Stories from Thursday, February 4, 2016

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Poplar Bluff R-I Board of Education members could vote in February to approve a $266,000 technology expansion that adds Google Chromebooks at the future middle school. Chief Technology Officer Aaron Badgley says the proposal would apply to grades 4-6 and allow for one Chromebook for every two students, approximately 650 additional computers...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Poplar Bluff City Council members will hold three more public meetings this month, as they attempt to engage with the public in a conversation about the needs of the community. Two meetings have been held already, last night in Ward 1 at Eugene Field Elementary and before Christmas at Northside Nutrition in Ward 5. Neither meeting saw a strong turnout from the public...

Three Rivers College will honor 50 years of alumni, faculty, staff, and leadership at its second annual Raider Reunion celebration. The event will be held in the Bess Activity Center on the college's Poplar Bluff Campus, Saturday, Feb. 6, in conjunction with the Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball games versus State Fair...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor The first day for candidates to file for the Butler County primary election is not until Feb. 23, but two contests already have developed. Andy Moore, who owns Moore Funeral Home, has announced he will challenge Coroner Jim Akers for the Republican nomination during the Aug. 2 primary election. Akers is seeking his third four-year term...

Lyman Hale Lyman C. Hale, 84, of Wappapello died Jan. 23, 2016 at The Manor in Poplar Bluff. Services were held Jan. 27, 2016 at the Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico. Rev. Terry Scott officiated. Burial followed in the New Hope Cemetery in McGee, Mo...

Jones a very good doctor I'm addressing Friday, Jan. 15 front page paper--surgeon arrested. Well, well, what a big bad criminal. Just marijuana. It won't be long until it will be on the ballot Dr. Jones is a very good doctor. I am a patient of his. I am not a pill taker whatsoever. ...

Next week the U.S. House will take the historic action of attempting to override a Presidential Veto. In early January, for the first time since Obamacare was signed into law without a single Republican vote, Congress sent a bill repealing the President's namesake law to his desk. I voted in support of that repeal, a vote which would have dismantled Obamacare, fully defunded Planned Parenthood, and reduced the deficit by $516 billion...

By WALTER E. WILLIAMS Some credit Albert Einstein, others credit Benjamin Franklin, with the observation that "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing year after year and expecting different results." Whomever we credit, he was absolutely right. A perfect example of that insanity is education in general and particularly black education...

By MONA CHAREN What is a political party? By the intensity of internecine conflict among Republicans, you might conclude that it's a church. Sen. Ted Cruz is among the leading voices of a faction that wants to treat the Republican Party as a confession -- singing to the choir, denouncing heretics and damning sinners to hell...

Dena Starling A memorial event to celebrate the life of Dena Starling, 40, of Poplar Bluff will be from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, in the Northside Nutrition Center east of North Main Street at 1450 Garfield St. She died Dec. 29, 2015, in her home. Relatives, friends, neighbors and co-workers are invited. Food will be served...

When the Poplar Bluff swim team chases its first conference championship next week, the senior class may be the difference. None of the nine swimmers that were honored Tuesday in their final meet at the Black River Coliseum won, but their impact was felt as the Mules built a 107-point lead...

DONIPHAN -- Lucas Moe was hot from anywhere he touched the ball Tuesday night. It only took the Doniphan junior about four minutes to find his rhythm in a decisive Ozark Foothills Conference matchup with Neelyville, and by the time he got in the zone the Tigers couldn't keep him out of it...

Thomas Ralph Schlatweiler Jr. Thomas Ralph Schlatweiler Jr., 67, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He was born July 26, 1948 in East St. Louis, Ill., He was a member of the Little Brushy Baptist Church at Wappapello where he loved to sing in the church choir. He was an auto mechanic. His hobbies were playing golf, fishing and being with his grandchildren...

Bryan E. Young PIEDMONT, MO. -- Bryan E. Young, 66, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016 at his home near Poplar Bluff. He was born Nov. 2, 1949 in Annapolis, Mo. He was a logger and a member of First Baptist Church in Annapolis. Bryan was married to Tamera Sutton Skaggs and to this union four children were born. He was later married Linda Tigart Nov. 3, 1992 in Piedmont and she survives, residing at the home...

Patrick Eugene Jeffries Patrick Eugene Jeffries, 80, of Pevely, Mo. died Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, Creve Coeur, Mo. Visitation will be held from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2016 at Heiligtag-Lang-Fendler Funeral Home, 1081 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold, Mo. ...

James Christopher Buck James Christopher Buck, 57, was born on Oct. 3, 1958 and passed away on Friday, Jan. 29, 2016 at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, Mo. Chris is survived by his mother, Betty Buck of Poplar Bluff; two sons, Matthew and Michael Buck of St. Charles, Mo.; one brother, Rickey and wife, Karen, Buck and family of O'Fallon, Mo.; and one sister, Deborah and husband, Dennis, Wisdom and family of Poplar Bluff; and the family of his sister, Sondra Meinz...

It took Poplar Bluff all of two minutes at the start of the second half to turn a tight SEMO Conference game into a runaway victory Tuesday night. The Mules didn't allow a point during that span, scoring nine straight in the process for an 85-71 win over New Madrid Central at Peters Gym...

Edward 'Wolfe Man' DeKorsey Sr., 61, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Monday, Feb. 1, 2016, at The Cedargate in Poplar Bluff. He was born Jan. 12, 1955, in St. Louis, Mo. He was of the Lutheran Faith. He had worked at Couples Aluminium. His hobbies were fishing and playing cards...

James Darden PIEDMONT, Mo. -- James Darden of Piedmont died Tuesday Feb. 2, 2016 at his residence. Visitation will be held at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, at Ruegg Funeral Home in Piedmont Funeral services will be 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, also at the Piedmont Chapel...

BROSELEY -- Twin Rivers senior Andrew Mittlestadt scored a team-high 24 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for a double-double as the Royals knocked off Bernie 72-60 Tuesday night. Chance Wilkerson hit seven field goals, including two from behind the arc and finished with 21 points for the Royals (14-8). Logan Garrett chipped in 10 points and Mitchell had seven...

DEXTER -- The Lady Bearcats jumped out to a 10-0 lead but it wasn't enough to upend the state-ranked Saxony Lutheran Crusaders on Tuesday. Saxony Lutheran moved ahead 15-14 by the 3:51 mark of the second period, increased its lead to 29-21 by halftime and hung on for a 50-44 road win against Dexter...