Stories from Thursday, February 1, 2018

Wouldn't you love to enjoy some coffee with $100,000? A Harviell man was having some coffee with friends when he uncovered a $100,000 top prize after scratching off five winning numbers on his Missouri Lottery "Jumbo Cash" Scratchers ticket. "I had a number 11 but couldn't tell if it was $200 or $20,000. My eyes are kind of bad," laughed Jack Stull. "Then I scratched some more, and it came up to $100,000."...

Southeast Missouri State University was recently named one of the top 25 most affordable online degrees for 2018 by SR Education Group. The list, at onlineu.org, ranks Southeast at number 15, and gives Southeast's undergraduate tuition as $8,752, and graduate tuition at $5,303 per semester...

Officials from Poplar Bluff Head Start have canceled school today and tomorrow after allegations of bed bugs surfaced on Wednesday. The text message sent to parents simply said, "No school Thursday or Friday," giving no explanation why. Officials at the facility initially denied the allegations of a bed bug problem until its confirmation by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

A Poplar Bluff, Mo., native who finds inspiration in the way the early morning light covers the fields of her family farm will be the featured artist in February and March at Margaret Harwell Art Museum. An opening reception for "The Creek Meanders Through the Valley" by Rose Ann Huck will be held from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the museum. The show will run through March 25...

Bridge repairs along B Highway in Butler County began late last fall and are starting to cause frustration for residents and business owners along the path. Beginning east near Fisk, Mo., and working west toward Poplar Bluff, Mo., the Missouri Department of Transportation project includes 10 bridges, said Area Engineer David Wyman...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Mary Heady Hahn, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 29, 2018 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born Oct. 18, 1927 in West Louisville, Ky. to Dominic and Ethelreda (Riney) Heady. She and James W. Hahn were united in marriage June 3, 1950 in Poplar Bluff. They resided in Sikeston until 1966 before moving to Cape Girardeau...

CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Brenda Kay Thacker, 69, of Holcomb, Mo. died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 at her residence in Holcomb. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - noon, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at the Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with services beginning at noon. Burial will follow at Loyd Cemetery in Holcomb...

John Greg Browne, 67, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born June 16, 1950 in Dallas, Texas to the late Roy Browne and Louise Byrnes Browne. He was of the Baptist faith. He served in the United States Army. He was a self employed auto detailer. He was a member of the Masons and Shiners...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. - Bridgette Marie Warren, 51, of Greenville, MO, died Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at St. Anthony Hospital's de Greeff Hospice House in St. Louis, MO. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Friday, February 2 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville. ...

Mary Alice Fears, 87, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born Jan. 30, 1930 at Naylor, Mo. Mary worked as a checkout supervisor for K-Mart. She was a member of First Christian Church in Poplar Bluff...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN If Turkey is not bluffing, U.S. troops in Manbij, Syria, could be under fire by week's end, and NATO engulfed in the worst crisis in its history. Turkish President Erdogan said Friday his troops will cleanse Manbij of Kurdish fighters, alongside whom U.S. troops are embedded...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Alice Jane McNeal, 82, of Malden, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018, at the Piggott Commmunity Hospital in Piggott, Ark. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 at the Landess Funeral Home Chapel in Malden. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 2, 2018 at the Landess Funeral Chapel in Malden with Mr. Randy Moore officiating. Burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Roger Dennis Eddy, 65, of Piedmont, Mo., died at his residence Friday, Jan. 26, 2018. A gathering will take place at 10:30 a.m, Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 at Ruegg Funeral Home, Williamsville. Memorial services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home chapel. There will be a luncheon at noon held at the Wayne County Nutrition Center in Williamsville...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor It's time to get after it while the getting is good. What I'm talking about is the crappie fishing at Wappapello Lake, which really has turned on since the thaw and drawdown. "People are catching fish and doing good," said Charlie Brotherton at Sundowner Marine...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat I did not watch the Grammy Music Awards, just as I did not watch the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month. Odds are very high I will not watch the Academy Awards, whenever the heck they are. These self-congratulatory award shows have become prime time fodder for the progressive left. It gives performers their moment in the spotlight to affirm their liberal beliefs in a safe environment surrounded by their fellow travelers...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Missouri's reintroduction of elk has done a lot of positive things for the state, and especially Carter County. Tourism, which the county relies heavily upon, has grown as people visit the region to see and hear the elk...

Dessie M. Whoberry, 96, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 at Oakdale Caring Center. She was born in Manilla, Ark. July 3, 1921, to the late James Dunn and Ethel McIntosh Dunn. Dessie was a long time resident of Butler County. She was a member of Collins Chapel Church...

Harley Michael Million, Samara "Sammi" Fontaine Kitts, Willa Fontaine Marie Million ELLSINORE, Mo. - Harley Michael Million, 24, Samara "Sammi" Fontaine Kitts, 23, and their daughter, Willa Fontaine Marie Million, 17 months, this beautiful family of three, was taken from this life too soon. Harley had resided in Ellsinore for most of his life, and Sammie since 2006 and she was formerly of Carrabelle, Fla...

A 23-year-old Grandin, Mo., woman has died from injuries she suffered in a two-vehicle crash at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday on U.S. 60 at Highway A in Ellsinore, Mo. According to the report, Joanna C. Hedge was operating a 2006 Ford northbound when she failed to yield to a westbound 2005 Kia Sorento as she was crossing over the westbound lanes of U.S. 60...

NEW YORK (AP) -- To Mark Zuckerberg, fixing Facebook means many things -- protecting users from abuse, preventing elections meddling from malicious actors, weeding out fake news and "making sure time spent on Facebook is well spent." To critics, it's all that and then some. But many of the steps Facebook has taken so far strike them as insufficient, and in some cases aimed as much at keeping people glued to the service down the line as at really addressing Facebook's underlying problems...

The Lady Raiders put together a trademark game to pick up their second Region XVI win. Early in the season, Three Rivers' strong wins had a similar storyline. Stifling defense, balanced scoring, lots of bench points. Steadily their opponent would wear down and the score would grow. That's exactly what the Lady Raiders did Wednesday in their 74-49 win over Jefferson at the Bess Activity Center...

Naylor cut Poplar Bluff's 16-point lead down to a single point with six minutes to play Wednesday night but the Eagles didn't score again. Kiley Bess got a steal leading to a three-point play as the Mules scored the final 12 points to beat Naylor 52-39 at the Senior High Gym...

Neelyville picked up the top seeds for both the girls and boys Ozark Foothills Conference Tournaments and gets the first-round byes that go with it. "I think it is neat for our school to have both of our varsity teams have the No. 1 seed," Neelyville coach Patrick Morton said. "Coach (Becky) Hale has done an amazing job with that program."...

GREENVILLE -- Doniphan's Klay Barton led the Dons with 26 points and Jake Eddington added 12 as Doniphan beat Greenville 69-54 in a first round preview of the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament. Doniphan (8-13, 4-2 OFC) picked up the No. 3 seed at Wednesday's seed meeting, hours before it was set to take on No. 6 Greenville (6-11, 1-4)...