Stories from Tuesday, October 30, 2018

GREENVILLE -- An Oct. 25 autopsy found a McGee teenager died of a gunshot wound to his head allegedly caused by a teenage relative. The victim is identified as Ricky Taylor, 13, said Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch. Ricky's funeral information appears of Page 6A...

A veteran journalist and newspaper businessman has been named publisher of the Daily American Republic. Chris Pruett will begin his new leadership role in Poplar Bluff on Nov. 1. Pruett will also serve as publisher of the Dexter Statesman, Puxico Press and Doniphan's Prospect News...

She stands 4-feet-11 and weighs just a little over 100 pounds. But she's the heart and soul of the first varsity football team at Doniphan High School in nearly 40 years. Friday night, Oct. 19, soaking wet in a hard rain and covered in mud and grass, senior Katlyn Harris was crowned football homecoming queen...

Kathy Whiteside teased her husband in a text early one morning because he didn't say good-bye before leaving their south Doniphan home to baby-sit their grandchildren. It was four days before Easter and Kathy hadn't felt well recently because of a chest cold...

CAMPBELL, Mo. - Jeanette Counts, 61, of Marmaduke, Ark., died Thurs., Oct. 25, 2018 at her residence. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Tues., Oct. 30 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Wed., Oct. 31 at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with Fr. William Hennecke officating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery in Campbell. Online condolences may be made at landessfh2@yahoo.com or on the website...

PIEDMONT, Mo. - Johnny V. Daggett, 72, of Piedmont, died Sat., Oct. 27, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be at 5 p.m., Tues., Oct. 30, at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Piedmont chapel. Burial will be in Mt. View Cemetery, Des Arc, Mo...

Starting as a freshman in college athletics often means playing with teammates you've never met before, but for a handful of members of Three Rivers women's basketball, there are no need for greetings. Freshmen Hannah Thurmon, J'Kayla Fowler, Katelyn South, Lana Reed and redshirt sophomore Casey Douglas have all competed against each other around the region, so the familiarity is there...

Rosalee Cornett, 71, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Sat. Oct. 27, 2018 at Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., Tues., Oct. 30 at Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home. The funeral will follow at noon. Online condolences: fitchhillisfh.com...

EASTWOOD, Mo. - Craig Chester Hathaway, 56, of Eastwood, died Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 at noon at the Eastwood Community Church in Eastwood with Rev. David Russell officiating...

FISK, Mo. - Joe Ethridge, age 79, of Broseley, Mo., died Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 at The Manor, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Ethridge was born Feb. 15, 1939 in Poplar Bluff, son of the late Leslie and Thurma Ethridge. He is survived by five sons: Curtis Ethridge of Poplar Bluff, Tony Ethridge of Summerville, SC, Terry Ethridge of Broseley; Richard Ethridge and Donny Ethridge, both of Poplar Bluff, and one sister: Bonnie Mansker of Doniphan; one brother, Daniel Ethridge of Poplar Bluff; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. ...

Don, These brief comments represent only a "paragraph" or two of the novel which could be written of your efforts to inform and help the people of Poplar Bluff and Southeast Missouri to obtain knowledge of "what's going on where we live." You have been involved in our community; made helpful and timely remarks and suggestions; been transparent and available for conversations. ...

LOWNDES, Mo. - Ricky Eugene Taylor, 13, of McGee, MO, died Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018. Visitation was held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Corinth Baptist Church in Lowndes. The funeral followed at 11:30 a.m. in the church. Burial was at Corinth Cemetery. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

God has a purpose for each of our lives which is interrelated to His overall purpose for mankind. He is depending upon us to accomplish that purpose. However, He is not wholly dependent upon us. If any one of us fail, or, if one generation or nation fails to accomplish His will, He can always raise up another person or people that will. ...

Three Rivers men's basketball has a long history that includes two NJCAA Championships under head coach Gene Bess, who is entering his 49th season. You don't have to tell that to sophomore Willie Lucas and redshirt sophomores Chris Stocks and Abiodun Ayetimiyi...

DEXTER, Mo. - Beverly Watson James, age 86, died on Oct. 23, 2018 at Laclede Groves in St. Louis, where she had resided for seven years. She was born Oct. 26, 1931 in Malden, Mo., the daughter of the late Almus and Alma Clary Watson. She was married to Gary D. James for 61 years. He preceded her in death, as did their son, Michael D. James...

By ADRIANA COHEN Is there a silver lining to President Donald Trump's $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese imports? You bet there is -- but first we must acknowledge the inconvenient fact that globalism is inconsistent with environmentalism. Take carbon dioxide emissions. ...

Jerry Lee Talley of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, at the age of 77. Jerry was born Nov. 15, 1941 to the late Jake and Hazel Talley of Des Arc, Mo. Jerry graduated from Des Arc High School in 1958. He retired from General Motors after many years of service. He attended the Palace of Praise church in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

DEXTER, Mo. - Jackie Lynden Griffy of Dexter, Mo., son of the late David Baxter and Betty Jo McGraw Pepper Griffy, was born on Dec. 15, 1960, in Harrisonville, Mo., and passed away at the Piedmont Columbus Regional Center Midtown in Columbus, Georgia on Oct. 27, 2018, at the age of 57 years, 10 months and 12 days...

PARMA, Mo. - Wilburn "Will" Parker, 82, of Parma, died Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. A private family service will be held at a later date with burial in the Parma Cemetery. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Parma is in charge of arrangements...

Poplar Bluff Junior High School students reported to school personnel Tuesday morning they saw a student in possession of a firearm. Superintendent Scott Dill said a junior high student was found to have brought a weapon to school shortly before 8:30 a.m...

Three months after the voter approved jail expansion, Stoddard County Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said he is ready to put the project "on the fast track and start moving forward" during Monday morning's meeting. After hearing from two companies last week, Gilmore & Bell and Stifel of St. Louis regarding legal and financing services, Mathis asked fellow commissioners Steve Jordan and Carol Jarrell what direction they would like to see the project head...

DEXTER -- From a busy, industrial city of over 1 million people to a rural U.S. community of less than 8,000, Fuyu Fujii of Saitama, Japan, says the adjustment to life in Dexter has not been a difficult one. "I was in Kenai, Alaska, for a month in 2014," says Fujii, whose full name is pronounced Fooyoo Foojee-e, "and it is about the same size as Dexter."...

Dr. Juergen Bertram, 73, died Friday, October 26, 2018 at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Visitation will be from 6 - 8 p.m., Thurs., Nov. 1, 2018 at Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 2 at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff with Pastor Scott Reynolds officiating...

FISK, Mo. - Joe Ethridge, 79, of Broseley, Mo., died Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018 at The Manor, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018 at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. Funeral services will follow at 7:30 p.m. with Jearl Griffin officiating. Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Thursday with Military Honors at Ash Hill Cemetery East in Fisk. Condolences: www.whitesandersfuneralhome.com...

Mavis R. Overall, 72, of Wappapello died Oct. 14, 2018 at the Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital. The family will hold a private celebration of life at a later date. Online condolences can be given to the family at www.moorefuneralservice.com.

DEXTER, Mo. - Jackie Lynden Griffy of Dexter, Mo., son of the late David Baxter and Betty Jo McGraw Pepper Griffy, was born on Dec. 15, 1960, in Harrisonville, Mo., and passed away at the Piedmont Columbus Regional Center Midtown in Columbus, Georgia on Oct. 27, 2018, at the age of 57 years, 10 months and 12 days...

LOWNDES, Mo. - Ricky Eugene Taylor, 13, of McGee, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018. Visitation was held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Corinth Baptist Church in Lowndes. The funeral followed at 11:30 a.m. in the church. Burial was at Corinth Cemetery. Online condolences can be made at www.rueggfuneralhomes.com...

PARMA, Mo. - Wilburn "Will" Parker, 82, of Parma, died Friday, Oct. 26, 2018 at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. A private family service will be held at a later date with burial in the Parma Cemetery. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Parma is in charge of arrangements...