Stories from Friday, January 31, 2014

By ERIN RAGAN SEMO News Service A West Plains, Mo., newspaper staff writer is embarking on a campaign to gather enough signatures to file as an independent candidate for Missouri's 8th Congressional District. Terry Hampton wants to challenge U.S. Rep. ...

By EMILY PRIDDY SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A man believed to be from the Chicago area is wanted on felony charges in connection with a shooting Saturday night during a concert at the Arena Building. Deontae L. Petty, 22, whose last known address was in Bellwood, Ill., was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree assault and one count of armed criminal action in connection with the shooting, according to a news release from Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Limbaugh.. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Three Poplar Bluff, Mo., residents escaped serious injury Thursday morning when fire broke out in their home's basement possibly due to a faulty hot-water heater. Poplar Bluff firefighters were dispatched at 12:55 a.m. to the 319 S. Ninth St. home owned by Linda Evans...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was to appear in court this morning on charges stemming from a reported armed robbery of the American Computer Center. Ryan Aaron McVaugh, who was charged Tuesday with the Class B felony of second-degree robbery, was to appear before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for arraignment on the charge...

Irritated when short-changed I've just got a question for the citizens of the community. Have you given up completely on City Cable being able to do what we pay them to do? By that I mean, I noticed here an incident that just occurred today. Channel 60 the National Geographic Channel was out starting at approximately 3 a.m. ...

Since we are in the middle of winter, now might be the time to get prepared for bad weather. We've already had a couple of rounds of snow. How about opening your freezer and taking an inventory of your foods? Your freezer can be a great help in keeping you stocked with prepared foods to have on hand for emergencies such as bad weather or maybe even unexpected guests. ...

"We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children." This proverb should cross our minds as we are challenged with the decisions on how to provide school facilities for the next generation. Over the past 27 years, I have worked with many dedicated board members. ...

To the Editor: As most of you all know by now, the Poplar Bluff School District is presenting a proposal on the upcoming April 8 ballot to ask the Butler County residents to approve a .80 tax increase for several different school projects in our community. Notice I did not say an 80 percent tax increase, but rather just 80 cents. Personally, I currently do not have any children or grandchildren attending the Poplar Bluff Public School system, so I have no biases pertaining to this matter...

Lela Crafton MALDEN, Mo. -- Lela Yvonne Crafton, 86, of Sullivan, Mo., died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014, at Life Care Center in Sullivan. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Bradshaw Chapel with burial in Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

Bernice Kendrick PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Bernice O. Kendrick, 89, of Des Arc, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, at her residence. Visitation will begin at 4 p.m. Friday for the family and public visitation will follow at 5 p.m. at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday also at the chapel...

David Wheeler FLAG DEXTER, Mo. -- David S. Wheeler, 82, of Dexter died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014, at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will then be conducted on at noon Saturday in the funeral home with the Rev. Kenneth Biggs officiating. Burial will follow in the Dexter Cemetery with full military services...

With the Lady Raiders trailing midway through the second half, Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk had nearly run out of defenses to try. So he called for something the team hadn't run in a month, the full-court press. The strategy worked. The Lady Raiders went from eight points down to nine points up in six minutes and held on to beat Jefferson 75-68 Wednesday at the Bess Activity Center...

Aloyce Barnhill Aloyce Mayberry Barnhill, 81, a resident of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, at the Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. Born March 24, 1932, in the small community of Crane Roost near Qulin, Mo., to the late Julius and Mable Gunnels Mayberry, she was always proud to say she was from "Crane Roost." She was reared in the Qulin area and attended elementary and high school in Qulin. ...

Susan Almond DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Susan Leroux Almond, 66, of Sherwood, Ark., died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014, at the Baptist Spring Hill Hospital in North Little Rock, Ark. Mrs. Almond, daughter of the late Garold Norman and Lydia Belcher (Mackley) Leroux, was born June 30, 1947, in Doniphan. She had been a nurse and the people she served in her profession were of her utmost concern. Mrs. Almond was of the Baptist faith...

Donald Casselberry Donald Wayne Casselberry, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, at his home. Donald was born March 5, 1939, in Campbell, Mo., to the late Eugene and Lois Lucille Crawford Casselberry. On Feb. 22, 1959, Donald and Gloria Brady were married in Clarkton, Mo. She survives of the home...

No matter the year, there's always a 29 percent chance that a school with a Tiger mascot could win the boys or girls Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament basketball championship. That percentage could be in even higher this year. The Clearwater Tigers were voted as the top-seed in the boys tournament on Wednesday with the Neelyville Tigers coming in as the No. 2 seed...

Pollianna Thomasson QULIN, Mo. -- Pollianna Thomasson, 75, of Qulin died Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, at the General Baptist Nursing Home at Campbell, Mo. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Friday at White-Sanders Funeral Home in Qulin followed by the funeral service at 2 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Gerald Berger officiating. Burial will be at Qulin Cemetery...

David Wheeler DEXTER, Mo. -- David S. Wheeler, 82, of Dexter died Monday, Jan. 27, 2014, at his residence. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will then be conducted on at noon Saturday in the funeral home with the Rev. Kenneth Biggs officiating. Burial will follow in the Dexter Cemetery with full military services...

Barbara Shipman NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Barbara Lou Shipman, 82, of Fairdealing, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, at Poplar Bluff, Mo. Barbara was born April 24, 1931, at Idalia, Mo., to the late James Wilson Trotter and Nora Ethel (Tennyson) Trotter...

Jesse Reed (Biff) and Julie Berry of Bentonville, Ark., became the parents of an 8.2 lb., 18-inch long boy born at 6:52 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, 2014, at Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville. They have chosen the name Andrew (Andy) Reed. Grandparents are Stan Berry of Poplar Bluff and Jeff and Helen Smith of Broken Arrow, Okla. Great-grandparents are Mary Lou Owens of Poplar Bluff and Betty Bowling of Tulsa, Okla...

NAYLOR -- The visiting Neelyville Lady Tigers pulled away late as they topped Naylor in an Ozark Foothills Conference game Wednesday, 61-42. Neelyville (13-4, 3-1 OFC) led by about six to eight points most of the game before extending that lead midway through the fourth quarter...

Jeanette Jones Jeanette J. Jones, 56, of Wappapello, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. Jeanette was born July 24, 1957 in St. Louis, Mo., and was a long-time resident of Butler County. She was of the Methodist faith. Jeanette was a bartender and cook, a member of the American Legion 153, VFW 6477 and the Eagles...