Stories from Tuesday, May 16, 2017

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Judicial personnel expect Carter County's court system to return to normal operation this week, but in a new location. Located on the second floor of the Carter County courthouse, the circuit clerk's office and courtroom were not damaged when water from Current River inundated the historic building on April 30...

The giving nature of the Poplar Bluff community's response to local flooding was praised Monday night, as the city council voted to appoint another group of volunteers to the committees that advise officials throughout the year. A "Letter to the Editor" by city manager Mark Massingham, which ran Sunday in the Daily American Republic, was right on target, according to retired city manager Tom Lawson...

The Tinnin Center was a hubbub of activity last night as community members dropped in to honor the Three Rivers College 2017 Distinguished Alumni of the Year, Stan Berry. "It is truly inspiring to see the group of people who have come out to honor Stan," said TRC president, Dr. Wesley Payne. "He keeps in mind the importance of his family, his community and his friends."...

By STEPHEN MOORE As sure as the cuckoo clock chimes at midnight, the left is bloviating that Donald Trump's tax plan will blow a $5 trillion hole in the deficit. Many of the people complaining loudest were in the Obama administration and helped preside over a $9 trillion tidal wave of new debt. Now they are fiscally chaste. Sure...

25,800 of our neighbors in southeast and south central Missouri are in danger of losing healthcare coverage through no fault of their own. The individual healthcare exchanges set up in Missouri under President Obama's signature healthcare law are on the verge of collapse. ...

Watching Hillary Clinton answer questions from Christiane Amanpour for 44 minutes is not exactly torture; it's more like being forced to swallow a gallon of cold porridge. Let's leave personalities aside. Clinton's is not very appealing to me (nor is Donald Trump's). But let's pull back the lens and consider what, if anything, is to be learned about the current state of progressivism from this chat between two left-leaning women...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Margie Louise Pigg, 92, of Van Buren, died Friday, May 12, 2017 at the Riverways Manor Nursing Home in Van Buren. Visitation will be begin for the public at 10 a.m. Friday, May 19, 2017 at the South Town General Baptist Church in Van Buren, Hwy 103, with the funeral services following at 1 p.m. in the Church Chapel. Rev. Jeff Brake will be officiating. Burial will be in Van Buren City Cemetery in Van Buren...

The Showstoppers of Southeast Missouri will be hosting a spaghetti dinner and a special performance on Friday in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church in Dexter. Proceeds from the dinner will help fund the Showstoppers' upcoming annual trip. Doors will open at 5:30 with dinner served at 6 p.m...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Betty Ann Newcomb, 72, of Neelyville, passed away Saturday, May 13, 2017, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Newcomb was born Jan. 30, 1945. She worked as a salesman in a dress shop and enjoyed her grandchildren, gardening, and fishing. She was a member of the Church of Christ in Corning, Ark...

Patterson man dies in wreck A 56-year-old Patterson, Mo., man died Friday morning of injuries he suffered in a two-vehicle crash on U.S. 67 at Highway JJ. According to the report, at 7:25 a.m. Denton F. Deering was operating a 2006 Kia Optima southbound when it struck the rear of a 2012 Freightliner dump truck, which was being operated by Carl E. Steele, 58, of Naylor...

PARAGOULD, Ark. - James "Jamie" Hines, 22, of Paragould, Ark., passed away in Blytheville, Ark. He was a truck driver, but his passion was being outdoors. He loved to hunt, fish, hike, and camp. James was the son of Cheryl Whiteside Monette and Jesse Hines. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Milton L. "Junior" Hines II; step grandfather, William Pace; and step-grandmother, Judy Chaney...

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. - Roberta Gleason, 81 of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Saturday, May 13, 2017, at Stonebridge Senior Living in Maryland Heights, Mo.. The daughter of Robert "Bob" Scobee Jr. and Esther (Bennett) Scobee, she was born August 27, 1935, in Kirksville, MO. On April 10, 1954, in Kirksville, MO, she was united in marriage to Meredith "Pete" Gleason...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - Mr. Paul Dover Jr, 58, of Campbell, died Saturday, May 13, 2017 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 16 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Wed., May 17 at Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with Mr. Wesley Morgan officiating. Burial will be in the Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell...

Peyton Bell and the Bloomfield Wildcats head into the second day of the MSHSAA Class 1 golf championships looking to bring home some hardware. Meanwhile in Class 4, Poplar Bluff's Nathan Woolard is in the hunt for a second all-state medal. Bell holds a one-shot lead at Silo Ridge Golf and Country Club in Bolivar with the Wildcats in fifth place heading into Tuesday's final round. Bell, who tied for 13th for all-state honors last year, shot 2-over-par 74 to lead the field Monday...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Donald Eugene Cato, 60, of Doniphan, passed away May 13, 2017 at his residence. He was born July 17, 1956 at St Louis, Missouri to Robert Edward Cato and Dorothy Wilson Cato. He is survived by his children; Amy Diane Gilmore and husband Alan of Copperas Cove, Texas, Donald Cody Cato and Fiancé Brittine Allen of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Victoria Paige Cato and Dennis Cooper of Poplar Bluff, Missouri and Michael William Cato of Poplar Bluff, One sister: Kim Patty and husband James of Neelyville, Missouri; six grandchildren; Kale, Lucy, Lennon, Dean, Aiyden, Avery.. ...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- This time it was Poplar Bluff's turn to celebrate. At the bottom of a maroon dogpile following an 8-0 win over Jackson in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game was Tanner Tibbs. The senior tossed a three-hit shutout and pushed across the first run of the game with a bases-loaded walk...

MALDEN -- Jamie Robards had never beaten Greenville. In fact, none of his teammates had. One of six upperclassmen on the Twin Rivers baseball team, Robards had fully experienced the Royals' six-game losing streak to the Bears that dates back five years...

ALTON, Mo. -- It was a 1980s rock party between innings. After each frame, the Alton sound system blasted one classic rock song after another. Journey, Bon Jovi, all the karaoke favorites. The Van Buren bench heartily sang along with Steve Perry and the like, and often continued their carefree hollering well after the music went quiet and play resumed...

MALDEN -- Nobody in a Malden baseball uniform felt worse than Pete Brown after the first inning Monday. The junior started, gave up five earned runs and only recorded the first two outs as East Carter jumped out to a commanding lead. But when his team rallied to tie the game and put the go-ahead run on third with two outs in the top of the seventh, he delivered...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - Mr. Paul Dover Jr, 58, of Campbell, died Sat., May 13, 2017 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 16 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 1 p.m., Wed., May 17 at Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with Mr. Wesley Morgan officiating. Burial will be in the Woodlawn-Landess Addition Cemetery in Campbell...