Stories from Wednesday, January 16, 2019

DEXTER — In a special meeting Tuesday, the Dexter Board of Aldermen unanimously approved amending it’s city code as its related to cable TV franchising fees to now include telephone and internet services. The amendment was made to Chapter 630, which is the city’s gross receipts, specially section 630.060. That section was last updated in April 1984...

Filing closed Tuesday for municipal positions with contests for elected positions in Poplar Bluff, Dexter, Puxico and Piedmont. Several other positions in region towns have only one candidate for open terms, the majority of which are for two years. An election will be held April 2 for city and school offices...

Local school board contests for the April 2 election have been set and districts within Butler County will see contested races with the exception of Poplar Bluff. The two incumbents for the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education filed for re-election and will not face any challengers...

A motion to place a $15 million bond measure on the April 2 ballot was passed easily Tuesday by the Dexter Board of Education. A second decision to drop about 26 hours of instructional time from the 2019-2020 school year in order to accommodate construction schedules faced some debate before it was ultimately approved, 5-1...

DEXTER, Mo. - Bobbie Joe Russell, 82, of Puxico, Mo., died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2019 at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17 at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18 at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter...

JACKSON, Mo. — It took Poplar Bluff a half to get going. Once the Mules did, Jackson had no answer. Poplar Bluff opened the third quarter by scoring 24 of the first 25 points and rode that offensive explosion to a 74-57 win over SEMO Conference rival Jackson on Tuesday at Jackson High School...

DONIPHAN, Mo. - Helena Chronister, 94, of Ozark, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 11. Visitation will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Edwards Funeral Home Chapel in Doniphan. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. in the chapel. Burial will be at the Pine Cemetery in rural Ripley County, Mo...

City firefighters responded at 4:06 p.m. Tuesday to a request to help emergency-medical-services personnel with a patient at 1305 Gray St. According to the report, firefighters assisted EMS with moving a patient from an ambulance back into his or her home...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Mildred Palmer, 95, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019 at the Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be after 10 a.m., Friday, Jan. 18 until time of services at 11:30 a.m. at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield with Terry Berry of Bloomfield officiating...

A Piggott, Arkansas couple’s family doubled in size shortly before noon Tuesday when Brandi Householder delivered triplets at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Brandi and her husband, Jason, along with Dr. Donald Jones are praising the Lord for the safe delivery of the babies, Caleb, Aaron and Sarah. They join siblings Elisabeth, 10; Phillip, 4; and Lydia, who is 13 months old...

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center staff will host a program honoring Martin Luther King Jr. at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the medical center, 1500 N. Westwood Blvd. The “I have a dream,” celebrating MLK, program will take place on the hospital’s ground floor in Room GD-045A, which is behind the medical center elevators...

Butler County commissioners will hold a budget hearing at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the courthouse to review planned spending for 2019. The budget must be approved by the end of January. It will include a 2 percent cost-of-living increase for employees, according to presiding commissioner Vince Lampe. The increase will be applied across the board, Lampe said. A 2 percent cost-of-living increase in 2018 was distributed at office holders’ discretion...

Three Rivers College will be entering a partnership with Central Methodist University which will allow agribusiness students to complete their four-year degree in Poplar Bluff. TRC President Dr. Wesley Payne, along with CMU Provost Dr. Rita Gulstad, made the announcement during the Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday afternoon...

Season tally of 54,447 is Missouri’s best ever

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Lola D Hager, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Wednesday Jan 15, 2019 at Mark Twain Caring Center. Mrs. Hager was born June 13, 1942 to Chester and Rosie (Yardley) Deaton. She was of the protestant faith, and was a homemaker. She was united in marriage to Bobby Hager on Oct. 17, 1983. He proceeded her in death on Oct. 10, 1997...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Mary Alice Tagnani, 97, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019 at Hunter Acres Care Center in Sikeston, Mo. A graveside service and burial will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 18 at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff with Rev. Jim Schremp officiating...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. – Janie E. White. 60, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019 in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 at Cotrell Funeral Chapel. The funeral service will follow at noon with Chaplain William A Hatch, Jr. officiating. Burial will be at Poplar Buff City Cemetery...