Stories from Sunday, March 13, 2016

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer A 100-year-old Poplar Bluff woman will make her voice heard in Tuesday's presidential primary election. Elsie Huff, a resident of Mark Twain Caring Center, says this will be the first time she has voted in a primary election...

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer Voters in Butler County will voice their opinions Tuesday on the nation's future as they vote in Missouri's presidential primary election. Butler County's 25 polling places will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Butler County Clerk Tonyi Deffendall says she expects about 25 percent of registered voters to get out and vote. That number is up significantly from 2012, according to Deffendall...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH Associate Editor A local attorney recently became more knowledgeable on the ins and outs of prosecuting cases involving computers, cellphones and other electronic devices from the U.S. Secret Service. "I thought I knew something about computers but ... I don't know jack," said Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ted Thompson, who attended a week-long training program in February through the National Computer Forensics Institute in Alabama...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer About 40 vacant properties can be found within a half-mile section of Ward 3 on the east side of Poplar Bluff, Mo. Most of the rundown structures, with flaking paint and boarded up windows, are family homes left over from a time when the area thrived...

Violating rights? Wappapello citizens voting rights! What's with Wayne County officials forcing the citizens of the Wappapello voting precinct to vote in a church when they had available a public community building? Political move? Church wants free publicity? Have you all ever heard about separation of state and church? Our rights are being violated. Thank you...

By MARK BLISS SEMO News Service Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump hold narrow leads among Missouri voters heading into Tuesday's presidential primary, according to a statewide poll released Friday. Trump leads 36 percent to 29 percent for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is the choice of 9 percent of those voters who plan to vote in the Republican contest while Ohio Gov. John Kasich is preferred by 8 percent...

By GEORGE F. WILL WASHINGTON -- Frequently predicted but never reached, "peak oil" -- maximum possible production -- has been postponed yet again, this time because of fracking. "Peak Sanders" was prematurely announced because of persistent underestimations of how underwhelming Hillary Clinton is as a candidate. The Vermont senator's peak might not arrive soon because his fundraising prowess will allow him to continue campaigning to outlaw fracking...

By JOHN R. STANDARD Southeast Missourians enjoy some of the finest outdoor recreational opportunities in America, thanks largely to the ongoing efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Since its inception by citizen approval of an amendment to our state constitution in 1937, MDC pioneered the modern concept of science-based natural resource conservation. Its successes are obvious...

Residents in nursing homes have rights mandated by federal and state law and the Ombudsman Program was established by the Older American's Act to be a 'voice' for residents in long term care facilities, assuring that resident rights are upheld. The Ombudsman Program seeks to advocate for individual residents as well as inform the public regarding nursing home issues...

A Garden Symposium workshop to be held on Thursday, March 31, at the Faith Lutheran Church, 1002 Saddle Spur Road in Dexter, Mo., staff at the University of Missouri Stoddard County Extension Office announces. The program will bring extension specialists to Dexter who will provide practical knowledge on building a healthy soil, hoop houses, lawn care and weeds, farmers markets and practical pests...

TIFTON, Ga. -- With two innings left on their Gulf Coast road trip, the Raiders' bats came alive. Three Rivers posted a season-high 16 hits and came from three runs down in the seventh to beat Abraham Baldwin 9-6 on Friday. "From a spectator viewpoint, probably a fun game to watch. It was back and forth and we had 16 hits. It was an exciting game for sure," Three Rivers coach Stacey Burkey said...

Melvin Hicks Jr. FORT SMITH, Ark. -- Melvin Hicks Jr., 86, of Ozark, Ark. died Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Fort Smith, Ark. Cremation under the direction of Lewis-Roberts Funeral Chapel, Fort Smith. Online tribute: www.lewisfuneralchapel.net

Carl Tesreau Sr. CAMPBELL, Mo. -- Carl Tesreau Sr., 75, of Grove, Okla., formerly of Campbell died Friday, March 11, 2016 at Grandwood Assisted Living in Grove, Okla. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at Landess Funeral Home in Campbell. The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Landess Funeral Chapel in Campbell with the Rev. James Gore officiating. Burial will be at Dunklin Memorial Garden Cemetery in Kennett. Memorials may be made to a charity of one's choice...

Annie Lou Sipes MALDEN, Mo. -- Annie Lou Sipes, 52, of Clarkton, Mo., died Thursday, March 10, 2016, at her residence. Visitation will begin at noon Monday at Bradshaw Funeral Home in Malden followed by the funeral at 2 p.m. in the Bradshaw Chapel. Burial will be in Stanfield Cemetery in Clarkton...

Donald Trousdale Donald Ray Trousdale, 65, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. The arrangements are pending with Cotrell Funeral Service in Poplar Bluff.

By CAROLYN SMITH Staff Writer Saturday, Feb. 27, 88 Boys Scout from 10 local troops of the Sioux District retired 13 flags. The Ozark Credit Union donated three large flags and The Bank of Missouri had also donated two flags. The remaining eight flags were private or individual donors...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer The floors throughout 211 S. Main have deteriorated so much, contractors say they have to start there before they can access the roof and patch holes at the top of the three-story downtown building. This information was shared in February and last week with Poplar Bluff's Building Standards Board...

Betty L. Webb FISK, Mo. -- Betty L. Webb, 82, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Thursday, March 10, 2016 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. She was born June 12, 1933 at Greenville, Mo. On Sept. 2, 1955 she married Thurlow (Bud) Webb. He survives. She is also survived by one daughter: Peggy McDonald and husband Gary of Poplar Bluff; one brother: Wayne Cozort of South St. ...

Lee Breuning DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Eric Lee Breuning III, 63, of Fairdealing, Mo., departed this life Thursday, March 10, 2016, at his residence in rural Ripley County. Mr. Breuning, son of Eric Lee and Freida (Fouts) Breuning, was born Oct. 2, 1952, in Memphis, Tenn. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- In the midst of their best season in school history, the Neelyville Lady Tigers ran into the hottest team and player in Class 2. Crane senior Lexie Vaught recorded a triple-double and the Lady Pirates clamped down on Neelyville's offense, cruising to a 78-57 victory in the MSHSAA Class 2 state championship Saturday at Mizzou Arena...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Two sections worth of purple-and-gold shirts said it on the back. Bloomfield coach Jason Karnes said it during the Wednesday pep rally. The guys were reminded of it in post-game interviews and by the Wildcat faithful after the game...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Donald G. "Don" Henson, 86, of Williamsville died Saturday, March 12, 2016, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Ruegg Funeral Home in Williamsville, with a Masonic service at 7 p.m...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Naylor's comeback and championship hopes ran out of fuel well short of the finish line Saturday night. The Lady Eagles were lucky enough to be down just six points heading into the fourth quarter and felt even better when Chelsea Rigdon's 3-pointer -- the first of the game for either team -- made it a one-possession game with 7 minutes, 40 seconds to go in the MSHSAA Class 1 state championship game...

Patrol DWI checkpoint in Dunklin The Missouri State Highway Patrol, in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Dunklin County sometime during the month of March. Motorists will be contacted for the limited purpose of determining if they are impaired by alcohol or other drugs. All efforts will be made to keep the process as brief as possible...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- They didn't get to don the Maroon and Gold nearly as many times as they were supposed to during the regular season. But for one last time during Saturday's MSHSAA Class 2 state championship game, Neelyville's injured seniors Christina Russom and Riley Washburn suited up for the Lady Tigers one last time...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Bloomfield will lose seven seniors in Cameron Pulley, Caleb Pulley, Treyton Hartle, Nathan Newell, Austin Bond, Tyler Battles and Noah Vandiver following a 28-5 season and fourth place finish in Class 2. "I'm just so incredibly blessed to have coached these guys. ...

FARMINGTON, Mo. --The Dexter Lady Bearcats cut a 17-point, second-half deficit as close as six with just under 5 minutes left in the third quarter but never caught up after falling behind early. MICDS scored the first nine points less than three minutes after tipoff and led wire-to-wire to beat Dexter 58-44 in the MSHSAA Class 4 quarterfinal Saturday night at Farmington Civic Center...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- With only losing one senior in Kabrien Rogers, the Naylor Lady Eagles are poised to make a run at a third straight appearance next season in the MSHSAA Class 1 State Championship. This season, Rogers, a 5-foot-10 forward, averaged 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. She shot 48 percent overall gave the Lady Eagles a three-headed presence in the post, along with 6-1 forwards Gracie Gargac and Callee Pickrell...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Duke and North Carolina aren't even this close together. Just 7 miles separates Naylor and Neelyville high schools, both of which finished second at the MSHSAA State Championships over the weekend. "It's something, and I don't ever remember it happening so that's just more history that we're a part of," Neelyville coach Becky Hale said...