Stories from Wednesday, May 21, 2014

About 2,500 Municipal Utilities customers lost power Monday night after a breaker was tripped at the Benton Street substation. The suspected culprit was a raccoon, said MU Manager Bill Bach. The outage lasted from 9:58-10:31 p.m. The animal survived and ran out of the fenced substation when repair crews arrived, according to Bach...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Mayor Angela Pearson's appointment of 12 members to an advisory search committee leading to the hiring of a new city manager was approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night. Councilman Ed DeGaris recommended adding Councilwoman Betty Absheer to the committee...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Dan Coffman, a certified public accountant in Poplar Bluff, Mo., questioned Mayor Angela Pearson Monday night about leading the city in "a new direction." "We are including everyone. In the past, that has not happened," Pearson said. "People have felt left out. People were pushed aside. Neighborhoods were neglected."...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer The Neelyville R-IV School District will place a bond issue on the August ballot, after approval of ballot language at Monday night's meeting. As in April, the $1.55 million bond issue would require a debt service levy increase of $0.33 per $100 assessed valuation...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor New fire trucks, an airport improvement project and a temporary utilities office building were among the topics discussed during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Monday night. Councilman David Johnson's motion to purchase two new pumper trucks was moved to the June 2 voting session...

Take new photo Yes, I'd make a comment. When you people publish a picture of our new mayor, would you please print an up-to-date picture instead of a high school graduation picture? Thank you. Get all the facts Why don't we wait until all the facts are available BEFORE we rush to judgment on the actions of the new mayor in firing city manager Bagby? Thank you...

Earline Robertson Earline Robertson, 87, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at her residence. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Kay Allgier MALDEN, Mo. -- Kay Allgier, 87, of Malden died Tuesday, May 20, 2014, in National Healthcare in Kennett, Mo. Landess Funeral Home of Malden is in charge of arrangements.

Floyd Higgs MALDEN, Mo. -- Floyd Louis Higgs, 63, of Campbell, Mo., died Sunday, May 18, 2014 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Landmark Pentecostal Church in Malden. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery, Malden...

Verneal Durbin DEXTER, Mo.--Verneal "Neal" Durbin, 79, of Bloomfield, Mo., died Saturday, May 17, at her home in Bloomfield. Visitation was held Tuesday morning at Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter. Travis Quetermous of Dexter officiated. Burial was in Triplett Cemetery near Dexter with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

Connie Allen CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Connie Edward Allen, 96, of Northport, Ala., formerly of Campbell, died Wednesday, May 14, 2014 in Northport. Visitation was Tuesday morning at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell with graveside services following at Woodlawn Cemetery. Rev. Tony Wood officiated. Burial was in Woodlawn Cemetery...

Delmar Giles FISK, Mo. - Delmar Giles, 72, of Fisk died Sunday, May 18, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center at Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Oct. 26, 1941 at Tipton, Ind. He was a lifetime resident of Butler County and had owned and operated the family business, Bluff City Shows Carnival, for 50 years. He was a 1959 graduate of Poplar Bluff High School. On March 20, 1959 he married Evelyn Wells. She survives...

Martha N. Burge DEXTER, Mo. -- Martha N. Burge, 86, of Essex died Saturday, May 17, 2014 at Washington County Memorial Hospital in Potosi, Mo. Visitation will be from 12:30 - 2 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter followed at 2 p.m. with Rev. Ed Champion officiating. Burial will follow in the Essex Cemetery...

By SAMANTHA RINEHART SEMO News Service What started as a kind gesture by a legendary country music artist grew into a lifelong dedication to helping local children. Grammy winner Kenny Rogers met the Sikeston Jaycees in 1977 when he was performing at the group's Bootheel Rodeo. Struck by their passion to create a facility for kids with cerebral palsy, Rogers donated Borraabby, an Arabian stallion he was raising at the time...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- Mass schoolgirl kidnapping in Nigeria -- to tweet or not to tweet? Is hashtagging one's indignation about some outrage abroad an exercise in moral narcissism or a worthy new way of standing up to bad guys? The answer seems rather simple. ...

By TYLER GRAEF SEMO News Service Russel Bucklew is running out of options. On Monday afternoon, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri refused his request for a stay of execution. Also on Monday, Gov. Jay Nixon said he didn't see any reason to halt the execution for medical reasons...

By GEORGE F. WILL CHICAGO -- Democracy can be cruel because elections deprive the demos of the delight of alibis and the comfort of complaining. Illinois voters have used many elections to make theirs the worst-governed state, with about $100 billion in unfunded public pension promises, and $6.7 billion in unpaid bills. The state is a stark illustration of prolonged one-party rule conducted by politicians subservient to government employees unions...

Visitors and residents will be out in full force along Highway 25 Memorial Day weekend in search of bargains at the 100-Mile Yard Sale, but the Missouri Department of Transportation wants everyone to remember the greatest savings of the event could be a life...

BERNIE -- The Bernie Mules took a commanding lead with some small ball, then polished up their win with some long ball. Bernie, playing as the away team on its own field in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 3 semifinals, beat Greenville 18-4 in six innings...

FARMINGTON -- The Poplar Bluff Mules picked a good time for their first comeback win of the season Monday. Down a pair of runs with two outs in the sixth, Alex Lewis tied it with a bases-loaded single and Logan Misner followed with a go-ahead hit as the Mules edged Farmington 4-3 in the MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 semifinal at Wilson-Rozier Park...

CHARLESTON -- When Woodland and Clearwater met back in early April, Woodland ace Ben McCormick pitched a no-hitter and struck out 12 Tiger batters, allowing the Cardinals to eke out a 1-0 win. "We knew that they were going to hit the ball a lot better," Woodland coach John Craig said following Monday's district semifinal rematch. ...

THAYER -- Neelyville and East Carter each won big Monday to set up a district final between the conference rivals. Top-seeded Neelyville beat host Thayer 21-3 while the second-seeded Redbirds beat Ellington 15-0 in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 2 semifinals...

Dexter's Ethan Stevens shot 81 and is tied for 20th at the Class 4 event at Fremont Hills Country Club. Bloomfield's Austin Battles shot a 93 and is tied for 45th at the Class 1 state tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield. Advance's Brian Whitson shot even-par 72 to tie for the lead...

By SARABETH WALLER Staff Writer Participation in the 36th Judicial Circuit Truancy Court was approved for Neelyville R-IV schools Monday night with a 6-1 school board vote. Board member Paul Petty voted "no." Participation in the program will cost the district $3,250 for 2014-2015...

David Brent Colter David Brent Colter, 52, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Sunday, May 18, 2014 at his residence. He was born on Oct. 12, 1961 in Poplar Bluff to the late Leonard and Lorraine Colter. He worked as a boat mechanic and could do most anything. He loved being a Dad and enjoyed racing his boat and building boats...

Jimmie Bishop Jimmie M. Bishop, 76, of Williamsville, Mo., died Monday, May 19. 2014, at his residence. Mr. Bishop was born Aug. 18, 1937, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was of the General Baptist faith, and a member of the Eagles and American Legion. He had served in the Air Force. He was a truck driver. His hobbies were hunting, fishing and golf...

College Bd. meets Wed. Three Rivers Board of Trustees will meet at noon Wednesday at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. Items on the agenda include a college financial report; policy discussion; employment actions and a closed session to discuss legal, real estate and personnel matters...

Phylis S. Murphy DEXTER, Mo. -- Phylis S. Murphy, 73, of Dexter, Mo. died Tuesday, April 29, 2014, at her home. Visitation will be held after 10 a.m. Saturday at Watkins & Sons Funeral Service in Dexter with the memorial service beginning at 11 a.m. is the chapel...