Stories from Saturday, February 28, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Downtown Poplar Bluff expects to host two new events this year, in addition to the annual Iron Horse Festival. The group will partner with River Radio to hold Summer Bash on Main Street on May 16, Downtown Executive Director Penny McGath told the city council Wednesday...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor "Leadership From Behind the Scenes" is a new 112-page book written by a Poplar Bluff pastor to help ministers and other leaders with their struggles and challenges. "People only see one side of you. Everyone has a behind the scenes," said Dr. Ron Webb, pastor of the Mt. Calvary Powerhouse Church of God...

The Friends of Margaret Harwell Art Museum will host an opening reception Saturday for area artist Vicki Outman. The event will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the MHAM at 421 N. Main St. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Outman, who will be exhibiting her pastel artwork during March...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor With schools being closed, qualifying students have had plenty of time to work on difficult words at home as they prepare for the sixth annual Three Rivers College Southeast Missouri Regional Spelling Bee at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center Auditorium...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Mason-Dixon Chili Society will hold its 10th annual Chili Cook Off from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Black River Coliseum to raise money for the United Gospel Rescue Mission. The event is free to the public and donations will be accepted to benefit the mission. Between 20-30 teams will fire up their kettles at the cook-off to compete for the honor of having the best chili in the Bluff. Live music also will be provided...

Unfortunately, due to it being out of stock, Bobbie Pijanowski was not able to purchase her favorite Missouri Lottery bingo-inspired Scratchers game on Feb. 14. The Poplar Bluff resident is not too upset about the circumstance, though, since she won $25,000 on the "Red Hot Cherries" Scratchers game she purchased instead...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Although he is always preternaturally placid, Mike Pence today exemplifies a Republican conundrum. Sitting recently 24 blocks from Capitol Hill, where he served six terms as a congressman, and eight blocks from the White House, which some Republicans hope he craves, Pence, now in his third year as Indiana's governor, discussed two issues, Common Core and Medicaid expansion, that illustrate the following:...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN Back in 1987, this writer was invited by friends to advise them on a press conference they had called to oppose President Reagan's signing of an INF treaty to remove all nuclear missiles from Europe. My advice: Deplore the treaty; do not attack the president...

O'Neal Elementary announces its January Students of Month. They are: Austin Jennings is the son of Tammy Hall. He loves spending time with his grandparents and swinging. His favorite school subject is P.E. and his favorite foods are pizza and juice. When he grows up he wants to be just like his grandfather...

Greenville Junior High 2nd Quarter Honor Roll is as follows: 8th grade: Yanci Allen, Camille Bainter, Katherine (Kate) Bangert, Jackson James Theodore Becker, Isaac Branson, Brianna Bratton, Jason Bratton, Damion Zane Burkett, Angelica Carver, Abigail Sue Cooley, Jasper Lane Cravens, Jonathan Davis, Destin Deering, Hailey Downing, Frances Floyd, Kendra Hemmerlein, J. ...

The Greenville High School 2nd Quarter Honor Roll is as follows: 12th grade: Madison Baker, Jacob Barks, Coulton Becker, Lathan Blackburn, Brandon Brinkman, Bridgette Burkett, Mackenzie Clark, Bridget Clifton, Devon Duncan, Presley Ericks, Elizabeth Hefner, Benjamin Howard Lee, Shane Lee, Kandi Payne, Kristi Payne, Hunter Rainey, Samantha Rainwater, Brenden Sanders, Samantha Shaffer, Christina Stevens, Cody Turner, and Linsey Walk...

To the Editor, Working with Missouri Highlands Health Care, I see firsthand the need for rural Missourians to have access to health care through Medicaid Expansion. This legislative session our elected officials have the opportunity to accept federal funds and extend access to approximately 300,000 Missourians. ...

Every Monday and Wednesday at 9 a.m., the P.A.C.E (People with Arthritis Can Exercise) Class will be held in the Assembly Room of Twin Towers. Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., "Grace Unlimited" will sing and play the organ and harmonica in the Twin Towers dining room...

Fred Stenger Frederick "Fred" Stenger, 57, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Margie Lawrence Margie Mae (Ferrell) Lawrence, 83, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Oakdale Skilled Nursing in Poplar Bluff. Mrs. Lawrence was born Oct. 20, 1931, at Broseley. She was married to James Lee Ferrell who preceded her in death. She later married Herbie Lawrence. He also preceded her in death along with one son, James Randy Ferrell...

Ida Mae "Jackie" Hamilton MALDEN, Mo.--Ida Mae "Jackie" Hamilton, 90, of Malden, died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, at Gideon Care Center. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. Funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Bradshaw Chapel. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

Beverly Jane Lewis DEXTER, Mo.--Beverly Jane Lewis, 80, of St. Louis, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, in her home. Visitation will be held from noon until 2 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Chapel with Bro. Mikel Burton of Poplar Bluff officiating...

Willie Mae Eldridge PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Willie Mae Eldridge, 79, of Piedmont, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at St. Louis. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. The funeral will follow at 2 p.m. Saturday also at the chapel. Burial will be at Mt. View Cemetery, Des Arc, Mo...

Wearing the uniforms from their underclassmen years, Poplar Bluff's seniors played their final game at Peters Gym for a second time Thursday. The Mules used a 21-3 second-quarter run to pull away and beat Kennett 77-64 in a SEMO Conference game that started two days earlier...

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Given a second chance at the final 12 seconds, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules couldn't complete a 15-point comeback Thursday night. Notre Dame came out of a timeout leading by five but played the final 12.6 seconds with six players. Officials put the time back on the clock and issued a technical foul...

VAN BUREN -- A year ago on the same floor and against the top-seed of the MSHSAA Class 2 District tournament, the Neelyville Tigers were on the cusp of pulling an upset and reaching the championship game. It happened Thursday night. A layup late in the first quarter by junior Sammy Davidson gave the No. 4 Tigers a 1-point against top-seeded Winona...

CLARKTON -- Couch got the opening buckets in each of the first two quarters, and not a whole lot else. After the Lady Indians took the opening lead, Naylor rattled off 13 straight points and didn't allow Couch to score for six minutes. Couch got the opening bucket of the second quarter to cut Naylor's lead to eight, then the Lady Eagles rattled off 14 straight points and didn't allow Couch to score another point in the first half...

CLARKTON -- The staple of the Clarkton program this season, the thing the Reindeer want to do first and foremost, is rebound. "For this group, there were times this year that we just dominated the boards and tonight we didn't, for whatever reason," Clarkton coach David Heeb said...

Rosemary Roberts Rosemary Roberts, 84, of Williamsville, died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 at her residence. She was born Oct. 22, 1930 to the late William Steve Clay and Nannie Bell Farrish Clay, in Stello, MS. She was a long time resident of Stoddard Co. and Wayne Co...

BLOOMFIELD -- Bernie was down by six late in the third quarter and came back to force overtime before surviving the Wildcats, 56-54, in the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinals Thursday night. Bloomfield was up a point with a little more than a minute left in overtime when Caleb Ellenburg got a three-point play for Bernie with 55 seconds left...