Stories from Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The money collected last year in Poplar Bluff's red kettles helped a junior high student with an abscessed tooth. It repaired a mother's car for work and made a mortgage payment for a family overwhelmed by medical bills. It even provided 300 pairs of shoes for children in need, among other things...

Gov. Eric Greitens is on a quest to oust Missouri's commissioner of education, Dr. Margie Vandeven. Though he hasn't stated outright his intentions, over the course of six months he has appointed five new members to the state Board of Education whose ideologies are in line with his own...

Santa's coming to Downtown Poplar Bluff early this year with Christmas at the Depot. The annual holiday celebration begins tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Historic Train Depot. Hours are from 4 - 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. It will end on a Saturday, Dec. 23...

"The final and best means of strengthening demand among consumers and business is to reduce the burden on private income and the deterrents to private initiative which are imposed by our present tax system. The purpose of cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus."...

By PATRICK BUCHANAN Why would Christian conservatives in good conscience go to the polls Dec. 12 and vote for Judge Roy Moore, despite the charges of sexual misconduct with teenagers leveled against him? Answer: That Alabama Senate race could determine whether Roe v. Wade is overturned. The lives of millions of unborn may be the stakes...

An India-based company could decide by year's end whether to establish a steel mill in the Missouri Bootheel, a state lawmaker said. State Rep. Don Rone, R-Portageville, said a New Madrid, Missouri, site along Interstate 55 is in the running for a mill that would provide about 165 jobs...

By STEPHEN MOORE Republicans have long been known as "the stupid party." They do stupid things, such as waiting until mid-November to push a must-pass tax cut that should have been done by April. But in recent weeks the GOP is finally showing some brains and some backbone on taxes. ...

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is continuing its partnership with Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) to offer an advanced education opportunity exclusively to members of the Delta Leadership Network. The program, designed and led by Harvard faculty, focuses on cultivating "authentic leadership" to move Delta communities forward. The Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) will send 41 representatives from across the eight states of the DRA footprint, including Steve Halter of Poplar Bluff, Missouri...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Helen M. Evatt, 83, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, Nov. 24, 2017 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Evatt, the daughter of Jack and Mary (Ward) Bailey, was born Sept. 6, 1934 in Kennett, Mo. In 1981 she married, Elmer Evatt in Pekin, Ill. ...

BERNIE -- Bernie coach Brad Botsch and Puxico coach Nathan Martin came away from Tuesday's semifinal matchup in the Bernie Invitational with similar reactions to their team's play. Both coaches thought their players gave up too many transition baskets and the defense needed to improve...

Poplar Bluff wrestlers got to gage what kind of shape they are in Tuesday night in the season opener. "I need a little more work definitely," Poplar Bluff senior Andrew Dugas said. "Our entire team needs more work. It's kind of an eye opener. The first (match) is always an eye opener."...

CHARLESTON, Mo. - The Dexter boys basketball team no longer looks at close losses to their SEMO Conference counterparts as moral victories. Although they finished 1-7 in conference last season, the Bearcats lost four of those games by seven points or less and feel this year they can flip some of those close losses into big wins...

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- The first time the Lady Raiders played Lindenwood-Belleville JV, they held them to three points in the third quarter. They didn't accomplish the same feat in the rematch Tuesday, but they did give up seven points in two different quarters and won 87-38 on the road...

Nawanda Ruth Dana of Kimberling City passed from this life on October 28, 2017 in Springfield, Missouri. Wanda was born in Poplar Bluff January 11, 1931, to Albert and Bessie Hutton Woodruff. She attended Cravens School and studied music in private lessons...

David Huck, 70, of Poplar Bluff, died on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff...

BERNIE - Foul trouble and poor shooting spelled doom for the second-seeded Risco Tigers on Tuesday night when they faced the third-seeded Neelyville Tigers in the Bernie Invitational semifinals. A late surge brought Risco back from a double-digit deficit to within a point in the final minutes, but ultimately Neelyville pulled off the mild upset, 65-59, to advance to Thursday's championship game...

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team will play for the consolation title at the SEMO Conference Tournament after beating Kennett 54-38 Tuesday at Saxony Lutheran High School. The Mules (2-1) jumped out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter a day after losing 65-39 to Notre Dame in the quarterfinals...

PUXICO -- The Puxico girls basketball team had two players net 20 points and three score at least 15 in a 69-37 win over Campbell on Tuesday. Faith Oliver sank five 3-pointers and led all scorers with 25 points. Kayt Haynes added 20 and Sophia Hancock got 16 for Puxico (2-0)...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Clifford "Doc" Morris, 86, of Patterson, Mo. died Tuesday, Nov. 28 at the Clark's Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Wayne Street officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be in the Rowland Woods Cemetery at Patterson...