Stories from Saturday, September 14, 2013

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Operation Lifesaver, an effort to educate the public on railway crossing safety, stopped Wednesday in Poplar Bluff, Mo., a little more than a year after two teenage girls were killed when the vehicle they were in was struck by a train...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer CLARKTON, Mo. -- Behind the doors of Clarkton's red brick school house, classes began this year under the direction of an entirely new administrative staff, new teachers at nearly every grade level and student performance very close to the provisional accreditation status...

Beginning Monday, area residents may visit the first congressional office to be located in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Congressman Jason Smith will open a district office in Suite C at 2911 N. Westwood Blvd. at 10 a.m. The office opening will last one hour. Smith will be on hand to officially open the office and to meet with his constituents. ...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer As construction is completed on the Recycling Grace Women's Center, the organization will host its Second Annual Recovery Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Bacon Park. The event will feature testimonies from individuals who have overcome addiction, as well as live music from Cheryl Berry and Kenneth Francis...

The city of Malden will welcome gospel music fans from across the state on the weekend of Sept. 20-21. The 83rd annual Missouri State Singing Convention will begin at 5 each night at the Malden Community Center, featuring 35 gospel music artists. The two-day event is Malden's largest in-door event of the year. There is no admission to the event...

Steve Hess and Southern Salvation of Nashville, Tenn., will be in concert at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, at Calvary Community Church, located at 213 Victor St. There will be no charge but an offering will be received for the singers. Hess and Southern Salvation are one of the southern gospel music's most exciting groups. ...

Naylor alumni open house Naylor Alumni Association will hold an open house from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Naylor High School. A dinner for alumni, with prior paid reservations, will be held at 5 p.m. , with class pictures taken afterward. For additional information, contact Donna Beasley Hall, 573-996-5099...

By ADAM GRAHAM The Detroit News Robert De Niro is so entrenched in mafia roles that not even the characters he plays can escape his sizable legacy. There's a scene in "The Family," De Niro's uneven new action comedy, where his character Giovanni Manzoni is invited to speak at a film festival in Normandy, where he has relocated with his family after joining the Witness Protection Program. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- The president of the United States takes to the airwaves to urgently persuade the nation to pause before doing something it has no desire to do in the first place. Strange. And it gets stranger still. That "strike Syria, maybe" speech begins with a heart-rending account of children consigned to a terrible death by a monster dropping poison gas. ...

Justin and Hannah Hancock of Bloomfield, Mo., have chosen the name Ruger Cole Hancock for their 8-pound, 13-ounce son born at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Ruger was 21.5 inches long. Grandparents are Gary and Susan Hancock of Fagus, Mo., and Bill and Kathy Roberts of Bloomfield. Great-grandparents are Luther and Linda Guthrie of Lombard, Mo., and Goldie Lafferty of Bloomfield...

Randall Pickard Randall Pickard, 54, of Fairdealing, Mo. died Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, at his residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

To the Editor, Almost best not to read the newspaper or listen to the news, seems like so much of the world is in such terrible trouble. And when children are in the middle of it, oh how my heart bleeds!! In some countries all that children have known is war. This terrible problem in Syria gives us all nightmares. That is if you are a caring person. I really feel like some Americans do not appreciate the good life we have here. I know I do! !...

Thinking they had put down the match-winning point, the Bloomfield volleyball team celebrated Thursday night as the officials signed a net violation. Three points later, it was Poplar Bluff celebrating a wild 21-25, 25-19, 26-24 win at Peters Gym. "It was just a couple of balls fell our way," Poplar Bluff coach Amanda Lance said. "We got the point and then we got excited...

DEXTER -- Several media reports say first-year Dexter football coach Justin Peden has been suspended from the team for two weeks, including the Bearcats' game tonight against Sikeston. Dexter Athletic Director Derek Urhahn and Superintendent Dr. Thomas Sharp declined comment because it is a personnel matter Friday morning...

BROSELEY -- Twin Rivers made no less than five base running mistakes Thursday. In the top of the ninth though, it was the deft awareness of Mariah Rush that put the Lady Royals ahead for good. The Lady Royals went small ball to get their two runs in extra innings and beat Neelyville 6-4...

The season was only a week old, but the Poplar Bluff soccer team was already feeling due for a victory. After losing in overtime twice while peppering the net with many shots, the Mules broke through in a big manner against Fredericktown Thursday afternoon. Poplar Bluff scored 39 seconds into the game and didn't pump the brakes for a 7-1 victory at Whiteley Park...

Troy Martin NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Elder Troy E. Martin, 83, of Corning, Ark., died Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, at his residence. Mr. Martin was born March 15, 1930, in Lepanto, Ark., to the late Frank Martin and Minnie Byrd Martin. He was a pastor of the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Oxly, Mo. ...

Leocadia Miller JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Leocadia Campos Miller, 94, of Jefferson City was received into her Father's House on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, at Katy Manor in Pilot Grove, Mo. Lil was born on Dec. 9, 1918, in Kailua, Honolulu to Rafael Campos Marfil and Maria Gallardo Claros de Macharaviaya. She was the youngest of 22 children. Lil will be remembered for her strength of will, her love of family, her quick wit and her devotion to God. She was deeply loved by her family and friends...

Billy Bostic FISK, Mo. -- Billy J. Bostic, 66, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 9-11 a.m. Saturday at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Fisk. The funeral service will follow at 11 a.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Orvill Wilkerson officiating. Burial will be at Woodlawn Cemetery at Poplar Bluff...

By DAR STAFF NEELYVILLE -- Nathan Watson pitched a gem for Twin Rivers in an Ozark Foothills Conference game Thursday, but couldn't get any support at the plate. Watson tossed a one-hitter at Neelyville, but the Tigers prevailed 1-0. Watson went all six innings, struck out three and allowed two walks...

NAYLOR -- A week after run-ruling Poplar Bluff on its home field, Naylor was on pace to do it again Thursday but watched its lead evaporate late. The Lady Mules, down 4-0 after the first inning, came from behind to win 8-7. Poplar Bluff didn't lead until the top of the seventh when Alyson Griffin drove in the go-ahead run...