Stories from Wednesday, June 29, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Neelyville Public Schools has changed its cellphone policy in the wake of safety and other concerns. The school will now return confiscated phones to a parent at the end of the school day. Under the new policy, students will be assigned to one Saturday school for a first offense. A second offense results in two days of in-school suspension. A third offense results in a 3-10 day out-of-school suspension...

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- An eastern Missouri husband and wife are accused of stealing more than $300,000 from a casino after finding a technical glitch in the casino's system. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports 60-year-old Eileen R. Sheldon and 61-year-old Daniel T. Sheldon were each charged last week with felony stealing...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Neelyville Public Schools on Monday approved a fiscal 2017 budget with some deficit spending and without a raise for teachers. Administrators cited a number of needed capital improvement projects taking precedence over raises at this time...

Poplar Bluff Realty's Kurt Knodell recently was featured as the cover story of the real estate periodical Top Agent Magazine. Following is a reprint of the article: ------- Kurt Knodell, broker associate at Poplar Bluff Realty, Inc. in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, has a diverse career background in finance, home improvement, sales and real estate that has helped him become a top agent in the area. ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Members of the Delta Leadership Institute's Executive Academy, selected by Gov. Jay Nixon and Delta Regional Authority federal co-chairman Chris Masingill, met last week with their congressional delegation and federal officials in Washington, D.C., to talk about issues affecting the Mississippi River Delta region, including creating good-paying jobs, growing small businesses and entrepreneurs, and training a skilled workforce...

WASHINGTON -- The National Retail Federation today told the House Small Business Committee that new federal overtime regulations will lead to hiring freezes and layoffs for full-time workers if enacted as planned December 1. "Proponents of this rule have touted the changes as a welcomed job creator," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. "These claims are riddled with partial truths."...

Southern Bank announced Mel Jackson has been promoted to Community Bank President for Southern Bank in Poplar Bluff. Jackson has been with Southern Bank since 2008. Jackson brings more than 26 years of banking and financial experience to his new role. Prior to being named community bank president, Jackson served as a senior vice president and commercial loan officer at Southern Bank...

The Missouri State Chapter of P.E.O. Sisterhood held its 123rd annual convention recently. More than 330 representatives of P.E.O. chapters across Missouri attended the convention June 3-5 at the Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia. Poplar Bluff attendees include Patty Peters, officer of Chapter DG; Jan Cope, member of Chapter KB; and Erin Strack, member of Chapter MF...

Tickets will go on sale for the Daryl Worley concert in Campbell on July 1. The "Have You Forgotten" singer will be taking the stage on Saturday, August 20 at the Campbell Community building. The country concert is a tradition at the Missouri Peach Fair, which is held as one of the opening activities of the weeklong celebration. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER "I believe in an America always moving toward the future." -- Hillary Clinton, June 21 WASHINGTON -- This was not the most important line in Clinton's Ohio economic policy speech, only the most amazing. Surely there cannot be a more vacuous, meaningless piece of political rhetoric. Every terrestrial entity from nematode to the United States of America moves forward into the future quite on its own, thank you. Where else is there to go?...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Dan Rather was once important. Influential. Respected. Granted, there was that mysterious episode when Rather claimed to be mugged by some strange assailant. But it was Dan Rather and we gave him a pass...

Daniel Lee Jackson FISK, Mo. -- Daniel Lee Jackson, 63, of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday June 21, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Jackson was born Nov. 22, 1952 in Illinois. A Memorial service will be held at a later date. White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk is in charge of arrangements...

Christopher "Chris" Keith Davis, 53, of Grandin, Mo. died Sunday, June 26, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be from 9:30-11 a.m. Wednesday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff. A graveside service will follow at 11:30 a.m. at Black Creek Cemetery in Poplar Bluff with the Rev. Billy Orr officiating...

Barbara Sue Wren PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Barbara Sue Wren, 70, of Greenville, Mo., died Monday, June 27, 2016, at her residence. Visitation will be held at Kime General Baptist Church near Greenville from 2-3 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, 2016, with the funeral services immediately following...

After scoring more than 1,000 points in his high school career at Poplar Bluff, Chris Stocks spurned the Division I offers and chose to go to prep school for a year. His reasoning was straightforward, by taking the prep school route, he gains an extra year of eligibility, an extra year of practices and games and an extra year to get better. So when a certain school comes scouting, it is scouting a better player...

Homer Lee Woolard MALDEN, Mo. - Homer Lee Woolard was born on October 21, 1932 in Parma, Missouri to the late Leo Woolard and Irene Lester Woolard. He departed this life on Friday, June 24, 2016 at his residence in Malden, Missouri at the age of 83 years 8 months and 3 days...

Rose Henson Rose Henson, of West Maude Street, Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Saturday, June 25, 2016 at Barathaven Alzheimer's Special Care Center in Dardenne Prairie, Mo. Rosebud, the daughter of the late John and Myrtle Limbaugh Danner, was born Sept. 6, 1922 in Kennett, Mo. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. Rosebud was a homemaker and enjoyed flower gardening and cooking...

George M. Bankert, Jr. George M. Bankert, Jr., of Poplar Bluff, Mo., left this world on Monday, June 27, 2016 to join his Heavenly Father and be reunited with his beloved wife of 73 years, Betty. George was born to George M. Bankert, Sr. and Ruby Adaline Shelton Bankert on Dec. 5, 1921 in Evansville, Ind. He was their only child...

Dr. Donald E. Hamra DEXTER, Mo. - Dr. Donald E. Hamra of Malden, Mo., son of the late Richard Albert and Nellie Hodge Hamra, was born in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 26, 1931, and passed away at the Golden Living Center in Malden, Mo., on June 24, 2016, at the age of 84 years, 6 months, and 29 days...

William "Bill" Dennis Everett BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - William "Bill" Dennis Everett, 69, of Malden, died Sat., June 25, 2016 at his residence. A graveside service was held at 11 a.m., Monday, June 27 at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo. Burial followed. Bradshaw Funeral Homes, Inc. is in charge of arrangements. www.bradshawfh.com...

Billy Ray Jones Billy Ray Jones, 83, went home to be with Jesus on Sunday, June 26, 2016, in the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. Mr. Jones, son of John Starkey Jones and Pearl Lee (Cook) Jones, was born June 8, 1933 in Egypt, Ark. He grew up on a farm and never got away from the soil. He enjoyed growing vegetables and strawberries and sharing them. He loved to take Bonnie Knowles and Betty Absheer corn on the cob...

Bill Bennett GREENVILLE, Mo. - Bill Bennett, 84, of Greenville, died Mon., June 27, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be at 4:30 p.m., Thurs., June 30 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Friday, July 1 at the Greenville Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

Arnold "Arnie" Penrod PIEDMONT, Mo. - Arnold "Arnie" Penrod, 73, of Patterson, Mo., died Saturday, June 25, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Thurs., June 30 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. The funeral will follow at noon in the Piedmont Chapel. Burial will be in Patterson Cemetery. Online condolences may be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...