Stories from Thursday, March 20, 2014

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer For the first time in four years, East Carter School District hopes to buy a school bus this spring. Naylor School District almost froze staff salaries, but will make concessions on health insurance instead. As tough decisions are made for next year's budgets, no one is counting on the state to meet its commitment to schools or even come through with additional funds being discussed now...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The cities of Poplar Bluff, Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Charleston are forming the Southeast Missouri Street Crime Task Force. Police Chief Danny Whiteley's request for the city to participate in the task force was approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer A 19-year-old will spend several months unplugged, on a cross country adventure as he tours skate parks and meets local residents. As Alan Tran of Louisville, Ky., made his way to Houston, Texas, on his Honda motorcycle, he was drawn to Poplar Bluff, Mo., for the skate park and stayed several days...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A request to construct a Farmers Market building on Black River Coliseum parking spaces at Moran and Cherry streets was discussed at the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Monday night. "This will be a great location with great visibility," said Penny McGath, executive director of Downtown Poplar Bluff, Inc. "A company is willing to donate money for the building."...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer As Hillview first grade teacher Lisa Stull pointed out the two bathrooms 70 students huddle in during severe weather, she explained she did not support previous bond issues but supports the measure Neelyville R-IV voters will face April 8...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer An increase to Poplar Bluff School District employee benefits of about $1.3 million through raises and health insurance costs was discussed Tuesday by the Board of Education. The board is expected to vote on the items in April...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS What kind of rules should govern our lives? I'd argue that the best rules are those that we'd be satisfied with if our very worst enemy were in charge of decision-making. The foundation for such rules was laid out by my mother. Let's look at it...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- One hundred years after a spark in Central Europe ignited a conflagration from which the world has not yet recovered and from which Europe will never recover, armed forces have crossed an international border in Central Europe, eliciting this analysis from Secretary of State John Kerry: "It's a 19th century act in the 21st century. It really puts at question Russia's capacity to be within the G8."...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Though Barack Obama is widely regarded as a weak president, is the new world disorder really all his fault? Listening to the more vocal voices of the GOP one might think so. According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, Vladimir Putin's move into Crimea "started with Benghazi."...

Donald Brown Donald Brown, 64, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, March 18, 2014, at St. Louis University Hospital. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Pansy Spencer Pansy L. Spencer, 76, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, March 17, 2014, at her residence. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. A graveside service will follow at 2 p.m. at Brown Chapel Cemetery...

After winning 31 games the last two springs, the Poplar Bluff baseball team features nine seniors looking to get the one win that has eluded the program for the past 37 years. The Mules return five starters and a trio of left-handed pitchers from a team that finished 15-6...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor Stability - it's a word and a concept which sure doesn't seem to be in Mother Nature's vocabulary as once again, she can't seem to make up her mind. One day it's 70 degrees, and the next, we're in a winter weather advisory, a pattern that's gone on for what seems like forever...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor Committee members of the Bluff City Mallards chapter of Ducks Unlimited are gearing up for the organization's annual sportsman's banquet, set for March 29 at the Black River Coliseum. "We're hoping to have 250 people," said Area Chairman Grant Collins...

HILLSBORO -- Taylor Friend has now hit a home run in three straight games. The Three Rivers pitcher, who has four home runs this season, hit three over the fence in a Tuesday doubleheader at Jefferson. She had a solo shot in Three Rivers' 5-1 win and a pair of homers in an 8-7 loss...

Vernon Sheets ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Elder Vernon Milton Sheets, 74, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Arnold, Mo., Walls, Miss., and Ellsinore, died Sunday, March 16, 2014, in the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. A visitation will be held at 5 p.m. ...

Mark Collins QULIN, Mo. -- Mark Lynn Collins, 47, of Fort Wayne, Ind., formerly of Qulin, died Sunday, March 16, 2014, at his residence. Born Sept. 4, 1966, at Poplar Bluff, Mo., Mr. Collins had worked for General Motors as a production supervisor at the Fort Wayne Truck Plant for 14 years...

VAN BUREN -- Ricky Davis' high school baseball career got off course in September 2012. After experiencing some pain in his right pitching elbow, Davis finally decided to confide to his coach and then his family that something was wrong. A couple weeks later, Davis heard a term he had only known from watching ESPN: Tommy John surgery...

MAGNOLIA, Ark. -- Three Rivers freshman Austin Staser won the bull riding Long Round at the Mule Rider Stampede over the weekend at Southern Arkansas University. He is now tied for 11th in the Ozark Region standings with two events left in the season...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation There are two very important events coming up, and both are focused on introducing and educating youths to the outdoors. That's why they are both important to remember and participate in. You may or may not have read or heard about the first important event coming up this very next Saturday evening. ...