Stories from Saturday, September 6, 2014

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor City Manager Heath Kaplan is being questioned about his decisions to hire two new city employees. "How do you justify hiring a grant writer and personal assistant?" Susan McVey, a former council member, asked Kaplan during the Poplar Bluff City Council meeting Tuesday night...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday morning to possessing methamphetamine with intentions of distributing it and illegally possessing a firearm. Derek Lamont Blackmon, 35, pleaded guilty to two of three counts he was facing -- one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, according to the plea agreement filed with the U.S. ...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor PISO POINT, Mo. -- A Wappapello, Mo., man was charged Thursday with attempted drug trafficking after authorities seized nearly 1 1/2 pounds of what was described as pure methamphetamine and nearly $24,000 in cash from his Piso Point home...

Monday, Twin Towers will celebrate Grandparents Day. Tommy Swindle will be singing gospel songs for everyone during lunch. Upon entering, sign up for drawings, pick up a bag of popcorn and then, later, treat yourself to an ice cream cone. At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the dining room, "Grace Unlimited" and Pruitt, Pruitt and Penticost will sing and play a variety of songs. At 1:30 p.m. Independent Living Center will hold the Chronic Disease class in the Snider Room. ...

The Butler County Women's Democratic Club will combine their regular monthly meeting with their fall picnic Tuesday at Whiteley Park, next door to McDonald's. The picnic will begin at 6 p.m. All members, spouses and friends are welcome and asked to bring a covered dish or dessert and a lawn chair...

The Poplar Bluff High School Class of 1969 is looking for the following class members. This class will hold its 45th reunion Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3-4. Anyone with information about any of these classmates contact: Jackie Tinsley Muriman at 573-718-2633 or Rita Clayton Schalk at 573-718-1422:...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Each semester, students at Missouri State University who attain academic excellence are named to the dean's list. For undergraduate students, criteria include enrollment in at least six credit hours during the summer semester and at least a 3.50 grade point average (on a 4.00 scale)...

The Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum and Study Center staff will host the 11th annual "Native American Day" from noon - 3:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13. The event will be held on the grounds of the museum at 1071 Heritage Park Drive, Piggott, Ark. There will be no house tours for the day. There is no admission charge...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- An exhibit honoring the men and women who gave their lives in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars will soon be on display at the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center at Wappapello Lake. "Remembering Our Fallen" will be brought from Aug. 27-Sept. 1 to the visitor center courtesy of the Bellevue University and Wappapello Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3416...

Addie Beck DEXTER, Mo.--Addie Ann Beck, 67, of Dexter, died Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014, at the Southeast Healthcare of Stoddard County in Dexter. Visitation will be held after 1 p.m. Sunday at the Faith Community Church in Dudley, Mo. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, at the Faith Community Church with Bro. Jerry Martin of Fisk, Mo. officiating...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Sen. Rand Paul raises an interesting question: When has Hillary Clinton ever been right on foreign policy? The valkyrie of the Democratic Party says she urged President Obama to do more to aid Syrian rebels years ago. And last summer, she supported air strikes on Bashar Assad's regime...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Approximately six years ago, a developer approached Pastor Jerry Moore about buying the New Covenant Fellowship property on the north side of Oak Grove Road. "We thought we would be there for the rest of our lives," Moore said...

To the Editor September is upon us and time for the congress of the State of Missouri to reconvene and part of their time will be to take up in attempting to override bills that Governor Nixon vetoed. The one bill that they should back off from is the "Bill to move captive deer to the Missouri Department of Agriculture". ...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Harry Reid is a bigoted Beltway corruptocrat with an interminable case of diarrhea of the mouth. The feeble-minded coot stuck his foot in that mess of a mouth again last week at the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce. But as mortifying as the Senate Majority Leader is, there's an even worse spectacle: Asian-American liberals who keep giving top Democrats and their partisan operatives blanket passes...

The cross country season officially begins Saturday for the Poplar Bluff Mules when they travel to their first race, but it really began over the summer and doesn't heat up until in the middle of October. That's when runners begin the qualifying process for the state meet...

BLOOMFIELD -- It was the Mules' vocal muscles that did the heavy lifting. Poplar Bluff did a better job of communicating under pressure and was able to talk its way to a pair of 25-21 wins Thursday against Bloomfield. The Mules and Lady Wildcats matched each other for the better part of both games...

Virgie Webb DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Virgie Pritchard Cranford Webb, 81, of Gatewood, Mo. died Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. Mrs. Webb was born April 22, 1933, to the late William Burl and (Essey Mae, who died in 1938) and raised by Esther Lorene Pritchard, in Dexter, N.M. ...

Rosie Lee (Dye) Hunter Rosie Lee (Dye) Hunter, 61, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014 in her home. She was born Dec. 15, 1952, in Neelyville, Mo., to Willie and Ida (Warren) Dye. She was a member of St. John's Baptist Church, Poplar Bluff...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Poplar Bluff senior Jose Reyes made two saves in net and three of his teammates found a way past the Perryville goalkeeper as the Mules advanced to the semifinals of the Notre Dame SoccerFest with a 1-0 win over the Pirates on penalty kicks Thursday...

DONIPHAN -- With the sun fading behind the school building and the lights incapable of being turned on at Bob Byrd Field, the Doniphan Dons were set up pretty good in the seventh inning to break a 12-all tie Thursday. After a lead-off double, Lucas Moe was caught off guard by a light liner towards the Clearwater second baseman and was doubled off the base...

The Lourance Family Reunion will be held Saturday at Ray and Barb Gilton's campsite in Doniphan, Mo. Lunch will begin between noon and 12:30 p.m. Meat will be provided. Please bring a covered sidh and your own drinks and ice. Directions to the campsite follow: from Poplar Bluff, Mo. ...

PIEDMONT -- The Clearwater Lady Tigers buried a bad memory from last as it beat Woodland 25-18, 22-25, 25-16 Thursday night. The Lady Cardinals defeated the Lady Tigers in last year's district final. "I was very proud of the girls," Clearwater coach Sara Hampton said. "They played well as a team."...