Stories from Wednesday, June 24, 2015

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A very significant event will take place during the Blazing New Trails Conference in July at Fellowship General Baptist Church on Highway 67 North. "We will announce the launching of the Missouri Coalition of Recovery Support Providers. It will be a historic event," said Jane Pfefferkorn, the executive director of Mission Missouri at Sikeston since 1998...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer "I'm a citizen, too" - is the mantra and namesake of Jan Desgranges' summer school class, which has spent the past month learning to play the part of responsible Americans. As part of the curriculum, students participate in activities related to civic, societal and quality of life issues...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Stoddard County judge sentenced a Catron man to seven years in prison Monday afternoon in connection with the May 2012 shooting death of his son. A seven-woman, five-man jury convicted Charles C. Goforth of the Class C felony of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action (ACA) following an April trial...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Following the rescue of 32 dogs at a home in Butler County last week, animal welfare group Hearts of Rescue says they plan on stepping up the game in reducing abandonment/neglect in the area. Composed of a handful of Butler County residents hoping to address the area's unwanted pet problem, Hearts of Rescue received its license to operate only a week prior to member Amber Shands discovering the animals in horrible conditions...

Charlie and Jan Wooten of Hillsboro have chosen the name Charlotte James Wooten for their 7-pound, 3-ounce daughter born at 10:52 a.m. Wednesday, April 15. 2015 at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. Charlotte was 19 1/2 inches long. Grandparents are George and Sally Milner of Poplar Bluff and Tom and Debi Wooten of Hannibal...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Why was America so shocked by homegirl hoaxer Rachel Dolezal? The spray-tanned con artist, who resigned this week as head of the Spokane chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of (Artificially) Colored People, is the inevitable outcome of academia's cult of manufactured victimhood...

Athena Marie Napier Athena Marie Napier, 48, of Poplar Bluff died Sunday, June 21, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

William K. Blake MALDEN, Mo.--William "Bill" K. Blake, 80 of Malden, died Sunday, June 21, 2015 at his residence. Visitation will be from noon- 2 p.m. Tuesday at Landess Chapel in Malden. The funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. at the Landess Chapel with Dr. Jeff Krupinski officiating...

Pansy Hutchcraft DEXTER, Mo.--Pansy Iline Peck Hutchcraft, 91, of Dexter died Saturday, June 20, 2015 at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Visitation will be held after 11 a.m. Thursday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at...

Gladys Alberta Johnson Gladys Alberta Johnson, 88, of Poplar Bluff, died Friday, June 19, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born July 17, 1926 at Broseley. She was one of Jehovah's Witnesses and enjoyed painting and spending time with her family. She was married to James Elbert Johnson. He preceded her in death on July 3, 2003. She was also preceded in death by her parents: Andrew Jackson and Ruby Loretta (Talley) Whittington; and one son: Ronald Lee McDonald...

By ALEX NOWRASTEH Los Angeles Times Texas and California are trying to reform legal migration on their own. The politics in these two states couldn't be more different, but legislators in both states recently proposed running their own guest-worker visa programs to get around the federal immigration reform gridlock. Relying on states to create their own migration systems may well be the solution to America's immigration woes...

Judy Cannady MALDEN, Mo. -- Judy Katheran Cannady, 64, of Gideon, died Monday, June 22, 2015 at her residence. The visitation will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden. The funeral will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in the Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Roger Swenson Roger Morris Swenson, 78, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, June 22, 2015, at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Claudette Wheelis Claudette Wheelis, 61, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Violet Mae "Vi" Lettington PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Violet Mae "Vi" Lettington, 85, of Piedmont, died Sunday, June 21, 2015, at Parkland Health Center, Farmington. The visitation will be at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Ruegg Funeral Home, Piedmont. The funeral service will follow at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Cremation will follow services...

Joseph R. Fortner, Jr. PIEDMONT, Mo.--Joseph R. Fortner, Jr., 50, died Saturday, June 20, 2015, at his home near Des Arc. Visitation will be held from 2-7 p.m. Wednesday at the Morrison-Worley Funeral Home Chapel in Piedmont. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Midlawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Union...