Stories from Thursday, November 20, 2014

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff Ministerial Association will host its annual Community Thanksgiving program at 7 p.m. Monday at the First Assembly of God on Barron Road. The event is free and open to the public. The event's guest speaker will be Pastor Greg Gilberto. Music will be performed by the Poplar Bluff High School Choir and the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Chorus...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Climbing costs to house prisoners have forced the city court to weigh how many offenders it can afford to jail, rather than how many need to be locked up. Judge W. Dean Million explained Monday to city council members a more than 50 percent increase is needed in incarceration spending, to a cost of $72,000 in the proposed 2015 budget...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A Doniphan, Mo., high school principal made his first appearance in court Tuesday morning on a charge he forged a former student's college placement test. Accompanied by his attorney, Sam Spain, Ronald W. McCutchen appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Swindle for arraignment on the Class C felony of forgery...

Eighteen people will graduate in January from the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce 2014 Gateway to Leadership Program. Gateway to Leadership (GTL) started in 2009 and is an innovative community program designed to identify and motivate emerging and/or relocated leaders and to develop their potential for community leadership roles by acquainting them with the opportunities, realities and challenges of the community. ...

Bader Peaches gets gov. award Gov. Jay Nixon was in Campbell, Mo., recently to recognize Bill and Denise Bader and their business, Bader Peaches, with the Governor's Award for Agricultural Achievement, which honors outstanding farmers, growers and processors for their work with agricultural commodities and their communities...

Kermit Willis PIEDMONT, Mo.-- Kermit Willis, 82, of Greenville, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at his residence. The visitation will begin at 4 p.m. for the family and 4:30 p.m. for the public, Friday, Nov. 21 at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. The service will be at the funeral home chapel at 1 p.m. Saturday. Burial is at Hvam Cemetery near Neelyville, Mo...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Cheating. Bullying. Cybersexting. Hazing. Molestation. Suicide. Drug abuse. Murder. Scanning the headlines of the latest scandals in America's schools, it's quite clear that the problem is not that there's too much God in students' lives...

Nancy Carter PIEDMONT, Mo.-- Nancy Carter, 93, of Piedmont, died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at the Harvest Baptist Church in Piedmont. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church...

Anthony Hamman Anthony A. Hamman, 21, of Greenville, Mo. died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014. The arrangements are pending at this time. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff is one of Missouri's most affordable housing markets according to a recent real estate report. Coldwell Banker compiles the annual report that includes data for nearly 2,000 real estate markets nationwide, analyzing more than 51,000 similar-sized four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes. According to the home listings report, a statewide average for a structure of that description is $227,787...

Lorella Wood Lorella Mae Wood, 86, of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Canalou, Mo., died, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014, in St. Petersburg. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday at the Taylor General Baptist Church in Essex, Mo. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Dexter in charge of arrangements...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor What a difference a year makes. Last year's deer season opener was a little warm and a lot windy, but this year was much better, with cold, but not unbearable, temperatures and only a light breeze. The deer were moving, too, and the frosty conditions made them easy to hear coming. Consequently, the woods in a lot of places sounded like a battle zone...

CENTRALIA, Ill. -- After 25 baskets and another 17 free throws, Three Rivers went cold at the worst possible time Tuesday night. With a late rally, the Lady Raiders forced overtime in their rematch with Kaskaskia before losing 75-72. "We buckled down and turned up the effort and the intensity. We had a chance to win and that is all you can ask," Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk said...

Nearly 50 years after he played his last football game for Lincoln University, Harold Robinson was inducted into its Hall of Fame. Robinson, a graduate of Poplar Bluff High School, didn't pick up the game until his junior year. Then coach Jim Lohr talked Robinson into joining the team and spent extra time during the summers to help him improve...

Shirley Denney Shirley Ann Denney, 74, of Doniphan, Mo., died Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014, at her son's residence in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

TRC's Center Stage presents Neil Simon play Center Stage, Three Rivers College's theater company, will present a production of "The Good Doctor" by renowned American playwright Neil Simon at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $10, or $5 with a valid TRC student ID...

PADUCAH, Ky. - The march toward 1,200 wins got a little closer with a narrow step on the road. In a bit of a change of pace, Three Rivers ran up against a team that could score with them step for step and the Raiders needed a late run to beat Shawnee (Ill.) 97-88 on Tuesday...

Alvie Foster CORNING, Ark. -- Alvie Foster, 69, of Success, Ark. passed away Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 at home. Born Aug. 1, 1945 in St. Louis, Mo., Mr. Foster was a roofer who enjoyed building ladder climbers for roof shingles. Survivors are children: Jeri Warbritton of Clinton, Ark., Debra Smith and Rick Foster, both of Poplar Bluff, Mo.; two brothers: Rolla Foster of Doniphan, Mo. and Tom Foster of Oxly, Mo.; one sister: Tempy Schultz of Doniphan; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren...

City Manager Heath Kaplan's plan to merge the city utilities reserve fund with the city's general fund will end up being a disaster if he is allowed to get away with it. Already he is spouting that the electric department is losing money and a residential rate increase is needed...

Ruth Deken QULIN, Mo.-- Ruth Deken, 88, of Qulin, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at the General Baptist Nursing Home in Campbell, Mo. Mrs. Deken, daughter of Joseph and Josephine Joerger Dempewolf, was born on Sunday, June 6, 1926 in Bellevue, Iowa...

Carl Hillis Carl Hillis, 56, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 at his residence. Carl was born Nov. 26, 1957 in Poplar Bluff to the late Raymond Hillis and Gladys L. Page Hillis. He was a longtime resident of Poplar Bluff. Carl was of the Pentecostal faith...

Larry Boyles DONIPHAN, Mo.-- Larry Bruce Boyles, 68, of Gatewood, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at his residence in rural Ripley County. Funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan and will be announced upon completion...

Nancy Webb DEXTER, Mo. -- Nancy Lee Acord Webb, 85, of Dexter died Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014, at SoutheastHEALTH Center of Stoddard County in Dexter. Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday in the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Chapel with Rev. Rich Lee officiating. Burial will follow at the Dexter Cemetery...

R-1 Board to meet Thursday Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Central Office, 1110 N. Westwood Blvd. Items on the action agenda include: program evaluations for health services/student wellness and adult eduction and literacy; TechBnical Career Center fees and catalog; Board of Education election resolution; and a paper bid...