Stories from Saturday, December 24, 2016

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Every Christmas season since 2009, a trail of lights lead the path down Rusty Divine's driveway. Santa and Mrs. Claus wave at passing cars, towering trees made entirely of lights brighten the sky and Snoopy, along with the rest of the Peanuts crew, welcomes onlookers to a Christmas spectacular...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff High School newspaper The Bluffer is back, and once again providing a wide variety of content on happenings in the school community. Formerly a periodic, mainly print, publication, The Bluffer last month put up a new website with a number of feature, sports, lifestyle and entertainment articles - offering the public a hyper-local look at PBHS through the eyes of its students...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Several Butler County residents recently received a letter from a company offering copies of their property records for an $87 fee, but they can get the same documents at the courthouse for less than $5. Records Recovery Service, whose listed address is actually a Jefferson City UPS store, has been circulating a similar scam letter since 2011, according to reports in the Lebanon Daily Record newspaper...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Health care has changed. There are now over 140,000 medical codes that doctors are required to input to designate the very specific nature of injury or disease, right down to burn due to water skis catching fire -- V91.07...

By CANDICE CHOI AP Food Industry Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Andrew Puzder, who heads the company that owns Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, was tapped to head the Labor Department by President-elect Donald Trump. Puzder has been outspoken about his views that too much regulation is hurting the restaurant industry and that a significant increase in the minimum wage would lead to job losses or prompt companies to look for ways to automate tasks more quickly. ...

To the Editor: I love to read the news published in the Dexter Statesman. I pick up a copy of this paper when I get my daily Poplar Bluff paper, The Daily American Republic. Tonight, my heart was stirred as I read "wish Lists" to Santa Claus. One child asked Santa, "Do you visit poor people?" Another child's request was simply to have his Dad home more. Still another asked for "chicken pot pie." That must be a delicacy to some...

The demise of east, south PB Hello Speak Out. You know I've never heard anyone comment on why all the development all the tax dollars being spent are being spent west and north of Poplar Bluff. It's as though the powers that be want to forget that the east side even exits or that the south side and 53 area even exists...

By STEPHEN MOORE Back in early 2015, oil and gas company ConocoPhillips requested a permit from the Obama administration to launch an oil-drilling project in Alaska. The energy project, called the Greater Mooses Tooth development, is located within the National Petroleum Reserve and would create thousands of jobs in an economically depressed area of the state. The project has the full approval of the local community and poses little threat to the environment in a sparsely populated region...

By GEORGE F. WILL "To change anything in the Navy is like punching a feather bed. You punch it with your right and you punch it with your left until you are finally exhausted, and then you find the damn bed just as it was before you started punching."...

Peggy Sue Beckham FISK, Mo. -- Peggy Sue Beckham, 70, of Houston, Texas, died at her residence Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Born Sept. 20, 1946 in Poplar Bluff, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Edgar and Edna (Smith) Lacy. She is survived by one daughter: Misty (Amada) Beckham, Houston, Texas; one son: John (Velina) Putney, Ellsinore, Mo.; 13 grandchildren: Aaliya, Tommy, Joell, Le'la, Dulce, Tausha, Krystin, Mason, Logan, Paul, Dustin, Danyelle, Whitney; four brothers: Joe Lacy, Clyte Kirby, Bill Lacy, James Lacy; three sisters: Pat Tigue, Corsicana, Texas, Bronda Ashworth, Dexter, Mo., and Ellabelle Moss.. ...

There's no place like home for the holidays. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds motorists to include safe, crash free travel as part of their holiday plans. Check your vehicle before you travel to ensure that it is in good working condition. Make sure you are well rested before driving to your destination, no matter how short the distance. Keep an eye on the weather, too. Above all, obey all traffic laws, be a courteous driver, and drive sober...

Ellsinore graduate gets MoPac scholarship Autumn Marvin, 19, of Grandin, has been awarded a $500 Missouri Pacific Boosters study grant to help underwrite her studies at Three Rivers College. The MoPac Boosters fund is administered by the Three Rivers Community College Foundation...

BROSELEY -- Dexter's streak of winning at the Lady Royals Christmas Classic continued Thursday night, only this time it didn't come easy. Facing Neelyville in the final for a fourth straight year, it felt like a playoff game. Hannah Thurmon was on the spot for the Lady Bearcats in clutch moments...

By DAR STAFF BROSELEY -- Callee Pickrell scored 17 points to lead all scorers, Hannah Cunningham added 16 and the third-seeded Naylor Lady Eagles beat No. 5 Doniphan 38-21 to take third in the Lady Royals Christmas Classic. The teams went scoreless for the first three minutes until Gracie Gargac sank a 3 to send Naylor (9-3) on an 8-2 run. The Lady Eagles extended their lead to 18-10 by halftime and took big chunks of time of the clock in the second half while outscoring Doniphan (5-6) 22-11...

Paul R. Maples DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Paul Raymond Maples, 67, of Doniphan died Monday, Dec. 19, 2016, in Ripley County, Mo. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, at Edwards Funeral Home with Edward Holland officiating. Online condolences: edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Sylvia Jean 'Jeannie' Boatner Sylvia Jean "Jeannie" Boatner, 56, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 at her residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Wanda Wagster CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Wanda Wagster, 76, of Campbell died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016, at NHC Health Care in Kennett, Mo. Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell.

Deeda Mae Mueller FISK, Mo. -- Deeda Mae Mueller, 82, of Fisk died on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, at Senath Nursing Center in Senath, Mo. Visitation will be from 1- 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016 at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Graveside service will follow at 3 p.m., at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield with Rev. Stewart-Allen Clark officiating...

John O. Hobbs John O. Hobbs, owner and operator of Hobb's Nursery in Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff...

Leonard Earl Little MALDEN, Mo. - Funeral services for Leonard Earl Little will be held Sat., Dec. 17 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. followed by the "Celebration of Life" service with Reverend Bob Phillips officiating...