Stories from Friday, September 22, 2017

A Fairdealing, Mo., woman is to appear in Butler County Circuit Court next week on a manslaughter charge in connection with her alleged role in the death of man whose body was found inside a trunk of an abandoned car. Amber Rebeckah McDannald, 26, is to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Tuesday before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett on the Class C felony of involuntary manslaughter after having waived having a preliminary hearing in her case on Monday...

From the highs of her successful show "Mama's Family," to the lows of a cancelled daytime talk show, Vicki Lawrence said time and a lengthy bout of depression taught her, "Life is much too serious to be taken seriously." The 30th Annual Women Aware Conference set out Thursday to live keynote speaker Vicki Lawrence's motto...

Last night, 126 days after the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education first inquired about a solution to the significant layer of dirt and runoff impacting the track at the new high school stadium, the project's architects, contractors and engineers met with board members and administrators to decide how to move forward...

The Neelyville R-IV Board of Education unanimously voted to purchase a $20,725 Kubota tractor from Baker Implement for the maintenance department. Three bids, including similar warranties on each, were received from John Deere for $19,800; Magee for $19,200; and Baker Implement for $20,725...

The Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education approved the 2016-17 District Audit Report Thursday during its monthly meeting. On behalf of Kraft, Miles and Tatum, Certified Public Accountant Steven Austin said the firm found no material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting or cases of noncompliance in the budget. Austin described the district as "financially sound."...

Is President Trump a racist? Yes, this is in response to and, for the newscaster who called President Trump, um, a racist. I believe she shouldn't have done that. However, on the other side of the coin with the actions and words that President Trump says on international television and radio it leads up to absolutely no other conclusion. I would, I'm looking, and I'm sure others are looking forward to President Trump, and, say he's sorry for calling people a nut job...

WASHINGTON -- At this shank end of a summer that a calmer America someday will remember with embarrassment, you must remember this: In the population of 325 million, a small sliver crouches on the wilder shores of politics, another sliver lives in the dark forest of mental disorder, and there is a substantial overlap between these slivers. At most moments, 312 million are not listening to excitable broadcasters making mountains of significance out of molehills of political effluvia...

MONROE, N.C. -- Claudine D. Brawner danced and sang with her angels on her journey to her Heavenly Home from the Jesse Helms nursing center July 17, 2016 in Monroe, N.C. Her laughter, fun, and loving abilities were contagious, even to those she had only met once. She relocated to Charlotte, N.C. in 2005. She packed up her memories to leave the Little...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Darrol Hada, 73, of Poplar Bluff, died, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff, Mo. There will be a private burial at a later date. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhomes.com.

Have conservatives forsaken rape victims? That's one of the more challenging questions posed following the furor over Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' announcement that her department will revise the Obama-era guidance on how sexual assault allegations are to be handled by universities. ...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. - Robert Anton Lepold Sr., 72, of Naylor, Mo., passed away on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at his home in Naylor. Mr. Lepold was born on July 9, 1945 in Naylor. He worked as a farmer and enjoyed fishing and hunting. Robert was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Poplar Bluff. He was a veteran of the United States Army having served in Vietnam and a member of the American Legion...

SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Pinta and Nina replica ships will be docked in Cape Girardeau for a more extended stay because of "overwhelming" public interest, a tourism official said. The ships, patterned after the original ships led by Christopher Columbus to the New World, originally were scheduled to offer tours here from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1...

Shelby Sievers and the Mules softball team is on a roll. Sievers hit a home run for the fourth time in five games, Emma Johnson provided a go-ahead, two-run hit in the first inning and freshman Kylee Rogers earned her first career win as Poplar Bluff beat Cape Central 9-2 Thursday at Bobby Strenfel Field...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Eleventh-grade students at Cape Girardeau's public schools each will receive a chance to take the ACT this academic year, according to school officials. Tony Robinson, deputy superintendent of secondary education, said the district feels the ACT is an important component of their overall plan to bring students to college and career readiness...

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Madison Dollins hit a double and scored as the Neelyville softball team made the most of four hits to edge East Carter 2-0 Thursday. Payton Reinbott went the distance in the circle to earn the win for Neelyville (5-12). She recorded five strikeouts and walked three batters in earning a shutout...

By DAR STAFF CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --The Poplar Bluff tennis team closed out the regular season Thursday with an 8-1 loss at Cape Central and will be the No. 6 seed in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 team tournament. The Mules avoided a sweep Thursday with a win in doubles play as senior Kaitlyn Lloyd and junior Mya White won 8-4. The Poplar Bluff pair trailed 4-3 after losing consecutive games but closed out the match by taking the next five...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --Gage Rivers ran for two touchdowns and threw for another while Justin Mitchell scored twice as the Poplar Bluff Junior High football team beat Cape Central 45-6 Thursday. Poplar Bluff's seventh grade team won 6-0 at Cape Central on Wednesday...