Stories from Friday, September 9, 2011

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Events from the Butler County Republican Central Committee, Three Rivers College and area churches will be held this weekend in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "We want to champion what the terrorists were trying to destroy and were unable to destroy, the American spirit," explained BCRCC Chairman Eddy Justice. "We strive to overcome, no matter who attacks us."...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer While some may see blindness as a hindrance, musician Michael "Blindcat" McIntire of Eminence, Mo., says it has helped him hone his skills. The Shannon County man has recently been playing in Poplar Bluff, Mo., each week...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Visitors to the Three Rivers Shriners Fourth Annual Championship Rodeo tonight and Saturday will be in for a special treat, as area businessmen and women will compete in the first ever businessman's wild donkey ride. The rodeo starts at 7 nightly at the Ray Clinton Park Arena...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Efforts to improve the drainage from the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park have changed to Plan B due to a property misunderstanding. As a result, some of the information presented during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Tuesday night was incorrect...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The value of property owned within the Three Rivers College taxing area has gone down for the first time in 16 years, according to Board of Trustees' member and Butler County Assessor Marion Tibbs. The dip resulted in a slight change to the school's tax levy, which was approved Thursday by the board during a special meeting at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. ...

By SCOTT MOYERS SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Clay Waller confessed to his father that he murdered his estranged wife and buried her in a hole he dug beforehand, federal prosecutor Larry Ferrell said Thursday in a federal courtroom. In addition, Ferrell said, strong physical evidence links Waller to the crime, including blood that police collected from Waller's Jackson home. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The value of property owned within the Three Rivers College taxing area has gone down for the first time in 16 years, according to Board of Trustees' member and Butler County Assessor Marion Tibbs. The dip resulted in a slight change to the school's tax levy, which was approved Thursday by the board during a special meeting at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Events from the Butler County Republican Central Committee, Three Rivers College and area churches will be held this weekend in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "We want to champion what the terrorists were trying to destroy and were unable to destroy, the American spirit," explained BCRCC Chairman Eddy Justice. "We strive to overcome, no matter who attacks us."...

While the Poplar Bluff volleyball team rolled out its usual lineup Thursday night, visiting Bloomfield tinkered with its starting six. The difference showed as the Lady Mules won 25-13, 25-19 at Peters Gym. "The girls had to get adjusted to it," Bloomfield coach Starly Pulley said of the lineup change. "I just told them don't let this game define your season, it's just one game."...

Ally Brooks has cut red meat out of her diet, but the junior sank her teeth into the first pitch see saw in the seventh inning of a tied game Thursday. With two outs, Brooks lined a single to the left-field gap to score the winning run as the Lady Mules rallied to beat visiting Scott City 2-1 at Bacon Park...

After playing and suffering a lopsided loss to Jackson in their season opener Tuesday, the Poplar Bluff Mules were in a hurry to turn around their fortunes Thursday The Indians shut the Mules out for 80 minutes, but in just the third minute against Fredericktown at Whiteley Park, the Mules found the back of the net and went on to 5-1 victory...

The Freedom from Smoking workshop will have its last community workshop sessions at the Butler County Health Department beginning at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16. The workshop takes place over seven weeks and uses group counseling to aid those interested in quitting their tobacco addiction...

The Neelyville Harvest Festival Pageant will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Neelyville City Park. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. The pageant will start at noon. There will be no delays between pageants, incuding the Miss Tau Psi category of girls, ages 14-18 years of age...

The Carter County Public Library is having a re-opening celebration for the Grandin Library branch from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday. A few months ago the Grandin Library was hit by a tornado that did some extensive damage. The library was closed for a several months so those damages could be repaired. These repairs are now finished and the library is open again...

Plans are underway for a new scholarship to be made available to graduates of Neelyville High School. The Sandra Arrington Memorial Scholarship will be given annually in memory of Sandy Arrington, a community activist in the Naylor-Neelyville area. She was a dedicated nurse and volunteer in many programs throughout the area...

MALDEN, Mo. -- The 81st Annual Missouri-Mid/South Gospel Singing Convention will be held 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-24, at the Malden Community Center on Business Hwy. 25 in Malden, Mo. Master of ceremonies will be Brother Gene Peacock, KMHM-FM radio personality. The concert is free; however, a love offering will be taken...

Naylor Nutrition Center will offer a special from 11 a.m. to 1:30 Sunday to raise funds for the location. The menu includes old fashioned chicken and dumplings, ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, drinks and desert The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children age 10 and under...

Marsha Woolard, Mrs. Southeast Missouri, was awarded the Mrs. Photogenic award at the Mrs. Missouri America Pageant held at the Branson Tri-lakes Center on Saturday. The event is the official preliminary to the nationally televised Mrs. America Pageant, which will be held next spring...

GREENVILLE -- The East Carter Redbirds had one big inning at the plate and hung on with the bases loaded for Greenville with no outs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-3 over the Bears, who were unbeaten in Ozark Foothills Conference play. The Redbirds got a double play and Dylan Nichols struck out the final batter for the win...

Brandi Leigh Catt and Jason Edward Frazier have chosen the name Landon Troy Frazier for their 3-poound, 4-ounce son born at 1:34 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, 2011. He was 16 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Bob and Sharon Moore of Reno, Ark., and Terry and Judy Catt of Glasgow, Ky. Paternal grandparents are Cindy and Jim Frazier of Ellsinore, Mo...

MALDEN, Mo. -- Russell Earl Buchanan Jr., 47, of Gideon, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, at his residence. Mr. Buchanan was born July 22, 1964, at Berrien Springs, Mich. He was a member of Mt. Zion General Baptist Church in Malden...

Mildred Hewitt MALDEN, Mo. -- Mildred Louise Hewitt, 88, of Malden, Mo., died Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011, at Golden Living Center in Malden. Mrs. Hewitt was born March 19, 1922, in Malden. She was a member of the First Christian Church in Malden. She was a volunteer at the Malden Nutrition Center and a former member of the American Legion Auxiliary...

Leo Tibbs DEXTER, Mo. -- Leo Tibbs, 92, of Dexter, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. He was born on Jan. 20, 1919, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Tibbs was the former owner and operator of Hickory House Restaurant in Dexter for many years. He also was a veteran of the United States Army...

James Louck Jr. NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- James Jefferson Louck Jr., 69, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Louck was born March 30, 1942, in Marion, Ohio. He had lived in Ripley County for seven years...

Elizabeth Rice BERNIE, Mo. -- Elizabeth A. Rice, 94, of Malden, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, in Malden Nursing Center in Malden. Mrs. Rice was born on Jan. 15, 1917, in Campbell, Mo. Mrs. Rice was a homemaker and a member of the Second General Baptist Church of Dexter, Missouri...

Rhonda Meloy GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Rhonda Elaine Meloy, 57, of Silva, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Silva. Mrs. Meloy was born May 7, 1954, in East St. Louis, Ill. She was of the Baptist faith and was a 1973 graduate of Greenville, Mo., High School...

Wayne McComb NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Wayne McComb, 50, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. McComb was born Oct. 4, 1960, in Tyronza, Ark. He was a member of El Bethel Church in Neelyville and was a farmer...

Marsha Woolard, Mrs. Southeast Missouri, was awarded the Mrs. Photogenic award at the Mrs. Missouri America Pageant held at the Branson Tri-lakes Center on Saturday. The event is the official preliminary to the nationally televised Mrs. America Pageant, which will be held next spring...

Naylor Nutrition Center will offer a special from 11 a.m. to 1:30 Sunday to raise funds for the location. The menu includes old fashioned chicken and dumplings, ham, mashed potatoes, vegetables, drinks and desert The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children age 10 and under...

MALDEN, Mo. -- The 81st Annual Missouri-Mid/South Gospel Singing Convention will be held 5:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 23-24, at the Malden Community Center on Business Hwy. 25 in Malden, Mo. Master of ceremonies will be Brother Gene Peacock, KMHM-FM radio personality. The concert is free; however, a love offering will be taken...

The Neelyville Harvest Festival Pageant will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Neelyville City Park. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. The pageant will start at noon. There will be no delays between pageants, incuding the Miss Tau Psi category of girls, ages 14-18 years of age...

Plans are underway for a new scholarship to be made available to graduates of Neelyville High School. The Sandra Arrington Memorial Scholarship will be given annually in memory of Sandy Arrington, a community activist in the Naylor-Neelyville area. She was a dedicated nurse and volunteer in many programs throughout the area...

Ally Brooks has cut red meat out of her diet, but the junior sank her teeth into the first pitch see saw in the seventh inning of a tied game Thursday. With two outs, Brooks lined a single to the left-field gap to score the winning run as the Lady Mules rallied to beat visiting Scott City 2-1 at Bacon Park...

While the Poplar Bluff volleyball team rolled out its usual lineup Thursday night, visiting Bloomfield tinkered with its starting six. The difference showed as the Lady Mules won 25-13, 25-19 at Peters Gym. "The girls had to get adjusted to it," Bloomfield coach Starly Pulley said of the lineup change. "I just told them don't let this game define your season, it's just one game."...

GREENVILLE -- The East Carter Redbirds had one big inning at the plate and hung on with the bases loaded for Greenville with no outs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 4-3 over the Bears, who were unbeaten in Ozark Foothills Conference play. The Redbirds got a double play and Dylan Nichols struck out the final batter for the win...

Brandi Leigh Catt and Jason Edward Frazier have chosen the name Landon Troy Frazier for their 3-poound, 4-ounce son born at 1:34 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, 2011. He was 16 inches long. Maternal grandparents are Bob and Sharon Moore of Reno, Ark., and Terry and Judy Catt of Glasgow, Ky. Paternal grandparents are Cindy and Jim Frazier of Ellsinore, Mo...

James Louck Jr. NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- James Jefferson Louck Jr., 69, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Louck was born March 30, 1942, in Marion, Ohio. He had lived in Ripley County for seven years...

Rhonda Meloy GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Rhonda Elaine Meloy, 57, of Silva, Mo., died Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011, in Silva. Mrs. Meloy was born May 7, 1954, in East St. Louis, Ill. She was of the Baptist faith and was a 1973 graduate of Greenville, Mo., High School...

Wayne McComb NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Wayne McComb, 50, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. McComb was born Oct. 4, 1960, in Tyronza, Ark. He was a member of El Bethel Church in Neelyville and was a farmer...