Stories from Thursday, January 29, 2015

By EMILY PRIDDY SEMO News Service The investigation into the shooting death of a Southeast Missouri State University student has yielded two arrests, Illinois law enforcement officials said Tuesday. It was not clear how or even whether the arrests were connected to the slaying of 19-year-old Southeast sophomore Bobby Christman during an attempted armed robbery early Jan. 11 in St. Louis...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer As the newest enrollment deadline looms large, a panel of healthcare experts will meet with the community on Thursday to discuss Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Healthcare Act. Missouri Rural Crisis Center is sponsoring the event 6:30 - 8 p.m. Jan. 29 at the First Church of God, 3482 Westwood Blvd. Poplar Bluff...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff City Council members voted 4-2 Tuesday to seek a new loan for $2.8 million to pay for costs related to a unified 911 center and annual capital improvement purchases. Council members have not been provided with any figures regarding how the money for the 911 center will be spent or how the city will pay for this loan, council member Ed DeGaris said today...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer City firefighters will receive a 5 percent raise, retroactive to 2013, under a new contract passed Tuesday by a 4-2 vote of the Poplar Bluff City Council. Council members opposed to the measure questioned how the city will fund the contract package, which was negotiated with the International Association of Firefighters Local 2543...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The family of a man with ties to Missouri and Oklahma missing since 2011 believes he may be in the Poplar Bluff area and is asking the community for help. Richard Thomas McArthur, 37, also known as "Rick" and "Stone" was last seen Oct. 15, 2011 near Boley, Okla., but once lived in the Poplar Bluff area and told family members that he planned to someday return here and "live off the grid."...

Violet Berry Violet L. Berry, 87, of Clarkston, Mich. passed away Jan. 17, 2015 in Wappapello. Services were held Jan. 21, 2015 at Wappapello Cotrell Funeral Chapel. Rev. Bill Garrett officiated. Burial followed in City Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. Cotrell Funeral Service in Wappapello was in charge of arrangements...

The volunteers and staff of Hands of Hope will be accepting Silent Auction bids beginning Feb. 2 through March 15 in Four All Inclusive Legends Club St. Louis Cardinals tickets. These tickets are seated outside the legends club section 205 row B, with access inside for your food and drink buffets...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Puxico High School students and members of the community paid tribute to Marcus Lauder during the Indians' Homecoming games against the Bernie Mules Jan. 23 and at the PHS Homecoming Coronation that followed. Lauder, who died Jan. 16, wore the No. 1 when he played varsity basketball for the Indians and was the 2014 PHS Homecoming King...

JONESBORO, Ark. - Arkansas State University's annual Agribusiness Conference, now in its 21st year, is continuing its tradition of timely information and education outreach to farmers and agribusiness professionals and educators across the Mid-South...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Filing has officially closed for the April 7 election, and there are two contested races and a ballot issue for citizens to decide. Marshal Daniel Dew will face off against former Puxico police officer Rick Sheren. Dew, who was appointed to fill the marshal position after Johnny Clark retired in August 2014, filed his declaration of candidacy Dec. 16. Sheren filed his declaration of candidacy for marshal Dec. 18...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Filing has closed for the April 7 municipal election, and, with no opposition having filed, several incumbents will retain their seats. Mayor Rick McLean filed a declaration of candidacy Dec. 17. McLean will serve a two-year term...

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) recently announced it will receive $1.3 million in federal grant monies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help private landowners in Missouri improve grasslands, glades, and woodlands on their properties for both wildlife habitat and agriculture production. ...

Helen Smith, nurse manager of outpatient services and interim manager of the surgical floor, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center, has been selected as the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders 2014 Rookie Leader of the Year. The award was presented Nov. 6 during an awards luncheon at the Missouri Hospital Association's 92nd Annual Convention & Trade Show in Osage Beach...

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Psalm 103:1-2. Here is the key for every Christian who would have his life come in touch with religion where it is the most vital - develop a deep personal feeling of love and praise and gratitude toward his Lord...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL It was a tough night for both the varsity and junior varsity Puxico Indians when they took on the Bernie Mules during the Homecoming game Friday night in the Arnold Ryan Gymnasium. "We were in it early," said Coach Nathan Walk. "When it came down to it, we had to play catchup against them...

By MICHELLE L. VARVIL Baileigh Rene Meadows and Seth Luttrull were crowned the Puxico High School Homecoming Queen and King in a ceremony Jan. 23 in the Arnold Ryan Gymnasium following the Indians' games against the Bernie Mules. Meadows, the daughter of Brandi Shockney and granddaughter of Rebecca Stafford and Sam Stafford, is a cheerleader at PHS. ...

Ashamed of our city govt. I am ashamed of the direction our city government has taken in the past several months. I am ashamed the personal vendetta Pearson had against Bagby has been joined by the newly elected councilmen and new seems to be directed against the city as a whole and every resident therein. ...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS When gasoline sold at record prices, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said, "I think it's time to say to these people, 'Stop ripping off the American people.'" When the average price of regular gas was close to $4 a gallon, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for Congress to look into breaking up giant oil companies. The claim was that "Wall Street greed (was) fueling high gas prices."...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN The massacre in Paris of the staff of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo was an act of terrorism, but also a successful act of war in the clash of civilizations between Islamism and the West. Nor were we lacking for warning signs...

There's good news about fishing at Wappapello: the ice is gone, and the crappies are biting. Unfortunately, most of the ones being caught are small. "We're been catching a bunch of little ones," said Mike Williamson, who was fishing the lower lake Saturday...

Dolly Taylor DEXTER, Mo.-- Dolly Taylor, 82, of Bloomfield, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home chapel...

Recently, I have been getting several questions about the Conservation Order for light geese. In today's article I will try to answer some of the questions and tell the readers how that they might participate. The first question might be about what light geese are. ...

BLOOMFIELD -- Bloomfield freshman Peyton Bell got his favorite shot and made the most of it in the closing seconds of an Stoddard County Activities Association first round against the Advance Hornets Tuesday night. Bell hit a 3-pointer along the baseline near his own bench as time expired to secure a 45-43 victory against Advance and propel the No. 5 Wildcats to the semifinals...

DONIPHAN -- Up by two with the clock winding down, Doniphan's Paige Eddington came up with a steal on the final possession and hit a game-clinching layup. "That's just Paige being Paige. If there is a loose ball, she'll find it," Doniphan coach Zac Moore said after a 39-35 win Tuesday against Malden...

Betty Hayes FISK, Mo.-- Betty Hayes, 72, of Wappapello, Mo., died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born Aug. 3, 1942, at Dudley, daughter of the late Thomas E. and Edna Choat Scates. She was a homemaker and had formerly worked as a nurse at Doctors Hospital. She was loved dearly by her family and friends...

The MFA Oil Foundation, based in Columbia, has awarded a grant to the Three Rivers Endowment Trust, to be applied toward the cost of purchasing and mounting new TVs in an ITV classroom at the Sikeston Academic Building. The MFA Oil Foundation provides support to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve communities where MFA Oil has a significant concentration of members and employees. Since it was established in 1998, the MFA Oil Foundation has awarded more than $1 million in grants...

Jackie Duffie DEXTER, Mo.-- Jackie Leo Duffie, 66, died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 at the St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Visitation will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. today at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Hagy Cemetery...

Susie L. Victery FISK -- Susie L. Victery, 65, of McGee, Mo. died Monday, Jan. 26, 2015 at her residence in McGee. She was born Feb. 15, 1949 at Fisk and lived in Butler County most of her life. Mrs. Victery had worked at Smiley Container and Briggs & Stratton...

Cassidy Harris got another chance to swim against Jackson's Caitlyn Palmer and the Poplar Bluff senior won the rematch Tuesday. Taylor Norwood, meanwhile, beat Palmer in the 100-yard freestyle, qualifying for the MSHSAA state championships in a sixth individual event in the process...

BROSELEY -- The Twin Rivers Lady Royals came out cold Tuesday night and it cost them an Ozark Foothills Conference makeup game from earlier this month. The Lady Royals scored just two points in the first quarter, 12 points in the first half and lost to Greenville 42-39...

By NOREEN HYSLOP SEMO News Service A near capacity crowd turned out Monday night at the Dexter Elks Lodge for the Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing on the latest proposed rate hike from southeast Missouri's primary electric power supplier, Ameren Missouri...