Stories from Friday, May 18, 2012

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer As Poplar Bluff High School graduate Logan Hart waited Thursday at the Black River Coliseum to take the stage and receive his diploma, he had a small cheering section waving from the railing of the balcony above. Grandparents J.R. and Dorothy Stephens of Malden, Mo., said it was a moment they would not have missed for anything...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Twin Rivers R-X administrators will formulate a new public grievance policy, on the recommendation of Qulin fourth grade teacher Rosalee Letta. Letta presented the policy to the school board at Thursday night's meeting...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Poplar Bluff Policeman Steve Nance rode in a Union Pacific locomotive Thursday to get an engineer's view of what drivers and pedestrians do at rail crossings. "It was a good experience," Nance said. "It would be good if everyone could see from an engineer's viewpoint."...

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service An early morning altercation left two men dead Friday, May 18, at this Cape Girardeau home. The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to 1129 Landgraf Drive shortly after 3 a.m. and found two men lying in the driveway of the home, both dead from gunshot wounds. Police believe the men's deaths were the result of a murder-suicide according to Lt. John Davis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

The Twin Rivers R-X school district will again seek a bond issue in the Aug. 7 election, after a 6-1 vote at Thursday night's regular monthly meeting. Board members Roger Baxter, David Dugger, Brian Leutert, Lee Lewis, Dennis Whitlow and Jill Worley voted in favor of the move, while Donna Sue Ashcraft-Fincher voted no...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A Twin Rivers junior earned the highest score possible at the Missouri State Music Festival in Columbia, Mo., last month. Chelsea Chrisman, who just finished her junior year at Twin Rivers High School, earned a trip to the state competition by earning a one, the highest score, at the district music competition at Three Rivers College. She sang "The Trumpeter" by Dorothea Dix and "Morning" by Oley Speaks...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer As Poplar Bluff High School graduate Logan Hart waited Thursday at the Black River Coliseum to take the stage and receive his diploma, he had a small cheering section waving from the railing of the balcony above. Grandparents J.R. and Dorothy Stephens of Malden, Mo., said it was a moment they would not have missed for anything...

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service An early morning altercation left two men dead Friday, May 18, at this Cape Girardeau home. The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to 1129 Landgraf Drive shortly after 3 a.m. and found two men lying in the driveway of the home, both dead from gunshot wounds. Police believe the men's deaths were the result of a murder-suicide according to Lt. John Davis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Twin Rivers R-X administrators will formulate a new public grievance policy, on the recommendation of Qulin fourth grade teacher Rosalee Letta. Letta presented the policy to the school board at Thursday night's meeting...

The Twin Rivers R-X school district will again seek a bond issue in the Aug. 7 election, after a 6-1 vote at Thursday night's regular monthly meeting. Board members Roger Baxter, David Dugger, Brian Leutert, Lee Lewis, Dennis Whitlow and Jill Worley voted in favor of the move, while Donna Sue Ashcraft-Fincher voted no...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Shortly before Poplar Bluff High School graduate Adam Strickland claimed his diploma Thursday night with the Class of 2012, he paused to remember the accident which almost took his life in the hopes that other teenagers will learn a lesson from his experiences...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A Twin Rivers junior earned the highest score possible at the Missouri State Music Festival in Columbia, Mo., last month. Chelsea Chrisman, who just finished her junior year at Twin Rivers High School, earned a trip to the state competition by earning a one, the highest score, at the district music competition at Three Rivers College. She sang "The Trumpeter" by Dorothea Dix and "Morning" by Oley Speaks...

Jonathan Anderson, AAS Administration of Justice, and Garrett Hendrix, AAS Fire Science, both from Poplar Bluff, were presented with their degrees from Three Rivers College on Thursday evening, May 3. Both men participated in a special commencement ceremony for student veterans, and received their diplomas early, as they were called for basic training before the regular Three Rivers Commencement on May 20. Both Anderson and Hendrix will be deployed to Afghanistan...

Benjamin John Soeter son of Ben and Yuli Soeter of Poplar Bluff, Mo., has been named as an All-American Scholar. Ben was nominated by his freshman counselor at Poplar Bluff High School, Regina Williams. An All-American Scholar must earn a 3.3 or higher grade point average. Only scholars selected by a school instructor, counselor or other qualified sponsor are accepted...

John McDonough of Poplar Bluff will receive the Silver Beaver, the highest award the Boy Scouts can bestow on an adult leader. He will receive the award June 14 at the Chaifetz Arean on the St. Louis University campus. McDonough will be one of 22 leaders within the St. Louis Area Council to receive this award...

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. -- Williams Baptist College awarded degrees to 100 graduates during its 2012 baccalaureate and commencement exercises. WBC graduates from this area included: Bernie: Jenny Massey (Cum Laude), David Trover. Campbell: Dustin Crane. Dexter: Tyler Tanner...

Three Rivers College hosted the 2012 Student Excellence Awards on Friday, May 11. Academic Excellence Awards are given to exceptional students from different academic programs; Student Success Awards are given to students with outstanding participation in student organizations and campus life...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 15, 2012 -- Lauren Decker of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was recognized as an outstanding student by Drury University's Biology Department. Decker received the Lora Bond Award from Drury's Department of Biology. Decker was recognized at the annual departmental awards ceremony that honors students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and dedication to their studies...

Members of the Neelyville Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter recently attended the 2012 Missouri FBLA Leadership Conference held in Columbia, Mo. FBLA is a career and technical student organization for all high school students participating in business programs. ...

Whole Kids Outreach in Ellington, Mo., will have its annual Summer Day Camp beginning Monday, June 18 through Friday, July 20. The day camp is an exciting summer program for children ages 4 - 12. There will be four one-week sessions. Campers can join WKO's camp for one, two or three or all the weeks. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- There are two ways to defend gay marriage. Argument A is empathy: One is influenced by gay friends in committed relationships yearning for the fulfillment and acceptance that marriage conveys upon heterosexuals. That's essentially the case President Obama made when he first announced his change of views...

AK 47s at the Sale Barn? I have a question for our city administrators, the city police and the Butler County Sheriff. When, and I again say when, has it become legal to sell assault weapons, pistols, rifles and other assorted sundries or weapons such as that at the Sale Barn? You heard me right--the Sale Barn. ...

By MONA CHAREN The president dropped by Barnard College (my alma mater) this week to deliver the commencement address. It wasn't long planned. No, the college had lined-up a woman speaker -- Jill Abramson, editor of The New York Times. But in March, as part of the "war on women" gambit, the White House decided it needed a friendly female audience before whom the president could strut his feminist stuff. Barnard, bastion of women's rights, dumped the Times gal for him in a New York minute...

PIEDMONT -- The Greenville Bears have hibernated for over two decades of postseason play but finally awoke Thursday. The Bears broke a tie in the top of the seventh on Scott Foster's bases-loaded hit before the senior set Clearwater down in order for a 2-1 win in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 title game...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Everyone who is important in Valedictorian Nocona Sanders' life told him hard work pays off and with those words in mind, he set his sights on becoming one of Poplar Bluff High School's top graduates. "I knew I was capable of doing it, so I wanted to try my best," said Sanders, adding it was exciting to learn the results Monday of what was such a tight competition. "Even if I didn't get valedictorian, knowing I did my best would be enough."...

LEOPOLD -- The Oran Eagles got to bat last and took full advantage. After Bernie tied the game in the top of the seventh, the Eagles scratched across a run with a two-out rally in their half to win the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 title 6-5 Thursday. "My kids, I am so proud of these kids for battling so hard," Bernie coach Darrin Shipman said. "When you look around, most people didn't think we had a chance today, they thought we could get blown out...

By MELISSA MILLER SEMO News Service Cape Girardeau's Richard G. Wilson Mail Processing and Distribution Facility will remain open at least through February 2014. The facility was not among the 140 set to close starting this summer as part of a modified plan to consolidate its mail processing centers announced Thursday by the U.S. Postal Service...

Betty Jeffress Betty Biggs Jeffress, 91, a resident of Poplar Bluff, Mo., since 1947, died Thursday, May 17, 2012, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Jeffress was born Feb. 2, 1921, in Dexter, Mo. She was a graduate of San Diego High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State College. ...

Central Mo. Dean's List WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- Two area students have been named to the University of Central Missouri Dean's List. Each semester, the Dean's List is divided into two parts. The first list includes the names of students who have achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and the...

Benjamin John Soeter son of Ben and Yuli Soeter of Poplar Bluff, Mo., has been named as an All-American Scholar. Ben was nominated by his freshman counselor at Poplar Bluff High School, Regina Williams. An All-American Scholar must earn a 3.3 or higher grade point average. Only scholars selected by a school instructor, counselor or other qualified sponsor are accepted...

John McDonough of Poplar Bluff will receive the Silver Beaver, the highest award the Boy Scouts can bestow on an adult leader. He will receive the award June 14 at the Chaifetz Arean on the St. Louis University campus. McDonough will be one of 22 leaders within the St. Louis Area Council to receive this award...

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. -- Williams Baptist College awarded degrees to 100 graduates during its 2012 baccalaureate and commencement exercises. WBC graduates from this area included: Bernie: Jenny Massey (Cum Laude), David Trover. Campbell: Dustin Crane. Dexter: Tyler Tanner...

Three Rivers College hosted the 2012 Student Excellence Awards on Friday, May 11. Academic Excellence Awards are given to exceptional students from different academic programs; Student Success Awards are given to students with outstanding participation in student organizations and campus life...

Jonathan Anderson, AAS Administration of Justice, and Garrett Hendrix, AAS Fire Science, both from Poplar Bluff, were presented with their degrees from Three Rivers College on Thursday evening, May 3. Both men participated in a special commencement ceremony for student veterans, and received their diplomas early, as they were called for basic training before the regular Three Rivers Commencement on May 20. Both Anderson and Hendrix will be deployed to Afghanistan...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 15, 2012 -- Lauren Decker of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was recognized as an outstanding student by Drury University's Biology Department. Decker received the Lora Bond Award from Drury's Department of Biology. Decker was recognized at the annual departmental awards ceremony that honors students who demonstrate outstanding leadership and dedication to their studies...

By MONA CHAREN The president dropped by Barnard College (my alma mater) this week to deliver the commencement address. It wasn't long planned. No, the college had lined-up a woman speaker -- Jill Abramson, editor of The New York Times. But in March, as part of the "war on women" gambit, the White House decided it needed a friendly female audience before whom the president could strut his feminist stuff. Barnard, bastion of women's rights, dumped the Times gal for him in a New York minute...

Whole Kids Outreach in Ellington, Mo., will have its annual Summer Day Camp beginning Monday, June 18 through Friday, July 20. The day camp is an exciting summer program for children ages 4 - 12. There will be four one-week sessions. Campers can join WKO's camp for one, two or three or all the weeks. ...

By MELISSA MILLER SEMO News Service Cape Girardeau's Richard G. Wilson Mail Processing and Distribution Facility will remain open at least through February 2014. The facility was not among the 140 set to close starting this summer as part of a modified plan to consolidate its mail processing centers announced Thursday by the U.S. Postal Service...

PIEDMONT -- The Greenville Bears have hibernated for over two decades of postseason play but finally awoke Thursday. The Bears broke a tie in the top of the seventh on Scott Foster's bases-loaded hit before the senior set Clearwater down in order for a 2-1 win in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 title game...

ANNAPOLIS -- Defense was the difference in the MSHSAA Class 1 District 3 championship game Thursday. The routine was anything but for Ellington while Oak Ridge came up with exceptional plays in the field to hold off the Whippets 12-6. "I don't want to take anything away from the Oak Ridge team, they played a heck of a ballgame," Ellington coach Jake Hime said. "I feel like we gave them a lot today...

Betty Jeffress Betty Biggs Jeffress, 91, a resident of Poplar Bluff, Mo., since 1947, died Thursday, May 17, 2012, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Jeffress was born Feb. 2, 1921, in Dexter, Mo. She was a graduate of San Diego High School, and attended Southeast Missouri State College. ...