Stories from Saturday, December 5, 2015

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer With a tree wrapped in a garland of purple mountains majesty, the children of Westwood Baptist Academy embraced the "Christmas USA" theme for this year's annual holiday event at the Poplar Bluff Museum. The design for this Christmas Tree Forest entry was inspired by the song, "America the Beautiful," teacher Janice Gray explained Thursday...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- An arrest warrant was filed Wednesday for Stephan Dwayne Anderson, 33, of Cape Girardeau, who is accused of forcing a woman in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to drive him into Cape Girardeau and stealing her purse in February...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff public schools may select a new superintendent at the December board of education meeting. The district has held three closed session meetings in the past two weeks and another is scheduled for 4 p.m. Monday. All the meetings, according to the board, are to interview candidates for the superintendent position that will open with the retirement of Chris Hon at the end of the school year...

WASHINGTON -- As the administrative state distorts America's constitutional architecture, Clarence Thomas becomes America's indispensable constitutionalist. Now in his 25th year on the Supreme Court, he is urging the judicial branch to limit the legislative branch's practice of delegating its power to the executive branch...

Bill Pre-Filing Begins Tuesday, Dec. 1 marked the first day legislators in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly could pre-file bills for the 2016 legislative session. During the first two days of pre-filing House members filed 261 bills. This figure shatters previous marks for bill filing activity. In comparison, the 2014 session saw just 195 bills pre-filed throughout the month-long pre-filing period...

Geneva Margaret Baker DEXTER, Mo. -- Geneva Margaret Baker, 85, of Dexter died Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Dexter. Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. ...

Looking for my popcorn I wonder if the Cub Scouts have finished delivering the popcorn they were taking orders from about two months ago? I was told at that time, they would be delivered on the 14th of Nov. I paid cash, and I did not get the Father's telephone number that was with the little boy. Thank you...

Delmer Becker BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - Delmer Lynn Becker, 68, of Bernie, Mo., died Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, at his residence. A graveside memorial service will be conducted at 10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 7 at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield with Eric Shrum officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter...

Gloria Rene Landers MALDEN, Mo. -- Gloria Rene Landers, 88, of Risco, Mo., died on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, at her residence. Visitation will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Bradshaw Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pleasant View General Baptist Church in Risco with the Rev. Mark Powell officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden, Mo...

Jerry Don Bennett, Sr. DEXTER, Mo. -- Jerry Don Bennett, Sr., 70, of Dexter died Monday, Nov. 30, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Hospital in Poplar Bluff, Mo. A memorial service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter with Brother Calvin Buehler officiating...

Donald M. Jones Donald M. Jones, 66, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born on Oct. 16, 1949 to the late Clarence and the late Della Sims Jones. On Feb. 18, 1996 he was married to Bobbi McCarter Jones in Poplar Bluff. Mr. Jones was a truck driver and enjoyed drawing cartoons...

Joseph "Keith" Lyons VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Joseph "Keith" Lyons, 58, of Van Buren, Mo., died Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015 at his residence in Van Buren. Keith was born on June 19, 1957 in Alexandria, La. to Harold and Demetra (Howell) Crenshaw, his father died when Keith was a young child and his stepfather Charles Lyons, who raised him, adopted him. ...

Verle (Phillips) Hackenyos Ethel Verle (Phillips) Hackenyos June 19, 1928 - November 21, 2015 Always known as Verle, she passed away at the age of 87 in Corvallis, Ore. She was born in Poplar Bluff, Mo., which she always considered home. Verle was the youngest and last surviving of 8 children...

BERNIE -- Twin Rivers had the ball out of bounds under their own basket, down four points with 40 seconds left in the game Thursday night. Campbell bunkered into the paint to keep the pass from going to Royals forward Andrew Mittelstadt, who had scored easily on several inbounds passes already and finished with 15 points...

Abram Forney Staton DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Abram Forney Staton, 79, of Doniphan, Mo., departed this life Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Mr. Staton, son of Abram Francis and Myrtle (Bentley) Staton, was born Aug. ...

VAN BUREN -- Loaded with their most experienced and deepest team in recent years, the Lady Royals pushed their own agenda Thursday night in a Lady Dawg Classic semifinal. Second-seeded Twin Rivers scored on five of its first six possessions, tallied 22 points in the third quarter and three players scored in double figures in a 66-41 win against No. 3 Greenville...

With eight returning starters, including four state qualifiers, the Poplar Bluff wrestling team looks to build on the foundation the Mules set last winter. "We should be a pretty good tournament team," Mules coach Dave Sievers said. "I may not have a lot of kids who are going to win tournaments, but I think I've got a lot of kinds who are going to win matches...

FARMINGTON -- Defense was the focus for the Dexter Lady Bearcats entering Thursday night's Farmington Invitational championship against Saxony Lutheran. "We really talked about containing them and keeping them in front of us," Dexter coach Chad Allen said of the game plan, which included a press that extended beyond half court most of the night. "They have some great shooters, and if we don't contain the ball they can penetrate the lane and kick it out."...