Stories from Thursday, June 25, 2015

An 87-year-old Qulin man was killed in a one-vehicle crash at noon Tuesday on Highway 51, just north of County Road 236 in Butler County. According to the report, Raymond H. Robinson was operating a 2014 GMC truck northbound when it ran off the left side of the road, where it struck a ditch embankment...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A recent investigation by Missouri Department of Natural Resources officials found suspected violations involving the Little Black River and Beaver Dam Creek occurred during the Trucks Gone Wild event at Brick's Off Road Park...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer "Interested in a special project in Missouri?" At 10:16 p.m. Thursday, July 31, Heath Kaplan sent an email to a former co-worker from his days with the city of Crandall, Texas. Kaplan would not sign a contract to become the Poplar Bluff city manager for another five days, but appears to have been eager to reach out to members of his "professional network" with the news, and offers of new opportunities...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Twin Rivers R-X Schools likely operated with a deficit again during the 2014-15 school year, according to end of the fiscal year financial reports. But, it closed the gap significantly from the year prior. Board members received expense reports totaling $8,883,156 for the latest school year during Thursday's regular meeting and used those numbers to approve a proposed budget for 2015-16...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor The mother of a Poplar Bluff man who committed suicide while being held in the Butler County Justice Center in 2014 has filed a federal lawsuit against the county and jailers on behalf of her son's estate. Adam Butch Banks, 31, was found dead in a holding cell on May 1, 2014, about 12 hours after he was booked into the jail following his arrest by the Poplar Bluff Police Department on suspicion of second-degree property damage...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Jury selection began this morning in the trial of the father of a former Carter County deputy accused of multiple felonies resulting from the investigation into the alleged wrongdoings committed while Tommy Adams was sheriff...

WEST POINT, Miss. - Mossy Oak Properties, Inc. announced that Mossy Oak Properties-Mozark Realty in Poplar Bluff, Missouri was named as a finalist for its Office of the Year award. The Office of the Year award is given annually to the Mossy Oak Properties franchise office that not only achieves a high sales volume for the previous fiscal year, but also embodies the core values that Mossy Oak Properties bases its business upon. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Now come Greeks bearing the gift of confirmation that Margaret Thatcher was right about socialist governments: "They always run out of other people's money." Greece, from whose ancient playwrights Western drama descends, is in an absurdist melodrama about securing yet another cash infusion from international creditors. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Area residents needing help in designing a new home or remodeling a kitchen or bathroom have a new business, full of displays, to assist them with making their ideas become realities. "You can pick out everything you need and never leave my store," said Scott Hayes, owner of Signature Kitchen & Bath plus Custom Home Design at 3000 S. Westwood Blvd...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Fifteen years ago this week, my beautiful daughter Veronica entered the world. She didn't make a sound. As I stretched out my arms to hold her in the delivery room, furrow-browed doctors and nurses instead whisked her away. I shouted after them in panic:...

Missouri's seven veterans' homes, as well as college campuses around the state, will now have additional funding to pay for vital repairs and renovations thanks to legislation signed into law recently. The General Assembly passed three pieces of legislation during the 2015 legislative session to provide more than $300 million in bonding for much-needed repairs and upgrades for state-owned buildings...

TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) MO 734 was called to order at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 10. In attendance were 12 TOPS and two KOPS members when Leader Linda Morgan called the meeting to order. The secretary and treasurer reports were read and approved...

A Bernie woman's quick errand to the grocery store resulted in a Missouri Lottery top prize. Margaret White, 56, purchased her winning "Double Play" Scratchers ticket while picking up hamburger buns at Town and Country, 881 Walnut St. in Bernie, on June 10. White's grocery run and split-decision to purchase Lottery Scratchers tickets earned her a $20,000 top prize...

Hal Littrell DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Hal Littrell of Doniphan died Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. The funeral arrangements are pending with Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan and will be announced upon completion...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation This is the time of year you may not have a lot of options for hunting or fishing with the temperatures soaring, but it is the time to fire up that grill and pull out some of the game you harvested last fall and enjoy it. But, you have to know what you are doing...

Ruth A. Malcolm PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Ruth A. Malcolm, 74, formerly of Des Arc, Mo., died Saturday, June 20, 2015, at Forsyth Nursing and Rehab Center, Forsyth, Mo. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont. Services with follow at 2 p.m. on Friday also in the chapel. Burial will follow in the John Ruble Cemetery in Vulcan, Mo...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The Missouri Department of Conservation slowly has been implementing electronic hunting and fishing permits over the last couple years, and starting July 30, those virtual permits will become fully legal. That means you'll no longer need to carry or keep track of multiple pieces of paper if you don't buy all your permits at the same time (hallelujah!). There is one exception for deer and turkey hunters, which I'll get to in a minute...

Alberta Henthorn FLORISSANT, Mo. -- Alberta (Wells) Henthorn, 97, of Florissant, formerly of Doniphan and Neelyville, died at her home on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Funeral services were held at Wednesday, June 10, at Stygar Florissant Chapel & Cremation Center, 13980 New Halls Ferry Road. Burial was at Memorial Park Cemetery...

Edna Carter Edna Laverne Carter, 82, of Ellsinore, died Monday, June 22, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellsinore. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel with the Rev. Kenny Condray officiating. Burial will follow in the Shiloh Cemetery near Walton Chapel...

Margaret Rayfield PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Margaret Rayfield, 83, of Piedmont, died Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at Clark's Mountain Nursing Center in Piedmont. The arrangements are pending at this time. Online condolences: www.rueggfuneralhome.com.

For the majority of her life, basketball has been at the forefront of Miranda Burroughs' mind. It's a game that's consumed and excited her every day since before she can remember. From her playing days at Poplar Bluff High School all the way to her proudest moment when she signed to play at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, basketball has been good to her...

HOLLISTER -- Poplar Bluff's Nick Woolard and two-time champion Ben Godwin look to advance to match play at the Missouri Amateur Championships today at Buffalo Ridge Golf Course. Woolard shot 3-over-par 73 Monday and is tied for 29th heading to today's second round after which the top 64 players advance to match play. His round featured two birdies and 12 pars to put him tied with six others...

Kenneth Dale Huggins QULIN, Mo. -- Kenneth Dale Huggins, 68, of Qulin, died Monday, June 22, 2015 at his residence. He was born June 15, 1947 at Qulin. He had lived around Qulin all of his life. He was a member of Highland Drive Church of Christ and enjoyed hunting and fishing. On Nov. 10, 1972 he married Sandy Tompkins. She survives...

Claudette Lee Wheelis Claudette Lee Wheelis, 61, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Mrs. Wheelis was born Jan. 2, 1954, in Poplar Bluff. On Nov. 7, 2014, she and Shirley Owen where married in Belleville, Ill. She survives of the home...

Sheila Mae Holland NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Sheila Mae Holland, 53, of Knoble, Ark., died Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.There will be a memorial visitation at 6 p.m. Friday at the Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville. The memorial service will follow at 7 p.m. Friday in the funeral home chapel...

Harry Hauck Harry Franklin Hauck, 56, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., passed away Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Hauck was born June 14, 1959 in Jennersville, Pa. He served in the U.S. Marines. He was a truck driver and enjoyed fishing and hunting...

Roger Morris Swenson Sr. Roger Morris Swenson Sr., 78, of Poplar Bluff, died Monday, June 22, 2015 at Westwood Hills Healthcare Center in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Swenson, son of the late Albert and Ruth (Morris) Swenson, was born Feb. 23, 1937, in Sioux Falls, S.D...

The Poplar Bluff Municipal Library is offering "Book-A-Techie" services from 3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday. "This is an opportunity to share conversation with a library techie on techno gadgets and topics and learn and share device tips and tricks," said Shannon Mangrum, assistant library director. "Free one-on-one assistance on a variety of devices, apps, computers and other technology related services is provided."...