Stories from Friday, August 19, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff schools will open Sept. 1 and a number of open houses, enrollment sessions and school events are scheduled in the coming days. Immunizations Students needing immunizations before the beginning of classes may obtain them at Butler County Health Center at 1618 N. Main St...

Linda Garner DEXTER, Mo. - Linda Garner, 66, of Dexter, died Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 at her home in Dexter. Visitation will be at 11 a.m., Friday, August 19, 2016 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Graveside services will follow at 1 p.m. at the Dexter Cemetery in Dexter. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

Local volunteer Gerald Berger, Qulin, Mo., recently was recognized for countless hours of service to the community during a Modern Woodmen of America member event Monday. Berger was honored through Modern Woodmen's Hometown Hero Program for Countless Hours of Visiting and Praying for the Community, Extensive amount of time served in our community for various projects. He not only cares and prays for people in the community, but others across the nation as well...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation reminds waterfowl hunters they have from Sept. 1 through Sept. 18 to apply online with MDC to hunt on 12 wetland areas intensively managed by the Department for waterfowl. The reservation system allocates half of the available hunting opportunities on these areas for Missouri residents chosen through a random drawing. ...

Bob Cashion CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Bob Cashion of Campbell, died Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., Monday, at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. Funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. Monday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with Rev. Mark Thrasher officiating...

Do not miss this opportunity. Yes, it's a youth waterfowl clinic and hunt. Take advantage of hands-on training that focuses on waterfowl hunting techniques and wingshooting skills. Walk away a better wingshooter and ready to test your skills on your upcoming waterfowl hunt. Here is your chance to learn all of the skills you need to give waterfowl hunting a shot...

Bridget Shaffer Bridget Shaffer, of Lodi, Mo., died Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016 at her residence. Arrangements are currently pending with Ruegg Funeral Homes, Inc.

By Paul Davis Outdoors Editor I wouldn't plan on doing any quality fishing any time soon - not after several inches of rain have pretty much blown out every river and creek and raised both Clearwater and Wappapello lakes significantly. So far, the Black River looks to have risen the most dramatically. ...

By Paul Davis Outdoors Editor The Sikeston Jaycees Bootheel Rodeo, a Paul McCartney concert at Busch Stadium and other things may have curtailed the number of visitors to Saturday's 24th annual SEMO Friends of NRA banquet, but organizers are pleased with the event...

Sophia Nichole and Benjamin Andrew Miller of Poplar Bluff have chosen the name Jedidiah Darris Miller for their 8-pound, 3-ounce son born at 12:32 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau. Jedidiah was 20 1/2" long...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - As fall approaches and Arkansas hunters and outdoors lovers head to the woods to prepare food plots or enjoy a hike, it's also time to keep a lookout for tiny critters that can cause big problems. Ticks, often smaller than a millimeter or two, are waiting on low-growing plants to latch onto a passerby. ...

By Paul Davis Outdoors Editor Even Mother Nature wasn't enough of a threat to keep more than 150 archers away from Saturday's Shootin' for St. Jude archery fundraiser in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Better yet, shooters raised nearly double the amount of money they did last year for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn...

By STEPHEN MOORE Poor Hillary Clinton. She's trying so fervently to come up with at least one new and inspiring idea to jump-start a moribund economy and help the financially stressed middle class. But the left's idea cupboard is empty. They have nothing to offer except: tax; spend; spin; hit the button again...

Emma Magline Trout Emma Magline Trout, 85, of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born Oct. 23, 1930 in Fisk. She married Elmer Trout Aug. 22, 1947. He died March 30, 2010. A homemaker, she enjoyed quilting, genealogy, scrapbooking and antiquing. She was a member of Ash Hill General Baptist Church...

By GEORGE F. WILL LAS VEGAS -- Nevada, which calls itself the "Battle Born State," actually was born prematurely because of Republicans' anxiety. Now, 152 years later, it again is a subject of their anxiety. Entering 1864, Abraham Lincoln and his party were intensely, and reasonably, in doubt about his re-election. ...

This has been anything but a normal preseason for the Poplar Bluff Mules football team. Heading into the season opener Friday night against Riverview Gardens, the Mules have yet to face a player with a different color helmet and jersey after the preseason jamboree in Rolla was cancelled last week due to lightning...

The application deadline is approaching for Three Rivers College's daytime LPN-RN Bridge program in Poplar Bluff and its LPN-RN Bridge program at Three Rivers - Sikeston. The application deadline for these programs is Thursday, Sept. 1. "We want potential applicants for these programs to be aware of the opportunities in their area and what's required to take advantage of them," said Dr. ...

Poplar Bluff's shiny, new stadium will likely bring a few extra fans out on Friday nights this fall. The Mules football team hopes to make them want to see the away games as well. The core of a team that finished 8-3 and was a heartbeat away from the district championship game is back. Five starters on offense and four on defense return for Poplar Bluff, which opens the season Friday at the new Mules Stadium off Oak Grove Road...

Betty Coram FISK, Mo. - Betty Coram, 65, died on August 17, 2016 at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born December 24, 1950 in Sikeston. She married Albert Coram on Feburary 2, 1966, he preceded her in death. She was a housewife who loved card and board games, she also loved watching HGTV. ...

The Patrons of the Arts Society has launched a membership drive to encourage local music, theater, and fine arts lovers to help support the Society's upcoming 2016-17 season at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the Poplar Bluff Campus of Three Rivers College. The membership drive will culminate in the reveal of the lineup for the 2016-17 at a reception for Patrons members on August 25 at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center...

Rev. Ernest Bennett, Jr. NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Rev. Ernest Bennett, Jr., 87, died Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. He was born May 19, 1929 at Wayne County, Mo. to the late Rev. Ernest Bennett and Bertha (Clubb) Bennett. Bro. Jr. was an ordained General Baptist minister of the Hopewell Association, preaching for 59 years, pastoring seven different churches. ...

Linda Jo "Johnson" Jefferson DONIPHAN, Mo. - Linda Jo "Johnson" Jefferson, 60, of Doniphan, died Wed., Aug. 17, 2016 at Mountain View Healthcare in Mtn. View, Mo. Mrs. Jefferson was born on Nov. 11, 1955 in Fairdealing, Mo. On May 5, 1972 she married Maj. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A former Scott County assistant prosecutor will return to her hometown to take over as Carter County's new prosecutor. Gov. Jay Nixon announced the appointment Wednesday of Amanda Oesch, a Charleston, Mo., attorney, to the position, replacing former Carter County Prosecuting Attorney Ernie Richardson...