Stories from Thursday, February 20, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Corporate visitors, a luncheon, plant tours and a ribbon cutting ceremony highlighted the celebration marking the completion of the first phase of the $36 million investment Briggs & Stratton Corporation is making in its small engines manufacturing plant in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer The Neelyville R-IV school board will host informational bond issue meetings March 18 and 20, the board decided Monday night. Both meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the first at Hillview and the second at the Neelyville campus...

By EMILY PRIDDY SEMO News Service PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A judge found probable cause Tuesday to bind Perry County Coroner Herbert Miller over for arraignment on felony charges of financial exploitation of the elderly and theft. Miller is accused of taking more than $80,000 from a 94-year-old woman over whom he had power of attorney...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Councilwoman Angela Pearson questioned the process for hiring an engineering firm to design three drinking water projects, but eventually went along with the rest of the Poplar Bluff City Council members. By a 6-0 vote Tuesday night, the council approved an agreement with Smith & Co. for engineering services at a total cost of $110,300...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Twin Rivers R-X Superintendent Mike Stevenson announced his retirement during a school board closed session Tuesday night. His resignation will be effective June 30. Stevenson was originally hired in March 2007 after serving as Fisk principal for four years. Stevenson previously worked at Ripley County R-IV (Lone Star) and in Manila, Ark. He graduated from Twin Rivers High School in 1971, the second graduating class of the consolidated school district...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Municipal Utilities has made preparations in the event of a power outage during work on a major transmission line this spring. "Southwestern Power Administration is planning to upgrade its 161-kilovolt transmission line," Bill Bach, general manager of Municipal Utilities, said during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Tuesday night. "...

CaseNet tells a tale I think it's pretty pathetic when someone is running for public office yet there's four pages of lawsuits on CaseNet that they are involved in. If you think it is beneath you to obey traffic laws or if you think it is beneath you to pay your bills, but yet you want my vote because you are full of integrity. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN "There is no education in the second kick of a mule," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. With some such thought in mind, Speaker John Boehner strode to the floor of the House to offer a "clean" debt ceiling bill and relied on Nancy Pelosi's Democrats to pass it. They did...

By MICHELLE MALKIN On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama promised the sun and the moon and the stars. That was the day, five years ago, when he signed the $800 billion "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." President Modesty called it "the most sweeping economic recovery package in our history." He promised "unprecedented transparency and accountability." He claimed the spending would lift "two million Americans from poverty." Ready for the reality smackdown?...

Paul Grobe Paul Grobe, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Joe Browning NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Ronald "Joe" Browning, 75, of Harviell, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Westwood Hills Healthcare. Funeral arrangements for Mr. Browning are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville.

Barbara Wilmoth DEXTER, Mo. -- Barbara Wilmoth, 71, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, at her home. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter with the Rev. Mike Williams of Dexter officiating. Burial will be in the Essex Cemetery in Essex...

Esther Ayers Esther Louise Ayers, 84, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at her residence. Mrs. Ayers was born Jan. 30, 1930, in Clarkton, Mo., to the late Garnett Green and Lala Mae Bell (Robinson) Gray. On Jan. 27, 1947, she married Rev. Arlon Ayers in Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death in 2000...

Edna Cheek Edna Mae Ridlen Cheek, 89, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014, at the Oakdale Caring Center. Edna was born Oct. 5, 1924 to the late John and Lily (Parrish) Nobles. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff and was always active in each of her churches she attended. ...

Jenny Shrum GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Jenny Shrum, 45, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, in Butler County. Visitation will be held at noon Wednesday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Greenville. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. also at the chapel. Burial will be at Crossroads Cemetery...

Bud Moore NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Charles "Bud" Moore, 91, of Naylor, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Moore was born June 14, 1922, in Oxly, Mo., to the late William Moore and Carrie Patton Moore. He was a farmer and lifelong resident of Ripley County. He had worked for the University of Missouri as a farm advisor and enjoyed hunting, country music and playing music. Mr. Moore was a veteran of the U.S. Army having served during World War II...

Bethany Michelle and Matthew Wayne Gilmore of Poplar Bluff, Mo., have chosen the name Peyson Nicole Gilmore for their 6-pound, 14-ounce daughter born at 11:06 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center's Family BirthPlace in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Peyson was 20 inches long...

Nathan Stout Nathan Leon Stout, 71, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Stout was born Jan. 26, 1943 in Harviell, Mo., to Dorothy (Gower) Stout Moore and the late Wilborn "Shorty" Stout. ...

Danny Tippen Jr. FISK, Mo. -- Danny Ray Tippen Jr., 38, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, in Poplar Bluff. Danny was born Feb. 14, 1976, in Poplar Bluff, and he was an avid outdoorsman and was a certified arborist. He worked for Worley Tree Service...

From Staff Reports Ozark Fitness, a Poplar Bluff, Mo. business, and personal trainer Bart Smith recently were featured on American Now. The newscast was doing a segment about the rise of adult obesity and the weight loss of two of the business's patrons captured the attention of the show's staff, explained Ozark Fitness co-owner and director of the sports complex Ashley Tinsley...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland has apologized for her undiplomatic "(bleep) the EU!" remark intercepted on her phone call with the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. Yet it appears that tens of millions of Europeans share her feelings about the European Union, which they believe has arisen to rule over them...

To the Editor: I would like to address a current situation that is about to affect all of those who use Current River in our area. The Park Service is trying to drop the horse power limit on the Current from Van Buren to Gooseneck down to a 40 horse limit. ...

By DOYLE McMANUS Los Angeles Times Ever since a wave of conservative insurgents arrived in Washington after the congressional election of 2010, Congress has careened from one tea party-inspired fiscal crisis to another, from the debt-ceiling showdown of 2011 to last year's 16-day government shutdown...

By LUCAS PRESSON SEMO News Service You won't find many stories more inspiring than that of Dr. Ben Carson, a renowned former neurosurgeon and current political commentator. Based on his book, Carson's life story was made into a movie titled "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" that starred actor Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carson...

TTD bd. meets at noon Wed. The Poplar Bluff Regional Transportation Development District Board will meet at noon Wednesday in City Hall. Agenda items include approval of disbursements, comments by board, advisors and the public, and setting date for the next meeting...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will host a pond management workshop on Thursday, March 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center, located within Cape County Park North. The pond management workshop will be facilitated by MDC fisheries biologists and provide practical information for landowners wishing to construct, manage or stock fish ponds on their property...

PUXICO, Mo. -- Mingo National Wildlife Refuge will sponsor a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) employment program for the summer of 2014. This is a long-standing educational work program at the refuge, spanning 30-plus years. The eight-week educational work program, scheduled from June 2 to July 27, is for young men and women, 15 (before or on first day of work) through 18 years of age (cannot reach 19 during duration of program)...

The Missouri Department of Conservation recently revised its hunter education curriculum to enhance student convenience and emphasize mentorship and hands-on training. The new, more flexible program is divided into two parts. The first part provides necessary knowledge about hunting equipment, safety, and ethics through either an online course or a self-paced student manual. The second part consists of a mandatory four-hour hands-on skills session and a 35-question multiple-choice exam...

Patsy Dover CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Patsy Sue Dover, 64, of Corning, Ark., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel with Brothers Rick Heart and Jerry Dover officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

By LUCAS PRESSON SEMO News Service You won't find many stories more inspiring than that of Dr. Ben Carson, a renowned former neurosurgeon and current political commentator. Based on his book, Carson's life story was made into a movie titled "Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story" that starred actor Cuba Gooding Jr. as Carson...

DEXTER -- A big spark on defense allowed Poplar Bluff to get some confidence back on the offensive end Tuesday night. That's what lifted the Mules to their first road win in over a month and they put together two straight wins for just the third time this season by beating Dexter 60-47 in a SEMO Conference game...

Henry Sincup Henry Sincup, 51, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014, at his residence. Arrangements are pending with Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home. Condolences: www.fitchhillisfh.com.

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor With both Clearwater and Wappapello lakes at winter pool and their levels stabilized, fishing appears to have really picked up. Word of good fishing at Wappapello apparently has spread like wildfire, because the Chaonia Landing ramp was packed over the weekend...

Utah Cooper Utah Cooper, 58, died Friday, Feb. 14, 2014, in St. Louis, Mo. There will be a graveside service at 10 a.m. Thursday in City Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Fitch-Hillis Funeral Home. Condolences: www.fitchhillisfh.com...

The recruiting net for the Three Rivers Raiders in the offseason was cast over everything from Brooklyn and Queens, west to Dallas and south into Florida. The 22 freshmen baseball players hail from seven different states. There's four freshman from Arkansas, four more from Florida, a trio of recruits from New York City, a duo from Iowa, a lefty pitcher from Illinois and another from Tennessee...

Lorene Brown DEXTER, Mo. -- Lorene Brown, 72, of Dexter died Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, at the Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Memorial services will be held on at 5 p.m. Friday at the People's Full Gospel Church in Dudley, Mo., with the Rev. James Tipton of Poplar Bluff, Mo., officiating...

Geneva Wills GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Geneva M. Wills, 86, of Greenville died at her residence. Arrangements are pending at this time. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com.

Milton Taylor Sr. Milton Roy Taylor, Sr., 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014. Mr. Taylor was born Dec. 15, 1937, in Malden, Mo., to Ruth and Johnny Taylor, who preceded him in death. He was a veteran of the U. S. Navy, proudly served on the USS Hawk, and was retired from the Poplar Bluff School System. ...

Paul Grobe Paul Grobe, 75, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Grobe was born Oct. 1, 1938, in Poplar Bluff. He was a member of Black River General Baptist Church. He had served in the United States Navy. He was co-owner of Tractor Supply and had owned a metal building construction company for many years. He also worked as a computer tech for IBM...

Marvin Stewart Jr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Marvin Leon Stewart Jr., 50, of Dexter died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, at his home. Visitations will be held from 5-8 p.m. today at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home chapel with Bro. Jim Cantrell of Dexter officiating. Burial will be in the Walker Cemetery near Bloomfield, Mo...

Mable Rodgers Mable Rodgers, 94, of St. Louis, Mo., passed away Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014, at Christian Hospital Northeast in St. Louis. Mrs. Rodger had moved from Poplar Bluff seven years ago to be near her family. Mrs. Rodgers was born July 3, 1919, in Lepanto, Ark., to the late Tommie and Anna Mae (Jones) Hendricks...

R-I Board to meet Thursday Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Central Office. Items on the agenda include program evaluations of A+ schools, Parents As Teachers and Early Childhood education; board policy revision concerning employment; 2013-14 district calendar adjustment; vocational enhancement grants; expansion of the digital transformation to the high school; 2004 bond series refinance and a closed session to discuss personnel...

Jerrel Busey JACKSON, Mo. -- Jerrel Earl Busey 78, of Jackson died Monday, Feb. 17 2014. Jerrel was born Sept. 18 1935, in Waterloo, Iowa, to Alfred and Opal Vokes Busey. He and Patricia Griffith were married May 19, 1957 in Waterloo. Jerrel served in the U.S. ...

John Bishop ELLSINORE, Mo. -- John E. Bishop, 59, of Ellsinore died Monday, Feb. 17, 2014, in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday in the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Carson Hill Cemetery in Wayne County, Mo., with Missouri Military Honors...

PIEDMONT -- The Clearwater Tigers and Lady Tigers each cemented Ozark Foothills Conference regular-season titles on Senior Night as the boys beat Naylor 52-21 and the girls also beat the Lady Eagles 45-33 Tuesday. The Tigers are currently 5-0 in the OFC with a game at Doniphan remaining. The Dons, Twin Rivers and Neelyville each have two losses...