Stories from Thursday, December 10, 2015

SEMO News Service CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Missouri, man is accused of sexually abusing several children. Arlen "Russ" Lee Jones, 76, of East Prairie is charged with three felony counts each of first-degree statutory sodomy and first-degree child molestation...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer There is nothing quite like the warmth and smells generated by a cozy old wood stove, something rural Missourian's dearly love. However, Environmental Protection Agency regulations issued in January to snuff the crackling fire in the old pot belly - in the name of air quality and better breathing - are now the law of the land and causing a number of headaches for self-sufficient families and stove dealers in the Show-Me State...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Separate issues regarding transgender residents and homelessness were raised Monday by citizens speaking before the Poplar Bluff City Council. Former Poplar Bluff School District board member Hardy Billington asked that regulations be considered limiting transgender individuals to restrooms designated for their biological sex...

By ALEX WEST Staff Writer Meeting the needs of customers has always been the goal for Kroger in Poplar Bluff. Thanks to a recent remodel, the store is now able to do so in a modern and more convenient manner. All new décor, a new front entrance, the completion of a pharmacy drive thru and expanded pharmacy area were just a few of the changes revealed at the grand re-opening of Kroger, located at 2770 N. Westwood Blvd., held Dec. 2...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello Lake wants everyone to be safe when hunting public lands. With over 44,000 acres of public land and water, hunting opportunities abound. With that much land open to public hunting, some areas at the lake may have certain hunting restrictions for safety of visitors to recreation areas, youth camps, and residential areas that hunters need to be aware of...

By KATHERINE WEBSTER SEMO News Service CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Just shy of three years after Buckner shut its doors, the smell of brewing beer is in the air again at the building at the corner of Main Street and Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The new incarnation of the business, now owned by Dr. Sonjay Fonn, will be known as Buckner's Brewing Co...

To the Editor, Poplar Bluff has come into the twenty-first century with new highways, bridges and new state-of-the-art hospital. There are new schools, churches, a justice center and a modern industrial center. Plus, more is coming to our town. The city limits have been extended in all four directions...

By FRANK CAMPA Mo. Dept. of Conservation There have been a lot of telephone calls and questions relating to the alternative methods deer hunting season coming up soon. The most common has been "when is it." It is Dec. 19-29. This is easily found on the outside back of the 2015 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting pamphlet. I always encourage people to pick up a copy of these regulations and read them so they are well informed on the laws that govern the sport for which they are participating...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN In the feudal era there were the "three estates" -- the clergy, the nobility and the commons. The first and second were eradicated in Robespierre's Revolution. But in the 18th and 19th century, Edmund Burke and Thomas Carlyle identified what the latter called a "stupendous Fourth Estate."...

By PAUL DAVIS Outdoors Editor The water level at Wappapello Lake is slowly inching closer to normal, but don't count on it getting there any time soon. "We're doing about as much as we can do," said Park Ranger Doug Nichols of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' efforts to drop the lake level...

By MICHELLE MALKIN As news of the San Bernardino jihadist shootings blared on airport TVs, I spotted a TSA monitor flashing the now ubiquitous message: "If you SEE something, SAY something." The warning should be followed with a big "LOL" and a winky-blinky, just-kidding emoji. It's one of the emptiest slogans in modern American life...

Irene Newsom CAMPBELL, Mo.--Irene Newsom, 98, of Holcomb, died Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, at the Life Care Center in Florissant. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m., Saturday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m., Saturday in the Landess Funeral Chapel with Rev. Jeremy Stevenson officiating...

Thomas A. Baggett COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Thomas A. Baggett, 94, of Columbia, formerly of Poplar Bluff, passed away Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 at Lenoir Woods Retirement Community. Tom was born July 1, 1921 in Alicia, Mich. and later relocated to Paducah, Ky. where he lived until enlisting with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1942. He served in the Marshall Islands in WWII as an aircraft technician...

Judy Kay Clubbs MALDEN, Mo. -- Judy Kay Clubbs, 62, of Jackson, Mo., formerly of Malden died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Mo. Visitation will be at noon Wednesday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden with the funeral following at 2 p.m. in the Bradshaw chapel, Burial will be in Rosewood Cemetery in Malden...

Ruthie Mae Allen Ruthie Mae Allen, 77, of Poplar Bluff, died Tuesday, Dec. 08, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Helen Dunbar Helen Dunbar, 68, of Poplar Bluff, died on Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 at her residence. Arrangements are pending with Moore Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff. Online condolences: www.moorefuneralservice.com

Mary Pippins DEXTER,Mo. -- Mary Ellen Pippins died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, at the Country Club Care Facility in Warrensburg, Mo. Funeral Services will be conducted at the Rainey-Mathis Funeral Home on Friday, Dec. 11. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. with the funeral service at 11 a.m. Rev. Michael Williams of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) will officiate. Burial will be at the Stoddard County Veteran's Cemetery near Bloomfield following the funeral service...

Jean Wolf Jean L. Wolf, 82, of Doniphan, formally of Poplar Bluff, passed away Thursday Dec. 3, 2015 at her daughter's residence. Mrs. Wolf, the daughter of the late Friend and Marian (Apgar) Lodge, was born July 1, 1933 in Montclair, N. J. She was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, where she served in the choir, in Quilters Workshop, in Joy Club and on the Altar Guild. ...

Peggy Jean Denny PUXICO, MO. -- Peggy Jean Denny, 87, of Puxico, died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, at the Brown General Baptist Church near Puxico with Rev. Ray Placher of Puxico officiating. Burial will follow in Puxico Cemetery...

Jerry W. Henderson Jerry W. Henderson, 72, of Poplar Bluff died Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Friday with the funeral service following at 2:30 p.m. at Cotrell Funeral Chapel in Poplar Bluff...

Ricky Lee Selby MALDEN, Mo.--Ricky Lee Selby, 66, passed away peacefully Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 surrounded by his loved ones. He fought a long and hard battle with cancer, but is now with his Lord. Rick was born Aug. 9, 1949 to Abe and Bonnie Selby of Malden. ...

Wilma VanDover NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Wilma Pauline Lampp VanDover, 97. of Harviell, Mo., died Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015, at Westwood Hills Healthcare in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fowler Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville followed with the funeral will be at 11 a.m. at the funeral home chapel. Her nephew Don Emmons and her grandson-in-law Pastor Dennis Aud will officiate. Burial will be in Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery in Fairdealing, Mo...

BROSELEY -- If Twin Rivers had scored as many points in the fourth quarter as it did in the previous three combined, it still would have lost by five points. Malden's turnover focused defense held Twin Rivers to 26 points through three quarters and won 57-42 on Tuesday at Twin Rivers...

Poplar Bluff won all but one event in its home debut Tuesday at the Black River Coliseum. Freshmen Lily Soeter and Raegan McAtee won all four of their events as did sophomore Taylor Norwood as the Mules won by 106 points over Pocahontas (Ark.). Morgan McAtee won the 100-yard breaststroke and finished second the 200-individual medley as Elizabeth Kiefner of Saxony kept Poplar Bluff from the sweep...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- It was difficult to tell which side won Tuesday. The scoreboard said Poplar Bluff advanced to the SEMO Conference Tournament semifinal with a 70-62 win over Cape Central, but the coaches had a different perspective. "A win's a win and we grinded it out tonight," Mules coach William Durden said. "We didn't rebound very good, we didn't play defense very good and we still won."...

Caden Jamal "Bugs" McComb NEELYVILLE, Mo.--Caden Jamal "Bugs" McComb, 21, of Paragould, Ark., departed this life Monday, Dec. 7, 2015 in Paragould. Mr. McComb was born Sept. 26, 1994, to Percy Law, Sr. and Brenda McComb. Both survive. Also surviving are a son: Jayden McComb, two sisters: Holly Johnson, and husband James, of Marked Tree, Ark. ...

BUNKER -- Van Buren's Zach Griffin and Bunker's Logan Stluka got into a bit of scoring contest Tuesday, with the Bulldogs eventually coming out on top with a 62-46 road win. Griffin led Van Buren (2-1) with 27 points while Stluka finished with 28. The duo combined for 18 of 37 combined field goals in the game and 52 percent of all scoring...