Stories from Thursday, March 6, 2014

By COREY NOLES SEMO News Service When pop star and The Voice "coach" Usher turned his chair Monday night, a lifelong dream for two Southeast Missourians came one step closer to reality. Coty and Clinton Walker, twins known in the region as the Brothers Walker, walked on stage Monday night and lit into "Keep Me in Mind" by the Zac Brown Band...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Most Southeast Missouri residents stayed home Monday, trying to dig out from a record sleet accumulation hidden under anywhere from 5-7 inches of snow. Schools and government offices were closed. Meetings were canceled. Workers returned to Poplar Bluff City Hall and the Butler County Courthouse Tuesday, but schools remained closed a third day due to the icy roads...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The winter storm has interfered with plans for Missouri Severe Weather Awareness Week March 3-7. Sponsors of this special week are the National Weather Service and the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency...

Lilley Kindrick ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Lilley Mae Kindrick, 88, of Ellsinore, Mo. died Saturday, March 1, 2014 in the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Lilley was born Feb. 20, 1926 in Ellsinore, to the late Jasper Richard and Nora Mae (Roark) Kearbey. On June 7, 1947 Lilly married Ray Wilburn Kindrick in St. Louis, Mo. On June 11, 2004 Ray preceded her in death...

A report recently released from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) from Duke University revealed operative mortality rates for heart surgery at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center (PBRMC) are half of the national average. The national average for operative mortality of all hospitals within STS database is 2.4 percent, compared to only 1.2 percent at PBRMC...

Pave the gravel roads I concur with the lady from Oglesville regarding living on gravel roads. I am guessing that none of the road commissioners live on one. I was raised on a gravel road and now 50 years later I am again living on one. I have a hard time understanding why someone in the last 50 years, has not proposed to black top or pave them. ...

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMBC, "Southern Missouri"), the parent corporation of Southern Bank, and Peoples Service Company ("Peoples"), which is the 80 percent owner of Peoples Banking Company ("PBC"), which is the 100 percent owner of Peoples Bank of the Ozarks, today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement whereby Southern Missouri will acquire Peoples in a stock and cash transaction. ...

By MICHELLE MALKIN This may be the first and last time I ever write these words: America, follow Canada. Our neighbors to the north finally have wised up to the international cash-for-visas scam. Last week, the country ended its foreign investor program that put residency up for sale to the highest bidder. We should have done the same a long time ago...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Henry Kissinger once pointed out that since Peter the Great, Russia had been expanding at the rate of one Belgium per year. All undone, of course, by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the [20th] century."...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Gregory Logistics, Inc., a trucking firm in Poplar Bluff, Mo., with more than 100 employees, has been awarded the 2013 Carrier of the Year Award by Evergreen Packaging. "We were among 300 carriers competing for the award. We scored 98," said Larry Gregory, president of Gregory Logistics. "This was a surprise for us. It is hard to get the Carrier of the Year Award."...

Dorothy L. Mast FISK, Mo. - Dorothy L. Mast, 70, of Belton, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Meadowview at Harrison, Mo. She was born March 13, 1943 at Broseley, Mo. She was formerly married to Marvin Carl, James Garrett and David Mast. All preceded her in death...

Debbie J. Walden Debbie J. Walden, 61, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Walden was born Aug. 1, 1952, in St. Louis, Mo., to the late Delmar and Helen (Abrams) Skouby. She was of the Baptist faith and worked at Advantage Sales and Marketing as well as at Home Depot in Poplar Bluff. ...

Willard Allison Willard L. Allison, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Willard was born in Portageville, Mo., on March 12, 1941. He married Janice Perry on Aug. 12, 1961 in Portage, Ind...

Gerald Daggett PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Gerald C. Daggett, 74, of Des Arc, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at the Clark's Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. The visitation and funeral were Tuesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont with Rev. Jerry Montgomery officiating. Burial was in the Mt. View Cemetery at Des Arc...

Just when it looked like there was a small glimmer of hope that winter was on its way out and the sights and sounds of spring would slowly usher in, along came Titan. I don't know when meteorologists began naming winter storms, but Titan was a real booger, pretty much putting a halt to outdoor activities...

Herman Cecil Corzine Herman Cecil Corzine, 86, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at The Manor. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service.

Each year at this time there are usually some banquet dinners and fund raisers for various outdoor related organizations. One local group has been in existence for well over 30 years. When I came to Poplar Bluff in 1980, the Southeast Missouri Sportsman's Association was a large group of people that were united in support of hunting, fishing, and outdoor activity. I was pleased that they took me under their wing and helped me to adapt to being a Conservation Agent in Butler County...

Bennie Redus Sr. NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Bennie Sherman Redus Sr., 80, of Fairdealing, Mo., died Sunday, March 2, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Friday at Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the New Home Church at Gatewood, Mo. Burial will be in the new Home Cemetery...

Ella Orr Bates MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Ella Mae Orr Bates, 76, died at her home in Sikeston, Mo. Saturday, March 1, 2014. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Morehouse. The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Morehouse with the Rev. Randy Conn of Morley, Mo. officiating. Burial with be in the New Morley Cemetery in Morley with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Morehouse in charge of arrangements...

Connie Knight FISK, Mo. -- Constance "Connie" M. Knight, 73, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, March 3, 2014. She is survived by her loving husband Keith Knight. They were married May 24, 1958, in Davenport, Iowa. Other survivors include three daughters, Starr Winters of Davenport, Iowa, Kathleen Jackson of Indianapolis, Ind., and Roxann Adkins of Pensacola, Fla...

Patsy Farmer DEXTER, Mo. -- Patsy Farmer, 78, of Dexter died Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation was Tuesday at Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel in Dexter. Burial will follow in the Caroline Dowdy cemetery...

Lois Marie Nimmers Lois Marie Nimmers, 75 of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at her residence. Mrs. Nimmers was born Feb. 4, 1939, in Poplar Bluff to the late (Ike) Isaiah and Laura (Curry) Woods. In 1966, she married Clarence Nimmers in Los Angeles, Calif. He preceded her in death in 1993...

Maxine Steward DEXTER, Mo. -- Maxine Steward, 88, of Malden, Mo. died at her home Saturday, March 1, 2014. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter. Burial will be in the Gravel Hill Cemetery near Bloomfield, Mo. with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

Joanie Kaltenbach LAFAYETTE, La. -- Funeral services will be held Friday at an 11 a.m. service at First Baptist Church in Lafayette, La. for Joanie Yount Kaltenbach, 79, who died on Saturday, March 1, 2014 at Bethany Health Care Center in Lafayette, La...

Terry L. Wilcox MALDEN, Mo. -- Terry Lynn Wilcox, 50, of Parma, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Parma. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Charles Hodge Charles Bennie Hodge, 78, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital. Mr. Hodge was born March 7, 1935, in Poplar Bluff to the late Frank Francis and Sarah Ethel (Wheeling) Hodge. On Jan. 10, 1955, he married Betty Bettis in Poplar Bluff. She survives of the home...

James Cunningham MALDEN, Mo. -- James Leon Cunningham, 74, of Gideon, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will begin at noon Thursday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden and continue until the 2 p.m. funeral also at the chapel...

Enoch Taylor DEXTER. Mo. -- Enoch Taylor, 81, passed away at the Oakdale Care Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2014. Mr. Taylor, son of the late Ervin and Mary Absher Taylor, was born in Broseley, Mo. on Sept. 13, 1932, and He had lived in the Broseley and Qulin, Mo. ...

NEELYVILLE -- Hard work built Brett Luna into a baseball player capable to play at the next level. Luna, a senior first baseman at Neelyville, recently signed his National Letter of Intent with the Mineral Area College. The Cardinals are an NJCAA Division I school in Park Hills, Mo. that competes in Region XVI...

CONWAY Ark. -- Former Three Rivers Lady Raiders Cindy Nippe and Mallory Siebert anchored the top of the Williams Baptist lineup in a doubleheader Saturday at Lyon (Ark.). Siebert, in the leadoff spot, went 3-for-3 with two runs an RBI and a walk in the opener that Williams Baptist won 10-5...

The Three Rivers Raiders was lost both games against Maple Woods on Saturday to split the weekend. After winning twice on Friday, the Raiders lost 17-6 and 1-0 to finish out the weekend. Three Rivers (5-5, 2-2 Region XVI) led 3-2 after the second inning but soon fell behind. Maple Scored in six different innings. Five different Raiders took the mound in the game...

Jane A. Rawlings Jane A. Rawlings, 77, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014. She was a long time resident of Poplar Bluff. She was born April 11, 1936, in Otterbein, Ind., to the late William C. Wettschurack and Elsie Arvidsen Wettschurack...