Ala. Team Mulus Aquaticus, Latin for water mules, defeated seven intermediate schools in the scout division of the fourth annual remotely operated vehicle competition of the Northern Gulf, sponsored by the international Marina Advanced Technology Education (MATE) program...

Freda Phegley WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- Freda Phegley, 77, of Wappapello died April 24, 2016 at her residence. Graveside services were held April 28, 2016 at Wappapello Cemetery in Wappapello. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.cotrellfuneralservice.com...

The month of May features Mother's Day, school play days, blooming roses, and end-of-school banquets. According to the Vegetable Planting Calendar, it's also the time to plant summer squash. You may plant anytime between May 1 and 30. People have loved the taste of squash for over 10,000 years. Christopher Columbus was the first westerner to discover this veggie and cultivation began in Europe shortly after the discovery of America...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Whether the establishment likes it or not, and it evidently does not, there is a revolution going on in America. The old order in this capital city is on the way out, America is crossing a great divide, and there is no going back...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Republican presidential aspirant John Kasich stirred up angry words from women's organizations and the Democratic Party by his response to a question from a female college student at a town hall meeting in Watertown, New York, regarding sexual assault. ...

To the Editor: The City of Poplar Bluff has lost a very valuable asset with the retirement of Deputy Chief Jeff Rolland. Not saying at all the department cannot run without him because his replacement, Donnie Trout, is exceptional as well and is very capable of filling those big shoes...

Registration is now open for summer and fall semester classes at Three Rivers College for new and returning students at all of the college's locations. Online and on-site registration will continue through May 31 for Summer Full and A Sessions, June 27 for Summer B Session and Aug. 12 for Fall Semester at the Poplar Bluff campus and the locations in Sikeston, Dexter, Kennett, Malden, Willow Springs, Piedmont, and Cape Girardeau. The fFall semester starts on Aug. 15...

The 36th SEMO Veterans Treatment Court celebrated five years of service in April. The court received a Certificate of Recognition Award from the MATCP (Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals), said treatment court administrator Deborah Swinford-Kimes...

Poplar Bluff Senior High has selected the Students of the Month for April 2016 Jadon Barnes, son of Jennifer and Kevin Brown and Jamon Barnes, is active in FCA, the Mules baseball team and Ping Pong Club. His hobbies are: fishing, hunting, playing baseball and riding fourwheelers. He also volunteers at independent living center events. His future plans include attending a technical college to learning welding as he plans to be either a welder or a farmer...

Three Rivers College will round out its 2015-16 art and music offerings with student-centered shows featuring the work of the Three Rivers Music and Art Departments. "We have a great set of extremely talented students in our music and art classes," said Tim Thompson, Director of the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. "This is their opportunity to display the skills they've learned across the last year, and for some of them, this will be their final performance as Three Rivers students."...

More than $6.3 million in prizes of $1,000 or more were awarded to Missouri Lottery players during March. Thousands of other prizes of less than $1,000 also were awarded during the month. Winners of $1,000 or more in March include the following from this area:...

Rev. Wiley McGhee PUXICO, Mo. -- Rev. Wiley McGhee, 103, of Puxico died Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at the Puxico Nursing and Rehab. Services are pending with Watkins Funeral Home, Puxico, who are in charge of the arrangements.

Earl Weston GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Earl Weston, 81, of Clubb, Mo. died Tuesday, May 3, 2016, at the Greenville Nursing and Rehab Center in Greenville. Arrangements will be announced by Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel, Greenville,

Rev. Clifford E. Wray DEXTER, Mo. -- Rev. Clifford E. Wray, 91, of Dexter, died Monday, May 2, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 9:30 - 11 a.m., Saturday, at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m., Saturday in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Dean Williams officiating. Burial will be in the Chalk Bluff Cemetery...

Geraldine 'Geri' Lansing MALDEN, Mo. -- Geraldine "Geri" Lansing, 97, of Garland, Texas, formerly of Malden, died Friday, April 29, 2018, at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Thursday, at Bradshaw Funeral Homes, Inc., in Malden. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Friday, at Bradshaw Funeral Home Chapel in Malden...

Tammy Lynn Peters DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Tammy Lynn Peters, 55, of Doniphan, died Monday, May 2, 2016 at her residence in rural Ripley County. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan and will be announced upon completion.

Robert L. Ryman Robert L. Ryman, 64, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, April 29, 2016, at his residence. Mr. Ryman was born July 19, 1951 in Colby, Kan., to the late Leonard Dale and Elda Eudora Boyer Ryman. He attended Fellowship General Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and had proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Ryman enjoyed spending time with his family, hunting and fishing...

EUREKA, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff golf coach Billy Pyland liked what he saw from his team Tuesday during the MSHSAA Class 4 District 1 tournament. Out of the running for one of two qualifying spots as a team, the Mules gathered around the green at Fox Run Country Club to watch and cheer on their final teammate on the course...

Daniel Wesley Murphey DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Daniel Wesley Murphey, 54, of Doniphan, died Monday, May 2, 2016, at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 -- 8 p.m., Thursday, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m., Friday, in the funeral home chapel and burial will follow in the Union Cemetery near Ponder...

Poplar Bluff swept its own Invitational on Tuesday but a repeat come Friday in the SEMO North Conference meet will not be as easy. "Well, Jackson didn't bring some of their better ones today so we'll see a little bit better competition come Friday," Mules coach Mark Barousse said...

Shirley Mae Luecke Shirley Mae Luecke died on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 in Houston, Texas after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was 86 years young. Shirley was born on Oct. 5, 1929 in St. Louis, Mo. She was the first child of Elmer and Frieda Huch...

The Raider defense will head into the Region XVI Tournament a bit worse for ware. Three Rivers gave up 26 total runs, 29 hits and committed six errors while being swept by John A. Logan 14-5 in six innings and 12-9 in Three Rivers' regular season finale on Tuesday at Roger Pattillo Field...

Brian Christopher and Bonnie Lyna Dobbs of Poplar Bluff have chosen the name Kimber Rose Dobbs for their 7-pound, 6-ounce daughter born at 1:21 a.m., Friday, April 22, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Kimber was 19 1/2 inches long...

PUXICO -- Trey McDaniel drove in three runs with a hit and a pair of doubles, and threw a two-hit gem in Greenville's 12-1 victory over Puxico on Tuesday. The junior struck out 14 of the 17 batters he faced and did not walk a single batter in five innings...

PB couple's granddaughter gets honor Meridian McDaniel, daughter of Clinton and Missy McDaniel of St. Louis, and granddaughter of Ron and Donna Pinkerton, of Poplar Bluff, was recognized by the faculty and administration of Nerinx Hall, Webster Groves, at the 2016 Academic Awards ceremony. A senior, Meridian was selected by the Social Studies Department for her academic achievements, character, leadership and service to receive the prestigious Evelyn Donohoo Award...

PIEDMONT -- After the hits and runs poured in for the Clearwater softball team, the rain did too. A 15-minute delay put a halt on the second-seeded Lady Tigers' celebration of a MSHSAA Class 1 District 6 championship game berth by three outs and gave life to third-seeded Winona on Tuesday...

PIEDMONT -- There were throwing errors and fielding errors. Boots and drops. The Bulldogs center fielder tried to punch a hole in the ground at one point after a diving catch bounced out of his glove. Van Buren committed a terribly unlucky 13 errors against East Carter in the Black River League Tournament semifinals and lost 9-3 on Tuesday...

BERNIE -- The Dexter softball team jumped out to a one-run lead in the top of the first inning but was unable to generate enough offense to avoid a third straight season-ending loss to the Bernie Mules in the spring softball playoffs. Bernie freshman starting pitcher Cymber Arnold did not allow a run after the first inning in a complete-game outing in the circle...