Stories from Thursday, May 28, 2015

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A Carter County man was arrested Tuesday on eight sexual-related felonies stemming from his alleged abuse of multiple children. Johnny L. Hardwick, 41, of Fremont was charged Tuesday with four unclassified felonies of first-degree statutory sodomy, the unclassified felony of forcible rape, the Class B felony of first-degree child molestation and two Class D felonies of incest by Carter County Prosecuting Attorney Ernie Richardson...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Greenville man was ordered to stand trial Tuesday for his role in the shooting death of a man whose body was found laying next to his overturned all-terrain vehicle on a county road near Hiram...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer They are mean, green, ash-tree-munching machines and experts with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) say "prepare," because the tenacious insects are not going away anytime soon. The emerald ash borer - an invasive green beetle that attacks ash trees specifically - continues to spread throughout Missouri. ...

Three Rivers College and Murray State University have finalized an articulation agreement that will allow students in Three Rivers' Agriculture program to seamlessly transfer to several of the degree programs in Murray State's Hutson School of Agriculture...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Usually bids for a project are very competitive. But this was not the case with two bids received by the city of Poplar Bluff for the issuance of $14 million in bonds related to the Eight Points Redevelopment agreement...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer A super sweet treat for the community is currently in the works, as iconic ice creamery Baskin-Robbins plans to open this summer in Poplar Bluff. The store is shooting for a tentative Aug. 1 kickoff in its new location next to the Brick Oven Pizza Company, located in the 120 block of 11th Street. Franchise owner Charles Hampton says he has some busy weeks ahead...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- A simple apology would suffice. Instead, campaign finance reformers, horrified by the predictable results of their handiwork, aspire to yet more regulatory wrinkles to limit political speech. These, too, would have consequences unintended and undesired by reformers, "requiring" a new round of reforms. But the Constitution, properly construed, requires a wall of separation between campaign and state...

Disappointed in New Wave Yes, I am very disappointed in New Wave. I'm in my 90s and I know people in nursing homes depend on their TV for Sunday church. And we can't have it because they don't have it on TV and they won't have. They say it's out of market and we all need our church on Saturday night and Sunday mornings...

Sandra Layton DEXTER, Mo. -- Sandra Faye Layton, 63, of Dexter died Sunday, May 24, 2015, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Thursday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will then be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday in the chapel with the Rev. Dean Williams officiating...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Summer is here and any high school and college students looking for some extra cash should know they may have better luck than in the years following the recession of 2008. In its annual teen summer job outlook, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. noted that employment among 16 to 19-year-olds is currently at its highest non-summer level since 2009 and is expected to increase as school lets out and seasonal job opportunities expand...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat As you would expect at this point in his presidency, Barack Obama has started to openly discuss his legacy. With the clock ticking down on his second term, Obama is doing what he should do - planning for the future...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS During the early years of the Reagan administration, a Washington news conference was held for me for my first book, "The State Against Blacks." Before making summary statements about the book, I offered the reporters assembled that they could treat me like a white person. They could ask me hard, pressing questions. They could demand proof of the arguments that I was making...

VAN BUREN, Mo. - Louis Carrol Montgomery, 80 of Grandin, Mo. died Monday, May 25, 2015 at home with his family. A visitation is scheduled for the public at 10 a.m. Friday, at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore, Mo. with the Funeral to start at 11 a.m. in the Funeral Home Chapel with Kirk Emory officiating. Burial to follow in the McRom Cemetery...

Fern Tallent Fern Tallent, 93, of Poplar Bluff died Monday, May 25, 2015 at The Chateau Girardeau, in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Tallent was born Dec. 5, 1921 in Ashland, Kan. to the late Oscar and Mabel Campbell Rader. She completed her undergraduate degree in education at Southeast Missouri State University and received her Master's Degree from Drury College. ...

Charles Isaac Farmer DEXTER, Mo.--Charles Issac Farmer, 90, of Dexter passed away on Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Arrangements are under the direction of Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter.

Fans might remember that Abiodun Francis got a layup at the final buzzer to win the Poplar Bluff Showdown for the second time in the Mules' history this year. But it was Joseph Eyler that chased down a loose ball near midcourt and fired a pass to Francis with the clock running down...

Marolyn Hunt PATTERSON, Mo. -- On Feb. 24, 1968, Eugenia Rhea (nee Guarr) and Jerry Mack Starnes welcomed to the world, Bethel Marolyn, a beautiful, baby girl, born at Doctor's Hospital, Poplar Bluff, Mo. With her two sisters, she grew up in rural Southeast Missouri, coming to age in forests, fields, and the family farm. Along with her grandparents, Sam and Erva Starnes, she enjoyed family gatherings and playing with her cousins and friends...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor I had high hopes for a good squirrel season opener, but those were dashed pretty quickly Saturday morning. It wasn't for a lack of squirrels, but simple bad timing. All throughout the spring turkey season, I'd seen huge numbers of squirrels, so there should be plenty of them around...

Betty Lou Musgrave DEXTER, Mo.--Betty Lou Musgrave, 87, of Bloomfield, died Monday, May 25, 2015 at the Golden Living Center in Bloomfield. Visitation will be after 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will follow at 1 p.m. Wednesday, at the...