Stories from Friday, February 3, 2017

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A state grant will pay for 1-mile of new pavement on a county road used by Lake Road Elementary school buses and residents in eastern Butler County. County officials will open bids at the end of the month for a project to pave County Road 558 between Peaceful Acres subdivision and AA Highway...

A Willow Springs, Mo., painter who draws inspiration from the natural world will hold a show and painting class this month at Margaret Harwell Art Museum. The public is invited to meet Michael McClure during an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the museum. McClure will speak about his work at 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through the end of February...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Jazz musicians from around Southeast Missouri will gather to perform a number of familiar favorites and original scores during Three Rivers College annual Jazzfest, which will feature two 7 p.m. performances on Feb. 9 and Feb. 11 in the Tinnin Center...

By MARK BLISS SEMO News Service Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee boycotted a Senate Finance Committee hearing earlier this week on the nomination of banker Steve Mnuchin as Treasury secretary because new information surfaced, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said Wednesday...

Dennis L. Taylor -- Bloomfield, Mo. Mildred Shrum -- Campbell, Mo. Iva Lee Bliss -- Doniphan, Mo. David Pence -- Corning, Ark. Jerry Crews -- Mineral Point, Mo. Eva Jones -- Springfield, Mo. George Jackson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Barbara Priest -- Poplar Bluff, Mo...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The duck hunting season may be over, but there's no reason for hunters to put their waterfowling passion on the backburner. With that in mind, the Bluff City Mallards chapter of Ducks Unlimited will host its 2017 Sportsman's Dinner Feb. 18...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor If you've never seen a bald eagle soaring overhead on wind currents or sitting high in a tree in its nest, an event this weekend will give you the opportunity to do so. Friday and Saturday are the dates of the bi-annual Eagle Days event at the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Duck Creek Conservation Area and Wappapello Lake, though Friday is reserved for school groups only...

By MONA CHAREN There is much to cheer about President Trump's first decisions as president. Conservatives are almost certainly going to love his Supreme Court pick, his stepped-up efforts to deport criminal aliens, the approval of two oil pipelines stubbornly blocked by the previous administration and more...

The House welcomed Chief Justice Patricia Breckenridge to our chamber to deliver the State of the Judiciary address to a special joint session of the Missouri General Assembly. In her address, Chief Justice Breckenridge emphasized our continued efforts to automate our courts and ensure municipal courts work to pursue justice, not revenue. ...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS One can only imagine the widespread media, political and intellectual condemnation of Republicans and conservatives if, after the inauguration of Barack Obama, they had gone on a violent and vicious tear all over the nation as did Democrats and liberals after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. ...

The application deadlines for Three Rivers College's Nursing programs in Poplar Bluff and Kennett are now approaching. The application deadline for the Poplar Bluff Registered Nurse (RN) day program and the evening LPN-RN Bridge program is March 1. The application deadline for the evening RN program is May 1. The application deadline for the Practical Nursing (PN) Program in Kennett is March 31...

Healthcare has come a long way, and we live much longer than we used to. As we get older, many of us will get chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes. But, we don't have to go out like that. Practicing preventive care can help you live a long, happy life...

By CALEB PRYOR Mo. Dept. of Conservation Deer season has come to an end, the holidays have come and gone, and you have cabin fever but can't think of anything fun to do outside. Here's a suggestion: try shed hunting. January and February are great times to get out and look for sheds...

By TOM UHLENBROCK Mo. State Parks PLEASANT HILL, Mo. -- Katy Trail State Park just took a giant step toward achieving its long-time goal of stretching across Missouri's mid-section to join the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas. The move enabled the Katy Trail to reclaim its title as America's longest rails-to-trails conversion...

There was no way to prepare for it. It was a situation so rare, so bizarre to watch unfold on a basketball court, that it begged a litany of questions: What defensive scheme is most appropriate? How best to space the floor on offense? Is this even legal?...

BROSELEY -- Fielding groundballs and taking batting practice on a chilly, winter day might never feel better for baseball and softball players at Twin Rivers High School. The school district unveiled its spacious, new state-of-the-art indoor practice facility in November and held its first winter workout a week after Thanksgiving...

Gavin Wells' wrestling career was in serious jeopardy following a devastating knee injury during his junior year. A meniscus tear during the 2015 school year led to weeks in a brace, several more months of rehab and no physical activity for the two-sport athlete...

Several regular-season games in the past month proved the upcoming Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament will be extremely hard to predict on both sides. So difficult that the coaches at Wednesday's seed meeting had a tough time placing the top seed for the boys and the No. 2 seed for the girls in the tournament, which begins Saturday at Doniphan High School...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- The Lady Raiders grabbed 21 steals, and in doing so, prevented State Fair from stealing the top spot in the region standings heading into a showdown. Three Rivers College forced 28 turnovers against Jefferson College and used those to boost the offense for a 73-62 win Wednesday...

The doors of the Three Rivers College Human Resources Office look like a big, Raider basketball themed train. The Raider Express, as they've deemed it, is black with yellow trim and little yellow wheels. Raider swords hang from the windows, as well as shirts and a banner. The Express stretches from wall to wall, across five doors worth of space and nearly as high as the ceiling...

David L. Sparks David L. Sparks, 74, of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017, at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

David 'Jug' Pence CORNING, Ark. -- David "Jug" Pence, 40, of Corning passed away Jan. 31, 2017 at home. Mr. Pence was a truck driver who enjoyed fishing, music, and coloring books. Survivors include the love of his life Jennifer Pence of Corning; children: Justin Pence and Ali Pence, both of Corning; mother ,Debra Pence of Corning; grandmother, Helen Pierce of Corning; siblings: Shonda Pence, Logan Pence, and Sharia (Tim) Shipman, all of Corning; nieces, MaKenna Shipman, Lyla Pence, and Whitney Edwards; great-nieces: Jolie and Carter Edwards; nephew, Landon Berry; and many other relatives and friends.. ...

George Jackson George Jackson, 93, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Eva Jones Eva Jones, 81, of Springfield, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 02, 2017 in Springfield, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Barbara Priest Barbara Priest, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday Feb. 1, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Mildred Shrum CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Mildred Shrum, 95, of Campbell passed away Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 at Piggott Community Hospital in Piggott, Ark. Ms. Shrum, daughter of William G. and Onie Myrtle Sisco Hicks, was born Sunday, Aug. 21, 1921, in Greenville, Mo...

Jerry Michael Crews Jerry Michael Crews, 67, of Mineral Point, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017 at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Jerry, the son of John Robert and Lou Edna Haislip Crews was born March 5, 1949 in Poplar Bluff. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Marines and had retired from Rowe Furniture Company. Jerry enjoyed spending time with his family and working...

Iva Lee Bliss DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Veeda Ivalee Bliss, 91, of Doniphan, died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, at her residence in the Colonial Home. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, at the Weskan Cemetery in Weskan, Kan. Online condolences: family@edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Dennis Lee Taylor BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Dennis Lee Taylor, 68, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, at his home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. - noon, Friday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. Services will follow at noon, Friday, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield with Rev. Bob Taylor of Wappapello officiating...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer Seeking pain relief by inserting needles into the body is an age-old Chinese tradition practiced worldwide. Known as acupuncture, the practice is an accepted form of holistic treatment. In the United States alone, there are more than 27,500 certified acupuncturists, according to the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine...