Stories from Monday, March 24, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A motion to dismiss the city of Poplar Bluff's land condemnation case against Robert and Robin Whelan was taken under advisement following a hearing in Butler County Circuit Court Friday. Wayne County Associate Circuit Judge Randy Schuller told the lawyers to submit case law memorandums within 10 days and he would enter a ruling as soon as he could...

Attorney John Shock of Poplar Bluff, Mo., is seeking the Republican nomination for a four-year term as Butler County Associate Circuit Judge in Division 3. Shock, 49, has been an attorney for more than 20 years and has practiced law in Butler County since 1999. He opened his own office in 2003...

By SAMANTHA RINEHART SEMO News Service As the filing period for running for federal offices reaches its final days, many candidates are tossing their names into the ring at the last minute. On Friday morning, 8th Congressional District Rep. Jason Smith gained one more challenger. Doug Enyart, a Constitution Party candidate from Piedmont, Mo., will appear on the ballot with Democrat Barbara Stocker, Libertarian Rick Vandeven and Smith, the sole Republican...

Story and Photos By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor When Jackson Bostic started out making duck and turkey calls from wood in his home shop about five years ago, he learned his most important lessons early. "You have to have sharp tools and a lot of patience," said the Poplar Bluff, Mo., callmaker, noting not everything is a success. "I've made a lot of designer firewood" in the process...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer New York Times Best-Selling author Heather Brewer will meet with fans Tuesday at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Library. Brewer is best known for the "Chronicles of Vladimir Tod," which climbed to No. 4 on the Children's Series Best Sellers list in October 2010. The series follows Tod, a teenage vampire, in eighth through 12th grade...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer Now that Spring has sprung, residents of the area may be ready to dust off the winter blues and treat their Spring fever by exploring outdoor options. Poplar Bluff and the surrounding area offers a variety of programs and activities that will allow those families sick of gray skies and cold winds to enjoy the green grass and warm breezes of the season...

Scotty and Angie Leach Barnett of Poplar Bluff, Mo. will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. The couple was married March 25, 1989 at the First Assembly of God in Ellsinore, Mo. The late Gary Hedrick officiated...

A surprise 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration is being planned for Dennis and Donna Gordon of Poplar Bluff, Mo. from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Fellowship Southern Baptist Church, Highway 67 South, Harviell, Mo. Hosting the celebration will be: Shonna Meyers and Carlotta Eakins, both of Poplar Bluff, and Jessica McKinney of Corning, Ark...

Dena Read, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Mark Read, of Qulin, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Nicole Read, to Gideon Matthew Andra, both of Springfield, Mo. The bridegroom-to-be is the son of Mary Andra, of Stockton, Mo. and the late Kent Andra...

Thank you Ozark Border I would like to thank the hardworking people of Ozark Border. We've been through three major ice storms this winter and we have not lost electricity during any of it. Thank you. So tax marijuana Since everyone seems to be getting on the bandwagon to allow the sales of medical marijuana and even selling it for recreational use. ...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Garret Hudson, 13, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., has been scuba diving since he was 10 years old. For the last two years, Garret, who is the son of Robert and Julie Hudson, also has been part of Boy Scout Troop 4090 led by Tom Humble, a native of Poplar Bluff, who has been a certified diver since 2006 with more than 600 dives. ...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Early in the Ukraine crisis, when the Europeans were working on bringing Ukraine into the EU system and Vladimir Putin was countering with threats and bribes, one British analyst lamented that "we went to a knife fight with a baguette."...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Critics of Rep. Paul Ryan's remarks about cultural factors in the persistence of poverty are simultaneously shrill and boring. Their predictable minuet of synthetic indignation demonstrates how little liberals have learned about poverty or changed their rhetorical repertoire in the last 49 years...

The Twin Rivers High School Students of the month are Hannah Pierce, Makayla Bilbrey, Jesse Robards and Mariah Rush. The student of the month for the freshman class is Hannah Pierce. Her parents are Johnny and Meggon Pierce. She is currently in FCCLA, FBLA, Stand for the Silent and plays volleyball. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, hanging out with friends, and going to church. She is part of both the A+ and honors programs. After high school, she plans on attending college...

Ruth Crawford MALDEN, Mo. -- Ruth Helen Crawford, 84, of Kennett, Mo., formerly of Gideon, Mo., died Saturday, March 22, 2014, at NHC Healthcare in Kennett. Graveside services will begin at 11 a.m. Monday at Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo. Bradshaw Funeral Home of Malden is in charge of funeral arrangements...

Steve Halter's presentation, "Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur," will be part of the IAAP meeting which start at 6 p.m. Tuesday in room #E105 of the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the campus of Three Rivers College...

Paula VanHoff Paula VanHoff, 63, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, March 22, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Funeral arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

The local chapter #1056 of Vietnam Veterans recently finalized plans for the annual Welcome Home Ceremony, at 11 a.m. Friday, March 28, at the Memorial Wall in front of the Black River Coliseum. The chapter is working with John J. Pershing VA Medical Center to prepare for the event. Plan to attend the anniversary ceremony, to mark the removal of combat troops from the Vietnam conflict. The actual anniversary date is May 29, 1973...

Helen Williams Helen Porter Williams, 87, of Dexter, Mo., left this world on March 21, 2014, of natural causes. She was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo., Feb. 25, 1927, to the late Frank and Ellen Porter. She was a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. Helen was a member of the Second Baptist Church of Poplar Bluff and later attended New Bethel General Baptist Church in Dexter. ...

Steven Aldridge PILOT KNOB, Mo. -- Steven Wayne Aldridge, 54, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Graveside services were held Friday at Cove Cemetery in Arcadia, Mo. Bryson Funeral Home of Pilot Knob, Mo., was in charge of arrangements...

Dorothy Carlson Dorothy May (Hammond) Carlson, 89, passed away peacefully, in her home, Thursday, March 20, 2014. A member of the Poplar Bluff, Mo., community for 45 years, Dorothy was a very well respected and admired woman whose kindness touched everyone who met her. ...

Bonnie Ryan Bonnie Jean Ryan, 83, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Friday, March 21, 2014, at Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Ryan was born May 7, 1930, in Qulin. She was of the Baptist faith. She had worked for Smiley Container for 20 years. She loved Elvis and science fiction movies, and being with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren...

Margery Alsup KENNETT, Mo. -- Margery Alice Alsup, 90, of Greenville, Mo., formerly of Kennett, Mo., died Thursday, March 20, 2014, in Greenville. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at McDaniel Funeral Service in Kennett. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Kennett...

Butler County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Aaron Sandlin encourages everyone to take a moment to appreciate the hard working farmers and ranchers in Missouri on Tuesday, March 25, National Ag Day. This year's theme is "Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed."...

Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education acted on several personnel matters Tuesday during a monthly meeting. The board also:...

Wanda Kulenguski CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Wanda Payne Kulenguski, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, March 21, 2014, at her home, under Crown Hospice care, after a long battle with lung cancer. Wanda was born in Arkansas and lived in Doniphan, Mo., spending most of her life there. Later, she lived in Poplar Bluff, Mo., the Washington D.C. area, and Cape Girardeau the last six years of her life...

ELLSINORE -- Poplar Bluff's first run of the season came, oddly enough, via the long ball Friday afternoon. Alex Lewis broke a scoreless tie with a two-out solo blast in the third and Logan Misner capped a 6-run sixth with a bases-clearing double as the Mules opened the season with a 9-0 win at East Carter...

Mercifully, St. Charles won't have to pitch to Dylan Witthoft again during the regular season. The Three Rivers Raiders got back above .500 both overall and in Region XVI play with a home sweep of St. Charles on Saturday. The Raiders had quick starts in both games just to have the Cougars come back and make a game of things. Three Rivers held on to win the opener 6-5, its eighth 1-run game of the season, and came from behind to take the nightcap 12-9...

By DAR STAFF COLUMBIA -- It had a different feel this time around. But in facing one of the country's top high school girls basketball teams, let alone the best team in Missouri, the Dexter Lady Bearcats can feel a little bit better about how this season ended...