Stories from Wednesday, February 10, 2016

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer An international chain restaurant serving American Chinese cuisine could soon be under construction in Poplar Bluff. Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission discussed a permit request Monday from Panda Express, which plans to open a location at the base of the Walmart Supercenter parking lot on Westwood Boulevard...

By DAVID SILVERBERG Associate Editor A new tourism video touting area historic sites and recreational opportunities is attracting a lot of viewers to the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce website and Facebook page. "Our very active tourism committee was looking for ways to promote Butler County and came up with the idea for a video," said Steve Halter, chamber president...

By BRIDGET BROWN SEMO News Service NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp. has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company announced Monday in a news release. In the same release, Noranda announced an expected curtailing of production at the New Madrid aluminum smelter beginning in March...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A Poplar Bluff, Mo., man was caught Monday night a short time after he allegedly robbed a local convenience store with what appeared to be a knife and made off with cash and beer. Poplar Bluff police officers were called to JD's Quick Stop in the 1500 block of North Main Street at about 8:50 p.m...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor An apparent domestic dispute escalated late Monday night when a local man allegedly used a blow torch to set a curtain on fire in close proximity to two of his young sons. Poplar Bluff police officers were sent at about 11:40 p.m. to a residence in the 2300 block of Kentucky Avenue...

Gordon Matlock RISCO, Mo. - Gordon Matlock, 70, of Risco, died Saturday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Southeast Healthcare of Stoddard Co. in Dexter, Mo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 9 at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden, Mo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10 at First Baptist Church in Risco. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Malden...

By MICHELLE MALKIN Latin America's Zika virus is the latest undocumented immigrant to hit our shores, but have no fear. Self-appointed Zika Warrior Prince Charles Schumer has declared that he is here to stop it. The New York Democrat has a "three-point plan" of attack to build a "firewall" that will prevent an outbreak of the mosquito-borne illness from spreading across our mainland. He's armed with big charts and jabby index fingers, too. Allons!...

As the son of a preacher, faith has always been at the center of my life. This week, along with numerous of my U.S. House and Senate colleagues, I attended the National Prayer Breakfast. A tradition dating back over 60 years, the National Prayer Breakfast serves as an opportunity for elected officials and religious leaders to come together and talk about the role faith, religion, and God has in all of our lives...

Woolard inducted in Sigma Rho Marsha Woolard of Poplar Bluff, Mo. was inducted into the Sigma Rho Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Three Rivers Community College recently. Woolard is majoring in registered nursing, nursing administration and nursing. She is married to Kevin Woolard of Poplar Bluff...

Betty Norton MALDEN, Mo. -- Betty Norton, 66, of Wappapello, Mo., died Feb. 2, 2016, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Services were held Feb. 4, 2016, at the Landess Funeral Home in Malden. Burial followed in the Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton, Mo...

Donald Davis Donald Davis, 70, of Puxico died Jan. 29, 2016 at his home. Graveside services were held Feb. 2, 2016 on the Puxico Cemetery. Rev. Marvin Jones officiated. Watkins & Sons Funeral Service of Puxico is charge of arrangements.

Bill Lee DEXTER, Mo. -- Bill Lee, son of the late Albert Harty Lee and Mary Etta Stallings Lee, was born on Aug. 24, 1930, in Dexter, Mo., and died on Jan. 28, 2016, at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County in Dexter at the age of 85. Mr. Lee accepted the Lord and was baptized in October of 1993. ...

Oak Grove Elementary Second Quarter Honor Roll 2015-2016 includes the following third and fourth grade students: Third grade B Honor Roll Third Grade A Honor Roll Fourth Grade B Honor Roll Fourth Grade A Honor Roll Jacob Booker, Sarena Hill, Cooper Jackson, Zoe McIntosh, Preston Moore, Matthew Anderson, Jack Ernest, Savannah Hanner, Aiden Nguyen, Addison Shell, Katie Shephard, Ava Kingree, Ian Pierce, and Cameron Settle...

Anna Sante JONESBORO, Ark. -- Mrs. Anna Lee Henthorne Sante, 82, of Jonesboro died Feb. 3, 2016, at St. Bernard's Medical Center in Jonesboro. Graveside services will be held Feb. 12, 2016 at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. Rev. Byron Beck to officiate. Funeral arrangements will be directed by Emerson's Funeral Home of Jonesboro, Ark...

WASHINGTON -- Woodrow Wilson, who enjoyed moralizing about the mundane, called paying taxes a "glorious privilege." In 1865, when there was a Civil War income tax, one taxpayer shared this sensibility, sort of. Mark Twain said that his tax bill of $36.82 (including a $3.12 fine for filing late) made him feel "important" because the government was paying attention to him. Today, Rep. Kevin Brady wants to change the way government pays attention to taxpayers...

Herman Maples Herman P. Maples, 80, of Naperville, Ill., formerly of Puxico, died Feb. 2,2016. Funeral arrangements are pending with Morgan Sifford Funeral Home in Puxico.

Rosita Braga Dunaway Rosita Braga Dunaway, 69, of Poplar Bluff, Mo. died Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The services are pending and will be announced by Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

Charles Fisher Charles Alan Fisher, 65, of Fairdealing, Mo. died Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 at his home. Arrangements are pending at this time with Fowler-Sullivan Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff.

Glen Michael Perkins CLERMONT, Fla. -- Glen Michael Perkins, 62, Clermont, Fla. died, Friday Feb. 5, 2016, at his home. A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016 at the First Christian Church, 1601 North Main St., in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

GREENVILLE -- Nothing has stopped the Neelyville Lady Tigers from reaching the Ozark Foothills Conference Tournament championship in nearly a decade, but historically they always make things a little interesting in the semifinals. This year, there were no speed bumps...

Floy Blackwell Floy Blackwell, 96, of Poplar Bluff, passed away on February 6, 2016, at Westwood Hills Care Center in Poplar Bluff. She was born on November 23, 1919, to Harry and Belle (Armour) Turner in Naylor, Mo. She graduated from Naylor High School and went on to receive her cosmetology degree. She returned to Naylor and opened Floy's Beauty Shop. She was also the Postmaster in Naylor...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff swept the relay events and got another first place in the dive to win the annual Beasts of Burden meet Monday. Kaylee Harris earned 130.05 points in the dive, beating teammate Jada Robards by 1.05 points as the Mules beat the Oxen team featuring Saxony and Perryville 152-103...

Paula Ann Williamson NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Paula Ann Williamson, 44, of Doniphan, Mo. died Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016 at South East Health Center of Ripley County. No services have been scheduled at this time. Arrangements by Fowler-Sullivan Memorial Chapel in Neelyville...

Virginia Craft BERNIE, Mo. -- Virginia Craft, 74, of Bernie, died Thursday, Feb. 4, 2016, at Southeast HEALTH in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, at Rainey -Mathis Funeral Home in Bernie with funeral services following at 1 p.m. Rev, Jack Owens will officiate...

Michael T. O'Neill PUXICO, Mo. -- Michael T. O'Neill, 69, of Wappapello, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, at the J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Funeral arrangements are pending with Morgan Sifford Funeral in Puxico.

Carr Vernon (Poplar Bluff HS) and Cal State-Monterey Bay finished last out of 19 teams at the Amer Ari Inviational on the Kings' Course in Waikoloa, Hawaii. The Otters were the only Division II team at the tournament, which featured a whose who of major college programs. USC won the tournament, with UCLA in second and Arizona State in third...

DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- After finishing Saturday's loss to State Fair with four players on the court because four players had fouled out, Three Rivers coach Jeff Walk emphasized to his team that they couldn't make silly fouls. The refs might call a silly foul, sure, that happens, but the Lady Raiders couldn't make things easy by reaching in, pushing and things like that...