Stories from Wednesday, June 25, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A new judge has been appointed to hear the contract dispute case involving Doug Bagby, the former city manager fired by the new coalition on the Poplar Bluff City Council on May 5. The Missouri Supreme Court has assigned Judge Kelly Parker of Salem, Mo., in Judicial Circuit 42 to hear the case. A hearing date will be set later...

SEMO NEWS SERVICE The Missouri Department of Conservation will hold an open house Tuesday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson to discuss white-tailed deer management efforts and gather feedback from residents. Attendees will be able to visit informational booths and discuss topics including the history of deer management in Missouri, the state's new deer management plan, possible regulation changes, hunter retention and recruitment, and possible regulation changes to archery hunting and use of crossbows, timing of seasons, harvest limits for bucks and does, and disease management efforts for Chronic Wasting Disease and other infectious diseases, according to information from the Missouri Department of Conservation.. ...

By RUTH CAMPBELL SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Members of the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education advisory board on Monday encouraged the presidents of the entity's three institutions to meet in the next 60 days and find a more marketable name...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The Poplar Bluff Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Monday night to recommend approval of rezoning for a 48-unit apartment complex in the 3100 block of Warrior Lane. City Planner Dennis Avery said MACO Development Co. of Clarkton, Mo., requested 14.17 acres on the west side of Warrior Lane be rezoned from RS-1 rural residential to RA-2 apartment residential...

Sidewalks last place city needs to spend money [mail] When did City Council decide when someone (city manager) is making plenty of money and shouldn't seek outside employment or involvement? What is plenty of money? If you seek success in this nation (monetary and/or character) is that a sin, is it against the law, should be mandated by City Council and the mayor? Why does Mayor Pearson resent or hate those who are successful? Because she'd not successful or she thinks she deserves more than she has earned? If you are expecting good applicants for City Manager, why would you put restrictions on them before they even apply? What are you afraid of?. ...

Crystal Martin MALDEN, Mo.- Crystal Dawn Martin, 28, of Malden, died Wednesday, June 18, 2014, at her residence. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Landess Funeral Home in Malden, with funeral services following at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

By JOEL MATHIS and BEN BOYCHUK McClatchy-Tribune News Service The breakout of violence and advance of ISIS in Iraq has plenty of folks in Washington pointing fingers. Is the violence President Obama's fault, for withdrawing troops from that war-torn country too soon? Or perhaps blame can be laid on the George W. Bush administration for launching a war that ended up destabilizing the country?...

Chester Swinney PARMA, Mo.- Chester Lee Swinney Jr., 68, of Parma, died Saturday, June 21, 2014, at the Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be held 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Parma. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m...

At the beginning of August we will head to the voting booth to decide on a number of proposals that would make substantive changes to the Missouri Constitution. Changing the constitution is no small matter and for that reason I think it's important that we all be as educated as possible before voting on these measures. Below is a brief overview of each proposed constitutional change. I hope you will find these helpful as you look ahead to the Aug. 5 election...

Joan Campbell PIEDMONT, Mo.- Joan Campbell, 78, of Piedmont, died Sunday, June 22, 2014 at her home in Farmington, Mo. Arrangements are pending with Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont.

By DOYLE McMANUS McClatchy-Tribune Just how terrifying is the Sunni Muslim extremist group that's taken over a huge swath of territory in northern Iraq? Here are some clues: After seizing Iraq's second-largest city, the group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, boasted of massacring 1,700 prisoners in cold blood...

To the Editor: The DAR recently stated that the "Opinion Page" reflects the opinion of the publisher. The Publisher and Editor of the Daily American Republic newspaper should examine their ethics and responsibility to represent the moral standards they proclaim by printing "Today's Prayer" as a header on the "Opinion Page," and on the same page in the Wednesday June 4, 2014, issue printing an offensive and profane drawing named "New Direction."...

To the Editor: I am wondering what right these crop dusters have to spray people's yards and also, the people themselves if they are in their own yard. I have talked to different ones from last year that have had their gardens, fruit trees, and decorative plants ruined from them. Apparently they are spraying Round-up or some other type of chemical. I know personally of one family that had their complete garden ruined because of them and they had over $500 in that garden...

By DAN K. THOMASSON McClatchy-Tribune News Service WASHINGTON _ Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to Barack Obama and a longtime confidant of the president, told reporters at breakfast the other day that there is an opportunity this summer for meaningful immigration reform...

Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Central Office for its monthly meeting. Items on the action agenda include: program reviews for transportation and graduation rate; booster club report and concession stand agreement; amendment to certified salary agreement; high school manual revisions; 2014-15 budget; district committee appointments; quarterly budget amendment; exchange student approval; Bright Futures program; and bids for technology, paper, track re-surfacing and junior high gym floor re-finishing.. ...

Jennifer Pennington, daughter of Douglas and Mary Pennington of Poplar Bluff, Mo., graduated with a 3.5 GPA in May with a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from Southeast Missouri State University. She recently accepted a position as an adminissions coordinator for Logan University at Chesterfield, Mo., where she will work with perspective doctor of chiropractic students...

Rummage sale at Fisk set The Annual Fisk Community Library Rummage sale will be held from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, July 10-12, in the air-conditioned Fisk Community Center, 508 Garfield St. (next door to the library). As always there will be a variety of items on sale including many books. All items will be clean, organized and priced to sell. All proceeds are used to support the continued operation of the library, which has been operational since 1991...

Henry Gooch DONIPHAN, Mo.- Henry Almond Gooch, 57, of Doniphan, died Thursday, June 19, 2014, at his residence. Graveside services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Whites Mill Cemetery in Ellsinore, Mo. Online Condolences: www.edwardsfuneralhome.org...

Area students named to the Spring Dean's List at Missouri State University include: Poplar Bluff, Mo. Ciera E. Baker, Victoria F. Bottorff, Shaina Cowan, Brooke N. Davis, Cody L. Hillis, Randi E. Montgomery, Stephen F. Patty, Alexandra Thomas; Qulin, Mo...

The Cane Creek Community Club met at 11 a.m. June 11 in the Altrusa Room at Twin Towers. Hostess was Marie Boxx. Seven members attended. After the Pledge of Allegiance, the thought of the day was revealed: "Life is like a camera, just focus on what's important and capture the good time, develop from the negatives and if things don't work out just take another shot."...

Karen Franklin DEXTER, Mo.- Karen Sue Franklin, 59, of Dexter, died Sunday, June 22, 2014 at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will begin at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Bro. Stan Dauck and Bro. David Lemmons officiating. Burial will follow in the Hagy Cemetery in Dexter...

During a brief rain delay in the seventh inning Monday evening, the Poplar Bluff Mules hoped the passing shower might give them enough time to defeat one of the top Senior Babe Ruth teams in the state. After the tarps were taken off home plate and the pitcher's mound, Mules ace Wesley Pyles wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam as the Mules won 7-2 at Strenfel Memorial Field over the SEMO Pirates out of Leopold...

Joan Campbell PIEDMONT, Mo.--Joan Campbell, 78, of Farmington, Mo., formerly of Piedmont, died Sunday, June 22, 2014 at her home. Visitation will be at noon Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel...

DeWayne Rogers DeWayne LeRoy Rogers, 50, of Wappapello, Mo., died Monday, June 23, 2014 at his residence. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

Freddie Layne MALDEN, Mo.- Freddie Wayne Layne, 63, of Dexter, Mo. died Sunday, June 22, 2014 at his residence. Graveside services will begin at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo. with military rites. Arrangements by Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden...