Stories from Thursday, October 10, 2013

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Law enforcement and court-related personnel are among the federal workers who were furloughed with the government shutdown last week, but they are still on the job as they are considered "essential," but are not being paid for their work...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Payments totaling $623,921 for the purchase of 15 tracts of land to provide the needed right-of-way for the Oak Grove Road widening project were approved by the Poplar Bluff Regional Transportation Development District Board Tuesday...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller from Wayne County has been assigned to the land condemnation case filed by the city of Poplar Bluff, Mo., against Robert and Robin Whelan. After checking available dates with the lawyers involved in the case, Schuller has scheduled a hearing for 9 a.m. Friday, Dec. 6, in Butler County Circuit Court...

PBRMC names CEO Kenneth James has been named the new market chief executive officer for Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and the Missouri region effective Oct. 14. James has been serving in the role of CEO at Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Mo., for the past two years. ...

Doris Lively MALDEN, Mo. -- Doris Delane Lively, 78, of Malden died Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013, at Golden Living Center in Malden. Doris was born Nov. 12, 1934, in Leachville, Ark., to the late William Moses New and Ruby Hood New. She was the owner and operator of Lively's Auto Trim and Upholstery in Malden and was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church in Malden. She was also a member of the Red Hat Ladies and enjoyed quilting...

By ANN McFEATTERS Scripps Howard News Service I know you are so disgusted with what is going on in your nation's playpen, er, capital, that it doesn't seem possible there might be any good news out of here. But according to analysis from the U. S. Energy Information Administration and The Wall Street Journal, there is a fascinating development in something every one of us uses every day. This country is now the leading energy-producing nation in the world...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN One way or another, the battle of the budget and the debt ceiling will be over by All Hallows' Eve. Yet, as one looks deeper, at the irreconcilable conflict behind the present clash, only a roaring optimist would imagine we shall ever know again the tranquility and unity of the Eisenhower-Kennedy years...

Luther Medley Luther Medley, 81, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013, at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

To the Editor: I wish to offer some thoughts for your kind consideration. Come. Let us reason together. Many folks think Halloween is just innocent fun. It is all make-believe and no harm comes of it. Many Christians share this attitude. A common defense for this thought process is something like, "I was brought up this way. ...

The Poplar Bluff Speedway will roar back to life this weekend with the 13th annual Cotton Boll. After nearly four months of renovations and improvements, organizers Vernon Barker and Butch Knuckles are ready to host what Barker is calling "the biggest race, probably, that Poplar Bluff has ever seen."...

To start the Ozark Foothills Conference tournament Tuesday afternoon, the No. 4 Greenville Bears got a big time performance out of their freshman pitcher. Trey McDaniel kept the No. 5 Doniphan Dons in check and the Bears broke open the game in the fourth inning to advance with a five-inning 10-0 win at Roger Pattillo Field...

Mary Bennett GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Mary K. Bennett, 89, of Greenville died Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, at Benchmark Healthcare of Greenville. Arrangements are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville.

Having played in the Ozark Foothills Conference tournament title game four straight years, the No. 6 seed Twin Rivers Royals were out for respect Tuesday afternoon in the opening round. The Royals jumped on No. 3 East Carter for four runs in the first two innings and that's all that was needed for a 6-3 upset at Roger Pattillo Field...

Shelby Moon's trick play turned into a treat for Neelyville. Ali Law hit a tie-breaking double with one out in the top of the seventh and the Lady Tigers beat Poplar Bluff 3-2 after Moon kept the game tied in the previous half-inning. "Shelby, she's a sophomore that plays like a senior," Neelyville coach Aaron Burton said. "She sees some things and is able to read things that some of the other, especially that young, (don't)."...

The last half dozen games, the Naylor Lady Eagles have had a bad habit of starting slowly and trying to make up for it in the later innings. It most recently cost them Monday when they lost their eighth game of the season, 4-3 to Sikeston. In the championship of the Three Rivers Invitational on Tuesday, that slow start lasted all of three hitters...

FREDERICKTOWN -- Poplar Bluff junior Jose Ventura had three goals Tuesday night at Fredericktown. And there could have been a few more too. Ventura, who had four points total, helped propel the Mules soccer team to a 5-1 victory over the Blackcats. "He was just dialed in," Mules coach Steve Edwards said of Ventura. "He did an outstanding job."...

John Vert LESTERVILLE, Mo. -- John E. Vert, 65, of Lesterville died Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, at his residence. Mr. Vert was born Feb. 7, 1948, in Poplar Bluff. He was a lifetime member of the VFW Post 6660 in Lesterville and had served in the United States Army. Mr. Vert was a retired corrections officer with the Missouri Department of Corrections. He enjoyed fishing, playing cards and making gardens. He loved his truck, his best friend Chuck and spending time with his grandchildren...

Robert Boatwright PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Robert Boatwright, of St. Louis, Mo., died Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013, in St. Louis. Arrangements are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont.