Stories from Saturday, January 9, 2016

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor This is the 16th and final year for Jeff Darnell to serve Butler County as the Western District commissioner. "I will not seek re-election in 2016," Darnell announced today. "I have been the longest sitting commissioner."...

A former Poplar Bluff, Mo., resident with large scale public sculptures on display in Kansas, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana will be featured this month at Margaret Harwell Art Museum. An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at the museum for artist James K. Johnson, a 1959 Poplar Bluff High School graduate...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor Poplar Bluff Police Department officers recently began using a new technique to help them combat the illicit drug trade in town. Beginning Dec. 17, the police department, in conjunction with the Daily American Republic, began periodically running an advertisement aimed at drug dealers, asking them to turn in their competition...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- A federal judge recently approved a $275,000 settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the mother of a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man who committed suicide while being held in the Butler County Justice Center in 2014...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Powerball fever is striking Poplar Bluff as lottery officials expect the jackpot to grow to an estimated $700 million or more by the time the numbers are drawn Saturday night. Missouri Lotto Communications Manager Susan Goedde confirmed on Thursday that the jackpot is the biggest ever...

By MICHELLE MALKIN CNN will host a town hall with President Obama as part of his "final-year push to make gun control part of his legacy." In addition to sitting down with liberal anchor Anderson Cooper, the network says Obama will "take questions from the audience."...

This past week Congress completed its legislative work for the calendar year. While much of what was jammed through Congress in the 11th hour represented more of the same in Washington; there was one piece of legislation which will provide large scale tax relief to American families, farmers and business owners, which I was proud to support, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act...

SEMO News Service JONESBORO, Ark. -- Scott Ellington, prosecuting attorney for the Second Judicial District of Arkansas, announced Thursday his office is filing charges in the Arkansas State University active shooter case that gained national attention and shut down the campus during finals week...

Nellie Ruth Smith PUXICO, Mo. -- Nellie Ruth Smith, 88, of Puxico died Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at the Puxico Nursing Center in Puxico. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. at the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Puxico with Rev. Jamie Jones of Dexter officiating. Burial will follow in the Puxico Cemetery in Puxico with Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico in charge of arrangements...

Bob Holford BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Bob Holford, 82, of Bloomfield died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be from 5- 8 p.m. on Sunday at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield. The funeral services will be at 11 a.m. ...

By BEN KLEINE SEMO News Service BENTON, Mo. -- Two suspects were arrested Wednesday after they returned to the scene of a recent burglary, the Scott County Sheriff's Department reported. James H. Daniels II, 31, of Bell City, Missouri, and Grant Daniels, 26, of Benton, Missouri, were charged with two counts each of second-degree burglary, theft and property damage...

Mary Sue Blankenship GREENVILLE, Mo. - Mary Sue Blankenship, 71, of Wappapello, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Sue was born June 6, 1944, in Parma. She was united in marriage to Randall Blankenship Dec. 1, 1962, in St. Louis...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Lady Mules unofficially grew up Thursday night in their SEMO Conference opener. Down to just nine players in the entire program, Poplar Bluff will not play junior varsity games the rest of the season. Most of the six underclassmen have already made key contributions on the varsity level this season and they were called upon again in a 61-49 win at Cape Central...

Gordon Randall "Randy" Jones PUXICO, Mo. -- Gordon Randall "Randy" Jones, 62, of Jackson, Mo. died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m. Sunday at the Watkins & Sons Funeral Home in Puxico. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Watkins & Sons Chapel in Puxico with Rev. Steve Jones of Puxico officiating and Rex Jones of Jackson assisting...

Neil Dallas Leezer Neil Dallas Leezer was stillborn Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Survivors are his parents, Jacob and Tabitha Leezer of Poplar Bluff; grandparents, Cheryl Leezer of Naylor and Tori Wilchick of Hawaii; grandfather and grandmother, Raymond and Dee Anderson of Poplar Bluff; great-grandparents, Larry and Barbara Leezer of Naylor; great-great-grandmother, Violet Leezer of St. ...

MOBERLY, Mo. -- With the ball in his hands and a win over 13th-ranked Moberly Area on the line, Three Rivers sophomore Jemeereo Spain was thinking about last year's season-ending loss. As a freshman, Spain and company swept the Greyhounds in the regular season for the first time since 2009. The two faced off a third time Region XVI Tournament semifinals and Three Rivers missed a pair of shots before the buzzer...

MOBERLY, Mo. -- The mental problem that has been troubling the Lady Raiders all season continued to cost them Thursday. Three Rivers was playing even with Moberly Area for 15 minutes, then hit a scoring dry spell toward the end of first half. Heads dropped, never really got back up, and Three Rivers lost 81-64...

NAYLOR -- On a night when Naylor retired Shayna Tharp's number, Chelsea Petty's return to the court for Neelyville overshadowed the former standout's homecoming. The sophomore, who hadn't played in about seven months due to a shoulder injury, scored 10 points in her season debut and three other players reached double figures as the Lady Tigers cruised to a 63-49 victory over their Ozark Foothills Conference rivals Thursday night...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The following students have been named to the fall 2015 Dean's List at Southeast Missouri State University. Poplar Bluff: Khaiuna Ayetimiyi, Ashley Wood, Kaetlin Lamberson, Leah Crossno, Matthew Dowd, Austin Lemonds, Makala McCauley, Haley McClure, Claudia Norton, Josie Pijanowski, John Pratt and Branden Smith...

After losing the first half Thursday night, the Bloomfield Wildcats outscored Gideon by 20 the rest of the way for a 61-45 road win. Noah Vandiver scored team-high 18 points for Bloomfield (11-1) while Austin Bond added 12 and Alex Gibbs chipped in 10 points...