Stories from Thursday, July 23, 2015

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Butler County judge sentenced a Dexter man he described as having willingly and intentionally put sexual partners at risk to HIV exposure to 30 years in prison. Accompanied by his attorney, Erica Fox with the Public Defender's Office, David Lee Mangum appeared before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett for sentencing on Tuesday afternoon...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff woman is to be arraigned in U.S. District Court Friday morning at Cape Girardeau after her recent indictment for bank fraud. Stephanie Ann McCane, a former assistant to a loan officer at Southern Bank in Poplar Bluff, is to appear at 10:45 a.m. Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Abbie Crites-Leoni on the two-court indictment, which recently was handed down by a federal grand jury...

Aaron Hovis, a 2015 graduate of the Forestry program at Three Rivers College, has secured his position as a top collegiate timbersports competitor in the nation with a third-place finish in the Stihl Timbersports 2015 U.S. Championship in Central Park in New York City...

Betty Rose McChesney VAN BUREN, Mo.--Betty Rose McChesney, 78, of Birch Tree, died Sunday, July 19, 2015. A service will be at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 23, 2015 in the McSpadden Funeral Home Chapel. Burial followed in the Van Buren City Cemetery. McSpadden Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements...

Program Sat. at Pioneer Museum Dr. James Price will speak on the "History of the Time Industry, at 2 p.m. Saturday. The program originally scheduled for that date 'Working with Wool," has been rescheduled for 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated...

Benefit for Chadyn Bell There will be a benefit chicken dinner for Chadyn Bell, a seven-year-old by with a brain tumor, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Chaonia Volunteer First Dept., Hwys., 172 & N in Wayne Co. All proceeds will go to Chadyn Bell...

Fundraiser Saturday for Cleats of Fire A fundraiser will be held from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday in the River Road Radio parking lot for "SEMO Cleats of Fire" so they can travel to Norfolk, Va., to compete in the AAU National Junior Olympics Games Aug. 1-8...

Hwy. 158 near Harviell closing Friday HARVIELL -- Highway 158 between Butler County Road 323 and Route BB will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Aug. 31 as contractor crews replace the bridge with a box culvert. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor Organizers of the annual Shooting for St. Jude archery fundraiser are finalizing plans for this year's event, which will take place Aug. 8. "We're excited about it," said Miranda Fickert, captain of the Poplar Bluff St. Jude Heroes Team, which sponsors the event, along with the Indian Creek Bowhunters club. "We've been hearing a lot of buzz."...

By FRANCIS SKALICKY Mo. Dept. of Conservation CHRISTIAN COUNTY, Mo. -- On Monday, July 20, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) staff had the unfortunate responsibility of humanely euthanizing a 250-pound, healthy, adult, male black bear that had become an ongoing nuisance and threat to a homeowner in Christian County -- because someone in the area had been feeding the animal...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Hannibal Lecter ain't got nothing on the profit-maximizing abortion ghoul caught on tape hawking aborted baby parts as she swilled wine and nibbled on a gourmet salad. In newly released undercover footage from the pro-life Center for Medical Progress, seasoned abortionist Dr. ...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor Poplar Bluff High School's trap team A-squad had its best showing ever at last weekend's Scholastic Clay Target Program National Championships in Sparta, Ill., taking the sixth overall spot out of 90 teams competing. "I'm just really proud of them," said coach Bill McKinley. "Everyone shot excellent and getting sixth was phenomenal. They represented the school well - far above what was expected."...

By MIKE JENSEN Publisher Sikeston Standard Democrat Race has always been a part of the Obama administration. And there's nothing wrong with that. As the nation's first black president, it's understandable that the issue of race relations and racial justice should be a part of this administration's policy...

Carroll Griffy Carroll Griffy, 78, of Springfield, formerly of Poplar Bluff, died Wednesday, July 22, 2015 at The Manor Care Center in Springfield. The arrangements are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

By MONA CHAREN I was elected to end wars, not start them. -- Barack Obama The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it. -- George Orwell A question has hung in the air since Barack Obama first moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and began his "fundamental transformation" of this country: Did he intend harm, or was he merely so blinded by ideology that he could not see the damage his policies were creating? The Iran deal provides an answer...

Billy Dean Schleuter VAN BUREN, Mo.--Billy Dean Schleuter, 68, of Fremont, died Monday, July 20, 2015 in Fremont. There will be a service at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 25, 2015 at McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren. McSpadden Funeral Home of Van Buren in charge of arrangments...

Carol Callahan CAMPBELL, Mo.--Carol Callahan, 66, of Campbell, died Monday, July 20, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Wednesday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Thursday, July 23, at Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with Rev. Phillip Bartholomew...

Greg Swisher Greg Swisher, 58, of Poplar Bluff, died on Thursday, July 16, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Greg was born on May 7, 1957 to Norman and Roberta (Waller) Swisher at Du Quoin, Ill. He worked as a Social Worker for Christian Restoration Center. On Sept. 28, 2013 he married Rita Payton...

Jerry Ethridge Jerry Ethridge, 68, of Williamsville, died Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born Nov. 25, 1946 in Poplar Bluff. He was of the Baptist faith. Mr. Ethridge was a retired contractor, who enjoyed watching Cardinals baseball...

Andrew "Bud" Claussen WOOD RIVER, Ill.--Andrew "Bud" Claussen, 82, of Ellington, formerly of Wood River, Ill., died Sunday, July 19, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Graveside services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at Woodland Hill Cemetery in Wood River. Pastor Martin Schultz will officiate...

Moments after the Greenville High School baseball team won its first district title in four years this past May, Ben Becker walked off the field with a sense of accomplishment. He called it one of the greatest moments of his young baseball career. Since then, he's achieved much more and taken advantage of an opportunity he didn't think would come knocking so soon...

Ice cream social at city library Fri. Poplar Bluff Municipal Library is having an ice cream social from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday in its cool theater room as part of its 100th anniversary activities. "Imagine the year is 1916 as Dr. Bill Traxel plays ragtime tunes on the library's 1936 piano while you savor a serving of ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery of Poplar Bluff," said Shannon Mangrum, assistant library director. "The event is free and open to the public."...