Stories from Sunday, January 14, 2018

Fifty years after the untimely death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the community of Poplar Bluff will come together and celebrate the love and service he provided to others. The Committee of Concerned Citizens of Poplar Bluff and Wheatley Historical Preservation Association will host the 32nd Annual Community Celebration beginning at 11 a.m. Monday at Wheatley School, located at 921 Garfield St...

Municipal Utilities may swap a move to a Sunset Drive bank building for a spot at Northwest Medical Center. The item has been added to the city council discussion agenda for Tuesday. No other information was provided concerning a contract already approved by the council to purchase the current location of First Missouri State Bank for the utility's administrative, customer service and billing staff...

A cash shortage may have forced Municipal Utilities to help bolster struggling city accounts over the last year, despite a vote by the council to stop raiding rate-payer funds. This comes only two years after the council passed an increase in electric charges because the department's cash reserve had fallen to what officials considered critical levels. Advisory board members at the time blamed the low balance on a history of city officials dipping into the account...

Poplar Bluff Mayor Ed DeGaris says requests from residents have convinced him to run again for the Ward 2 seat he has held since 2009. The retired city police officer filed Thursday for re-election. "(It was) the number of citizens that have been encouraging me to go ahead and file and run again," DeGaris said. "I'm doing what I think a councilman should do, and listen to the citizens."...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Carl Lewis Ray, of Poplar Bluff, was laid to rest Thursday in a distinguished graveside service at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery. Nearly 40 people traveled to Bloomfield to bid a final goodbye to the beloved 68-year-old veteran who died Jan. 6 in his unheated Park Avenue home, an apparent victim of exposure brought on by the week's freezing cold temperatures...

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Roy Leon Wallace, 81, died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 at his residence in Bridgeton, Mo. Visitation was Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore, with the funeral service following at noon in the funeral home chapel. Rev. Scott Reynolds will be officiating. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Ellsinore...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Charles Curtis Blackburn, 79, of Clarkton, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be a 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14, at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, until the 2.30 p.m. funeral also in the Bradshaw Chapel. Burial will be in the Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton...

With a winter storm and temperatures below freezing on the way, local churches, businesses and community members are making sure those facing housing insecurity are not left out in the cold. The People's Shelter is a pop-up homeless shelter spearheaded by Rev. Renita Green of St. James A.M.E. Church in Cape Girardeau. Its doors opened at 6 p.m., and Green said she expects to keep them open until Wednesday or while the temperature stays below 30 degrees...

A home baking contest will be offered during Ag Expo on Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Black River Coliseum in downtown Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Bakers may enter their goods any time between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday. Judging will be on Saturday morning and exhibits must be left in place until 2 p.m...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After a year in which he tested a hydrogen bomb and an ICBM, threatened to destroy the United States, and called President Trump "a dotard," Kim Jong Un, at the gracious invitation of the president of South Korea, will be sending a skating team to the "Peace Olympics."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- Carrol Gene Stacy, 80, of Jefferson City, Mo. passed away Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 at Ashland. He was born April 6, 1937 in Kennett, Mo.; a son of Elmer Stacy and Gladys Goble Stacy. He was married to Lenora Lerma on Oct. 2, 1981...

To the Editor: This time of year, New Year's resolutions are on everyone's mind. At the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, we like to look at the new year as a chance to renew our pledge to provide the care our Veterans have earned and deserve. If you are a Veteran with health-conscious 2018 goals of becoming more active, quitting smoking, learning how to cook healthier meals, or just being more proactive about your healthcare, we can help set you up for success!...

By MIA POHLMAN Ask Richard Stout about his life, and he will tell you about other people. He will recall his mother, who first taught him about faith by showing him the cross-shaped electric poles in the cornfield behind Stout's childhood home. He will tell about Ed Hanna of Hanna Sign Company in Cairo, Ill., who took a chance on him when he was in high school by signing Stout onto his payroll through an apprenticeship. ...

FISK, MO. -- Shelba Jean Hoskins, 76, of Broseley, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 12, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Hoskins was born Aug. 3, 1941 in Broseley, daughter of the late John Chester and Letha Hayes. She was a homemaker and loved gardening and church. She was a member of New Life Tabernacle in Poplar Bluff. On May 27, 1959 she married Lester Leon Hoskins. He preceded her in death on April 7, 2005...

Dr. Taylor and Nancy Bahn announce the engagement of their daughter, Agnes Carsen Eileen Bahn, to Gerard Patrick Ardoin. He is the son of Dr. Patrick and Candida Ardoin of Bradenton, Fla. Ms. Bahn is also the granddaughter of Wilma Wilson of Harviell, and the late William Wilson...

CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Larry Wayne Depew. 59, of Campbell, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, at NHC Healthcare in Kennett, Mo. Visitation will be at 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 15 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell and will be followed by the memorial service at 6 p.m. in the Landess Funeral Chapel. Mr. James Powell will officiate...

Michael Nichols, 64, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, at his residence. Committal service will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Marsha Ann Johnson, 55, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ms. Johnson was born April 27, 1962, at Poplar Bluff. She was a cook/manager at Hayden's Barbecue. She enjoyed cooking, traveling and playing with the grandchildren of her family...

MOBERLY, Mo. - Facing the undefeated Greyhounds, Three Rivers allowed 18 unanswered points to start the second half. The Lady Raiders didn't make a field goal in the third quarter and went from being nine points down at halftime to Moberly Area having twice as many points and the Greyhounds went on to win 81-49 on Friday...

NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- J.D. Lee Green, 59, of Broseley, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, in the St. Louis University Hospital. He was born Jan. 5, 1959 at St. Louis, Mo., to the late Charles Leonard Green Sr. and Mary Marie Williams Green. He is survived by longtime girlfriend, Carol Lawrence; three stepchildren: Rhonda (Lawrence) Uhl, Ricky and Roger Lawrence, as well as three sisters: Billie Clark, Rose Maxwell and Nancy Carol Green, as well as three brothers: Wayne Green, Steve Green and Bob Roberts; grandchildren: Matthew and Shannon and Amanda; seven great-grandchildren; as well as several nieces and nephew.. ...

MOBERLY, Mo. - In his regular interview at halftime of the Raider game, Lady Raiders coach Jeff Walk said the first three minutes of the second half would decide the men's game. In it took a little longer than predicted, but in the first five minutes the Raiders went from 11 points down to 18 points down and ultimately lost 100-70 on Friday...

Johnema Pinkerton, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Mrs. Pinkerton was born in Perry County, Ark., Aug. 19, 1943 to the Rev. Leanord and Frances (Baker) Loyd. Mrs. Pinkerton was a homemaker and previously had owned and operated Johnie's Wig World in Poplar Bluff...

Friday- Jan. 19 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Private Applicator Training, University of Missouri Agronomy Specialist Sam Atwell - Back Room 3 3 p.m. Healthy Recipes, University of Missouri Nutrition Program Assistant Albertina Henry - Front Room 1 4:30 p.m. Deer Management, Missouri Conservation Kara McSpadden - Back Room 3...

Perpetual spending crisis [MAIL] Poplar Bluff is very fortunate that we got rid of the curse of Kaplan and we are still workin on that recovery. Now, it seems that four city council members want to continue in his footsteps. Why can't we wait a year, or two, save our money, and build a new building designed to be a city hall? We can build at the previous location on a piece of property we own and will be out the expense of demolition anyway. ...

By MONA CHAREN The Supreme Court of Colorado will soon rule on whether a person has a constitutional right to not procreate. The dispute is between Drake Rooks and his ex-wife, Mandy Rooks. The couple were married in 2002. They had three children using in vitro fertilization, but were left with six frozen embryos. ...

The University of Missouri Extension and the Ag Club at Three Rivers College would like to thank the vendors who help support the Ag Expo in 2018. They include: Aire Solutions, B & W Appliance, Backyard and Beyond, Baker Implement, Big Iron Auctions, Bootheel Rentals, Butler Co Soil & Water, Butler County EMS, CAD Satellite Service, Cedargate Healthcare, Circle G Farms, Conklin Products, Continuous Movement Irrigation, Corps of Engineers, Greenway Equipment, Henson Farms, Hillcrest Animal Hospital, Indian Creek Bee Company, Juice Plus/Tower Garden, Legacy Equipment, Magee Farm Equipment, Michel Chiropractic Center, Mingo Swamp Friends, Miracle Ear, MirTech Harvest Center, Missouri Department of Conservation, Modern Woodmen, Monsanto, Mouser Steel, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Overhead Door Company of Poplar Bluff, Ozark Border, Ozark Foothills Planning, Ozark Mini Pigs, Poplar Bluff Outdoor Sports, Performance Blenders, Poplar Bluff Farm Equipment, Poplar Bluff Realty, Raben Tire, Riceland Foods, Scentsy, SEMO Dexter Cattle Association, SEMO Goat Association, Stone Seed Group, Texas Refinery, The Original Fried Pie, Triple C Pipe Fencing, United Country-Birdsong Auction & Real Estate Group and the U.S. ...

Jan. 19 and 20 will mark another installment of the Heartland Agriculture and Natural Resources Expo (Ag Expo), which will be held at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Ag Expo has continued to grow and add new events each year to bring something fresh to the public. This event is in support of and sponsored by the Butler County University of Missouri Extension Council and the Ag Club of Three Rivers College...