Stories from Thursday, April 18, 2019

Rev. Calvin Buhler’s passion in life is loving the Lord and helping others experience the joy of having God in their lives. After he and his wife Shelbea served the congregation of the New Home General Baptist Church for 38 1/2 years, Rev. Buhler gave his farewell sermon at was March 31...

For me, it has always been one of those enigmas of my faith, Good Friday. What is so good about Good Friday? As a pastor, over the years I have preached and been a part of the “Seven Last Words of Jesus” on the cross services. I have participated in the carrying of a mock cross on the streets of towns in the communities in which I served...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Alphia Lou LeGrand, 93, of Walnut Ridge, Ark., died Thursday, April 11, 2019. Graveside services will be held on Saturday, April 20 at 10 a.m. in Poplar Bluff city cemetery with Reverend Steve Patterson officiating.

MALDEN, Mo. — Joseph Eskew, 80, of Malden, died Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at Ridgview Living Community in Malden. Visitation will be from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the Landess Chapel in Malden. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden with Mr. James Powell officiating...

This week is National Telecommunicators week. This week we honor the service of our dispatchers that answer the phones when the public needs help. They are the ones that pick up the phone and say “911, what is your emergency?” But they do so much more than answer a phone. Before the relocation of the Police Department and City Hall our dispatchers were located in the Police Department on Second Street. Many times I had the opportunity to stop in and watch them at work...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Mergie Bernice Patterson Whitlow, 95, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Cotrell Funeral Chapel with the funeral service following at 11 a.m. The Rev. Vernon Kneir will officiate. Burial will be at Poplar Bluff City Cemetery.

UNION, Mo. — A Doniphan woman was sentenced Friday morning to three additional 20-year terms in prison for her role in connection with the 2010 deaths of two elderly couples whose bodies were found in their burned homes. Chantale Youngblood, 26, appeared before Presiding Circuit Judge Gael Wood in Franklin County for final sentencing after having testified in January against her former boyfriend, Keith A. Boyles...

A Poplar Bluff woman accused of hitting her foster daughter with a two-by-four appeared in court Thursday on a child abuse charge. Elizabeth Marie Keller-Crites appeared before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce on the Class B felony of abuse or neglect of a child...

Adaptive methods of teaching is what made Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center auto collision instructor Denni White stand out among his colleagues, according to one student. Finding the best teaching methods to reach every student is what earned White to be selected to represent the PBTCC as the 2019-20 Teacher of the Year...

Crossroads Ministries is a program that transforms the lives not only of those battling drug and alcohol addiction, but also of everyone those people will come into contact with, Poplar Bluff City Council member Ed DeGaris believes. “I know when they do it, they’re going to take their loved ones with them, with a different outlook,” DeGaris said Monday, as council members paused to recognize the program...

Butler County Coroner Andy Moore reports his office and the Poplar Bluff Police Department are investigating the death of a “child at a local, Poplar Bluff day care.” An autopsy, Moore said, will be performed “very soon” by Dr. Russell Deidiker at a Farmington area medical facility...

The Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education voted Thursday evening to fill the position assistant of superintendent of personnel following the move of Dr. Amy Jackson to assistant superintendent of business. Fara Jones will join the Poplar Bluff School District from Scott County R-IV School District on July 1...

With the end of the school year quickly approaching, the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education began looking into summer projects around the district. Last month, the board was given a list of maintenance projects. The board accepted bids on two projects during Thursday evening’s meeting. Those included the window walls at O’Neal Elementary B building and high school Dryvit wall repair...