Stories from Wednesday, August 6, 2014

By SAVANNA MAUE SEMO News Serviced Two Cape Girardeau men were shot to death Sunday night on South Middle Street, police confirmed early Monday morning. Detavian L. Richardson, 20, and Zatrun R. Twiggs, 28, were taken to a hospital, where Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton pronounced them dead, Cape Girardeau police confirmed in a news release sent to local media outlets about 3:15 a.m...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The Board of Directors of the Ozark Border Electric Cooperative will continue its current course after incumbents won re-election to all four open seats in Saturday's election at the co-op's annual meeting, held at Three Rivers College...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A constitutional amendment concerning farming was one of the most difficult choices today for Brian and Megan Hicks as they joined Butler County voters at the polls to decide the fate of primary elections for county commissioner and Division III judge, as well as state policy issues...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Weather permitting, Barron Road will be extended back to Highway W within 80 days. A proposed ordinance approving a road improvement agreement between Larry Hillis and the Poplar Bluff Regional Transportation Development District was discussed during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Monday night and moved to the Aug. 18 voting session...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor By a 5-2 vote Monday night, the Poplar Bluff City Council approved a one-year contract with Heath Kaplan, the new city manager. Kaplan, who will begin his new job on Aug. 18, will be paid an annual salary of $160,000, which is $41,000 more than Doug Bagby, the former city manager, was making when he was fired on May 5...

Editor's note: All messages to Speak Out, mail, email or phone, are transcribed as submitted. We do NOT edit your message. No such thing as a free lunch [mail] So Peter thinks he should be paid for being a councilman. I'm sure he could use the money because Peter robbed Paul to pay Peter and then robbed Paul many more times to pay Peter according to case.net (public information)...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN According to Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Obama intends "to act broadly and generously" on behalf of the "millions and millions" of illegal immigrants in the United States today. Gutierrez, who meets often with the president, is implying that Obama, before Labor Day and by executive order, will grant de facto amnesty to five million illegal immigrants...

Brenda Fox Brenda Sue Fox, 62, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014. Visitation will be noon Wednesday at Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home chapel. A complete obituary will run in tomorrow's edition...

By MICHELLE MALKIN It is now all the fashionable rage in Washington, D.C., to proclaim solidarity with America's working poor in front of the cameras -- while stabbing them in the back behind closed doors. Privileged Illinois Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and others have taken to Twitter, posting photos of themselves eating tuna sandwiches and buying Ramen noodles to show how much they empathize with minimum-wage workers. ...

Joan Ann O'Neill ELLSINORE, Mo. - Joan Ann O'Neill, 71, of Greenville, Mo., died Saturday, August 2, 2014, in the Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. Funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday with the with the Rev. Tom Wilder officiating...

Donald McKuin, Jr. Donald "Donnie" Gene McKuin Jr., of Houston, Texas, went to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 30, 2014, in Houston. Donnie was born Jan. 26, 1959, in Houston and lived there all of his life. He attended Bellaire High School and after graduation worked in the family business, Don McKuin Electric Company, Inc., until the business was sold in 1985. ...

Charlotte Brewer PIEDMONT, Mo.- Charlotte L. Brewer, 81, of Annapolis, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at the Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Home Chapel in Piedmont. Funeral services will follow at noon with Bro. Tom Willis officiating. Burial will be in the Annapolis Cemetery...

Stanley Rogers Stanley Rogers, 59, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Rogers was born Oct. 1, 1954 in Piggott, Ark. to the late Herbert and Charlene Ray Rogers. He was of the Church of Christ faith, and had worked as a truck driver for Martin Transportation Systems. Mr. Rogers enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, hunting and fishing...

By TYLER GRAEF SEMO News Service Local school policy isn't the only driving force behind a possible one-year suspension for two boys involved in a fatal shooting accident at Kelly High School. The Missouri Safe School Act regulates school policy on suspensions. ...

Pasture and Grazing Management Short Course University of Missouri Extension and the Stoddard County Soil and Water Conservation District will offer a pasture grazing management short course to be held from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Thursday evenings Sept. 4 - 25 at the USDA building in Dexter, Mo...

Naylor Senior Center will host a fish fry Friday, Aug. 8. Serving will begin at 5 p.m. Hyde's catfish or chicken strips with fries, baked beans, slaw, hush puppies and dessert are on the menu. Meals will cost $8 for adults and ages 11 an up, $4 for children ages 5-10. Children four and under eat for free. Drinks are included...

Shiloh cemetery meeting Sat. The annual Shiloh Cemetery meeting will be held Saturday at Shiloh Cemetery. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a business meeting. All donations for cemetery maintenance and upkeep may be mailed to Secretary/Treasurer Earline Ward at 2897 Co. Rd. 426, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- With metronomic regularity, there is a choreographed minuet of carnage. Israel is attacked. Israel defends itself. Perfunctory affirmations of Israel's right of self-defense are quickly followed by accusations that Israel's military measures are disproportionate. Then come demands for a cease-fire, and the attackers replenish their arsenals...

This past week the House of Representatives authorized a lawsuit against President Obama for his failure to faithfully execute laws passed by Congress. While the President has largely ignored the lawsuit and even called it a "stunt," this is no joking matter. ...

By MONA CHAREN In the last several weeks, I've heard people confidently declare that the 70 percent of Jewish Americans who voted for Obama are finally sorry. I'm skeptical, but even if they are, they're probably telling themselves that Hillary Clinton would be a better friend to the Jewish state than the current president...

Corrine Mullins MALDEN, Mo. - Corrine Ann Mullins, 72, of Malden, died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at her residence. Visitation was held at 6 p.m. yesterday. Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Bradshaw Chapel with burial in Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Frank Carroll Frank Leroy Carroll, 81, of Harviell, Mo. died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 at his residence. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service.

The opening day of practice for Poplar Bluff athletic teams featured two very different scenes Monday at Bacon Park. At one end, the football team cut short its workout after a player was taken from the field by ambulance (see story on 1A). Meanwhile, it was business as usual for the softball team and the rest of the Mules on a cool morning...

Brenda Fox Brenda Sue Fox, 62, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Brenda was a lifetime resident of Butler County. She attended Grace Christian Fellowship and Midland Church. She was a devoted employee at the Butler County Courthouse for 28 years, and she worked as the Butler County Collector since she was elected to the position in 1998...

Earl Burleson DEXTER, Mo.--Earl Burleson, 50, of Dexter, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 at his residence. Gravesides services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Dexter Cemetery with Rev. Jimmy Kirby officiating. Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in charge of arrangements...

By SAVANNA MAUE SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- No suspects have been identified in a fatal shooting on South Middle Street, and city officials are asking anyone with information to come forward. Detavian L. Richardson, 20, and Zatrun R. Twiggs, 28, were pronounced dead early Monday morning after being gunned down inside a car by what police suspect were multiple occupants of a white SUV, said Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Bobby Finch DEXTER, Mo. - Bobby Gean Finch, 67, of Bernie, Mo. died Sunday, August 3, 2014 at SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will be held from 9:30 - 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Hubert Robinson officiating. Burial will take place in the Smith-Stevenson Cemetery in Dexter...

William Scheerer William R. Scheerer, 72, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, at John J. Pershing V.A. Hospital. He was born Jan. 21, 1942, in St. Louis, Mo. to the late Felix Scheerer and Francis Eichelberger Scheerer. He was a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. He was of the Baptist faith...

By SCOTT BORKGREN Sports Writer Quick action by a Poplar Bluff High School coach and athletic trainer may have possibly saved the life of a Mules football player who collapsed on the field Monday during the first day of practice. Caleb Morrow's lips were blue and he did not have a pulse when he was reached by trainer Heath Willis and coach Jay Dowd and. Dowd started chest compressions and Willis performed artificial respiration...

Dr. John Patty, OBGYN, announces the addition of nurse practitioner, Sandy D. Ficke, DNP, MHA, RN, WHNP-BC, to his practice. Ficke has an extensive women's health background, with almost 20 years in labor and delivery. In addition to being Board Certified, her degrees include a Doctor of Nursing Practice, and a Post Master's Degree and certification in Women's Health Nurse Practitioner from Frontier Nursing University, Kentucky; a Master's in Health Administration, along with a Master's of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Leadership from the University of Phoenix. ...

Saint Francis Medical Center announces Joseph B. Schuerger, MD, as a new family practice physician at Physicians Park Primary Care, a Saint Francis Medical Center Medical Partner. He joins a team of six skilled primary care physicians who provide high-quality, highly personalized primary care to adults and children in the Poplar Bluff...