Stories from Saturday, October 4, 2014

By TAYLOR PIERCE Staff Writer Fall is a time for "spooktacular" events such as haunted houses, and this year there are three of these events in Poplar Bluff. It all starts Saturday when the Kiwanis Club starts 13 nights of hair-raising fun with the Nightmare at Kinyon School...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor From 1917 to 1982, Poplar Bluff was a hub of activity for the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Hundreds of MoPac employees worked in the Poplar Bluff rail yard and on the freight trains moving between St. Louis, Mo., and Little Rock, Ark...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A Doniphan, Mo., principal is on administrative leave today as law enforcement investigate allegations regarding a former student. Doniphan Police Chief Mark Rodgers said this morning he could not provide many details about the incident because it is part of an ongoing investigation...

By SAMANTHA RINEHART SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. --When viewers take their theater seats to watch the feature film "Gone Girl," which premiered during a special Thursday night showing, they are first treated to an ominous shot of a foggy Mississippi River...

City firefighters responded at 1:27 p.m. Wednesday to the intersection of Main and Pine streets to assist emergency medical services personnel with a motor vehicle accident with injury. According to the report, firefighters assisted in loading the patient and clearing debris from the roadway...

Sacred Heart Church, 123 N. 8th, announces Fr. Oscar Lukefahr, C.M., will hold a Parish Mission here from Sunday, Oct. 12, through Thursday, Oct. 16. The title of the Mission is "The Four Levels of Happiness. Fr. Lukefahr will begin by speaking at all the Masses on the weekend of Oct. ...

To offer something different during the traditional holiday bazaar season, the Busy Hands Women's Ministry of Agee Fellowship Church will host a Thread Thursday Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 13 at church's annex building on Highway W. "Since we are off the beaten path a little," says Lois Bevill, "we decided to do something different than the other bazaars that are usually held on a Saturday in November."...

Paul Hoover will go directly from speaking with John Beilein at Michigan to Gene Bess at Three Rivers. Hoover, a former coach, created the Pro Shot Shooting System and, along with his staff, has been traveling the country the past three years hosting camps and clinics. In 2013, they say they hosted more than 600 camps in 45 states...

Check out utility bills Yes, I was calling about the utility in town. I think they are ripping people off because they sent out a big bill and I paid 'em off and then I also know about other people who are having problems with high utilities about $300 or $400. I'd like to get it checked out. ...

By TYLER GRAEF SEMO NEWS SERVICE CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Lightning flares in the brooding storm clouds collecting south of Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine. No doubt it's another meticulously orchestrated David Fincher ploy; it's too apt of a setting for the special premiere of "Gone Girl," the movie whose darkness Cape Girardeau residents have been waiting to savor since filming wrapped up last fall...

By MICHELLE MALKIN So the five Afghan soldiers who went missing from two separate U.S. military bases are now all accounted for and apparently headed back to their home country. Feel safer now? Don't. The Pentagon, State Department and Department of Homeland Security would like this story to be over and done. ...

Even after feeling pretty good about their weekend at the Quad State Tournament in Padcuah (Ky.), the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules next had to run into a buzz saw that is Dexter. The Lady Bearcats came into Peters Gym Thursday night riding a 16-match winning streak where they haven't dropped a single set. It continued to 17 matches with a 25-20, 25-9 sweep of the Lady Mules...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In his U.N. address, President Obama listed a parade of horrors afflicting our world: "Russian aggression in Europe," "terrorism in Syria and Iraq," rapes and beheadings by ISIL, al-Qaida, Boko Haram. And, of course, the Ferguson Police Department...

The Poplar Bluff Municipal Library will host its first Local Author Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in connection with the Iron Horse Festival. According to library staff, the event provides an opportunity to connect local writers with new readers and for readers to discover new authors and their next "good read." Those "good read's will be available in abundance as the Library features genres ranging from true crime to inspirational works, presented by the authors and available for purchase.. ...

Designer purses, belts, scarves and other accessories will be available when the Designing Women Foundation (DWF) hosts its third annual "Power of the Purse" party after work on Thursday at the Bloodworth House, 626 Cynthia St. Among name brands available at the combination sale and silent auction will be Vera Bradley, Coach, Brighton, Mary Frances, Kenneth Cole, Kate Spade and Betsey Johnson. Some items will be new, some gently used...

Sophomore catcher Gracie King gave her senior pitcher some wiggle room Thursday. King's two-run homer capped a four-run fifth inning to back Maci Coleman in Poplar Bluff's 7-3 win over Twin Rivers. It was the final game at Bacon Park for Coleman, Lara Hafford, Ally Hendricks and Kristin Shelton...

Donald L. Robertson Donald L. Robertson, 77, of Arnold, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo. and Jonesboro, Ark., died Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 at de Greeff Hospice Care Center in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Robertson was born April 4, 1937 in Valparaiso, Ind., to the late James R. ...

The Three Rivers rodeo team has been preparing for this weekend like no other sport at the college. Where as the softball, baseball and basketball programs have their annual slew of home games scheduled in their own, personal location. The rodeo team has spent the last three seasons on the road...

William Thrasher William Thrasher, 64, of Silverwood, Mich. died Monday, Sept. 1, 2014 at home in the loving care of his family. William was born on Feb. 11, 1950 in Bloomfield, Mo. to Ollie and Flossie (Webb) Thrasher. Bill served his country proudly in the U.S. ...

Wilfred Floyd Lourance Wilfred Floyd Lourance, 78, of Warrenton, Mo., died Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 at the Whispering Pines Retirement Community in Warrenton. Mr. Lourance was born June 29, 1936 in Qulin, Mo., to the late Floyd Eugene and Anna Lucy (Webb) Lourance. ...

Cletus Vone Douglas DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Cletus Vone Douglas, 83, of Maynard, Ark., died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014, at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Maynard Cemetery in Maynard, Ark. Edwards Funeral Home of Doniphan is in charge of arrangements...

Sharlene Waters Sharlene Waters, 60, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Ms. Waters was born Oct. 1, 1954, in Poplar Bluff, to Lawrence E. Bailey and Garnett Francis (Burnett) Deck. She was of the Baptist faith and loved spending time with her family, especially caring for her grandchildren...

Timothy D. Daggs, 27, of Greenville, Mo., was arrested at 10:56 a.m. Wednesday on suspicion of driving while suspended, no insurance and no seat belt. He was booked at the Wayne County Jail. _ Forrest H. Gipson, 24, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was arrested at 1:30 a.m. Thursday on a Poplar Bluff failure to appear warrant for a non-moving traffic violation. He was booked a the Madison County Jail...

BERNIE -- The Bloomfield Lady Wildcats made a loud statement Thursday night. Playing a Bernie team that was recently seeded ahead of them in the upcoming Stoddard County Activities Association Tournament, the Lady Wildcats came up with a 25-20, 25-23 road win...