Stories from Wednesday, August 22, 2012

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Recently released annual performance reports for 14 area schools show that 11 districts met or exceeded the state average in communication arts and math testing for grades third through fifth, grades sixth through eighth and end of course exams in Algebra I and English II...

By BARBARA HORTON News Editor The closure of Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, 2121 N. Westwood Blvd., Sunday night is being blamed on the downturn in the economy. Customers, as well as the 32 people employed by the eatery, were surprised to learn it was closing immediately. The restaurant and GuestHouse International Hotel are both owned by Dr. and Mrs. Alex Hoja of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The hotel will remain open, but presently there are no plans for the food service area...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A 20-year-old Doniphan man is now facing the death penalty for his alleged role in the 2010 deaths of two elderly couples whose bodies were found in their burned homes. Keith A. Boyles, accompanied by his attorney, Thomas Marshall with the Capital Public Defender's Office in Columbia, Mo., learned of the state's intentions during a motion hearing Monday before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett. ...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A coalition of environmental groups will present more than 4,400 signatures today to the National Park Service (NPS) in Washington, D.C., asking for a strong management plan of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which includes the Current and Jacks Fork rivers...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Police Chief Ray Johnson of Chesterfield, Mo., presented the Poplar Bluff Police Department with a certificate of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Monday night...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer After a proposed $0.275 tax levy for school improvements failed Aug. 7, the Neelyville R-IV school board approved a $3.03 per $100 tax rate at Monday night's meeting, a 24 cent increase over last year's rate of $2.7891...

Two area residents, including a Poplar Bluff, Mo., bicyclist, were killed Tuesday in separate motor-vehicle crashes. Joseph W. Wright, 30, of Poplar Bluff was pronounced dead at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at 10:24 p.m. after his bicycle allegedly was struck from behind by a 2011 Dodge pickup being driven westbound by Mitchell D. McDaniel, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol report...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Malden, Mo., man was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Monday for distributing crack cocaine in Dunklin County. Robert A. Farmer, 25, was sentenced to 84 months on two felony counts of distribution of cocaine base and one felony count of distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Joe Humphrey has about 70 acres of food plots on his west Butler County deer farm that need to be replanted in the wake of an exceptionally dry summer, which is being felt by everyone in agriculture. Humphrey still hopes to get enough rain to re-establish clover for the hundreds of deer within the approximately 700-acre enclosure of Beaver Creek Ranch, as his son, Kurt, the third-generation to work the property, attempts to become the first in his family to make a living from their land.. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Refinancing of the broadband communication system bonds will save Poplar Bluff slightly more than $837,000 in interest costs over 10 years, according to Gregory Bricker, executive vice president of the George K. Baum investment banking company of Kansas City, Mo...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Monday for conspiring to distribute crack cocaine in Dunklin County and elsewhere. David Lee Harley, 33, was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 240 months after pleading guilty in May to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A federal jury recently awarded $1 million to the children of a Dexter, Mo., parolee, who was fatally shot by a state fugitive apprehension agent attempting to arrest him in 2008. After deliberating for about five hours, the seven-person jury returned its verdict Aug. 15 in federal court, awarding the four children of the late Zachary Snyder the sum of $1 million...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer The Twin Rivers R-X School Board voted Tuesday night to keep the district's overall tax levy virtually the same, raising it from $3.2480 to $3.2483. With a portion of a previous $0.0341 debt service levy expiring, only $0.0150 of the district's levy is comprised of debt service. To keep the overall levy about the same, the district's incidental fund levy will rise from $3.2142 to $3.2330...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Police Chief Ray Johnson of Chesterfield, Mo., presented the Poplar Bluff Police Department with a certificate of accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Monday night...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer After a proposed $0.275 tax levy for school improvements failed Aug. 7, the Neelyville R-IV school board approved a $3.03 per $100 tax rate at Monday night's meeting, a 24 cent increase over last year's rate of $2.7891...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Recently released annual performance reports for 14 area schools show that 11 districts met or exceeded the state average in communication arts and math testing for grades third through fifth, grades sixth through eighth and end of course exams in Algebra I and English II...

By BARBARA HORTON News Editor The closure of Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, 2121 N. Westwood Blvd., Sunday night is being blamed on the downturn in the economy. Customers, as well as the 32 people employed by the eatery, were surprised to learn it was closing immediately. The restaurant and GuestHouse International Hotel are both owned by Dr. and Mrs. Alex Hoja of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The hotel will remain open, but presently there are no plans for the food service area...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A coalition of environmental groups will present more than 4,400 signatures today to the National Park Service (NPS) in Washington, D.C., asking for a strong management plan of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, which includes the Current and Jacks Fork rivers...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A 20-year-old Doniphan man is now facing the death penalty for his alleged role in the 2010 deaths of two elderly couples whose bodies were found in their burned homes. Keith A. Boyles, accompanied by his attorney, Thomas Marshall with the Capital Public Defender's Office in Columbia, Mo., learned of the state's intentions during a motion hearing Monday before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A federal jury recently awarded $1 million to the children of a Dexter, Mo., parolee, who was fatally shot by a state fugitive apprehension agent attempting to arrest him in 2008. After deliberating for about five hours, the seven-person jury returned its verdict Aug. 15 in federal court, awarding the four children of the late Zachary Snyder the sum of $1 million...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

By IKE SKELTON House Armed Services Committee Chairman Last year, Congress passed $487 billion in defense cuts as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said these cuts will be tough to make, but are feasible without threatening our troops or our national security. ...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

By IKE SKELTON House Armed Services Committee Chairman Last year, Congress passed $487 billion in defense cuts as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said these cuts will be tough to make, but are feasible without threatening our troops or our national security. ...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

Brooklyn Scott MALDEN, Mo. -- Brooklyn Leann Scott, 6, of Portageville, Mo., formerly of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 3, at Holcomb, Mo. She was born March 8, 2006, in Kennett, Mo., to Scottie Vires and Jamie Scott Vires. Surviving are her parents; a sister, Braelyn Vires of the home; her maternal grandparents, Brett and Janet Scott of Clarkton; paternal grandparents, Scott Vires and Christine Vires, both of Portageville; two aunts, Elizabeth Scott of Clarkton and Tabatha Crow and husband, Jeremy, of Clarkton; two cousins, Breana and Kamdyn Scott of Clarkton; other relatives and a host of friends.. ...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Neelyville R-IV Curriculum Director Janet Davis presented results from the district's Annual Performance Report and Missouri Achievement Program (MAP) testing at Monday night's meeting. Due to a waiver from the No Child Left Behind standards, the district did not have an Annual Yearly Progress Report to review for the 2011-12 school year...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor An ordinance levying property taxes for the general fund and the police and fire pension fund was approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night. The total city property tax rate will drop from 70.82 cents per $100 valuation in 2011 to 61.35 cents this year, according to City Clerk Pam Kearbey. This is a reduction of 9.47 cents or 13.37 percent...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

By IKE SKELTON House Armed Services Committee Chairman Last year, Congress passed $487 billion in defense cuts as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said these cuts will be tough to make, but are feasible without threatening our troops or our national security. ...

By MONA CHAREN Have you noticed how often the president's supporters talk about the "likeability" factor in politics these days? No longer do we hear that presidential candidates must convey "the vision thing" or "gravitas" or credibility as commander in chief. ...

Fayeon Ashcraft PIGGOTT, Ark. -- Fayeon Welty Ashcraft, 73, of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, in Dexter. Mrs. Ashcraft was born April 26, 1939, in Fagus, Mo. On June 11, 1955, she was married to Gerald Ashcraft in Mississippi. He preceded her in death...

The Butler County Republican Central Committee voted unanimously Tuesday night to release the following statement: The Butler County Republican Central committee has voted to ask Congressman Todd Akin not to attend the Reagan Days event planned for Sept. ...

Albert Griffin Jr. -- Poplar Bluff, Mo. Phillip Brooks -- Doniphan, Mo. Mary Ann Cookson -- Puxico, Mo. Nadine Hemby -- Puxico, Mo. Fayeon Ashcraft -- Dexter, Mo.

Returning four of the six starters to the lineup, the Poplar Bluff tennis team already has one replacement with varsity experience. The other is a senior. Victoria Bottorff, Sarah Crites, Shallyn Ward and junior Aisha Krishnan are back for the Lady Mules, who open the season Thursday at home against Sikeston...

Brittlyn Scott MALDEN, Mo. -- Brittlyn Dawn Scott, 9, of Portageville, Mo., formerly of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, in Holcomb, Mo. She was born June 18, 2003, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Scottie Vires and Jamie Scott Vires. Surviving are her parents; a sister, Braelyn Vires of the home; her maternal grandparents, Brett and Janet Scott of Clarkton; paternal grandparents, Scott Vires and Christine Vires, both of Portageville; two aunts, Elizabeth Scott of Clarkton and Tabatha Crow and husband, Jeremy, of Clarkton; two cousins, Breana and Kamdyn Scott of Clarkton; other relatives and a host of friends.. ...

Roberto Espada-Morales DEXTER, Mo. -- Roberto Espada-Morales, 85, of Dexter, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Mr. Espada-Morales was born on Feb. 25, 1927, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. He had lived in Puerto Rico and New York before moving to the Dexter area in 1967. He had worked for 25 years at the Mingo Job Corps as a supervisor. He was a member of the Risen Church in Dexter and was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

Clare Provanzik COPLAY, Pa. -- Clare R. (Essary) Provanzik, 78, of Whitehall, Pa., died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012. She was born in Poplar Bluff and was a 1952 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. She passed a civil service exam and was employed as a secretary for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A request from Ozark Holding Company II to rezone 3.41 acres along Channon Street for future apartments was rejected by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night. The vote was 3-3. Mayor Pro Tem Susan McVey, Betty Absheer and Johnny Brannum voted "yes" while Mayor Ed DeGaris, Loyd Matthews and Robert Smith voted "no." Ron Hendrix was absent...

DEXTER, Mo. - The Dexter Community Regional Healthcare Foundation has entered into a long-term lease with SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to assume operation of the Dexter hospital as lessee. The agreement will be effective on April 1, 2019, at the termination of the current lease term with Dexter Hospital, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SunLink Health Systems headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. ...

Bob Summers, formerly a principal with Schultz & Summers Engineering, has been named associate vice president and office manager for Horner & Shifrin, a St. Louis, Mo., engineering firm that has opened a regional at 4061 Highway PP, Suite 1. Summers has been a professional engineer for 12 years. He is responsible for all Southeast Missouri operations and projects undertaken by his new firm...

By JOHN WILLEY Staff Writer D.J. Minchew owns a 2012 Jeep and is ready to travel. Friday was her last day of work at Larry Hillis Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram after 20 years of working with Hillis. Actually, her plans call for her to do "anything I want to do that I can afford to do," she said. One of her goals is to visit the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas, Pine Mountain, Ga., and Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia...

Clear park of illegal activities At the Hendrickson Park by the five to 12 year old's swing sets, there's a little wooded area and you see a lot of older gentlemen going back there with younger men. And, I know people are going back there to smoke dope. ...

To Editor The Butler County Fair Board would like to thank everyone that had a part in making the youth and adult divisions of Home Economics, Floriculture and Horticulture exhibits a great success. Thanks to the Master Gardeners and Missouri Association of Family and Community Education for taking entries and assisting with the displays; North Side Nutrition for providing lunch; thanks also, to local businesses and citizens for providing items for the silent auction and providing money for prize winners.. ...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS If I were a Klansman, wanting to sabotage black education, I couldn't find better allies than education establishment liberals and officials in the Obama administration, especially Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who in March 2010 announced that his department was "going to reinvigorate civil rights enforcement."...

By MELISSA MILLER SEMO News Service After exceeding the standards for ground-level ozone just three times last year, the Perry County monitor has posted 14 exceedances since May. The current standard, set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is 75 parts per billion, but the monitor in Farrar, Mo., registered as high as 89 parts per billion June 29, when the temperature hit 107 degrees...

DEXTER -- The Dexter Bearcats feature plenty of fresh faces this season. The Bearcats, who lost in the opening round of the playoffs last season to Park Hills Central to finish 9-2, have just four returning starters as they open the season at 7 p.m. Friday in Ste. Genevieve...

Albert Griffin Jr. Albert Thomas Griffin Jr., 79, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, in Life Care Center of St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Griffin was born March 23, 1933, in Morehouse, Mo. He had lived most of his life in Poplar Bluff and was a member of New Light Missionary Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Because the possibility of effectively supervising government varies inversely with government's size, so does government's lawfulness. This iron law of Leviathan is illustrated by a dispiriting story that begins with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, aka the stimulus, that supposedly temporary response to an economic emergency...

Phillip Brooks Phillip Austin Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Monday Aug. 20, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Mr. Brooks was born Nov. 23, 1927, in Ripley County to the late Ed and Cora (Carter) Brooks. He was a decorated veteran in the U.S. Army having served in World War II. He was a member of the Fairview Church of God and enjoyed the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

SEMO Dean's List Area students on Southeast Missouri State University summer Dean's List is as follows: BERNIE: Jeremy Algood BLOOMFIELD: Lynn N. Brashear, Judi D. Hampton, Matthew T. Tompkins BUNKER: Chelsea N. Gant CAMPBELL: Lorin V. Neill, Danetta M. Nelson, Angela N. Rodgers, Alexi R. Vincent...

Phillip Brooks DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Phillip Brooks, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan.

Gordon Ball DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Gordon Ball, 88, of Doniphan, Mo., died Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at Pocahontas Nursing and Rehab Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan.

Kimberly Murphy NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Kimberly Ann Murphy, 48, of Doniphan, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012, at Ripley County Memorial Hospital in Doniphan. Mrs. Murphy was born July 10, 1964, in Alton, Ill. She was of the Lutheran faith. She had lived in Ripley County for the past 11 years and formerly lived in Fredericktown, Mo...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN After his great victory in Desert Storm, George H.W. Bush went before the United Nations to declare the coming of a New World Order. The Cold War was yesterday. Communism was in its death throes. The Soviet Empire had crumbled...

MALDEN -- Missouri High School football will have that brand-new car smell to it with its new district playoff system which makes every regular season game matter that much more this year. The Malden Green Wave meanwhile will also have a fresh approach this year after a promising start to last season ended in district disappointment with lopsided losses to Caruthersville and Charleston...

By IKE SKELTON House Armed Services Committee Chairman Last year, Congress passed $487 billion in defense cuts as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said these cuts will be tough to make, but are feasible without threatening our troops or our national security. ...

Following a summer of training in the record heat, the Poplar Bluff cross country team took it easy Monday afternoon. The Mules ran for an hour around the track, raising funds in the process for their team and the fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease. The final total was 596 laps, which also included Junior High runners who ran for 30 minutes...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS If I were a Klansman, wanting to sabotage black education, I couldn't find better allies than education establishment liberals and officials in the Obama administration, especially Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who in March 2010 announced that his department was "going to reinvigorate civil rights enforcement."...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Neelyville R-IV Curriculum Director Janet Davis presented results from the district's Annual Performance Report and Missouri Achievement Program (MAP) testing at Monday night's meeting. Due to a waiver from the No Child Left Behind standards, the district did not have an Annual Yearly Progress Report to review for the 2011-12 school year...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor An ordinance levying property taxes for the general fund and the police and fire pension fund was approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night. The total city property tax rate will drop from 70.82 cents per $100 valuation in 2011 to 61.35 cents this year, according to City Clerk Pam Kearbey. This is a reduction of 9.47 cents or 13.37 percent...

Brooklyn Scott MALDEN, Mo. -- Brooklyn Leann Scott, 6, of Portageville, Mo., formerly of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 3, at Holcomb, Mo. She was born March 8, 2006, in Kennett, Mo., to Scottie Vires and Jamie Scott Vires. Surviving are her parents; a sister, Braelyn Vires of the home; her maternal grandparents, Brett and Janet Scott of Clarkton; paternal grandparents, Scott Vires and Christine Vires, both of Portageville; two aunts, Elizabeth Scott of Clarkton and Tabatha Crow and husband, Jeremy, of Clarkton; two cousins, Breana and Kamdyn Scott of Clarkton; other relatives and a host of friends.. ...

Brittlyn Scott MALDEN, Mo. -- Brittlyn Dawn Scott, 9, of Portageville, Mo., formerly of Clarkton, Mo., died Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, in Holcomb, Mo. She was born June 18, 2003, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to Scottie Vires and Jamie Scott Vires. Surviving are her parents; a sister, Braelyn Vires of the home; her maternal grandparents, Brett and Janet Scott of Clarkton; paternal grandparents, Scott Vires and Christine Vires, both of Portageville; two aunts, Elizabeth Scott of Clarkton and Tabatha Crow and husband, Jeremy, of Clarkton; two cousins, Breana and Kamdyn Scott of Clarkton; other relatives and a host of friends.. ...

Clare Provanzik COPLAY, Pa. -- Clare R. (Essary) Provanzik, 78, of Whitehall, Pa., died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012. She was born in Poplar Bluff and was a 1952 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. She passed a civil service exam and was employed as a secretary for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon...

Roberto Espada-Morales DEXTER, Mo. -- Roberto Espada-Morales, 85, of Dexter, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. Mr. Espada-Morales was born on Feb. 25, 1927, in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. He had lived in Puerto Rico and New York before moving to the Dexter area in 1967. He had worked for 25 years at the Mingo Job Corps as a supervisor. He was a member of the Risen Church in Dexter and was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A request from Ozark Holding Company II to rezone 3.41 acres along Channon Street for future apartments was rejected by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night. The vote was 3-3. Mayor Pro Tem Susan McVey, Betty Absheer and Johnny Brannum voted "yes" while Mayor Ed DeGaris, Loyd Matthews and Robert Smith voted "no." Ron Hendrix was absent...

DEXTER, Mo. - The Dexter Community Regional Healthcare Foundation has entered into a long-term lease with SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, Mo., to assume operation of the Dexter hospital as lessee. The agreement will be effective on April 1, 2019, at the termination of the current lease term with Dexter Hospital, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SunLink Health Systems headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. ...

Bob Summers, formerly a principal with Schultz & Summers Engineering, has been named associate vice president and office manager for Horner & Shifrin, a St. Louis, Mo., engineering firm that has opened a regional at 4061 Highway PP, Suite 1. Summers has been a professional engineer for 12 years. He is responsible for all Southeast Missouri operations and projects undertaken by his new firm...

By JOHN WILLEY Staff Writer D.J. Minchew owns a 2012 Jeep and is ready to travel. Friday was her last day of work at Larry Hillis Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram after 20 years of working with Hillis. Actually, her plans call for her to do "anything I want to do that I can afford to do," she said. One of her goals is to visit the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas, Pine Mountain, Ga., and Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia...