Stories from Sunday, February 19, 2017

By MIKE MCCOY SEMO News Service Cases of influenza have increased over the last three weeks in Stoddard County, but there have been no school closures in the county due to illness. Last week, the Twin Rivers, Neelyville, Sacred Heart in Poplar Bluff, Kelso and Clarkton School Districts all cancelled school because of the number of students with the flu...

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Bloomfield firefighters, assisted by mutual aid from Advance, Dexter, and Puxico Fire Departments, were on the scene of an inferno the afternoon of Feb. 12 that in the end destroyed a local landmark...

Scott Arnold, 55, of Bernie died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017 at his residence. Services were held Feb. 15, 2017 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie. Stan Dauck officiated. Interment followed in the Bernie Cemetery.

Joseph "Joey" Hays, 38, of Puxico died Feb. 13, 2017. Graveside services were held Feb. 17, 2017 at Shain Memorial Cemetery at Fisk. Rev. Monty Flanigan officiated. White Sanders Funeral in charge of arrangements. Condolences to the family at: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

Phyllis Ann Yebra, 73, of Wappapello died Feb. 8, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation and funeral services were held Feb. 11, 2017 at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Burial followed in the Puxico City Cemetery.

Booster Summer Ball Sign ups will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 and 28 in the PE Room at Puxico Elementary School. Sign up by Feb. 28. No late entries. Age categories are 4-6=T-ball (all games in Puxico), 7-8=Pitching machine, 9-10 and 11-12 =Live Pitch and 13-14 and 15-17 (Boys and Girls). Players in T-Ball must be 4 by May 1, 2017. All age categories are based on the child's age as of May 1, 2017...

By MIKE MCCOY SEMO News Service BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A concerned citizen brought a complaint about the burning of agricultural fields in the county before the Stoddard County Commission at its regular meeting Feb. 14. The resident said he suffers from respiratory problems that are worsened because of the burning...

By AMY WALKER Peoples Community Bank will sponsor the Lake Wappapello 4th of July Events. The local bank came to the rescue towards the end of January 2017, after Reed and Teresa Brotherton dissolved the Wappapello 4th of July Association who had previously been sponsoring the event...

There is power in the word of God, whether it be printed, preached, read, taught or simply lived in a person's life. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Gentile)." Romans 1:16. Even in pagan Rome, Paul was not ashamed of Christ and the gospel...

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...