Stories from Tuesday, May 30, 2017

There was never any closure for Stephen Srstka's family, his sister said Monday, following a Memorial Day ceremony at the Poplar Bluff Veterans Memorial Wall. The 20-year-old Marine died June 15, 1944, and received a burial at sea. It broke her mother's heart, Ione Deken explained...

BROSELEY, Mo. - "The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today," a quote by author H. Jackson Brown Jr., was selected, very appropriately, by the Twin Rivers Class of 2017 co-salutatorian Holden Ray Morse, as words of advice for his fellow graduates...

WASHINGTON -- The pleasant surprise of the First 100 Days is over. The action was hectic, heated, often confused, but well within the bounds of normalcy. Policy (e.g., health care) was being hashed out, a Supreme Court nominee confirmed, foreign policy challenges (e.g. North Korea) addressed...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The following students have been named to the spring Dean's List at Southeast Missouri State University. Advance: Macey Cooper, Haley Seger, Ethan Barr, Grant Woodfin, Heather Meadows, Victoria Throgmorton. Bell City: Lauren Matlock, Amy McDonald...

Neelyville elementary students listed on the fourth quarter and second semester honor rolls include: Fourth Quarter Honor Roll A Honor Roll Third Grade: Nicole Akers, Lily Davis, Reign Coston, Zak Cowley, Parker Ernst, Shane Fisher, Leslie Guthery, Dixie Kelly, Hayden Leach, Madelyn Lumby, Darrion Mann, Miah Martin, Rowan Pickard, Brooklyn Piroli, Emma Sheehy, Corey Shipp, Madisyn Stone, Raylyn Taylor, Zackary Thurman, Jamel Watkins...

ATLANTA -- By the time Georgia's 6th District votes in the June 20 special congressional election, $40 million -- perhaps more than $130 per ballot -- will have been spent to pick one-435th of one-half of one of the three branches of one of America's governments. This is an expensive funeral for Tip O'Neill's incessantly quoted and increasingly inapplicable axiom that "All politics is local."...

I was in Jefferson City for a few days. Was able to meet with the Governor's office, SEMA director and local officials. The Governor has signed the FEMA application and sent it on the feds. The members of the Missouri House of Representatives came together Wednesday to approve a piece of legislation meant to bring hundreds of good-paying jobs to the south east part of the state. ...

Travis J. Dodson, 75, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Sunday, May 28, 2017 at his residence. Travis, the son of the late Homer A. and Bessie A. Wilburn Dodson, was born March 18, 1942 in Marston, Mo. He was of the Baptist faith. He was a retired truck driver with Penske Trucking Company, was a farmer and worked as a transport driver with the Family Counseling Center. ...

The Agee Community Club met May 12 at Ryan's Steakhouse for their noon luncheon and meeting. Cathy Womack, president, was the hostess. And the club ladies repeated the club motto,'' When the heart is full of love, the world is full of beauty''. Nadine Johnson gave the invocation. Cathy read gGlations 5, 22-36. ''Fruits of the Spirit.'' For the devotional. Roll call, was answered by ''most rememorable Mother's Day.''...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Vernell "Nell" (Reeves) Godsy,80, daughter of the late James and Martha (Barton) Reeves was born Sept. 5, 1936 in Oneonta, Ala., and departed this life Friday, May 26, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff...

Madrian Cooper, 23, of Anderson, Ind., died Sunday, May 28, 2017. Services are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home. A full obit will run later in the week.

CORNING, Ark. -- Eugene Malone, 85, of Poplar Bluff died Monday, May 29, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Survivors are his wife Elsie Malone of Poplar Bluff; brother Cornealius Malone, Jr. of St. Louis; and sister Polly Boyd of Perry, GA. Graveside service will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, at Bond Cemetery in Knobel, Ark. with Pastor Herbert Ellis officiating...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stores can't keep them in stock. Parents are scrambling to find them. And some schools have banned them. The mania for fidget spinners -- the 3-inch twirling gadgets taking over classrooms and cubicles -- is unlike many other toy crazes. They're not made by a major company, timed for the holiday season, or promoted in TV commercials. They're more easily found at gas stations or 7-Eleven than at big toy chains...