Stories from Thursday, March 27, 2014

By RUTH CAMPBELL SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- For 18 years, Jim and Judy Ainsworth devoted themselves to feeding the hundreds of hummingbirds that flocked to their Cape Girardeau yard every year. But this year, they've decided to stop. The wear and tear on the couple -- and the hundreds of pounds of sugar they went through -- are the reasons why the Ainsworths are looking for others to take on the joy of feeding the birds...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer If current trends continue, action may be required to curb crowding at Fisk Elementary and Middle school, Twin Rivers R-X Superintendent Mike Stevenson explained at Tuesday night's school board meeting. "It is tight," Stevenson said. "We do have some major concerns. We're going to have to do something about it. We're looking for solutions."...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Butler County Republicans will decide contests for county collector, presiding commissioner and associate circuit judge in Division III during the Aug. 5 primary election. Before the filing deadline at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nancy Berry and Tammy Marler decided to challenge County Collector Brenda Fox. Berry filed at 3:52 p.m. and Marler, who is the chief deputy clerk in the county clerk's office, filed four minutes before the deadline...

Lorene Jenkins PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Vesta Lorene Jenkins, 95, formerly of Piedmont, died Tuesday, March 25, 2014, at the Elsberry Healthcare Center in Elsberry, Mo. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel with Dr. James McCullen officiating. Burial will be at the Masonic Cemetery...

John Childers WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- John W. Childers, 74, of Wappapello died Tuesday, March 25, 2014, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service at Wappapello.

Good job by co. road crew The Butler county commissioners and road crews did a great job during and after the March 2 ice and snow. They should be commended for a job well done. Always easy to blame Obama This is in response to "Leave my wood fire alone." Well, I want 'em to leave my wood fire alone, too, cause I burn wood. ...

By BEN CARSON When I was in high school in Detroit, there was a great deal of emphasis on clothing. As I became increasingly interested in fitting in with the "in crowd," fashion supplanted academic achievement in my hierarchy of importance. My grades plummeted, and I became a person who was less pleasant and more self-absorbed...

By MONA CHAREN Most Americans who are dissatisfied with President Barack Obama's leadership are thinking about the poor economy and the misbegotten health care law. That disillusionment is justified -- if not tardy. But the foreign policy failures of this administration are likely to be far more consequential, lasting and possibly catastrophic...

By DERRIK J. LANG AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- I fear I won't survive. My vision is blurred. I'm being chased by a pistol-packing militia member across the rooftops of an abandoned neighborhood. He's already shot me. One more shot and I might be dead. Then I hear: "Your Titan is ready to drop. Signal when ready." I point to a nearby parking lot below me and -- boom! -- a Transformers-like robot descends from the sky...

National Boys & Girls Club Week, March 23rd - 29th, is the time each year when some 4,000 communities across the nation, including Poplar Bluff, celebrate the important work of their local Boys & Girls Clubs - saving and changing young lives, every day, every week - all year long...

The Lady Raiders went injury free through the first month of the season, but the once thin disabled list is claiming victims fast. Three Rivers swept St. Charles 9-1 in five innings and 13-7 on Wednesday at Rains Field, but not with the lineup they've been using the first month of the season...

By DERRIK J. LANG AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- I fear I won't survive. My vision is blurred. I'm being chased by a pistol-packing militia member across the rooftops of an abandoned neighborhood. He's already shot me. One more shot and I might be dead. Then I hear: "Your Titan is ready to drop. Signal when ready." I point to a nearby parking lot below me and -- boom! -- a Transformers-like robot descends from the sky...

Mark Hatfield DEXTER, Mo. -- Mark E. Hatfield, 61, of Essex, Mo., formerly of Chattanooga, Tenn., and Nashville, Tenn., died Monday, March 24, 2014, at the Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. ...

James Vert James M. Vert, 73, of Grandin, Mo., died Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Vert was born May 8, 1940 in Harviell, Mo., and had retired as a painter for D.L. Smith Company. He enjoyed spending time with his family, fishing and building model cars and planes and was passionate about horses...

The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules are adjusting on the fly. After enduring an overtime loss to begin the season last week, the Lady Mules were in some different spots Tuesday at first before some wholesale changes were made in the second half. After Anna-Jonesboro (Ill.) scored seven minutes in the second half, a younger Poplar Bluff lineup was inserted...

By JOHN PRATT Mo. Dept. of Conservation I had some questions come up the other day about the legality of culling of fish by anglers. According to the Wildlife Code of Missouri, it is illegal to cull fish after they have been taken into possession. The regulation states that any species of fish taken into actual possession, unless released unharmed immediately after being caught, shall continue to be included in the daily limit of the taker for the day when taken...

Jimmy Burson NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Jimmy Louis Burson, 46, of Neelyville, Mo., died at 6:49 a.m. Monday, March 24, 2014, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Burson was born June 8, 1966, in Poplar Bluff. He was a lifelong resident of Butler County and was a commercial and home electrician. He enjoyed shooting guns, riding four-wheelers, camping and wood-working. Mr. Burson had been in the U.S. Navy from 1988 to 1990 and was a member of the National Rifle Association...

The Kennett Indians could barely touch Wesley Pyles for five innings Tuesday. Poplar Bluff's senior ace struck out a career-high 13 and gave up just two hits as the Mules opened SEMO Conference play with an 11-1 win over Kennett. "His slider was just vicious, they couldn't handle it," said Poplar Bluff catcher Alex Lewis, who drove in three runs and was 3-for-4...

Abbie Warren (Dexter HS, Three Rivers College) and the John Brown University Golden Eagles made it all the way to the final four of the NAIA Tournament before losing to No. 5 Oklahoma City 67-65. The Golden Eagles, which beat No. 17 Lyon (Ark.), No. ...

Patricia Whitman DEXTER, Mo. -- Patricia K. Whitman, 71, of Dexter died Saturday, March 22, 2014, at Southeast Health in Cape Girardeau, Mo. A memorial service for Mrs. Whitman will be held at a later date. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter is in charge of arrangements...

Tom Mansfield Charles "Tom" Mansfield of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, March 24, 2014, at his home. Visitation will begin at noon Sunday at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff with the funeral service following at 1 p.m. Burial will be in Memorial Gardens...

ORAN -- Beating a defending state champion on its own field. Not a bad start to the spring season for the Bloomfield Wildcats. The Wildcats edged out the Eagles 6-5 Tuesday afternoon as Noah Vandiver picked up the win on the mound after pitching the final three innings...

A kick-off meeting for this year's Relay for Life of Butler County will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, April 4, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center Courtyard/Cafe. At this meeting, persons can learn more about Relay for Life and how it helps in the fight against cancer. Persons can also sign up teams at this time...

The losing team scored three runs in both games of the Raiders' doubleheader with Dyersburg State on Tuesday at Roger Pattillo Field. Three Rivers won the opener 13-3 in six innings before losing 9-3. The Raiders batted around in the first inning of the day for six runs, then did the same in she sixth inning for six more runs. Tito Ovalle ended the game with a single in the sixth inning to invoke the 10-run rule...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor I think it's safe to say everything this spring seems to be running behind the normal schedule, if there is such a thing. Consistently warmer weather and spring vegetation seem like they'll never arrive. I'm finally starting to get some reports of turkeys gobbling and strutting in the area, and it's about time...

John Stephens Lori Stephens VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The funerals of John Andrew Stephens, 30, of Van Buren, formerly of Winona, Mo., and his wife, Lori Lane Mae (Hayes) Stephens, 27, of Van Buren, formerly of Colorado, have been moved to the South Van Buren General Baptist Church. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday with Pastor Ron Robinson officiating. Burial will be at the Dry Valley (Poca Hollow) Cemetery...