Stories from Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Last month, Christy Frazier-Moore asked a group of girls at Poplar Bluff Junior High to write down one word describing how they felt at that moment. After sorting through myriad responses, including inspired, kind, and even unicorn, Frazier-Moore said she was surprised by the level of darkness found in many of the words...

Former St. Louis Cardinal Rick Ankiel will be the guest speaker for the 6th Annual Steak and Burger Dinner hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of Poplar Bluff. The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Black River Coliseum. Boys and Girls Club Director Chris Rushin said Ankiel, who retired from baseball in 2013 and now serves as an analyst on Fox Sports Midwest and who wrote the New York Times best seller "The Phenomenon: Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch that Changed My Life," has a great story about never giving up that he hopes will resonate with the club's young members.. ...

Anna Belle Hayes, 95, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday,Oct. 17, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Services were held Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 at the White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Rev. Catherine Bryant and Rev. Gary Hancock officiated. Burial followed in the Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff...

It's always great to be back home and spend time with folks in our area. This week, I've had the opportunity to travel to more than half of the counties in Missouri's 8th Congressional District, and have met with everyone from parents, teachers and students, to doctors, farmers, local small business owners and community leaders. ...

Joyce Johnson, 74, died Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2017 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. A graveside service was held Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 at the Puxico Cemetery in Puxico. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements.

WASHINGTON -- Kevin Hassett evidently has not received the memo that economics is "the dismal science." The ebullient chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers is relishing the intellectual feast of applying to policymaking the predictive tools of a science that was blindsided by the Great Recession...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Lisa Ann Walker, 58, of Wappapello, died Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, at her residence. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Tuesday, at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Graveside service will be at 3 p.m., Wednesday, at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Brownville, Ky...

It's that time again! Time for the Ninth Annual "Howling at the Moon" fund raiser for the Animal Welfare Alliance (AWA). And this year's gala features a new attraction. A Parker Centerfire XXTreme crossbow worth $749.95 retail will be raffled off at $10 per chance. ...

DEXTER, Mo. - Melba Ruth Christian, 81, died Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation was Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter followed by the funeral with Rev. Dennis Ward of Poplar Bluff officiating...

DEXTER, Mo. - Pansy Worley, 92, of Dexter, died Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m. in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Rick Roberts officiating. Burial will be in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield...

The following were winners of $1,000 or more in the Missouri Lottery during September. Lotto winners: Shanda Clements, Wappapello, $1,117 Club Keno winners: Jeremiah Nall, Advance, $1,300 Crystal Brown, Bloomfield, Iowa, $25,005 $100,000 Scratchers winners:...

DEXTER, Mo. - Melba Ruth Christian, 81, of Dexter, died Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 at the Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Visitation will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m. at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. with Rev. Dennis Ward of Poplar Bluff officiating...

Harley Lou Lou Conner, 2, of Naylor, went to Heaven Thursday, October 19, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Miss Harley was born June 16, 2015 in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Harley enjoyed watching television and listening to music. Harley is survived by her birth parents; Jackson and Cheri Conner, honorary parents; Michael and Amy Palmer, grandparents; Dean and Bobbi Wegener, great-grandmother; Jodi McClanahan, honorary grandparents; John and Brenda Young, birth sisters; Annalyssa and Rosalee Conner, honorary sister; Brittany Ketchem, honorary brother; Austin Ketchem, Mason and Matthew Palmer and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.. ...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Lisa Ann Walker, 58, of Wappapello, died Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017, at her residence. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Tuesday, at Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Graveside service will be at 3 p.m., Wednesday, at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Brownville, Ky...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Gary W. Yokel, Sr., 67, of Greenville, died Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Morrison-Worley Greenville Chapel.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers College (TRC) officials signed articulation agreements Thursday at Three Rivers College-Sikeston, paving the way for a seamless transition for Three Rivers Associate of Applied Science in Nursing graduates into Southeast's online RN-BSN program and for Three Rivers Associate of Arts in Teaching graduates to transfer into five Southeast Bachelor of Science in Education programs...

Ellen E. Killian, 96, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017 at Swift Creek Residential Care Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Killian, the daughter of the late Everett Monroe and Nancy Nonar (Smith) Stout, was born Oct. 16, 1921 in Big Flat, Ark. ...

Mary Louise Ursery, 84, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 at Cedargate Healthcare in Poplar Bluff. She was born June 3, 1933 to Robert and Velma (Coleman) Fowler. On Oct. 23, 1954 she married Albert H. Ursery in Spokane, Wash. He preceded her in death, Dec. 15, 2005. During their marriage she and Albert traveled extensively due to his military career. They made their home in Poplar Bluff in 1968...

Shirley Ann Aquino, 71, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, Oct. 20, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Shirley, the daughter of the late Cecil Ray and Ruby LouElla Kirkman Lewis, was born Aug. 31, 1946 in Poplar Bluff. She was a member of Third Baptist Church, and was lovingly known as the "Domestic Goddess" by her family and friends. Shirley enjoyed spending time with and taking care of her family, crocheting, embroidering, coloring and playing the piano...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Jackie Smith, 63, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, Oct. 23, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are currently pending with Ruegg Funeral Home. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com

A legislative task force charged with making recommendations to improve the level of services offered to students with dyslexia will unveil its report at the end of the month. State Rep. Kathryn Swan, who chairs the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia, and her fellow task force members will discuss their findings and recommendations during a press conference in the House Lounge of the State Capitol, 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31...

Jacob and Chantel Bates of Puxico, Mo. announce the birth of their son, Kingston Edward Bates. Kingston arrived at 4:01 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017 at Southeast Hospital, Cape Girardeau, Mo. He weighed 9 lbs. 15 oz. and measured 21 1/2 inches in length...

Three Rivers went 2-0 at their home jamboree on Saturday and then 0-3 at the John A. Logan Jamboree on Sunday, which was also the Raiders' final preseason tune-up. Three Rivers, which kicks off the regular season by hosting the First Midwest Bank Classic on Nov. 3, beat Evangel 77-70 and Dyersburg State 94-78 at the Bess Activity Center...

Students earning a place on the Puxico Junior High School honor roll for the first quarter include: Eighth Grade Highest Honors: Alexis Ackerman, Charity Carnell, Kayden Collard, Kirsten Evans, Kyle Holden, Lydia Holden, Kayla Holt, Devin Mondy, Jacey Parsley, Jerricka Powell, Abbigayle Siler and Heaven Stephens...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH SEMO News Service JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court sided with Stoddard County in issuing an order last week saying the state's public defenders cannot refuse to accept cases of indigent defendants without going through the proper statutory procedures...

I dare say none of us like the idea of becoming a sacrifice, much less a living sacrifice. Yet that is what we are challenged to do in Romans 12:1, 2. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing or your mind, that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God."...

Aiden Sadler, 11, of Lithia, Fla., won first place in the three meter springboard competition during the USA Diving National Championship held July 29 to Aug. 12 in Columbus, Ohio. Sadler is the son of former Poplar Bluff resident Melanie (Jones) Sadler and the grandson of Ron and Judy Jones and Glenda Jones...

In an effort to meet an increased demand for skilled workers, the Three Rivers College Dexter Center began offering a one-year certification in welding in the fall semester. The college also offers a two-year associates degree in welding. "Several industries have contacted me about the need for skilled workers," said TRC Dexter Center Director Joe Kenley. "We, at the college, are working on creating partnerships with private industry to provide specific job skills."...

A decision by the Stoddard County Sheltered Facilities Board (SB 40) to build new facilities for offices and a workshop has management at the current Sheltered Workshop questioning their future. Jim LaBrot, manager of the Sheltered Workshop on Center Street, said the workshop cannot continue to operate without receiving funds from a tax passed in 1976 to fund a Sheltered Workshop. LaBrot has been manager since 1980...

Construction is underway on a 5,000 square-foot office building for Target Case Management on County Road 431 off the North Outer Road in Dexter, and a 19,000 square feet building is planned to house a Sheltered Workshop. The Stoddard County Sheltered Facilities Board (SB 40) voted at a previous meeting to construct the new facilities in an effort to expand services for the developmentally disabled population in Stoddard County...

Beginning next year, the look of Boy Scout troops across the U.S. could change. Announced Oct. 11, the Boy Scouts of America will allow girls into the Cub Scouts beginning next year. It was also announced a program, projected to be available in 2019, for older girls based on the Boy Scout's curriculum that allows the girls to obtain the Eagle Scout rank...

The Puxico R-8 School District and Puxico High Student Council will honor all veterans in a Freedom Assembly at 1:30 p.m., Nov. 10, in the school gym. "We invite all veterans in the Puxico and Wappapello area to attend. We are asking all that attend to wear red, white and blue in honor of our veterans," school officials said,...

Halloween Trunk or Treat will be held from 5 - 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Puxico Facility of People Community Bank. Local businesses and community members participating include: Mike Hill Insurance, Puxico Skating Rink, Puxico Nursing Home, Heartland Cruisers, Cookson Consignment, Puxico Medical Clinic, NAPA, Ruser Auto Sales, Jacob & Chantel Bates, Brawley & Sons Auto Body, A Plus Auto LLC., Harold's Muffler, Harvest Hill, PC Outdoor, Puxico R-8 Schools, Sifford Funeral Home, Puxico Drugs, Sandy Doublin, and David and Pat Holloway.. ...