Stories from Monday, April 14, 2014

By JOHN R. STANARD A musical performance unique in the annals of Poplar Bluff cultural events will take center stage on the evening of Saturday, April 19, in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center auditorium on the campus of Three Rivers College. Some 60 singers representing two major Poplar Bluff church choirs and the concert choir from Three Rivers will provide the chorus for a performance of the Easter portion of George Frideric Handel's famed "Messiah" oratorio. ...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Despite a high school enrollment of just 214 students and 24 days of school missed this winter, every Puxico R-VIII student who performed a solo or ensemble at the 16th Annual District Music Festival advanced to state competition...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Around the time Big Spring was named Missouri's first state park, Lonestar School of Ripley County brought all of its children over on the back of a log truck, crossing what was little more than a dirt trail through the hills near Van Buren, Mo...

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has announced the city of Poplar Bluff has been awarded a $13,200 grant through the federal Historic Preservation Fund. The city will use the grant to prepare a nomination to list the Kinzer and Cynthia Streets Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer What do you get when you mix women with pins, needles, thread, yarn, lots of conversation, a slice of Bible study, kids, creative minds and fingers, goals, and fun? The Busy Hands Women's Ministry at Agee Fellowship Church in Poplar Bluff. Mo. The Busy Hands has two goals: to minister within the church and to raise money...

Carl and Ruby Tolbert of Gideon, Mo. celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sunday, March 23. The couple was married March 23, 1944 in Gideon, where they have lived all their life. Mr. Tolbert served in World War II. After returning home, he started farming, a work he enjoyed until he retired in 1997. Mrs. Tolbert was a homemaker...

Susan Alcoy of Badoc, Philippines, and Kevin Johnson of Bertrand, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., announce their engagement. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Leonila Alcoy of Badoc, and the late Esmeraldo Alcoy. The bridegroom-to-be is the son of Christine Johnson of Poplar Bluff, and the late Buren Johnson...

Take Off Pounds Sensibly MO 734 met April 2 with leader Linda Morgan counting 15 TOPS and four KOPS present. After roll call, Lou Ann Wrather read the secretary's report and Pam Kane read the monthly treasurer's report with both reports approved. Helen Rollins was best loser this week for TOPS with best monthly losers for March 2014 Margaret Vaughn for TOPS and Millie McKlanahan for KOPS. Each monthly loser receives beautiful roses compliments of Rob's Flowers...

Oak Grove Elementary School has released the names of students honored as students of the month for March and April of the 2013-2014 school year. March students follow: Jaquan McIntosh, a second grader in Joan Everts class, was nominated by Ms. Rutledge. He is active in baseball and basketball...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Ray Weber of Poplar Bluff, Mo., has overseen the birth of more than 800 bluebirds in his handmade houses during the last decade. The World War II veteran maintains houses for Missouri's state bird not only on his property, but also on McLane Park's walking trail...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS "Engineering Evil" is a documentary recently shown on the Military History channel. It's a story of Nazi Germany's murder campaign before and during World War II. According to some estimates, 16 million Jews and other people died at the hands of Nazis...

Greg Hicks, instructor of business at Three Rivers College, received the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching at a Missouri Community College Association awards luncheon in Jefferson City. The award is given to the top community college instructors in Missouri each year...

By MONA CHAREN "The conservative minds of the Heritage Foundation have found a way for Republicans to shrink the gender gap: They need to persuade more women to get their MRS degrees." So wrote the Washington Post's Dana Milbank about a panel that featured Mollie Hemingway, Karin Agness and yours truly...

Greenville High School has released the names of students honored as students of the month for February and March of the 2013-2014 school year. February students of the month follow: Shaylin Marie Harvell is the daughter of Diane and Joe Atnip of Greenville. ...

WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- The Veterans Administration Medical Center Police Department in Poplar Bluff, Mo., will fire 9mm weapons at the Missouri National Guard training site near Wappapello, Mo., from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 22.

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat I notice where a small Canadian town - about the size of Sikeston - is accepting only on-line voting in their upcoming municipal election. Given the recent massive snafus with the Affordable Care Act website, you would think there would be some major concerns with solely on-line voting...

Lois Schenewerk ARNOLD, Mo. -- Lois Oneda Schenewerk, 82, passed away April 8, 2014, at the DeGreeff Hospice House in St. Louis, Mo. Mrs. Schenewerk was born April 3, 1932, to the late John E. Sanders and Elizabeth (Elder) Sanders. She had lived most of her life in Arnold. Mrs. Schenewerk was married to Phillip Schenewerk on Oct. 21, 1950 in Piggott, Ark...

Harold Fox Harold Lee Fox, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., formerly of Patterson, Mo., passed away Thursday, April 10, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Fox was born March 19, 1942 in St. Louis, Mo. to the late Herbert Fox and Enda Lutes Freeman. He was a retired casino card dealer, who enjoyed spending time with his family, reading, and gambling...

Donna Owens PUXICO, Mo. -- Donna Marie Owens, 63, of Wappapello, Mo., passed away Thursday, April 10, 2014, at her home. Born Jan. 13, 1951, in Brockton, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Ralph Coburn and Rose Lashua Coburn. Mrs. Owens was a home healthcare provider with Delta New Hope In-Home Services. She mostly enjoyed sewing, fishing, camping and spending time with her children and grandchildren...

Doug Zunkel DEXTER, Mo. -- Alan Douglas "Doug" Zunkel, 72, of Vancouver, Wa., died Wednesday, April 9, 2014, in his home. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home of Dexter is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to Hospice or Essex United Methodist Church...

Rhonda Tibbs FISK, Mo. -- Rhonda Lindley Tibbs, 46, of Wappapello, Mo. died Thursday, April 10, 2014 at Puxico Nursing & Rehab. She was born Dec. 23, 1967 at Dexter, Mo. Rhonda had a Master's Degree in education and had taught in Fisk, Puxico and Poplar Bluff. She was member of Faith Baptist Church at Wappapello...

The Poplar Bluff VA Medical Center announced in a press release the Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) has received the "Golden Fork Award," for catering and food service. Winning canteens were announced at the National Conference and Awards banquet held in St. Charles, Mo. Three canteens were selected from all canteens across the country; one for each size category. Poplar Bluff won for the small hospital class, according to a press release...

Ed Hagan DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Edward "Ed" Hagan, 86, of Doniphan, Mo., passed away Friday, April 11, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Hagan was born Sept. 8, 1927, in the Briar Community. He attended Doniphan schools and had been a resident of Ripley County most of his life...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer The American Cancer Society has been saving lives for 101 years, but when you ask people what the American Cancer Society does the answers are mixed and unclear. Many people think of the American Cancer Society only as a research organization, which is not unreasonable. ...

The first five minutes of the second half? The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules really could use those back. The Willard Lady Tigers doubled their goal total right after halftime Friday evening at Whiteley Park. Poplar Bluff was able to cut the deficit in half, but Willard added a late goal to win 5-2...

Bertie Wright PUXICO, Mo. -- Bertie Marie Wright, 93, of Puxico died Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mrs. Wright, daughter of the late Mona and Lula Fry Crabb, was born in Puxico on Aug. 20, 1920. She had lived in the Puxico area all her life...

Kody Moore was so clutch Saturday, you could install him in an old muscle car. The Three Rivers College freshman had a walk-off hit to win the opener 5-4, and then sent the afternoon game into extra innings, which the Raiders eventually lost 3-2 at Roger Pattillo Field...

On the night when the Poplar Bluff R-I school board was discussing the plan to build a new high school back in December, the Lady Mules basketball team was playing in one. It had all the amenities of a modern gym -- chair-back seats, scoreboard hanging from the rafters, large restrooms, two concession stands, a team store to sell shirts, a roomy bench area and a scorer's table with enough room that even the local reporter had his own chair...

John Adams NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- John Quincy Adams, 90, of Naylor, Mo., died Friday, April 11, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Mr. Adams was born Dec. 20, 1923, in Newport, Ark. He had lived in Mt. Morris, Mich., before moving to Missouri in 1958...

Friends of Downtown will meet Monday The next Friends of Downtown meeting will begin at 6 p.m. Monday in the downstairs theater at the Poplar Bluff Public Library. Updates on downtown will be presented.

TRENTON -- Three Rivers coach Jack Childress told the Lady Raiders that with the winds blowing in Saturday, nobody was hitting any home runs. They ignored him. Jessica Menz and Taylor Friend hit back-to-back home runs in Saturday's opener against North Central, which Three Rivers won 3-2 in extra innings. The Lady Raiders also won the nightcap 9-1 and beat North Central 8-7 and 3-1 on Friday for the four-game sweep...

By DAR STAFF SIKESTON -- Poplar Bluff won 10 of 30 events Friday at the Sikeston Twilight Relays. The event did not feature team scores and held only relays with the exception of the 100 and 1600 meter races. Isaiah Williams won the mile in 4 minutes, 52 seconds for the Mules while Denzel Britton took second in the 100 at 11.31 seconds...