Stories from Sunday, April 3, 2016

By EVAN HOLLEY Staff Writer The race for the Poplar Bluff at-large city council has widened by one person. Larry Leeds, owner of Larry Leeds Quality Automotive, announced Thursday he would run as a write-in candidate for the office. Residents may declare themselves as write-in candidates even after the official deadline to file. However, these candidates face a disadvantage since their names will not appear on the ballot. Leeds will have to rely strictly on word-of-mouth campaigning...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer Three Poplar Bluff City Council seats are up for grabs in Tuesday's election. Two candidates have filed for the one year remaining on the term of former council member Jack Rushin. All citizens will vote in this race, between Jerrica Fox, who was appointed by the council in August, and challenger Jim Chrisman...

Residents of four area counties will vote on countywide tax issues during the April 5 election. The use tax is on the ballot in Butler and Carter counties. Stoddard County residents will vote on a 911 sales tax. In Ripley County, a hospital sales tax issue will be decided...

By PAT PRATT Staff Writer Hundreds of members of the community, along with state, local and college officials, turned out Friday for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Libla Family Sports Complex at Three Rivers College. When complete in the fall of 2017, the $10.5 million facility will replace Bess Activity Center as the home of Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball and house the new Three Rivers Sports Hall of Fame...

By DONNA FARLEY Staff Writer A 50-year age difference separates the two candidates for a Poplar Bluff city council at-large seat, and it is something they both claim as a strength. Incumbent Jerrica Fox is a 24-year-old graduate of Arkansas State University with a family history of public service. Her challenger, 74-year-old Jim Chrisman, graduated from the University of Missouri and returned to Poplar Bluff in 1997, with a love for his hometown...

Jay Doyle Brown, Sr. Jay Doyle Brown, Sr. 82, of Poplar Buff, passed away Thurs., March 31 at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. Mr. Brown, the son of the late Doyle and Reba Parker Brown, was born Oct. 17, 1933 in Cairo, Ill. He was a member of Highland Drive Church of Christ and had retired in 1996 from AT&T as a tower installer over all of southeast Missouri. ...

By PATRICK J. BUCHANAN The Wisconsin primary could be an axle-breaking speed bump on Donald Trump's road to the nomination. Ted Cruz, now the last hope to derail Trump of a desperate Beltway elite that lately loathed him, has taken the lead in the Badger State...

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER WASHINGTON -- After dozens of contests featuring cliffhangers, buzzer-beaters and a ton of flagrant fouls, we're down to the Final Four: Sanders, Clinton, Cruz and Trump. (If Kasich pulls a miracle, he'll get his own column.) The world wants to know: What are their foreign policies?...

Alan Joseph Soprych Sr. VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Alan Joseph Soprych Sr., 73, died Thursday, March 31, 2016 at his residence in Van Buren. The visitation will begin at 5 p.m. Sunday at the McSpadden Funeral Home in Van Buren, with the funeral services beginning at 10 a.m. Monday in the St. George Catholic Church. Officiating will be Father Dan Hirtz. Burial will be in the Van Buren City Cemetery...

Evelyn Doris Gunter DONIPHAN, MO. -- Evelyn Doris Gunter, 84, of Doniphan, Mo., died Friday, April 1, 2016, at Oak Dale Nursing Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Visitation will be from 5 - 8 p.m. Sunday, April 3, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will follow at 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, in the Edwards Funeral Home chapel and burial will be in the New Hope Cemetery...

Mary M. Mitchell Stull Mary M. Mitchell Stull, 87, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Neelyville, passed away Wednesday, March 30 at Cedargate Nursing Center. Ms. Stull was born Feb. 12, 1929 in Piggott, Ark. She married James S. Mitchell on August 14, 1948. He preceded her in death in 1985. Later she married Clarence Abe Stull, who preceded her in death in 1996. Ms. Stull enjoyed dancing, visiting flea markets and cooking...

Mamie Lee Perry Mamie Lee Perry, 89, of Dexter, Mo. died Saturday at the Cypress Point Nursing Center in Dexter. Funeral services will be held at noon on Tuesday, April 5, at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield, Mo., with Rev. Ronnie Stevens officiating...

Ruth Harris-Henn Ruth Harris-Henn, 37, of Poplar Bluff, died on Thurs., March 31 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. A Memorial Service will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 16 in the Moore Funeral Service Chapel in Poplar Bluff. A full obituary will follow...

Teddy "Ted" Carl Leslie, Sr. Teddy "Ted" Carl Leslie, Sr., 78, of Osage Beach, Mo., passed away Thursday, March 31, 2016, at his home in Osage Beach. His passing has left a void in his family that cannot be filled. Ted was born June 24, 1937, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., the son of Scott W. and Bertha D. (Landrum) Leslie...

Lina Mae Swindel DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Lina Mae Swindel, 91, of Hendersonville, Tenn., died Friday, April 1, 2016, at the Golden Living Centers-Brandywood in Gallatin, Tenn. Visitation will take place from 5 - 8 p.m. Monday, April 4, at the Edwards Funeral Home in Doniphan. The funeral service will start at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 5, in the funeral home chapel with Brother Randy Miller and Kenny Hayes, grandson of Mrs. Swindel, officiating. Burial will follow in the Doniphan City Cemetery...

Connie Ivester Connie Ivester, widow of the late Jewell Ivester, passed away peacefully at her home in Mulberry, Ind. on Monday, March 28, 2016 after a short illness. Connie was born at Redd, Mo. on Oct. 23, 1921 (to Albert Hardy Lee and Mary Etta Stallings Lee) and lived in Poplar Bluff and Jackson, Mo...

A quick run to the store for some groceries and a bingo Scratchers ticket for her mother has earned Beth Grayson of Qulin her own $50,000 Missouri Lottery Scratchers prize. "I had to run out to the store, and my mom wanted a bingo. So I stopped in to get her some bingos and I got myself a ticket," began Grayson, who purchased her winning "$50,000 Crossword Extra" Scratchers ticket on March 22 from K & K Corner Store, 13726 Highway 53, in Qulin...

WEST POINT, Miss- Mossy Oak Properties, Inc. is pleased to announce that Mossy Oak Properties Mozark Realty, a full-service real estate brokerage located in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was its highest producing office over the combined 3rd and 4th quarters of 2015 out of a network of over 80 offices in 25 states...

BADGE OF HONOR BENEFIT RUN Half Marathon MALE -- Daniel Mustain, Poplar Bluff, 1 hour, 32 minutes, 35.7 seconds; MALE 16-19 -- Rye Huff, Piedmont, 1:41:21.9; Matthew Rodgers, Doniphan, 2:33:10.6; MALE 30-34 -- Craig Canaday, Herculaneum, 2:00:28.2; Bobby Allison, Eldon, 2:06:02.3; MALE 35-39 -- Samuel Moncier, Poplar Bluff, 1:35:54.4; Zachary Swavely, Poplar Bluff, 1:41:57.7; Michael Crowley, Ellsinore, 2:08:20.2; Richard Pestillos, Poplar Bluff, 2:11:43.5; Matthew Rice, Camdenton, 2:18:54.5; MALE 40-44 -- Jim Barker, Poplar Bluff, 1:42:54.1; Brock Littles, Poplar Bluff, 1:46:57.5; David Cain, Vine, Kent., 2:01:46.0; Dennis Parker, Ellsinore, 2:06:57.5; Robert Mckim, Doniphan, 2:29:48.1; MALE 45-49 -- Robert Tomlinson, Poplar Bluff, 1:43:46.3; Rodney Rubi, Poplar Bluff, 2:02:47.9; John Foltz, Festus, 2:10:56.2; Roderick Baz, Poplar Bluff, 2:33:31.7; Bruce Fiske, Rolla, 2:36:07.9; MALE 50-54 -- Dale Hicks, West Plains, 1:48:15.2; Robert Martin, Dexter, 2:30:33.7; MALE 60-OVER -- Bill Choate, Farmington, 1:56:21.0; Ed Baker, Ellsinore, 2:00:23.7; Mohmoud Sagharichi, Poplar Bluff, 2:19:56.7; Mark Dancer, Poplar Bluff, 2:32:35.9.. ...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff and Dexter ended up tied after all the matches Saturday in the PB Invitational tennis tournament were played. To break it, the total games won in all the matches were counted and the Mules took home the title by the slimmest of margins, winning 54-51...

For the second time in as many days, the Raiders' offense hit a wall against Jefferson College. Three Rivers was held to just one hit in the opener and one run in the nightcap as the Vikings swept their second straight doubleheader over the Raiders with 9-0 and 11-1 victories Saturday at Roger Pattillo Field...

Van Buren improved to 4-0 in the spring after Summer Shockley struck out 10 with three walks and five hits over six innings and the Lady Dawgs beat Neelyville 8-1. Jenny Morey scored half of Van Buren's runs after stealing four bases. The speedy leadoff hitter took three bases on an error in the first inning, then scored on a wild pitch...

Don't be fooled by that fake bunt Stephanie Worth sets up with. It's not a trick or some lingering April Fool's joke, just a reminder to swing level. At the plate recently, Worth has been squaring her bat as though she is going to bunt, then draws it back and swings normally. The idea is to hit more line drives...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff pitchers finally gave up a run Saturday afternoon after 21 shutout innings. The Mules got a second straight shutout from Tanner Tibbs in a 10-0 six-inning win over Mountain Home (Ark.) before Joe Darlin took a shutout into the sixth in a 5-1 win over West Plains...

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Poplar Bluff's Krisman Eakin won the 200-meter race by over a second while Denzell Britton was edged in the 100 by less than a fraction of a second Friday at the Border Clash. The Mules finished eighth as a team while the Lady Mules were ninth in a meet that featured teams from Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma...