Stories from Monday, December 14, 2015

Poplar Bluff City Council members Jerrica Fox, David Johnson and Peter Tinsley will host a public forum Thursday at Northside Nutrition. The event for Ward 5 residents will begin at 6 p.m. This is the first of a series of workshops to receive input from citizens and address concerns, according to information released Friday by the city...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service Perry County Coroner Herbert Miller was sentenced to two seven-year sentences with the Missouri Department of Corrections on Friday in Perry County Court in Perryville, Mo. to be served concurrently but was granted a suspended sentence and received five years of supervised probation...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Butler County judge ordered Friday afternoon a local man to stand trial for his role in the alleged assault of another man, whose family reported him missing earlier this summer. Accompanied by his attorney, John Scott, Eldrid Leon Smith appeared Thursday afternoon before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for a preliminary hearing in his case...

By BARBARA ANN HORTON News Editor Songs, laughter and love for family and friends filled Poplar Bluff teenager Heavenly Grace Hafford's life until she was killed in an alleged hit and run accident Wednesday. Heavenly was on her way home from buying new shoes to wear to a school choir recital when she was hit by two vehicles while she crossed Kanell Boulevard (PP Highway)...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor For more than 100 Butler County children Santa Claus arrived Saturday morning at the Wal-Mart Supercenter wearing a uniform, not his traditional red suit, and accompanied them as they wandered the aisles looking for the perfect gifts for themselves and family members...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The most familiar face on the Poplar Bluff City Council will not be present following the April 5 city election. Mayor Betty Absheer, who holds the record for most years as a council member and as mayor, plans to retire in April...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer The Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education has narrowed its superintendent search to three final candidates. According to the minutes of a Dec. 7 closed meeting, candidates Scott Dill, Bob Case, and Rod Priest were selected by unanimous vote of the board out of a field of five candidates. A second motion was made by Steve Sells to re-interview a fourth candidate, but failed due to lack of support...

The T. S. Hill Middle School of Dexter had the most winning individuals and groups in the Missouri Junior Beta Club Convention which attracted 2,600 students to the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff on Dec. 4. Seventeen Dexter winners include: Nathan Bryant, first, sculpture; Jillian Avery, first, sketching; Margo Nea, second, woodworking; Madeline Parker, second, wreath; Chloe Thurmon, second, speech; Madilyn Hampton, third, cross-stitch (stamped or counted); Kirsten Bess, third, hand-made jewelry; Irene Huang, third, math II; Nidhi Patel, third, oil or acrylics; The school placed first in quiz bowl II, book battle II, tower of power and scrapbooks, second in group talent and living literature, and third in T-shirt and spotlight your club.. ...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor Irene Huang, who served as president of the Missouri Junior Beta Clubs during the past year, gave the keynote address at this year's convention in the Black River Coliseum at Poplar Bluff. "We can't allow negativity to affect us," Huang told the record 2,600 students attending the convention...

By JACK HOWLAND Columbia Missourian COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- When Sheila Dundon began chemotherapy treatments to combat breast cancer in 2007, she experienced all the side effects she'd seen in patients as a registered nurse. She felt the shooting pains, the pale-in-the-face nausea, the unwillingness to get out of bed each morning...

Another view Nov. 30 had an excellent letter to the editor "Another View on American Violence," by Robert Leible. I really appreciate his writing. I wish he would send this to the Supreme Court and let them look at it. I wish Robert would run for city council. I think he could help them in many ways. Thank you...

By STEPHANIE MILNER University of Missouri Extension Bullying is an issue that is continuing to increase each year with schools reporting more incidences and requesting more information to be given to students. It can be labeled differently, such as fighting, rumor spreading, name-calling, teasing, harassment, aggressive intimidation, and public shaming. ...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- If Pagedale, Mo., is a glimpse of the future, the future is going to be annoying. Pagedale might represent the future of governance unless some of its residents succeed in their lawsuit against their government. If they do, it will be because they successfully invoked the principle of substantive due process...

By SHARON RANDALL Tribune News Service I call them the Boys. Technically, they're not boys. But there's nothing technical about losing your heart. Oliver and Archie are my daughter's dogs. She's had them since they were pups. In dog years, they're old, or as I say if asked my age: Old enough...

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer In recent years, Poplar Bluff has adopted a new Christmas tradition--the First United Methodist Church Community Christmas dinner, which annually serves Christmas dinner to 800 - 1000 citizens of our town. The dinner will be served at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. ...

Lillian P. Lilly Lillian P. Lilly, 73, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, at her residence. Arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service of Poplar Bluff.

Rozella J. Parker FISK, Mo.--Rozella J. Parker, 92, of Poplar Bluff, died Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 at Oakdale Care Center. Mrs. Parker was born April 11, 1923 at Portageville, and had lived most of her life at Fisk. She was a member of the Fisk Presbyterian Church. ...

Heavenly Grace Hafford, age 13, of Poplar Bluff passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 in Poplar Bluff as the result of a hit and run accident. Heavenly Grace was born Nov. 21, 2002 in Baytown, Texas. She was of the Baptist faith and was a seventh grade student at Poplar Bluff Junior High School. She loved spending time with her family and friends, singing, dancing and being a teenager...

Heavenly Grace Hafford Heavenly Grace Hafford, 13, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. passed away Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015 in Poplar Bluff as the result of a hit and run accident. Heavenly Grace was born Nov. 21, 2002 in Baytown, Texas. She was of the Baptist faith and was a seventh grade student at Poplar Bluff Junior High School. She loved spending time with her family and friends, singing, dancing and being a teenager...

Frank Wilkinson Frank Wilkinson, 82, a retired Poplar Bluff teacher, guidance counselor and junior high school principal, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis. Mr. Wilkinson, the son of the late George Frank and Gusta Mary (Huggins) Wilkinson, was born June 14, 1933 in Pleasant Valley, Mo. ...

Harry Atlee Billington Harry Atlee Billington, 92, of Poplar Bluff, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Billington, the son of the late Mansel William and Lucy (Shipman) Billington, was born June 15, 1923 in Gideon, Mo. ...

James Gower James Albert Gower, 79, of Doniphan, formerly of Poplar Bluff, passed away Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, at Walnut Street Residential Care Center in Doniphan. Mr. Gower, son of the late David and Vera Sloat Gower, was born Feb. 21, 1936, in Poplar Bluff. He was of the Baptist faith and had retired as a bridge foreman for Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. Gower proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He enjoyed spending time with his family, gardening and fishing...

Judy Arlene Holloway Judy Arlene Holloway, 65, of Poplar Bluff passed away on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at her home surrounded by her family. Survivors include her mother Verla Davis, her daughter, Jessica (Rob) Landes, her sisters Deloris Bennett, Doris Tucker, Janice Pitts and Patty Robinson, her brother Aaron Davis, and her grandchildren Abby, Libby, and Payton Landes...

Hattie Elizabeth Bennett CHAFFEE, Mo.-- Hattie Elizabeth Bennett, 82, of Scott City, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Rector, Ark., May 17, 1933 to the late Leslie and Effie Jackson Noland. She married Verlin Hayes and he preceded her in death. She later married Paul Bennett and he also preceded her in death...

Steven Huffman DONIPHAN, Mo.--Steven Lee Huffman, 57, of Fairdealing, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, at his residence. Mr. Huffman, son of Robert Clayton and Helen Mae (Cline) Huffman, was born July 6, 1958, in Troy. He was a senior clinical engineer at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. ...

PARAGOULD, Ark. -- With Saturday's win, Dexter seniors Melanie McKuin and Dakota Reynolds have taken home the McDonald's Shootout championship three times in four years. The Lady Bearcats, who did not win the tournament last year with no seniors on the roster, were the stronger team out of the haltime locker room and beat Jonesboro 49-40 in the final...

SIKESTON -- Marcedus Leech took over the sixth game of his high school basketball career. The Poplar Bluff freshman had 14 of the Mules' 22 fourth-quarter points against Kennett and turned a 2-point lead into a 66-53 win in the SEMO Conference Tournament third place game Friday...

VAN BUREN -- Over 50 former players from six decades, two championship teams and five coaches with too many wins to count were honored Saturday during the celebration of Van Buren's 100th season as a basketball program. The event brought old and young players together, many of whom never met before, and reunited old teammates...

VAN BUREN -- In a game Van Buren led wire-to-wire, the Bulldogs nearly confirmed their belief that records and leads don't really matter in a Yellow Sucker Game. The Bulldogs scored the game's first points, built a 19-point lead six minutes into the third quarter and still had to hold on for dear life in posting a 59-46 win over East Carter to bring the Fish Trophy a bit closer to the banks of the Current River on Saturday...

ESSEX, Mo. -- The undefeated Bloomfield Wildcats bolstered their resume a day before the Christmas Tournament seed meeting with a 53-22 road win against the Richland Rebels on Saturday. "I was pretty happy with the way we played in the first half," Bloomfield coach Jason Karnes said of his team's fifth straight victory and first in SCAA play. ...

JOPLIN -- Three Rivers' matchup with Eastern Oklahoma State came down to the final minute, but the Lady Raiders weren't able to retake the late lead and lost 69-64 on Saturday in Joplin. Michael Everhart's jump shot with 50 seconds remaining got the Lady Raiders within two points...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff finished seventh at the Farmington Duals tournament Saturday, going 2-3 on the day. The Mules beat Hillsboro 42-36 in the seventh place match after beating Farmington JV 55-15. Poplar Bluff lost to Mexico 44-33, Memphis CBC 48-27 and Ste. Genevieve 55-14...

PARAGOULD, Ark. -- It took the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules a good eight minutes and change to start executing their gameplan. By then, it was too late. Poplar Bluff spent the first quarter allowing one long run and eventually lost to Paragould (Ark.) 63-37 in the third place game of the McDonalds Shootout on Saturday...

LADUE, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff's medley relay is headed back to the MSHSAA championship meet. Taylor Norwood, Morgan McAtee, Raegan McAtee and Kaylee Harris finished the 200-yard race in a state-qualifying time of 1 minute, 57.36 seconds. "Girls performed well for as early as a day it began for us," Poplar Bluff coach Beth Lewis-Muse said. "Many of the girls keep improving with more surprises popping up."...