Stories from Tuesday, March 31, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Voters in 12 area cities will decide 17 contests during the April 7 election. There are three contests in Malden, two in Bloomfield, Clarkton and Holcomb, and one in Poplar Bluff, Qulin, Van Buren, Greenville, Piedmont, Puxico, Advance and Campbell...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Several junior high drama students recently returned from the 2015 Junior Thespian Festival in Nashville, a three-day theater session for middle school students and teachers. Hosted by the Educational Theater Association, the event provides junior thespians with opportunities to develop skills and share the experience with peers and teachers. Drama teacher Jo Nell Seifert says the students had a choice of several workshops to attend at the March 19-21 event...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Despite state of the art medical facilities and ample opportunities for exercise, Butler County is one of the unhealthiest in Missouri according to a March 2015 report. Butler ranked 106 overall out of the state's 114 counties, according to data from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's County Health Rankings Report. This is the sixth yearly report released by the "well-being" advocacy, not-for-profit organization...

Animal shelter change needed They need to hire people who are kind and considered for the animal shelter. The people that are there now are very rude and hateful. They clam they have too many animals, but they are hardly ever open and when they are and you go there they chase you off if you don't have a appointment...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- With Ted Cruz announcing and Rand Paul and Marco Rubio soon to follow, it's time to start handicapping the horses and making enemies. No point in wasting time on the Democratic field. There is none. The only thing that can stop Hillary Clinton is an act of God, and he seems otherwise occupied. As does Elizabeth Warren, the only Democrat who could conceivably defeat her...

By MICHELLE MALKIN They just can't help themselves -- and their agenda-driven media enablers never, ever learn. This week, the NAACP made national front-page headlines with a local press release demanding that the feds investigate the hanging death of a local man in Port Gibson, Miss. ...

Leonard Ehlers Leonard W. Ehlers, 95, of Columbia, Mo., formerly of Poplar Bluff, Mo., a retired official court reporter of the 36th Judicial Circuit of the State of Missouri, went to be with his Lord on Friday, March 27, 2015. He passed away at Slater Place, Lenoir Woods, in Columbia, Mo...

Rev. Orvill Wilkerson FISK, Mo. -- Rev. Orvill Wilkerson, 75, of Poplar Bluff, died Saturday, March 28, 2015, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Rev. Wilkerson was born Aug. 3, 1939, at Fisk. He was a member of the Star Community Church, the International Gospel Assemblies and had conducted a jail ministry for more than 20 years in Butler and Stoddard Counties. He was also a volunteer with the Butler County fire Department Lake Road Substation...

Dorothy McCurdy ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Dorothy L. McCurdy, 84, of Olathe, Kan., died Friday, March 27, 2015, in Olathe. Visitation will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the funeral home chapel...

Three Rivers College students Amanda Hendrix and Micaela Griffin have been named to the Phi Theta Kappa All-Missouri Academic Team, an honor bestowed on the state's top community college students. Members of the All-Missouri Academic Team are selected from nominations submitted by each of the state's community colleges. ...

Sarah Young Sarah Young, 81, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, March 29, 2015 at her residence. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Freda Krivohlavek Freda Krivohlavek, 79, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, March 30, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Brenda Riddle CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Brenda Riddle, 58, of St. Francis, Ark., died Friday, March 27, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Landess Funeral Home of Campbell. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home chapel with Randall Baker officiating. Burial will be in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Campbell...

Ronald Parrent Ronald Parrent, 61, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, March 30, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Louise Shull Medler Louise Shull Medler, 89, of Poplar Bluff, died Sunday, March 29, 2015, at Memorial Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com...

Three Rivers couldn't connect the dots. The Lady Raiders stranded 16 runners and scored two runs off 14 hits in a pair of 5-1 losses against Crowder on Sunday at Rains Field. "We didn't string anything together," Three Rivers coach Jack Childress said. "Nobody hit the ball hard."...

James Whiteley James Whiteley, 68, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, March 30, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

The Raiders will have trouble upping the stakes on Sunday's theatrics. After losing two close road games at Mineral Area on Saturday, Three Rivers came from behind to win in walk-off fashion twice Sunday at Roger Pattillo Field. Kelvin Flores drilled a walk-off, 3-run home run for a 7-6 win over the Cardinals...

Michael Scott is Sacred Heart School's March Student of the Month. Scott is the son of Randy and Patricia Scott. He also lives with his dog, Kobe. He loves being together with his family and playing basketball. He enjoys basketball because it improves his skills and teaches him good sportsmanship. ...