Stories from Thursday, January 12, 2017

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer NEW MADRID, Mo. - A Poplar Bluff woman and former accounts payable clerk at Hefner Furniture and Appliance who fraudulently charged nearly $75,000 to the company's credit card appeared Monday in a New Madrid County courtroom for sentencing...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Animal Control refused to let sleeping dogs lie when facing a high euthanasia rate two years ago. Now its efforts to curtail the practice is an example to shelters around the state. After receiving a Missouri Outstanding Animal Welfare award in September, yearend statistics for 2016 released Monday reflect the lowest euthanasia rate in the agency's history...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A star college volleyball player, Sarah Panzau Evans had a blood alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit when she flipped her car four times in a drunk driving accident. Panzau Evans lost her left arm and suffered many other serious injuries...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor JACKSON, Mo. -- Testimony continues today in the trial of a Doniphan, Mo., man who authorities say showed up at a going-away party and then killed another man he had argued with there. A nine-man, five-woman jury is hearing testimony in the trial of Michael L. ...

Rev. Richard "Dick" Bamforth -- Augusta, Maine, formerly Poplar Bluff, Mo. Kathy Griffin -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Joyce Malin -- Campbell, Mo. Jimmy Lynn Smith -- Parma, Mo. Leonard Hays Talley -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Thelma Payne -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Cecil E. Gould -- Wappapello, Mo...

The Missouri House of Representatives has convened for the 2017 legislative session and I am honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to continue in the role of Speaker of the House. During the opening day of session, I gave a few remarks to the legislature about the direction we have the opportunity to take our state in and wanted to share some of those thoughts with you today...

The FBI reported that the total number of homicides in 2015 was 15,696. Blacks were about 52 percent of homicide victims. That means about 8,100 black lives were ended violently, and over 90 percent of the time, the perpetrator was another black. Listening to the news media and the Black Lives Matter movement, one would think that black deaths at the hands of police are the major problem. ...

Casey Eatherton, 18, a Doniphan High School graduate, recently won a $500 Douglas Lacy Harris study grant to help underwrite her first-semester course work at Three Rivers College. The Harris fund is administered by the Three Rivers Community College Foundation...

Maria Lovins, 18, a Doniphan High School graduate, recently won a $500 study grant from the Ripley County Livestock Producers Association to help underwrite her first-semester course work at Three Rivers College. The grant fund is administered by the Three Rivers Community College Foundation...

The Butler County unit of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association met Wednesday, Dec. 21, for its annual Christmas program and gift exchange. Members enjoyed a great program presented by Larry McCann. McCann is a retired music teacher who played guitar and led singing of familiar and some unfamiliar Christmas songs. He also shared some interesting facts and histories of some of the songs...

The staff at the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center, 1235 N. Main St., Poplar Bluff, has announced screening appointments for ECH Half-Day Program for 2017 - 18 School Year. If you or anyone you know lives in the Poplar Bluff R-1 School District and has a child who will be 3 years old before July 31, 2017 call the Poplar Bluff Early Childhood Center office at 573-785-6803 for more information about having a child screened for the 2017 -18 school year...

A weight was lifted from the shoulders of Morgan McAtee over the weekend when the Poplar Bluff senior qualified for the MSHSAA state championships. "That was a huge stress reliever for me because since my freshman year I've never made it that late in the season," said McAtee, who qualified in the 100-yard breaststroke for a fourth straight year...

Wappapello Civic Dance schedule Dance 6 - 9 p.m., Smoke and alcohol free facility, Concessions available, $5.00 per person, Children ages 12 and under Free, Located on Civic Center Road just north of dam: Jan 14 Charlie Barker & Route 66 Band Jan 21 Larry Robards & Country Connection Band...

VAN BUREN -- In a game Van Buren led for 30 minutes, the Lady Dawgs merely confirmed their belief the Neelyville Lady Tigers never really go away. Van Buren took the lead for good with two minutes left in the first quarter, built a 10-point lead with two minutes to play and still had to hold on for dear life in posting a 75-68 victory to snap a 10-year losing streak against Neelyville on Tuesday...

GREENVILLE -- The first cut was a few minutes into the third quarter. With it, Twin Rivers found a new intensity and dominated the final 13 minutes of play and beat Greenville 69-46 on Tuesday in Ozark Foothills Conference play. "We were battling back and forth for the first 2 1/2 quarters. ...

DEXTER -- Dexter jumped out to a 6-0 lead and did not allow a point over the first 4 1/2 minutes as the Bearcats led wire-to-wire in a 57-48 victory over Bloomfield for their seventh straight win Tuesday night. Junior center Gabe Jackson had another big game for Dexter with a double-double, 14 points with at least that many rebounds to go with six blocked shots. ...

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Rev. Richard A. "Dick" Bamforth, 86, of Augusta, formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, at his home. During his long career in the priesthood, he served two Missouri parishes. From 1960-1966, he served Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Poplar Bluff. His two daughters were born in Poplar Bluff. During his time here, he was instrumental in the integration of the public swimming pool...

Casey Eatherton, 18, a Doniphan High School graduate, recently won a $500 Douglas Lacy Harris study grant to help underwrite her first-semester course work at Three Rivers College. The Harris fund is administered by the Three Rivers Community College Foundation...

Joyce Malin CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Joyce Malin, 80, of Campbell died on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017 at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 14, at the Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with services beginning at noon with Rev. Alan Wollenburg officiating. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in Campbell...

Jimmy Lynn Smith DEXTER, Mo. -- Jimmy Lynn Smith, 61, of Parma, Mo. died Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Services will be held at 11 a.m. ...

Cecil E. Gould GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Cecil E. Gould, 64, of Wappapello, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, at his residence. Visitation will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Ruegg Funeral Home 117 Oak St., Greenville with the funeral following at 1 p.m. at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville...

Leonard Hays Talley Leonard Hays Talley, 81, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Jan. 3, 1936, in Paragould, Ark. and was a veteran of the Air Force. Mr. Talley was a retired truck driver for USA Trucking and a member of Southside Assembly of God, Poplar Bluff...

Thelma Payne Thelma Payne, 84, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at her home. Visitation will begin at noon Friday, Jan. 13, at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Hone in Poplar Bluff and the funeral service will be at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. A complete obituary will be in Thursday's edition of the Daily American Republic...