Stories from Monday, April 16, 2012

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A proposal that recently received first-round approval in the Missouri Senate would require teachers to spend 10 years in a district before seeking tenure, a move some local educators say is a bad one. Currently, a certified teacher is tenured after five years in a school district...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Southeast Missourians had to cover their flowers and garden plants Tuesday and Wednesday nights as frost producing temperatures in April replaced the record heat in March. The thermometer dipped to 33 degrees at 6 a.m. Thursday in Poplar Bluff, but it did not break the record. The lowest temperature on April 12 was 26 in 1940...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer On Wednesday, Feb. 1, when each of the 407 kindergarten students at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center released a balloon to celebrate their 100th day of school, each child dreamed about their balloon and how far it might travel. Some of the balloons carried a tag asking anyone who found the balloon to write or email the school. As time passed, dreams faded and the kindergarteners turned their attention to other things...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A proposal that recently received first-round approval in the Missouri Senate would require teachers to spend 10 years in a district before seeking tenure, a move some local educators say is a bad one. Currently, a certified teacher is tenured after five years in a school district...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer On Wednesday, Feb. 1, when each of the 407 kindergarten students at the Poplar Bluff Kindergarten Center released a balloon to celebrate their 100th day of school, each child dreamed about their balloon and how far it might travel. Some of the balloons carried a tag asking anyone who found the balloon to write or email the school. As time passed, dreams faded and the kindergarteners turned their attention to other things...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Southeast Missourians had to cover their flowers and garden plants Tuesday and Wednesday nights as frost producing temperatures in April replaced the record heat in March. The thermometer dipped to 33 degrees at 6 a.m. Thursday in Poplar Bluff, but it did not break the record. The lowest temperature on April 12 was 26 in 1940...

Playing the race card While the tragedy that has occurred in Florida with the shooting of that young teen is truly a tragedy in its own right, there is a second tragedy happening and that is this: that we have now allowed our nation to become so divided by race that because this was a young African-American boy that we are now bussing in people to protest the killing of this young boy. ...

By SHARON RANDALL Scripps Howard News Service The grass is mowed, the porch is swept. The trees and shrubs are green with spring. All is exactly as I remember it. I have climbed these steps countless times, but it's been a long time, some 30 years, since I climbed them with a baby...

Dan and Kim Hollida of Silva, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Dannie Hollida of Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Dallas Johnson of Caruthersville, Mo. Johnson is the son of Bryan and Janet Johnson, also of Caruthersville. The bride-to-be is a 2010 graduate of Greenville High School and the owner of Designs by Dannie...

Old but you got to bathe While listening to a home care worker, they say they like their job and enjoy most of the people they take care of. However, some only need house cleaning and shopping done for them for groceries, but they were still able to take care of themselves such as bathing and dressing. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL DALLAS -- From his office window, Thomas W. Horton, in his fifth month as CEO of American Airlines, can see in the distance the Manhattan-size footprint of Dallas-Fort Worth airport, where American has 85 percent market share; it also has 68 percent in Miami, gateway to South America's booming market. A few miles from here, however, sits one of the reasons why, nevertheless, his company recently entered bankruptcy -- the corporate headquarters of Southwest Airlines...

Diane Haney announces the engagement of her daughter, Rachel Haney, to Ben Barker, all of Sikeston, Mo. Barker is the son of Jeff and Debi Barker, formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., now of Sikeston. The bride-to-be is a 2003 graduate of Sikeston High School and is currently a student at Southeast Missouri State University majoring in criminal justice. She is employed by Focus Bank in Sikeston...

Bret and Sherry Trostel of Poplar Bluff, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Marie Trostel of Jackson, Mo., to William Matthew Blume, also of Jackson. The bridegroom-to-be is the son of Anita and Mark Bogdajewicz of Poplar Bluff and Kevin and Jan Blume of Malden, Mo...

Michael and Pam Reed of Naylor, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Amethyst Hope Reed, also of Naylor to Brandon Heath Conley of Bay City, Mich. Conley is the son of Ron Conley of Doniphan, Mo., and Darlene Conley of Bay City. The bride-to-be is a 2012 graduate of Neelyville High School. She attended Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers College and will be transferring to Saginaw Valley State University in Saginaw, Mich...

Madison Maddox announces the engagement of her parents, Michelle Laxton and Ryan Maddox of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Debbie White and the granddaughter of Ruby Sharp, both of Ellsinore and the late John Sharp. Maddox is the son of Connie and Milford Maddox, the grandson of Floyd and Lorene Daves, all of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and the late William and Lorie Maddox...

Acie ("Ace") Ingersoll, a Korean War veteran and resident of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, likes to write stories. Ingersoll's tales are generally fiction, often mysteries, and commonly include a theme involving Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. For example, "The Big Narcotics Bust," is about a group of Community Living Center (nursing home) residents at a VA medical center who help authorities catch a morphine thief...

Jewell Ward PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Jewell Marie Ward, 100, of Clubb, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mrs. Ward was born on June 22, 2011, to the late John Ward and the late Margaret Bennett Ward, in Silva, Mo. She attended Hiram School. Mrs. Ward was of the Methodist faith and was a member of New Home Church in Clubb...

Bill Capps DONIPHAN, Mo. --Bill Capps of Doniphan, Mo. died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, MO. Bill, the son of Alphus and Iva (Callahan) Capps, was born in Bolivar, Mo., Aug. 17, 1928. Bill moved to Doniphan when his father accepted the job as minister at the First Baptist Church in Doniphan. In 1948-1950 he taught the 5th and 6th grades in the Elementary School in Van Buren, MO...

Ruby Eakins NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruby C. Eakins, 66, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at her residence. Mrs. Eakins was born Jan. 30, 1946, in Neelyville, Mo. She was a lifelong resident of Butler County and a member of Fellowship Southern Baptist Church. She had a day care where she enjoyed taking care of foster children. She also enjoyed taking pictures, shopping and yard sales...

Robert Edwards DEXTER, Mo. -- Robert Lee Edwards, 79, of Essex, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at his home. Mr. Edwards was born on June 21, 1932, in Canalou, Mo. He had lived in Essex most of his life and was of the Pentecostal Faith. On Nov. 25, 1950, he was married to Dorothy Lee Gromer in Essex. She survives of the home...

'PeeWee' Shafer DEXTER, Mo. -- Richard Lee "PeeWee" Schaefer, 61, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Mr. Schaefer was born on June 16, 1950, in Cape Girardeau. He lived in Cape Girardeau area most of his life. He was a member of the Cape Eagles Aerie...

Ricky Johnson GIDEON, Mo. -- Ricky John Johnson, 53, of Gideon, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Johnson was born March 11, 1959, at Gideon. Surviving are his parents, Billy and Mamie Allen Johnson of Gideon; one daughter, Amanda Walls of Gideon; two stepsons, Steven Muse of Campbell, Mo., and Danny Muse of Gideon; one stepdaughter, Treasure Todd of Clarkton, Mo.; three brothers, Mike Johnson of Warrenton, Mo., Randy Johnson of Ellsinore, Mo., and Eric Johnson of Gideon, Mo.; one sister, Gina Reeder of Malden, Mo.; three grandchildren and seven step-grandchildren.. ...

George Ellsworth MALDEN, Mo. -- George Ellsworth, 67, of Malden, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012, at his residence. Funeral arrangements are pending with Landess Funeral Home of Malden.

William Bowers CORNING, Ark. -- William F. Bowers, 77, of Corning, Ark., died Friday, April 13, 2012, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mr. Bowers was born in Knobel, Ark., on Jan. 31, 1935. He was a retired bridge builder. He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean era and enjoyed woodworking, fishing and cracking pecans. He was Church of Christ in faith...

G. Glendell Twidwell PIEDMONT, Mo.-- G. Glendell "Booge" Twidwell, 77, of Piedmont, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Barnes Hospital St.Louis, Mo. Visitation will be from for 5:00-9:00 p.m. Monday at Ruegg Funeral Homes, Piedmont. The funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Piedmont. Burial will be in Greenville City Cemetery in Greenville, Mo...

Don Hall PUXICO, Mo. -- Don Raymond Hall, 73, of Puxico, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hall was born May 23, 1938, in Roodhouse, Ill., to the late Grover and Minnie (Axley) Hall. He is a 1956 graduate of Puxico High School. He retired in 1990 after 28 years as a bus driver with Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis, Mo. He returned to Puxico at that time...

Edna Hurley BERNIE, Mo. -- Edna Lee Hurley, 98, of Dexter, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Cypress Point Skilled Nursing Center in Dexter. Mrs. Hurley was born in Madona, Tenn., on March 14, 1914. She was a homemaker and a member of First Assembly of God of Bernie...

Robert Edwards -- Essex, Mo. Edna Hurley -- Dexter, Mo. "PeeWee" Schaefer -- Cape Girardeau, Mo. Don Hall -- Puxico, Mo. Jewell Ward -- Clubb, Mo. Bill Capps -- Doniphan, Mo. Ricky Johnson -- Gideon, Mo. George Ellsworth -- Malden, Mo. William Bowers -- Corning, Ark...

The Three Rivers Lady Raiders avoided a season sweep at the hands of Crowder with a big win Saturday afternoon. After losing the opener to the Lady Roughriders 6-1, Three Rivers gritted out a 3-2 win at Rains Field after losing both earlier this season in Neosho...

NEELYVILLE -- The Bird was just too much for the Whippets on Friday afternoon. Neelyville freshman pitcher Cody Birdsong was too tough on the hot-hitting Ellington bats as he pitched a six-inning no-hitter for the Tigers in a 10-0 win. Ellington, which had won 10 straight games coming in, got two runners aboard by errors but that was it...

80s 70s 60s 50s 2012 7 14 6 15 2011 1 5 0 6 2010 0 3 0 1 2009 0 9 0 7 2008 0 3 0 3 2007 5 10 4 8 2006 0 8 1 3 2005 1 4 0 1 2004 0 7 1 7 2003 0 4 0 3 Totals 14 67 12 54 Average 1.4 6.7 1.2 5.4

SIKESTON -- One record fell for the Poplar Bluff track team while another looks to be in danger. Saudia Hudgies, Soley Webb, Daisha Rice and Rachel Simon broke the Lady Mules 400-meter relay record Friday, winning the race with a time of 50.6 seconds at the Sikeston Relays...

By MONA CHAREN Last month the Obamas hosted a White House conference on bullying. It was intended as a show of support for victims, but watching this president in action, it might just as easily have been a tutorial. We've gotten glimpses of Obama's intimidating instincts from the beginning. Now as his administration flounders, his aggressiveness is becoming less and less veiled...

By BILL O'REILLY Mitt Romney would be wise to take a good hard look at what Rick Santorum did right and what he did wrong during his campaign. In his quest to unseat President Obama, Romney will face some of the same challenges Santorum faced. Back in the summer of 2011, nobody thought Santorum had a shot at the Republican nomination. Nationally, he was polling at about 3 percent. But through sheer hard work and persistence, he won the Iowa caucus and was catapulted into the big time...

Cuts? Try sports & salary I read in the April 11th DAR the story about financial concerns at Three Rivers College. Here is my take on ways to fix that. Look at salaries of the administrative people. I'm sure they make a nice salary. Look at the athletic program at Three Rivers College. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN As the 40th anniversary of Watergate impends, we are to be bathed again in the great myth and morality play about the finest hour in all of American journalism. The myth? That two heroic young reporters at The Washington Post, guided by a secret source, a man of conscience they dubbed "Deep Throat," cracked the case and broke the scandal wide open, where the FBI, U.S. prosecutors and more experienced journalists floundered and failed...

By JILL LAWLESS and LEFTERIS PITARAKIS Associated Press ABOARD MS BALMORAL (AP) -- With prayers, a hymn and a moment of silence broken by a ship's deep whistle, passengers and crew on a memorial trip marked 100 years to the moment since the Titanic sent more than 1,500 people to a watery grave...

The Missouri Department of Transportation announced the following projects for this week. BUTLER CO. Highway 51 from Highway 53 to County Road 659 will be closed 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday to prepare the roadway for pipe replacement. Highway 142 from County Road 275 to County Road 357 will be reduced to one lane 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday for bridge repairs...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals' other Carpenter is fast making a name for himself. Rookie Matt Carpenter, no relation to injured pitcher Chris Carpenter, made his first opening day roster because of Skip Schumaker's spring training injury. He's getting a chance to play because Lance Berkman and David Freese have been nursing minor injuries...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- All that talk of cheap shots, sucker punches, cracked helmets and broken noses stayed behind in St. Louis. The San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues know there is far too much at stake in their first-round playoff series to worry about settling scores when the teams resume play in Game 3 on Monday night with the series tied at a game apiece...

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Carl Pettersson's happy he's among the best-ever from Sweden. He's just as proud he became a U.S. citizen this year. "I honestly feel more American than Swedish," Pettersson said. Pettersson did both nations proud by shooting a 2-under 69 Sunday to win the RBC Heritage by five shots over Zach Johnson and six over Colt Knost. The victory, Pettersson's first since the 2010 RBC Canadian Open, tied him with Jesper Parnevik for the most PGA Tour wins by a Swede...

By VERENA DOBNIK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York auction house has sold an original ticket to the 1912 launch of the Titanic and a dinner menu from the ill-fated ocean liner, plus items recovered from the wreckage miles underwater. On the block Sunday at Bonhams were various Titanic remnants offered to mark the centennial of its sinking...

John Pratt DONIPHAN, Mo. -- John Kelly Pratt, 24, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, in rural Ripley County, Mo. Mr. Pratt was born May 19, 1987, in Festus, Mo. He graduated from Doniphan High School and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He worked in the retail and construction businesses...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- While the 49-race winless streak was wearing somewhat on Greg Biffle, there were also enough encouraging signs during the 18-month drought that he would win more races. "It will take years off your life. I've probably lost several," Biffle said. "What kept me going or what keeps your spirit up is when you run good. ... We have run good, we just hadn't finished."...

William Keele PIEDMONT, Mo. -- William Carl Keele, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 6, 2012, in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Keele was formerly of the Williamsville, Mo., area. Survivors include his mother, Norma Ward Keele of Williamsville; and three brothers, Donald Keele, Leslie Keele and wife, Peggy, and Dennis Keele and wife, Tammy, all of Williamsville...

Belinda Gilmore SIKESTON, Mo. -- Belinda Lorraine Gilmore, 52, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with Driver Funeral Service of Sikeston, Mo.

Dorothea Callow Dorothea Callow, 70, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, April 15, 2012, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. Funeral arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Nick Novak Nicholas "Nick" Novak, 64, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

Michael Smith Michael Smith, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, April 15, 2012, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Funeral arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff, Mo.

George Ellsworth MALDEN, Mo. -- George D. Ellsworth, 68, of Malden, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012, at his home. Mr. Ellsworth was born Sept. 5, 1943, in Malden. He was of the Baptist faith. He was in the Missouri National Guard. He served as an officer and was a member of the American Legion Post 263. After 21 years of service, he retired from Federal Mogul on Jan. 13, 2006...

Eleanor DeWitt Eleanor Jane DeWitt, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012, at her home. Ms. DeWitt was born July 17, 1935, in Alma, Mich. A former resident of Michigan, she had been a resident of Butler County since 1982. She was a lifetime member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. She retired as a cook from The Cedargate. She enjoyed spending time with her family...

Carrie Hancock DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Carrie Hancock, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mrs. Hancock was born March 19, 1958, in Point Pleasant, Mo. On Sept. 6, 2001, she married Jim Hancock at Poplar Bluff. He survives...

Lynn Luke PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Lynn Luke, 64, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, April 14, 2012. Family visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, with an open visitation from 5-9 p.m., at Williamsville Assembly of God Church in Williamsville, Mo. Funeral services will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the church...

George Twidwell PIEDMONT, Mo. -- George Glendell (Booge) Twidwell, 77, of Piedmont, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Barnes West Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Twidwell was born Dec. 6, 1934. A life-long resident of Wayne County, Mo., he was a member of one of Wayne County's pioneer families. ...

Loretta Patterson PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Alice "Loretta" Patterson, 73, of Annapolis, Mo., died Sunday, April 15, 2012. Family visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday, followed by an open visitation from 5-9 p.m. at Vulcan Assembly of God Church. Funeral services will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church...

Bill Capps DONIPHAN, Mo. --Bill Capps of Doniphan, Mo. died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, MO. Bill, the son of Alphus and Iva (Callahan) Capps, was born in Bolivar, Mo., Aug. 17, 1928. Bill moved to Doniphan when his father accepted the job as minister at the First Baptist Church in Doniphan. In 1948-1950 he taught the 5th and 6th grades in the Elementary School in Van Buren, MO...

Jewell Ward PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Jewell Marie Ward, 100, of Clubb, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mrs. Ward was born on June 22, 2011, to the late John Ward and the late Margaret Bennett Ward, in Silva, Mo. She attended Hiram School. Mrs. Ward was of the Methodist faith and was a member of New Home Church in Clubb...

Ruby Eakins NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruby C. Eakins, 66, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at her residence. Mrs. Eakins was born Jan. 30, 1946, in Neelyville, Mo. She was a lifelong resident of Butler County and a member of Fellowship Southern Baptist Church. She had a day care where she enjoyed taking care of foster children. She also enjoyed taking pictures, shopping and yard sales...

Robert Edwards DEXTER, Mo. -- Robert Lee Edwards, 79, of Essex, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at his home. Mr. Edwards was born on June 21, 1932, in Canalou, Mo. He had lived in Essex most of his life and was of the Pentecostal Faith. On Nov. 25, 1950, he was married to Dorothy Lee Gromer in Essex. She survives of the home...

Don Hall PUXICO, Mo. -- Don Raymond Hall, 73, of Puxico, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hall was born May 23, 1938, in Roodhouse, Ill., to the late Grover and Minnie (Axley) Hall. He is a 1956 graduate of Puxico High School. He retired in 1990 after 28 years as a bus driver with Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis, Mo. He returned to Puxico at that time...

William Bowers CORNING, Ark. -- William F. Bowers, 77, of Corning, Ark., died Friday, April 13, 2012, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mr. Bowers was born in Knobel, Ark., on Jan. 31, 1935. He was a retired bridge builder. He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean era and enjoyed woodworking, fishing and cracking pecans. He was Church of Christ in faith...

'PeeWee' Shafer DEXTER, Mo. -- Richard Lee "PeeWee" Schaefer, 61, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Mr. Schaefer was born on June 16, 1950, in Cape Girardeau. He lived in Cape Girardeau area most of his life. He was a member of the Cape Eagles Aerie...

Robert Edwards -- Essex, Mo. Edna Hurley -- Dexter, Mo. "PeeWee" Schaefer -- Cape Girardeau, Mo. Don Hall -- Puxico, Mo. Jewell Ward -- Clubb, Mo. Bill Capps -- Doniphan, Mo. Ricky Johnson -- Gideon, Mo. George Ellsworth -- Malden, Mo. William Bowers -- Corning, Ark...

NEELYVILLE -- The Bird was just too much for the Whippets on Friday afternoon. Neelyville freshman pitcher Cody Birdsong was too tough on the hot-hitting Ellington bats as he pitched a six-inning no-hitter for the Tigers in a 10-0 win. Ellington, which had won 10 straight games coming in, got two runners aboard by errors but that was it...

By MONA CHAREN Last month the Obamas hosted a White House conference on bullying. It was intended as a show of support for victims, but watching this president in action, it might just as easily have been a tutorial. We've gotten glimpses of Obama's intimidating instincts from the beginning. Now as his administration flounders, his aggressiveness is becoming less and less veiled...

Cuts? Try sports & salary I read in the April 11th DAR the story about financial concerns at Three Rivers College. Here is my take on ways to fix that. Look at salaries of the administrative people. I'm sure they make a nice salary. Look at the athletic program at Three Rivers College. ...

By BILL O'REILLY Mitt Romney would be wise to take a good hard look at what Rick Santorum did right and what he did wrong during his campaign. In his quest to unseat President Obama, Romney will face some of the same challenges Santorum faced. Back in the summer of 2011, nobody thought Santorum had a shot at the Republican nomination. Nationally, he was polling at about 3 percent. But through sheer hard work and persistence, he won the Iowa caucus and was catapulted into the big time...

The Missouri Department of Transportation announced the following projects for this week. BUTLER CO. Highway 51 from Highway 53 to County Road 659 will be closed 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday to prepare the roadway for pipe replacement. Highway 142 from County Road 275 to County Road 357 will be reduced to one lane 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday for bridge repairs...

By JILL LAWLESS and LEFTERIS PITARAKIS Associated Press ABOARD MS BALMORAL (AP) -- With prayers, a hymn and a moment of silence broken by a ship's deep whistle, passengers and crew on a memorial trip marked 100 years to the moment since the Titanic sent more than 1,500 people to a watery grave...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals' other Carpenter is fast making a name for himself. Rookie Matt Carpenter, no relation to injured pitcher Chris Carpenter, made his first opening day roster because of Skip Schumaker's spring training injury. He's getting a chance to play because Lance Berkman and David Freese have been nursing minor injuries...

By VERENA DOBNIK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York auction house has sold an original ticket to the 1912 launch of the Titanic and a dinner menu from the ill-fated ocean liner, plus items recovered from the wreckage miles underwater. On the block Sunday at Bonhams were various Titanic remnants offered to mark the centennial of its sinking...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- All that talk of cheap shots, sucker punches, cracked helmets and broken noses stayed behind in St. Louis. The San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues know there is far too much at stake in their first-round playoff series to worry about settling scores when the teams resume play in Game 3 on Monday night with the series tied at a game apiece...

John Pratt DONIPHAN, Mo. -- John Kelly Pratt, 24, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, in rural Ripley County, Mo. Mr. Pratt was born May 19, 1987, in Festus, Mo. He graduated from Doniphan High School and enjoyed hunting and fishing. He worked in the retail and construction businesses...

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Carl Pettersson's happy he's among the best-ever from Sweden. He's just as proud he became a U.S. citizen this year. "I honestly feel more American than Swedish," Pettersson said. Pettersson did both nations proud by shooting a 2-under 69 Sunday to win the RBC Heritage by five shots over Zach Johnson and six over Colt Knost. The victory, Pettersson's first since the 2010 RBC Canadian Open, tied him with Jesper Parnevik for the most PGA Tour wins by a Swede...

William Keele PIEDMONT, Mo. -- William Carl Keele, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 6, 2012, in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Keele was formerly of the Williamsville, Mo., area. Survivors include his mother, Norma Ward Keele of Williamsville; and three brothers, Donald Keele, Leslie Keele and wife, Peggy, and Dennis Keele and wife, Tammy, all of Williamsville...

Carrie Hancock DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Carrie Hancock, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, April 13, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mrs. Hancock was born March 19, 1958, in Point Pleasant, Mo. On Sept. 6, 2001, she married Jim Hancock at Poplar Bluff. He survives...