Stories from Friday, August 17, 2012

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A former Poplar Bluff, Mo., resident made Fox News when he turned down a campaign visit from Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday. Chris McMurray, a former youth pastor at the First Church of God in Poplar Bluff, and his wife, Kelly, opened Crumb and Get It Cookie Co. in Radford, Va., about three months ago. (Radford is about the size of Poplar Bluff with a population of 16,000.)...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Butler County residents are thankful to be able to cross a safer Highway PP bridge over Cane Creek. They were thrilled when the Missouri Department of Transportation opened the new bridge last week so they no longer have to take a longer route to Poplar Bluff, Mo...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Tips on how to cook healthy meals, children's health, panel discussions with doctors on popular health issues and more will be part of the city's first Health Expo. Sponsored by the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, Brain & NeuroSpine Clinic of Missouri, Three Rivers College and Key Drugs, the expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Bess Activity Center at TRC...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer More than 50 Poplar Bluffians will travel to St. Louis, Mo., over the weekend to run in the St. Louis Color Run, benefitting Autism Speaks, and in honor of 12-year-old Hays Coleman. The 5K race isn't timed. Participants are required to wear white T-shirts and at each kilometer mark will be doused in corn starch of various colors...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Three area men may face weapons-related charges after being arrested Thursday for allegedly firing shots into a Garfield street home and vehicle in retaliation for an 2011 assault. Poplar Bluff Police officers responded at about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday to a report of shots fired at a residence in the 1000 block of Garfield...

Would you like to lose a little weight and feel better this fall? Then consider signing up for the free Walk the Walk Program to be held starting Monday, Sept. 10, from noon to 1 p.m. It will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in the Fellowship Hall, 301 N. Main St., and the registration is limited to an enrollment of 50. All are asked to bring a sack lunch. Door prizes will be given at each session and health screenings will be held at the first and final session beginning at 11 a.m...

Tiffany Jenkins, director of marketing and community relations for Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, spoke to the Altrusa Club of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Monday, July 23. Jenkins gave the Altrusans a virtual tour of the new Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. ...

When David Jones of Poplar Bluff, Mo., stepped up to the 10th tee at Westwood Hills Country Club during UCAN's Annual Charity Butch Brown Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, June 1, he selected an eight-iron for the par 3 hole. As the other three members of his foursome played the hole, Jones reconsidered his choice of club. ...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Last week, the Daily American Republic reported that the SEMO Food Bank had made a policy change and payment for the food needed to provide Backpacks for Friday would have to be made up front--the deadline being Sunday, Aug. 19...

Fred Copeland MALDEN, Mo. -- Fred Copeland, 63, of Tallapoosa, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 17, 2012, at his residence. Funeral arrangements are pending with Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, Mo.

Ruth Belt MALDEN, Mo. -- Geraldine Ruth Laverne Belt, 84, of Malden, Mo., died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mrs. Belt was born March 24, 1928, in Patterson, Mo. She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Malden...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Vice presidential picks are always judged by their effect on the coming election. They rarely have any. This time could be different. The Democrats' Mediscare barrage is already in full swing. Paul Ryan, it seems, is determined to dispossess grandma, then toss her over a cliff. If the charge is not successfully countered, goodbye Florida...

By SHARON RANDALL Scripps Howard News Service One of the things I love about my home state, North Carolina, is its motto: "Esse quam videri." It means, I am told, "To be, rather than to seem." I learned that bit of trivia long after I had left the South to live my life and rear my children in California, where the state motto is -- guess what?...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- When, in his speech accepting the 1964 Republican presidential nomination, Barry Goldwater said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice" and "moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue," a media wit at the convention supposedly exclaimed, "Good God, Goldwater is going to run as Goldwater." When Mitt Romney decided to run with Paul Ryan, many conservatives may have thought, "Thank God, Romney is not going to run as Romney."...

Gene Worley VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Doyle Gene Worley, 74, of Van Buren, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012, at his residence. Mr. Worley was born Aug. 9, 1938, in Dexter, Mo. He had lived in Van Buren for the past five years and was formerly of Dexter where he operated a John Deere dealership. He served his country in the Missouri National Guard and loved to hunt and fish...

Verneal Griffin DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Verneal L. Griffin, 94, of Doniphan, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 17, 2012, at The Manor in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Lester D. Phillips PUXICO, Mo. -- Lester D. Phillips, 61, of Puxico, Mo. died Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico.

Donald Culbertson Donald, 80, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Frank Goins Frank Goins, 79, of Broseley, Mo., died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, at General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell. Mr. Goins was born May 14, 1933 in New Madrid, Mo. He attended Elk General Baptist Church. He was a longtime resident of Butler County and had lived in the area since the age of nine years. He enjoyed fishing, and working on watches...

Frank Goins -- Broseley, Mo. Ruth Belt -- Malden, Mo. Gene Worley -- Van Buren, Mo. Fred Copeland -- Tallapoosa, Mo. Verneal Griffin -- Donipan, Mo. Lester Phillips -- Puxico, Mo. Donald Culbertson -- Poplar Bluff, Mo.

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer In a workshop Thursday to consider how effective school boards operate, the Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education discussed the need to better collect and use student achievement data. The guided training session was a service purchased from the Missouri School Board Association...

Plans have been under way the past few months for the 37th Annual Gideon, Mo. Homecoming. The Labor Day weekend event will be Friday and Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The 2012 theme is "Beginnings and Milestones". Hosted by the Gideon Alumni Association, the festivities commence Friday night with the Miss Gideon Contest in the school cafeteria at 7 p.m. A street dance sponsored by the Gideon Park Board immediately follows...

Jason and Delania Waddell of Poplar Bluff, Mo., have chosen the name Rowyn Cate Waddell for their 7-pound, 7-ounce daughter born at 6:51 p.m. Wednesday, July 18, 2012, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. She was 18.5 inches long...

Would you like to lose a little weight and feel better this fall? Then consider signing up for the free Walk the Walk Program to be held starting Monday, Sept. 10, from noon to 1 p.m. It will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in the Fellowship Hall, 301 N. Main St., and the registration is limited to an enrollment of 50. All are asked to bring a sack lunch. Door prizes will be given at each session and health screenings will be held at the first and final session beginning at 11 a.m...

Tiffany Jenkins, director of marketing and community relations for Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, spoke to the Altrusa Club of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Monday, July 23. Jenkins gave the Altrusans a virtual tour of the new Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. ...

When David Jones of Poplar Bluff, Mo., stepped up to the 10th tee at Westwood Hills Country Club during UCAN's Annual Charity Butch Brown Memorial Golf Tournament on Saturday, June 1, he selected an eight-iron for the par 3 hole. As the other three members of his foursome played the hole, Jones reconsidered his choice of club. ...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Last week, the Daily American Republic reported that the SEMO Food Bank had made a policy change and payment for the food needed to provide Backpacks for Friday would have to be made up front--the deadline being Sunday, Aug. 19...