Stories from Thursday, January 1, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A decision by the Poplar Bluff City Council Monday night will make possible the expansion of Whiteley Park on the city's south side. By a 5-0 vote, the council approved a contract to purchase 3.25 acres from Cheshire Development of Poplar Bluff for $145,000...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The Poplar Bluff Police Department and Butler County Emergency Management Agency have teamed up to keep New Year's Eve revelers who have too much to drink off the streets by offering them a safe way home instead of possibly a ride to jail...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The Poplar Bluff Police Department will go live on New Year's Day with its officers wearing body cameras as they perform their duties patrolling the streets and answering calls. "We are very excited to have this opportunity to wear the Taser AXON body cameras in the performance of our duties," Deputy Chief Jeff Rolland explained...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A disaster recovery plan for the city and infrastructure for a consolidated 911 center with Butler County was approved by the Poplar Bluff City Council during a special meeting Monday night. City Manager Heath Kaplan recommended approval of the plan and the installation of video conferencing and disaster recovery equipment in the amount of $1,514,278...

The biggest news of the fourth quarter of 2014 is good news. Mid Continent Nail announces plans for a $5 million expansion that would create 91 new jobs, bringing the plant's workforce to nearly 500. October 3 -- The Doniphan school district confirms it is investigating a principal over alleged inappropriate text messages. The educator has been placed on administrative leave...

How can you keep from gaining weight during the holidays? Visions of fruit cake, Grandma's pumpkin pie, fudge, and other goodies don't have to add up to extra pounds this holiday season. So what can a person do? First of all notice what you are drinking at holiday parties. ...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Back in the day, when hunting was the major source of food, hunters often used stalking horses as a means of sneaking up on their quarry. They would walk on the opposite side of the horse until they were close enough to place a good shot on whatever they were hunting. ...

The House and Senate will officially be sworn in for their next term in January and there is a lot of work to be done. In the next Congress, I will be working with a larger House majority and new Senate majority, and we will hit the ground running on day one to provide relief to Americans throughout the country, especially in rural America...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In July of 1870, King Wilhelm sent Foreign Minister Bismarck an account of his meeting with a French envoy who had demanded that the king renounce any Hohenzollern claim to the Spanish throne. Bismarck edited the report to make it appear the Frenchman had insulted the king, and that Wilhelm rudely dismissed him. The Ems Telegram precipitated the Franco-Prussian war Bismarck wanted...

Ira Morris Ira Charles Morris, 84, of Piedmont, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. The arrangements are pending at this time. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com

MEMPHIS -- The Lady Raiders ended a four-game losing streak with their best shooting performance of the season. Three Rivers, shooting 35 percent as a team this year, went 27-for-51 from the field to eclipse the 50 percent mark for the first time this season and beat Dyersburg State 81-74 on Tuesday...

Mike Hollis VAN BUREN, Mo.-- Michael Richard "Mike" Hollis, 44, of Fremont, departed this life on Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in Birch Tree, Mo. He was born Feb. 7, 1970, in Washington, D.C. to Christine Hollis-Cletcher and the late Robert Richard Hollis. ...

Claud W. Walk PUXICO, Mo.-- Claud Wesley Walk, 88 of McGee, Mo. died Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in the Missouri Veteran's Home in Cape Girardeau. Mr. Walk was born Sept. 11, 1926 in McGee. His Alonzo and Maymie Walk preceded him in death. He was a lifetime farmer. He enjoyed hunting with family and friends throughout his lifetime...

Freda Lancaster Freda Lancaster, 84, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, at her residence. Mrs. Lancaster was born May 11, 1930, in Gray Ridge, Mo. She had been a resident of Butler County most of her life. She was a homemaker and had worked for about 20 years for Niagra Wire in Quincy, Fla. She was a member of the Highland Drive Church of Christ and made six missionary trips to India...

Things didn't start or end well for the host Mules during their semifinal Tuesday night in the 28th annual Poplar Bluff Showdown. But the 13 minutes in the middle were downright remarkable. Poplar Bluff scored 15 straight to overcome an early deficit, built a 21-point lead then held off Grenada (Miss.) 67-52 when the Chargers charged back late at Peters Gym...

PB R-1 board to meet Friday The Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education will hold a special session at noon Friday in the board room at the administration building. The only item on the agenda is a change in the building plans for the high school. The meeting is open to the public...

BLOOMFIELD -- It was a blue Christmas for Bernie last year and not just because of their school colors. It was a Mule Christmas this year and that's because Bernie is the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament Champions for the first time in six years. Although it was never comfortable, the fourth-seeded Mules never trailed Tuesday night against No. 3 Kennett as they won a rematch from last year, 49-45...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation There are several ongoing hunting seasons now, which we discuss on a regular basis in our news articles and radio programs. However, there is something else going on right now, which we do not discuss often, and that is trapping...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The 2014 alternative methods deer season ended up being the worst since 2008, when it was still the old muzzleloader-only season. Missouri hunters were able to squeak out a harvest of 11,026 deer over the course of the 11-day season, which closed yesterday. During the same period last year, they killed 11,967 deer...

Lana Seay DONIPHAN, Mo.--Lana Jean Seay, 72, of Doniphan, passed away Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Seay, daughter of Osborne and Arlene Robbin (Corbin) Langford, was born Aug. 1, 1942, in Hollywood, Calif. ...

By DAR STAFF DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- Poplar Bluff took a 3-point into the second quarter, but the Lady Mules went into halftime down 16 Tuesday night. Behind a barrage of 3-pointers, Dyersburg turned a tight, low-score game into a 79-49 win over the visiting Lady Mules...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Notre Dame senior Quinn Poythress said he didn't look at the clock at all in the closing minutes of Tuesday night's Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament championship because that's what coach Paul Unterreiner had told his players...

Union City took down a defending state champion for the second straight night to reach the championship game of the 28th annual Poplar Bluff Showdown. The Golden Tornadoes got a go-ahead putback from Quentrail Polk with 18.3 seconds left and came away with two key rebounds to beat CBC of St. Louis 62-60...

BLOOMFIELD -- Twin Rivers had no answer for Cortez Dobbins and Shaeen Perkins while Malden had every answer for Seth Snider and Andrew Mittelstadt. The Green Wave shut down the Royals post game and dominated the second half of the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament fifth-place game, winning 63-39 on Tuesday...

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) -- Can the U.S. hold everyone else above water? That is the question investors are asking as Wall Street heads into 2015. A strong U.S. economy helped propel the stock market higher in 2014, continuing a bull market that is on pace to celebrate its sixth birthday in March. ...