Stories from Saturday, February 18, 2017

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A local man who served in Nazi-occupied Europe recently shared his life story, saying despite the passage of 60 years the atrocities he witnessed in Germany still bother him. Throughout his 95 years, Cloyd Cook of Poplar Bluff overcame challenges and obstacles that would test the mettle of many men. ...

By CHELSAE CORDIA Staff Writer NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Superintendent Brad Hagood tossed out the idea of switching to a four-day week for the 2017-18 school year, which garnered a negative reaction from several board members during Thursday's Neelyville R-IV Board of Education meeting...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer An entrepreneur who opened his first business as a teenager and has appeared in 175 segments of the popular reality show Shark Tank shared secrets to his success Thursday at the 14th annual First Midwest Bank Business and Economic Conference...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff Board of Education members covered a wide range of topics on Thursday, hiring a new high school principal, approving a kitchen renovation at Oak Grove Elementary and dismissing a proposal to live stream meetings...

A pedestrian died after being struck by a car early Friday near Puxico, Mo. Stoddard County Coroner Kenny Pope pronounced Phillip A. Manning, 21, of Sikeston, Mo., dead at the scene at 1:20 a.m. His body was transported to the Stoddard County Morgue...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc., has received a donation to kick off fundraising for a dog park they hope to have open in the fall. The park is one of many new projects in 2017 that was discussed Thursday by the DPB board, which has adopted a new slogan, "Come Kick it on the Bricks." It replaces the controversial slogan, "DPB -- Where there is an event every FIRST FREAKIN' WEEKEND."...

Dale Sullivan -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Michael Wayne West -- Grandin, Mo. Clarence W. Quade Jr. -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Norma Mae "Ma Bill" Smith -- Malden, Mo. Wanda Gayle Frazier -- New Madrid, Mo. Mattie Odle -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Kenneth Dale Lizenbee -- Campbell, Mo...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service Andrew Ryan Mclendon, 33, of Cape Girardeau died from multiple gunshot wounds fired by a Cape Girardeau police officer Wednesday night. Mclendon's identity was released Thursday afternoon. Per department policy, the officer was placed on paid leave while the incident is investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

By STEPHEN MOORE I have nothing but respect for former Secretaries of State Jim Baker and George Shultz, but come on, gentlemen: You've been snookered. These two esteemed gentlemen are endorsing a tax scam that would be one of the largest income-redistribution schemes in modern times. It would do considerable and lasting damage to the U.S. The justification for the tax is that it will save the planet by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, but it won't even do that...

WASHINGTON -- At their post-Civil War apogee, 19th-century Republicans were the party of activist government, using protectionism to pick commercial winners and promising wondrous benefits from government's deft interventions in economic life. Today, a Republican administration promises that wisely wielded Washington power can rearrange commercial activities in ways superior to those produced by private-sector calculations in free market transactions...

By LEE H. HAMILTON With so much turmoil in Washington and around the country these days, it's easy to get caught up in the crises of the moment. These are, indeed, worth our attention -- but so are longer-running developments that threaten the health of our representative democracy. I want to lay them out in one place, so that the most serious problems confronting our system don't slip from our attention...

Poplar Bluff Municipal Library welcomes Pulitzer nominee Niles Reddick on Friday, March 3 at 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Reddick will be reading from his book Drifting Too Far from the Shore, talking about his short stories, and sharing his experience in writing and publishing. His writings focus on the genres of southern fiction and humor...

Elementary School has selected the January 2017 Students of the Month. First grader Zayden McCormick, son of Adam and Amy McCormick was chosen by his teacher, Robin Davis. His hobbies are: playing video and board games, playing on the computer and swimming. Zayden's favorite subject is spelling. After school, he liked to play basketball and wants to be a basketball player when he grows up...

Neelyville school screenings starting Kindergarten at Neelyville R-IV is accepting screening appointments from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 at Hillview Elementary. Anyone who resides in the Neelyville School District and has a child who will be 5-years-old before July 31, he or she will qualify to enroll in Kindergarten for the 2017-18 school year...

The Downtown Playhouse in Pocahontas will open its 2017 season with the comedy "The Foreigner." The two-act play, written by Larry Shue, begins Saturday, Feb. 25, and runs through Saturday, April 1. "The Foreigner" is set at a fishing lodge in rural Georgia often visited by Froggy LeSeuer. ...

It's a good time to pay a little extra attention to your heart. Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for people in Missouri and in the nation? Poplar Bluff area residents are invited to heart screenings at the wellness fair from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. March 9, at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce...

For a second straight game the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team built a double-digit lead in the first quarter. This time, however, they were able to hold on for a win. Sophie Rowland knocked down a pair of free throws to extend a five-point lead with 79 seconds left while Autumn Dodd's steal and layin gave the Mules enough of a cushion to beat Park Hills Central 61-58 Thursday night at the Senior High Gym...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Josh Lewis was seconds from advancing to the quarterfinals of the MSHSAA Class 4 state tournament Friday when suddenly the Poplar Bluff senior was on his back at Mizzou Arena. Staley junior Dan Mangold's late takedown and pin with 7 seconds remaining in their opening match at 285 pounds stunned Lewis who had overcame a 2-point deficit at the start of the final period...

When the realigned districts were announced last April, the Neelyville girls basketball team immediately recognized how cutthroat MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 has become. With the Lady Tigers sliding into the new district, Van Buren, Greenville, Alton and Thayer following them and Naylor moving up from Class 1, winning their sixth straight district title suddenly looks more challenging than ever...

The Raiders are starting off the season on an exciting note. Three Rivers College has played an extra-inning game in each of its first two doubleheaders. On Thursday, it got solid production from the top of its lineup in an impromptu home opener on Thursday to sweep Williams Baptist 7-3 and 4-3 in eight innings in the nightcap...

Three Rivers' Gabe Grant and Camron Reedus were recollecting Wednesday night about what a long, strange trip its been. Grant came to Three Rivers from the south side of Chicago. Reedus from Courtland, Alabama, a town with fewer people than some Chicago buildings...

Michael Wayne West VAN BUREN, Mo. - Michael Wayne West, 66, of Grandin, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 in Grandin. McSpadden Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences: www.mcspaddenfh.com

Clarence W. Quade Jr. Clarence W. Quade Jr., 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Kenneth Dale Lizenbee CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Kenneth Dale Lizenbee, 71, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 at his residence in Campbell. Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 20, at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with the funeral beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will be held in Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell...

Mattie Odle Mattie Odle, 84 of Poplar Bluff died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Norma Mae Smith MALDEN, Mo. -- Norma Mae "Ma Bill" Smith, 79, of Malden died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017 in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 at Bradshaw Chapel with Rev. Richard Blagg officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

David Joe Ford David Joe Ford, 78, of Rombauer, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017 at his residence. Joe, the son of the late Clyde and Cecil G. Salyers Ford, was born March 12, 1938 in Miner, Mo. He was of the Baptist faith and was a self-employed carpenter. Joe enjoyed spending time with his family, helping other people, swimming, riding horses and Missionary work...

Wanda Gayle Frazier MALDEN, Mo. -- Wanda Gayle Frazier, 60, of New Madrid, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. A funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. in the chapel with Brother Larry Landers officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in New Madrid...