Stories from Friday, February 27, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The city of Poplar Bluff does not have a hiring freeze in place, city manager Heath Kaplan told city council members during a meeting Wednesday. The meeting was rescheduled from Feb. 17 due to inclement weather. Kaplan offered the explanation for a memo sent recently to city departments. The memo was sent by city finance director Mark Massingham, at Kaplan's request...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The city of Poplar Bluff may need to put its fire departments up as collateral after failing the first two times it attempted to secure financing for $3 million in technology and equipment purchases, according to documents secured by the Daily American Republic through an open meetings request...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Acceptance of a $100,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority was approved by the Three Rivers College Board Wednesday. "The funds will be used to purchase equipment for our nursing education classes in Sikeston and Kennett," said Dr. Wesley Payne, TRC president...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff city manager Heath Kaplan has offered the creation of a finance committee to serve as a "litmus test" for city spending policies. Kaplan asked the city council Wednesday to create the new advisory board and received approval...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN -- A coroner's jury will be convened to look into the circumstances of the weekend death of a Carter County man who was shot and killed in his Eastwood-area home. The Carter County Sheriff's Department received a call at about 1:35 a.m. Friday from a woman near Eastwood requesting an ambulance "for a family member who had been shot," Sheriff Rick Stephens said earlier...

"March" to plant your early spring peas. Peas are one of the earliest vegetables that can be planted in the garden. According to the Vegetable Planting Calendar, you can successfully plant peas anytime during the month of March. It will take about 65 to 75 days before you can have that first dish of fresh cooked peas...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Attention, San Fran Nan: Being a San Francisco liberal means never having to say you're sorry. Or wrong. Take Nancy Pelosi, please. Five years ago, California's genius Bay Area Democrat declared that government unemployment checks generate job growth. ...

Emma Lou Purdy Emma Lou Purdy, 87, of Oxly, died Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, at Current River Nursing Center. No services will be scheduled.

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS President Barack Obama surprised many at the National Prayer Breakfast when he lectured us, "Lest we get on our high horse and think this (barbarity) is unique to some other place, remember that during the Crusades and the Inquisition, people committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ." Obama went on to explain, "In our home country, slavery and Jim Crow all too often (were) justified in the name of Christ." In Obama's mind, Western outrage at Islamic barbarism should be tempered by the remembrance of what Christians did a thousand years ago in the name of Christ. ...

NEW MADRID -- It took Cheyenne Buie all of 30 seconds to grab her first steal of the game. She ended up grabbing three to become the new Twin Rivers single-season record holder with 109 and counting. "I'm shocked. I'm just really glad that I got it finally," Buie said. "I worked the last year and then this year, when I knew I was that close, I knew I really wanted to get it this year."...

Eugene Field January Students of Month are as follows: Jayden Massa, first grade student in Teresa Webb's class, has been selected as student of the month for January. Jayden is the son of Billy and Jennifer Smith and Matt Massa. He enjoys spending time with family and playing games on his tablet. Jayden's favorite subject is reading, and he enjoys books about dogs...

NEW MADRID -- The Donettes could have used a few more donations from the charity stripe. After hitting free throws on two of their first three possessions, things went south at the line for Doniphan. As its percentage dropped, Portageville's lead increased and it won 68-60 in the MSHSAA Class 3 District 1 semifinals Wednesday night...

U.S. Marine veteran Clara Wright and her family lost their home to fire at 1:53 a.m. Saturday at 6405 County Road 654 and they are searching for a dwelling to rent in the Broseley area. Mrs. Wright, who is retired from the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, wants to find a home so the children may continue to attend classes the in Twin Rivers School system. ...

STE. GENEVIEVE -- In their first full half in 12 days, the Mules managed a season-low 20 points and trailed at the break for just the fifth time all season. Poplar Bluff shook off the rust in the second half in a big way, beating Ste. Genevieve 70-55 Wednesday night...

James McNew James H. McNew, 73, of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, at his residence. He was born May 31, 1941, in Doniphan to the late James McNew and the late Violet Jiles Adams. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and he was retired from the railroad...

Shannon Sopko NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Shannon Marie Sopko, 34, of Fairdealing, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015. Shannon was born Jan. 20, 1981, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She was a lifelong resident of Ripley County who enjoyed her children and singing karaoke. She is survived by her two children, Wade Sopko and Doran Gunter; her parents, Wade Gunter and Diana DeRousse Gunter, all of Fairdealing...

Joseph Falvey Joseph Paul Falvey, 82, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. Mr. Falvey was born Oct. 23, 1932, in San Antonio, Texas, to Pete and Florence Falvey. On May 24, 1952, he and Bobbie Langham were married in Lexington, Ky. She survives of the home...

William Stilley William F. Stilley, 92, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015 at Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Stilley was born Feb. 23, 1923 in Poplar Bluff. He was a former 36 year employee of Bank of Poplar Bluff; and was a WWII veteran, having served with the 86th Infantry Division in France and Germany, and in the Philippine Islands...

Erma Jean Holcomb Erma Jean Holcomb,72, of Patterson, Mo., passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at her residence. Arrangements are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont, Mo.

Floyd Bell Floyd P. "Red" Bell, 85, of Piedmont, Mo, passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Clark's Mountain Nursing Center, Piedmont, Mo. Services are pending with Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont.

33-35-60. Those are the numbers for the Raiders to repeat in the their Region XVI semifinal matchup against Moberly Area at 8 p.m. Friday in Joplin. Three Rivers swept the Greyhounds in the regular season for the first time since 2009 by holding them to two very similar offensive performances...

Tom Bridges RIPLEY COUNTY, Mo. -- Tom J. Bridges, 76, of Doniphan, Mo, passed away Tuesday evening, Feb. 24, 2015, in rural Ripley County. Mr. Bridges, son of the late Chester and Vida (Day) Bridges, was born October 31, 1938, in Ponder, Mo. He had spent his adult life teaching the students of Ripley County and retired with the Doniphan R-1 School District. ...